Appointments, docs and a loony driver

I was kept busy today with a couple of appointments in differing parts of Manchester. Rather than fork out for a day ticket on the bus I though I'd ride to them and save a bit of cash.

The first appointment was up in Ashton. Seeing as my legs were a little achy still I left early to give myself a slow pootle if I needed to. However, I got into Ashton with more than half an hour spare, so I set on a random ride around the streets surrounding Stamford Park, up one of my favourite routes along Gorsey Lane and back down Mossley Rd and also a brief encounter with Bardsley. Finally my appointment time was near, so I set off to find a good place to lock Everest up where she'd be safe for half an hour or so.

After I rescued Everest from a horde of motorbikes I had to set off back towards Manchester for my other appointment at the docs (nowt untoward, just a review of a lifelong thing). I could have gone the most direct fast route, but I peddled through Audenshaw and Guide Bridge to the Snipe and then along the A662 before I turned off to waste yet more time around Clayton and the Velo.

Once I'd left the Phillips Park area I got onto Alan Turing Way to hurtle along to my docs (which is off this road); as I neared the huge A662/A6010 crossroads, happily pootling on the cycle lane and about to leave it to enter the main traffic to head straight across, I let the cars in front of me and one alongside to turn left as they'd indicated. All of a sudden, as I'm picking up speed out of the saddle (when not one car was indicating or even moving over to my lane) a VW came flying across several lanes - after indicating right and being in the correct lane for a right turn, the muppet decided that she'd go left instead and crossed 3 lanes without really looking. I managed to slow down, swerve to avoid the bonnet as she slammed the brakes on when she finally bother to look if anything was in the way, and came to a halt right in front of her car. After a very icy glare from me and umpteen honking horns she finally apologised for being an ass!

Stats - view route
Cloudy, cool bordering on warm
Maximum speed: 76mph - apparently I hit this while heading uphill!
Average speed: 12.7mph
Miles: 21.55
Climbed: 509ft
Time: unsure as cleared details off pc before making a note of them!