Your ride today....

[galaxy]

Having not ridden for a few weeks we popped out on the Boardmans. I could really feel the extra pounds round the middle. Any way, such a lovely 12 miles. Stopped at Leysters Church to find neither of us had bought our camera. Still approx 12 smiles. Love Cycling

 

[Gravity Aided]

7 miles yesterday, riding the Trek 600, no one else out riding today, due to fears of rain, I suppose.
Temperature 61F.
Winds calm
Relative humidity 81%
Barometer 29.80 1011,2 mb.
Not bad for an overcast day.

 

[PeteXXX]

Nice little ride yesterday, with three mates who had longer to play out than I did, due to w*rk commitments

On the way to meet up, I grabbed a couple of photo's that might interest @biggs682

You won't easily get a bike through the gate, but there's a few places to hide it whilst checking the old ruins out..

I was at our meeting place by 10:00 as were t'others, and we set of for a few miles up the old railway track. After about 6 or 67 miles, ish, I had to turn right up the hill to Brixworth and homewards as they carried on towards Foxton Locks.

My ride took me over Pitsford Res dam wall and through Holcot, where I spied a Spitfire flying overhead. As Sywell aerodrome is only a mile of route, I decided to pop up there for a looksee.

If you have a few thousand quid to spare, you can be flown around in it! ~Spitfire flights~

Anyway, back home on 26 miles ready but unwilling to go to w*rk

https://www.strava.com/activities/1003180032

 

[postman]

Firstly i want to say.What wonderful piccies keep popping up on here.Plus wonderful reports.

But sadly today mine is short and crappy.It was about five weeks ago i did 55 miles to Embsay Steam Railway.Now due to all other things i do for family and extended family.I have not even had chance to get on the turbo.Mind you in the last five weeks i have eaten some great food.So today it was either York or Knaresboro'.
So off i set CYCLERS tracking my every pedal.
Well i had only done seven miles i am in Scarcroft,my head is pounding any lumps i have to ride up or over,and there are not many,the heart starts racing,pity i can't.This is not looking good,i continue and i feel lightheaded and slightly sick.Enough is enough.There is always another day.Slowly i ride towards Alwoodley Leeds 17.Where i know i can get a very nice latte.After a rest i make it home 15 miles.
So a few more rides on the turbo some weights and lose some weight.A holiday in Menorca is coming up,so i will put the bike away till i come back.

 

[welsh dragon]

Only took my phone with me today so typing is more difficult. 15 miles done
My usual route. At times it was roasting and others it was overcast.

 

[cosmicbike]

Lovely warm ride into work this morning, spoilt only in the last 1 1/2 miles by a visit from the P fairy. Fortunately she was a slow fairy so I limped in, and now have front wheel at desk after being repaired.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

and the general lumpiness to Aberford.
Right at the junction and through the village, up the hill and stopping at the Almshouses for a photo:
View attachment 353376 View attachment 353377

Aberford is always worth a visit, the Gascoigne Almshouses are absolutely marvellous
The Arabian Horse pub is supposedly the only one, so named, in the country




My last ride, other than commutes; Friday 19th
A wet, dull, intermittently raining day
However, a day-off, so out I went
Under the M62 (jct 31), slightly greasy due to spilt diesel - there's a truckstop down there, on the industrial estate, where a lot of drivers fill up

Up towards Castleford, passing the delightful (& famous amongst architects) 'Voysey Row' & 'Rising Sun', then passing http://www.diggerland.com/days-out-in-yorkshire/
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3856341


Whitwood roundabout was the site of the old Mining College (now demolished, & full of 'identikit' houses)
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1048153

Through Castleford, over the level-crossing on Albion Street, past the bus station (more diesel), down past the site of the Roman encampment, (where they forded the River Aire)
Over 'Hartleys Bridge' (designed by John Carr); http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/873936

Over the Canal, now onto Barnsdale Road, essentially a continuation of the road that left the 'Great North Road' (A1) at Barnsdale Bar; just north of Doncaster
This road has been excavated further up, where it is called 'Roman Ridge Road', to confirm that very name, as it was their route to Tadcaster; known to them as - Calcaria

Up, Mary Pannell Hill
Straight over the junction with Back Newton Lane, & LongDike Lane
Past Ledston Luck colliery (with the Winding house remaining)
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/65357

