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Thread: Today's Bike Ride

  1. #7021
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    Quote Originally Posted by Graham Breeze View Post
    Twenty eight miles and 2100 feet. Because of the forecast sleet I set off on a tour of the bypasses: Addingham, Skipton, Keighley but then in the absence of any arriving sleet I decided to do Simon Warren's Ilkley Moor climb (4880 m, 278m climb)from Riddlesden up over the ridge of Ilkley Moor at Keighley Gate (380m - the higher TP is 402m) which then gives me a continuous descent to my home at 110 metres in a couple of miles.

    ADV on my bike stands for adventure so FOO must stand for foolhardiness because when I crossed the watershed by the BT transmitter dishes the track was covered in sheet ice. Fortunately no one was around to see me dismount and do some tip toe-ing.

    In fact nobody was around much anywhere and I saw just one cyclist - in regulation head to toe black - in the 28 miles.
    It might have been worse Graham. You could have been tip toeing alongside your Bianchi!
    Visibility good except in Hill Fog

  2. #7022
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    Due to a knacked knee, and being off running for a while, I’ve now taken the huge step of getting on my bike (well my daughter’s very old bike to be exact). Only two peddle outs thus far but I’m getting the hang of things, starting to enjoy it and I can see it becoming a regular thing, even when I get back running.

    The bike though is a ten year old mountain bike that has spent the last eight years quietly rusting in our, partially open to the elements, slightly decrepit greenhouse and has definitely seen better days. My daughter went to Australia in 2012 and is now a full blown Ozzy so it hasn’t been used even once since that time. Fortunately the brakes work and it responded well to an all over WD40 spray. I’ve retained a scraggy old smurf fhat has always dangled from the handle bars but, aside from that, I have to admit I look a bit of a knob on what is now a very sad old bike.

    So just thinking out loud at the minute but, were I to buy a brand new bike, would an adventure/gravel bike make sense for me? I want to cycle quiet lanes and bridle ways and dirt tracks and all things off road and it looks a good fit. To me at least, not having the first clue what I’m on about!

  3. #7023
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    A cloudy but milder day for todays outing on the Arkose. Youlgreave and Friden again before a change of direction to Pike Hall and then Aldwark. Under the HPT at Longcliffe and down towards Ashbourne but turning right up to Ballidonmoor Farm. I had to climb and carry my bike over a tractor that was blocking access to Open Access land. Reminded me of the Milk Race and Welsh farmers many years ago!

    Once I'd cleared the farm a tough 500 yard ride over fields up to todays TP at Blackstones Low. Back down, over the tractor, and then on to Parwich where I had a nice chat to a resident who was a founder member of Matlock AC and still doing a bit of running in his eighties.

    Up and over to Biggin, the length of Long Dale to Earl Sterndale and then Flagg, Monyash and home.

    A total of 40 miles, 3,432 feet in 2hrs 58 min. For the first time this year, whilst out on my bike, it was warm enough for me to eat my Marathon without the fear of a visit to the dentist!
    Visibility good except in Hill Fog

  4. #7024
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    Yes, I think you're right. A road bike probably wouldn't take the width of tyre you're likely to need. It's worth saying that if you bought an adventure/gravel bike you could always put road tyres on it if circumstances changed, but if you bought a road bike you'd struggle to do the reverse
    You are spot on Marco. The only thing I would add Fellbeast is that a gravel/adventure bike is great off road if that off road is relatively smooth. You refer to "all things off road" where perhaps the surface is very rutted or has lots of stones or rocky sections where suspension would be handy.

    Over a small section you would probably get away with it but being rattled for hours on end is not fun and a Mountain Bike could be an option. Again, as Marco has alluded to, smoother road type tyres are available for Mountain Bikes and roll well, but enable you to travel faster, more comfortably, over rougher surfaces.
    Visibility good except in Hill Fog

  5. #7025
    Quote Originally Posted by Llani Boy View Post
    You are spot on Marco. The only thing I would add Fellbeast is that a gravel/adventure bike is great off road if that off road is relatively smooth. You refer to "all things off road" where perhaps the surface is very rutted or has lots of stones or rocky sections where suspension would be handy.

    Over a small section you would probably get away with it but being rattled for hours on end is not fun and a Mountain Bike could be an option. Again, as Marco has alluded to, smoother road type tyres are available for Mountain Bikes and roll well, but enable you to travel faster, more comfortably, over rougher surfaces.
    I don't dissent from my esteemed forumites. I would get an adventure/gravel bike and you can fine tune the tyres. A dealer might let you trade what it comes with for what you really want. A MTB is good for "mountains" but they are heavy because the frames have to be stronger, the suspension is heavy, the wheels/tyres.... and so they just aren't fun on the road and the gearing will be lower so you can never go really fast (!) So eg my road bike is 19lb, my adventure bike is 24lb, my MTB was around 30lb and that might not sound like much but when you've lifted it over a few stiles you will be able to cancel your gym subscription.

    And although they can be fiddly you will probably want disc brakes cos they will stop you better.
    Last edited by Graham Breeze; 27-01-2021 at 08:47 PM.
    "...as dry as the Atacama desert".

  6. #7026
    Master wharfeego's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Graham Breeze View Post
    ...but when you've lifted it over a few stiles you will be able to cancel your gym subscription...
    Tut tut G, riding your mtb on footpaths.

  7. #7027
    Quote Originally Posted by wharfeego View Post
    Tut tut G, riding your mtb on footpaths.
    Ooops!
    "...as dry as the Atacama desert".

  8. #7028
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    Pete Shakespeare - U/A

    Going downhill fast

  9. #7029
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    Did he do that on-sight 🚲? Fair play, he always comes up with something great.

    Bet the local mountain rescue will be camped out at the bottom this weekend ready to scrape the fallen wannabees off the slabs.
    Don't roll with a pig in poo. You get covered in poo and the pig likes it.

  10. #7030
    A 38 miles and 2000ft pootle to Harrogate via Harewood, Pannal, Harlow Carr, Beckwithshaw, Leathley. And not forgetting the prosaically named "Gas Offtake Station" at Briscoerigg Farm which is part of the National Gas Transmission System constructed after "North Sea Gas" was discovered in the early 1960s. An array of beautiful Cameron ball valves that can control gas at 1000 psig and above. Poetry.

    Let's face it : being an astronaut is OK and so is being a steam-engine driver but working on an oil refinery - Wow!

    It was such a lovely day I was regretting not taking my Bianchi down from its suspension in the silk lined, air conditioned, secure storage facility - but after 34 miles it rained so I felt smug with my wise decision.

    Wet and smug beats dry and grumpy.
    Last edited by Graham Breeze; 29-01-2021 at 08:35 PM.
    "...as dry as the Atacama desert".

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