Tell us about your weekend ride

Racing yesterday and hit a massive pothole on the first circuit.. Can't really have a go at the pack for not pointing it as it was a fast, fast left and we were doing just under 30mhp.. Hit it.. Knocked hand off bars.. back wheel impact puncture.. No support car with spares.. Bugger.. I was looking at a 7 km walk back to race HQ.. Nice day for a walk in the Surrey country side me thinks.. That is until a random good samaraitan stops and asks me if I need a lift.. brilliant!. Puts the back seats down. Loads me and bike into car and drives me back to race hq.. I feel this is good karma from the times I've stopped and helped fellow cyclists.. Even giving them spare inner tubes without a hope of getting replacements.

Disappointed that I DNF'd of course but heartened by a random act of kindness from a stranger.

^ a similar thing happened to me a few weeks ago; one of the road side marshals offered me his shoes to walk back to HQ in.

Here's a Rapha cow I spotted whilst riding the Kirroughtree trail in Scotland last weekend:

^^ good karma, I hope mine comes around soon!

^^ Congratulations on your first century.

Feels good doesn't it?

My ride was shit today. Set off for what I was hoping to be a fast (for me) and flat 100km to Cambridge only to lose front wheel turning off the A10. Not sure whether it was an oil patch or a pothole but I was leaning so once it went that was it. Front of bike just went out from under followed by rear. Didn't somebody once say something about not leaning?

Bruised elbow aside I'm fine but bent hoods round and derailleur took a fair whack. Tried roadside repairs with no luck so limped home stuck on granny chainring. Cutting my losses by baking some bread and then going to the pub to get drunk.

Thanks, Henge. It does feel good.

Always wondered what the granny ring was for, now I know...

Hope you get your bike sorted.

Here's a Rapha cow I spotted whilst riding the Kirroughtree trail in Scotland last weekend:

Rapha Jersey

only managed a 75km trot with the local club into essex this weekend-pretty easy going but been feeling really tired of late, not sure if its got something to do with wisdom teeth coming in? Anyway. Lovely day for it, doing the Easter Classic next week which looks like it'll be good and hope I'm in better form...

^ with the wisdom teeth out you will be more chompy?

I've worked back through my route for the weekend's trip North, which looks far harder than it did at first glance (currently about 420 miles over three days). In fact, it's resulted in a shift from mindless over-enthusiasm to moderately sober consideration.

I'm now 50%, "Isn't that a bit much for the likes of you? Small, small, whiny, whiny, mopey, mopey.", and 50%, "You're a naval-gazing tossbag, just give it a go and if it's too much get a train".

I just want to get into Yorkshire, really, it's such a top place to take a bike. There are a couple of climbs over the Pennines that totally blew me away last time I was there.

I'm also looking forward to the expression on my Dad's face, when I appear at his front door. I'll knock his socks off. He can then take me to accident and emergency.

I reckon it's going to be a strong weekend for everyone around here - so long as the weather holds.

Hmm going down to Cornwall for the whole 11 days, and really struggling to decide between the road bike and the mtb, I think it'll have to be mtb as it will be possible to ride that both on and off road and it haz 30 gears too!

Friday, what route are you taking to get up north? I live just outside Sheffield and need to be out riding this weekend. I could come and meet you at some point and give you a wheel for a bit to make the journey a bit easier. Might even be able to put you up for the night if needs be.

420 miles seems a bt long for London to Yorkshire though. A qick google map check suggests from Big Ben to Redcar is about 250 miles.

Cheers. The full journey is London to Edinburgh; though I'd be perfectly happy if I can just see some of The Pennines before calling it a day.

Out of interest, Friday (the day, not me) will end in Edwinstowe (just North of Nottingham). On the Saturday I'll pass through Worksop, and East of Sheffield by about 20 miles. However, I'll be up with the larks (hopefully about 4am). I'm due in Hexham on Saturday night, and I'll need the entire day to get there.

Having thought a bit (sorry if I sound at all vague, I'm thinking on tired feet), I'm extremely grateful for the offer of a wheel/ possible digs, but my overall plan is horribly "seat of my pants", and it'll be least traumatic if I rattle along on my own. While I would be up for sharing some of the second day (and, indeed, any day), this is an idiosyncratic jaunt at best, and I'm therefore unsure of how to factor in additional elements. Cheers though, absolutely.

Lastly, do keep the Yorkshire Hills route in the back of your mind, it's a far tidier excursion than this one. The Yorkshire route is blinding, and I'd more than welcome the company.

coast to coast this weekend.
whitehaven to tynemouth.
dead excited.
rolling fixed with a carradice saddlebag for all my worldly goods.
looking forward to some good hills and crashing in some mint b&bs.
gonna be incredibly hot, weathers looking like 20+ and sunny.

Hmm going down to Cornwall for the whole 11 days, and really struggling to decide between the road bike and the mtb, I think it'll have to be mtb as it will be possible to ride that both on and off road and it haz 30 gears too!

Similar, starting my 17 days off with a ride in Nottingham on Saturday, trying to decide between cross bike (undergeared) or road bike (mystery indexing problems). When I get back I'm going to be hitting Brighton, New Forest, and Windsor weekdays, plus the usual Biggin Hill loop over the remainder, exciting.

100 miles planned on saturday to all corners of the cotwolds
stratford/banbury/taddy/hooky/chippy/stow-ont-wold/moreton-int-marsh/bourton-ont-water/broadway

Planning on doing Liverpool to leeds sunday morning. The Revenge and Space Dimension controller on the Lounge Terrace sunday day. Then the return leg on monday.

London - Redditch, just under 100 miles, BOOM!

Lunch stop was too long, start of second leg was tough, but the countryside of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire is lovely.

Got hauled around on at speed on a club 100k which was pretty ruthless and then settled in at home to await the arrival of Friday 26th March who had covered the distance from London at an impressive pace.

Heard him stumbling around the house getting ready to leave as dawn broke so shuffled downstairs to tell him to fuck off out of it and make sure he hadn't lifted any of the family silver make sure he had everything he needed and bid him well on his journey northwards.

London - Redditch, just under 100 miles, BOOM!

Lunch stop was too long, start of second leg was tough, but the countryside of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire is lovely.

I fancy this at some point Crispin, my cousin lives up there... Any route tips?

I fancy this at some point Crispin, my cousin lives up there... Any route tips?

I'll PM you our Bikely route when I'm near a computer.

3 laps of RP, including 1 <20 minute.
Track this afternoon.

Nothing tomorrow.

Three beaches in one day and 190 km on the bike: Orpington to Hastings, Eastbourne and Brighton.

A surprising (because we hadn't planned that part) amount of hills on the coast. Sweet descending though.

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Yesterday was utterly mental.

Nottingham to Hexham, climbing through The Pennines, a raft of punctures, innufficient innertubes, a lack of options, a little dispair, a chance encounter with a massive Tescos, more tubes, a scotch egg, a cup of Pick 'n' Mix, an £8 jumper (every little helps), a discovery - a split sidewall, a hack job, a tentative ten miles through werewolf country, some cracking northern hospitality, and pockets full of TSK's family silver.

150 milies, 3600m climbing, and a fucking brilliant day.

^ That sounds amazing.

101miles done today, just shy of 23 to Rawtenstall for the Pendle Vintage Velo which measured up at 56miles, then a pie and a pint at the Craven Heifer pub before retracing the outward roads home. Fantastic day on the bike, esp up in the hills.