Your ride today....

[Grant Fondo]

I’m up and cycling for 2020. Came down with Lurgy, over New Year and so only a very short ride today, to see how the energy was.......it was severely lacking.

Sunny and mild out, but a strong and gusty westerly meant it was hard going at times.

Followed the usual cycle paths, up to Heathgates and then down to the river, where, despite the Severn being at its lowest level, probably since September, the flood
gates are still shut on the towpath!! With the council being closed, for the last 2 weeks, I expect it will be opened tomorrow.....

I therefore went past the old Prison and through the Town Centre, down into The Quarry and rejoined the route I was intending to take. Up through Porthill, along Roman Rd and Shelton, before some new territory, as they’ve opened the full route through the new housing estate, which links Copthorne and Radbrook. Quite a smooth and quiet route, which is a good alternative to the busy and narrow Crowmeole Lane. It will probably become a rat run, soon though, once people realise it’s open.

Continued through Radbrook, Meole and then had to wait for a Police Van to come steaming up Oteley Rd, Blues and Two’s going. I’d just passed the Gym when said Police Van came back in the opposite direction, still with sirens and lights, so goodness knows what was going on!

12 miles at a slow 10.3mph avg.

I can sympathise... a 10 miler feels like 50 after a bout of lurgy

 

[pawl]

I can sympathise... a 10 miler feels like 50 after a bout of lurgy

Its twelve days since I started with the Luigi The sneezing snoting and aches have largely gone.

weather looks promising forFriday so will try a fifteen mile circuit

 

[EltonFrog]

I needed to go to the vets today to collect a prescription for Timmythecat. I took the opportunity to test ride for the first time, the Raleigh Scorpio that I refurbished. The frame is huge and the reach is long so lowered the saddle and set off I got 100 yards and came back the saddle was too low, set it back up again and tweaked the handlebars up smidge too. I put the multi-tool in my pocket just in case.

The roads are dry-ish today, though it’s overcast and warm (11°!) I left the village towards town via the old railway track and through part of the old estate to the vet.

when I got back on the bike I noticed that front mech cable didn’t look quite right, it wasn’t seated in the runner properly, I flicked in and was all good. Cycle straight back home only stopping for a couple of photos.

5.12 miles.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I needed to go to the vets today to collect a prescription for Timmythecat. I took the opportunity to test ride for the first time, the Raleigh Scorpio that I refurbished. The frame is huge and the reach is long so lowered the saddle and set off I got 100 yards and came back the saddle was too low, set it back up again and tweaked the handlebars up smidge too. I put the multi-tool in my pocket just in case.

The roads are dry-ish today, though it’s overcast and warm (11°!) I left the village towards town via the old railway track and through part of the old estate to the vet.

when I got back on the bike I noticed that front mech cable didn’t look quite right, it wasn’t seated in the runner properly, I flicked in and was all good. Cycle straight back home only stopping for a couple of photos.

5.12 miles.

Lovely pictures. I'm glad the bike is working well, although looking at it, I'd need to ride like a lot of kids in India do, with one leg through the frame; it looks huge.

 

[EltonFrog]

Lovely pictures. I'm glad the bike is working well, although looking at it, I'd need to ride like a lot of kids in India do, with one leg through the frame; it looks huge.

It is huge to big for me, so it’s going, but it rides ever so well, really smooth.

 

[Old jon]

Bright morning in patches, so chase the patches around on the bike. Loads of fun, even if you never catch one.

Maybe inspiration was lacking, but after the traipse around that bit of Holbeck I rode along Great Wilson Street and kept going in a more or less straight line all the way through Hunslet and up the hill to John o’ Gaunts. From here, former pub and even more former coalmine, not on the same site, they shared the name only, I can choose from three routes. I usually think of this area as flatlands, but today’s twenty eight miles included over 1500 feet of up. And a pair of tired legs.

A bit further down the road from the ex pub is a left turn which takes you down the hill past Woodlesford station. And further down the hill to the next left which takes you under the railway line. This is a crowded part of the valley, the Aire and Calder Canal and the River Aire itself squeeze in as well, before the road climbs into Swillington. And keeps climbing after the town until Garforth is in sight. Down to the roundabout, take the second exit.

This goes around the northern side of Garforth, over a different railway line and after crossing above the motorway ride the B1217 past Hook Moor and its wind turbines and to the gates of Lotherton Hall. Where I found out that Lotherton Lane is closed. Alternative routes are few. Straight on to Towton, Tadcaster and Boston Spa, more of a distance than I wanted. Turn right to Sherburn in Elmet, too far again. Lets ride between the cones and see if I can reach Aberford, the original intention. Yes! There are only two houses on the lane, the big hole right across the road leaves the footpath to these houses available. So, the usual wiggle through Aberford and leave on Cattle Lane for the ups and downs.



To Barwick in Elmet. Munch stop by the maypole there, seems to be a habit beginning to form. A bit more uphill out of there towards Scholes, cross the dismantled railway line there and turn left, yet again, onto the A64. A few hundred yards on is Thorner Lane, then two more lanes, Skeltons and Red Hall, lead to the A58 and the spin down Boot Hill. Riding fixed keeps you warm on downhills. After the tradesmen’s gates of Roundhay Park, pedal past the Oakwood Clock and down the hill to cross the River Aire again, this time on Crown Point Bridge. Then the final lap to home, there is something about the sight of this that made me grin. Or maybe it was the ride?

The red line may have been drawn before . . .

