Cycling 2026

[Nickslikk2112]

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

[Slim]

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.

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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.

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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.

[Nickslikk2112]

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

[Nickslikk2112]

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

[Slim]

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.

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.

[Nickslikk2112]

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

[Fishy]

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..

[Nickslikk2112]

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

[Slim]

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.

[Thenop]

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

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.

[Nickslikk2112]

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

[Slim]

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.

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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.

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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

[Nickslikk2112]

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

[dom]

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

[Nickslikk2112]

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