Lots of HGV traffic on this road, & I got a good soaking, with spray & road-filth

A right turn,onto the A63, at Peckfield Bar - the name giving a clue to its former life, when this (A63) was the Leeds-Selby TurnPike
(taken elsewhere on the road, on another day, but shows the name)
View attachment 353824

More HGV traffic, as this is a designated route to the A1
We join the 'old' A1, southbound, for a while, at 'Boot & Shoe Junction'
(photo looks north, to the roundabout)
View attachment 353825
(if we'd turned north, onto a 'local road', we'd have been on the 'Great North Road', as normal road, as it passed through Micklefield)

Turning east (left) before Selby Fork, we can almost see the café-stop
The traffic has all but gone, all that can be heard is the tractors on the land


Arrival at Squires, brings a surprising lack of motor-bikes... 3
Plenty of cars/vans though
I walk in, dripping water
View attachment 353826

I tried their new dessert; 'Sticky Chocolate Orange Cake'
Think of a cake, that's the consistency of Sticky Toffee Pudding
View attachment 353827

Home was via Gorse Lane, the back of South Milford, past Steeton Hall Gate House
Through Lumby - with the intention of heading over Rawfield Lane, to Fairburn
However.............. National Grid were re-cabling from the b-i-g Sub-Station, so the Lane was closed
View attachment 353828
Hence it was back on the A63, with the trucks, over the roundabout at the 'new' A1, & back onto the 'old' A1 to Fairburn
Even that's odd now, as it's being singled, & the torn-up tarmac simply dumped on the verges
At Fairburn village itself, the original 'GNR' still runs down the side of the houses, but the A1, is at this point a single-carriageway too
It did have an overbridge, at this point, & a footbridge to the other side of the village
Now there's a roundabout
'GNR' to the right (looking south)
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/20678

Hope via FerryBridge (another very famous place on the 'Great North Road')


The route; https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_4546905.html


Hope it entertained/was informative??

 

[TigerT]

It's a bank holiday today in Switzerland and the weather is nice, so it was an easy choice to get up and get out on the bike. I hadn't done any planning, so just decided to stay in the local area.

Headed out from home on part of a loop I often do, that took me out through some lanes to Bassersdorf. That was the decision point on whether to make a short ride of try and add another 50kms or so to this years total. At that point, everything was feeling good, so I opted to head out to Winterthur and perhaps down the Töss valley.

15 minutes later I was starting to regret that decision, It"s a while since I've taken that route and in my head it was flatter! My knees were starting to hurt and I really thought I"d have to give up :-(. Anyway the nearest railway station was some way away so I continued slowly knowing that within 10kms, things would get flatter.... and besides that, I hadn't even got to the start of the really nice bit of the ride.

Thankfully, the knees held out, so I carried on. Finally reaching the really steep decent into Winterthur. It"s a scary decent, 1 km long very steep and with a very tight curve at the bottom. You have to stay on the brakes and they get quite warm by the bottom. On the drops to get maximum pressure on the levers it looks even steeper.

From that point you head into the Töss valley first heading through some woods and then out into the valley towards Turbenthal. It was stunning today, everything looked so green beautiful. As usual on a bank holiday when the shops are shut, it seemed like everyone was out walking or cycling. This part is my favorite as it's also designated a Roller Blade route, so the surface is so smooth!

By the time I reached Turbenthal, I was starting to feel my knees again, so decided to take a route via railway stations and see how far I got, so went via Pfaffikon then to Wetzikon and finally to Uster. Decided to get the tran for the last bit.

63kms in the end which considering I almost gave up at 20, I'm really happy about. Didn't stop for many photos but here are a couple from my favorite part of the ride.

 

[EltonFrog]

I had an errand to run today which was a about 16 miles away, it is such a lovely day I thought I'd ride the roady out. A route I've never ridden before and I haven't been on the bike for a couple of weeks, it was a bit lumpy but very quiet country lanes for all but half mile each way where I had to ride on the treacherous A34 where more vehicle passed me on one half mile stretch than on the rest of the route put together. A stunning day and 33.4 miles.

What on earth is going on here?

Boxford Cemetry

Boxford Church

Some cows in the background grazing in Boxford.

Camera Shy

Didcot Cooling Towers from The Ridgeway.

A lumpy ride.

