Author: james

Lovely day for it and despite being on call, I wanted to do 49 or 50. As usual I devised a rough plan that wouldn’t take me too far from home.

While investigating routes on the Strava planner I’d found a stretch just south of Derby that was remarkably flat and wanted to check it out, so I did. Went up to Swarkestone Bridge through Melbourne, turned left and followed the road along to Stenson, where I took this pic at the Bubble Inn.

Hadn’t been there since 1992, when I dated a girl called Julie. Difficult memories, but we needn’t dwell on that here.

So from there I turned back but kept on the same road past Swarkestone Bridge, along to Weston-on-Trent, where I stopped at a bench and consulted Google Maps. It looked like the best route homeward was back the way I’d come. But mindful of the need to build up the miles a bit without venturing too far, I pedalled along the flat road over to Stenson again, before turning back once more and going back down over the bridge.

The flat road is quite pleasant – an A road, but not too busy. Not my favourite sort of cycling but enjoyable enough. Certainly well surfaced and free of climbing hills.

Took a deviant route around Melbourne where I stopped again for a few minutes. Then after Coleorton and back in my on call comfort zone, I did a run up over Belton way, part of my old “Belton Figure of 8” route.

Took a long detour over the last few miles to get the distance up to 50. Home on 52.25 (the bike computer said 52.22, so very pleasing accuracy). That’s the longest distance I’ve done for over 13 months.

Felt a bit knackered after that, but I think that was possibly the heat and the brightness. Also perhaps because the S Works has a slightly less comfortable riding position. It’s been comfortable enough since I flipped the stem but the bars are still a touch lower than the other bikes and I hadn’t done more than 32 on it before. Also, I didn’t find a suitable wee stop for the whole 50 miles.

It was a proper short sleeves, warm day. I wore a cap rather than a helmet to keep the sun off my eyes. Couldn’t help noticing that every other cyclist out today was wearing a helmet, but I have to consider the number of miles I’ve done over the last 4.5 years (17287) against the number of times my head has collided with something heavier than an insect (0) and conclude that I’m fairly safe.

I did enjoy that. Would have been a bit more relaxed if I hadn’t been thinking about the possibility of my phone going off, and if I’d had a spare inner tube. I don’t own one with a valve long enough for the Cosmic rims. I must fix that.

I was passed by a couple on a tandem a few miles after I set off, in Coleorton. The rear rider had a laminated sheet pinned to her backpack announcing that they were doing – if I remember correctly – a 190 mile ride for a charity in a single day. Would love to know where they’d set off from and where they were going, but they don’t feature in my Strava FlyBys as yet.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2471468164

That’s 317 done this month which is over the adjusted target of 292, but still a bit under the original target of 329 for June.

The forecast for today was for dry weather, but as I opened the door to the Tesco lady I couldn’t help noticing, as she unloaded the Foie gras and Bollinger from the side of the van, that it was raining very heavily. Proper biblical.

But a forensic examination of the rainfall radar data later revealed that a single blob of intense rain had passed over, no more than a few miles wide. The roads were reasonably dry by the time I set off at about 16:40, and a couple of miles out of the village, there had clearly been no rain at all. Rather nice weather for a ride in fact, not blowy, mostly sunny and decently warm. I sort of wish I’d taken the Tarmac instead of the Boardman as I’ve been itching for another run out on it for a while, but I played it safe.

Wanted to do at least 40 but I also didn’t want to stray too far from home, as I was on call after 6pm. So I adopted the time-honoured strategy of going north first, then south. This time I went up to Melbourne then down through Ashby through Ticknall – a route I used to do often a year or two ago, but have been avoiding since injuring my knees due to Bastard Hill, north of Ashby. It was a strain today admittedly, but it didn’t hurt my knees.

From then I came down through Ashby and did a fairly typical Twycross.

Took a couple of pics at the bridge over the old railway line, a few miles from home.

As you can see, the tracks are long gone but their imprint on the landscape remains. The line was closed to passenger services in 1931, and to freight traffic 40 years later. Three miles along the track there was a little railway station that now simply does not exist; demolished completely for a housing estate.

