Weekend Social Rides

itboffin

I went out this afternoon to recce a couple of extensions/diversions routes and found yet another amazing back roads from Marlborough to Hungerford via Mildenhall, Axford, Ramsbury (past the brewery) Foxfield, Littlecote then Hungerford approx 14 miles, mostly rolling hills with one or two nasty surprises :twisted:

I will also endeavour to visit all the pubs along the SCR Marlborough route, purely in the interests of research :roll:

Jay dubbleU

Marlborough looks like a good route - plenty of variety and a few 'interesting' hills - nice run from Hungerford through to Aldbourne

Snowdonia - will be coming by car so can I have room for another rider plus bike - probably camping in the Ogwen valley - Llanberis for a fry up at Pete's Eats? 8)

linsen

when's snowdonia happening? I'm in

itboffin

I can take four (inc me) in my car but can only carry 3 bikes with my carrier still my friends house has four bedrooms and two living rooms, plenty of crash out space.

itboffin

Jay dubbleU wrote:

Marlborough looks like a good route - plenty of variety and a few 'interesting' hills - nice run from Hungerford through to Aldbourne

Snowdonia - will be coming by car so can I have room for another rider plus bike - probably camping in the Ogwen valley - Llanberis for a fry up at Pete's Eats? 8)

You said you're local, have you tried Whites Hill? looks savage, seems bikehike has no idea of true elevation, glad I was in the car

Jay dubbleU

No - from where I am I usually go up onto the Cotswolds, around Cricklade etc - not too worried about hills - remember I've got a 28 ring - more concerned about keeping up on the fast sections

Bassjunkieuk

I had a fun little jaunt yesterday morning..........funnily enough on the orders of the missus! Apparently I get rather short tempered if I don't get regular rides on my bike to blow off some excess energy!

I had a rough idea of where I wanted to head and thanks to a quick look overon bikehike/google maps the previous evening I managed to plan our a fairly straight forward to remember 30 mile route out from Croydon, down towards the M23, before coming back towards home via some quiet country lanes and what turned out to be some nice hillls towards Selsdon and Addington and then finally home via Elmers End.

Felt a lot better afterwards and it was really nice to get out for such a long ride without a bag on (I took spare inner tube and the local area cycle map in my jersey pockets and tyre levers and a tenner in the saddle bag!)

Was a real shame I couldn't come out on the RP ride tho as I was only told to go out for "an hour" and ended up being out for about 2 which got me moaned at when I got home but I felt so good having had the long ride I wasn't too worried! It was also nice seeing so many other cyclists - loads heading the opposite direction to me at various points and I always nodded and even got a wave of one of them! Also did the only 2 that where heading in the same direction as me, one with a bit of an assist from the wind and the other whilst going into a headwind :-)

itboffin

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

I had a fun little jaunt yesterday morning..........funnily enough on the orders of the missus! Apparently I get rather short tempered if I don't get regular rides on my bike to blow off some excess energy!

I had a rough idea of where I wanted to head and thanks to a quick look overon bikehike/google maps the previous evening I managed to plan our a fairly straight forward to remember 30 mile route out from Croydon, down towards the M23, before coming back towards home via some quiet country lanes and what turned out to be some nice hillls towards Selsdon and Addington and then finally home via Elmers End.

Felt a lot better afterwards and it was really nice to get out for such a long ride without a bag on (I took spare inner tube and the local area cycle map in my jersey pockets and tyre levers and a tenner in the saddle bag!)

Was a real shame I couldn't come out on the RP ride tho as I was only told to go out for "an hour" and ended up being out for about 2 which got me moaned at when I got home but I felt so good having had the long ride I wasn't too worried! It was also nice seeing so many other cyclists - loads heading the opposite direction to me at various points and I always nodded and even got a wave of one of them! Also did the only 2 that where heading in the same direction as me, one with a bit of an assist from the wind and the other whilst going into a headwind :-)

Nice one bass but don't forget to take ID with you next time.

PS. how could you have any extra energy? you have like a million children.

Bassjunkieuk

Cheers for the advice ITB, I still have the emergency contact details sticker in my helmet from the charity ride I did so it's got the wife's contact details on.
I meant to say in that post that I can fully understand why you are constantly cleaning bikes, one section of the route on the fairly deserted country lane type road had layers of mud on either side and down the middle meaning I had to ride rather carefully and got splattered quite a bit!

As for the extra energy I'm not quite sure where I get it from sometimes, it just seems that the regular cycling I normally get from my commute (I hadn't had since Wednesday due to be off work for Xmas) seems to make me a lot calmer, I know exercise is good for you and releases endorphins and such but I did feel quite a bit calmer yesterday morning once I got in! Needless to say with 4 over-excited children waiting for santa to visit it wasn't long before I started having to shout again........

Specialized Needs

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

I still have the emergency contact details sticker in my helmet from the charity ride I did so it's got the wife's contact details on.

Is this visible form the outside? It just strikes me that in a survived incident your helmet might not be removed until much later? Still, better than what I carry at the moment - nothing Think I'll be changing that.

roger_merriman

do you not carry phone/wallet for cake stops etc? i always take keys/phone/wallet so that if i want to i can stop, and if foo part should fall off etc i can get a taxi back etc.

Bassjunkieuk

The sticker is on the inside, so it might not be immediately visible but I'd like to think that someone would spot it once it's removed as it's clearly visible once the helmet is removed.
I think I forgot to mention that I did have my mobile with me as well so I could call in backup (i.e the wife and the family bus!) for rescuing me should something mechanical happen that I can't fix roadside!

If I was going on a longer ride or knew that I intended to have a stop I would have taken the small backpack with me which is big enough for my lock and a few more tools and would allow me to secure my bike whilst grabbing some food, but yesterday's ride was planned as a pretty much non-stop ride to explore a few routes that I'd done in the car and wanted to tackle on the bike :-)

Specialized Needs

roger merriman wrote:

do you not carry phone/wallet for cake stops etc? i always take keys/phone/wallet so that if i want to i can stop, and if foo part should fall off etc i can get a taxi back etc.

I do tend to carry my mobile, but a tag may be easier and less prone to break in an accident. That said, I fell off a 3ft wall a month back, landing squarely on my mobile in my pocket. The mobile was generally ok. Me? I had a 'dead leg' for over a week :shock:

cjcp

Anyone up for a few laps of Richmond Park between Christmas and NY? Not sure which day(s) yet, but would like to do 5-6 laps, most likely in the afternoon betwen 1-3/4.

itboffin

cjcp wrote:

Anyone up for a few laps of Richmond Park between Christmas and NY? Not sure which day(s) yet, but would like to do 5-6 laps, most likely in the afternoon betwen 1-3/4.

Sure am, today's my first day off this bike in weeks and I'm already missing it/them, I was planning a sneaky ride but the hangover got the better, I went to the LBS instead, if you can't ride then you should at least talk bikes.

BIKES BIKES BIKES

I hope Father Christmas remembers what I want, want I really really want.

cjcp

Cool. PM me your mobile number so we can coordinate meeting up etc.

How can you want, sorry, need, another bike! WTH do you put these things?

cjcp

Cool. PM me your mobile number so we can coordinate meeting up etc.

How can you want, sorry, need, another bike! WTH do you put these things?

itboffin

RP tomorrow, late morning anyone?

I could even be tempted to bring two bikes and do the off road trail thingy as well.

cjcp

Hmm. Bit early for me. I'm *hoping* to get out for an hour sometime between 1-3.

itboffin

cjcp wrote:

Hmm. Bit early for me. I'm *hoping* to get out for an hour sometime between 1-3.

I could manage that, mornings are not what they used to be in the ITB house.

Just back from a short ride and surprised myself at just how slow it was. :shock:
I don't get it? nice day, clear roads, bike seemed fine but avg speed is way down.

the route:
www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=3180

my performance: cough! cough!
http://sportstracker.nokia.com/nts/work ... ?id=594360

Including some pics

itboffin

I almost forgot today is the IOW ride, aren't there several team SCR members in attendance?

cjcp

itboffin wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Hmm. Bit early for me. I'm *hoping* to get out for an hour sometime between 1-3.

I could manage that, mornings are not what they used to be in the ITB house.

