Have you been out today?

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Wasn't sure how well I was going after struggling with a minor lurgy during the week.  I'd ridden the Audax bike into London to get a new braze on for the front mech, which had metal fatigue.  The bike was ready on Wednesday but I chickened out and took it on the train back to Basingstoke.  Headed out at dawn, for a fantastic sunrise on the roads west of Crondall.  I hadn't been along the lane that goes through Roke Farm for a few years and had forgotten how wonderful it is, a narrow strip of tarmac through open farmland.  In Crondall I did the long drag up through Well and dropped down Quarry Lane perhaps a little too quick for the poor surface.  I took more quiet lanes around the south of Alton through Wyck, the Worldhams, Faringdon and up to Four Marks.  I did a bit of exploring to the west of Medstead and then dropped down towards Preston Candover.  My rear tyre felt soft.  It was the first puncture I'd had on the Schwalbe Duranos since I'd put them on for PBP last year.  Almost exactly 3000 miles without a puncture, front or back.  The offending item was a small sliver of metal, probably a fragment from a scraped car.  The Durano wasn't the easiest to get on or off but it was warm enough to sit on a grassy bank.  I was pleased to finish the work as there was a farm dog that barked almost continually at the smell of cyclist.

My route took me through Axford and North Waltham before turning off to Ashe and the series of climbs to Hannington.  It was now quite warm and sunny.  I'd been quite slow but I was now picking up speed, wanting to be back by the time I'd promised.  If I went straight back the route would be just under 100km so I made a detour through Little London which took things up to 104km.  The last 10km were done in a headwind so I was five minutes late.  But Mrs CET was still out shopping so I was reprieved.  It was the strongest sunshine I'd ridden in since the two permanents I'd done in North Carolina in September.

[Si S]

Up to Middleton to pay a visit to Torslanda for a chain, security flavour and a cable, gear flavour. 50km with good legs.

[Kim]

Too warm for anything but short sleeves, and the Audis have the soft tops down for ease of shouting.  It's like summer.   

Also, my BB7 didn't jam.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

A circuitous 37km between Pezenas and Beziers. Variously overcast and Scotch mist/ drizzle. The strong coffee and good chocolates were well appreciated.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Just up to the Downs, round the gorge edge and along Ladies Mile, then back down the hill and home, all in the interests of saddle angle adjustment due to having fitted a new seat post.

[cycleman]

A slow 14 mile Potter along the jubilee river and back via a brief stop at Evans cycles to buy a tandem brake and gear cables  it was clouding over as I rode home and is now raining 

[Canardly]

Good turnout of 28 29 riders for regular Sustran's run to a local garden centre. One rider on a electric bike is 92 years old! Loads of club and other cyclists about due to fine weather.

[woollypigs]

Hmm various tracking items different distance, Google Fit - 11.6 miles, Garmin GPS - 9.8 miles, Cateye - 10.08 miles. But 69 feet of climbing!!! according to Strava.

Pushed on past the not finished towpath, a bit like el ripio (gravel road) light. The bike handled this very well. Then it turned into a good forest track, which the bike handled fine too. But after the Polish War memorial (a plane has crashed near there) it turned into a single track with thick slippery mud, not the best with Marathon Racers. Back end slipped out on a muddy camper and I fell over. Now't damaged just got a light application of mud on various bits.

Turned around meet Peli for a wee bit of riding together, jolly good day out.

[Kim]

Dragged barakta away from her essay to the Pushbikes ride celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Rea Valley cyclepath - Birmingham's token half-decent cycle route.  Surprisingly large turnout.  Barakta's first ride of the year, which seemed to go okay.  The Cyo on my Dawes (about 6 years old) took offence at the hand-rolled gravel-on-tarmac surfaces, and decided to crack around the bracket bolt.  It finished the ride held in place with gaffer tape.  This is a legitimate excuse to buy one of those X things, isn't it?

[essexian]

"So Ian," the Doctor said: "No riding or swimming until your arm/shoulder heals...."

Of course i listened to her........ ops.

Being the type to test things out: out came my MTB (a bike which doesn't seem to have been used for at least a year according to my records), as the position is more upright than my road bikes and thus, unlikely to put too much pressure on my poorly area..... 25km later it seems that's rubbish, so I sit here now in quite a lot of pain now.

Was it worth it? Well I did enjoy the 70 minutes out slogging along the rather muddy cycle path from Haughton to Newport and back but the pain afterwards... not so much. Perhaps I should have listened to the Doctor?

[Deano]

A quick nearly-50 miles into the Moors, up past Cod Beck Reservoir, and back via Girsby Lane.

It was a lovely warm day, I thought, but judging by the number of cyclists still in winter kit, I may be alone in this opinion. The joy of having ridden through winter, I suppose.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Just a quick sprint between Gare de Lyon and Gare du Nord, dodging some Paris Marathon plodders. There were a couple of English runners in the Eurostar queue ahead of us who hadn't had time for a shower or change of clothes.

[Basil]

Dragged barakta away from her essay to the Pushbikes ride celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Rea Valley cyclepath - Birmingham's token half-decent cycle route.  Surprisingly large turnout.  Barakta's first ride of the year, which seemed to go okay.  The Cyo on my Dawes (about 6 years old) took offence at the hand-rolled gravel-on-tarmac surfaces, and decided to crack around the bracket bolt.  It finished the ride held in place with gaffer tape.  This is a legitimate excuse to buy one of those X things, isn't it?

Damn.  I knew there was something I had planned to do today!   

Instead, I made the boy walk up to the Bournville food and drink festival at Rowheath Pavilion, only to find that it was yesterday, not today.   

