The "Photos From Today's Ride" thread...
Discussion
CoolC said:
There looks to be a groove cut into the sidewall where something is/was rubbing, probably the brake block.
It could be that threads from the tyre carcass have unwound themselves and caused the 'groove'. It's quite common with Continental tyres, sadly. The threads are very close to the outer surface with little, if any, rubber on them. I had the unraveling thing happen on a set of GP 4 Seasons - to the point where the sidewall threads were wrapped around the front hub. I never had the sidewall burst open though. Plenty of experiences of bubbles of innertube poking through slashes in the sidewall of my Schwalbe Ultremo tyres though. Fortunately so far they've all been repairable with puncture patches or a tyre boot.
Seeing shuey's Orange MTB clogged with mud like that had me wishing we could have the icy cold frosts back again, instead of this soggy but mild winter mudbath.
So I decided to have a mosey through my camera to see if there were any photos I considered worthy of posting on this 'ere venerable thread.
Apologies again for volume, but I'll try to split 'em over a few posts...
Minley sunset - 20 January 2017... https://www.strava.com/activities/838499314
...red sky at night? Shepherds' delight, they say. And also a MTBers delight too, it appears, as this was the resulting "morning after the night before"...
https://www.strava.com/activities/839518962 ...Magical Minley Winter Wonderland - 21 January 2017:
Robinson R-22 and R-44 piston-engined helicopters at Blackbushe Airport.
There was once a lovely, challenging, engaging little single-track segment within this small wood. Now ruined. Thanks a bundle, Forestry Commission! What possible pleasure or purpose is to be gained from doing this? I get that forestry needs managing, but surely it can't be overly difficult to avoid stacking the cut timber directly onto recreational fitness facilities, however unofficial they are. Given the position of the stacks, I don't see how this was anything but a deliberate attempt to kill the trail.
21 January again - part of the Brass Monkeys Round 2 race lap with heavy MTB use and freezing temperatures resulting in a tricksy wee section of frozen ruts. This side of the hill is sheltered from the sun most of the day, so remains frozen hard far longer than almost all of the rest of the lap.
So I decided to have a mosey through my camera to see if there were any photos I considered worthy of posting on this 'ere venerable thread.
Apologies again for volume, but I'll try to split 'em over a few posts...
Minley sunset - 20 January 2017... https://www.strava.com/activities/838499314
...red sky at night? Shepherds' delight, they say. And also a MTBers delight too, it appears, as this was the resulting "morning after the night before"...
https://www.strava.com/activities/839518962 ...Magical Minley Winter Wonderland - 21 January 2017:
Robinson R-22 and R-44 piston-engined helicopters at Blackbushe Airport.
There was once a lovely, challenging, engaging little single-track segment within this small wood. Now ruined. Thanks a bundle, Forestry Commission! What possible pleasure or purpose is to be gained from doing this? I get that forestry needs managing, but surely it can't be overly difficult to avoid stacking the cut timber directly onto recreational fitness facilities, however unofficial they are. Given the position of the stacks, I don't see how this was anything but a deliberate attempt to kill the trail.
21 January again - part of the Brass Monkeys Round 2 race lap with heavy MTB use and freezing temperatures resulting in a tricksy wee section of frozen ruts. This side of the hill is sheltered from the sun most of the day, so remains frozen hard far longer than almost all of the rest of the lap.
Edited by yellowjack on Monday 30th January 14:42
Gruffy said:
Seems like the whole of PH was climbing Teide over the last few days! A bunch of us were there at the weekend. Here are a couple of snaps. Plenty more in the blog post I've just added.
Good write up again gruff, and once again, shared on our Cappuccino FB page 
Wait!
Com'ere, there's more...
All from... https://www.strava.com/activities/845088565 ...57.5 miles over a full day, dawn to dusk.
