Your ride today....

[13 rider]

101.5 miles of very hard work to get my March Imperial Century done.

Set of at 5:30am, was dry and cloudy so no problems with ice therefore the Allez came out for only the second time this year. Did my usual extended loop to get out of Leicester, so by the time I hit countryside I had done 10 miles and was only a couple of miles from home.

I headed south down the A5199 and through Kilby, at this point I realised the wind was coming from a north easterly direction and so I decided to change course and head into it and went up to Melton Mowbray on the B6047, blimey that is a bloody lumpy road!

Once at Melton Mowbray I decided to head north westerly on the A606 to Nottingham, this was even lumpier! Whilst heading to Melton Mowbray I had worked out I should be able to turn around at Nottingham and go back on myself to get back to Leicester and cover 100 miles. However at around 50 miles I went down a bloody steep hill (Upper Broughton / Nether Broughton area) and I decided there was no way I was going to be riding back up it!

At this point I stopped for a comfort break and decided to eat one of the two double deckers I had with me, it must have been colder than I thought as it was like rock (the chocolate!)

Anyway got to Nottingham and looped round and down into Loughborough, I then for some stupid reason decided to go do Beacon Hill, I reached it at 80 miles and thought I was going to die as I crawled up it. After that there was the shorted climb up Warren Hill and I then looped back round into Leicester. Time for a cup of tea (or three)

https://www.strava.com/activities/267911125

Brougton hill !!! Nasty climb as for beacon hill after 80 m !! I climbed that for the first time this week after 10 m and struggled .did you go through anstey if so you rode pass my house I would have waved Well done on a epic ride I am in awe .

 

[Dave 123]

@Supersuperleeds

Good one! I intended to do mine this weekend, but I've been clobbered by flu all week. Not sure I could manage the 1.5 miles!

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Brougton hill !!! Nasty climb as for beacon hill after 80 m !! I climbed that for the first time this week after 10 m and struggled .did you go through anstey if so you rode pass my house I would have waved Well done on epic ride I in awe .

I mised Anstey out as I went through Groby and Ratby to get round to the South.

I've done Beacon Hill a few times now, every time I go up it I realise why I haven't done it for a while.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Today's ride was unsurprisingly up the Whitegate Way yet again, but with an added twist - wheel spin! ahhhh even before I had covered 25m I was in trouble with mud! My rear tyre is a Schwalbe Marathon XR and is not suitable for deep mud in leaves... and this is exactly what I had and I don't have the strength in my legs to go to 2nd gear and gently push, but first gear was spinning the wheel with no grip... not a good start and it did not bode well for several other 'muddy spots' either...

After that bit I was grateful for some firm hardcore that my rear tyre could grip on. happy again now. It was a cold dull day and the light was flat. Not a good day for photography; in fact I struggled to come up with anything to be honest... some of you might be grateful for this, but not me, I'm afraid. This week has produced some excellent light and a couple of photos that are now on the shortlist for next year's family calendar, at least I have been informed of this by my mother

After that not much happened. I said hello to a couple of dogs, met a miserable person a on a bike, said hello to everyone else and rode very slowly onwards towards the scout camp where the next muddy spot was and yep - I had problems there as well, problems to the extent that almost meant me getting off the trike to push it through the mud! But I managed to recover and rock the bike out of the problem!The scout camp is in use this weekend, so the tents and a few tarps are up - tarps at sleeping height not shelter height, I was pleased to see.

After that it was just on to the station and a touch further to make sure I went as far as last time.

So why has she photo'ed some leaves - I can hear it. Well for those of us in the know, these leaves are pure heaven - well not these ones because they are alongside a dog walking area and not suitable for eating , but it does mean the ones down at the very far end are also growing and normally would mean Wild Garlic Pesto, Wild Garlic and Potato Soup, salad, bread... you get the drift. This is Ransoms or Wild Garlic and is heavenly (if you like garlic) and I was out of ideas as to what to put up for a photo!

Then home again.... minus any Wild Garlic because the far end is too far and you have to climb down a muddy steep incline and I can't anymore!
11.9km in errr, I'm not owning up to that one! Just settle for slow https://www.strava.com/activities/267891543

 

[User19783]

Out on Thursday, riding my Surley steamroller, 68",
Great ride.
Photos below.

Check out my 104.1 mi Ride on Strava: http://app.strava.com/activities/267004762

 

[User19783]

Lovely pub on route, but if I stop, that will be game over for the day.

Letcombe Regis, old water crest ponds.

 

[Elybazza61]

Club run today was a ride of two halves 1st pt fairly easy(it was a club curry night on Friday) and then a pretty quick run back especially from soham to wicken and then streatham;

https://www.strava.com/activities/268032702


And the curry night(26 or so along that wall)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...t=pcb.858760694181266&type=1&relevant_count=2

 

[Goonerobes]

The first sportive of the year for me today, the Wiltshire Wildcat starting at a rather chilly Salisbury racecourse on the Wiltshire downs.

