Author Topic: Have you been out today?  (Read 3813517 times)

Dave

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #475 on: 11 May, 2008, 03:53:17 pm »
Dragged a mate down from Bolton to do the '20 bridges' ride from here.

Got off the train at St Pancras to see loads of people in orange t-shirts wheeling bikes out of the station. "You here for the ride?", said one. "Er, what ride?" "The sponsored ride over the bridges from Tower Bridge to Kew." "Ah." Turns out there were 2000-odd riders out.

So we rode it from Kew to Tower :D

And loads of fun was had by all.

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #476 on: 11 May, 2008, 03:55:06 pm »
47.2 miles bloody hot 31 degrees.....why do I do it

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #477 on: 11 May, 2008, 04:03:31 pm »
A damn good day out with the SEG, Essex DA. Elevenses at the Cafe on the wall, Heybridge, and lunch at the Cricketers, Danbury.
(I won't mention the dark green fiesta that seemed to want the WBs' and me on the cyclepath by the side of the A1245. I don't know what signal Wowbagger gave but I saved some resources and used only one finger)  ;D

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #478 on: 11 May, 2008, 04:56:08 pm »
A wonderful day out. A bit on the hot side - I even avoided the beer when there were 5 beautiful Shepherd Neame hand pumps on offer in the Cricketers, choosing orange juice and lemonade with ice. Quite sun-burned now.

There were a few motorised arseholes around, the Fiesta driver that Del mentioned being one of the most noteworthy. It was most satisfying overtaking the entire queue, in which he was third, and whizzing around the roundabout at 20mph and then down the next hill at 30.

59.81 miles at 10.6 mph. Cos we were on the tandem, Mrs. Wow did the same. :D
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Tourist Tony

  • Supermassive mobile flesh-toned black hole
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #479 on: 11 May, 2008, 05:18:55 pm »
35 miles around Newmarket and Cambridge today. Popped up for a bbq with friends last night, and set off this morning in serious heat for a spin out towards Bury, round to the North and then back in to Cambridge from the North East by way of Swaffham. Glorious, gently undulating roads giving just that chance for a change of pace that you don't get on the real flat stuff further North; lovely village churches, corn buntings singing....as Hummers would say, "Marvellous".
I was going to swing down past Annie's to Ipswich and get the train back from there, but it's all engineering works dammit; and also at St Pancras.

diapsaon0

  • Advena ego sum in terra
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #480 on: 11 May, 2008, 05:33:28 pm »
Just a gentle walk of a few miles on the Quantocks with Jude (reluctant refusenik  cyclist) and a very hot border collie.

N
Advena ego sum in Terra

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #481 on: 11 May, 2008, 05:51:55 pm »
I put the dog in his trailer and we went for a walk along the shore near Harwich.

Saw 4 cyclists who had ridden from Kings Lynn along the Suffolk Coastal Way.They were just having tuna baguettes and were in good humour as they only had an hour and a halfs ride to Colchester to catch the train back home.

To tell them there was no train service would have spoilt their reverie.They looked tough enough though to force their way on to the decrepit old double decker that was the replacement train.

N
Mal-odorous,liver-spotted, coffin-dodger.

IanDG

  • The p*** artist formerly known as 'Windy'
    • the_dandg_rouleur
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #482 on: 11 May, 2008, 05:58:27 pm »
A 50 miler from Stornoway - Barvas - Callanish - Leurbost - Stornoway (and en extra little loop around town to get the extra distance in to break 50 miles). dry and cool (11C), with a 10mph head wind for the last 15-ish miles

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #483 on: 11 May, 2008, 06:55:24 pm »
Rode out to Montros Basin (where the wild things are). Towads Tealing, Kellas, Newbigging, Friockheim, then the Brechin road and finally into Montrose. A pelasantly rolling Mearns ride, into the teeth of an Easterly. Ouch. I was meant to get there to meet the family at 4. I pushed like crazy to not be too late and was on the last bit when they passed me (the only bit on the same road as they came a different way).

My legs hurt... but it was a good ride. Somewhere between 30-35 miles, and just about 2 hours.

..d
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

vince

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #484 on: 11 May, 2008, 07:43:42 pm »
34 miles today, out from Long Eaton to Breedon church on the hill, then pootling around the rolling countryside of North Leics & South Derbyshire. Glorious sunshine, the forst time this year I felt the need to use sun screen.

Another couple of weeks and I'm hoping that I might survive riding with a certain Frenchman of this parish.

annie

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #485 on: 11 May, 2008, 07:44:49 pm »
35 miles around Newmarket and Cambridge today. Popped up for a bbq with friends last night, and set off this morning in serious heat for a spin out towards Bury, round to the North and then back in to Cambridge from the North East by way of Swaffham. Glorious, gently undulating roads giving just that chance for a change of pace that you don't get on the real flat stuff further North; lovely village churches, corn buntings singing....as Hummers would say, "Marvellous".
I was going to swing down past Annie's to Ipswich and get the train back from there, but it's all engineering works dammit; and also at St Pancras.

Was sorry not to have seen you today.  I would gladly have given you a lift to the next convenient station.

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #486 on: 11 May, 2008, 07:46:10 pm »
My friend (who hasn't cycled for a while) and I went out for a pootle and picnic in Richmond Park, courtesy of Butterfly's kind loan of a bike.

We had a lovely time, it was all very relaxed and I found a way of going round that wasn't too hilly, as I wanted to encourage her back to cycling rather than make her drag up Sawyer's Hill! Bit busy cos of that bridges ride, but very nice all the same. She said she had a great time and is now considering getting her bike down from her parent's where it is currently residing. And I think lashings of sun cream may have saved us from the dreaded sunburn this time.

