Your ride today....

[Ming the Merciless]

Nice ride in the rain this morning. This photo was up a hill where I set a PB one minute quicker than previous.

 

[itboffin]

I finally made it out today after three days inside and wow what a change from last week, I’d seen the rain but hadn’t realised how much everywhere is flooded again and so so much gravel mud and stones everywhere, one of the steeper climbs around here now has no tarmac at all.

I think I’ve found the most scenic place in the West Country but I’m so terrible at taking photos it just doesn’t do it justice, there’s something about this particular hill and it’s vista that reminds me of giant alpine scenes

 

[Kryton521]

Cold today, [I thought.] Had a fugwit pull up next to me at the lights to ask if I raced, "no", says I. "You do today!" and it raced off down the road to the next set of lights. Pointless and probably not an essential journey in the eyes of the law.
Other than that, it was all good. After my problems with my failing right knee it held up well and I covered the 38 km without pain.

 

[Landsurfer]

Lovely morning, thought i would take a ride along the Derne Valley paths and the TPT in the area.
So did half of South Yorkshire !!
So i'm bowling along in bib tights and a short sleeved cycle shirt enjoying the rays of the sun when a previously mentioned phenomenon appears... Why do riders of electric mountain bikes wear so much kit ?
Helmets, balaclavas, jackets, full gloves ... trousers... with shorts over the tops !! Each to there own i suppose...
More people than Sainsbury's ....

 

[geocycle]

Nice ride this morning over Harris End, Scorton and Cockerham. The skylarks and buzzards were doing their thing. I always think that skylarks are clockwork! Great views across Morecambe Bay, south to Blackpool tower and north to the Lake District. Cool easterly wind.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

 

[Shearwater Missile]

Sunny and quite pleasant this morning. I wore my new shorts which arrived yesterday but wished I had`nt, nice sore inner thigh. That started within 1/2 mile from the start. After getting in somewhat of a rut plodding over the same ground recently, excepting my ride on Friday, I thought damn it I am going on my other routes out to Rattlesden. My main worry would be people on the cycle lane coming down Gun Cotton Way in Stowmarket but as it happened it was OK. The first part of the ride i just saw the odd rider here and there but gradually saw more, along with people taking the whole road for walks, getting snapped at by a dog on a lead that was far too long as I went past, I cycled wide as it was ! There were also a lot of joggers out today, I don`t blame them.
I stopped a few times as I had the camera today (no I have no smart phone and don`t want one). A nice ride, Mrs S said 10.45 arrival ? Yep Ok, and it was 10.45 on the dot. How do wives do that ?
24.3 miles at 17.3 average 873 of climbing and 12 degrees. Stay well folks.

 

[Donger]

After two days of painting and decorating indoors while it rained outdoors, I was ready for another ride. Ended up staying out for nearly two hours in the end, as the lanes were so deserted that I didn't get any pangs of guilt about passing my self-imposed limit of one hour or so. Ended up on 26.0 miles. Lovely weather.
Ignore the fat finger intruding onto this picture. This is the first time I have ever seen the M5 completely empty of traffic:

Initially, I looped out to near Frampton on Severn via Haresfield, Whitminster and Eastington. Conscious of the "Cyclists not welcome" sign in Frampton, I carried on along the A38 back to Whitminster before hitting the lanes again and taking in Saul Junction, Epney and Elmore, before throwing in a final loop of the Kingsway estate on my circuitous route home. Seldom more than 7 miles from home, but away from everyone and getting a huge endorphine hit. Lovely. This next shot is of Whitminster church .... though in truth it is much closer to Saul than it is to Whitminster. I rather like the very distinctive church tower:

Quite a sad sight at the canal bridge at Saul Junction. The Stables Cafe (a regular stopping point on club rides and local rides with friends) is locked up and deserted. Usually in this weather the upper deck is full to the brim with people watching the world go by:

As I was taking this next shot, at the waterfront at Epney, a mystery friend rode past greeting me by name. Probably someone from the club, but didn't recognise them. Not so many weeks ago the Severn almost spilled over the top of this flood wall:

By getting my ride up to 26.0 miles, I arrived home on a year-to-date total of 1,000.1 miles. Quite surprisingly, although my year-to-date average ride length has dropped from 37 to 27 miles per ride, I've been going out more often on my shorter, mostly 10-16 mile lockdown rides, and am still well on target for my usual 3,000 mile year's target. The only target I'll miss this year will be the Metric Century-a-Month Challenge. That's a bit of a shame, as I'm on a run of 63 consecutive months with at least one 100km (62 mile) ride, and it's a shame for it to come to an end now. Just doesn't feel right going out for 6 to 7 hour bike rides though.
Anyway, enjoy your rides everyone, and stay safe. Cheers, Donger.

