Author Topic: Have you been out today? (Read 3896981 times)

Kim · « **Reply #21550 on:** 09 December, 2017, 05:06:57 pm »

Ruthie's cycling club sounds like it falls well below YACF standards.

Let's face it, if we had a Christmas do it would be entirely normal for people to embrace the whole transport spectrum, from car (diseasel, electric and police) through a short Brompton ride in civvies, COR mudbath (on mildly inappropriate bikes) from the next town to a 400k DIY audax from the other side of the country. And there's bound to be someone who gets exempted from cycling on account of it being a short walk from their frozen bivvy bag in the pub's back garden. A Boris bike wouldn't be surprising if you were within about 50 miles of That London. Fairy lights would be expected.

Dresscode would include everything from came-straight-from-work through audax chic to christmas jumpers and terrifying things with thongs (both kinds). Helmets, where present, would be as likely to be chosen for comedy value as for head protection.

Indeed, the Essex contingent are probably reading this and taking notes...

Ruthie · « **Reply #21551 on:** 09 December, 2017, 06:23:21 pm »

Of course! That’s what it is! I’m warped by YACF!!

The Family Cyclist · « **Reply #21552 on:** 09 December, 2017, 07:06:52 pm »

Actually Kim it looks like you've watched the Essex lot and made notes!

sojournermike · « **Reply #21553 on:** 09 December, 2017, 09:12:15 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 09 December, 2017, 05:06:57 pm

Ruthie's cycling club sounds like it falls well below YACF standards.

Let's face it, if we had a Christmas do it would be entirely normal for people to embrace the whole transport spectrum, from car (diseasel, electric and police) through a short Brompton ride in civvies, COR mudbath (on mildly inappropriate bikes) from the next town to a 400k DIY audax from the other side of the country. And there's bound to be someone who gets exempted from cycling on account of it being a short walk from their frozen bivvy bag in the pub's back garden. A Boris bike wouldn't be surprising if you were within about 50 miles of That London. Fairy lights would be expected.

Dresscode would include everything from came-straight-from-work through audax chic to christmas jumpers and terrifying things with thongs (both kinds). Helmets, where present, would be as likely to be chosen for comedy value as for head protection.

Indeed, the Essex contingent are probably reading this and taking notes...

Now, there's a plan

ElyDave · « **Reply #21554 on:** 10 December, 2017, 10:35:10 am »

Two more ACME anvils to go, lots of opportunities

Yesterday, got out about 11 for 55 km. Was in two minds on route as some is very narrow lanes, but apart from one very lightly travelled section of the ncn11 all was frost free by the time I hit it, despite temperatures barely either side of freezing.

Only one other masochistic in sight but too far ahead for a chat. Stopped at the coffee stall on the market, mulled wine on offer, warmed up very nicely before the final 6km push.

giropaul · « **Reply #21555 on:** 10 December, 2017, 11:48:13 am »

One of the cycling clubs of which I am a member ( although I’m reviewing it for next year) went from an excellent, ride to, cafe lunch with much banter and one, humorous, award to a golf club event, with partners, and lots of awards for Strava “ achievements” etc. I don’t attend!

Pretty much epitomises what’s happened to cycling in the last 10 year’s though really.

phantasmagoriana · « **Reply #21556 on:** 10 December, 2017, 02:34:43 pm »

Chilly club run this morning - about -6 for some bits, apparently. I was late because it took so long to get dressed! Discovered that putting hand warmers in my boots actually works for keeping the feeling in my toes.

We were rewarded by a nice all-you-can-eat buffet at the end, so it was worth braving the cold. Give me macaroni and pizza and I'll ride in anything.

Kim · « **Reply #21557 on:** 10 December, 2017, 02:41:32 pm »

We've got proper snow, and I have a set of Ice Spikers for my reasonably Priced Mountain Bicycle, so it would be rude not to:

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #21558 on:** 10 December, 2017, 03:45:55 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 09 December, 2017, 05:06:57 pm

Ruthie's cycling club sounds like it falls well below YACF standards.

Let's face it, if we had a Christmas do it would be entirely normal for people to embrace the whole transport spectrum, from car (diseasel, electric and police) through a short Brompton ride in civvies, COR mudbath (on mildly inappropriate bikes) from the next town to a 400k DIY audax from the other side of the country. And there's bound to be someone who gets exempted from cycling on account of it being a short walk from their frozen bivvy bag in the pub's back garden. A Boris bike wouldn't be surprising if you were within about 50 miles of That London. Fairy lights would be expected.

Dresscode would include everything from came-straight-from-work through audax chic to christmas jumpers and terrifying things with thongs (both kinds). Helmets, where present, would be as likely to be chosen for comedy value as for head protection.