Now I should really tackle the housework that has been playing second fiddle to cycling all weekend  >:(  Flat looking very dubious indeed.

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #487 on: 11 May, 2008, 07:53:03 pm »
I headed out to the Chalfonts on fixed and got lost in Chiltern lanes. Lots of other cyclists about, including a family riding in slow motion on the wrong side of the road. It was a warm day and I suffered a bit in the heat.

Coming home past Ruislip on a horrible surface my rear light jumped off. I swore as it bounced into the path of following traffic, but the car behind stopped and waited for me to pick it up. What a pleasant chap!

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #488 on: 11 May, 2008, 07:54:38 pm »
Another CTC ride from Ruislip to Chipperfield for coffee (and chocolate cake), then along the beautiful lanes to Tring for lunch (BLT). Then across to Great Missenden church for a cream tea, before returning along the top of the ridge through Amersham to Denham.

Unfortunately one of our members had a handlebar retaining bolt break as he descended past Denham Station, right on a bend, with offish consequences. I sped home to Uxbridge to get my wagon to return and take him and bike home to Hanwell.

62 miles at 11.7mph average in perfect weather - hot but with an easterly breeze.

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #489 on: 11 May, 2008, 07:56:23 pm »
Bit busy cos of that bridges ride

I was there most of the afternoon. It was like Piccadilly Circus  ::-)

Very hot indeed. I reckon I am burnt despite factor 30.


Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #490 on: 11 May, 2008, 08:08:31 pm »
god yes, and what a beautiful evening it is.  The violent yellow of the fields of Rape, the green of the hedges, the amazing white candelabra of the horse chestnuts and the elusive blue carpet of the bluebells. 

An amazing ride. Reminded me why I love being on a bike :D




Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #491 on: 11 May, 2008, 08:21:53 pm »
Ooh, Mike's gone all poetic on us! :D

bobajobrob

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #492 on: 11 May, 2008, 08:32:00 pm »
Not today, but I day an 85k hilly ride yesterday and the same on Friday. I have a little sunburn as I forgot to put sun cream on ::-) The weather has been fantastic and it's lovely to see the trees and fields so green.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #493 on: 11 May, 2008, 08:53:21 pm »
My friend (who hasn't cycled for a while) and I went out for a pootle and picnic in Richmond Park, courtesy of Butterfly's kind loan of a bike.


Sorry about the saddle! :-[

I noticed after I got home that it was at an interesting angle.

'fraid it's not a very good seatpost, and I'd not been able to tighten the saddle enough because of, well, no excuses, really... :( :-[

I hope it didn't adversely affect the ride.
Getting there...

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #494 on: 11 May, 2008, 08:59:53 pm »
Hehe, I thought it was at a bit of an interesting angle too, but didn't like to mess with it being as it wasn't mine to mess with!

Don't think it affected her too much, we did as much sitting down and eating as we did riding, she just couldn't believe that there were people around as nice as yourselves willing to lend a total stranger a nice bike (and accompanying accessories!), and was just quite grateful really.

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #495 on: 11 May, 2008, 09:29:39 pm »
Wahey!
Scrochio weather, my favourite.
Took the mountain bike into the Northants bridleways and byways.
Ended up in the midst of a charity horse ride, among horses dyed pink.
Then cycled through a funfair in the middle of the countryside, which turned out to be the Stoke Goldington steam rally. Then onwards to Salcey Forest for a cuppa at the cafe.
More exploring of some byways brought me to the outskirts of Northampton, where I stopped for some refreshment at Billing Aquadrome, then made my way home. mostly on the lanes, then on Sustrans route 6, which has now been strewn with deep, loose gravel and is bad enough on my mountain bike. I could barely keep a straight line as my wheels sunk into the fine gravel. It is most likely unridable on a road bike.
Nice easy weekend and just over 100km logged.
I hope the weather holds up.

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #496 on: 11 May, 2008, 09:31:20 pm »
But maybe not quite as hot as today.

85 scenic, hot, hilly miles with friend, in preparation for the Bryan Chapman Memorial Audax. Cimla, Bwlch, Rhigos, Ystradfellte, Devil's Elbow, Trecastle, Lladdeusant, Black Mountain.  Around 2500 meters of ascending.  I don't know how accurate my bike computer thermometer is but when it showed 310 I must admit it didn't feel far off it.  I thought my head was going to explode on the Black Mountain climb but the slightest of breezes helped keep it intact, just, and the Strawberry Split from the ice cream reduced the body temperature a little further.

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #497 on: 12 May, 2008, 08:56:51 am »
I had to take the car to the garage so put the folder in the boot and rode home (startlingly quickly :D)

The builders were standing in the drive drinking tea as I got home.  They havent seen me in lycra before, I think I may be getting stick about that for a while...

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #498 on: 12 May, 2008, 08:57:05 am »
Oh yes!

75 miles (80+ for Julian I'd say) with the club;


A gentle recovery is on order tomorrow I think.

Frenchie
Which club do you ride with? is it the Clarion? I went out with the Beeston road club for a nice 32 mile loop out to Wyemswold on Thursday evening, nice bunch.

Yes, I joined the Clarions; very welcoming. On Thu they run TT races and I may well do that this week. On Saturday we did about 75 pacy miles.
Frenchie - Train à Grande Vitesse

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #499 on: 12 May, 2008, 08:58:08 am »
We went for 1hr15 yesterday with Baby G. On the road section we used we even caught the CTC ride up it seems...  ::-)
Frenchie - Train à Grande Vitesse