Have you been out today?

[cycleman]

I have rode to Farnborough to get a daily drive system fitted to the trice then I will pottered home in the dark getting home about 10.00. 

[Jeff in Wales]

A 156km loop from Hawarden (Penarlag) N.Wales to Llyn Brenig, then Llanrwst, Colwyn Bay, St Asaph, Hawarden. I knew it would be hilly, it was tougher at times than anticipated but I just about coped. A generally overcast / misty day and still a bit chilly on the hills especially in the morning. It's nice to have brighter mornings now though for those earlier starts, makes those particularly crappy downhill lanes easier to deal with.

Stats / pics and a few more words: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/8190213

[Ashaman42]

Not today but yesterday, got out for the first non-commute ride of the year (and only the third ride at all).

Woke up late so only had time for 9.5 miles but it was lovely to be able to just pick and choose where to go on a whim. Nice weather too.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Had a day pass.  Was supposed to be taking a couple of guys from work out but one called off with tendonitis in a wrist and the other had stubbed his toe falling off his turbo trainer.  :face palm:

Used the day pass despite the cold and reckoned I had enough time to explore Ashdown Forest.  After Kidd Lane and the one that goes up directly into Crowborough, treated myself to a cheese and ham panini, two pan au raisin and a monster coffee and then legged it back along the A272 as far as Petworth.  Rather than stay on busy roads with end of week traffic took the road by the wall up through Upperton and then tackled Quell Lane on Black Down.  That knocked every other hill of the day into a cocked hat and I had to screw my legs back on at the top as they'd fallen off.  Go back to Basingstoke with 25 minutes to spare.

[BrianI]

One of the good things^* about shooting a 52" Scythian Horse bow at archery,  is that it isn't too long to strap to the bike, and cycle 6 and a smidge miles down to the club on Sunday morning.



 

Knee didn't complain.  A nice 12 and a half miles or so cycling today, and twice round the archery course.  Not bad for a Sunday morning!   

Strapped the bow to the top tube on the way home though, as it seemed more secure rather than perched on the rack...  Handy things toe straps!

^*Not to easy to shoot though, compared to my old recurve.  No  arrow shelf, so you need to shoot off the top of your bow hand.  Fun to shoot though!

[menthel]

66km and 713m climbing out to the Surrey Hills and back on n the fratello. I like to fool myself that the 4kg weight difference from the soot bike makes it harder work but I think it's probably the extra weight and lack of exercise that I am carrying!

[citoyen]

First time out with the club in over two years! Stuck with the 'steady' group and enjoyed a nice sociable 65km ride. The sun even came out - just in time for the final 10 minutes.

[Ruthie]

One of the good things^* about shooting a 52" Scythian Horse bow at archery,  is that it isn't too long to strap to the bike, and cycle 6 and a smidge miles down to the club on Sunday morning.



 

Knee didn't complain.  A nice 12 and a half miles or so cycling today, and twice round the archery course.  Not bad for a Sunday morning!   

Strapped the bow to the top tube on the way home though, as it seemed more secure rather than perched on the rack...  Handy things toe straps!

^*Not to easy to shoot though, compared to my old recurve.  No  arrow shelf, so you need to shoot off the top of your bow hand.  Fun to shoot though!

There's an obvious question.

I shall now ask it.

Can you shoot that thing while you're riding your bike?  And if so, can I have a go?

[Ruthie]

I went for a nice ride with my friend.  We had lunch at the open prison again, which is a real gem - ridiculously cheap, and the coffee is Illy and extremely good.

[Tim Hall]

The Boy and I went for a number non descript pootle. It's wonderful chatting with him and hearing his views.  Lunch was taken at tanhouse farm near Newdigate where we spied some marvellous old bikes which may appear in the interesting bikes thread in a while. Then home for CAIK and a cuppa.

[BrianI]

One of the good things^* about shooting a 52" Scythian Horse bow at archery,  is that it isn't too long to strap to the bike, and cycle 6 and a smidge miles down to the club on Sunday morning.




Knee didn't complain.  A nice 12 and a half miles or so cycling today, and twice round the archery course.  Not bad for a Sunday morning!   

Strapped the bow to the top tube on the way home though, as it seemed more secure rather than perched on the rack...  Handy things toe straps!

^*Not to easy to shoot though, compared to my old recurve.  No  arrow shelf, so you need to shoot off the top of your bow hand.  Fun to shoot though!

There's an obvious question.

I shall now ask it.

Can you shoot that thing while you're riding your bike?  And if so, can I have a go?

Lol, that wouldn't be allowed under the National Field Archery Society safety rules. Sounds fun though!!

[Ruthie]

Shame.  I pictured this whole scenario.... 

[Cudzoziemiec]

So many things that could be  said about yesterday's audax but I'll stick with one: it summed up the simultaneous delight and frustration of audax rides. Frustration because the route took us past so many interesting places it would have been lovely to look at properly – a Roman villa, a couple of Saxon churches, a stone circle, Tom Brown's Schooldays Museum and some incredible views – but time limits meant it was not possible. Delight because, even without visiting them, it's wonderful to ride past them and know they are there. Maybe another day...

[cycleman]

A little 10 mile potter around fulmer including a couple of short hill with a full camping load .I bought a pair of waterproof panniers last week and also had a spram 8 speed rail drive fitted to the trice .  10.4 miles ,1.15.44 Ave 8.20 max32.56  ☺

[Deano]

Couple of rides this weekend, a ride around the Dales with a couple of local-ish lads yesterday. It's a route I've been plotting for a while, and I was really pleased that it came together so well. Kudos to Steve GT for a decent, laney route from Boroughbridge to Ilkley which dodges all of the horrific roads around there. The rest of it was my responsibility, and the slog back from Sedbergh to Darlo into that nagging north-easterly was a bit of a drag. I managed to talk the lads into a quick pub stop at Ingleton, though, which worked wonders. For one thing, it my contact lenses dried up so badly that I had to ask if we were riding through fog. Ah well, I know the road.




Today was a much gentler affair, a trip to see the old man, and I would log it in the utilitarian adventures thread, except that I had a gratuitous trip out along the offroad track to Archdeacon Newton to stretch my legs.

[citoyen]

Out on the bike for the third day in a row, which is the first time that has happened in.... ooh, a long time. Probably since August 2014.

Rode down to Reculver and back again. Wore a windproof jersey, base layer and arm warmers, thinking it might be quite chilly despite the sun, but I ended up feeling a bit overdressed and was rather warm by the end. Perhaps that's because I was pushing harder than I realised though. I topped 28kmh average pace, but didn't really feel like I was going for it, so maybe my fitness is starting to return, even if the waist isn't shrinking as quickly as I'd like.

The view from Reculver:






The sky seems to be a richer blue in the east (over Margate) than in the west (over Herne Bay). Make of that what you will.

[Torslanda]

Shame.  I pictured this whole scenario.... 

BrianI onna full sus long travel bike in the garb of a Mongol warrior, loosing off arrow after arrow like an artillery barrage. . .

Ho, YUSS!!!

[Torslanda]

Middlewood Way again. Same as last week but with no stops.

Not far but far enough.

[Peter]

But infinitely further than nowhere (and take that fish out of your ear.....)

[Wowbagger]

WRT Deano's post: so that's what Fleet Moss looks like. When Jan and I went up there we couldn't see anything.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Perhaps that's because I was pushing harder than I realised though. I topped 28kmh average pace, but didn't really feel like I was going for it, so maybe my fitness is starting to return, even if the waist isn't shrinking as quickly as I'd like.

I feel like I'm pushing hard when I reach 28km/h current speed, let alone average pace!

[citoyen]

I feel like I'm pushing hard when I reach 28km/h current speed, let alone average pace!

I bought some new wheels recently. I suspect the placebo effect is at work!

[essexian]

Managed to do it again today for the second time this year; “it” being hitting a kerb and going flying over the bars. My fault completely as I was more worried about the person walking in the middle of the cycle path, to bother to look at the up ramp to enter such. So, I now sit at home with a cut knee, some whiplash in my neck and a sore shoulder.

And yes, the bike is completely okay which, given that I hit the kerb head on at, according to our friends at Strava, 13mph is rather impressive.

Laying on the floor for a few moments to gather my thoughts and to check every thing was okay, the first person to come over to see if I was okay was a driver of a Audi TT. I was grateful for the offer of a lift home but decided that as its mostly downhill, I wouldn't take them up on it.

So, a nearly 50km ride out to Little Heywood, Hixon, Stone and then home, only slightly ruined by the rain and my flying impression.

Memo to self, look out for kerbs.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Essexian: Ouch! Shoulders can be difficult.

Citoyen: I've just bought a new seatpost but somehow I doubt that's going to spur me on to your speeds. 

[Canardly]

Shortened pootle due to weather of 27 or so miles. Decidedly chilly.