Rides 2014 -- add yours

[Hoodatder]

An hour later and I'm surrounded by wall to wall purple. This is the ascent up the North Pennines into Weardale. I had to keep stopping and look around me to take in the panoramic views and witness the changing  hues of purple, mauve, plum and maroon.

[Hoodatder]

Apologies if this gets repeated, but I'm still having problems having post rejected, then me reducing it and re posting it and then being informed I've already sent it - but it ain't on the forum?

[Hoodatder]

20 mins later and I'm at the top - with a view of things to come. I had run out of "fuel" by now so I went to the car across the road with the hope of begging some chocolate. The engine was running, Radio 4 was on full blast, the driver was asleep and I couldn't rouse him. So I psyched myself up - it was only 10 miles to Stanhope and all downhill - not!

[Hoodatder]

Pic 12 is what I've just come over. Pic 13 is what I'm going to go over. Notice how the landscape is now changing to a warm / sandy inviting enchantment where one dreams of idyllic cycling - wrong! I arrived in Stanhope having "hit the wall". I fuelled myself - rightly or wrongly - with fish + chips + coffee. I was pre booked in for the night at Hexham and determined to get there. When I asked the locals about my route via Edmondbyers, thet all unanimously said
"Divnt gan up Crawleyside Bank man. It's killer. You wadna make it up there, 'specially with that load on. Gan via Rookup (Rookhope to you and me). It's a lot easier that way".

So I went via Rookhope and was immediately presented with17% climb after 3miles (pic14) and then a 20% climb after about 7 miles and then another 20% climb after 7 miles. I was totally destroyed and the hasty saddle replacement and now come into it's own with 12 miles still to go.

I found out the next day from a fellow cyclist that it would have been better and quicker to "Gan over Crawleyside Bank"

Happy days!

[Andre Jute]

Bonnie Heather.

[Planet X]

Rode a 209k Audax yesterday on my Thorn Audax Mk.3 here in Ireland in 8hr. 15min (ride time). Door to door was 10 hours on the nose.
This is the bike I bought of leftpool and I really like the ride. Very comfortable ride.
Last month one of the two seatpin bolts popped out an hour into a ride. My fault as I assume I hadn't tightened it sufficiently. Yesterday the seat pin slipped just as we were about to stop for a break. Again, fine. Multitool out and tighten, no probs.
These are teething problems of my own tinkering about and good to be aware of them. Enjoying the bike though, my current bike of choice for training.
Next up, October Bank Holiday is another 200k Audax, The Dying Light. Signed up for this also and looking forward to it.

[jags]

hoodader that was a hell of a spin fair play to you buddy bet those chips tasted real good.

jags.

[geocycle]

Great pictures Hoodater.  I know that area well from various coast to coast routes.  Some serious hills!

[Hoodatder]

Thanks Jags + Geocycle,

Scenery was great, weather was great, beer was even better but I was in a sorry state.

I will return again, fully fuelled with my Brooks B17 and nail those bleedin' hills - rest assured!!

What I would give for a stable and reliable climate to cycle all around this island. It's not bad is it?

[jags]

class  part  of the planet.
tho cols in the TDF would be a doddle after climbing that lot.


jags.

[Andre Jute]

Here it rained and the wind blew so nastily that I did woodwork instead of cycling, working on my large pochade box (16x12 inches paintings accommodated). I sawed and planed and sanded a block of wood to brace the box where the ARCA Swiss quick release plate will fit to use it with a photographic tripod, and cut an aluminium slide plate to protect the vintage box's fine veneers and lacquer against the inevitable careless handling near metal parts. The pochade box, a 055 Manfrotto tripod and an optional shooting stick to sit on are the entire, self-contained painting kit; there is literally nothing else. It all fits in one of the  Basil Cardiff pannier baskets I like to keep on the bike to chuck stuff in; a utility bike without somewhere to chuck stuff in is not a utility bike but a poser's bike.

Yestercday I went for a longish ride, accompanied by my physician, and met a nurse out on her Trek Madone, which I lifted up with one hand and found very light. Apparently one doesn't goe out on it when the wind blows. We got wet in a light shower in the middle of the ride but by the time I reached home I was fully dried out. Par for the course in Ireland.

Andre Jute

[jags]

Andre photos please need to see all this handy work of yours and some of your favourate routes you use  to set up your easel.
i took the wheelers out on a lovely 45 mile spin but the last  hill done my back in big time. i barley held on to the group for the last 15 miles  i thought home i'd never get to get drugs into me.

anto.

[Andre Jute]

I'll publish photos of the pochade box later on my blog, Anto. Since you're so keen, here are some photos of a painting expedition by bicycle:


andre_jute_faux_tuscan_photoref_2014_800pxw.jpg

This looks like something I could paint!


andre_jute_country_plein_air_kit_1.jpg

There's even an appreciative audience. In the bicycle basket the complete kit of easel, black bag with paints and tools, and shooting stick to sit on.


andre_jute_country_plein_air_kit_2.jpg

Set up to work. The paints in the bag are oil bars, which is pigments (colours) in wax. I don't use a palette with oil bars, just holding the oil bars in my hand and digging out as much as I want with a silicon colour shaper, which saves on cleaning brushes.


andre_jute_kilbrogan_fields_2014_oil_on_canvas_10x8in_800pxh.jpg

The painting I made.

[jags]

Brilliant  great to see what you artists get up to on a spin.My son noel is behing me as we speak painting a rainbow for aib bank some sigh or other
but this morn he done a lovely  cycling painting on canvis ,he wont let me take a photo probable he will put it on his facebook page  (Art of noel kelly)

thanks Andre you have a great talent.

anto

[JimK]

A new hill today, on what must've been my longest ride (so far?!) this year:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/507178022

I left at about 8:30 AM. I pulled into New Paltz at maybe 4:40 or so. My partner's son is studying electrical engineering there, so she arranged for me to tutor him for a few hours, since I was passing through anyway. So I got a bite to eat first & then we designed some voltage regulator circuits with Zener diodes. Yeah, my bike rides are filled with adventure! I left New Paltz at 8 PM & got home at 10:30. Probably my longest night-time ride ever!

album