Cycling 2024

[Slim]

The forecast was for showers but I really want to get to 400 miles this month if I can, so I decided to put up with it and do 30-odd miles after work. The wind was coming from the east so I headed over that way. Thought I'd probably do Rempstone or Wymeswold and back. After Zouch though I had the idea of taking a left off the main route, to try to loop back round to Sutton Bonington.

I did this a few weeks ago but this time I took the left a bit later (through East Leake rather than West Leake). Followed a sign to Gotham, after a while I didn't have a good feel for where I was so I cheated and had a look at Google Maps. This suggested a nice easy way to Sutton Bonington through New Kingston and Kingston on Soar. So I did that.

Good to explore new roads. Quite liked the stretch between Gotham and Kingston. I'll make a note to go that way again.

Came back the longer way through Peggs Green and Coleorton. Listened to another couple of hours of the Reacher novel. Best one for quite a while. Familiar plot ideas, but nicely put together. I didn't get rained on at all.

Back on 34.85 miles and that's 379 this month, coincidentally the precise target for April. But I'd still like to end up with more than 400. At the moment Monday looks like a nice day and I've booked the day off work.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11269907774

[Nickslikk2112]

All week the forecast for today was none too good, but it didn't turn out that way. There were a few drops of rain every now and then until about three o'clock, but nothing serious.

Anyway, if a man can't go out for a ride on his birthday when can he? It was a bit nippy out though, but it is still April and on my 18th birthday I wouldn't have gone out as there was four inches of snow on the ground and I had the more pressing matter of getting pissed as a fart 

I told Mrs S I'd be out for a couple of hours and I was back in 2 hours 51 seconds, so I think I got away with it. After emptying the tanks yesterday I took it more steadily today. Still came close to pedal cycle emptiness, but not too close. For the first 30 miles I didn't even look at speed, cadence or power, just had a heart rate screen up and tried to keep the old ticker in zone 3, I about managed.

Almost got took out by a dog early on though, going up the lanes towards a 90 degree bend and I heard a woman walking along shout out what I thought was "Car!", a good samaritan I thought. I slowed down, went round the corner, no car, then a bloody Red Setter shot out of the undergrowth nearly taking me out. Now I hate dogs, but hate cretinous dog owners more. Dogs, according to the Highway Code should be on a short lead when on or by a road, but none of the ignorant fuckers who own dogs seem to know this 

https://www.strava.com/activities/11277300051

[dom]

Just under 90kms yesterday, longest spin since June last year. Struggled a bit on the normally fast and easy Longwood to Trim section.  Felt cool out there for the time of year (no snow Nick so I suppose I can't complain)

[Slim]

I booked today off work on Friday, after seeing a favourable weather forecast. In fact the forecast changed over the weekend with a likelihood of showers in the afternoon, but I intended to go south where I'd most likely avoid them.

The idea was to do either a fondo or a 100 miler, depending on the time I got up. And I got up at about 0715, so 100 miles it was! I thought I'd go down to Northampton and back. I set off at about 0805.

I had a change of plan after 36 miles and took a left to Naseby. I've been to Northampton a couple of times in recent months so I thought I'd give it a miss and do something different.



I'd been to Naseby before but this time I kept going, through places called Haselbech and Maidwell. About half a mile after Maidwell I found myself at the top of a long steep descent that I didn't fancy coming back up, so I turned back. I'd only done 43 miles so I'd have to improvise a bit on the way back. I did. I took a turn to a place called Cold Ashby and just followed my nose. Really, really nice cycling territory over the next ten miles or so through places called Stanford on Avon and Swinford. I rejoined the usual route at North Kilworth (after a bit of reassurance from Google Maps), but still needed to make up some distance. I went exploring again, through Ashby Parva and Frolesworth - basically a detour around Broughton Astley.

I was still a couple of miles short though (having distance landmarks memorised is handy for gauging this) so after Kirkby Mallory, I kept on to Cadeby, then Bosworth then back the usual way from there, or one of them. Made up the last bit of distance by coming back a long way through the village.

Terrific day out on the bike. Had two very pleasant stops at the village shop at Gilmorton. Nice weather, no showers. Very mild. And I listened to another few hours of the Reacher novel.

