Have you been out today?

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Went out early today to bag a 4th imperial century for the month.  It rained, but not unpleasantly so, for a couple of hours.  Used a route plotted on the GPS to explore some roads I'd never ridden north of Bracknell, and then headed over the Chilterns to some more new roads in south Oxfordshire.  Rear tyre went flat in Stanford Dingly, looked like tube failure rather than a puncture - perhaps because the bike shop put a cheap tube in when they kindly got the Hope rear replaced under warranty.  Still got back in time to cook an all-day breakfast for lunch (chipolatas, bacon, black pudding, tomatoes, waffles...  if Carlsberg did recovery meals!)

[CarlF]

I was up before sunrise yesterday
[...]
It started warming up a bit but not enough for my arm/leg w I was taking the shortest practical route so I stayed on the A94 to Kinrossie and rejoined it at Glamis, both of which are avoidable by adding km.  This version of the ride is also a bit lumpier with c 1900km of climbing.
[...]
Grand day out though every step along the way there were reminders of how life has changed so significantly.

Daytime traffic on the Perth end of the A94 is back to pre-lockdown levels, but the morning peak (that you would normally have hit the beginning of) is still much, much lower

[bairn again]

I was up before sunrise yesterday
[...]
It started warming up a bit but not enough for my arm/leg w I was taking the shortest practical route so I stayed on the A94 to Kinrossie and rejoined it at Glamis, both of which are avoidable by adding km.  This version of the ride is also a bit lumpier with c 1900km of climbing.
[...]
Grand day out though every step along the way there were reminders of how life has changed so significantly.

Daytime traffic on the Perth end of the A94 is back to pre-lockdown levels, but the morning peak (that you would normally have hit the beginning of) is still much, much lower

Thanks Carl, good to have a bit local knowledge.

Going North Id normally try to minimize distance on A94 by going by Gannochy Green, Murrayshall and finally round the wee back road from Balbeggie to Kinrossie but I think the A94 is unavoidable for a couple of stretches.  Of course on Saturday I got to the countryside early enough for it not to be an issue. 

Ive said it before that I find Perth to have the poorest quality driving Ive experienced anywhere - wilfully anti cyclist rather than just bad

[Cudzoziemiec]

Every hill with an arrow (14%+ gradient) on the Winchester & Basingstoke 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey map.  Why?  Because

Lynch Lane in West Meon was the steepest.

Just for a laugh I plotted the 4 arrows closest to the corners of the Gloucester & FoD (sheet 162); 204km / 2300m which sounds a good day out.  However, there's dozens and dozens more to add to do as you did.

Yesterday for me was a fairly unpleasant loop north out of the forest using part of the Lumpy Scrumpy route.  On the way out this includes a descent of Summer House Pitch and continues through Hope Mansell, an absolutely hideous 4km on 2 layers of chipseal (50% gone) over crumbling concrete. 
Humid, sweaty and fighting cramp in both legs the final 15k.  I even skipped the pint in Parkend I'd been looking forward to all the way round for fear of seizing solid if I stopped.

I've now plotted the same thing for all 36 arrows (2 of which are double indicating 20%+) on Ordnance Survey Map 174 (Newbury and Wantage) - but that weighs in at 298km (might be reduced with some tweaking) and over 4000m ascent, so that will need 15 hours somewhen.

For shits and giggles, lols and luls, I counted every single arrow on the Gloucester and FoD Landranger 162. There are 152 single arrows and 25 double arrows.

No, I didn't start to plot a route taking in all of them, but I can safely say that if you were to ride it, it would hurt.

[robgul]

Solo 32 miles or so with coffee stop at a new-to-me place . . . great to be back on the bike BUT the amount of litter in the roadside seems to have increased dramatically . . . main offenders are Red Bull cans, Costa cups and, of course, McDonalds packaging.  What is it with people? . . . how do they live, what are their homes like?

The other thing I noticed having ridden very little since last October is the number of new houses that have appeared on the edges of villages around here.

