Author Topic: Have you been out today?  (Read 3814638 times)

steveB

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #25 on: 29 March, 2008, 07:21:56 am »
I'm just going, sun's shining and the wind hasn't got up yet so I'll enjoy the best part of the day before it starts blowing a gale and raining.

steveB

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #26 on: 29 March, 2008, 09:18:56 am »
Wrong about the wind and the sun.  Just a fifteen mile out and back.  Down to 10mph against the wind, cruised along at 22mph with it on the return leg (briefly).

Pedaldog.

  • Heedlessly impulsive, reckless, rash.
  • The Madcap!
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #27 on: 29 March, 2008, 11:20:52 am »
Managed 12 miles on a pretty much flat, off road, cycleway this morning at a ridiculously slow pace.
That takes the total mileage for March up to a whopping great 21 miles :(
You touch my Coffee and I'll slap you so hard, even Google won't be able to find you!

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #28 on: 29 March, 2008, 03:27:28 pm »
just 23k this morning hoping that new spds on new shoes were in the right place. A tad hard in to the wind but wind behind uphill has good.

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #29 on: 29 March, 2008, 03:41:39 pm »
Ride 4. Another 60 km.

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #30 on: 29 March, 2008, 09:19:39 pm »
Woke, before the alarm, at 4:20.  Turned alarm off.  Fell asleep.  Prodded in ribs by wife at 5:15 and asked what I was still doing there, wasn't I supposed to be in Oxford by 6:00 for The Dean?

Oh b*gger...

By way of penance, tried to find my old route to the Watts Gallery teashop.  Made it there and back (but it shouldn't be a 140k round trip, and I saw more of Farnham town centre than strictly necessary).

It rained.

Feeling better now...

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #31 on: 29 March, 2008, 10:23:40 pm »
Went on the tandem to the Lambeth Cyclist's Architecture ride. Looking at decommissioned cinemas, starting at the amazing bingo hall in Tooting. It was all very interesting and we finished with a trip to my sister's to collect a child trailer and a trip to Little Miss Mac to deliver same. It was our longest tandem ride yet and great fun. :D
Quote from: Kim
^ This woman knows what she's talking about.

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #32 on: 29 March, 2008, 10:26:01 pm »
Managed 12 miles on a pretty much flat, off road, cycleway this morning at a ridiculously slow pace.
That takes the total mileage for March up to a whopping great 21 miles :(

Glad you made it out PD.  :D
Quote from: Kim
^ This woman knows what she's talking about.

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #33 on: 29 March, 2008, 10:28:21 pm »
Yep, just tested my new light and Son3 hub.  Mega brill.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #34 on: 29 March, 2008, 10:28:27 pm »
Out with Lambeth Cyclists for their architecture ride - a fascinating trundle, starting with the astonishing and unexpectedly magnificent Tooting Gala Bingo, which was a monster (3100 seat!  :o ) cinema, styled internally like a gothic cathedral.

Fourteen cyclists riding around the boroughs of Wandsworth and Lambeth, with good conversation and the joy of gobsmacked motorists' faces to entertain us.

Butterfly & I were on our tandem, and enjoyed pootling around, especially when people called out or waved their approval.  We even spotted another tandem in Streatham, and waved (they waved back  :) ).

After tea & cake at the Ritzy in Brixton (the last cinema, and, sadly, the last still a cinema), we picked up a trailer & cycled on to deliver it to the person borrowing.

So a great day's pedalling.  Maybe not the longest ride in the world, and not very fast, but it was wonderful fun.
Getting there...

steveB

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #35 on: 30 March, 2008, 03:25:59 pm »
I used my bike as sustainable transport today and I'm feeling rather green.  Went to watch grandson number three play rugby and then accross the moor to the M-I-L's to see how she was.

Lovely day for a ride.  Weather forcast said rain and happily they couldn't have been more wrong.  Did have to laugh to myself after being overtaken by three roadies, I thought I was going quite well, speedo showing eighteen mph, but they pissed past me and I realised just how old and slow I really am, still, they were about 35 years younger than me and half the weight.

30 miles in total, which makes my weeks total about 120 miles - I'm pleased anyway.

