Cycling 2024

[Nickslikk2112]

Went out still dressed for Summer today. Even though it was warmer than yesterday it felt colder as it was four o'clock before I went out - hey, Cyclocross season is back - and the sun was losing its power.

I was aiming for 32 miles in two hours and came in at nearly 34 in just over, so that'll do. Can't believe today was my first ascent of Tom Lane this year, could have sworn it was a regular ride earlier on this year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/12694609991

[dom]

Was planning on heading out tomorrow with my cycling buddy but Ashling suggested  that this would be a bad idea.

And today was so beautiful - was thinking who knows when we'd get a day as warm and sunny again?

Had a busy morning taking the cat to the vet's and various shopping trips. Spent most of it thinking how much nicer it would be on a bike. As soon as I was home I was getting ready for the spin. Pretty unremarkable really out to Kells via the Gibbstown Gaeltacht and back via Bohermeen.

Felt good to be out though, so much so that not even the Arsenal defeat could spoil it

https://strava.app.link/kqXY1RKCPNb

[Slim]

I woke at about 0500 this morning. Certainly, I wasn't intending to get up that early. I asked Alexa the outside temperate. 11 degrees. Doable, however on reflection I thought it was probably better to go back to sleep for a few hours. So I did. I ended getting up at about 0930, later than I intended, but I was pedalling away from the garage by about 1020.

I took the Tricross. Wanted to check that my tactic of spraying GT85, then dribbling chain lube down the steerer tube had freed up the steering, and happily, it has. Nice and slippery smooth now.

Decently mild and dry day. The wind was coming from the south. The intention was to do a southbound fondo.

After about 2km, I realised that I hadn't brought my phone - which meant that I wouldn't be able to refuel at a village shop or petrol station. But I took stock - I had a Peperami "pizza bun" (awful but convenient), a cheese & onion pasty and two flapjacks with me. Probably enough. So I pressed on.

I decided after Stoney Stanton to go down the Fosse Way route instead of down toward Northamptonshire. Got to Brinklow after about 47km. Then, because I only wanted to do another three klicks or so, I took a right toward Coventry rather than continuing down Fosse Way. Turned after 50.3km and came back much the same way (I took the detour along Wood Road on the way back to bypass Bagworth).

Listened to 5 Live, and the first 90 minutes or so of Boris Johnson's superb Unleashed. Really a wonderful and engaging book, and he reads it beautifully.

Back on 102.28km, that's 852 this month.

The only annoying thing really about switching to km rather than miles has been that I have some landmarks with distances to home recorded in my head. They can be handy, but I'll just have to figure out and memorise some new ones.

https://www.strava.com/activities/12709866188

[Nickslikk2112]

Thought I might have been coming down with Slim's Manflu over the last couple of days, but dragged myself out for 20 miles yesterday and felt better for it.

Today, I dragged myself out for 41 miles with 3,195ft of elevation gain at an average speed of 15.3mph and came back feeling worse. Should be averaging 16mph on that bike for that route, but the supposed gentle breeze most certainly wasn't, MyWindsock says I had a 15mph headwind for 40 minutes. Probably a tailwaind for about ten. Still, any mileage is good mileage.

https://www.strava.com/activities/12716497269

[Slim]

Today's plan, again, was to do a fondo. I must have a think about whether I want to spend every available dry day cycling. But anyway today, that's what I did.

The wind was coming from the south so I set off at about 1010 on a remix of the southbound route. Last time I went down that way, on Monday, I had to contend with extended roadworks and traffic lights near Bagworth. I don't mind waiting at the lights so much, but the road was covered in dust and mud. So this time I went down through Heather and the various villages to Bosworth, before joining the usual route at Kirkby Mallory, via Cadeby.

I went down as far as the end of Station Road, a couple of km north of Welford and the Northamptonshire border. I decided to come back up via the old route through Husbands Bosworth and Shearsby, with the twist that I would cut across west to the new route from Foston - to avoid the nasty traffic at the bottom of Leicester. I've tried this once before and made a mess of it. This time I managed to take the route I intended and yep, it works pretty well. After rejoining the main route at Broughton, I mostly came back the same way.



