Oxydrive ride recorded on Strava.

[Gubbins]

You passed two good café stops. The Cats Protection at Chelwood Gate, and the little shop in Fletching high street. There is usually quite a gathering of cycles there on a Wednesday morning. Not so far from Deers Leap cycles either. Not a bad cuppa there either, but the food isn't as great.
Next time that you are over at Chelwood Gate, if on a road bike, walk down to the vachery, or if on an mtb, ride down there. It's an interesting place.

]

The Green Man at Horsted Keynes serves a good pint as well.

Just looking at these photos.. Apart from the very knobbly knees that shouldn't be exposed in public before 9pm.... I like the idea of the bike stand! I have never considered one before but now I can see the merits..

 

[EddiePJ]

Thankfully not my knees, they belong to my cousin. But having said that, they do seem to run in the family! I recall my Grandad saying that I knees like knots in cotton.

The white bike is my old Haibike, and the black one, was the KTM e-Cross P . Both bikes came fitted with stands, and both worked very well.

 

[Nealh]

Selsfield Rd/Top Rd not the best usually I come up from Ardingly along Hook Lane or HWLT depending on the bike when going to W/H ( sister and her H/b intered there at St Margaret's). On this occasion I took a wrong turn up Balcombe Lane and decided to go with the flow then changed my mind hence the back track to a Wych X and on.

 

[tillson]

Having rode the roady all summer did you notice any improvement??

Yes, definitely. I really like Strava and its provided me with motivation to keep pushing myself to the maximum.

As for the bike, it's the first decent road bike I've owned and I love riding it. I've mainly been using it for commuting and have started taking longer routes to and from work to increase my mileage. Won't be long now though before I will be blowing the cobwebs off the old Kalkhoff. The road bike won't be seeing any wet or salt this winter.

How about you? Has it done your fitness any good?

 

[EddiePJ]

@Me... Getting back to Strava.

I've used it for a very long time, but have now quit using it in favour of just getting out on the bike and enjoying the pleasure of riding it. It gets to the point where an app, is more important than just riding a bike. I occasionally use run keeper just for a mileage check, but beyond that, I'm happy to have stopped using it.

 

[Nealh]

https://www.strava.com/activities/444243941
Approx 52 miles today 30ish on road and 20ish along the 'Downs Link' to Cranleigh. Quite an enjoyable though uneventful ride in nice bright but very wet muddy conditions from the previous evenings rain.

Typical old railway trail.


Oxydrive high torque cst with 11ah battery.

 

[Nealh]

Started the new year with a chilly road ride on the Boardman to D/Beacon as I suspected the roads were very quite this morning, though I did see quite a few bizzies on patrol. Late mid morning a few more vehicles on the road. Have a rear wheel to rebuild as 2 spokes snapped and by the end of the ride it was 4 and totally out or true, will have to recheck erd and spoke length's as suspect I need longer spokes as I use what I had originally in my spares box.
https://www.strava.com/activities/460602351

 

[Nealh]

65 miles today and a trip to the seaside, over night frost made for a chilly start to the ride. Rebuilt rear wheel with correct spoke length caused no issues today so taking short cuts because you happen to have them near the right length doesn't always pay off. Although the sun was very bright and blue sky's any wind chill prevented it feeling mild.

Cargo vessel entering Shoreham harbour.


Heading towards Brighton in background


River Adur flood plain heading towards Henfield,

 

[EddiePJ]

Very nice Nealh, and certainly beats the 19 miles of very muddy and flooded conditions that made up tonight's ride. https://www.strava.com/activities/480718329

 

[Nealh]

Very nice Nealh, and certainly beats my 19 miles of very muddy and flooded conditions that made up tonight's ride.

Certainly for sure you deserve a medal for your continued perseverance.

I know it's been said many times before the conditions are quite depressing when you get proper off road. From Nuthurst down to Bramber in the main I used the 'Downs Link' old rail route (these I don't class as proper off road) and try as hard as I could I barely managed 14mph yet get back on the roads it was about 17-18mph. The routes in places are potholed, form small lakes , quite muddy and worse still you have to dodge doggy doo because of bad owners.

 

[EddiePJ]

I was out with my regular riding partner on his pedal mtb, and neither of us wanted to return home overly muddy, so the speed was kept way down on what I might do when on my own. The average speed was just 7mph, but I'm fine with that, as it gave us plenty of opportunity to chat. Having said that, there was also a lot of silence, as we both had to stay focussed to stay on. Most of the rides lately have been that kind of average speed, and goes to show just how rank that the conditions have been for the last few months.

As always though, it was much better than staying at home. No point having a bike and not using it.

 

[Nealh]

Chilled ride again today the sun did come out and the little heat it offered was most welcome. 57 miles of road out towards Ed's neck of the woods and v.nearly 4000ft of climbing. Heading through towards Crowborough along by the heathland I did spot a Chinook hugging the tree tops so Ed might have to give any army camps a miss.

https://www.strava.com/activities/496381109

Just a couple of pics today.

N.T. Sheffield Park Gardens lake


Lake wier /overflow.

 

[Nealh]

87 miles today and for 80% of it was against the wind so trying to get any good speed up was hard work, after last nights storm a lot of debris strewn across country lanes and roads. 10 miles in to my ride saw me helping a guy with chainsaw removing a fir tree blocking the Capel Road nr the Rusper junction. My route eventually took me to Worthing and along to Brighton/Falmer and home via a short trip on the downs to DB. One thing again that stuck out when cycling the promenades is how immaculate the Worthing beach sheds are kept beautifully painted in various bright pastel shades, yet a few miles along the way and the Shoreham beach sheds look pretty well unloved and uncared for sitting there in dirty white. Finally with the wind at my back I was able to turn the assist to zero and tootle along to Brigthon at 16-20 mph.

https://www.strava.com/activities/529191258

 

[Nealh]

Needed some Beekeeping supplies so cycled down to Hurstpeir Point and ended up at Littlehampton before turning for home, todays outing a tad over 88 miles. After HPP went on to Brighton then made use of Easterlies heading towards LH, this worked well with me getting 60miles out of my 11ah/396wh oxydrive battery equating to 6.6whr per mile. My 2nd battery 468wh still had 4 bars remaining when I got home so 110 - 120+miles was possible today.

Uniformly painted Brighton beach sheds.


Astronomer's waiting/looking for Mercury passing at Ferring.


Fish Cake recipe plaque at LH marina.


Arundel castle.


At Thakeham these Alpaca's are having a bad hair day following their close shave.


In the same field an ex BA fuselage section used as a store shed.


https://www.strava.com/activities/570841035
https://www.strava.com/activities/570841154

 

[EddiePJ]

I was looking at your Strava activities about half an hour ago, and thinking how I long for knees to be able to cope with that kind of ride length.

Another lovely day for it, and just the right temperature as well.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Your knees, my bum... Going to fix that issue RSN...

 

[Nealh]

I will get another Treking saddle when Lidl have them in as my current one on the Boardman is not very comfy on a long ride. The Oxy kit has now done 1400 miles and hasn't missed a beat.

 

[Nealh]

Cloudy dry day for a ride today, set off for Keymer to find the windmill I often see from on the Downs, from there I headed South and ended up at Newhaven before turning to home. 76.8 miles today which seemed harder as I had headwinds against me all the way after heading East from Brighton, looking at Strava no records or real personnel gains today but did muse at my self to see I have equal 19681 best time climbing the Beacon.

The Windmill at Keymer


Very faint Jill windmill & Downs viewed From Keymer Windmill.


Just caught this guy as he lifted off from the steep slopes as I summited the Beacon.




Cliff path at Telscombe


Calm flat sea viewed at Peacehaven.


Cliff walk along Peacehaven Heights looking towards Seaford Bay.

 

[EddiePJ]

Lovely.

As said earlier when I saw your ride on Strava, the black arrow points to how close that you were to where I was working today.

I had to push the bike almost the whole length of that bridleway when I tried to tackle it a month or so back. How was it today? I might well take the bike with me to work on Friday, and set out from there again.


.

 

[Nealh]

Lovely.


I had to push the bike almost the whole length of that bridleway when I tried to tackle it a month or so back. How was it today? I might well take the bike with me to work on Friday, and set out from there again.


.

I only went down there because the start is broken hard surface so was thinking it would be like it al the way. As I found out nigh on impossible with 700c once you hit the B/W proper the equestrians have mad a mess of it. Like you I had to walk most of it though in parts a mtb will fair a bit better also builders are working at the end property and are working on the banking so a lot of general rubble and earth had blocked my way so had to walk around /through it, looks like they are clearing it up as they move along the banking.