Have you been out today?

[Afasoas]

Again, just 17.3 km (into town and then back home via several villages) on the old gas pipe hybrid. Averaged just shy of 10 mph but some of that is attributible to 15% gradient climbing and taking it very steadily on soaked, leaf-chutneyed and muddy lanes. I'm thinking Schwalbe Marathon's at ~75 PSI aren't really the ideal choice.

I'd also switched out to flat pedals - I think this is going to really be my going to town bike. I need to clear some more bike space in the garage and then perhaps try and procure a hard tail MTB for attempting some of the less challenging trails over Cannock Chase.

[T42]

Yesterday, 120k loop via Saverne. Wind SW 26-40 kph, i.e. straight into face. Did Dossenheim=>Mommenheim with as little motor as possible to save Wh.  Wind in eyes terrible, sniffing & blowing snot rockets all the time, probably caught a cold in café last Tuesday.  Didn't eat in Saverne 'cos kiosks shut, wouldn't have been able to watch bike from resto. Still, stopped less because of it.

Still blowing bubbles this morning; feel a bit better now but brain out to lunch.

[cycleman]

About 6 miles on the e trice out to the fulmar ford and back. As I left the ford the sun disappea :)red and the rain through itself at me with wild abandon  as I got back home of course the rain stopped and the sun returned

[meddyg]

(well, yesterday in fact). Driving from S Wales to Cheshire in the rain thought I'd try a loop near Leominster -  East to Bromyard and then south of A44 back to the van. By 230pm still no sign of rain easing. A short siesta and slightly better.



Then slightly not better and lots of standing water - perhaps not a great recipe with a newish E Bike



So curtailed at Hatfield and ended up a modest 10 miles. - Oh there's a `River Humber too in this valley !

[cycleman]

About 28 miles today, out to Windsor to pick up a written quote for apollos bike service and took it to parlent house in Langley. Then across to Uxbridge where I visited decathlon and bought a hiking pole to act as a temporary replacement for my walking stick which has gone I hope is temporarily missing. I followed the cycle routing to Heathrow and used the cycleway to Colnbrook then back to Slough via Datchet 

[Cudzoziemiec]

bought a hiking pole to act as a temporary replacement for my walking stick which has gone I hope is temporarily missing.

Advice stolen from a friend who uses a hiking pole for very similar reasons to you: wrap it in hi-viz tape. This makes it look like "disability aid" rather than "random hiking pole" or even (in her case, this is unlikely to apply to you) "drunk person". But you probably know all this anyway.

[Afasoas]

15 km loop on the gas pipe hybrid. Averaged 19.1 km/h, which given the amount of climbing, traffic and flat pedals I thought was reasonable.
I'll try and do the same again on Thursday and then perhaps aim for 20 or 25 km on Sunday.

Can't wait to get the "audax" bike sorted - I think this bike weighs close to 20 kg. Getting some weight off the rider will also help.
Pondering whether I'll be fit enough for a 100km audax in the spring.

[Kim]

bought a hiking pole to act as a temporary replacement for my walking stick which has gone I hope is temporarily missing.

Advice stolen from a friend who uses a hiking pole for very similar reasons to you: wrap it in hi-viz tape. This makes it look like "disability aid" rather than "random hiking pole" or even (in her case, this is unlikely to apply to you) "drunk person". But you probably know all this anyway.

A tactic used to good effect by barakta OTP to stop people knocking her over in Mordor Central and the like.

[T42]

48 horrible km with horrible SW wind drinking all my power, personal & battery. Wasn't feeling great. Try again Sunday.

[Socks]

Clear, sunny weather this morning so I drove to Hexham for a circuit around the hills.  A long climb up through Fourstones and Newbrough, then on to the tops.  Worth the effort for fantastic views across to Houseteads roman fort, and Hadrians Wall.  I usually avoid the military road because it can be busy, and has a lot of blind summits which encourage stupid drivers to overtake at the wrong time.  However it was very quiet, so did a couple of miles back towards Hexham then a wiggly route through some minor lanes which I hadn't used before.  A quick sarnie and coffee from the flask (too cold to hang about) at a remote crossroads then back to the van.  Felt OK despite the hills and enjoyed the wonderful scenery.

