Clare gets a ride

Clare finaly got a ride on her new steed. Wasn't long, only a couple of miles but its a start.
Unfortunately she now walks like a cowboy and can't sit down for long.

So thats a sore ass for a fat lass.

She's now going to be reffered to by her new nickname of "saddlesore" in this blog.
But hey every new rider gets sore at first. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddle_sore


Her cycle fitness will soon build, quicker than she realises, and I'm looking forward to future rides together.

Anybody thinking of taking up cycling, yes you will get sore at first but stick with it 'cause you will get over the soreness very quickly

Back from the Edge

Today I'm back from the Edge,  Alderly Edge that is.

After a couple of days of over indulgence, too much food and too much beer, plus not having done a long ride for a few weeks I thought it was time to get the bike out and hit the road once again.

I've been thinking of a trip to Alderly Edge for a week or two, so I decided this was it.

The weather forcast was'nt looking brill, predominantly dry with some showers, some maybe heavy at times. hmmmmm?

So 8.30, which is really first light at the moment, off i set only to realise after 5 miles that I hadn't put the dustbin out for collection. With Christmas bin collections being disrupted it's important not to miss one.
A quick phone call to Clare reveals that she wasn't answering so I cycled 5 miles home again. A great start!

The ride was uneventfull. Through Lymm village and turning right just after the church took me to the village of Rostherene, a collection of houses that seem to be untouched by time. Built to house the men and women that worked the Tatton Park Estate in the 18/19th century.

        CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE.

From Rostherne I entered the Tatton Park Estate, which was the home of the Egerton family untill in 1958 it was donated by Lord Maurice Edgerton to the national trust for the benefit and enjoyment of others. Well worth a visit.
                                                                                    CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Road runs throught the park to Knutsford

Tatton Mere in the middle of the park

Now in Knutsford I found a shop that if anybody wants to buy me something special for christmas next year (Clare), and can't think of anything (its not easy I know), well this is the shop to try........

The car in the foreground only £220,000



The bike £299


From Knutsford, through Mobberly to Alderly Edge.
I didn't find much at Alderly Edge to talk about or photograph except this hill......

It's Swiss Hill and its listed in a book Clare got me, "100 greatest cycling hills".
I had to ride it while I was here its only 516 meters long and took the author 4 mins to ride it.
No more than 100 meters I got before my lungs were busting. Couldn't do it. So feeling a bit embarrassed and glad nobody was watching I rode down and rode off. He he he.





Cycling back took me through Wilmslow and down a road that goes under Manchester Airports runways.

This shot is of the tunnel that goes under the runway and is the spot where the planes can be seen going over top.
I waited a while to see if I could get that picture but time and the dark clouds looming meant i had to press on.

Just as I was underneath the runway though, I was met by the unmistakable whine of jet engines going over the top. DERRR!

As I left the airport heading towards Altrincham, it started to rain and it was pretty heavy at times.
I still had a good 15 miles or so to home and the rain never eased so needless to say i was soaked to the skin when I got in.

Lymm church on the way back

Back for 1:45 pm. Just over 50 miles.

 

 And on the table Clare had me a superb full english breakfast.

                                          WOW!

 NOT BAD FOR A FAT LAD !

New family member

Our new addition to the family. 

This is the bike I've bought Clare. Rockrider RR5.2 from the Decathlon store in Warrington.

 This is bike no.8. It joins the rest of the fleet, which I'll be introducing in more detail at a later date.

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

As an introduction to the joys of cycling I planned a short ride in the country for Clare to try out the bike.

Over Winwick Rd

Unfortunately (or fortunately as it transpired) I had to go on my own.
Good I thought. It gives me a chance to try the route out.
It was from our house to Burtonwood crossing some farmland on the way.
Some of the pathways I hadn't used before.






The weather wasn't good, rain and wind. The wind started out against me so it was hard going.

Underpass at Winwick

Under motorway 

 Everywhere's flooded!

           Which way round this lot?     Left round first puddle, then right, right again 'n' left, easy

No water here though!

Appart from abandoned tyres (they get everywhere), this started off as

a nice pathway.

But it soon turned to this...

Anyway I made it to Burtonwood wet and muddy.    Coming back down the roads was a breeze, downhill with the wind behind me I had a free ride without pedaling for over 1 mile. Whe hey!!

Only 6 1/2 miles round trip.  I dont think Clare would of enjoyed it though.

I did.....  Not bad for a fat lad

Water water everywhere. This was a horse paddock at one time. Soon be a fishery.

To Lancaster cancelled

Well Peeps, my planned ride to Lancaster has had to be cancelled this weekend due to the icy weather. The original plan to ride to St. Michaels airfield and overnight in the tent on Friday night, riding back Saturday was scuppered because Clare had to work away over the weekend leaving me to stay home to look after dog.
The alternative was to ride there and back on Saturday but i cancelled that due to ice.

I still had to get out on the bike though and burn some calories off, get some fresh air so i dug out the old faithfull GT MTB and set off across the fields.

GT Aggressor

CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE

Route:  Radley Common- Peel Park- Houghton Green- through field to flooded quarry- under M6 to Croft- Risley- Birchwood- Rixton- Manchester Rd. to Newcut Lane- onto Woolston Newcut pathway- along River Mersey to Kingsway Bridge - home on the road down Kingsway.

Through Peel Park

This is through a field leading to the flooded quarry at Houghton Green

Me and my shadow. 

Just see how muddy it was. 

Under the slip road from M62 to M6 North

Little did i know that it would get worse

                        

And over the M6

                                                                

                                                               

                                         

Going down a track that leads along the M62 to the Birchwood
junction, I took a left turn down a track that goes behind Risley
Prison, where it started to get a bit muddy, well very muddy in places.
At one point, along a dissused railway line, the wheels sank that much
that i came to a full stop and had to turn round. No photos 'cause i
was a bit busy sinking.




Here going across Risley Moss you can see how
frozen the ground was in places. I did slip and come off at one point when I braked.  It was sometimes better to ride in the puddles.

view across the moss

After crossing the Moss and going through Rixton, I intended to get onto the banks of the Mersey and go underneath Thelwall viaduct but the path has been closed due to bank errosion. So i stayed on the A57 to New Cut Lane and went along the path that follows the River Mersey from there.

a good pathway along Woolston New Cut

Grey Mist. Popular with fishermen

Mersey

Mersey River

By the time I got to Kingsway Bridge the sun was setting so I decided to ride back home down Kingsway Avenue.

 All in all a very enjoyable afternoon. 3 hours and just over 22 miles. Not a fast pace, wont break any records, but..............Not bad for a fat lad.

11th hour of the 11the day of the 11th month

The magnificent St. Georges Hall

Today I rode to the cenotaph at Liverpool to give 1 minute of my time to remember all those men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice and given their lives to protect this country and its freedoms.


NOT BAD FOR A FAT LAD

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

The cenotaph in front of St. Georges Hall on Lime St. in Liverpool city centre, not to detract from the view of the great hall, was constructed as a flat monument.

Here are some views of the armed forces preparing
for the parade.

Short vid of forces marching to possitions infront
of St. Georges Hall

Brass band

proud veterens

The wreathes

The ceremony ends with a Brass band parade
as the forces and veterens leave














After the ceremony i took a ride along Liverpools waterfront........................

.
where i found this monument to those sailors killed at sea. If you can enlarge it to read the inscription i found it very moving.

The Liver Building

And Albert Dock