Back on 100.42 miles and that's a pleasing 479 done this month. Would have got the total over 400 even if I hadn't taken the day off, which is nice to know.

1850 done this year and 45,011 since January 2015.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11292403905

[Nickslikk2112]

As a matter of course I don't ride Mondays, but having missed yesterday I made an exception. For me six miles would have been enough as that would have got me to 600 for April, but it wasn't raining, so I made it up to 31 miles. It was a bit blowy though.

Had another encounter with a female dog walker today, the mutts were on leads though. I was cycling up a road and she was on the pavement walking the same way. Then when I was about five feet away she stepped straight out into the road without looking. Thankfully I wasn't going fast as it was uphill into the wind, but roughly the following "conversation" happened.

Me: 'Scuse me, look before stepping out into the road

Her: Don't talk to me like that

Me: I will if you step out without looking

Her: God, your [sic] ignorant

Me: You're the ignorant cow!

I then sped off as she was probably the moll of a local dealer. Shouldn't have stooped to her level, but it's the only language these people have a chance of understanding.

[Nickslikk2112]

And out again on the last day of April, but what's this round yellow thing in the sky? Is it the Sun? It sure was, it shone all day and it was nice and warm. Warm enough to put my new cycling kit on to get some more work on the tanlines done. The arms have just started to shade to Latte.

Because I'm a lazy arse and haven't yet got round to sorting out the front brake on the Bianchi, or the rear derailleur cable on the Giant and because the rear tyre on the gravel bike needs its rear, now slick, tyre wants replacing with a knobbly one, I put the Bianchi's Winter wheels on the gravel bike.

Does it make it faster? Probably, but it's hard to tell as it was a blowy day again today and a SSE wind at that which is most unusual. It was beneficial - just - going uphill, but a bit of a pig most of the way back. Didn't help myself by coming down through Old Brampton either. Not done it and ages and so was wary of any potholes which may have formed. Not too many, but better safe than sorry.

Back on 31.62 miles which gives me 657 for April with 45,600 feet of elevation gain. Yearly total now stands at 2,238 miles, my best ever at this time of the year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11297981952

[Nickslikk2112]

And got May underway today. Could have gone out yesterday, but was feeling jetlagged after next to no sleep on Tuesday night. Then kicked my big toe into a door and broke off a corner of the toenail,ouch.

Thought cycling shoes might inflame the toenail today, but they were comfier than my slippers, so that was nice. Still feeling a bit jetlagged after not sleeping well last night. Decided to do an easyish ride, more out of the fact that there are too many roadworks - some to fill in potholes! - going on at the moment. There was a nagging NE wind which I hoped would be a nice cross tailwind up to Marsh Lane from Eckington, but even heading West seemed to be a headwind.

I even gave a big cheery wave to a motorist today, they aren't all bad! She had right of way as there was a parked car on my side of the road, but she flashed me through. Probably just wanted to ogle my super fit body and buns of steel 

https://www.strava.com/activities/11314637103

[Slim]

In 2020 I rode to historic Worcestershire and back, via a route which I've come to know as the "Dad's Army route" - simply because during the ride, I kept myself entertained by listening to radio adaptations of the BBC TV sitcom of the same name.

I've been meaning to do it again for a long time. I've been part-way down there quite a few times; the deterrent to doing the whole thing really is having to do a couple of miles of the A5.

So I thought I'd do it again today. The basic idea was to do a Twycross Bypasser, with the Dad's Army route as a there-and-back extension to the south-east.

After the first 15 miles or so I began to notice that my left cleat wasn't engaging properly with the pedal. It felt sloppy. So just before the A5, I stopped to check it. One bolt was missing and the other two were loose. Exactly the same thing that had happened to the right cleat a few weeks ago. I guess I didn't tighten the bolts down hard enough, or perhaps I over-greased them. Fortunately this time I had an Allen key on me and was able to secure the cleat adequately by tightening the two remaining bolts.

