Your ride today....

[Richard A Thackeray]

I rode with 'Wakefield Triathlon Club' instead of going to the CX, as one of their 'Level 2' Cake-Rides

One of the guys used to work in Chevin Cycles (Otley) a few years ago, & we knew a few of the same people
And, he was a MTB-er of the 90s too, so there was a chat about that, when we got chance
Just one girl this time, but, she was also in 'Penistone Foothpath Runners AC'
When she told me that, I responded that I knew members of the Club (such as Phil, & Lisa, Hinchcliffe)
The route, with a couple of long-drags (first to top on one, after being last to the bottom; Crigglestone, to West Bretton)
https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_4581748.html

Once more, I was overdressed (long-sleeves & bib-tights), & on the CGR!
All others were in shorts/short-sleeves, but I certainly didn't embarrass myself

The cake-stop, was at Nostell Priory, I had a sociable (which, in itself, is odd for me - being sociable!!) cup of tea, in 'The Stables' before making my home way home, via Foulby & Sharlston Common)
Woolley village


Nostell Priory


Edit @ 16:35
I know it wasn't a long ride. but the hills (& it being a 'sociable' ride) made up for it
Plus, it was probably enough for Tim (black/lime-green jersey), as he's had both hips replaced

 

[delb0y]

This morning: thirty gentle miles. Four punctures.

 

[Old jon]

This morning: thirty gentle miles. Four punctures.

Ooops. A like for the ride.

 

[Spiderweb]

A very steady 30 miles in North Yorkshire this afternoon. The weather was pretty nice to start with but the rain clouds caught up with me and I got drenched! Great ride though and I'm still liking my Brooks B17 saddle.

 

[Donger]

There comes a point when rain gets so heavy that you no longer need to care about it. That happened to us today on our club ride. Nine of us headed out in the sunshine, southwards in a loop towards Cam and Slimbridge towards an ever darkening sky. At Cam we met someone coming the other way who had abandoned our Intermediates ride because "It's absolutely honking down over there!". By this time it had already started to rain, but seven of us pressed on anyway, cocking a snook at our wonderful British Summer weather. Two miles down the road it was raining stair rods. Shame I hadn't brought my flannel.

Once we were all so wet that no amount of extra rain could possibly make any difference, it all started to become rather good fun .... like splashing in puddles used to be when you were a kid. Between Breadstone and Halmore, on a wider stretch of lane, Paul and I were riding two abreast, chatting away about our holidays when a milk tanker whooshed past at about 40mph in the opposite direction ... straight through a deep puddle, sending up an absolute wall of water that hit the pair of us in our chests with a loud smack that felt like having buckets of water chucked at us from point blank range. We both roared with laughter, as it didn't make the slightest difference to how wet we were anyway.

By now ridiculously wet, we pressed on down minor lanes through Slimbridge and Cambridge to Frampton on Severn, where we tried out a local café that none of us had previously realised was even there. Thumbs up to Mrs Massey's Café on the industrial estate that used to be the Cadbury's milk plant. Nice to meet up with @Dark46 at the café. Hope he'll soon be back riding with us again. Experienced a rain-related bike issue once we set off for home, as my bike computer stopped recording due to the magnet rusting up! Gave it a scrape and it started working again, but I'd missed a few miles. Fortunately I knew the exact distance to my home from the café, so I can confidently state I did 41 miles today. Highly enjoyable despite the atrocious conditions. It's the people who make a good club ride, not the weather.

Cheers, Donger.

 

[delb0y]

I'm sure we must have nodded at each other once or twice, Donger, on account of both coming from Quedgeley.

I went in the opposite direction today - was heading towards Churchdown to see my folks but went via Upleadon and Wainodes. As mentioned above - four flats, first one just outside Highnam, second one just before Wainlodes Hill, third one midway between Twigworth and Churchdown, and last one at Podsmead. But the weather was lovely!! Didn't get wet until this afternoon when I was walking to Tesco to buy some beer.

