Today's Ride
- Thread starter FairfaxPat
- Start date
And then it was Friday.
Another frost but not as cold as the other morning. Once on the move warm soon enough. 1°c, no wind. Pretty.
Walking up the drive this morning felt that sinking feeling as I noticed the nub of a thorn sticking out of the back tire. I have mixed feelings about slime tubes but keep a couple of wheelsets with them in. Sod it, I'll risk it. The gamble paid off.
My pace is steadily improving. Surprised myself on the way in.
Coming home 17°c and balmy. Did the three hills. Didn't give up. Pulse pounding, diaphragm heaving, sense of achievement.
The view from the highest point of the ride towards Wentworth.
Today was a slightly longer ride home - just under 10 miles. My mileage is much lower than last year but the hills make it feel like I've ridden twice as far.
I might give the Ridgeback another go next week...
Another frost but not as cold as the other morning. Once on the move warm soon enough. 1°c, no wind. Pretty.
Walking up the drive this morning felt that sinking feeling as I noticed the nub of a thorn sticking out of the back tire. I have mixed feelings about slime tubes but keep a couple of wheelsets with them in. Sod it, I'll risk it. The gamble paid off.
My pace is steadily improving. Surprised myself on the way in.
Coming home 17°c and balmy. Did the three hills. Didn't give up. Pulse pounding, diaphragm heaving, sense of achievement.
The view from the highest point of the ride towards Wentworth.
Today was a slightly longer ride home - just under 10 miles. My mileage is much lower than last year but the hills make it feel like I've ridden twice as far.
I might give the Ridgeback another go next week...
CassidyAce
Senior Retro Guru
31 miles, over the Crab and Winkle Way and along the seafront to the Roman fort at Reculver. Sunny but with a cold wind of 20mph, with gusts of 29mph. I cycled seven miles along the front straight into that wind, telling myself that Marcus Aurelius would do it: 'It is absurdly wrong that, in this life where your body does not give in, your spirit should be the first to surrender.' Besides the emperor's noble thoughts, I knew it would be fun on the way back with the wind behind me. And it was. I suppose it was a bit like a wind-powered version of pedal assist on an ebike and it gave me an idea of what it would be like to be on such a bike: a whole lot of fun. I was flying. The seafront was pretty empty too. According to the Met Office, it was 9 degrees but the wind chill factor was taking it down to a 'feels like' 4 degrees. That's a good temperature for keeping the seafront clear of walkers.
The Roman fort of Regulbium was built in the early 200s AD and used for a couple of hundred years. However, from pre-history, through Roman times, the dark ages and into the medieval period the landscape was different: the Isle of Thanet really was an 'isle' because the Wantsum Channel ran from the English Channel to the Thames estuary. The Wantsum was a popular shipping route and the crafty Romans positioned their fort at what is now Reculver: the point where the Wantsum met the estuary. Most of the garrison came from Germany, which was probably just as well, because if they'd come from Tuscany, and the weather was as cold as it was today, the centurions would have got sick of the 'Hoc sugit' comments, the Latin version of 'This sucks.'
The grass in the foreground is the site where the fort was.
In the dark ages, the fort was re-purposed as a monastery and the most notable feature on the landscape is the remains of the local church:
If the Romans had had StumpJumpers, I think they would have liked them:
Most of the church is now gone, just like the Roman fortress. Marcus Aurelius would have appreciated that; he was probably the closest the world has ever come to a philosopher-emperor: 'There is a kind of river of things passing into being, and Time is a violent torrent. For no sooner is each seen, then it has been carried away, and another is being carried by, and that, too, will be carried away.' The Wantsum silted up in the medieval period and coastal erosion has taken away some of the land where the fort stood. Cake and a drink in the ruins helped preserve me for a while longer, though.
The Roman fort of Regulbium was built in the early 200s AD and used for a couple of hundred years. However, from pre-history, through Roman times, the dark ages and into the medieval period the landscape was different: the Isle of Thanet really was an 'isle' because the Wantsum Channel ran from the English Channel to the Thames estuary. The Wantsum was a popular shipping route and the crafty Romans positioned their fort at what is now Reculver: the point where the Wantsum met the estuary. Most of the garrison came from Germany, which was probably just as well, because if they'd come from Tuscany, and the weather was as cold as it was today, the centurions would have got sick of the 'Hoc sugit' comments, the Latin version of 'This sucks.'
The grass in the foreground is the site where the fort was.
In the dark ages, the fort was re-purposed as a monastery and the most notable feature on the landscape is the remains of the local church:
If the Romans had had StumpJumpers, I think they would have liked them:
Most of the church is now gone, just like the Roman fortress. Marcus Aurelius would have appreciated that; he was probably the closest the world has ever come to a philosopher-emperor: 'There is a kind of river of things passing into being, and Time is a violent torrent. For no sooner is each seen, then it has been carried away, and another is being carried by, and that, too, will be carried away.' The Wantsum silted up in the medieval period and coastal erosion has taken away some of the land where the fort stood. Cake and a drink in the ruins helped preserve me for a while longer, though.
How's the C16-R doing that ended up in the canal?
