Cycling 2025

[Slim]

I had every intention of doing a fondo today. The forecast had promised a dry, sunny day with a moderate wind coming from the east. A perfect opportunity for my beloved eastbound fondo route, to Eastwell crossroads and back

I set off after 1100, to give conditions a chance to warm up a bit. The weather was beautifully bright and sunny. But six kilometres later, just after I passed Thringstone, I saw a patch of fog up ahead. It was as though a cloud had landed, about half a klick in front of me. I assumed I'd pass through it quickly enough and emerge back into the bright sunshine a few minutes later, but nope - I was still cloaked in fog 25 kilometres later.

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I'd worked out a slightly different route, avoiding Burton on the Wolds and taking in Walton on the Wolds to the south instead. Done it a couple of times before. After Walton, visibility improved substantially. I'd been making a mental note of distant objects emerging from the bright, white curtain of fog in the distance, then measuring the distance to them with my watch. A couple of km further back it had been down to about 150 metres, now it was more like 400. Luxury. But another few km further on, it was down to about 80 metres and I started to feel unsafe. I put the rear light on and turned back, with 41km done.

Despite the fog the sun was really bright. Apart from being a bit colder than I expected, the conditions weren't uncomfortable. Just dangerous.

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I took a wrong turn at Paudy Crossroads and found myself in Seagrave, but I stopped at the bench there for an impromptu lunch. Here, I was completely out of the fog, there was no sign of it. But by the time I got back to Cotes, it was back (or I was back in it), albeit not as thick as it had been earlier. The sun had finally managed to burn it off by the time I got back over the Leicestershire border.

I took a longer route home through Long Whatton and Diseworth. I did ponder tacking on another 11km to make it a fondo, but it was starting to get dark and I was already colder than I was supposed to be.

Back about 10 mins after sunset, on 88.79km. Listened to 5 Live and another couple of hours of my audiobook about the collapse of Yugoslavia. Shocking.

I do like that alternative route through Walton. It adds about a klick and a half, and some climbing. But it's a nice change.

https://www.strava.com/activities/13557454583

[dom]

Fell off the bike today. Crossing a motorway bridge that I've crossed countless times before. It has a grooved metal link angled across the road. My front wheel must have turned slightly to match the direction of the groove and the next thing I knew I was hurtling head first towards the ground.  The helmet took most of the impact so I'm grateful that I was wearing it. I appear to have escaped pretty well scott free except for a golf ball sized lump on my right hip.

The bike appears to have escaped without harm too and I was able to carry on with the spin.  I was planning a relatively short one anyway as I was taking my daughter out in the afternoon to go car hunting, but I came home half an hour sooner than I planned, just a tad under 40kms.

[Slim]

Just mentioned this on your Strava post Dom, but a similar thing happened to me many (45!) years ago when I was cruising down a hill in the rain. A railway track was grooved into the tarmac at an angle. The front wheel went into the groove and BOING, off I went.

Since then I've always tried to approach tram lines, train lines or any sort of groove in the road surface at as close to a right angle as I can.

Fair point about wearing a cycling helmet. I don't think I've worn one this year. It's woolly hat season. Stastically though I must be pretty safe, given that I've done over 80,000 km without my head hitting anything more troubling than a wasp.

[dom]

Yeah I tend to have a fall every couple of years so I think I'll stick to wearing one

[David L]

Yeah I tend to have a fall every couple of years so I think I'll stick to wearing one

Glad you didn't hurt yourself too bad, dom. Could've been awful had you not had a helmet on. Always a sensible choice.

[Nickslikk2112]

Fell off the bike today. Crossing a motorway bridge that I've crossed countless times before. It has a grooved metal link angled across the road. My front wheel must have turned slightly to match the direction of the groove and the next thing I knew I was hurtling head first towards the ground.  The helmet took most of the impact so I'm grateful that I was wearing it. I appear to have escaped pretty well scott free except for a golf ball sized lump on my right hip.

