Cycling 2022

[Nickslikk2112]

Not 'arf has it been a windy start to the year. I thought it was supposed to have been a bit calmer today and maybe it was, but it was still no fun slogging up hills into it. It was nice when it was behind you though, I managed to set a best time on a segment today where I'd set my previous best five and a half years ago and today I didn't even try. It's nice when you get up to 30 mph on the flat

Had to contend with hail and snow today too. Luckily I missed the worst of it as I skirted the southern flank of the showers, but the hail was like being blasted by ball bearings at times and the road was covered in them. Yet when I turned off the road the hail lasted for half a chain and then the road was completely dry! Good job I chose to go out this morning as it's been filthy so far this afternoon and the moors are now snow covered.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6731087362/

[Slim]

I noticed clouds of hail and snow going past the window at a 45 degree angle a couple of hours ago! Glad I wasn't out in that. Weather should be nicer tomorrow, I've booked the afternoon off.

[Nick]

February has been a right off for me so far, hoping the weekend will bring a cycling window.

[Slim]

The forecast promised a sunny, dry day. I took the afternoon off with the idea of doing 80 or so, to bump up the February mileage tally and get the Fondo done, having left it somewhat late in the month.

The wind was blowing from the west as usual but I decided to break my rule of not returning home into a headwind, and go east. I wanted to do part of the Norfolk route. The roads east of Eastwell through Waltham and Buckminster are my Cycling Happy Place. And the wind was supposed to dissipate a bit later on.

I didn't really want to turn back after 40 miles, it was so nice over there - sunny, scenic and quiet - so I kept going. I hit a Lincolnshire sign not long after Buckminster, then a couple of miles later, a Rutland sign! So I've ticked off the two remaining Neighbouring Counties of Leicestershire for 2022 without having intended to.

I'd intended to pursue the Norfolk route but missed a turn for South Witham. I ended up there anyway though, somehow. Then I turned back for home after 45 miles and came back the same way.



Usually my DAB personal radio would be pretty good company on a Friday bike ride with Elis & John on 5 Live, then the film review show. I believe Kermode has been sent on an impartiality course. However today it was just wall-to-wall Ukraine news all day. I got Ukraine fatigue eventually; I know that's an easy thing to say from this safe distance but it was pretty much the same news cycling round for hours.

I listened to the new Sea Power album on my MP3 player, then - unusually - I did silence for a bit.

I'd had to take a layer off earlier in the day and stuff it in my backpack but the temperature dropped just before sunset. I was still 30 miles from home when the sun dipped below the horizon, but I'd brought good lights.

Two teenage girls waved at me from the back of a car I was stuck behind at some roadworks in Waltham. I waved back of course. This only seemed to encourage them and I was quite relieved when the lights changed and they pulled away.

Terrific run out, 90.56 miles, 261 this month which gives me a decent chance of 300 before March. Really looking forward to going further on that route, on a longer and warmer day.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6737414282

[Nickslikk2112]

Personally, I'd be happy doing 90 miles in a week let alone in one ride - although I am now over a 100 miles for this week thanks to a couple of days off work.

Today's ride was only my third forty miler of the year and it looks like I'll end February 500 miles down on last year. Still, it's quality, not quantity that counts, that's what I tell myself anyway.

It was a nice dry day thankfully, but there was still a stiff breeze, but it had swung round to a southerly direction from a westerly so the segments where I was flying yesterday were down amongst the also rodes today. Still the sunshine had brought the cyclists out today, there were one or two who looked like they had just emerged into the world of real cycling from the Zwifting one as there were one or two very shiny posh looking bikes out there, probably why I was well down today's leaderboard on the climb out of Cutthorpe.

There's too many roadworks round these here parts, I encountered an unexpected set in Holymoorside. I ended up doing what drivists accuse all cyclists of doing - cycling through a red light. It looked very much as if they were stuck on red - and I did follow a Royal Mail van through, so the drivists started it. Whilst waiting at the lights a cycling couple turned up behind me and we exchanged pleasantries, I saw them again up on Beeley Moor as I was doing my refuelling lap round the Beeley Triangle. Looking at Strava I think it was Mark and Mad Dog Walsham. Mark was a pro for the Raleigh cycling team back in the day and Mad Dog's his missus, so she'll be the reason I beat them up Harewood Road easily...

[Nick]

Managed to get out for the first time in 3 weeks. A meagre 16 miles but it blew the cobwebs away and hopefully get me back on track. Still annoyingly had to slow for two instances of horse passing.

[Nick]

Same route today and feel better for it. Still one bloody horse though, back to normal distances again on the next rides.

