Richard Taylor
"William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
Sid Waddell
I don't usually go on themed cycle rides. However, many years ago I noticed the concentration of villages with names ending in "stone" in the area between Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Market Bosworth, and today I eventually went out for a ride visiting the Ten Stones of West Leicestershire: Thringstone, Ravenstone, Swepstone, Snarestone, Shackerstone, Bilstone, Congerstone, Odstone, Nailstone, Barlestone.
A slightly convoluted route, especially since I didn't want to retrace my route at any point. Also, it left most of the significant hills to the final section, coming home from Barlestone; which was also into the wind (although that wasn't very strong). About 40 miles altogether.
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
Shackerstone Railway brings back memories as a child...!
Let’s be fair, maybe the field isn’t stacked with sprinters but Jesper Phillipson is no slouch having just won the unofficial sprinters championship and he was well beaten on all three occasions. It’s great for his confidence, but with Bennett on the team he’s not going to be first choice for the big races.
There i was today turning a reasonably good gear coming out of Ilkley, when all of a sudden i heard loud music approaching from behind. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be a flipping e-biker on an MTB with his tunes blasting out. Don't they understand that it's not supposed to be that enjoyable? It's you versus the elements and your lactic acid; tonking along with Status Quo deafening the world is not in the spirit of a painful athletic endeavour.
Luke Appleyard (Wharfedale)- quick on the dissent
Last edited by Graham Breeze; 18-04-2021 at 06:14 PM.
"...as dry as the Atacama desert".
Had an excellent ride out on the Lapierre around the North Worcestershire lanes and hills, shorts and short sleeved jersey, 55km with just shy of 1000m climbing. First proper road bike ride in a while so the hills were a little bit of a shock after spending the last few months largely off road, pootling about canals on the Croix de fer.
Nursing a running injury (again!) and need to get back up to doing 100km more frequently so hopefully more of the same to come.
An absolute belter yesterday. Our “loop” of Semerwater but from home. 37.25 miles, more off-road than on, with 4,000 feet of ascent.
We left Horton on the High Birkwith lane, only to be over taken by about ten off road quad bikers and it was especially fun to see them held up a few minutes later by the farmer and his wife patiently explaining that no, the track beyond their farm wasn’t a fricking green lane
From High Birkwith, it was the Pennine Bridleway past Ling Gill and up a rubbly as heck ascent to the Cam High Road. This we followed past Fleet Moss before descending to Semerwater past Crag Hill. Then a fantastic climb up to Stake Moss and a pretty rough and rubbly descent to Cray. A blast down on the road to Buckden and then the lane to Hubberholme, Yockenthwaite and Beckermonds and up through the forest to pick up the Pennine Way briefly before scooting over to High Birkwith again and whizzing back down the lane to home
4.5 hours moving and a 20 minute break at Semerwater, 15 miles in, for a cheese and onion pasty stop
Last edited by Fellbeast; 18-04-2021 at 08:36 PM.