The bike appears to have escaped without harm too and I was able to carry on with the spin.  I was planning a relatively short one anyway as I was taking my daughter out in the afternoon to go car hunting, but I came home half an hour sooner than I planned, just a tad under 40kms.

Glad you're about OK Dom.

Don't know when I'll get back on a bike. I got an almighty wallop and somehow picked up a groin strain in the process which is stopping me getting my leg over - the bike - and my right elbow is still very tender.

[David L]

First ride for me and the wife since Boxing Day. Poor weather, the flu and colds has had us laid up for a while. Anyway, back to some normality, health-wise, now so it was a quick spin out on the mtbs. Damp, cold and pretty miserable out there this morning but enjoyed it nonetheless. At least we didn't get rained on. Probably around 18 miles or thereabouts, one hour and forty minutes.
Nice to get home into the warm. Pub lunch to look forward to at 2:00pm 

[dom]

Fell off the bike today. Crossing a motorway bridge that I've crossed countless times before. It has a grooved metal link angled across the road. My front wheel must have turned slightly to match the direction of the groove and the next thing I knew I was hurtling head first towards the ground.  The helmet took most of the impact so I'm grateful that I was wearing it. I appear to have escaped pretty well scott free except for a golf ball sized lump on my right hip.

The bike appears to have escaped without harm too and I was able to carry on with the spin.  I was planning a relatively short one anyway as I was taking my daughter out in the afternoon to go car hunting, but I came home half an hour sooner than I planned, just a tad under 40kms.

Glad you're about OK Dom.

Don't know when I'll get back on a bike. I got an almighty wallop and somehow picked up a groin strain in the process which is stopping me getting my leg over - the bike - and my right elbow is still very tender.

Sorry to hear that Nick, it's frustrating not to be able to get out. Hopefully you'll be back to normal by the time the weather gets warmer and the days longer

[Nickslikk2112]

Sorry to hear that Nick, it's frustrating not to be able to get out. Hopefully you'll be back to normal by the time the weather gets warmer and the days longer

I'll never be back to normal!

[Slim]

In what's been a recurring theme this year, I intended to do a fondo today, but was ultimately defeated by the weather. Got up early enough, but when I strolled outside to sample the conditions, it was a definite "no". I was going to do the eastbound route, decided to do a Twycrosser instead.

What I actually did was to take the Twycross route down as far as Sheepy, then come back the same way. It wasn't that bad out there but it was really cold - 3C, and the forecast asserted that it would feel like 1C. Back on 46.65km which feels a bit rubbish, especially since I was back long before sunset. And I hadn't been on a bike for a week. But as long as I get in the required monthly distance I'm not going to worry about it. Better days are coming.

Listened to 5 Live.

My Garmin Instinct is a great cycling watch unless you're wearing gloves, in which case the buttons are prone to being pressed by the cuff of the left one. This happened more than once today. I had to combine, then edit two tracks using https://www.routemaster.app/ and I cocked it up. Must have got the two parts back to front. Strava claims, through no fault of its own, that I started and finished at Sheepy. So I've hidden the whole track on Strava. I always worry that some random scrote with a Strava account will track down my garage and nick a bike.

https://www.strava.com/activities/13618934287

[Slim]

Set off at about 1035 with the intention of doing about 50km. Had an appointment this afternoon, and it was too cold early on to set off much earlier. I thought I'd do the Eastbound Route for a bit - into Nottinghamshire than loop back via Sutton Bonington. Unfortunately I'm never quite sure which route to take for Sutton from Rempstone Road. I took Trowell Lane, which was correct, but then took a left off that called Hungary Lane, which wasn't. Kept going along Hungary Lane until it degenerated into more of a trail than a road. Then looped back. I did visit Sutton Bonington via Park Lane on the way back.

Got as far as the hump-back bridge over the railway, which was closed - so I wouldn't have been able to do the loop I intended anyway.

