Paupers Beach

After thinking long and hard over a few days (Friday and Saturday) I decided I would get out for a ride on Sunday.

As I woke up early and found the sun streaming and a very gentle breeze blowing through the window, I slapped on the Riemann P20 and readied Everest for a gorgeously sunny ride.

After a stint through Clayton and Failsworth I got onto Broadway for the long steady climb up through Hollinwood and Chadderton and past The Latics before having to follow a diversion through God Knows Where before it felt like all the hills in what I now know as Shaw were coming out to get me!

Once back on known land I ploughed onward and upwards, soon arriving in Newhey and hunting for the hill I prefer to climb than that on Kiln Lane. For once there was no furry Exocet missile on a suicide mission as I flew along Wild House Lane before turning at a dinky roundabout to head along the waters edge on Lake Bank passing John W (Middleton CC) and round to Halifax Rd where I trundled uphill to the start point of Middleton CC's hill climb route. I wanted to see how I did riding Blackstone Edge but my legs had other ideas as after a mile of 7% climbing they screamed at me to stop going uphill and then refused to push me any further! So I turned back and headed back the way I came in search of food which I found at the visitor centre for the Paupers Beach (Hollingworth Lake).

After some yummy sustenance and a phone call to Evans Cycles I set off back along Lake Bank where I spotted a few more members of Middleton CC - Paul, Lyndsey and Simon. After a rapid and twisty descent back down Pennine Drive I was flying down through Newhey, Shaw and Chadderton to the base of Broadway with it's junction at Oldham Rd. As I wanted to treat Everest to some new things I set off along Oldham Rd to Manchester City Centre and had the thrill of attacking the one way systems and skinny-laned contraflows while the victorian sewers get replaced and going in the opposite direction to Evans.

Eventually I managed to get back on a road that would take me to the shop and treated Everest to a new Knog Frog light and some lovely carbo effect Cinelli bar tape.

Once I'd left the shop I was back in the roadworks, only this time I could follow the buses and taxis through the no-go areas for other traffic and got onto Plymouth Grove which would take me to Longsight and the fast road through Ashbury's all the way to the Velo. Pretty soon I was zooming through Medlock Vale and at the start of my hill repeat hill. I thought I'd give it a shot while totally knackered after the rest of the climbing I'd done in the day. I was happy with my time for it.

Stats - view route

Beautifully sunny, hot and clear

Maximum speed: 29mph

Average speed: 13.7mph

Miles: 46.46

Climbed: 912ft

Time taken: 3hrs 19 mins

Hill climb

Maximum speed: 10.3

Average speed: 6.4

Miles: 0.26

Climbed: 85ft

Time taken: 2.10

Appointment rides!

Seeing as I had an appointment in Ashton at 9:30 this morning, I though better of getting the bus which would take me anywhere up to 40 minutes due to roadworks for the metrolink causing havoc (it's going to be passing my place with a stop directly over the road from me), so I rode to the appointment instead. I also wanted to try out my windshell seeing as it was a little chilly out.
After leaving my place and getting onto the A662 very easily (despite it still being rush hour) thanks to a HGV that stopped the traffic for me, I had a fab fast ride for a couple of miles, seeing as I could weave my way past the traffic getting clogged up at the huge holes in the road. As I neared Ashton I noticed my chain was jumping a little. Each time it decided to play up I was pulling away from lights and pushing really hard; the chain jumped before I even got my other foot clipped in, so it would frequently slip off the pedal resulting in a few painful sudden drops onto the saddle for me (ouch) and watery eyes. After the third time I decided enough was enough and pulled over to sort it out - it was proving very hard to find anywhere to stop earlier due to being on the portion of road that is stupidly fast-paced and joins the motorway very close to where I was.


After hoicking Everest onto her saddle and playing the chain a bit, I realised what had caused the problem. When I wash her, I always take the wheels off to wash them separately and to ensure she gets a thorough clean. When I put her back together after her last wash, I'd obviously not pulled the rear wheel back far enough for the chain to be correct, so obviously the playing up was due to the chain being a little lax. Easy enough to sort out anyway!


It did mean I looked a little grubby when I got to my appointment though.


Afterwards i didn't want to come straight home, so carried on with the route I did on Tuesday 19th but with a tweak - I would ride up the very evil hill that is partway along Oldham Rd by Bardsley.

So, after 7 miles of undulations I pushed myself into riding up the 20% Bardsley Hill. Sadly I didn't time myself, but I don't think it took me too long. After that, it was to be very muddy as I took Everest through Daisy Nook and Medlock Vale before my usual hill climb attempt.

This hill may not look much - it may not even look like a hill - but it's an evil thing that drains you of energy while you push away and wonder why it feels so hard!

Once home I noticed that both myself and Everest was very mud-splattered - had to clean Everest before I took her into my place.

Stats view route
Cool, very drizzly, warming up rapidly
Maximum speed: 59.7 apparantly!
Average speed: 11.9
Miles: 16.61
Climbed: 371ft


Bardsley Hill view hill
Miles: 0.12
Climbed: 72ft at 20% max


Hill climb
Maximum speed: 10.3
Average speed: 6
Miles: 0.44
Climbed: 102ft at 19% max
Time: 2.20 mins

Bank Holiday Ride 2

Following Saturday's ride I decided I really needed to know if I was still able to ride beyond 20 miles, so Sunday became the day to try it.


As the day dawned beautifully sunny and warm I left the long sleeves and leg warmers behind and set off towards Cheshire and Chorlton Water Park to find the car park filling up rapidly and hastily made my way to the trail around the lake for an anti-clockwise loop dodging joggers and fishermen - it seemed like everywhere I looked there were people fishing!


After having a chuckle at the sign posted at the end of the wooden bridge over the Mersey - what are they trying to say? - I enjoyed the sprint down to Kenworthy Wood, through Wythenshawe Park passing by the Hall and onto Altrincham Rd where I could continue my sprint to the Shaftesbury Avenue roundabout where, finally, the bridge repairs have been completed and both lanes in both directions were open to use. No more lorries up the butt getting up and over for me.


This part of Timperley has the best cycle path I have ever been on - it's alongside a busy dual carriageway-esque road (which makes you think it's be awful right?) Wrong: the cycle path is as wide as 2 lanes of the road and is separated from the road by a verge and has lovely gardens to cycle past.

Once back on the road and past Altrincham Municipal Golf Course/park/cricket ground/thing and I'm praying for the traffic lights to stay on green, so I can have a run-up to the evil 18% climb across another bridge. Thankfully my prayers are answered and I breeze across the bridge and continue on to the busy T-junction and the joy of trying to cross 3 lanes to get into the correct one for my turning.


I knew there were roadworks and the bridge at the end of Seamon's Rd was closed off so one of my routes was unrideable, so I chose the next best one through the lovely area around John Leigh Park and Oldfield Rd. i knew I'd have to follow Oldfield Rd as it veered left somewhere along here, but still managed to take a wrong turn! A wrong turn that proved great for me and embarrassing for another cyclist.

The wrong turn took me to a part of the world where this cyclist regularly trains and was busy doing so when I turned up. His training was hill repeats on a hill he knows very well and zooms up. A hill that I would crawl up. A hill that, after riding for 15 miles already, I led him up. Led him up quicker than he usually gets up. After reaching the top I had to try and turn right onto the very busy and wide A56 and then further on get across umpteen lanes so I could turn right again onto Charcoal Rd alongside Dunham Massey grounds.

At this point I wasn't even ready for a rest or lunch, so I continued riding with a lovely loop round the country lanes through Dunham Town to the very sweet little Sinderland Methodist Church and through Dunham Massey village, back past the boundary of Dunham Massey and onto the Lavender Barn for lunch.


