Your ride today....

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13 rider

Guru
Location
leicester
I came up with a cunning plan to get a ride in today. I suggested to our lass that I take her to Nice Pies for tea and cake. It's a bit of of her range so I proposed I ride out there and she drives. :rolleyes: Showed her were the cafe was on google maps and decided we would meet there at 11.

I set off at 9 and half a mile in it starts to rain so I stop and put on the rain jacket. Nice wind assisted ride to the cafe and as I shoulder check to turn right into the entrance the car coming up behind me is our lass, perfect timing.

Missus has coffee and a scone, I have tea and a piece of triple sponge cake. As we are finishing two other cyclists come in (I'll come back to these)

Our lass suggested she could take some pies home for tea, so tonight I have a choice of minced beef, chicken and ham, or steak and ale :hungry:

As we leave I spot one of the bikes of the two cyclists briefly mentioned is an Audax from Spa Cycles (I've been looking at these since @vickster pointed them out to me) So I went back in and had a chat with them, conclusion being I need to find time to go up to Harrogate ^_^ Ride home was into the wind so was a bit harder than the out leg, despite being downhill.

By the time I'd got home I'd done 55 miles, need to clean bike now ready for the CC forum ride on Sunday.

https://www.strava.com/activities/941666884

EDIT: The Leeds cycling jersey got its maiden outing as well. Very comfortable, so if it survives our lass washing it I might get another :laugh:
You will enjoy the pies they are lovely :hungry:
Leeds utd tops are banned on forum rides :stop:
 

bruce1530

Guru
Location
Ayrshire
30k around the local farm roads today. Not going anywhere in particular, but trying to catch a couple of grid squares on veloviewer explorer that had eluded me so far. No real roads anywhere near them, but following the road up to a couple of farms got me just inside the necessary squares.

I’ve now visited just about every square within about 10 miles of home - the one frustrating exception is on a peninsula, which is fenced off because it is an explosives factory!
 

13 rider

Guru
Location
leicester
After a Morning food shopping with my mum I was in desperate need of a ride so after fueling up on bacon sandwich it's out the door . No plans so invariably that means my favorite 50km loop out to St Bernards Abbey and down to Quorn and home . Travelled along my favorite back road as stated in another thread . A rolling single track lane that's nearly traffic free other than dog walkers .It just makes me smile as I crest the various hills . Highlight of the ride was a obscure strava segment in Woodhouse eaves where I am now KOM having beaten my mates times :becool: I am waiting for a retaliation ride :boxing: I now it silly but it makes me ^_^. 32.5 miles in the bag got slightly damp but another 50km ride in the bank
 

Dave 123

Legendary Member
For a change today we put the tandem on the car and drove to Risby near Bury St Eds and parked at Jo's colleagues house.

We thought we'd head north and not cross the A14. We were given suggestions and directions which we screwed up at the first junction. From there it was a magical mystery tour. The roads were very quiet and fairly smooth apart from the odd wheel eating pothole.

We visited a little church in Sapiston. St. Andrews. I liked the roof beams

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We chanced upon the Swan Inn in Coney Weston and had some food there. I had a pint of shandy, old p1ss head had a G&T!!! That is not lunchtime cycling drink at all!

A few raindrops after lunch, but it never amounted to much. Jo's phone sent us down a byway. Massive potholes at first, then deep sand. We must have walked for half a mile, it was unrideable.

Whilst walking we saw some field pansies. Other wildlife included one buzzard, millions of skylarks, partridge, pheasant, goldfinch, oystercatcher, curlew, shelduck and PIGS!

Enjoy the photos

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^^^^ that is a fairly tame bit of the unrideable section!
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40 miles in total. Cold miles too!


https://www.strava.com/activities/941893554
 

Aravis

Putrid Donut
Location
Gloucester
After the amazing unbroken sunshine of last weekend, today was a little different. This is a view of Bredon Hill, late in the day, from I lane I hadn't explored before near Strensham services on the M5. I was actually travelling in the direction I was facing - I find it more comfortable to park the bike that way round.

