Cycling 2024

[Slim]

A very late night and a few drinks didn't seem to have caused me too much debilitation by the time I dragged myself out of bed at about 11:15AM. I had a quick breakfast and set off on a Twycross Bypasser not long after midday.

But clearly my head was a bit foggy because I couldn't find my DAB personal radio, I took the wrong specs out with me and I forgot to take a phone. I took my old MW/FM personal radio with me, and it was fine. I managed OK without my varifocals. And fortunately I didn't need a phone.

I only wanted to do about 35 miles because rain was due over some time between 3 and 4pm. Bright when I set off, growing increasingly gloomy as the ride wore on, but it didn't rain.

Listened to 5 Live, mostly footy chat.

Really nice to get out there in the open. I especially enjoyed the view along Orton Hill. And although this only occurred to me when I got back, I went over the border into Warwickshire at the western end of Orton Road, so that's one of the neighbouring counties ticked off already.

I tracked the ride with a new watch, a Garmin Vivoactive 3 that I bought second hand (on a whim of course) for £30 in well-used condition. The battery meter read 64% when I set off and I got the low battery warning with about two miles to go, although confusingly since finishing the ride and switching off the GPS, the meter has crept back up to 22%. So - I'd guess it should just about handle a fondo on a full charge.

Although I like the colour screen, it's not as useful for cycling as an Instinct. But it's another toy to tinker with.

Back on 36.26 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10474360779

[Slim]

I hoped to do about 40 miles. No rain and low winds, but it was cold out there and a bit damp. There's a lot of standing water out there at the moment.

The plan was to do 20 miles or so of the Eastbound Route, then come back the same way. I disregarded a ROAD CLOSED sign at Zouch in the hope that I'd be able to get past on a bike, but the road was properly flooded. At least a foot deep (first pic). I could see water flowing into a drain just a few feet in front of me; you can just about make it out on the photo. But it kept on coming.



My next idea was to go up to Donington, then over Cavendish Bridge and through Shardlow. But the northbound side of the roundabout on the other side of Donington was flooded as well. So I gave up and turned for home from there, albeit I took a slightly longer way past Diseworth.

Nice out there after dark somehow, despite conditions being a bit cold and damp.



I have a surfeit of part-used AA batteries from Christmas decorations at the moment so I used a single-AA mini LED torch as a front light. I'd only intended to use it as a "visibility" light but actually it did illuminate the road a bit. It's not brilliant (pun intended) but I could just about get away with it on a well-surfaced road without fast downhill bits, with a head torch for backup.

Listened to Craig Charles on 6 Music mostly. Slightly surreal as I've been watching the 35-years-younger Craig Charles on the first series of Red Dwarf in recent days.

Back on 32.07 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10493895528

[Nickslikk2112]

Finally made it out onto the roads in 2024

Should have gone out on New Year's day, but managed to pick up a side strain on New Year's Eve which left it too painful to do shoulder checks, then it pissed it down for two days. Yesterday was nice, but like Slim I'd have encountered too many flooded and closed roads and I had a funeral to attend - a former player for the YYZ Cricket Club.

My guts were a bit of a mess this morning, but if there'd been any seepage on my ride it would have been hidden by road splatter, so that was OK.

Not even done three miles before some twat tried to run me off the road, down a single track road, supposedly with passing spaces, but they're all filled with parked cars and fly tipping. He kept coming right up to my back wheel, but I just rode in primary, it was downhill so I was doing 20mph which is plenty. He started hooting his horn after a bit contrary to Highway Code rule 112. He soon went by after we turned right at the bottom, shouting some sort of abuse at me and then he nearly went head on into a car coming round a corner the other way. Oh, if only...

Quite surprised by how well the roads had "dried" though, Mrs S and the boy had to drive 10 miles for a 2 mile journey on Wednesday, yet one of the "ponds" which had thwarted them was completely gone today.

So, just a 27 miler, but it's a start and another one like that will put me ahead of 2023 already

https://www.strava.com/activities/10498332314

[Nickslikk2112]

Did get out, didn't quite do 27 miles - 25 - but it puts me ahead of last year already, onwards and upwards!

I did hear what today's brain-dead drivist shouted at me. It seems like I'm a "Fucking Dickhead!" yes, teh dickhead who was riding along, not the well behaved driver whose car started to draw alongside me and then had to slow down to avoid hitting the cars coming the other way. The dickhead who then legitimately road in primary position afterwards so he could safely signal he was turning right at the roundabout 75 yards away. I did ask if he wanted to explain his logic to me, but he just drove off.

