Your ride today....

[Pat "5mph"]

After Cambuslang we ended up in a muddy , rubble strewn dead end,blocked by the M74.

I think you ended up in Carmyle, the next left turn on the path takes you to Uddingston.
Btw, that muddy spot is lovely for a picnic in summer, isn't there a pub nearby too?

A couple of rides to report from me.
Did a wee solo 30 miles yesterday, just because I have a few days off, need to make up the lost commuting miles.
It was lashing down in the morning but I knew I had a few dry hours early afternoon, so I left at 11, vaguely headed along the Clyde to Dumbarton.
It was freezing and blowing a gale, nice though not having to ride the ice tank!
I went down a few previously unexplored lanes:
The sign for the NCN route 7 at the Renfrew ferry dock.
It's a dilapidated site now, but once it must have been a busy cyclists' hub, there are still several bike parking stands.
The sign says that the route into Paisley continues on the other side of the water, sadly clear directions have long been lost.
This is another area that once was flourishing with traffic when the docks along the Clyde were in operation, now awaiting regeneration.
Heading to the Golden Jubileum Hospital: there is a cycling path right into it, but watch out for the lorries coming out of the industrial estate next door.
This is a model of a famous ship build on the Clyde, there is history behind it, a long one that I can't quite recall
Look at those dark clouds, I did get caught by a shower of freezing rain eventually ... because I stopped in Lidl for a jar of pickled herring

I don't think I ever posted a picture of the boat shaped chippy shop in Clydebank, so here we are: it's a building, not a boat, really:


Today's ride with Freewheel north at the Green was eventful: we had a loud bang, then this:
a split rim!
Fortunately we were near the sister hub at the Maryhill Whitehouse which provided a new wheel.
The destination was a newly opened bike hub at the Springburn branch of Kelvin College.
It is all very well to open new cycling hubs and segregated routes in the Glasgow area, but safe routes to take you there are seriously lacking.
I think one should first build the infrastructures, then the destination.
On social, community project hub rides, participants often have additional needs, or are elderly or inexperienced cyclists: white van man does not care if we have to take a busy road for a stretch because there is no other way.
It was fun though, white van man ended up laughing, he cut us off, then slowly slowly we all crept up in front of him at the lights
Some pictures of the day, note how the new hub wants to grow flowers on their roof, I'm not kidding ... who is going to do the weeding??!
Forgot: I fell off! We came back on a path with lots of tight twisty turns, I just can't do them

 

[pjd57]

@Pat "5mph" , we went out through Carmyle , and used the roads to Uddingston and Bothwell.
Bit windy heading back.
We would have went further but I was saving a few miles for a night time trip to see Celtic.

 

[pawl]

First ride in Feb and only second of the year.15 miles it being Friday only one other cyclists out.

Weather was sunny but there was still a chilly breeze.Still better than sitting in the garage on the turbo staring at all the sticks I’ve used for paint stirring.

 

[Fonze]

25km today very enjoyable ..
Getting back into things nicely, lovely day too ..

 

[Dirk]

Steady 25 miles on the Muddiford Loop this morning. Braunton to Barnstaple, then up towards Ilfracombe, along to Mullacott and back to Braunton. Not breaking any records and averaged 13.3 mph with over 1100 ft of climbing.
Got back, swift shower and then a yummy lunch - £3.30 courtesy of LIDL.

 

[Spiderweb]

A lovely sunny afternoon in North Yorkshire, spring could be here!
20.4 miles on my trusty old Enik Pordoi winter Steely.

 

[Biff600]

Wasn't intending on going out as have a stinking cold and feel like shoot, but I thought, 'I ain't wasting the day', so I got the Stumpy out and off I rattles.

Usual MTB stuff, filthy dirty, soaked in mud etc and 18 miles later I'm 300 yds from home, decided to take a quick right turn on some loose mud and WHOOSH !!!

I'm on my arse !! Smacked my knee on the only piece of concrete in a 50 mile radius !!!!!!!!!!!!

YA BASTAAAAARD !!!!! (or words to that effect) Tourettes took charge for a good 5 minutes and I gingerly got back on the treader and slowly pedalled home.

My knee is bruised. bloody and swollen and I'm not happy 'cos it hurts like hell and I'm too old to cry !!

The upshot is I looked to the left and there I have a spare, all pristine and pink, every cloud blah, blah, blah !!

Buy a MTB they said, it'll keep you fit they said !!!!

 

[Dave 123]

A classic day out!!! I'm in Devon for the 70th birthday of uncle Charisma.
I drove from Wembury via the pastie shop to Cadover Bridge. It was lovely and sunny with proper warmth in the air. Just the ticket.

I set off up a lane but eventually came to a dead end by a farm. Still, I'd not been there before. On my way back down I found a friend

I followed another road up and up flanking the China clay workings.

The road ran out so I joined a granite sand track. This led me up to a quarry. I peered over the edge. Nice.
I set off, and I spied a track to the left and looked at it, just as my front wheel slipped into a big rut made by the rain. I was off! A low speed comedy spill!
Next was a left or right..... I chose left. Wrong. The track ran out after a few hundred yards and the ground was like a sponge. I went the other way. I had the wide, puddles sandy track for a couple of miles. Me, a pony or two and a few sheep. The views down to the coast and Plymouth were great

In the last picture you can just see the sea around the mouth of the Erme estuary. The track ran out after this and again the sodden ground didn't appeal so I retraced my tracks to the car and had a couple of bites of pastie.

To be continued.....

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

8 of us in Upton. A much better forecast can do that. Good to see John G as it has been sometime. The call was Trioscape so we took the usual run through to Birtsmorton and on via Pendock for Redmarley. Much of the scenery passed by unnoticed as the chat was flowing well. Mrs 26 was riding quite strongly today although the up parts are still her Achilles heel. Over Brand Green lead us downward to the cafe in the Trioscape.

Much chat and refreshments later we took to the run for Hartpury. Pete M wanted to go by Woolridge so we climbed as required. With chat flowing I forgot to check out the view. We had a reasonable assistance from the southerly breeze along the Hams and the pace went up quite well. Steve E punctured at Forthampton but we were soon underway. Mrs 26 decided to potter back on her own whilst most parted at Upton. It just remained for me to take to the usual run back to get the kettle on for Mrs 26's return. Super run out today. Relatively mild with bright skies and a light breeze. Could this be Spring? 55 smiles

 

[Dave 123]

I set off from the car again and made for Sheepstor. I cut across the common before stopping to admire one of my favourite views

Before riding into Sheepstor I took the lane to Nattor. It's a rough, stony track that rises steadily to the top of the tor. I picked my way through the loose, lumpy rocks until you find the abandoned settlement at Nattor
The track flattens out here before dropping away steadily toward vast open moorland.
There were some big, deep puddles, full width of the track. I went through a few and bumped off a few hefty rocks that were submerged. Then came the mega puddle. Between the puddle and open soaking moorland was a raised ridge, that's where I went. I wasn't going quick, but not slow enough to stop when I noticed the drop..... it was a down and up about 3' in length. As my wheel went down I started to laugh, I knew the punchline already! It was a big, deep hole full of what appeared to be cake mix. I watched the end of my fork disappear, and watched the ground get closer and closer to my face. I'd managed to unclip so going over the bars was totally effortless. My right hand went right in the puddle along with my left foot, other than that it was all good. I was killing myself laughing! 2 offs in a day, result!

I stopped and took the above pic, note the dirty right grip.
The path led to the left of the tree on the left. There were drainage gullies made of granite slabs. My back wheel slammed one hard. An instant pinch puncture.
I stopped at the cross and changed my tube.... my only spare tube too. I decided to head back and go to Sheepstor and a lap of Burrator. I put plenty of air in the tube, I couldn't afford another flat.

Down through Sheepstor, I love this little hamlet, so pretty. Burrator is about the only relatively flat 5 mile walk in Devon, as a result it gets a bit busy, but I have a lot of happy memories of walking round here when Thomas was a baby so I can put up with the people.
I stopped at the ice cream van for a 99. Very nice too! It would fuel my on the climb back to the car.

Then came the trudge between 10 & 15% for about 3/4 of a mile. I enjoyed it, not sure the land rover and horsebox behind me did though!

Back at the car, almost 26 miles. That was a mega day!

https://www.strava.com/activities/1411975218

https://www.relive.cc/view/1411975218

 

[NorthernDave]

I had toyed with the idea of grabbing another metric half today, but we all know what they say about plans, don't we?

The forecast was for the rain to stop between 8 and 9 and then brighten up as the day went on. They lied.
At half nine it was still persistently pouring down, but I thought I'd get the bike out anyway as my natural optimism was telling me it was getting brighter out there.
I noticed the rear tyre on the Giant was a touch soft, so went to top it up. As I turned the dust cap though it brought the valve core out with it, followed instantaneously by all the air. Bugger. And curse Cycle Surgery and their PDI.
Tried to screw it back in but couldn't nip it up enough to be air tight and as I don't have a core tool (one has now been ordered!) and not wanting to knacker it with plyers, that was that.
So, what to do?
Well, the Pro Carbon was tucked away upstairs for the winter, so I could get it out but it doesn't have guards (it was still raining) and it would need a bit of fettling to make it ready to ride. So the MX Sport, put away and unridden since being serviced last October, was wheeled out. Some air in the tyres (through properly fitted valves ) and I was finally good to go.

Local roads down and across Barwick Road, then a long loop around Manston before crossing the railway line and climbing the hill up Austhorpe Lane and on to pick up NCN R66 and drop down into Thorp Park, where much building work is going on to create exciting new office buildings to sit alongside the existing office buildings that largely seem to be "To Let". There is a Greggs on here, but it was shut, so thoughts of a bacon butty were abandoned and I rode on, eventually finding the diverted and almost hidden way back onto the bridleway that is R66 from here as it climbs up to the bridge over the M1.
The diversion during the building work is shameful - muddy, steep and rutted and requires anyone using the bridleway to cross a motorway slip road. I wonder if Sustrans know? It seems unlikely that the many horse riders that used to use this route still do now (there is a stables at the Garforth end) as there were no signs of hoof prints.
Anyway, up and across the bridge and the steady drop through the woods all the way to Barrowby Lane, where I took the left through the woods to cross the railway line on the foot crossing rather than staying on the road to Garforth.
Right after the crossing and down to Barwick Road and back across the M1, round the bends and across the beck to take the bridleway to Aberford through Parlington Woods on R66.
The first section is lovely smooth tarmac, then at the gate it starts to climb and changes to stony ridged hard packed earth, so I unlocked the front fork and attacked.
Eventually it levels out and there is more fun to be had dodging the many puddles and potholes and picking up a bit of speed until reaching the fishing lake where it's back to the muddy stuff.
Round the gate and through the tunnel, glad I'd put a decent light on the bike and surprised that the water level in the tunnel was much lower than previous visits, especially given the recent rain. Previously there have been 3 or 4 inches of standing water all the way though.
There was still a little lake stretching across the far entrance though, but once through it was good fun putting the hammer down and sliding all over the place on the mud.
Under the former railway bridge things started to improve under tyre, although there was still plenty of mud to be found.
All good things come to an end and I soon reached the gate that marked the start of the drop down into Aberford and I stopped at the road for a breather and a photo:

Actually, did I mention it was muddy?

As I was stopped a couple of passing roadies asked if everything was OK, which was nice.
Anyway, time to turn for home so back in the saddle to climb back into the woods and retrace my earlier route, although after the initial climb there was now a bit more down than up, which is always fun.
Through the tunnel again, but just beyond it I decided to grab another pic:

Trust me - it's muddier than it looks...

From there it's more fun and bumpiness back to Long Lane, where I went straight across past the farm shop and picked up the bridleway across the golf course, noticing lots of new signs warning me to watch out for golf balls. Who'd have thought it?
There were quite a lot of golfists out in their ridiculous brightly coloured clothes, but none of them managed to hit me before I left the golf course and plunged into the woods, before turning right across Cock Beck again and up the very bumpy surface to Manston Lane, where I stopped to tighten up the front light that had been shaken loose on the rough stuff.
From there it's all on tarmac back home, first passing the construction work going on for the Manston Link Road (which will form the eastern end of the East Leeds Orbital Road (ELOR) - a new 50mph grade separated dual carriageway from here to Red Hall that's going to ruin this part of the city for cyclists. The link is worth a look if you cycle anywhere on this side of Leeds from Red Hall right out to the M1 at Colton.
Anyhow, along past there and up skirting Pendas Fields with one final crossing of Cock Beck before heading up to home.

14.39 miles (23.16km) in 1h 22m at an average of 10.4mph with 610ft climbed and an average temperature of just 3.0°C

I'll take that given the shenanigans earlier in the day.
Given the amount of off road mud plugging I'm happy enough with the average speed too and at least I got out, which I really needed after the week I've had at work. I hardly ever go our on the hybrid now and every time I do it reminds me of what fun off-roading can be, even if it does mean a full load in the washer when I get in.

Not too sure about a ride tomorrow as it's forecast that there will be a hard frost overnight and it will stay sub-zero til late morning. We shall see.

And to end, the map:

Just one more thing, if you like the sound of this route, please visit http://save-parlington.org/about-us/ to read about work going on to stop hundreds of houses being dropped into the middle of the countryside at Parlington, with the current bridleway (NCN R66) being used as the access road. Thanks.