Well - the A5 episode wasn't too bad. Not too busy. I was pedalling through Kingsbury another three miles later. The route looks pretty direct easy on a map so I tried to memorise it rather than uploading it to a phone or an eTrex. So I just kept going. I passed a garage called Kingsbury Service Station. Weirdly, about twelve minutes later I passed another place called Kingsbury Service Station. It looked identical to the first one. Because it was. I'd somehow managed to loop round on myself.

So I took a different turn at the next roundabout this time. By now I was pretty sure I wasn't on the route I intended, so I gave up on that and decided just to follow my nose and explore. I took a road called Coventry Road and kept going for another ten miles or so. This was quite a nice stretch of B road apart from being a bit hilly, and not having any petrol stations or shops. I'd only brought two sausage rolls with me and I'd already eaten both of them.




I stopped when I hit the outskirts of Coventry, and turned back. Two miles later I decided to take a right turn signposted to Nuneaton, rather than go back the same way. Just to do another stretch of hitherto-undiscovered road. Again this was really nice, until I hit Nuneaton. I hoped I wouldn't have to go right into the centre and I didn't, but the bit I did go through was pretty urban and partly a bit grim. I passed a few convenience shops but didn't particularly feel like leaving the bike outside any of them. I did stop and buy some food at a petrol station a bit further out. Then I followed a sign to Fenny Drayton which is at the south-west extremity of Fenn Lanes, part of my regular cycling territory. I took a left along Atterton Lane and up to Sheepy, then came back from there as if doing the second half of a Bypasser, up through Bilstone, Newton Burgoland and Swepstone.

Quite an enjoyable ride overall. Nice to do quite a bit of new territory. I don't often venture the other side of the A5. Very nice sunny weather and I had to declothe after the first few miles; more than warm enough for bare legs.

One minor irritation apart from losing a cleat bolt was that my right contact lens was a bit uncomfortable, and I managed to lose it under my eyelid while rubbing my eye, about half-way through the ride. It's still up there, it'll work itself out in a couple of days.

Listened to the last couple of hours of the Reacher novel, then footy on 5 Live. Back on 68.77 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11331285002

[Nickslikk2112]

Giro start day today, so I had to enter cycling couch potato mode. Could have gone out this morning I suppose, but the bike really did need its chain cleaning and lubeing, in fact the whole bike needed cleaning, hadn't been done in weeks.

Thankfully it's now May and the sun sets later, it's also warmer at last so I managed a couple of hours out. Nice to average over 16mph in ages, well a week, but last week was flat.

Today included the "giant" of the Col du Wigley, managed the second fastest time of the day up it, Mark Walsham was 4 seconds quicker than me, I'll let him off, he was a pro at one time, had two second places on the tour of Britain in his career, but he was riding with his wife today.

Good to get 35 miles in and I feel better for it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11332325285

[Nickslikk2112]

Thought I'd royally buggered up my bike today. Thought the bearing in the headset had gone. The roads round here are not in very good shape and I hit a bit today that was like a ploughed field which had set like concrete. Thought my teeth would fall out, but then a rattling started up that sounded like all the ball bearings in the headset had come loose and were jumping around in the steerer tube and front forks.

Logic eventually kicked in as the bike could still be steered, what it was was a CO2 canister and multi-tool in my frame bag were hitting against each other. A bit of a relief, but I wouldn't be surprised if something like that could happen.

I got 32 miles in anyway in the late afternoon sunshine.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11340524219/

[Slim]

I hadn't planned to go cycling today because the forecast for the afternoon was for rain. But when I checked again at lunchtime, the threat of precipitation had been withdrawn.

Ironically, my first thought was disappointment. Because despite all my complaining about rainy weather this last few months, I'd planned to spend an idle bank holiday indoors. But clearly, having bemoaned the absence of suitable cycling conditions so many times, the only decent thing to do was to go out and ride a bike.



I thought I'd do at least 40 miles. A light wind was coming from the east. I did the eastbound route as far as Narrow Lane, then I came back a different way through Wymeswold and Rempstone, then Diseworth. I took a bit of a detour into East Leake as well, hoping to navigate from there to Sutton Bonington, but I missed a turn and was back on the usual road back from Rempstone within a couple of miles.

I listened to LBC. Then a Donny Hathaway compilation. Then The Who's Tommy.

