Today's Bike Ride

[mr brightside]

33m yesterday out to the swan in addingham and back after doing my duty on the picket line. Irritatingly the lane side of the river was closed for more roadworks, so I humped the bike over the suspension bridge at addingham and up the steps into the village. My guess is that they are screwing the road up with more tar and chip. Progress was halted over the beck/duck crossing by more roadworks, this time the application of proper tarmac, a full 30yds of it, so Graham will have another opportunity to hear the purr of fine tarmacadam under his vittorias without the inconvenience of going all the way to Bolton abbey.

The swan have a good selection of local cycling pales of which I had two. I swerved the Chinook and stuck to the session brews, I've always found Chinook to be too powerfully hopped.

I've noticed that addingham seems to be a bit of a retirement community. Several old boys passed by taking themselves for a walk, which made me wonder what the hell I'm going to do with myself when I'm at their vintage. I probably need to take a class or something so I can plan for this, if I'm left to my own devices Iay just wander off and never be seen again, as so many grumpy old men do.

[Graham Breeze]

33m yesterday out to the swan in addingham and back after doing my duty on the picket line. Irritatingly the lane side of the river was closed for more roadworks, so I humped the bike over the suspension bridge at addingham and up the steps into the village. My guess is that they are screwing the road up with more tar and chip. Progress was halted over the beck/duck crossing by more roadworks, this time the application of proper tarmac, a full 30yds of it, so Graham will have another opportunity to hear the purr of fine tarmacadam under his vittorias without the inconvenience of going all the way to Bolton abbey.

On a little Bolton Abbey - Burnsall - Appletreewick - Bolton Abbey pootle of 24 miles (now 1555 for the year)
this evening I noticed the "high road" between Bardon and Storiths is closed again for a "landslip". They didn't fix the last one of a few years ago so I will have to take a look.

I interpret "Road Closed" to mean "except for cyclists" of course.

[mr brightside]

67m today, a big ride with all the hills included, Blubberhouses Moor...Greenhow...Barden Fell...Chevin. The computer said 4h25m riding time which is a long time so i was probably on the way to 4000', i clocked 39mph on the way off Barden Fell without pedalling. On the ride into horsforth near the airport i was sprayed with balls from a gun out of the window of a SUV; plastic gangsters from a Yeadon estate probably. As a rifle owner myself and a veteran user of many different firearms i was astonished at how little muzzle energy the gun had and noticed the balls dropping on their trajectory after about 6yds. Had i not been so hilariously unimpressed and unintimidated by these little 'G's' and their hardware i may have thought to get the number plate and report them for it. I blame rap music.

[Marco]

On the ride into horsforth near the airport i was sprayed with balls from a gun out of the window of a SUV; plastic gangsters from a Yeadon estate probably. As a rifle owner myself and a veteran user of many different firearms i was astonished at how little muzzle energy the gun had and noticed the balls dropping on their trajectory after about 6yds. Had i not been so hilariously unimpressed and unintimidated by these little 'G's' and their hardware i may have thought to get the number plate and report them for it. I blame rap music.

You don't have much luck with road-rage do you? I never seem to have a problem, perhaps it's the boring flat terrain that bores the local rascals into behaving in a civilised manner?

[Graham Breeze]

You don't have much luck with road-rage do you? I never seem to have a problem, perhaps it's the boring flat terrain that bores the local rascals into behaving in a civilised manner?

Driving in Rochdale last week (somewhere I have never visited) at a roundabout I inadvertently upset a cyclist on a mountain bike and received the full finger jabbing, spittle showering, shrieking rant... I was listening to Jussi Bjorling at the time so I wasn't sure what offence I had committed and I certainly wasn't going to lower a window to find out but nonplussed, humbled and racked with guilt I stayed behind swaying, speeding cyclist to watch him... go straight through a red traffic light.

Which made me feel a lot better.

[molehill]

Heaved the gravel bike out of the shed, put some more liquid in the flat tubeless tyre (a problem round the rim, so had dumped it in shed and ignored it - like I do). Found it tough going back on this bike off road, the forestry tracks are even worse than our local tarmaced lanes, which are worse than most riders idea of gravel; was shaken to pieces on any downhill and uphill pretty rough.
Finished with 20 miles and 2500ft, but surprisingly hard after weeks of nice road riding.

[felltrumpet]

I was listening to Jussi Bjorling at the time so I wasn't sure what offence I had committed

Maybe he was more of a Pavarotti Fan?

[felltrumpet]

I’ve been up in the Cairngorms with Gold DofE from school, remotely supervising; which in practice means picking a nice long mountain bike route to see groups and check all is ok.

For somewhere so beautiful, it is surprisingly ugly and barren in places.

Managed a ride yesterday up the back and down the front of Morrone (behind Braemar). Thoroughly enjoyed the 3.2k/428m rough stone track ascent in the rain.

[molehill]

Remember Braemar well, couple of years did a house sitting job in a cottage right at the foot of Morrone, the north side. Ran up it a few times but it was middle of winter and a bit scary on top, a bit barren?
Was the job where I had my todger bitten by a border terrier whilst walking it in a white out snow storm. A long story but but happy days!
Except the terrier clamped on the end of my man bits!

[felltrumpet]

Remember Braemar well, couple of years did a house sitting job in a cottage right at the foot of Morrone, the north side. Ran up it a few times but it was middle of winter and a bit scary on top, a bit barren?
Was the job where I had my todger bitten by a border terrier whilst walking it in a white out snow storm. A long story but but happy days!
Except the terrier clamped on the end of my man bits!

Incredibly barren! They are doing lots to ‘naturalise’ Mar Lodge estate, but the hunting estates are like deserts.
Hope your ‘man bits’ recovered!