iancity
Veteran
- Location
- Ashington, Northumberland
You need a new phone 
Your ride today....
- Thread starter gbb
- Start date
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Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
All these fabby rides are making my 8 mile utility ride / bimble to Littleport seem a bit... weedy... 
Never mind, I got me out for a bit into the early evening sunshine - even if the legs didn't really want to play ball.
Never mind, I got me out for a bit into the early evening sunshine - even if the legs didn't really want to play ball.
All these fabby rides are making my 8 mile utility ride / bimble to Littleport seem a bit... weedy...
They all count lass.
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
lazybloke
Priest of the cult of Chris Rea
- Location
- Leafy Surrey
Have barely been on the bike in the last 4-5 weeks but did a "half London Surrey" on Sunday morning. Was definitely out of condition and came home exhausted.
No problem with that but now my neck has gone into a painful spasm! Can't sleep so am sitting bolt upright downstairs waiting for pain relief to work, and wishing I had something stronger than Nurofen!
Nice ride though.
No problem with that but now my neck has gone into a painful spasm! Can't sleep so am sitting bolt upright downstairs waiting for pain relief to work, and wishing I had something stronger than Nurofen!
Nice ride though.
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Have a like for the fact it was a good ride. I hope the neck is feeling better now.
lazybloke
Priest of the cult of Chris Rea
- Location
- Leafy Surrey
Thanks , sadly not any better. Have broken out the Tiger Balm but might have to see my GP. It's a cervical spine/pinched nerves issue.
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Oh, sorry to hear that. I hope it gets sorted soon.
Tail End Charlie
Well, write it down boy ......
- Location
- In green and pleasant hills.
Was out yesterday and came across The International Microcar Rally near Alderley Edge. Loads of microcars, many of which I'd never heard of, it was great seeing people keeping some of these motors alive.
Overall view
A mobile goldfish bowl
A line up of Messerschmitts
A tilting car, a Carver made by two Dutch brothers
Isle of Man Peel car
Finally, a project for someone, not me unfortunately
Overall view
A mobile goldfish bowl
A line up of Messerschmitts
A tilting car, a Carver made by two Dutch brothers
Isle of Man Peel car
Finally, a project for someone, not me unfortunately
I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
Not a ride today, but a bit of a catch up of the last week as I have just returned from an amazing holiday in the French Alps on the border of Switzerland.
It was an activity based holiday with another family we know in a shared chalet, with MTB hire included (hardtails). I had planned to pick up an extra roadbike for me while out there as there was a ride I had been quietly hoping to do on a route I spotted months before the trip. The climb from Morzine up to Avoriaz is a near continuous ascent from the Morzine river to Avoriaz centre 8.5 miles and 2800ft later. When I mentioned this the dad of the other family who is also an occasional leisure cyclist but has been cycling to work (8 miles each way) during the summer holidays decided he wanted to join me.
My heart sank as I had been looking forward to the ride and thought having a slower, less capable rider with me would spoil it. As it happened I needn't have worried, he did really well and I enjoyed the easy pace while we only stopped a couple of times to have a drink and short rest. The climb was long, hot and sunny with temps probably above the mid 20s centigrade my ride partner did suffer a bit. After a look around the deserted town of Avoriaz which is almost entirely a winter ski resort we dropped back towards a little café at the junction with the Col de la Joux Verte. During lunch the skies darkened and a breeze picked up and the promised rainfall predicted by the weather forecast arrived just as we prepared to depart. Our descent of the Col de la Joux Verte was a bit of a hairy one as the single track road cut through dense forest and hugged the mountain side with many blind bends and tight hairpins. The gloom and downpour of near biblical proportions made picking up any serious speed on the steep, twisty, wet road too dangerous so although I am sure it would be a thrilling route on a hot dry day, as a first experience of alpine descending I have to admit it was a challenging introduction!!! I'm glad I only had a Coca Cola with lunch and not the beer that had tempted me when the sun was shining.....
We sought some respite from the deluge in a bus shelter by the Montriond Lake but eventually decided it was not going to get any better and had to finish the rest of the ride in the rain, arriving back at the chalet looking and feeling like drowned rats.
The wives and kids were all out so after a shower and some cake my ride partner fell asleep on the sofa while I rested and browsed the internet. Then the sun came out again and I quickly decided to leave the worn out cyclist sleeping and have a second go at the climb at my own pace
So, for the second time that day, I headed out on the hired road bike (2018 Specialized Diverge E5 disc) to tackle the seemingly endless climb. I was definitely much quicker and didn't stop once until I reached the top. This time it hurt, and I loved it! I only stopped at the top to take a few pictures, hydrate and don a jacket over my damp clothing ready for a full speed descent of the more open Route d'Avoriaz in the dry.