[Slim]

Today's mission was simple, to do 40 miles and get the February distance total over 300. The wind was blowing from the south-east, so even though I did the eastbound route on Friday I thought I'd do the first 20 miles or so again. It's not as if I do it that often.

However I thought I'd go up through Coleorton and Peggs Green rather than Coalville and Thringstone. The latter route is more efficient in terms of distance and elevation but it's nice to change things up a bit.

I was annoyed that I couldn't use my usual wee stop, a few metres off the road at the edge of Prestwold Park. Some sort of event was taking place there and people were walking to and fro near my cosy little secluded spot.

I'd done just less than 19 miles when I decided to turn back. I thought I'd make up the distance by detouring through Long Whatton and Diseworth on the way back. This was a bit unfortunate in one respect because it meant that I had a very unwelcome headwind coming down Top Brand. Wasn't sure I'd quite be back on 40 miles (I think I would have been, looking at the map) so I added a bit of distance by detouring along Breedon Lane.

Beautiful day today. I took my phone out to take a pic of Boardman II, resplendent in the afternoon sunshine near when I stopped near Cotes. Alas, I was distracted by a WhatsApp message and it looks like I didn't. Or at least I can't find a pic from today on my phone.

Back on 40.94 miles, that's 302 this month.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6747060657

Very handy to have a few days of good weather at the end of the month. It's been a pretty successful cycling weekend; I got the Feb Fondo in, got the distance tally over 300 miles and ticked off the last two neighbouring counties.

[Nickslikk2112]

Two nice days in a row - if still a bit breezy - meant I hit the roads for the first Sunday in four weeks! Don't think I've ever had such a Sundayless run since I took up cycling again back in 2016. Let's hope the weather settles down a bit now.

I got another 40 miler in to take me over 200 miles for February and 146 of those were this week! I also got in two climbs I've never done before. The Cordwell Valley from Barlow has a plethora of climbs up either side of it - all with some degree of "interest" - and these had just passed me by. I'd been down one before, but never up it so I took the plunge today. The first one I took a wrong turning on, but it was no bother to get back to the start again, in fact it was a good mistake to make as otherwise I'd have missed getting to 40 miles. I'd say this was the better of the climbs, as it is more up and down and windy. The second was straighter, all of a similar steepness and covered in thick mud and big stones washed out of the fields, but what doesn't kill s only makes us stronger.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6747931544/

[Slim]

Just had a random follow request on Strava. Accepted it, and:



SPAM on Strava, that's a first. I did the "report fake profile" thing.

[David L]

Just had a random follow request on Strava. Accepted it, and:



SPAM on Strava, that's a first. I did the "report fake profile" thing.

Hottie! Get a tandem

[Slim]

Dry day, decently bright though not quite sunny, but - a cold wind was blowing. Since it's likely to rain for the next few days, I thought I'd leave early and get the March campaign underway.

I decided on a Twycross Bypasser; hadn't been along Orton Lane for a while. I did the longish version going into Warton. Since I was suffering slightly in a cold headwind I decided, once I got to Sheepy, that I'd come home the quickest way from there. The trouble is, I never know which way that is. I came back through Twycross, Congerstone, Shackerstone, Swepstone and Ibstock anyway.



I bonked near Twycross. Hadn't eaten that much today, I guess. But two mini pork pies soon sorted that out.

I saw a large, grey bird near Shackerstone. At first I thought it was a pigeon, but it was flying along the ground along the side of the road in front of me, in a most un-pigeonlike manner. Then it just cleared the hedge on the opposite side and swooped down over the field again. I'm pretty sure it was an owl.

33.98 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6758244853

[Fishy]

Glorious day in Ayr today so took a route up n over the Carrick Hills... done in a car a few times .. first time on the bike ... fantastic views over to Arran and Firth of Clyde ... eventually  circuit route back down onto the sea front and out to the pier and home

23 miles.. just great

[Nickslikk2112]

It was still blowy again today, but David Coverdale had been out and changed the Westerly to a Northwind. Still, it made a change to be slowed down in different places

Thanks to the wind change I almost broke 17 minutes on the Harewood Road climb, just two minutes off my best. On my good bike and with a tailwind I stand a chance of breaking 15 minutes this year - although looking at the cracks appearing in the road it won't be long before it joins the long list of Derbyshire roads closed by land slippage.

That's a 40 mile ride start for March, hopefully the weekends will stay fine now.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6776233270

[dom]

Beautiful day in Ireland too. Bright sunshine not much wind to begin with although it did pick up a little later. Met up with 3 other Trim wheelers and a newcomer. We did a gentle 20k loop not to scare her off and then the same loop again without her in reverse with a slightly quicker pace.  Wind had picked up again by then but nothing like it had been on every other time I've been out this year