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Nice though sunshine is, if I had to choose I'd probably go for the cloud!

Today's route and profile are shown below, 115 miles and some varied terrain:

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Quite a few main roads, but none of them were holiday routes and they were all pretty quiet today. The A449 between Ross and Ledbury is a scenic old friend I hadn't visited for ages. For while early on there seemed to be more cyclists than anything else, club runs from places like Ross and Pontypool appearing every few minutes.

I finished strongly, straight into the wind, which was encouraging. I'm now feeling justifyably tired.
 

Old jon

Guru
Location
Leeds
It looked a bit blustery out of the window this morning, but forget the weather, it is a long time since I turned a pedal. Time was a little short this morning, and a bit of an investigation of car parks was needed, so out on the fixed and twenty miles, with no video, later, here I be.

All the car parks were more or less in north Leeds, and I like to travel clockwise. I wonder if other folk have that preference? Or its corry handed brother? Anyway, Jack Lane into Holbeck and ride the bike along the towpath to get out. Down Viaduct Road and along to the lights at the bottom of Cardigan Road. The lights were red and it is quite a steep pull away from them, especially when you only have the one gear. Headingley, across the Ring Road and on the way to Bramhope, passing car park number one. Turn right at the roundabout, Kings Road I think, and a fair slog past the quarry and up to Arthington Road where I turned right yet again. Clockwise, see? Pass the school, car park ( and ride ) number two. Halfway down the hill to the Ring Road there is a shopping wart, and number three. At the Ring Road, turn left. I am still travelling clockwise, but as you travel nearer to your start point, and keep on turning right, there is a chance of tying yourself in knots. Or even disappearing into something unlikely. So I turned left, and left my sense of direction behind also. Next bit is Harrogate Road, and I should have turned right. Nope, I went straight on and then wandered around a bit till I found Street Lane, which I rode along all the way to the big posh gates of Roundhay Park, and the final look at a car park. This all led me to the Oakwood Clock, from an unfamiliar direction and it was also obscured by a Farmer’s Market which I should have visited but I was convinced I was short of time. From there, the average downhill into the town centre and across the river to home. Something different, and enjoyable.

With the map

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Family meal yesterday so partly made up for that with a shortish rode today

Did my increasingly familiar route, up St Ann's Hill, which is short but quite steep, wake you up a bit, then up Lyne Lane to Egham , then the hilll bitUp Prune Hill, down Crimp Hill, up Priest Hill - a NEW PB here! - , down Middle Hill , up Tite Hill, down Priest Hill and up Crimp Hill, and home

It was surprisingly windy today.
Aver speed was not good due to 1) hills 2)several roadworks3)level crossings 4) traffic
28.1 miles at ave moving of 15 mph
1302 feet climbed
https://www.strava.com/activities/943009360
 

NorthernDave

Never used Über Member
With a few spots of rain hitting the window as I was having my cereal and a predictably non-committal forecast from the BBC, I decided to take the Road Comp for the first time in a few weeks due to it's mudguards.

