Water Park Waltz

Nice weather again but fancied a change from the road bike.

I've got a biking holiday coming up in the Alps in July and wanted to try flat pedals again. I've been riding spds for about 3 years now and find 'normal' pedals quite unnerving. I thought I'd play it safe with a gentle ride round the waterparks in into Chorlton.

Apart from a couple of foot slippages when trying to bunnyhop, it wasn't too bad. Not sure if I'll be keeping flats on though. We've got a ride planned in Macclesfield Forest on Saturday so may keep them on for that.

Stopped in at my mate Ian's shop for a chinwag on the way home. No coffee this time though. Ignorant sod!

GHETTO!

13 miles.

Swiss Hill and beans

28th March

This is my first up-to-date blog post in a while but as there has been a glut recently I won't drag this one out.

A quick after work jaunt upto Alderley Edge with the motive of 'ticking off' one of the 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs was the flavour of the day. I recruited my brother, David to the cause as he needs the exercise.

We headed down Brooklands Road and over to Screaming Gate Lane at the back of the airport. A right turn onto the Gin & Tonic Belt and under the runway tunnels. David had dropped behind at this point so I stopped to wait in the tunnels.

David flexes his inner tube replacing muscles

A puncture for David. It's a joke, he averages 1 puncture per ride, clumsy fecker. After much faffing and we set off again. Under the tunnels and out into the daylight and the short climb up to the Honey Bee Pub on the edge of Wilmslow. Barely catching our breath and clicking up a couple of gears we make haste toward the town centre and down to Alderley roundabout. The traffic is getting busier as we approach the start of rush hour. Over the railway bridge and into the land of the vain and indebted. A left turn onto Chapel Road and the tarmac was beginning to climb.

Bottom of Swiss Hill

 As you can see the bottom of the hill looks pleasant enough. The cobbles even look flat. It really doesn't last. As soon as you hit the first corner the vertiginous nature of the climb bares it's teeth. Moss, broken cobbles, dips, ruts, it's got it all in spades. By the first garage I'd lost all momentum and nearly toppled off to the side. I took a minute to get my breath. I saw David behind me pushing his bike up. He'd lost the will about 10 metres in! A club rider from Velo Club St Rafael shot past me seemingly undeterred by the gradient. BASTARD.

I mounted my bike and struggled to clip my feet back in. The climb continued to rise. I was really struggling to turn the pedals. The climb flattened out at the right hand turn and I thought I had made it but there was at least another 300m to go. I struggled on round the left hand turn and got out of my saddle to sprint the last 150m. I say sprint but it was in slow motion with an amazing amount of exertion for very little forward motion!

I was still quite pleased to have got to the top, even if it was in two parts. I'll be going back soon to do it in one...

A quick descent back into Alderley Edge hitting 35.7mph without pedalling and on for coffee and cake at Starbucks in Wilmslow.

Back home in time for tea. 26.2 miles.

Leeds to Bolton Abbey

24th March

Much to my surprise Bolton Abbey isn't actually in Bolton. This was quite fortunate as I was in Yorkshire. I wouldn't have fancied riding over to Lancashire and back.

Meeting Bod at Leeds train station we jumped in the car and drove out to Headingley to start the ride. A quick stop at The Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op to pick up a pair of cycling gloves and we set off.

Bod had planned a route utilising the back roads so we could enjoy the scenery and absence of traffic. As we moved out of the suburbs we began to feel a bit of a Deliverance vibe. We stopped to take a picture of one of the locals.

A Leeds local playing his Banjo for us

We decided to keep moving for fear of being made to squeal like a pig.

Otley was quite pleasant although the traffic slowed us down somewhat. We passed over a pretty bridge which reminded me of the Cotswolds

We had already warmed up by this point and I was beginning to be concerned by the amount of climbing we would be doing over the course of the day. Being a southerner (relatively speaking) and mainly road riding in Cheshire my legs were beginning to feel the burn. I decided to embrace Rule 6. This done I felt a weight lifted and and hit a high cadence to push on to Ilkley. The roads were quiet and the views were stunning. It felt like we were on holiday and we both began to enjoy liberation and excitement of riding on new (to us) roads. Simple pleasures.

