Your ride today....

[HLaB]

Two rides for me today.

Out into the Fens today with a local cycling group to Crowland in the morning. It was quite nice when I got back it was quite nice so I went by Fletton. Lol, I probably doubled the elevation going over the railway bridge.








And a proper outdoor workout for me tonight, taking advantage of the near empty roads to do a VO2 Max session (Hubbard). It was a bit longer than I planned as I had to divert up Woodwalton Hill rather than the gradual Stangate Hill (the old A1) which had been resurfaced with loose chippings.

I had another diversion as I rushed to beat the light. I wanted to go up the old A1 to Stilton and back via London Road (the quickest route) but the Highways Agency also took the opportunity of near empty roads to close the A1(M). The old A1 was queued as far as I could see so I doubled back and diverted up to Holme, up Holme Road and to Yaxley instead. Annoyingly that saw me on the wrong side of a now busy London Road so I had to come back on the bumpy cycleway. I’d barely seen a car to that point, but some drivers were using that route to bypass the queue too.




Buckworth


Made it

 

[Ian H]

Sunday - I didn't fancy the main-road bash suggested by S, so dug out a route from home out along the old A30 to Launceston, north to Holsworthy and return via Hatherleigh and Crediton. This would be my first 200k since March and my first 'long' ride since the 'old man's' op.
The weather quickly turned quite warm, the roads were pretty quiet and I chugged towards Okehampton into a headwind. I had a stop for food at the services before the town, then continued on to the Lifton road.

I was feeling less than sprightly, shoulders and knees aching. I did wonder whether to cut short, but soon found myself at Liftondown and the cut through that bypasses Launceston. The A388 is a roller-coaster. At Holsworthy I diverted up the knee-bending hill to the Waitrose for food and drink. Then finally, heading for Highampton and Hatherleigh, I had a proper tailwind. At 150k my knees stopped aching.

At Crediton I took Higher Road (cyclists' by-pass) heading to the Shobrooke/Thorverton road. I ignored the road closed signs, after all it was Sunday. Big mistake. There were security fences right across the road, major works going on, and the detour was a hilly four kms.

My shoulders were aching now (courtesy of heavy gardening work the day before), but I was on the homeward stretch. The obligatory dogleg to get across the Exe Valley took me through Broadclyst and on to Whimple. Then one last climb and a fast descent and I was virtually home.

I sneaked in under 12hrs. Not bad considering the 3000m of climb (which Strava estimated downwards as it does). No photos I'm afraid.

 

[Dave 123]

I went out on my mountain bike this evening.

Through to Creacombe and then down the cool tunnel of the Luson bridleway .

My right cleat has been having trouble releasing … and it stuck solid. I took my foot out of the shoe and the shoe fell away from the cleat, which remained on the pedal…

After 10 minutes I’d removed the cleat and had it back on my shoe.

Onward through Battisborough.

Now there are a few gates on that there coast path and I decided if the cleat released at the Teahouse gate I would go around the Warren.

It released.

Not much wildlife about at all tonight, but it’s always a treat to be there on a bike (sneakily).

I just missed the tide to go across the Voss, so it was the trudge up Bridgend to finish.

15 miles dead on.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11692370465

 

[lazybloke]

A lovely gravel ride with friends today, heading west from Dorking along the North Downs ridge, then back again slightly to the south, maybe skirting the lower slopes of the Greensand ridge.
More than half of it offroad; bridleways, BOATS, heathland and wonderful scenery & fresh air on the Drove Road, North Downs Way, Downslink, NCN22, NCN223 and more.
Home > Ranmore > Guildford > Compton > Peasmarsh > Bramley > Blackheath > Farley Green > Shere > Effingham > home.

Just under 40 miles, and well over 50% on dirt/sand/gravel; hence a leisurely speed of just over 10mph.
Got squeezed towards a kerb by a van towing a caravan that pulled in far too soon; my closest past in years :-(
Apart from that a lovely day.

(looking east towards the lower/southern slopes of Box Hill).

(View from Newlands Corner)

NCN22

I'm thankful for GPS

Sandtrap!

No political comments, as this isn't NACA.
Nice roses, though.

 

[Windle]

A lovely gravel ride with friends today, heading west from Dorking along the North Downs ridge, then back again slightly to the south, maybe skirting the lower slopes of the Greensand ridge.
More than half of it offroad; bridleways, BOATS, heathland and wonderful scenery & fresh air on the Drove Road, North Downs Way, Downslink, NCN22, NCN223 and more.
Home > Ranmore > Guildford > Compton > Peasmarsh > Bramley > Blackheath > Farley Green > Shere > Effingham > home.

Just under 40 miles, and well over 50% on dirt/sand/gravel; hence a leisurely speed of just over 10mph.
Got squeezed towards a kerb by a van towing a caravan that pulled in far too soon; my closest past in years :-(
Apart from that a lovely day.


View attachment 734705
(looking east towards the lower/southern slopes of Box Hill).


View attachment 734707
(View from Newlands Corner)

View attachment 734715
NCN22


View attachment 734716
I'm thankful for GPS


View attachment 734718
Sandtrap!


