Your ride today....

[derrick]

Feeling a bit under the weather today, Some bug going around, Thought i would get out in the sun for a nice quiet solo ride, the weather was lovely although a little less wind would have been nice Nice uneventful ride, roads mostly quiet although going through Ware and Hertford seemed busy, mums picking up the kids from school, can't have them little ones walking home from school. Feeling better for doing it though. Now for a lazy night in front of the box.
https://www.strava.com/activities/989741733#kudos

 

[Dave 123]

Just a short ride this evening on my mountain bike. It was very blustery and showers were passing through.
Down past the pub and on the bridleway toward Cambridge. After the dogleg I let rip down to Long Road. Only 3 seconds short of the best time on strava. I'll get that one...

On toward Coton, but I had to slow up for a bloke and his two dogs. Not sure he was impressed!

I then went through the Coton 'countryside reserve'..... that'll be some fields then!
I passed a few nice looking ladies, this one was better looking than the udders!

I nipped up the Grantchester Road and then took another bridleway. This one took me across a firing range

Luckily for me there were no shooters about. A bridleway on a bloody rifle range!

From a Barton I took the road to Caldecote before returning across the fields. I was going to give it some beans, but after 100 yes I realised that my legs were done. A spin session and circuit training last night plus my fast part at the start did me in.

Good to be out though.

https://www.strava.com/activities/990140372

 

[biggs682]

Nice 25 miles tonight across to Chapel Brampton via Holcot and Pitsford .

Then back via Broughton , Moulton, Overstone and Sywell . Roads were damp and quiet .

 

[Jenkins]

There's three country lanes that go over, under and over (in that order) the A14 between Stowmarket & Needham Market which I've wanted to investigate for a while and today was the day. Having had a look on Streetview, one of them included a strech called The Lord's Highway which appeared to be a bit rough so I took the Kona Jake CX which is more robust than my other road bikes and rides on 35mm Schwalbe Smart Sams. This also allowed the use of a couple of off road sections on the way home as well.

Thre was a 26 mile ride out to Stowmarket to get to the first lane (Creeting Lane - downhill & into the wind), a short stetch along Mill Road then up Fen Lane (uphill with the wind) which is where I was really glad to be riding a wider tyred bike as Suffolk County Council appear to have very recently covered the whole 1.8 mile length in a thick layer of loose chippings and not swept up afterwards. A few hundred yards of the A1120 followed before turning off for the Lord's Highway - which was as bad as expected, but still better than the chippings covered lane!

Once back on normal roads, I headed back home through Claydon before diverting off road on a restricted byway to Westerfield, up to Tuddenham and then off road again followed by another back road recently covered in way too much loose chippings. More meandering on the way home and cursing the Council when I nearly came off on a very slow corner thanks to an uncleared pile of yet more receltly applied dressing. This resulted in a metric century simply to ride a 7 mile section of 3 roads!

Quite a strong breeze, but the route meant it was mostly from the side. Nice and warm as well with hazy sunshine but I forgot to apply suncream so my arms are a light red colour at the moment.

https://www.strava.com/activities/989692575

 

[mjr]

Sounds like a great ride, the final part of the trip would have been along some of my favorite roads. There is a new slogan for the tourist board:
"Northamptonshire - Hillier than you think !"

Only if you don't know the landscape comprises of the Northamptonshire Uplands, Northamptonshire Vales, the Ridge and Rockingham Forest - and yes, the forest is hilly. The only sizeable bit of flat land in the county is the hill with half of RAF Wittering on it, isn't it? Even most of the airfields are sloping!

 

[cosmicbike]

It would seem that my rear brake problem has been resolved, the winder of cable ties The Met Office forecast heavy rain all day today, yet when I pedalled in at 0530hrs this morning I have no more than a few spots of rain. Coming home was a different matter, it was pouring down. On the plus side the trusty Endura FS260 Pro jacket kept the top half dry, not too worried about wet legs, though the shoes were full of water by the time I got home. About 18 miles today.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

We had a bit of a deluge over the last day or two. At last it dried up so off I rode to cross the River at Upton. I took familiar lanes towards Pirton Church where a motorist begged some assistance with navigation. He was about 300 yards from his destination! The ford at Pinvin was full after all that rain. I looped by Bishampton and climbed up into the Lenches. I didn't tick them all off today, just Abbots, Church and Atch. The drop to Harvington was fun. Then it was along the old main road to turn at Salford Priors. I missed the Dunnington turn but didn't go on too far before retracing. Hillers did a lovely pot of tea and bowl of mushroom soup.