Coming through Ilkley we were soon climbing again. A 1 in 5 climb beckoned. The road was beautifully smooth but very steep. My lungs and legs were burning. My eyes were blurred with the effort in the sun. As I looked at the middle third of the climb I thought my drink had been spiked. Why is there a statue of Christ, Mary and Mary Magdalene halfway up a hill, nowhere near a church?

Jesus and The Mary Chain?

After a brief rest we went onwards and upwards to Ilkely Moor and I was indeed Baht' at.

At the summit I slowed to wait for Bod who was sweating like Paul Gadd at a playgroup.

Come on Bod, Catch up!

Over the moor we went and then hit the descent. Flippin 'eck it was steep, twisty and fast. After riding through a little slurry we were on the main road. A quick right and more climbing, up the main road to Staithwaite. More climbing...and some sheep. Bod let out a primal scream and curiously seemed elated to see the lambs.

Mint Sauce?

I hurried him on for fear of worrying the livestock. After a breathtaking descent we were faced with another choice...

Desolation Valley? No Thanks.

I think we chose wisely.

We had passed a cobbled ford which is unnerving to say the least on skinny tyres.

 We were now at Bolton Abbey and a 'comfort stop' was needed after a couple of hours in the saddle. It was much prettier than I'd pictured and so we stopped to take a couple of snaps.

We headed over to the abbey and had a mooch around the graveyard. I found Fred Truemans' gravestone, which was unexpected.

A nosebag was long overdue so we sought out some food and a rest for tired legs.

The resting period was over and we needed to get back to the car in Leeds. We opted for the most direct route which was via the main road back to Headingley. Legs were tired at this point. As we plugged away at the never ending hill (about 6 miles of climbing) we began a more gentle pace. Double file up the road, chatting about the ride on the way. Soon back at Ilkey we could almost taste the end. 14 miles fell away fairly quickly but taking its' toll on the knees. The car was a welcome site. Bikes were packed into the car and the lure of Bretts Fish & Chips beckoned.

43.85 miles done and just Lou to pick up before we headed home.

Sale Water Park Bimble

20th March

My friend Dave is recovering from an operation so we decided on a gentle bimble around the waterparks and down to Fletcher Moss in Didsbury. Bod was recruited to stretch his legs and to take advantage of his extensive knowledge of the good bits of the TPT.  Myself and Dave met Bod at Jacksons' Bridge and headed down to Chorlton Water Park. We took the decision to head towards Didsbury so we wound our way down the Mersey.

As we hit Northenden it was obvious that the recent floods had taken their toll on the footpath. Branches and silt everywhere made the going quite arduous in places. The Mersey Valley Rangers had seen fit to close off some stretches of the path and picking our way round was somewhat precarious. Crossing at the Ford Bridge over on to Mill Lane, we turned left and went down towards Didsbury Golf Club on Ford Lane. Simons Bridge in Didsbury South loomed and we quickly scooted over to civilisation. A quick fanny around on the woodwork on the nature walk and we headed back through Didsbury and back into the Ghetto.

30 mins or so later and we were back to Gods Own Suburb, Sale.

Approximately 15 miles to the good. No pics I'm afraid.

Friday Afternoon Coffee Ride

18th March

Catching up on blog posts whilst I have a minute. So this will be brief.

I got a call from my friend Jon to see if I fancied a short ride after work. We met up at the bike shop in Ashton and set off down Carrington Lane towards Partington. It's always a quick pace for me when out riding with Jon. Probably something to do with him riding for the British Cycling Team.

Not much time for pictures as you can imagine.

A quick, two man danger panda

 We were soon in Lymm and sought out some coffee and cake at The Terrace.

Coffee and cake consumed we headed back to Sale.

 21.27 miles

Mad March in the Peaks

12th March 2011

My tardy attitude to updating this blog is starting to grate. I have been riding a little more but am now failing to update this page which is kind of defeating the point.

Anyhoo. On the 12th of March four intrepid cyclists got up early to get a few dryish miles in around Ladybower. With an unusual vigour we had managed to get up, load up bikes and drive to Chorlton to pick up Bod by 7.50am! This was setting a dangerous precident as I tend to run a 'little' late for these things (I think my record is 2 1/2 hours late). We cracked on to Glossop to pick up Steve. 14 miles of winding, undulating road later and we were at the Sheffield end of the Snake Pass and parking up at Ladybower reservoir.