[Tim Hall]

Nipped out on the bloo fixer cross country over to Redhill to order some reassuringly* expensive glasses then back the same way. Lovely sunny chilly day, first time in full gloves this year. 56 lovely kilometres.

*I've never felt so reassured. Stuff me, that's a lot.

[Afasoas]

24.3 km at an average of 18.4 kph. 222 meters of climbing.
Shame I wasn't a bit faster but neither the bike nor the rider are very slender. Pleased to have covered 15 miles in one sitting, bringing the total for this week to just shy of 25 miles. Will aim for 28 miles next week.

Lovely sunny day.

[cycleman]

I did a short Potter with the Windsor Cycle hub group around Windsor and Slough. Probably less than 8 miles. Lovely to be cycling today 

[ElyDave]

50k yesterday, breezy but bright and the first day of the real winter gear being needed

50k today, set out as the fog was lifting, and even though bright it was bitterly cold, as low as 2.0C according to Garmin, and it really felt it, even with silk liner gloves and socks.  Not a lot of breeze, but it was from the east and pretty frigid for what it was.

Both rides around 1:53

[T42]

Usual short coffee run, only at the pâtisserie the coffee machine was off. Then I got buttonholed by a very talkative Belgian for half an hour. Finally got going again but it was so bloody cold I turned for home. 46k & frozen, took an age to get warm again too.

[John Stonebridge]

First tandem ride since August yesterday.  Up to Auchterarder in the car and a nice nearly 40k admiring the autumn colours. 

Took a flask of coffee which was enjoyed hugely near the half way mark. 

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/139290398

[sg37409]

thats a favourite area for us on the tandem, we frequently have our flask of tea in that new wee garden in comrie.

For me today, round the campsies again, dodging a fair bit of ice on run-offs and road-sides. I have a loan of power meter pedals just now and am enjoying riding and learning from them

[cycleman]

A evening Potter to Cookham and back this evening. Clear skies and Jupiter shining,no wind equals cycling bliss .all flat west and east along the Thames Valley. 

[JefO]

Re: Have you been out today?
Yes, my biggest ride for a long time.
Had planned a 65mile route, but achilles tendon was nagging at 20 miles so I cut the ride short.
See ride here - https://www.strava.com/activities/10223076264

[T42]

78k coffee crawl whereof the last 18k under an enthusiastic downpour.  Every bit of clothing let water in: Pearl Izumi bib tights, Gore Softshell jacket, Sealskinz gloves. Shoe covers did a good job but water came up through the cleat-holes so squelch went every pedal-stroke.

Great fun.  I don't envy commuters, though.

[T42]

Variant of above, complete with Flemish chatterbox at first coffee stop. Less rain, more climbing.  Scared a squad of ravens off an animal carcass, I think a boar, in a field by the road. They had got a chunk of the ribcage exposed.

When putting the bike away I wiped one of the rims: the amount of black that came off made me wish for discs.

[JefO]

Been out again today. Thought the physio I have been seeing would react negatively this evening, but he said it was good to keep increasing the distance now. So 110km including 4 or 5km of hike a bike. Photos and ride on strava at https://www.strava.com/activities/10263182143

[bhoot]

How is the graffiti? Have t been that way for a couple of years!

[JefO]

How is the graffiti? Have t been that way for a couple of years!

The graffiti is looking shabby in places, and stunning in others. It is worth a trip every 6 months I reckon. It was sad that the Spitfire was painted over, that was absolutely epic.

As you know, I took a few pictures, but there is too much to take photos of all of the new work if you leave it more than a couple of months. I particularly liked the (self?) portrait of a painter breaking through the brick wall looking like Death. Took me a while to fully appreciate it.

See the strava post for full photo comments, but here is a sneak preview...

Photos and ride on strava at https://www.strava.com/activities/10263182143

[T42]

102k, strong NW wind, wet for last 30k.  Learnt later that the W to E belt of rain I rode through W to E was provided by a cold front sweeping down the North Sea. Figures: I had been riding in 8-9°C but it was down to 4° by the time I got home.

Good fun despite leaky seams and wet feet. Must get some silicon and bung up cleat holes.