I didn't get any grief from the drivers I briefly held up going up the drive to Hardwick Hall. It is only a 20mph limit and is liberally festooned with cattle grids. I'll have a quick whinge about the pedestrians on the way out who walk five abreast across the drive oblivious to the fact that it is used by traffic.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10505028720

[dom]

Delayed the first spin of the year this morning to allow the sun to do its job. The main road between Navan and Trim had been gritted and was fine. From Bective though we hit the back roads and plenty of slippy bits. The back wheel kicked to one side 3 or 4 times. Slowed it down and kept complete concentration on the road ahead as it varied between dry, wet and frosty.

Very nervous going down the one hill of the day but got to the bottom unscathed.  After stopping in Fordstown for a coffee, bacon, sausage and egg roll the sun finally got round to doing what I was hoping it would have managed a couple of hours earlier and thé rest of the trip went by uneventfully. Beautiful early afternoon actually!

Decent distance for early Jan too - 57kms - although the dodgy roads early on in the ride gave rise to a slowish ride

https://strava.app.link/T3Mlu1Bc9Fb

[Slim]

A light wind was coming from the NE and a dry, intermittently sunny day was forecast; ideal conditions for the first eastbound fondo apart from the temperature. Cold out there, 3 or 4C.

I checked before I set off that the road through Zouch wasn't still closed by floods - https://one.network/ is handy for this. Interestingly the A6 was still closed from the same junction, with a barrier stretched across the road. I saw several drivers ignore this, and drive round the wrong side of the traffic lights to get past it.



Originally I'd planned to take the old route through Rempstone, to avoid the low ground near the Soar going through Stanford and Cotes. However I couldn't find any cycling food in the fridge this morning. I'm out of cheese rolls, Cornish pasties and mini pork pies. So I crossed my fingers and went that way regardless, so I could stock up at the petrol station at Burton on the Wolds. I did have to contend with a few massive puddles, and a shallow river crossing the road near Cotes. But nothing too alarming.



I was comfortable enough on the way out but the temperature seemed to dip sharply at about 3pm, on the way back. I listened to 5 Live mostly. Some very entertaining FA Cup football in the afternoon.

Back about 20 minutes after sunset, on 62.62 miles. 131 done this month, and my average distance is now a more reasonable 43.65 miles. I like to maintain it above 40.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10513256383

[Nickslikk2112]

I always check https://one.network/ before every ride. Gives me a good idea of what roads to avoid. However one set of roadworks kept disappearing from it, leaving me to do a couple of lung busting rides uphill when I was first away from the lights, so now I always check the traffic on Google maps to see if anything has been missed.

Just a 20 miler for me today, but that's fine as I'm now nearly 30 miles up on this time last January. Didn't get out until nearly three this afternoon, but it stayed light enough to get the 20 in without Mrs S sending out a search party for me.

No ignorant motorists shouting at me today either, which was nice. First ride out via Spital as well now the roadworks for new traffic lights has ended. Got ASLs at both sides now, don't know why they bother as they either get ignored or the car behind you tries to get by before you've even left the box. Thankfully today they were on green so I could sail straight through.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10513029206/

[David L]

After getting thoroughly spannered last night, partly due to the fact that Mr Pudney was celebrating his birthday at our local (Master Pudney providing excellent live entertainment), our planned ride was looking unlikely. However, having completely cleared my guts with numerous 'urgent' dashes to the loo, it was a good idea to also clear the head with a short ride (thetemptation of a visit to the Bampton branch of Lynwoods cafe for a warm sausage roll, banana cake and cappuccino proved too much to resist!)
It was bloody cold out there so, for the first time in ages, I pulled on my winter leggings and Seal Skin gloves and hat to go under my cycle helmet. It's just a short dash of five or so mikes to the village of Bampton so no chance of getting too cold before we stopped for our lunchtime treat.
We returned to Witney via Aston and Ducklington making it a round trip of around 11 or 12 miles. A north-easterly headwind made it a colder ride home. It really helped to get some fresh air but too cold for me today (wind-chill made it feel below freezing) to do any distance in my less than optimum state.

[Nickslikk2112]

Got a 30+ miler in today, thought it was going to be colder than it was, but I guess the extra padding I put on over Xmas is still helping. Bit of a fresh North Easter to cycle into, resulting in my slowest ever ascent of the Giant that is Mastin Moor Hill, but I'm not bothered, I was out and about.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10524046011

[Slim]

A dry and sunny afternoon, but a very cold one, with a strong wind coming from the east. My vague plan was to do about 15 or so of the eastbound route then come back. Didn't want to do less than 30.