After getting up at 6am for the usual porridge breakfast it was a 30 minute drive to the event where upon getting out of the car it seemed a damn sight colder than when I left but thankfully I had taken a long sleeve base layer just in case so after a quick change to base layer & thermal jacket I was ready to go.

The first mile or so was downhill, never a good sign as ultimately it means the last mile is back up again but once under way the route took one of my regular roads to the village of Broad Chalk & continued on a very slight incline for the next 10 miles or so along country lanes which were thankfully mostly dry. The first climb of the day, after 13 miles caught me a little unawares so I was sure it was 20 miles in but with that negotiated I knew the next, & last of the bigger hills was just around the corner.

Normally with both the bigger inclines out of the way in the first 25 miles it would have been happy days but the course then turns east & into the chilly north easterly wind, though the villages of Tarrant Hinton, Tarrant Monkton & Sixpenny Handley before joining some more familiar roads for me at Rockbourne.

A couple more little inclines, which caught more than a few people out, & that was it, 68.2 miles with 4100 feet of going up, all along country lanes & with some lovely scenery to boot, which unfortunately my camera phone doesn't do justice to.

https://www.strava.com/activities/267988724/

 

[Dark46]

I forgot to log here my ride on Wednesday night with Eastgate Cycling Club.

I was fiddling with the Orro when Dean turned up bearing gifts. A out front Garmin holder. This was swiftly fitted to the bike. After which we left the Eastgate cycles. Quite a pace was set as he was telling me why he rides mostly in the small ring in the front.
There were a few people already there and a small chat was had before we noticed the time.

Dean and i were put into a group that was 2 groups above the group that we were in last week and we're told we'd be fine

The ride was straight down the A38 to Slimbridge and back about 30 miles. I must admit the pace was decided quicker than I expected. Within a mile on the A38 I hit the front and stayed there till the lights at Cole Avenue where I had a bad clip in after got left.
At the next roundabout while waiting for the traffic to clear it was caught by the next group. I stayed with h this group for the rest of the ride. Going along a bit further the group is set off with were waiting for me and we made it clear that I had been picked up.

Going up to Whitminster at the top of the hill we waited for a couple of stragglers. No sooner that we set off one of the ladies in our pelaton got a puncture and we where there for about 10-15 minutes. As the puncture was fixed a group of 11 passed us and the rider at the front shouted "11 in the group".

The ride straight down the A38 went without any hitches to the roundabout where we would turn around and headed for the trip back up to the pub.

At the stop in decided it was a good time to eat my banana which I had in my back pocket. Well I was halfway through when my group went without announcement. Well I set off in pursuit still with a mouthful. I decided I needed to catch the pelaton up but it wasn't going to be easy. I was hoping that as I was originally with the group above that I would be able to catch them. I pushed a bit harder at every incline hoping that would be where I would gain the most air.

At hilltop there is set of lights and I was hoping that they would go red and I would gain bigtime, but alas no luck.
I guess it's a couple of miles to Whitminster where the group stopped at the top of the hill to wait for someone else. It was here I caught them and I was congratulated on catching them as they were unaware that I wasn't with them at the Slimbridge roundabout. From there it was mostly flat into Gloucester. Almost immediately someone decided to make a break for home.

Yet again along the dualcarriageway a brisk pace was set as everyone was slipstreamed the person in front under the light at Cole Avenue which were red again. It seemed from there to the pub all the lights were against us and it was a series of sprints to the pub.

At the last set in was able to get a good start but I was soon passed by three others, but the at the last corner I was able to not brake and went around the outside of the three in front and made it to the pub first in our group.

As it turned out Dean's knee gave out and went home and didn't go to the pub.

In the end my ride was just over 32 miles and averaged over 16 mph, which I'm still get used too.

 

[raleighnut]

I mised Anstey out as I went through Groby and Ratby to get round to the South.

I've done Beacon Hill a few times now, every time I go up it I realise why I haven't done it for a while.

And they say Leicestershire is flat.

 

[Rasmus]

Up (very) early this morning to do the 150 km Gospel Pass audax. The eponymous climb was long and tough, and still in the grasp of winter at the summit (549 meters)

It was a lovely ride with lots of varied terrain, and with the ride across to the start in Chepstow and back home, I set new PBs for both distance and elevation - by some margin!

https://www.strava.com/activities/268062766

 

[Supersuperleeds]

And they say Leicestershire is flat.

North of Leicester isn't flat. The south is and that's why I do most of my riding that way

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Up (very) early this morning to do the 150 km Gospel Pass audax. The eponymous climb was long and tough, and still in the grasp of winter at the summit (549 meters)

It was a lovely ride with lots of varied terrain, and with the ride across to the start in Chepstow and back home, I set new PBs for both distance and elevation - by some margin!

https://www.strava.com/activities/268062766

That's a cracking ride, it deserves two likes.

 

[Racing roadkill]

113 Km's today.

Had quite a crowd with me today too.

https://www.strava.com/activities/268089750

 

[vernon]

A twenty mile loop from Wetherby to Rufforth returning via Tockwith and Cowthorpe. I hadn't realised that the route would take in the site of the battle of Marston Moor where Cromwell's Parliamentarians defeated the Royalists.