Cycling 2023

[Nickslikk2112]

Managed to make it out again today. Was thinking of just slumping and watching the Faun Drome Classic and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on TV, but watching them being blown about on the Drome Classic and riding into a headwind on K-B-K made me realise how much fun it is being out on a bike.

Made my first full ascent up through Cutthorpe today. I was going to turn round at Linacre water, but when I stopped to turn round I thought "No" I'll carry on up the next steeper pitch then turn round at what was the Gate Inn. However, when I got to what was the Gate Inn there as so much traffic going by I thought I may as well go to the top. So I did. Had to drop down to second gear to do so, but hey I;m getting older. Was surprised to find that even though I stopped for 50 seconds I was the quickest of nine on Strava today. maybe I'm fitter than I think.

A nice 27 miles in the sun then. Don't know if I'll get out again in Feb so I may just have done 143 miles. Not even at 300 for the year yet. Hopefully get out more now that I'm feeling a bit fitter and just about everything I brought back from my dad's has been sorted.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8627129368

[Slim]

With the wind blowing from the east again and a dry day promised, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to do my favourite fondo, along the eastbound route. I set off at about 10:35. I took the S Works. I inspected and relubed it last weekend after the chain skipped a couple of times on its previous ride, so I was keen to see if it would behave this time (and it did).

About a minute after I set off, I noticed that my Casio GPS watch wasn't recording elapsed distance. I realised that I'd left it on 'Airplane' mode. I stopped to fiddle with the menus and as I did so, an elderly gentleman strolled over for a chat. Lovely old bloke. Told me that he'd been a keen cyclist himself in his youth, and during "the year that peace was declared" (1945 of course) he'd cycled around Wales at the age of 14.

The headwind was pretty annoying on the outward leg of the trip, so I was very pleased to arrive at the crossroads at Eastwell, where I intended to turn back. I'd done slightly less than half a fondo distance and I intended to cut across to Wymeswold via Narrow Lane on the way back, which would cut about 0.3 miles off the trip, normally. But I also intended to make up the miles by detouring through Diseworth and down Top Brand once back over the Leicestershire border.

I had an impromptu picnic on the grass verge before I turned back.

As things turned out, I didn't have to make up any distance because I missed a turn at Wymeswold and continued on to Hoton. I had to consult Google Maps to get back on track. Fortuitous though because that stretch of road is really quiet. It was lovely in the sunshine. I really must go that way more often. It probably saves a bit of climbing as well (I'll check that).

I did detour through Diseworth and down Top Brand regardless.

I'd forgotten that my right cleat had slipped out of the pedal a few times on the last ride I did with the same shoes, and it slipped out even more often this time. Annoying. Just hope I remember to replace it before the same thing happens again.



Listened to 6 Music, then Spurs vs Chelsea. But I got bored with that fairly quickly so I listened to the second Rolling Stones album, the unimaginatively titled The Rolling Stones No. 2. Very similar to their debut, maybe a bit more light and shade. Definitely better recorded. But pretty basic R&B covers. It was released at the beginning of 1965. They were light years behind The Beatles in terms of imagination, songwriting, production, ambition, everything.

It was a real faff, yet again, to get the track off my Casio watch and onto Strava. I think I'll give up on using that watch for bike rides.

Anyway .. back on 65.76 miles.  That one takes me to 516 miles this month and 1044 this year. Don't think I've ever got to 1000 miles so early in the year before.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8627277298

[Slim]

Not a lot of time today, but I wanted to do 20 or so to get the March campaign off to a modest start. A cold wind was blowing from the NE. I went up through Coalville toward Zouch, then turned for Long Whatton and came back down via Diseworth, Top Brand, Coleorton.

I didn't wrap up warm enough and I was too cold. But at least it was dry. Back on 20.52 miles.



One thing I've noticed about the S Works is that it's much better geared, at least for me, than the X. I definitely find myself using a greater variety of gears over both chainrings, whereas on the X the big chainring doesn't get used that much. Something to think about if/when the time comes to replace the cassette.

Nice run out. The conditions weren't so hostile with a bit of a tailwind.

Note the flimsy-looking frame pack currently attached to the frame. It was very cheap, but it's very light. I had to truncate the velco straps with a hot paint scraper, they were far too long.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8648333268

[Nickslikk2112]

Opened up March's account today. Could have got out yesterday, but couldn't be arsed to swap the power meter pedals over from the Turbo Trainer bike. Must get new batteries for them as they alerted me to low battery today. I had bought some spare, however I have now found that Mrs S used them in some of her Xmas decorations

Did the same ride as I'd done in each of the previous weeks, each time has been quicker than the last. Am I getting back to fitness? Hard to say as today the wind had switched 180 degrees from the previous three and a tailwind seems to help more uphill.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8647165630

[Nickslikk2112]

What? Out again? Only two days since I was last out? What is the world coming to? I nearly didn't bother today, because I'd spent too much time watching the Strade Bianche - must put riding those roads on my bucket list.

Just got 26.5 mile in today, but it felt OK - apart from the going uphill bit, that appears to be going downhill - and power levels were slightly up from where they have been. Thought the power might be zero as I had to change the batteries today and I normally bugger things up when doing something simple like that, but I managed. Hopefully didn't cross-thread the battery compartment covers.

