Cycling 2025

[Slim]

Once again: warm and sunny day with a threat of a shower early on. I only wanted to do 50-odd km and thought a Bypasser would do nicely. I set off at 1335.

But as I passed Appleby Lane I had an idea - why not do the "old" version of the Lower Westbound route for a bit? It fell out of favour because of a gnarly bit of road near Harlaston, and because it's a bit more climby. But I could turn back once I got to Harlaston. I wasn't going to go far.

So I did that, nice to go that way again although it does involve a large roundabout and the road surfaces aren't great.

Once I got to Harlaston, I remembered that the gnarly, twisty bit of road was on a right turn. I could avoid it by keeping straight on. I did that.

I was convinced that I'd never been along that way before. I really enjoyed it. Nice scenery and as an added bonus, a nice view of the transmitter at Sutton Coldfield. About 12 km away (just checked), but looks closer.

Then I arrived at a village called Wigginton, noticed the war memorial there and realised that I'd been there before. On one side is a plaque in memory of a Private Samuel Parkes, a Wigginton man who received a Victoria Cross during the Charge of the Light Brigade in 1854. He survived the battle happily, and died ten years later. Another side of the memorial has a list of men from Wigginton who died in the first and second world wars, fifteen men - and one who died in the Malayan Emergency in 1948. Another side has a blank plaque, perhaps waiting for the next lethal conflict to claim the lives of young men from the village.

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Just did a search for Wigginton through my records. I wrote this on May 13th 2018:

Missed a wrong turn at Harlaston and didn't realise until I arrived at Wigginton, a village I was sure I'd never been to before. But this turned out to be quite fortuitous, because it was perfect cycling territory. Consulted the GPX viewer app on my phone while resting on a bench opposite a memorial to a man from the village who'd won a VC at the Charge of the Light Brigade, and it turned out that I was just outside Tamworth.

Not sure that "missed a wrong turn" was the phrase I was groping for there.

I came back mostly the same way, but came the quick way after Snarestone. Nice to do something a bit different. I might plot a route to the transmitter one day.

Listened to 5 Live and more of Absolute Beginner.

Back on 62.18 km which takes me to a total of 1283 this month - my third-highest scoring month ever. I could beat my record if I do 55 tomorrow, but I don't think I will.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15288166597

[Nickslikk2112]

And out again today. Woke up and felt a bit off it, got on the bike started feeling worse, but things picked up as I rode along at a reasonably gentle pace.

Back on the Giant TCR today, being the best bike I have it doesn't take as many Watts for a given speed thus helping the taking it easy bit.

Plenty of squashed Wood Pigeons out on the road today, they are dim critters, there was a freshly splat Rat too, managed to avoid its entrails.

Felt very warm out there today, got a real sweat on, maybe it's the being a bit off it thing. The boy's been moaning about being unwell all week, I can blame him.

Today's 32 miles means I finish July on 767, best monthly mileage for a couple of years, being retired I thought I'd regularly be at 800. Too many weekend breaks and too much watching cycling hold me back.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15296842880

[Slim]

I've seen a few headless pigeons on the roads this last couple of weeks. I assume non-vehicular predators.

[Fishy]

I've seen a few headless pigeons on the roads this last couple of weeks. I assume non-vehicular predators.

We've had two fatalities in the garden.. feathers everywhere.. we suspect a sparrow hawk or maybe crows ..anyway 45 miles earlier today touring the single tracks roads of east and south Ayrshire.. very windy in places but a decent temperature..

[Slim]

Another nice day with a bit of wind from the north-west. I did the Upper Westbound route. Did a rather long detour after a few km beause I turned into Moor Lane on autopilot, but that was fine. Went up to Tonge then joined the proper route via Breedon and Lount.

Went west past Sudbury where I took the pic, then - since I didn't need to go quite so far, since I'd taken a detour - after the two roundabouts I took a left toward a place called Somersal Herbert. This degraded into one of those single track lanes with grit and stones down the middle but that was fine, I'd taken the gravel bike with this eventuality in mind.