 

[13 rider]

Last week cancelled Feb Imperial ton had been rearranged for today high the forecast was promising unfortunately @Lilliburlero couldn't make it so the three of us me and @Supersuperleeds going for an Imperial ton and @tallliman going as far as he could . @Supersuperleeds met me at home and we headed to Shepshed we made good time and were 10mins early but @tallliman was also early so soon on our way .Heading for the Trent via Breedon on the hill and Melbourne crossing the Trent at Swarkstone .As we were heading out @tallliman decided he was just riding to the cafe then heading home for a metric ton due to still struggling with a injured knee . The route we had planned was devised to allow @Lilliburlero to join and leave on a circular route me and @Supersuperleeds decided to ride with @tallliman towards Loughborough then head back out for the extra miles .Through Barrow on Trent ,Stenson ,Where it started to rain which wasn't forescat the last time I was here with @tallliman it rained then .We press on to Willington quick detour for a veloviewer square Eggington then Hilton and another quick veloviewer detour then on to Suzie' cafe at Hilton by Turning right in Hilton then doing a 10 mile loop Sutton on the hill ,Alkmonton ,Foston and back to Hilton .Nice cafe stop sausage and bacon cobs were eagerly consumed .While we sat it seemed to clear up . Outside and no its still raining so rain jackets on and were heading towards home down the Trent valley ,Barrow on Trent ,Swarkstone but not over the bridge Weston on Trent ,Aston on Trent ,Shardlow and over the Trent down long lane to Kegworth where the headwind made its presence felt . After Kegworth @tallliman turned for home he had struggled the last few miles but got his biggest ride of the year in Well done . So down to 2 out to the second cafe stop at Nice pie at old Dalby via East Leake ,Costock ,Wysall and Willoughby .Cake and coffee ( tea for @Supersuperleeds ) were consumed it's back out .Rain jacket stowed as it began to clear finally .back to Anstey via Barrow ,Quorn ,Mountsorrel ,Rothley ,Cropston with a few extra loops as @Supersuperleeds was a few miles short of a 200km ride . In Anstey we parted company as I went uphill to home . 103.5 miles for me in 6 hours 45 mins so Feb challenge ride in the bag . Another great ride in excellent company making the miles pass easier I did feel that one today and after the second cafe stop I may have drafted @Supersuperleeds into the headwind which is a welcome reverse of positions

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Last week cancelled Feb Imperial ton had been rearranged for today high the forecast was promising unfortunately @Lilliburlero couldn't make it so the three of us me and @Supersuperleeds going for an Imperial ton and @tallliman going as far as he could . @Supersuperleeds met me at home and we headed to Shepshed we made good time and were 10mins early but @tallliman was sweating so soon on our way .Heading for the Trent via Breedon on the hill and Melbourne crossing the Trent at Swarkstone .As we were heading out @tallliman decided he was just riding to the cafe then heading home for a metric ton due to still struggling with a injured knee . The route we had planned was devised to allow @Lilliburlero to join and leave on a circular route me and @Supersuperleeds decided to ride with @tallliman towards Loughborough then head back out for the extra miles .Through Barrow on Trent ,Stenson ,Where it started to rain which wasn't forescat the last time I was here with @tallliman it rain then .We press on to Willington quick detour for a veloviewer square Eggington then Hilton and another quick veloviewer detour then on to Suzie' cafe at Hilton by Turning right in Hilton then doing a 10 mile loop Sutton on the hill ,Alkmonton ,Foston and back to Hilton .Nice cafe stop sausage and bacon cobs were eagerly consume .While we sat it seemed to clear up . Outside and no its still raining so rain jackets on and were heading towards home down the Trent valley ,Barrow on Trent ,Swarkstone but not over the bridge Weston on Trent ,Aston on Trent ,Shardlow and over the Trent down long lane to Kegworth where the headwind made its presence felt . After Kegworth @tallliman turned for home he had struggled the last few miles but got his biggest ride of the year in Well done . So down to 2 out to the second cafe stop at Nice pie at old Dalby via East Leake ,Costock ,Wysall and Willoughby .Cake and coffee ( tea for @Supersuperleeds ) were consumed it's back out .Rain jacket stowed as it began to clear finally .back to Anstey via Barrow ,Quorn ,Mountsorrel ,Rothley ,Cropston with a few extra loops as @Supersuperleeds was a few miles short of a 200km ride . In Anstey we parted company as I went uphill to home . 103.5 miles for me in 6 hours 45 mins so Feb challenge ride in the bag . Another great ride in excellent company making the miles pass easier I did feel that one today and after the second cafe stop I may have drafted @Supersuperleeds into the headwind which is a welcome reverse of positions

About time I repaid the debt

 

[Spartak]

After some early frost, we had a good ride out to Pilning, Aust & Thornbury.
Stopping off at Coffee #1 for some Portuguese Tarts

 

[Jon George]

My ride today? To the end of the road and back - several times. Oh, did I say several? I meant about a couple of dozen interspersed with fettling. I have lost track of the hours I have spent trying to adjust the front derailleur of Patsy #2 The CX after putting on a new chain. A plea for help will be posted elsewhere. Here. (I will be out tomorrow on one of my bikes whatever happens - and back in time for the bobsleigh. )