2manyoranges
Senior Retro Guru
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Well...yesterday's ride..(and very non-retro...)...found the old BMX track on the Downs above Brighton, at the end of Ditchling Road, and the Grom did some great jumping on the Transition Sentinel, and I took the Stanton 29-er for its first singeltrack thrash in Stanmer Woods. Bumped into a couple who had ridden back to UK from China.....via Kazakhstan, Kygystan and Azerbaijan, then through Europe. Amazing. The ride did the youth a power of good after all this Lockdown stuff....
Cassidy - lovely photos and really well-written text.....
Cassidy - lovely photos and really well-written text.....
Another retrobiker bought the f&f last summer.
Boredom sometimes demands a change of tack. Left work early and as I cruised across the industrial estate I wondered how much of the canal I'd be able to be follow. There used to be a way from Aldwarke, through the grounds of the steel mill, that followed the railway. Unfortunately security is much tighter these days and the large security checkpoint bedecked with cameras, and a huge fence with large spikes, didn't used to be there.
Saw what I was looking for as I drifted across the Asda car park at the wash: a public footpath sign. That'll do.
At one point it was an undulating metre wide tightrope dropping sheer into water either side. Taking in my surroundings it looked like I was wandering through the remains of a water mill.
The path ended abruptly here. A shame because it continues beyond the gate.
After climbing the bank and a false start later I was retracing part of the path, before branching off towards the main road.
The climb up Thrybergh hill was going to have to be on tarmac. Mungy Lane pulled me away from the road.
It was warm. About 15°c and still. This morning was chilly, about 3°c but felt colder.
Discovered I was following another dismantled railway running parallel with the canal and the vast Liberty Special Steels complex. The concrete sleepers were still in place for much of the way. If you look carefully at the second picture you can see some. This was known as John Brown's Private Railway linking Silverwood Collery with Roundwood Colliery.
On from there I crossed some flytipped wasteland. What looked like some kind of stunt park for mountain bikes. Passed the weir, which looked pretty spectacular. I'm bored now, and so are you...
Spat out at Hooton Lodge Farm, for another light bulb moment - 'Never been here before'.
The Ridgeback did the honours today and did OK. It's comfortable, in it's own way. Top speed was slower, but it's really well balanced and more stable over tight, slower and technical than either SJ.
About 15 miles in and out.
The weather for the rest of the week doesn't look quite so good. Fingers crossed.
Saw what I was looking for as I drifted across the Asda car park at the wash: a public footpath sign. That'll do.
At one point it was an undulating metre wide tightrope dropping sheer into water either side. Taking in my surroundings it looked like I was wandering through the remains of a water mill.
The path ended abruptly here. A shame because it continues beyond the gate.
After climbing the bank and a false start later I was retracing part of the path, before branching off towards the main road.
The climb up Thrybergh hill was going to have to be on tarmac. Mungy Lane pulled me away from the road.
It was warm. About 15°c and still. This morning was chilly, about 3°c but felt colder.
Discovered I was following another dismantled railway running parallel with the canal and the vast Liberty Special Steels complex. The concrete sleepers were still in place for much of the way. If you look carefully at the second picture you can see some. This was known as John Brown's Private Railway linking Silverwood Collery with Roundwood Colliery.
On from there I crossed some flytipped wasteland. What looked like some kind of stunt park for mountain bikes. Passed the weir, which looked pretty spectacular. I'm bored now, and so are you...
Spat out at Hooton Lodge Farm, for another light bulb moment - 'Never been here before'.
The Ridgeback did the honours today and did OK. It's comfortable, in it's own way. Top speed was slower, but it's really well balanced and more stable over tight, slower and technical than either SJ.
About 15 miles in and out.
The weather for the rest of the week doesn't look quite so good. Fingers crossed.
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Today I be mosting eating...dust
Took a chance on the weather holding off today, and apart from a brief afternoon shower it did. Hoorah.
Quite a mild morning 6°c, with a soft breeze.
Uneventful morning journey, and time precious this afternoon. So no time to wander and linger. A strictly functional 'a to b' ride home.
This was worthy of a stop though.
The Ridgeback fulfilled it's role admirably. I'm beginning to appreciate how it does what it does.
This is the view from Rawmarsh across to Dalton Parva / Thrybergh. Roundwood is behind me (ish). John Brown's Private Railway- mentioned yesterday - ran from Roundwood Colliery to Silverwood (Thrybergh) Colliery. The large structure is Liberty Special Steels. So I'm effectively on the opposite hill to yesterday. The elevated electricity pylon on the left of the picture is close to where I was standing yesterday for the two pictures of the bike.
Ride home about 12°c.
14 miles.
Took a chance on the weather holding off today, and apart from a brief afternoon shower it did. Hoorah.
Quite a mild morning 6°c, with a soft breeze.
Uneventful morning journey, and time precious this afternoon. So no time to wander and linger. A strictly functional 'a to b' ride home.
This was worthy of a stop though.
The Ridgeback fulfilled it's role admirably. I'm beginning to appreciate how it does what it does.
This is the view from Rawmarsh across to Dalton Parva / Thrybergh. Roundwood is behind me (ish). John Brown's Private Railway- mentioned yesterday - ran from Roundwood Colliery to Silverwood (Thrybergh) Colliery. The large structure is Liberty Special Steels. So I'm effectively on the opposite hill to yesterday. The elevated electricity pylon on the left of the picture is close to where I was standing yesterday for the two pictures of the bike.Ride home about 12°c.
14 miles.
Southville Hop
Old School Hero
Bluebell singletrack, the scent was truly intoxicating!
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