Yearly Archives: 2011

First #Apr100 Ride – And Gadget Update

By Cycling Challenges, Reviews, Rides, , , , , ,

Wasn’t Saturday Lovely?

After a brief downpour caused by Jon Moore buying some masonry paint, I ventured out for some proper off-road MTB action.  The route was mapped from the latter pages of Singletrack Magazine, and my plan was to join it at Ogden (near Newhey) and enjoy the moorland and bridleways of my local environment.

The trail didn’t work out as planned thanks to some technical issues (see below), but it was still a cracking ride.

You can view the Google Map/Earth view here, or the Daily Mile record here.  All in, I did a very enjoyable 12.77 miles, only 2 or so of them on the roads.

Tech Talk – Cyclemeter on iPhone4

Last week a new iPhone4 arrived, so I took a little advice from the land of the internets and plumped for Cyclemeter as my training GPS tracker of choice.  I must confess, it’s been a good start.  I stuck the phone into one of the kids’ mp3 armbandy thingies and off I went.

I imported my route via an email I sent myself, with the gpx file attached.  Admittedly, I rode the first 3 miles without my route imported properly, so when I stopped at the top of a killer hill, I imported it again and tracked properly for the rest of the afternoon.  User error aside, I’m very impressed so far, and the app links automatically to Facebook, Twitter and DailyMile to record the tracks like the one linked just under the pictures above.

Respect

… to the bloke who went past me on his orange Turner (5 Spot?) as I sat messing with my phone and trying not to pass out at the top of a bridleway hill that pulls steeply out of Ogden.  “That was a proper grueller” he explained as he pedalled past me, then continued without a breath up and over the brow of the hill.  I followed his tracks until I took a wrong turn on a dry bit.  You’re fit, man.

Anyway… enjoy your riding everyone.  Don’t forget to follow the #Apr100 hashtag if you’re on twitter, and join the challenge if you haven’t done already.

March Review. #Mar100 Superstars.

By 2 commentsCycling Challenges, Rides, , , ,

That Was The Month That Was

I hope you enjoyed some riding in March.  I did.  Once again, I didn’t hit the 100 miles but I clocked just over 70 and I’m chuffed to have done so.  The best ride was over to Bury from our Rochdale home to buy my spanking new camera, then back past home and up to Hollingworth Lake before a little climb up to the Moorcock pub in Littleborough.  I didn’t have the time to attempt Blackstone Edge that day, but the 26 miles were a total pleasure.

Performances and Props

26 different riders logged miles in the #Mar100 spreadsheet, which is amazing, considering the dark nights, cold days and general  everyday life. I’m cuffed to be associated with such motivated people, and that motivation gets me off my bum and into the saddle more often than you know.

Mental John Berry once again took the crown with a staggering 908.55 total miles, 896.99 of which were non-commutes.  I’m still allowing turbo miles, by the way, although I’m not sure how much longer I can let you lot get away with pretending to ride! 😉

Martin wasn’t far behind with 606.69 qualifying miles and our Canadian recent recruit Jane Victoria King put over 350 miles into the British Columbian early spring.  Nice!

Too many other riders stand out, but special props to Jo Simcock who’s ridden over 360 miles on a basic MTB with little more than coffee and determination powering her through ride after ride, after ride. Fantastic stuff, Jo!

The #Apr100 is already underway, and the sheet can be found at the end of this linky.  Get riding and get logging, people!

Summary. It Wasn’t Summery

Despite the weather, the #Mar100 riders amassed a total of 6,374 miles in March.  More than 4,800 miles were not commuting.  I am humbled by your efforts and I am inspired to get on my bike today.

My plan is that I’m going to try uploading a gpx file to my new phone and follow a track I copied from Singletrack Magazine up over the moors from Newhey towards Oldham and back via the good old Lake.  Wish me luck!

30 Days Of Biking

By 6 commentsCycling Challenges, Rides, , , , ,

A few weeks ago, Phil at TheTribe mentioned a website to me that I think you should all register on.

30 Days Of Biking

30 Days Of Biking

You’ve go to love the strapline these guys use: “We Ride Our Bikes, Every. Friggin’, Day“.

The idea is that you ride your bike every day in April.  Then you tell the guys about it.  Register here.  I’m not going to be riding every day, but I’m certainly going to keep looking at the website and I’m going to be inspired by other people’s stories.  It seems to sit ideally alongside our 100 mile month challenges and I’ll be emailing everyone on the Mar100 sheet about it.

What do you think? Are you joining in?

Tell ’em Phill sent you 🙂

Support The Carbon Trust In Reducing Carbon Emissions In The UK

By Tat, , , ,

How is THIS Better ??!

By 15 commentsRides, Tat, , , ,

Meeting Point Rest Area, Littleborough

A while ago, I blogged about a fantastic little coffee stop that some enterprising guy had erected on a piece of crappy land alongside my beloved Rochdale Canal.

The last time I had a brew there, the chap was telling me about having to take a case to a planning tribunal, since somebody had complained about his portakabin not being in keeping with the local architectural specifications required for planning approval in that part of Littleborough.

Well, Guess What? The Moaning Buggers Won Again!

What is it with these Daily Mail reading, interfering idiots?  I’m all in favour of pretty towns and villages, but can someone explain how the first picture below is an improvement on the second?

Note how the sign says “Yard To Let“.  So… thanks to the complaints of one or more people who would like to maintain the architectural splendour of Littleborough, an amenity for walkers, cyclists, kayakers and passers by has been shut down.  It will, at some point, be replaced by a yard.  Until then, it stands as a piece of wasteland protected by fences and containing a few piles of rocks, discarded pallets and (for now) a fork lift truck.

That’s progress, that is. Sheesh. Idiots.  I hope they’re proud of what they’ve done.

Now I don’t have an incentive to get my 9 year-old stepdaughter on her bike, because the pull from this “Yard” up to Hollingworth Lake is hard work for her.  A milkshake and a cookie from The Meeting Point was fantastic for her to recharge her batteries and break up the ride.  Now she’s not interested.

I know that me with my 3 kids and other half are just one family.  But we’re one family who have been negatively affected by these interfering, unhelpful people.  What have they gained?  I wouldn’t be so angry if there had been an improvement.

What Should Have Happened?

If the Meeting Point Rest Area was too ugly (which I dispute but I’ll let that go), then the owner should have been given a timescale to install a more permanent, more attractive Rest Area on the site.  The “sledgehammer to crack a nut” approach that’s been used has created an ugly residue where once there was a potentially thriving little enterprise…

… and some happy canal users.

I hope these people regret what they’ve done.  If you’re one of them, why not explain how you’ve benefited the local area? Please?

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