I've made a deal with Mrs C - if I complete an application form in the morning, I can go for a ride in the afternoon. Fair, I guess.
So I've had to sort out some short fun rides that I can do and still be home in time to walk down to school to pick up the wean.
The plan was a bit stymied on Monday by the fact that, as I was pumping up my tyres, the wean appeared in tears at the front door after an incident at school. We dealt with that, but I didn't get my ride. Well, there are priorities.
Yesterday, though, I needed a short ride in the morning, as I had a hospital appointment in the afternoon (I had spent some time with maps trying to convince myself that I could ride into central Manchester and back, but gave in in the end
)
So I reprised a ride I had done with Mac a while ago - from Holme Chapel on the Burnley Road, up through Worsthorne, above Burnley and opposite Pendle Hill.
With Swiftsure (and with my increased fitness), I handled the steep hills much better, and the barend friction shifters gave me quiet running.
I was going so well that I forgot to take any photos until I reached the end of my self-imposed time limit.
Here is the view of the high bank of Swinden reservoir.
And here is the view over towards Trawden and Boulsworth Hill
One of a rusty gate - leaning on another
And a slightly arty shot back over Burnley
I got back to the start point in half the time - perhaps there had been more climbing than I had thought!
PART TWO
OK, so today's ride.
I was going to go out to Padiham & ride on to Pendle Hill, but I didn't really have enough time, if I was to be honest
So I stopped above Cliviger for some crazy climbing
This is Cow Side below Deerplay Moor
By, I were in my bottom gear almost as soon as I started, and I dragged myself up the climb on the road towards Bacup & Rochdale. I imagined our forefathers coming up this road on their machines returning from touring in Lancashire - or even the Lakes - and preparing for the last few grinds before Manchester.
Now, this is part of the Lancashire Cycleway - and the hardest part by far!
I crossed the Pennine Bridleway as well, and was tempted to take a short cut (a very steep one, as it happens) down to Holme Chapel, start of yesterday's ride. But I knew I'd have a fair old climb to get back to my start point if I did.
I took the Rawtenstall turn, right up to the crest, where I could see further than my map informs me. Then I glanced across to see how much further up the Bacup road would have gone. I felt a wee bit guilty, but I wasn't going up there - besides, it was a very busy road.
I opted to crest another climb - Crown Point Road, in the midst of what will be the Burnley Forest. You can see part of the preparation for it in this photo - an old delph (quarry) being landscaped with huge sheets of something having topsoil bulldozed over it. But it's a nice view nonetheless,
You know, climbing hills is like putting savings in the bank. You struggle to slowly gain all those metres of ascent, putting them behind you one by one, then, when it comes to descending - it's like spending your money in a bike shop - gone in seconds.
And so it proved this time - rocketing down the hill was thunderously fast (I would tell you how fast if I hadn't had a very embarrassing computer-knackering incident
), and before I knew it, I was braking hard not to avoid the layby where I'd started from.
Good to see so many walkers and fell runners out, but there were unsurprisingly few cyclists
Here, then, is a last glimpse from the top of the road I'd come up, and was about to descend
first posted 27 September 2006