 

[Shearwater Missile]

After two days of painting and decorating indoors while it rained outdoors, I was ready for another ride. Ended up staying out for nearly two hours in the end, as the lanes were so deserted that I didn't get any pangs of guilt about passing my self-imposed limit of one hour or so. Ended up on 26.0 miles. Lovely weather.
Ignore the fat finger intruding onto this picture. This is the first time I have ever seen the M5 completely empty of traffic:
View attachment 516293
Initially, I looped out to near Frampton on Severn via Haresfield, Whitminster and Eastington. Conscious of the "Cyclists not welcome" sign in Frampton, I carried on along the A38 back to Whitminster before hitting the lanes again and taking in Saul Junction, Epney and Elmore, before throwing in a final loop of the Kingsway estate on my circuitous route home. Seldom more than 7 miles from home, but away from everyone and getting a huge endorphine hit. Lovely. This next shot is of Whitminster church .... though in truth it is much closer to Saul than it is to Whitminster. I rather like the very distinctive church tower:
View attachment 516294
Quite a sad sight at the canal bridge at Saul Junction. The Stables Cafe (a regular stopping point on club rides and local rides with friends) is locked up and deserted. Usually in this weather the upper deck is full to the brim with people watching the world go by:
View attachment 516295
As I was taking this next shot, at the waterfront at Epney, a mystery friend rode past greeting me by name. Probably someone from the club, but didn't recognise them. Not so many weeks ago the Severn almost spilled over the top of this flood wall:
View attachment 516296
By getting my ride up to 26.0 miles, I arrived home on a year-to-date total of 1,000.1 miles. Quite surprisingly, although my year-to-date average ride length has dropped from 37 to 27 miles per ride, I've been going out more often on my shorter, mostly 10-16 mile lockdown rides, and am still well on target for my usual 3,000 mile year's target. The only target I'll miss this year will be the Metric Century-a-Month Challenge. That's a bit of a shame, as I'm on a run of 63 consecutive months with at least one 100km (62 mile) ride, and it's a shame for it to come to an end now. Just doesn't feel right going out for 6 to 7 hour bike rides though.
Anyway, enjoy your rides everyone, and stay safe. Cheers, Donger.

My rides are usually between 22-25 miles and normally I would be on about 1000-1100 todate but because of the lock down and we (Mrs S and I ) can`t go out I have been getting more rides in so I am up to 1238, OK not far off but I do feel guilty. Today it was glorious out and I wanted to share it, like you and everyone else in the photos we take. Somehow it makes life just that bit easier.

 

[gavgav]

Been out with my daughter a bit the last few weeks (she is 7) just taking things easy, she learned to ride about a year ago but had no confidence..today she completed her longest ride of 8.8 miles and she is absolutely ecstatic. Had to drop a prescription off for the parents so asked if she wanted to come along on the bike and although she was a bit hesitant she agreed...smiled nearly all the way there and back, she loved it and is asking when we can go again...I'm buzzing ;-)
Strava'd it as well, as I have done most of her rides now, and she got 4 achievements, she now wants to make sure she gets achievements on every ride, and also put her Mother to shame, she has done 33 miles this year, which is more than her Mother has done in her life
View attachment 516151
View attachment 516152
with pose !
View attachment 516153

Well done young lady!

 

[13 rider]

Set off after lunch with no real plan into the sunshine . Dropped down the hill into Newtown Linford and saw 2 youths at the side of the road looking at one of their bikes . Stopped to check on them to see a rear derailleur snapped off . They were about to ring mum to rescue them I said let me have a look so they stepped back while I donned my latex gloves out of my saddlebag . I managed to split the chain thanks to a quick link fitted I then converted it into a 1 speed middle ring at the front and a fairly low gear at the back chain was a bit slack but ridable . While fixing the bike they were telling me about to them epic bike ride of 13kms they then asked they how far I was going the answer 30 miles seem to impress them when I said it would take 2 hours . They offered me a fiver for my troubles so I said donate it to the NHS so hopefully they will . Hopefully they made it home ok . The rest of the ride turned into my standard 50km loop to St Bernards Abbey loads of family's out riding with young kids which is good to see but the single track lane from Belton to Shepshed was slower progress than normal as I was dodgeing everyone . Home with just enough 31.2 miles in the bag done in 1hr 49mins at 17.1mph with 2050ft of upness . I have spent the winter training for a 300km ride which is now not happening but it does seem to have paid off in terms of speed

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Bike selected; CGR (as I was heading onto 're-cycled' railways)
Weather; sunny, cool, dry, breezy
Photographs from today (unless captioned otherwise)

I had decided, I was going to have a ride up to, & along 'The Lines'.... originally built as the Leeds, Castleford and Pontefract Junction Railway
It essentially runs from Castleford, over the River Aire, under Barnsdale Road (where Ledston Station was), Allerton-Bywater, Kippax, & onto Garforth (I joined it at Allerton-Bywater)

http://www.lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co.uk/Castleford Garforth.htm

The ride down was on the road, down Castleford Road, under the M62 (at jct 31), past the architecturally glorious 'Voysey Row' (1) & 'Rising Sun', at Whitwood Common
http://www.voysey.gotik-romanik.de/Whitwood Thumbnails/Thumbnails.html

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/241087 (part of the Row can be seen in the background)
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1312621 (as it is now, part of the Rising Sun)
https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101313209-the-rising-sun-public-house-altofts-and-whitwood-ward
https://britishlistedbuildings.co.u...errace-altofts-and-whitwood-ward#.XpxR80BFzIU
https://britishlistedbuildings.co.u...l-hall-altofts-and-whitwood-ward#.XpxR_kBFzIU

Carrying on past 'Diggerland' (2), up to Whitwood roundabout, where the Mining College used to be (now gone, & the area built, with a new 'plastic' College a mile or so east, by the ASDA at Glasshoughton)
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1048167
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1048161

Down through HighTown, into Castleford, crossing the Leeds-Selby line on Albion Street
Past the new Bus Station, & downtowards the River, where the Romans forded the Aire, marked by some very nice tile-friezes
('Cas' was Lagentvim, to the Romans)
Past a heavily boarded up Castle Motorcycles!! (Honda main-dealer), & the Forum(3), which simply was a couple of benches where the old men met to 'put the World to rights') - there's a modern bench there now
The vitreous tiles are on the old (closed) Bridge Hotel

Over 'Hartleys Bridge' (of 1808) & onward to Barnsdale Road (4), to follow the route of the Romans (on their way to Tadcaster (Calcaria)
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/930951
https://britishlistedbuildings.co.u...d-central-and-glasshoughton-ward#.XpxWfEBFzIU

A brief pause, at the site of Ledston Station for photographs (to be added elsewhere), in a 'Then & Now')
A left onto Park Lane at the cross-roads (with the right, heading onto Newton Lane, towards Fairburn, the RSPB visitor centre, & the 'old' A1)
Not far on here, to the back of the 'Millenium Village' I reached the turning onto 'The Lines'
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/259633

This is one of the sections that run along an embankment, with housing to the south-west (left) & fields to the north-east (previously colliery land)
Bowers Halt is the first notable section, as it had a wooden rudimentary station, with a junction that led to 2 collieries (Lowther & Allerton Main)
Veering off to the left, in this pic
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3283247

Carrying on straight ahead, there's an old occupation bridge abutment, with the deck removed
Next is Brigshaw Lane, partially filled in, with the path now passing through a concrete box, with some very good 'street-art' on it (5), with Brigshaw High School, just to the east
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3284196

Berry Lane Bridge is next, the site of Kippax Station
http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=2003109_64020938&DISPLAY=FULL

It was where the car-park is

Circa 1960, if I recall, from a book I have about this line (6)
NOT MY IMAGE, it's a picture off Flickr, pulled at random, to illustrate the article

Leaving Kippax behind, we enter the most picturesque stretch of the line, in a cutting, as we head towards the A63 , built as the Leeds - Selby TurnPike (7)

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4831483

Looking towards where I am, in the above image; https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2785941

I left the line on NineLands Lane, & headed south, rejoining the A63, turning east to climb 'Garforth Cliff', passing the 'caravan park' (once the site of an isolation hospital..... how poignant at the present time)
Past - what was, and always will be to a lot of people- 'Savills Garden Centre' (that had a 10" gauge railway around it)

Still on the A63, the next site is Peckfield Bar (8), turning south, back towards Castleford, past the site of Ledston Luck Colliery, where the magnificent winding house still exists - if a bit battered/unloved

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/65357
https://britishlistedbuildings.co.u...ith-garden-wall-and-gate-ledston#.XpxhLUBFzIU

Number 2 Winder (in far better condtion)
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/661279
https://britishlistedbuildings.co.u...at-ledston-luck-colliery-ledston#.XpxhmUBFzIU

Once at the bottom of Mary Pannall (9), it was merely a retracing of the tracks back into Castleford, but with a return home from the town centre, via a different route (alongside the River Calder) to Altofts

I hope that some of you enjoyed these words & photographs
Maybe the links/comments below may be of interest too?


