To the highest heights

Well it all started last week when I was talking to a chap about the planned 50 mile Peak District charity ride and the training rides up and down Hill Cliffe that I was doing.

He happened to say that I should try to cycle up Frodsham Hill and that I would never do it because its too steep. He tried it years ago when he was a young lad and collapsed with exhaustion.

So that was a new challange.

A challange that more than one said I wouldnt do.
 
Frodsham hills 12 miles away so I worked out a ride to there. Up the hill and back through Acton Bridge. Totalling 30 miles in all.

Shent was up for it so off we went.

To get to Frodsham in itself is quite a trek due to it being mostly uphill from Warrington anyway and after 11 miles and looking at the top of the Hill I wasnt very confident of succeeding, but off we set. Select the lowest gear ratio and just spin the pedals.

Half way up in the lowest gear set I was standing up and grinding away, legs burning up, lungs bursting heart racing. I came very close to giving in but I, or we, I should say (Shent too), made it up. My shirt was soaked with sweat, but the view was worth it.   

Stunning view

 Above.... At the top.....  In the centre is the ICI Chemical works nestled between the river Mersey and the river Weaver. To the left is the runway of Liverpools John Lennon Airport and in the forground Shent gets a drink

monument

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Helsby Hill with the North Wales mountains just visible in the background

Fiddlers Ferry power station, top left

Daresbury Science lab again

NOT BAD FOR A FAT LAD THAT........

Burgled again. Unbelievable.

Last  week as some may know my garage was left open during the day while we were out and I lost the GT Mountain bike to an opportunist thief. Since then I bought a Scott to replace the GT and have made sure that all bikes and the garage were locked up.

This morning I awoke to find that the garage door had been forced and the 6 day old Scott was missing including 2 other bikes, a cheap folding bike and a cheep hybrid town bike, that the Scott was chained up to.

Yep I've not had a good week.

On the bright side there's a bit more room in the garage.

Three to Spike Island

Shent and Andrew.

 This Friday I was joined by Shent and Andrew on the Friday Night After Work ride to Spike Island, at Widnes.
Its just a 5 mile ride there but seeing as this was Andrews first ride out with us I thought 5 there and 5 back would be a nice distance.

CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE FULL SIZE.

Trans - Penine trail at Sankey with Fiddelers Ferry power station in the background

We set off from Princess St. and rode past Gateworth Tip to enter the Trans - Pennine Trail that runs along the Sankey Canal.

Heres a view of Daresbury science lab that you may remember seeing in a previous post.

The Ferry marina

Across the River Mersey towards Daresbury.

On finals for John Lennon. Gear down

Runcorn Bridge comes into view.

Spike Island

 Arriving at Spike Island which is where the Sankey Canal meets the River Mersey.
This is where we were to return back due to Andrew being a new rider and we thought that 10 miles would be a good distance for a first time out, but he was keen to press on a bit further and extend the distance so we decided to ride over Runcorn Bridge and return back on the opposite side of the river.

Lock gates joining canal to river

Runcorn Bridge

Starting the ride over the bridge, a plane can be seen on its approach to Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

 Above is a photograph of the footpath that goes over the bridge. Its good to be completely separrated from the traffic. There was a sign asking cyclists to dissmount but as can be seen there was nobody about so we rode it.

looking down at the Mersey below.

The power station from the opposite bank of the river.

 This is actually a shot of the Manchester Ship Canal which runs more or less parrallel to the Mersey on its southern side. I took the photo from the end of the wooden pontoon seen below.

20 miles in all.  NOT BAD FOR A NEW LAD.

Burgled

NOW HEAR THIS...   I came home from work on Monday only to find that my GT Agressor mountain bike had been stolen.
Normally I would have commuted to work on this bike but due to a customer wanting to borrow my car for the day whilst their van was off the road due repair, the bike was left in the garage at home and i commuted to work in my car.
When I got home I noticed that the GT was missing.  Oh dear. Stolen.
The theif left a carbon fibre Look, and a brand new Rock Rider behind, so I'm a bit lucky really but I did like the GT.
Anyway I've replaced the bike with a brand new Scott Aspect 40 so not too bad, cost me £400 though (BASTARDS).
Took the Scott for a 35 miler to knutsford, seat needed tightening a bit but I'm pretty happy with the bike at the minute everthing nice a nd smoothe and quiet. Mmmmmmmm.

NEW SCOTT ASPECT

SHENT @ TATTON PARK, KNUTSFORD

Warrington to Knutsford 15 miles, 1 hour 10 mins.                NOT BAD FOR A FAT LAD

Friday night after work ride

Last night, Friday, Shent and I went for a ride along the Bridgewater canal tow path on a circular route taking us from Walton through Moore, Preston Brook, and Barnton near Northwich up to the Anderton Boat Lift.
We came back through Marbury country park then made our way to Arley Hall and through Appleton and Stockton Heath.

32 miles    NOT BAD FOR A FAT LAD.

 Here's the Walton Arms pub where we started out on the canal tow path. Sorry the photos not very clear I took it over my shoulder whilst riding, the canal is behind me as I take the photo.






Click on a photo to enlarge.                                              

Daresbury science lab in the background

 

Preston Brook

Located a short distance from the photo above at Preston Brook, the canal enters a tunnel (immediately above) thats over a mile long. Notice that the tow path goes up and continues above the tunnel rejoining the canal where it exits.

Shent lagging behind 'cause he miss judged his gearing coming up the hill.

This is the path as it runs above the tunnel.

 After a few more miles of pleaseant riding we hit a problem. The path's closed due to repairs to the banking.

 So now we had to come off the canal path and take to the road up to Barnton.

Just visible here is the viaduct over the river Weaver near Frodsham.

Here rejoining the canal path at Barnton.
The canal's on the left behind the fence.

Optical illusion or does it slope up hill?

Here's another view. Level or sloping?

THE ANDERTON BOAT LIFT.

Anderton country park

 A couple of miles after Anderton we left the canal behind and entered Marbury Country park where we made our way through park / farm land and the odd country lane to Arley Hall and back home through Appleton and Stockton Heath.

Notice the sun setting, we had to start to get a shift on now. Still some 8 miles left to go

3 and 1/2 hours and 32 miles thats after a days work too. Not bad for a fat lad that.