Today's Bike Ride

[Travs]

No running again today due to blister, so went out on the bike and headed for the greenbelt area between Cov, Birmingham and Tamworth.... probably a little too far south-east/south-west for Marco and AnthonyKay to be familiar with, but headed up towards Kingsbury and then Coleshill, before turning back east.

Was a strong wind today, appearing to be hindering me whichever point of the compass i was facing.

24 miles and around 1000ft climb, 1hr49

Did pass the same lycra-clad cyclist in the opposite direction on two occasions, so obviously it was his training loop... no doubt he was less than impressed with my attire of RonHills and a running base-layer, not to mention my 20 year old bike.

Reached the heady speed of 31mph. Also took a fairly sharp corner at around 25mph which frightened the life out of me.

[Travs]

Well i can hardly take the moral high-ground with cycling... it was my first ride of the year, and only because i couldn't run!

[wharfeego]

...Now, however, there seem to be more in the first group.

You can usually tell who the "first group" are at this time of the year - no mudguards, and often wearing shorts, because shorts are what cyclists wear, aren't they?

[Fellbeast]

You can usually tell who the "first group" are at this time of the year - no mudguards, and often wearing shorts, because shorts are what cyclists wear, aren't they?

Haha, me cycling this evening....

[Graham Breeze]

Haha, me cycling this evening....

Now if you lost the spoke reflectors and switched the pedals for SPD...WOW!

[Fellbeast]

Now if you lost the spoke reflectors....

I have to say Graham, for someone who is anti pinning fell race numbers on shorts, you show scant regard for health and safety when it comes to cycling 😊

[Graham Breeze]

I have to say Graham, for someone who is anti pinning fell race numbers on shorts, you show scant regard for health and safety when it comes to cycling ��

Well with your lights on (I assume) and dazzling all traffic in that garish outfit (and helmet!) and on that suitably understated frame colour - I doubt if your timid reflectors will even be seen amongst the blaze of colour that you present.

Is there such a thing as colour pollution of our National Parks?

PS Surely your shoes should be colour coordinated?

[Fellbeast]

Is there such a thing as colour pollution of our National Parks?

With the Dales now officially a dark sky reserve, I suspect I may stand out a bit

Surely your shoes should be colour coordinated?

I think they do actually match one of my old 3 Peaks race vests and maybe another from the Haworth Hobble? I’ll make sure only to wear those with my terra ultras in future...

[molehill]

Looks good to me, sensible muted kit compared to 99% of weekend cyclists riding about looking like an accident in a fluorescent paint factory.

[Graham Breeze]

Today a return to the tour around Blubberhouses Moor: Addingham, Beamsly hamlet, the long 2 mile climb up to Kex Gill (the road that is collapsing into the valley and is to be replaced by a new £50million road on the other side of the valley), the wonderful sweeping descent down to Blubberhouses hamlet, past Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs, then Timble, Otley, Askwith and home.

Yesterday there was a double fatality/multiple pile-up on the Addingham bypass but today - not a trace. The dogs bark but the caravan moves on.

I don't usually do this route in winter because the Full Force Gale (as Van the Man might say) coming off the moor can blow you off the road or under the wheels of a quarry lorry, but one has to live a little.

There is a redundant Methodist Chapel for auction in the hamlet of Timble which is quite close to Swinsty on on the banks of which lives Gareth Southgate in a rather remote Swinsty Hall. Timble itself is a bit isolated so the estate agents have drawn attention to the fact that Gareth S. lives nearby (say a mile away) which seems a bit desperate as a sales technique. It's rather like saying that the Queen lives in London and so if you buy a property there you might bump into her in Aldi and be invited round for tea...but it must be a hard life being an estate agent and we must be kind.

Anyway 31 miles (2500 feet) and 100 miles in the last week. I know Travs seems to run 100 miles every week but then he is about 50 years younger than me. I doubt if he will even be due for his Covid jab until 2022.