A change in the Weather

Storms and lots of rain led to flooding on the roads on the way home from work. An amazing sky as I looked down the valley, took some time to look and enjoy,

Company on the Commute

To try and help me not get so overtired (and therefore a complete pain) Ali has been giving me lifts home from work when I'm on lates and in on the early shifts. Today as well as my bike on the roof we put Ali's there as we had a plan! I rode from my work over to Ali's to meet her and then we rode home. It wasn't as sunny as the previous few days but being a little cooler was nice and it was lovely to have company on the commute (even if she is super speedy)!

Climbing Tideswell Lane

A smiley Ali enjoying the commute

Silly Dale :-)

Todays commute, a little overgrown

With the weather being so nice I decided to ride to work off-road. Well the nice weather also means one of my favourite bridleways is slightly overgrown. Being slightly allergic to grass this meant my legs were covered in a rash all evening at work!

Riding out to the Peaks

With Ali away again and me working south of Manchester I decided to ride out to see her. After Stockport it felt uphill all the way but after Disley it was lovely, country roads and stunning views. I even found a nice trail to avoid part of the A6.
I then rode back in this morning, it was light by 6:30am! Was a shame to get to Disley as then I was back into the traffic.

Commuting this week

The rota this week had me working quite far away. Ainsdale, Wythenshaw, Southport and Maghull. Unfortunately previous plans to run on Monday meant I got the train with Colin, we rode out along the Coastal Road only after we were riding for a while did we realise the road must be closed as nothing had come past us and normally its busy. Turns out that it was closed for flooding but it only covered part of the road. The ride took longer than expected due to Col's bike feeling odd. Turns out the wheel he had built had gone baggy!

Tues was Wythenshaw and the slush and hail. I covered five miles in an hour! Nightmare, the roads were practically unrideable and I got really cold. Train home!

Wednesday once again was train as I was night riding in the evening. Thursday I wasn't working so that just left today. 58miles in total and perfect weather. I was glad I had spent time yesterday cleaning kiwi, putting new brake pads on and sorting out the chain tension!

Taking a moment to enjoy the view

Working in Liverpool today, its ages since I've been over so I was looking forward to the commute. Used my muddy shortcut past Carr Mill in both directions. On the way it was misty over the water so I stopped for a while. On the way home I sat on the wall and watched the red sky sinking. Sometimes its important to stop and appreciate the world.

Sub-Zero commute

This morning it never went above freezing on my commute, I had decided to chance the off-road cut-through and it wasn't too muddy. Most of the puddles had ice on them and I even managed a spot of geocaching on the way. The light was amazing and reminded me once again how much I love this time of year.

Commuting Off-Road

For the first time since my crash I did my full off-road commute. Rode straight down the crash hill. Unsure why I crashed on it, just one of those things I guess.

Muddy, Misty Moors

I met Colin again this morning for an off-road ride into work but this time I went on Rigger. It did make the road section through Manchester harder but the off-road sections easier. The trails were very muddy and I was very wet when I got to work.

Onto the evening and I left work and headed back towards Bolton via the Prestwich trails but instead of heading home I climbed up Winter Hill. It was very foggy out and I couldn't really make out the side of the road on the short road sections. At the top and there was no sign of the mast. I made a poor job of descending, a combination of the lack of visability and my lack of skills meant I really minced down the Belmont descent. I even ended up walking one drop as I couldn't see how big it was, I was probably just being a big wimp!

Back home and through the magic of endomondo Ali had a bucket of water ready for me so I could give Rigger a qucik wash.

It has shown me I need more time on my mountain bike.

Ice skating Goose

Another morning and another off-road commute. Had to leave earlier as I had to be in for 8:30am, so I was in the wrong place for the sunrise. Instead I got to see this little fellow ice-skating on the canal. Once again I arrived at work in a fantastic mood.


 I was a little late leaving but still took the off-road route, it is worth the extra time it takes. I had planned to do hill reps and spent most of the ride talking myself out of them but in Phillips Park I made myself do them. They were short but I was glad I had done them.



Back on the road tomorrow, will miss my off-road commute.

The joy of the commute

Quick look behind, pull out sail down the side of the traffic, pause for the car pulling out, back on the pedals. Stop red light, go go go green. Cut down a back street, cheeky bit of cycle path. Work.

I had forgotten how great cycle commuting is, this week has reminded me.

Another muddy commute

Repeating yesterday I met up with Colin, although a little earlier so we weren't late to work. It was snowing most of the way in but luckily the only ice I encountered was the paths in Leverhulme park. Once again I dragged col round the singletrack although he gave the berms a miss.

Coming home I had company as Col got to finish a little earlier. His light is impressive for the money but unfortunately for him I had my six pack with me. Which made his look a little weedy. It was great to have company on the way home.

Once home it was wash the bike, again - a twitter friend is sending me mudguards which will help. Then a lazy evening as Ali was out on her Christmas Do.

33miles ridden, still coughing but hopeful for Sunday.

Off roading with panniers

Most of this week I'm working in the office as there is very little cycle training taking place at the moment. So this morning I arranged to meet Colin and we rode in together. I dragged him round the berms at Prestwich and was impressed at how well the bike coped seeing as it had a rack and panniers. I struggled with uphills, running out of gears and this cold still lingering. Getting to work I was covered in mud, Colin was clean. Mudguards were needed.

