Your ride today....

[mybike]

Some how the view behind usually seems better than the one in front. I may have to consider doing my route in reverse one day and seeing if the same holds true!

You could always fit reverse gearing,cycle backwards.

Today started out with waking ~ 05:30 to torrential rain. I needed to get the towball off the car & that requires lying on the ground! There was also a need to get the front wheels back on the bikes, easier done outside. Happily it dried up and towball & wheels were fixed.

Took the bike out for a short spin around the block to check all was well (my excuse) and the wind made cycling hard work, coming back was much easier.

Persuaded OH that repairing a puncture was not something to do while out & Halfords had a 3 for 2 offer so got her 2 tubes & myself one. I've already got a pair of spares on another bike.

About five I thought I'd do some exploring so set off, down the road & across the golf course. The wind was certainly strong although I did manage to use largest chainwheel (I've got it working at last, tho' the granny isn't now).

Once on the Prom the wind got really strong, and once I'd got to the Pavilion, about 3 miles, I'd had enough. Coming back was so much easier & according to the GPS I achieved 26mph(yeah right). I know I was doing 13mph on the nice smooth surface tho'. Decided to ride around the back roads for a bit, since 6 miles isn't really long enough, taking it up to 7.5miles.

 

[Gravity Aided]

What a difference from yesterday afternoon which was 16C and sunny. This morning was 3C windy and wintery showers. So it was back to the winter bike, gloves, winter jacket, bib longs and overshoes. Just kept to more sheltered roads and did a few extra climbs. However legs weren't great today, 10 days in a row cycling, so the 2nd time up some of the climbs I was struggling a bit. Ended up with 70km and 1200m of climbing in just over 3 hours.
Think I'll have a rest day tomorrow and just watch Paris Roubaix

I was thinking of putting together a running bet as to Shimano Neutral Service Car mishaps.

 

[Dirk]

Velo Vintage run today in Barnstaple. Excellent turn out of riders. Weather stayed fine. Cream teas and cider most welcome. Good fun had by all.

 

[Paul139]

After Wednesday's knee bursting ride on my Quella,I thought I'd go out on Thursday and enjoy more sun on my Focus and use some gears. So 28 miles this time ambling through the local lanes and a brief stop in Finchingfield. I found a stunning little lane from Lindsell to Stebbing. Quiet, traffic free and stopped to hear nothing but the birds singing. Bliss.


Focus in Finchingfield!

Enjoying the view.

 

[The Jogger]

Finchingfield is a very nice village, many years ago I lived in Bocking.

 

[roadrash]

took the twenty out for approx 10 miles this afternoon

along the local tow paths and bridle ways,a bit blustery out in the open


headed down to moss bridge


had a mooch over to the local nature reserve, only to find that the local richard heads had discovered fire

still at least the information board had survived

all in all im still lucky to have such a vast network of cycle routes on my doorstep

 

[Berties]

Based in the family holiday home at swanage , done some great climbing in the Dorset alps, seen all the local attractions , steam trains , couple of castles but no famous five!, wind has been up , so got wind burnt, great days riding

 

[AndyWilliams]

Popped off to Kensal Green Cemetery today on the MTB via Canal

 

[Gravity Aided]

14.6 miles, Did a Brutal Tour today, adding to this thread:
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/whats-your-favourite-bit-of-brutalist-architecture.173550/page-13
Lots more where that came from, around here.

 

[biggs682]

This mornings ride was a nice 22 miler , my first ride for a week and my first one over 1.5 miles on my new to me Butterworth , and i must admit i like these mod con sti's etc etc .

Bike went well the old engine wasnt to bad all things considered , even managed a few hills and danced my way up one of them so that was good

 

[Supersuperleeds]

A combination of a brutal wind and our lass getting her annual spring cleaning bug meant we shortened our Sunday morning pootle to 10 miles. Plus side is I can now watch a bit of Paris Roubaix

 

[Cuchilo]

I went on my LBS no drop ride today just to help make up the numbers . It was quite nice to have a laid back ride .
Just going through Teddington and The Waldergrave arms pub seemed to be having a little kitchen trouble with smoke billowing out of the kitchen extractor . Fire brigade called and one poor lad that will no doubt be spending the rest of the day in hospital treating his face and arms for burns . Not too bad I hope but he was very red .
It seems a tray of roast potatoes caught fire and I'm guessing he opened the oven door .

 

[Archeress]

Don't know why, but yesterday I was very zonked out. I hadn't been too bad on Friday after the cycling on Thursday, but I was so tired yesterday it was an effort to do anything at all. But today I felt better enough to go out with my cycling club on a novice level ride down to Snuff Mills. It was pretty windy out which chilled things dramatically. I had gone out in shorts and short sleeves with a thin Endura gilet so felt pretty cold. On the way there, due to a loose dog, one of my fellow cyclists cut me off at a corner and due to being clipped in came off. I knew it was going to happen so had my hands out to make the fall gentler. I have a slightly dinged up knee, , I'm glad I wasn't wearing my tights as I would probably had had a hole in them. I had my hip flask with me, so at the coffee stop I added a wee dram of whiskey to my coffee as a medicinal measure. We rode home through Stoke Park and although I nearly made it all the way up, I didn't quite. No photos today, .

Ride is here: https://www.strava.com/activities/283817450

Hugs
Acheress x

 

[Cuchilo]

You carry whisky with you ? When do we ride ?

 

[cosmicbike]

After checking the weather forecast for today and early start was in order to avoid the wind. I headed out at 0800, and for a change I knew where I was going, for the first part of the ride anyway. The plan was into wind all the way out to Kingston Bridge, making the return leg easier, and should notch up my 30 mile requirement. Really nice out today, and the one plank driver who was tooting at every cyclist was made up for by some really great passes and lots of thumbs up/waves from me. Kingston Bridge arrived quickly, less than an hour to cover the 14 or so miles from home. Some interesting houseboats moored up, they look permanent.

From here it was new territory for me, heading up into Teddington, probably just missing @Cuchilo , before heading through Bushey Park. Nice to see the old pumping stations at Hampton are being refurbished, must stop for a pic sometime. I'd been cracking along a bit, so eased up as I turned off the A308 and picked up the river again towards Lower Sunbury. Couple of ladies on bikes passed me with a cheery hello, and they kind of set my pace back into Walton. Seemed rude to overtake them, so I backed off to a respectable distance (following ladies in lycra too closely is probably bad form...). Back home along the Thames through Chertsey, Laleham and Staines before adding an extra bit through Virginia Water and Lyne to make my first 40 miler of the year.
A little over 41 miles for me today at a 15.2mph average (quick by my standards), and it felt really good. I toyed with pushing on for my first ever imperial 50, but discretion vs valour and so on, it will have to wait and I think be done at a lower pace.