Cycling 2022

[Slim]

I was going to go out tomorrow rather than today but my dhb shorts arrived from Wiggle, and I thought I'd brave the cold north wind and try them out. I thought I'd do the eastbound route for 20 miles or so then come back. Conditions didn't really seem to suggest a longer ride than that.

The eastbound route is actually a bit north-east-ish, at least as far as Eastwell. So actually I had a blend of sidewind and headwind to contend with and it had become a bit of a struggle after 20-odd miles. As I stood at the entrance to a garden furniture depot to the east of Six Hills, contemplating the famous Loughborough skyline in the distance and munching a cheese & onion pasty, a light rain started to descend. I did think I should probably turn for home, at this point. But Eastwell (my default Fondo endpoint) was only six miles away so I pressed on.

The rain got a bit heavier. Not a lot of fun propelling yourself uphill with a wind blowing stinging cold rain in your face. But - I was a lot more comfortable after turning back at the Eastwell crossroads, especially when the rain stopped.

Stopped to buy provisions at Burton on the Wolds on the way back and had a sandwich and doped myself with a Malteser bar at the log near Cotes, where I took this pic.



The rain started up again shortly after this, but it was light and only lasted 15 minutes or so.

Mostly listened to footy on 5 Live.

I passed a young man deploying a hazard warning triangle behind his white BMW near Six Hills as I pedalled east, and he was still there sitting in his car nearly two hours later on the way back. Waiting for the AA or similar, I assume. Poor lad.

Annoyingly my Garmin bike computer only lasted five hours on its charge, and I had to track the last 12 miles or so using a GPS app on my phone.

The shorts fit well and are very comfy. I'll probably save them for longer rides.

Back on 62.37 miles, dead on sunset. Lovely sunset as well with the tall trees in the village silhouetted in front of a glowing orange sky. Good timing.

Pretty tough one that, at least in parts, but ultimately satisfying. Pleased to have got the March Fondo in early.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6778969870

[Fishy]

Another beautiful day in Ayr so did the reverse circuit from yesterday with a few little changes.... Up thru Belleisle and Rozelle Parks out to the cycle path which pretty much follows the main A77 out to the small village of Minishant which is where I found a nice connecting road up to the single path track taking me up to the Carrick Hills..  back down to join the Route 7 cycle path and into Burns Land and back out to the seafront and Pier then home

Was hoping for more but turned in 21 miles....

[Nickslikk2112]

I was hoping for my first 50 miler of the year today, but the slow start to the year means my legs just don't feel up to it. Once again the wind didn't help either, not as strong as it has been, but a chilly Easterly.

I got to 45 miles though, making it my longest ride of the year so far and with 3,488ft of ascent my climbingest ride of the year too - even though I only took in one classified climb. It's the hills of the North.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6783731022/

[Fishy]

Another sunshiney day so back out again... this time on the coastal route..out towards Dunure and dropping into Maybole....a closed road forced me into a back road I knew nothing about but eventually brought me out just south of the village of Minishant.. where I picked up a part of the route from yesterday and dropped into Alloway and past Burns Cottage to a cycle path next to the river and then onto the seafront...coastal route was pretty hilly and riding into the wind so was absolutely knackered.. called it a day as had a Thai curry to make so headed home

23 miles but it felt longer....

[Slim]

Beautifully bone dry, sunny afternoon in the East Midlands. I left work reasonably early and set off on the southbound route. A Twycrosser wouldn't have worked out too well with the wind coming from the east.

I wanted to do about 30 miles, but I got as far as Kirkby Mallory before I decided I'd had enough. I'd wrapped up a layer or two lighter than of late, and I definitely shouldn't have. Bloody cold out there. I had a brief incursion into the grounds of the race track (Mallory Park, of course), which I hadn't done before. Then I turned back for home.

I briefly gave some consideration to the idea of coming back via Sutton and Bosworth, but I assumed I'd regret it because it would take longer. Actually looking at the map on Strava it would probably have been quicker.

Back on 26.34 miles which takes me to 123 done this month.

I trialled the new AA-powered bike light I bought a week or so ago and while the light itself works nicely, the mount it comes with is rubbish. It's really cheap plastic and it was impossible to tighten it enough to stay in one place. I suppose I'll end up affixing it to the bike with a plastic tie, or quite possibly it will end up in one of several crates of barely-used retail therapy detritus in the garage.

The new phone my company has sent me is bigger and heavier than the one I smacked against the unforgiving tarmac of the A5132, so I've reverted to an older one. Unfortunately the old one doesn't take photos nearly as well as the last one, and I was unable to capture the majesty of the sunset on the way back.

So I CGI-ed one in. I hope you like it.



https://www.strava.com/activities/6788514731

[David L]

What catches my eye is a wonderful example of a telegraph pole (Distribution Point 13?) supporting an element of the UK's fixed-line telecommunications infrastructure maintained by the hard-working members of Openreach Ltd, a company wholly owned by the superbly efficient and successfull BT plc
Makes me very proud 

[pdw1]

What we need is a picture of Slim's bike by the side of the road propped up against a burnt out russian tank. 

[Fishy]

Was a bit undecided about going out today..... weather was starting to close in..windy rainy still a bit of brightness but decided what the hell....glad I did... obviously rubbish weather keeps the walkers/dog walkers indoors so less obstacles for me to overcome... intention was going to get to Dunure on the coast do a circuit of that and see where the force would take me......quick change of plan 3 miles in and decided to try the Carrick Hills again... a bit of battle climbing up but worth it on the descent... reaching the heady speeds of 27 miles an hour.. took a new route off the hills thru the little village of Knockdon which I'd. never heard of.. again a nice freewheeling exit from that village down to the main road where I joined up with earlier routes thru Minishant/Alloway/Seafront and Pier....Weather was now pretty nasty by this time so quick route home into a very strong headwind

20 miles..very enjoyable

[Slim]

Sunny day. Got out of work early and - since a moderate wind was coming from the south - decided I'd do 20 or so miles of the southbound route, then come back. Pretty much the same thing I did on Monday, except that I went further.

I got as far as Broughton Astley. But instead of turning for home and coming back the same way, on a whim I took a right turn. I thought I'd give myself a bit of an adventure, and try to navigate home along unfamiliar roads.

A couple of hundred yards later I saw another right turn signposted to Stoney Stanton, so I took that. All this did was to loop me back onto the original route within about half a mile. Not much of an adventure then but I did notice a decent shop and a petrol station along the way. Might be handy for supplies on a longer ride in future.

The return journey, with a tailwind, was really very pleasant except for 15 minutes of rain. I listened mostly to 5 Live, and speculation about Chelsea football club. It was a mild evening, so at least my own assets weren't frozen. Really nice to be out after dark without feeling cold.

Took this pic on the bridge over the M69.



Back on 42.38 miles. 165 miles this month, happy with that 10 days in.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6804176756

[Jonners]

Big News. Assuming Mrs Miller lets me (she has bloody covid!) Im going cycling outside tomorrow!

I have some new Ale shorts (big reductions at Wiggle at the moment, and they are lovely), a new Lezyne mini pump in case of punctures, and no excuses. Weather looks set fair as well

[Slim]

Just had a look on Wiggle and they have no less than 18 Lezyne hand pumps! 

I already have six or seven of various different sizes. My favourite is a very light and usable Boardman-branded one that came with the second Boardman. Nice combination of reliable and very light, although some of my other pumps would get the job done quicker.

[Fishy]

25 miles yesterday.. Ayrshire coast road again to Dunure  which boasts on its welcome sign Outlander filming location...nice little village with small harbour..... so a quick tour of that then back up onto main road and back the way I came then turning off for another trip up and over the Carrick Hills then picking up earlier routes and home

[Slim]

Rather blowy and I was on call, but I wanted to do about 40. The wind was blowing from the south so I thought I'd do a chunk of the eastbound route. But to change things up a bit I thought I'd go a different way over the first 10 miles or so - through Coalville, then up through Shepshed. I knew this would add about 200 ft of climbing for about the same distance.

Unfortunately I was so engrossed in the footy chat on 5 Live that I completely forgot what I'd planned to do, and pursued the usual route. I realised what I'd done at Whitwick and tracked back and onto the intended route, using the Coalville bypass as a short cut to get there.

It was nice to do something different for a change but the road up through Shepshed was like a rollercoaster of hills. I'd been along there in a car many times years ago, but obviously I'd forgotten it. There's a particularly buttock-clenching feature which, when I used to negotiate it in a car years ago, I termed The Devil's Anus, in homage to a similar feature near Hartlepool known to locals as "The Devil's Elbow" - a fast, sharp dip that cleverly uses gravity to propel your vehicle round a curving bend like a slingshot.

The other annoying thing is that when you come into Shepshed there are a couple of roundabouts coming downhill that rob momentum when you're forced to put the anchors on.

Nice view on the high ground along there, though.



I'd planned to go at least as far as the petrol station at Burton on the Wolds because I hadn't brought enough food, but I decided I'd had enough of the headwind before I got as far as Prestwold Park. Additionally I was starting to feel nervous about being too far from base while on call, so I opted to turn back. I knew I'd only end up with about 36 miles if I came back the usual way from there, but a detour via Long Whatton would add a few miles and allow me to refuel at the village shop there.

I had a very pleasant lunch sitting outside said village shop. An egg mayonnaise sandwich, a Twix and a packet of barbecue flavour crisps. Not in that order. I also gulped down a small can of Red Bull.

The chain came off the front chain rings a few miles later which would have been merely a minor inconvenience if I'd had some disposable gloves in the saddle pack, but I didn't. I have two boxes of the things in the garage. I got my hands filthy, of course. But I wiped the worst of it off on the grass at the side of the road.

I suspect the X needs a new chain. It's been performing phantom gear changes recently, as well.

I did get a call from work about 8 miles from home, but whatever the problem had been it had sorted itself out by the time I got back. Probably a network glitch.

I tried the coffee shop at Normanton on Soar on the way out. I carefully pedalled the bike round the back of the community centre there to find it closed. I think it's only open in the mornings. But it looks a nice little place with benches outside. Less than 12 miles from home so not that useful but might be a pleasant diversion on a casual ride.

Mild again today. Mostly sunny, as well. Wore my helmet for a change.

Back on 37.78 miles, a bit less than I wanted but that'll do. 203 done this month.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6813871805
 

[Nickslikk2112]

Didn't get out until this afternoon today, as little brother had arranged a conference call to discuss where we're at on the road to getting probate on our dad's estate. But that was OK as there's plenty of daylight in the afternoon now. Still plenty of wind too.

Today was a slight variation on my Saturday morning ride in that I dropped down to Baslow roundabout to get another hill in. I like hills. NOT! But they're their so ride them. Slowly.

Well, not that slowly, I'm not too bad for an old bloke but EF Procycling's James Shaw had been out and about today and he was nearly five minutes quicker than me up the Harewood Road climb. Will he be as good when he gets to my age though? Will he be burnt out, me I didn't start serious cycling into my 50s and I'm still getting better - or not that much worse.

It appears that the Curlew are back, well at least on is, I heard it's plaintive call up on East Moor and turned my head to see it flying by. I didn't see any deer like I did last week. Nor did I see chef Mark Aisthorpe swanning around outside the Bull's Head in Holymoorside, I thought he might have been after his appearance on this week's Great British Menu, but no.

Another 45 miles done today with 3,500 feet of elevation gain, but I still don't feel fully into the groove yet.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6813603246/

[Nickslikk2112]

And another 45 miler today. Slightly longer than last Sunday's and with more climbing too. So, the numbers appear to be getting better, but I feel absolutely knackered Perhaps I shouldn't have stuck the third categorised climb in Yesterday. Funnily enough I only did one categorised climb today, yet the ride over had more elevation gain. It's nicely hilly in these here parts   

No exotic bird or animal life out today. Very few cyclists either, perhaps yet another windy day put them off. Plenty of people who drive like twats out though. Can't stand those who come by you giving a foot of space and then they drive with their tyres rubbing against the kerb. What is in their heads?

https://www.strava.com/activities/6819419995