Today's Bike Ride

[felltrumpet]

I've just had my handle bars changed as was in agony just holding on the tops.

Supposedly my bike was too big for me and I my arms were far too stretched out.

I do have long legs and a shorter body. Maybe a female thing?

Now need to ride it to see if it has worked!

I’ve changed a couple of months ago to bars with less drop and reach, and it has made an immense difference to my comfort on the drops. It now means I can reach the brakes/shifters when down, and I have less pins/needles in my hands when going long distance.

[Graham Breeze]

What is the reasoning behind massively wide bars?

Back in the day we shortened bars to ridiculously short widths

I still ride with narrow bars

Whatever...but do you still have style?

[mr brightside]

There were lots of men at the bike shop.

Many in Lycra.....

It's a versatile and misunderstood material. Can't be as bad as watching Nadal play tennis in his tightie whities and see through shorts; christ, pass the mind bleach.

[mr brightside]

It's medieval out there, yelled at again yesterday for refusing to use the unsafe cycle lane on Kirkstall Road. I don't think they expect a coherent argument from you; i was busy explaining how i'm not legally obliged to use it, and that it's full of broken glass and bits of metal, i hadn't even got to the issue of it intersecting left peeling slip lanes when he screwed off in a howl of wheelspin. A gutsy fellow motorist decided he wanted his pound of flesh and tried to run me up the kerb a few hundred yards later as i was passing crawling traffic on the inside. Sod them, i'm armed to the teeth with logical reasoning and a legal mandate, they can go bollocks.

[Wheeze]

Many years ago, when I commuted to work by bicycle, I dreamt up the Ultimate Weapon of Silent Retribution (UWoSR).
This consisted of a 50cc syringe full of brake fluid mounted sideways on the handlebars. It was my experience that I would inevitably catch up with aggressively driven vehicles at the next roundabout/set of lights etc. This would allow me to discharge said syringe as I travelled past the miscreant vehicle, silently discharging the brake fluid along the flank of the vehicle. The inevitable strippage of paint would not be discovered until the vehicle reached its destination, by which time the owner would be mystified by how such a thing could happen.
Of course, I never inflicted the UWoSR in the real world, but......?!

[molehill]

Short 60 minute ride at lunchtime, had a little blast on a short segment beside the river and found I was =14 (out of 750) and obviously a V65 record, a bit for a Mole that is useless on a bike.

[mr brightside]

It was a hot day to be doing the cow and calf.

[molehill]

Done a gentle 25K with 280m ascent on local roads, no probs with heat and simply being sensible and not pushing it hard. Quite enjoyable but wouldn't have wanted another hour in the saddle.

[PeteS]

Moley,
Sadly I have only just realised what a wonderful cycling area you live in after a recent stay at the C&C campsite in Rhandirmwyn.
I was only running or walking then but vowed to bring the road bike back and do a day or two out beyond Llyn Brianne.

[Llani Boy]

Feeling much better today and a negative test, so took the Arkose out for a steady spin. Tarmac for the first six miles to Chelmorton then mainly trails, fields and bridleways before more tarmac home from Monyash.

Visited Kenslow Knoll woodland which is maturing nicely after being planted to celebrate the Millennium 22 years ago.

A warm but very breezy day and it was great to be out exercising in the fresh air again. Only one mishap, when I lost traction on a steep , stony bridleway and before I could unclip I toppled over into some grass and brambles. No problem I thought until I stood up and realised I'd tweaked my right calf which is still a bit tender this evening.

A total of 33 miles, 2,096 feet in 2hrs 58 min. Hopefully the calf will be OK for Sheldon tomorrow.