Windyville

After my enforced break from riding due to having to order in tyres and needing to find the money for them first, they finally arrived on Saturday morning. Hurrah! I was beginning to think that I'd have to miss the MCC Club Ride to Rivington on August 30th, but it's looking like I can ride it after all.

So this morning I set off for a ride to test out the new tyres - and to see how she'd cope after being pimped over the past month. One thing I didn't count on today though was the awful wind that evilly became a headwind no matter where I went. So much for seeing if the rolling resistance of the Luganos would be worse or better than the gp 4 seasons, with the wind I was struggling just to stay upright on the climbs.

So, here goes: after heading to Daisy Nook, dropping down Stannybrook I began the climb up Crime Lane (evil hill) to Bardsley and got onto Park Bridge Rd for a nice meander before the cobbled road took me to another short, sharp kick in the ass with the climb past the visitor centre and Dingle Terrace to continue climbing up Mill Brow until I reached Abbey Hills Rd and had a descent to the five-way junction on the Mossley/Ashton border where I began climbing up past Hartshead Pike and dropped down from Upper to Lower Mossley before climbing back up to Mossley Cross via the steepest little bastard of a hill (210ft of climbing in 0.48 mile averaging 14%), then descending back past the Pike to Gorsey Lane where I chose to ride down it for a change and headed to Daisy Nook for breakfast.

While at Daisy Nook visitor centre I had the funniest experience I've had for a while. Due to my height and short hair most people assume I'm a bloke when riding (despite the snug fitting kit), so when I rode to a table and saw a couple of mtbers already there I though nothing of it. Ditto neither did they. However when they realised I'm female, oh they changed their tune! All of a sudden they were showing off, flirting, mucking about near me. Every time I stood up they began whistling and suddenly turning it into a tune when I caught their eyes. Hilarious to watch them. They became like a pack of dogs!

Anyway, I digress. Back to the ride. After climbing back out of the valley, I descended down the fast, steep and narrow Medlock Rd before hitting my hill rep hill (where I couldn't be arsed doing any reps) although I did overtake a couple of cyclists - which is a miracle for me on that hill! And I dropped them too: click of the gears as I passed and bye-bye cyclists. I think it was just a fluke that I managed it that time as I'm usually rather pants at hills. of any variety.

Then it was home, pint of milk down the throat and off to moms.

Stats - view route
Lovely and warm but, oh so windy!
Miles: 20.68
Average speed: 15.4mph
Climbed: 732ft