"Between Two Ponds" looking west. 26 January 2017. The thaw has begun in earnest, and the end of this short bridleway nearest Collard's site looks like slurry. This does NOT make for ideal KOM attempt conditions. Nor does stopping for a photo, but that's by-the-by
Warren Heath Wood, and I suspect that "The Hills Have Eyes". Can anyone else hear 'Dueling Banjos' looking at this? It's the local Airsoft group's woodland shanty town. All manner of swivel-eyed lunatics in there at the weekend (I imagine), but it was completely quiet save for one man carrying a ladder about the place today. I hadn't crossed any fences, or gone through any gates to get there, and he didn't challenge me (just politely said hello) so I had a wee explore while the risk of getting "shot" was reduced. Mind, they probably think I'm intensely weird too, bombing around the woods in Lycra in deepest January. It takes all sorts...
Off to explore Bramshill Plantation. Nothing interesting to report in the way of MTB trails. I did feel sorry for this poor Swan though - his (or her?) pond was frozen solid across it's entire surface to a depth of 3 to 4 inches. But he wasn't to be beaten by sheet ice, just settling down as normal - only on top of the ice instead of floating in the water.
The New Mill Lane ford through the Blackwater River. And no - I've never been tempted to cycle through it, as there's a handy pedestrian bridge over the water, thanks all the same...
MotoX Muppets do my feckin' head in. Just why? What possible pleasure can be derived from doing this to natural flowing trails? a
holes!
There's nothing like a nice roaring fire to warm you up on a cold winter's day. This was the Yateley Common volunteer group, clearing gorse bushes trying to encourage the regrowth of heathland heathers and such like. I'd bailed out of Warren Heath Wood by this point - headed back to The Bushe Cafe at Blackbushe to stave off an inbound 'bonk'. I'd literally had nothing but a coffee and a handful of dry Shredded Wheat bitesize until now, and my pace and concentration were starting to suffer badly. An all-day big breakfast and more coffee was called for...
...at the aviation themed Bushe Cafe. This sign (not sure if it's original or not?) is on the inside wall of the cafe. Breakfast was OK. Nothing to write home about, but decent enough typical 'greasy spoon' fodder. £6.60 including toast and coffee.
Warning sign at the end of the runway, together with notices detailing dates when temporary planning permission was in place for more filming at Blackbushe Airport. The old, disused runways have been used fairly recently to film 'Criminal' and 'Rush' amongst others.
Looking straight down runway 25 at Blackbushe. The fatal Bin Laden family jet crash was at the far end. No aeroplanes were arriving or departing while I was passing, so no opportunity for any dramatic head-on photos of anything on approach.
And so it was, with belly full, that I headed back to Warren Heath Wood to see if I could find some of the segments recommended by 'silver940' of this parish. I found some of it, up by the gasworks, and properly enjoyable it was too. Going 'off-piste' though, resulted in some frustrating dead-ends and some trails where the land owner had clearly decided they wanted the route closed!
More filming? This 'Hollywood' style lighting rig, suspended on cranes, was pointed at the old 'Sun Microsystems' offices on the edge of Hawley. The lights have been blazing away day and night for a couple of days now. I wonder what it is they're filming this time. Quite a substantial sized location crew too. Modern, empty offices with a secure perimeter fence and lots of parking. Got to be ideal for film production, keeping us plebs safely out of shot.
Com'ere, there's more...
All from... https://www.strava.com/activities/845088565 ...57.5 miles over a full day, dawn to dusk.
"Between Two Ponds" looking west. 26 January 2017. The thaw has begun in earnest, and the end of this short bridleway nearest Collard's site looks like slurry. This does NOT make for ideal KOM attempt conditions. Nor does stopping for a photo, but that's by-the-by
Warren Heath Wood, and I suspect that "The Hills Have Eyes". Can anyone else hear 'Dueling Banjos' looking at this? It's the local Airsoft group's woodland shanty town. All manner of swivel-eyed lunatics in there at the weekend (I imagine), but it was completely quiet save for one man carrying a ladder about the place today. I hadn't crossed any fences, or gone through any gates to get there, and he didn't challenge me (just politely said hello) so I had a wee explore while the risk of getting "shot" was reduced. Mind, they probably think I'm intensely weird too, bombing around the woods in Lycra in deepest January. It takes all sorts...