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Jules H and Margaret PR on this one. We took in the views from Hillend before encountering resurfacing work in Chadds Lane then pipework at Berrow and more pipery at Pendock. Mud at all these works and more mud along the Glynch Brook. We rounded Upleadon to arrive in Newent by the back door.
For a change we took to more mud in the lane towards Gorsley riding through the ford on the way. The steep hill into Dymock Wood got the heart rate up. Another change took us to Kempley but soon we were back on traditional territory at Dymock. More mud was ridden to Ryton and at Bromsberrow. The Castlemorton lanes took us to Tunnel Hill and our goodbyes. As I rode homeward the OCD kicked in as I noticed I could get my first metric century of 2020 on this one so I included a loop or two to notch up that.
Lovely mild and bright winter's day today. If winters were like this there would be no complaints. 63 smiles

 

[Andy in Germany]

Signing up for the 2019 Lunacy Challenge seemed like a good idea at the time: I’d be motivated to ride more, and I’d explore new and interesting places, and get fitter et c. Images of a Svelte healthier version of me slipped through my-as usual- over active imagination, zipping along cycleways in bright sunshine.

This seemed less sensible when the alarm exploded at 5am on New Years Day.

I’d even said I’d ride 100km (60miles). For goodness sake. Why didn’t I say fifty? Or perhaps fifteen.

Pulled myself out of bed and ate lots of toast. Got dressed. Put coat on. Checked the weather: minus 3°c (26°f). Found thicker coat, manned up and went out into the dark and stormy morning.

Well dark and foggy anyway.

The first section of the ride went uneventfully. We’ll ignore missing the first turn in the valley because of the thick fog, and the "short cut" which turned out to corrugated from tractors using it, and flooded. Attempting to get around it in pitch darkness resulted in getting tangled up in a bush. It took so long to get back out that “Sunrise from bush interior” seemed a likely header picture.

Things improved when I reached the long distance cycle trail, as this at least was surfaced and relatively flat. The sky was lightening as well, which helped avoid any more arboreal encounters, and to my rather great surprise I managed to reach the pass I was aiming for to take the “First Sunrise of 2020” image.

Straight after this I dropped down into the fog-filled Neckar Valley. Oh my goodness it was cold; really, really cold. Ice forming on the bike cold. Losing all sensation in my fingers cold.

Cold, cold, cold…

You get the idea.

Sat on my hands in a bus stop. Considered aborting and going back, but I’d still have 40k by the shortest route and Tübingen was about 15k away by this time. The sun was beginning to burn through the fog: If I kept the gloves on instead of taking pictures every few minutes I’d probably be okay until it warmed up.

Sunshine, warmth...

Tübingen was clearly getting over a collective new year hangover. Walked up the deserted street feeling smugly superior for being awake, and trying to get the circulation in my feet to work again. I stuffed down cereal bars and Skittles in the square outside the church to the accompaniment of someone practising something beautifully complicated on the organ inside.

I actually had a sensible reason for cycling to Tübingen: the ride back is slightly down hill for the first 35k.

Also, it was warmer, the sun was out and the fog was gone…

...so I could relax a bit

and generally pretend I was that svelte version of myself zipping along the roads, and the reason I was stopping was to take photos, not get my breath back after every hill.

Still, I managed the ride in about seven hours, not too bad considering my last longish bike ride was a few months and several Christmas dinners ago.

 

[EltonFrog]

Another test ride/utility ride today, to the post office, then to the Scorpio around the loop of the villages Blewbury, the Hagbournes and back.
The Scorpio felt a bit better today because I moved the seat forward so I wasn’t stretched out so much, it was better but the saddle was pointing down , I had fix that when I got back.

A mix of wet and dry roads today and very windy but at least the sun was out. 11° again.

Only one photo today.

 

[Gunk]

The problem with those old Raleigh saddles is that the up and down adjustment is on a crude ratchet so you can never get it quite right.

 

[Gunk]

You should have just blown her a kiss 😘

 

[Andy in Germany]

You should have just blown her a kiss 😘

An excellent response, not least because it annoys them more than anything else you could do.

 

[gavgav]

Short ride after work, following usual route along the cycle paths to Heathgates and then through Castlefields, where it began to rain lightly.

Got to the weir and the floodgate had been re-opened, so followed the Towpath............as far as Greyfriars Bridge, where the other floodgate was closed!!! What utter clown from the council thought it was a good idea to open the one and not the other? Chocolate fireguard of the day award goes to that clown.

2 choices, either cycle back about a mile, to find another way off the towpath, or clamber over the metal gate and haul the bike over as well. Decided on the latter. Managed to get the heavy bike over and then proceeded to pull my thigh muscle hauling myself over!

Could feel the muscle a bit, during the rest of the ride, through Porthill, Shelton, Radbrook, Nobold and Meole Brace.

12.8 miles at 11.0 mph avg

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Pete M and me today. Pete had a new plan so we dodged Coddington as it is mega muddy with huge puddles to get to Peg's Farm on cleanish lanes. We climbed to Munsley but turned to cross the old canal and follow it to Ashperton. Then over the lane and a little dash along the main road to Trumpet and the cafe.
Then I thought of a new route. We took to Baregains Lane and followed it towards Little Marcle. This was new tarmac for me and Pete. Then we dodged over the Ross road to emerge close to Ledbury. Another new lane for Pete but not me. From there it was the usual run back to Colwall. I decided to climb Evendine for a change to take me over the Wyche for the second time today.
Nice wee outing in sunshine today. 40 smiles

 

[Venod]

Trying out the new hardtail today, there are quite a few members on here who live within riding distance of this picture, so todays question is,

where was it took from.