Cycling 2024

[Nickslikk2112]

I got a bit of icing on the cake. Mrs S wanted me to give a hand getting ready for the "guests" coming round tomorrow. I managed to sneak out for a couple of hours at midday though.

Just a steady spin out, but it felt like more. Last week I'd just got back to feeling like a cyclist and this week's been a step backwards. Well, it's felt like it, but the Garmin said I rode at Threshold today and not the regular VO2 Max. but what does that know?

Today's 32 miles got me to 533 for March and 1,581 for the year. It'll do.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11069511155

[Slim]

Today's plan was to visit Rutland, then come back. There are a couple of routes that accomplish this in a round trip of 60-odd miles, but I wanted to do more than that today - so I chose a route that takes in the first 40 miles of my Norfolk route, then dips south for 3 miles near Sewstern.

Set off at 0924 (BST, of course - the clocks having gained an hour overnight).

I took the first Boardman and over the first few miles I had a sense that the saddle was set a little too low, so I adjusted it before I was far out of the village (using estimated torque of course, I don't take a torque wrench with me on a ride). I don't think it had slipped. I'm just a bit more sensitive to it at the moment, having had to adjust the saddle position on the Roubaix.

I didn't have much food on me; the plan was to stock up at the petrol station at Burton on the Wolds, which I did. I also hoped to buy some more stuff at the village shop at Buckminster; alas it had closed at 1pm and I got there 25 minutes later than that. I'm not sure why the proprietors, people manifestly not persons of a Christian persuasion would close early for Easter Sunday, but hey. I pressed on regardless.



Got to the border, took the pic, went over into Rutland for a minute then came back exactly the same way. I did ponder whether I should come back via Melton Mowbray where I'd be sure to find a petrol station with snacks 9 miles later, but I had a cheese & onion roll and an oat bar on me and I felt sure I'd make it to the petrol station at Burton, 26 miles later, without any trouble.

The headwind going east had been slightly brutal. But the tailwind coming back was an absolute delight. I felt like I was riding a moped. The return trip was such a breeze that I didn't even bother to stop at Burton. I was just flying along, and I see that I've picked up a few Strava PRs for a route that I've done dozens of times.

A bit cold when I set off but the temperature climbed nicely. I took off a layer of clothing after 15 miles. The temperature did dip a bit later on when the sun went in but not for long. I was mostly very comfortable. The forecast had threatened a possibility of light rain showers, but apart from a hint of drizzle for ten minutes on the way back, I was untroubled by precipitation.

I listened to Colin Murray on 5 Live, then Different Stages - which I hadn't listened to for many years - then football coverage; Liverpool vs Brighton and the first half of Man City vs Arsenal.

Back on 86.45 miles. I was home two hours before sunset which makes me think I should have done 100 really, but it wasn't the best day for it. There'll be longer, warmer and less windy days soon.

Anyway that's a wrap for March on 480 miles, and the last neighbouring county box ticked for this year. Last year I did the last two on 2nd April. Quite nice to get them all in before the end of March this year, although in 2022 I'd done them all before the end of February.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11078424986

[dom]

March was very poor distance wise. Not even 100kms reached. A combination of poor weather, a trip to Kerry, and a bout of back pain, among other things, meant I only went out for 2 modest Saturday spins during the month. Hoping for a better April

[Nickslikk2112]

Managed to get April under way today. Think yesterday might have been a rainy day, but I was too stuffed from Sunday lunch. Still stuffed now, but I've started on Easter eggs.

I had to get out today as it most definitely wasn't raining and the rest of the week it could well be. Although with all the Traffic Cops I watch it might not be advisable on my local roads as lots of them feature in the show, all full of maniac drivers and banned drivers.

Thankfully, some bits of road have had potholes filled in, some bits even fully resurfaced and boy do they feel good. I even slow down on them to appreciate it more. Just rode out through Tibshelf to Westhouses today, but still got in my longest ride of the year - 44 miles. It'll do.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11090131757

[Slim]

Rain was expected at about 8pm, so I thought I could crank out 35 miles or so after work without getting wet. I did a Twycrosser With Orton Detour, 32.38 miles. I would have done more than that, but I did get rained on after the first hour.

