Today's Ride

[Repacker]

11 years after the very first post on this thread by @FairfaxPat, this is a similar vantage point to the first photo on that post.

Mt Tam this morning from Corte Madera creek - ish


Updated with another view

 

[GLB]

Not my ride and not today, but I came across this on the web and couldn't resist it.

It's Jean Paul Sartre in the rain.

A bit of googling found some details

https://midlifecycling.blogspot.com/search/label/Jean Paul Sartre?m=1

https://hadland.wordpress.com/2012/06/25/in-search-of-le-petit-bi-2/

 

[Repacker]

Marin County, road ride.

 

[al-onestare]

Two Mecca posts in a row. We are proper blessed

13 degrees, autumn mode on. Chilly in the dips. After a wet and fairly wild week or so, it was super-quiet, calm, barely a breeze to speak of. Broken cloud, mostly clear, glorious sunrise.



The legs were on fire so looking forward to the final round of the SWXC this Sunday....if the weather isn't shite!

Speaking of which the last round back in the heat of August was eventful. Red flagged during the first lap with a nasty crash around the water splash. We were routed away so I didn't see what happened at the time. The air ambulance arrived and but that was diverted shortly after landing to a more serious road incident. Eventually the chap was taken by normal ambulance and was discharged in the evening with a broken arm and collar bone.

On the restart we missed the section he crashed at which none of us complained about given the bugger of a short climb in that zone. It was baking hot, absolutely roasting, with the heat reflecting off the stone trails.

#notlast in category. 10/11 ain't great but I was 6 minutes ahead of last and "only" 30 seconds behind 9th and a minute behind 8th. Overall I placed 23/48 so comfortably mid-pack. The whippets remain miles ahead!





Then there's the Malverns retro XC. That was ace are stoked with a 15/36 finish, although it should have been 14th had I not made the rookie mistake of slowing up on the line and been more brave on the first lap. Shoulda woulda coudla With the top 4 ex pro's or high ranking semi's they don't count either



Coming round to pass these two...



The guy with the camelpack passed me at the top, but the folks ahead were who I was after...

 

[Totoro]

Been a while since I've posted in here... Or rode a bloomin bike.
Felt great to get out after 5 weeks off. Did around 9.5 miles, one of my local loops that I like to do most. I could have wimped out and taken the turn off which leads me back home after just a couple of miles but felt like I'd never been off a bike to be honest (I'm always slow, bike fit or not).
Rained most of the way which was very refreshing.

Bike is heavier than it looks

 

[Gtpulse]

Just over 30 miles today on the Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border. Surprisingly nice ride for what is mostly fenland flat lands. Downham Market for a cafe stop was much nicer than I remember it, spoilt for choice for nice spots to have refreshments. Settled on a bacon and scallop sandwich, a new one on me but superb scran. Back and forth over the Ouse a couple of times.


Apparently the largest pumping station in the UK. This pumps the middle level main drain back to the river I think.
https://middlelevel.gov.uk/education/

 

[winjohn]

Finally the weather cleared enough for me to get out on my first gravel bike build, my first 1X build and possibly my first SRAM groupset build, but definitely my first SRAM drop bar hydro disc build! I've been waiting for one bloody tiny screw before I could test ride the thing!

I wanted to see if the gear ratios work for me, I have an 11 speed 11-46 on the rear and a 44 on the front. I know a couple of off-road, short and fairly rutted little chalky climbs that on my hardtail I always climb in the lowest gear so that would prove a good test.

Here is the new machine waiting to be tested. So new I haven't even put bar tape on yet!


Here is the first short, sharp climb which it sailed up.


The M3 looked busy as usual


This was the second test climb, more rutted than the first and that was my downfall, nearly cleaned it but a pedal grounded about 10 feet from the top, so a fail on a technicality, foot down.


So I think the gearing is good enough but I am thinking I want to go up from the 35mm tyres currently fitted, up to 45mm. I think overall its a success though, I like it.

 

[widowmaker]

That's very nice !

 

[Repacker]

Little puffy clouds.


Banana slugs

 

[PhillB]

I found this 1990 Tequesta on a late night eBay crawl a few months ago - I think the seller was worried it was a drunk purchase... but it was not honest. I just loved the unusual colour way. It was not in bad condition, but had rust spots all over and around the edges and tired components - so it has been through a mini restoration of the paint work and a full strip down and rebuild. I finished it last night - so today was the first opportunity for a test ride.

I was thinking about entering it this months 'Entry-level' BotM for a laugh, but just didn't finish it in time

I was just going to ride it around the block, but I managed to set it up quite well first time (which is unusual ) I was a nice evening so I just rode on to the park.

Lots of new fawns about - growing fast

The cull is underway now so the park closes over night - there's only so much space and the deer numbers have to be controlled. It's a shame, but it is for the overall health of the herds....and of course the venison you can buy is delicious!!



Not much of a sunset tonight, quite misty. A chap I often bump into tells me 'They are spraying chemicals again' Hmmm. not sure about that... Maybe it's just the haze from the spraying area behind my shed

The Tequesta rides lovely - it's a heavy old thing, but that doesn't really seem to matter, it's smooth and planted - a great bike for just cruising on. 19C - no wind cooling quickly in the evenings now. I did just under 20km in the end.