Your ride today....

[Freds Dad]

Another ride around the lanes in the sunshine. Miles increasing by the week and now the clock have gone forward I can get some miles in after work.

https://www.strava.com/activities/913738595

 

[cosmicbike]

Slightly cooler start to the day today, no doubt as a result of the clocks changing. MIL round today for lunch so grabbed an hour or so and headed out to Walton and back. Still very windy. Still undecided on the Roubaix, I really want for it to be more comfy than my Planet X RT-58, but it's not, though I suspect the saddle may have something to do with that, as it's only the undercarriage that doesn't like the ride I may have to invest in one of the CGR seatposts so soften the blow...

 

[Jon George]

I needed to get the blood flowing this morning, so went for a short 11 mile trash on Patsy #1 The Carbon ... in shorts and summer shoes! The headwind may have been a bugger, but sunny spring days like this make up for all the miles slogged in winter. And that tailwind on the way back was fun!

I managed to pause for a pic of The Orwell at Levington.

 

[Donger]

A 35 mile club ride with a few gratuitous extra miles added on either end today. 43.6 miles in all.
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/14662140#.WM7te_FkXcg.facebook
The "Chilled" group set off with five members today, and somehow came back with six (as we had arranged to meet up with the Intermediates at Staunton Garden Centre). Glorious sunshine, dry roads and great company today. If the wind had been a little less wild today it would have been perfect. A nice picturesque clockwise loop through Huntley, Taynton, Newent, Upleadon, Staunton, Hartpury and, (after a sadistic little sting-in-the-tail climb up the Woolridge), Maisemore this morning. Daffodils and lambsies everywhere. Wonderful.
Cheers, Donger.

 

[13 rider]

Thought I do something different today most of my rides are solo but today I decided to join Leicester Forest Club for their social ride . I'd emailed in the week but got no reply but website says non members welcome so I thought I'd just turn up . Had come across the club and riders a few times and always seemed friendly . Out the door at 0915 ,9 miles to meeting point rolled into pub carpark at 0950 and there's noone there. Another rider turned up introduced myself .Andy says I'm welcome by 1005 there's only 4 of us 2 Kevin's ,Andy and me so not much of a peleton .Quick discussion on route 1 wanted Market Bosworth another 1 wanted Charnwood hills me I'd just follow the other went hills and we decided noone was bothered about a coffee stop .So back to Desford which was busy with runners as there was a race on . We nearly took a runner out who just stepped into our path but good reactions by us got us by him . Out to Thorton and a found myself on familiar roads but travelling in the opposite direction .A few more hills and onto Woodhouse ,Quorn ,Rothley and into Swithland the leader slowed down in Swithland for a couple of horse riders which was good as one off them was my sister quick wave as we pass . Up the climbs to Newtown Linford via Warren hill . In Newtown I parted company as I'm only a mile from home thanked the others for the ride . 32.4 miles in the bag in shorts and short sleeved but arm warmers stayed on today the wind was still chill . Nice ride with abit of company if not quite the ride I was expecting may tag along on another Sunday

 

[Mike_P]

Feeling very envious of everyone out while I am struck down with a nasty head cold- whats the world record for the emptying of the tissue box? Got the week off as well so I bet when the cold has itselfoff it will be

 

[derrick]

Little ride out to Luton Airport, My other half and two mates set of at 8am this morning for a ride out to Luton airport, Had a good ride out with a bit of a tail wind, Had a ten minute break when we got there, Took a couple of pics before jumping back on the bikes for our return ride, Was a bit blowy on the way back, the other half was suffering a bit on the way back, think she may have over done it on the Saturday club ride. She finished the ride although she was a little way back after our Ridgeway dash. Headed straight for the pub. 3 beers later went home had a nice shower, Then scrambled eggs and crispy bacon on toast with an avacado on the side. lovely, Got to go back to the pub tonight as it's our club bosses birthday, It's a hard life being me.
https://www.strava.com/activities/915276044#kudos
Loving the new bike.

 

[Dave 123]

Back home from Mallorca, filled the washing machine and decided on a little tandem leg stretch in to town.
Lots of spring colour, including these cherry trees at Selwyn College on Grange Road

The mallards waddled along the pavement, then decided to cross the road to check out the tandem. They were right at my feet but I decided not to take a picture as they'd stopped the traffic whilst crossing. I didn't want to take the p1ss!

https://www.strava.com/activities/915592869

 

[TigerT]

After a rubbish year of cycling in 2016 due to back and knee issues caused by winter walks in the mountains, I've been been avoiding anything steep and snowy during the winter and getting back into regular riding now that the weather is improving. Last year I couldn't ride my road bike at all as it was just to uncomfortable and only did a few short rides on my hybrid as I could at least get on that without things hurting too much.

Today was the first ride this year that I've really enjoyed. Set out just aiming to do 25kms heading out past Zürich airport to a nearby village planning to head straight home from there. However, everything felt good and I fancied a Coffee and Cake break so diverted down to a local lake to a favourite cafe. After a decent break, took the long way home around the lake and ended up at around 53kms.

So, I'm back on my favourite bike and enjoying it again. Weather forecast is good this week and I'm owed a day off, so already thinking about where I'll ride.