The descent was everything I had hoped it would be, an near endless blur of speed and hairpins, unhindered by traffic or weather and with my top speed recorded by the Garmin of 49mph
A couple of days after this I managed to get out again for another road bike ride alone just before dinner. The weather wasn't promising but improved as I passed through Les Gets and then dropped along a perfect sweeping river gorge towards the small hamlet of Fry. I turned off the main road here and began my climb back around to La Villiaz but soon found my route barred by a road closure due to a massive landslide that had wiped out the road. The repairs were underway and there was masses of heavy machinery scattered around the muddy fenced off site. Just at this point the heavens opened again and I consulted the Garmin to try and work out a new route that didn't involve returning back up the hill I had just descended from Les Gets. There wasn't one, but fortunately the relaxed French workforce had left the front gate wide open, just in case anyone needed to nip through. So pushing the bike and treading carefully through the quagmire while squeezing between the huge pile drivers and excavators, I traversed the few hundred yards of closed road. Funnily enough, the gate at the other end was also open, allowing me an easy exit to continue my ride. French H&S at it's finest
….
Time was pressing now and I had promised to be back in time for the 7pm dinner, but the delay at the landslide and another minor navigation error that had taken me a little off route meant this was beginning to look unlikely I pressed on and then reached the final zig-zag descent through La Côte-d'Arbroz. This time, despite the increasingly heavy rain I loved every turn as the line of sight was clear at each turn and my cornering confidence and familiarity with the bike had increased enormously since that 1st nervous ride down Col de la Joux Verte.
I squelched in to the chalet at 7.05 after covering a little over 17 miles and was just allowed enough time for a lightning quick shower before dinner was served.
I am now looking forward to the next chance to visit to the Alps with a bicycle. I have never feared climbing and while not the fittest or fastest I find the satisfaction of reaching the top and reward of getting to ride down again makes hilly rides enormous fun and a little bit addictive. I'll be back!
It was an activity based holiday with another family we know in a shared chalet, with MTB hire included (hardtails). I had planned to pick up an extra roadbike for me while out there as there was a ride I had been quietly hoping to do on a route I spotted months before the trip. The climb from Morzine up to Avoriaz is a near continuous ascent from the Morzine river to Avoriaz centre 8.5 miles and 2800ft later. When I mentioned this the dad of the other family who is also an occasional leisure cyclist but has been cycling to work (8 miles each way) during the summer holidays decided he wanted to join me.
My heart sank as I had been looking forward to the ride and thought having a slower, less capable rider with me would spoil it. As it happened I needn't have worried, he did really well and I enjoyed the easy pace while we only stopped a couple of times to have a drink and short rest. The climb was long, hot and sunny with temps probably above the mid 20s centigrade my ride partner did suffer a bit. After a look around the deserted town of Avoriaz which is almost entirely a winter ski resort we dropped back towards a little café at the junction with the Col de la Joux Verte. During lunch the skies darkened and a breeze picked up and the promised rainfall predicted by the weather forecast arrived just as we prepared to depart. Our descent of the Col de la Joux Verte was a bit of a hairy one as the single track road cut through dense forest and hugged the mountain side with many blind bends and tight hairpins. The gloom and downpour of near biblical proportions made picking up any serious speed on the steep, twisty, wet road too dangerous so although I am sure it would be a thrilling route on a hot dry day, as a first experience of alpine descending I have to admit it was a challenging introduction!!! I'm glad I only had a Coca Cola with lunch and not the beer that had tempted me when the sun was shining.....
We sought some respite from the deluge in a bus shelter by the Montriond Lake but eventually decided it was not going to get any better and had to finish the rest of the ride in the rain, arriving back at the chalet looking and feeling like drowned rats.
The wives and kids were all out so after a shower and some cake my ride partner fell asleep on the sofa while I rested and browsed the internet. Then the sun came out again and I quickly decided to leave the worn out cyclist sleeping and have a second go at the climb at my own pace
So, for the second time that day, I headed out on the hired road bike (2018 Specialized Diverge E5 disc) to tackle the seemingly endless climb. I was definitely much quicker and didn't stop once until I reached the top. This time it hurt, and I loved it! I only stopped at the top to take a few pictures, hydrate and don a jacket over my damp clothing ready for a full speed descent of the more open Route d'Avoriaz in the dry.