Out of the door and the first thing I noticed was the 'fresh breeze', swiftly followed by the temperature, which was 10 degrees down on last weekend. Anyway, here I was so off I set.
The predictable combination of local roads up to Coal Road and the Red Hall Lane, which was into the wind and a bit of a slog. Right onto the A58 and left onto Whin Moor Lane for the twisty lumps to Shadwell still into the wind, where I turned left down the hill now with the 'breeze' thankfully behind me :hyper:
At the bottom of the hill I took a left onto Bay Horse Lane and the mainly upwardness towards Scarcroft, mainly sheltered by hedges.
At the peak of the hill I turned right down Ling Lane, which is still as poorly surfaced as ever and eventually leads to the A58 which provides a fast and well surfaced descent into Scarcroft. Right at the pub and onto one of several Thorner Lanes around here.
With the wind at my back I made good progress down the hill and up the climb at the other side over the former railway line the slightly lower gearing was appreciated.
This brought me out at Milner lane and onto the nice run along the ridge with the wind swirling either behind or across me, which was interesting at the field openings...
Left at the junction and into East Rigton, then the inevitable run along Bramham Lane, again with the wind at my back. Much as I love this little lane I was glad it had stayed dry as there is still more mud than tarmac in places and the council seem disinclined to do anything about it. Across Jewitt Lane and up onto (a different) Thorner Lane, where I decided that heading any further west wasn't going to happen given the gale force winds which would be right in my face on the homeward leg, so I turned back into the maelstrom and headed back to Milner Lane to retrace my route towards Thorner, stopping just before the descent into the village for a few photos:
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Anyhow, back in the saddle and the swift descent down Milner Lane before the short climb into Thorner, round past the church and down a surprisingly busy Main Street, before tackling the inevitable climb up Van Zyl Hill (Sandhills), which oddly seemed to be into the wind as well.
As was Skeltons Lane, which was just a case of head down and spin it out, before a left onto Coal Road and then a wind assisted run down Sherburn Road, spoilt only by a bus driver who couldn't wait and had to get past between the chicanes despite having to stop for passengers 20 yards up the road, where I overtook him again. Into the 20mph section where he was lining up for another pass despite me flying along at 20mph :whistle:, but he had a sudden outbreak of common sense on (presumably) seeing more passengers waiting at the next stop and dropped back. Then around the block and on to home.

16.71 miles (26.89km) in a steady 1hr 19m at an average of 12.7mph with 1,094ft climbed and an average temperature of just 5.7°C

Good to get out, but that wind really made a difference today - at points I was having to drop onto the small cog at the front just to keep going on flat sections! That said, two sections of the ride were with it behind me and I set PB's on both of them, despite being on the 'winter' bike, so it did help out at points. :laugh:

Edit to add: Obviously, because I took the bike with mudguards, it stayed dry for the entire ride...

And finally, for all the map fans out there, a map - which looks a bit like a badly drawn chicken:
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gavgav

Legendary Member
After the exertions of last Tuesday, something easier today to keep the legs turning. Very windy, from the West, as I set off through Bayston Hill, up Lyth Hill and then down to Exfords Green.

It was nice to have the wind behind me as I turned towards Stapleton and arrived at dads for a half an hour chat. I had put too many layers on and had overheated in the sunshine, so was glad to take 1 off whilst at dads.

Continued on to Ryton, Longnor and then the nice, mainly, flat section to Acton Burnell, Pitchford and Cantlop. As I climbed the double hill at Cantlop I had the cacophony of motorbike engines from the nearby Easter Motocross event, which has also generated very dusty air, that I could taste xx( and a pungent smell of race fuel.

Arrived back home with 22.7 miles on the clock and that's takes me past 500 for the year so far, a month earlier than in any previous year :wahhey:
 

twentysix by twentyfive

Clinging on tightly
Location
Over the Hill
After Wednesday's 70 I was utterly shattered. So it was good to feel OK as I set out today. I took it easy nonetheless. It was to be a bit of a shortened ride so I took to the Castlemorton lanes and after Redmarley the Durbridge loop just for a change. The bluebells at Brand Green are stunning at the moment. I dropped off the hill and decided to carry on with my usual Ashleworth route rather than turn for home early as had been the plan. I climbed Woolridge for a super view all around and then greeted Mark B coming the other way at Ashleworth. Only shelduck on the marshes today but the trees and hedges held singing chiffchaff, willow warbler and blackcap. Swallows are also skimming about above too. Buzzards were either sitting on the hedge watching as I went by or calling loudly on the wing above. A kestrel skittered off looking for lunch. Fortunately the wind was cross as I rode up the hams. That made life a bit more comfortable. The sun added to that feeling too. By the time I got back I'd had enough. I'd ridden a fair bit more than had been the plan but it's all good for sure. 48 smiles
 
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