 

[Spiderweb]

Biggin Road Little Fenton.

A lovely day today in North Yorkshire but feeling a little rough after eating and drinking far too much last night!
A 21 mile loop was enough for me today.

 

[Stevec047]

Only the 3rd ride for 2017 no excuses just laziness on my part. Nice 20 mile leg spinner with a friend around the Essex country side. We both have grand plans for this year so now is the time to knuckle down and hit those roads harder than ever before.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I woke up and thought about going on the local CTC's 55 mile ride out. Only for a few seconds though. I couldn't hack 55 miles, so i decided to do nearly half the amount by doing my old 12.5 mile loop twice. I made it but not as planned. I did it once then went home to change my long sleeved winter jersey for something cooler. Then i decided to have a cup of tea and a sandwich. Then i decided to take the dog for a walk and sit for a while in the cemetery. I got home,then went out again(2 hours 15 minutes later)and did the ride again. So i did manage 25 miles today,even though the miles were split into two rides.

 

[NorthernDave]

Despite the forecast the weather was better today than yesterday, but the dreaded "things to do later" meant I'd be limited to a couple of hours or so for a ride this morning.

After being a bit warm on the return leg yesterday I pared the kit down a bit and the three-quarter bibs made their second appearance of the year (its not quite warm enough to brave bib shorts just yet) and I think I got it about right today.

Started off covering the same route as yesterday, up Coal Rd, Red Hall Lane, Whin Moor Lane through to Shadwell (just missing a sizeable peleton heading down Main Street) and up to Slaid Hill lights. But then I flew down Wike Ridge Lane, before taking the right onto Tarn Lane to try somewhere different. And very acceptable it was. Eventually it becomes Syke Lane and the descent into Scarcroft begins just by a sign saying it's unsuitable for HGVs. Which is fair enough as it's narrow and twisty in places but also very good fun, even if in places the grates are two feet in from the road edge (this seems to be a common thing around these parts, goodness knows why?).
Arrived at the A58, where after a brief pause for a gap in traffic it was straight across onto one of the many Thorner Lanes for the descent and then climb back up over the former railway line to Milner Lane. Back onto a regular route now it was along the ridge all the way to East Rigton and up onto Bramham Lane where I'd decided to risk the mud despite being on the 'best' bike again. Although there was plenty of mud on the road it was all dry so it wasn't a problem today but it will only take a shower to change all that again.
Across Jewitt lane and the climb up onto Thorner Lane (a different one), through the dip and up the other side before the long gentle descent down to Bramham.
Right just over the A1(M) bridge and down the hill and up the other side to Paradise Way where it was time to stop for a stretch and a couple of pics:

Back on the bike and back onto Paradise Way for the run down to Bramham Crossroads, round the roundabout and onto Main Street for the mainly downhill run to Aberford.
Over the bridge and right onto Cattle Lane for the ups and down (but mainly ups) to Barwick, getting the only excessively close pass of the day from a numpty in a Berlingo. Through Barwick and the climb continues almost all the way to Scholes, where there is a quickish descent down to the Coronation Tree.
It was here that a brave man travelling in the opposite direction chose to wind down his window and unleash a torrent of abuse in my direction, for reasons that will only ever be known to him. Still, I'm sure it hugely impressed the young lady sat alongside him.
Down Leeds Road and over the bridge and you'll be expecting me to turn for home here, but I had a mission to complete so I carried on down to the Ring Road, surprising myself by staying on the road round the roundabout and then hopping onto the Cycle Super Highway down the hill to Halfords, where I picked these up:

(see the 'what have you bought for the bike today' thread...).
Time was then pushing on, so I headed for home, via a loop up Cross Gates Road, Austhorpe Road and Pendas Way, before hitting the local roads up to home.

26.11 miles (42.02km) in a steady 1h 55m at an average of 13.5mph with 1,387ft climbed - would have been nice to round it up to 50km, but I just didn't have the time today.

A lovely day for a bike ride and plenty of cyclists were out there making the most of it - and apart from the two muppet motorists mentioned above, everyone was playing the game today.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Early start for me this morning, out the door by half eight, treating my Good Lady to dinner later so I only had time for a short ride. Lovely bright sunny morning, a bit chilly at first but warming up nicely later on, by the time I was riding back into Coventry I was well over dressed. The spoiler was a stiff cold breeze, I spent a lot of the ride out grovelling into the breeze, the stretch between Pailton and the A5 island was hard work, the ride home was a lot better, I spent most of it flying in front of the breeze. My first ride on gears since the end of October, I quickly discovered I should have changed the cassette when I replaced the chain, every time I lent on it hard it was jumping all over the place. Dispite that I had an excellent ride in the sunshine, Ullesthorpe and back 35 miles covered.

 

[Old jon]

. Which is fair enough as it's narrow and twisty in places but also very good fun, even if in places the grates are two feet in from the road edge (this seems to be a common thing around these parts, goodness knows why?).

You are showing your relative youth, @NorthernDave , they widened the roads but moving the stuff below the grates is very expensive. Those roads were barely a car's width in the sixties. I will say it first, the nineteen sixties.