Author Topic: Have you been out today? (Read 3901222 times)

Andy W · « **Reply #24575 on:** 23 May, 2021, 06:51:11 am »

Yes, a cheeky 20 miler half of which took me along a BOAT. On the way home a became aware of a malevolent looking sky. Half a mile from home the heavens opened and I was drenched in a minute or so. I didn't mind, I remembered in April I'd forgotten what rain was and same track was bone dry, pock marked with horse hoof divots.

jimmea · « **Reply #24576 on:** 23 May, 2021, 06:25:16 pm »

Planned a short 40k or so due to the forecast but I ended up with 100k as it remained dry throughout. Up to border control at Harthill then northwards to Longriggend, A tour of all the glamorous locations! I even had a marching band welcome me into Greengairs

Still it was good to get out and be cycling in light of the forecast.

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/67762531

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #24577 on:** 23 May, 2021, 08:25:41 pm »

Went to explore the recently opened Tidenham tunnel, part of the Wye Valley Greenway from Chepstow to Tintern. Quite fun but possibly better walking than riding, due to the tunnel (limited lighting and not allowed to use own lights due to roosting bats) and lots of mud. The Wye was gorgeous though, as it always is, and very high and muddy. Rail buffs and industrial archaeology fans would love it.

By the time I got to Tintern it was obviously going to rain all day, it wasn't going to get any warmer and the sun was not going to appear. But it felt a bit early to turn back so I went via the back roads to Trellech, through beautiful woods with bluebells. In Trellech I spotted a bus stop to eat my lunch* in, but it didn't have a bench so I pressed on, which was actually back towards Chepstow. It was wet, my feet were soaking – today was not a good day to leave overshoes at home – I was cold and then it got windy as well. The kind of windy where you have to pedal downhill. This made the trip back over the bridge fun. I'd spotted two dead swifts

on the way out but they'd gone by the time I made the return.

Got home, took my shoes off, realised my feet were so cold I couldn't feel my toes. Spent 24 hours in a warm shower then ate half of a 10" ginger cake.

*I think I'm getting towards the capacity limit of my Junior saddlebag (Barley without side pockets): lunch box, large thermos flask, two(!!) maps, tools, headtorch, and one of those folding foam mats for sitting on wet grass and mud. A larger lunch box (it was dal) would require the Cadet.

T42 · « **Reply #24578 on:** 24 May, 2021, 11:08:41 am »

Yesterday: lockdown was lifted for outdoor eating last week, so I thought to visit my favourite cake/coffee hole around 40km away. It was quite windy, but I didn't mind that: the hilly route there was into the wind so I'd be sheltered about half the way. Only the wind got so bloody strong that my heart rate was lower riding up in the shelter than going against the wind up at the top. I had to pedal on the downslopes to maintain a decent speed. By the time I was half the way there I was so far behind schedule that they'd have been closed before I got there, so I jacked it in and had a good sprint home. Utterly dead beat on arrival.

Today the sun is shining, the wind is light, I'm still knackered, my legs hurt and the shop's shut anyway. Bugger.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #24579 on:** 24 May, 2021, 11:23:19 am »

I empathise with you on that headwind. Having to pedal on a decent downhill and hardly going any faster than you did on the uphill is just dispiriting. Odd thing here was that it was an easterly.

T42 · « **Reply #24580 on:** 24 May, 2021, 01:46:59 pm »

Thanks, Cudzo. We often have a north-easterly here when the wind elsewhere is south-westerly. And if it's from the NE there it is here too. I suspect the hills of deviationism.

With a chum I did a wonderful 1000k 9 years ago with a strong NE wind to blow us south for the first 200k, and a day later we picked up a strong Mistral to take us almost to the Mediterranean. Great ride, that.

Snakehips · « **Reply #24581 on:** 24 May, 2021, 02:46:23 pm »

Went out, got wet.

hatler · « **Reply #24582 on:** 26 May, 2021, 06:34:13 pm »

In an extraordinary turn of events, I got my rear end sufficiently in gear to go out for a pre-work ride, the five mile hilly loop that mini came up with recently. First time since the pandemic started.

God I'm lazy.

FifeingEejit · « **Reply #24583 on:** 26 May, 2021, 09:09:51 pm »

Just swapped a turbo session for a road ride, probably should have changed to a more road suitable interval session than j had though.

Managed the turn in dunshalt to the junction in Muchty for the first 3 min hard block, the climb out for the 2nd, the 3rd was a bit descendy to stsrt then had a junction but ended at lumquhat and the 4th was basically a waste as its a narrow Downhill descent back to the A91. If I had any sense I'd have done it as repeats of the bottom few cms of purin den.

Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk

cycleman · « **Reply #24584 on:** 27 May, 2021, 08:48:19 pm »

89.7 miles out to Newbury via ncn4 .5.30 am start and reached Reading just after 7.00am had a coffee in prets then pottered onwards to Newbury. I lunch in a cafe then back via greenham common, and Aldermaston mortimer, beech Hill Swallowfield, Arborfield Cross Hurst Windsor and home 🏡 .

https://photos.app.goo.gl/rPrBm1heXzHChtks5

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #24585 on:** 27 May, 2021, 09:03:45 pm »

Good to see you're getting out (and exposing your toes

).^

John Stonebridge · « **Reply #24586 on:** 27 May, 2021, 09:54:45 pm »

Warm weather at last had us pack the tandem in the car and gnash off from work sharp, heading to Auchterarder where we did a lovely 50km loop. Best bike ride in ages.....so nice to be out in the sunshine. And we went to Comrie so it as always going to be fab.

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/68031566

L CC · « **Reply #24587 on:** 27 May, 2021, 10:45:56 pm »

*like*

zigzag · « **Reply #24588 on:** 27 May, 2021, 10:59:37 pm »

much sunshine was forecasted today, so left home at sunrise and headed to south, to the beach. dipped my feet in the sea, had a second breakfast there, a short snooze and then headed back home via the box hill. my first audax this year and a longest ride, 202k!

p.s. on a vintage bike with downtube shifters

The Family Cyclist · « **Reply #24589 on:** 28 May, 2021, 09:19:15 am »

What a glorious evening yesterday. Was suffering from the CBAs but as one of the other guys riding was leaving his car at mine couldn't really not go.

It was warm, at least to start with, sunny and felt good to be out. One dodgy part where they had dumped the chippings all over the road so as most of us on our skinny tyres thought light y thoughts the guy on an old mountain bike charged past us. I did think id got a visitation but was just a stone caught between the mudguards

Then stopped for a beer at a real proper pub before sticking on any extra clothes and a cool dash home. Pushing 10pm and lights only really needed to be seen by

T42 · « **Reply #24590 on:** 28 May, 2021, 03:52:13 pm »

Finally got to my favourite coffee/cake shop for the first time this year, thanks to to lockdown and utterly vile weather. A very satisfying 91 km in spite of an ill-intentioned NE wind on the way home.

jimmea · « **Reply #24591 on:** 29 May, 2021, 07:51:17 pm »

Yes a nice loop around some very quiet roads, Met some well kent Audaxers who were on the Moscow Express route.

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/68143117

hatler · « **Reply #24592 on:** 29 May, 2021, 07:59:01 pm »

A lovely loop out through Mickleham, up Ranmore and then down Critten Lane.

Really really quiet in all the car parks and really not many cyclists out. Weird given the weather. Has everyone buggered off out of London for the weekend ?

phantasmagoriana · « **Reply #24593 on:** 30 May, 2021, 05:45:46 pm »

My second ride of 2021!

Weather forecast was too good to miss, so went on Sunday club run. Think it was about 65 miles which is the longest I've cycled for a long time (probably a year or more). Harder than I imagined. Got left behind a bit on the hills (in the slow group too - the horror!).

Stupidly forgot suncream, because it's been that long that it just didn't occur to me that I'd need it.

I now have sunburn and a realisation that I'm going to have to start at total beginner level again when it comes to cycling!

Kim · « **Reply #24594 on:** 30 May, 2021, 08:12:27 pm »

That makes me feel less bad about being spectacularly exhausted halfway through a 70km ride.

I think it's lack of sleep, rather than lack of fitness. I'm currently getting a 3 hour window between my body deciding that sleep is a possibility and the death metal dawn chorus from above the plasterboard. Seriously wondering if I should just give in to my natural circadian rhythm and go to bed at 10am or something.

FifeingEejit · « **Reply #24595 on:** 30 May, 2021, 09:23:37 pm »

Know the feeling, was fairly slow on the snow hare last weekend, which isnt too vicious in its climbing and utterly destroyed by the Moscow express yesterday despite IroIroMono shoving me around on the back of the tandem.

We've got a bit more to get the hang of, and I need to improve my braking technique and ability to keep going without stand ups and mini rests.

The even hillier Lantern rouge next weekend... Erk!
Need ro figure out which bike to use.

Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk

John Stonebridge · « **Reply #24596 on:** 30 May, 2021, 10:06:23 pm »

On Friday 4pm I set off on a one way ride Edinburgh - Bridge of Allan - Aberdeen for a DIY 300km audax.

All good on the 1st leg to BoA at 60km where I stopped for pre booked fish and chips. I took the slightly longer glen road to Dunblane which Id not ridden for about 20 years and I was delighted to see that its now 100% tarmac and has no traffic. I think this will be my default route now as the RAB at the end of the M9 is not much fun (nor is the brae out of BoA with cars flying past).

I reached Auchterarder in good time so popped into the Co-op to get a hot drink but their machine was kaputt so I made do with Cola. I popped on my gilet and thin full finger gloves as it was cooling down a bit.

Reached Perth about 11pm where I added a dog leg to Broxden Services. The McDs was takeaway only so I popped over the petrol station where I managed to get indoors and enjoyed an hour or so here having several teas. I knew it would be super chilly descending into Perth city centre from Broxden so grabbed a free TV listing newspaper thing and stuck it down the front on my gilet TdF style!