 

[gbb]

A day of not two halves but a third and two thirds....
Commute to work this morning, virtually no wind mild and just a nice pace for 13.5 miles got me there feeling unflustered and not sweaty. Two hares and all the usual early birdlife. Not much else to report really.

Second two thirds.....well it's lovely innit , be rude not to....commute home extended to take in loads of country B roads, almost tracks in places, through hamlets and country fields, hardly saw a car for miles.
One rather large buzzard near Hammerton, another near Norman's Cross and a family of geese and goslings ambling through a cattle field in the middle of nowhere. Roads are bubbling, you could hear the tarmac popping occasionally as I rode over it. Over 21 miles and arrived home distinctly sweaty after a days work and 18K steps as well.

Marvellous circa 35 miles total.

 

[Vantage]

I had another trip up north today.
It was the usual story of leave the kiddie at school (who swiped a quarter of my drinking water from the bottle before going in) and proceed to Boot Lane, along Chorley Old Road, through Rivington Country Park woods where I almost had a swim...

View: https://youtu.be/tBpkQaIt8VU

and onto Back Lane where the off-road fun started.
Heapey Fold Lane. By now I'd finished off the 500ml bottle. T'was warm.


More flying things were pelting me as I pootled along but it didn't last long and I soon returned to tarmac for a brief blast on Moor Road. It's a fairly steep yet short lived descent and mph's are quickly gained. I'm not sure who was scared the most...me screaming round the corner in the middle of the lane to find a big burly Landrover coming up the lane or the driver thinking I was about to put a dent in his bumper before narrowly missing him by inches.
At the bottom of the lane I lifted the bike over a gate and followed an afaik unnamed trail/bridleway/path (No idea)alongside 'The Goit' up to White Coppice cricket pitch. The bike computer temperature thingy read 90f.

Chapel Lane was followed onto the A674 briefly and then back to civilized lanes by way of Briers Brow.
I blazed through Brinscal and bumbled up Butterworth Brow then bumped down a dirt road/track to the A675. During the 0.17mile suicide trip of that ridiculous 50mph racetrack I had no fewer that 6 close passes. Probably at more than 50mph.
Roddlesworth Lane provided sanctuary all the way to Tockholes Forest where I planted my arse by the stream and scoffed a chickin sammich.


Mill Lane was tackled in granny gear and eventually I gave up and walked it. My Bikemate computer has a lowest speed reading of 1.6mph before it reads 00 as so monumentally slow that it might aswell go sleep till it's user starts moving again. It read 00 for a good half hour or so. I was actually making progress. Just very slowly.
Tockholes Road provided relief from being pummeled by jaggedy rock strewn paths for a short time and then I took the bridleway again at Crookfield Road. More pummeling ensued. My remaining water bottle was running low and I decided that a trail I spotted on my left could wait to be explored another day.
I crossed over Stones Bank Road and down a paved path to Longworth Road then Egerton Road to Belmont Road and a slow grind (literally. The chain sounded horrible) up Scout Road. Back home via Barrow Bridge again which really is a nice route to get home by. 30 miles in all.
A limp upstairs to a cool-ish shower and some ice cream. Good day
View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/14820045?privacy_code=0e5aH2OArvQIuH3D

 

[Dave 123]

I rode home from work today and then after a shower I sat on the sofa looking at my iPad...... eyelids going heavy..... get on with it!

So I got on with it, out on my Cube for the first time In a few weeks. I felt a bit dozy at first, but then a brick sh1thouse on a bike flew by me, so I jumped on his wheel and kept the pace high for a while after he went.

It seemed that every Junction and traffic calming had me to a halt this evening which was a bit frustrating, it was only on my way back through Longstowe that I got across the A1198 without stopping.

Tonight's birds were linnet, yellowhammer, skylark and the most beautiful male bullfinch flying across my path in Bourn.