EDIT @ 16:22
With regard to the 3rd image (Bower Halt) this from the book I own, about this branch-line (see 6, below)
It's roughly the same position as I'm stood, date in text is 1969

1. All 3 are still visited by architecture students, on field-trips

2. Wouldn't you just love to have sat in on the meeting with insurers/H&S, when the idea was mooted for these venues

3. Latin, for a public meeting place, I believe?

4. This is a continuation of Barnsdale Road, as it leaves the 'Great North Road' (A1) at Barnsdale Bar, to the north of Doncaster
Whilst the Roman route is lost in Pontefract/Castleford, it all meets up again & heads in a straight line northwards

5. This will appear in the 'Street Art' thread, with a link here; https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/street-art.221565/post-5962323

6. The Leeds, Castleford & Pontefract Junction Railway - The Ledston Branch, by Ron Rockett

7. As evidenced by a milepost, opposite the junction with NineLands Lane (bottom of 'Garforth Cliff' & by the Crusader pub)
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/t...her-interesting-geographs.215788/post-5962331

8. Where the A63/Leeds - Selby TurnPike, intersects with Barnsdale Road (that I left at Allerton-Bywater)

9. Woodland adjacent to Barnsdale Road, is linked to all sorts of stories about the eponymous woman
http://www.castleford.org/history/cas017.html
https://allerton-bywater-online.webs.com/marypanel.htm

 

[gavgav]

Back to working (from home) this morning, to do the data submissions, done by lunchtime and so out I went, after a snack, for a ride in the lovely sunshine. Should have been starting playing Cricket, for the season, today, but that’s all on hold for the foreseeable future.

A coolish Easterly breeze, meant I didn’t brave shorts, but half way round the ride I wished I’d got them on!

Out through Betton Abbots and then down Lyons Lane. I’d already seen 16 cyclists, 3 runners and 2 walkers, by the time I’d got to Condover!!

Up the long drag to Ryton and then down to Longnor, where the cyclist count had reached 25! Turned North, through Frodesley, Acton Burnell, Pitchford, Betton Abbots and home.

38 cyclists seen, by the time I got home, including a couple of family groups that I saw twice, who were on the opposite loop to me. Quite amazing to see so many cyclists out and I hope they keep it up once life returns to normal. Does make the “Social Distancing” a little tricky on the narrower lanes though.

19.0 miles at 13.4mph avg.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Set off en tandem this morning with the intent of making the most of COVID traffic reductions for our designated exercise.

A pleasant start through Poynton, where the shared space scheme was utterly deserted, and a lovely descent to the short cobbled section before the fantastically named Norbury Hollow Signal Box level crossing.

Joining the A6 we gave chase to an electric wheelchair contraption before deciding at Disley to take on the hill to Whaley Bridge rather than the dreary albeit preternaturally quiet A6. There are wonderful views from the top over to Kinder Scout:

After the downhill to Whaley, a well deserved biscuit in the shade of an abundantly blooming cherry by the canal

Onwards and upwards, just a couple of miles of the eponymous Long Hill before diverting to the gravel track alongside Fernilee Reservoir. Errwood reservoir dam imposes a lung busting incline up to the currently closed road ascending the Goyt valley. One of my favourite rides in all the world, the woods gently give way to moors, all to the accompaniment of the sparkling River Goyt slowly diminishing in volume as the road rises. The application of further biscuits proved necessary at the quarry mid way up:

The final assault on the Cat and Fiddle comes as the road exits the valley at Derbyshire bridge. Normally this stretch is unending torture, invariably into a head wind, and not infrequently accompanied by rain, sleet, snow, or on one terrifying occasion, thunder and lightning. Today, no such horrors lay in store, and we serenely floated (OK, that might be an exaggeration...) up the final mile or so with the assist of a gentle breeze on our backs and serenaded by the skylarks ascending. Ornithilogical delights were complete with two duelling Red Kites above, a rare sight hereabouts.

The summit achieved:

we charged down the deserted hairpins to Macclesfield and thence wearily home.

 

[Shearwater Missile]

Set off after lunch with no real plan into the sunshine . Dropped down the hill into Newtown Linford and saw 2 youths at the side of the road looking at one of their bikes . Stopped to check on them to see a rear derailleur snapped off . They were about to ring mum to rescue them I said let me have a look so they stepped back while I donned my latex gloves out of my saddlebag . I managed to split the chain thanks to a quick link fitted I then converted it into a 1 speed middle ring at the front and a fairly low gear at the back chain was a bit slack but ridable . While fixing the bike they were telling me about to them epic bike ride of 13kms they then asked they how far I was going the answer 30 miles seem to impress them when I said it would take 2 hours . They offered me a fiver for my troubles so I said donate it to the NHS so hopefully they will . Hopefully they made it home ok . The rest of the ride turned into my standard 50km loop to St Bernards Abbey loads of family's out riding with young kids which is good to see but the single track lane from Belton to Shepshed was slower progress than normal as I was dodgeing everyone . Home with just enough 31.2 miles in the bag done in 1hr 49mins at 17.1mph with 2050ft of upness . I have spent the winter training for a 300km ride which is now not happening but it does seem to have paid off in terms of speed

Does`nt a good deed make you feel good.