LIVERPOOL TO CHESTER

Today I took part in the Liverpool to Chester ride. 
Organised by Pennine Events to raise money for Claire House Childrens Hospice.
50 miles from start to finish with 3 miles under the Mersey Tunnel.
The weather was superb, probably a little too hot for cycling with clear blue skies so plenty of Factor 50 was required.

I set out at 06.20 to meet Shent then ride to Andrews then to Simons who was to drive us all to the start in his van.

At the start at Liverpool riders were coming from all around there must have been a few thousand riders in all.

Because none of us had pre-registered for the ride we had to queue up for nearly an hour before we were cleared to go.



CLICK TO ENLARGE....

There was a good mixture of roads, dual carriageways, country lanes and even some off road stretches.

The ride was quite tough, the heat of the day was a major factor to contend with.

The ride through the tunnel was nice and cool and was very welcoming on the return after the midday heat.

The day will be remembered though because me, Shent and Andrew along with quite a few others took a wrong turning  and actually added 10 miles and an extra hour to the ride so we actually completed 60 miles on the ride and 12 to Simons van and back. 72 miles NOW THATS NOT BAD FOR A FAT LAD THAT.

THIS IS WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE GONE STRAIGHT ON, NOT LEFT.

NOTICE THE OLD WINDMILL

THIS IS THE HALFWAY POINT AT CHESTER

NO PUNCTURES FOR SHENT. Allthough there were lots of others with punctures in fact I have never seen more people with punctures in all the other events I've done than in this one.

Shent gets a puncture

Went out yesterday and guess what "Shent gets a puncture" again.......

More of his punctures.......

 To be fair the photos above were not all his punctures but he's the top man for repairing puncures now, under 3 minutes is the record. Not all his punctures have been pictured though, I remember one got fixed in Aldi doorway in the dark and rain during the winter when it blew out going 30mph down Hill Cliff.

Hill Cliff to Runcorn

The other day Andrew came up with a suggestion about a route he'd like to do.
Thats up Hill Cliffe, then onto the Bridgewater canal to Runcorn and back via the Ship canal path.

OK lets go.. First off the Hill Cliffe climb.

I think that Andrew wanted to try this climb out after hearing how tough it is from when me and Shent were using it to train for the Peak District 50 miler.
I had every confidence that he would get up but I thought he'd struggle.

How wrong I was, he shot past me as if he had a rocket up his arse shouting "come on Oily" or something like that.

Very impressed.

Once we were all up and rested we set off past Walton Reservoir to the Bridgewater canal and off to Runcorn.
                           click image to enlarge...

TOP OF THE HILL

10 miles from home and I bump into my next door neighbour.

Norton Priory at Runcorn

 Everyone makes it to Runcorn. Mr. Hecks surprises all by keeping up.

All going well 'till Andrew gets puncture.

Shent lends a hand because he's getting quite good at fixing punctures.

 All make it back in one peice inc. Mr. Hecks who has impressed us all ....... 24 miles with hill climb.

NOT BAD FOR A FAT LAD

Breaking News

Breaking news........Mr. Hecks the mystery rider gets new bike.

Joins the gang for a ride out.

Can he keep up?

What a beauty

Stay tuned to see how he gets on!

Does anyone remember Mr. Hecks

Mr. Hecks, the mystery rider.

After promising to go on every ride yet always backing out at the last minute he is from now on to be referred to as              Mr. Hecks-cuse ........           You know who you are!

A WET RIDE TO CARR MILL DAM

FRIDAY
Me, Shent and Andrew set off to ride the Sankey Valley trail to Carr Mill Dam at St. Helens.

It had been raining off and on all day but was dry when we set off although the clouds were threatening rain.

First stop was the Decathlon store on Winwick Rd. to get a mudguard for Andrews bike because Shent who has a habit of riding very close behind (gets in the slipstream you see) has been complaining about the spray off his back wheel.

Anyway the rain did come just after we got onto the Sankey Valley Trail and it poured down. We stopped to don waterproofs and decide whether to carry on or turn back. No one wanted to admit defeat by weather I think so it was unanimously decided that we carry on.

We made it to Carr Mill Dam which is the source of the Sankey canal that runs through Warrington to Spike Island at Widnes, where it enters the River Mersey. We were quite literally soaked through to the skin despite waterproof gear, good job the skins waterproof eh.

Carr Mill Dam on a clear day

After the obligatory pint at the hotel at the side of the Dam we set off back.

Weather was now drying and the ride back was uneventful, until Andrews front wheel slipped in the mud, causing his bike to slip from under him, and Shent, who was slip streaming him, went over the top of his handle bars.

I missed this because I was up front, the first I knew was when the two mud covered cyclists caught me up.

In an attempt to cut out a busy stretch of road I took us down a public footpath that although I'd never been down before I new it would cut that road out. BIG MISTAKE, it started off Ok going through a wheat field but due to the amount of rain that we'd had all day the path soon turned to mud and was unrideable so we had to push. Got covered in mud too.

All in all a bit of an adventure really, one that we all enjoyed once we cleaned up.

Andrews Whyte is now black

Tatton Park

 I went for a pleasant ride after work with Shent to Tatton Park, Knutsford.
Its 15 miles there from warrington, we got there in 1hr 20min.
The route is mostly quiet country lanes but is a little hilly on the way there but of course is down hill on the way back which I took full advantage of by freewheeling as long as I could due to being a bit tired after a days work and not a lot to  eat.
On the way back we spotted this ship entering the Latchford lock on the Manchester Ship Canal so we had a bit of a breather and crossed the locks for a view.

 CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE.

 33 miles NOT BAD FOR A FAT LAD.

manchester to liverpool

Today I rode from Warrington to Manchester, well Salford Quays to be exact, for the start of the Manchester to Liverpool bike ride in order to raise money for the NSPCC.

I set off at 6 am meeting up with Shent to get to Manchester at 7.45 (18 miles at a leisurely pace).

The start was at 8.00.

 This is just arriving at Salford Quays for the start.


CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE....

The iconic Imperial War Museum's Shard building. My bike leaning against fence.

We're off....

After riding the roads through Stretford, Carrington and Partington, we hit the Trans Penine Trail which took us through Dunham, Lymm and Warrington (where we started from).

Notice the clear blue sky, we dropped lucky with the weather (probably the nicest day of the year so far) which is quite a contrast from the ride last year where it poured down all the way.

Shent gets a puncture...

AGAIN!

WOW!

How does he do it?

 10 seconds previous I asked him to check my rear tyre 'cause i thought it was punctured, no its not he said just before his front blew out. This was just before Warrington under  the Thelwall viaduct.

Here at the Marina at Penketh. Fiddlers Ferry Power station in the background.

And finally arriving at Otterspool Park on the banks of the River Mersey at Liverpool

                                      THE END
Manchester to Liverpool 43 miles plus the 18 miles to get there and the further 20 back home. Total 81 miles. 

Now thats not bad for a fat lad that!!