Have you been out today?

[Wowbagger]

I didn't report on our ride from 2 days ago.

Jan and I got the tandem out. Within 200 yards of home there is a pelican (or whatever) crossing. The lights changed and Arsehole Van Driver decided that overtaking us in the last 50 yards and then cutting in front of us was a Good Thing to Do.

That crossing is on a bridge over the railway and I normally use the downhill to get up to about 20 - 25 mph and then take the lane before the roundabout to come, in which the left lane is left turn only and the right lane is right and straight on. Because we were further over to the left than I would normally be, thanks to AVD mentioned above, lots more traffic passed us, all of it too close. As we were approaching the roundabout I did manage to take the lane again, preparatory to going straight on (ie RH lane once the lane divided).

We had just got onto the roundabout when the Merc driver behind us decided that now would be a good time to undertake us, and it was at that point, just as Jan signalled left, that she gave us a cheery wave as if to say "There's good pensioners, out for your daily exercise!" I'm afraid that at that point Father Christmas turned into something altogether more hostile as I bellowed "You stupid bag! You're in the wrong lane!" (I'm afraid in moments of extreme stress like this I find it hard to choose the correct vocabulary). She hammered her brakes on, fortunately, but it was close.

Just after we left the roundabout, very shaken by the last few hundred yards, she overtook correctly. It took us quite some time for the adrenaline rush to wear off.

[Tim Hall]

Got out yesterday on the boingy bike, exploring the local bridleways.  I have yet to sort out a suityable carryable repair kit for this bike, but hey, big old tractor tyres, what could possibly go wrong?

Brambles across bridleways that's what.  Rode straight over one and thought no more about it.  Half a hour later somewhere around Barstow Newdigate and I felt a squidgyness around the back tyre. Arse. Abandoned further bridleway plans and pedalled as fast as I good towards Rusper, trying to keep my weight over the bars. The bike didn't half squirm just trying to traverse the camber of the road. When I came to hills I got off and walked,giving up[ riding altogether as I got to Rusper.  I must have been passed by half a dozen cyclists, none of whom offered anyhelp or asked how I was doing. Miserable bastards. With about 5 miles to go a pickup type thing pulled over and the driver asked if I wanted a lift. Torn between having to walk for another two hours and maintaining social distancing I thought for a little while and accepted. It was a big pickup type thing, not 2m wide but we were a bit apart.  He said if I'd been one of those "lycra clad racing cyclists" he wouldn't have stopeed as he "fucking hates them". I didn't mention that when I'm not on a boingy bike I have been known to wear lycra and ride a machine with dropped bars. 

Got home, washed hands, fixed puncture, found suitable spare tube and means to pump it.

[Jurek]

Got out yesterday on the boingy bike, exploring the local bridleways.  I have yet to sort out a suityable carryable repair kit for this bike, but hey, big old tractor tyres, what could possibly go wrong?

Brambles across bridleways that's what.  Rode straight over one and thought no more about it.  Half a hour later somewhere around Barstow Newdigate and I felt a squidgyness around the back tyre. Arse. Abandoned further bridleway plans and pedalled as fast as I good towards Rusper, trying to keep my weight over the bars. The bike didn't half squirm just trying to traverse the camber of the road. When I came to hills I got off and walked,giving up[ riding altogether as I got to Rusper.  I must have been passed by half a dozen cyclists, none of whom offered anyhelp or asked how I was doing. Miserable bastards. With about 5 miles to go a pickup type thing pulled over and the driver asked if I wanted a lift. Torn between having to walk for another two hours and maintaining social distancing I thought for a little while and accepted. It was a big pickup type thing, not 2m wide but we were a bit apart.  He said if I'd been one of those "lycra clad racing cyclists" he wouldn't have stopeed as he "fucking hates them". I didn't mention that when I'm not on a boingy bike I have been known to wear lycra and ride a machine with dropped bars. 

Got home, washed hands, fixed puncture, found suitable spare tube and means to pump it.

My bold.
Pleased for you, to hear that you didn't have to push it home from Rusper. That'd be more exercise than you need in one day.

[Jurek]

I got out for a couple of hours yesterday.
Thames Path - always an ever-changing (thank you, Barry Mason) favourite.
Managed to acquire some sun-burn to my bonce.

ETA - I'm kinda ambivalent about the 'clap for the NHS' thing, but I confess to quite liking the idea of The Woolwich Ferry doing donuts in  support
https://news.yahoo.com/woolwich-ferry-driver-performs-donuts-210242221.html

[Blodwyn Pig]

Forced 31km today, cba really,  lost the plot..........

