Angry, frustrating, annoying bloody cycling!

Mountainboy2465

I think this forum is great, very entertaining but it just hit me how lucky I am.

I have a 45 mile round trip from Weston-super-Mare to Portishead & return. A few miles to get out of WsM, a motorway junction, some busy A road, a couple of miles of the Strawberry Line, cross the Somerset Levels over Kenn Moor then another few miles up and over the Portishead coast road with the Bristol Channel on my left.

It can take 90 minutes each way when the weather is like it is currently, I pass a couple of cyclists coming the other way and arrive at work ready for a shower knackered and happy.

No RLJs (didn't even know what that was until I came here), no ASL issues, no bad bike etiquette...

I am a lucky (rare?) happy, cycling commuter!

redvee

That journey seems too long for the distance. I've done Loxton road to the centre of Bristol in 24 miles. Maybe you ought to consider staying on the roads rather than venturing onto cyclepaths?
Just plotted the route quickly and from Morrisons to Cabstand you're looking at 18 miles via A370, Yatton & Clevedon.

BentMikey

Nice! 43m round trip here, in London traffic, but I love it.

Mountainboy2465

Red, I am sure it would be a bit shorter if I stuck to the roads but it's nice to mix it up.

I live 100m from the beach so I have an extra few miles from Morrisons, and on the way back I come through Wick St Lawrence & Kewstoke to avoid the M5 junction.

I can always cut it in half by getting the train to Yatton, exactly what I am going to do this morning I think, it's wet & wild out there...

redvee

The weather ain't too bad in Brizzle at the mo. Has been raining but no wind. Will see what WSM is like when I get down there later in the van.

FeynmanC

What are you riding and what time? You follow most of my route there, so I may at last have someone to SCR with

gtvlusso

Over Summer and on winter training I do a 70 mile round trip. Kinda around Brizzle and up the channel towards Thornbury!

I love it - as I am at the velodrome on Sunday (again), I will drop back to 20 miles today! Nice to get the options though and increase distance and enjoy the countryside.

Mountainboy2465

Hi FeynmanC,

I ride a Dew Drop now it has finally arrived. I try to leave the door at 0630.

Where are you riding to/from?

FeynmanC

I ride from Sainsburys down the back roads to the A370 avoiding the M5 junction. I don't go down the Strawberry Line as my 700c23's dont like it and the P*ncture Fairy visited me a couple of times last time I tried it

Then over the moors (same way that you do I guess) and onto the main clevedon - portishead road. I take the Sheepway to the footbridge over the M5 then thru Pill to get onto the Avonmouth bridge and into Avonmouth
25 miles in between 1h30 and 1h50 but I tend to leave at 7.30 and then leave to come home around 18:15.

The moors can either be wonderful to ride or like peddling through treacle, depending on the wind

redvee

No rain in WSM y'day but too much sun when you're trying to navigate around the Bournville avoiding the incoming missiles

FeynmanC

See, you went to the Bournville...that was your mistake

Mountainboy2465

I don't mind going over the M5 on the way to work in the morning, traffic is obviously queued and slow and nipping over to the A370 is not too dodgy, different matter on the way back when traffic is flowing & I don't really have a sprint left in my legs.

I like the moors, it's been a bit fragrant recently though eh! Muck spreading & the ditch water fermenting I reckon!

Are you riding a road bike Feynman? That is quite a ride that you are doing!

FeynmanC

Yeah, Giant Defy 2.5 that I got back in the summer. I've got myself into the habit of riding 2 days a week and want to get upto 3, then 4 and then hopefully 5. If I can't ride when i've planned to I really miss it and even the worst ride is better than the average drive.

I've not yet experienced going through a heavy fog in the Gordano Valley yet, but i've got the rear lights to cope with it, i hope.

If you fancy a social ride one weekend, check out the link in my sig below

Mountainboy2465

I am riding 4 or 5 days a week but quite often jump on the train to or from Yatton to knock 10 miles off the distance.

I'll definitely come out with the BRVC at some point, the Dew Drop is a bit heavy for me to keep up with a chaingang though so it might have to wait until the Bianchi comes back from the LBS.

I have an Exposure Joystick & Redeye on order to help across the moors, they are taking ages so Ralph Colmans have lent me a Light & Motion Stella Dual set, lovely lights if I just had a spare £275!

FeynmanC

I've got an L2D at present and my MagicShine has just entered the country, so should be with me next week

I might take a look at getting the train down to Worle, but that's only about 5 miles saved. How much does it cost you?

Mountainboy2465

£4.10 WsM to Yatton, when they ask...

FeynmanC

Ahh, that old trick eh?

Might be worth a go then, I hate the A370 that direction. The road surface is awful and just drains the remaining energy from your legs

redvee

FeynmanC wrote:

See, you went to the Bournville...that was your mistake

The bigger one was leaving my nokia on the seat of the van when we were delivering, luckily it was under the A-Z. Saw rent collectors in stab vests :shock: :shock: