Cycling 2024

[Nickslikk2112]

Being as I'd done my usual Saturday in July thing and spent most of the day watching the Tour de France, I only had a couple of hours to get out in - if I also wanted to get in my Saturday vinyl session.

I decided to do the same ride as last Saturday and I also decided to try and put a bit more effort in. What was the result? A slower ride than last week on a 1% increase of average power. Ho-hum.

It was a wind thing though, like last week it was a Westerly, but this week it was 10mph stronger and all the time I gained on my outward run - about 25 seconds - was more than lost on the way back. At least today the England game did seem to produce a lesser amount of traffic on the road, but what there was was driving around like maniacs.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11824140398

[Slim]

Another dry day and, with the wind coming from the south, I took an opportunity to get a southbound fondo in. My usual route, except that I took a longer deviation round the Earl Shilton bypass, to avoid the hill you have to navigate to go straight through.

Stopped when I got to Welford Road after about 32.5 miles, and came back the same way.

I stopped at the village shop at Gilmorton on the way back. Alas, the Google Pay app on my bloody phone wouldn't work so I had to put the Magnum ice cream, egg mayonnaise sandwich, bottle of Lucozade and Milky Bar I'd plonked on the counter back where I'd got them. Annoying. I always take an actual debit card with me on longer rides, perhaps I'll do that on short rides as well now.

Fortunately I didn't really need them. I'd already eaten a rather nice chunk of Fortnum & Mason pork pie that I'd brought with me and with uncertain economic fortunes ahead of us now, perhaps I shouldn't be purchasing superfluous goodies on relatively short bike rides.

Really nice out there, warm and sunny later on. I backpacked my fleece and tights after about ten miles. Perhaps I should use my legwarmers more often; I always feel a bit inconspicuous wrestling tights off while propped against a farm gate. I must look like an old woman about to take an impromptu leak.

I started the next Reacher novel, The Affair. Good stuff so far although it's in the first person, which is not my favourite Reacher mode.

I would have done a longer ride, but rain was forecast for the late afternoon. It never happened.

Back on 65.87 miles for a pleasing 188 this month. That was this year's 21st fondo.

[Slim]

Dry again today but I had things to do around lunch time and this evening, so I wasn't going to do another fondo. The wind from the west was a bit too strong for that anyway. I was slightly debilitated from drinking Japanese whisky last night, as well. So I thought I'd do a longish version of the famous Twycross Bypasser route. About 40 miles, perhaps.

Pretty comfortable out there, about 16C I think. I was going to go down to Fenn Lanes via Witherley, but Mythe Lane was flooded where the stream passes under the road. I've seen this quite a few times now, but somehow didn't expect it today. So - I backtracked back to Ratcliffe Culey and went east via Sibson and Shenton then up through Market Bosworth.

Gloomy from 1800 and I picked up a few specks of rain near Odstone so I came home the quicker way through Heather (pronounced Hee-ther by the locals by the way) instead of Swepstone. Fortunately I didn't get rained on.

I forgot to bring a phone with me somehow so I couldn't make any progress with the Reacher novel. I listened to coverage from Wimbledon.

Saw a huge swarm of pigeon-sized birds near Orton. Not sure what they were. Seemed to be thousands of them. Crows maybe. They were silhouetted against the sky so I couldn't really make out their colouring.

Back on 36.11.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11856135165

[Nickslikk2112]

Wish I'd gone out on Monday, might have kept the legs in better condition after being kept in by the rain yesterday.

It was certainly a struggle today, although a headwind may have been as big a contributor as the legs. My first five miles were about my quickest this year on the way I headed out, but that could have been because the wind was a tailwind. First time I've been out that way in weeks as roadworks had been showing up. They were supposed to have gone. Wrong. Ho-hum.

First ride to the tops through Cutthorpe in a week and a half and it showed! Not done many slower times, but once you're up there its a relief! Even managed to get out and cross the border into Yorkshire - but not for long! Got 40 miles in, which will do.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11853753568

[Slim]

For years I've had a vague intention to do a bike ride to Kilburn, an unremarkable village about eight miles north of Derby. I'd probably never have heard of it except that, in the early '90s, it was in one sense the location of a (bizarre) love triangle I was caught up in, and the geographical focal point of a lot of emotional turmoil.

