Cycling 2025

[Nickslikk2112]

Dull again today and a bit drizzly, but good enough to get out and thankfully the roads were much less busy. But then the bin lorries were out in force in Brim. Swings and Roundabouts baby.

Had a bit more limited time today as it was M&S food collection day. I was just happy to get out and ride. Now all the roadworks have cleared I was able to ride from Duckmanton to Staveley for the first time in weeks. I know ideally you'd want to ride away from Staveley, but it's more convenient that way and you have to escape it to get back home.

Managed a bit of Cyclocross at the end, managed to ride all the way up our drive - car free for once - then off the bike and carried up the steps. If only I;d thought to remount and ride round the lawn for a bit...

Got 27 miles in which takes me over 400 miles for December. Doesn't look like I'll hit 6,500 for the year, but I did miss all of February bar one day and March was a bit of a washout.

https://www.strava.com/activities/16819551204/

[Nickslikk2112]

And today it was nearly bright! Clouds were higher and occasionally broken with glimpses of the sun. So after weeks of trying - and mainly failing - to take it steadily, I thought I'd go all in and return to the Peak District for the first time since the end of October.

I soon gave up on the idea of going all-in as it's hard work and the nagging North Easterly made it hard anyway. Not very often I have to put in a good dig just to keep moving on the descent to Cutthorpe. It added a minute to what is normally a four minute or less descent.

Nice to know that I can still get up a few more proper hills, but I was surprised at how few other cyclists were out today. Maybe everyone else is doing as their wife says and is helping round the house.

I'd aimed for 37.5 miles in two and a half hours and that is what I did. Result. Leaves me with 60 miles to get to 500 in December now.

https://www.strava.com/activities/16829386133

[Fishy]

Cracking day here today.. would love to have gone out but chopping veg duties had already been assigned.. next few days look pretty good as well..

[Slim]

A dry day. Sunny! Had to go out later, and since it was rather cold as well (about 5C) I thought about 65 km would do. A fairly substantial breeze was blowing from the east so I set off on the eastbound route at about 1110.

Since the roads were pleasantly dry (made a nice change) I risked going through Stanford and Cotes, rather than Rempstone. I took the lower route from there to Six Hills, through Walton and Paudy Cross Roads. Then I turned back, returning through Burton on the Wolds (hadn't done that since the summer I believe). I did the detour through Long Whatton, Top Brand, Griffydam once back in Leics.

Nice and sunny for the first couple of hours. Cloudy later on. Fingers and toes were icy over the last hour or two.

As I pedalled through Coleorton a few km from home, four men in Santa suits came cyling toward me in single file. They all gave a cheery wave. I shouted "have your reindeer died?", which I personally thought was hilarious. Alas this was met with blank looks. I often find that my humour goes over people's heads.

Listened to LBC, 5 Live and a couple more hours of my Callan novel, Death and Bright Water. Good stuff.

Back on 73.31 km which leaves me needing another 135 to meet my recently adjusted 2025 target. The weather does look dry (if cold) for the remainder of the year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/16830829160

[Slim]

Another dry, very cold day. A cloudless sky, very bright. Had to be back by 1500 but I thought it was probably too cold for a fondo anyway. About 3C when I set off at about 1025, with a stiff wind from the east again.

I did a part-eastbound again, similar to my last ride except that I went out through Coleorton and did the Sutton Bonington detour around the Rempstone Road roadworks. Got as far as Rempstone, turned left toward Costock for a bit, came back exactly the same way.

There was a bit of frost on the road along Moor Lane early on which did make me anxious. My car windscreen was frozen up as I opened the garage door. But apart from that patch, I didn't encounter any hazardous road conditions.

Highslide Image Viewer

Uncomfortably cold early on. Warmed up nicely later (to about 5C, but the sun was shining which makes a big difference). I probably would have made a fondo of it if not for the time pressure.

Listened to LBC and more of Death and Bright Water. Back on 72.19. Only need to do another 77 to hit my 2025 target. Perhaps on Sunday.

https://www.strava.com/activities/16847509045

[Nickslikk2112]

Managed an hour and a bit out today. Had to get rid of little brother and yesterday's food and drink was weighing a bit heavy still. Looking back in 2020 I did a 40 mile ride on boxing day and I'd drunk nearly twice as much. I think I can see the signs of getting older now

[Slim]

Another dry day forecast, a little bit milder than Friday. But very cloudy, a bit damp. Today's mission was a simple one: to do at least 77km, to meet my most recently readjusted target for 2025: 11,266km. I don't like to indulge the imperial measurements really but it's 7,000 miles, and I haven't done that before.

I set off at 0950 and did exactly the same route as Friday except that I went a bit further, just past Wymeswold. Back almost exactly the same way, once again.

Stopped at a bench at Sutton Bonington for a large helping of trifle adorned with brandy cream. Both items are in plentiful supply at home at the moment. They actually make rather good cycling fuel. I stuffed as much of the stuff as I could into a plastic container before setting off. I saved some for the way back.

Listened to footy on 5 Live and the Bowie album Earthling.

A few light spots of rain very late in the ride. I had about 150 metres to go! Fantastic timing.

Back on 77.55km and that's 820 done this month, 11,266 this year. 7000.60 miles if that's your sort of thing.

Will probably crank one more ride out before 2026 kicks in.

https://www.strava.com/activities/16865783355

[Nickslikk2112]

Had a couple of one hour rides the last couple of days, for 16 and 17 miles. Gets the legs turning over, clears the head a bit and burns off a few of the excess calories. It also leaves me 10 miles from 500 for December. The weather is forecast to be dry until the new year so I can afford a day of rest tomorrow.

New cycling gloves for Xmas are longer in the cuff than my old ones, which is good as one jersey has sleeved which ride up a bit and give me cold wrists.

[Nickslikk2112]

Today's task was to get the 10 miles in to get 500 miles for December. Mission accomplished. And another 27.5 miles beyond.

It'll do. It felt bloody cold today. Two hours in and I could barely operate the left hand shifter. Luckily I could still brake and only needed to shift the front derailleur a couple of times.

https://www.strava.com/activities/16883819191

[Slim]

My first idea for today was to go up through Castle Donington and over toward Derby. But I had a rethink and decided to go over toward Markfield. I like to go over that way at least once this time of year. I took a longish route through Ibstock and past Thornton Reservoir (where I took the pic). Just making it up as I went along, really. I went and visited my old house on Swithland Close.

From there I decided to do one of my old bike rides, performed several times on my Raleigh Routier in the difficult summer of 1990. But I went further than I used to back then. Why did I never think of doing long bike rides when I was 29 or 30? I used to settle for seven or eight miles.

Anyway I continued on to Anstey. Unfamiliar territory now. Followed a sign to Cropston. From there I came past Cropston Reservoir - back on familiar ground - and found my way back to Markfield. Came home mostly the same way I'd got to Markfield earlier in the day.

Highslide Image Viewer

Looking at the track now, I did a sort of loop round Bradgate Park, which is a lovely part of the world home to free-ranging deer. I did really enjoy that one. Nice to do something a bit different at the end of the year. But it did involve some steep climbing.

Listened to Bowie's Hours album which isn't very good frankly and 5 Live.

Back on 54.62. That's a wrap for 2025. 874 this month, 11,321 this year and 91,403 since January 2015.

I'll set myself a target of 8597km for next year, to hit the 100,000 km mark.

https://www.strava.com/activities/16884920544

[Slim]

It's been a moderately successful cycling year, I think. I did my highest ever yearly distance, obviously assisted considerably by the fact that I spent the whole calendar year retired.

I did a few pleasing longer rides and got onto the Fens a few times - but not as far as Foul Anchor. My longest ride was 253km, in May. Got as far as Fenland Airfield and turned back.

A year ago I set my targets for this year as:

• A ride to East Lincs and back
• A ride to Wales and back
• At least one fondo each month and 30 over the year
• A distance total of at least 7500km
• All of the neighbouring counties

I've done all of that except for did Wales and back, but the novelty of doing that has worn off. The route I take involves busy main roads for a big proportion of the ride, not worth it. I must devise some sort of long westbound route that doesn't do that.

I did 132 rides this year, 8 more than last year. 57 fondos, which is a record. Curiously I beat the 2024 distance total by exactly 700km, and the 2023 total by exactly 1000km, give or take a few metres.

I had a run of 8 months in which I did at least 5 fondos (March - October).

I only did 5 "imperial fondos", (100 milers) this year compared to 8 in 2024 and 9 in 2023. I think I've slightly lost my nerve for them, the fear of getting a mechanical or finding I've brought a faulty inner tube 150km from home is unsettling. But I'm going to buy some higher quality puncture reistant touring tyres for the Roubaix before the summer. Maybe 700x30. Supposedly bigger tyres decrease the puncture risk as well as making longer rides less tiring.

My average distance this year was 85.77km, narrowly beating last year's (85.65). I think the rainy weather probably helped that. Got to make the most of a dry day.

Distances per bike:

Highslide Image Viewer

Most years the first Boardman would do more than that, but its wheels needed new bearings (I think) and it barely got used at all until November when it acquired a new wheelset. Between them the Tricross and Boardman did all of the distances after November 2nd.

Next year's targets are the same as this year's, except I'll aim to do Foul Anchor and back at least once. And I want to do 8597km, to take me to 100,000 km since Jan 2015.

[Nickslikk2112]

Well, that's my year of cycling done. Yesterday I did 37.54 miles, today I tried for the same - over a different route - and got to 37.55 miles. Not bad.

That gave me 6,485 miles for the year with 409,000 feet of elevation gain. My flattest year since 2018. Target for next year is climb more.

The only targets I set myself for the year were to do 500 miles per month and complete the Strava climbing challenge each month. I failed in February and March. February I had one ride after coming off and bashing up my elbow at the end of January. March I think the weather was awful. The wound on the elbow didn't properly heal until June.

Next years targets are the same as this, with more climbing and no elbow bashing - apart from Guy Garvey's crew.

https://www.strava.com/activities/16894152394

[Slim]

I've split the topic into a new thread for 2026 so pls use that one - thanks!