 

[Donger]

I'm sure we must have nodded at each other once or twice, Donger, on account of both coming from Quedgeley.

I went in the opposite direction today - was heading towards Churchdown to see my folks but went via Upleadon and Wainodes. As mentioned above - four flats, first one just outside Highnam, second one just before Wainlodes Hill, third one midway between Twigworth and Churchdown, and last one at Podsmead. But the weather was lovely!! Didn't get wet until this afternoon when I was walking to Tesco to buy some beer.

Lucky! (in a way). Wouldn't have been any fun repairing those in the rain! My wife said it hadn't rained at all at home.

 

[ianrauk]

As @mark st1 is doing the Ride London thingumy bob next week I thought it would be a good idea to get out and do part of the route, so Mark was up for that. (The route is also mainly the 2012 Olympic Road Race route.) I think that a lot of people had the same idea as there where hundred's of other cyclists out and about today, all seemingly doing the same route. Richmond Park and Box Hill were both rammed with cyclists.

On the way back through Richmond Park I heard a voice call out my name. Came to stop, looked back to see my old matey pie @User1314 . So scooted back and had a quick chat. Been a long time so was nice to see him.

I was expecting to get wet on the ride so took the rain jacket and also put a raceblade on the rear. Both not needed as the weather Gods were kind to me and it stayed dry. For Mark however, as soon as we split in Esher, 10 minutes later by all accounts he got rained upon.


So scores on the doors 116 of your Imperial miles. Century # 23 for the year, 220 over all. Also, a few bonus future Eddington numbers in the pot.
Sorry no pics, we didn't hang about. We just rode.

 

[NorthernDave]

No plan today, just out for a ride. I'd meant to get up and out early, but it was almost nine o'clock before tyre hit tarmac.

At the end of the street I wrestled the handlebars away from the direction of Coal Road and instead after a little warm up on local roads found myself on Barwick Road heading down to Cock Beck, over the bridge and up the hill to Scholes.
Unusually there was a slight but noticeable head wind up here today but I made it to the top soon enough, past the Coronation Tree and up again, before the long gentle descent, into and through Barwick. I was just about to get the hammer down (it's all relative...) on the continuing descent down to the second crossing of Cock Beck but the road was dug up and I was checked by temporary traffic lights
Anyway, through there and over t'beck, before the climb up Cattle Lane and the general lumpiness to Aberford. It was at the top of Cattle Lane that I realised that no cars had overtaken me since the hill out of Scholes - over two miles and surely a record for these parts, even if the roadworks had probably played a factor in it.
In Aberford it was right on Main Street and then left under the A1 for the climb up to Lotherton Gates, then left onto the B1217 heading for Towton.

I'd initially thought about taking the right into Saxton, but decided to stay on here for a change.
It wasn't too busy so it was a pleasant run - a couple of old motorbikes (1960's?) passed, followed a few moments later by Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo (I presume it was them judging by the speed they were doing...).
And after yesterdays succession of Saabs, today was a procession of Porsches. I don't know if there was some sort of rally going on, but there were loads of the blooming things buzzing about, Boxsters, 944s, 968s, 911s and even a 928. My favourite car of the lot though was a very nice looking Caterham 7, which gave me a nice wide pass but when the driver accelerated away the engine howled like an animal. No idea what was under the bonnet but it sounded great.