[Fishy]

A sedate 7 miler with the wife.. a short Alloway circuit with a coffee stop at the Burns Centre.. it was bloody cold out there I have to say...

[Fishy]

Was hoping for a 20 miler today..only managed 16....just got too cold.....a nice circuit up n over the Carrick Hills and back into Ayr..nice to see a Rolls Royce stuck in a ditch on the way down the Carrick Hills..fucking idiot..

[Nickslikk2112]

Was hoping and managed to do a 30 miler today. The one which now seems to be my weekly outdoor ride. Fifth time I've done it and I'm still getting quicker. Which is nice. Thought it would be colder than it was, but with my fitness levels not being what they were I'm having to put more effort in still so that warms me up

https://www.strava.com/activities/8674973740

[Nickslikk2112]

And managed to get out again today, first time I've done consecutive days out for almost three months!
Glad I did get out as the forecast is not too promising for the next week or so. Typical, just as the legs start feeling OK again and my heart rate isn't going too far into the red uphill if at all.

Didn't get in the 30 miler I was hoping for, just started to head for the hills when the snow started. I say snow it was more like little bits of frozen rain which got in round the glasses and stung my eyes. Still I got to 23 miles which is over 50 for the week and gets me over 400 for the year.

[Slim]

Only managed one ride this month before I went on holiday and now I'm back the weather looks awful for the rest of March! Likely to be my lowest-scoring cycling month ever.

[Slim]

Didn't think I'd get an opportunity for a first ride back from my holiday today but the weather was relatively pleasant, so I took an extended lunch and did a Twycrosser. Didn't want to do more than 20 miles really as it was highly likely to rain later in the afternoon. I was half expecting to get rained on while I was out.

A bit windy. I ended up doing 26.36 miles. I picked up a very slight hail shower, and a few spots of rain but mostly it was sunny. I did see rain in the distance a couple of times, as captured in this pic at the Gibbet Post. But I dodged it successfully myself.



That's a mere 47 miles so far this month, and I think the March target (311) is a long shot given the weather outlook.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8713258111

[Nickslikk2112]

Was rather hoping to get a couple of hours in before lunch. Forecast was for showers to start after lunch and rainfall radar appeared to show no precipitation in the vicinity.

Twenty minutes in a few wet snowflakes appeared - from the sky, not Lineker apologists - but it looked like I'd be able to skirt round it as I was at the outer edge of the clouds. Two minutes later the whole sky was black and shedding big wet snowy flakes.

Bollocks to this I thought, I don't have to put myself through this so I headed back home, but got an exceedingly wet and cold arse. Fifteen miles brings me to the grand total of 125 miles for March and apart from tomorrow morning - touches top of head - the forecast doesn't look good for much more.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8712393892

[Nickslikk2112]

Today I did get my two hours in Could have done more if I so wished as the rain forecast to start between 1 and 2 in the afternoon didn't start until gone half three. Two hours is still enough though in my current not getting out much state.

Went up to the tops through Old Brampton and there was still drifted snow up against the field walls and looking out into the Peal District the ridge above Great Longstone was still covered as were the far moors above Buxton.

When I'll get out again I don't know as the forecast looks dodgy into the foreseeable future, although Sunday is now looking as it could be dry. Still today's 30.5 miles is my longest ride of the year so far!

https://www.strava.com/activities/8718265629

[Slim]

Frequent showers were touted to be likely this afternoon, so I sneaked out for a couple of hours at lunchtime in the hope of avoiding them. The wind was coming from the south, and the rainfall radar suggested I was more likely to avoid getting rained on down that way, so down south I went. I did the southbound route as far as Kirkby Lane and came back.

I didn't get rained on at all and actually it was really nice out there. Sunny and spring-like.  Back on 23.07 miles. That was only the third ride this month and they've all been short, but fingers crossed I'll get a fondo in on Sunday. 70 miles done this month.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8729909077

[Nickslikk2112]

I thought I really ought to get out today, as I had some new bits of kit to use - new bidons, cleat covers, rear light and cycle computer - however there was the small matter of 180+ miles of Milan-San Remo to watch, look I shelled out £30 for GCN+ and I'm going to maximise my use of it!

Luckily the race - well done MvDP by the way, winning it 62 years after your grandad Monsieur PouPou - finished ahead of schedule so I had a good couple of hours before sunset.

I could have had a couple of hours, but I went for a pre-ride dump and as soon as I sat on the throne I heard the sound of the Heavens opening I stared out of the window post dump watching it rain until the sun came out again. Hoorah. Into cycling gear I got and just as I was putting on my shoe covers it tipped it down again. Bollocks

Luckily it didn't last too long and out I went. I've gone from a Garmin Edge 520 to an Edge 1040 and it's an impressive bit of kit. Too good for my usage probably, but it gave me a warning straight away that I was approaching a heavy traffic road - I was - and it warns of upcoming sharp bends (tell me summat I don't know...) The ride was even uploaded to Strava by the time I'd taken the bidon from its cage. Hopefully its purported 35 hour battery life will last, I bought it because the Edge 520 will only do just over 2 hours now and that's now good with Summer approaching.

https://www.strava.com/activities/8736675783