View attachment 734720
No political comments, as this isn't NACA.
Nice roses, though.

That wooden signpost has got the Yardbirds 'Over, Under, Sideways, Down' going round in my head now .

 

[ExBrit]

Twelve miles around Big Bear Lake at 7,000' on my Brompton starting to break in a new Brooks saddle. Quite a few more miles to go. Also testing out a new drone I just bought.

Chucked some video up on YouTube here.
Just added a crash video.

 

[FrankCrank]

Just back from a very pleasant jaunt to Silchester, making the most of the clement weather. Nice walk/ride along some Roman walls

Here's what's left of what was originally a main gateway.........

.....and how it might have looked back in the day

 

[Spiderweb]

An early finish at work today so an extended ride home on the Tricross.
Apart from a rear puncture it was a fabulous spin out, summer is here at last!
28.2 very steady miles.

 

[8mph]

A couple of hours on Dartmoor this afternoon

 

[Bristolian]

I managed my fourth ride in five days today - most I've done in a block since getting back on the bike last February. Today was pretty warm with temperatures during the ride ranging from 21 - 26C so heading out at midday might not have been the best idea . Still, 23.5 miles covered at an average speed of 14.5mph with 990ft of climbing logged into the bank of fitness Hopefully, I can manage to get out again over the weekend too.

First I have to sort out my FD. I just can't seem to get consistent clean changes up or down the chainrings. As I messed around with it during the ride today (and slowly made it worse) I probably need to start from scratch again, including a new cable inner and outer.

 

[geocycle]

Dry day forecast so headed to the western dales. First stop was Kirby Lonsdale bakery to stock up on provisions as open cafes are few and far between on the route Id planned. I continued northeast toward Sedbergh which I skirted around following the single track ’bypass’. This dropped me onto the Garsdale road near Fairfield Mill. As I suspected it was too early for the cafe and I was pondering my next option. With that, I was stirred from my reverie by “Allez, Allez, Allez!” I looked up to see a photographer pointing his camera at a small peleton of cyclists heading up Garsdale. I caught up some back markers who told me they were halfway into a coast to coast Seascale to Whitby, in a day! Had some nice chats then left them at Garsdale station for the coal road to Dent. This is the sort of climb that raises a few eyebrows among the local cyclists as it’s a pretty steep road across some very empty moorland reaching about 535 masl. It connects Garsdale and Dentdale while the Settle Carlisle railway takes a hard won tunnel through the hillside. I headed east to the top of Dentdale and Newby Head then home via Ribblehead and Ingleton. 116 km with 1540 m of climbing.

Pictures are of Sedbergh ‘bypass’, bike on top of the Coal Road, looking back to Garsdale, looking forward to Dentdale.

 

[HLaB]

Made a bit of a school boy error on the Midsummer ride. It was forecast heavy rain overnight and showers in the morning and grey most of the day. I should have realised when I woke to dry roads. I did briefly think about sunscreen but thought Id have enough natural protection, Wrong I got to circa 120miles and when they skipped last years water stop I cramped up. First time I cramped on a ride since the Marmotte in 2013. I suppose it wasnt the daftest mistake of the day. That goes to the driver who managed to overturn their car at the junction just out side a tiny village. We were going to turn at that village but the Fire Service had closed the road so we had to detour along a canal bridleway. I think a couple of the riders went hard after that to make up time and that did me in

Garmin says I need 3days to recover, so I probably give tomorrows fast ride a rest and op for the social ride if I’m alive in the morning. There’s one grey bar left on the Garmin so I guess I’m not dead

 

[Jameshow]

40 miles to blubberhouses, the up kex gill to
Bolton abbey then back to menston via langbar for fish and chips at weatherby Whaler the best locally imho.

 

[Dave 123]

I as planning on putting the bike in the van and driving over to Kingsbridge so I could ride my mountain bike around the lanes around Start Point. It was mizzle all around so I didn’t bother, no point in not seeing a view!

So a local ride through Luson and Flete bridleways… scratched to buggery on the Flete stretch . Then up the pine ridge and down to Ermington before heading back through the lanes.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11719017173

 

[Donger]

After not using my No.2 bike at all last year, I've used it three times for a total of 75 miles in the last month. I made a bit of a rookie error in stopping pedaling half way through a gear change when I got spooked by a Range Rover hovering on my shoulder, and I ended up dropping the chain and getting it caught in my front mech. Took me about five mins to free it, and I got my hands filthy. More disappointingly, at least three other cyclists whirred past without even enquiring whether I was OK. I always ask when I see someone having a mechanical. I always hope they turn down any offer of help, but I always offer! I stopped off at the Anchor Inn in Epney to wash my hands, then carried on via Saul Junction to Frampton on Severn. From there I decided to ring the changes, so I diverted down a quiet little lane that passed the back of Fromebridge Mill.

Then I nipped along a stretch of A38 before hanging another left to ride into the mill itself for a slurp.

Then up the hill on the A38 before dropping back downhill through Whitminster back to Saul Junction, eventually getting home via Castle Lane, another stretch of A38 and a ride through the estates of Hardwicke and Quedgeley. Just the 22 miles today, but that got me over 200 for the month and 1,100 for the year so far.