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Really nice along there in the winter sunshine. Lots of greenery. Nottingham Uni has a campus along there.

Came back via Diseworth and Griffydam for a bit more distance. Back on 50.82 km.

That's 339 km in February, not that much and it's a short month.

https://www.strava.com/activities/13651091827

[Slim]

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Back in March 2016 I bought this green saddle from Amazon to put on the Boardman. Just had a look through my orders, it was £4.99!

Anyway it wasn't especially comfortable as you can imagine. I think I did one 25 mile ride then took it off again. It's made of fibreglass-reinforced plastic. But it is very light and I'm going to give it a go on the Planet X. It does have a bit of give in it, it's not rigid. I might get used to it.

[Slim]

A very similar day to yesterday - beautiful sunshine, but too cold in the morning. Since the forecast's a bit damp for the next couple of days, I thought I'd take advantage of the conditions while I could. And since Sutton Bonington was so nice in the sunshine yesterday, I thought I'd go over that way again.

I did pretty much the same as yesterday except that I didn't attempt to loop round to Sutty the back way. Just went straight up Park Lane and straight back down again.

At Diseworth on the way back I was surprised to meet about 55 people on horseback coming the other way through the village, in hunting outfits, accompanied by a large pack of hounds. The dogs looked to be having a lovely time running through village all over the road. The poor buggers will probably all have been shot in the head by the time they're five years old.

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The weather warmed up nicely later on and I started to think I should have done a longer ride. But I was already thinking of a coffee and a hot shower. And to be honest, the plastic saddle was not really a success. I was pleasantly surprised for the first 15 km or so. I even started to think it was a good fit - its rigidity complementing the stiffness of the bike. But after 35 km I was regretting it. Still - it wasn't painful, just uncomfortable. I'll probably leave it on for a bit.

Back on 44.87. More on Saturday possibly.

https://www.strava.com/activities/13660670339

[Slim]

The weather forecast threatened showers, but since cycling opportunities have been a bit thin on the ground of late, I thought I'd tolerate them. The rain was supposed to dry up in the afternoon and since the sun was due to set at a reasonable 1734 today, I set off at 1050.

I did think I might do a fondo. I decided on the Lower Westbound route. But the first shower, 30 minutes after I set off, consisted of about 20 minutes of very heavy rain. I got absolutely soaked through. I pressed on. At least I had contact lenses in. Makes a big difference in the rain.

After about 15km I realised I hadn't brought a phone with me.

I got as far as King's Bromley, then took a left as usual. But I ignored the usual right turn toward Abbot's Bromley or Rugeley as I'd decided I was going to turn back soon. I'd been rained on again, pretty heavily, by this time. Stopped for a snack at the end of a little one-track lane called Wood End Lane after about 39 km. I wrung about 40 ml of rainwater out of my gloves. Then I did turn back. I did have a bit of an excursion down the road toward Tamworth on the way home. And I went up to Ashby over the last few miles.

Despite the rain I did quite enjoy that one. Lovely sunshine when it wasn't raining. The roads were wet though and the bike got absolutely filthy, I had to give it a proper wash with a hosepipe and bike cleaner when I got back, on 84.91 km.

https://www.strava.com/activities/13716463533

[Slim]

Much better weather today. As keen readers will know, I don't usually ride on consecutive days - but since it's going to rain tomorrow and it's been a thin cycling month, I decided to take advantage of the conditions for 50k or so in the afternoon.

I did half a Twycrosser, then came back the same way - something I've done a few times recently. Perhaps I'll do the same with the other half of the route some time.

I looped around Sheepy Road / Wellsborough Road at the bottom. Had a detour to Swepstone on the way back up (I confess this was because I turned right at Snarestone purely out of habit).

Nice run out. A bit windy, but sunny and mild. There were a few spots of rain, but only for a minute. Back on 57.39 km.

https://www.strava.com/activities/13723986103