Author Topic: Have you been out today? (Read 2305760 times)

Jakob W · « **Reply #22725 on:** November 05, 2019, 05:38:01 pm »

First pure leisure ride in months. I was going to try and join the North Brum CTC's Tuesday slow ride, but I was a couple of minutes late to the meeting point, and the rain meant that either the group set off sharpish, or alternately that nobody else fancied heading out today. I decided to head for the Warwickshire lanes, and ended up riding a loop I'd not done before, linking up various bits I knew from other rides; at one point, as the road went down and down, I was getting a bit worried that my dead reckoning was going to get me very lost and that I'd have to grovel all the way back up again, but it all worked out, and after an hour the rain turned to drizzle and then lifted totally. I stopped for a coffee and a bun at Under Pressure (an excellent hipster coffee place in Sutton Coldfield), before heading home with 30 miles under my belt.

T42 · « **Reply #22726 on:** November 13, 2019, 08:42:49 am »

Yesterday, a very windy 83 km, the kind of ride where you struggle against the wind looking forward to a lovely fast ride home with it pushing you along, but by the time you reach your turning-point you're too knackered to enjoy it. Legs still stiff this morning. Gee, I'd better just sit here and wait for a cup of tea to appear.

Canardly · « **Reply #22727 on:** November 14, 2019, 11:08:52 am »

Yesterday 60k group ride including lunch (mediocre) at ye pubbe. Cold but sunny and wonderful with only a slight breeze. I kept cramping in legs however and struggled a bit with lumpy bits due to cold, despite winter leggings and plenty of layers. Not sure what I can do about this. Usual liquids, no alcohol at pubbe, but I did consume a bottle of wine night before.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #22728 on:** November 15, 2019, 12:34:35 pm »

Just a short potter (7 miles in total) to meet Penny for a dog walk at Belfairs Woods. Only a short walk but her back was giving her lots of jip. We had coffee at the EWT visitors' centre and, being dogged, sat outside. But then rain stoped play and I rode home again.

Point of information for T42: it was 1001 that cleaned a big, big carpet for less than 2/6. (ref his post of October 20th). That shows how often I visit this thread these days.

T42 · « **Reply #22729 on:** November 16, 2019, 05:10:53 pm »

90k, bluish sky at times, what they call 'crisp'. Sweaty up the hills with Soft Shell open, freezing down them with it zipped, can't win. Pleasant lunch in the usual joint. Wildlife: not much -the usual buzzards, families of ravens strutting, something green that was probably a woodpecker. Riding past one hedge I thought there were chickens squabbling on the far side: turned out to be a football match in progress. Hardly saw any other cyclists in the morning but quite a few coming t'other way in the gloaming.

BTW, in France we have an idiotic law which ordains that cyclists may not use cycle tracks between sunset and sunrise. Earlier this year our beloved, intelligent and benevolent* Préfet added his own special sauce and set the limits at one hour before sunset and an hour after sunrise. Coming home on our local cycle track ten minutes before sunset I rode past the gendarmes at spitting distance and they batted not an eyelid. They probably think the Préfet is a cunt as well.

* sarcasm

Oh aye, picture:

Theoretically there are mountains in the distance, behind the November fug.

cycleman · « **Reply #22730 on:** November 16, 2019, 06:24:51 pm »

A very slow Potter of about 10 miles around Windsor great park stopping for lunch at the fox pub. Jhonathan notp struggling to peddle at walking pace a lot of the time now. 🙂

bludger · « **Reply #22731 on:** November 17, 2019, 10:28:21 am »

I route tested my planned audax for the summer. There are some changes to be made but I'm very happy with the 'main event', the loop out in the Chilterns (though I'll. Red to add a couple of km in distance somehow - odd how komoot says 204 km but in reality it's shorter). Couple of slow flats but nothing the plug kit couldn't deal with.

T42 · « **Reply #22732 on:** November 30, 2019, 03:58:50 pm »

40-odd km coffee-shop ride with El Prez, he with his heart-block that kicks in and hurts when he makes a sudden effort and I with my right foot and ankle sending out jolts of pain every time I held it like that and pressed the pedal. A right couple of old crocks. Lovely day - 6°C, sunny & breezy - but it was The Lassie Who Can't Make Coffee on duty in the shop, so getting home to a cuppa was pleasing. Think I'll have another.

