300 mile challenge, 30% completed.

I had a bit of company on my 3rd ride of the challenge, with Amy tagging along so that she can also do more of her 30 in 30 challenge she's set herself and also as the last ride we did together was to Southport to watch the Tour of Britain, so it was about time we rode again. Amy rode over from Bolton to meet me at the Velodrome so she already had done her daily challenge by the time we set off for mine!

As my knee & shoulder were hurting after Tuesday's ride and given that it's base training season we decided to have a nice easy route and go to Dunham, and have lunch in the Lavender Barn tea rooms as Amy has never been there before.

I opted for the route we normally do (it only ever alters if I'm alone or with Paul) through Northenden and Didsbury, alongside Wythenshawe Park and onto Shaftesbury Avenue where there's still roadworks on the bridge over Brook Avenue - I'm sure those roadworks have been going on for a year or so!

I decided that we'd go and say hello to Paul at Maxatec as Amy hasn't seen him for a while, then it was back on the road through the lovely country lanes over the transpennine trail and under the Bridgewater Canal. I did warn Amy that we'd be hurtling past the gates to Dunham where we'd normally stop to eat, just in case she got concerned that she'd be missing out on chocolate cake in there; it didn't take long to get to Lavender Barn, so not too much to worry about.

After some very yummy food, and Amy's compulsory chocolate cake, I decided that I'd take her along some different lanes than she's been on before - she definitely liked them! I also took her on a different route off Washway Rd than she'd been on before, along Marsland Rd through Sale Moor until we got back to Palatine Rd by Wythenshawe Park and on into Fallowfield.

As Amy has never been on the Fallowfield Loop and I know she loves nice, quiet lanes, we made the choice to get on there and head towards Abbey Hey. As we cycled along I pointed out the main roads etc so that she knew where she was still. No furry Exocet missiles today, thankfully, although I do frequently have the odd race with a little Tufty running alongside on the grass!

All too soon we were on Abbey Hey Lane and close to the point where we'd be going our separate ways. I took her past the building site that was my old school - now long gone, with Lovell houses being built on the land, then we split at Edge Lane/Manchester Rd junction with Amy going north-west while I went east.

The info on the graph is the elevation of the route that Amy and I rode together, ditto the map.

It's definitely a ride we'll be doing again, hopefully sometime soon Amy!

Boring bits -

Temperature: 10 degrees

Average speed: 14.1mph

Max speed: 24.2mph

Miles: 36.00

Miles to go til I complete the challenge - 212.