Cycling 2026

[Slim]

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

[Nickslikk2112]

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

[Slim]

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

[Nickslikk2112]

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.

[Nickslikk2112]

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

[Nickslikk2112]

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

[Nickslikk2112]

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/

[Slim]

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.

Highslide Image Viewer

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.

[Nickslikk2112]

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

[Fishy]

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

[Nickslikk2112]

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.

[Slim]

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

Highslide Image Viewer

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.

[Nickslikk2112]

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

[Slim]

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

[Nickslikk2112]

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/