#mycyclingweekend - sunrise, sunset, & broken bike bits

For the lucky ones among us choosing when we get to ride is a given. We get to head out onto beautifully quiet Saturday morning roads, or we saunter out on our bikes in the evening to take in a sunset, it only depends on how we're feeling.

Not all of us are so lucky, we have to grasp ride-length windows of time in our weekend by the handlebars. No matter what the weather, what time of day it is, or how we're feeling, we ride, and we try to find the silver linings of a super early morning, or an after dinner burner.

It's not too hard to find those silver linings though. There's plenty to be said for taking in a sunrise from the saddle of your bike, just ask Instagram users Ian Dagnall,  Nigel Schütte, Ian Humphries, and anders68. The photos that these four early birds sent in have us looking guiltily at our 10am Saturday morning alarms.

 

Early morning fog over Kitakyushu #mycyclingweekend

A photo posted by @iandagnall on Feb 27, 2016 at 6:04pm PST

 

Sun coming up on the way down from Hiraodai #mycyclingweekend

A photo posted by @iandagnall on Feb 27, 2016 at 6:05pm PST

 

Saturday morning club ride. #cyclinglife #cyclingphotos #cyclist #roadbike #mydayonthebike #mycyclingweekend #stravacycling #stravaphoto #thebicyclecompany #clubride #livetoride #lifebehindbars #bikelife #klapperkop

A photo posted by Nigel Schütte (@nigeypigey) on Feb 26, 2016 at 11:42pm PST

 

Lovely sunny Sunday morning ride. Favourite tags. #sherburninelmetcycleclub #sherburninelmetcyclingclub #siecc #specialized #lifebehindbars #cycology #selfieonabike #cyclingshots #welcometoyorkshire #JustBikeIt #mycyclingweekend @cyclingimages @cycology_gear @iamspecialized @letouryorkshire @scenes_of_yorkshire @welcometoyorkshire @stravacycling @globalcyclingnetwork @cyclingshots @JustBikeIt @igocycling @specializedharrogate

A photo posted by Ian Humphreys (@ianrhumphreys) on Feb 28, 2016 at 6:32am PST

 

Even if it's cold, spring is in the air! #roadbike #roadbiketraining #roadbikeberlin #qrings #qringsrotor #rotorbikes #rotorpower #canyon #canyonaeroadcfslx #bikeporn #rideshimano #springride #shutuplegs #mycyclingweekend #stravaphoto

A photo posted by @anders68 on Feb 27, 2016 at 4:52am PST

Fortunately, fellow Instagram user Sebastian Zdyb made us feel a little better. He's got his #mycyclingweekend ride set up so he doesn't really even have to leave bed to get a workout in.

 

TT bike literally mopping floor with me. Pedal to the floor. #crazycycling #extremespinning #paincave #timetrial #timetrialbike #extremetraining #shutuplegs #retul #homemadebackadjusment #baaf #wymtym #MYCYCLINGWEEKEND

A photo posted by Sebastian Zdyb (@sebo2001) on Feb 28, 2016 at 3:39pm PST

While we're talking about early #mycyclingweekend starts, it's worth us pointing out that we in fact started our weekend earlier than any of the early risers above. Friday lunchtime's really when the weekend starts, right?

Check out Friday's road.cc Ride Out from our Bath headquarters. You can join us next time, just sign up to be a member of Team road.cc and you'll be able to join in the fun, free beers, and laughs next time.

- Join Team road.cc today

 

Thanks to all the guys who came to our Rideout today & to @xbionic_uk @ridecannondale @kinesis #mycyclingweekend music thanks to http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

A video posted by road.cc (@road.cc) on Feb 26, 2016 at 1:40pm PST

Of course, we're not all morning people. Plenty of us prefer an evening ride. Whether it's for the milder temperatures, the slowly setting sun,  or a phobia of weekend alarms, there's plenty going on in the evening, as we discovered from these fantastic photos from Instagram users zer0sandones, and Twitter user Peter Curno. Beautiful.

 

Sunset glow. Kit in washing machine. Strava uploaded. Squeaky clean. Where is that beer? #sunset #cycling #vcuk #vcmelyd #mycyclingweekend #stravaphoto

A photo posted by anthony (@zer0sandones) on Feb 28, 2016 at 9:41am PST

@roadcc Busy weekend but still managed to fit in a quick spin at dusk up to the edge of #Dartmoor #mycyclingweekend pic.twitter.com/u5EDlsRdNr

— Peter Curno (@curnop) February 28, 2016

There's a third time of day we've explicitly overlook so far, mostly because the views are less dramatic, but daytime rides - if you've got the time - are probably the most predictable when it comes to riding conditions.

Sure, the sky's not as beautiful, and you don't have the inherent fear or excitement of racing the sun home, but there are plenty of ways to make a daytime ride more enjoyable.

Taking your bike for a spin at a skate park is one of them, eh John Grenfell?

@_JustinGage_ @roadcc @VeloClubWalcot I'm hoping this one makes it into RoadCC's #mycyclingweekend pic.twitter.com/9wpMxLnFev

— John Grenfell (@John_Grenfell) February 28, 2016

The time of day doesn't change the roads though. They're the real calling and they're all the same, pretty much, whether it's bright and early, dark, or just damp and grey like it is so often at this time of year.

Riding up a 20% gradient in  Cumbria is just as rewarding whether it's an early morning or a late afternoon.

 

On Sunday I'll be reacquainted with this 20% ramp at Garsdale Head. Should be fun on the Lune RCC Coal Road Challenge. @iboydon #cycling #ColdDarkNorth #lunercc #mycyclingweekend #outsideisfree #ridelots #lancashire #yorkshire #cumbria #roadbike #notbeachroad #igercycling #dales #garsdale #dent #barbon #hawes

A photo posted by Toby Cummins (@toyboxstudio) on Feb 26, 2016 at 7:26am PST

Of course, a #mycyclingweekend wouldn't be complete without a couple  of incidents to report. Kurt la Force hit a pothole and ended his #mycyclingweekend a little bumped and bruised. Fortunately his helmet came off worse than he did.

 

Went riding to celebrate @gregvanavermaet #ohn and @jasperstuyven #kbk wins. Rode into st*pid pothole. Crashed hard. Bruised. Helmet broken. Ego too. #mycyclingweekend #cyclinginflanders #zeroRH

A photo posted by Kurt Laforce (@kurtlaforce) on Feb 28, 2016 at 2:54pm PST

Also, dayleguy on Instagram had a bizarre mudguard malfunction, or should we say explosion?

 

Rear mudguard explosion mid ride. It wins the clubs most photographed bike award this week. #banmudguards #mudguards #rapides #rapidesridedirty #verulamcc #vcc #mycyclingweekend #stalbans #hertfordshire #hitchingardencentre

A photo posted by Dayle (@dayleguy) on Feb 28, 2016 at 4:09am PST

It's not too late to get involved in the #mycyclingweekend fun. Head on over to Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, upload a photo, pop the #mycyclingweekend hashtag into the caption box, and send away!