The descent was everything I had hoped it would be, an near endless blur of speed and hairpins, unhindered by traffic or weather and with my top speed recorded by the Garmin of 49mph
A couple of days after this I managed to get out again for another road bike ride alone just before dinner. The weather wasn't promising but improved as I passed through Les Gets and then dropped along a perfect sweeping river gorge towards the small hamlet of Fry. I turned off the main road here and began my climb back around to La Villiaz but soon found my route barred by a road closure due to a massive landslide that had wiped out the road. The repairs were underway and there was masses of heavy machinery scattered around the muddy fenced off site. Just at this point the heavens opened again and I consulted the Garmin to try and work out a new route that didn't involve returning back up the hill I had just descended from Les Gets. There wasn't one, but fortunately the relaxed French workforce had left the front gate wide open, just in case anyone needed to nip through. So pushing the bike and treading carefully through the quagmire while squeezing between the huge pile drivers and excavators, I traversed the few hundred yards of closed road. Funnily enough, the gate at the other end was also open, allowing me an easy exit to continue my ride. French H&S at it's finest
….Time was pressing now and I had promised to be back in time for the 7pm dinner, but the delay at the landslide and another minor navigation error that had taken me a little off route meant this was beginning to look unlikely I pressed on and then reached the final zig-zag descent through La Côte-d'Arbroz. This time, despite the increasingly heavy rain I loved every turn as the line of sight was clear at each turn and my cornering confidence and familiarity with the bike had increased enormously since that 1st nervous ride down Col de la Joux Verte.
I squelched in to the chalet at 7.05 after covering a little over 17 miles and was just allowed enough time for a lightning quick shower before dinner was served.
I am now looking forward to the next chance to visit to the Alps with a bicycle. I have never feared climbing and while not the fittest or fastest I find the satisfaction of reaching the top and reward of getting to ride down again makes hilly rides enormous fun and a little bit addictive. I'll be back!
Leaway2
Lycrist
- Location
- Manchester (Sale)
Sunday: pootling along through Dunham, when what must have been a cycling club scream past, taking the hairs off my legs. This forces me into over to the side of the road into the "pothole zone". I hit a pothole and the Garmin ejects itself from the mount and into the road. Luckily it stayed in the gutter and the following cars did not run over it. Both the tabs have snapped off. Raceware fix thingie ordered to repair it costing £12.
Bloody cyclists!
Bloody cyclists!
I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
Get yourself a cheap lanyard and fix it to one of the cable casings or round the bars if long enough. I have one on mine and it is just long enough to allow the unit to loop through the lanyard while around a cable then clip into the mount. I have never managed to dismount the Garmin accidently but the lanyard should be sufficient to save it if I do. If it is a collision that is enough to snap the lanyard then I guess the Garmin will be the least of my worries.....
pawl
Legendary Member
- Location
- Desford Leicestershire
Try Voltarol 12 hour gel.If you are taking another medication check with the pharmacy first.
Schools back so took a couple of days off work
Heading east means a uphill climb far too soon - today decided on the A59 Skipton Road from New Park roundabout turning off to rat run through Bilton.
NCN636 to Knaresborough, completely hardsurfaced - if only all NCNs were. Spiderweb has just posted the classic view of the River Nidd and its viaduct so here is the unclassic view looking along Waterside eastwards
South on the B6164 through Little Ribston then eastwards to join a typically very quite A168
Noticed a very odd odour as I passed the new North Yorkshire County Council / City of York waste transfer station and as I neared the Arkendale turning it started raining heavily and I donned my lightweight waterproof jacket and headed back west towards Arkendale.
The rain stopped as soon as it had started and the wet waterproof came off in Arkendale
On to Ferrensby and took the A6055 to Knaresborough passng the Golf Course, and then A59 to Forest Lane Head
I was going to use the cyclepath on the old railway line north west to Bilton but instead decided to try a different route making use of a couple of cycle routes not previously tried. Not too impressed with this one - the intent is obviously given dropped kerbs either side of a gate that blocks the roadway that the roadway rather than pavement is used but a nasty ramp lies in wait on the road.
A mile and half from home the heavy rain returned so it was a soggy end to the ride.
28.89 miles 1385ft climbed
Heading east means a uphill climb far too soon - today decided on the A59 Skipton Road from New Park roundabout turning off to rat run through Bilton.
NCN636 to Knaresborough, completely hardsurfaced - if only all NCNs were. Spiderweb has just posted the classic view of the River Nidd and its viaduct so here is the unclassic view looking along Waterside eastwards
South on the B6164 through Little Ribston then eastwards to join a typically very quite A168
Noticed a very odd odour as I passed the new North Yorkshire County Council / City of York waste transfer station and as I neared the Arkendale turning it started raining heavily and I donned my lightweight waterproof jacket and headed back west towards Arkendale.
The rain stopped as soon as it had started and the wet waterproof came off in Arkendale
On to Ferrensby and took the A6055 to Knaresborough passng the Golf Course, and then A59 to Forest Lane Head
I was going to use the cyclepath on the old railway line north west to Bilton but instead decided to try a different route making use of a couple of cycle routes not previously tried. Not too impressed with this one - the intent is obviously given dropped kerbs either side of a gate that blocks the roadway that the roadway rather than pavement is used but a nasty ramp lies in wait on the road.
A mile and half from home the heavy rain returned so it was a soggy end to the ride.
28.89 miles 1385ft climbed
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
This is a video another memberof velo moira did who joined us part way through with me hanging on the back of a fast group .
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View: https://player.vimeo.com/video/288043614
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