Author Topic: Have you been out today? (Read 3898181 times)

T42 · « **Reply #25225 on:** 22 May, 2022, 02:41:29 pm »

72k on the eCow in a vile mood, mainly because I hate the fact that I need it. Sure, the damned thing can be fun but doing climbs I could last do 5 years ago 10 kph faster than back then feels downright dishonourable. Did have one bit of fun, though, when two young blokes overtook me at the beginning of the biggest hill of the ride. I let them get 10-15 metres ahead then got the motor going and kept station on them all the way up. They were too far ahead to hear the motor and they kept looking back and giving me "that old bugger still there?" looks. I kept one of the "oo it's hard" grimaces that I'd practised in the bathroom mirror on my face and panted a bit to lend authenticity. Shame on me.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #25226 on:** 22 May, 2022, 02:55:29 pm »

I had a double ride weekend. Moulton yesterday, Eddy Merckx today. Same cafe, different routes. We saw a lot of riders doing the Cotswold Cogfest and passed a few when they were going the same way as us. Average speed was 5mph higher than in winter!

T42 · « **Reply #25227 on:** 22 May, 2022, 05:14:44 pm »

Quote from: rogerzilla on 22 May, 2022, 02:55:29 pm

I had a double ride weekend. Moulton yesterday, Eddy Merckx today. Same cafe, different routes. We saw a lot of riders doing the Cotswold Cogfest and passed a few when they were going the same way as us. Average speed was 5mph higher than in winter!

When we were first in France the local tabac was selling a build-it-yourself Eddy Merckx bike kit. 900 frs IIRC.

hatler · « **Reply #25228 on:** 22 May, 2022, 09:47:38 pm »

Quote from: The Family Cyclist on 22 May, 2022, 07:30:25 am

Yesterday,

I've been a bit glum recently about how much riding my friends who don't have wife/kids/full-time jobs get to do compared to muggins who has all that above

Friday morning was telling youngest monkey about my evening ride Thursday she said she wanted to do a big ride with me on the weekend

So Saturday morning while they were out with the wife I drove out car to a nearby village where I often meet friends for a ride and cycled home

When she got back we set out and was lovely. It's very rare to get time with just one of my kids and the roads we used were really quiet so she could ride next to me chatting away. Stopping at goffcakes for a drink and pictures as will send something into her school

We saw a peacock and a couple of other cyclist made a point of waving/greeting clearly to her which she liked. As we approached Terling our destination she started begging to cycle back. Unfortunately I knew i wouldn't have time to ride back for the car so persuaded her we would go to the ford for a paddle and then to the car.

The only bit that she found hard was the sharp incline from the ford but with some encouragement she made that and then we had to stop at the park.

Eventually persuaded her into the car for the journey home

Just under 10km but easily my favourite ride of the year so far....she's already talking about next weekend

Fabulous !!

tom_e · « **Reply #25229 on:** 22 May, 2022, 09:59:39 pm »

Quote from: The Family Cyclist on 22 May, 2022, 07:30:25 am

I've been a bit glum recently about how much riding my friends who don't have wife/kids/full-time jobs get to do compared to muggins who has all that above

...

Just under 10km but easily my favourite ride of the year so far....she's already talking about next weekend

I know what you mean - the 'proper' rides can seem few and far between sometimes. But well worth taking every chance to get out with the kids.

chrisbainbridge · « **Reply #25230 on:** 23 May, 2022, 02:32:04 pm »

Quote from: tom_e on 22 May, 2022, 09:59:39 pm

Quote from: The Family Cyclist on 22 May, 2022, 07:30:25 am
I've been a bit glum recently about how much riding my friends who don't have wife/kids/full-time jobs get to do compared to muggins who has all that above

...

Just under 10km but easily my favourite ride of the year so far....she's already talking about next weekend

I know what you mean - the 'proper' rides can seem few and far between sometimes. But well worth taking every chance to get out with the kids.

I remember the feeling and my older son is now at the stage of busy job with a 3 year old and a 5 year old. We get 2 rides a year together and then we ride with older grand-daughter one day in holidays.

I am at the other end now and can essentially cycle as much as I want. Not as fast as when I was a lad but aerobic endurance is still there and I can do longer distances. I do try not to make him jealous though.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #25231 on:** 23 May, 2022, 05:05:26 pm »

Quote from: The Family Cyclist on 22 May, 2022, 07:30:25 am

Yesterday,

I've been a bit glum recently about how much riding my friends who don't have wife/kids/full-time jobs get to do compared to muggins who has all that above

Friday morning was telling youngest monkey about my evening ride Thursday she said she wanted to do a big ride with me on the weekend

So Saturday morning while they were out with the wife I drove out car to a nearby village where I often meet friends for a ride and cycled home

When she got back we set out and was lovely. It's very rare to get time with just one of my kids and the roads we used were really quiet so she could ride next to me chatting away. Stopping at goffcakes for a drink and pictures as will send something into her school

We saw a peacock and a couple of other cyclist made a point of waving/greeting clearly to her which she liked. As we approached Terling our destination she started begging to cycle back. Unfortunately I knew i wouldn't have time to ride back for the car so persuaded her we would go to the ford for a paddle and then to the car.

The only bit that she found hard was the sharp incline from the ford but with some encouragement she made that and then we had to stop at the park.

Eventually persuaded her into the car for the journey home

Just under 10km but easily my favourite ride of the year so far....she's already talking about next weekend

How old is Youngest Monkey?

I have a plan, which has yet to bear fruit, to go for some tandem rides with grand-daughter (12 next month). GD is a good cyclist but lacks road experience.

I wonder if, in principle, you would like to do a social ride? If I'm to do this it would require me picking GD up from Maidstone.

We haven't seen a lot of our GCs since the start of the pandemic and I'd rather like to make amends. Trouble is, daughter is always busy and arranging stuff isn't the easiest.

The Family Cyclist · « **Reply #25232 on:** 23 May, 2022, 07:15:02 pm »

Youngest is 8, we do also have a tandem but it's not very good in all honesty but both her and her nearly 11 year old sister go on the back. Would definitely be up for something

cycleman · « **Reply #25233 on:** 23 May, 2022, 08:15:35 pm »

The sun came out and tempted me to potter out to Egham and back via ncn4 and Windsor Park. As I reached the roundabout at Egham I met a couple of nz cycle tourers who were about to ride to Windsor along the a308.I managed to save them from that fate and lead them to ncn4 and up hill past the airforce memorial. They were much faster than me up the climb and I did not expect to see them again but caught them up just before bishops gate and I lead them through Windsor Park to Windsor . As we rode through the park the heavens opened and down came the rain. I didn't have a waterproof

. We parted company in Windsor Town centre and I mentioned yacf so they may post on here. I wish them a great tour

.

Feanor · « **Reply #25234 on:** 24 May, 2022, 09:28:09 pm »

I seem to have managed a 500k long weekend in Edinburgh!

Sat: 130k Dunbar John Muir ride, with added Andy Scott DunBear sculpture
Sun: 65k Forth loop, with added Andy Scott Kelpies
Mon: 100k Comrie loop, with added Andy Scott FoxBoy sculpture
Tues: 208k ride home from EDI to ABZ, with no Andy Scott sculptures!

I need a rest now!

robgul · « **Reply #25235 on:** 25 May, 2022, 07:47:58 am »

A bit of a nostalgia tour ride for me on Sunday & Monday - my father would have been 100 on Monday so - train to London, ride around Hackney/Dalston where he was born and brought up then out through East London's Leyton, Leytonstone, Wanstead (where we lived - went past the house we moved from in 1953!) and onto S Woodford (punctured

) Woodford Green and Chingford - all very much the areas that I knew when growing up. Stayed at The Royal Forest Hotel (a.k.a. Premier Inn Chingord - beyond awful)

Monday to Buckhurst Hill and past the house we moved to in 1953 (and I lived at until 1971) - onwards to Loughton, Epping (the Dun Run road from London) and a circuitous route bypassing Harlow to Bishop's Stortford and to Rickling Green where my wife arrived with the car.

Stayed the night and to Cambridge to the Hockney Exhibition - a bit disappointing. Late lunch at the tearoom at Grantchester (no evidence of fragrance from Mary Archer - and didn't see Geordie or the vicar either!) - and home.

An altogether pleasant few days - much as the two days last August when my mother would have been 100 and I rode from home to the village where she was born near Leicester and home again.

Ah, nostalgia

T42 · « **Reply #25236 on:** 28 May, 2022, 04:09:13 pm »

A very satisfying 113 km / 868 m climbed on my nice light Trek. Seemed to have lots of power. Could be that cajoling the motor on the eBrute is now actually building my condition - lots of fast pedalling so that the bugger doesn't stop pushing. Whatever, one is most gratified. Maybe I'll alternate eBrute & Trek and see how it goes. I certainly haven't felt as good on a ride for quite a long time.

Oh aye: at one place near a Catholic boarding school in the forest I passed a priest dressed in full priestly fig, pectoral cross & robes down to the ground. He was ambling along on the wrong side of the road telling his beads. I had to slow down to leave room for a car to get round him, which was irritating because I was managing a good lick at the time and didn't want to waste energy. Otherwise not much of note, other than the droves of motorbikes travelling mob-handed. Some of them were French!

jimmea · « **Reply #25237 on:** 28 May, 2022, 06:00:51 pm »

First sort of long ride (for me) this year, On flat pedals but found it hard going at times and I’ve a few sore bits from a lack of time in the saddle. Right toes seem to go numb despite the flat pedals? I’ve got the balance tests and ear clinic on Monday so we shall see what comes of that.

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/91477012

markcjagar · « **Reply #25238 on:** 28 May, 2022, 10:11:08 pm »

Went & did 3 hours, was nice to do a leisure ride on the weekend that wasn't an Audax.

Climbed Ewden Bank on the way out and turned and came back up Jackson Bridge. Two savage climbs is enough this close to All Points North

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #25239 on:** 29 May, 2022, 10:03:04 am »

A day at the seaside yesterday. And a lovely day for it! Joined a CTC ride for the first time in three years or possibly more. At first it reminded me of all the things I don't like about group riding: sudden changes of pace, people swerving all over the road, no or unclear signals and observation, sudden stops immediately after junctions for "All up?" and of course lots of shouts of "Car down! Car up!"

But actually it was a great day out and good to ride in company again.

Tim Hall · « **Reply #25240 on:** 30 May, 2022, 04:11:24 pm »

I'm at the Tandem Club rally in Corsham this week, so should be out each day. Today was a bit character forming a hough hough. Treasure hunt first,easy. Then a hill climb. At my age? Are you mad? 0.8 miles of mostly up, on the Pino, breathing through my arse. We got a big number on the time sheet, possibly the bigliest, so I suspect we didn't win.
Good fun though.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #25241 on:** 30 May, 2022, 04:16:33 pm »

I cycled out to my Stoutness Exercises on the e-behemoth. Something like 8km.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #25242 on:** 30 May, 2022, 04:20:42 pm »

Quote from: Tim Hall on 30 May, 2022, 04:11:24 pm

I'm at the Tandem Club rally in Corsham this week, so should be out each day. Today was a bit character forming a hough hough. Treasure hunt first,easy. Then a hill climb. At my age? Are you mad? 0.8 miles of mostly up, on the Pino, breathing through my arse. We got a big number on the time sheet, possibly the bigliest, so I suspect we didn't win.
Good fun though.

Powering the nearby Sekrit National Steam Reserve^TM, no doubt.

T42 · « **Reply #25243 on:** 31 May, 2022, 02:05:50 pm »

Local ride notable chiefly for being bang on 50.0 km.

Snakehips · « **Reply #25244 on:** 31 May, 2022, 03:07:31 pm »

Went out. Got wet.

perpetual dan · « **Reply #25245 on:** 02 June, 2022, 10:42:22 pm »

37km of mostly rough stuff, out to the Chattri memorial, Wolstonbury Hill, Jack and Jill windmills, a coffee and cake caravn and the South Downs through Ditchling Beacon. Lots of walkers out enjoying the sun, and a few cyclists too. The clock time was a bit under 4 hours, which reflects both my fitness and enjoying the places as well as the ride. (That's my excuse, anyway!)

Tim Hall · « **Reply #25246 on:** 03 June, 2022, 04:33:39 pm »

More Tandem Club rally larks today ( and Tuesday and Thursday). About 80 km each day, some featuring more Scenery than others. Special mention the the gratuitous ~~bastard hill~~ bit of Scenery in the last knockings of today's ride. Twenty four inch gear was deployed.

phantasmagoriana · « **Reply #25247 on:** 04 June, 2022, 03:55:34 pm »

I actually rode a bike for the first time in over a year. Only about a 5-mile round trip to get some compost from Homebase (also an opportunity to test out the new-to-me trailer).

My disc brakes appear to have become screaming banshees from hell, though.

I had the bike serviced a couple of months ago and the brakes bled as part of it, but they've never made noise like this before in the 6 years I've owned the bike. Not great on shared paths, because all the pedestrians just assumed I was slamming on the brakes when actually I was trying to use them as gently as possible. And no, random passerby who helpfully suggested I need some WD-40, that really wouldn't help.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #25248 on:** 04 June, 2022, 04:12:48 pm »

Could be dirt on the pads and/or rotors.

T42 · « **Reply #25249 on:** 04 June, 2022, 04:45:34 pm »

Today: Rained on soon after start & again at Mertz. Very muggy, air like soup. New kiosk at Wolfahrtshoffen, nice view of lake, lots of bugs. BPM excellent, legs felt powerful, must be delusion. Good kph though. Pleased. 78km.