[TimC]

31Km for me too. Not forced, but it was rather cold and windy! Left it a bit late, so the sun disappeared about halfway round. Traffic on the more major roads seemed pretty much at pre-Corona levels, but on the lanes it was quiet enough for the few pedestrians to be walking in the middle of the road and not expecting bikists!

[jimmea]

My regular out and back 50km from West Edinburgh.  First time out on 2 wheels since last Thursday.  Noticeable increase in traffic, especially in suburbs of Edinburgh - multiple cars in my line of vision or at trafic lights where previously it was just the odd one here and there. 

Fewer cyclists too but Im hoping that was just the chilly easterly and not the novelty wearing off.

Im dearly hoping its not going to be one of those extended spells of east wind where Edinburgh shivers in a single digit haar while The West basks in "taps aff" weather.   

It's always taps aff in the west, even in winter 

[giropaul]

Got out yesterday on the boingy bike, exploring the local bridleways.  I have yet to sort out a suityable carryable repair kit for this bike, but hey, big old tractor tyres, what could possibly go wrong?

Brambles across bridleways that's what.  Rode straight over one and thought no more about it.  Half a hour later somewhere around Barstow Newdigate and I felt a squidgyness around the back tyre. Arse. Abandoned further bridleway plans and pedalled as fast as I good towards Rusper, trying to keep my weight over the bars. The bike didn't half squirm just trying to traverse the camber of the road. When I came to hills I got off and walked,giving up[ riding altogether as I got to Rusper.  I must have been passed by half a dozen cyclists, none of whom offered anyhelp or asked how I was doing. Miserable bastards. With about 5 miles to go a pickup type thing pulled over and the driver asked if I wanted a lift. Torn between having to walk for another two hours and maintaining social distancing I thought for a little while and accepted. It was a big pickup type thing, not 2m wide but we were a bit apart.  He said if I'd been one of those "lycra clad racing cyclists" he wouldn't have stopeed as he "fucking hates them". I didn't mention that when I'm not on a boingy bike I have been known to wear lycra and ride a machine with dropped bars. 

Got home, washed hands, fixed puncture, found suitable spare tube and means to pump it.

There is a conundrum though isn’t there about stranded cyclists? I normally always stop and check ( despite some rather rude rebuffs occasionally). However, what can one do from at least 2 metres? Express sympathy?

[Cudzoziemiec]

I reckon this topic deserves a thread of its own. Here it is: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=115406.0

[rafletcher]

My regular out and back 50km from West Edinburgh.  First time out on 2 wheels since last Thursday.  Noticeable increase in traffic, especially in suburbs of Edinburgh - multiple cars in my line of vision or at trafic lights where previously it was just the odd one here and there. 

Fewer cyclists too but Im hoping that was just the chilly easterly and not the novelty wearing off.

Im dearly hoping its not going to be one of those extended spells of east wind where Edinburgh shivers in a single digit haar while The West basks in "taps aff" weather.   

It's always taps aff in the west, even in winter 

Indeed. Those blue-white Weegie bodies exposed to the slightest sun in Queens Park 

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Just back from a short spin to clear my head before bed. Lockdown isn’t an ideal situation for me to maintain enthusiasm, for most things really.

[TimC]

Just back from a short spin to clear my head before bed. Lockdown isn’t an ideal situation for me to maintain enthusiasm, for most things really.

Stick with it. It is tough (I had a wobbly day today), but there are better days ahead.

[S2L]

Went a bit further yeasterday, 70 km to revisit Burton Dassett and Edge hill, PR up both despite quite some headwind on the former... take that... 

Magnificent patches of bluebells and lots of pink trees (prunus of some sort?), as well as yellow rape fields... best time of the year if you ask me

[Davef]

I had my first go on zwift because I am a bit of a Geraint Thomas fan. When lockdown was looming I ordered a fancy direct drive turbo which had remained boxed until yesterday. Considering the exorbitant cost, a bit disappointed to find it didn’t come with a cassette, but I suppose obvious with the variety of choices. By the time i had sorted and waited for the software download (45 mins!) I missed my chance. Went for a half hour virtual spin.  Very sweaty but quite enjoyable. Added fan and or mop to list.


