Category Archives: Rides

Review and Renew

By 12 commentsCycling Challenges, Rides, , , , ,

For my first post of the year I thought I’d follow an old routine and put 2010 to bed before waking up 2011 with a bucket of cold water and a strong slap around the chops.

2010

So, how did I do?  Well, I registered one substantive Fail: the Great Manchester Run, which I didn’t do.  Running and me have decided that we don’t really get on, so we’ve parted company.  So I won’t be joining the triathletes among you.  Maybe I’ll do a duathlon one day if the swimming isn’t too bad (and if I get another bike).

On the plus side, there was much Win.  I completed the Manchester to Blackpool ride and was very happy with my (very mediocre) time.  This helped me to hit the 100 miles in that month’s challenge, which spurred me on to other months too.  Many of you joined me trying to amass 100 miles each month until the end of the year.  With your help (and I can’t say how much you helped me, you really did) I rode 628 miles last year.  My furthest ever, mostly to Littleborough and Hebden Bridge.

Raising £500 through the year for Springhill Hospice was fantastic.  To those of you who helped, I’m more grateful than you will ever know.  My Mum will be smiling on us from whichever afterlife you prefer to imagine – or if you don’t believe, then those who are spending time in that wonderful hospice will be grateful for the dignity and care that you’ve helped to support.

I’ve also made my life linger and happier with the fitness you’ve motivated me to maintain.  For this I am thankful, too.

2011

Once again, I’m keeping my goals SMART* this year.  I’m focusing on a small number of them, as I have difficulty concentrating on more than one thing at a time.  I am a man and I make no excuses.

This year I shall try to:

  • Cycle 1,000 miles
  • Raise another £500.00 for Springhill Hospice

If you can help me achieve either of these, then I love you. But not in that way.

You can definitely help by joining our January 100 Mile Challenge and simply getting on your bike.  I will keep the link always on the right of this blog, in the little brown box.

* SMART = Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed.

So What?

I realise that this post is mostly in the first person.  That’s because it’s about me.  But I hope you can identify with what’s happening, especially at this time of year.  Please join me on the challenges.  Please divert what money you can into a worthy charity for the sake of others.

Please have a fantastic year and lots of cheesy grins like this when you get home:

2011 - A Year For Grinning.

Chilly and Cheerful, 2011 The Year Of The Grin

I know: scary, but I’m having a great time.  Will you this year?


You Only Get Wet Once… Off The #Nov100 Mark.

By 5 commentsCycling Challenges, Rides, , ,

There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather…

… just the wrong clothes.  So said Billy Connolly, and so said Clive Chapman too.  They were right.

I was determined to get my Tuesday night ride in this week.  Hitting the 100 miles is going to be very difficult this month so I needed to get started.  The Big Man Upstairs decided to set me a challenge by providing lots of water from the skies.  I made the mistake of showing my indecision earlier in the evening and suffered a barrage of motivational abuse via Facebook.  Thanks, friends, you made me go out.

After a quick tea, I layered up and unlocked the shed.  The beanie that was free with this month’s MBUK was a bonus.  Lights on and head down, off I went.

The autopilot loop through Milnrow and twice around Hollingworth Lake was the chosen route tonight.  The rain prevented me dreaming up anything new.  I came back home on the main roads, as the canal towpath seemed like a very unwise idea, with the slippery cobbles and wet leaves under the bridges.

Just over an hour after setting off, I was dripping quietly onto the floor of my shed with a big smile on my face.  Now I’m showered and warm, whilst my clothes steam gently on the radiators.

The phone GPS tracked less than half a mile of the ride.  Maybe the plastic butty bag I put it in touched the screen in the wrong place, I don’t know.  Anyway, I mapped the ride manually so you can see it here.

Saturday's Muddy Happiness.

Mud = Good. Saturday’s Coating Of Goodness. Tonight, It Was Too Dark For Photos.

Just remember: it’s only water, and you only get wet once.

Join us in the November 100 challenge.  Visit the spreadsheet then email me at the address in the sheet. 🙂

Meeting Point Rest Area Littleborough

By 4 commentsReviews, Rides, , ,

Today, the kids and I took a little ride along the favourite towpath to the Meeting Point Rest Area, just alongside the Rochdale Canal about 3 miles from home.

What Is The “Meeting Point Rest Area”?