Back on 110.45km and that was October's 7th fondo, a new monthly record. It's quite likely that I'll get another one in before November, as well.

Pretty gloomy when I set off, and cold. But the sun emerged in the afternoon and in the end, it was a very nice day. I did get a couple of minutes of drizzle near Foston, though. Seemed very incongruous, so much so that I thought I was being sprayed by a badly aligned windscreen washer at first.

I listened to Bowie's Hunky Dory and 5 Live (mostly politics coverage).

https://www.strava.com/activities/12727600045

[Slim]

Today's mission was to perform a fondo, by any means possible. Nice day - very sunny, though not very warm. A mild southerly breeze. I did the southbound route again. Given that the clocks went back an hour last night I hoped I'd have set off by 0930 but nope, 1024. That's 1124, body clock time. Unaccountable really.

Since a defiantly dry day was promised, I took the Cannondale. Only its fourth run out this year. Didn't get round to changing the chain and giving it the setup it needed until July.

Once again I went down via Odstone, Barton and Bosworth to avoid the roadworks near Bagworth. Went down as far as Station Road then turned back. I was going to come back the same way this time, but I decided to give myself an orienteering test, and I took a left towards Lutterworth rather than the right toward Broughton Astley. Found a sign to Ashby Parva, and from there I found my way back to Broughton via Frolesworth. My impromptu detour looked familiar, actually. I think I must have done that before.



After Kirkby Mallory I came home directly up the A477. Not really that pleasant, but I reasoned that the traffic would be lighter on a Sunday. By this time I was looking forward to a coffee and a warm bath. The temperature had dropped a little. And I'd added a few km on my detour.

Back about a minute after sunset, which today occurred at 1644.

I listened to Johnnie Walker's last ever radio programme. I well remember listening to his chart show at school on my little blue transistor radio over 50 years ago. The new chart was announced on a Tuesday in those days. And I listened to football coverage on 5 Live, and another hour or two of Boris Johnson's brilliant memoir, Unleashed.

Back on 105.39 km, and that's my eighth fondo this month - a new personal record. Octuple Fondo October, if you will. It was also my 39th fondo this year which is also a personal best (I managed 38 last year).

https://www.strava.com/activities/12760936124

[Nickslikk2112]

I've not managed one Fondo all year. Only done one fifty miler. My distance mojo has gone missing. I think the COVID era started the decline, I started doing shorter rides more often and now I start to worry about things going wrong if I'm too far from home.

Got a couple of 33 milers in this weekend, getting back today tow minutes after the 16:42 sunset. Early sunsets now mean I can only watch the women's Cyclocross race before going out. Thank heavens for catch-up.

https://www.strava.com/activities/12759620002

[Slim]

Unusually, the wind came from the north-east today. While casually perusing maps over a slice of toast this morning, I had the idea of going up into Nottinghamshire, to visit some old haunts. So I went up through Coleorton to Castle Donington, but rather than hanging a left to Shardlow as I normally would, I kept on keepin' on to Long Eaton, then to Beeston.

In the noughties, by an odd coincidence I had two consecutive jobs within a kilometre of each other there; the first at a web hosting firm, the second at Nottingham University. I went right through Beeston and into the Uni. Took a pic of the bike against the Psychology Building, where I worked as a technology staffer. Good times. Really hadn't changed much, though it was odd to think that some of the bright young things I saw walking around the campus would only just have been born when I started work there. Meanwhile the kids who were there back then are in their mid or late thirties now. Odd thought. It doesn't seem long ago.

Anyway I didn't stay there long. Once or twice when I worked at the Uni I cycled all the way home to Derby, so I decided to repeat that experience. I only ever did this four or five times. Mainly I'd wrestle the bike onto a train at Beeston station, then get off again at Spondon station. I only ever rode a bike all the way home when there was some sort of problem with the trains.



It really seems bizarre to me now that I would endure the hassle of taking (and paying for) a train between Nottingham Uni and Derby, with a bike, to avoid a 21km ride home. Years later I would regularly do a 50 or 60km ride after work just for the fun of it. But 21km, or 13 miles as I knew it at the time, seemed like a lot back then.

I'm sorry to say that I couldn't remember the way out of Beeston toward Long Eaton, and I did a lot of faffing around in heavy traffic trying to find my way. I was glad to go there again but it's very urban, not a lot of fun.

Anyway with the help of Google Maps I did find my way back to Long Eaton and from there through Draycott, Borrowash and into Derby, just like old times. I went up through Spondon, up to Oakwood where I used to live, then back down Acorn Way to the main road and back to Borrowash. Thankfully the "ASDA roundabout" was quiet. From Borrowash, down to Swarkestone Bridge through Aston and Weston - I was thankful to be on nice quiet country roads again - and back home the usual way through Melbourne and Coleorton.

Listened to 5 Live mainly, and the Ned Doheny album Hard Candy - a bit of a blue-eyed soul classic from 1976.

As I sat on a bench near Draycott, an old bloke in pink trousers and a woolly hat, out for a walk with his other half, wanted to talk about my bike. "That's a name I haven't heard for a long time", he said, pointing to the Boardman brand on the frame. So we had a brief chat about Chris Boardman. I'm not sure how much of it he took in, or whether he was particularly interested. Sweet old man.



Dark by the time I got back, on 105.38km, which makes October a nonuple (yes) fondo month. My previous record is 6, in September 2023. I've also done 1172km this month, which is the highest distance score in any month since 2016. But I was a manic cyclist back then. I actually did 37 rides in July that year, which seems excessive to me now. To be fair though they were typically much shorter than I'd bother with now.

Looking at the weather forecast I probably will ride a bike on Thursday, which will be the last day of the month. Maybe even a fondo! But maybe not.

https://www.strava.com/activities/12775321184

[Nickslikk2112]

I suppose I ride a Fondo in two halves, on consecutive days. There, that makes me feel better

Did 35 miles yesterday and 35 miles today. Could certainly have got away with short sleeves and bib-shorts yesterday, probably could have today, but there was no sun.

Forgot that it's half term this week and made the mistake of cycling up to Hardwick Hall, plenty of traffic going there. I did manage to hold an SUV up on the last bit of the climb though. He got his own back on the descent away from the Hall, too many speed bumps and pedestrians in the road.

[Nickslikk2112]

Did another half Fondo today. Wish I'd done a triple Fondo as Mrs S had invited her sister over and she didn't leave until nearly eight this evening. Talk about outstaying your welcome!

Didn't bother straying too far from home. Trying to work out some "interesting" rides for the short Winter days ahead, which give a good workout with a decent amount of climbing, but nothing too taxing.

Today's 36 miles gets me to 634 miles for October with 45,000ft of elevation gain. It also means I've cycled more than in 2023 which is nice.

https://www.strava.com/activities/12789223595/overview

[Slim]

I got up yesterday with the firm intention of doing my 10th fondo of October. I had my cycling clothes ready to go; my cheese and onion rolls prepacked. But the weather was so cold and damp that I decided not to bother. Consequently, there will probably never be a decuple fondo month. Not in my spreadsheet anyway.

However - I did do one today. With a light wind coming from the south-west, I decided to do my Lower Westbound route. Hadn't done it for a while.

I forgot to take the right turn for Measham after 10km. I went down Gallows Lane on autopilot, as if doing a Twycrosser. No matter, I took a right for Measham two km further down. Unfortunately because I'd approached Measham from an unusal direction, I took the wrong turn from the crossroads and ended up going west through No Man's Heath and Clifton Campville. But that was fine. Hadn't been that way for a while.

I stopped just short of Abbots Bromley after 52km, and turned back. I calculated that I'd have done 100km by the time I got back by the sensible route. But I realised by the time I got to Lullington that I wouldn't, quite. So I took a detour up to Ashby after Measham.



That was an enjoyable run out, mild enough and a nice dry day albeit rather overcast. I listened to 5 Live and the Yes live album Yessongs, once a "triple album".

Back on 101.81k. Thoroughly decent start to the November campaign.