Off to explore Bramshill Plantation. Nothing interesting to report in the way of MTB trails. I did feel sorry for this poor Swan though - his (or her?) pond was frozen solid across it's entire surface to a depth of 3 to 4 inches. But he wasn't to be beaten by sheet ice, just settling down as normal - only on top of the ice instead of floating in the water.
The New Mill Lane ford through the Blackwater River. And no - I've never been tempted to cycle through it, as there's a handy pedestrian bridge over the water, thanks all the same...
MotoX Muppets do my feckin' head in. Just why? What possible pleasure can be derived from doing this to natural flowing trails? a
holes!There's nothing like a nice roaring fire to warm you up on a cold winter's day. This was the Yateley Common volunteer group, clearing gorse bushes trying to encourage the regrowth of heathland heathers and such like. I'd bailed out of Warren Heath Wood by this point - headed back to The Bushe Cafe at Blackbushe to stave off an inbound 'bonk'. I'd literally had nothing but a coffee and a handful of dry Shredded Wheat bitesize until now, and my pace and concentration were starting to suffer badly. An all-day big breakfast and more coffee was called for...
...at the aviation themed Bushe Cafe. This sign (not sure if it's original or not?) is on the inside wall of the cafe. Breakfast was OK. Nothing to write home about, but decent enough typical 'greasy spoon' fodder. £6.60 including toast and coffee.
Warning sign at the end of the runway, together with notices detailing dates when temporary planning permission was in place for more filming at Blackbushe Airport. The old, disused runways have been used fairly recently to film 'Criminal' and 'Rush' amongst others.
Looking straight down runway 25 at Blackbushe. The fatal Bin Laden family jet crash was at the far end. No aeroplanes were arriving or departing while I was passing, so no opportunity for any dramatic head-on photos of anything on approach.
And so it was, with belly full, that I headed back to Warren Heath Wood to see if I could find some of the segments recommended by 'silver940' of this parish. I found some of it, up by the gasworks, and properly enjoyable it was too. Going 'off-piste' though, resulted in some frustrating dead-ends and some trails where the land owner had clearly decided they wanted the route closed!
More filming? This 'Hollywood' style lighting rig, suspended on cranes, was pointed at the old 'Sun Microsystems' offices on the edge of Hawley. The lights have been blazing away day and night for a couple of days now. I wonder what it is they're filming this time. Quite a substantial sized location crew too. Modern, empty offices with a secure perimeter fence and lots of parking. Got to be ideal for film production, keeping us plebs safely out of shot.
And while I'm swamping the thread with my crappy photos, have a couple more...
28 January 2017 - Hawley Heath Common... https://www.strava.com/activities/847361458
...a pleasant enough evening amble out on the heath, starting off around sunset and staying out until my lights began to fade.
Look right (east).
Look left (west).
28 January 2017 - Hawley Heath Common... https://www.strava.com/activities/847361458
...a pleasant enough evening amble out on the heath, starting off around sunset and staying out until my lights began to fade.
Look right (east).
Look left (west).
Mark83 said:
Cycled up El Teide, knocking the Galibier off Strava as my longest climb. Mrs Mark83 suggested I hire a bike while we're in Tenerife so I obliged and hired one from Bike Point.
It's 47km long and to be honest a lot of the kms were rubbish but there were some nice sections. Cycling up through the clouds was good as was bumping into some Cannondale Drapac riders.
Leaving Vilaflor
Looks like we stopped at a similar spot!It's 47km long and to be honest a lot of the kms were rubbish but there were some nice sections. Cycling up through the clouds was good as was bumping into some Cannondale Drapac riders.
Leaving Vilaflor
Gruffy said:
Seems like the whole of PH was climbing Teide over the last few days! A bunch of us were there at the weekend. Here are a couple of snaps. Plenty more in the blog post I've just added.
Enjoyed that! Mrs Mark83 isn't into cycling so I only managed one day. I like the idea of a long weekend purely for cycling with some friends though.Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff