Challenge complete!

After completing my 300 miles in 30 days challenge on Wednesday, I decided that my planned ride with Amy should be my victory ride.

Thursday dawned dull, grey and slightly damp but otherwise a good day for riding. Everest decided she was going to stay in one piece unlike last time I'd planned a ride with Amy.

I met Amy at the velodrome and as we neared Asda she advised that her GPS unit had decided we were a considerable distance away from the route (which began where we were)! Um, time for fast thinking as I hadn't looked at the planned route since I last rode it a few weeks ago and wasn't totally sure I remembered it all. To make matters worse the last time I rode the route I spent most of it chatting with a guy I was riding with, so wasn't paying full attention to where we were going anyway!

But we set off non-the-less. If we got lost we got lost.

I took Amy a different route to Chorlton Water Park so we didn't have to go on Princess Parkway and it'd get some more miles in the legs. Once near the park I told her that we'd be going on some trails rather than concrete/tarmac until we crossed the Mersey - that didn't quite go down too well as she'd not anticipated that, but the trails were nicely compacted and not too muddy, so all was well.

All was good so far until we were Tatton Park where I couldn't quite work out which road would take us out to the Knutsford exit, so we backtracked out onto Ashley Rd and followed the boundary walls round to Manchester Rd and through Knutsford. Once on Toft Rd my mind went a little blank and we had to wing it to find our way to The Frozen Mop in Mobberley, but find it we did. While here after mentioning how far we'd come already, Amy suggested I take part in the century a month challenge, after a few gulps of my lovely beer I decided to go ahead with it; especially seeing as I'd do pretty much all the mileage on this ride anyway.

Once out of the pub after a little nosh, I somehow remembered a section of the route so I could surprise Amy - the route to the lovely alpacas, who were greeted with squeals of glee!
After leaving the alpacas behind the route was forgotten again, so we continued to wing it through Wilmslow to find our way to Morley Green and everything began to look familiar again. A 'wrong' turn at a large roundabout took us onto a road that led up to the edge of the runway at Manchester Airport - if we'd followed this road all the way up, it would have taken us onto the orbital cycleway and one of the sections I'd planned. As it was, we got partway up it, saw the runway and thought better of it! Whoops!

Back down to the roundabout and we turned right where I surprised Amy again when I told her the huge tunnels we were going under were actually runways that went across the road, and if we're lucky we might get to see one taxiing across it. Annoyingly not one plane went across before we got into the tunnels...while we were in them, naturally and annoyingly, planes taxied across.

To extend the route a little more I took Amy through Hale Barns and down into Altrincham town centre before heading back along the 'normal' route to Wythenshawe Park. Along Altrincham Rd we both got down into the drops and were pedalling so intently and focusing on the road and traffic around us that we both missed the entrance to the park - thankfully not by much.

Once back at Chorlton Water Park we were going to have a little riverside ride but as the TPT trails were thick gloop due to overnight rain we had a loop of the lake instead before heading back to the velodrome.

A quick stop at Bike Docs for cleats for Amy and then I was having to think of extra bits to add onto the ride after leaving her at the velo so I could get my January century in. No worries there as I headed back towards Manchester City Centre than made my way past my flat and partially to Ashton before I got back home to find I'd covered the distance with a little overlap. Perfect.

So, my victory ride became the start of a new challenge and ended as a dual victory -
300 mile in 30 days challenge completed on 28.1.09 with 304.41 miles
Century (km) a month challenge (January) completed on 29.1.09 with 102km



Boring bits -
Dull, grey, windy (15mph), cool (6 degrees)
Maximum mph/kmh: 36 / 57.9
Average mph/kph:14.1 / 22.7
Distance (miles/km): 63.34 / 102
Climbed: 837ft

Glutton for punishment

I picked up Everest from Gerry Shields today. Just shy of a ton for her to have a nice shiny silver (used to be black) stem, headset, rear derailleur and gear cable.

As she's not been ridden for a week, I took her on a spin - it was intending to be shortish, but kinda grew into a longish ride. A ride that was made difficult by my aching legs after yesterdays track exploits!

I set off towards Hollinwood in Oldham taking the right turn just before the M60 to take me towards Ashton Rd which I cut across and towards Glodwick, onto Kings Rd, Summerfield View and Alt Lane, through a little bit of Park Bridge before joining Lees New Rd and my Hartshead Pike route. As I haven't been over to the Pike at all since saying I would make it a New Year resolution (I have done other hilly routes though), I though I better get up there before the month is out.

Up I went along Thornley Lane and Lane Head Rd, past Lily Lanes and onto Broadcarr Lane for a little downhill section before turning left to head through Upper Mossley on Stockport Rd and Mossley Rd to bring me out in Greenfield. A welcome break was needed here as my legs were beginning to hurt and I was carrying my backpack with my normal clothes in - I walked for 40 minutes to get to the bike shop, and certainly wasn't going to do that in full bike gear, not with all the workmen about anyway!

After a welcome bacon butty I went for a little lane ride just off Uppermill's main road and came out on Holmforth Rd not too far from the Chew Valley roundabout. Nice little level road here let my legs ease off a bit before I punished them again with the lovely undulating Huddersfield Rd and it's continuous humps and drops until I nearly fell off in Stalybridge (not quite sure what happened to make me nearly fall off though!).

I snuck along the roads through an industrial estate to get me into Dukinfield, just so I could have another road that felt like it was downhill before my super speedy dual carriageway-esque road home.
For a 'test' ride I think I tested her pretty well - wore myself out in the process - and she's running better than she has since her last service.

I'm glad I have a rest day before the Middleton CC club run on Sunday, as I don't think I'd be able to get very far if I were to ride tomorrow! It's just a case of putting all the attachments back on her and leaving her well alone for a day before ploughing on with the challenge.

There would normally be a button link to mapmyride right about here. For some odd reason mapmyride cannot be found my my Internet connection right now, so I'll have to post the route map tomorrow or asap.

Boring bits - Wintry showers, cold winds and dull/grey. About 2 degrees.
Maximum mph: dunno - I left my PC at home Average mph: I left my PC at home Distance: 24.17 miles 1165ft climbed 1 knackered rider!

Hooray!

Everest is coming home tomorrow afternoon!

She's got a new rear derailleur, headset and stem, but will be back to normal so I can get her home int he afternoon, which gives me 6 days to finish the 120 miles left of my challenge.

She can be fixed!!

Having heard nothing from Gerry Shields over the weekend (spoke to Chris on Friday and he hadn't had a chance to look at her yet), I was beginning to worry a little that she was badly damaged. I know that Chris is pretty much the only guy in the shop and he's the mechanic and shop guy too, so I also knew that if it gets hammered in there it's difficult for him; even so, there were worries.

But I got a text off him today to say that he's examined her and she can be repaired for about 100.00 - that's to sort out the rear derailleur and the headset problems she has. Now all I have to do is let Dad know how much as I'm pretty sure he said he'd pay for her repairs.

Hurrah!! Hopefully she'll be repaired by the end of the week, then it'll be a few long rides to get the challenge finished. It WILL get finished this time round, even if it kills me!! Til I get her back there's my track session to do - although walking the trackie to the velo in heavy rain (forecast for Thursday) isn't sounding appealing.

My challenge has begun

300 mile in a month challenge - 9% complete

I was brave (like Jon) as it was bloody freezing and went for a ride on New Year's Day, while Amy chose to stay in and eat chocolate.

Seeing as it looked beautiful outside with all the frost, I chose to head out to Dovestone reservoir - the hillier route out. Well, I did say I need to improve my hill climbing!
I set off using one of my usual rides up to Hurst and out onto Mossley rd. Here, I would normally turn right and head back into Ashton and home. Today I turned left and continued climbing to Lydgate (A669) and turned right to head towards Uppermill, another favourite location of mine. I continued slightly through Uppermill before taking a right and getting onto some country lanes along the edge of the Peak District National Park and down Tunstead Rd turning right then left onto a private lane just before the Chew Valley roundabout. This road is quite confusing if you've never been on it before - it forks off in two directions: one will head over Chew Brook to a business premises, the other will take you through large gateposts with Private No Entry signs on them.

The first time I came this way with Amy after my bro Paul told me about this lane, we saw the signs so took the right fork across the little bridge and came to a halt at the business, more than a little confused about why Paul told us this lane existed. We saw a dirt track alongside the brook but thought better of it, so turned back.


I've been through these gates so many times now that I now know that it's just private for vehicles further down it - there're a few houses down here along with tennis courts (over-run with weeds now though). I'm pretty sure the mountain rescue teams use this bit of land as a training spot for their rescue dogs too.

Had to turn my lights on down this lane as it was rather dark with the trees on either side meeting overhead and being in a valley there's little natural light at times. It's rather desolate down here too. Eventually I came out over another little bridge made of railway sleepers over the brook (this one is a little more rickety than the first bridge) and joined the main Bank Lane to the main car park for the reservoir.

Quick rest and pit stop to peruse the map on the wall of the toilet block/boot wash area, then I was back off for a ride along the frosty tracks watching the sheep munch on grass popsicles and being followed by one in particular, until he got bored and wandered off! Total winter wonderland up here - only me, Everest, the sheep and the birds of prey that live up by the crags and Indian Head. Pretty soon I was by the Yeoman Hey dam and thinking about coming home as I was really beginning to feel the cold - my fingertips were getting extremely painful, so thought better of riding alongside Yeoman Hey reservoir and made my way along to another private road and the climb up to Holmforth Rd not too far from Bill 'O' Jacks Plantation car park; excellent decision, as I got the brill downhill to Chew Valley roundabout all to myself.

Took a dinky detour on the way home, so I could ride along Huddersfield Rd for yet more undulations to get over. This brought me out in Stalybridge. 5 minutes later I was back on Mossley Rd and heading home.

Annoyingly, the camera on my phone stubbornly refused to work, so alas no pictures. It was a wonderful ride and a fab way to start off my challenge.

Boring bits -
Very cold (-7), clear, frosty but beautiful
Maximum mph: 24.1
Average mph: 14.4
Distance: 27.77 miles
1401 ft climbed

Poorly bike :o(

Well, the Everest has now gone to the bike hospital (Gerry Shields) for some much needed love and attention - he's been very kind and has said he'll do his best to get it done this week for me.

As my ribs are practically screaming at me every time I move recently though, I think it's fair to say the challenge is over for now.

I have planned to start it up again in January - what a way to start the year with a challenge!!

Between now and then, I'll be giving my poor body it's much needed rest and recuperation and trying to get some sleep (not doing well at the moment as I'm lucky if I catch 5hrs each night).

My new helmet has arrived and looks lovely - a Specialized S-works 2D Team Edition Helmet - a bargain at just 69 quid! All I need now is for Everest to make it home again safely and looking brand spanking new. She has made a few more admirers too - a few guys in Gerry Shields's shop were very appreciative of her looks and that she's an authentic Eddie McGrath hand built bike. She's had other admirers, usually on the sportives that I've ridden with Amy, but to know there are locals too, I'm sure she'll be happy about that!

Humph!

Well, I've still not heard anything from the GP place where I had my interview, so I'm going to assume I didn't get it and just carry on looking around for other positions.

Cleaned the Everest last night as best I can and found that bits of her are broken :o( The front derailleur just blatantly refuses to move, my gears are slipping anyway, and the rear brake is totally pants - I can have it so the brake blocks are stupidly close to the wheel meaning just a fingertip nudge and they'll be on, but I still have to practically pull the lever through the bars before it does anything. When it does, it then sticks in place!

I braved riding this morning to give it a test ride to see what else is up with her and made sure my route was to the local bike shop (Gerry Shields) to book her in for a full service anyway.

My route took me through Medlock Vale and along Briscoe Lane in to Newton Heath before swooping round to Oldham Rd and the shop. I specifically took some difficult roads to put her to task and get a feel for what else is up - thankfully I haven't found anything else wrong with her, but Chris is going to give her the love and attention she needs......asap, when I can find the cash for it.

It does mean that the Asics 300 mile challenge is over, I'm afraid. If I could have carried on and taken part in the MCC club ride at the end of the month to Todmorden it would've meant I'd get to 79% completed - could've easily made up those extra miles between now and the end of the month. But my bike needs the attention now.

Boring bit -
Temperature: 10 degrees
Max speed: 27mph
Average speed: 12mph
Miles: 7.31
Climbed: 203ft

Challenge 65% complete with 107.71 miles left to go - but it is now over for me :o( I have ridden 192.33 miles of it. I will definitely take part in this challenge again another month.....keep watching!

Annoying builders. Grrr!

Thanks to the annoying builders at the business premises next door to me, I got rudely woken at 8am when they started to use a pneumatic drill on god knows what!
So I thought that, seeing as I'm awake I may as well get out and ride. After crawling out of my nice warn bed and throwing on bike stuff, I set off on a ride towards Park Bridge - it's a loop that I really like and isn't too harsh for an early ride.

I set out along my usual route through Daisy Nook and Littlemoss, choosing to go up the hillier route of St Alban's Rd once over into Ashton before the nice little downhill section along Lees Rd into Lees itself. I usually go through Park Bridge along Alt Hill Rd through the pretty little village of Alt Hill, but today I thought I'd head along Mill Brow and right through the heart of Park Bridge itself, feeling the chill in the air as I flew down the hills.

Thankfully, the route I took also meant that I got to avoid the farms on Alt Hill Rd that where I've often encountered problems, so no tractors in the road for me this time round. Yay!
Once back in Bardsley, I decided to cross over Ashton Rd and head along Knott Lanes and Crime Lane to pass by Crime Lake before heading down through the conservation area of Waterhouses past beautiful farms such as the Grade 2 listed Diamond Hall Farm (15th Century), and very sweet cottages.
This brought me down past Millstream Animal Shelter and onto Berry Brow where a loop of the Medlock Vale was in order before heading back home, tired, muddy and cold, but happy that I've boosted my miles for the Challenge.

Boring bit -

Temperature: 7 degrees
Max speed: 25mph
Average speed: 15mph
Miles: 14.97
Challenge 39.86% complete with 180.12 miles left to go