I had borrowed Adam's new Navara pickup to get 4 bikes and 4 bodies upto the Peaks. It made things soooo much easier than playing bike/person tetris. The 28.6mpg was less than desirable though.

Navara - Fully Loaded

Bikes unpacked and fettled, a quick toilet break for Mark and we set off. Straight out of the car park, over the reservoir and onto the first bridleway. A fairly brisk start to warm up the legs before the first road climb up to Thornhill. We wanted to head up to Win Hill for the view and the great descent down the roman road. This neccessitated a slightly cheeky use of a footpath. It's a good techy climb though. It's got a brilliant combination of sticky, slippery mud, grass, loose stones and water bars and the gradient is steep enough to be testing but not too much so that you have to walk. After much puffing and panting we were at the first gate. A quick stop for a drink and to let Bod catch up after falling off. His excuse that it was his first time using spds was met with the utmost sympathy ;-).

The next part is a steep rocky push followed by a hike-a-bike to the summit.

Bod, Steve & Mark, mid Hike-a-Bike

On a clear day the view from Win Hill is excellent and this time was no exception. It's wonderfully peaceful even with a few walkers up there.

Steve casually shouldering his Ti Bride

We stopped to refuel on fizzy cola bottles and jellybeans and went to touch the trig point. I have a weird obsession about touching them. It's perfectly normal, honest!

Mark went for the hidey....peep look for this photo

It was getting touch chilly up there so we hooned off down the roman road. Actually some of us hooned. Bod minced. Again blaming the spds.

At the cross roads we decided to try 'Potato Alley' as opposed to the usual descent, intimidatingly named 'The Beast'. It seemed like a safer option considering Bods unusual descending reticence.

Bottom of Potato Alley

As it turns out it wasn't that safe after all. Steve had an over the handlebars crash and Mark and his bike parted company part of the way down too. It really is a fantastic descent though and I look forward to riding it again. I would say that though as I didn't fall off!

Steve's war wounds. It was worse than it looks

A smooth road descent back to the Snake Pass and a nice farmers track climb over to the plantation helped us forget the collective cuts and bruises. The last big descent of the day beckoned. It's a good 'un as well. It's starts with a fast hardpack trail and soon steepens off with technical bits and a few gullys to navigate. Covered in mud we hit the road with smiles on our faces and headed to the visitor centre cafe.

Time was getting the better of us now so a quick coffee and we headed back round the reservoir and back to the car. Three of us had a date with Tapas and Belgian beer back in Altrincham.

About 15 miles in total I think.

Going Boldly Where...

...about 70,000 visitors per year also go.

Today I rode out to Jodrell Bank Observatory. The visitors centre was closed to the public in October 2010 and has since been demolished. Fear ye not, as the new visitor centre will open this summer.

It was a bright, crisp Sunday morning and I met Bod at Paul's house in Didsbury. After the consummate amount of pre-ride fettling, we set off in the direction of Cheadle. It was around this point we realised that we had one inner tube between the three of us and no pump! Ah well, I never puncture anyway. Something ran through my mind about 'famous last words'.  Winding out through the suburbs and into the green belt of Wilmslow, the miles fell away. We were specifically avoiding climbs today as Bod had ridden up Snowdon on the Friday and his legs were a little heavy. This ruled out the vertiginous ascent upto the Edge and instead we ploughed our furrow on the gentle incline up towards Nether Alderley Mill.

Nether Alderley Mill

My Bike leaning on a post by the mill

 

The mornings' climbing out of the way, we set about enjoying the flat roads of Cheshire. Cycling out here allows you to take in the sights a little more than speeding past in a car. You begin to notice picturesque churches like St John the Evangelists in Chelford, tree lined verges and little village halls. Unfortunately if I stopped to photograph everything, each ride would take about 3 days.

With the Lovell Telescope in sight I went for my virgin two man Danger Panda.

1 and a half men really

Good job I don't look slightly retarded eh?

