Cycling 2023

[Nickslikk2112]

My stop start season continues. After starting to get into a rhythm, things came to a halt with a stalking of Riverside. I had hoped for a Sunday afternoon spin, but I watched the end of Liege-Bastogne-Liege after I got home and then it rained. Felt a bit heavy in the legs too, walking and standing must use different muscle groups to cycling.

Today's forecast was a bit iffy, but the reality was different, no showers until I'd just got home. Not too long a ride at 22 miles, but it gets me up over 1,000 road miles for the year at last only 142 behind this time last year, so I may still have a chance of exceeding last year's tally, weather permitting of course, but a birthday break means I'll be missing three days at the end of this week.

A mix of road and beginners gravel (canal towpath) today and no great effort put in. I must stop trying to ride at almost top speed all the while, I'm getting old, so sticking in gravelly bits and dodgy surfaced roads helps with that.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8948001466

[Slim]

I had the first Boardman cleaned and serviced by the guy who did my Planet X. A bit of a shame in a way because I've always done any work it's needed myself (including new front and rear mech, new seat posts, various new cables, a couple of new cassettes, a new stem).

But I was adjusting the front mech a couple of weeks ago and noticed that one of the gear cables was frayed. And since it needed both a new cable and a good clean I thought I'd save myself the effort. Will give it a go tomorrow.

Managed to get it in my Volkswagen Up! with the front wheel off which I was quite pleased about.

I'll be treating it to some new bar tape soon.

[Nickslikk2112]

Nice day for it today  Took the Bianchi out today, to maximise mileage in the time I had available to me. Nearly got taken out by a learner driver though, must have been with a family member not a driving school. They decided to overtake me even though someone was coming the other way and ended up getting closer in to me as they went by Sure way to fail a driving test I'd have told them if the upcoming junction had delayed them, although judging by the way most people drive maybe not.

Apart from that and some roadworks which have sprung up it was a nice spin out, up to the tops and a rapid descent down Matlock Road. Nice.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8953810121

[Slim]

Not a bad day at all, very dry, cloudy but bright and very liight winds. Unreasonably cold for late April, but I wrapped up warm.

Today's mission, after work, was to do at least 40 miles, to bring me within plausible reach of getting to 600 miles in April on my next ride. I thought I'd go up into Derby for a change.

I took the Boardman, to give it a post-service check.

I went up Top Brand, past East Midlands Airport where I had a nice view of a Learjet 45 taking off, through Donington, over Cavendish Bridge, through Shardlow and up to Borrowash, where I took a left turn toward Derby.

I decided I'd go up to Oakwood via Spondon, but I took the wrong right turn the first time. I ended up with a choice of joining the A52 during the rush hour, or turning back. So I turned back to Derby Road and took the correct right turn, along Willowcroft Road.

Kept going until I saw Sancroft Road, which I recognised as being part of my way home to Oakwood when I lived there and had a girlfriend in Spondon, 32 years ago. I used to cycle that route sometimes on my old Raleigh Routier as well, so it was quite a trip down Memory Lane.

Got to Oakwood, came down Acorn Way. Then I came home via Aston-on-Trent and Weston-on-Trent, through Melbourne and home the usual way. I didn't enjoy Rotter's Rise but it wasn't too punishing.



I really enjoy my cycling visits to Derby and I'd do them more often if not for having to negotiate a busy roundabout over the A50, either at Swarkestone or Donington. Going through Aston and Weston avoids that to be fair, but it's a very indirect route.

The bike is running nicely following its service. I did tweak the front Disraeli thumbwheel a bit, but that's fine. But what did annoy me a little is that the stem hasn't quite been put on straight. The handlebars are angled at about 93 degrees from the line of the front wheel.

Still - it's an easy enough fix. And an excuse to swap out the old steel rear stem bolts, which have a bit of surface rust, for some titanium ones. The faceplate bolts have already been swapped out. I've got some new handlebar tape for it, as well.

Back on 46.17 miles - 566 done this month. Should be able to get another 34 miles in on Friday.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8956447948

[Slim]

420 this month, 1628 this year. This time last year I'd done 1378, and the year before, 1160.

