Cycling 2023

[Slim]

I really wanted to do at least a fondo today, maybe even 100+ miles - but then the weather forecast changed to threaten thunder and showers in the afternoon. I set off at 0850 hoping to do 30 or 40 before the rain came over.

Actually spots of rain were coming down as I wheeled the bike out, but they died off ten minutes later. Warm out there from the outset, even in minimal clothing. Conditions grew uncomfortably warmer and more humid ad the ride wore on.

I went eastbound as far as Narrow Lane, which I took to hook northward to Wymeswold, then came back via Hoton. After crossing the border back into Leicestershire I detoured via Diseworth. Came back down the longer way through Griffydam and Peggs Green.

Spots of rain again over the last couple of miles but it didn't get any worse.

Listened to the Stones' Steel Wheels, then Nai Palm's Needle Paw. Then (unusually) a bit of classical. Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Back on 45.44. 258 this month. Looking good for 500.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9821554782

[Nickslikk2112]

Was hoping for a 30 miler to get to 200 miles for the week, but the rain which looked like we might escape decided to start just as I finished watching today's racing. It started up again when I put my bib shorts on. Waited a bit. Rain stopped. Put Jersey on, rain came down again. It stopped. Got out.

Got an hour and a half in for 25 miles, but was it ever humid out there! Sweat was dripping out of my helmet like rain. Got home to find Mrs S still slumped on the settee texting, just as she was when I left. She needs to get a bike.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9823729935

[Nickslikk2112]

After yesterday's complete and utter wash out, today dawned bright and cloudy. Good. Didn't feel that good though, a bit "stomachey" but hey, a ride does you good.

I did do me good, a felt a lot better at the end of it and even managed to do the ride I did last Tuesday a bit quicker. Couldn't believe the roads were so dry after yesterday. Even the spots which seem to flood after a bit of drizzle only had small puddles. maybe yesterday was just wet over my house of misery.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9840739213

[Slim]

Nice day. Dry, much cooler. When I stepped out of the front door I was convinced I'd need tights and a fleece. However when I actually went to get the bike out, I realised I wouldn't need the tights so I removed them there and then. I put them in my backpack, think I might need them later. But I left the fleece on.

The intention was to perform a fondo based on the Southbound route. I set off a bit before 3pm. But when I got to the crossroads at Stoney Stanton, I decided to go straight on instead of left, to do the Fosse Way version of the route. I confess that this was mainly because I could see a cutie with a colourful pair of jogging pants receding into the distance, and I wanted to get a better look.

Well - I wasn't sure I'd remember the way. Superficially it's a straight line on the map thanks to the Romans, but when you zoom in there are some tricky turns and manouevres through villages.



But I only needed to do another 14 miles or so, and I did. I thoroughly enjoyed doing that one again, actually. I think I've done it six or seven times at the most. I really should do it more often; even at teatime on a weekday the Fosse Way part of the route is strangely quiet, despite being a wide, very well surfaced straight road. I stopped at Brinklow to get a very nice sausage and chutney sandwich on the way back. The last time I went through there was about three Reacher novels ago; I recall that I'd just started The Enemy. Just checked and it was October last year, thought it was longer ago than that.

Took a pic of the bike at the High Cross monument, built to mark the centre of Roman Britain at the intersection of two great Roman roads.

Sorry to objectify women twice in the same post but my God there was a fit but well built young lady strolling along the pavement at Kirkby Mallory wearing tiny - I mean tiny - pink running shorts that looked like they'd been applied from an aerosol.

Oh yes, haven't seen any discarded knickers recently but there was a discarded black stocking along Bumblebee Lane.

I listened to the Rolling Stones' Voodoo Lounge (not too bad, surprisingly) and 5 Live. The comically bad radio presenter Nihal Arthanayake had Clive Myrie on his show. It's hard not to like Clive, and I find him relatable as a well-spoken articulate Northerner of a similar age myself. Sadly, but perhaps predictably, Clive's interview consisted of non-stop race-baiting and wallowing in victimhood.

