Cycling

[Matt Cycle]

Thought of you today, as we were driving down the M6 on the way back from the in-laws in Preston. I was trying to spot the Jodrell Bank dish, but left it too late. When we used to drive up and down with the kids in the car, there was a prize for the first one to spot it. It was always easier if it was vertical rather than horizontal.

Yes, the dish was completely vertical today and facing in the direction of the M6. I was going to go to the Jodrell Bank cafe for a coffee but decided to carry on.

Off on a tangent - the Jeyes has worked a treat on the moss. 🙂 My OH complained about the smell when I put it down saying it was like the disinfectant smell in a public toilet! 😱 Anyway that soon disappeared and the moss has died and I used a pointing trowel to scrape it out.

 

[Northerner]

Great pictures again Matt 🙂 And Happy Diaversary! A lot of people assume that running (or cycling) for miles and miles must be 'boring', but I always find it helpful for reflecting on things. I never get bored and always feel more relaxed mentally when I get back, very therapeutic 🙂 Even better if you can do it in beautiful countryside! 🙂

Hate to say it, but it looks like they lied to you when they told you a cure was coming in ten years! 😱 😉

 

[Matt Cycle]

Great pictures again Matt 🙂 And Happy Diaversary! A lot of people assume that running (or cycling) for miles and miles must be 'boring', but I always find it helpful for reflecting on things. I never get bored and always feel more relaxed mentally when I get back, very therapeutic 🙂 Even better if you can do it in beautiful countryside! 🙂

Hate to say it, but it looks like they lied to you when they told you a cure was coming in ten years! 😱 😉

Thanks Alan. I love just going for a ride. 🙂 Yes, the mythical cure 🙄 - the problem with T1 is there's not enough of us and no money in it for anyone researching a cure.

 

[KookyCat]

My bike is taking a hiatus in my shed at the moment, he's got a very uncomfortable sadle and I need to find a better one before I do myself a permanent injury 😱. The bike man in my local shop blamed my lack of juice in the rear end (yes his words not mine 😛). I miss my bike rides, I love a good tootle along. I could do with an old style chopper with a nice wide padded seat or I could strap a cushion to my bum and be done with it 🙄

 

[Matt Cycle]

My bike is taking a hiatus in my shed at the moment, he's got a very uncomfortable sadle and I need to find a better one before I do myself a permanent injury 😱. The bike man in my local shop blamed my lack of juice in the rear end (yes his words not mine 😛). I miss my bike rides, I love a good tootle along. I could do with an old style chopper with a nice wide padded seat or I could strap a cushion to my bum and be done with it 🙄

Strange turn of phrase from the bike man. You just need to get and out and toughen 'it' up a bit. 😉 My arse is like the rest of me - skinny, but it can cope on the bike and with decent padded shorts I don't have any problems with what I'm sitting on. "I were right about that saddle though."

 

[Anthony Stirrat]

My bike is taking a hiatus in my shed at the moment, he's got a very uncomfortable sadle and I need to find a better one before I do myself a permanent injury 😱. The bike man in my local shop blamed my lack of juice in the rear end (yes his words not mine 😛). I miss my bike rides, I love a good tootle along. I could do with an old style chopper with a nice wide padded seat or I could strap a cushion to my bum and be done with it 🙄

Get your self to a decent bike shop that does Selle Italia ID Match and get fitted for a saddle, if you're female then it's a Diva saddle (it's the only saddle you'll ever need) and if you're male then I would recommend a SLR and depending on flexibility will depend on whether you need a cutout.

 

[Matt Cycle]

Lovely day again being dry, sunny and warm and it was short sleeved jersey and bibshorts for the first time this year and on with the factor 50 - vitamin D levels boosted. (I think that's it as regards warm weather looking at the forecast for next week - was a bit of a bonus as it's only 9th April 🙄). I waited until it had started to warm up properly this morning before setting off to Knutsford. Feeling less constrained in shorts and short sleeved jersey and no mudguards compared to having all the winter gear on, I got a bit carried away and probably overcooked it (for me anyway 😉) - at Knutsford at 30 miles I was on an 18.0 mph average speed. Paid for this on the way back although the wind picked up a bit as well. Still, it was another 100km+ ride. With the nice weather loads of riders out today. Although most of the cyclists I see out on the road are predominantly male I am seeing more and more women out. The high profile of the GB women cyclists will have helped and shows it can be an activity/sport for everyone.

Strava has it as 63.4 miles completed at an average speed of 15.6mph and elevation gain of just over 2000 feet.

Last day of the Libre sensor today and it showed a fairly steady 5-8 mmol/l line. 🙂 Did a few bg checks to compare and most were fairly close but had one at 3.8 mmol/l and Libre was showing 6.5 mmol/l. Can only assume it was on its way down on the Libre although the arrow showed steady. Had 4 gels, banana, energy/protein bar and a latte from the cafe.

Ploughed fields in places and crops are starting to grow - Oilseed rape field near the delightfully named Puddinglake.


Oh dear, where have all the flowers gone? This is the few that are left although I suppose some of them have been there since January here at Byley. I did see a fair few daffodils elsewhere and loads of dandelions. As the road goes up in the photo that's where it crosses the M6.


Tree blossom at Siddington. This is a restricted byway - see a few horse riders on here.


The Garmin (Strava rounded down 0.1 mph and 0.1 of a mile)

 

[Robin]

Wow! That patio! Dazzling!

 

[Matt Cycle]

Wow! That patio! Dazzling!

Ha, yes although it probably could do with another scrub with the Jeyes as there are still a few bits of moss.

