Between The Wheels

Wasn't going to go cycling today, partly because I was up until 0245 and didn't sleep well, or if you like - fell into a fitful sleep. But the weather forecast had much improved when I got up, so - since nature abhors an empty Google Sheets tab, I thought I'd get 2026 off to a start.

I was going to do a Bypasser. But after Norton Juxta Twycross I remembered that there are building works along Orton Hill, and last time I went along there the road was very muddy. So I took the main road up to Appleby Parva, then to Appleby Magna. My route took me right past the pub where someone was murdered ten days ago. Hadn't been past there for a while.

From there to Measham. I wanted to do at least 55 km so I thought I'd do a bit of the westbound route from there - did that as far as Lullington, came back to Measham the same way and home the usual way from there. Looking at the track, I did a sort of large figure of eight with an extension to the west from Measham.

Regrettably, the weather didn't live up to the BBC's expectations. Intermittent light rain after the first hour, turning heavier and more persistent later. Horrible, especially with a cold wind.

I listened to David Bowie's uǝɥʇɐǝɥ album (not great), LBC, Times Radio and 5 Live.

Back on 57.89km. It's a start. It's 57.89km more than I'd have done if I'd known what the weather was going to be like, anyway.

https://www.strava.com/activities/16904371374

I dipped out of having a ride yesterday. It looked cold. I'd had a fitful night's sleep and I'm beginning to think that Whisky does me in.

Today however, whilst cold and whilst there was evidence of snow having fallen I was up for it. But not that much. I thought I'd try and do as my Garmin said and do a hour and fifteen at Base level. Failed at the first bit of uphill as my Heart rate went over 140bpm. Second bit of a hill over 150bpm. Spent most of the rest of the ride bringing the average back down under 140bpm.

Riding back up to Brim, a bloke got out of a black Audi and stepped out in front of me saying "'Scuse me, can I 'ave a word about..." About what I don't know as there was no way I was going to have a word with a bobbled hatted black sweatshirt/black jogging bottoms Audi driver who could well have been someone I'd flicked the V signs at for giving me a close pass. I did get overtaken by a black Audi shortly afterwards and I was preparing to make a hasty last minute turn off, but it carried on, albeit a bit slowly for an Audi. It might well have been making something of nothing, but the way things are these days I wasn't going to find out.

Anyway, that's 20 miles done.

https://www.strava.com/activities/16911823617

A very cold day, wasn't going to go out. But the temperature climbed to 1C by midday. It looked very sunny out there. So I thought I'd get in 40km or so and set off at about 1320.

I decided to do the laps of the village thing again - partly because I was more confident I wouldn't stray onto ice, partly because I didn't want to get a puncture or a mechanical at any substantial distance from home in extreme conditions.

I made it a bit more interesting by diverting down into Coalville and looping back along the bypass once. Took in a slightly different route round the village once or twice. And I went up through Sinope and looped back via Alton Hill a few times.

I did 43.16km in all and was back just before sunset. Was definitely getting too cold to ride a bike by then.

Not going to do this sort of thing often but it makes sense in very cold weather. Not really a proper bike ride but it's decent exercise.

Listened to LBC and footy on 5 Live.

https://www.strava.com/activities/16925232054

I just managed an hour and a bit today, riding lots of variations of laps round Brimington. I didn't want a repeat of a couple of years ago, when, on a day like today I went out for a ride and after 20 minutes my hands were so cold I couldn't control the shifters or brakes. It meant I wouldn't have to far if my fingers froze. As luck would have it they didn't. Still, any miles is good miles.

And 19 miles today is more good miles. Didn't do a lap ride today, well, there were a couple but it was mainly a worm ride.

Glad I went out before lunch as the old hands were getting cold even in fleece-lined gloves today. They'd have been ice blocks if I went out at half two.

https://www.strava.com/activities/16934411211

Today was a will I or won't I day. It looked as if it might be a bit warmer, but, it looked like it could precipitate at any time. But, because any miles is good miles and the forecast isn't too good over the next few days (at the moment, things keep changing) I thought I'd get some in.

It may well have been warmer, the frost was lifting today, but it felt an awful lot colder. It's taken three hours for my fingers and toes to defrost, in fact I'm not sure my toes are fully thawed yet.

Just did a version of Sunday's worm ride, with a few laps at the tail end -or is it the head end - to get 30 miles in. Good to see one or tow more hardy souls out and about, don't normally see so many on that ride, but I expect the weather put them off riding to the tops.

https://www.strava.com/activities/16956234377

That was hard work today. For a ride which was about as flat as I can get - so much for more hills this year - it took an awful lot of effort as there was a strong gusty wind which seemed to be coming from all directions. Add into that too much stop/start riding for stopping behind cars which couldn't get past parked cars and the fun was taken out of it.

Struggled to even get over 30mph on my home run, what with the wind and a council truck pulling out of the cemetery and then going into the crematorium grounds. Apart from all that it was a ride out in the Sunshine for another 30 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/16967698570/

Not quite so cold today, but a stiff wind made it feel colder. No ice on the roads though they were fairly wet. Unfortunate because I hadn't lubed the Tricross since hosing its chain out with GT-85 after the last wet ride and I made do with a quick squirt round with 3-in-1 before setting off.

Anyway - I did a Twycrosser with the added twist that after Twycross, I made a sort of triangular lap out of the A444, Twycross Rd and Wellsborough Rd and went round again. Not exactly flat but no hard climbs and the road surface is very decent. It's a 10.4 km circuit, a lot better than the lap round the village (and no traffic lights) but of course, not so close.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/bike260107.avif)

A bit of light rain that I wasn't expecting, but sunny occasionally as well. Nice to get out again even if conditions weren't ideal. 54.62 km and that's 158 this year. January's target is 614.

Listened to 5 Live.

https://www.strava.com/activities/16969512992

I've only done one neighbouring county so far this year - Derbyshire on Jan 1st. Could easily have nipped down into Warwickshire today, didn't think about it.

Back to being a bit colder again today. Back to being cloudy and misty. Still the clouds weren't precipitating and on the offchance that tomorrow's weather forecast is anywhere near correct I thought it was a day to ride again.

Did a modified worm ride today, instead of going up and back down the Arkwright to Sutton Scarsdale road I went up Deepsick lane before doing the pre home ride loops. Made a change. Didn't make it a rest though as it adds in an extra hill.

Got 32 miles in which actually puts me ahead of where I was this time last year :)

https://www.strava.com/activities/16979001875

First ride for me this year.. 27 miles... new year new route.. headed out to Tarbolton then across to the A77 which has a new bike lane running along side which gets me into Monkton and Prestwick past the airport then picked up the national cycle 7 route home.. almost taken out on a mini roundabout by a woman who never saw me.. luckily I saw her and had slowed down.. she did wind down the window and apologise.. frozen fingers and toes by the time I got home

Been warned by Mrs S not to go out today. But it's sunny...

Problem is there's two feet of frozen slush into the road from the kerb, easy enough to avoid when taking the lane, but the problem is the drivers who force you out of taking the lane.

This is the section of my cycling spreadsheet which tells me how I'm doing in relation to the same date in previous years.

(https://i.ibb.co/6cJ2JmWZ/ydist.png)

So as you can see I've done fewer km for Jan 13th than in any of the previous six years. 161 km less than this time last year.

We haven't had such shocking January weather for a long time. I've only done three rides this year and I got rained on during two of those.

Finally made it back out again today. Had to endure three stints on the Turbo Trainer, I hate that thing, make me sweat so much, but I suppose it stops the legs atrophying too much. Doesn't stop the cardio-vascular system dropping off a cliff though. Oh the joys of old age.

It may have been a dry day, but it had dropped bloody cold again, I was colder today in my hands and feet than last week. It's really set off the Raynauds in my fingers. On the road up to Sutton Scarsdale there was loads of slush in the road, it's from water run off which gets turned into spray when vehicles pass through it and then freezes in the cold air. Had to be mindful of that on the way back as it comes after a blind bend.

Still, felt good to be back out on the roads, I don't know how some people do all of their cycling indoors, even in winter, they must have industrial strength fans to keep them cool. Thirty five miles in the fresh air is much better, even if I didn't really go anywhere. Even kept me ahead of last January at this stage.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17046688838

I pondered the prospect of doing a fondo today, but temperatures were in negative Celsius when I got up with a covering of frost outside and I decided not to go out at all. But the temperature climbed rapidly in the morning to a balmy 4C, so I set off on the Tricross just before noon. Too late in the day for a fondo because it was going to be too cold again later in the afternoon, in addition to a possibility of rain.

The roads were wet in patches and I was wary of lingering ice. So I thought I'd do the "laps" thing again. A more ambitious circuit this time, and a bit further from home - basically a triangle connecting Ellistown, a roundabout near Bardon Road and a road junction a few km south of Ellistown - all wide, well surfaced road. Not flat, but no steep hills. Not too much traffic. Mostly out of town industrial estate territory.

I had a couple of minor excursions to break the monotony - down towards Bagworth and over to Nailstone. I did five or six laps (wasn't counting), a long way home round the village, back on 66.20 km.

I noticed a two metre, curvy length of metal strip with very sharp mesh attached in the middle of the road on one of the laps, not far from Ellistown. It hadn't been there on the previous lap 20-odd minutes earlier. So I stopped, picked it up and chucked it into the edge of the woods at the side of the road. Good deed for the day done.

Listened to 5 Live.

Only 224 done this month. No sign of an improvement in the weather yet.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17048265037

Being as rain wasn't due to start until about one, I thought I'd go out for a ride. So I did. A mash up of the rides I was doing last week. Thankfully the weather had warmed up a couple of degrees but overnight rain had left the roads very wet and construction traffic had left them very muddy. Made the wrong call putting my kit to the wash yesterday - although all the nasal drippage had left them looking like the aftermath of a slug party.

Had to make a slight detour on Brim Common as Severn Trent had actually come out to fix a burst water main. Only slight though. Managed to get up to 36.5 miles today. Leaves me still ahead of last year, but this time last year I then managed a five days in a row stretch. Can't see that happening this year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17058359829/

Didn't look too promising a start to the day when I dragged myself from my pit, but the drizzle stopped and the clouds thinned out. A bit.

The roads are still filthy, I really ought to clean the bike, but there's no real point at the moment, oh for a decent high pressure area.

Started off by riding out to the Warehouse Wasteland of Markham Vale and then came back via the other side of town for a 31 miler. Gets me half way to 500 miles for January, looks like I'll have to get wet to get there though looking at next week's forecast.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17081481899

Wasn't going to go out today because of a threat of rain in the early afternoon, but by 1330 the sun had come out, the forecast had cleared and I felt a bit guilty for not having gone out earlier.

I went eastbound, using the Sutton Bonnington detour to get round the roadworks on the main road. Went as far as Rempstone then came back the same way (mostly - I'd used the Coalville bybass for a change on the outward leg).

Back about 98 minutes after sunset. Don't really like cycling in the dark on wet roads. Getting a bit cold later on as well.

Listened to footy on 5 Live and picked up the Callan novel again.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260117bike.avif)

The forecast for the rest of the month is awful. Wondering if I'm going to be able to get a fondo in! I should have set off earlier today.

I entered Nottinghamshire on t'other side of the A6 so that's another neighbouring county ticked off.

I forgot to turn the watch on again after a stop near Coalville so I had to repair the track when I got back. Unfortunately that made me KOM on two Strava segments, with an unbeatable time of zero seconds. Actually I've just had another look, looks like I've had those distinctions withdrawn now.

Back on 64.54km.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17084401658

Well, it wasn't raining, the sun was visible in the blue sky - when it wasn't cloudy - but bugger me was it windy! A SSE wind too, which I spent an awful lot of time riding into. I was supposed to be taking it steadily, but the flat was a bad as going uphill. On a normal day, I'd expect my average heart rate to be about 132 by the time I get to Tibshelf, but today it was 142 with my fifth slowest time from Holmewood to Tibshelf and that's put of 139 attempts. Bang into the wind wasn't it. And I had some twat come by me who then "Rolled Coal" at me.

Of course going out into the wind means coming back with a tailwind, but I was too knackered to make much use of  it, just rolling along steadily. At nearly 38 miles it was my longest ride of the year so far. but looking at the forecast it'll be well into February before I exceed it. At the moment there's only a two hour slot next Monday morning that's forecast to be dry. We shall see.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17115422937/

Decided that today was the day to man up and do the January fondo. I haven't missed a monthly fondo since 2019, and that was because my knee was buggered.

Mild (about 8C), no rain but a strong wind from the south. So I decided I'd do the southbound route, or a variation of it. I did the long detour near Eillistown.

The headwind was shocking most of the way down. I got as far as a few klicks north of Gilmorton when I decided enough was enough. I was still determined to do a fondo but for now, I had to get out of the wind.

Instant calm when I turned round. I made up the distance on the way back by taking an excursion into Desford, looping round a lap of the Ellistown circuit and doing a couple of village laps.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260120bike.avif)

Listened to 5 Live. Intermittently sunny, then dark. Back about an hour after sunset, on 100.98.

Very satisfied to have got a fondo in. Don't think I've left it so late in the month.

I took the Tricross. It and the first Boardman have done my most recent 1897 km between them.

The horses were standing at the other end of the field when I parked the bike against the gate. Thought having them in the background would make for a nice pic. But they came right up to the gate! Felt a bit guilty that I had nothing to give them.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17118109786

Weather's been a bit minging this week. Managed 17 miles in an hour and ten minute dry slot yesterday. Today could have got a four hour ride in, but I have commitments, well, not really, but I wanted to watch the Tour Guzunda, World Cup Cyclocross and the Kitzbuehel Downhill. Still not seen the Men's CX 'cos it's also Vinyl Saturday.

Did a similar ride to last Saturday, but did an extra ride to Markham Vale with fewer bypass bashing laps. Wind was nastier roday, SSE like last week but a good 10mph stronger, that'll be why my Heart Rate was up. Don't know about my power as after 10 miles my Garmin lost connection with the power pedals. Do I need to know my Power Output? Not really, I'm not a pro and I managed without it for years, but I like data and statistics so I don't like not knowing. No idea on the cause, but I tightened the battery covers, one of which seemed quite loose. Guess I'll find out if that solves it when it stops raining.

Still, another 36 miles a dry week would see 500 for January but that doesn't look likely with the forecast.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17161210333

A dry day was promised. Not exactly warm but neither the temperature nor a stiff wind from the east was enough to put me off attempting a fondo.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260124bike.avif)

So I set off at about 1040 and did the Eastbound route. Turned back short of the usual Eastwell crossroads half-fondo point, because I had to do the Sutton Bonington detour to avoid the roadworks near there. I came back the Paudy Lane way though which was shorter. So I had to do a couple of km of faffing over the last few km. Back on 100.66.

Really nice early on. Sunny, and the headwind wasn't so bad. Gloomy and colder later, but by that time I had a tailwind.

Listened to 5 Live and Hemispheres.

I've had the idea of stashing some stuff - tinned water, sweets, AA batteries, perhaps oat bars, carefully wrapped of course, along this route. While I was having a look for a suitable hidey-hole near the East Midlands Electricity Board building about 37km from home, I noticed a mouse scurry off when I peered too close.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17163232059

Crikey! I woke up to Blue Skies and Sunshine! So transfixed by this was I that I almost forgot to get out on my bike, I was convinced it was all an illusion which opening the door would shatter and I would find yet more rain.

Thankfully it was real so no more sweating my bollocks off on the turbo trainer. I can't understand how some folks use them all winter or even year round. After an hour I've had enough, they must have invested thousands in turbo-fans, no wonder the national grid is under stress, they need to get all these trainers hooked to generators!

I intended today being an easy day. I thought it was but Garmin still says "VO2 Max" must be the little digs I have to put in up the hillocks to get to the flat lands as I was only at 80% intensity overall. Doesn't help with all the stop/start from following traffic down roads festooned with parked cars. Where are all these people going in the middle of the day?

Anyway got two and a half hours in my riding round Heath managing to get to nearly 39 miles. Would need to do that each day for the next three days to get 500 miles in for January. Don't think that will happen. Strava does say I've done 500 miles in Jan, but it's only Road Miles that count. Turbo Trainer miles are an illusion.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17205583527

I intended to do a fondo today, but conditions were so cold and damp this morning that I decided against it. But the temperature had climbed by 1130 and the sun had come out, so I thought I'd do at least 55 km.

Very gentle wind today, for a change. I could have done a Twycrosser, or Bypasser - haven't done one so far this year - but I decided to go east again. Unusually I went out through Coleorton for a change. And once again I took the detour round Sutton Bonington to avoid the roadworks, but - after Wymeswold I decided to take a left, to follow a sign to Willoughby on the Wolds. Wasn't sure I'd ever been that way before although I realised later that I have, just not west-to-east.

Stopped at a village called Upper Broughton which met Melton Road, along which I have been a few times, then turned back.

It's a very nice stretch of road between Wymeswold and Upper Broughton. Not flat, not brilliantly surfaced, but quiet. No qualms doing it on a gravel bike.

(https://i.ibb.co/ymNZMmnV/260128bike.avif)

By this time I'd done 44km so I decided I'd make a fondo of it. I took the longer way home through Diseworth and Griffydam, then Coleorton. I was still about 9km short though, so I did some village laps.

Back on 101.60 km, 77 mins after sunset.

Listened to Times Radio, 5 Live and another few hours of the Callan novel.

Unlikely that I'll cycle again this month so that's 592 done for January. Target was 614 but I'm only 22 km short, which given the weather is surprising. Surprised I got three fondos in this month as well - the first ever triple fondo January.

I hope the weather improves in February but there's no sign of it so far.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17208773972

Out by 9 this morning for a 30 miler.. headed out route 7 to Prestwick.. round the outskirts of the airport towards Monkton  and into the countryside...and back in thru Alloway and along the seafront to the harbour and home... Ryanair were obviously doing some takeoff /landing training as I saw the same plane about half a dozen times...

Cold but dry.. forecast for next few days looks a bit grim..

I knew I wouldn't be making one of my monthly targets - 500 road miles - in January, but I was determined not to miss out on the Strava Climbing Challenge of 7,000m of elevation gain. Now I should really have been there already, but poor weather and my general level of unfitness has meant doing lots of flat ride.

So, even though the weather was dull and a bit damp I set out to get the 2,500 feet of elevation I needed. A bit more than I really needed, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Oof! They may not have been the hilliest of hills but I could feel it. Did a couple of laps round Barrowhill/Nether Handley, then on the third I extended it up through what should be Top Handley but is really Middle Handley. This got me my first 500 feet of elevation climb of the year. Topping out the climb got me 2,500 feet and over the rest of my 33 mile ride it came to 2,761 feet. Mission accomplished.

Hope the weather picks up in February.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17216711768/

I decided to fit 700x32s to the Roubaix for long rides. Because they run at lower pressure and supposedly roll better over rough surfaces, such as you're likely to find in Lincolnshire.

After inspecting the frame I was convinced they'd fit. So I bought some Schwalbe Green Marathons and the appropriate inner tubes and fitted them. They were a bugger to get on, proper puncture resistant, rigid industrial rubber.

They fit! Sort of. There's only about 3 or 4 mm clearance at the fork crown, which I don't think is safe. I'll keep them as the next set for the Tricross and probably go down to 700x28. The Roubaix had 700x25 before I messed about with it.

Of course I should have tried one wheel before doing both. Hey ho!

I thought I'd finished with January, but to my surprise I awoke to sunshine! I thought it was supposed to be a showery morning with afternoon rain and I was resigned to a full day of watching cycling - six races to watch! But you have to make use of the sun.

Only got an hour and forty in and I still have a couple races to watch now, but good to get out for 25 miles even if it was a stiff wind on the way out, but on the way back I was on rails! So, I only ended up 59 miles dowm on my 500n mile target,

https://www.strava.com/activities/17238197585

70k today after my 30k midweek trip brings me up to 210k for the month.

Reasonably happy with that after a very slow start due to ill health and bad weather.First spin this year wasn't till 17th Jan

Today was cool and grey but dry. We had an old member of Trim Wheelers coming back so we met in Trim which meant a I'd already done 16 when we met. A fairly uneventful ride which I took relatively slowly apart from an attack on Glebe Hill. Pleased to get my second fastest time there from 53 attempts over the last 10 years or so. Life in the old dog yet!

Another 31 miler earlier today.  Up n over the Carrick Hills and then onto Maybole , Crosshill, Kirkmichael and Dalrymple then back to Ayr. A nice double rainbow on the way back.  Held up twice by dog walkers who just let their mute wander about on cycle routes..

Just did 21 miles today. Got an hour and twenty minutes in in a remission from drizzle. Didn't bother going far, just glad to get out and stretch the old legs for a bit. I thought the entrance to one road had been taped off, but it was just some twat with a dog on an extendable lead, he was one side of the junction, dog the other. Ignorant twat.

It was cold out there today. Temperature may have been a couple of degrees above freezing, but Strava says the ENE Wind made it feel like -6^oC. Didn't actually feel too bad whilst out there, apart from my fingers, but I've barely warmed up an hour and a half after getting in and had awful hot aches in my fingers.

Apart from that it was a nice spin out, managed to keep the wind as more or less a cross wind, so didn't have to suffer riding into it. I did suffer a close pass from an articulated lorry, I doubt if at any point it was more than a foot away from me. Once it had passed I gave a good old flick of the V signs at it, the following lorry gave me a perfect pass.

That's another 35 miles for February, which is 35 miles more than I thought the weather would allow me from the forecast. Hope that continues.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17271834971

32miles today.. blimey that was a strong cold wind..was hoping to get to Ochiltree ( was 7 mins away) but was knackered and cold so decided to turn.. headed back via Springs and Coylton and then dropped into Alloway and home ...no run out along the seafront today

Happy to get home

It did stop drizzling for a while today, even looked like the sun might come out at one point, but then the drizzle started again. Only light drizzle so I pushed through it manfully. Just did 25 miles as there's too much cycling to watch today. Live, sleep, dream, watch, do cycling, that's my life.

To say I gave the bike and drive chain a good clean on Monday it's ready for doing again after 60 miles. Can't be arsed though with the roads in the state they are. Just about every road round here is festooned with tipper lorries carrying mud away from construction sites and it's all falling out into the road. failing that it's tractors coming out of fields.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17283510014

No rain forecast for today, though it was foggy in the morning. Waited until the mist had almost cleared, then set off at about 1040. The wind was coming from the east so once again I did the eastbound route, incorporating the Sutton Bonington detour as usual.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260204bike.avif)

The roads were wet early on but conditions became gradually dryer over the afternoon. The sun even came out for a bit late on.

As I sat on a bench in Sutton Bonington, innocently consuming a Muller Rice, a chap strolled along with two little girls, presumably his daughters. As they passed, one of them gave me two-fingered salute. Cheeky little fucker! They looked like a nice middle class family as well. I blame the parents.

Nearly got taken out by a dickhead in an estate car at the bypass roundabout in Coalville. Cut right across me. I shouted WANKER at the top of my voice, much to the amusement of another nearby motorist who had his side window down.

Listened to 5 Live on what was a very interesting news day for politics and current affairs. And another couple of hours of the Callan novel, nearing its conclusion now.

Back on 101.41km, about five minutes before sunset. My last four rides have been fondos, which really just reflects the necessity of getting the distance in while it's not raining. Glad to have got February off the ground anyway.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17287462598

A dismal  23 miles this morning. Had a route in mind but the strong winds put an end to that.. tried a few alternatives to keep me out the wind but it seemed to come from all directions..
Stuck to the lower single track roads but even then still very breezy

A coffee and a hot cross bun on return lifted the mood somewhat

So my Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700x28s arrived, to replace the Green Marathon 700x32 that were just a bit too big for the Roubaix.

Extremely thick, industrial feeling rubber. I'm doubtful that I could knock a pin through them with a hammer! There's no chance a thorn could make it through to the inner tube. But I wanted to go up a level in puncture resistance to make up for the reduction in tyre size compared to the 32s, which do give you better puncture resistance by virtue of taking lower pressure.

I've only put the front one on, it was a bastard to get on the wheel. Not very pliable. I'll have a look at the clearance at the front before I put the rear tyre on.

I don't expect them to roll brilliantly well but peace of mind is worth a lot of effort on a long ride.

I didn't expect to be able to go out today but the forecast improved a bit from yesterday, and careful scrutiny of the rainfall radar suggested that I might be able to avoid the threatened showers if I went south.

So I did. The usual Southbound route, not counting a detour along Beveridge Lane near Ellistown, until I got to Kimcote, when I did the same excursion through Walton toward Shearsby that I did last time. Got slightly lost on the way back after Walton, but recovered after an unintended detour of a couple of km.

Listened to a bit of the Callan novel but not much, because I'd left the house with the battery charge on my phone on about 20%. Fortunately I had enough juice to pay for a bit of a feast at the Gilmorton village shop. I mostly listened to 5 Live, Times Radio and LBC on what was a fascinating news day.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260209bike.avif)

Very relieved to have got out of the house on a bike for a few hours. I'd started to feel like the weather was not merely stealing my lifestyle, but eroding my identity.

Saw a huge pile of carrots dumped on the ground at a farm near Broughton Astley. Maybe rejects, or surplus.

Didn't get rained on. It was pretty mild and the sun even came out for a bit.

Back on 102.12. Only the second ride this month. The forecast looks awful right out to the 22nd. But that's five fondos this year now, I suppose that's something.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17341175726

After not making any use of a mostly dryish day yesterday (I had done an hour on Sunday) due to feeling under the weather, I did venture out into the misty murk today as the drizzle was either absent or very fine.

I was glad that for whatever dumbass reason I stuck extra laps round Brimington and Calow because when I went to do my gentle riding round Sutton Scarsdale and Heath there was a set of traffic lights at roadworks which weren't showing up on the roadworks website. This put a kibosh on me doing 35 miles like last week, but did let me get to 32. Then again I might not have done 35 as intermittent light drizzle had become borderline persistent rain.

I had been hoping to get through Hasland for the first time in months, but a road closure under Chesterfield Station (platform rebuild) which was flagged up as finishing on the 9th of February has now been extended to the 27th.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17350578964

Thought today might have been a Turbo Trainer day, but the drizzle stopped and the clouds even started to break up a bit. Of course by the time I was suited and booted the overhead beaks were filling in but they were still in the distance.

So today was a day of going out and just riding round in loops keeping an eye on the weather and if it still looked OK moving on further to do more loops. After 10 miles it started to rain, but the way I had thought to head looked clear so I rode on and did some Calow loops. I then thought I'd be able to head out and do some far Calow loops as it looked quite bright, but then it rained, it rained hard.

Discretion being the better part of valour I headed for home. It rained more intensely. I got soaked. Got to the bottom of our drive the rain stopped, the sun came out. My arse was sodden though so I just rode up the hill to get 20 miles in and went home.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17361828776

After a warm day yesterday it had cooled off again today, which was fine by me as I did get a bit warm in my kit yesterday, but today was just fine. It was also substantially drier today, in fact just about totally dry, even the roads were only damp.

I cut back on the "lappage" today, just did a minimal amount round Brimington, then a bit of Hollingwood before I set out to find if Dronfield still existed, it did, in fact I pushed on through the Dronx and almost as far as Dronfield Woodhouse - I'll try extending this 'til I get back to the tops - before heading back the way I came.

Interesting to see how the potholes are developing day by day, I certainly wouldn't want to be going down some roads in the dark. Mrs S has been moaning about some near the school where she works, but I couldn't see anything untoward about them, unlike the jagged fraying beasts elsewhere.

Good to get in another 30 miles and do a bit more climbing.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17373288370
 

A 34 miler this  morning.. resurrected my route to the village of Ochiltree which I binned due to the wind last week.. blue skies today.. very sunny but still cold and a bit of a stiff breeze in places .. nice to look over to  Arran and see Goat Fell covered in snow..

Woke up to sunshine today  :D Cycling time  :D Only trouble was my stomach wasn't very happy. It was gurgling a lot last night and then this morning, well, you don't want to know.

But the sun was shining. So once I thought I'd cleared my system out out I went. Started off doing local loops, just in case. Then extended it further out. Discovered a promised set of roadworks weren't there and the ones which weren't marked but were there on Tuesday still aren't marked on the map and are still there.

These roadworks meant that I wasn't going to do the loop I thought as it would mean for encounters with them. So, I went a road I didn't want to take. This road doesn't see the sunshine in Winter, it doesn't see a gritter either and it tends to retain frost and ice. But it hasn't been that cold a lately how bad can it be? Very. Last nights cold temperatures and constant running water had left it very dodgy, when cars went by they weren't kicking up spray but scattering ice chunks. It was squeaky bum time, the wrong day for squeaky bum time. Thankfully I got through unscathed and managed a reasonable 32 miles. Better than I thought I'd get in.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17395078655

I was slightly concerned that conditions might be a bit too cold, or the roads too icy today - at least in places. But with a rare, sunny dry day forecast I had to do at least 65 km somehow. I thought I'd go along the Lower Westbound route for 30-odd km then come back.

Well - fortunately the bright sunshine made the temperature very tolerable and I didn't see any ice on the roads, although the wife's car windscreen was frosted up as I passed it on the way to the garage.

I did the route as far as Hill Ridware, then I decided to turn back. By this time I'd decided I was going to make a fondo of it. Actually quite nice out there. Once back at King's Bromley I decided to go north up the A515, to join the Upper Westbound Route. I've done that once before. Bit of a rollercoaster of hills. But it seems so long since I've done either of the westbound routes that I thought it would be nice to take them both in.

Alas, at Scropton, my progress was halted by a flood in the road. Cars were going through it, to be fair. But it looked deep. A 4x4 that went through was throwing up great plumes of water. So I doubled back to Sudbury. What now? I consulted Google Maps. I could go back south to Coton in the Clay and east from there, but there was a decent chance the road would be flooded along there as well. The River Dove passes close by. My best bet was to go east along the A50 for a few km, then come off after Foston. A horrific prospect. But that's what I did.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260214bike.avif)

The A50 is decidedly not a road intended for cyclists. In all the hundreds of km I've done along it in a car, I genuinely don't think I've ever seen a cyclist pedalling along it. But it's not actually illegal, so I put my foot down and got it over with. Not an experience I want to repeat. It was busy, and frankly scary.

The breast pocket zip on my cycling jacket failed, allowing my phone to disembark and smack face down against the unforgiving surface of the A515. It still works, and the screen was cracked already. But it looks a right state now.

Back a few minutes after sunset, on 111.28 km. I did have lights with me and I should have used them over the last few km really, but I didn't.

Very happy to have got another couple of neighbouring counties in, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. And to have been out on a bike (Boardman II) that isn't the Tricross or the first Boardman, for the first time since the beginning of November.

The lake in the photo is usually a field.

Listned to LBC, 5 Live and the last 90 minutes of the Callan novel.

Didn't go out Saturday as there was a pretty severe frost and the below zero temperatures would have let to slippy areas, especially with all the rain and even flooding recently.

Sunday morning was much milder but I woke up to  leaden skies and very heavy rain.  The weather app insisted this would all clear by 10 so we agreed to meet in Dunderry (about half an hour cycle from Navan).  The weather was great and we even got to experience sunshine and dare I say it warmth on parts of the journey. 

The very wet weather meant there was still lots of lying water in the roads and we avoided these as much as possible.  On one occasion though an approaching car meant we had to skirt the edge of one that happened to contain 2 nasty potholes.  My cycling colleague managed to catch them both (there were probably a lot more hidden) but survived being thrown off or even puncturing.

Another 50K (well 49 actually) in the bank so happy enough with that despite the poor weather conditions. 305kms since the 17th Jan - happy enough with that after the sick start of the year, hopefully more to come.

All ready for the off this afternoon.. checking the tyres I noticed something on the back wheel.. was hoping it would just brush off.. but no one of these fkn little razor sharp hedge trimming needles.. soon as I removed it down went the tyre..... took me ages to pinpoint the hole on the inner tube.. anyway repaired and back on... so better luck tomorrow I hope..

Sunny again! Two days out of four. Also had to do a rapid bowel clearance before going out again. Do I have squits caused by sunshine? Is there any correlation? Is it just coincidence? Thinking about it late last week I finished off some sliced ham which was past its use by date and yesterday Mrs S bought me a reduced to clear mini Pork Pie...

Did actually feel a bit jaded on the bike. Was hoping for 35-40 miles but settled for 33, it was a bit nippy and I'd put the wrong pair of gloves on, thought they'd be OK with the sun shining on them but it clouded over as the ride wore on and I was struggling with the front derailleur by the end.

Still, did some roads a bit less ridden due to recent obsession with riding round in loops, found out the unexpected Traffic lights are still there and the new ones promised on the same stretch of road were there. Thankfully no residual ice on the roads.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17427273160/

Sunshiny day today so managed a 37 miler today.. crossed another couple of Ayrshire villages off the list ..Sinclairston was the one I was aiming for.... Not much to it but a decent route to it avoiding major roads..Back puncture repair from yesterday  looks to be holding so all is well

Another cold, but dry day. And sunny! Since the weather hasn't afforded many opportunities for bike rides this year so far, once again I thought I'd do a fondo. The wind was due to change direction late in the afternoon from eastward to westward (roughly) so I did the eastbound route. Had a tailwind on the outbound leg, and a bit of a tailwind on the return leg later on, although it wasn't strong.

I took the longer way out over the first few km, through Coleorton and Griffydam. Did the Sutton Bonington detour again, to avoid the roadworks on Rempstone Road. Unusually, I dropped down to Stanford on Soar via Leak Lane and did the Walton / Paudy Lane detour.

I love gliding along Paudy Lane. It's delightfully flat, like a topographical quasi-exclave of Lincolnshire.

At the eastern end of the ride, I took a right off Six Hills Lane to go exploring. But I didn't go far. I visited Wartnaby and a place called Ab Kettleby, where I took the pic. For some reason the sign at the entrance to the village has it as AB Kettleby, with the B capitalised. But I was back on the usual route and heading homeward after about 4 km. I came back via Wymeswold and Rempstone. Glad to see the River Mantle flowing copiously at Wymeswold. Usually it looks a bit green and stagnant, like a cabbage stew.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260217bike.avif)

Getting a bit cold in the afternoon after the sunshine went a bit hazy.

Back on 103.78 km. My last seven rides now have been fondos.

Because of the detour via Sutton Bonington I haven't been as far east as I usually go on that route for a while. Must go all the way to Eastwell one day soon.

Was going to start the next Reacher novel but annoyingly I left my MP3 player on my desk. I listened to 5 Live, LBC and the Sylvian / Fripp album The First Day.

Nice to be doing longer rides, though I do miss my Twycrossers and Bypassers. But with cycling opportunities a bit sparse at the moment, it makes sense to make the most of them.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17430140392

^^ good spot for a cardiac arrest

Quote from: Thenop on February 17, 2026, 09:05:52 PM^^ good spot for a cardiac arrest

You know - I was tempted to change it to "Masturbator" to see if anyone would notice.

And funnily enough I heard on the radio today that the first red phone box appeared 100 years ago exactly.

No Sun today, but things were sold. That's enough of that.

Wish mhy riding were solid, but there was a blowy, cold ESE wind today. Got blown about a bit at times. I know that I won't get to 500 miles in February, but there's still time to complete the Strava climbing challenge, so to that I end I did some hillier loops out round Nether Handley today. Thankfully the roads were dry so I didn't get coated in mud like last time I did it.

Got 30 miles in, it was enough for today. Funny how doing just an extra 15 feet of climbing per mile takes it out of your legs. Or maybe I'm just old. It did look like today was old man out cycling day.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17439034996

Had to get a new tyre today for the back wheel.. when I was out yesterday it felt on occasion I was going over a bump on the back wheel.. so took it back off today and noticed that it had started to fray pretty badly at the rim which I'm sure would have torn at some point which could have been nasty.

Anyway will get out tomorrow as the days after that look pretty bad

40 miles today.. screwed up Strava which only recorded part of the ride.. another Ayrshire village off the list.. Dailly

Managed to get some cycling in today, between the morning drizzle and the afternoon heavy showers. Kept it all very local, just in case any sudden turnaround was needed. It kept threatening every now and again, but I managed to get 18 miles in, 18 miles better than zero, before it looked best to retreat. Got in just as it started lashing it down :)

No rain today, well, not until the afternoon anyway, but I didn't really make the most of it. I think Mrs S may finally have given me her cold, so I didn't want to go too deep. Not that I do anyway.

So just a 26 miler, but it felt much windier than the forecast 14mph and what Strava - and Garmin - said was a 14 mph wind. There was one corner in Sutton Scarsdale where it really caught me, then when going down the hill from Sutton Scarsdale whenever there was a gate into a field it was cross your fingers time. I got out, that's the main thing.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17472249772

Just looked on the Strava profile of a kid from up the road, he's been in Spain this week and done 328 miles. Nice way to spend half-term. But he is on the INEOS junior's team.

Last week we set off late to avoid the rain and this week early. Last week worked but today was less successful. The forecast predicted that any rain that would fall would be light but we managed to get caught by a 20 minute downpour. 

I was dressed to mitigate this though my winter gloves, overshoes and 2 pairs of socks one of which were waterproof minimised any water that penetrated and kept me warm.

The roads are looking in a pretty bad way and it's probably going to be a year of avoiding potholes unless Meath County Council gets it act together.

Another 50kms under the belt and the early start meant I was back before mid-day

A day with a mild threat of showers and temperatures forecast to climb to a balmy 13C. An immoderate wind coming from the west. I set off at about 1040 thinking I'd do the Lower Westbound, but within a minute I'd decided to do the Upper Westbound instead. Up over Swarkestone Bridge and west along the Beloved A Road.

I took the longer way up, up Top Brand then west from Isley Walton. Just to save myself a bit of climbing up Ashbourne Road at the other end.

I did slightly more than the half-fondo distance then turned and came home exactly the same way, not counting a tiny shortcut at Peggs Green.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260222bike.avif)

I'd dressed more lightly than of late of course and was a little bit too cool for the first couple of hours. But delightfully warm in the sunshine with a tailwind on the way back.

I did get rained on going west near Scropton, but only for a couple of minutes. Pleased to see that the flood that impeded my progress there last weekend has cleared now.

I listened to LBC, footy on 5 Live and the 20th Reacher novel, Make Me. It was only when the narrator announced "Chapter 11" after only an hour or so that I realised that my MP3 player had skipped a few tracks. Oddly, the story had seemed to flow quite naturally! I'll work out what's wrong with it and start again probably.

Back on 100.89. Eight fondos in a row now. And the Planet X had its first run out since October. Felt pleasantly light and comfy.

Looking at the spreadsheet, I'm only 10 km behind where I was on the same day last year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17486336605

^^ are those the only signs in Britain that show distances in km  ;)

Didn't feel in tip-top shape this morning, but the sun was shining and I knew that 17 miles would get me 125 for the week, which is my weekly aim.

I dragged myself out and felt on it at first, heart rate well down on normal, going along at a nice clip. Then I turned away from the tail wind. Bugger. Slog, slog, slog. Got overtaken by a 12 year old kid on a mountain bike up one drag. Bastard was on an e-bike. Bloody kids, they don't need them, I could do with some assistance. I called him a cheat. Wondered if this was the correct thing to do as he was probably a delivery boy for the local drug Lord.

Thankfully picked up a tailwind for the last four - of eighteen miles - from wondering if I'd be able to average 15mph it got up to 15.5, not near where I'd like to be, but grateful for it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17483630365

Another non rainy day, and thankfully I managed to get the bike and drive chain well cleaned up yesterday and not have it go straight back to square one the next day.

With there being no imminent threat of rain I cut back on the endless looping, put a few in because it's become baked into my routine, but managed to head out into the wild blue yonder much earlier than I have been.

Got all the way out through Tibshelf and then back through Pilsley, altering my original plan slightly because of roadworks, but I still would have got the 35 miles I did in. Bit of a slog at times on the way out with the wind, but a nice helping hand on the way back, apart from it was a crosswind and I nearly got taken out by a sudden gust when signalling right after looking behind me.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17505574976

I've been looking forward to a chance to go down the Meriden Gap route again, and today was it. Mild, no rain, wind coming from the south. I didn't go all the way down to Meriden. I turned back after about 45km, with the intention of making up the fondo distance on the way back. I did that by doing the second half of a Twycrosser after Grendon Road.

As usual I did the Edge Hill detour on the way back to avoid going all the way round the scary roundabout over the M42. I did an unintended detour just after Kingsbury, but found my way back on track very easily a few km later.

Really nice down there. There's a stretch of road that I particularly like called Castle Lane, and that's where I took the pic.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260224bike.avif)

A little bit damp in the morning, but beautiful warm (yes) sunshine in the afternoon. Had a very pleasant ten minutes at the bench opposite the oil terminal at Kingsbury.

Definitely descended into Warwickshire, so that's another neighbouring county box ticked for 2026.

I must avoid Sibson Road for a few weeks. I managed to get past the road works along there but it was shockingly muddy and gritty.

I restarted the Reacher novel and listened to 5 Live.

Back on 100.18. I've exceeded my February target by a few km now and if I can do another 17 before March, I'll have made up for the deficit in January.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17508033634

Thought today was supposed to be warmer than yesterday. It was a degree cooler. No sunshine either, not until I got back home anyway. Still, I managed with fingerless gloves for the first time this year and it's much better riding without overshoes on. You feel more like a cyclist and I don't hear them rubbing against the cranks and seat stays due to how my cleats are aligned!

More or less repeated a ride of a couple of weeks ago, up through Dronfield to Dronfield Woodhouse, but instead of going up Stubley Lane I went up Gosforth Drive for only the second time on a bike, hence I managed to pick a few Golden personal bests for the first time in months! It also meant I didn't have to stop and turn back like I'd intended, instead I could loop round.

Got overtaken uphill by an electric Mountain bike again. If I can get up under my own steam then younger people than me should be able to! Managed to claw my way back as the road flattened, but then it went up again and off he went. I probably could have done 15mph but I'll be buggered if I'm going to try!

Back on 33.5 miles, as ever, it'll do. Also completed the Strava monthly climbing challenge.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17517815271

Fabulous day for a ride. 27 miles on the mtbs..........in shorts :)

The forecast for today was a dry morning and a wet afternoon. I woke up to a wet morning and it is now a wet afternoon. Luckily there was a dry slot which I managed to use for an hour and twenty five minutes.

Only time for 21 miles, but it's 21 miles that this rain avoider thought he wouldn't get in. Got back just in time to fetch the washing in for Mrs S before it got too wet.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17529541694

I think Mrs S keeps infecting me with coughs and colds she brings back from the school she works in. The old lungs were a bit productive this morning. But what's the best way of clearing them? Why, a bike ride of course!

Not much of one as I had an afternoon of Spring Classics, the opening weekend with Omloop Nieuwsblad. For the first time in months I was able to go out the Chesterfield Railway station as the road closure beneath it was finally lifted today, letting me do my own mini Flanders Classic - well, there was one short punchy hill to do.

The last fifteen minutes were completely miserable as it started raining. Not the light rain that was in the forecast, but big stinging raindrops that were pelting down. Washed all the salt embedded out in my helmet lining out into my eyes so I couldn't see. I've been out in rain for a couple of hours before and not got as wet.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17552726027

I've set up my local folder  "database" of cycle rides using the activity history I downloaded from Strava. Unfortunately it's not complete, it seems that I didn't upload some of my rides in late 2015, for example. Unless Strava's lost them, somehow. But anyway I don't have some of them.

So I have one folder containing all the rides I have data for, all the GPX files. Then using the geographic GPX interrogator tool that I got AI to write in Python, I set up a folder to contain all the rides that passed through Twycross, like this:

$ for i in ../all/*gpx ; do if ~/scripts/GPX/gpx_near.py 52.642502 -1.505484 $i ; then ln $i .; fi; done

52.642502 and -1.505484 are latitude / longitude co-ordinates for a point in Twycross that I pass through. I got them by inspecting one of the GPX files.

This linked 360 files, meaning that I have passed through Twycross on more than 360 rides.

Unfortunately, the very first "Twycrosser" is not recorded - which is a shame because I remember it really well, it was longer than the rides I usually used to do at that time and felt like a bit of an adventure.

Fortunately I have at least been able to find the date on which it occurred. I listened to a radio play about the trial of Oscar Wilde, the dates on which it was broadcast are shown here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b047w553

It must have been Saturday, 10th October, 2015.

Going forward I need to develop some scripts to keep the data set and location "views" up to date.

The job to populate the 'Twycross' folder took 55 seconds to run. Not surprising since it had to examine every waypoint of every ride, and a waypoint is typically recorded every five seconds or so.

Interesting. Knowing nothing about cycling terminology I always wrongly assumed a Twycrosser was just a term for a particular length or type of journey. Every day a school day, but happily not literally. Horrible time.

Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on March 01, 2026, 09:12:03 PMInteresting. Knowing nothing about cycling terminology I always wrongly assumed a Twycrosser was just a term for a particular length or type of journey. Every day a school day, but happily not literally. Horrible time.

Interesting fact: Twycross Zoo was the home of the PG Tips Chimps  :)

A dry day and supposedly warm in the afternoon. So - I got up early(ish) and set off before 0900, with the intention of going down to Northamptonshire.

I went all the way down to Welford rather than to Sibbertoft, which is my usual point of entry into Northants - because I wanted to continue a bit further south, toward Northampton. And I did, but I hung a left to Naseby after a few km. Pedalled through the village then looped back up to Welford via a road I hadn't tried before - a bit gritty in places but not too bad. Then I came back up the same way.

I did take a right through Walton to go exploring a bit, but my way was blocked by roadworks, so I turned back to the main route.

Took the bypass round Earl Shilton on the way back, and detoured Bagworth further up, via Wood Road.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260302bike.avif)

Back on 126.65 km, my longest ride since August. My last ten rides now have been fondos.

It was indeed warm in the afternoon, sunny as well. But a little uncomfortably cool for the first couple of hours in the morning.

That's the Northamptonshire box ticked then, just Rutland and Lincs to do.

Listened to another hour or so of the Reacher novel, but mostly 5 Live on another big news day.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17577975638

Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on March 01, 2026, 09:12:03 PMInteresting. Knowing nothing about cycling terminology I always wrongly assumed a Twycrosser was just a term for a particular length or type of journey. Every day a school day, but happily not literally. Horrible time.

You know I have thought occasionally of posting a glossary of cycling terms that I've invented, but thought against it since it seems a bit self-obsessed (moi?).

But perhaps I will.

Quote from: Slim on March 02, 2026, 06:47:13 PM

Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on March 01, 2026, 09:12:03 PMInteresting. Knowing nothing about cycling terminology I always wrongly assumed a Twycrosser was just a term for a particular length or type of journey. Every day a school day, but happily not literally. Horrible time.

You know I have thought occasionally of posting a glossary of cycling terms that I've invented, but thought against it since it seems a bit self-obsessed (moi?).

But perhaps I will.

Please do so. I'd be very interested to learn.

I'd like to see that!

35 miles today.. did a reverse run from the previous outing to Dailly then into Crosshill.. Kirkmichael and homeward
Nice sunshiny day but still a fairly cold breeze..

Wish these dog walkers with half mile long leads would fuck right off

After a couple of grotty manflu days, just before going to bed last night the miasma pasrtially lifted. Still wasn't 100% on getting out of bed, but didn't feel like not cycling and the sun was shining - at times so out I went.

Once again I went out via the railway station now the road's open, probably be my preferred escape route for a few days just because it's been unavailable for three months. It means ending up going up the drag of the Training centre climb, but at least it isn't cobbled.

Did a loop round Holmewood and Heath before heading up to the Shoulder of Mutton at Hardstoft where I started the return journey, coming back under the shrouded gaze of Hardwick Hall, more tarpaulin than wall.

All in all got 31 miles in, just the last couple where I could feel that I was nowhere near peak powers. Still, onwards and upwards - without too much upwards - and, like Fishy says the 100 yard dog lead people should just FOAD.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17587855621

Crikey another dry and sunny day, time to get out on the bike again. Funny, the roads which last week were piss wet and muddy now throw up clouds of dust whenever vehicles run along them, as well as all the particulates being pumped out of diesel engines. No wonder my lungs feel wheezy.

Again headed out Chesterfield station way, then out to Heath followed by Duckmanton where I then found that the reason the Staveley road had been shut was to resurface it. A proper resurfacing, how good was that quarter of a mile of smooth road before hitting the cratered surface of the rest of the road.

Back then through Whittington and Cutthorpe to come down Newbold Road, where every bloody pedestrian crossing turned red as I got to them. Ho-hum. Another 32 miles done.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17600432867

Another thoroughly decent day was on the cards. Mostly sunny, and warm(ish) in the afternoon. Cold in the morning though, so I didn't set off until about 1135. I'd decided to do an eastbound fondo. Nice and simple. Or so I hoped.

Unfortunately work to replace the bridge over the River Soar has now started. I knew it was supposed to happen this month, to be fair. But for some reason I'd thought it was later in the month.

My long term solution to this (the works are supposed to last for 18 weeks) is to go through Loughborough instead. I haven't rehearsed the route through the town yet. But I thought I'd busk it. Looking at the track now, I didn't do a bad job. A bit more convoluted than necessary, but it worked. I'd be approaching the town from a different direction usually in any case. I rejoined the usual route at Cotes.

Went as far as the Eastwell crossroads, had an impromptu picnic on the grass there, then turned for home.

Rather than coming back through Loughborough, which I imagine would have been grim in the late afternoon / early evening, I detoured up to Kegworth and came down the A6. The A6 was alright but I got stuck in a traffic jam between West Leake and Kegworth - presumably because the motorists present had the same idea as myself. I managed to overtake the queue of cars in intermittent chunks when nothing was coming the other way.

Back about 40 minutes after sunset on 110.84km, later than intended partly because I did a longer ride than I really wanted (111km) but mainly because of the holdup near Kegworth. Fortunately I'd brought lights.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260304bike.avif)

I took the Roubaix, mainly because I wanted to try its new, uber-puncture-resistant Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700x28 tyres. I have to say - from the moment I set off, I noticed a certain WTF quality about them. They certainly felt different, and not in a good way. Sort of "dead". Harsh. A constant very slight drag. I got used to it and put it out of my mind, but it was there. However - after about 80km they seemed to go a fair bit more normal - possibly because they were broken in by that time, a bit more supple. Anyway I think it's worth it to have the peace of mind 120+ km from home.

Quite cool early on despite the sunshine. I had to take off my fleece a couple of hours into the ride, but (unusually) I put it on again later when the sunshine went a bit hazy and the temperature dropped.

Noticed an odd thing at the old East Midlands Electricity Board installation along Six Hills Lane, where I often stop for a discreet off-road wee. The metal gate is chained up with a padlock, but the keys are attached to the gate a few cm from the lock, with a cheap wire keyring. Was tempted to open it but didn't bother. Obviously I'd have locked it again.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/gatekeys.avif)

Listened to 5 Live mostly, but also another couple of hours of the Reacher novel.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17606124712

That's 11 fondos in a row! And I may do another one on Saturday.

Third dry and sunny day in a row today. So out I went, not that it ended up being sunny.

I set my sights on getting up to a hundred miles for the week, so I headed out again through Chesterfield Station and out towards Tibshelf, but not as far as Tibshelf as the dreaded roadworks were operating there. So I went down through Pilsley where the dreaded cars coming the other way on your side of the road were in operation. One very nearly cut across me, stopping at the last minute, I was so stunned I didn't give him a mouthful. Are cyclists invisible?

Anyway, after 28 miles my rear derailleur cable snapped. It hadn't been showing any signs of being on the way out, normally the gears start skipping. There have been some dodgy changes but it's been like that since the cable was last replaced. Luckily it was mainly downhill so I could cope with the remaining 8 miles. May as well have the bike serviced now.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17613062519

Didn't get much time for a ride today as it was the day of Strade Bianche, one of my favourite races to watch, even if the outcome of the men's race is a tad predictable. The Hills of Tuscany and the city of Siena certainly look a nicer place to be than the post-industrial wasteland of North East Derbyshire.

Of course today I couldn't be astride a Bianchi on Strade Bianche day as it was collected for its service yesteday, so I took out the gravel bike onto the gravelliest roads I could find, which is basically any round here with the state they are in. Maybe I should have had more realisation that the Bianchi gear cable was about to snap as all the changes today were crisp. Although the Bianchi had been funny for about 3,000 miles after my continual failed attempts at getting them in synch.

Happy enough with 21 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17639444112

I have, as suggested, compiled a list of cycling terms that I've made up over the last eleven years. Thanks for your interest and encouragement.


Slim's Arcane Cycling Terms: a Glossary


Bastard Hill

A short, brutal climb on the B5006, 3km south of Ticknall.


Beloved A Road

The A5132, running from Swarkestone Bridge to Hilton. So called because it's flat, well-surfaced, scenic and usually quiet.