Very familiar roads thro Kinrossie, Coupar Angus and Meigle passed quickly in the wee small hours. About 4km from Forfar I saw a 9 carriage train, with carriage lights glowing to my right. I did a double take realising that Forfar hasnt had a railway line since the 1960s and realised that I was looking at a set of fairy lights outside a house!

I clearly needed a rest and pulled into Maccy Ds where a member of staff sitting outside told me it was drive through only. Boo - no matter theres a brand new petrol station just across the road. This was more like it - the in house Greggs (clearly all but closed at 3am) had a seating area that I could relax in. The guy running the shop was cleaning the Costa machine but offered to make me tea or coffee while that was happening. THat was very kind and appreciated. On or off the bike I was cold and reckoned that Id underestimated how cold it would be - both my base layer and cycling top were very much lightweight ones designed for genuine summer nights. Even my newspaper wasnt helping. THough maybe I was overheating and my perspiration was ultimately making me cold - Ive been at this lark for about 30 years now and I still really dont know.

I left Forfar at 0430 believing that sunrise would be a morale booster. I was indeed light but as soon as I got out from under the petrol station canopy I realised that it was raining. In fairness it was in reality more a very heavy mist cum fog, but it had the same effect as steady rain. I plodded on towards Montrose unable to use my glasses due to the rain/mist and worried by the extremely limited visibility. I decided that Id take stock at Montrose and tried to keep good pace to keep warm if nowt else.

On arrival at Montrose I popped into the Tesco that had just opened at 6am and looked out onto the gloom. Id been checking the forecasts all week and none of them had any suggestion of it being like this. My faith in the forecasts especially for the UKs East coast are at an all time low (I used MetOffice, xcweather and ye olde BBC and they were all miles off - none had forecast it to be wet and their overnight temperatures were ~10 degrees and I passed one roadside temperature gauge showed that it was 4 deg!).

A phone based scan of the forecasts for my remaining intermediate points suggested that the conditions would likely persist for the 7 hours Id left to finish my 300km so I decided to bail with 215km on the clock and jumped on the first train back to Edinburgh around 0625. I could barely manhandle my bike onto the train as I was shaking with the cold.

Saturday was spent cleaning the bike, washing my stinky kit and snoozing.

The big + is that my legs felt tip top even beyond 200km so it was possibly just one of those days (or nights!). The ride from Auchterarder to Perth was utterly magnificent with the sun setting on a clear day - if only it had continued!

G.

Ashaman42 · « **Reply #24597 on:** 30 May, 2021, 10:18:16 pm »

Finally got out the door just before noon, which with a planned 11am departure is quite good going for me

I'd loaded my gps route for the It's A Wonderful Weald 100k. Which actually comes out at 110k. That's fine, it looks like a nice day and the fact I've not done >100k since last August is a mere detail. But rather than riding to Hailsham to start I set off from Hampden Park directly eastward to pick up the route at Pevensey.

Well, I don't know what happened but I ended up riding 126km which was a little painful towards the end. Though the 52 mile (I know I know, pick a unit) round trip commutes even with motor assist much be doing something because it was definitely one of my stronger long rides.

I left it far too late to eat my picnic but just got away with it. Could have done with more water - I had half an hour water rationing followed by half an hour of no water at the end there and the first two pints of Ribena within ten minutes of getting in didn't touch the sides.

I'm sore and tired now but not wrecked so it's all good.

I'm either going to sleep really well or my legs will keep trying to pedal all night.

perpetual dan · « **Reply #24598 on:** 30 May, 2021, 10:20:36 pm »

After considerable sitting around, yes.

First to Falmer, where I popped to the university to get some water in the bottles I’d forgotten to fill. Then a bit of rough stuff to the cycle lane by the A23 - to collect a couple of tiles, because it’s plainly not the nicest route.

Then, the quiet rolling lanes through Fulking and Edburton to Steyning. Then up Steyning Bostal, with much panting but no stopping. Over the top and down to Lancing and to the beach.

Then I rode along the seafront, through Brighton to Rottingdean. Quite why I thought the first sunny bank holiday weekend this year was the best time to ride that way I don’t know. Even with the extra cycle lane it was a bit slow and needed some being alert. The road was at least as bad though.

At Rottingdean I met a friend then, feeling a bit tired by now, over the downs again to get home. Really quite a nice ride overall.

nikki · « **Reply #24599 on:** 30 May, 2021, 11:20:48 pm »

Did the long-threatened Ludicrous Loop route with a new ~~victim~~ riding chum. Planned to be about 15 miles without going more than 2.5 miles from the start, except we improvised a bit and went further. A low traffic city centre response to all the high speed close passes we got the last time we rode together on country lanes.

Featured Lancaster's finest pavé, wheelie bins, bollards, a contractual obligation to at least see if we could get past the closure (we couldn't), a supersoaker encounter, more bins, more bollards, minimal amounts of A6, a helipad, a picnic by the river, somehow getting mud on my face, and experimenting with the GoPro I borrowed from uni to document my studio work before we weren't allowed to go into our studios for months on end.

Battery died before we got to the escaped lambs.