Indeed, the Essex contingent are probably reading this and taking notes...

Sounds remarkably like a Bristol audax Christmas ride, except you haven't mentioned beer or bacon butties.

But if it wasn't for this:

Quote from: Ruthie on 09 December, 2017, 04:45:51 pm

I sat with two of the men who lead the novice ride and they were lovely company as always.

I would almost dare suggest Ruthie's joined the wrong club.

CAMRAMan · « **Reply #21559 on:** 11 December, 2017, 05:41:01 pm »

I too donned Ice Spikers yesterday & set off for work this morning at 07.15. I decided to avoid the nearby cyclepath and rode along the main road and then on fairly well treated roads until Kenilworth, where the untreated backstreets were really slushy. That should really have warned me how bad the cyclepaths were going to be! It didn't and I got onto the Kenilworth Greeenway & immediately regretted it. The snow had been compacted by peds the day before and it had turned to lumpy slush. I was bouncing all over the place. I got off and walked a couple of stretches it was that bad. Once I hit the university's spur it got better as it had been less traversed. The usual 27-minute ride took 65 minutes.

Going home, I rerouted to avoid the cyclepaths. The roads weren't too bad, even the untreated ones, as traffic had thinned the slush/snow out. However, it was now below freezing and it didn't take long for my fingers to start getting cold, then very cold. By the time I got home they were very painful, especially after I got in and they started to thaw out. The last mile and a half were eventful, as I rode on the road again, only there was lots of traffic both ways and drivers weren't being very patient. I nearly got t-boned when almost home and I had a WVM right on my tail gunning his engine as I turned into my road. Another 65-minute ride.

I'll wait until the snow has thinned out before I do that again.

Snakehips · « **Reply #21560 on:** 12 December, 2017, 03:02:33 pm »

Lovely day for a bike ride. All you had to do was be careful with the ice. I was being careful but still my rear wheel went its own way in one shady spot and I 'took a knee' as they say these days in the USA. Then I uncharacteristically took to a shared use path to avoid a traffic tailback and got a puncture. Even so it was quite pleasant changing a tube in a leafy spot, with the sun shining directly on me, being watched by a multitude of motorists who were moving only slightly faster than I was.

Feanor · « **Reply #21561 on:** 12 December, 2017, 05:13:41 pm »

I had to take the day off work for other reasons, so at lunchtime, I decided to go to Aboyne, 35k away for lunch.

I'd just put the heavy winter wheels with Marathon + tyres on the commuter bike, and they roll like a pig with a skewer through it.
So it was harder work than I'd expected.
That, combined with it being minus 4 degrees for much of the ride!

https://www.strava.com/activities/1311503734

T42 · « **Reply #21562 on:** 16 December, 2017, 03:35:48 pm »

First ride since November because of vile windy wet windy cold snowy icy windy bloody weather. 39 k via a few local lumps and sweet downhill swoops. In surprisingly good condition considering. Only drawback: 39k don't justify a CAEK stop. Cycle track covered in twigs and the odd junior branch, but the torrential rains have finally washed all the horseshit away.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #21563 on:** 16 December, 2017, 06:46:42 pm »

Out on my trike with Edwin and HK with the tune of the day being "Slip sliding away" About 100km of muddy and icy Shropshire lanes that included lunch at a cyclist cafe in Audlem and a visit with an old mate, Jim Gresty. He is looking a lot better than the last time I saw him.

sg37409 · « **Reply #21564 on:** 16 December, 2017, 09:25:08 pm »

40 cold kilometres. Stuck to the low roads, still loads of ice about. Kept a pace nice enough to keep warm and taking it easy.

Flite · « **Reply #21565 on:** 17 December, 2017, 03:28:48 pm »

Up to the county boundary and back. Only 15 km but 650ft of climb. Only one stretch where I had to walk up as the ice sheet was verge to verge (rode over it coming down!) Vicious strong and cold wind was more of a problem than the ice.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #21566 on:** 19 December, 2017, 09:40:40 am »

Not today but Sunday. Out with the North Shropshire Wheelers club run. HK and Edwin on tandem trike and me on solo trike, we stayed down the back because of the stuff coming off trike back wheels. My rain jacket fairly quickly changed colour from fluoro to mud. Something warm to eat and drink while looking over Ellesmere before diving back into the icy lanes. I pulled up with a RH rear flat and it turns out there were three big thorns emptying the tube. It seems I should be carrying pliers to remove Shropshire thorns. I had to use my teeth to get them out and even after rinsing down the tyre, it tasted gritty!

Dropped in on Jim Hopper for some tea during the drive home and inspected his collection of solo and tandem trikes. A very impressive array of machines.