I turned back at the point where I'd calculated I'd be back on a bit more than 100 km. I'd worked out how many km my detour had added by careful reference to my distance landmarks. But clearly my mental maths was off a bit as I arrived home on 102.70, not the 100.3ish I expected.

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A really nice day out there, coolish over the first couple of hours (I took a fleece) but very warm in the afternoon. I bought a Bounty bar at the Hatton petrol station and an hour later had to eat it off the wrapper like sludge.

Had a very long wait at the level crossing near Hilton. Odd that the gates are human-operated in this day and age, I remember automated ones as long ago as the '70s.

I would have done a much longer ride in today's conditions if the wind had been coming from the east. But options are much more limited going west. Admittedly I do Wales and back sometimes but I have to put up with a lot of busy roads to do that.

Finished Kevin Armstrong's memoir and listened to HG Wells' The First Men in the Moon, first published in 1901 and inspired by Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon, written thirty-odd years earlier. I got it free from Audible in a 27 hours HG Wells collection. Got to say the guy who reads it really gives a bravura performance - very expressive.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15322305045

[Nickslikk2112]

Having spent a hard day on the settee watching some women ride up Mountains, I thought I'd better get out for a couple of hours, so I got suited and booted. Was just about to leave the house when I got an urgent need for a number two. It's not half a faff in bib tights, no wonder Tom Dumoulin lost the Giro when he had to go dump.

Unfortunately my late departure meant I had to contend with the first end of game soccerball trafficof the season, but I only got four close passes in a mile.

I don't know how, but I set my best ever time on the "Walton Back Lane Legwarmer", I thought my bottom bracket bearings were seizing up as I rode up it, felt like wading through treacle, must have been "On It".

Wasn't very on it up Harewood Road, but still got 5/17 for the day and 1/5 for my age group, so there was a bit of a massaged ego. Then a nice last ten miles at over 20mph. That'll do.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15322328661/

[Nickslikk2112]

One of those days when I wondered if I'd get out as it was a bit showery and blustery. However the showers looked to be dissipating so I got kitted up, only for the Heavens to open. Ten minute delay.

It dried quickly though, a blustery wind helps, but it was interesting to see how localised showers can be with just one bit of road going from wet to dry to wet again in the space of a mile.

Ended up going out through Tibshelf keeping an Eagle eye on what the weather was doing, the showers though seemed to be over the hills or North of me. It was only the last five minutes where I caught the edge of a shower.

Didn't quite get as much in as I wanted, but 31 miles will do.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15351758217

[Nickslikk2112]

Being as I won't be able to get out on a bike until Sunday at the earliest, today was a must ride day. So much so that I even got out earlier then normal to make sure I did. Didn't do any more than if I'd gone out at the normal time though.

Did a repeat of Saturday's ride with a couple of loops added to get over 40 miles. Was quicker in some parts, slower in others and faster overall, but then I did do less climbing per mile. Then again recent wet roads have got me back on the heavier Bianchi, so things were on a par.

Saw a Red Deer doe disappear into a hedge in Temple Normanton, always nice to see a bit of wildlife, especially when it's heading away from the road, wouldn't have liked it to come out of the hedge in front of me!

https://www.strava.com/activities/15363955475

[David L]

Me and the wife had a lovely ride out on the road bikes today. Headed south from Witney to Standlake, Southmoor, West Hanney, Charney Bassett and Buckland where we had a lovely light lunch accompanied by Arkells 'Haze' (keg) for her and Ramsbury Gold (cask - lovely!) for me.
From there we cut through to Cote, Yelford, Hardwick, Sutton and South Leigh to quench our thirst with a couple of pints of Camden Pale (keg) at the recently re-opened Plough in Witney. We then took a short ride through town to have one for the road at The Three Horseshoes (Beavertown 'Neck Oil').
Being just shy of 40 miles we completed a couple of laps of the green on Eastfield Rd to get the forty in.
Lovely weather with light winds. Delightful!
Only a couple of dicks in cars around today but one guy in a van in town was so frustrated at having a cyclist in front of him that he felt it necessary to wave his arms around when I looked back at who was revving his engine like a twat. I think he wanted me to go faster or pull to the side to let him pass. Thing is, I was not holding him up as I was behind traffic and we approached red lights simultaneously which we both had to stop for. Idiot

[Slim]

A warm day, at least in the afternoon, with a medium-light wind coming the south-west. I did the Lower Westbound route. Got up later than I intended and left at about 1150, but plenty of time for a fondo.

Went a little bit further than I usually do that way, a couple of km past Bagot's Wood. I did mean to go and visit Blithfield Reservoir, but I missed a turn so didn't bother.

Stopped at the village shop at Abbot's Bromley for refreshments. A young lad in front of me at the till, about 12 years old at a guess, had two pound coins. He put one of them into one of the charity tins on the counter. Then when he came to buy his bottle of fizzy drink, the lady behind the counter asked him for £1.15.

There was an awkward moment, as he contemplated the single pound coin in his left hand. For a moment I thought he was going to attempt to rattle his other one out of the charity tin. So of course, having been impressed by his act of benevolence, I bought his bottle of pop for him.

The shop lady beamed, clearly touched by my act of kindness. Then she said "you weren't saving up for a cycle helmet, were you?". I was wearing a cap, because it was sunny. Funny!

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A few minutes later while consuming a white chocolate Magnum I'd just bought at a bench in the village, I got chatting to an elderly motorcyclist. He was born in Whitwick, just a few km away from chez moi. His brother lives about 2km away. He asked me how long it would take me to get home - about an hour? No I don't think so, 50km would take a bit more than that.

A bit too warm in the early afternoon so I was glad of the cloud cover that rolled over. Listened to 5 Live and more of HG Wells' The First Men In The Moon, wildly implausible even for 125 years ago I would have thought, but very entertaining.

The pic was taken at Heather, 3km from home, where the annual scarecrow festival is taking place. The exhibit behind the bike was put up today, it wasn't there in the morning. A Weetabix man, I think.

The road through Measham has been resurfaced in luxuriant tarmac, making the speed bumps a bit less prominent and a much smoother experience, especially downhill. Nice.

Back on 108.38 km.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15367905619

[dom]

The scarecrow in your pic is SpongeBob Squarepants Slim!

[Slim]

Near Spalding I noticed that the front tyre is slightly split. Definitely not buying Schwalbe Luganos again.

Took a pic. Thought I might get another 500km out of it by slapping some rubber cement in to keep thorns and bits of grit out, but I don't think so. It had done about 800km probably.

The ones I had on the Cannondale a few years ago seemed alright. But I won't take a risk on the same brand again.

Sort of an own goal really because the rubber weakened along a tread pattern that was probably decorative at most.


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[Thenop]

Near Spalding I noticed that the front tyre is slightly split. Definitely not buying Schwalbe Luganos again.

Took a pic. Thought I might get another 500km out of it by slapping some rubber cement in to keep thorns and bits of grit out, but I don't think so. It had done about 800km probably.

The ones I had on the Cannondale a few years ago seemed alright. But I won't take a risk on the same brand again.

Sort of an own goal really because the rubber weakened along a tread pattern that was probably decorative at most.


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Obviously depending on terrain and usage to some extend, but do these things have a life cycle 'guarantee'?

[Slim]

Obviously depending on terrain and usage to some extend, but do these things have a life cycle 'guarantee'?

Not sure what the warranty arrangement is, but it was sitting unused in the garage for more than a year so I'm just going to have to bin it and buy a new one.

[David L]

Obviously depending on terrain and usage to some extend, but do these things have a life cycle 'guarantee'?

Not sure what the warranty arrangement is, but it was sitting unused in the garage for more than a year so I'm just going to have to bin it and buy a new one.

Looks perished through lack of use to me