Back on 62.78 miles. Third fondo this month, 24th this year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9843608076

[Slim]

I particularly wanted to take advantage of a warm, dry day with light winds to do a long ride. The weather forecast looks poor from Sunday and other plans have been made for me tomorrow.

So I booked the afternoon off, with the idea of sneaking out of work at about 1130 and doing 80 miles or so. Alas - my participation was required at a meeting on the afternoon, so I unbooked my half day. I thought I'd be able to get away by 1430 and maybe get in another fondo but nope, I wasn't able to get out of it until 1500.

So I settled for a Twycrosser. It's a nice Friday afternoon tradition, to mark the end of the working week. I took the S Works, because I've just changed the rear inner tube (again). I think it was a valve fault. Just wanted to check all's well with the new tube on a relatively short ride.

I had to stop for a wee after only 11 miles because it's Urology Day, apparently. 5 Live had a piece on this, and they played some running water sounds as examples of aural stimuli likely to make people want to wee. It worked. But what if I'd been stuck in a car in heavy traffic on the M1?

Anyway I came back along Fenn Lanes but took a short cut past the Judith Birch bench near Shenton. Back up through Bosworth and the villages, but I looped through Burgoland and Swepstone to extend the ride a bit.

Back on 36.21, not as much as I'd have liked. But every 30 miles at this stage is 10 miles I don't have to do in each of the last three months.

357 this month, another 100 before October will do nicely.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9855291493

[Nickslikk2112]

Yesterday was one of those days when I just didn't feel like going out, think I've been a bit under the weather. Mrs S's fault, she'll be bringing back a lurgy or two from working in a school. I did think the weather would stop me anyway, but it wasn't that bad. I still stayed in.

Today, after a dodgy shit, I won't go into greater detail, I made it out and decided that I'd just loop around a bit and see how it goes. I went well, I looped around more than I thought and made it up to 40 miles and got 3,000ft of climbing in too. I even managed the climb up to Sutton Scarsdale at an average of 310W, not that impressive for some, but it was for me. I was hoping for 275W.

One bit I didn't enjoy was the road down to Stainsby. A field worth of mud had been brought out onto the road and I ended up rather messy, the bike even more so. I didn't dare touch the brakes as I'm sure I would have been off. A road for the Gravel bike.

I'd almost come a cropper before I'd gone a mile, I took a left turn at speed and either I forgot to stop pedalling or I'd left my left pedal in the down position. It hit the road. Mu conscious brain thought "WTF I'm going to come off" my unconscious brain - the biggest bit - got me to wrench myself upright. It seems to have altered my pedalling imbalance though, since putting the power pedals on the Giant my power had been 47%L/53%R consistently. Today it came in the other way round 

https://www.strava.com/activities/9853469219/

[Nickslikk2112]

Looks like Autumn's on the way, so I made sure to get out into the dull late afternoon today. Wasn't quite on yesterday's form, but did set my best time up the Col de Wigley of the year and then by going back round and coming in at the bottom of it my best ever time for the top of the climb. Oh the joys of a tailwind.

Nearly got taken out by some ducks which waddled out into the road on the way back, wasn't sure which way to turn, but they got airborne just in time. Little blighters.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9862265482/

[Slim]

Today's weather forecast threatened rain from about 4-5pm, which gave me enough time for a fondo if I got up early enough - which I did.

With a stiff breeze coming from the east, the basic plan was to do the eastbound route. However I planned a diversion on the way back, to take in a road between Thrussington and Cotes that I discovered while exploring a month or two ago.

I set off at about 0915, did the usual route for a little over 28 miles, then turned back. I'd calculated that the detour would give me the necessary 100km if I turned back at that point and I didn't want to do more than that - every unnecessary mile was a hostage to fortune with the weather. It wouldn't be the first time the rain had turned up early.