Rob

[SoreTween]

For shits and giggles, lols and luls, I counted every single arrow on the Gloucester and FoD Landranger 162. There are 152 single arrows and 25 double arrows.

No, I didn't start to plot a route taking in all of them, but I can safely say that if you were to ride it, it would hurt.

Thank you so much from saving me from that task, it was nagging at OCD me

[cycleman]

2 rides today . 10 miles this morning around Windsor and Eton wick and 12 miles around Burnham beechs and back via stoke poges 
 

[chrisbainbridge]

25 miles this morning. Longest ride of this challenging year, but lovely, even with The Hill in Cromford (not my emphasis: that's what it's called). 

Congratulations on the hill

[markcjagar]

38km to the pub with a friend, we had beer & crisps and were bothered by peacocks

I liked it

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

A few years ago we were having a discussion about the hill you dread the most.  Tim nominated Star Hill on the A30 east of Hartley Wintney.  It rises a mere 35m over 800m with a max gradient of about 6%.  His argument was that it was the last hill before home, which he had to ride after he'd ripped his legs off on a club run and had absolutely nothing left.  That resonates with me, the little hill out of Overton where, unless my legs are particularly good, is where I find myself socially distanced and wondering about the last 10 miles home.

[markcjagar]

I used to live in Crookes which is at the top of a large hill, it's Sheffield so it's not surprising.

It's 160m in 3km (depending on the direction you come from it can hit 15%, I think). There aren't many routes which are light on traffic which adds to the joy.

I still dislike riding up there but at least it's not at the end of every single ride these days

[hatler]

The Hill I Dread the Most ?

The drag from Hebden Bridge up to Heptonstall. I typically have to do that when we visit friends in Heptonstall and I've already had my legs ripped off over multiple Yorkshire bumps by a chap I give about eight years to.

[Deano]

That's more of a ramp than a drag!

Anyone fancy starting a new thread ?

[sg37409]

... took the tandem up to Kinrossie just north of Perth and did a lovely 62km loop losely based on Scone The Flat Way audax. 

We did pretty much this run on the tandem today: Lovely route for a tandem, great weather too.  Met EckAgain in Meigle as we stopped at the Spar too. 

[T42]

Local 60k loop. Hadn't been feeling that great since doing a painful 70k on Monday after 6 days off with randomly-firing guts, so wanted to tweak the demon's tail, so to speak, and did a few hills in the first 30k, the last one of which had me standing on the pedals in the lowest gear (34 pulling 32).  Felt fine at the top so rather than pushing on to 100+k and getting home knackered I thought I'd cut for home and do a real ride at the weekend.  Got home knackered anyway, legs still hurt today.

Insult to injury: MrsT starts with the "well at your age" bollocks. 

[Peter]

Mrs T is right!  She obviously wants you alive.  It's a diagnosis I've had to accept.  My wife has been saying the same thing for a while - though I don't think she's met you...…..

[Kim]

Went to bag some tiles I hadn't already passed through on the dark side of Tamworth.  It turns out that it's Flying Ant Day.  The only thing more annoying than cycling through clouds of flying ants are those little black flies that crawl around on your glasses, drown in your sweat and generally turn to black mush under your fingernails.  Obviously they've entered into some sort of anti-cyclist alliance with the ants, and were also out in force.

[bairn again]

63km post work from home in Edinburgh to Bridge of Allan after a crappy week at work (Like this every year when every fecker with school age kids buggers off en masse expecting you to rescue in 2 weeks what theyd done zero on for 3 months.  Aye right). 

It was starting to spit when i got there so got the last (!) train home after a pint.  Enjoyable ride though i fear i may have been the lycra clad lout going too fast on the bike paths. 

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/53037636

[bairn again]

... took the tandem up to Kinrossie just north of Perth and did a lovely 62km loop losely based on Scone The Flat Way audax. 