After the best cheese toastie I've had in years, I set off on a mission to sprint for as long as I could. Zooming along White House Lane I managed to pick up a fellow cyclist who tried his best to stay on my wheel, poor love. Every time I stopped at lights or a junction he'd catch up only for me to leave him behind in an instant. Every time I looked back he was there trying to get back on the wheel, but I eventually lost him after 5 miles when I turned off through Northenden. When I stopped through the lights to see how he was doing, the look of relief on his face was huge - I think he regretted chasing me for so long!


After Northenden the route became so straightforward I could ride it with my eyes closed (but won't, to be on the safe side ;oD) - straight along Palatine Rd/Wilmslow Rd to the turning for the Bike Docs and then on to the Velodrome and round to the Medlock Vale for a quick breather before attacking the long hill climb/test I've been doing recently.


Stats view route
Hot, bright and a gentle breeze.
Maximum speed: 30.5
Average speed: 13.1
Miles:39.79
Climbed: 456ft


Dunham hill climb stats view hill
Maximum speed: 11.5
Average speed: 8
Miles: 0.34
Climbed: 98ft at 13% max
Not sure of time - didn't hang around to find out.


Hill climb stats
Maximum speed: 10
Average speed: 6.8
Miles: 0.44
Climbed: 102ft at 19% max
Time: 3.01 mins

Bank Holiday Ride 1

On Saturday I decided to play around with one of the routes I've been riding recently and turn it on it's head. I also left a portion of it out altogether.

So, it began with a nice sprint of about 1 mile along my main road to turn off as though going to the Velodrome (my route to the velo anyway) and up and over the speed humps that never seem to slow anyone down! Heading down towards Philips Park extension and I seem to be hurtling along at warp speed. Doesn't my body know that it was seriously injured not long ago and has no fitness or power in it??????
Once round the twisty turny section and onto the short twisty 8% hill to bring me out, slap bang, into crudville - derelict buildings along one side of the road. Right hand turn and I'm (trying) to sprint up Briscoe Lane to All Saint's Church but my body has now realised it was injured and seems to be having a massive strop as I kinda trundle my way along. Sigh. This is only 2 miles into the ride and already I'm screaming internally at myself to stop the legs being an arse and get their act together.

Once I get to a 4% rollercoaster section all the screaming seems to have worked as I flew through it towards Ashton Hill Lane and once at an annoying mini roundabout - this one perched just metres away from another roundabout and perched on a hill - a right hander takes me to a valley with a fast 8% descent and a (very unlike me) 6% uphill sprint at the other side and the top end of Woodhouses.

Coal Pit Lane used to be a cyclists worst nightmare - country lane with numerous potholes, narrow with only 1 passing place, lunatic drivers and a housing estate just shoved over to one side of it. Now it's a lovely smooth road - still have the other problems though. I positively flew along here to Knott Lanes and then began a great descent - 10% to begin with, then 15% and finally 20% all in a hill less than half a mile long. Fab!

Near the end of the hill the brakes get slammed on or the entrance to my off-road section is missed (happens to me a hell of a lot seeing as I enjoy that downhill so much!). Daisy Nook and the Hollinwood Canal is the port of call now hurtling along to the very necessary bacon butty and mug of tea. At this point I'm feeling a little foolish for wearing my nice new long sleeved club jersey as bought for me by the bro (Paul) cos I'm feeling extremely sticky. I could have taken it off as I was wearing my compression vest, but that'd mean I had nowhere to put the jersey unless I shove it into my bibshorts; i didn't really want to look like the hunchback of Notre Dame for the rest of the ride, so I just shut up and continued to get sticky!

Back on Everest and back to those 20% lock climbs; then back to that valley, only this time I was flying down the 6% side and climbing back up the 8% side to bring me out onto an unusually quiet Oldham Rd (A62) where I decided now would be a great time to punish the legs for wimping out so early into the ride. So sprinting I went. Only for a couple of miles, but still it felt good. Back down the twisty 8% hill and onto the second off-road bit - Medlock Vale, which is looking lovely now that all the work has been done on it to make it safer and more accessible.

