Cycling 2026

[Nickslikk2112]

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

[Slim]

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.

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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 Actually I've just had another look, looks like I've had those distinctions withdrawn now.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

[Nickslikk2112]

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/

[Slim]

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.

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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

[Nickslikk2112]

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

[Slim]

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.

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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

[Nickslikk2112]

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

[Slim]

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.

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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

[Fishy]

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..

[Nickslikk2112]

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/

[Slim]

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!

[Nickslikk2112]

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

[dom]

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!

[Fishy]

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..

[Nickslikk2112]

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.