Tim Hall · « **Reply #22733 on:** November 30, 2019, 05:48:25 pm »

Early (for weekend values of early) spin through the lanes to Reigate. I left late enough for the frost to have disappeared and enjoyed the autumn sunshine after what seems like weeks of rain. Got a sharp haircut, paid some Scout money in at a bank, visited my niece and returned. Saw a deer without road sense, a brace of parakeets and a buzzard.

55km. A nice run out.

tom_e · « **Reply #22734 on:** November 30, 2019, 07:08:41 pm »

Blue loop at Thetford: 12km of easy mtb in the woods normally. But this time with me on the MUni, mini1 running, and the dog taking the piss out of us.

Knackered. All three of us, I think.

phantasmagoriana · « **Reply #22735 on:** December 01, 2019, 01:56:41 pm »

First ride since September for me today! Also the coldest day we've had for ages (it was -5 in parts). My fingers were not happy. However, it was good to get out with the few other souls who braved the club run, and the coffee stop was most welcome.

markcjagar · « **Reply #22736 on:** December 01, 2019, 03:45:11 pm »

Went for a standard run out into the Peak from Hillsborough, cold but soon got warmed up on the first climb. Was fine descending the A57 down to Ladybower. The return climb up from Yorkshire Bridge near Bamford was shaded and there was ice on the ground.

My friend came off at a cattle grid and bumped his head (was wearing a helmet which has a visible crack where the impact was), his wife came to fetch him, he seemed okay but is getting checked out. I continued on gingerly and changed my route home opting for main roads which were fine.

Was harder than usual but to be expected because I've not been cycling much lately and I've had a bit of a cold this week.

Clear blue skies and beautiful views at the top of Higger Tor/Burbage Edge.

Snakehips · « **Reply #22737 on:** December 01, 2019, 03:58:12 pm »

I managed a 22 miler just before the weather changed from cold to wet.
If you were in Richmond Park you might have noticed me. I was the guy with the oily black hands wielding a chain tool by the White Lodge, and then about 50 yds along the road doing it again rather more successfully the second time.

orienteer · « **Reply #22738 on:** December 01, 2019, 04:38:18 pm »

First ride for weeks, joined the short ride group from Uxbridge through a myriad of back streets to Ruislip for coffee and Harrow Weald for lunch in a Wetherspoons. About a dozen of us, I ducked out and caught the tube back from Rayners Lane, total 19 miles. Feel a lot better for it despite the cold, and managed to avoid the light rain later.

markcjagar · « **Reply #22739 on:** December 03, 2019, 09:19:18 pm »

Went out for 40 odd km of main roads tonight. Sheffield to Hathersage and then back up the A57 and down the Rivellin Valley to Hillsborough. Sloppy roads and cold toes

asterix · « **Reply #22740 on:** December 08, 2019, 09:06:16 am »

Yesterday. For ages I haven't been on a longish ride so I decided it was about time despite the grimy, grey, greasy weather.

Unfortunately I didn't quite get the clothing right as toward the end I was quite chilled and it was necessary to ride hard to keep warm.. My ride took me to Castle Howard via Thornton le Clay and then back via Bulmer. Probably 45 to 50 miles which I did in about 190 minutes riding the wonderful British Eagle Touristique*. Castle Howard was a heaving mass of cars all trying to find somewhere to park, guided by hordes of traffic marshals. Getting out of York was easy enough, getting back in was a challenge but fortunately bicycles can go where cars can't. I was pleased to have the dynohub powering my day time running lights but in fact the motorists were all well behaved, no exceptions.

* just thought, it's 32 this year!

bludger · « **Reply #22741 on:** December 08, 2019, 09:31:23 am »

Big ride from London to the Enigma factory yesterday. 102 km long so not super big, but throw in 1400m of climbing and that's a recipe for sore legs this morning!

