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I had the day off ... and picked the worst day of weather for it. We'd had 60mm in the rain gauge on Wednesday and Thursday and it rained steadily all night. I got up at 5am to the sound of rain and thought **** it, I don't often get a chance for a long ride, so rain can't ruin my day off.
Got to the shed and found the chosen steed laid on its side - the rear tyre had lost air overnight and it had fallen out of its stand. Ominous.
Whacked some fresh sealant in and some air and it was good to go. So I did.
The route I'd mapped on Strava yesterday was about 110km, and for some stupid reason I'd put several horrible hills in for the last 20km. I made a snap decision to reverse the route, meaning I'd get the climbs (arguably slightly harder) out of the way early. I'm so glad I did.
Climbed up onto the range up roads that were running like rivers. And stopped to admire the view of the ocean 20kms to the east...
Then I had the fun of a 70kmph gravel descent in pissing rain. Eyes almost closed. Thank goodness for a front mudguard.
Hours of sodden forestry, sideways rain and impressive mist-shrouded mountains ensued.
Eventually I arrived at a cafe and took a large coffee and an eclair in return for some of my money and a shit load of mud on their outdoor furniture (whoops!)
All that remained was another 40km of flat and fast gravel to make it home just in time for lunch and an important Teams meeting.
Crash count 2: a slow speed off due to a wet clay climb having zero traction and a deeper than expected puddle/pond.
Yahtzee!
No rain here in Belfast yet. Much less Baltic than yesterday. And the deeper snow is crap for biking, compared to the crispy, hard, grippy coating yesterday.
Still dry and cold here in the borders.
Mega grippy and even a layer of dust on the front of my fork legs.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/54157580045/in/photostream/
Skive-y Friday in the FoD. Surprisingly dry in places, unsurprisingly wet and muddy in others 🙂 Sun came out tho and good to get a ride in before the storms.
I always struggle to get my head round reeksy’s posts until I remember he’s not weeksy. I spent a while wondering how the British one had completed a gravel ride 11 hours ago, which was neither the weekend nor wet here in Blighty 🙂
Mind you, he’s on point. About to be a wet weekend here in the uk for most of us I suspect.
I've been itching all week for a ride. I'd planned to go today, but had to work. Wondering whether to risk it tomorrow if it's supposed to be that bad.
Would have enjoyed a ride this afternoon were it not for the lethal ice and given the forecast I think this is the closest I'll get this weekend.
The south west is under a rain/gales warning from 6am Saturday until 23.45 Sunday. Reckon I’ll be by the fire at home this Sunday!
BBC Points West weather is talking about it now, it’s going to be pretty ‘interesting’, but nothing much more than we’ve been getting through the last year. Storm Bert, apparently, named by the Irish Met Office.
In view of the weather forecast, I had my weekend ride this morning. Just a short local one. Chilly but bright. Frozen puddles out of shot.
Yesterday’s visit to a closed Llandegla. It was quite surreal only just making it up the main first climb, not a single other person in site. Didn’t even feel like I was at Llandegla !
Wouldn’t have managed to get through all that snow on an analogue bike it was that deep
What a difference today though. Raining, windy, damp. Won’t get out for the rest of the weekend
spin around the Wye valley yesterday ahead of today's rain. I doubt there'll be much of a view today!
Got out this morning before snow turned to slush
Staunton yesterday, lovely conditions, if a little leafy in places.
Decided to risk it. Glad I did! Even being slapped in the face by 40mph leaves didn't distract from the ride.
Not too shabby here today.
On the climb to the layby? I stopped to answer a constantly ringing phone.
Post Storm Bert ride today.
Rain all weekend down South, I’ll spare you a picture of my
turbo trainerlarge plate of chilli, mince pies and the sofa?
No nasty turbo in my version 😉
A weekend to be grateful for running kids around and doing a tip run and zero chance of a ride.
A few miles of not particularly interesting riding in the dark and wet this morning for me.
There's a very gentle road ride comes down the lane every Sunday at 9am. For some reason they seemed to have postponed today! In 15 years never seen it that wet, well up to top of welly height and almost tidal. Nearest I'm getting to a bike today is going nowhere slowly in the shed later! @trusty @jimmy748 - bet Staunton doesn't look like that today!
Nope and nope 😆
It's minging out there, and I'm prepping for a job interview tomorrow. Coffee, cake, laptop and some logs on the fire this afternoon.
Swapped 60a for Vibram yesterday and headed out to meet Bert...
No riding for me this weekend.
2 reasons:
(i) weather has been not very nice
(ii) MegaHangover. Caused by my eldest and his uni mates visiting on Friday night and me (stupidly) trying to keep up with their drinking. They all woke up fine Saturday morning, I felt absolutely rough as hell and I'm only really just starting to feel myself now ?I'm too old for that shit!
Went out on a walk earlier today though and local trails maybe not quite as ruined as I thought they would be. Down the bottom of hills there's a lot of water about...but up top, and on slopes, it's surprisingly fine. I think most of yesterday's rain must have just run straight off frozen solid ground.
Bad bits. These were all dry on Friday:
Meh, had physio for a trapped nerve on Thursday,felt that that Fri/Sat and a little tender so no sunny riding pics from me 🙁
Is the first one snap, crackle or Pop?
@thegeneralist I think it was Crackle, you certainly know your CyB 🙂
I think it was Crackle, you certainly know your CyB
He he. It caught my eye! Had so many excellent days cycling there. The first time I cleaned it about thirty years ago, then quick laps whilst the family did cafe and playground, my first off road century, then the first time with the kids on silly little islabikes, then the first time they cleaned it, then trying to keep up with them as they thundered down it on their fat full suss.
So many happy memories.
Another abandoned ride... Went for a run instead. Did two tip trips, and dug out some old.mismatched (lighter) wheels and a set of Gatorskins I had kicking about to try to make the commuter less of a literal drag.
Managed a slow ride in the leaves at Bowhill. Knee felt notchy after my big off. Made it in the dry window but was super slow and so much leaf litter that the back wheel just slid everywhere.
After how dry it's been round here the last few weeks I just couldn't face a ride in the mud on Saturday/Sunday.
I'd also done four rides during the week so we just went for a walk instead of riding.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/54160170592/in/photostream/
Finished off our long wet Welsh weekend with another couple hours at CyB on our way past before heading back to Scotland
Is this the right place for weekend riding photos ?
No one started a new thread for this WRPT then.
Ppfftt standards are slipping 😉
I can't seem to post photos anyway, seems to be some kind of sorcery that's beyond me!