.. and a year later exactly, I've done 1913 miles this year. Interesting. I'm not really trying to increase my overall distances.

[Slim]

Straightened the stem .. didn't replace the bolts because it turns out they're bigger than the (M5) faceplate bolts and I don't have any spare. Put new bar tape on. It looks and feels a bit cheap & nasty but it was only £5.59 for both rolls. It'll do.

[Nickslikk2112]

Made it out today to make it put for three days in a row - for the first time since early last December. Now it's back off the bike again until at least Sunday, unless I manage to sneak one away with me to South Lakeland and the Yorkshire Dales...

Didn't do anything too strenuous, but took the Bianchi to make what I did do a bit quicker and the 32 miles I did got me over 400 miles for April. Starting to feel like a cyclist again.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8959887479

[Slim]

Probably the last rain free-day of the month so I left work a bit early to do 34 miles or a bit more, to get the April distance tally past 600 miles.

The forecast told me that a moderate wind was coming from the west. It also told me that the temperature would be 13C, so I went with the bare legs option. Possibly a little too cool for that in practice, at least early on.

I did the Upper Westbound Route as far as Willington, except that I went up along Top Brand and Isley Walton, and came back down through Wilson (to avoid Rotter's Rise).

Really a rather nice run out, especially later on when the temperature climbed a couple of notches and the sun came out.

Very pleased with the new handlebar tape on the S Works. Seems very comfy, if a bit drab-looking.
 


I regretted stopping to take this pic on Swarkestone Bridge, because I had a long wait for the necessary gap in the oncoming river of traffic to get going again.

Back on 36.72 miles. 603 this month.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8973375796

[Fishy]

A very leisurely ride out to Troon with the mrs.. just followed the national route 7 out of Ayr to Prestwick past the airport then onto Troon pretty much running parallel to the main railway line.. stopped off for some light lunch and a coffee @ Drift in Troon then back home reverse route .. an acceptable 21 miles..

[Nickslikk2112]

Well, that was my first ride as a 60 year old. And it bloody felt like it! Think my Gourmet long weekend was weighing me down a bit. Not that it was a long gourmet weekend as I was back home on Saturday afternoon. Had hoped to get out then, but the torrential rain shower we passed through on the moors above Sheffield followed us home. Sunday afternoon ended up being rained off too.

For the first time this year, I showed bits of my legs to the sun. Still had a long-sleeved jersey, but wished I hadn't, especially when going uphill. I was hoping to get 25 miles in, just to get the legs going again, but ended up on 27. Legs felt fine, but I think my lungs have shrunk...

https://www.strava.com/activities/8991633705/

[Slim]

I had a tentative intention to ride to Wales and back today. I decided that if I woke up early enough and I felt like it, I'd do the necessary 140-odd miles to penetrate the land of dragons, leeks and Gareth Bale.

I did wake up at about 0400, but I only got as far as the bathroom before going back to bed. After all long bike rides are a lot of fun, but sleep's nice as well, isn't it?

I got up again at about 0830 though, and I'd set off on a bike by 0940 with the more modest goal of doing a fondo.

The weather forecast prompted me to go west, for two reasons - firstly, it wasn't going to rain over that way (whereas it was going to, supposedly, at home) and secondly the wind was coming from that direction.

I decided on my Upper Westbound Route, up over Swarkestone Bridge then west along the Beloved A Road.

Annoyingly I left my GPS bike computer in the house, so I tracked the ride using the RideWithGPS app on my phone. This meant of course that I wouldn't have a view of the distance I'd done without stopping to take out the phone, but I've memorised a few distance points on that route. I knew when I'd done ten miles, and fifteen, and twenty without checking the phone.

By the time I got to Sudbury after 25 miles, I'd decided to do something a bit different than just going back the same way. I decided I'd go south to join my Lower Westbund Route through King's Bromley, Edingale, Lullington and Measham. I've done this before a couple of times and was a bit reluctant to do it, because it involves a punishing rollercoaster of brutal hill climbs. But I resolved to grin and bear it.