Weethley Gate has a lovely old Toll House on the junction where I turned west. Normally I ride past the loop to Abbots Morton. Today I took the loop to be rewarded with views of some lovely old Black and White houses. I headed south and crossed the Piddle Brook (I jest not) at the ford after Naunton Beauchamp. Then onto the ford at Pinvin again to take to the southerly return to Upton by Strensham. Just the standard run back was left.

Lots of riders were out and about today. Groups from 20+ to single riders kept me nodding, smiling and waving at those coming the other way. Must have been the sunshine that brought them all out. 66 smiles

 

[Racing roadkill]

I dropped the bike off tonight, in preparation for the weekend's adventures.

I've gone with the 520 / Tannus tyres combo.

All set for the off, to Stoke, tomorrow at 17:00.

 

[derrick]

Only a short blast today, Was just about to go and do a solo loop, i got a phone call from a mate,did i fancy a quick loop, so 20 mins later we set of, i forgot to start the garmin, after about 4 miles i realised i had not started it, so i lost 4 miles on strava, Hey ho.realy nice ride in the sunshine, short sleeved jersey, not a lot of wind, about 28 miles, i had to be back by 1-00 as i was of to a trade show in Cambridge,
https://www.strava.com/activities/993970873

 

[Jenkins]

Today's ride was shorter than hoped. Got as far as Hasketon when I heard the dreaded sound of a large quantity of air rapidly escaping a confined space which was caused by this...

Used a thick puncture patch as a tyre boot, swapped out the tube and made my way home slightly more directly more than I had planned while not leaning too much on right hand bends. Bit disappointing as this was a fairly new tyre, but at least I had a spare ready at home.
https://www.strava.com/activities/994414037

 

[Vantage]

I left Erin at school and made my way through Bolton, Atherton and Leigh.
I was glad when I finally reached Warbuton Bridge which is now looking like it might crumple under it's rust. Does anyone actually maintain that eyesore?
As I was going under the canal on Mill Lane a driver almost ploughed into me from behind. Wondering why, I pulled over to check why my lights weren't working. I'd forgotten to hook them up to the hub after changing tyres last night. Doh.
Kay Lane was the first of a series of lanes I'd planned and made the misery of slogging through Bolton, Atherton and Leigh worth it. Crouchley Lane lead to Mag Lane over the Cheshire motorway. I almost felt sorry for the poor folk stuck on that...almost. More calm and stress free enjoyable miles passed under my Dawes.
Very quiet miles too. Except for the annoying buzzing sound of a cable or something vibrating away around the front of the bike. It never seemed to stop and was really doing my head in. The ride felt a little harsh and so a bit of air was freed from it's tyre prison and that seemed to help dampen the noise from whatever was being rattled to death.
Moss Lane, Hobbs Hill Lane, Northwood Lane, Whitley Lane and Hoo Green Lane were trundled along before hitting a short section of the A50.
I'd stopped a few times for a drink and a photo and it occurred to me that there was a serious lack of open moorland round these parts. Sure there are pretty leafy dainty little lanes and impeccably kept posh cottages among acres of farmland but it doesn't (to me at least) scream 'epic jaw droppingly spectacular wilderness'. Still nice though.



Another series of lanes took me anti clockwise back up to Warby Bridge and then almost every mile after that seemed like they were all uphill and my energy being sapped away with every pedal stroke.
Mum had popped round and made me a cuppa while I changed.
57miles is my longest this year and 11mph avg is my fastest this year.
I fell asleep on the couch after my cuppa.

Mum: "Where'd you get to today?"
Me: "The leafy lanes of Cheshire."
Mum: "Cheshire???! You need your head seeing too!"


View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/14653864?privacy_code=gmx5PZgB8bd8bDxf

 

[Racing roadkill]

View attachment 353012

Continental GP4000sII?

 

[Jenkins]

Continental GP4000sII?

Yep - had something similar happen a few years ago but I know I ran over a sharp bit of metal then. Don't know what I ran over this time. Otherwise the GP4000s in both original and series II have been brilliant over 4 bikes in year round use.

 

[gbb]

Yesterday's....
Woke up, weather looked good, quick look at the weather stats, no rain forecast when I'm going to be out...I'm going on the bike.
14 miles to work, not cold, not hot, just right.
The day turned into a howler, problems with a very difficult machine to work on, backs killing me, ive done 16K steps and im three hours late finishing.
Walk out....it's drizzling. Ah well.
14 miles home, not cold, not hot but a little damp. Not surprisingly my average speed home was...disappointing, despite it being more downhill than up.

Still....glass half full.

 

[Stonechat]

Well put the Kona into the LBS for its freee first service
Any rides at present will have to be on the Felt

Showery again this morning so will be gym anyway for me today
See how long I can stick out the Wattbike
With the trainer kaput it's the best option
When the Enigma arrives, will get another trainer for indoor set up, based on the Felt