Author Topic: Have you been out today? (Read 3890268 times)

T42 · « **Reply #25375 on:** 07 August, 2022, 12:48:44 pm »

Yesterday, same 150k circuit as last week with a strong NE wind instead of a strong W one. Enjoyable.

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #25376 on:** 07 August, 2022, 05:14:22 pm »

Hampton, Sunbury, Walton, back towards Richmond partially on infernally dusty Thames path. That was not my intention, as the dust requires a full bike and chain clean afterwards, but my Wahoo threw a wobbler and I had to abandon my planned route back. Nice though, criss-crossing from one bank to the other. Glad I did at 0800 before it got hotter. 70km.

Jurek · « **Reply #25377 on:** 07 August, 2022, 05:54:27 pm »

Went to visit Mum, which involves the Brompton and some of South Eastern's finest rolling stock.
Mum sends her love.
All went well until the return journey from Lewisham Station on the Brompton, where the RH pedal elected to develop terminal disassembly.
I should add that these aren't Brompton original pedals but Ti Parts Workshop efforts which come through the till at a rather noisy £200.00.
I managed to retrieve all of the bits from the road, and re-assembled it by the roadside.
I could see the remains of maybe a lock-washer or similar in there and, sure enough, my post-repair progress amounted to no more than 100 metres before it, once again, rendered itself into several pieces.
TfL's 122 bus service bought me home after what was probably a 30 minute wait, whereupon two of them pitched up.
C'est la vie.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #25378 on:** 07 August, 2022, 06:34:33 pm »

54 hot miles - maximum temperature 29.3°C in our garden.

I left home around 9am and experimented with some off road. This led me to having to lift a 30kg bike over a chest-high stile. It was not a good idea because I then crossed a busy road to find the next stile even higher. I had to negotiate the busy road until I found myself on a less busy one, which I am happy cycling on.

I met an old friend I hadn't seen for years, and the conversation centred largely around death. We had some rather good food at the Maldon Smokehouse, overlooking a beautifully wild area of estuary and marsh. There were 5 little egrets visible from our lunch table at one point.

perpetual dan · « **Reply #25379 on:** 08 August, 2022, 09:18:54 pm »

I got up early, got the train to Winchester and rode the South Downs Way to Amberley.

It was a bit hot, and 90 lumpy off road km was a bit ambitious for my fitness. But i took the time to walk round Old Winchester Hill properly, and enjoyed sunflowers in with wheat somewhere after Cocking.

Now on a train again and quite hungry.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

T42 · « **Reply #25380 on:** 10 August, 2022, 03:35:11 pm »

Oaf that I am, did 112 km with an NE wind that waxed from strong to ferocious and eventually drove me to call MrsT to come & scrape me up. Trying to avoid one 10k stretch straight into the wind by ducking into the forest, I took the wrong road at one point and not only did a lot more climbing than I'd planned but ended up with a different windswept 10k to do.

Got home to find that the club committee meeting I'd noted for 7 this evening was really for 5 pm so had two hours less recovery time than planned. Hope nobody wants sense out of me.

ETA: they didn't get any.

bhoot · « **Reply #25381 on:** 11 August, 2022, 10:17:56 am »

Yesterday actually - an evening East London-Loughton-East London (ELE) to drop off some Arrivee magazines (which were occupying too much space in the house and likely to be recycled fairly soon) at LEL. Beautiful moon - must have been a good night for those cycling down through Essex. Three finishers came in whilst we were there and were duly ushered in for photos with Charlotte.
One shocking close pass on the return trip just north of the waterworks roundabout (A104 and North Circ) - there is a new decent cycle track but it's not open yet so the road width is a bit costrained - but otherwise nice to be out, and better still 5 new tiles around Buckhurst Hill, Loughton and Debden which will do wonders for my cluster (I am a late starter on this and us Londoners have to make the best of the urban environment)

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #25382 on:** 13 August, 2022, 09:27:58 am »

Lovely morning in Richmond Park - I was in there by 6 and did 3 proper laps for the first time in ages (I usually get bored and go through the middle for a change, or faff with something). Lap times not too bad at all by my standards. Strava says my average power was 210W which seems rather unlikely. Max speed 61 km/h which is credible. Topped and tailed those laps with some pootling, very nice indeed, and back home before the heat gets ridiculous.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #25383 on:** 13 August, 2022, 01:16:32 pm »

We did an early cafe run. Heat not too bad but air is harder to breathe when it's so warm. Hordes of other cyclists out.