The other problem is that the whole route doesn't quite add up to the requisite fondo distance. So to compensate, I opted to go a bit further west for a bit. Therefore, after about five miles of heading south down from Sudbury, I took a right turn for Hoar Cross. I knew I could get to Abbots Bromley easily from there, a few miles to the west. And that's a familiar destination from the Lower Westbound Route.

Unfortunately the road from the main road to Hoar Cross offered a fast, steep descent over a bumpy surface well furnished (today at least) with puddles, so the bike and I picked up a few splashes. I won't take that turn again. I stopped at a bus shelter when I got to the village to consume the food and tinned coffee I'd bought at a petrol station a few miles previously. Then I set off to Abbots Bromley, about three miles further on to the west. A much better road from that point on.

Wasn't sure if coming home my usual way from Abbots Bromley on the lower route would see me home on a fondo distance - so I kept going west through the village for a mile or two before turning for home. I didn't need to, as it turned out. I'd done 66.62 miles when I arrived back at the garage.

As I negotiated the right turn into Grangewood Road between Lullington and Acresford about ten miles from home, I took the trouble to return a smile and a wave to two cyclists coming the other way. A motorist at the junction took great offence at this. He beeped his horn and gesticulated aggressively, as if I was inconveniencing him. I hadn't even slowed down, but you'd think I'd parked my bike in front of his car. Unbelievable. I gave him a withering look and a slight shake of the head, intended to convey a sense of disbelief blended with pity.

Really a very nice run out. The Lower Westbound Route is a lovely proposition on a sunny day. Nice and warm as well, later on. I stopped after fifteen miles to remove my tights and an upper layer and stuff them in my back pack.

That's 2017 done this year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8991313378

[dom]

Made it out today to make it put for three days in a row - for the first time since early last December. Now it's back off the bike again until at least Sunday, unless I manage to sneak one away with me to South Lakeland and the Yorkshire Dales...

Didn't do anything too strenuous, but took the Bianchi to make what I did do a bit quicker and the 32 miles I did got me over 400 miles for April. Starting to feel like a cyclist again.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8959887479

Happy 60th!

[Nickslikk2112]

For the second week in a row I've managed to get out on three consecutive days Might even make it four tomorrow with me not having a gourmet break ahead of me Must save up.

Managed my quickest ascent of the Col de Wigley of the year today, nice to be on an upwards trajectory, but the tailwind probably helped. Then again I was delayed by a Horse rider who was holding up the traffic. Then again that bit of a delay probably let me recover a bit after the steepest pitch of the bottom half of the climb.

Today's 31 miles leaves me at nearly 90 for the week. Not where I ought to be, but I'll take it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9002139459/

[Slim]

A dry, sunny day today. With rain in the forecast for most of the next couple of weeks, clearly a decent run out after work was in order. Forty miles or so, I thought.

Quite an annoying moderate / strong wind coming from the east. I thought I'd do 20 miles or so of the Eastbound Route then come back. That's pretty much what I did, except that I detoured via Top Brand through Diseworth on the way out (I sometimes do that on the way back, but rarely going east). I got as far as Narrow Lane after 23 miles, then detoured through Wymeswold and Rempstone on the way back. A sort of figure-of-eight route.



A bit cooler than I'd have liked but I got away with bare legs. I took the Boardman to assess the performance of its new bar tape. Apart from looking cheap, it's not quite as comfy as the old tape. I may wrap some more tape directly over it, for a dual-ply super padded arrangement.

Back on 43.21 miles, that's 110 for the month already. I'm aiming to do 435 this month.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9004706609

[Nickslikk2112]

And today I made it four days in a row. Four days of exposing the knees too, they've even taken on a bit of colour. Hopefully I'll soon get to working the tanlines on the arms

Bit of a gusty easterly today, but it didn't affect me too much and I managed to do last Wednesday's ride a whole minute quicker and I even managed to set a PR on a short uphill sprint. Don't think I'll get close to averaging the 47.5mph of the KOM though - even if I was in a car as it's a 30 limit.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9008601159