I plunged south into the detour through Ragdale and Hoby about 6 or 7 miles later. The main route out east at that point is nice and flat, but it actually runs along a sort of ridge, or spine - if you go north or south from it, you end up going sharply downhill. As I approached Hoby I was overtaken by an old bloke in a powder blue 911 with the top down. Unfortunately he wanted to take the descent, and the curve into Hoby a bit more hesitantly than I did and I had to put the brakes on more than once, to avoid colliding with his rear bumper. Annoying because I never like to waste kinetic energy or brake pad material. If you can't outpace a bike in a Porsche, maybe you shouldn't have one. Either that or refrain from overtaking on a steep descent.

Well - the detour was a bit of a rollercoaster and while it was all quite pleasant, It's only really the last few miles through Walton on the Wolds that I'd want to repeat. There are more economical ways of doing that than going all the way down to Thrussington.

I added a couple of miles by taking a wrong turn after Walton; only realised when I found myself entering Barrow on Soar. I just turned back rather than rerouting.

Listened to the Stones' Bridges to Babylon - another thoroughly decent record. Then the Singapore Grand Prix.

I didn't get rained on.

Back on 64.05 miles; fourth fondo this month. Not sure if I've ever done five in a month before but it looks like I will this month.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9867764398

[Nickslikk2112]

Next week's forecast threatens rain - and wind - so I made sure to get out today, managing to return before any rain started.

Just a 34 miler, good enough to stretch the legs a bit and get over 150 miles for the week. Never overtaken so many other cyclists, mainly kids on the pavement and people out on touring bikes...

https://www.strava.com/activities/9868767187/

[Slim]

Wasn't going to go cycling today. The forecast was for showers in the afternoon and early evening. But I had a look at the rainfall radar forecast, which suggested I'd get away with it. So I went at about 1530. I did a Bypasser; a medium length version I guess.

Some time I must work out how many possible versions of a "Bypasser" or "Twycrosser" there are but anyway, this one went up to Ashby and down through Packington at the top, and along Atterton Lane at the bottom.



I thought I was going to escape untouched by precipitation until I picked up a few sporadic spots of rain near Carlton. No great hardship I thought, but five minutes later it was properly coming down. Not heavy, but not light either. But it only lasted ten minutes. I was wearing contact lenses again. I guess one big advantage of them is that they don't get pebbled by rainwater.

Shortly after I made the right turn for Heather off Odstone Lane, I was confronted by the most gobsmacking rainbow I've ever seen, in the last of the late afternoon sunshine. It was unbroken, perfect, vivid. And hypnotic; I couldn't stop gawping at it as I cycled in to Heather. Like a fluorescent arch straddling a dozen miles of the NW Leicestershire landscape.



I did stop to take a pic but it had faded a little by then and I didn't do it justice. Every colour was individually distinguishable.

Had to give the bike a clean and wipe down back at the garage but that was quite therapeutic.

Back on 35.74.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9894527870

[Nickslikk2112]

Got out for the first time this week today. Did a bit on the Turbo yesterday just to turn the legs over, but it was a bit sweaty and nasty.

Perhaps a bit sweaty because I'm ailing slightly, I was drenched in sweat in the night and this morning's motions were none too pleasant. The sun was shining though so I had to go out!

Managed to haul my way up to the tops, but didn't bother dropping down to the Derwent Valley as it would mean a long climb again, a climb with a tailwind, but I didn't want to risk it as I didn't want to end up doing a Tom Dumoulin.

Seemed to be more cyclists about than a normal Thursday, probably all fair weather cyclists like me and had been waiting for a chance to get out. Had one follow me all the way down to Cutthorpe, I kept flicking my elbow to tell him to come by, but no, he took the opportunity to follow my line. More fool him.

The weather forecast reckoned on showers between one and two, I thought there was no chance as it was bright and sunny all my ride, yet five minutes after I got home at 13:15 the heavens opened. An accurate forecast, now that's a rarity!

https://www.strava.com/activities/9892180232

[Slim]

Really, I wanted to spend  my Saturday lounging around the house, but a dry day was forecast so I got up (fairly) early to do a fondo. The wind was coming mostly from the south so I thought I'd do my underused Fosse Way route again. I set off at about 0915.

I'd decided to go down through Battram rather than Bagworth over the first few miles. Usually I only come back that way, and presumably that's why I missed the left turn toward Newbold Verdon. But I carried on to Nailstone and went south via the main road, picking up the route again at Kirkby Mallory, where I realised that my unintentional detour had added about a mile.

I really enjoyed the long stretch of Fosse Way after High Cross. I don't get why it's so quiet; it's a wide, well-surfaced road. I did have a scary moment along there, though. At one point I saw a guy standing next to a motorcycle at a lay-by in the distance. He was holding something in his right arm. He extended it, and slowly brought it up to eye level.

"'kin hell", I thought to myself. "He's got a gun!" He seemed to be aiming it at something on the other side of the road. I reckoned he was about 180 metres ahead. His chances of hitting me with a pistol at that range weren't good, but obviously they were improving with every pedal stroke. I was about to perform an emergency u-turn when I realised he was taking a selfie with a phone.

I did turn back eventually, having done the necessary half-fondo distance, just south of Bretford. Stopped at the post office at Brinklow on the way back for a cheese and tomato sandwich and a Magnum ice-cream. My other half won a massive bag of Cadburys mis-shapes from the chocolate tombola (sorry, the what?) at a charity event we attended last night, so I brought a few of those with me as well, to keep me fortified on the way back.

Listened to 5 Live, and the Stones' A Bigger Bang from 2005. Another surprisingly good record (mostly).

I think I got the clothing strategy pretty much spot on today. I wasn't too cold early on, and once I took a layer off later on, I wasn't too warm.

I was back over four hours before sunset, which given that it's a nice sunny day out there did make me think I should have done a longer one. Not many nice Saturdays left this year. It's the autumn equinox today apparently.

Still - glad to have achieved my first ever quintuple fondo month. Qute an enjoyable run out. I wonder if I can sneak in another fondo this month?

https://www.strava.com/activities/9905406290

[Nickslikk2112]

Despite having a gippy tummy again this morning, I felt much better by the time I took the bike out. So good that I took off like a rocket, a slow one, but better than I normally do.

As a creature of habit I know how well I'm doing by average speed at various points or how long to do a certain distance and today I was at the 15 mile marker on this route in under an hour, never done that before. Can't understand it as the wind wasn't a particularly helpful one, if anything it was an adverse one going up Cutthorpe.

Just for my interest I checked on one segment time and found I was 3= out of 29 for the day, one second off second at 5'30". Best time of the day was 3'50" by Ineos pro rider Ben Swift. Really shows the difference between pros and plebs and at 35 he's no spring chicken now.

So, good to get 36 miles in, be nice to do it again tomorrow, let's hope I don't spend too much time watching cycling.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9906532527/

For Comparison, Ben Swift's century ride:

https://www.strava.com/activities/9904416233/

[Nickslikk2112]

Didn't manage 36 miles, just the 32. It was enough, I think I put too much into yesterday so the tank was empty today.

Smelt like Autumn today. Looked like Autumn today, strong wind blowing leaves off the trees, felt pleasurably warm though, even without any sun. It's those subtropical winds.

The coming week's forecast now looks a bit iffy. We shall see.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9913377279/

[Slim]

I started work unreasonably early this morning with a view to downing tools at about 2pm to take advantage of more decent weather. Very mild, intermittently sunny with a stiff wind coming from the south.

I set off at 2:10pm with a fragile intention of doing a southbound fondo. I'll probably get another fondo in at the weekend, so if I'd done one today, I'd end up having done seven fondos in September.

But after 15 miles or so, common sense kicked in. There's a balance to be struck, isn't there? I do have other things to do with my life than riding a bike all the time. So I decided to turn back after 22 miles. I came home the slightly longer way through Battram and was back on 44.71.

I listened to the Stones' album of blues covers from 2016, their most recent to date, Blue and Lonesome. Not bad at all. Not great.

Nice out there, enjoyable run out. 565 done this month and I think I can squeeze another 100 out before October is upon us.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9918778384