Back home on 38.97 miles. 267 this month. Would love to do 48 or so on Saturday but I’ll still be on call so I’ll have to think about that.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2466666966

Oh yes, and how could I forget? Discarded female underwear sighted in the grass verge between Swepstone and Heather. White with black lace trim and polka dots.

So I saw my physio again yesterday and got my MRI results and they are pretty positive – there’s some minor aggravation, but nothing (she assures me) that should stop me from doing the 100+ milers again eventually. I just have to keep increasing my distances, and doing the exercises. Allegedly.

“I’ve seen five people with cronky knees already today”, she told me. “And you aren’t one of them”. She also told me to keep cycling, whatever I do. So with a view to obeying orders, since it’s going to rain tomorrow anyway I decided to man up and go for a ride in the rain.

Dry enough when I set off on the hybrid in wet weather clothing including a helmet cover, and for a while I thought I’d got away with it. Cloudy, but warm and dry. But an hour later it was chucking down. I didn’t mind in the least though as I’d been warned and actively expected it. Made a nice change.

I set off in the general direction of Belton through Coleorton, but decided on a whim that I’d see if I could find the Cloud Trail – a flat cycle route from Worthington to Derby. I followed the signs but apparently not carefully enough as I didn’t find it, and ended up on a road between Worthington and Breedon that I hadn’t done before. A bit hilly. But a nice view of the church on the cliff edge at Breedon.

From there I pedalled off to Donington, where they were dismantling tents and clearing up after Download. Took a left to Melbourne and back the usual way from there. Quite a nice run out albeit a fair bit more climbing than I intended. And the hybrid certainly feels like a lumbering heavy old carthorse of a bike now.

Hosed it down with WD40 when I got back then gave it a wipe down with an old rag.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2460703228

22.26, 228 this month.

More on Thursday probably. I heard this morning that a prolonged spell of dry weather isn’t expected for weeks! But at least the next few days look OK at the moment.

I woke from my afternoon nap to find pleasantly dry and sunny conditions making themselves obvious through the bedroom window. So I rose, quaffed a post-nap coffee and scrutinised the rainfall radar.

The weather seemed to be travelling in a NW direction, with a sort of corridor of dryness passing over NW Leics for what looked like a few hours.

Normally I take at least a day off after a ride of any substantial duration but the forecast looks a bit iffy still for the next week or so. Furthermore I’d stuffed myself at a local hostelry a couple of hours earlier, and I’d opted for a fairly gratuitously unhealthy dessert – so I took an opportunity to do a short ride. I set off intending to do at least 15, with the option to extend a bit if I decided my knees were happy enough. And they were, so I did 21.83; a medium Twycross.

Really nice out there. Blowier than yesterday but the wind was coming from the south, so I wasn’t bothered by it on the second half of the ride. Intermittently sunny and cloudy. Decently warm. I did get rained on very lightly near Sheepy, but only for a few minutes. I’d taken the Boardman anyway, just in case.

Stopped at the Gibbet post a few miles from home.

It seems to be the time of year when you often see beetles scurrying across the road in front of you while out on a bike. And here’s the odd thing: they always seem to be travelling directly across the road. They seem to take the shortest route to the other side, quite deliberately. Can you even see the other side of the road at that distance from the ground? Do they actually appreciate the danger on some level?

Quite a lot of corvids out and about at the moment, mostly magpies and either rooks or crows or both (I can’t tell them apart).

I also had an opportunity to see a goldfinch up close; the poor bugger had been squashed by a car. Actually having just had a look on the RSPB site, it might have been a hawfinch. Had orangey plumage.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2455828568

That’s 205 done this month, pleased enough with that given the weather. And I see that I’ve passed the 1500  mile mark for the year, which means half-way to target. 1562 done.

I wanted to do about 45 today. I did 45 last Sunday and that seemed to go OK, but I’d done a couple more than I intended. I thought of doing a run down to Stoney Stanton and a couple of miles south of there, but that one needs navigation assistance and I couldn’t be bothered transferring the track to my Garmin.

