Author Topic: Have you been out today?  (Read 3814440 times)

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22800 on: 08 January, 2020, 03:38:19 pm »
First ride of the year and now suffering accordingly with cramping. Scary scary near miss by inches today due to a woman overtaking and cutting across me turning left at speed where I was heading straight on at a large roundabout. What the hell she was thinking, lord knows.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22801 on: 08 January, 2020, 04:56:24 pm »
What makes you think she was?

Drink lots.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22802 on: 12 January, 2020, 03:24:20 pm »
A short one today. Had the desire for a ride but no motivation and it's windy which apart from ice is my least favourite weather for riding in.

Made a route in head to head down towards the local canal {technically its a navigation) and cycle along that from one lock to the next as it would be into headwind but you can't go very fast along it anyway and then head home with tail wind

Plan went well for about the first 400metres of off road and then became so muddy when I gave up and turned to walk back to the road my back wheel was solid with mud between wheel/mudguards/brakes. Did about a mile on the road before then spent a good few minutes poking mud out

Then mostly sailed home. First ride of the year in shorts and knee warmers as opposed to winter tights and could have easily got away with just the shorts

Bikes going into work tomorrow for a wash

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22803 on: 13 January, 2020, 06:50:16 pm »
A ride out to the North East Model Center today in order to buy some paints, ordinarily a 28 mile round trip however I thought that I would take the opportunity to ride though the newly opened Tyne Cycle Tunnel and make it a 36 mile trip instead.

I'll post some photo's of the tunnel later (or tomorrow) however its looking rather splendid now.  Only the rather small vertical lifts are functioning at the moment, I did ask the contractors working on the vernacular lifts and wooden escalators when they might be in service but they barely spoke a work of English unfortunately.       

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22804 on: 19 January, 2020, 06:38:43 pm »
36 miles to Dinton pastures and back  via Windsor. With a friend. A nice gentle ride in the sunshine 🙂
the slower you go the more you see

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22805 on: 19 January, 2020, 06:50:12 pm »
Yes! What was meant to be a morning ride turned into a gone 3pm ride but I got out and managed 16 miles. Down into town, along the seafront to Pevensey Bay and then back through the park.

And this time Strava behaved itself and didn't record a bunch of nonsense miles.
Miles cycled 2014 = 3551.5 (Target 7300 :()
Miles cycled 2013 = 6141.4
Miles cycled 2012 = 4038.1

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22806 on: 20 January, 2020, 02:08:09 pm »
cool weasel!

20-odd km today partly as a utility run to the physio, then the long way home, testing out the new brooks in the real world.  In a word - slidey.  Tweaked it a bit fore and aft and angle, will have a chance to test again on Wednesday.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22807 on: 20 January, 2020, 03:01:07 pm »
Cold, very windy 35k and the coffee shop was shut. One of those rides that are hell all the way but afterwards you're glad you went. Only I'd rather have stayed home and had an extra slice of Christmas bread.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22808 on: 22 January, 2020, 06:29:14 pm »
A rather bitty 77-ish km today, home to railway station, then finding my way around the diversions from the Cambridge Busway psycopath due to the A14 construction, making late for my appointment at Cyclecentric.  Best part of 40km test riding an Airnimal - very impressed, rides pretty much like my old MTB when I had Gatorskins on it, that same quick accelerating, nimble feel of a 26" wheel. Then back to Cambridge North and home again.  Around 60g carbs, and not quite enough fluids due to the broken-up nature of things.

Next task, get an order in, in time for my holibobs
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22809 on: 24 January, 2020, 06:21:21 pm »
Yesterday - jut under 11 miles for me, about 4 miles less for Rob the stoker. We went to Richardson's on my tandem so he could buy a new stem for the stoker bars on his tandem. We got what we and Eric Richardson thought was the right thing but when I came to fit it, the shim was too narrow in the inside, too fat on the outside. It was a clammy, cloudy cool day and had I not been doing Rob a favour, I wouldn't have got out.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22810 on: 25 January, 2020, 04:57:11 pm »
49k hilly trog in seeping cold - the kind of ride where you boil in the bag then the bag freezes. Was very glad of hot shower & cuppa afterwards.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22811 on: 25 January, 2020, 06:48:12 pm »
Just a ride to old Windsor Toby Carvery with apollo and back  :)
the slower you go the more you see

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22812 on: 29 January, 2020, 04:40:57 pm »
35 miles or so to country pub steak casserole with dumplings and back. No beer. Wind a cold westerly and a tad strong but sunny at times. Not as painful as my last day ride and enjoyed I being out and about. Surprised to see caravans parked up at the rear of the pub so early in the year. Depressing to see former pleasant country lanes being swallowed up wholesale by developers.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22813 on: 30 January, 2020, 07:47:09 pm »
Am enjoying the information provided by my new Elemt Bolt altho' I haven't quite got ride planning how I want it so I have resorted to maps for my last 2 rides. The first ride was N.York Moors and the second the Yorkshire Wolds.   

Ride 1:  66.67 km in 3 hours 41 minutes with 31 minutes stopped time, 1140m of ascending, avg speed 18.0 km/h
Ride 2:  66.71 km in 3 hours 43 minutes with 27 minutes stopped time, 1175m of ascending, avg speed 17.9 km/h

Move Faster and Bake Things

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22814 on: 30 January, 2020, 11:35:19 pm »
Was taking a hell of a battering in that wind today, and was so looking forward to a disused bus shelter that I know to eat my piece in.  My disappointment was palpable

it was supposed to be here



but it was now on the other side of the road.




Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22815 on: 31 January, 2020, 08:08:11 am »
I was sheltering behind a hedge eating a Tunnocks biscuit when a motorist stopped to ask if I was OK!  J

There were no another cyclists to be seen on my ride altho' quite a few grey squirrels were out under the beech trees.

Tomorrow I might join a group ride if it stays dry.
Move Faster and Bake Things

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22816 on: 01 February, 2020, 01:35:00 pm »
I was due to do the ACME Anvil Knight's Templar 100 today, but went out to a comedy gig last night, then a couple of drinks afterwards.  Alarm went off this morning and I turned it off and fell asleep again :-[

Eventually woke up to late to get to the start on time, so went out on my own instead for 75km round the lanes. Stopped for coffee and a scone at Wicken Fen and bumped into an acquaintance out doing similar.  The wind was getting stronger all the while, worse than the forecast I'd seen. With some very exposed sections of gusty crosswinds I ended up nearly on the wromg side of the road a couple of time, with the usual moronic motorists passing as close as a they could, until I started putting in a few comedy wobbles as well.  It was a pretty tough ride all together and I'm not that bothered that I missed the extra hour and a bit of the Audax, I'd still be out there now and it's getting even windier as I look out of the living room window.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22817 on: 01 February, 2020, 03:13:24 pm »
80k, wind, nay WIND!!! and that wet stuff as well. Chocolate pear tart at halfway, saw a Great Egret. Quite good fun despite being wind-blasted and wet. Good old MrsT: she'd just washed the floor when I squelched in and she said not a word, just made me a cuppa.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22818 on: 01 February, 2020, 05:22:47 pm »
101 km, wind speed 13m/s. A group ride. Avg speed 24 km/h.

Got to admit I didn't take the lead very much :demon:
It was a group slightly above my current ability but due to the ewind the slower group didn't make an appearance..

It'll do me good since it didn't kill me. No squirrels to be seen anywhere.  :(

Move Faster and Bake Things

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22819 on: 01 February, 2020, 08:12:08 pm »
49 miles to Sonning and back with a friend. It was a bit windy on the way out but nice on the way back  :)
the slower you go the more you see

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22820 on: 03 February, 2020, 11:43:49 am »
Yesterday, late start due to rain.  31 miles, 1240ft climb, 5hrs (i'm slow) and need a tea break.  Alport Heights (Peak District) and back.   Hard work on a Bromton but the views are spectacular.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22821 on: 03 February, 2020, 07:57:35 pm »
20 miles on the Thorn tandem with Stoker Rob. We tried his tandem to start with but its bars were too low for me. Stefan, who previously rode it, has dropped bars on his solo machine. We did about a quarter of a mile but turned back and got my tandem instead. Because I was expecting to use Rob's tandem, I didn't put the Garmin on the front. A bit breezy with the sun trying, but failing, to find its way through the clouds. Coffee in Great Wakering.

We put Rob's new stoker bars on my bike and left them on to give Jan a try, which we hope to do tomorrow.

I am starting to have trouble getting my leg over the cross bar without a kerb to stand on. I might have to start packing a small folding step stool in the luggage. Bloody anno domini.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22822 on: 05 February, 2020, 04:53:04 am »
And 6 miles or so with Jan, her first ride of the year. We went to the LBS and ordered some new bars.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22823 on: 05 February, 2020, 02:10:04 pm »
Yesterday I got out. It wasn't a spectacular ride in any sense, around 50Km, but it is likely my first non-utility ride for almost a year - going out for the fun of the ride. Well, it wasn't strictly non-utilitarian as I was picking up something from the badlands of Sarf Lundon (Forest Hill qualifies, doesn't it?) and, as ever, my encyclopaedic knowledge of the geography south of the thames added a few km to the jaunt. I survived it, including the A2 up Blackheath Hill, and I enjoyed it (maybe not Blackheath Hill). Maybe I ought to do this cycling thing more often.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Have you been out today?
« Reply #22824 on: 06 February, 2020, 06:24:52 pm »
About 25 miles with Rebecca NOTP, from Wickford Station, around Hanningfield Reservoir. The tea room at the Fishing Lodge on the way out, lunch at the White Hart, Margaretting Tye, which I thought was pricier and with a far smaller choice than the last time I was there. I reckon it may have changed hands, which is a shame. It used to be one of my favourite pubs, but the bar staff no longer go out the back to the tap room to fill a glass from a barrel lying on its side. We had a second tea room at the Essex Wildlife Trust establishment, also at Hanningfield Reservoir, on the way back.

The weather couldn't have been better - unbroken sunshine- but on the cool side. I kept my thinsulate gloves on all day although the Tilley Hat got an airing. We included a bit of COR not far from the Great Baddow Marconi Tower which I hadn't intended to use, but pointed it out to Rebecca with the comment "I decided not to use that as I thought it would be too muddy."

"It doesn't look too bad. Shall we give it a try?"

As I pointed out to her as we were cleaning all the gloop off our bikes afterwards, that was a cunning ruse to make it All Her Fault.  :demon:

We saw a couple of kestrels, a lot of ducks, geese, gulls & cormorants, an assortment of tits on the bird feeders, and I heard quite a few goldcrests as we were riding along.

Brilliant day.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.