Cycling Hijab

A lightweight tubular balaclava, used for cold weather rides.


Cycling Inverse Square Law

The principle that the force of attraction exerted on the cyclist by their home is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from it. For example: there is a much stronger reluctance to add another 15km when 5km from home than when 30km from home.


Dad's Army Route

A route initially devised for a trip to Historic Worcestershire (actually the outskirts of Birmingham) and back in 2020, but used for shorter rides since then. Several variations exist; the defining feature is that it passes through Piccadilly and Kingsbury south of the A5. Also used as the basis for an occasional route down the Meriden Gap (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meriden_Gap).

So called because the first time it was used, I kept myself entertained by listening to recordings of the BBC Radio adaption of Dad's Army.


Eastbound Route

A frequently used fondo route. Up to Belton, east into Nottinghamshire and along Six Hills Lane. Several versions exist, with route variations north-east of Loughborough especially. Usually the destination is a village called Eastwell or the crossroads near there. This route forms the beginning of very occasional much longer routes into the east of Lincolnshire.


The Lost Deli

A delicatessen at Brinklow, a village in Warwickshire. I first visited it in 2017, on a bike ride down Fosse Way. Then I forgot where it was. I rediscovered it the next time I visited Brinklow, in 2020.


The Lost Road

Wymeswold Road, between Wymeswold and Hoton, north-east of Loughborough. A very pleasant, secluded and quiet road, lined by trees. I happened upon it in September 2020. I had the idea of revisiting it a few months later, but couldn't find it. I relocated it in June 2021.


Lower Westbound Route

An occasional fondo route going westward and passing through Measham, Lullington, Edingale, King's Bromley and usually terminating at Abbot's Bromley. A highly extended version of this route is used for rides to the Welsh border, west of Whitchurch. A less extended version is used for rides to Stafford Bingley Hall.


Reverse Bypasser

A Twycross Bypasser (see below) navigated in the opposite direction.


Reverse Twycrosser

A Twycrosser (see below) navigated in the opposite direction.


Rotter's Rise

A long slog of a climb coming south along the B587 from Melbourne in Derbyshire.


Rutler

A cycling trip to Rutland and back.


Sherbet Lemon Doping

The practice of consuming sherbet lemon sweets to provide an energy boost, typically for a forthcoming hill climb. Has fallen out of favour in recent years.


Southbound Route

Originally devised for a trip to the Northamptonshire border and back, the current version passes through Kirkby Mallory, Earl Shilton, Stoney Stanton, Broughton Astley and Gilmorton before penetrating the county briefly at either Welford or Sibbertoft, depending on mood. A longer version continues down to Northampton.


Strappy Blinker

A small, inexpensive LED bike light, powered by a coin-cell with a flexible silicon body and integrated wraparound handlebar / seat post strap. Used for visibility rather than illumination.


Swosser Bridge

Swarkestone Bridge, a mediaeval river crossing over the River Trent.


Sutty Bonner

Sutton Bonington, a village lying along the valley of the River Soar in south-west Nottimghamshire.


Twycross Bypasser

Often abbreviated to 'Bypasser', this is essentially a Twycrosser (see below) that omits Twycross - detouring to the west via the villages of Orton on the Hill and Norton Juxta Twycross. Performed more frequently than a Twycrosser over the last couple of years.


Twycrosser

A very frequently-used cycling route. Many variations exist, but all of them involve pedalling southward down Ashby Road through Twycross before heading east, then returning north, typically via Market Bosworth. Usually 50km or so in distance, though an extended version - perhaps taking in Fenn Lanes to the south, and/or Kirkby Mallory to the east - might be 65 km or so.


Upper Westbound Route

A cycling route used for fondos. Up through Coleorton and Melbourne, over Swarkestone Bridge and west along the Beloved A Road (see above), eventually through Sudbury. The endpoint varies. Occasionally extended by taking a longer route to Melbourne via Isley Walton, to the north-east.




.. a more general glossary of cycling terms not made up by myself can be found here (https://www.pactimo.com/en-uk/blogs/cycling-people-places-things/glossary-of-cycling-terminology).

Just a quickie today before settling down to watch Stage 1 of Paris-Nice. Got me up to my highest weekly mileage this year. Also gave me a headache. I'll have to stop trying to ride the gravel bike on gravel tyres at somewhere near the speed I do on the Road bike. It's never going to happen.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17648544380

Window of opportunity today in between rain showers so managed 34 miles. Had a plan to get to a village called Kirkoswald which took me along the breezy coast road onto Culzean Castle then heading to Turnberry but cutting cross country before getting to Trump land.... Headed back via Maybole and Knockdon and then via Ayr town centre and home.
Just back in time as the heavier rain soon started.. weather rest of this week looks very mixed..

Didn't know if I'd get out today as I was really hobbling round with pain in my right foot, which I'd diagnosed as Intermetatarsal Bursitis. Right place in the foot and right symptoms, the lump I could feel fit in with it. I thought I'd give a ride a go and just come straight back if there was too much pain.

When I looked at my foot before going out the purple patch in my foot indicated that whatever it was had burst. Should I still go out? Well I did and had less discomfort pedalling than walking. Suffered a bit with right knee pain though, that's probably due to saddle height on the gravel bike. Must adjust.

Managed 31 miles which was enough, more than I hoped for really. Didn't stray too far just in case I had to cut my losses.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17672366596

A mild day, a moderate wind from the south, no rain. I thought I'd go down the Meriden Gap again.

I went down as far as Maxstoke, where, while consuming a yoghurt on the bench at the crossroads there, I decided to do something a bit different. I'd seen a sign to Fillongley, I'd never been there before so I thought I'd have a look. I consulted the map, and devised a route that would take me up to Atherstone.

The road to Fillongley was delightful - a proper B road but very remote and quiet. A bit hilly but I'll definitely do that one again. However - rather than taking a right turn up to Atherstone as I'd planned, I kept going to follow a sign to Kingsbury. So I looped back up to join the original route.

Wanted to make a fondo of it so after I made it back up to Pinwall I did the last three-fifths of a longish Twycrosser. Back home on 101.46.

Listened to another couple of hours of the Reacher novel and 5 Live. Naga Munchetty had a piece on urinary incontinence on her programme. My heart went out to the contributors to the show who suffer from extreme cases of it. Apparently vibrators can help female sufferers in some cases. Every day a school day. One in three men over 65 suffer from it, troublingly. Still in the 67% so far I'm pleased to report, but early days I suppose.

Anyway - nice day, very nice run out.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17674234344

That's 12 fondos in a row now although to be fair, I should have gone out on Saturday really and if I had, it wouldn't have been a fondo.

I want to do another 400km this month really but as usual the weather forecast looks rather unsettled.

Quote from: Slim on March 08, 2026, 12:02:42 PMI have, as suggested, compiled a list of cycling terms that I've made up over the last eleven years. Thanks for your interest and encouragement.


Slim's Arcane Cycling Terms: a Glossary

The Lost Deli

A delicatessen at Brinklow, a village in Warwickshire. I first visited it in 2017, on a bike ride down Fosse Way. Then I forgot where it was. I rediscovered it the next time I visited Brinklow, in 2020.

This might be my favourite, it sparks the imagination.

One of the attractions for me to watch cycling on TV is the lingo used, after all these years even my wife recognizes some of it and we have our favourite commentators as well.

thanks - a fun read.

Right foot still not perfect - unlike my left foot and centre foot - but then it never is. Got a fallen arch and I only need a shoe to be slightly over or under tightened and it suffers, most likely the cause of recent problems.

Sunny day today, but windy, tomorrow is supposed to be even windier so made as much of it as I could bear. On the gravel bike I always go out up the local lanes, but it's dangerous, dog walkers with 100 yard leads, groups of people walking five abreast oblivious to the fact that it is a roadway with vehicles and then the pratts who think they're taking part in the British rally championships. Always glad to get back to proper roads.

After that went out the opposite way to what I have been doing of late, taking in some roads less travelled and taking in plenty of headwind. Never a good sign when your heart rate increases whilst going downhill. Got it up to 30 miles to keep me on track for 500 miles in March, plenty of time for the weather to put a stop to that...

https://www.strava.com/activities/17684815031

A day with no rain had been forecast yesterday, but by this morning light showers were on the cards for the afternoon. I thought I'd go anyway, and suck up the showers.

The wind was fairly strong from the south-west and my tentative plan was to do about 60km. But I set off along the Lower Westbound route in any case. After about 30km I'd decided I probably was going to do a fondo.

I'd done 44.5km before the rain started. It was very light. But I decided to turn back anyway. The rain only lasted a few minutes. Once back at King's Bromley I decided I'd have an excursion up Sudbury Road. Nice and flat. I did that for about six klicks (it gets a bit hilly after that) then turned back again. Then back home the way I'd come. Very mild out there, the tailwind felt a bit like riding a conveyor belt. Back on 101.81 and that's thirteen fondos this year now.

(https://i.ibb.co/q3HBj7Xb/260313.avif)

No more rain after the light shower while I was actually riding the bike. But torrential rain with hailstones started coming down five minutes after I'd got the bike back in the garage! Magnificent timing.

Took the pic at Hill Ridware. I took my second layer of trousers off there, which I regretted later on when the temperature dropped.

Listened to Adrian Chiles on 5 Live, then more Reacher.

I stop at an entrance to an abandoned quarry site along Rugeley Road sometimes and I took a pic through the metal gate of this odd tripod object today.

(https://i.ibb.co/xKMXR12L/tripod.avif)

ChatGPT tells me it's a "surveying / photogrammetry target". It further tells me that "the blue-and-yellow checkerboard pattern is a classic high-contrast target board used so cameras, laser scanners, or surveying instruments can lock onto a precise point".


https://www.strava.com/activities/17709828532

Had fully intended going out yesterday, it was dry and sunny, but it felt even windier than Thursday, the gusts weren't as strong but the average speed seemed higher. I stayed put.

Mind, the Bianchi returned after its service yesterday, the bloke who did it thought it looked clean and well treated when he picked it up, he didn't after servicing it! Superficially clean but lots of muck where you don't want it. He stuck new bar tape on it to, it was grotty, I do have some new tape, but my tape technician - Mrs S - failed to find time to do it.

Must say, the pedals seemed to rotate more freely and the steering isn't as stiff. Power meter said I was putting in an average 0f 20W less than pre service. Heart rate was up by an average of about 5 bpm though, think Mrs S has infected me with another cold.

Went out through Tibshelf and back, traffic seemed really busy, I thought increasing fuel prices would put people off going out. Mts S thinks people are emptying their tanks to fill up before prices go up further. Abour right for today's level of sense in people. Nearly got taken out by a Wank Panzer in Heath, it came round a bend on  my side of the road giving me about six inches of space.

Got 34 miles in, still on target for 500 miles in March.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17719763894

A bright and breezy Saturday. Wind was cold but not particularly strong; it did enough though to take away any heat the sun manages to produce in mid March.

Solo run today as my cycling buddy was in Nice. He had no idea that Paris Nice would be hitting town while they were there, but he took it all in despite the awful weather on the Cote D'Azur

Chores meant I went later than normal and I tried a new route heading out to Rathkenny. Very hilly beyond there but I'm just over a cold and decided to steer clear.  Heading into Castletown I realised I was going down a cul-de-sac. Unclipped the left shoe but the bike was slanted to the right and I didn't get the chance to unclip the right shoe and the inevitable happened.  A little sore and thought I'd have a coffee to recover but the village Centra must be the only one in the country without a coffee machine. Had the tangerine and banana I brought with me and carried on none the worse for wear. Stopped for a really nice cappuccino and bun in Wilkinstown and headed home.

Good spin to keep the momentum going. Just over 40kms in 2 hours

Well, what a lovely day - apart from a nagging headwind on the way out - could have gone out in short sleeves and bib shorts, but I'd promised Mrs S I'd get another wear out of the kit I have been wearing before putting it to the wash. Hopefully tomorrow will be a tanlines day.

Was out late though because it was haircut day today and even though I went first it was half eleven before I went out. Of course Samson like I have now lost my strength... It was the wind really.

So just a quick spin out through Tibshelf and back for a 33 miler.

Had that sinking feeling though, I think bicycle repair man had had my bike to bits either hadn't properly tightened the seat post clamp or had got cleaning fluids in the downtube which led to slippage. Just had fun trying to extricate the seat clamp - it fits inside the downtube - after letting it slip down. Normally a simple inversion gets it back, but today it managed to get stuck against the Bidon cage bolts. These things are sent to try us.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17754133659

As of last night the plan for today was to do a Twycrosser or Bypasser and conserve my energy for a longer ride on Thursday, which is forecast to be a warmish sunny day with light winds. However - I got up earlier than I expected and I decided I'd do at least a fondo.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260417bike.avif)

Fairly stiff wind from the south but very mild (almost warm later) and no chance of rain. I did the southbound route, right down through Welford and kept going as far as Spratton. Turned back there, came up the same way. Had a bit of an excursion past the gliding club at Sibbertoft for a couple of km on the way back up. No gliders out today.

Stopped at the village shop at Gilmorton and noticed something odd - a pair of exactly parallel contrails in the blue sky, very close. I could see the aircraft in the distance, travelling west. They must have been in formation and they weren't on FlightRadar (I have the app on my phone) so I'm sure they were military. I only captured a small section of the contrails, they were striped right across the sky.

(https://i.ibb.co/xqF9sn8B/contrails.avif)

Really nice out there, very enjoyable run out. I took the S Works for the first time since September - rolls very nicely and felt very slick.

Listened to another couple of hours of the Reacher novel and 5 Live. Only about 25 minutes of the novel left - but I'll save it for my next bike ride.

I'm a little concerned by the sheer quantity of daffodils out there. Every grass verge seems to have hundreds of them. The country seems to be infested by them, are they out of control?

Back on 136.11km, longest ride since August. 14 fondos this year now.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17756882950

Got out in the old bib shorts and short sleeves today. Only managed a couple of hours because I was faffing about with the seatpost again, think it needs some seatpost Viagra to keep it up. Put carbon paste on it yesterday and torqued up the bolt correctly but it still sank and moved side to side when sat on. Gave it all a good clean and tried agaim, this time it seems ot have held.

Then once I was out I was "racing" to get back as I wanted to see Milano-Torino and then Nokere Koerse. Although I picked the wrong way for racing speed as for the first time this year I rode out to the Peak District, going the long way up through Dronfield. Thankfully it wasn't a headwind ascent.

Even managed to get my average speed up to 16mph, was doubtful if I'd do it due to lack of fitness and having to come down Wilkin Hill due to the road through Cutthorpe being shut. It's a downhill with an uphill and with a closed Cutthorpe too much oncoming traffic on a single track raoad due to the road closure. Yet again a 33 miler.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17766393050/

Just completed a 30-miler on the roadies. First time out for them this year. A stop at the coffee shop in Southmoor for a drink and a flapjack then on to Lyford, Charney Basset and Buckland where we each had a pint and a half of 'An Ale Of Two Cities' (Loose Cannon brewery - Abingdon) at the Lamb Tavern.

Glorious sunshine and decent temperatures. The courtyard at The Lamb was bathed in sunshine as we enjoyed the ale and I suspect I will discover later that I've caught the sun. Shorts again but long sleeves over cycling jersey and glad I opted for full gloves for most of the ride.

My wife spotted a wallet in the middle of the road in Kingston Bagpuize. No cash but bank cards and driving licence. Contacted the owner quite easily as he is a doctor and a quick google revealed his practice. Receptionist took my details and I received a call just as we were coming back into Witney. The guy who does the wife's barnet at the salon around the corner is a good friend and lives close to the guy in Lechlade. He has agreed to return the wallet later. The owner is extremely grateful but sounded a bit of a fuckwit. Made us feel good to help someone out, we probably all know what it's like to be in his situation.

Hoping to get another ride in on Friday.

Found a purse while out on a ride a few years ago. Crikey, just checked - 7 years ago https://bikediary.uk/2019/03/02/diseworth/

Today was a Goldilocks day. Maybe slightly on the cool side to start off with, but a bit of effort soon warms you up and after that it settled into a nice day. Plenty of sunshine, a couple of degrees cooler than yesterday and just enough of a hint of breeze.

After a longer climb yesterday I could feel it in the legs today, although it could just be that my saddle's about a quarter of an inch higher than I normally have it. I'll be buggered if I'm altering it though after all the effort to get it to stay up!

Went out in my Heathlaps direction, but today did a couple of longer ones up to Hardstoft and back. can't believe how much traffic I'm encountering, a lot of these roads I pick because they aren't too busy, but the last couple of weeks the amount of vehicles out and about seems to have tripled. if only these people were out on a bike instead.

Got out of the 33 mile rut today and did 35 instead. Gets me to 100 for the week so far.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17778849155

Today's plan was to do about 130km if possible. Still a bit too cold in the morning to set off earlier and besides, I did 136 on Tuesday.

Because of the work to replace the bridge over the Soar at Zouch, I planned to go through Loughborough. I'd rehearsed the turns (only a few) on Street View and that went pretty well. Not really enjoyable but at 0530 in the morning, it would be fine and at about 1100, it was OK.

I also planned to visit my Cycling Happy Place, which come to think of it is a term I should have included in my glossary, the territory to the east of Waltham. That would have allowed me to visit Lincolnshire and Rutland briefly, to cross off the last two neighbouring counties of Leicestershire not visited this year. Alas: I encountered a Road Closed sign at the Eastwell Crossroads, barring the road to Waltham.

I continued on to Eastwell, parked myself on the Will and Madge bench (there's a plaque dedicating it to a couple called Will and Margaret) and had a rethink with the aid of Google Maps. I decided I'd descend through Stathern to Long Lane, which is a lovely stretch of road, and pedal up to Bottesford. I believe I'd only been there once before. I remember being slightly alarmed when, while I was consulting my phone, a lady approached me there without regard to proper social distancing. This was during one of the lockdowns in 2020.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260319bike.avif)

Anyway I went all the way to Bottesford and a bit further, until I came to the A52. Really nice along there. Pleasant and flat. I came back a slightly different way, past Belvoir Castle. I remember the road between the castle and Eastwell as being quite rough but actually, it was fine. Hadn't done it for years, must have been resurfaced.

Back mainly the way I came. I took a slightly different route back through the centre of Loughborough. I hadn't rehearsed it westwards. But that was fine. The traffic was heavy and painful, though. For a very long ride I'd be coming through there late in the evening and that would be fine. But it's not really viable for a late afternoon on a weekday. Going to have to have a think about how to manage a shorter ride until the new bridge at Zouch is open in the summer.

I also came back via Swannymote Road rather than Thringstone, which was definitely a mistake. I'd forgotten about the brutal climb along there. That shortened the return distance, so since I wanted to do at least 130km I did a lap of the village over the last couple of km.

I took the Roubaix with its semi-solid bulletproof tyres. They do seem to be rolling better now they're broken in. You can still detect a bit of drag on a smooth surface. But I'll be happy to use them on a longer ride. It's lovely knowing you're very unlikely to get a puncture.

The wind was supposed to be very light all day but it wasn't, I did have a fairly stiff headwind going east.

Listened to LBC and 5 Live. Finished the Reacher audiobook now. Must get the MP3 player loaded up with another one.

That was a very nice day out on a bike. Back on 130.48 which leaves me just 9km short of the March monthly target, and 26km short of making up the January deficit.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17782669368

Well, today was a spend too much time watching cycling day. Five hours of relaxing Italian views and quick camera cutaways from cyclists having a piss and an hour of full on pulse-racing excitement for the last 50km of 299.

I managed 90 minutes of slightly quicker than sedate cycling once it was over. Still reasonably warm at 16:30 plenty warm enough to bare the old arms and legs. Even did 7 W/Kg for 30 seconds at one point, if I could maintain that for an hour I'd be on the same level of Tour de France riders of 20 years ago. But for an hour I could only manage 2.35 W/Kg. Arse. Dropped by the Groupetto. Still a nice 25 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17806839394/

Popped out for 90 minutes before watching the Grote Prijs Jean-Pierre Moseré. Enough time to get 25 miles in, that's over 150 for the week my best weekly tally since Christmas Week, can't believe I got more miles in that week. Leaves me needing to find 90 miles in nine days. Will the weather oblige?

https://www.strava.com/activities/17816188233

Another dry day. Cold in the morning though so I didn't want to do much more than the regular fondo distance. The wind was pleasingly light. I thought I'd do a Bypasser, but get it up to the requisite 100km by taking an excursion down the Dad's Army route, past Piccadilly and Kingsbury on the other side of the A5.

So that's what I did. I hadn't planned it and I explored a bit of Kingsbury Road that I hadn't done before (usually I turn south before that stretch). Came across a large HS2 construction site. Thought it was worth a pic. Stopped and turned back when I came to a huge roundabout connecting the A road I was on to the M42 and M6 toll.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260323hs2.avif)

I had to do a pretty whopping eastern / upward leg of a Bypasser to get the distance up, taking in Fenn Lanes and Bosworth with an excursion right out to Ellistown and Bardon Hill. Even then I had to take a bit of a detour round the village to get to 100km. I took the Mill Lane turn for Shenton along Fenn Lanes, hadn't done that for a long time. Not since August 2024 according to my location database.

Nice to do a proper Bypasser again too, I hadn't done one for months because last time I pedalled along Orton Hill (in November), building works was going on along there and the road was covered in mud and grit. The building works are still happening but the road's not nearly so bad. Just had a nosy Google to find out what's happening along there, Twycross Zoo is helping itself to a "development of new animal enclosures and associated infrastructure, new lecture theatre, education block, education facilities, substations and associated residential block and lodges" according to the Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council site. The building visible from the road looks huge.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260323daffs.avif)

Hazy sunshine to start off with, overcast and cooler later. Back on 100.52, 2020 this year now and I've finally made up the January target deficit. Seven fondos this month now and I might be able to get one more in (the weather forecast says maybe).

Again, a lot of daffodils out there. They seem to be out of control at the moment.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17830171467

More and more the pics are giving me Google Street View vibes. That's a good thing, I love (Google) Maps.

Daffodils are not around in my neighbourhood yet, the magnolia behind the house is in full bloom though.

I'd fully intended going out and getting 40 miles in today. I really shouldn't make plans as they never come to fruition. A pre ride check revealed a road closure on the way I had intended to go, then the gusty winds made me decide not to do too much. I would have gone above 1,000ft but the wind at 850ft up reduced me to a crawl and I know that that last bit gets windier.

I also had to change my descent due to an unexpected road closure, had to go down a single track lane which is used as the diversion for the closed road. I was met by a constant barrage of idiots driving at high speed towards me. Drive to the conditions arseholes. A potholed and gravelled track is not the place for it, I expect they'd slow for a motorised vehicle, but a bicycle? Bikes aren't worth much and the rider will bounce.

Still at least I had the wind mainly with me on the way back, but too cross windy at times coming down from the Pennines and it was a bit dicey at times. Good to travel at 33mph down Ashgate Road without pedalling - except when cars shoot out of side roads in front of you. There may come a day when I really enjoy cycling...

https://www.strava.com/activities/17840340862

30 miles today in really miserable weather.. cold wet windy... rest of the week looks as bad if not worse so today was the day..found a nice B road (Kerrix Road)just up from Prestwick airport which provided a very nice 3-4 mile ride into the small village of Symington.. from there up the cycle  route next to the A77.. to Dundonald up n over the bridge across the motorway and then back.. via some very confusing single track roads which had me "lost" at points.. managed to fuck up Strava again which only recorded half my ride... idiot

Finally got a 40 miler in this year. Must try harder. Did what I had intended to do on Tuesday, winds were still a bit stiff, certainly at "altitude", at least I could give a cheery wave to those still battling into it when I turned back at Longshaw.

Put new cleats on my shoes yesterday, I highlighted round the edge of the old ones to make sure I got the new ones lined uo correctly, but my old knees feel a bit beaten up now, must be the added depth to unworn cleats. Also noticed that the front fastening bolt had fallen out of the left cleat, thankfully the rear ones had held tight.

Reached a maximum elevation of 1,278ft today, hardly Alpine, but it felt like it to me. Yet thanks to going up through Dronfield and Holmesfield which is up and down, Strava reckons my biggest climb was 258ft!

https://www.strava.com/activities/17865391431

Another dry day. Cold though, especially in the morning. But I got up earlier than I'd intended so I wrapped up warm and set off at about 0930. The idea was to do the Upper Westbound route. So I did that. I took the long way going up, through Isley Walton. As I pedalled west along the Beloved A Road I had the idea of coming back the even longer way, through Weston, Aston, Shardlow and Donington. So I didn't go as far west as I usually would. Stopped at Sudbury and looped round via Tutbury.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260326bike.avif)

The weather was supposed to be cloudy today but it was mostly sunny. Which was nice. Much warmer in the afternoon as well. And a nice tailwind on the way back, until Donington anyway.

I was back by 1545 and it was still pretty nice out there, so I could have stayed out longer. But I've already hit my monthly target. It's all gravy for the rest of the month.

A small plane took off from Derby Airfield just as I passed. It's pretty much just a flat field.

Back on 104.89 so that's eight fondos this month, and seventeen this year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17866828693

17.75 miles on the MTBs today. Nice day.....but bloody cold!

We set off through Crawley village then took a bridleway to Leafield. A mile or so of road until Finstock where we were off-road until Fawler. On to Stonesfield by road where we stopped for lunch in the bus stop (!). We dined on home-made sausage rolls and banana cake but spoilt the home-made vibe by also enjoying crisps (the Mrs) and mini-cheddars (me). A lovely cup of coffee from our small flask to wash it all down. We then had a sneaky pint of ale at the splendid, community-owned pub, The White Horse.

We returned via the wood at Stonesfield, East End and North Leigh.

For me, the ride was tarnished slightly by a constant creaking emanating from my bike. I'd previously narrowed this down to a seat-post/saddle issue so the other day I lubed the contact areas hoping to cure it............didn't work  >:(

So, when we got back home I disassembled the post and saddle clamp again. I gave the frame a good flex with the seat post removed....nothing. This time I decided to cut around five or six inches from the excess seat-post length, thinking it may be knocking on the frame lower down as it or the frame flexes whilst I'm riding. I also took the seat clamp apart and lubed the contact surfaces which I hadn't done before. After reassembly, I took her for a test ride and was unable to hear the annoying noises. Fingers crossed, I've finally cured this after putting up with it for far too long.

Wasn't sure weather to pop out before or after watching cycling today. Forecast was for showers and gusty winds. Decided on before as it looked set fair for an hour or so.

