Have you been out today?

[Peter]

Git!  But thanks!

[Snakehips]

Sadly no, and the weather was so bad around these parts I couldn't even get outside to look at my rear derailleur which stopped derailing on my cold and windy ride yesterday.

[Kim]

Origami ride.  Forumites were spotted; the Malvern hills were doing their best impression^[1] of Wales; the rain gave up in about the time it took us to leave the tearoom; the Brompton's seatpost was behaving properly after giving the clamp a stern talking to with a torque wrench the night before; the pub was decent; we filled a train carriage with rather a lot of folding bikes without any drama; and comedy off-roading didn't feature^[3].  I'd say that was a complete success.   


_{[1] Hiding behind a cloud as you get of the train in the morning, but coming out to look intimidating by the time you actually have to ride up^[2] them.
[2] Not very far up.
[3] I know that's letting the side down somewhat, but it means I won't have to dig cowpats out from under my rear mudguard.}

[Cudzoziemiec]

The Malverns are the most beautiful hills in Britain IMO. Especially seen in the distance and knowing you're riding towards but not up them. 

[Kim]

The Malverns are the most beautiful hills in Britain IMO. Especially seen in the distance and knowing you're riding towards but not up them. 

I've been up them before, but was glad not to be doing that today.  Mostly because what goes up must come down, and what would be coming down would be armed with Brompton brakes.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Develop a bonecrushing handshake? I started Bromptoning with single pivot brakes. The dual pivots work fine, if you keep chain lube off the rims.

[Kim]

I prefer the bring a proper bike for proper hills approach (and then find myself forgetting to do so with tedious regularity).

[Paul]

Two hours on the high peak trail with Louis (11 next week). Cold, harder than expected, and awesome. He wants to do it again. But without the bitter NW wind.

[Kim]

Rode to Bournville, where a chutney attack left me with a bruised ankle and an impending bill for bike parts.  Limped home holding the remains of the shifter in an approximation of a consistent gear.

What's the fucking point?

[Auntie Helen]

Time for a Velomobile?

[Kim]

Time for a Velomobile?

Yeah, because those are really cheap to repair when they go sideways(!)

I am tempted to take the motor off the trike and ride that for a bit, though, seeing as barakta isn't using it.  Or just give in and stick to the upwrongs until spring.  They tend not to break so expensively when you fall off them.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Time for a Velomobile?

Yeah, because those are really cheap to repair when they go sideways(!)

I am tempted to take the motor off the trike and ride that for a bit, though, seeing as barakta isn't using it.  Or just give in and stick to the upwrongs until spring.  They tend not to break so expensively when you fall off them.

Hmm, reminds me of a colleague in Bangalore who crashed her (motor) scooter in incriminating circumstances*. She'd originally wanted to get one of the Indian-made Vespas (called Chetak) but had been dissuaded because the metal bodywork made it too heavy for a female rider. (Yes that's largely Indian-brand sexism, though she was quite small.) Anyway, after that crash she really regretted listening to that advice as all that plastic is much more expensive than dented metal.

I don't suppose anyone makes an all-metal velomobile, so...

Heal fast, pay slowly.

*She admitted she'd failed to brake for the "speed breaker" (road hump) due to being distracted by singing along to the radio on her headphones. Nothing wrong with that in itself, but... it was Cliff Richard!

[LittleWheelsandBig]

There are aluminium-body Alleweder velomobiles.
http://dutchbikes.nl/home/

[T42]

Yesterday, a pleasant toddle to the coffee-shop for lunch. 85 km with lots of satisfying lumps, nearly 800 metres worth.  Home in the gloaming after a beautiful long sunset, feeling great.

[yorkie]

Went for a ride into the Yorkshire Wolds today. 104km with more climbing than I usually get in York - ie. some climbing!!

I went out through Escrick, Elvington, Melbourne and Burnby to climb up onto the ridge. A quick drop in to Warter and then back upwards, before dropping through Millington Pastures - one of the Wolds dry valleys, totally free of streams and rivers.
I was intending to stop at the Ramblers Rest Tea Rooms in Millington, but miscalculated as they are closed on Tuesday and Wednesday out of season. Thankfully I had supplies on board.

I returned to York through Pocklington and Stamford Bridge, but not before having to scrape a shed load of mud out from under my mudguards! November appears to be "cover the roads and lanes of the East Riding of Yorkshire with verge-to-verge mud" month!

[T42]

If it's just mud you're lucky. Around here they grow cows & horses.

[yorkie]

Oh, there's other $h1t mixed in with the mud! That's why I have covers on the tops of my bidons! (Cows, horses, pigs *and* sheep!!)

[cycleman]

A potter with Jonathan notp to dinton pastures and back. No wind and sunshine made for a very pleasant ride . I have fitted a cateye velo + wireless computer on the trike and the results compared with the Garmin GPS quite entertaining .
The GPS gives me
5 . 29. 26 hours

40.5 miles

Avs 7.38

Calories 1761
Max speed 24.73
And the cycle computer gives me

5. 38.25

40.62

Ave 7.2

Calories 552

Max speed 24.5 mph

Which set of figures are the most accurate I have no idea.

Dinton pastures cafe provided a nice fry up with a pot of tea followed by chocolate cake and a mocha for pudding 

[orienteer]

If you add the two calorie figures together, it'll be somewhere near what you consumed. 

[phantasmagoriana]

With my road bikes currently in various states of disrepair, I had to ride the MTB (it was too nice a day weather-wise not to go out, though I did get caught in a shower). I was surprised by the amount of float my left cleat seemed to have, until I got home and realised that both bolts were loose and it was wobbling around.

[yorkie]

I rode from York to Leeds today (well, Moor Allerton to be precise) to lead a 19 mile HSBC Guided Ride for British Cycling. We had 6 participants, most of whom are new to the joys of cycling.
The ride went to the Harewood House estate via Eccup reservoir and past where they film Emmerdale (Farm!) and then returned to Moor Allerton by the reverse of the outward route (including a lovely bit of COR!).

Much wildlife was seen en route, including Deer, Highland Cattle, numerous grey squirrels and a couple of Red Kites.

At Harewood, we patronised the "Muddy Boots" café, where bacon butties and chocolate cake were the order of the day. Definitely recommend a visit if you are in the area.

Total for the day, including the return journey to Leeds: 113km.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Just an aimless potter after lunch, over the Downs and out to Sea Mills, nothing worth mentioning except triggering the 30 sign on a downhill. My speedo read 49.6km/h at the time, so only 1.3 over!

[Kim]

Just an aimless potter after lunch, over the Downs and out to Sea Mills, nothing worth mentioning except triggering the 30 sign on a downhill. My speedo read 49.6km/h at the time, so only 1.3 over!

I assume those sometimes get a return off a moving part that's going towards them faster than the road speed of the bike (eg. pedal) and trigger early.  Doesn't seem to happen to motor vehicles.

No ride for me today, because while my body has healed, my mojo hasn't.  I'll try and get out at some point tomorrow, when it should at least be reasonably warm.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Oi, don't downgrade my incredible turn of speed! Even it it was due to, erm, a downgrade! 

And mojo up soon.

[Si S]

Yes, the first time for a while 'just for fun'. Discovered what they've done to the old A556 from Over Tabley through Mere and Bucklow Hill. It's not often I'm struck with infra structure, but this is definitely in the getting there category. Essentially half the old DC is a segregated bridleway / cyclepath.

I'll post pics at some point but I liked it so much I rode it both ways then looped around to do it again. 46 km and a big