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[toontra]

I had my first go on zwift because I am a bit of a Geraint Thomas fan. When lockdown was looming I ordered a fancy direct drive turbo which had remained boxed until yesterday. Considering the exorbitant cost, a bit disappointed to find it didn’t come with a cassette, but I suppose obvious with the variety of choices. By the time i had sorted and waited for the software download (45 mins!) I missed my chance. Went for a half hour virtual spin.  Very sweaty but quite enjoyable. Added fan and or mop to list.

I'd go for a decent fan rather than a mop.  I don't mind sweating puddles at the gym but don't want to be doing that in my house.  Argos do a very good floor fan for around £50 delivered.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Was on my third Zwift ride yesterday in the garage.  This time for a reason I can't quite fathom I ended up doing the KOM with someone called F. Cancellara at the front, several hundred riders away.  Did this hellish long climb with hundreds of riders some who over took me and some I passed with varying degrees of difficulty. 

As I climbed I got passed by some smart arse wearing a US military kit (I'm down as Canadian).  I wasn't having that so I upped the watts and re-passed.  Later he got back on me so I had to do the same again.  I seemed to get a lot of thumbs up signs during all this.  Later still a different US military rider passed me so I did the same again and managed to hold him off until he disappeared.  Also had a few duels with Brit on a dirt bike whom I couldn't match in the end.  Once I got over the crest I managed 85 km/h on the descent (they need to make it a bit scarier) and completed my hour.  I never got near Cancellara, he vanished somewhere, probably over the horizon.

Got the wife's fan for next time, don't tell her.

[bairn again]

I was up and away early for a hurl out east through the city to Tranent (queue for the butchers wouldn't have been out of place in 1970s USSR) then I picked up my clubs 10 mile TT circuit so I made something of an effort to get a bit more power out, lower on the bike, hands closer together, game face on etc!  Id not quite appreciated quite how close it was to home (22km home to start line). 

There was a stiff NE wind and I was glad to get to the turn at the double roundabouts on the outskirts of Haddington (I was dutifully following the TT course so no short cuts).

Made better time back to Tranent (I was 35.01 for the TT course, thats a benchmark I think I can better!) and then tailie assisted all the way home in the pleasant sunshine through Musselburgh, Portobello, Edinburgh City centre (Princes St deserted) and back home nr the Zoo for 62km. 

My longest ride during the lockdown. 

[jimmea]

Hard going at times with a very strong ENE wind, 100k with no stops, not even at passport control again  back home to the tropical oasis that is Glasgow where the smell of barbecue was stinging the nose and people were sunbathing with their coats on !

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/47345856

[Feanor]

Junior wanted to do a 100k loop which included the Cairn o' Mount from the steep side.
So that's what we did.
I took my standard CoM loop and extended it a wee bit by going out to Potarch.
First CoM from the steep side this year!
Lots of cyclists out today.

https://www.strava.com/activities/3315932081

[S2L]

Junior wanted to do a 100k loop which included the Cairn o' Mount from the steep side.
So that's what we did.
I took my standard CoM loop and extended it a wee bit by going out to Potarch.
First CoM from the steep side this year!
Lots of cyclists out today.

https://www.strava.com/activities/3315932081

Nice!

[cycleman]

My first ride for a few days today I rode to Windsor to pick up a wheel which the cycle shop had fitted a new cassette to. 14.4 km 

[FifeingEejit]

Finally got out on the road today, 7 and a half weeks since I last prepared a bike to hit the road, though I've been turboing the last couple of weeks.

Happy with my flat land speed, climbing abysmal it's usually only dire.

Claimed some bits of road I'd never ridden before, hoping to claim some more tomorrow if I wake up good.

Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk

[markcjagar]

60km 1300m inc. Pearoyd Lane out of Stocksbridge which I've taken 2 minutes off my best time. This weight loss thing is brilliant for making climbs vanish behind you.

[SoreTween]

Broke my lockdown duck.  Just a couple of laps to Bream.  ICBA to get the Garmin, something around 17km and 300m.

[bairn again]

Sunday tandem ride with Mrs Stoker.  Similar route to y’day but headed coastwards just before Gladsmuir as my enthusiasm in recounting every yard of the TT course wasnt matched by my stoker. 

The hurl down to The Pans Included the excitement of waiting a level crossing (which are few and far between in these parts....I cant think of one any closer to home). 

Home via Portobello where we got a close up of the police horses (all friendly) the choppy Firth of Forth and the distant Fife badlands.

Back home via Princes St (nice castle) for 59km and our longest ride yet on the new machine.  Might be getting the hang of it. 

Edit - ride details Here - https://ridewithgps.com/trips/47398633