25 sweaty miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1005399428/

 

[NorthernDave]

Aberford is always worth a visit, the Gascoigne Almshouses are absolutely marvellous
The Arabian Horse pub is supposedly the only one, so named, in the country




My last ride, other than commutes; Friday 19th
A wet, dull, intermittently raining day
However, a day-off, so out I went
Under the M62 (jct 31), slightly greasy due to spilt diesel - there's a truckstop down there, on the industrial estate, where a lot of drivers fill up

Up towards Castleford, passing the delightful (& famous amongst architects) 'Voysey Row' & 'Rising Sun', then passing http://www.diggerland.com/days-out-in-yorkshire/
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3856341


Whitwood roundabout was the site of the old Mining College (now demolished, & full of 'identikit' houses)
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1048153

Through Castleford, over the level-crossing on Albion Street, past the bus station (more diesel), down past the site of the Roman encampment, (where they forded the River Aire)
Over 'Hartleys Bridge' (designed by John Carr); http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/873936

Over the Canal, now onto Barnsdale Road, essentially a continuation of the road that left the 'Great North Road' (A1) at Barnsdale Bar; just north of Doncaster
This road has been excavated further up, where it is called 'Roman Ridge Road', to confirm that very name, as it was their route to Tadcaster; known to them as - Calcaria

Up, Mary Pannell Hill
Straight over the junction with Back Newton Lane, & LongDike Lane
Past Ledston Luck colliery (with the Winding house remaining)
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/65357

Lots of HGV traffic on this road, & I got a good soaking, with spray & road-filth

A right turn,onto the A63, at Peckfield Bar - the name giving a clue to its former life, when this (A63) was the Leeds-Selby TurnPike
(taken elsewhere on the road, on another day, but shows the name)
View attachment 353824

More HGV traffic, as this is a designated route to the A1
We join the 'old' A1, southbound, for a while, at 'Boot & Shoe Junction'
(photo looks north, to the roundabout)
View attachment 353825
(if we'd turned north, onto a 'local road', we'd have been on the 'Great North Road', as normal road, as it passed through Micklefield)

Turning east (left) before Selby Fork, we can almost see the café-stop
The traffic has all but gone, all that can be heard is the tractors on the land


Arrival at Squires, brings a surprising lack of motor-bikes... 3
Plenty of cars/vans though
I walk in, dripping water
View attachment 353826

I tried their new dessert; 'Sticky Chocolate Orange Cake'
Think of a cake, that's the consistency of Sticky Toffee Pudding
View attachment 353827

Home was via Gorse Lane, the back of South Milford, past Steeton Hall Gate House
Through Lumby - with the intention of heading over Rawfield Lane, to Fairburn
However.............. National Grid were re-cabling from the b-i-g Sub-Station, so the Lane was closed
View attachment 353828
Hence it was back on the A63, with the trucks, over the roundabout at the 'new' A1, & back onto the 'old' A1 to Fairburn
Even that's odd now, as it's being singled, & the torn-up tarmac simply dumped on the verges
At Fairburn village itself, the original 'GNR' still runs down the side of the houses, but the A1, is at this point a single-carriageway too
It did have an overbridge, at this point, & a footbridge to the other side of the village
Now there's a roundabout
'GNR' to the right (looking south)
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/20678

Hope via FerryBridge (another very famous place on the 'Great North Road')


The route; https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_4546905.html


Hope it entertained/was informative??

I think Aberford could be a contender for the longest village in the country, strung out along the old Great North Road (which becomes Main Street and continues all the way to Bramham crossroads).

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I think Aberford could be a contender for the longest village in the country, strung out along the old Great North Road (which becomes Main Street and continues all the way to Bramham crossroads).

Something in my mind tells me that the title goes to Burford, in the Cotswolds

A close run thing though, if you start measuring at the HookMoor Lodges


London House, was it the pre-Swan mail house???



And the old cottages still stand, at Bramham Crossroads (my old 110, in the last picture)

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Too late for the cycling photo competition but I had a wee ride on a hired e-bike the other day. I started out at the Northern edge of Benidorm and ambled along to the point in the heart of the Old Town, wobbling gently through the throngs of tourists.

Don't ask me what kind of bike, volts or wattage. It was a big, heavy, wobbly sit-up-and-beg thing and it did pretty well.

From Benidorm Old Town I meandered along to Finestrat - note the cycle lanes in the middle of the road meaning you always have to cross oncoming traffic. Very unpopular with locals apparently.

Still, I survived and made it to Finestrat

From Finestrat it was a wee jaunt along the main road to Villajoisa, another beachfront place -

I like Villajoisa, a lot

There's a burn runs through a gorge in the middle of town - loads of ducks

Not sure of the range of the bike, I turned for home.

Made it back after 44km in blazing sun. A grand day out.