ElyDave · « **Reply #25384 on:** 13 August, 2022, 02:56:24 pm »

Got out about 9:30 after morning chores, for 75km. Took three 750ml bottles with me and used all three over the course of 75km and about 2h40. It was hitting 36C on the last 10km and I was starting to feel shivery despite the heat, a definite sign of starting to get heat stressed. I was 1kg down by the time I got back and my urine was pretty dark, glad the heat is likely to have broke by the time I'll be touring.

I enjoyed the ride, but should really have been out a bit earlier. Will be out earlier tomorrow.

alexb · « **Reply #25385 on:** 13 August, 2022, 07:11:36 pm »

Got up early, took the train to Shoreham on Sea and meet a friend to ride a loop of the South Downs way and randomly met Perpetual Dan by Cissington ring.

hatler · « **Reply #25386 on:** 13 August, 2022, 07:33:51 pm »

Quote from: perpetual dan on 08 August, 2022, 09:18:54 pm

I got up early, got the train to Winchester and rode the South Downs Way to Amberley.

It was a bit hot, and 90 lumpy off road km was a bit ambitious for my fitness. But i took the time to walk round Old Winchester Hill properly, and enjoyed sunflowers in with wheat somewhere after Cocking.

Now on a train again and quite hungry.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Amberley. That's pretty much exactly half distance of the SDW. That's a good leg stretch from Winchester to there.

perpetual dan · « **Reply #25387 on:** 13 August, 2022, 09:40:49 pm »

Thanks, hatler, yes it was a good day out.
Today I got up early, took the train to Ford, then rode to Amberley and picked up the South Downs Way again. The cool start helped, and I enjoyed a walk with my camera around both Chanctonbury and Cissbury rings.
I met alexb, which was nice. And later met a friend in the cafe at Saddlescombe farm. So, it was quite a sociable ride.
I had a sidewall cut on the way down from Truleigh hill. I pushed a bit to sit on the grass under a tree, rather than on gravel in the blazing sun. The sealant didn’t fix it, so I eventually put a tube in.
I was a bit hot and dehydrated towards the end (Lewes), so the 69km took me just under 11 hours.

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #25388 on:** 14 August, 2022, 11:11:23 am »

Went out at 6.30. 85km, Esher, Cobham, Ranmore Common via Hogden Lane.A stop at the coffee van in the carpark - too early for them to do a coffee, but not too early to sell me a Solero so that was OK. Down the hill to Chapel Lane, then Box Hill, Epsom, Maldens Old and New, and back into Richmond Park.

Some of those road surfaces in Surrey are woeful.

ElyDave · « **Reply #25389 on:** 14 August, 2022, 12:05:03 pm »

How can it posibly be too early for coffee? I feel like Arnie wearing the fake head in Total Recall.

Anyway, 51.7km for me, headed out earlier being on the road about 8:30, nice cooling breeze, light winds and a decent ride. That's it for the next week as I'm up to Aberdeen on Tuesday, back late Thursday and then packing to go down to my sister's in the new forest on Saturday ready for the KAW starting a week on Monday.

T42 · « **Reply #25390 on:** 14 August, 2022, 12:57:41 pm »

Flustercluck today. El Prez had set up a ride for visiting Parisian chums, but since I'd intended to work on the barn today I didn't sign up. Then MrsT says "you can't use that noisy thing (impact driver) on a Sunday, they don't do that around here" so I sent El Prez a text saying I'd take part after all. Then an hour before the off I checked my email and found a late one from the aforesaid gent saying that because of the heat he'd brought the start forward by an hour, which meant they were already on the road. "I'll ride t'other way and meet you in the middle," sez I; but when I set off I found that 3 days up & down a ladder had done phunny things to my ankles and calves (moo) so I headed for a coffee shop instead, only to find that a chunk of my route, being through forest, was barred due to fire risk. About face and a 5k detour later reached shop w. legs feeling weird. Texted E.P. "merde, je désiste", had a very poor coffee & a choc chip cookie (best thing of whole morning) then buggered off home. A whole 41 km. Stellar.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #25391 on:** 14 August, 2022, 02:12:54 pm »

Another 30+ miles in the heat. Took the Moulton. I think the saddle may be breaking in a bit.

Tim Hall · « **Reply #25392 on:** 14 August, 2022, 04:24:03 pm »

Train up to London's famous London to meet various reprobates in the form of a Lonjog 10 year reunion. First business was some impromptu clown bike wrangling at Victoria station where Joe Anonymous cyclist had got his chain stuck between the big ring and bottom bracket. After finding I didn't carry a big enough Allen key to get his crank off, a bit of brute force had it free.
Leaving him we made our way to Hyde Park Corner to meet the Usual Suspects, sadly lacking His Leggship and Lovely Susie. A quick lap of the park then across town to Al Barone's by Tower Bridge for BEER and talking. Most of them are still there while we're on a train home.

cycleman · « **Reply #25393 on:** 14 August, 2022, 08:02:23 pm »

A short potter round Windsor Park and back this evening. About 10 miles. I was towing my Burley trailer with a camping load as a trial for the Watlington camping weekend in September

De Sisti · « **Reply #25394 on:** 14 August, 2022, 08:25:20 pm »

50 Miles to Bledington.

Canardly · « **Reply #25395 on:** 14 August, 2022, 10:23:22 pm »

Only 27 miles but I suffered quite a bit with the heat at 33 deg C and had to stop to cool down a few times on the homeward run, usually at the bottom or half way up a hill. The tarmac was melting in places. Major cramping near home required the swift application of rehydrant powders. In a word excrutiatingly painful and had to get off the bike. Quite how those LEL chaps/chappetes coped with all of this defeats me. Quite probably too many pies in my case. (and possibly being an old git).

Wowbagger · « **Reply #25396 on:** 14 August, 2022, 11:29:19 pm »

Two rides today. Firstly, in the heat of the day, to see my dear friend Penelope. It was Very Hot.

Then, just after sunset, a potter round the lanes, one of which has been "top dressed" and is covered in loose chippings (I thought that was in Gloucestershire).

28k all told.

Snakehips · « **Reply #25397 on:** 18 August, 2022, 10:08:43 am »

Went out looking for rain yesterday, and found lots of the stuff. My wettest sub 10 miler for a long time.

T42 · « **Reply #25398 on:** 19 August, 2022, 03:16:48 pm »

Set out for the Rhine-Marne canal, butrealized when I got there that I didn't really want to do 30k of towpath full of tourists & headed further south with vague ideas of lunching at 75k from home then toddling back via the usual patisseries; however, the Direction Départementale de l'Équipement had other ideas in the shape of totally road-blocking works at around 45k with no diversion signs in place. Thereafter I tried to find a way round but ended up doing a meaty chunk of the Kochersberg, an old volcanic ridge running from west of Strasbourg to the Vosges and famed for sapping the strength and courage of all who ride there: it's all twists and turns and ups and downs, and every time you get up speed on a downhill you have to bleed it off again for an intersection before heading into another steep climb. An hour of that and I was ready to turn my toes up, so I turned north instead and went home, not neglecting to top up on caffeine & sugar en route. 105k - nae bad but I wanted 150 at least to keep up my weekly average. Bah.

At one point a coypu crossed the road ~10 metres ahead of me - first I've ever seen. And almost every car that did something dodgy, especially overtaking me late and having to do a swift wiggle to avoid running into oncoming traffic, was a BMW. The exception was a Mazda but it had an A-plate on it, i.e. it was driven by a recently-qualified driver.

The Family Cyclist · « **Reply #25399 on:** 20 August, 2022, 12:19:13 pm »

Not on the bike but on foot in the mountains currently staying with a friend in NI and can see the mournes from their house. Last night after dinner we had a short drive then headed I to the hills. Can't remember the name of the one we intended to sleep on but when we got there the wild camping spots were all in use so we took a wander off to find somewhere else to sleep which wad much easier said then done as a lot of its very boggy.

Planned to head up another peak as believed was somewhere up there flat and sheltered but with daylight fading we decided on a dry and flattish bit near the great Wall to keep sheep out of reservoirs. Some whiskey as a nightcap and settled into bivvy bag which was grand till about 3am when the rain came whichbwouldnt have been a problem if hadn't slid down in the bag but managed to open the hood of bivvy bag in process so wad pretty damp inside.

Napped until about 5 then we decided to break camp in a gap in the rain and not bother with more peaks as they were all hiding in the clouds so back to car for tea, which seemed pointless so back home for tea and breakfast before kids were even up