Ten minutes in it started raining. Great, it soon turned to hail. Luckily it seemed as if I was heading away from it and thankfully so I was, but still got wetter than I would have liked. After that, set fair again, and if I'd had my wits about me I'd have buried myself up the Training Centre climb as I just rode normally up it and finished 2s shy of my best time. Ah, well.

As I turned to head for home, the skies turned black and the hail started again, I struck lucky again in that this time it was passing just to the South of me. For small mercies etc.etc. Managed to get 20 miles in which finally gets me a 500 mile month for the year. Looking at the weather now, I should definitely have waited.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17888514360

Well I was all clothed up and ready to go out at about 1045, when the rain started coming down in bucketloads outside! I had been led to expect "a chance of showers". I waited half an hour, the sun came out and off I went.

I did pretty much the same route as last time except that I took the long detour via Shardlow both ways, rather than just the way back. I took a different road into Aston this time, which also added a few km. So I didn't go nearly so far to the west; I got as far as Hatton before turning and coming back the same way.

Nice to go through Shardlow and along Derby Road. Always makes me think of my very first car trip into work at RRA from Leicester, nearly 37 years ago now.

Annoyingly the battery on my bike computer died. I had a GPS watch on though so I was able to record the second part of the ride. Stitched the two parts together when I got home although there was a gap. I measured it carefully for spreadsheeting purposes.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260330bike.avif)

Back on 101.19. That's nine fondos this month, making this Nonuple Fondo March. The last 18 of this year's 23 rides have been fondos. I've only ever done nine in a month once before, October 2024.

I took the Boardman which was slightly delinquent, because the rear tyre has worn through to the green anti-puncture strip. Must replace it soon.

Very tedious headwind going west, but delightful when I turned east. The wind noise ended abruptly and it was as if I had rolled onto a conveyor belt.

Saw a headless duck on the road near Isley Walton. Wondered whether a sparrowhawk had decapitated it, but it might have been killed by a car then relieved of its head by a corvid.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17914660887

A wet and windy Sunday morning first delayed and then shortened the weekend spin. Saturday had been bright but cold but my cycling partner had another appointment so we delayed until Sunday.

So instead of cycling I did the local parkrun on Saturday morning. I hadn't done a 5k since the beginning of October and I was a little apprehensive. I did complete it ok if s little slower than I'm used to.

My legs though were very sore when I got up on Sunday. It was painful to walk and especially to go up and downstairs. Luckily cycling didn't generate any pain but the wind and rain meant it wasn't a particularly pleasant trip. It was good to get out for a couple of hours and keep the damaged legs moving

Definitely think that having my saddle about 3mm higher than it was and with new cleats on my shoes that it is just putting a bit more strain on my knees, especially the left one. But, I will leave as is as lowering the seatpost to get the saddle down could well end up with that sinking feeling.

Yes, it was out today, I had thought about stretching it out to 45 miles, but, with having got to 500 miles for March, I thought I'd do s shorter ride to save the legs for April, especially as there is a day less in April and I have a weekend away too.

Also avoided the hills today to try and preserve what energy I have. Can't say as I feel as if I took it steadily though, the wind was just a bit more nagging than I thought it would be as a headwind.

I did however set my PR on the Training Centre Climb today after missing out on Saturday. The wind was in the same tailwind orientation even if not as strong, but I knew I had a tailwind today, so I buried myself at the start of the climb before holding on for dear life. Got it by two seconds. Don't think I'll try and better it again...

https://www.strava.com/activities/17924291571

Got April underway today. Thought I might not as the roads were gridlocked after a crash on the Chesterfield Inner Relief Road. There are cycle lanes up the side of the road I live on but they're always blocked with parked cars and I didn't fancy weaving my way through, luckily it had cleared sufficiently by the time I went out.

Did the same ride as last Thursday but without the Longshaw extension as I wanted to get back to watch the Dwars door Vlaanderen - much easier to watch cycling than do it.

Seemed harder work than last week, think my lungs are fading, didn't help in that was a lot of stop/start cycling today, it's the starting up again when you're going uphill that's the problem. Especially when I had to get going at roadworks in Dronfield and then after having to stop at the site of a Motorcycle crash in Holmesfield.

Thankfully the road down to Cutthorpe is now open again, so it let me get my average speed up to 16mph for the ride. Just. As I then got slowed down by traffic from the still closed road. Led me to an uphill diversion to get up to 35 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17936876304

Well, it was a nice day today, a little on the coolish side, but that soon disappears when you're slogging uphill, but nice and sunny and just a light breeze. No cycling to watch either so I didn't have to rush back, not that I stayed out that much longer than normal because my legs were running out from puff.

I decided that today I would complete the ride I didn't do when I went out to see the Tour of Britain a couple of years ago, that day it was cool, windy and drizzly and I didn't fancy slogging my way out to Stanage Edge and back. Today I completed that slog and a slog it was!

Lovely views though when I was coming back down from Stanage, all along the Hope Valley and then over to Kinder Scout. Should have stopped to take a pic or two, but I was enjoying the descent too much and any good picture spot was full of Mountain Bikers taking a breather.

Back on 42 miles, longest of the year so far, but the old legs can tell I haven't put much hill work in yet this year and Strava reckons only two hills were worthy of being categorised!

Here's the Bianchi with Burbage Edge in the background. We're above the Daffodil line here.

(https://i.ibb.co/s0jPpsk/20260402-123725.jpg)

https://www.strava.com/activities/17949555207

^^ what a gorgeous looking bycicle that is. Lovely.

I was pretty weary this morning, having had a tiring excursion to London yesterday. Really didn't feel like riding a bike, but with rain expected tomorrow I thought I ought to get the April campaign off to a start.

I would probably have done about 50km but I wanted to keep my run of fondos going, so I decided to do a Twycrosser, with an excursion down into Warwickshire, down the Dad's Army route.

I took the S Works to make it as painless as possible. Nice dry day for it. I also thought it would be a good day to try my new cycling shoes for the first time. They certainly feel light and comfy, but after about 3.5 klicks I realised that the cleats on both of them were slopping around. I hadn't brought an Allen key with me (stupidly) so I headed back to the garage for a shoe change pit stop. It's possible I never tightened them properly when I put the cleats on at Christmas. Or perhaps a bit of carbon paste will help. The shoe bottoms have a very polished finish. Perhaps some rubber grip tape might do the trick.

Anyway - I felt a bit knackered over the last 20km or so, but it was mostly a nice run out in sunny weather. I went down past Nether Whitacre until I decided I'd gone far enough to clock up a fondo. Didn't need to be exact, the upward leg of a Twycrosser is highly adjustable. I tuned it to 100.65km by taking a route through Sibson and Shenton, then detouring via Burgoland.

So that's 19 fondos in a row, and 19 this year. 2326km so far this year which is well on course for my target of 8597km.

I listened to 5 Live.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17952739204

Thought I'd get a bit of a ride in before it got too windy. Could have stayed out longer as it's still not that windy. I think 32 miles was enough though, felt a bit ropy yesterday, didn't know whether it was the effects of a hilly ride or just being under the weather. I think the latter.

Headed out to Tibshelf and back, after setting my best ever time on the Training Centre Climb today I set my second slowest. Had to stop at the bottom because a Clee Hill Plant Hire mobile crane complete with escort vehicles was pulling out into the road. It travelled up more slowly than I would usually ride it, but thankfully was able to turn left at the top straight away, otherwise I'd have had to have unclipped and get back going again on the steepest bit of the climb.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17974588085/

Thought I'd get a bit of a ride in before it got too windy. Could have stayed out longer as it's still not that windy. I think 32 miles was enough though, felt a bit ropy yesterday, didn't know whether it was the effects of a hilly ride or just being under the weather. I think the latter.

Headed out to Tibshelf and back, after setting my best ever time on the Training Centre Climb today I set my second slowest. Had to stop at the bottom because a Mobile Crane complete with escort vehicles was pulling out into the road. It travelled up more slowly than I would usually ride it, but thankfully was able to turn left at the top straight away, otherwise I'd have had to have unclipped and get back going again on the steepest bit of the climb.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17974588085/

Last night the weather forecast for Saturday looked like this:

(https://i.ibb.co/5gm4fpkf/weather-supposed.png)

So I hatched a plan. I'd set off at about 0930, put up with a relatively mild headwind going south for 50km, then turn and let Storm Dave blow me home. Oh it would be fantastic, I thought. I'd barely have to pedal on the way back. I might struggle to maintain control of the bike, but what the heck. I'd be flying along. Perhaps I'd see the occasional horse or cow flying through the air.

Well - I took the usual southbound route as far as Kimcote, then I went exploring a bit. Over to Shearsby (which I'd done before) and up past Bruntingthorpe (which I hadn't). Then I turned for home.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260404.avif)

Sure, I had a definite tailwind (more of a sidewind for part of the ride), but the promised 40+ mph did not materialise. It actually turned out to be a pretty ordinary ride. Still - another fondo in the bag; back on 101.79 km. I seem to have settled nicely into a fondo-only lifestyle.

Cold in the morning, nice and warm in the afternoon. Had to remove a few layers.

Took a different way home after Ellistown, over the last few km, than I usually would. While out in the car a couple of weeks ago I noticed that Richmond Road, a back road connecting Ellistown and Donington le Heath had been resurfaced - I hadn't used it for years because of the state it was in, but it's fine now.

https://www.strava.com/activities/17976441928

The plan today was to go eastbound. Very decent sunny weather and a decently late sunset so I thought I'd make it as far as my Cycling Happy Place east of Waltham amd tick off the last two neighbouring counties - Lincs and Rutland.

I had to go through Loughborough again of course but the traffic wasn't too bad and I've got the correct route through the town memorised nicely now.

I did something different a few km short of Waltham. There's a shortcut called Landyke Lane that I've never tried. It's a single track lane and I've always assumed it would be too rough - gravelly, gritty and/or muddy. But I finally gave it a go today, it's fine. Might be a bit more hilly but it's very doable. Probably saves a km.

Both the shops at Waltham were closed. Not surprising really, today is the day that people of a certain religious disposition call "Easter Monday". But I felt confident that the shop at Buckminster, a few km further on would be open. It is operated by people of a Muslim persuasion. It wasn't. What's the point of having people from other cultures run village shops if they aren't going to open up on Easter Monday??

Anyway since I didn't have much food with me and I'd already consumed more than half of it, I decided that I'd cross the Lincolnshire border a few km further on, then go down as far as Rutland, then turn back for home.

I decided that I'd return home through Melton Mowbray. Better chance of finding a petrol station with a cheese & onion pasty to spare or a shop in the town itself. There's a road from Buckminster signposted to Melton. This was delightful - nicely surfaced and very quiet. It is the B676. Of course given it's a bank holiday it might not always be like that on a Monday afternoon.

(https://i.ibb.co/jPCdgZPM/260406.avif)

Didn't find a petrol station so I went right into the pedestrianised part of Melton and stopped at Costa Coffee. Years since I'd done that, nice to reacquaint myself with that habit. I had a toasted cheese & ham croissant, an almond croissant and a coffee. Just the job. Melton fell out of favour as a cycling destination because the route along Six Hills Lane to the north is nicer (and flatter).

Met the usual route near Six Hills, then took the Paudy Lane / Weston route back toward Loughborough. The town was much quieter than last time, no hold ups. And this time I managed to find the correct way through.

Back on 132.78km. Beautiful sunny day and a rather nice day out on a bike. The sun was still pretty high in the sky when I returned to the garage. If I'd taken enough food with me I could have stayed out longer.

Lots of aircraft out today, loads of contrails picked out in the bright sunlight.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18003366273

Nice 30 mile trip out on the road bikes today.

We left home after lunch around 1:15pm and headed north and into the Cotswolds to experience some hilly terrain. From Witney we passed through Crawley, Leafield and into Wychwood Forest. On to Chadlington then Churchill where we stopped briefly to sit on the bench outside its lovely church. It was glorious in the afternoon sunshine sheltered from the cold wind. Here I removed my water bottle to take a few sips as we sat watching the world go by. I placed the bottle at the side of the bench. We set off after around 20 minutes in the direction of Lyneham and it was only after about three quarters of a mile that I glanced down to see an empty bottle cage - doh! I counted my blessings that I'd realised before the ride back to retrieve it would've been considerable.

Sarsden, Lyneham then crossing the Cotswold Line level crossing at Ascot under Wychwood. I then made a navigation error and took a left turn rather than right to Leafield which pissed off the wife because I'd ignored her when she said we needed to go right at the junction (men, eh!). That meant we had to either turn around or go back through Wychwood the way we came. We carried on and re-traced our tracks back home to Witney.

No pub stop so we rewarded ourselves by opening a couple of bottles of my home brew (Hazy IPA by Mangrove Jack's).

Was a bit late getting out today, spent too much time on this year's ISA allowance and making sure I'd got it set up correctly. I may have been an Accountant but I was a shit one and don't trust myself to do things right...

Not much of a cyclist either, but it was nice to get out again and work on the tanlines. Didn't feel like 18C though, the stronger than light wind SE certainly took the edge of things, probably for the best.

When I tried checking the roadworks website before going out it wouldn't load. Hence I ended up finding four sets of unexpected traffic lights. Idiot me went through one set twice...

For only the second time in my cycling life I went out through Ashover, as occasionally seen in the TV series Peak Practice. I thought I might end up needing medical care the way some cars came round blind bends towards me. The potholes were a bit grim at times too.

Then on to my first visit to Beeley Moor of the year and the ceremonial three laps round the triangle. Why I do it I don't know, but I do. It helps flush out the birds for the twitchers who congregate up there. Over the course of my ride I saw three pair of Buzzard, unless it was the same pair following me round, sensing fresh meat.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18012598594

Got out today.. first time in 2 weeks due to abysmal weather.. today nice n warm but with still a big of a breeze..

Did the same route as last time as wanted to explore the country roads that I found last time and got a big lost in....

Sorted that and then headed on to the village of Tarbolton and then in thro Monkton and Prestwick and back home along the sea front. Head wi d on the route home but all in all an enjoyable ride

Quote from: Slim on April 06, 2026, 08:11:52 PM(https://i.ibb.co/jPCdgZPM/260406.avif)

I had to look twice, I thought the sign was see-through!

Quote from: Thenop on April 08, 2026, 06:08:04 PMI had to look twice, I thought the sign was see-through!

Just dirty .. perhaps I'll bring a surface wipe next time.

Before spending too much time watching people cycling, I went out for a couple of hours.

Don't think this warm weather suits me, even with a helmet on my thinning hair lets too much sun through to my scalp and for whatever reason it saps my strength. Could have done with a much sunnier start to the year to build up some tolerance.

Stayed close to home for my 33 miles, taking in some I'd not done all year. Took them circumspectly as I didn't know what state they'd be in after the Winter. They were probably in better nick than what I spent my time riding.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18026234493

A cooler day thankfully, still warm enough to bare arms and lower bits of legs but it wasn't cooking the inside of my head like the last couple of days. Was still feeling a bit cooked this morning, but took to the roads.

Wasn't sure how far I'd do today, could have been a possibility of an early bail out if I felt too sunned still, but taking to the easier roads made things come back together again.

Managed to get 35 miles in and felt better at the end than the beginning. As Mrs S says, I should be grateful for small mercies.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18040197078

A dry day, a bit cold in the morning but milder conditions were promised for the afternoon. I thought I'd do a Twycrosser, but venture down the old Dad's Army Route into Warwickshire at the bottom.

So I did that, along the A5, down past Kingsbury, down past Whitacre Heath. After that I decided I'd take a different way back up, to the east - through Shustoke and Furnace End. Furnace End has a charming butcher's shop that looks like a scene from the 1950s. Don't think I'd been that way before (But I'll check).

A few km later, I noticed that the rear hub was sticking and there was annoying clunking and rattling coming from the rear wheel. The chain was actually slapping against the chainstay.

I stopped at the entrance to a farm with a posh gate and a nice hedge, recessed a few metres from the road. I needed to partially declothe anyway, the temperature had climbed somewhat. As I sat on the grass, pulling off my overtrousers (about 5C when I set off) I noticed the gate swing open of its own accord! The next thing I knew a gentleman in a flat cap had arrived in a nice car. He'd wound the window down. "Taking five?" he wanted to know. I nodded and smiled; I think I was sitting on his grass technically speaking. But he gave a thumbs up and continued on along his half mile drive. His gate swung shut again, as if by magic. Two minutes later and he'd have found me weeing against his hedge, and perhaps our exchange might have been less cordial.

Anyway I inspected the bike (the Planet X). I'd hoped that it was just a sticky hub but it was worse than I thought. The wheel was properly wobbling against the hub. Something must have failed or come loose quite quickly; it had been fine a few km earlier. There was nothing I could do to mitigate it on the spot.

So I mounted it and set off again gingerly. Hoping I could get it home. Didn't want to have to call 'er indoors. I set a course for the quickest route home, up through Atherstone, up through Twycross, Snarestone, Swepstone. Twycrosser route stuff. It wasn't the most relaxing ride with the chain intermittently slapping and sticking at the back, but I made it back. I'd done about 83km by the time I approached the village. I decided that, even with the bike in its present state, I'd get up to fondo distance by pootling around close to home. I went into Coalville. Down toward Ibstock. A few laps of the village. I didn't think the hub was going to get any more buggered than it already was (perhaps a touch of complacency there) and at least I'd be able to walk if it broke completely. Just bloody-mindedness really.

So: back on 100.60km. It was a lovely afternoon, shame it was spoiled. I've taken the wheel off and will have a closer look over the weekend. Maybe it's an excuse to buy a carbon wheelset for the X. The existing wheels have done 18,050km, a decent shift.

In fact I have just bought these:

(https://i.ibb.co/DDWhYQkB/wheelset.avif)

Nothing fancy, a pretty basic carbon wheelset. I would have bought the 38mm but these were cheaper. But either should feel zippier than the Visions that I'm taking off. Suppose I should buy a new cassette as well really.

50mm, aero wheels!

Just keep a good check on the braking track on Carbon wheels, if it wears out you can end up with exploding wheels!

Managed a couple of hours out today. There was a big enough dry window to do more, but I just like to make sure it's fully open.

It might have been dry but it was a bit blowy! Going out through Stainsby I came close to being blown off, then on the bridge over the M1 it was a severe buffeting, good job no tractors and trailers were trying to overtake.

Then coming back down from Sutton Scarsdale it was a bit dodgy going by the field entrances as it was a full on crosswind. All adds to the fun though and 32 miles gets me over halfway to 500 miles for April.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18066266965

Quote from: Nickslikk2112 on April 10, 2026, 09:10:09 PM50mm, aero wheels!

Just keep a good check on the braking track on Carbon wheels, if it wears out you can end up with exploding wheels!

They've arrived today and handily, they've come with brake pad cartridges. Swapped the front ones out already. The Mavic carbon rims on the S Works have a durable (and noisy) braking surface which needs harder (not softer) pads, but these ones don't.

Was going to reuse the alloy brake pad cartridges I've just taken off the X on the Boardman, but on close inspection the Boardman uses blocks (not cartridges).

Still waiting for new cassette and chain. I need to wash the bike before I put the new wheels on, really.

I wonder if you can get cassette pad holders to replace single unit blocks? I could reuse the old cartridges then.

Was a cusp day today, was it warm enough for skin exposure or not. I decided not. For a lot of the ride that was the wrong call, but with decreased temperature at altitude and the wind it was the right call. If I go out tomorrow I may pretend to be from Newcastle.

More or less did the same ride as about three weeks ago, but more quickly, a lot of that being down to being able to use the Cutthorpe descent, the rest of it being down to a Southerly breeze and not a Nor'Wester, made it substantially quicker going up to Longhshaw, but holds you back coming back, but as that's mainly downhill that's no too bad.

Quite a few others out cycling today, mainly old men with moustaches. Must grow one to fit in. Also the old couple from Ripley were out on their tandem. I was on the return leg when I saw them, normally I overtake them.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18104041658

I thought that I'd go down the southbound route then go north-east from Kimcote, as I've done a couple of times recently. So I did that and went a bit further - as far as Saddington, a place I haven't been before. I'd done 54km at that point. That'll do I thought, so I turned back, intending to return exactly the way I'd come.

I missed a turn almost immediately, which became apparent when I found myself in Fleckney, another place I'd never been to before, although it did feel familiar. Funny how these North Warwickshire / South Leicestershire large villages / small towns all seem the same.

Anyway I decided to keep on keeping on to see if I could find an alternative way home. A few km later though, inevitably, I consulted Google Maps. I plotted a course to Foston Road and Countesthorpe, part of the "old" southbound route. It fell out of favour because of heavy traffic at the south-western outskirts of Leicester and it was pretty annoying today, as well. I was also coming home by a more direct route so I added a diversion over the last few km from Ellistown to Bardon then through Hugglescote along Grange Road. Hadn't been along there for a long time (May 2020 - just checked).

I passed over the bridge on Gilmorton Lane where, on Friday, a car went through the crash barrier and met a minibus on the M1 below. The car's teenage occupants were killed.

I couldn't see any sign of damage to the barrier or railings, they must have been repaired already. A police van marked "Collision Investigation Unit" was present, and two teenage girls were examining the scene. Friends of the two teenagers, perhaps.

Tried the new shoes again - tightened the bolts properly this time and they seem fine.

Listened to Times Radio - nice to hear Trevor Phillips presenting on there - and 5 Live. Back on 101.18 km.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18106232800

Well today was certainly warm enough to be exposing the arms and legs, even with a brisk breeze, but it was a Southerly breeze so not too chilly.

It was a bloody frustrating day though. First off I forgot my bidon. Luckily hadn't gone far, went back and I hadn't even filled it! Then in Holmewood I got an exceedingly close pass - about eight inches - from a white Audi. I saw it pull into a petrol station just up the road and so went in after it, but no sign of it at the pumps. Went round the back and there were three white Audis parked up for the shop. So I just shouted WANKER at at all of them and rode off only to be nearly taken out by a black Audi making a rapid escape from the pumps.

Riding up to Tibshelf the chain dropped off. I thought I could ride it back on but it stuck and needed a bit of effort to free it. Then, riding up through Pilsley I could feel my left ankle bone hitting something, looked down and the Crank Arm Fixing Bolt had almost come out. I pulled over to screw it back in and by the time I stopped it had fallen out, luckily I managed to locate it. Just screwed it back in and a mountain bike I'd overtaken earlier came by, he must have wondered what was going on. I got back on and whizzed by him again.

After this I was stopping every few miles to try and screw the bolt back in. On returning home the crank arm clamp bolts were very loose. Either they weren't tightened up properly after it was serviced or the rough roads have shaken them loose. Who can say.

After that things went quite smoothly, apart from getting stuck behind a grass verge mowing machine on what should have been the rapid descent home. Apart from all that a nice relaxing 40 mile ride out.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18117835058

And today was a third 40 miler in three days. First time since October last year, can't say as I'm feeling any fitter yet, but at least all of my left hand crank stayed together after yesterday!

Managed to almost get as much climbing in as when I went out to the Peak District on Tuesday. There's too many hills round here, but I will learn to tolerate them again if not love them.

It was a bit blowy again though, by the highest point of the ride I'd managed to get my average Heart rate down to 130 bpm, coming back down it went up to 132. No fun. There was a decent uphill within that though.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18131416018

I wanted to do about 130km today. With the wind coming from the south-west, I thought I'd go down my most south-west-oriented route, down the Meriden Gap. I did that, all the way to Meriden this time, which I haven't done for a few months.

I had forgotten how disgusting the road surface is over the last few km to Meriden, once you turn off after Maxstoke. I made a mental note not to do it again. I might do it on the Tricross.

But the nice part of that ride is the part between Shustoke and Maxstoke. I suppose I need to develop a fondo route that doesn't go down to Meriden.

Anyway the idea had been to come back the same way but I was so put off by the state of the road north of Meriden that I whipped the phone out and plotted a different route back up instead, up through Fillongley and Furnace End, rejoining the original route south of Kingsbury. Then instead of returning home along Spon Lane, Sheepy and Twycross I crossed the A5 and went up into Polesworth. I soon remembered why I don't really do that (I've only done it maybe three times). There's a steep descent down a crappy urban road overpopulated by parked cars. After that the route was a sort of reverse Bypasser, past the zoo again where the building work is ongoing and the road is covered in muck from the construction vehicles. But the mud all over the road from farm vehicles after Norton Juxta Twycross was even worse.

My intention to do 130km fell by the wayside somehow and I was back on 107.38 miles. But I don't really have any established long ride routes down that way.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260416bike.avif)

I passed a "Welcome to Warwickshire" sign on the way back up, which puzzled me for a moment. But of course I hadn't left historic Warwickshire. Must have entered the modern-day county known as "West Midlands".

I listened to 5 Live and started Len Deighton's Fighter, which was first published in 1977 and is a very thorough history of the Battle of Britain. Reminded me of the Lewisohn Beatles bio in that he explores the personal histories, rivalries and so on of the key personalities in detail. Lots of context and scene setting, and there's a brilliant introduction by AJP Taylor.

I stopped at a log near Orton and rescued a fruit fly from a spider's web at a gate. There was no spider, hence I felt I wasn't really interfering with the ecosystem. A minute later it was back in the web. So I left it. You had your chance, sucker.

Nice day, a bit cloudy and windy early on.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18133235170

644 km this month, 2870 this year. I'm only 143 km behind where I was this time last year which suggests that I might be on course for another 10,000 km year.

A sunny, if still a bit blustery saturday. Good enough for a couple of hours out though before the usual slump to watch a bit of cycling. Galicia looks a nice place. Supposedly nice for cycling too. A bit far though, I'll stick to the delights of Tibshelf instead.

More or less the same ride as I did last Saturday, but instead of going up to Hardstoft and the Tibshelf I carried on up through Stanley, for my first foray into Nottinghamshire this year. Big msitake, it's a single lane road which usually I see no traffic on. Today it was rammed. I really do think the roads round here have got busier since fuel prices increased. Bonkers.

Bonkers gradients too - for Notts - got up to over times, I knew it would having been that way a few times, but there can't be many steeper roads in Nottinghamshire, I go there for flat rides!

Back on 34 miles, up to 425 for the month now. Surely the weather can't thwart me reaching 500?

https://www.strava.com/activities/18158097878/

Today's plan: to do the Upper Westbound route, with the detour to Isley Walton both ways.

Set off at 1000 on the Tricross, which hadn't seen action since February. It felt remarkably heavy when I lifted it down from its perch in the garage. I wanted to explore a road called Grove Lane, at the remote end, near Doveridge. Noticed it on a map last night and thought it was worth a look.

It looked alright on Street View but even on a gravel bike it's a pretty horrible little country lane really, potholed and liberally provided with grit and stones. But I reached the half-fondo distance after only about half a klick up there, and turned back.

(https://i.ibb.co/PvFnwKhk/260419bike.avif)

Quite an enjoyable run out. Mostly sunny. I was a bit too warm with the sun out and a bit uncomfortably cool when it went in, so I must have got the clothing stragegy about right.

I listened to Times Radio, footy on 5 Live and more of Len Deighton's brilliant history of the Battle of Britain, Fighter.

I noticed an odd thing as I came down Top Brand. A sign to the "Clound Trail". it is of course the 'Cloud Trail', a cycling route that runs along canal paths and a former railway. I couldn't quite believe it and yet when I got home, I found that the mis-spelled sign has been there for more than five years! I must have passed it 100 times in that time.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/council-left-red-faced-after-6143187

Back on 100.59km, that's 25 fondos in a row now. 745km this month, which is over target.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18174431681

Today, I more or less repeated last Thursday's ride. Had to make a couple of adjustments for road closures and roadworks, but otherwise all the same roads. Wanted to see what a 180 degree shift in wind direction
would make.

Not a lot as it turned out as I ended up being marginally quicker. A shift to an easterly also meant back to long sleeves although with the sunshine and effort I could have got away with short sleeves.

I thought I'd fly up the Marsh Lane Drag with a tailwind, but only ended up 30s quicker, but then this week I had to stop at a Pelican crossing and road junction traffic lights which I cleared without a pause last week, so I would have been a good minute quicker. Still nowhere near as quick as I'd like, but I might have to accept I'm getting older.

I was trying to make sure I hit forty miles after two and a half hours to get a 16 mph average, but failed by 4 seconds. The headwind was just too savage on the home run.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18197059912/

A stiff wind from the east today, and a bit cool. I did contemplate doing 40km or so but in the end I decided to keep my run of fondos going. The roadworks at Zouch are destined to continue until August now and to avoid them, I devised a new route eastbound through Long Whatton and Kegworth.

This involved pedalling along a country lane called Kegworth Lane from Long Whatton, which I'd never been along before. So I took the Tricross, in case it was a bit rough. I needn't have worried, it's actually very decently surfaced as well as being quiet and scenic. Nice. So I continued round the back of Sutton Bonington and joined the usual route west of Rempstone.

It was a real slog going west against the headwind so I turned back a little bit short of half-fondo distance. Instant relief with the wind behind me and the rest of the ride was very nice in the warm sunshine. I got lost at Kegworth and had to work out a different route through the town on the way back but that was no biggie. Suburban Kegworth is actually quite nice. I took the long way through Diseworth and down Top Brand to make up the distance.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260421bike.avif)

Just noticed from the map that there's a Kegworth Aircraft Disaster memorial not far off the route I took today. Must go and see that. A RyanAir training flight was doing loops around East Midlands as I passed that way. Kept me entertained. Must be quite an expensive activity at the moment. Just had a look on Planefinder to see if I could find the track:

(https://i.ibb.co/mrXzNcBT/ryana.png)

Listened to Sir Olly Robbins' revelations to the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee then analysis / discussion thereafter on 5 Live, and more of Len Deighton's Fighter.

Back on 102.15, 3073 this year now. I see that I'm now only 4km behind where I was this time last year in terms of the distance tally. However I've just looked at the 2025 sheet and I don't fancy my chances of catching up.

The Kegworth detour is fine but I wouldn't use it for a long trip out east, it adds too much distance early on.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18200319062

Warm enough to bare the arms again today, but still a bloody nagging Easterly wind. Tried as far as possible to ride North-South to mitigate it, but not to much avail, it seemed to funnel round everywhere.

Just an out to Tibshelf and back today. A 35 miler gets me to 500 for April.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18210989128/

And out again today, well, that's what I do. Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday then whatever I can fit in at the weekend - which will be nothing this week, as it's first weekend break of the year.

Sun was out, so tan-line time again, but it was still a bit chilly at 11, soon warmed up under a bit of effort and the weather warmed up as the ride went on so all fine and dandy. Everyone else still seems to think it's Winter. Come on men, you're supposed to be Northeners!

With the continuing Easterly wind I thought I'd set a decent time up from Dronfield to Owler Bar, but an unexpected set of roadworks - on a bloody uphill bit - cost me a minute and ten seconds. Horses and too much traffic - where is it all coming from, it's getting busier - almost cost me a 16mph average, but a final dig got me there. Is it time for Summer wheels yet?

Forty miles for the ride, 116 for the week. Still not seen, or heard, any Curlew.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18225136804

New wheels, cassette and chain on the X. I even gave it a wash.

(https://i.ibb.co/rGpJYY8f/x-new-wheels.avif)

Annoyingly although shifting seems fine on all the other gears (on the stand) it won't go into the smallest cog at the back. A limit screw needs adjustment I think. But I barely ever use the little cog anyway.

I also put the (bigger) Green Marathon tyres on the Boardman which unlike the Roubaix that I bought them for, has loads of clearance - as long as you take out the rear mudguard bolt, which I did. I suppose I should have taped over the hole. Bit tricky now with the wheel on.

I was surprised at the ease with which I was able to remove the bolt. It must have had an olympic swimming pool of mud and mucky water sprayed over it but it wasn't seized.

Quote from: Slim on April 23, 2026, 05:31:49 PMAnnoyingly although shifting seems fine on all the other gears (on the stand) it won't go into the smallest cog at the back.

I find the same with my bikes, yet they work fine on the road  ???

Had a long ride planned for today, at a minimum 161km for an 'imperial fondo' but maybe as much as 180, I thought. I didn't want to set off before 0900 because of the lamentable low temperatures expected early in the morning. I set off at 0905.

The weather, at least from that time, was ideal - sunny, mild, warm later. Very low winds.

Through Loughborough again to avoid the closed road at Zouch, but I think that for rides of greater than 150km out east I may always go that way - it does save a bit of distance. Loughborough wasn't too busy even at about 1000 on a Saturday. I've got the route through the town memorised now. At least going east.

I got the clothing strategy wrong. I was wearing a fleece under my cycling jacket, and tights. But I was too warm after less than 10km! I could have left the fleece at home, and probably the tights. Or set off an hour earlier, which would have been useful. Regardless, after about 40km, I stashed the fleece and tights in a hedge, along with lights and an emergency flapjack, in my camo bag. I also geocached a pair of alkaline AA batteries for use on a future ride, carefully wrapped in a sealed plastic bag.

Anyway - I got as far as Kate's Bridge, just a couple of klicks short of the left turn at Baston that would have got me onto the Fens. But I'd done 90km so I thought I'd turn for home. Hopefully I'll get another good day and an earlier start soon.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260425bike.avif)

Refuelled at the caff at Castle Bytham on the way back west. Very nice sitting out there in the sunshine with a pasty, a Magnum ice cream and a cold bottle of lucozade. Civilised. I took the pic at Witham, where a game of cricket was taking place.

In theory I should have had a very light headwind on the way out and the same again on the way back, at least later on. Not sure I did but either way it was very light.

Quite a few dead pheasant hens being eaten by corvids on the roads today. If the corvids were more intelligent they'd probably have a national day to celebrate the invention of the motor vehicle.

I'm really loving the bulletproof 700x28s on the Roubaix, now they're broken in they only drag slightly but knowing they aren't going to puncture (or at least that it's highly unlikely) is a big bonus on a long ride.

Stopped for a break and a snack at the bench at Waltham. A cute woman in her 20s and tiny denim shorts was doing some planting in her front garden opposite. Gave me a lovely smile, as well. Can't not like that sort of thing.

I also stopped at a bench at Thringstone, only about 6km from home. Felt a bit knackered but I'd possibly underfed myself a bit. Ate something and was fine after that.

I listened to Times Radio, footy on 5 Live and another couple of hours of Fighter. Just a few minutes of it left now.

Back about a minute before sunset, on 180.16km. That's the ninth fondo this month, one more and I'll have broken my record.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18256818084

AI really is fun, interesting bike brand here Slim.

(https://i.ibb.co/ycCXSTpd/Gemini-Generated-Image-r0gj1br0gj1br0gj.png)

Wondered how the legs would be after four days off the bike. Wondered how the Cardio-vascular system would be after four days off the bike. It has been like going back to square one in recent years, but I seem to have come through it unscathed. Maybe climbing up Durham Cathedral tower on Saturday helped.

Bit cool though today, back to long sleeves, warm enough for the legs though as they do all the work. Bit blowy again too, but that helped on the way out. Went out the flatter side of town, although still managed nearly as much climbing as rides out to the Peaks. The climbing is spilt into smaller chunks though.

Found that the road up Brimington Common had been surface dressed in the last couple of days. Great a road covered with gravel. Luckily there was a clear path through it, road sweepers had been down, could feel the rear wheel skid out a bit if I hit the gravel. Not nice having traffic close behind though, there's an advisory 20mph limit and even though I was riding nearly up to that speed at times arseholes kept trying to come by. Still it was only for a mile of my 40. Over 600 for April now.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18291545832/

New Kit day today! Mrs S had bought me some new cycling gloves for my birthday. She thought they would match my kit. They don't, they match Bianchi's Celeste colour though. They were Castelli, which forced me to buy more of the favourite kit of the All the Gear and no Idea MAMILs.

She'd bought the gloves cheaply as they were from a 2024 range, so I had to trawl the internet to find a matching jersey, but they were out there and I got a good price on it too. Ended up buying some Spring (Roubaix) Bib-Shorts too.

Of course you expect new kit to make you faster (why?) it doesn't, but I looked good! The wind was faster though, really quite blowy at times, I thought it was supposed to be calmer today.

Didn't do the ride I'd intended to do as it would have involved a high level - above 1,000' - return into the wind which is stronger at altitude. Kept to the lower levels but still got in a 550' climb. Also got pissed off by the number of vehicles which were half parked on the pavement which pulled off in front of me with no indication. Wish I could have caught up with them to put some dents in their doors.

Back with another 40 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18305497636

And another 40 miles, well nearly 43 in the bag today, to get up to 686 miles in April. Gets me back on track to average 500 miles a month, even if I'm not always getting there in the month.

Told Mrs S I'd be back for half one as she was heading off to clerk a School governor's meeting this afternoon and she likes to know I'm back safely, bless her. I failed.

I was convinced I would be as I know I can average 17mph on the route I went on as it was out to the flatter lands of Nottinghamshire, but it was a stiff headwind again on the way out, not as bad as the last couple of days, but unwelcome. Then I got lost. I was sure I'd taken the right turn, but it was a bit hillier than I recalled and then I ended up in Harthill, but I managed to get back on track after finding a nasty couple of kickers.

So, when I got to the A60 at Worksop I was well off the pace, luckily when I turned for home I picked up a tailwind and managed to equal my best time up a draggy climb, which was also on a tailwind day.

Back down the hill from Ault Hucknall was awful. It's never been a good road, but it was like cycling on a corrugated road today, my eyes were shaking so much I couldn't see, then when that stopped it was potholes interspersed with gravel. Then cow slurry at the bottom. Not nice. Better check my brake pads I'll have worn them out down there.

So, late back, averaging 16.5 mph, but Mrs S had spent too long in the garden so she was running late too. I got let off.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18318680700/

A sunny, warm day was promised, but it came with a stiff wind from the east. I felt sure I could manage a fondo.

I had two bikes with untested equipment to have a go on. My curiosity to find out what my 700x30 Green Marathon tyres were like narrowly beat out my urge to have a go on the new carbon wheelset on the X. So I took the Boardman.

I took the Kegworth detour to avoid the roadworks on Rempstone Road for the new bridge but this time, I descended down through Sutty Bonner and down through Normanton on Soar. You can still get through to Normanton via a short stretch of Rempstone Road that's still open.

I also joined Paudy Lane via Barrow on Soar rather than through Walton. There's a steep hill at Walton which I don't really like coming down coming east to west - too many parked cars and a sharp turn. So I wanted to see if a detour via Barrow is viable. Turns out it is.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260430bike.avif)

After 48km I took a left to loop round via Old Dalby, Nether Broughton and Upper Broughton. About ten years ago I remember stopping off at a caff on an unusual diversion off Six Hills Lane, and I've been trying to find it again. No luck. I think it may have been demolished for new housing.

Rejoined the usual route at Wymeswold and back via Kegworth again. I took the long way after that, through Diseworth and down Top Brand to make up the fondo distance.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/green_marathon.avif)

As for the tyres - I'd wondered if they might feel a little dead, like the Marathon Plus pair fitted to the Roubaix. Anything but! They're positively lively. My first impression was that they were "rubbery". Bouncy, almost. I doubt the rolling resistance is lower than the 700x25s that they replaced but they were a joy. They soaked up the road buzz on the rougher roads in Nottinghamshire very nicely and they were fun to roll along on.

One thing I hadn't expected but makes sense is that they've effectively changed the gearing of the bike slightly, by increasing the radius of the wheel. I might get some for the other Boardman.

I trialed a new item of cycling clothing - it's described on Amazon as a running vest. A bit like a cross between a fishing vest and a lightweight backpack, with chest pockets. Handy although I must admit I looked ridiculous.

Back on 100.98. I listened to 5 Live and LBC. Really nice ride overall although the headwind going east was annoying.

That's a wrap for Decuple Fondo April then, 1128 km this month, happy enough with that.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18320472951

A very decent day except that light rain was threatened for late afternoon. I got up later than I intended, so although I'm still very keen to try the new wheels on the X, I took the Tricross. I know you shouldn't baby your equipment, but I didn't want to get them wet on their first run out.

A light wind was coming from the west. I set off on the Lower Westbound Route at 1020. After less than 6km, on autopilot I took the left turn to Swepstone. I realised I'd made a wrong turn within seconds but decided to plough on and find my way to the usual route. Easy enough except that I approached the crossroads at Measham from an unfamiliar direction, wasn't quite sure where I was and took a left turn instead of going straight over. Again I realised what I'd done fairly quickly but thought I'd keep going anyway. I was headed toward No Man's Heath, which is a waypoint on an earlier version of the Lower Westbound. No bother.

No Man's Heath is unusual in that it's partly in Warwickshire, partly in Leicestershire but only about 1.5km from Staffordshire and 4.5km from Derbyshire.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260502bike.avif)

I was glad I'd brought the Tricross because the roads are rough over there. Nice to go over that way, hadn't done that for months. I took the pic between Clifton Campville and Lullington. Shame it took a navigation error to get me to go that way. I'm too often a creature of habit.

Anyway - I followed the usual route just short of Abbots Bromley, then turned back. Added a bit of distance with an excursion up Yoxall Road once I got back to King's Bromley. Nice and flat along there. Easy klicks.

Back on 101.17 and that's 29 fondos in a row!

I listened to Rod Liddle on Times Radio, 5 Live and the first few short stories from a new Judge Dredd collection, some of which are very clever, and very macabre.

Very nice day and there was no rain.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18348210329

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I only got a couple of hours to go out in today. But that's fine as I never do more than two and a half hours anyway these days. Must try harder.

For the first time since last October I went out up the Col de Wigley. In the grand scheme of things it's not a brutal climb - 2.7 miles @ 3.9% - but it feels like it when you've not been up for a while. Doesn't help that it switches from ramps to flatter bits so you can't keep a good rhythm going. Was a couple of minutes off my best time, but 4th fastest out of 10 for the day, including beating former pro Mark Walsham - probably find out he was on a Unicycle.

After crossing Beeley Moor, I did my first full descent of Matlock Road since 2023. Where have I been. It's fun down there, got up to 44 mph barely pedalling. Makes all the ascent worthwhile. Back with 32 miles in the legs.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18349697439/

Longest ever spin yesterday! 125km, heading down to Edenderry to catch the Grand Canal.

We had planned the route for a couple of weeks so the disappointing morning rain didn't put us off.  It was only a passing shower and was the last time we saw any despite the threat being pretty constant.

When we first looked at a longer trip we thought of heading along the Grand Canal eastwards and then heading back on the Royal Canal westwards. It didn't turn out like that and the Royal will have to wait for another day.

The route took us out of Meath into Kildare and Offaly (for the first time) The most interesting part of the trip was the 30 or so km along the Grand. It hasn't yet been developed into a proper Greenway and was a mixture of grass, gravel and stoney gravel. On road bikes it was quite slow going at times, I think we averaged 15km/h for the section. We also had to cross over from one bank to the other dependant on which side looked the most traversable. It had been dry for a week and that made it a lot easier. Heavy rain and it wouldn't have been doable on thin rims. The canal stretch was quite demanding despite the slow speed. Having to deal with the constant vibration from hard ground, gravel and stones and then to be on constant attention of pot holes and other obstructions like semi buried roots.


2 proper stops - Edenderry (cappuccino and black pudding sausage rolls) and Clane (bag of chips and cappuccino).

We did have a couple of impromptu stops as well and as a result I felt a lot fresher than I ever had after finishing a Fondo.

All of the stopping and slow canal section meant it was a long day. Set off at 9.15 and arrived home 9 hours and 15 minutes later at 6.30. That's why we chose to not do the Royal section. When we arrived in Kilcock we decided to head directly to Trim rather than take the canal route via Longwood. It would have added another 20km to the journey and we decided to head home more directly. Great day nonetheless.

Didn't really feel like doing a bike ride today. Looked really dull out there this morning, gloomy even. And yet - as if compelled by some primal instinct, like a parasitic wasp attacking a spider, I found myself clothing myself in cycling attire at about 1045.

Cold, but the wind was light. I took the Kegworth detour again. But before I got to Rempstone, I took a right turn to Stanford on Soar, so I could do the Paudy Lane version of the route as far as Six Hills. Then eastbound as usual until Nottingham Road. I turned back there but took a left turn Wartnaby to go exploring a bit - looking for the mythical Lost Cafe from about ten years ago. But when I got to Ab Kettleby I realised I'd done the same thing a few weeks ago.

Took the Barrow upon Soar detour to avoid the steep descent through Walton. After that I'd decided I'd come back via Loughborough. Thought it would be nice and quiet on a bank holiday, which it was. A much more direct route than going through Kegworth but I thought I'd probably done enough km to ensure I returned home on a fondo distance.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260504bike.avif)

Then - on a whim, I took a left turn along Charley Road. I knew this would mean more climbing, but thought it would be a nice change. I missed a turn for Abbey Road but recovered, after consulting Google Maps, by cutting across via a lane called Oaks Road. I'm sure I'd never been along there before. It's very quiet and there's a tiny hamlet there called Oaks in Charnwood. I sat at a bench outside the church there to eat something. The church bells were ringing out. I couldn't see an occasion taking place. But I've just read that the church "was listed for ringing during the Leicester Diocesan Guild half-yearly meeting on April 25, 2026".

All very nice, but - I'd forgotten about the steep (I could say "breakneck") descent leading to a crossroads that awaited me about 2km later. I hate to use the brakes coming down a hill, proper waste of kinetic energy that is. Perhaps that's why my rear brake pads lasted about 28400 km and the front ones are still going at 28600.

Managed to make my way through both Kegworth and Loughborough without consulting a map, I think I've got those routes down now.

Even with the unintended detour through Oaks in Charnwood I could see I was destined to return home about half a km short, so I took a slight detour along Ibstock road. Back on 100.55.

The weather forecast promised 15C in the afternoon, didn't feel like it! Just as well I decided to wear a fleece under my tunic, and tights. I'd expected to be backpacking them but I was still slightly too cold at 1500. The temperature did seem to climb a degree at about 1630.

I listened to 5 Live, including an enertaining game of footy between Chelsea and Forest. And another couple of Dredd short stories, one of which was downright weird and slightly incomprehensible. Need to listen to that one again.

That's 30 fondos in a row then and 202km this month.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18373926275

I'm getting idle in my old age. Passed up on a Bank Holiday ride yesterday, but then I'm retired so Bank Holidays don't really exist any more.

Today was Tuesday though, I do tuesdays, unless it's raining. For the secind ride in a row I went out up the Col de Wigley, was substantially slower than Saturday, but that may be because I've remembered what it's like and held back a bit. Don't think it was down to the wind.

After that it was up to Owler bar and out to the Longshaw Estate and back. Glad to find that the road back through Cutthorpe is now open and free from traffic lights at roadworks. Hope it is all done and I didn't just strike lucky.

Once again a 40 miler, felt longer though.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18384886385

Out again today, Wish the tempetature would settle down, appreciably cooler today, for the first time in years I dug out the arm warmers. A wise choice, it never warmed up enough to remove them and mercifully they stayed up, they always used to fall down my pipe cleaner arms.

Felt a bit stiff in the left thigh today, so did a flatter ride out via Tibshelf, had to avoid a few sets of roadworks which had sprung up. On the way back had to do a route replot due to a road being blocked by a bin lorry, parked cars both side of the road. Time theu=y charged for on road parking, it's a road not a car park.

Somehow managed to set a couple of best ever times for me on a couple of segments on the way back. Uphill ones too. Maybe I'm not as old as I feel.

Back with another 40 miles. As ever it'll do.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18398498680

Warm enough to forego the arm warmers today. Which was nice. Wish it had been sunnier though, got to work those tanlines.

Today I intended doing what I was going to do last Thursday if I hadn't taken the wrong turning. Unfortunately, the road after which I took the wrong turning was closed today. No worries, a diversion round Clowne led to me coming out at the same point on Worksop road, but from the opposite direction.

All plain sailing after that because it let me come back through Hardwick Park rather than dropping down the "road" from Ault Hucknall. Led to slightly less elevation gain than last week, but a better average speed. Pity I couldn't quite make it to a 17mph average. Today's 43 miles means 125 in three days, that'll do. Giro starts tomorrow.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18411802544/

I thought I'd given up my chance of getting a cycling day in before the rain comes over for the rest of the week by visiting a garden centre, then a pub with 'er indoors yesterday. Clearly my selfless sacrifice had fed my karma though, because today's weather forecast cleared up nicely.

With a light wind coming from the south, I decided on the usual southbound route. It wasn't until I was approaching Stoney Stanton that I thought to myself - why not go down Fosse Way? The "other" southbound route, and actually a bit more south-oriented than the usual one. So I did that.

I got to Brinklow then since I'd nearly done the requisite first-leg kilometerage, I thought I'd take a right turn at the end rather than left, and explore a bit.

I happened upon a sign to Nuneaton almost immediately. The route home from there is very familiar, so - why not? I looked at Google Maps. The only real drawback was that I'd have to come a sizeable and busy Warwickshire town, but at least I knew my way round there.

It wasn't a bad route at all, quite pleasingly flat but a fair proportion of it is urban, coming through Bulkington and Nuneaton. Glad I did it but I probably won't bother with it again. I could, I suppose, work out a route that goes up to Bulkington then crosses back to the usual Fosse Way route. Anyway once back on familiar territory after Fenny Drayton, I did the first half of a Twycrosser backwards. I estimated that the Atterton Lane version would get me home on 100km and I was pretty much spot on. I pedalled an extra 0.25 km for a margin of error.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260507bike.avif)

Temperatures forecast for today were pretty much exactly the same as last time when I was a bit too cold, so I wrapped up a bit warmer. In reality it was noticeably warmer. Had to backpack the tights after a couple of hours.

I stopped to eat the rest of my food supply at the bench at Snarestone. Two little girls were picking daisies on the grass there as I got up to leave. They came over to me. For a moment I thought they were going to offer me a daisy, which would have been a lovely gesture. However, they just wanted to sit on the bench.

Back on 100.51 and that's now 31 fondos in a row, however the weather looks a bit inclement in the following days and I will no doubt end up doing a shorter ride soon.

Listened to Times Radio, LBC and 5 Live which were unusually dull due to the necessity, mandated by broadcasting rules, not to cover domestic politics today. However I also listened to a couple of Dredd short stories.

First run out this year for the Cannondale.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18413735969

Quote from: Slim on May 07, 2026, 05:56:04 PMI stopped to eat the rest of my food supply at the bench at Snarestone. Two little girls were picking daisies on the grass there as I got up to leave. They came over to me. For a moment I thought they were going to offer me a daisy, which would have been a lovely gesture. However, they just wanted to sit on the bench.

That was possibly their intention, until they got close enough to see the outline of your huge manhood in your tight cycling shorts. Traumatised, I suspect  :D

Very keen to test the new wheels (and cassette, and chain, and brake pads) on the X today. A bit breezy, not that warm, but dry. I decided on the eastbound route.

I wanted to do the Kegworth detour version but when I arrived at the right turn onto Ashby Road, I found that it had had dusty, sharp graval piled onto it. So I turned back along Gracedieu Lane and headed for Loughborough. After that, I intended to skirt Barrow upon Soar to meet Melton Lane then Paudy Lane, but I found that my usual route that way had been piled up with gravel as well. Clearly Leicestershire County Council are keen to bugger up as many of my cycling routes as possible at the moment.

I didn't bother to consult Google Maps and ended up taking a riduculous detour via Sileby and Seagrave. I'd never been that way before but it wasn't particularly interesting. I'd done 38km by the time I found my way to Paudy Crossroads.

I continued eastward as usual and turned back after about 54km. I hadn't done the maths but I guessed that if I came back through Loughborough I'd end up on about 100km. Before I turned back I checked to see if the AA batteries I stashed at a secret location in a sealed bag were still there. They were.

I had a brief excursion along Pitsford Drive in Loughborough, for a sentimental visit to my ex's parents' place. Even after coming back via Peggs Green and Coleorton I wasn't going to end up on 100k so I had a brief trip into Coalville. Back on 100.50km.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260510bike.avif)

The new wheels have transformed the bike - it feels really light and zippy now, a lot like the S Works which has a similar (albeit more upmarket) wheelset. The SRAM shifters seem happy enough with the Shimano cassette. I can change into the top gear at the back now (just needed a limit adjustment). And the new chain's fine.

I wish I'd bought another set of the Prime wheels for the Cannondale while they were discounted.

I listened to LBC, Times Radio, footy on 5 Live and more Dredd.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18454713734

After seemingly spending most of the last three days watching cycling - wish I'd had a ride during the first three hours of yesterday's Giro - I got out for a couple of hours today, once I'd finished watching the Giro and managed to flush away my pre-ride dump  :-X

As ever, a couple of hours aim for 32 miles. Got back with 32.44 miles with a moving time bang on two hours. I know my local roads too well.

Actually today I did the Wilkin Hill to Barlow Grange climb which I'd not done in ages. Went to Strava to see how my time compared to days of yore and no segment there. Looked in the hidden segment section and there it was. A Strava User had flagged it as hazardous. Why. OK it's a road, a single lane road, traffic uses the road, but not a lot. Yet segments which cover every bit of the climb haven't been flagged as hazardous, surely if the full climb is its constituent parts must be.

I blame Horse riders, there is a riding school along it, probably trying to deter cyclists. Haughty self-centred bastards are horse riders, you can't do right for them. I'm probably wrong, just some self-righteous chickenshit cyclist may have done it because they couldn't cope. FWIW my ascent time today was about slap bang in the middle of my range for it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18455564366/

Another Arm warmer day today, I'm not going back to long sleeves, it's May!

Thought today was going to be a dry day, at least until the early afternoon, this morning's forecast said differently. Rainfall radar said incoming. So it was a day of riding out, doing a loop, seeing what the weather looked like and doing a longer loop or repeating shorter loop depending on how things looked.

Looked to me when I got to Tibshelf that it would stay dry so I pressed on. Should have just gone straight round the mini roundabout and come back as when I dropped down to Morton spots of rain were in the air, the road ahead looked to be riding to nice weather, but it was coming on from my left, heading to block out the bluer skies.

In Heath the heavens opened, arm warmers don't keep out the wet. Luckily after the next right turn it dried up. Not much real rain after that but the road was switching from very damp to dry every few hundred yards.

All in all a decent enough 40 mile ride out let's see how damp the next couple of days will be.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18476422917

Glad I didn't go out yesterday. I'd have got very wet and very cold. THe forecast today said slightly wet and quite cool. That'll do. Didn't feel up to it though, woke up feeling quite shitty, but by eleven I'd come round a bit.

Felt likr hard work though, maybe I am ailing. Once again did a ride with lots of bail out points in case of rain. Was aiming for 30 miles, but when I got to the point where I'd turn back for thirty it started raining and hailing, if I'd gone back then I'd have ridden back through it, so I pushed on up to Owler Bar and turned back there, which let me see the shower going away from me.

Thouught I was going to die on the way back - ever the dramatist - as I ate a Stoats bar and an oatflake went down the wrong way. I wasn't choking - I could still swear - but I was trying to ciugh my lungs up like a 40 a day man. Not enjoyable.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18503529076

A north-westerly wind today. Usually I'd do the Upper Westbound route by default, but I've had a nagging feeling recently that I'm expending too many kilometres on the same roads. So instead I thought I'd go up to Kilburn, north of Derby, through Spondon and Morley - then back down via Coxbench and Little Eaton. Something I've done only twice before.

So I did that. Up through Donington, Shardlow, Borrowash then a right turn and up through Spondon, then up north of Derby.

I didn't bother with sentimental visits to ex-girlfriends' houses in either Kilburn or Spondon.

So I came back down the main road, right into Derby, then along Nottingham Road and back to Borrowash. Detoured to Aston to add a bit of distance, then later through Belton.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260515.avif)

It's really nice to go back to places I used to visit often in the first couple of years I lived in Derby, in the early '90s. But I must devise a better route that doesn't involve all the traffic in Derby. I did have to go halfway to Ibstock and back over the last few km to get the distance up so perhaps I need to extend it a bit at the northern end as well. Maybe up to Ripley.

Nice views of planes taking off near Donington. I listened to 5 Live, LBC, Times Radio.

Experimented with slightly lower pressures in the 700x32s on the Boardman, it's really an ideal bike now for the awful roads in South Derbyshire.

I got the clothing strategy spot on - occasionally too warm, occasionally too cool.

Back on 100.73.

Just noticed 25C forecast for about a week's time. Maybe an excursion over to East Lincs and back.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18518812363

I bought some 700x32s for the second Boardman, then I noticed that the rear wheel (a Fulcrum Racing 5) has a slight wobble. Tried tightening the bearing collar a bit, no joy. Clearly it needs new bearings.

Then I remembered that I'd removed my Fulcrum Quattros from the first Boardman, before replacing them with Campag Calimas, because the front wheel had a wobble. A solution presented itself!

Swapped the cassette over and Boardman II now has a Fulcrum Quattro at the back and a 5 at the front. An unusual configuration, but perfectly adequate. It has the new tyres on as well.

I believe that running a shallower wheel up front and a deeper wheel at the back is quite common, the idea being that the shallower rim soaks up road buzz and minimises torque on your handlebars in a crosswind, while the stiffer rim at the back takes your weight. Science! But of course in my case, simply convenience.

Anyway I now have a front Quattro and a rear Racing 5 in need of a service, and a knackered rear Vision Team 35. I also still have the original Mavics from the Boardmen. Bit of a wheel infestation in the garage at the moment.

It's about time I got my Summer wheels for the Bianchi prepped, but quite frankly I can't be arsed and I need the weather to be settled. I'll keep the Winter wheels on while ever it looks to be damp. I know it's easy enough to swap them over, but hey, I can't be arsed. The Winter wheels currently have a 28 tyre on the front and a 25 on the rear, which is against received wisdom. But hey, World Tour team Soudal have been doing it on TT bikes recently, so maybe I know more than I think.

Wish I'd thought more about going out today, wasn't feeling that great, but thought I should get out before the threatened afternoon rain. Heart rate on one climb I do hasn't been going over 150bpm by the time I summit it, today it was at 152 at the bottom and averaged 156. I blame Mrs S and the boy, Mrs S works in a school and the boy attends soccer matches and they pick things up and pass them to me.

Still, it was a ride and whilst there were a few spits and spots about it stayed dry in the 28 miles I did. Still well on course for 500 miles in May so that's fine.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18528973897/

Hoorah! Made it out today. Did manage a brief ride on Sunday to get to 300 miles for May, half an hour between thunderstorms.

Was hoping yesterday wouldn't be too showery. It was unbroken showers. Showers were threatened again today, but the promise was they would be less frequent, so out I went, otherwise I'd just spend every day on the settee.

Didn't venture far from home today as it constantly looked black over Bill's mother's over the hills and  that was the way the weather was coming from. Should it have been a day for creekit watching in Queen's Park it would have tiddled down, but thankfully it stayed dry.

Put in enough local laps to get to 40 miles in the day. Felt a bit rough first time round on them, but warmed up as I went along.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18581172514

Rain was forecast for this morning. I'm not sure if it did actually rain, I was in the house. But by 1430 or so it was clear that it wasn't going to rain for the rest of the day. No excuses! I wasn't going to start a fondo that late in the day .. although I have before to be fair. But not today.

So I ended my run of 33 consecutive fondos with a common-or-garden Bpasser. First non-fondo since 17th January.

I set off at 1458. Pretty standard except that I had a brief excursion down to Old Grendon at the bottom.

As it turns out if I had stayed out for a fondo I'd have got rained on at about 2000. So no regrets. Quite nice out there, cloudy mainly, sunny occasionally, warm-ish. Actually I think it was good for my soul to do a shorter ride on one of my favourite routes.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260520bike.avif)

I took Boardman II to try out its hand-me-down rear wheel and new tyres. It has Schwalbe Green Marathon 700x32, same as Boardman I. Honestly - they are a joy, delightfully comfy and on the rubbish road surfaces near Ratcliffe Culey and Shenton and Orton, I actually think they roll better than the old 700x25s.

I will probably just bin the old Quattro 5 rather than fit new bearings. I don't think it's worth the cost and effort since it's a spare now. I'm quite proud that my DIY Amazon-sourced pawl spring repair of October 2022 (https://bikediary.uk/2022/10/23/repairing-a-freehub/) lasted about 5500km, and was still working fine when I took the wheel off.

Back on 60.48km. I need another 255 to hit the May target.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18586645893

A cloudy day today, but a warm cloudy day. Don't know if it was the warmth but I felt like I was riding through treacle today. I certainly didn't get back today thinking "I'm Alice, I'm Firing, I fell fantastic". Got back home to find out that our electrician had turned up early to do some jobs and he said "You look half dead mate" I felt it.

Started out feeling OK, but then I found a road closed which I was hoping wasn't so I could get warmed up on a gentle loop, so it was straight into a long climb and that's when the legs stopped responding. Good job I didn't go all the way to the tops as I'd found my intended route back had been tarred and gritted -thanks fellow riders on Strava - didn't want to do a fast sweeping descent on gravel covered roads.

To try and get to 40 miles I kept adding in out and back bits of road, I was sure I'd calculated it correctly, yet pulled up our drive and stopped the Garmin to see it read 39.99 miles, arse. If the electrician's van hadn't been there and I'd done further up the drive I'd have got it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18594718729

Wasn't feeling up to it today - again =  yesterday's car journey had taken it out of me. Only a 100 mile round trip but I'm becoming a bad passenger, the boy's driving was a bit offputting. Strange eating patterns also led to me waking with indigestion to go with my still spinning head.

But, just in case it got too warm in the afternoon I forced myself out just after eleven. Didn't do too much as I wanted to be back to watch the Giro - mountain stage, can't miss the mountains - and I didn't miss not having mountains round here.

Wish I'd missed a dropped chain. Was going downhill, realised I was still in the small chainring, changed up to the big ring and off came the chain and couldn't ride it back on. With all the traffic behind me I just had to coast downhill and roll up the next uphill to a convemient place to stop.

Didn't quite get up to 30 miles, but the indigestion went and my head stopped spinning. Started spinning again due to delayed dehydration.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18620445245

My initial plan was to do Cheshire and back today, part of a new route I'd devised to Wales and back, which is a (substantial) extension of the Upper Westbound route.

I thought I'd set off at about 0700. But I woke up at about 0330, didn't get back to sleep so I thought I'd get up and do the proper Wales and Back thing. I set off at about 0455.

The new route has a brand new 35km stretch which joins the Upper Westbound to the old Wales route from Sudbury to Stone. I liked it - I really felt like I was in the back of beyond. The roads were a bit rough in places, not too bad. But it was pretty hilly. Pleasingly rural compared to the usual method along the A51 but a lot more taxing.

I'd brought the camo bag so I stashed some clothing with a tin of water and a bike light in a hedge after 54km. But even with minimal clothing it was getting uncomfortably warm.

I listened to 5 Live, Ellie Oldroyd and Jeanette Kwachi presenting the breakfast show. They wanted listeners to text in what they were doing in the warm weather weekend. I texted in, so Ellie announced to the 5 Live listeners that I was doing a 150 mile ride to Wales and back. She also told me off on air for not including my name.

Sadly - by the time I approached Shropshire I decided I'd have to let the listeners down. I'd just do Cheshire and back instead. It would cut out more than 20km of the ride. So that's what I did. I came back the same way apart from getting slighly lost and off track a couple of times.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260523bike.avif)

Even in its reduced form, that was a knackering ride. Whether because I ate too much and drank too much coffee at Costa at Stone on the way back (a "medium" coffee is like a large bowl of caffeine soup), because it was too warm, or involved too much climbing I was really struggling over the last 40km. Rotter's Rise north of Melbourne was a real killer. I felt dizzy a couple of times when stopping at junctions. I suppose having about 3 hrs sleep last night didn't help. I'd forgotten how hilly the 'old' part of the ride is, between Stone and Cheshire.

That was the 3rd most elevation of any ride I've done (1,967 metres). I'm not going to do that one again, even on a cooler day. Probably won't do the old version either, the A51 stretch that I superseded today is flat, but a drag and not pleasant.

Back on 204.37km.

Saw a fox at the edge of the village just after I set off. About an hour later I saw a squirrel go right under a car and survive! The car went right over it but it was, so to speak, between the wheels.

Listened variously to 5 Live, LBC, Times Radio, more Dredd short stories, a Sheila E album and Jay Graydon's Airplay For The Planet.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18626599690

90kms in the beautiful sunshine today. Left the flatter roads of Meath for the slightly steeper ones of Louth and I felt it. My legs took a double battering as I didn't put any suncream on and now, unsurprisingly, after 4 hours in the sun, they are a much brighter shade of red than looks strictly healthy!

Yesterday was the first long ride that I bothered with sun cream. I decanted a bit of Tesco SPF30  into a small plastic travel container and applied it by the roadside before midday. Worked! Didn't get burned.

I've never bothered with sun cream. I start exposing my skin quite early and it seems to pick up a slow tan. This year last year's tan hadn't faded away so I got off to a good start.

Only problem I get is my thinning hair lets the sun get to my scalp through the helmet vents. Can send me a bit bonkers.

A very hot day today but I thought a couple of hours before the worst of it kicked in wouldn't hurt. I set off at 0845. Did a fairly typical Twycrosser.

I did 48.03km. Still a couple of klicks short of the May target. But that's fine. Wednesday looks a bit cooler at the moment. Perhaps one more May fondo.

Actually quite nice out there until about 1100, by which time the temperature had climbed to about 27C. But I didn't have far to go. A doctor on LBC was advising listeners not to spend time outside after 11 am. I could certainly see what he meant.

Along Sibson road I saw a jogger coming the other way. She didn't look like the most experienced athlete - pale-skinned, a bit flustered and red faced, and - I'm not going to say she was fat, but she would have struggled to get into Keely Hodgkinson's running shorts, let me put it that way. So, perhaps a bit presumptuously, I shouted "don't stay out too long" as I passed her. She smiled.

Nice run out on the whole.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18646313843

Quote from: Nickslikk2112 on May 24, 2026, 09:42:27 PMI've never bothered with sun cream. I start exposing my skin quite early and it seems to pick up a slow tan. This year last year's tan hadn't faded away so I got off to a good start.

Only problem I get is my thinning hair lets the sun get to my scalp through the helmet vents. Can send me a bit bonkers.

That added to my mistake - first time out with exposed arms and legs!

I always wear a cap on a long ride if it's sunny. Actually I was glad of it on Saturday, I turned it round to keep the sun off the back of my neck coming back east from Cheshire.

Quote from: Slim on May 25, 2026, 11:25:27 PMI always wear a cap on a long ride if it's sunny.

I did today. It was my intention to - not that my intentions always come to fruition - but Mrs S insisted on it.

Wasn't sure how many miles I'd get in today in the heat and I did set off earlier than normal. If it weren't for the fact I'd stuck the Summer wheels on the Bianchi I might have stayed in, but I wanted to make sure they were set up right.

They did feel faster, yet my ride today was no quicker than a very similar Winter wheel ride on Saturday. I did put a bit less effort into it today.

It was certainly warm out there, but I didn't really feel it until I stopped in the Sun, then it hit you. I think the sun also managed to find spots it hadn't caught before. Back on 30 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18659549361/

Supposed to be a cooler day today. It was a cooler day, all the metrics said so. Still felt warm out there despite being 10C cooler.

With it being cooler I headed for the hills. Plenty of others seemed to be doing the same. Actually, they'd already headed out to the hills and were waiting for me. Don't wait suckers, I'll come straight by, eat my wheels!

I remembered not to come back down through Cutthorpe with that having been tarred and gritted. I did have to traverse about 50 yards of it, thankfully it was flat, but all the tar had melted. Would not be nice picking up loads of tarry gravel on my tyres. Managed to get 40 miles in and get over 500 miles for May.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18674251935

Not quite so warm today. A fondo wouldn't be a problem. I did the usual eastbound route, with the detour through Kegworth both ways. Through Cotes and Walton on the way out, Wymeswold and Rempstone on the way back. I also took the detour through Diseworth then down Top Brand after Kegworth on the way back, mainly because I forgot to do the left turn along Smithy Lane. Didn't go so far east as I usually would, due to the detours. Didn't want to do much more than 100km.

Actually very pleasant out there in the warm sunshine, the headwind going east was a lot more annoying than the heat. Warmer by 1500, but tolerable.

Some terrific views of aircraft taking off from East Midlands near Kegworth.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260527bike.avif)

back on 103.46. Over target for May now.

Listened to 5 Live and more Dredd short stories.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18676133455

Out again today. Warmed up a bit again so I decided to do a ride somewhere between the length of Tuesday and Wednesday's rides, so that'll be 35 miles then.

Nothing too out of the ordinary just out and through Tibshelf and back. Very few cyclists out, but then it's not a very nice area when you have the Peak District so close. Just saw one bloke on a Time Trial bike.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18688060394

Me and the Mrs did our 'standard' Charney Bassett 30-miler on the road bikes this morning.

We waited until after 10:00am to set off, to ensure we didn't get tangled up with all those poor angry bastards that have to work for a living. It felt cooler, in fact it was perfect (for me) with a nice cooling breeze. Still in the mid-twenties though, I guess.

We stopped for coffee/tea and flap-jacks at Munch in Southmoor on the way out. We considered extending our route but decided against it as the heat built towards midday.

Stopped at The Market Tavern for a pint of Complot IPA (Damm) with a dash of lemonade - beautifully thirst-quenching. Considered a second but decided to get home for a late lunch. As we made our way back the skies became slightly ominous and it looked like we may get a soaking. However, it stayed dry until we got home. As I was wiping the bikes down, I was forced to pay a little less attention than usual as a few spots of rain fell. It didn't develop into a shower though and now the sun is shining and it feels like a furnace in the lounge again. I'm surprised because I honestly thought the weather would break today (we had a storm in the night).

Absolutely knackered now and unable to slake my thirst. That might be because I ran just under 5k on the treadmill yesterday. Good to get out though after the heatwave-induced break.

Bike was in with local bike bloke... gear changes weren't happening very well.. some went fine others taking 10-15 secs to complete.. anyway new gear cable and all is well... pity ive missed all the good weather as its back to normal around these parts from tomorrow..

If the BBC weather forecast is to be believed - and I have a huge pile of salt behind me - today was due to be the last dry day for the forseeable future. Since I got home, tomorrow's forecast has dried up considerably, so maybe I am wise to be doubtful. Anyway, after the Giro I got out into the sunshine.

Did the same ride as one four weeks ago, but added in an extra couple of laps of the Beeley Triangle. Thought the Summer wheels might make me quicker. I was faster, but barely. Don't know if it was down to the wheels or the change in wind direction. A slightly slower ascent of the Col du Wigley might point to the latter. Who knows. I'm not going to repeat it multiple times on both sets of wheels to build a bigger data set.

Anyway, back on 35 miles, which could mean I end May with 580 miles, we'll see what tomorrow brings.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18718642257

After seeing the weather forecast last night, which threatened frequent heavy showers, I thought I'd be lucky to get a half hour ride in today. But the actuality on waking looked OK and the forecast was for 35-50% chance of showers. So I set out if not in complete confidence with more hope of stayong dry.

Kept it localish just in case, but not one drop of rain fell at any point. A miracle, I can attract raindrops from a clear sky! Probably just drips from my nose though. Managed to get 40 miles in and even nearly got up to a 17.5 mph average. Onwards and slower!

https://www.strava.com/activities/18755062823/

Yesterday I got in the grand total of 1.42 miles. Didn't think I'd do much as it was very showery but I got suited and booted and was just about to leave the house and I noticed a big blister on the front tyre. Closer inspection revealed more little ones. Arse. Where did I stick the Winter wheels? By the time they were located and the front wheel was swapped out it was pissing down again. But, I was dresed up so it was a quick spin round the block.

Showery again today, but I was going to do more than yesterday, but first get the blistered tyre off. Actually came off more easily than expected and despite me thinking all the recently added sealant had seeped into the rim about half was still there. Also took the time to get out the solidified sealant which was rattling round inside the rim.

Right. Onwards and Outwards. Bugger, it's a bit windy. Bugger got to get back home before my new tyre is delivered. Right, pedal to the metal. Well, maybe not, too many drivers doing stuoid things getting in your way to slow you down - but Cyclists...

It was further than yesterday that I managed, 24 miles further. Keeps me on the right track for 500 miles in May. Might have to put a spin in tomorrow for insurance purposes though. If I can manage to get a new tyre on. If I can be arsed to put a new tyre on. Might leave it to Mrs S, she likes that sort of thing. My thumbs don't.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18782886655

Don't normally do Fridays, but it was dry. Nothing too strenuous though, must have been flat as I managed to average 17.5mph. I think the lighter wind and it being a SW helped.

Had the red mist descend on me at one point in Heath. I could hear a two stroke motorbike, but only saw what looked like a flat barred road bike come out of a side road. But that was the culprit, some wanker had fittied an engine to a pedal cycle. I decided to follow to tell him to get the fuck off the road as his machine needs taxing, testing and insurance. I was managing to hold on to him at 28mph, but he then turned left up a hill, I was going to go that way anyway, but blew up and lost him, he must have turned off into the Council Estate, wasn't going to follow into the land of lowlives. I'd probably only have got knifed if I'd caught him.

Too many cars going by from which a stench of Cannabis was emerging too. I'll get wasted by one of those fuckers one day.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18795760811

Never rains, but it pours, in all senses. Being as it was raining this morning, I decided to put a new tyre on the front wheel. Just started doing it when there was a snapping noise. A bloody spoke had broken. That's one thing I won't do myself, spoke replacement and wheel truing . Bollocks.

The afternoon stopped being rainy though, so out I went, but not for long as she who must be obeyed wanted me back before she went out if at all possible. I did make it, just, she was just getting into her friend's car. Would have been back earlier if I hadn't had to divert in Brimington due to a traffic snarl up.

Back with 24 miles, gets the "required" 125 miles for the week.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18813023281/

After missing yesterday due to coming back from London - although it would have been too wet to go out anyway - I was unsure if I'd get out today with the showery forecast, but it seemed like I might. Then just as I was about to suit and boot the Heavens opened, it may only have been for five minutes, but it teemmed it down.

After it stopped raining I then spent what could have been too long making sure it wasn't about to rain again, so once out it was a case of keeping an eye on the sky. Luckily it kept dry for 90 minutes which was about as long as I could fit in as I wanted my lunch. Did brush the very tail end of a shower in Holmewood. Thankful to get 25 miles in. Hopefully it settles down a bit from the weekend.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18864047615

Got up this morning and my phone said that rain would stop about 10am. Oh good, chance for a 40 mile ride even if it is Friday - I have a rest day on a Friday - It started siling it down at 10. It did dry at 11, but still didn't look too promising. Getting towards midday it looked as if I could get 10 miles in, woohoo!

Five miles in it started drizzling, but hey it's just drizzle. Luckily it stopped after another five miles and I could make some damp hay whilst the Sun shone. Didn't make too much damp hay as I wanted to get back to watch the Dauphiné and more importantly get something to eat. Got it up to 27 miles, about as good as it could get in the available time.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18890073507

I wouldn't usually start a fondo in the afternoon, although I have a few times. But I was very keen to get on a bike again after a protracted break caused by a visit to Toronto and the weather.

Would have started earlier of course, but there was rain in the morning. By 1350 when I set off, conditions were rather nice - sunny, warmish, nicely dried out roads.

I decided I'd go down the Meriden Gap.

I dropped in at San Giovanni at Sheepy for a pit stop on the way down. Wife was having lunch there with two of her mates and I thought it would be hilarious to appear unannounced. Didn't see them, but I had a half Peroni outside anyway. They did come out a few minutes later en route to the car park, so we had a chat. I wouldn't normally drink alcohol in the first 20km of a 100+ km ride, but it didn't seem to do any harm.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260612bike.avif)

I didn't go all the way down to Meriden. The last few km of road surface is just too gross. So I made up the distance with an excursion along Fillongley Road, then later a run along a road I hadn't done before, between Kingsbury and Tamworth. I quite liked it. Nice and flat. I also went back up to Kingsbury via Furnace End, although only because I missed a turn.

Back on 104.59.

Really nice out there, especially in the evening when the roads were nice and quiet. I should set off later more often, or do longer rides.

Quite a long stretch of road near Piccadilly has been resurfaced with proper tarmac - very nice! Yet I don't remember it being that bad so why can't they fix the road between Maxstoke and Meriden? Same county council.

The roads were surprisingly clear of mud - perhaps due to the amount of rain we've had in the last couple of weeks, although I escaped most of it in the warm Toronto sunshine. Speaking of which, I was listening to footy chat on 5 Live and the BBC's Vicky Sparks was interviewing people from Union Station, where I rolled a large suitcase on Sunday.

Also listened to the Lemon Twigs' Look For Your Mind! and Anita Baker's Compositions.

A late, but decent start to June. I set a modest target for this month and will be happy with another 500km or so.

Because I left my phone at Niagara Falls I have brought an older one out of retirement. The camera's not quite so good and it's a bit heavy. I must get a new one.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18894898855

Feels like I'm riding in Winter again as I just seem to be doing 25 mile rides at the moment. Most of that is down to rain avoidance and feeling generally just a bit under the weather.

No rain about today but a nasty nagging westerly wind, made it more of a slog up the hill through Middle Handley.Once up at the top I thought I heard something hit the road. Looked the bike over but couldn't see anything missing. Doubled back and saw my rear light flashing away in the road. Good job I went back, with it sitting under my saddle bag I couldn't see it had gone.

Then off down a closed road which wasn't closed enough and back to watch the Dauphiné.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18903068655

The intention was to get up at about 0900 and do a fondo. However, I woke at about 0500 and after checking the temperature, I thought - why not get up early and do a longer ride?

So I was off and away by 0645, on my usual route out east. Through Loughborough once again. Very quiet on a Sunday morning before 0800 as you'd expect. Cool out there but I had tights and a fleece on early on. Everything went very well until Mill Lane, after about 66km. A long stretch of the route after that, at least 8km, had been resurfaced with grey, dusty gravel very recently.

It really pisses me off that cyclists are just supposed to put up with it. I persisted in the hope that it would peter out, it didn't and I decided I was not going to come back the same way. So at the road junction at Castle Bytham I decided to turn back by a different route. I had intended to continue east for a bit, but I assumed that coming home a different way would add a few km.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260614bike.avif)

So I plotted a course that would take me through places in Rutland called Clipsham, Stretton, Greetham and Cottesmore to Whissendine, which years ago was my go-to destination for trips to Rutland. Quite nice along there. Might do it again.

I was determined to do an Imperial Fondo so I came home via a wayward method after Whissendine. Along Paudy Lane. Via Belton, up to Gelscoe Lane, down Top Brand.

Back on 161.54km. That was a breeze quite honestly, lower temperatures make a big difference. Will hopefully get a good day for a trip right out to Foul Anchor soon.

I trialled my new phone, a Sony. Nice and compact, a bit lighter than my Samsung was before I left it at Niagara Falls. Was a bit worried about the battery life as it showed 90% when I switched it on, when I thought I'd charged it up last night. But it managed some Google Maps activity, a Brenda Russell album, a few photos and Facebook uploads and came back home on 74%. Acceptable.

As well as Brenda I listened to some World Cup footy, Times Radio and LBC. I also started the next Reacher novel, Night School.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18919461801

Just another 25 for me today. Too many - six, count 'em six - cycle races going on today. Seems like I'd rather watch than do, but the Alps do look nice, wouldn't fancy riding them though.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18916400512/

Today I managed only my second 40 mile ride of June. Weather's been a bit patchy, but it was dry and occasionally sunny today and warm enough to come back with a real sweat on.

My hill legs have definitely disappeared and I don't know if they'll come back. It was a bit of a headwind up to Barlow Grange, but not that much of one, didn't put in a good time at all. Got to the top just as a bloke arrived after climbing up from Cutthorpe, at least I was in better shape than him as he pulled up for a rest. Bastard. If he'd not done that I would!

Once at the tops I just zigzagged my way out to Matlock Farm Park and back. Plenty of others out and about today. Wish there hadn't been as I feel beholden to put a bit of effort in and look as if I'm a quick cyclist. Oh my fragile ego!

https://www.strava.com/activities/18942670978

A rather nice day today with a light wind coming from the west and a warm afternoon forecast. I set off on the Lower Westbound route at 1105.

Went as far as Bagot Wood, then back the same way, same as usual. I wore minimal clothing throughout, was a little cool for the first hour or so but too warm later with the sun out.

Listened to 5 Live and more Reacher. Quite liking the Reacher novel now, hope the way it pans out lives up to the first few chapters.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260616bike.avif)

Sad to see the village shop at Abbots Bromley closed - looked a bit permanent, stripped out. But I mostly take everything I need with me now. Cheaper at Tesco.

I trialled a running vest that I thought would be handy for carrying a phone and a DAB radio or MP3. It looks a bit like a man's sports bra but it's pretty handy. Only about £8 from Amazon.

Speaking of underwear - saw, for the first time in a long time, a discarded pair of knickers near Edingale. What a joy to know the tradition is still alive.

The X is rolling very nicely on its new wheels, especially with a tailwind.

Back on 102.26 which gives me 368 this month so far, pleased enough with that considering I was out of the country for over a week.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18945752320

That was my 301st fondo since January 2015, and my 38th this year.

Supposed to be dry from 10am according to all my weather apps. It was very much still drizzly when I set off at 11, but it was warm drizzle, I was prepared to put up with that for 25 miles. Had noticed that the way I intended going out had roadworks positioned either way from one junctions both in inconvenient positions at the bottom of dips. Also then set out the opposite way to what I intended as the weather looked better that way.

After 10 miles it dried up and I found myself going up through Grassmoor to North Wingfield for the first time in nine years! Not been that way as it was where I got knocked off by a driver and before that a kid on a scooter, but that was coming back the other way so I chanced it.

Not risking it again! Grassmoor is full of people doing wheelies on motorbikes and people ripped off their tits on heaven knows what shuffling across the road. Changed a lot since my grandfather worked at the pit there.

Managed to make it through Tibshelf, but didn't get to Morton as it was obviously raining again that way. Managed to get it up to a forty miler, which was nice.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18957038785

I cleaned two bikes on Monday, very happy with the job I'd done. Gave all the bits a good seeing to with GT-85 to repel any moisture.

Got round to lubing them today. Uh oh - the bottom bracket on Boardman II is stiff. You need a little bit of effort to crank the pedals round, even with the chain off. It's not gritty. It's just a bit like someone's applied an internal brake.

So since it was fine the last time I rode it to Lincolnshire, Rutland and back I'm guessing that maybe I've displaced a gasket, or just cleaned out some of the grease. Pondering whether to take it apart myself (would have to invest in at least one tool) or just take it to a mechanic.

Fortunately the other one I washed (the Roubaix) is fine.

And today I managed to get in my third consecutive 40 mile ride for the first time since the first full week in May. Be nice to keep it up, I need consistent rides of that length to keep up what fitness and form I have.

Felt like hard work, it was warm and muggy today. TMI but my jersey and shorts were sodden when I got back, was hoping to use them another day but they were so wet and salty I decided to risk the wrath of Mrs S and put them to the wash.

Just clipped into Nottinghamshire today, normally on a ride like today's I get to the outskirts of Worksop, but today I cut off through Whitwell for the first time since 2018, then headed up past Creswell Crags and then on to Cuckney to rejoin my usual route back through Langwith. Surprised that it only took about a mile off what I'd normally do.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18970856591

A lovely day, a bit too warm in the afternoon for cycling arguably but in any case I wanted to do a short one today to conserve energy for a (possible) long ride on Sunday. So I thought I'd do a Twycrosser. And I did.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260619bike.avif)

Stopped for a sausage roll at the bench at Witherley, which is where I took the pic. Lovely out there. 51.33km which leaves me needing 194 to hit June's modest monthly target.

Listened to 5 Live and the fallout from yesterday's by-election.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18983005156

Despite the temptation of too much cycling to watch, thought I'd better make some use of the weather before it gets too hot again. Wasn't that cool today, due to it being quite humid but just better out than in.

Decided to do an up and downer, up the Col de Wigley and back down through Cutthorpe. Didnt enjoy the up bit, third time I've done it this year and got slower every time. Enjoyed the down, now that the tarred and gritted has settled down. Was able to get above 40mph again without fear of skidding out.

Back on 30 miles to go over 400 for June.

https://www.strava.com/activities/18996617871

Having a few days down in Milford On Sea again and decided to cycle out to the Vibrant Forest taproom close to Hythe, Southampton. We know they brew great beers so thought we'd take a crack at it regardless of the hot weather. As it happens, at 28 or so degrees, it wasn't blisteringly hot.

I planned a route that was not as direct as it could've been to avoid the busier roads and it turned out to be quite pleasant. The only really gnarly bit, traffic-wise, was the road out of Beaulieu with a number of cars and a few lorries passing a little too close as we made our way up the climb.

We arrived at Vibrant Forest after 22 miles. Situated on a rather uninspiring industrial park, the taproom is, actually, a really good set-up. A nice bar area inside the unit and an outside space with plenty of picnic benches and a visiting food truck selling flat-iron steak with chips, salad and a selection of sauce. The food was great too! But the main attraction is great beer and the ability to order a 'flight' (3 beers in 1/3 pint glasses) meant we were able to easily try most on offer.

We took a more direct route back through East Boldre and East End where we stopped to quench our thirst on lager shandies at the East End Arms just outside Lymington. This alternative rout clocked in at 17 miles by the time we got back to the campsite.

The mtbs performed without issue although Clare dropped her chain once on the way back. We were pretty spent but both agreed we would make the trip over there again in the future.

Wanted to do a long one out east yesterday. Minimally to the Eastern Hemisphere, but possibly to my most hallowed cycling destination, a place called Foul Anchor in east Lincolnshire.

I hoped to set off at about 0430. But I didn't really sleep. I dozed until about 0315 and was away at about 0410.

Apart from the necessity to go through Loughborough to avoid the new bridge works at Zouch I made another couple of modifications to the route - most notably going east through Grimsthorpe and Bourne, to avoid the dusty gravel I encountered along Morkery Lane last time I went that way.

A bit uncomfortably cool for the first hour or so and I'd started to think I'd underdressed in thin tights and a light nylon top over minimal shorts + top attire, but by the time I was rolling through Loughborough, I was fine. I backpacked the tights and nylon top about an hour later as the temperature climbed.

After 123km, I arrived at the Prime Meridian. It passes exactly through an innocuous crossroads just east of Whaplode St Catherine. I decided to press on into Earth's eastern hemisphere, all the way to Foul Anchor. I got there at about 1310, following a refuelling stop at the village shop at Sutton St James, which usefully is open until 1900 on a Sunday.

I decided I'd come back west the quicker way through Holbeach and Spalding and along the A17, just to make up a bit of time. It's a busy A road for 9km and not pleasant but a lot better surfaced than the minor roads by which I'd made my way east, as well as a shorter route. I rejoined the original route at Pode Hole, 103km from home.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260622bike.avif)

I'd stashed a tin of water in the off-road undergrowth at the East Midlands Electricity Board installation a week earlier and was pleased to see it was still there on the way back yesterday. Saved me a stop at the petrol station at Burton on the Wolds. I also checked on my secret 2 x AA battery stash along Clawson Lane. Couldn't see any sign of water ingress into the sealed plastic bag, but they were stuck together! May just be that the plastic sleeves had bonded together. Anyway I left them there.

The afternoon was uncomfortably warm after the sun came out. Conditions were mostly cloudy going east, which was ideal. I didn't get round to applying sunscreen until 1600 unfortunately, and my arms did get burned a bit. Legs already had a bit of a protective tan and seem OK. I was actually a bit too cool again by the time I made it to Burton on the Wolds, so I put the tights and nylon top back on. Fine after that.

I'd printed off a little spreadsheet to plastic-tie round the handlebars as follows:

(https://i.ibb.co/pvg38Qhg/spr.png)

.. showing distances between the waypoints, odometer distance, approximate timing (based on an 0430 start).

I got slightly off course a few times going east, so the odometer distances went out of sync by a few km. But by the time I'd returned to Pode Hole the quicker way, they were back in sync to within 0.1km! Handy coincidence.

I had a few rest stops of course. I took a small tub of mascarpone from Tesco with me, but forgot to bring the plastic spoon! Fortunately I had some wet wipes, so I used two fingers, then my tongue. Just like old times.

Back on 274.54km. I can't say it was a breeze, the last 40km were a bit of a slog. That was my 7th longest bike ride (going through Loughborough saves a few km).

Glad I did it. Hadn't been all the way to Foul Anchor since 2024. But I don't think I'll do it again. Partly because I tend to use more boring roads on that route after having been bitten by a puncture near Bourne a few years ago and partly because I've done it a few times now, the sense of adventure has gone a bit.

I entered Cambridgeshire briefly, so that's another county on the 2026 list.

I listened to live World Cup footy on 5 Live - not often you get a game at 5 in the morning. Also more Reacher and endless speculation about Sir Keir Starmer's future on LBC and Times Radio.

Set off about 20 minutes before sunrise and got home about 20 minutes after sunset, so I made good use of the year's longest day.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19015698582

I always look forward to your epic rides!  Fair play to you on another monster!

Just a short one today - didn't want to be out much after midday, since the weather was forecast to be 32C this afternoon.

I set off at 0945 and did a Bypasser. It looks like the building works for Twycross Zoo along Orton Lane have settled down a bit now; the road's not too dusty along there.

Really lovely out there for the first couple of hours, with a very thin layer of cloud giving a bit of cover. Bright enough for shadows, but not punishing. Too warm after that, certainly.

It's a few years since I mentioned my knees in every cycling post but since I did 275km on Sunday I did wonder if I'd get a bit of knee pain today. But they were fine.

I took the Cannondale, it did feel a lot zippier than the Roubaix did on Sunday, with its semi-solid heavy tyres. But knowing you're very unlikely to get a puncture is a welcome luxury on a long ride.

Back on 53.77km and that's 748 this month, well over target.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19034451229

Funny how now I have all the time in the world to get out I'm rarely out before 11, this morning because of forecast heat I tried to get out earlier. Did it by all of 30 minutes at 10:30.

Didn't feel too bad when I set off, a thin layer of hazy cloud had helped keep things cooler but that melted away after an hour and the temperature picked up. I just kept it steady and just rode along the gentle up and down roads avoiding the ramps and sustained climbs. Didn't really notice the heat until I got home and stopped, the breeze from moving helps a lot. Hydrating every 2.5 miles instead of 5 probably helped too.

Back on 35 miles and the last downhill even got me over a 17mph average. I'd avoided trying to average 17 during the ride as that may have led to over exertion, whenever it nudged up to 16.9 I started to pedal more easily.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19034395729

Today I was delayed by having to wait for a delivery. I needn't have bothered as Mrs S still hadn't buggered off to work when it arrived. Even so I was unsure whether to go out or not with it being a bit hot and me being a bit old.

But hey, it was dry, so I just nipped out for a gentle 20 miler. Nothing spectacular, just nice to be out and about. It actually felt cooler than being in the house.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19048056028

And today was the third 30C day in a row that I ventured out. Getting some Heat Acclimation in the bank now, it'll all be gone by the end of next week though, such is the nature of living in Britain.

Once again I didn't bother heading for the hills, just keep to the lower ground, keep it steady and keep hydrated. Today saw me doing further variations of rides out Tibshelf way, I even managed to incorporate a road I'd never ridden up before. Could have sworn I had, ridden down it a few times albeit not for years, but I was sure I'd been the other way too. Wish I hadn't today as it went up to 10% at times and I'm supposed to be avoiding that sort of thing.

Anyway a nice ride out for 35 miles and the completion of 500 miles in June.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19060868042/

Far too hot for cycling an appreciable distance during the morning or afternoon, so I thought I'd venture out at about 2000, when the air temperature was due to have dropped a couple of degrees and the sun was less direct, and do about 50km.

In the end I went a bit earlier, at 1915. I thought I'd just suck up the heat for the first hour.

I devised a simple route - the southbound route down to Kirkby Mallory, then west along Fenn Lanes and up homeward via what's usually the downward part of a Twycrosser. I particularly wanted to take in Fenn Lanes because I went along there last night in a car at sunset. Glorious along there at that time, quiet with open scenery.

(https://i.ibb.co/tp8314FJ/260626bike.avif)

Back about an hour after sunset, I took lights of course, on 58.32km. Don't ride in the dark so much since I retired, so that was nice as well. Really lovely out there after the first hour or so, when it was scorchio.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19067013159

Cooled off a bit, but still warm. Never thought I'd say that 28C was cooling off a bit, but there you go. And there I went, out into what was a quite cloudy day. Of course all the clouds melted away when I went out only to reform on my return so my bonce which I hadn't becapped got a bit fried again.

Only stayed out for an hour and a half or so and eschewed the flatter realms of late for some borderline hilly bits. Some melted road bits too. Horsleygate road was particularly sticky, I had visions of becoming trapped in tar to be found a few thousand years in the future like some Sabre-toothed Tiger in the La Brea tar pits. Good job I don't have any imagination.

Got 26.5 miles in so now I'm comfortably over 500 miles for June.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19085229107

Another hot day. A couple of degrees cooler than the last couple of days, but not ideal for cycling. Alas - I had a commitment in the evening so had to go out earlier than I'd have liked (1345), and didn't have so much time. I did a Twycrosser. Down to Mythe Lane at the bottom and up through Bosworth.

Quite a nice ride if a bit uncomfortable. 51.51 km.

LIstened to 5 Live and more Reacher.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19089305504

2nd longest ride ever yesterday, 10km less than the 125km spin along the Grand Canal at the beginning of last month.

A lot cooler and cloudier than the previous few days, but still warm enough to be comfortable in shorts. The worst thing was the gusty wind. The plan was to head South into the wind and then homeward bound with it on our backs.

Headed through Dunshauhglin, Ratoath and Ashbourne into Co. Dublin. Then Northbound through Garristown and back into Meath via Ardcath and Duleek.

Back to Navan via Tara Na Ri, Bective, Robinstown and Dunderry. 2 stops in Ratoath and Duleek which coincided with the start and end of the hillier section of the route.Finished up with a lot of messing about round Navan as although I'd comfortably got to 100km, I'd forgotten to restart my watch and I wanted that target on the respective app.

We had a new lad join us yesterday who was unlucky to puncture as we were leaving Duleek. Even though we found and extracted the staple or u shaped piece of wire that did the damage his tube needed reinflating every so often.

His chain also came off at one point navigating a right hand turn. Hopefully that didn't put him off. He managed the distance ok but he was struggling for the last few Kms.

The wind plan didn't quite work out and better planning would have meant going further south on the outbound leg or less North through the middle section. Duleek is North of Navan which meant a South Westerly trip home. Exactly the direction the wind was coming from at that time!

Just popped out for an hour and a half today as there were the British Championships to watch. Mercifully it was a lot cooler, it was also a lot windier, but for once I didn't care as I was sweat free.

Just a ride out to Pilsley and back re-riding the road I did for the first time on Friday. Slaughtered my previous time up it. Probably. Was faster anyway. Even got up to a 17.8mph average, might have been 18 if the roads hadn't been so bloody busy.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19097913117

My intention today was to do a fondo, probably making use of the Lower Westbound route. However by 11AM, I found that I didn't really feel like it. So I did a Twycrosser instead.

I did a relatively long version, down to Witherley and even had a detour through Nailstone and Ellistown on the way up, but still ended up on no more than 52.29km.

There's a balance, I think. If you don't feel like it, don't do it for its own sake. Even so, I can't help thinking of all those winter days when weather like today's would have seemed like a cycling godsend.

Oh well that's probably it for June and I did hit my target for the month about 300km ago so it's all good.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260629bike.avif)

910km done in June, 5183 in 2026 and 96587 since January 2015, which is 60,016 miles, so I've gone through another imperial 10,000 mile marker.

Nice out there. Not overly warm. Cloudy. Photo taken at Market Bosworth.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19110946505

Right, weather back to something more like normal, time to ride something more like normal and get out to the Peak District again.

But go the easier way, up through Dronfield and Holmesfield to Owler Bar and beyond. Gets you 1,000 feet of elevation gain, but because it's a bit up and down Strava says your biggest climb is 285 feet! Surprised that it's been over a month since I last did it.

When heading away from Owler Bar roundabout I saw a bloke come the other way dressed in INEOS Grenadiers kit. My first thought was that it was a Saddo dressed up, then I wondered if it was an INEOS Grenadiers Academy rider as they haven't been rebranded as Netcompany INEOS. When I got back I looked on Strava as I had come back the other way and saw that Ben Swift had been out for a ride. Thought pro riders were always supposed to wear team kit on their rides, maybe he hasn't been given enough of the latest kit to wear. He didn't ride the British champs on Sunday, maybe he doesn't want people knowing he's out and about.

Didn't take enough cereal bars out with me today either. Had one half way through the ride, went to get another later and my pocket was empty. Would I bonk? Well no, I don't go full bore and it was mostly downhill from where I was so back without a wobble.
Anyway back on 40 miles to finish June on 618 and 3,346 for the year to date, 600 miles up on last year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19123002369

With there being no cycling for me to watch this week, I thought it was time to get up off my sorry arse and get out there and do more than a 40 miler. Expand your horizons Sims.

So, I did, today for the first time in two years - bloody hell, two years - I pushed it out to 50 miles. Hoorah! I've now found that my legs are dialled in for doing no more than 40...

Still, it was nice out there and lots of others were making use of the conditions. Not seen so many cyclists in ages. Some were doing similar to me going out reaching a point turning round and going back again as I saw them both ways.

Back in the day I'd have carried on from my mid-point and headed out deep in the Peak District. Back in the day I didn't waste so much time watching cycling and on a Saturday Mrs S would be up at her mum's all day so I could get out and ride. Not sure that I've got it in my legs to drop down into the Derwent Valley and climb back out of it again these days, it's a struggle to get to the top from this side!

https://www.strava.com/activities/19137041692

Another warm, dry day. Today's plan was simple: I was going to do a fondo along the Lower Westbound route. Since warmer conditions were expected after midday I set off relatively late, at about 1225.

By the time I got to King's Bromley though, I'd decided to go north from there to Sudbury, to come home along the Upper Westbound route. So I did. I took a brief diversion through Sudbury so I could go and sit on a log along there and refuel with stuff I'd bought at a petrol station - including a bag of Maltesers that subsequently melted, and a grape juice drink with chunks of "nata de coco" in it. I thought they were chunks of fruit or something but apparently they are "a chewy, translucent, jelly-like food produced by the fermentation of coconut water". Pretty disgusting to be honest, I felt like I was swallowing vomit.

After Swarkestone I came back the longer way through Weston, Aston, Shardlow and Donington. I also detoured into Barrow upon Trent, just off the usual route. Not particularly interesting. Got held up at the level crossing at Hatton. I find it odd that it's human-controlled. A bloke in high visibility gear comes out of the shed and opens and closes the gates himself.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260701crossing.avif)

Actually I went over while the red lights were still flashing. The gates had been put back. I couldn't really imagine that a train would come along and smash into them, a fraction of a second after collecting a bike. But I did have a careful look along the track.

Nice run out. Back on 111.82 km, good early start for July.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260701bike.avif)

Some nice views of planes coming in near Donington.

I finished the Reacher novel - not bad, not one of the best ones but not one of the worst. More memorably, I listened to England vs DR Congo for the last couple of hours. Tense! The final whistle went just as I was opening the garage door. Good timing.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19141825950

And to get up to 125 miles for the week I went out and did a 35 miler today. Had to do some careful plotting to avoid some snarly roadworks and still managed to find a couple of more sets I hadn't noticed, but thankfully not on busy roads.

Bit of a stiff breeze today, so had to work harder than I would have liked at times, but got a bit of free speed at others. It's the bad times you remember though.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19149697211/

Yeah in my experience wind is only ever a hindrance! When you're going faster than you might expect that's down to your own power output nothing to do with the wind.

When slower it's always the wind

Best way to mitigate the effects of a headwind is to slow down - because the resistance due to the wind increases with the square of your speed through the air (not relative to the road) and the power you need to apply to the pedals to overcome it increases roughly with the cube of your airspeed.

And unfortunately (as any fule kno) a tailwind of the same strength won't pay the energy back, which is why I'm picky about low wind days for long rides.

This is something I noted down from a conversation with ChatGPT a year or two ago:

QuoteA 10 mph wind costs about four times the extra aerodynamic energy of a 5 mph wind.

But because not all your energy is aero drag — some is rolling resistance, drivetrain losses, body metabolism, little climbs, the total ride energy may be more like:

5 mph out/back wind: maybe 8–12% more than calm conditions.

10 mph out/back wind: maybe 30–45% more than calm conditions.

So compared with the 5 mph case, the 10 mph case might cost around 20–30% more total cycling energy, assuming you ride sensibly and don't try to force normal speed into the headwind.

About 10mph today in fact.

Again, a warm, dry day. A little bit warmer this time, but I set off relatively late to allow minimal clothing for the whole ride. Maybe a mistake, because i wasn't that cool starting off, but was definitely too warm later.

I decided on the Lower Westbound again. I was going to take a slightly different route to Measham over the first few km, from Gallows Lane, which is part of a Twycrosser route. But of course my brain went into Twycrosser mode, so I avoided the turn and kept on keeping on, on autopilot.

I recovered by heading to Appleby Parva, a waypoint on an old route, via Austrey. This involved descending a hill known to local cyclists as the "ski slope". In the following photograph you can see the S Works parked at the top.

I've only ever been down there once before as far as I remember. I think I ascended it once.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260703bike.avif)

Anyway .. I joined my intended route, eventually, at Lullington. Usually I'd get there in about 19km, today I'd done 35. I continued on to King's Bromley and, same as last time, decided to come back via the Upper Westbound route. So I did that. But this time I came back south via the usual way, through Melbourne. I didn't much fancy climbing Rotter's Rise, but couldn't be bothered to detour it today. However I stopped for a rest in the shade beforehand, gulped some chocolate milkshake and some Irn Bru Zero that I'd bought at a petrol station (lovely!) and it wasn't too much of an ordeal, even in warmer conditions.

Listened mostly to Times Radio but also picked up the Dredd short stories again. Couldn't remember where I'd left off so ended up listening to a few of them for a second time. But that was fine.

Back on 108.66km, thoroughly decent start to July I feel.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19166863557

Managed a couple of hours out today before the Tour de France, on my usual one man Team Time Trial.
It was a bit of a trial when I got to a single lane section of road in Barrowhill where a couple of removal lorries were having to reverse because they couldn't get under a low bridge. "Professional Removals" it said on their vans, professional? Don't think so!

Noticed I'd got a third fastest time - for me - on a couple of segments today, don't normally bother looking at things like that but I remembered that Netcompany INEOS rider had been that way in the week, and I was faster than him, hello, Dave Brailsford got a spare place on the team ;) I then noticed quickest rider of the week was wearing a Movistar jersey, turns out it's Lucas Jackson an 18 year old on their development team.

Back on 32 miles it was enough.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19176129488

(https://i.ibb.co/CK3BK2vB/Best.jpg)

I had the idea today of going out later in the day, at about 1900, to do maybe 65km. The forecast was too warm for earlier than that.

However - after lunch I was overcome by an urge just to get on with it. It didn't seem that warm out there and I thought the cloud cover would help. So I set off at about 1325. I did a Twycrosser, with a diversion to the east through Nailstone and Hugglescote.

I did Fenn Lanes at the bottom, but I took what I hoped would be a more direct route to Bosworth from Sutton Cheney, along Bosworth Road. But because I missed a turn it ended up being a longer route along Ambion Lane and past the old Shenton Railway Station, which is still part of a heritage steam railway line.

The first couple of hours were fine but it was indeed too warm later on. A better bet would have been to set off a couple of hours earlier.

Still - good run out. Back on 61.66km. Listened to more Dredd, Times Radio and a bit of Wimbledon.

I reckon I must know the roads round these parts better than most natives of North-West Leicestershire. Isn't it odd that there's no word for "native of Leicestershire" like Lancastrian, or Devonian, or Salopian?

https://www.strava.com/activities/19191700690

Another warm day, too warm in the afternoon to go far. I thought I'd just do a Twycrosser again. Set off at about 1100, did a longish one, taking in Fenn Lanes at the bottom and Kirkby Mallory to the east.

Came up through Barlestone and Nailstone, made a nice change. Then Ellistown and Hugglescote.

Back on 65.67km.

Listened to World Cup chat, tennis and the Farage announcement on 5 Live. Also took a call from Vodafone while seated at the bench at Witherley. They wanted to talk about my upcoming broadband installation.

Loving the new wheels on the X. If I see them at less than £400 a set again I might get some for the Cannondale, or the Roubaix. Or both!

That's 5532km this year. I'm ahead of the July 7th position for every previous recorded year except for 2025 (449km behind).

Three hot days coming up.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19215356225

Around 34 miles on the road bikes this morning.

We set off quite early to avoid the worst of the heat, around 9:45am. Headed out to Crawley, Minster Lovell and on to the 'picture card' Cotswold village of Burford. Over the river Windrush at the bottom of Burford High Street heading west along the valley to Taynton. Great Barrington is on the river but to get across the A40 you must tackle the steep climb to get up the southern side of the Windrush valley.

From that point, the terrain flattens as you head south towards Filkins on a quiet single-track country lane. Before reaching Filkins, we turned towards Shilton (home of Quo drummer John Coghlan, aka 'Spud'). Alvescot, Black Bourton, Bampton and back to Witney via Lew Hill.

Lew Hill is on the direct approach to the runway at RAF Brize Norton (probably less than 250m from the end of the runway) and we just missed an A400M doing circuits as we started up the hill. We saw that it was going around so stopped to watch its next approach. Unfortunately when it came around it stayed high over the airfield. We caught it low overhead on its next circuit as we passed through Curbridge as it performed a landing approach proper.


On returning to Witney we stopped for a couple of beers outside at The Fleece Hotel to relax after a reasonable effort in warm conditions. Seemed rude not to!

I was determined that today I was going to head further out into the Peak District and do some proper climbing today, but, for one reason or another I was later setting out than I intended so went out the quicker way.

I did think I'd made the right decision as at one point I could hear a noise like ball bearings rattling around. Uh-oh, not a good sound, then it went away. Why? has whatever it is now failed? well it can't have as it still seems to be moving OK. A few miles later on it returned as I was going uphill but disappeared when I changed to the small chainring. A stop and inspection didn't reveal anything untoward so I carried on.

Five miles on it returned again only to disappear. At this point I was getting a bit paranoid, but as the bike was still moving I carried on, but at a lowered intensity, just in case. Now I have been having a bit of disc brake rub a lately and as I was now on the alert for any errant sounds that was getting louder and louder to my ears, so I made me way home. Getting back on 37 miles, rather than the intended 45.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19213795473

After watching the Tour de France I took the wheel out, made sure the cassette and disc rotor were tightened up properly - as that has been the source of strange noises before. I moved the brake callipers further apart, put the wheel back in and spun it round, all sounded fine, Mrs S walked in and the noise started. Bingo! It was the front derailleur cable rubbing against the tyre! When my mechanic had last changed the cable he hadn't put back a little plastic clip which holds the cable in position and that rubbing makes the awful noise!

At least I hope that's the end of it...

It was a warm 'un again today, but I hd to get out to see how the bike sounded today and it was completely silent :) Nice to hear, although it could be that I was taking it a bit more easily because of the heat. Riding around a gear lower than normal whenver I could remember.

Yet another slower time up the Col de Wigley to, but I wasn't going to flog myself going up it, although it was only the last steep bit where dropping down a gear led to me losing 6 seconds over last week.

Then just meandered round the tops before diving back down Cutthhorpe. Bugger, it had only just become safe to ride at speed after a tar and gritting and they've had to redo half of it. Don't like downhill on gravel.

Just managed a 16 mph average for the 40 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19227912685

A hot day was forecast. But the new bridge at Zouch is said to be open to traffic now, so I thought I'd go and have a look. Wanted to be back before the thermometer climbed north of 30C. But it was a reasonable 24C when I set off at 0915.

So I went and had a look. It was quiet along there. There was, genuinely, No-one at the Bridge when I arrived there. I suppose the local traffic hasn't yet got used to the idea that it's open.

Nothing spectacular - just a perfectly serviceable new road bridge running parallel to the old one, which is now being demolished. You can see the old one to the left in the following image.

(https://i.ibb.co/gbBXKyrb/260907.avif)

So anyway I went over the bridge, into Nottinghamshire then took a left into Sutton Bonington. Then I came back over the bridge, then took the long way home through Long Whatton, Diseworth, Top Brand, Griffydam. Back on 48.10 km, by which time it was definitely getting too warm to operate a bicycle.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260907windmill.avif)

Listened to Robert Jenrick guest-presenting on LBC for a few minutes, then Times Radio.

I'm glad the new bridge is open but the closure was helpful in a way. It prompted me to sort out a route through Loughborough which will be useful for longer rides.

The road is still closed further along Rempstone Road, where they're demolishing and rebuilding a bridge over a railway line. But I can detour that via Sutty Bonner and I'd usually go via Stanford anyway.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19242821255

A little bit cooler today, still too warm for cycling in the afternoon, at least for long. But I thought I'd get a fondo in if I got up early enough. I set off at 0845.

I did the eastbound route, over the new bridge again, along Paudy Lane. Stopped after 49km and turned back, estimating that if I came back via Narrow Lane and Wymeswold then did the Sutton Bonington detour, I'd be back on just about 100km.

Not a bad guess - 101.53km.

I stopped along Clawson Lane to check on the two AA batteries I'd left along there in a sealed plastic bag. Last time I checked on them I had the impression that they'd somehow become stuck together. Looked closer - they were still in a bit of the original plastic wrap, not stuck together at all. I'm unlikely to need them in the next few weeks so I tested them in my DAB. They seem fine. I ran them for a couple of hours on the way home.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260711bike.avif)

I also stopped at the East Midlands Electrity Board station, a little off-road facility near Grimston. Last time I was there, on the way back from a long ride, I left behind an empty yoghurt pot and water tin, because I couldn't be bothered to find space in my backpack and hadn't brought a plastic bag. They were still there three weeks later. So this time I brought them home with me. I also saw another couple of bits of litter so I brought those as well.

Listened to a special Iain Dale show on LBC about the frequently wrong but always wonderful Ann Widdecombe. Quite touched by the outpouring of love for her from the various contributors and callers. I winced when Jacob Rees-Mogg started expressing his belief in the supernatural, though. Crazy stuff.

497 km done this month now.

I was a bit too cool for the first 10km. But definitely too warm for the last 20.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19269950368

Cool again today, due to warm up in the afternoon but thankfully only to about 24C. The wind was coming from the east, but I thought I'd do the southbound route.

I made a substantial modification. To avoid the climb through Earl Shilton, I took a long(ish) detour via Desford and Hinckley Road. Was it worth it? No, not really. Boring, busy roads.

After Kimcote, as I've done a few times recently, I went north-east through Walton and alomg Mowsley Lane. Then I saw a left turn called Mere Road, so since I only had another couple of klicks to do before turning back, I took it. Just to explore a bit.

But this took me ultimately back toward Walton. I'd looped round. Seemed a bit perverse to turn back so I just kept going and headed back the shorter way.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260713bike.avif)

Made up the distance by doing a brief detour to Ashby Magna then later, the long way detour along West Lane, east of Ellistown. Didn't bother with the Desford detour, just came back the usual way through Kirkby Mallory.

Actually had leggings on for the first 60km or so. A bit too warm over the last 20. I should look for a lightweight long-sleeved top that I can backpack easily. But what I like mainly about the ones I have is that they have a handy set of pockets.

Listened to more Dredd, Times Radio, LBC, 5 Live. 101.27km.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19295955334

It's getting back into it after time off time again. Went out for a 26 miler on Sunday which was OK, even set a best time - for me - up a hill I'd done over 60 times before. Thought at my age I was beyond beating best times - unless I started riding new roads.

Went out today and took it up to a 40 miler and felt a bit jaded. Kept running into busy roads round Heath as well, took diversions to escape them and then found the probable cause of them - a Horse drawn funeral cortege.

Paid a return visit to the hill where I set my PB on Sunday and took another seven seconds off it. Didn't mean to, but I went past a group of three cyclists who were just setting off from a stop and as I was going fairly quickly at the time I decided to keep the pace up so they didn't come by. I needn't have bothered, I found them on Strava and their best times were about three minutes slower than mine.

Nice enough ride, bit like today's Tour de France stage, constant up and down, thankfully the ups weren't as uppity :)

https://www.strava.com/activities/19308431119

Wish today's ride had been as flat as today's Tour de France stage, but hey, we can't have everything. Seems I did the same ride a fortnight ago, can't remember it, thought it was more like four weeks ago. Old age and memory.

No best segment times today, or even top three, but did do my best power output for 45 mins and 30 mins, didn't think I was pushing that hard.

Cloudy start to the ride, cloudy early middle of the ride, then at my furthest point from home the clouds cleared and back in bright sunshine. What did I do to turn righteous? Back on 40 miles anyway.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19322524126

Managed to squeeze another 40 miles out of the legs today. They were feeling a bit out of sorts, I blame sitting for 6 hours on a plane last week.

It had warmed up again today and with the legs feeling lethargic I kept to low level roads, but did take in some new ones in Nottinghamshire. Not many, but enough. I thought Notts would be flat, but there were a couple of kickers involved, both on narrow roads and at both of the traffic appeared behind me just as I was about to ascend, bet that made their day. After that it was a drag up a road which was more gravel than the nearby gravel trails, with deep potholes between the gravel patches. Not enjoyable.

Then found the burnt field near Scarcliffe which made local news this week. It impressed me so much I went round to visit another side of it. OK, I'm not that sad, I was just putting in a loop to help me get to 40 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19335898147/

My plan for today was to do either a fairly simple eastbound ride or a more complicated route that I devised last night, which would follow the eastbound route for 40km or so, then go north into Nottinghamshire as far as a place called Cropwell Bishop, then north-east to a place called Sutton, then south-east through Redmile to join the eastern end of Long Lane, which is a long, flat quiet stretch of road that I'm fond of. Finally I'd come back through Harby, Hose, Long Clawson and Nether Broughton, which I've done quite a few times before as a sort of alternative eastbound route.

I got up at about 0830 and decided to do the complicated route. Set off at about 1000 on the Roubaix.

About 85 metres later, the saddle collapsed! Fortunately I wasn't hurt. But one of the two large steel retaining bolts on the seat post had just snapped.

I wheeled it back to the garage and set off on the X instead.

Long story short: I didn't do the route I intended. I took a wrong turn before Cropwell Bishop and ended up taking an unwanted short cut to Harby. Still fun apart from some terrible road surfaces, still a bit of an adventure, but not quite what I wanted. On top of that I took a wrong turn after Long Clawson and ended up pedalling back up to the "usual" eastbound route.

I added distance by taking in Paudy Lane, then coming back the Long Whatton / Diseworth / Coleorton way. I'd come east through Loughborough but going back that way always feels like a slog. I will use the new bridge at Zouch coming back west, and I did that today.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260716bike.avif)

I stopped at Long Clawson for a rest on the bench there in the shade with a Magnum ice cream from the village shop. Nice.

Photo taken at a little wharf north of Hickling.

A bit uncomfortably warm later on.

As for the seat post - I should be able to repair it easily enough with a new bolt but what if that had happened 100km from home? I've ordered 20 high-tensile steel replacement bolts anyway. I have a suspicion that the ones that came with the seat posts are generic steel.

(https://i.ibb.co/PGhfGhZP/accu.avif)

Another 120.73km in the bag anyway.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19339530081

The first Boardman has developed an annoying rumbling vibration at the rear that's evident when you apply pressure to the pedals.

In the past I've fixed this by replacing the cassette along with the chain, so I've just bought a new one.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/newcassette.avif)

I could probably extend the life of my cassettes by replacing the chain a bit more frequently and diligently, but 8-speed cassettes are not that expensive.

The Boardman has done 28864 km and it's been through three cassettes now. They cost about £16 so actually, I spend about 17p on cassette wear and tear every 100km.

By contrast to be fair the original cassette on the X has lasted about 18,700km. Or did I replace it when I bought the new wheels? Can't remember!

Yesterday, I swapped in a new cassette and chain on Boardman 1. After I sized and connected the chain on the stand, I gave it a spin round by hand. It seemed a little bit noisy, rough.

I checked it carefully. The chain was the right length, it was routed properly. Certainly I'd fitted the cassette correctly. So I lubed it (usually I just leave the grease a new chain is packed in as a lube for 200km or so) and left it.

This morning it seemed a bit better. So I decided I'd take the Boardman with me today. Usually I wouldn't do more than a shortish ride on a bike with a new component, let alone two. But I was anxious to see that it was OK.

I intended to do an eastbound ride, taking in a few miles of Long Lane at the far end. Set off at about 0950. Cooler weather today, still warm enough for bare legs.

Got as far as the other end of the new bridge - the road had been dressed with dusty gravel. I turned back over the bridge and pedalled up the A6 to Kegworth, then I went round Sutty Bonner in the hope of evading the gravel, but when I reached Rempstone Roard it was there as well (not surprising really - only about 2km further along the main road).

So: back and down through Sutty, to go through Normanton and Stanford on Soar. Then east past Walton, along Paudy Lane.

Along Paudy Lane I noticed a small group of sheep next to a farmer's fence. Nothing odd about that, except one of them was on the wrong side of the fence. I stopped. It looked like it had come over a stile. I hoped I'd be able to shoo it back over, but although the other sheep all legged it, it didn't move. I approached it cautiously. It was caught up in a thorny bush. So I decided I'd rescue it.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260718bike.avif)

I managed to snap one of the long, thorny stalks it was attached to. Using a cycling mitten to protect my fingers, I managed to remove another from its fleece.

The sheep really wasn't happy about this, despite my best intentions. I wasn't completely sure I wasn't going to get bitten (do sheep do that?). It definitely wasn't enjoying the attention. But at this stage, it was able to struggle away from the bush. And the human.

I hoped that, at this point, it would climb over the stile again and back into the field to join its mates. But it scooted off along the fence, still on the wrong side. I thought of trying to outflank it then shoo it back toward the stile. But at this point it was the other side of a ditch and some trees.

I gave up. I'll just have to hope it did find its way back along the fence to the stile. I think it probably did, they have a strong herd instinct.

I continued on, down the hill to Long Clawson, but only went east as far as Stathern. I'd already added about 20 unintended kilometres so I gave Long Lane a miss. Came back up the hill to Eastwell. Back through Loughborough, then something I haven't done for years - I ascended Snell's Nook Lane and Copt Oak Road, before coming through Coalville. Horrendous climbing, but made a change. I definitely irritated some motorists behind me coming up the hill past some roadworks, though.

The new chain and cassette did feel a bit rough to start off, but they seemed to bed in and were fine after about 40km. I suspect the initial roughness might be due to the shelf-life of the factory grease having expired - it had been in the garage for a couple of years.

Listened to the last of the Dredd short stories, LBC, Times Radio, a bit of 5 Live.

Back on 126.87km. 846km this month, 6030 this year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19366511969

Managed to get an hour and a half in after watching the TdF. Nice temperature today, proper Goldilocks weather as it wasn't too windy either.

One thing I don't like is bloody eScooters, they're a total menace. Had one pass me today, kid on it must have been doing 25mph. Balaclava wearing kid too, obviously a wrong 'un. We need the filth to catch them and crush them - and the scooters.

Got 25 miles in for 145 in the week.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19366423483/

3rd Fondo of the Summer yesterday. A cool start gradually warmed up until by the end was very warm.

A slowish start as we were with an old member of Trim Wheelers who was not quite up to speed. We left her in Trim after 33 Kms and at that point decided to go for the Fondo. Bit of an unstructured route solely designed with jetting the Kms in.

After a fondo in each of May, June and now July, I'm hopeful of keeping that run going in August, September and October

I only wanted to do a shortish ride today. Also wanted to test the new seat post bolts that I applied to the Roubaix yesterday.

I would have done a Twycrosser but unusually, a warm wind was coming from the north. I set off at 1245 intending to go up Top Brand, then make it up as I went along.

What I did was to take a left at Isley Walton, go up over Swarkestone Bridge then flirt with the outskirts of Derby at Chellaston. I was going to go up Infinity Park Way, a fairly recent road that skirts Derby to the south-west through a new(ish) industrial estate. But somehow I took a wrong exit at the roundabout over the A50, and took the old road right up into Chellaston. I managed to weave my way through a new housing estate toward Infinity Park Way. From there I went up to the old Rolls-Royce test site.

Then I came back down - through Ticknall and Hartshorne. I decided I'd grit my teeth and face Bastard Hill.

And yet - I found myself approaching Hartshorne without having faced the aforementioned challenging hill. Whisky Tango Foxtrot?

Looking at the map it looks like I missed a left turn. But I'm a bit confused to be honest. It was never so easy to avoid Bastard Hill in the past. Some people argue that the Large Hadron Collider has changed reality. Perhaps that's what happened.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260720bike.avif)

Back through Woodville and Ashby. Hadn't been that way for a while. Nice run out.

Listened mostly to 5 Live. Sad news about Kevin Keegan and lots of speculation about the Burnham cabinet on the day that he's become PM.

The photo was taken from Stanton Hill, near Ticknall. The building on the skyline is a WW2 pill box. Built in 1940 or 1941 to prepare for an invasion that never happened and farmers have had to work around it ever since. Difficult to imagine German infantry advancing along the A514 from the south, but that's exactly the scenario it was built for.

Fun run out, another 60.20km in the bag.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19390067044

There's been a bit of illness kicking around at the Tour de France, sore throats and fever. Think I must have caught a bit of it as I have a sore throat and a bit of a thick head - nothing new there though - but it was another Golidlocks day, bit of cloud, bit of sun, warm but not hot and next to to breeze, so you have to get out there.

On the advice of Dr. Mrs S, I didn't head for the hills and stayed on the low roads so as to not over exert myself. Wasn't too sure where to go to get up to 40 miles but I just ambled around a bit round Shirland before heading back. Sore throat now appears to have gone, but my heads throbbing a bit.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19402210748

Feeling a bit more like it I decided to head back to the hills today, doing a similar ride to last Tuesday, but taking a different, hillier, ride out to Stubley Hollow in Dronfield. After that it was more or less the same. Ended up with a slightly lower average speed than last week, but that's down to having to do more climbing per mile.

Plenty of other cyclists out today, misanthropic sociopath that I am, I got thoroughly pissed off with having to wave back at them and answer their greetings. Bastards. Quite a few women among them today, but most certainly not my type.

Another 40 miles means I'm over 500 miles for July, nearly 600 miles up on this time last year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19416886285

I thought I'd probably do a fondo today. But I woke up quite early and, in a rare spontaneous moment, decided to do a longer one - at least 161km, or if you like an 'imperial fondo' (100 miles y'see).

So I got up, got a few things together and was off and away at about 0720.

There are a few variations of the eastbound route now, but this time I went out via Loughborough and along Paudy Lane.

I went as far as the bridge under the A1 near South Witham having done 73km. Then I turned back, intending to add distance either by coming through Kegworth, or doing some other detour, or combination of them. The road along there was still a bit rough from a recent gravel resurfacing effort so I didn't want to go much further eastbound.

Well - I came back through Burton on the Wolds, Long Whatton and Diseworth but it was apparent that I still wasn't going to return on the requisite distance. So I looped up to Kegworth and came down the A6, to go through the junction at Zouch a second time. I still had to faff around the village for a km or so.

Pleased to see that the gravel they chucked down near the new bridge has actually been covered in tar now. I hate it when they just dump the stuff and leave it.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260722bike.avif)

I was really fortunate with the weather, I think. Cool and cloudy. Actually I regretted having stashed a couple of layers in a hedge in the camo bag after about 38km. My arms were a bit too cool for about an hour. The absence of bright sunshine or excessive heat made it a breeze, until about 1500 when I was back in Leicestershire. Conditions were a couple of degrees cooler 50km to the east.

Thinking about it - it would have been an ideal day to do a proper long run out to east Lincolnshire. Would have been a little bit cooler when I returned to Leicestershire. But - I didn't really feel like it. Happy enough with 161.71km.

Listened to Times Radio, LBC, 5 Live.

That's a rather healthy 1068km this month now. Still a week left before August kicks in and if I can do another 270km in that time - feels doable - I'll have a new monthly distance record.

Pic taken at Waltham on the Wolds, once the home of Bob Grant, Jack from On the Buses.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19421368390

^^ great spot for a pic, watched over by the all seeing eye.
Only thing missing (after reading it's former inhabitant) is a bus stop.

Ever watched On The Buses, in its day I thought it was great, but looking back it's abysmal! Nasty, lowest common denominator, shite.

It was so bad I felt sorry for Blakey, the dictatorial supervisor as he was relentlessly picked on and mocked by the 2 main "heros" of the show.

I'm sure the actor himself was a decent guy

Some of those old sitcoms have aged really badly. The ITV ones especially, really. Actually I think I'll start a sitcom thread, it's quite an interesting topic.

I thought I'd do a shorter ride today as the Tour Coverage had an earlier start today, but things have a habit of changing.

I went out over some roads I'd not done for seven years, I remember why now, climbs! Not long ones but steep rampy ones. Got over them OK, probably better than my riding on the flat today, but that involved some roads I'd never ridden before which weren't as flat as I thought they would be.

When I decided to make my return home I came across a "Road Closed" sign, now I hadn't seen anything about a Road Closure on the Derbyshire roadworks site and normally I will give it a go to get through, but I chickened out on this as if it did turn out to be closed I'd have had to come back up a very steep ramp, which I did not fancy. The nearest alternative chucks you out at Motorway junction so I took the long way back to rack up 42 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19431197628/

Wanted to do a fondo today. I'm quite keen to break my monthly distance record and would have liked to do more, but as usual recently the forecast for the afternoon was "too warm". So I set off reasonably early, at 0850. Late enough that I didn't have to take a fleece and tights, though I did wear a thin nylon long sleeve top for the first 25km or so.

The wind was coming from the west so I did a Lower Westbound. But rather than going up to Abbots Bromley from Kings Bromley, I went down the A515 toward Lichfield, then looped round Handsacre, then up the A515 to Yoxall. Just nice, flat, well-surfaced, easy kilometres.

Then back down to Kings Bromley and back the way I came, except that I took a detour into Alrewas to sit and refuel on the bench there. Only done that once before, and I recall that I was listening to an LBC report on how disastrously the Tories' election campaign was going. Rishi had just returned early from the D-Day commemorations and some senior Tories were privately saying the election was already lost. They weren't wrong. So it was two years ago already.

Anyway.. nice out there, it wasn't really too bad in the afternoon. I wish I lived on lower ground though, every bike ride involves climbing the last 15-20km.

Back on 105.26km, 165 to squeeze in before August.

That's eight fondos in July and I've only done that many in a month twice before.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19459829082

Didn't even get a half Fondo in today, but that was fine by me. I was exhausted from watching the TdF today! Told Mrs S I'd be out for 30 miles and that's what I did. I'm getting good at telling her a time or distance I'll be out for and then nailing it. Must be doing the same rides over and over...

Actually, today was a bit different, instead of turning round half way up a climb to get back on the right distance I carried on to the top to do a loop round and got back on the right distance. Set my fastest ever time up the climb which was satisfying, especially as I wasn't really going for it to start with as I was looking for the turn round spot. Once I'd decided to press on I pressed on. In my mind I was Torito.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19462469217

Well, that was unusual, well, unusual for the last few weeks. It rained. I was hoping to get another 30 miles in to get to my cyclingest ride of the year setting out at 14:30 so I could see the last stage of the tour.

Well, 14:30 which was the time by which the rain should have stopped was rainier than at any other time of the day. It also looked on the rainfall radar that there was a conveyor belt of showers heading my way. Bum.

However, at three they started melting away so, nearly an hour late I managed to get out and I managed to get my 30 miles in. I also burned round my parcours in my probable fastest average speed of the year. It was helped by a semi favourable wind on the way out, but which was a semi unfavourable one on the way back. Luckily although the Tour stage has started they were still pissing about and not racing properly. Result.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19475317316

Thought it might be rather nice to go down the Meriden Gap today, but my main objective was to do about 110km, to get the monthly distance record within easy reach.

I set off at about 1010. Encountered a ROAD CLOSED sign down Ashby Road toward Twycross and it didn't look like I'd get past the roadworks, so I took a detour to the east. Usually I only come up (ie northward) that way, not down, and looking at the map now I took a pretty illogical route. But that was fine, I quite enjoyed the challenge. Rejoined my intended route at Sheepy Magna.

Then along the A5 for a bit and down the usual way through Kingsbury, south through Whitacre Heath as far as Maxstoke. Then I came back up, via a slightly shorter route.

(http://bikediary.uk/images/260727bike.avif)

Nice run out, a bit different. Back on 109.69.

Cloudy and cool early on (I could almost say cold) but I wrapped up warm. Hot and sunny by 1400 or so, by which time I was down to minimal attire.

That's 1283km this month, which curiously is exactly the same distance I did in July 2025 to within 150 metres, over the same number of rides (13). But.. I have time for at least one more ride this month.

Pic taken along Castle Lane, my favourite bit of the Meriden Gap. About 15km to the east of Birmingham city centre, and about 5km from the outskirts of the city, not counting Coleshill.

Listened mostly to 5 Live.

Trialled my new Reactolite varifocals - they go from completely clear to sunglasses dark. Very handy for cycling.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19487912428

Got the new week off to a start today. After feeling good on Sunday it felt like a slog today, I think it was a change from a WNW to a SW wind that did it, got more of a cross tail wind on Sunday, more of a cross headwind today. It started warming up a bit as well.

I had planned on heading out to Baslow and the Peak District today, but finding that roadworks had sprung up in Baslow changed my plans. Now it's the Summer holidays it can get snarly round there at the best of times so better avoided, you get too many folk wanting to come by as soon as the lights change.

So as ever when changing plans I headed out to Tibshelf - and beyond - managing to vary the way by taking a bit of road I'd never ridden before. Which was nice, if a bit uphill.

Plenty of other people out on bikes today, normally don't see so many out that way. Maybe they'd decided to avoid Baslow too. Once again another 40 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19499345803

Seems like it's getting harder. Might be a weather thing, I noticed a local rider who I follow on Strava said that for his ride yesterday the air felt heavy - and it did and it did again today - and he's just back from riding in France. Just felt like more effort to do anything yet the power meter was as normal.

Anyhow, enough moaning, for a couple of seconds, as I did my slowest time of the year - out of three - up to Barlow Grange. Should get quicker as the year goes on, but looking at it the wind direction has been more against me every time. That's it, blame the wind.

Yes, the wind that in the BBC forecast was a gentle breeze most certainly wasn't. It is now, but it wasn't when I was on the road. The wind even led me to get a PB on a segment on the way back. I'd have been even quicker, but a load of flying straw bits from a field being harvested got stuck in my throat and made me cough. It's a hard life.

Got my forty miles in though, that's all I wanted.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19514300824

Well today, I set off into the rain. Didn't thonk it was set in, but it took about five miles to fizzle out, not that there was too much intensity to it. It did keep trying to make another appearance, but it never threatened an intensity where you would have to man up. The air didn't seem as thick today either.

Once again the ride I'd planned to do didn't happen as loada of new roadworks had sprung up which looked as if they were causing delays. So I just rode abuut quite locally doing what in my mind was a mini Flanders classic, lots, well three or four, of little kicker hills. Managed to getmy forty miles in without even getting as far as Tibshelf.

That's July's cycling done for me now, got in 725 miles with 47,000 feet of climbing.

https://www.strava.com/activities/19528281572