However the experience of riding uphill against a powerful, chilly wind toward Zouch put me off a bit. I decided to keep it short. Took a left for Long Whatton to loop back west and south. I thought I'd add a couple of miles by coming back through Isley Walton and Breedon rather than down Top Brand. Looking at the map though, it makes very little difference. Half a mile at most (at a guess). Nice change, though.



With the wind at my back it was actually lovely out there, even at about 2C. There was a beautiful ambient light post sunset. I did feel I should have done a few more miles, but the temperature had dipped sharply by the time I got back so I might have regretted it. 24.10 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10526028788

[Nickslikk2112]

Was going to go out and do another 30 miler today. Set off on a dull, grey, but dry day. After five minutes it had gotten duller, greyer and had acquired a persistent cold drizzle. The kind that soon penetrates you clothing and induces a bone chilling cold. I could feel the power drain from my thighs.

So, I just rode round randomly to rack up half of yesterday's mileage and called it a day. I don't have to do this. Of course within ten minutes of stripping off it was back to being a dry, dull, grey day. I wasn't going to start again though.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10530372765

[Nickslikk2112]

Not as cold and not as drizzly as yesterday, so I went out and did a few miles more, but not until I'd spent 45 minutes looking out of the window making sure it wasn't too drizzly.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10537148386

[Slim]

A Twycross Bypasser is a nice way to close the week after work on a Friday, so I did that. Not quite so cold as Tuesday. No chance of rain though conditions did feel a little damp.

I stopped for a snack in the pitch black beween Ratcliffe Culey and Sibson, leaning against a telegraph post. I've done that a few times along there recently. Quite an enjoyable little ritual.

I tried a new pair of cycling shoe covers. They fit my shoes much better than the last pair I had, which used to foul the cleats and got chewed up over time. They seem more waterproof as well. Possibly not quite so warm though, but they do keep the wind out.

Back on 34.62 miles, 190 done this year already. I want to do about 375 this month if I can so I'm on course.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10545605488

[Nickslikk2112]

Eventually got out today, nice and sunny, but the British CX championships were on. Needn't have bothered really as the races were a walk, well a ride in the park for Anna Kay and Cam Mason. Different watching CX without lots of frites munching, beer swilling fat ugly Belgians in the crowd though.

Tried to redo the ride I did last Saturday but quicker. Managed a not quite the same route - got a bit too dark - and I did do it more quickly, but it took it out of putting a bit of extra effort in. And yet my average power for the ride was 1W less than last week. Can't work that out.

Could do with some new overshoes myself, they're looking a bit worse for wear, with holes where they rub against the pedal cranks as they go round. I'll wait till they fall to bits though. Still, I've now done more miles than I did in all of last January - 169 v 149

https://www.strava.com/activities/10551421258

[Slim]

Originally, ie earlier in the week, the plan was to do a fondo today. But the forecast changed to threaten rain in the afternoon so since it was rather cold anyway, I decided I'd settle for 40 miles or so.

I left the house at about 1020. The wind was coming from the north-west. I went up to Swarkestone Bridge the long way through Isley Walton, then west along the Beloved A Road. I was going to stop after 20 miles or so then come back an even longer way through Ticknall and Hartshorne, but when I saw a right turn to Etwall, I thought - why not have an excursion into Derby? So I did; all the way through Etwall and Mickleover and right into Derby city centre. I've done this a couple of times before, though I took a different route through the centre this time.

I took a wrong turn near Mickleover and quickly realised that I was heading the wrong way down a one-way entrance to the roundabout I'd just left. Worse, the occupants of a police car queuing there in the other lane observed me doing this. I pulled up sharply, manhandled the bike onto the verge and retreated quickly. Fortunately they didn't trouble me. Ten minutes later I got bored of waiting for the lights to change at another road junction so since it was clearly safe to do so I went right through a red, only to find another police car waiting at the same set of lights around the corner. Happily they didn't seem to be bothered either.

I came down Osmaston Road to Swarkestone Bridge, then home the usual way from there. Stopped for a few snacks at a petrol station near Chellaston.



Nice sunny weather for the first 90 minutes or so. Then a bit gloomy. Then light drizzle. Then, a few miles from home, tiny hailstones. I examined a couple of them that had landed on my right glove. They looked like tiny shards of glass and they felt like it as well, when they were bouncing off my face. Fortunately that only persisted for a couple of minutes. Regular rain for the rest of the ride.

I entered Derbyshire of course so that's another neighbouring county ticked off. I did Nottinghamshire last Sunday so that's three done, four to go.

Back on 46.47 miles. 236 done this year which surprisingly is more than I'd done this time last year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10557986402