So I thought of doing Grimston and back. I gave myself a bit of a setback a few months ago by doing nearly 50 miles there and back. I’d been looking to being able to do it again.

However the more usual route there and back is only 47.5 miles and it involves less elevation than the last ride I did, so I decided today was the day.

Nice and sunny when I got up at about 08:00 but a bit cloudy by the time I set off at 09:20. Rain was threatened by 15:00ish and although I was sure I’d be back by then, I took the Boardman.

Quite an enjoyable run out mostly. Got rained on a few times, despite the forecast. The weather was very variable, ranging from a bit too cool and cloudy to warm-ish and sunny with on and off light rain. Consistently blowy, but not excessively and no bad headwinds.

The pub was still closed when I got there but I made do with a mini pork & pickle pie on the bench at the village green, and I was happy enough with that.

It rained particularly consistently over the last couple of miles but not heavily. I ummed and (indeed) ahhed over whether to repel any residual moisture from the chain with GT85 on my return. It still has the original factory lubricant on it. I decided that was enough to protect it and let it dry off. I did give the frame a wipe down, and hosed the gear parts and cables with GT85.

Right knee is a little bit hurty now but I’m sure it will be OK by Monday. Nothing troubling.

Glad to have done that one again and I’d like to think that by August I can keep going along that route all the way to Belvoir Castle and back, like I used to a couple of years ago.

47.51, quite a nice boost to the June distance tally which now stands at 184 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2451702115

Wanted to do 42 or 43 today – as much as anything to reassure myself that my knees were OK, or what passes for OK now, following their unplanned exertion on Monday night. I really wanted to do Stoney and back again as that’s my favourite 40+ route at the moment, but I’m on call today and that would have taken me a long way from home at the most distant point. Shame as it was nice enough weather and with the footy on 5 Live that would have been bliss.

So I thought I’d do a run up to Belton and back, turn homeward, then tack on a run down through Twycross and Sheepy then back the same way. That had the advantage that I’d be able to get my distance fairly precise, since I’ve memorised the distances to home from a few landmarks down that way.

So – I did that, but I decided it would be more interesting to turn left along Watery Lane toward Bilstone and come back that way. So I had to sort of busk it from that point to get the right distance.

Stopped at the wooden bus shelter at Odstone having done about 34, had a break and consulted my offline map with landmarks and distances. The bus shelter was 4.7 miles from home by the usual route. So I decided to take a long, looping  route home that would allow me to cut across quickly if I got a call, but should see me home on 43-ish. Or so I thought. Actually it was 45.60.

A few more than I wanted then but my knees coped OK and I’m fairly reassured. I didn’t get any calls and actually the challenge of getting the right distance, albeit I didn’t manage that particularly accurately, was a bit of fun.

Lucky to have a dry day today, it’s rained pretty heavily here for the last few days and there were a few puddles so I took the Boardman. I was itching to take the Tarmac out for a run but that will have to wait. And actually the weather looks fairly wet for the next week, according to the forecast.

I wrapped up a bit too warm overall – legs out but three layers on top – and was a bit sweaty in the sunshine, but comfortable enough during cloudy periods.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2436494822

Just noticed that according to Strava I did more than 2,000 ft of elevation, and it’s been a long time since I did that. More than a year apparently.

That’s 136 this month, 1492 this year.

I wanted to do a Twycross after work. Just 22 miles or so. And old-fashioned, standard issue Twycross. I couldn’t leave my desk until 6-ish and I didn’t fancy spending the entire evening on a bike. Besides, my knees hadn’t quite recovered from speeding home to beat the darkness on Monday.

So I took the Boardman out again, at about 6pm. There seemed a slight risk of rain and anyway, I’m enjoying the way the Boardman is running on its new chain and cassette. All very positive, everything working smoothly.

Decent weather: not much wind and occasionally sunny. Warm enough for shorts. The grey clouds that loomed intermittently did not follow through on their threat of rain.

So I’d done about 17 of my 22 miles when my rechargeable DAB ran out of juice. No worries, I thought to myself – I’ll just use the BBC Sounds app on the phone. It was at this point that I realised I didn’t have my phone on me, and the pocket where I’d stashed it was unzipped.

Bugger.

I’d stopped at the Gibbet Post bench about two miles earlier so I tracked back there, scanning the road as I went. I didn’t find it so turned back homeward again from the Gibbet Post. I wasn’t going to repeat the whole 17 miles.

But as I pedalled along Heather Lane with about a mile to go to home, I noticed a mobile phone on the road in front of me, with its battery ejected a few inches from it. The battery was looking rather scarred and distressed, but the phone itself was fine! Apart from the fact that the rear cover was missing, and faint scratches to the lens filter.

I couldn’t find the rear cover. But I’ve put a spare battery in the phone now and it’s working fine. I guess I was fortunate to lose it over the first two miles of my ride, on the only stretch of road I was due to return to.

Anyway – including an additional 3 or 4 miles from tracking back, that’s 25.69, according to the bike computer. And since it recorded just 0.03 miles less than the actual distance over 40+ miles last time, that’s good enough for me.

I was using the phone to record the track so I had to synthesise one for Strava. I didn’t get the back-tracking part particularly accurate and it came in at 25.93, but I put the correct figure into the spreadsheet. I’ll adjust Strava somehow. I’ll stop recording early next time or something.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2426656721

91 this month already. Probably no more cycling until Saturday now.

Not able to leave work early yesterday, but I wanted to do 42. Thought of doing the route down through Desford to Stoney Stanton and back, but ultimately decided on another non-circular Twycross, which seemed more in my comfort zone somehow. I decided to do 21.12 miles, then come back the way I came.

Set off at about 17:55 on the Boardman. I might have taken the X but I still haven’t wiped off the excess lube off the chain from its last relube. And I just felt like a run out on the red one.

Conditions were dry and almost warm, but I wore a thick layer on top under my jersey and leggings anyway, assuming it would be colder later. That was a mistake as it turned out; I was too warm for the first half of the ride. But I enjoyed myself nonetheless.

Picked up some rain for a few minutes near Ratcliffe but that had stopped as I pulled into Fenn Lanes, and I wasn’t troubled by it again.

After 20 miles or so, pedalling along Fenn Lanes, I realised I’d be close to my favourite bench at Sutton Cheney at the 21.12 point. When I hit 21.12 miles I could see that it was only about 80 metres further ahead so I pressed on, and stopped at 21.17 (according to the bike computer anyway). Stopped there for a break and did a couple of hamstring exercises and two calf stretching exercises.

I’d thought to stuff my leggings in my back pack there but as I set off again, I was considerably less warm so I kept them on. I realised that I’d been listening to a conversation about cricket for about an hour on 5 Live, so I decided to flip to 6 Music. I love my little lightweight rechargeable DAB but it does have one Achilles heel – it doesn’t do station presets, and selecting a station is bizarrely non-linear. You can’t expect to arrive back at the same setting if you do + then -. Weird. Anyway I settled for Planet Rock, and Alice Cooper’s show.

I glanced at my watch a couple of minutes later and it was about 8pm! I’d assumed I’d be back before 9:30. Sunset was 9:21. But at this rate it looked like I’d be pedalling home in the dark, and I didn’t have lights of any description. I took off the little LED blinkers I leave on there to clean it a couple of weeks ago. And because I’m a twat^*, it doesn’t even have a rear reflector.

So, I put my foot down. I pondered taking a shorter route home, but decided I’d rather take my chances. Right knee was getting a bit sore about ten miles from home, but I think that was more the exertion than the distance. Feels a touch hurty now as well. But I probably won’t have the combination of time and weather to do 40+ again for a few days.

Alice kindly played Freewill as I made my way along Atterton Lane. Just lovely to be out at that time of night, near sunset. The roads were delightfully quiet after 9pm.

Still enough light to see in front of me at 9:45pm as I pedalled along the last mile to home, but I certainly should have had lights on. Oh well. Interestingly I would have been fine in Hartlepool, where sunset happens 11 minutes later than NW Leics.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2421225762

42.43 miles and 65 done this month, a decent start to June after 3 days.

*very rare moment of self-deprecation

I took the black Boardman up to my Mum’s place in Hartlepool for the weekend, with a view to leaving it there for a bit. I haven’t used Zwift for about a year, and it’s just sat on the Kinetic trainer like a useless ornament in the garage.

It differs from the red Boardman that I more frequently use in that it still has the standard wheels, as well as the standard stem, seat post and bar tape. It also has a carbon fork, by virtue of its “special edition” status. Despite all this it’s a very similar ride.

Took it out on Friday evening to do a run out to the Transporter Bridge and back. A bit blowy, especially along the coast. A very flat route. When I’ve done this one on the hybrid in the past I’ve wished I was on a road bike, but ironically the road surface is so scrubby and rough on the last stretch north of the Tees that I realised I’d probably be better off on the hybrid. I decided I’d had enough a few hundred yards short of the Transporter, and turned to come back.

Quite an interesting route this one. Takes you next to the North Sea at Seaton, and through the Seal Sands, a natural wildlife reserve. But also takes you past swathes of industrial scenery, including a nuclear power station.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2412329365

17.86 miles, which brought the May total to 370 miles (rounded up).

Yesterday evening, I kicked off the June campaign with a trip inland, past the Trimdons. The first 3.5 miles involve climbing from an elevation of 60 ft up to about 410 feet. Quite a nostalgic trip this one, as I used to do this route in the late ’80s on my old Raleigh Routier. I wouldn’t normally do a run out without having a day off but since the previous day’s cycling was all flat, and not a long distance, I thought I’d get away with it. And I did.

Only 22.41 miles but I left it a bit late before going out, and was expected back for dinner. Next time I’m up there I’ll perhaps keep on as far as Durham.

Came back a different way, through the village of Elwick. I used to frequent a pub there called the Spotted Cow, in a previous life. Beautiful view of the sea in the distance over Hartlepool, coming down the hill from there. And indeed of industrial Teesside.

22.41 miles. This month’s target is 287.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2415511977

Glad to have got a bit of use out of that bike this weekend. I’d only ever used it on real roads once before.

Wanted to do 40 today and although it was cooler in the morning, rain was due over by 4pm-ish so I set off early, at about 10:25.

As soon as I’d strapped on my cycling shoes, it started to rain. But not too heavy, so I set off anyway, on the Boardman. I did much the same route as last time I pedalled down to Stoney Stanton – but extended it a bit to go down to a village called Sapcote. This is a route that differs slightly from the original route I devised down there in that it avoids a steep climb on the approach to Desford, at the cost of a bit more elevation gain overall. But I planned to come back the original way, so it was a sort of part-circular route, like so:

Anyway – it stopped raining after a couple of miles, or more probably I pedalled out of it, as the roads were bone dry by the time I got to Ibstock. I soon dried off in the sunshine. But unfortunately despite a promising forecast, I was plagued by on and off rain, interspersed with warmish sunshine for the whole ride. It was quite blowy intermittently, as well. But my spirits remained high, as indeed they have been since the EU parliament results came in last night. And since Theresa threw in the towel, to be fair.

Stopped at a garage near the bottom of the route and bought myself lunch which I consumed on a comfortable bench at Croft. I also did a couple of calf stretching exercises, no doubt to the amusement of the person in the passing car who saw me performing a sort of seated goose-stepping routine.

Very happy with the way the knees coped again, a bit of general soreness set in after about 25 miles but no pain from pushing up hills. Substantial improvement over just a few weeks ago. Will continue to extend distances by a couple of miles a week and I’m very happy that I can now do a decent run out like this, especially over relatively unfamiliar territory.

40.08 miles, which takes me 70 miles over May’s target to 352 this month, and that’s my biggest monthly tally since April 2018 by over 100 miles. I see I’ve also achieved the Vélo North 50 Mile Challenge on Strava. Which is nice.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2401449527