It was actually warm and sunny out there. I forgot to bring a bidon out of the house with me, but I bought a bottle of Lucozade at the petrol station at Burton on the Wolds.

Back on 44.10, glad to have got the May tally up to 113 already.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11346594858

[Nickslikk2112]

I may be retired, but today was still a Bank Holiday so it was time to ride to make the most of it. The fact that I've got seven nights away from home in the rest of May also means I have to get out whilst I can. The legs weren't really that interested but the ears weren't listening.

Nice to be out on a genuinely warm day too, the rainfall radar was showing a few showers out over the Peak District but I wasn't going out that far. I don't know why the legs were moaning either as I did the same ride as a couple of weeks back and averaged 1.3 mph quicker whilst outputting less power. Just shows the difference switching the Gravel bike from knobbly wide tyres to narrow(er) slicks makes. The windspeed and direction made some difference though.

It was bloody busy out there, I've never known so much traffic parked up on Clodhall lane and I do ride that way most Bank Holidays. Plenty of boy racers out and about too. Twats. Still not hitting those 40+ mile midweek rides though yet, just another 33 miles today, must get the decent road bikes sorted out.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11344788451

[Slim]

With a beautiful day forecast and plenty of rain on the way later in the month, I decided I'd take the afternoon off work and do a longish ride.

I set off at about 1110. My vague plan was to go down to Welford and possibly a bit further south, but by the time I got to Stoney Stanton I decided I'd go down Fosse Way instead. So I did. I kept on keepin' on right down to Princethorpe, which is further than I usually go down that way. Then I bought a sandwich and a Magnum ice cream at a petrol station there, and turned back.

I intended to come back the same way but I took a wrong turn at High Cross somehow. But I found my way to Broughton Astley, which is on my usual Welford route, and came back (mostly) the usual way from there.

I trialled a detour that goes round the hill at Earl Shilton while avoiding the little cycle path that goes down from Thurlaston Lane. It involves a couple of miles of fast road, but it was quiet.



Listened to LBC, Talk Radio and 5 Live. Plenty of people talking nonsense from both sides of the political divide, bloody irritating. I also listened to Jerry Paper's Like a Baby.

I had a shocking case of hot foot on the Earl Shilton bypass, in both feet. A couple of miles from Kirkby Mallory, I stopped to sit in the shade of a tree. I took off my shoes and socks and cooled my feet in the grass. I gave them a bit of a massage before putting the shoes and socks back on and they were fine after that.

Back on 76.52 miles and I should have done more really. But I'd cooked myself slightly by overdressing (I'm always too cautious at this time of year). Also, I'm on call for the penultimate time. Furthermore, Fosse Way is a bit hilly and I couldn't think of anywhere particularly interesting to go after Princethorpe. But at least I've topped up my tanlines.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11362889865

That's 2039 done this year now. 190 done this month, and hopefully I can get another 250 or so in before July.

[Nickslikk2112]

I've got another couple of 30 milers in to make five in a row. Yesterday was a going back to Winter day, just riding round a flat circuit. Today was a bit more involved with hills going up to the Peak District.

Surprised at how few cyclists were out today, Wednesday is normally a busy day, especially when you get to the tops and more so when it's warm and sunny. Perhaps they'd all overdone it on Monday. Think I overdid the sun getting to my head today, had a helmet on, but the air vents mean the sun can gain access to my thinning scalp. I'll get used to it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11360354621/

[Nickslikk2112]

I don't know if I can cope with this warm sunny weather! Just doesn't feel right after the year we've had so far and my head feels cooked. I suppose I shouldn't really complain.

Got to make the most of it, because I've got five Riverside gig in ten days coming up, so got to work those legs as much as possible. Could have worked them harder as it was just 40 miles today, but I've not been doing many of those and at least my ride was quicker than the last time I did it, even with a snarled up Chesterfield town centre.

Up on Beeley Moor I heard my first Cuckoo of the year. In fact the first Cuckoo I've heard in five years as I'm sure I haven't heard one since COVID struck. Hopefully it can find a mate so their chick can empty a little bird's nest.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11376640226