WDB
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Post by WDB on May 18, 2020 15:46:55 GMT
Equally lovely in some different woods at lunchtime, but no sign of bears, so perhaps they’re a weekend phenomenon. Two horses — with riders — on a bridleway and one other cyclist on a road were about all I met. No walkers at all, although more cars than I’ve got used to. Pity to have to come back and work, really.
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Post by Humph on May 18, 2020 16:11:40 GMT
Having got some mud on my bike yesterday, well, dust more accurately, it was as dry as a bone in the forest, I'm just about to go and rattle some of it off on the local cycle paths for an hour or so.
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Post by tyrednexited on May 18, 2020 16:17:43 GMT
Not cycling, but we headed out for Clumber Park (which is one of the NT properties that is still closed). No access to the car parking (which was expected, but we know where to park outside the enclosed/paid for areas) and the central buildings were all temporarily fenced off. More disappointingly, the bridge at one end of the lake was fenced off - it was badly damaged/vandalised over a year ago, and they have been reconstructing it since, albeit with narrow access across. They've taken the opportunity to close it completely and carry on working, but it means that the circumnavigation of the lake is not currently possible. Quiet compared with normal times, but still a good few people around, both cycling and walking. Not too difficult to socially distance from those who don't insist on walking four-abreast (a surprising proportion) but it is patently clear that only associating in household groups has collapsed. What is very noticeable, both for Clumber and Rufford Lakes, is that the water-bird populations are well-down. I suspect it's because, without visitors there are no easy pickings, and the water will thus support considerably less wildlife. (either that or we've a concurrent outbreak of bird flu  ) |
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2020 10:04:52 GMT
Still haven't been more than 500 metres from the house since March 23rd. Not been to a shop, nothing. Might take a run out at the weekend to tend my Dad's grave as I usually do on the anniversary of his passing. I may see my sister there if we can coordinate it, socially distanced of course.
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Post by dixinormus on May 20, 2020 0:48:05 GMT
Bet you have saved a fortune by not going anywhere Al? I certainly have. Probably not so good for the local economy though...
Oh, I did put $10 of diesel in the Outlander the other day, just to top it off and put some “fresh” fuel in the tank after 2 months of scarce use.
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2020 8:47:56 GMT
Not that you'd notice hugely. Been buying stuff online as usual, and the grocery bill has shot up with everyone at home all day. Children get three meals a day at school when they're there (day boarding). Haven't made much car fuel savings as I don't generally pay for fuel...leccy bill up, and te gas bill given that the heating was on more than usual until a couple of weeks back. We're on a pretty tight budget under normal circs due to private a schooling, so we don't spend much money in pubs/restaurants/theatres/social gatherings etc anyway. Mind you, the school have reduced bills 20% for now so there's that.
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Post by Humph on May 23, 2020 11:52:27 GMT
Been for a dog walk this morning and still intending to ride the bikes later, but it's so windy here today that we might have to learn the knack of riding backwards.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on May 23, 2020 15:31:17 GMT
Yes, similar thoughts here. Tomorrow morning looks calmer; I’ll aim to get out then for a couple of hours.
Quite glad of another quiet day, if I’m honest. On Wednesday evening the brown bike and I had a disagreement over where to go next that only the ground was ever going to win. Just a grazed elbow and a plum-sized bruise on the hip (itself preferable to a hip-sized bruise on the plums) and the soreness is fading now. But I don’t consider myself the kind of cyclist to whom falling off is a hazard of the job, so I’ll be trying not to do it again for a while.
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Post by Humph on May 23, 2020 19:12:17 GMT
Did 12 miles late afternoon. NE route out, SW back, first half easy, wind behind. Coming back was more excercising. Hope to get into a forest early tomorrow.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on May 23, 2020 21:28:14 GMT
That’s good going today. What were you riding?
Since we’re kind of hemmed in by the river to the east and south, most of my routes begin uphill and in a westerly direction. Not being Mr Aerodynamic in terms of frontal area, I might have found that especially challenging today.
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Post by Humph on May 24, 2020 5:54:09 GMT
Unfortunately we were on MTBs. Ok, hardtails but not ideal. Still, keeps the legs from seizing up I suppose.
Heading for the forest shortly. More our thing.
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Post by Humph on May 26, 2020 9:52:07 GMT
Got into the forest for 08.00 both Sunday and Monday. Car parks deserted, forest more or less empty too. Finished our rides by 10.00 both days. Didn't come anywhere near anyone else.
Delightful.
Feeling much better for it.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on May 26, 2020 11:28:39 GMT
Nothing like it, is there? Home got a bit oppressive, shall we say, Monday afternoon, so I hopped on the shopping bike and pootled about in the lanes and woods for a couple of hours. Found a couple of tracks I hadn’t known about before and generally restored personal equilibrium.
Don’t know what state I’d be in without the bike, to be honest. I’m nobody’s idea of a runner, and with no team sport to train for or play, and no time for walks long enough to be more than token outings, it would feel pretty grim here.
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Post by Humph on May 26, 2020 11:53:51 GMT
It's a lifeline for me, and indeed Mrs H. She's normally at the gym doing some class or other (with increasingly fancy names) at least 4 nights a week, and I used to swim most nights. Of course all of that is on hold. Although she has been doing something on Zoom. I'm a rubbish runner too ( multiple old toe and foot fractures from previous silly endeavours ) so the bike is a bit of a substitute, even if it's only a run out for an hour or so in the evening.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on May 28, 2020 14:29:44 GMT
Cracking ride this morning. I’ve taken a few days off, because the monotony of screen work was starting to get to me, and took off on the bike instead. I set out to see how high I could climb and, without quite meaning to, got right across the M40 at Stokenchurch, then had a non-stop 15km run home, gently downhill almost all the way. There was another rider ahead of me who set a lovely high-20s pace, comfortable to follow but without feeling like dawdling. I felt — for half an hour anyway — like I could have gone on all day. Feeling it a bit now. Ready for a nap.
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