Basically, a bloke who loves biking (motorbikes, not proper bikes but we’ll let that go for now) has taken a piece of disused, derelict land alongside the canal, opposite the main A58 Rochdale-Halifax road that runs over Blackstone Edge, and put a couple of portakabins on there.

He’s put some tables outside and he retails refreshments to passing bikers, cyclists, walkers and even drivers, who can park in a smallish car park right in front.  This guy sits in his portakabin with his cute Westie terrier, quietly getting on with his life and providing a wonderful amenity to passers-by.

Meeting Point Rest Area Littleborough

Meeting Point Rest Area Littleborough

He’s an absolute boon to me, as the girls (aged 7 and 8) love the fact that there are no hills or traffic between our home and the Meeting Point.  It’s a cracking, if short, family ride when we have an hour or so to spare.  To everyone else, he’s a handy little cafe in a lovely position close to a few busy roads.  To some though, he’s a bit of a problem so they’d like to shut him down.

What’s The Problem?

The guy has, apparently, been on the wrong end of some complaints.  I’m not sure how the planning process works, but apparently his portakabins “aren’t in keeping” with the local architecture.  They’re certainly an improvement on the derelict plot they’ve replaced!  But, Littleborough’s a nice-looking place with some cracking buildings and I can see how people might see the Rest Area as the thin end of the utilitarian architecture wedge.

He’s hoping to put a permanent building on the site I understand, but first he has to await the decision of an independent planning hearing, which takes place in Bristol (why Bristol I wonder?), probably in December.

I hope he wins.  It would be a shame to see the place removed.  No doubt someone will stick some nice flats on there now he’s levelled and cleared it, but I’d prefer to see the Meeting Point Rest Area made permanent and give the guy a chance to put a nice, appropriate building on the plot.

Are there any locals or passers-by reading this blog who have an opinion?

 

In the meantime, pay him a visit why don’t you?  His brews are very tasty and reasonably priced.  He even does Bovril 🙂

 

Here’s a link to my Google Map.

He doesn’t seem to have got a Google Places account yet – I’ll have a word with him about that.

Breaking The Law, Breaking The Law…

By 10 commentsCycling Challenges, Rides, ,

Those who get the reference, hit this!

Lawless Risk-Takers

They’ve ripped up the train track around here.  If George Osborne doesn’t pull the plug, the plan is that the trains which used to run the loop from Manchester through Oldham to Rochdale will be replaced by spanking new trams.  To us, what this means is an opportunity to sneak onto a lovely, temporary cycle track of the type so loved by Sustrans.  Old rail tracks are usually pretty even and not too steep so they make ideal family trails.  Trouble is, this one’s supposed to be a building site.  “Ah, what the hell, let’s give it a whirl”, we thought!

I took my son along to make things look like we weren’t looking for trouble (officer), and because I knew he’d see it as a bit of an adventure.  Also, when he’s a grown man travelling on the line himself, he’ll remember the day he cycled it incognito with his Dad.

We got onto the track easily near Jubilee Bends, Newhey.  There’s an unmanned level crossing so we used the cycle gate and on we went.  This was a couple of miles from home, so we headed back towards Rochdale.  There was only one awkward bit, where a road bridge was almost totally obscured by scaffold, but we found a path through.

Caught By The Fuzz

Here you go. 🙂

No we weren’t.  The police helicopter was in the sky not far away the whole time we were riding, which lent a certain frisson to Number One Son’s ride.  When you’re 12, you actually believe they care about a bloke and his lad trespassing harmlessly on the railways.  But they didn’t notice us.  I think.  If you see me on Crimewatch next month, please don’t call them.

We rode along and I took a few photos before I dropped my phone and fell off my bike.  Then I had an attack of sensibility and before long we decided to get home for tea.  Scrambling up an embankment near Milnrow, we hopped over a bridge wall and headed back home via Firgrove playing fields.

It was cool.  A great way to have a slightly unusual ride with my boy.  Only 5 miles or so for the October 100, but I just hope N1S remembers it when he’s on the tram in years to come. 🙂

Sorry …

By 5 commentsCycling Challenges, Rides, , ,

I haven’t blogged enough. I’ve been very busy.

But today, you’ll be glad to know, I’m doing this…

Aaaaaah!

Lovely, lovely tea.

So forgive me. I’ll start biggin us all up again soon, I promise.

How are you doing with your #Oct100 miles, you lot? 🙂

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