On the way home I decided it would be a waste not to ride so it was another 16.5miles and I got home covered in mud.

Fresh Tracks

I was wide awake at 3:30 this morning, not reallly a time I want to see but the one good thing was I saw the snow. As by the time I got up at 7am it had all gone washed away by rain.

Once again I was working over in Horwich so I jammed everything into a camelbak and went on Rigger. Leaving the school I headed for Winter Hill and as I headed up there was still pockets of snow and at the top everywhere was covered with a dusting. Heading down the Belmont descent the first half was all fresh tracks, okay it was only a dusting of snow but it was still snow.

From here I headed over the Darwen Moors, they were muddy so progress wasn't fast and one uphill had to be walked. Over to the A666 and down to the Strawbury Duck. From here I headed home.
20miles of mainly off-road fun, an ideal commute.

I noticed on Winter Hill 'my' bench had gone. It's a silly thing but I often sat there when I was out riding when I was ill. There are a fair few pictures on this blog of Rigger at the bench. I was suprised how sad I felt about it not being there. Now I'm working I am less likely to have a day where I just ride out to the bench and back and there are always other benches.

Running and muddy commuting

On monday I went for a short run with Ali. I think that running a bit is good for me and probably helps balance out cycling a bit. But I know I have to ease into it slowly. So we ran a mile at a steady pace.

Tuesday I was meant to be in the office, I decided to ride there off-road. I got very very muddy on there way there. This meant of course I was sent to a school! Took a work vehicle as it would have taken me ages on rigger to get there. Got lazy when it came to heading home and got a lift!

A more sucessful day

I had a bit of a later start so no geocaching on the way to Southport, but also no off-roading or dual-carriageways. So even though the route was a little longer it was a sucess.

Leaving I made sure to follow my route and there was no getting lost, I had also charged my light so no worries there!

To celebrate I decided for some reason to come back via Chorley Old Road from Horwich, doubling the amount of climbing.

Not my finest day commuting

Working in Southport today I had an early start, not ideal after a late night the night before. I was awake well before my alarm and even had time to make Ali sandwiches before I left. I'd brought a couple of travel bugs with me to drop off and had chosen a premium member cache as I really don't want them to go missing. The weather was nice, although once over Parbold Hill I had to add another layer as it was colder there than Bolton. The roads were also very muddy and my mudguards were getting clogged.
Leaving the geocache my Garmin tried to take me down a muddy track, I knew I would be walking so I followed roads which unfortunately brought me onto a dual carriageway and somehow my 29mile journey turned into 33miles.

Work went quickly, I was teaching level 3. At lunch we headed to the chippy for lunch since we were by the seaside.

Leaving at the end of the day I was looking forward to the ride home although I wanted to avoid parbold hill as its steeper from that side. After my usual faffing I headed out and soon had to take a layer off. I was on some really muddy roads and I could see winter hill in the distance. I had to ignore my garmin several times as it tried to take me down muddy tracks before having no choice when the road just ended at a track. Please to get on tarmac again I turned left as right had a dead end sign, slowly I started to recognise things before I realised I was back in Southport, yes having ridden for an hour I was nearly back where I started.
It was fine though, the weather was nice, so I text Ali to let her know I'd been dumb and made sure I headed the right way. Finding signs for sustrans route 91 I was happy as I knew that basically took me to Adlington.

At some point the battery light on the back of my Six Pack had started flashing, so I unplugged the rear light and hoped I had enough juice to get home. As it turns out the light may have an amazing battery life but I can't run it forever (two night rides and the audax) without charging it. On a singletrack road it went out, pitch black. Ali responded to my plea and looking on my garmin there was a train station just over a mile away so we agreed to meet there (after losing my wallet last night I had no card to pay for a train). All I had to do was get there. I have a very cheap cateye on the bars just incase but it casts no light so it was riding using the force. Getting on a slightly busier road every so now and again a car behind would illuminate my way but those coming towards me just left me unable to see.

Finding the station, I put all my layers on and waited. I think the local youths thought I was a little odd. I was so pleased to see Ali and the car.

Working in Southport tomorrow, think I may try and do a better job of route finding!

A crisp and cold commute

I had a very early start this morning as Ali was off down to Thetford Forest. It looked a lovely day so I decided to ride to work in Liverpool. Leaving at 730am I was wearing two base layers, a jersey, my fleece, a gillet, tights and waterproof shorts. I was expecting to have to stop and take a layer off pretty quickly but no it stayed cold. It was a proper winter morning and I was loving riding.

Crossing the M6 I found a quick geocache, getting closer to Speke I found myself on the Knowsley Expressway, not my idea of fun riding. So I came straight off and seeing signs of the transpennine trail I thought I knew where I was. Then I saw the Runcorn bridge getting closer I realised I was going the wrong way, oops!

Work involved an 18mile and the sun was out, it warmed up and we had a lovely crowd with us. We were finished by 3pm and I decided to ride home, it was too nice a day to spend sat on a train. At 430pm it suddenly got cold again and the fleece was back on, but only one base layer this time. I got home with 84miles on the garmin, not bad for a work day.