It was a really fascinating visit.

cycleman · « **Reply #22742 on:** December 08, 2019, 09:06:23 pm »

My first Potter since my back went ping. A little flat 15 mile circuit with a friend I met in hospital last week. We stopped to eat at the walled garden centre at Dorney Court and spent 10mins sheltering under a bridge from a shower on the way back 🙂

Snakehips · « **Reply #22743 on:** December 14, 2019, 07:45:21 pm »

I went out for two rides today.
The first one, a modest 11 miler in a howling gale just to keep the scoreboard ticking over towards my monthly target of 300 miles, which I hope to achieve before the big day.
The second one, a reminder of just how great cycling can be after dark in the cooler parts of the year. I did a mini Tour de Majestic, visiting the Kingston and Strawberry Hill branches, crossing the Thames twice and sampling a wide range of reds and desserts wines. I even ordered a case of
Mayu Carménère Appassimento 2016

bludger · « **Reply #22744 on:** December 15, 2019, 09:32:02 pm »

A pretty poor weekend for me. I recently knackered out pretty every moving part on the Kona excluding wheels, shifters and rear mech, and so it's in for heavy servicing (and a new groupset....). So I borrowed a bike to try to attempt Paul's ditchling devil perm. Rolled up to the start line and I just didn't have the heart. The garmin was displaying a weird route for some reason, which I'm sure I could have figured out, but I didn't want to do it. The borrowed bike didn't fit me very well and after Thursday's shit news (which I'd seen coming) I decided I'd just not bother. Texted a mate and went to theirs for a pot of tea and a moan instead.

Spent today fettling the fixed gear into working condition for duty this week.

Socks · « **Reply #22745 on:** December 16, 2019, 02:04:26 pm »

A short, mostly off-road trip on the Landrover. I chickened out yesterday because of forecast ice and snow, the snow didn't materialise but it was certainly cold enough. Still a few patches of ice today and very clarty along a woodland track but worth it for some lovely views in the clear sunshine. Only 16 miles however a nice couple of hours out in the fresh air.

T42 · « **Reply #22746 on:** December 16, 2019, 02:25:05 pm »

First ride in 9 days 'cos weather, 35k with a bit of climbing. Saw two Great Egrets, picked up a parasitic wheelsucker who slipstreamed me happily no matter what speed I did but crawled when I bluffed him into overtaking. Fortunately he turned off after while. Cnut.

ElyDave · « **Reply #22747 on:** December 17, 2019, 03:20:01 pm »

First outside ride for a week, too busy last week, despite being at home. It was not the best weather but was the best day from a scheduling point, with lunch out tomorrow at the pub/Thai in the village, then Thursday brunch and theatre at the barbican.

Anyway, Kings Lynn and train back, deciding to follow NCN 11 rather than my alternative routes, not realising it was 10km shorter. Weather was foul, thick fog, cold getting in your bones, and intermittent drizzle, but you know what I loved every minute of it.

NCN signing was intermittent as usual, but I managed to avoid previous errors. Those folks who make up these routes really have a strange understanding of bike suitable roads. Route 11 goes through Downham Market, which is fair enough, something has to. Only issue is the route through the town centre, of which there are many possibilities, so what do they do? Send it through a busy supermarket car park which also has HGV's parked waiting for the loading bay. Next time I'll follow my instinct.

Arrived at KL with half an hour before the next train, so time for a nice coffee and a bacon and egg sarnie, they were out of sausage. Blood glucose played nice all the way, so bonus there as well.

Lanes were thoroughly skoggy with beet harvest ongoing, so it was a wheels off hose down of the bike, and the chain is currently soaking in a jar of unleaded.

markcjagar · « **Reply #22748 on:** December 17, 2019, 05:46:48 pm »

Not much work today so I went out at about 3ish for a 30km loop.

Went up Lodge Lane which is apparently 1.13km at an avg gradient of 9% and has a max of 27%. Big oof!

Came back through the start of rush hour traffic, forgot how much I enjoy filtering through dense traffic.

Smugness levels rarely get higher.

T42 · « **Reply #22749 on:** December 19, 2019, 02:35:58 pm »

Cold, foggy, coffeeless and unfinished loop, thanks to Lady P. The local cycle paths are crossed by field access points, and for ~5 km are even shared with agricultural traffic so the bike was thick with something sticky that was probably mostly mud chickened out of fixing it and so I sent a mayday to MrsT. Only 30 km. Looking at Météo France's website that's it until after Christmas. Bleh.