Today's Ride

[Gtpulse]

I’ve missed alternate weeks due to holidays, hopefully back to a weekly ride again now.

For the first time in probably a few years I did a ride on an actual retro bike! It had looked like a dry morning last night but woke up and it was wet so just chucked some raceblades on.

Verdict is that while the Dyna-Tech is certainly a lot faster than the modern Mondraker, it was pretty uncomfortable in comparison. A long time since I’ve ridden skinny tyres on the road especially in the wet meant I felt much less confident on fast downhills.

A wet and warm(ish) ride of just under 25 miles.

 

[Diysuperhero]

Lichfield today

 

[wynne]

Cloudy, showery, sunny and muddy (!!!)
POETS ride this evening. We'd all forgotten what rain looked like - quite a shock to the system.

 

[NimbleRider]

Tonight was the last ride on my Giant. It’s been a great ride for the year. I’ve finished the contract here and heading home tomorrow. I donated the bike to the local Sober Living facility. For $50 from a local classified, I think it’s been worth it. I’ve ridden it many hundred miles and it’s taken me to some beautiful places. I hope someone enjoys it as much as I have.

 

[moonlite]

Tonight was the last ride on my Giant. It’s been a great ride for the year. I’ve finished the contract here and heading home tomorrow. I donated the bike to the local Sober Living facility. For $50 from a local classified, I think it’s been worth it. I’ve ridden it many hundred miles and it’s taken me to some beautiful places. I hope someone enjoys it as much as I have.
View attachment 995667

Had to google that trail -- looks like a fantastic place for riding!

 

[db95]

Sorry to hear that DB, hope you’re on the mend. I don’t get notifications for this thread for some reason so only come back to it when I’ve been on a ride.

Cheers mate, still some aches and pains but much better than a month ago (meds help hah), glad to be back out on the bike mostly especially considering recent news ie Froome's crash, I think TDF this year had 13 or 14 abandons due to crash injury etc. Feels a bit bland for me pottering about on an mtb so bought a cheap Felt frame from about 2010 on ebay. Threaded bb, external routing etc so will do nicely as both an interim bike until I get a replacement sorted via insurance, then as a winter/indoor trainer bike.

Short ride this morning with 17.94 miles in 1h10m, not a bad pace for an mtb.

Behind Penshaw Monument.

Possibly my most photographed bike location, top of Offerton after a particularly harsh climb looking out towards the industrial park where Nissan etc are based.

 

[Gtpulse]

Cheers mate, still some aches and pains but much better than a month ago (meds help hah), glad to be back out on the bike mostly especially considering recent news ie Froome's crash, I think TDF this year had 13 or 14 abandons due to crash injury etc. Feels a bit bland for me pottering about on an mtb so bought a cheap Felt frame from about 2010 on ebay. Threaded bb, external routing etc so will do nicely as both an interim bike until I get a replacement sorted via insurance, then as a winter/indoor trainer bike.

Short ride this morning with 17.94 miles in 1h10m, not a bad pace for an mtb.

Behind Penshaw Monument.

Possibly my most photographed bike location, top of Offerton after a particularly harsh climb looking out towards the industrial park where Nissan etc are based.

Think I’m the opposite, pottering along bridleway tracks and trails are my favourite! I did enjoy my road ride yesterday just think I experience more when I’m away from traffic as I relax a bit more if that makes sense.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Tonight was the last ride on my Giant. It’s been a great ride for the year. I’ve finished the contract here and heading home tomorrow. I donated the bike to the local Sober Living facility. For $50 from a local classified, I think it’s been worth it. I’ve ridden it many hundred miles and it’s taken me to some beautiful places. I hope someone enjoys it as much as I have.
View attachment 995667

Hail to the noble workhorse. Glass raised for a job done well

 

[Piotr]

I haven't been here for a long time.....work.....

I assembled a new bike in my free time to explore the surrounding area.
29" wheels and parts lying around at the repair shop...


Chinese Tanke hubs are amazing and cheap

 

[moonlite]

It was back to the shed and the turbo trainer last week with gale-force winds and snow on the mountains nearby. Bizarre as I'd gone for a run in shorts for the first time in months on Monday. Let's hope this was winter's last gasp.

It was still pretty windy today but I took off on the Airborne for a bit of outdoor exercise. The sun was shining and despite winter stubbornly hanging on, the local fauna were feeling optimistic: on one stretch of road I encountered a young fox, who clearly hadn't heard me coming and scuttled off with indecent haste as I came past. I was still marvelling at this when suddenly there was another, this time on the other side of the road, also very surprised at my approach.

Although foxes look rather appealing, they aren't popular around here. And they're an introduced species, which doesn't help.



Once out on the gravel roads in farming country, I stopped for an echidna who I spotted crossing the road ahead of me. They look slow until you try to get your phone out to take a spot of video -- then they make it into the long grass surprisingly fast. This is one I took earlier:



This guy has watched me tooling back and forth for a few years now, rain and shine:



Shortly after stopping for this pic, I encountered a wallaby which also made off with indecent haste as I approached. Crossing the Shoalhaven River on one of the causeways, I found myself among a mob of Welcome Swallows, presumably so named because they're a welcome harbinger of warmer days to come. I didn't see any Scarlet Robins though.



Coming back the other way, I saw a massive Eastern Grey Kangaroo in the paddock alongside the road -- clearly a male in the prime of his life. He also made off at my approach -- why are all these animals afraid of a peaceable cyclist when the roads are usually populated by Land Cruisers doing 100 kmh?

Anyway, it was good to have been out at last. 32 km, 300m climbing.