Just back from a short ride and surprised myself at just how slow it was. :shock:
I don't get it? nice day, clear roads, bike seemed fine but avg speed is way down.

the route:
www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=3180

my performance: cough! cough!
http://sportstracker.nokia.com/nts/work ... ?id=594360

Including some pics

I'll be riding tomorrow. Can meet you in the Park at 1pm. Would like to do 5 laps, three anti-c/w, 2 c/w, one one, may be two detours to take in Nightingale Lane (by Richmond Gate). Are you going to park by Roehampton Gate? If so, I'll meet you there.

Nice pix btw.

itboffin

Sorry but it's still -5 here still, i've battened down that hatches and put another pot of coffee, I might pop out for firewood and beer but NO cycling today, brrrr

linsen

itboffin wrote:

I almost forgot today is the IOW ride, aren't there several team SCR members in attendance?

Indeed it was

to summarise:
4 in attendance - Biondino, Attica, linsen and Jen
Top temperature 3
Lowest -3
Average speed, ahem, not telling you
Time spent in pub - too long
Time therefore spent riding in the dark - a bit too long
Number of SCR members taken out by a dog off the lead on way back from ferry: 1
Number of hours spent in A and E - a couple
Numbers of broken shoulders - 1

Brilliant time had by all!!

Quote of the day Biondino: "thank f*** it's another hill (yes, it was that cold)

itboffin

linsen wrote:

itboffin wrote:

I almost forgot today is the IOW ride, aren't there several team SCR members in attendance?

Indeed it was

to summarise:
4 in attendance - Biondino, Attica, linsen and Jen
Top temperature 3
Lowest -3
Average speed, ahem, not telling you
Time spent in pub - too long
Time therefore spent riding in the dark - a bit too long
Number of SCR members taken out by a dog off the lead on way back from ferry: 1
Number of hours spent in A and E - a couple
Numbers of broken shoulders - 1

Brilliant time had by all!!

Quote of the day Biondino: "thank f*** it's another hill (yes, it was that cold)

Ace (not the shoulder bit)

Did you take any pics? and I hope one of you recorded the route

itboffin

itboffin wrote:

Sorry but it's still -5 here still, i've battened down that hatches and put another pot of coffee, I might pop out for firewood and beer but NO cycling today, brrrr

wood beer and snacks acquired, hatches fully locked down just in time for the SNOW :shock:

jonginge

linsen wrote:

itboffin wrote:

I almost forgot today is the IOW ride, aren't there several team SCR members in attendance?

Indeed it was

to summarise:
4 in attendance - Biondino, Attica, linsen and Jen
Top temperature 3
Lowest -3
Average speed, ahem, not telling you
Time spent in pub - too long
Time therefore spent riding in the dark - a bit too long
Number of SCR members taken out by a dog off the lead on way back from ferry: 1
Number of hours spent in A and E - a couple
Numbers of broken shoulders - 1

Brilliant time had by all!!

Quote of the day Biondino: "thank f*** it's another hill (yes, it was that cold)

Erk. What is it with dogs and bikes?
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=8aBD1oLKpQ4
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=c0dzMp61G ... re=related

Broken collar bone? That's a proper cyclist's injury that is. Hope you heal up fast and it doesn't keep you off the bike too long*

* I'm assuming you're the injured party, linsen

lost_in_thought

Poor Jen.

Look out girl cyclists - it's clearly a bad time of year for us!

Wish I could have joined you guys. My mother used to sail round there and says it's very hilly!!

itboffin

I'm heart broken, I could have been there with you, I didn't realise just how near I live to IOW boo hoo

cjcp

itboffin wrote:

itboffin wrote:

Sorry but it's still -5 here still, i've battened down that hatches and put another pot of coffee, I might pop out for firewood and beer but NO cycling today, brrrr

wood beer and snacks acquired, hatches fully locked down just in time for the SNOW :shock:

I was going to call you a Big Wuss for missing RP, and then I read the bit about it snowing with you. And I'm still going to call you a Big Wuss.

Got to Roehampton Gate by 1.10pm and waited for a bit, but when you weren't there, figured you might not come. Did a lap anti c/wise, then did three reps of Broomfield Hill, then two, fast reps of Dark Hill before heading home. About 15 miles in total I think. So, not much, but it was good to get a little hill work in. Decided to stay away from Nightingale Lane - not a hill you want to meet ice on.