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #36 on: 30 March, 2008, 03:30:54 pm »
Yep, altered my Sunday route and took in the Marlborough Tri Club 10 mile TT course.  I didn't have the legs to treat it as a TT but the 5 miles out was into a headwind and the 5 miles back was ace with the lovely tail wind.
I like this new version of my Sunday Ride and will plan to do that all year now.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #37 on: 30 March, 2008, 04:58:27 pm »
I had intended to stay at home, being under the weather and all, but when the sun threatened to break through, and I was fed up with my knees seizing up every time I stood up because I'd been sitting still for too long, the Mercian kept on telling me it wanted to go to the sea front. We armed ourselves with a small batch of yesterday's Welsh cakes to drop off at Aunty Phyllis's and off we went.

Phyllis appreciated the Welsh cakes, but I declined the offered cup of tea, not wishing to give her my cold, and then it was down Lifstan Way, not quite reaching 30 mph, and on to the cycle path. The promenade was fairly crowded with both pedestrians and cyclists, and I adopted a leisurely Sunday afternoon speed, but even so I found myself catching up with other cyclists who, when they realised I was there, invited me to overtake. I wound my way round Gunners Park, hoping to catch a glimpse of the swallow which was allegedly there a couple of days ago, but it had gone and taken summer with it.

The wind turbines were clearly visible from East Beach, white fingers against a leaden sky, but this time I avoided Wakering Stairs, making straight for the Co-op where a bottle of white was selected to accompany this evening's lamb. Not the ideal combination, but my younger daughter won't drink red.

I had scarcely left the Co-op when a cyclist, looking very serious on his Scott road bike and sporting his Discovery Channel top, went past far too close for comfort and, having established a gap of about 30 yards, seemed to slow down. I've read many a report about "I wound up a roadie last night" or some such, and I had the feeling that his burst of speed to get past me was for mere bravado, so I pushed the pedals a little harder.

My friend did not get away. Indeed, I gained the impression that his physique was such that the lycra was bulging in the wrong places for a true athete, and for the next two or three miles I kept comfortably a few seconds behind him, despite being weighed down by my saddle bag of purchases in the form of wine, grapes, bananas and a toothbrush, and each time he looked over his shoulder, there I was.

As we reached Mucking Hall Road and the headwind, so he gradually dropped me, but I had another trick which I thought amusing: I would take the bridleway, which, although inevitably slower than the road, was about a mile shorter. My plan was to come out ahead of him, let him overtake me again, and then follow him back to Southend.

The plan was about half-way towards its execution when two dog-walkers came in view. I slowed down and then spotted that one of the pooches was a red setter.

"Snap!", said I, and then it dawned on me that the dog was none other than Freddie, whom I had met only the previous morning whilst walking Morphy in the park. Freddie's owner and I chatted for a while and then we parted company. When I reached the road, my Discovery Channel man was long gone but I timed my homecoming to perfection, just as Jan was pouring the boiling water on the teabags.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

vince

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #38 on: 30 March, 2008, 05:22:56 pm »
A gentle pootle with Mr McMahon - 23 steady miles with a pub stop.

Another few weeks and I might survive trying to tag along with Dr. F :)

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #39 on: 30 March, 2008, 05:53:33 pm »
Another few weeks and I might survive trying to tag along with Dr. F :)

Try me...  ;D I'm ready! So let's set a date for your appt, patient Vince.
Frenchie - Train à Grande Vitesse

Jules

  • Has dropped his aitch!
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #40 on: 30 March, 2008, 06:30:08 pm »
Yes - with all the family, Mrs Julesh, D:14, S:10 & S:3 for the first trip in his new trailer. Nothing exciting, just over the bridge, up the hill and round Richmond Park. Stopped at three distinct slideyparks (as the avatar calls them) and had a nice cup by the river. A mere 13 miles.
Audax on the other hand is almost invisible and thought to be the pastime of Hobbits ....  Fab Foodie

Dave

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #41 on: 30 March, 2008, 07:24:30 pm »
What a gorgeous day  ;D - someone remind me of this in a week's time when it's raining and freezing cold again...

No rain (despite what all the online weather forcasts were predicting)

So, out for a quick 20-ish miles into the country lanes between Luton and Hitchin. Not bad, drivers much better behaved than they are on my commute out of Luton. Saw more cyclists than in the last three months of commuting.

Just need the weather to stay dry for a while and I can get the mountain bike out  :D

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #42 on: 30 March, 2008, 07:40:37 pm »
A nice 10.5 mile ride, having persuaded my father to come out with me (he hasn't been on a bike for around 15 years) in about an hour. As he said, not bad for an 82 year old!
Abnormal for Norfolk

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #43 on: 30 March, 2008, 07:46:44 pm »
First CTC section ride for a few weeks. From Ruislip out to the Deep Mill Diner at Little Missenden for coffee, then on to the Goat Centre near Stoke Mandeville for lunch in the Naughty Nanny Cafe - good value BTW.

Back to Butlers Cross (near Chequers) then the climb up to Combe Hill, through Dunsmore and on to Chesham for tea. Did exactly 100km door to door, and don't even feel knackered, thanks to the moderate pace - average speed on the computer 11.9mph.

Lovely weather all the way, in contrast to the forecast.

Fixedwheelnut

  • "If it ain't fixed it's broken"
    • My photos
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #44 on: 30 March, 2008, 07:56:02 pm »
 Busy, busy today, up at 6.30 and out at seven rode to the Catford CC 9 mile time trial.

 Suffered abismally and managed a 29.37 I had too big a gear really as the course starts two thirds up Cudham Lane [a hill] ride up and left at the lodge then along through Knockholt and down Rushmore Hill, left along the valley road then suffer up the first two thirds of Cudham Lane :-X

 Only five of us turned up and I was second fastest, nearly caught my minute and two minute man I could see them but just couldn't climb any faster.

 Rode home and took half of our conservatory down, emptied and moved a shed to other side of the garden, emptied the other shed and managed to squash everything in the other one.

 A bit of car fettling put a cambelt on as it has stood not used for three years and three months and got it running ready to go to my mate who is having it :thumbsup:

Tidied up and sat down with a beer  :thumbsup: :-D
"Don't stop pedalling"

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #45 on: 30 March, 2008, 08:03:14 pm »
The weather forecast was for sunny spells with possibly a little bit of drizzle. I should know by now that I'd end up with the exact opposite - yup, five hours of torrential downpours. I did see some sunny bits but they always seemed to be about 10 miles away and I never seemed to reach any.

To add to the fun a dog decided to bite me. A sheepdog took exception to my presence and decided to try and take a chunk out my foot, fortunately I had thick neoprene overshoes on so its teeth couldn't get a good purchase and it ended up with its jaws clamped round the buckle on the side of my shoe. It proved somewhat tricky to pedal at this point with a dog attached to my left foot. The woman was most apologetic and told me her dog had bitten another cyclist only two weeks previously yet here she was walking it off the lead on a signposted cycle route >:(
It didn't look at all like that in the photographs

Eccentrica Gallumbits

  • Rock 'n' roll and brew, rock 'n' roll and brew...
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #46 on: 30 March, 2008, 08:33:30 pm »
I only went as far as the bike shop by bike today, left the bike there, got the bus into town, shopped, then walked home. Part of my leaving present from work was Monsoon vouchers so I spent those (and a big wodge of my own cash) on several pairs of cropped trousers for work, so I can cycle off to see clients and get there with oil on my legs rather than my trousers. I'd quite like some funky http://www.velorution.biz/?page_id=1088 panniers too but I'm not sure I can justify spending the cash at the moment. But they're so pretty!
My feminist marxist dialectic brings all the boys to the yard.


Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #47 on: 30 March, 2008, 08:52:51 pm »
I'd quite like some funky http://www.velorution.biz/?page_id=1088 panniers too but I'm not sure I can justify spending the cash at the moment. But they're so pretty!

Muchly pretty!
Abnormal for Norfolk

bobmick

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #48 on: 31 March, 2008, 10:14:34 am »
Already made the most of this mornings sunshine with 22 miles of pootling before coming home for espresso and cake.  Its gorgeous out there.  Will go out again later when I've got my jobs for the day finished.  Good old daylight saving time!!

Still a bit nippy out though.  Toes a bit numb.

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #49 on: 31 March, 2008, 10:37:49 am »
A forty-mile pootle across the Somerset Levels, featuring their two main wonders: the headwind (as expected on level ground) and the hills (always a surprise).  :)
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.