its scorching out

always_tyred

richara3 wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

richara3 wrote:

Mmm. I'm going to find myself at the foot of Crow Road tomorrow.... tough call between a long evening row in Stirling and the Mennock Pass on Sunday, or Crow Road and the Campsies on Saturday and a row on Sunday.

I think Mennock Pass, as I may be forced to have a Jacobean Steak in Coulter on the drive back.

Mennock Pass looks good. ( just google it) I will be cycling to Moffat later in the year. This could be part of the route home. Failing that I can get a train to Sanquhar from Polmont and cycle back . It looks like a nice 50 or 60 miles.

Andy

Its not the greatest scenery, but you do have the option of stopping in Scotland's (UK's?) highest pub. An alternative is the Dalveen Pass. Its about 240m elevation change from the Aroad at the bottom (I forget the number - it goes between nowhere and nowhere and not many people drive on it - fantastic!!) but its very gradual and the scenery is a lot nicer than the Mennock Pass. Its alright, don't get me wrong, but very stark.

marchant

Now would be a good time for a ride, methinks; it's sunny out and the roads will more than likely be empty 'cos the Cup final will be on soon.

AllTheGear

The roads may not be that empty, but at least all the Chavs will be off them and that's the main thing!!

il_principe

Wish I was riding but I'm a continent away from the bike, taking refuge from the sun with a bottle of Efes and wondering what tonight's Turkish wedding will be like. Is it wrong that I actually miss my bike?

jonginge

jashburnham wrote:

Wish I was riding but I'm a continent away from the bike, taking refuge from the sun with a bottle of Efes and wondering what tonight's Turkish wedding will be like. Is it wrong that I actually miss my bike?

Nope. It's wrong that you have to ask that question

Visited my sister last year sans velocipede. She lived ~2km up an 8k climb in the hills outside Heidelberg. Was agony, I tell you

crosstowncommuter

Definitely heading out to get some miles in tomorrow - planning about a 55mile loop from SE London down to Bough Beech resevoir.. its great to get out of the big smoke and breathe some fresh air for a change 8) . Gotta be able to do 120miles in a one-er by the start of July so the pressure is on :shock:

Can only take about 1.5 litres of liquid with me though, which I fear won't be enough if its a scorcher.

If people are riding solo, any tips for good places to fill up your bottles without having to leave your trusty steed unattended (or am I just being a paranoid londoner?). Don't want to have to tote a lock around with me as excess baggage

I use an Edge to navigate my route and if nothing else you can certainly get it to beep at you at waypoints on the route. You could add drink-points with a message I am sure. Can't believe how useful my Edge has been for long rides in unfamiliar areas - highly recommended.

AllTheGear

I'm planning some longer rides and spotted this on Wiggle:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Minou ... 360020703/

If you use 750's that takes most bikes to to 3 litres.

Eau Rouge

What a lovely day for a pottle about in the New Forest!
I went with some friends who had a mix of road and mountain bikes, and it was always going to be a gently ride, not the "on a breakaway from the peleton" my usual rides resemble.
So to spice it up a bit, while they took the train to Brockenhurst, I cycled the 20 miles there and met them. What a lovely ride it was too. I don't know it if was a tailwind, or a drop in altitude or just that it was a good deal flatter than my usual routes, but I seemed to be flying. Did the 20 miles in an hour and a couple of minutes, without really pushing it too much, which when planning the trip down I didn't think I could do.
We then had a really lovely ride around the Forest, stopping off for ice-cream, an impromptu bit of disc throwing (we do all play Ultimate) and a pub lunch, all at what felt like a nice leisurely pace. Then, after ogling the fine Italian cars in Lyndhurst I left them as I needed to get home to get ready to go out, so it was back to my usual pace for the 25km home. I was expecting a headwind to counter the presumed tailwind that blew me into the forest, but there seemed no sign of it.
A lose saddle stopped me for a few minutes but other than that it was a nice ride home too, even the dual carraigeway through Totton, which I wasn't looking forward too, was pretty quiet.

AndyOgy

I was so busy filling my 3l Camelback with water, and taking a bottle that I totally forgot sunscreen.

I was wearing a vest style T-shirt and it now looks like I've been wearing a bra.

Still, a very enjoyable ride around the South Downs. Lets hope that todays weather is representative of how the rest of the summer will be.

richara3

crosstowncommuter wrote:

Definitely heading out to get some miles in tomorrow - planning about a 55mile loop from SE London down to Bough Beech resevoir.. its great to get out of the big smoke and breathe some fresh air for a change 8) . Gotta be able to do 120miles in a one-er by the start of July so the pressure is on :shock:

Can only take about 1.5 litres of liquid with me though, which I fear won't be enough if its a scorcher.

If people are riding solo, any tips for good places to fill up your bottles without having to leave your trusty steed unattended (or am I just being a paranoid londoner?). Don't want to have to tote a lock around with me as excess baggage

I use an Edge to navigate my route and if nothing else you can certainly get it to beep at you at waypoints on the route. You could add drink-points with a message I am sure. Can't believe how useful my Edge has been for long rides in unfamiliar areas - highly recommended.

Most modern petrol stations have an outside tap that is usually straight from the mains.Or at least have big windows so you can keep an eye on your bike. Failing that stop at someones house,Ive not done that myself I have to admit but I would if I was out in the stick somewhere.

Andy

RockyHopperShow

Richara3, I can't help the feeling that the Tricross is the bike i really should have bought....... :roll: