Cycling UK Forum

Find it good to take days off in the week to allow for recovery.
********************
I ride Brompton and a 100% British Vintage

I ride 5 or 6 days in week, all year round. Unless the weather is of biblical magnitude I never drive a journey I could make by bicycle.

Turbo, half-sheltered in garage, today. Only got snowed on a little!
Keeps the legs turning and the lungs pumping.

cycleruk wrote: ↑31 Jan 2023, 7:22pm Enforced break since November due to the weather. ( rain, frost, high winds.)
Retired so only a fair weather rider although will venture out on short rides if windy & dry.
Can't stand the turbo for more than 5 minutes
Been doing a bit of Pilatus and Tia Che, for the first time, using YouTube and seems to have helped.

But it's been a mild winter hasn't it?
And as for rain, surely used to that at any time of year in lancs?
Hell of a lot of days in lancs in my experience have some sort of rain any time of year. Far far less totally dry days than london and the south.

Sweep wrote: ↑10 Mar 2023, 7:46am

cycleruk wrote: ↑31 Jan 2023, 7:22pm Enforced break since November due to the weather. ( rain, frost, high winds.)
Retired so only a fair weather rider although will venture out on short rides if windy & dry.
Can't stand the turbo for more than 5 minutes
Been doing a bit of Pilatus and Tia Che, for the first time, using YouTube and seems to have helped.

But it's been a mild winter hasn't it?
And as for rain, surely used to that at any time of year in lancs?
Hell of a lot of days in Lancs in my experience have some sort of rain any time of year. Far far less totally dry days than London and the south.

I don't know where you live Sweep but my 'own' winter has not been mild, just the opposite.
Nov' = 5 rides
Dec' = 1 ride
Jan = 2 rides
Feb' = 6 rides (driest February for 30 years)
Mar' = 1 ride so far.
As I said, a man of leisure (retired) so I can go out any day, generally.
My cycling is for pleasure, social (meeting people) and keeping fit.
I don't go out if it's raining or if it's blowing a gale or a chance of frost on the roads.
After three quarters of a century, If I'm not going to enjoy an outing it doesn't take much to put me off these days.

It's -2°C right now. Am I going out in that? No chance!

The thing is I remember riding (gingerly) down the local canal path when it was -3°C and enjoying it.

What's wrong with cold weather? Ruins your bike? That's understandable why you'd not want to subject a good bike to the salt on the road and so on. If you've got a cheap/spare bike though and it's got wider tyres with less pressure (just for safety's sake if it might be icy) and good gloves, it can be a great ride out in winter.

Personally though I have not even been on my bike since October 2nd last year. It's not been winter/raining that whole time but I dunno, I just lost my passion for it somehow, but as soon as it gets half-decent again I'll be back out again. The problem is I've been everywhere lol, every road around where I live, I have been down it. Then what?

cycleruk wrote: ↑10 Mar 2023, 11:22am
I don't know where you live Sweep but my 'own' winter has not been mild, just the opposite.
Nov' = 5 rides
Dec' = 1 ride
Jan = 2 rides
Feb' = 6 rides (driest February for 30 years)
Mar' = 1 ride so far.
As I said, a man of leisure (retired) so I can go out any day, generally.
My cycling is for pleasure, social (meeting people) and keeping fit.
I don't go out if it's raining or if it's blowing a gale or a chance of frost on the roads.
After three quarters of a century, If I'm not going to enjoy an outing it doesn't take much to put me off these days.

most of cycling in london and the NW.
winter has seemed mild to me - much coverage of it with regard to it somewhat foxing Putin's sales plans.
on rain and NW - very common indeed - I hesitate to head out if it's chucking it down but most days in the bit of the north west I know have a chance of some sort of rain. Best to always take a waterproof top of some sort I think. If I avoided days with a chance of rain in the NW I'd never get out the door.
have no desire to try cycling on ice/hitting it but "frost" isn't ice.
Anyways - winter pretty much gone - get out there folks think yourself lucky you aren't coping with continuous blasting sun and heat.

Given half a good lottery win I would seriously think about going south for the winter. Current favourite would be Majorca even though they have snow sometimes.
BBC forecast shows sleet today but looking out of the window there is blue sky.
Now tomorrow, there is a chance of some brightness, according to the BBC, but with a 20 mph westerly against coming back. I'll check the tyres tonight just in case I might be brave enough to haul my fat lump out of bed.

P.S. I always carry a "boil in the bag" top.

cycleruk wrote: ↑11 Mar 2023, 9:25am Given half a good lottery win I would seriously think about going south for the winter. Current favourite would be Majorca even though they have snow sometimes.
BBC forecast shows sleet today but looking out of the window there is blue sky.
Now tomorrow, there is a chance of some brightness, according to the BBC, but with a 20 mph westerly against coming back. I'll check the tyres tonight just in case I might be brave enough to haul my fat lump out of bed.

P.S. I always carry a "boil in the bag" top.

well enjoy - I'll be out in the NW today and tomorrow - not on ice of course.

Manc 33 you could try Wandrer for a bit of interest. I’ve lived around where I am for 50 years cycling for 43 of them so I know what you mean about the same roads. This morning I rode 3 1/2 new miles. I live in Wiltshire so my main map on Wandrer is set for Wiltshire I’ve done 1200 miles roads out of around 5000 miles for the miles in Wiltshire so I still have a long way to go.

crossy wrote: ↑11 Mar 2023, 2:11pm Manc 33 you could try Wandrer for a bit of interest. I’ve lived around where I am for 50 years cycling for 43 of them so I know what you mean about the same roads. This morning I rode 3 1/2 new miles. I live in Wiltshire so my main map on Wandrer is set for Wiltshire I’ve done 1200 miles roads out of around 5000 miles for the miles in Wiltshire so I still have a long way to go.

I'd second that, there are pretty much always bits of road/path that you haven't journeyed even if you think you have. It might be that you drive or use the bus along a road but have never actually taken the bike that way or maybe you've never been down there because its an NTR. I often pick up extra bits without looking for them or sometimes base a ride around using a particular road for the first time.

just for crossy, i've done 1908km of Wiltshire so far but being based in Brizzle atm its a long day out to get more tarmac!

Manc33 wrote: ↑11 Mar 2023, 4:48am The problem is I've been everywhere lol, every road around where I live, I have been down it. Then what?

+ 1. Had the bulk of the past 14 years in one location. Somehow the same roads every day, can lose some of it's allure Realized a full 11 years back that I'd slipped into starting every ride with a quick 18 miles sprint down a dead flat, boring road, to give access to new country.

But one trick I've found useful is booking a one way train ticket. Fantastic to pick up a £4 ticket to some station 80 miles away, does give an absolutely different ride. As does watching an owl hunting in full daylight, in a coastal location this weekend. Something new

Hello, all, I think it might be that we are now in the worst part of winter and I too have become a bit fed up of the usual circuits that I usually get so much from. I cycle them in all weathers at all times of year. It's heartwarming to witness the cycle of the seasons even if it's certainly not finger or toe warming as I yet again pull on several pairs of gloves and wonder whether the overshoes will make it through to warmer days. Anyway what I wanted to say is that to have the availability of a train ride to widen your circuits must be of immense value, I'm jealous. The rail network here disappeared many years ago. If only it had been kept going, what an experience that would be now. I have "discovered" roads and tracks (some are old railways, not many) that are new-to-me even this long winter even though I have lived hereabouts for, goodness me, forty years. Cycling helps you see new things all the time whether it's scenery, wildlife, people, ever changing moods, as all us CTC types know so well.
Keep on turning those pedals, people!
Good wishes,
Tim

When one can no longer manage more than c.30 miles in a day route choice becomes limited - and for me the first 7 miles is often suburbia/city centre/suburbia. All very boring.
In order to meet up with CTC rides for lunch I have begun taking a train, out or back or both. Just added a 2nd Brompton to the fleet, they make trains so much easier.
After being confined to turbo by icy-stuff 3 days last week (altho 1 proved unnecessary when weather didn't match forecast!) had intended out today. But 25-45 mph wind/gusts in my view verging on the dangerous. OK on tow-paths etc, but the inevitable close passing on busy roads in such conditions to get to safe riding a bit iffy.

djnotts wrote: ↑13 Mar 2023, 9:15am When one can no longer manage more than c.30 miles in a day route choice becomes limited - and for me the first 7 miles is often suburbia/city centre/suburbia. All very boring.
In order to meet up with CTC rides for lunch I have begun taking a train, out or back or both. Just added a 2nd Brompton to the fleet, they make trains so much easier.
After being confined to turbo by icy-stuff 3 days last week (altho 1 proved unnecessary when weather didn't match forecast!) had intended out today. But 25-45 mph wind/gusts in my view verging on the dangerous. OK on tow-paths etc, but the inevitable close passing on busy roads in such conditions to get to safe riding a bit iffy.

I’m lucky enough to live in a small town (Bingham) where I can be out onto quiet country lanes within a few minutes of leaving home. I used to live in the suburbs and one of the reasons we moved here was to get better access to good cycling routes.