Would any other non employed people like to share tips on HowTheHellYouKeepTrackOfWhatDayItIs?

[Kim]

Dragged barakta away from her essay to the Pushbikes ride celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Rea Valley cyclepath - Birmingham's token half-decent cycle route.  Surprisingly large turnout.  Barakta's first ride of the year, which seemed to go okay.  The Cyo on my Dawes (about 6 years old) took offence at the hand-rolled gravel-on-tarmac surfaces, and decided to crack around the bracket bolt.  It finished the ride held in place with gaffer tape.  This is a legitimate excuse to buy one of those X things, isn't it?

Damn.  I knew there was something I had planned to do today!   

You didn't miss much...

(click to show/hide)

The surfaces are still crap, the dogs were on average less intelligent than their owners this time, and Bromptons and Big Birmingham Bikes were well represented.

Unlike the traditional mechanicals that seem to happen whenever YACF rides use the path, the main source of faff was the large group being split by the various traffic lights.

I think we picked up a passing PCSO-onna-bike at one point.

Would any other non employed people like to share tips on HowTheHellYouKeepTrackOfWhatDayItIs?

How about some of those socks with the days of the week embroidered on them?  But make sure you don't wear them out of sequence, or you may be harassed by drunk women on trains.

[Basil]

  But make sure you don't wear them out of sequence, or you may be harassed by drunk women on trains.

Did I miss a story here? 

[Kim]

  But make sure you don't wear them out of sequence, or you may be harassed by drunk women on trains.

Did I miss a story here? 

Gerwinium OTP owned (and may still own) just such socks.  He got harassed by a drunk woman on a train because they were the wrong day.

And no, we hadn't just done a night ride, or similar mitigating circumstances.

[billplumtree]

Rode to Grasmere and through The Gap over to Thirlmere.  What a delight to ride up Dunmail Raise in peace and quiet, hearing only the becks running (and heart pounding and blood thundering in my ears obv).  Signs say Cyclists Dismount, but the pragmatic security guard said to just walk over the bailey bridge lower down and it'll be reet;  and it was. 


(apols for abysmal phone pics)

The wee road down the west side of Thirlmere was as lovely as ever, and of course even quieter - keep an ear out for buses on the blind bends, but they're only once an hour.  Views across the lake through the trees show great piles of rock debris at the foot of every gully down the mountain opposite, which must have taken the road out completely in places.


(the white van, bottom right, is on the road running about 30' above the lake at this point)

[sg37409]

Trundled round my standard 50 loop in the driech morning, with absolutely nothing in my legs following my "training" blast over the campsies yesterday. Even so, today was quite pleasant as I was forced to take it easy. Unusually, encountered a complete dick in a car, white beemer punishing me for not riding in the gutter in a really bumpy bit. Bloody close and shook me out of my dozy dawdle for a while.

[madcow]

I took advantage of being on my own by heading uphill for once , but it was hard work. The extra 14 lbs gained since last summer were dragging me back but I pushed on to Masham where I stopped for an alfresco coffee.
The market square was busy with a market of some sort  and there were lots of old Sunbeam bikes parked up as well. I guess it was an owners club run.
I then went up to Leyburn but as it looked busy and it was before noon, I decided to go up to Bellerby to check out the Manor Farm Bikers cafe.
It was very busy as another biker group, the Armed Forces Bikers,  were on a club run as well.
They are a registered charity which aims to raise money for armed forces care charities. It struck me  as a particularly British way of raising money-ride an engine powered bike and stuff yourself with a full English breakfast .
On that basis all the HGV drivers in the U.K could register as a charity and even AUK could become a charity . On second thoughts , maybe not , it only leads to trouble.
To top it all BOT took around half an hour to arrive .
Route back was along the tank road , down to Hauxwell, Hunton , Newton and then through to Kirklington.
The fresh breeze made the return leg a bit harder than I expected but I was happy to do 100k for the first time this year.

[Ashaman42]

Got out for 24 miles along the seafront and back with a friend.

Stopped for tea and a slice of cake - yum.

Hard work as only my fourth bike ride this year but starting to feel some enthusiasm again with the weather finally turning so yay.

[Hattyfatner]

50 miles around the High Wield in Sussex, would've been more had it not been for inner tube ineptitude the day before.

[Ruthie]

I took Josette out on what was supposed to be a 20 minute errand, but got caught at the back gate by my next door neighbour - a black hole of a man, from whom it is impossible to escape.

Which meant I got drenched in a shower of rain that started as I set off, and stopped as I arrived home.

I wish he'd piss off sometimes, I really do.

[clarion]

Not a big ride; but a significant one.

We drove down to meet the Brighton & Hove Clarion at Haywards Heath (we missed them, but caught up at Cuckfield), and joined them for a jolly potter round the lanes.  20km or so in total.  It was good to get some countryside miles under my wheels. 

The important thing, though, was that this was the first 'proper' ride our wee stoker has managed - c.10 miles in total!

Plans are emerging for more outings.

[madcow]

It'a great feeling isn't it?
 Are they on kiddycranks or a very small frame?
Just wait till they drag you round an audax!!!

[Ruthie]

Not a big ride; but a significant one.

We drove down to meet the Brighton & Hove Clarion at Haywards Heath (we missed them, but caught up at Cuckfield), and joined them for a jolly potter round the lanes.  20km or so in total.  It was good to get some countryside miles under my wheels. 

The important thing, though, was that this was the first 'proper' ride our wee stoker has managed - c.10 miles in total!

Plans are emerging for more outings.

It's in the genes, innit