We did pretty much this run on the tandem today: Lovely route for a tandem, great weather too.  Met EckAgain in Meigle as we stopped at the Spar too. 

Excellent.

Added  for the Eck spot. 

[T42]

Mrs T is right!  She obviously wants you alive.  It's a diagnosis I've had to accept.  My wife has been saying the same thing for a while - though I don't think she's met you...…..

We'll see about that. No, not about meeting your wife, about mine being right. She's two years older than me and does half-marathons (but very slowly).

[eckagain]

... took the tandem up to Kinrossie just north of Perth and did a lovely 62km loop losely based on Scone The Flat Way audax. 

We did pretty much this run on the tandem today: Lovely route for a tandem, great weather too.  Met EckAgain in Meigle as we stopped at the Spar too. 

Excellent.

Added  for the Eck spot.

Aye, well, I was just riding with a pal past the wee community garden next to the Spar when I heard my name shouted. There was sg and Mrs sg with their shiny new tandem. Was good to catch up with someone unexpected in this neck of the woods.
Perhaps Meigle is taking over from Comrie as the epicentre of Audax Ecosse activity? 

[Andrij]

Had a lovely time Thursday hiking through Epping Forest (S->N), following the Epping Forest Centenary Walk. (Hiking, it's like cycling – but slower, and without bicycles.)  I'll post a few more photos in relevant themed threads.  Apologies to Jane - forgot to snap any bins.

GPS track | Full photo album


The Epping Forest Centenary Walk by Andrij, on Flickr

When you need fruit, veg, and flowers at 05:00.

20200723_052027 by Andrij, on Flickr

Where have I seen that branding before?

20200723_052909 by Andrij, on Flickr

Temporary mortuary (COVID-19) on Wanstead Flats near City of London Cemetery and Crematorium.

20200723_053507 by Andrij, on Flickr

And because some people are morbid:

20200723_053633 by Andrij, on Flickr

Sunrise over Alexandra Lake, Wanstead Flats.

20200723_054616 by Andrij, on Flickr


20200723_054336 by Andrij, on Flickr


The Gypsy Stone by Andrij, on Flickr


Have you seen Jurek? by Andrij, on Flickr

Catering for tall folk.

20200723_083919 by Andrij, on Flickr


20200723_094809 by Andrij, on Flickr

"It's all downhill from here."* - St. Simon of the Bandaged Knee.

20200723_101056 by Andrij, on Flickr
*No, it isn't.

Post-Brexit housing development.  At an elevation of 108m should also be safe from climate change flooding.  Invest now!

20200723_111443 by Andrij, on Flickr


Ambresbury Banks by Andrij, on Flickr

Atop the M25

20200723_115526 by Andrij, on Flickr

First/last pub stop, 1.5km from the finish.

20200723_120122 by Andrij, on Flickr

[robgul]

Had a lovely time Thursday hiking through Epping Forest (S->N), following the Epping Forest Centenary Walk. (Hiking, it's like cycling – but slower, and without bicycles.)  I'll post a few more photos in relevant themed threads.  Apologies to Jane - forgot to snap any bins.

> snip

That brought back some memories - as a small child I lived in Wanstead and then from the age of about 8 in Buckhurst Hill and the forest and areas on the route were our outdoor playground (riding bikes in the woods wasn't allowed then - and the Forest Keepers all had BIG Alsations!)    I keep meaning to take a bike down to London and ride around the old haunts . . . one day.

Rob

[Andrij]

The route is definitely rideable, though some bits can get rather bumpy/boggy depending on the weather.  This was only the second time I've walked the entire length, I more often ride.  Living near East Ham makes for a convenient start.

[robgul]

The route is definitely rideable, though some bits can get rather bumpy/boggy depending on the weather.  This was only the second time I've walked the entire length, I more often ride.  Living near East Ham makes for a convenient start.

Ah, not planning to ride the trail - just in and around all the places by road . . . . it's a bit busier now than it was 60 years ago!

Rob