So, with the wind blowing from the north unusually, I decided I'd give it a go today. I set off at about 0950.

Up Top Brand to Donington, over Cavendish Bridge, up past Elvaston Castle. The intention was to head towards Oakwood, where I used to live all those years ago, then take what was my usual driving route to Kilburn back in 1993. Or one of them.

I tried to take a short cut through Spondon on the way to Oakwood, partly to avoid the busy 'ASDA roundabout'. But I ended up on the A52, which - being a fast dual carriageway and the most popular road into Derby off the M1 - was considerably worse. Oh well. I put up with a mile of it, then I ended up on the ASDA roundabout anyway despite my attempt to avoid it.

At the next roundabout I took a right turn to go up Acorn Way. I was happily pedalling around it in the usual clockwise fashion when a learner driver decided to join the roundabout right in front of me. I had to apply brakes pretty sharply to avoid colliding with the driver's side of his car. Perhaps the youth behind the wheel thought that right of way on roundabouts only applies to motor vehicles. Needless to say I gesticulated aggressively, but he looked very nonchalant about it. Would be quite funny if he was on his test, but somehow I doubt it.



Familiar roads from that point up towards Kilburn, albeit I hadn't been on some of them for over three decades. Nice to see some familiar places, odd somehow that they're still there after all this time.

Not long after Morley I decided to take a detour after seeing an idyllic-looking left turn. To the left, a long, quiet, straight, narrow but decently surfaced road beckoned, lined by trees. Very nice, but it didn't last long and the next turn saw me rattling downhill along an uneven and grotty country lane. Ah well - it's good to explore.



Got to Kilburn, had a look round. I decided to go back down to Derby the other way, down Derby Road. It had clearly been resurfaced recently - gravel bound with tar, but no white lines or road markings. This was a really pleasant stretch of the ride. It's a big road and yet quiet, presumably because it's parallel to the A38. It goes through a pretty village called Little Eaton. And all of it is gently downhill until you get to Derby.

I stopped at a bench in Oakwood, not far from my old house, to eat some food I'd brought with me. It bore a sign saying "Happy to Chat Bench - sit here if you don't mind someone stopping to say hello". Fortunately, I didn't have to glare at anyone. Then I headed home through Spondon, Borrowash, Elvaston, Shardlow. After Donington I took the longer way home through Diseworth and it was even longer than I intended because I hit a 'Road Closed' sign on the turn to Belton. But I thought I probably needed to add a mile or so anyway to get up to fondo distance, so I continued on to Long Whatton then came home the usual way from there.



There's now an elegant little caff along the main road near Shardlow, and I stopped there for a sausage roll, a fruit scone and an Americano. Very nice but it came to £8.30 and although I wouldn't have thought twice about that a few weeks ago, I wonder if I should really be doing that now I've turned the money tap off. I should probably have brought more stuff with me.

Cool for the first hour or two. Warm later on when the sun came out but cooler again later when the clouds rolled over. I wasn't tempted to take the legwarmers off. I got rained on slightly over the last mile.

Listened to more Reacher, Adrian Chiles and Wimbledon coverage on 5 Live and the Who album It's Hard.

Back on 65.53. Nice run out, a bit of an adventure. I'll have to do that one, or something like it, again.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11871053000

[Nickslikk2112]

After being drizzled off yesterday, thought I'd better get out today - especially with a weekend in the Pyrenees to watch in the TdF, I'd love to give the Tourmalet a try, but I'm old and it's uphill, for a long way.

I'd got a 40 miler planned in my head, a flattish 40 miler - sometimes I feel like I wish I lived on Suffolk - I'd got three miles and looked down to see I'd forgotten my bidon   So a quick U-turn and back home to get it. Back home I found I hadn't even filled it. Hope I'm not getting like Biden.

At least now it meant I wouldn't have to go through Westhouses, so I can be thankful for small mercies. It was nice to ride out to Tibshelf with a tailwind, normally it's a cross headwind, of course that meant it was a headwind coming back, but I manned up. Got my 40 miles in and possibly feel better for it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11869581034#

[Nickslikk2112]

Went out and did what I've done the last couple of Saturdays once I'd finished watching Pogi have a good time. Managed to do it more quickly last week but slower than a fortnight ago, but that could be due to putting in an extra triangle above Apperknowle.

Thankfully I felt livelier than yesterday and even a bit of rain in Sutton Scarsdale and Heath didn't put me off, because I knew I'd head back to a drier slot. For the third week in a row I set a PB on "Two Lap Bypass" seeing where I am on the overall, I'm down near the bottom, looks like it's used for Time Trialling, I just do it to get a few flat miles in before heading uphill

Another 35 done and over 250 for July.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11880296587

[Slim]

Not a bad day, warm enough and dry. On another Sunday I might have done a fondo, but I seem to have a lot more time on my hands now and I've done three already this month. With a light wind coming from the west, a Bypasser seemed a good idea.

I did a longish version, right down to Fenn Lanes. Fortunately Mythe Lane wasn't flooded this time. I took the left from Fenn Lanes along Mill Lane to Shenton, which I haven't done for a while. Nice to see that Mill Lane has been resurfaced, though I don't remember it being particularly bad before.

Listened to the Reacher audiobook all the way round. Not one of the best, but good stuff. I could have done without the ten minute sex scene though. I completely forgot that the men's final was on at Wimbledon or I'd have listened to that, but fortunately I got back in time to see the last few games on the telly.

Back on 40.30 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11887787656

[Nickslikk2112]

After being rained off yesterday, although it wasn't that wet and I probably could have got away with it apart from the last 15 minutes, I thought that I had better get out today.

So I did and I did more or less what I did last Wednesday and like last Wednesday I felt absolutely shit going up through Cutthorpe. It felt like when I first started tacking climbs up to the Peak District 10 years ago. I only made it up more quickly than last week because the headwind was lighter. Must start doing more hill work I don't want to be outdone by the doddery old men I see out and about up there.

Might try a new bike, well not new, but not used for a long while. Got round to getting a new rear derailleur cable on the Giant TCR. Was charged £20 for it which included collection and delivery back. But why whenever I have a new cable put on are the gears never indexed properly? I've had it done by four different mechanics and every time it comes back not working across the whole block.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11910044374

[Slim]

I put a new chain on the Cannondale yesterday and was going to change the cables as well, but I copped out and left the old ones on. It's not a hard job in itself but it's a bit of a faff setting the gears up afterwards. The old cables look alright so hey.

The Cannondale doesn't have a barrel adjuster for the front Disraeli which I find a bit odd.

Anyway at least it had a good clean! I shaved off a load of that plasticky gunge that forms on the inboard side of the big chainring by spinning it round into the blade of a screwdriver.

[Slim]

A warm, almost hot day, mostly sunny with intermittent cloud and the wind coming from the south. I set off not long after 0900 with the intention of going down the Southbound Route. I didn't think I'd go right down to Northampton, but I thought I'd go down to Welford, or the gliding club at Sibbertoft.

Warm enough for minimal clothing from the outfit. I wore a short-sleeved cycling top received as a birthday present from Stepdaughter II and her boyfriend, and it fits nicely. Nice secure pockets as well.

I got as far as Broughton Astley, only to find that the road south of there had been resurfaced by having sharp, dusty gravel thrown onto it. I just wasn't going to propel my S Works over that, so I turned back. I went back as far as Stoney Stanton, and from there went down Fosse Way. My alternative southbound route. A thoroughly serviceable Plan B.

I got as far as Bretford, then just to do something a bit different I took a road signposted to Coventry. Wasn't going to go much further anyway. But it wasn't a very interesting road. It took me to a village called Brandon, which also wasn't very interesting. And I turned for home. I had a sandwich and a Magnum ice cream at the village shop at Brinklow. It has a little bench outside, although I invariably have to make room by shifting a box of old paperbacks and some pot plants. Come to think of it, perhaps I'm not supposed to sit on it.



Took a pic at the High Cross monument as usual. As I'm sure I've mentioned a few times, it marks the centre of Roman Britain and the intersection of the two great Roman roads.

I came back the old-fashioned way through Earl Shilton. I didn't take the bypass that would have avoided the hill, because I forgot to take a left turn instead of straight on at the crossroads at Stoney.

I listened to more of the Reacher novel, GB News, LBC and the 2019 Who album Who. 5 Live is a no go area for me when the Open Championship is on. I can't imagine why people follow a golf competition on the radio.

Back on 74.00 miles. That was my fourth fondo this month, nice to have a bit more time for them.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11920137986

[Nickslikk2112]

Took the newly re-rideable Giant TCR out today. Forgotten how highly geared it is compared to the gravel bike going back to 52/36 chain rings is a bit of a shock after 46/30 and it's an 28-11 rear cassette as against a 34-11. You really feel it if you try to ride the same cadence on the equivalent rear sprocket!

It came as no surprise to find that was my fastest ride of the year, but only just, wonder if I'd be quicker if my legs were in balance. The power pedals always say that more power goes through the right one, but today was 42%L:58%R can't say as my left leg feels any weaker.

Got 41 miles in today going out down Tibshelf way, would only have been 40 if the road through Westhouses hadn't been shut. The Causwayone.network site hadn't got it shut. Still, going up through Blackwell saw me set a few PBs, the Southerly wind and bus which wanted to get by me helped with that.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11918549362/

[Slim]

A warm day, but overcast with rain threatened for the early evening. Since I've put a new chain on the Cannondale and adjusted the front derailleur yesterday, I wanted to give it a run out to check everything's working properly.

I hadn't used it for eleven months, because I knew it needed some attention. And of course it's taken me ages to get round to it. Well - to be fair I was waiting for some warm weather to give it a good clean at the same time. I only ever wash a bike on a warm day so it dries quickly.

I didn't set off until noon but I only wanted to do 30 or 40 miles anyway so a Bypasser seemed the obvious choice. I found a ROAD CLOSED sign and a barricade blocking the entire road coming into Ashby, so I backtracked and went through Packington instead.



I was overtaken by a couple out for a ride near Snarestone. Posh bikes, swanky cycling gear. The male rider, a well-built man in his late 40s at a guess, gave me a smug wink as he passed. A few minutes later I found that, without particularly trying to, I was catching them up again. I came right up behind them coming through Norton. The poor lad was having a real struggle getting up the hill out of the village in the granny gear, so I breezed up past him. Naturally I gave him a wink on my way past. His face was roughly the colour of a beetroot.

His girlfriend had managed the hill without difficulty.

Down to Mythe Lane and rather than Fenn Lanes I came up and east through Upton. Glad I'm remembering to do that road a bit more often these days, it's very nice along there. After Carlton I took a right to Nailstone and came along the main road up through Ibstock, which is something else I don't do often.

The Cannondale is running nicely on the new chain, except that getting it onto the big ring at the front is more of an effort than it should be at the shifter. It requires a harder push than it should (or used to). I think I'll probably end up fitting a new cable and setting the front gear up from scratch. I don't think I'll bother with a new cable housing but I'll flush the old one through with GT85 to give it a good clean. Not going to bother with the rear cable. Ain't broke - don't fix it!

I listened to the rest of the Reacher novel. It unfolded quite nicely. Not one of the best but pretty good.

Back on 35.97 and that's 440 this month now. I think 600 is very doable for July.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11936039392

[Nickslikk2112]

Went out for a 30 miler yesterday and did another one today. Starting to get used to pushing over bigger gears again and the imbalance between left and right legs is reducing.

Still not quite managed to get the rear cassette indexed properly, still works over the entire block, but is prone to not shift between third and fourth. Probably just needs the slightest tweak on the barrel adjuster, but I keep giving it just too much of a tweak.

It did rain a bit whilst I was out, but not enough to make me wimp out and at least it was warm rain. Managed to set a PB on a Strava segment for the fourth week in a row. I'll leave it at that though, reduced it by a minute (from 11 to 10) any further reduction would require a heads down put some effort in ride. Not for me.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11937852168/

[Fishy]

Managed to squeeze out a rather piss poor 20 miles yesterday.. would liked to have done more but I was knackered and it was quite windy which made things a bit unpleasant.. anyway up over the Carrick Hills down into the village of Knockdon.. then a nice cross country to drop on the A77 and across that on the Dalrymple road to circle back to A77 then round the houses and drop onto the seafront and out to the pier end and home..