Took the Libre sensor off tonight and there's a white disc shape on my arm with a red halo where I didn't get the sun lotion right up to the edge of the sensor. 🙄 The rest of my arms and legs have now got a bit of colour in them and are no longer ghostly white. Good job I put the factor 50 on. Who'd have thought it at this time of year!

 

[HOBIE]

The Libre is very good for exercise like what you are doing Matt. Stops you getting too sun-tand ! Keep peddling 😎

 

[Matt Cycle]

With rain forecast for tomorrow I managed to get out this afternoon for a short ride around the hilly Staffordshire Moorlands. Conditions were dry with some sun but it was hard work especially up on the tops with a very strong wind blowing. It wasn't cold but the wind made it feel chilly and it was a bit of a contrast to last weekends heatwave as it was back on with the bibtights and long sleeved jersey. 🙄 I took in a few of the hills including Morridge, the Roaches and Gun Hill.

Strava stats are 32.1 miles completed at an average speed of 13.2mph and elevation gain of just over 2600 feet.

Levels at the start 7.8 mmol/l, at 10 miles 6.6 mmol/l, at 24 miles 3.9 mmol/l and back home 7.6 mmol/l. Just had the one gel on this ride - you can probably guess at which point.

Looking back at interesting cloud formations on the long climb up to Morridge


Had to put these in! Climb up to Morridge.


Dark skies and Spring lambs not far from Gun Hill


Garmin

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

Looks lovely there.

 

[Robin]

Still got daffodils!

 

[HOBIE]

Well you have inspired me to get my Mountain bike out tomorrow. It will prob rain then 😳

 

[Matt Cycle]

Looks lovely there.

It's not bad up there. Just very windy today!

Still got daffodils!

Still quite a few around. It's heading up to 1600 feet around there so it's probably just starting to warm up. Those in the photo are next to a field but the nearest farm house is some distance away. So either Farmer Giles has planted them next to his field or the local council has done it.

Well you have inspired me to get my Mountain bike out tomorrow. It will prob rain then 😳

Heavy rain forecast for most of the day here in North Staffordshire but it's saying cloudy, not raining but cool in South Shields. T-shirt weather for you then. Enjoy it. 🙂

 

[Matt Cycle]

Dentist this morning and luckily compared to what some have been saying I had no problems. It meant getting to work was a problem so I thought balls to it and took the day off and decided to go out for a ride as you do. It was overcast but not cold and the sun tried to break through on occasions. The ground was damp when I went to the dentist from fog/dew?? I'm not sure but I decided to put the mudguards back on. Needn't have bothered really because it dried out and stayed dry. I headed back into Cheshire for another 60 miler with a reverse loop towards Knutsford and surroundings. Very pleasant. 🙂

Strava has it as 60.9 miles completed at an average speed of 15.4mph and elevation gain of just over 2000 feet.

Levels were 'reasonably' well behaved - at start 7.9 mmol/l, at 11 miles 7.2 mmol/l, at 25 miles at 34 miles 3.7 mmol/l, at 42 miles 4.2 mmol/l, at 48 miles 5.0 mmol/l, 53 miles 6.4 mmol/l, at 57 miles 5.5 mmol/l and on return 7.4 mmol/l. I had 4 gels, malt loaf and energy/protein bar on the ride.

Flogging a dead horse but this will probably be the last one of this bit until next year. Daffs on the right hand side are gone and it's just the dandelions now. Well, they're yellow flowers aren't they. What's wrong with that?


Jodrell Bank telescope in the misty distance on the horizon just to the left of the Holmes Chapel road sign and tree in the middle of the photo. It was horizontal today. that's where I've just come from and this was near Gawsworth.


A bit of a climb near Rudyard


The Garmin (no roundings on Strava this time)

 

[Robin]

Nothing wrong with dandelions in the wild, and it'll be buttercup fields after that.

 

[Matt Cycle]

Nothing wrong with dandelions in the wild, and it'll be buttercup fields after that.

Remember to hold one of the buttercups under your chin, if it reflects yellow - then you like butter.*

*Brought to you by the Butter Marketing Board. 🙄

 

[Matt Cycle]

Back out today for a hilly ride taking in the Cat and Fiddle and Axe Edge climbs and including Buxton and Flash. Nice conditions being dry, sunny with a bit of a chilly wind but okay. Loads of riders out and about today in the pleasant conditions.

Strava has it as 43.0 miles completed at an average speed of 14.5mph and elevation gain of just under 3400 feet.

Levels 🙄 - started at 5.6 mmol/l so had a couple of biscuits, at 9 miles 4.4 mmol/l, at 20 miles (top of Cat and Fiddle) 2.8 mmol/l 😱, at 30 miles 6.9 mmol/l, at 38 miles 5.1 mmol/l and back home 7.8 mmol/l. F*****g diabetes! I'd reduced my basal this morning but I'm almost certain with Tresiba that the effects are not that quick compared to when I was on Levemir. Definitely need that pump - I'll speak to the DSN tomorrow to find out what's happening with it. My hypo awareness is non existent but I managed to get up the Cat and Fiddle and pass someone on the way - presumably at hypo levels. 🙄 I had 5 gels, banana and a latte from the cafe at Flash on this ride.

Plenty of daffs still around - these are near Bosley


Cat and Fiddle Inn - it shut down last year and is now up for sale. Still lots of people around admiring the views up there.


Looking from the Cat and Fiddle towards Buxton. The road has average speed cameras now so the motorbikers have less chance of killing themselves. 🙄


Get your free mineral water in Buxton and avoid boosting Nestles profits. People (like the lady in the photo) turn up with big plastic containers to fill up. The water comes out slightly warm.


Opera House in Buxton.


Near Flash.


The Garmin

 

[Stitch147]

Great pics and report as usual matt. Shame your levels were misbehaving.