Cycling UK Forum

No one has posted to this entire board for nearly a week! Is that because no-one is currently "on the road", but just being washed away instead?

I endured a packed choo-choo from Paddington to Swindon yesterday. I'm really glad (sort of) that I didn't have a bike with me - I'd have been lynched for taking up so much space.

I walked round a reservoir this morning, and found Swindon Rowing Club - which I'd never heard of before. Very warm greeting from the club's entire membership - both of them.

Heartfelt sympathies to anyone affected by the weather.

I just hope the floods clear up before I have to travel up North in September. There's no sign of settled weather appearing yet. We need a week of hot sun and stron South winds to clear up the mess, and then get back to normal patterns.

Plenty of time CrazyDave. By the time you get going summer will have actually arrived and it will be factor 60 sunblock needed. That may not apply to Scotland of course.

I did a very wet bit of riding last week. Down to Devon Monday and Tuesday, camping overnight, and back Sat/Sun, after visiting grandparents. I had some serious rain while there, and Saturday was rather miserable on Exmoor. I never want to do a single track 25% or so descent in the rain on a poor road again in my life !!!

Andy

I did a rather wet ride yesterday, up and down Westbury White Horse, twice, total 32 miles. Yesterday was also only the 2nd day of training with 10 extra litres of water in my panniers (heavy luggage practice) in addition to regfular water allowance, snack food, tools and first aid kit. That in the rain was hard work, but fun. I think it does some good to do some training in the rain. I've got my long ride of 70 miles on Thursday, which will probably be in some rain. My long ride has to be Thursday, as I'm at work on Friday and Saturday. I try to do my big ride as late as I can in the week.

Maybe I'm getting old, I got caught in a thunderstorm last week and was wet through to my skin. I didn't need water bottles in panniers, the water in the pad in my cycleshorts weighed about half a ton, not to mention my shoes which took days to dry. Anyway, fun was about the last word that came to my mind!

If you get wet and chilled, it can be extremely dispiriting, and can sometimes take it out of you such that you need a couple of days to fully get over it, I find.



Regards,
M.

At least places like Exmoor are less crowded, and campsites have plenty of room. The ground is also nice and soft for getting pegs into.

'Tis indeed an exceptionally wet summer

Andy

I got turned away from a campsite at Longtown a couple of weeks ago due to the site being too waterlogged for camping!

The waterlogged site owner kindly advised me to try a site on the NW side of Longtown, about a mile on the road to Gretna.

This site, High Gaitle, welcomed us and was splendid for camping despite the previous months of summer rain. Recommended if you are cycle camping and crossing the border near Gretna/Longtown.