Lovely, mainly off road, 30 mile bike ride today. Met a couple from Leeds who were on the first day of a four day ride along the 205 mile Pennine Bridleway from Cromford to Kirkby Stephen.
Very envious, especially with the weather set fair.
Lovely, mainly off road, 30 mile bike ride today. Met a couple from Leeds who were on the first day of a four day ride along the 205 mile Pennine Bridleway from Cromford to Kirkby Stephen.
Very envious, especially with the weather set fair.
Visibility good except in Hill Fog
A glorious 50 road miles in the Staffordshire Moorlands. Apart from birdsong not much wildlife about, probably too hot!
Visibility good except in Hill Fog
Into Derbyshire, but only just. Across the Trent at Shardlow, back across on the Sustrans route over the old railway bridge east of Swarkestone. Coincidentally I have recently started reading Running Hard, so I know that this, the flattest part of Derbyshire, is where John Wild grew up.
I did a couple of miles along the Trent & Mersey Canal towpath, where my front tyre picked up a piece of hawthorn. I removed it swiftly, and carried on for an hour and a half before the tyre become too soft to continue, and I had to mend the puncture only 4 miles from home.
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
A nice day but with a cool easterly for today's 35 miles and 3,550feet bike ride around Chelmorton,Tideswell, Bretton, Eyam etc. Suddenly there are heaps of new born lambs in the fields which is great to see.
Visibility good except in Hill Fog
Been on my bike today, slowly building up to longer rides which is what the cross bike is for. Total of 22 miles and 3350ft, of which 121/2 miles was off road on forestry tracks. Knees are a bit sore, otherwise ok.
Don't roll with a pig in poo. You get covered in poo and the pig likes it.
I've just been out to the delightfully named village of Frisby-on-the-Wreake. As so often on my bike rides, I decided to explore a little lane, which turned into a footpath, but only one kissing-gate to lift my bike over. Also stopped in Hoby for a look around the parish church; found several gravestones from the 1690's in the churchyard. The wind was behind me on the way home, but I still only registered a pathetic 22mph on the Vehicle Activated Sign coming into Burton-on-the Wolds.
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
Today was the first sportive of the year - ride the reservoir. This is always well supported by local clubs but today saw a record turnout and all in aid of St. Mary's Hospice in Brum.
It's a lovely route taking in a lot of the lanes I use for training around North Worcestershire. Nowhere particularly flat but does avoid all of the notable climbing in the area. Managed to knock the 50 miles off in just under 3 hours so quite chuffed with the new bike no doubt helping out setting a few PRs around the route. Only slight downside was an annoying rattle coming from the front hub for most of the second half of the ride. This has since disappeared after a wash so presumably some grit or suchlike was the culprit.
Today's bike ride was back in winter thermals and, continuing the theme of annoying noises emanating from wheels, was accompanied by an annoying creak from the front wheel. I have stripped it down, checked spokes and greased the thru axel (prime suspect) and although somewhat better, it is still not as quiet as I would like. Not sure what else to try though the torque of the thru axel does seem to have an effect. Unfortunately the less tight it is, the better.
Pete Shakespeare - U/A
Going downhill fast
First, and hopefully the last, puncture of 2019 on today's bike ride of 45 miles and 4,000ft. At least it was a lovely day to fix it!
Visibility good except in Hill Fog
So, after having to readjust to life with a rev limiter, I have yet to test avoiding extreme exercise whilst on a longish bike ride. My self imposed limit of max heart rate of 140 allows me to go for gentle runs. So we did 34 miles, 2100 feet climb with me throttling back whenever pulse got near to 140. Instead of attacking hills, it was a gentle plod. Frustrating! But I could peg along at a good pace on the level. To my surprise I averaged 16mph which is about what I would have done before the new regime. Fascinating and I have learnt something new. Maybe I won't need an electric bike after all!