MCC Club Ride

SUNDAY 25th JANUARY was the first club ride of the year for Middleton CC. It was expected to be a ride with a fair few riders as very few of them had actually done any riding over Xmas and new year and this would be the perfect opportunity to get out and spin the legs ready for the new season on a nice flat route.

How many turned up at the Velodrome? TWO - me and Paul. Fab 'club' ride eh?!
We set off with me leading and setting to fast a pace for poor Paul, so had to slow it down or keep slowing down when I noticed he'd fallen off my back wheel!

The route was one of our usual routes to Dunham Massey but with a few tweaks; so it began as normal heading out through Didsbury and Wythenshawe and along the now finished Shaftesbury Rd (been roadworks on the bridge just literally once you get off the roundabout for ages), to come to Altrincham itself.
Usually I either turn off along Barrington Rd to get to Atlantic St or I'll turn up Dunham Rd for a climb to a huge junction before turning off to head straight to Dunham Massey Park. This time, I turned onto Church St before getting onto Oldfield Rd for a nice quiet suburban road section before coming to a halt at the single lane bridge at the end of it where it meets Seamon's Rd. As the lights turned to our favour, I stomped down on the pedal to push off and nearly came off! I'd been so happily pootling along that I hadn't changed gear for the red light, so was trying to push off in the most definite wrong gear. Loud clunk, cleats came out of pedals and a huge bruise right on the calf muscle (I was stood on pedals when it clunked and slipped), Paul yelling at me if I was OK. Tad embarrassing, but I had to recover super quick as traffic was building behind us.

The lovely lanes of Broadheath followed with lots of sheep and cow-filled fields and the beginnings of potato crops pushing their leaves through the clag. All too soon, we were on the outskirts of the park and turning into Dog Farm for the Lavender Barn tea rooms.

After tea cakes and hot chocolate I set the pace again (again too fast so had to slow it down) and took Paul on a little diversion along Whitehouse Lane and onto Sinderland Lane an Sinderland Rd to Manchester Rd. The route became our usual one again with us heading towards Manchester on this road before turning off onto Marsland Rd and through Northenden where a very loud hissing sound began to emit from my front tyre.

Couldn't see the problem initially until I shoved the wheel into a puddle and chuckled as it happily bubbled away. Bugger! After hoicking the bike over and pulling the tyre off we then spotted the hunk of glass that'd gone right through the tyre into the tube. Now for a lesson for Paul in the speed of a co2 canister - he was pleasantly surprised, but as he rides an mtb he's rather happy with using brute force to get his tyres pumped up!

Once the wheel was back on and we'd cleaned ourselves up a bit, we carried on with getting home. Again the route changed a little with a trip through Kenworthy Wood, across the Mersey and through Chorlton Water Park. Barlow Moor Rd followed with a turn onto Yew Tree Rd and we were back near the Bike Docs. Only a little way to go now!

I think Paul sensed we didn't have too far left as he seemed to pick up the pace a little as we headed fro Alan Turing Way where every set of lights were against us, so lots of resting time! Once on Ashton New Rd by the huge Asda Walmart store I kinda got a little bit mean and left Paul behind so I could have an uphill sprint along here and North Rd. Paul didn't mind thankfully and soon caught up when I stopped to wait for him before heading off to my place while he went to his.

I carried on along North Rd to Lewis Rd for a lovely straight section, although it is permeated with speed humps. Damn those traffic planners. All too soon I was back home ready for a bowl of pasta and a hot bath. Fab!



Boring bits -
Windy (15 mph headwinds) but mild (7 degrees) and a little damp.
Maximum mph: 27
Average mph: 13.4
Distance: 36.21 miles
Climbed: 377ft

Do tyres have a sixth sense?

SUNDAY. Do tyres have a sixth sense and know when you're having fun?

As the weather wasn't too bad and I hadn't managed to get out on Saturday, I forced myself out of bed (so warm and cosy) and onto the bike for a ride that was intended to get me to Knoll's Green, where I went with Chorlton Wanderers back in October.

I set off towards the City of Manchester stadium before turning off down Alan Turing Way to take me over Ashton Old Rd, under Ashbury's station and over to Longsight before passing Bike Docs and getting onto Platt Lane for the long ride over to Princess Rd (Parkway). Good fast pace set here before braving the turning onto Nell Lane - rather wide and very busy 3 lane crossing (Princess Road is not quite a motorway at this point) before settling for a very sedate and quiet pootle through Southern Cemetery and out through the gates directly opposite the road I needed - Maitland Rd, that takes me straight to Chorlton Water Park.

Straight through the car park, skirt the lake, cross the river and I'm on the Trans Pennine Trail heading out towards Kenworthy Wood. This is where my rear tyre decided I'd had enough fun for the day and flatted. Grr! Out came my nice shiny, new, never been used before PBK tyre levers; new tube fitted in no time, now came the fun of pumping the tyre up with a mini pump - it so wasn't gonna happen! Several minutes of pumping later (and getting nowhere fast), a lovely passing cyclist sacrificed one of his co2 cartridges to get my tyre back up to the correct psi. Hurrah for passing cyclists!

Thought better of continuing on my predetermined route and decided to head back to the lake. Before heading into Manchester City Centre, I enjoyed a loop round the lake, then began the ride into town - onto Princess Rd again for a good paced hurtle until Moss Side, where I had to divert to take a look at my (and Amy's) old college - looking rather different from when we were there, except for the chapel which still look stunning. Over the Hulme Arch, then into the thrum of the centre stopping off at Evans Cycles for a co2 set-up of my own - my bike's very own Christmas present.

I chose a different route home than I'd normally take and took me along roads that I didn't know at all - purely for the fun of it. I'm glad I did too. Once past Victoria Station I cut across Miller St onto Dantzic St and into industrial estate land alongside the River Irk before coming to a hill that looked rather daunting to me at first, but once up it I just wanted to do it all again!
Now I was back on familiar turf - Crumpsall - and enjoyed hurtling along Queens Rd, Hulme hall Lane and round onto Riverpark Rd before heading into Clayton Vale for another riverside ride and out onto another hill that is quite daunting if you're totally pants at hills!
Soon after I was safely ensconced in the warmth of my flat with a very welcome Irish Coffee to warm me up, yum!



Boring bits -
Quite cold (+/-0), dull and grey.
Maximum mph: 22.4
Average mph: 12.1
Distance: 21.22 miles
295ft climbed

Chorlton Wanderers Birthday Ride!

The morning of the Chorlton Wanderers ride dawned dull, grey and windy with no sign of the rain that was forecast.
I set off to meet Paul and found him in a flap as he’d only just woke up when i arrived at his, with only 10 minutes to spare before we had to leave to get to Chorlton Water park and meet the rest of the group.
When we got there we were greeted by a photographer from the South Manchester Reporter who was there to mark the occasion. Once everyone arrived we were all lining up for a group photograph then we were off round the edge of the lake and through Kenworthy Woods before dipping below the M60, then up and over Princess Parkway on a bridge that often worries cyclists - high up and narrow - but we all crossed safely.
then it was on through Gatley where we were treated to the sight of a huge jumbo passing overhead as it come in to land - pilots fighting to keep the wings level as it was buffeted sideways by the winds. We passed Norcliffe Hall, joined the Orbital cycleway and played ‘dodge the water filled potholes’ on the rough track before dipping down to the A538 roundabout just where the road dips under the runway. Now we were set to be out in the sticks as we made our way to Knolls Green.

Huge meals and drinks-a-plenty were enjoyed by all as we sat in the warmth of an open fire heated pub - The Bird in the Hand. Plenty of chat, then it was time to head home before it got dark - I was nominated to lead if it did get dark as I seemed to be the only one with some form of light on the front of my bike...not that my tiny Knog Frog would be much use in the inky blackness of a country night!

The group split after a while with Rob (Bike Docs) leading the main group back to Chorlton Water Park and Paul and I heading through Ashley, Hale and passing Wythenshawe Hall before joining the rather lumpy, bumpy Wilmslow Rd and the great dual carriageway-esque Pottery Rd back to our homes.

See the route here

Final thoughts - lovely leisurely ride with an excellent bunch of people and the best food I’ve had in years!!

Boring bit:
Temperature - 13 degrees
Max speed - 26.3 mph
Average speed - 11.7 mph
Miles - 39.53

National Chocolate Week

It's National Chocolate Week - my friend trio will be very happy about this as she loves chocolate, but now she has a very viable excuse to eat tonnes of it! So enjoy trio!

There's no riding for me today as I managed to hurt my knee on yesterdays ride and as I'm riding on Sunday with the Chorlton Wanderers (nee Dawdling Doctors (Bike Doctor)) I thought it'd be best if I have an easy few days until then. It's CWs 25th anniversary (or so I've been told) and this will be their anniversary ride, so congratulations CW!!