A brush with science under our collective belts and we headed back to Alderley. Paul decided to peel off and head home at this point, leaving myself and Bod to up the pace and head over to the airport. As we approached the Alderley Road roadabout, disaster struck. I heard a  pop, quickly followed by a hiss, a puncture had reared it's ugly head. Fffffffuuu. It wasn't my tyre but it still left us a problem. Bod looked a little dejected and seemed a little confused by my lack of concern. 'Blessed are the Cheesemakers' as the quotation goes. Obviously not meant to be taken literally as scholars of Python will know. We had suffered our greatest inconvenience outside the venerable Royles bikeshop. The mechanic was gracious enough to lend Bod a pump whilst I set about removing the offending inner tube.

With the wind behind us we set off again. A thankfully uneventful trip put us back in Didsbury. Bod split off back to Chorlton and I went back to Paul's to collect my keys and my car which I'd left at Lou's work the night before.

34.4 miles done and coffee and cake beckoned.

Knock! Knock!

Who's There?

Alpaca.

Alpaca who?

Alpaca the suitcase, you pack-a the car!

There is of course a reason for the terrible Alpaca joke but I'll get to that shortly.

Today I rode from work, just for a change. I work in Handforth so it's a different route out into the Cheshire lanes than usual. I headed out from the office in the general direction of Wilmslow. Heading up through Handforth centre and dropping down into Wilmslow town centre. It was gone 4pm so the traffic was warming up. As I got into Alderley Edge the traffic was at a stand still so I dropped of the main road and onto the smaller and much less busy country roads. Bliss.

I found myself by the Plough & Flail

Now the temptation was upon me to stop and have a pint. It's one of the best pubs in Cheshire for food (in my opinion of course) and the beers' not bad either. I thought I should push on though. I only got a few metres before I came across (dun dun duuun), The Alpaca Farm.

They seem to be a bit like Llamas but hairier and without the bad attitude. Anyway, enough about the alpacas.

Moving on. I wove on through the lanes, the sun was getting lower in the sky and I was getting into a good rhythm. The solitude of road riding is one of the things I love. Your mind wanders and it really helps distance yourself from the days' stresses. As I whisked through the back lanes I came back to Wilmslow. I thought I'd strike a course for the airport as the inner geek loves watching them take off and land.  Diving through a gate, slightly off piste, I came the the little service road by the runway.

After stopping to take a couple of photos' there was nothing doing on the aeroplane front so I rode over to Styal mill. Whilst on the way I took the opportunity to take a Danger Panda. Result below.

Funny face pulled for effect obviously. Fortunately the wind didn't change at this point.

A few more miles flew by and before I knew it I was back at work. A few funny looks from people who haven't seem me in fetish gear lycra before but they'll get used to it.

31.1 miles down and a very happy me.

Absence makes the bike go slower

It's been a month since my last blog post but fear ye not, I've still been cycling. Albeit not as much as I should have.

Apathy and excuses have been the order of the month of February. I've really struggled to MTFU and ride. I've been out a few times in the last month, which is so far below what I set myself it's not funny.

Sunday 6th Feb -  30 miles on the road, crap weather, so made my excuses and went home to play COD.

We went on holiday for a week to try and get some sun whilst the UK is a freezer.

Me, driving. very interesting.

When we got back I mustered just about enough energy to do another 30 road miles. Out into Cheshire for some flat, cold, windy miles.

Saturday 19th was a little better as me and Bod went up to Glossop to meet up with Steve to do a nice MTB route. Led by Goat Boy we spent the next 5 hours and 20 miles climbing up bridleways between Glossop, Marple and Hayfield. Finally coming back over Chunal and dropping back into Glossop tired, cold and very dirty.

My bike and clothing needed the better part of an hour and a half of cleaning. To be fair I didn't do it until the day after...

A dip in moral following a tiring week a work followed and I had to be coerced into riding the following weekend by Bod. We headed upto Rivington for a small ride. We only covered around 10 miles but got an absolute ton of climbing in. As everyone knows climbing is good for the soul!

Today, I have found a new lease of life! It must be the weather. Dry. Cool. Bright. Good enough for me. I shot back from work and headed up through Altrincham over toward Tatton. I knocked out 32.1 miles and was still back for 5.30. Woo!

I'm back in the game. The bikes' coming to work with me tomorrow.