As I've motioned in recent posts, I now seem to end my rides with a hill climb/test/repeat. Today was no exception as I went for the longer climb.

Sadly I forgot to change my bike pc from bike 1 to bike 2 (as I do when doing hill repeats etc after a ride) to record the time, so alas there're no stats from that particular section. Sorry to all you geeks out there. Also, there are no pictures as I forgot my camera and phone - sorry Jon!

Stats view route
Warm, still
Maximum speed: 28
Average speed: 12.7
Miles: 15.79
Climbed 322ft

Out & About

Even though the weather was quite pants I decided it'd be good to get out for a ride. Usually I would get the main body of the ride out of the way and finish with a hill repeat or singular climb, or maybe a sprint. Not today. Oh no!

Today, for some extremely odd reason I decided to turn things about a little and it ended up in this order - sprint, hill repeat, main ride & (just to kill me off) a longer hill climb.

So, it all began with a sprint of about 3 miles (with a max gradient of 5%) to the entrance of Medlock Vale. After I sorted out the bike pc to record my efforts separate from the main ride, I set about doing 5 repeats of the hill. This section of road was recommended to me by Amy as the perfect spot to practice hill repeats due to the gradient - if Amy recommends it, it must be good!

After knackering myself for a good 15 minutes or so, the last repeat began the start of my main ride. After turning off the hill I joined a speed-humped road to take me past Droylsden High School's enormous playing field and left past the school itself, a cemetery and to the fun of the Fiveways roundabout (the place where Paul has been hit a few times, poor love); I usually avoid this like the plague, but couldn't be bothered turning off down one of the side streets. Once safely across, I headed up Chapel St and Medlock Rd to get onto my usual route to Daisy Nook.

My route changed a little from the last time I rode it again once I got to Oldham Rd in Ashton, as I decided to test the legs by going up Wilshaw Lane and it's little sting of an 8% section. Up along to Lees Rd and I turn left and prepare to hear the muppets at the 2 high schools I have to pass to get to Alt Hill Lane and my fun, twisty sections.

The first section of the descent is a 5% drop of 36ft to Alt Hill Rd, then onto a 6% drop of 138 twisty & single-laned feet and finally onto a rolling max 4% massively wide section to bring me out to the last 20% drop of 56ft in less than 0.09 of a mile! Finally I'm at Daisy Nook and the start of the off-road track section - the part that Everest has been longing for!

Naturally as it'd been raining almost non-stop for a few days the tracks were lovely and muddy and all too soon I had the compulsory skunk-tail as I flew along the track to Sammy's Basin and the first of the lock descents which would take me to the Dark Tunnel and the welcome butty and tea stop. Once I'd made a few hound chums - Blue, the ginormous Great Dane and Molly, the very cute tiny Jack Russell - I set off again refreshed and ready for action. First port of call was those locks again - 3 of them with a max gradient of 20% and cobbled/rutted/muddy, you name it and it was probably there under my tyres!
After hauling ass up the locks I very nearly came off crossing a ford - just before the wooden rickety bridge is another cobbled section, only these cobbles are loose and very, very wonky, and very nearly tipped me off into the ford!

After following my usual route back from Crime Lake end of Daisy Nook to Medlock Vale (not the direct route, oh no!) I had another trail section through the vale and back to THAT hill for yet another hill climb attempt. Only this time I made it more evil.....I would add another quarter mile to it. Ha ha ha...I'd obviously gone mad! Or had I?

Stats view route
Mild, windy & rainy
Maximum speed (mph): 71.1 apparently
Average speed (mph): 12.4
Miles: 19.55
Climbed 459ft

Hill repeat stats view hill
Maximum speed: 10.7
Average speed: 7.00
Best time: 1.50
Climbed 85ft in 0.26 miles with max 19% gradient

Hill climb stats
Maximum speed (mph): 11.3
Average speed: 7.7
Time: 2.55 mins
Climbed 102ft in 0.44 miles with max 19% gradient