Hadn't done the Orton detour for a while.

Listened to Mike Stern's Standards album which unfortunately is a bit inspid - he plays brilliantly but overall it comes across like lift music. Then I started a new audiobook, the Philp K Dick novel Martian Time-Slip which imagines a human colony on Mars in 1994. I found it really meandering and unfocused.

Anyway not quite as many miles as I wanted, but 32.38 more than I would have done if I'd known I was going to get rained on.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11093238977

[Nickslikk2112]

Got out yesterday in a gap between drizzly bits. Got 24 miles in, was happy enough with that.

Would have been happy again with 24 miles today, but made 32 as the weather was mainly good. Just the odd bit of rain and an increasing amount of wind. Didn't stray far from home, just went out and did my "ride steadily" circuits. A bit wet from water run off. Bit busy too, must be a school holiday thing.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11111246961

35 yards more and I'd have been at 100 miles for the week.

[dom]

Friend I cycle with suggested we head out for a small spin on Friday evening as we wouldn't be able to tomorrow morning with the yellow wind warning. He cycled from Trim to Navan and then we set off on a roundabout trip to back to Trim. I had the strength fitness class for cycling at 7.30 so the spin seemed like an ideal warm up. I began to feel it was a mistake as I approached the Knightsbrook Hotel as I wasn't feeling great. Hadn't even done 40kms and that at only a moderate pace.

Went to the class determined to complete but to take it easy as I did so. Come the end of the class and I was feeling distinctly queasy. Had to hurry my goodbyes and run to the loo

By the time class was over it was dark so Louise agreed to bring me back to navan in the car. Had to stop on 3 occasions on the approx 15km homeward trip. Bug or over- reaction to the exercise?

Im thinking the latter as when I got home discovered that my son is also sick !

[Slim]

A pretty nice day apart from a fierce wind and a threat of showers, so I abandoned my desk rather early and mounted a bicycle, in the hope of getting a fondo in.

I had the idea of going south at first, but I developed an urge to do a Bypasser. Could I somehow extend a Twycross Bypasser to the requisite 62.14 miles? Well I thought it would be fun to find out.

After Norton I thought of going over to No Man's Heath, from where I could join the Lower Westbound route. I did that. After King's Bromley I'd done more than 27 miles thanks to indulging a part-Bypasser and I decided to keep on going south past King's Bromley Wharf rather than turn off for Abbot's Bromley. Again, just in a spirit of adventure really. The headwind was shocking at this point and I was riding directly into it.

After about three miles I turned back, but I took an unfamiliar left turn shortly afterward to go exploring. This took me to Handsacre and I followed a sign from there back to King's Bromley. However just to keep things interesting, from there I came back via what I might term the "Disused Lower Westbound Route", through Barton under Needwood and Coton in the Elms. I remembered why I don't really use that route now, it's gritty and climby in places.

I stopped for food at a village shop in Yoxall. Nice place, very nice sandwiches. I wonder if I could fashion a useful route that goes through Yoxall.



After Netherseal it was apparent that I still had a few miles to make up so I came back a slightly indirect way after Measham, and detoured via Ibstock. The sun had set by this time, and I'd deployed lights.

However .. just as I was coming into the village, a friendly motorist emerging from his car flagged me down. "Did you have a red light on the back of your bike?" he wanted to know. Indeed I did, but not any longer apparently. "Because I passed one flashing on the road back there", he continued. I thanked him, put a spare rear light on and went back a mile or so to look for it, but I didn't see it. Ah well, it was cheap, and obviously a bit useless. The rubber strap was still attached, but the main body of the light had fallen off the mount.

Back on 64.27 miles. If not for backtracking to look for a missing rear light, I'd have been back in just over fondo distance so I'd managed the distance quite nicely.

Lovely out there apart from the wind, and obviously that only bothered me over the first half of the ride. Spring-like. I did get rained on, but only for five minutes. This was the first time I'd been out on the S Works since September and it zipped along beautifully on the way back.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11114186122

[Nickslikk2112]

Thought it was supposed to be windy today? I think yesterday was windier. There was something up though, with me, not the weather. Making my second ascent of Long Lane I had to stop, I'd come over all funny. Don't know what it was, Panic attack? I don't know, but I didn't like it. Carried on up Long Lane, but kept switching from riding normally to riding along in a dream like state.

Maybe it was down to it being the first warm day - out in shorts and short sleeves - and not drinking enough. Never felt like it before though and don't want to feel like it again.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11118439759

[Slim]

Thought it was supposed to be windy today? I think yesterday was windier. There was something up though, with me, not the weather. Making my second ascent of Long Lane I had to stop, I'd come over all funny. Don't know what it was, Panic attack? I don't know, but I didn't like it. Carried on up Long Lane, but kept switching from riding normally to riding along in a dream like state.

Maybe low on blood sugar or overdoing it? Take it easy!

[Nickslikk2112]

Thought it was supposed to be windy today? I think yesterday was windier. There was something up though, with me, not the weather. Making my second ascent of Long Lane I had to stop, I'd come over all funny. Don't know what it was, Panic attack? I don't know, but I didn't like it. Carried on up Long Lane, but kept switching from riding normally to riding along in a dream like state.

Maybe low on blood sugar or overdoing it? Take it easy!

Shouldn't have been low on blood sugar after 17 miles. Mrs S has diagnosed a Panic Attack. Whatever I'm staying in today.

[Nickslikk2112]

So, another cycling reboot, or so it seems. Might get into a rhythm with it one day. Thankfully I managed not to have a "funny turn" like on Saturday, which was nice. Wasn't able to get out when I would have liked because I managed to oversleep, which was good really as I've been struggling to sleep a bit later.

Mrs S told me to take it easily. Do you think I listen to you woman? I sort of did, but sort of didn't as I nearly broke 19 minutes for the first five miles on this route for the first time this year. Ended up doing three repeats from Four Lanes End up to Linacre Reservoir and back. Each one quicker than the last, which is what I was aiming for, to put more effort in each time. And live.

Back on 25 miles which was enough.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11133830820

Gave the chain a good clean this afternoon with my new chain cleaning machine - I appear to collect them - it's back to being shiny, but it has only been on a fortnight.

[Nickslikk2112]

Crikey! A nice day today, after two probably not so nice ones, can't have been good, I stayed in.

Again I managed a ride with no funny turns - apart from the strange junction in Dronfield - and got up to the tops. Not by my planned route though as I'd noticed there would be traffic lights for roadworks bang on a junction where you wouldn't want to encounter them on a bicycle.

Aimed to get 32 miles in and got 33, bonus. Still on with a chance of making 500 miles in April, so long as the weather plays ball.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11156442720

[Slim]

The warmest day so far this year I think, and dry as well for a change (mostly). Once again immoderately windy. Wish I could have got out of work earlier, but for my sins I had to give a Teams presentation at 1530. But I was off and away on a bike 53 minutes later.

I wanted to do more than 35, but didn't have time for 40. My first idea was to go down the Lower Westbound but just as I was approaching Measham I decided to take the left turn down to Snarestone and do a Bypasser. I augmented it with an excursion down toward Old Grendon, then another one down to explore suburban Atherstone briefly. Not very interesting.



Just for laughs I parked the bike against a wrecked car near Warton rather than the usual farm gate or telegraph pole, for the photo. The rear window was completely smashed in and one of the front wheels was splayed out at a near 90 degree angle. Nasty.

First legs-out day of the year. I did take tights just in case but didn't put them on. Picked up a few splashes of rain but only briefly. Back about a minute after sunset on 38.99 miles. Nice run out, wish I'd been able to set off an hour or two sooner.

136 this month which I'm not really happy with, hope the weather improves for the remaining 19 days.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11160160718

[Nickslikk2112]

Got out for another couple of hours today to do 33 miles with no ill effects. Which is always nice. Wasn't too sure where to go and a check on where roadworks were today made me settle for my try and do a base level ride circuit(s).

As ever there was a complete failure to achieve a base level ride, once again it was done at VO2 max. Either the algorithms on the Garmin are shit or it's taking the piss out of me. Who can say.

Nice to see plenty of other cyclists out today. Don't normally see many out that was as most people seem to like to head for the Peak District, but these seemed to be older folk just grateful to still be able to ride or Mountain Bikers looking for the next cycle trail.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11163652042