Rain Stops play...

As per the title really.

I'm still riding but just don't feel like blogging it anymore. I will explain the reason behind my decision though.

On May 30th my brother David died whilst out riding. It was sudden, it was a shock. It was and is, shit.

He was out riding in Macclesfield and suffered heart failure due to a previously undiagnosed heart condition. He was 21.

The following weeks have somewhat diminished my desire to blog my rides, as it is something that I feel he was part of.


I'm writing this final post to the few of you who do read my blog, as some sort of conclusion. This post isn't meant to be morbid and those of you who know me well are already aware of David's death. Just filling in the gaps.

Andy

One Armed Bandit

Following David fracturing his elbow two weeks ago at Llandegla, this was his first ride out. The plan was to take it gently to avoid aggravating his injury. The sun was shining and so we thought we'd ride up to Tatton Park in Knutsford for a bit of country air.

We headed down Brooklands Road towards Timperley when I heard a loud 'bang' similar to the popping of a balloon. I turned my head to see David looking dejectedly at his front tyre (the one I had inflated 5 minutes earlier). The first puncture of the ride less than a mile from home!

Puncture No1 - Brooklands

 

 

There was a huge tear in the tube, so after 5 minutes of faffing and we were on our way again. (Using my spare inner tube as David had forgotten to bring one).

Round Brooklands roundabout and onto Shaftesbury Avenue we plodded on, turning left at Thorley Lane and up towards Hale. We were soon in the hedgerow lined lanes of Ashley, so far so good. Davids elbow was holding up and we got into a nice rhythm and the lack of traffic meant that we were able to ride side by side and chat. There were dark clouds looming and we were headed toward them. As we turned into the park I could feel a few spots of rain...they rapidly turned into dirty great drops and we were decidedly damp within minutes. How remiss of us to forgoe our waterproofs! The shower passed as quickly as it had come and it was time for a danger panda.

David in a long distance danger panda. My fat carcass in the foreground.

Blurry danger panda over and done with we sought caffeine at from the friendly baristas' at Costa Coffee in Knutsford. I ordered two pints of black coffee and a couple of brownies (just to keep us going).

591ml of strong, black coffee

Re-energized from the beverage stop we decided to ride over to Alderley Edge and then onto Wilmslow. The weather was holding up and we hadn't done many miles. Off we went, a little quicker than before thanks to the caffeine kick.

A noise behind me again. This time a rattle and pop. I looked back to find David again looking dejectedly at his front wheel. I was starting to think that our little ride today was strewn with cowpats from the Devils own satanic herd! Front wheel off again, David set about using my 2nd and last inner tube.

Mobberley is very pleasant place to fix a puncture

After closer inspection it appeared that the first loud puncture had split the sidewall of the tyre, so we were unable to fully inflate it. This gave us a slight conundrum. We had no more inner tubes and no puncture repair kit. Going off recent historical evidence David was quite likely to puncture again before we got home. Being the more graceful rider I decided to take one for the team and swapped my front wheel for Davids. This meant we were going to have take it very easy on the way back. An even bigger problem was that my blue and white bike now had a red front wheel. THE SHAME! We had to get back without a further puncture and preferably without any of my shaven legged brethren seeing us.

Due to our current predicament we took a shorter route home, going past the Cheshire Smokehouse and under the runways. All was going well until we hit the back of Thorley Lane when the heavens opened yet again (I refer to my previous comments about the Satanic herd). The pace a bit faster now. We were quickly soaked through to the skin. Saturation was almost immediate. Back on Brooklands Road now the rain feeling more like hail. As I still had Davids front wheel we went back to his to swap the wheels back. Another mile and the dry warmth of my house beckoned. Shoes kicked off at the front door and cold beer in the fridge.

Just under 28 miles done. No more cowpats please.

Blitzkrieg!

Well, not really. Just a photo blitz! My focus on cycling has been upped by the recent spell of good weather (fair weather cyclist I hear you say). I haven't been blogging my rides as I promised myself I would. The  photos' below are just some of the rides I've done in the last month. Monthly mileage total (including today) is 715 miles for both road and mtb.

Coffee in Buxton

Good Friday Track meet at the Velodrome

Stay close to me

I'm bigger in real life

Danger Panda

David and his broken elbow following a crash

Llandegla

 

New sexiness

Cheshire lanes

Danger Panda

Best cafe in Hayfield (only)

Welcome to Derbyshire.

David looking bored

Jon messing around with a weird electric bike

I am not a number, I am a FREE MAN!

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.