I just came back from what was probably the most horrific ride of my life.

I know I should have gone out earlier and avoided some of the traffic, but I left to do my usual road circuit at about 12:15, and after encountering more stoppages due to traffic in the city (which was aggravating, though still manageable), did fairly well as I exited through Thornhill (Cardiff), and hit the climb towards Fforest Fawr.

Once I passed through Tongwynlais, though, all hell seemed to break loose.

On the climb toward Pentwrch, I normally get passed by maybe half a dozen cars, but today it must have been 5 times that. Some of them passed me nicely and gave me lots of room, but one guy will have been going 80 mph if he was going 20, and came so close the suction made me wobble.

Prior to this, the rain had pretty much soaked me, but then it really started, at one point getting so heavy I could see the road under my front wheel and not a good deal else. Fortunately, my front light died after the worst of it had stopped.

Descending toward home, I was passed by an old couple in a Mercedes estate the size of a small house, who squeezed me to the curb, but by this point it ceased mattering, as even had I crashed, I would have felt nothing as pretty much all of my extremities had lost all circulation.

In any case, I made it home having encountered more f-ing traffic than an American interstate during an apocalypse, with no feeling in my hands and feet, a dead front light, a couple of close calls with cars, and drenched to the bone.

The plus side is that I am alive, and will try harder to get out early enough tomorrow that none of this (rain aside) is a factor.

Anyone else get out today? What were your roads like?

Club ride out for Xmas dinner – well a glorified cafe stop! Not too bad for traffic or road conditions but there was one deep puddle to negotiate which resulted in some dampness, at least the rain held off until I got home.

breezy, and the roads were a bit slimy – otherwise great (south coast)

Bloody great ride out on the CXer, 50/50 mix of road and trial.

Ace.

Doing it again tomoz 😀

Went out just about 12.30pm, wouldn’t have ridden through Cardiff for anything, just up the Taff trail, Treforest, Talbot Green, Llantrisant road. Fantastically wet but traffic seemed pretty normal. I’m not going out in the evenings at the moment, really don’t feel safe with Christmas drunk drivers this time of year 🙁

135k in Essex. Pretty quiet TBH.

I went running – unfortunately it was windy up here so while I was out some of the other locals were out on the bike poaching my KOMS 🙂

Lovely ride with the family, my boy out on his new bike that he got for his birthday yesterday. Mild as can be and the rain held off. Traffic free Sustrans route. Happy days cheers 1 shed.

No more than the usual shits and giggles in London

Words I’d use to describe cycling in London:

Aggravating, thrilling, frustrating, polluted.

Words I wouldn’t use to describe cycling in London:

Peaceful, relaxing, soporific.

Words that would be in the overlapping bit in the middle if this was a venn diagram and therefore written in a new colour that would probably have to be called something that rhymes with ‘paradox’ :

Pleasurable, addictive, life affirming.

Out from Matlock to Castleton and back via the skirts of Sheffield. Bit wet n windy, but very mild for the time of year. Traffic, was the same as usual. I had tired legs, but overall a decent ride and in far better conditions that previous years have afforded me a week before Xmas.

Hard wind in Gloucestershire keep away from the towns roads were quieter than normal and never rained much.
The wind is crap when out around those open fields but hay ho its very mild and never got blown off so that’s a plus.

Pretty nice out tbh, nearly poached a Kom on a regular tt section, on my mudguarded steel tourer…..was a bit breezy….still happy with 3rd out of 4432 🙂

Lovely road ride in Northumberland for me. It was dry but terribly windy.

Lovely in West Berkshire too, including a couple of chats with ladies on horses as I eased past them. That’s probably why it’s the 41st best place to live in the UK.

You should try MTBing OP – no dicks in cars. Had a wee explore around my local trails, found a new bit of ST. ‘Appy days….

You should try MTBing OP – no dicks in cars. Had a wee explore around my local trails, found a new bit of ST. ‘Appy days….

Indeed, Nbif, but for the sake of my fitness and ease of getting ready to go out, hitting the road is so much more efficient.

I have nothing against the possibility of doing both in a day, mind, as long as I get a road ride in first.

Had a similar experience down there last weekend.

Was planning on trying to get up the steep road to Pentyrch which starts by Gwaelod y Garth pub. Thought it would be pretty much traffic free because it’s such a backwater road but it was nuts.

Tried to wobble my way up past a traffic jam on steepest bit – car horns going, people gesticulating as they tried to pass. Horrible.

Was that on Heol Goch, copa? That’s where I had most difficulty. For such a backroad, it was crazy.

Nah. Stuck to a gentle local loop on the mtb with my mate slow Dave. Slower than usual due to the various works events this week and some rather muddy mud mud. All very enjoyable. Then I finished off building the new road bike so I might test that tomorrow but only if it’s dry and quiet, otherwise I’ll just look at it and then go for a run.

I went out on my cross bike, only had 4km out of 61 on the road, so all was good.

@SaxonRider – no, think problem was caused by Heol Goch being closed so traffic was directed up tiny Gwaelod y Garth road. Pentyrch must be a banging place to live judging by traffic.

You should have gone mountain biking. Shouldn’t this post be on bike radar or something?

Only braved the roads to get across town to the trails.
Was dressed for December, though, and it turned out to be 15 degrees of scorchio…