Cycling 2023

[Slim]

A dry day today, the first for a while, with a light wind coming from the south. I'd hoped to be away by 0900 or so, but slept in until 0945. I set off, eventually, at 1040. Still plenty of time for a fondo.

I did the southbound route, once again taking a detour past the gliding club over the last few miles. Nice out there on the whole. Intermittently sunny. Warmer after the first couple of hours.



There were reports on the news this morning of flooding near Derby and Leicester, but I didn't see anything worse than deep puddles.

Didn't see any gliders taking off or landing either, just a few parked on the grass,

Listened to another couple of hours of the Reacher novel, and the Kiss album Music from The Elder. Nice few hours out on a bike.

Back on 66.01. 453 this month.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10086534658

[Nickslikk2112]

Went out and got 35 miles in today.

Didn't make it out yesterday as my brother came over and most of the roads I make my way out of town on were still flooded and those which weren't were very busy.

Consulted Google Maps and Derbyshire Roadwork websites before setting off and saw lots of roads were still closed, but if I went out along Newbridge Lane I should then be able to fit in an uninterupted ride.

Wrong. Up in Holmesfield there was a "Police Road Closed" sign on the brow of a hill. Rubbish, I thought and crested it. It was right. Run off from the fields had left a two foot deep lake at the bottom of a dip and everyone - bar a Land Rover - was turning round. Bum. Nothing to do but turn round.

Hopes of getting 40 miles in now receded and thankfully waters had receded where a road was still closed yesterday, there was still a decent depth across the road but shallow enough in the middle and certainly no threat to the Bottom Bracket. Had a smile at the BMW left just after the flood which had obviously conked out there on Friday or Saturday on an attempt to get through. LOL. Funnily enough most the flooded roads which were photographed round Chesterfield on Friday had a Beemer adrift in the middle of them Should make the roads safer for cyclists for a few days.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10085736127

[Slim]

A couple of days ago there was nothing but rain in the forecast for the coming week, but in practice the weather always gives you a bit of unexpected respite. And so it proved this afternoon - nice and dry, very low winds and fairly mild. The sun even came out for a while.

No clear intention on where I was going to go or what I was going to do. I made it up as I went along. But I definitely wanted to go up Top Brand. I did that then went round to Diseworth, through Castle Donington and west to Shardlow.

I got as far as the very outskirts of Derby, then turned back. I took a road off toward Aston, intending to come back down over Swarkestone Bridge, but somehow ended up back in Shardlow. I was happy with that though because I didn't really fancy Rotter's Rise on the way back.

Somehow, without actually trying to, I came back exactly the same way after Shardlow. I was quite surprised when I saw the track on Strava. Hadn't even realised I'd done that.

Wanted to do at least 40 really, but - it was an enjoyable ride. Back on 37.30, a minute after sunset.

I listened to the Reacher novel for the entire ride. Some really grim content. But gripping.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10097666989

[Nickslikk2112]

Had my Bianchi in for its service and repairs last week, got it back on Friday, but of course it's pissed it down immensely since then, so I kept it indoors.

However, today was sunny, sunshine's nice, so out we went, once I'd put the power pedals back on. Bike seems fine now, but I think I need servicing now. Heart rate went up much higher than recently and the power read out was way down on what I'd expect. Maybe it was the back of my mind just holding me back a bit as the roads were well covered in gravel and mud in places and there's still water streaming over the roads in places.

No floods left thankfully, but looking before I went out I saw most of my regular roads have roadworks on them, probably sorting out flood damage.

Nice in the sun for 32 miles, even if I wasn't as quick as I would have hoped. Looks like more rain is incoming, so may not even get in 450 miles in October, let alone 500 - unless I man up and get wet...

https://www.strava.com/activities/10101642341

[Slim]

Well that was an odd one. With a light wind coming from the south I thought I'd do a bit of the southbound route and come back. I took a bit of a detour after Ellistown. After 14 miles I couldn't be bothered with the climb into Earl Shilton so I turned back to Kirkby Mallory and took the road from there to Sutton Cheney.

After that I took a road I've only done a few times, to Market Bosworth. From there I had the idea to go to Sheepy Magna but I couldn't for the life of me work out how to do that in my head - so after a bit of faffing around I gave up and came back northward to home, albeit via a rather circuitous route up the main road then left to Barton in the Beans.



A remarkable sight confronted me coming down the last hill before the turn for Heather - the ground ahead and below me was swathed in a ghostly fog. I took a pic but didn't quite manage to capture it. It was a while after sunset though, so actually it's a testament to the low light capability of my phone that I got a decent image at all.

For some reason at about the same time, a helicopter was lurking a few hundred feet up about half a mile to the east. Police helicopter maybe?

Fortunately I was through the ground-hugging fog after a couple of minutes.

The roads were a bit wet after a lot of rain overnight and this morning. For days the BBC had been forecasting showers for this afternoon. They withdrew their threat this morning. However it turns out they were right all along. But I only had to put up with light rain for ten minutes. The sun was shining nicely at the same time.

Finished the Reacher novel.

That one was more about getting another 30-odd miles in than the experience, but it was quite enjoyable nonetheless.

Back on 38.21 which leaves me on 5306 this year. Just 694 to do to hit 6,000 for 2023.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10109452090

[Nickslikk2112]

I got out eventually. I know it's grim up North, but Chesterfield has been under a cloud of dismality for far to long a lately. It didn't clear up today until two hours later than forecast and then the rain came again.

But not for long, the sun did come out, precipitating a bit more rain for a while, but it came out. Even though the roads were wet and still muddy, I took the Bianchi out again. Need to get reacquainted with it. It may well have been serviced, but on Wednesday the rear cassette was all over the place. Whenever I have a bike serviced the rear cassette indexing seems to go to pot. I've used several bike mechanics, but it always seems to happen. Why I don't know, but I got it working nicely on Friday.

Managed to get up to the tops today. Took it steadilyish, plenty of others out and about too. Maybe they'd been waiting for the weather to clear or maybe like me they'd been watching the Cyclo Cross. Probably the former, can't see there being too many CX saddos in these here parts.

Got back with 35 miles in bang on the stroke of sunset. If I spend too long watching CX tomorrow be lucky to get 20 miles in with the clocks going back. Finally though, I'm over 5,000 miles for the year. Longest it's taken me to get there since 2017.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10120250564/

[David L]

I got out eventually. I know it's grim up North...

You're not up North, you're in.........Chesterfield 

[Nickslikk2112]

I got out eventually. I know it's grim up North...

You're not up North, you're in.........Chesterfield 

the North begins at Clay Cross. The "Trve" Northerners may not like it, but there you go. Back in the day watching things like Coronation Street, I didn't know you cared and Last of the Summer Wine, Chesterfield was always the furthest South people could go and still feel comfortable.

Mansfield *spits*, which is roughly the same latitude as Chesterfield is very much a Midlands town. Funny old world.

[dom]

When I was young I knew I'd reached the North when you could start to smell coal fires. Coming up the A1 that would be Nottingham for sure

[Slim]

A dry, reasonably mild, sunny day with a moderate wind coming from the south. I thought I'd go down Fosse Way. No firm intention to do a fondo though I thought it was likely. So I did that but, after 29 miles, when I came to the crossroads a few miles north of Brinklow, I turned right instead of going straight over. The right turn was signposted to Nuneaton. Certainly I could find my way home from there, and I guessed it was probably five or six miles away (actually it was about seven).

I hoped I'd find an opportune moment to turn off the road before going all the way into Nuneaton but I didn't, so I ended up going right into the town. Unfortunate, because it was remarkably busy for a Sunday and at one point I took the wrong lane at a roundabout and ended up in an Asda car park.

Anyway I found my way to the railway station. I've driven home from there many a time so I was on familiar territory now. I wanted to go to Sheepy Magna on the way back though for a pit stop at San Giovanni, so I took a left onto Atterton Lane, then Myth Lane from the main road.



Unfortunately, Myth Lane was flooded and there was no way round it so I had to backtrack. I found my way to Sheepy eventually through Atherstone. I stopped at a Greggs there for a sandwich and a sticky bun. For some reason I missed my usual route out of the town (I've probably only cycled through there about ten times) and I ended up on the A5. Scary, but the turn off for Sheepy came up quickly, thankfully. A quick half Peroni at San G then I came back via Gibbet Lane.

Nice to go adventuring and do something a bit different. I quite enjoyed the stretch between Fosse Lane and Nuneaton. Perhaps I'll plan a route that uses most of it but doesn't go right into the town.

Back on 66.88, 595 in October so far. Might be able to squeeze in a few more October miles on Tuesday, looking at the forecast.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10126607919

[Nickslikk2112]

Managed to get out today eventually. Watched the women's CX race, but thought I'd better watch the men's on catch up now that sunset's early.

For some reason I thought I needed to do 50 miles to get to 500 for October. Why I don't know as today's 35 got me there with 4 miles to spare. I had planned to ride a flatter route than normal in the vain hope of averaging 25mph for a couple of hours. Good job I didn't try flogging myself.

Even with a flatter route I still got in over 2,000' of climbing in 35 miles, been three years since I went out that way too, used to be a good way of getting in some quick miles by going up and down the Markham Vale road, but since all the distribution depots opened up down there I don't bother as it's full of juggernauts heading too or from the M1. Even on a Sunday afternoon there was a bit too much Gist activity.

That's it for October as I'm off for another Epicurean Escape in the genuinely grim Northlands of Yorkshire.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10126562136/

[Slim]

I was very happy to see the forecast change to offer a respite from the rain today, although the roads were still wet. I started work early, downed tools early and, with a stiff wind coming from the west, was off on the old Lower Westbound trail by 1330.

I did about 25 miles, then came back. Fairly sunny for the first couple of hours, then dark. As usual when cycling after dark I had to put up with a few oncoming cars with full beam on, but carefully aiming a head torch into the driver's eyes for a moment seems to do the trick.



Listened to 5 Live. Back on 52.26. I feel I should have done another 10 really to make it a fondo, but I'm glad to have an entry in the spreadsheet for November. More on Sunday I hope unless the forecast changes.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10154528466

[Nickslikk2112]

Wish I'd got going in November. Nice day for it, but I've been feeling grotty. Got back from my Gourmet Getaway to find the boy barking like a seal with his coughing and the budgie's wheezing like a punctured accordion, think I'm coming down with it now.

Hopefully Sunday...

[Fishy]

Wife is away with a pal on a couple of pamper days so woke up this morning around 7. couldn't get back to sleep so thought I'd get up n organised and try a ride.. never done early morning before..

Have to say thoroughly enjoyable.  Was on 30 miles when I had some chain trouble.. chain back on but not working thru the gears..mmmm annoying will need to check it out later...

[Slim]

Wanted to do the time-honoured Upper Westbound Fondo today. Sunny, no rain, fairly mild and not too windy - but there's a lot of standing water around at the moment.

I took this image of Ferry Lane, off the Beloved A Road as I passed it - fortunately I had no intention of going that way, but thought it was worth a pic.



So I wasn't surprised when, about nine miles later, my path was blocked by a flood near Scropton. A couple out cycling were coming the other way so I let them try it first so I could gauge the depth. At the deepest point their chainrings were part-submerged.

So I gave it a miss and turned back. I headed down through Tutbury instead. I didn't have that far to go to make up the necessary mileage for a fondo before heading homeward, so I went exploring. I followed a sign out of Tutbury for a place called Rolleston on Dove and that was really a very pleasant stretch of road. But ultimately, a couple of miles after Rolleston, it ended in a T junction with the A50. After turning back I followed a sign for a place called Stretton. That took me to Burton on Trent, ultimately. I turned back at a roundabout near the Burton Albion ground before going too far into the centre.

Back the same way to Tutbury, then the A road, then homeward. I realised at my 20-miles-from-home point that I was going to be short of a fondo. I didn't fancy the hill south of Melbourne (aka Rotter's Rise) anyway so I detoured home via Shardlow and Castle Donington.

I also took a detour into Donington via a place called Hemington. I'd noticed this opportunity while perusing maps a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately this involved a brutal climb up a narrow, twisty, but inexplicably beautifully-surfaced road that was far worse than Rotter's Rise. This led to a sphincter-tightening steep descent to the main road in Donington which had me jamming the brakes on tight, and I hate to waste kinetic energy.

Saw two Airbuses taking off just as I was passing the airport. One going to Antalya, the other going to Lanzarote. I checked when I got home.

Listened to 5 Live and 6 Music. Very entertaining game between Forest and Villa.

Anyway, back the usual way from Donington and home on 69.37, about half an hour after sunset. That's 122 this month despite the weather, pleased with that. And 5495 this year, which takes me past last year's total (5477). More on Tuesday hopefully.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10166607425