At the moment I'm 319km ahead of 2023. That was my record year (10,321km) but I'll be happy with 10,000 this year. Having said that - I did formulate an ambition earlier in the year to do a minimum of 400 miles in each month of this year, which would be a first - and if I do that over the last two months of 2024, I'll end up on 10,152km. I'll just aim for 650k for both November and December.

https://www.strava.com/activities/12798867194

[Nickslikk2112]

And another half Fondo today. Bit of a dim and dreary afternoon, but there wasn't much drizzle and it was quite warm.

Just went out through Tibshelf and back. Pleasant enough ride.

https://www.strava.com/activities/12806524074

[Slim]

Another dry day and with the wind coming from the east again, another chance to do my favourite fondo ride, the Eastbound Route.

My usual route outwards through Coalville was blocked by a ROAD CLOSED sign and some pretty serious-looking roadworks, so I took a detour along Whitwick Road. I last did that in early 2020. I know this because I recall listening to a piece on Adrian Chiles' 5 Live show about a cruise ship that had been quarantined due to the outbreak of a virus among the passengers and crew. At that time there was no suggestion that we were at the outset of a global crisis.

Anyway - I pedalled eastward in the usual manner, through Stanford and Burton on the Wolds, where I stopped at the petrol station to buy some food. I stopped and turned back after 49km. I was going to come back a slightly longer way over the last few km.

However - on a whim I decided to take a different route home, via a (roughly) parallel route to the north. I haven't been that way for years, just thought it would make a change. I took a wrong turn almost immediately, to a village called Hose where I checked Google Maps and backtracked.

Quite nice to do the alternative route again, though I was reminded why I don't really do it now. A bit climby and the road surfaces aren't great.



Came back down Top Brand a few km from home and I reckoned I'd be home on more than 102km if I came back the usual way from there, so just for a change I came through Swannington rather than Coleorton. Saves a km or so but involves a long uphill slog. I hadn't done it for at least a year. It wasn't as bad as I remembered (it never is).

Listened to more of Boris Johnson's thoughtful, insightful and wonderfully engaging memoir, Unleashed. Also football coverage on 5 Live and the first 45 mins or so of Bob Harris' first Sounds of the Seventies on R2.

Back on 101.35k, happy to have got November off to a good start. 203k, three days in.

https://www.strava.com/activities/12815290427

[Nickslikk2112]

Intended doing another demi-Fondo again today, after watching Fem van Empel win the Womens European Cyclocross championships.

However, half way in my rear derailleur cable snapped in the shifter, should have realised as I'm coming up to 4,000 miles on the gravel bike and they tend to go on me at that distance. Luckily I was near the high point of my ride and could pick a mainly downhill ride back - apart from one nasty little kicker.

Because of my own inertia and naive thoughts of fixing thing myself I'm now without a rideable bike. Better contact Bicycle repair man first thing tomorrow.

https://www.strava.com/activities/12814970896

[Slim]

As of this morning, 16 of my most recent 20 rides had been fondos. However, I wasn't tempted to do one today. For one thing, the weather was a little bit cold and gloomy. Dry enough, and unusually low winds, but not really long bike ride conditions. And for another, because it's US election day, I'll inevitably be staying up until at least 0300. And I didn't want to tire myself out.

I thought I'd do something a bit different. I went up to Melbourne then across to Ticknall. Then down to Ashby via Bastard Hill, which I hadn't done for months. Pleased to report that it wasn't that bad an ordeal.

Not the best day for a ride up the hill between Melbourne and Ticknall. On a clear day there's a fantastic view from the top into Derbyshire, but not today. I did find a portable toilet up there. It wasn't locked. But I used the hedge.



Because I'd only done about 30km by the time I got to Ashby, I tacked a sort of sub-Twycrosser onto the ride. Down through Packington toward Twycross, but only as far as Snarestone. Usual way home from there through Swepstone and Heather. I did take a slight detour through Ibstock.

Back on 50.38km which does seem a bit rubbish. But it looks like there's enough dry weather in the rest of the month to get the December kilometre count up to 650 easily, and that'll do.

Listened to US election fever on various 5 Live programmes.

https://www.strava.com/activities/12830064469