ElyDave · « **Reply #21567 on:** 19 December, 2017, 05:03:20 pm »

Saturday one of my usual routes, started about 11am deliberately to have allowed the sun onto some of the back lanes I like to use. Still found some ice there but not enough to worry about, the wind was more of a challenge, strong and biting, and typically fenland you could never work out where the hell it was coming from. Still it was a nice bright day.

Yesterday I had a trip to Addenbrookes for my annual diabetes clinic. Having failed miserably at riding it in June during a monster storm and riding into the back of a rapidly stopping car, I thought I'd give it another bash. I'd scoped it at 50-ish km, with a definite plan to ride there and potentially back, or truncate via an intermediate railway station.

Set off around 9:30, in my new LS Merino jersey which coped excellently with the just above freezing weather. Going the other way down one of those back lanes in particular was less than funs, with one or two twitchy moments where the back wheel drifted outwards on a shallow bend just with the road camber. I made full use of the NCN 11 and 51 across the fens from Wicken to Bottisham and that was by far the best bit of the ride, nice hard packed gravel paths which offered excellent grip even when frozen. You could do a great audax down there Ely-Wicken-Anglesey Abbey-Newmarket-Ely. Then under the A14, skirting Cambridge and over the hills to the back way into the hospital.

A spot of lunch later, and as per expectations, my appointment is an hour late. Truncated ride home and train from waterbeach to Ely by which time it's getting dark. Connect the 3 x LED front light to it's battery pack - zilch, zip, nada - battery pack was fully charged overnight. Had the experience of a fellow cyclist yelling at me for poor lighting from just my flashy "I'm here" light. Seems that the battery pack has gone bad, looks like a leakage of electrolyte from what I can see. At least I have a spare that works.

Overall 80km for the day, a big bowl of porridge, a couple of NAKD bars and a nice almond croissant with cheese to fuel it all. Followed by an uber-omelette for dinner. Nothing today as off out for dinner with a work colleague from Cambridge

cycleman · « **Reply #21568 on:** 19 December, 2017, 08:24:42 pm »

Just locally around town today .managed to find enough ice to do some nice power slides on the trike though

Feanor · « **Reply #21569 on:** 19 December, 2017, 08:40:19 pm »

I've finished up at work for the year, so a 100k pootle out to Ballater for lunch.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1319613448

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #21570 on:** 20 December, 2017, 08:10:06 pm »

Not today but last Saturday was AC Bristol Christmas Ride and Meal. We assembled at the very civilized hour of 11 in front of a pub by the docks, where we fastened heavy duty locks to the railings for later. Some people did some last minute fettling, some ate cake for charity (literally!) and some might have drunk some beer. Then off we rode, about 34 of us including two tandems (one a rather unusual 1940s racing machine). Last year we had two rides (same start and end points but different lengths) and didn't really manage to keep together. This year there was just one route and we managed to keep together (splitting into two smaller groups on the road but still social). Quite a bit of snow and slush on the roadside around the steep hills of Hillesley and Alderley but the road itself was clear. First stop was a club member's house in Wotton-under-Edge, where we were greeted with mulled wine, vegie chilli and cakes.

Then on to the flatlands of the Severn Vale, via another pub! Before back into Bristol for food and, er, beer, at the pub. Not the greatest food but lots of it and everyone enjoyed themselves (some till later than others!).

Polar Bear · « **Reply #21571 on:** 20 December, 2017, 08:58:35 pm »

60kms with a few friends. I have upped my total distance by 30% over 2016 and still have a few more kms planned for 2017.. Very pleased.

cycleman · « **Reply #21572 on:** 22 December, 2017, 08:59:53 am »

46 miles to wokingham and back yesterday afternoon to deliver Christmas cards . I managed 8.3mph ave . A nice mild day for a potter

T42 · « **Reply #21573 on:** 22 December, 2017, 04:25:03 pm »

84k flattie to ye CAEKE Shoppe & back. No appreciable wind yet crawled there & belted back - magic potion in the vanilla eclair, maybe. Scotch mist at start but cleared quickly enough, otherwise low cloud all the way, everything dripping after a week of rain & misery. Bike beclabbered.

Quite pleased with performance considering that this was my first time beyond 40k since November and I've mostly been polishing the seat of my chair in the interim coz back troubles. Honourably knackered now, though.

Feanor · « **Reply #21574 on:** 22 December, 2017, 07:45:43 pm »

Another 100k pootle to avoid having to finish the ski fettling which has been doing my head in.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1323042614

Cold today, and some of the back roads still have some ice here and there.
Café stop in Chapel of Garioch for a Smoked Salmon Bagel, which is a bit first-world.