Thursday 29 October 2009

Bloody roadworks!

Despite my shoulder still being pretty sore from previous rides I still got out for a pootle as I really didn't want to stay indoors on such a nice day.

I wanted to get to my cafe via an alternative route that I haven't ridden for a while - one that pretty much goes in the opposite direction for quite a while before coming back on itself. It'd be a nice easy, recovery ride type thing. Or so I thought.

As I know don't head into Manchester City Centre for anything other than meeting friends every now and then, I have no idea exactly where the metrolink roadworks are int hat direction. However, within the space of 0.69 miles I had ridden at speed through 3 YES 3 traffic-lighted contraflows. Mmm, so much for an easy start to the ride.

Out alongside Philips Park, through Newton Heath and into Failsworth was a nice easy pootle with only minimal climbing to do, with the worst bit of it being the climb over the M60 on Cutler Hill Rd. I turned off onto Coal Pit Lane (no sprinting along it this time) and headed up it to the Ashton Rd junction. As I neared White Bank Rd in Limeside I spotted roadworks signs saying the road was closed. As I was seeing traffic still coming down it, I pootled on around the bend by the golf course and found the roadworks were right at the far end at the Ashton Rd junction.

About turn and I found myself in unknown territory as I followed the diversion notices through Limeside and the climb up Hollins Rd to the Park cakes junction on Hathershaw Rd. Here, I got stuck at the lights for several changes as way too many hgvs tried to get in or out of the bakery, blocking the junction and preventing people from turning right (like I was trying to).
Eventually I got round and loved the descent through Bardsley and through to Daisy Nook.

In the cafe, chatting away to Lesley I got a phone call from work asking me if I could work the afternoon as the new epos till was going live and they needed someone to help with a stock take and cover the old till until it was all sorted with the epos. As I was close to home I agreed to go in at 1pm. Nothing would stop me from chowing down on my bacon butty I'd ordered!

Stats - www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=24708
Miles: 13.68
Average speed: 14.2mph
Climbed: 478ft

2 comments:

  1. Your too kind.

    Last Tuesday I was off work because we had no electricity at work. I made sure I couldn't hear my phone while riding so they couldn't call me back into work!

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  2. Always keep mine on. I tend to play online when I'm at cafe stops and the call came through then. Work only ever calls me in if they really do need me there, so I knew it'd have to be important.
    I didn't mind anyway as it was really quiet with few customers.

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