Cycling 2025

[Nickslikk2112]

Just 32 miles for me today. Was out "partying" yesterday. Didn't drink too much, but I was suffering from a surfeit of Sausage Rolls.

Managed a reasonably gentle ride today, a decent enough average speed, but didn't let the Heart rate get into the red, well, only for 19 seconds.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15492718614/

[Nickslikk2112]

Bit of a grey day today. I think Summer's gone and with the roads festooned with dropped leaves it looks like Autumn's here already.

I thought it had been a long time since I'd ridden up to the tops, but it's less than a fortnight. How time sometimes doesn't fly. Altitude gain meant precipitation though, first of all from Middle Handley to Coal Aston, then from Holmesfield to the top of Wigley. Nothing too bad, got to be drizzle on the verge of rain at times and even though it wasn't the warmest of days it never chilled me down.

Saw another dead Badger today, not nice to see, but with the amount at the side of the road there must be a decent population of them about.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15511631570/

[Slim]

Just a quick one today, and an unusual one. The wind's still coming from the east but I didn't fancy yet another eastbound route so soon. I had a vague idea of going over to Markfield, maybe Kirby Muxloe.

In the end I did neither. The usual route down to Kirkby Mallory then left to Peckleton. I think I've done that maybe twice before. Then onto Hinckley Road which was not pleasant, up to Newtown Unthank, from there up to Thornton across the reservoir.

Then in an explorative spirit I took the road to Stanton from Thornton, again something I think I might have done once or twice before in total. Quite nice along there though, deathly quiet. Then Ellistown, Ibstock, home.

49.46km, not as much as I intended but that's fine.

Cloudy out there, a little windy but warm. Listened to 5 Live for a bit then another couple of hours of Reacher.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15513610989

[Nickslikk2112]

Another coolish grey day, bit sunnier and a bit warmer than yesterday, but also a bit windier. Not a lot, but a bit.

Wasn't too sure which way to go out as yet more traffic light controlled roadworks had appeared. It's bad enough with traffic at normal light controlled junctions, but through roadworks it's a free for all to try and get by the cyclist, notwithstanding the fact that the cyclist is travelling as fast as the vehicles in front of him and the road is one lane wide.

I managed to wiggle my way out round them and headed out through Tibshelf to Shirland and back through Tibshelf again. The NNE breeze meant I lost average speed on the way back wen it normally picks up. Of course I was faster out than usual, but that's not the tailwind, that's just me being "On It"...

https://www.strava.com/activities/15524048803/

[Nickslikk2112]

Late out today. Had little brother staying with us for a couple of nights. Didn't impact me the last couple of days, but I wanted to make sure he'd gone before I left so I didn't get out until after 11:30 which only gave me a couple of hours. I told Mrs S I'd be back at 13:30 and I was on the dot! Might have been earlier if I hadn't had to wait for ages at a couple of junctions.

Then again I had to put a bit more effort in than I wanted on a couple of occasions, had a Tractor behind me for three miles which I didn't want to pass me, I could hold it off on the flat and drop it off downhill, but it had the better of me going uphill. Then I had a Tipper Truck behind me for a couple of miles, where I really had to cane it to put it off doing a reckless overtake. Luckily its flat front pushed a big wave of air in front of it which gave me a bit of a boost. But when you're going uphill and they're coming down the other way the bow wave nearly knocks you off! I don't know what they're doing but up one hill five of them came down the other way whilst I was going up.

Today's 31 miles got me over 100 for the week. Hoepfully get to 150.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15535388897/

[Slim]

I may do a long one on Saturday so I didn't want to push myself too hard today. About 60km would do, I thought. The wind's still coming from the east for the time being so I thought I'd go eastbound, maybe West Leake and Sutton Bonnington, and come back.

After Cotes though I decided to do something else - just to explore a bit. So I took the road I normally take to Walton, but kept going instead of turning left. Before long I found myself in Barrow upon Soar. Hadn't been there on a bike since about 2018. But the traffic was heavy going into the village and I got stuck in a queue, so I u-turned. Took a right at the next roundabout, just in the spirit of adventure. Hadn't been along there before - the north-eastern extremity of Barrow - but it wasn't very interesting. From there I found my way to Paudy Cross Roads, then left to Walton and back home the usual way, or one of them, from there.

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Cooler than of late. I had a fleece and tights on early on.

LIstened to another three hours or so of Personal on my new Majority MP3 player. Works well. Has bluetooth, and I like to use wireless earbuds sometimes these days. Back on 65.55km.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15538055523

[Nickslikk2112]

I'm still watching too much cycling. Today's Vuelta stage went on too long with not much happening. I ended up just having time for a couple of hours.

I thought I was taking it steadily today, but I can't have been. The old Heart Rate was up - I was blaming a heavy lunch - but it seems as if I was putting a decent amount of effort in, indeed I put in some good times on some climbs, beating my previous best on the Walton Back Lane leg warmer. Bit down-heartening to then find it was the equal second fastest of the day with six other people! At least I beat them all on the longer Harewood Road climb

https://www.strava.com/activities/15561337003/

[Slim]

The intention was to set off at 0800, maybe 0900 on a longish road out east today. But I woke up at 0500 and didn't fall asleep again. Alexa reported the outside temperature as tolerable. I dozed for another half hour, got up and was away at about 0700.

Went eastward through Standord and Walton, as is my recent habit. Involves a nasty climb just after Walton, but it makes a nice change.

I turned down onto the A15 just after midday then turned eastward at Baston, and onto the Fens. Kept going for about 10km, then turned for home at about 1255.

I got the clothing strategy spot on - very comfortable in tights and a fleece under my top when I set off, very comfortable without them when I stashed them in a hedge 37km later. Ideal conditions mostly - plenty of cloud, mild, dry, very light wind. I usually pick a hot sunny day for a ride out onto the Fens, much more comfortable today.

I noticed a village shop out of the corner of my eye as I passed through Thurlby. It had a bench outside, so I stopped there. Curiously, someone had left a camera tripod with a note saying FREE on the bench.

Came back, as usual, through Wymeswold and Rempstone.

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The outward leg was a breeze, couldn't believe how quickly the time had passed when I gt to Lincolnshire. Speaking of a breeze I was supposed to get a mild tailwind on the way east, then another one on the way back. I thought it was too good to be true, and it was. Definitely had a light headwind for much of the way back.

Listened to the last couple of hours of the Reacher novel - it concludes quite nicely, with a twist I didn't see coming. I don't think it's one of the best ones, it feels a bit lightweight. Not quite so much tension. But it's unusually coherent and quite a nice idea.

I also listened to three Goon Show episodes in a compendium I've bought on Audible, including the classic Dreaded Batter Pudding Hurler of Bexhill-on-Sea, first broadcast in 1954. Brilliant. And some footy on 5 Live.

Back on 212.39km. That, according to Strava, was my 14th longest bike ride.

I suppose this was probably my last chance to get onto the Fens this year, maybe not. Disappointed with myself for not going all the way to Foul Anchor this year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15561970525

[Nickslikk2112]

Not been feeling 100% the last couple of days. Not been sleeping too well, been waking up in a sweat and have been plagued with bad dreams.

So what do you do if you're not feeling 100%? You see if you can ride it off, that's what! Does it work? Not really.

Just done a couple of 27 milers which gets me over 500 miles for August and over 4,000 miles for the year. Fully intended them to be easy rides, but they felt harder. There was a fairly strong Southerly today which I spent too long riding into. Today was the flattest ride I've done all year and yet my average speed was the same as on a hill ride on Saturday. Didn't help that traffic was queueing all the way down Ducky Hill because of a broken down Range Rover further up the road. Don't like constant clipping and unclipping or riding with one foot unclipped going uphill.

[Fishy]

Did 36 miles today to get the trip mileage up to 3000..  gloriously sunny day but one hell of a strong wind.. it made some stretches a real slog.. next few days look very mixed up here but hopefully out again this week

[Nickslikk2112]

And out again for the fourth day in a row. Was supposed to take it steadily, thought I did take it steadily, but the Garmin reckoned I was at VO2 max, despite lower average power and same average heart rate as yesterday. It's all beyond my comprehension.

Maybe the Garmin's playing up, it won't charge up past 94%. I'll try a new USB cable. Just tried it again on the usual one and it was going a bit bonkers.

Today was a slight variation on a Tibshelf theme, nicer temperature today and the wind though as strong as yesterday wasn't ever as in your face. Got 33 more miles in.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15591411360/

[Slim]

Warm and dry in the afternoon, according to the forecast. Just wanted to do a Bypasser to get me over four (metric) figures for the month. Had a busy morning sorting out my third and final company pension; completing, scanning and emailing forms. But I was away by 1425 or so.

I did an unremarkable Bypasser. I did get rained on for a few minutes about 15 minutes into the ride, but apart from that it was pleasant.

Came back up along the main road as far as Gibbet Lane, then a detour through Ibstock. Back on 56.23km which is roughly what I intended.

I listened to 5 Live mostly but also a Goon Show episode, The Phantom Head Shaver (of Brighton). I must admit, brilliant though it undoubtedly was, The Goon Show can also be embarrassingly puerile, largely due to Peter Sellers' comedic incontinence. Or perhaps I'm just too old, now. I can only imagine what folks of a certain age thought of it in 1954.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15596181364

[Nickslikk2112]

With the weather showing signs of becoming more normal i.e. regular spells of rain coming I thought I'd see how long I could do before any rain started. The answer was about an hour and forty. Luckily it didn't rain much - I was on rim brakes - and just provided the odd damp patch. I had thought that the whole two hours would stay dry. Once again I have been reminded that thinking just isn't worth it.

With the threat of rain I just stayed local and made more of a concerted effort to take it steadily. It must have been a partial success as the ride was done at Tempo. I think I'll just have to sit on the bike and go nowhere to achieve a Base level ride.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15603706963/

[Nickslikk2112]

And out again today for the sixth day in a row and managed to be back before the rain. OK they haven't been long rides, about 30 miles a day, but it adds up. I did think I'd feel it in the legs a bit more today, but they felt as good, if not better as they had all week, maybe yesterday's easier ride helped.

I was under orders not to venture too far from home today, as International Rescue - the wife and boy - were out for the day and wouldn't be able to come to my aid, which if a tubeless tire hadn't sealed after a puncture they would have done.

Managed my longest ride in the past week, 35 miles and it could be the last of the Summer on the Giant TCR as with it now looking to turn wetter I'd rather be on a bike with disc brakes. If it is the last then I'm glad to have set a new PB on the climb up from Wheeldon Mill. They call it a "Sprint" climb. It's a crawl at best for me. Also took the opportunity to take a quick pic of the bike against a field gate.

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https://www.strava.com/activities/15615308159/

[Slim]

Rain was due over this afternoon. I hadn't been out on a bike for a few days but it's been a pretty good cycling month and I thought a Bypasser would do nicely for today. So that's what I did. Set off at about 1010.

I sometimes claim that no two Bypassers are exactly alike but it's not really true, and I've probably done this particular version a few times. Up to Ashby, down to Norton, across to Warton, Ratcliffe Culey, Sibson Lane, Bosworth, Heather.

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Listened mostly to a phone-in on LBC about the illegal immigration crisis, then footy on 5 Live.

The precipitation was due to arrive between 1300 and 1400 but in practice it sometimes turns up an hour earlier. I was convinced I was going to get rained on any second over the last 2km. But I beat the rain home, back on 55.14km.

Took the pic at Market Bosworth.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15639013143