Anyhow, I was soon approaching Towton and as I looked east across the plain I could see that it was raining off in the distance. This wasn't forecast and I'd not brought a jacket, so instead of heading for Ulleskelf as I'd originally planned I stayed on the A162 after the village and eventually dropped down the hill and took the left into Stutton, over Cock Beck for the third and final time today and eschewing the temptations of Fanny Lane, took Weedling gate out of the village and climbed up Moor Lane, over the A64 bridge and onto Garnet Lane across the A659 past Toulston and left at the end heading for Bramham.
As I approached the village I decided to tackle the Windmill on a whim, so turned right and after the short climb to the top, descended the other side giving it the full beans and being rewarded by (just) cracking 40mph. Childish and unnecessary but good fun.
This meant I was now heading for Clifford (the village, not the big red dog), so I turned left and climbed up Main Street, before the welcome descent into Bramham.
Up the hill and a quick stop just before the A1(M) bridge for Haribo and a photo:

It was at this point that I almost got annoyed with myself - I'd been riding through some glorious rolling countryside and the only pic I'd taken so far was the bike leant against a bench with a tree behind it. I decided I needed to get at least one scenic pic on the rest of the ride...

Back on and over the A1(M) for the steady climb alongside Bramham Park, with the signs already out for the Leeds Festival at the end of August.
At the fork I turned left onto Thorner Lane, taking it steady through the dip as the road was covered in gravel and a fair bit of mud after yesterdays rain and the long drag up to Milner Lane and the run along the ridge.

Spotting an opportunity for a slightly better photo or two, I stopped after the woods and got the phone out:

Back on towards Thorner, catching up with a horse and ride just at the top of the drop off the ridge, so slowly does it.
Through Thorner and onto Carr lane for the climb, drop and more climbing to the A58, a quick whizz along there and up Coal Road.

At the junction with Skeltons Lane I encountered the cockwomble of the day though. An older guy in a Jag pulled a couple of feet across the Give Way line, stopped, looked straight at me and then proceeded to pull out and turn right across me. What made it worse was that he did it so slowly, not even attempting to get out of the way. What an idiot.

From there it's just a short run along the road, then down onto local roads to home, setting an unexpected PB on the last section - probably due to the unexpected adrenaline boost I'd just received...

26.85 miles (43.21km) in 1h 57m at an average of 13.8mph with 1,479ft climbed - and that maximum speed of 40.5mph.

Another good ride (Jag drivers excepted), good weather for it and it was nice being a bit cooler than yesterday. Glad I spotted the rain and managed to keep away from it and there were loads of cyclists out & about today which is never a bad thing.
Should I have done the extra 5 miles and made it a metric half? Possibly, but there's always next time.

And finally, a map:

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

This morning: thirty gentle miles. Four punctures.

Hedge-cutting, or just bad-luck?

View attachment 363722 A very steady 30 miles in North Yorkshire this afternoon. The weather was pretty nice to start with but the rain clouds caught up with me and I got drenched! Great ride though and I'm still liking my Brooks B17 saddle.

An excellent route, most of those roads are known to me

In Aberford it was right on Main Street and then left under the A1 for the climb up to Lotherton Gates, then left onto the B1217 heading for Towton.

I'd initially thought about taking the right into Saxton, but decided to stay on here for a change.
It wasn't too busy so it was a pleasant run - a couple of old motorbikes (1960's?) passed, followed a few moments later by Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo (I presume it was them judging by the speed they were doing...).

And after yesterdays succession of Saabs, today was a procession of Porsches. I don't know if there was some sort of rally going on, but there were loads of the blooming things buzzing about, Boxsters, 944s, 968s, 911s and even a 928. My favourite car of the lot though was a very nice looking Caterham 7, which gave me a nice wide pass but when the driver accelerated away the engine howled like an animal. No idea what was under the bonnet but it sounded great.

And finally, a map:
View attachment 363732

There's sometimes a couple of Caterhams at Squires (orange R500, & a blue one) . & even rarer, an Atom!!
Bikes are, obviously, a foregone conclusion around there - unless it's rained all day (I've been to Squires, in rain, with only 2 m-bikes there!!)

 

[JohnnyRoyal]

Rode in the Wiggle Mega Meon sportive. Was joined by my brother-in-law, which was good. It was on the roads which I have rode before. We started in the sun but then half way round at the food stop, great cake and jelly beans, it started to rain and did for the rest of the ride. However it was a good ride and enjoyed by many. However there were lots of punctures. But my new Michelin All Seasons

 

[cubey]

A friend at work told me of this gentle climb, listen to my gasping at the end.................... he is no longer a friend.

 

[PeteXXX]

After finishing w*rk at about 00:45, and bed by 02:00, I set the alarm for 05:30 (and 06:00) with the aim, if the deluge that I was out in during my shift and journey home, had finished, I'd get a few miles in before the forecasted 10:00 rain.

True to form, I set out just before 07:00 and got all of 150 yards before the rain started. Light at first, then a bit heavier. Still, I had my jacket on, and leg skin is waterproof, so all was well!
I had it in mind to head through the villages to Daventry via Litchborough and Newnham Hill. Newnham is a bit of a killer, but I got a PB both the long and RRCC Hillclimb segments. Quite happy with that as, due to the rain, when I leaned into the bars I was getting wheelspin. I'm sure I lost a few seconds

Once through Daventry town centre, sadly too early for a coffee, I headed for Long Buckby where it actually stopped raining.

Riding by, I noticed a gate that seemed a bit overkill on locks! After all, it's only an O2 phone mast compound

Up till this point, the only other cyclists out were people on their way to work, by the looks of it. Now it was brighter, it got quite busy, especially around The Bringtons and Althorp House.

With an uneventful ride back to Duston, where I was off tarmac and back on bike paths, I aimed home round the south side of town.
When I got to The Washlands path, myself and another chap got stuck in the middle of a charity fun-run or summat. Too late to turn back, we just had to slow down, ting our bells and weave in and out of them for a couple of miles. Still, we were all out to enjoy ourselves... though some did seem to be struggling a bit!!

Once out of the melee we stopped for a minute as he was looking which way to go. He was doing the Orbital, route 539, around Northampton. Some of it is dodgy, with broken glass on the bridges, so I showed him the safer way through, then as I was on 59 miles, it seemed rude not to do a couple more to get a metric ton in, so I rode with him for another mile of so before splitting up and heading home.

Just over 63 miles, on a very lumpy route, in quite grotty weather for the first 30 miles, then just dismal and cloudy.
Back home in time to not get wet again when the heavens opened yet again.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1097379741

 

[Dave 123]

A ride that started from my mums house in Ellesmere Port. Our first aim was my brothers house in Neston. It rained. We got wet....
Then we went to call on Helen and Andy, so now there were 6, 2 tandem, 2 solo.

Just on the turn down Station Road to the marshes Andy had a puncture, we waited....

All fixed, we rode down the hill and on to the marshes

Then we made our way through the rabbit warren of the Deeside industrial bits and on along the river Dee, we stayed together for a bit

Then Jo and I time trialled it with Andy. On the bridge we waited for the others and watched the foamy scum float by

We then went into Wales for a bit, sheltered by hedges it warmed up nicely in the sun. We stopped for a bite to eat in Pulford.
Back to England and across the river at Farndon

Back to my mums via Mickle Trafford and Chester Zoo. 52 miles.

This and yesterday's 23 miles on a brand new Brooks saddle, and I'm glad to report that my undercarriage is fine and dandy!

https://www.strava.com/activities/1097766789

 

[Stonechat]

Club ride this morning and somehow found myself way behind schedule.

Eventually getting to our normal start point at Staines Bridge, they had already gone, destination was Arborfield today, so set off hard in the faint hope of catching them. Decided they would probably cut through Windsor Great Park, so through the deer park and out again at Cranbourne Gate.
Saw the group in the distance and managed to chase them down.

Went down the souther part of the Drift Road loop, through Hurst to out stop

While there it started spitting with light rain. However though it did continue on and off it never really amounted to much
Back via Barkham and the top of the Drift Road loop.

We we with the wind on the return leg, it it seemed to be an excuse for some faster speeds. However managed to keep up

49.94 miles at 16.9 mph, 1407 feet climbed

https://www.strava.com/activities/1097542989