Back from this morning's bike ride with my hubby. T'was an eventful bike ride from the word go. Dusty, the Irish Wolf Hound we are dog sitting for was comfortable on the sofa (don't ask, it's his owner's sofa thankfully) and was not that interesting in being returned to his owner's home (neighbour & landlady) whilst we went out because he knows what that means! Until recently we would have just left him outside - he knows is boundaries and she has +8 acres of land which he roams around, but he has recently been diagnosed with arthritis and now has to be kept warmer and indoors. He's finding the change hard!
You want me to do what? I'm comfortable.... (that's a 2-3 seater sofa btw!)
From the start of the ride, my asthma was giving me issues. I could be going down with a chest infection I'm not sure yet! So it was a slow and careful start to the ride for obvious reason. However it did not take long for us to start encountering cyclists en mass and today there were a lot of cyclists out. More than either of us has seen for a long time and the weather and temperature probably had a lot to do with it!
We had a careful wander along backlanes and the odd hardcored bridlepath along the side of the River Weaver (note to self, avoid River Weaver on sunny Sunday morning's.... too many walkers, cyclists, dogs....).
The weather is beginning to clear up nicely. (Bridlepath alongside the River Weaver - cleaner and better surface than the lane we live down, so we don't mind it, but needless to say we were the only cyclists on road bikes doing it!)
Then the A49 dash up from the River Weaver, over the traffic lights and first left.... its the worst part of the A49 but there are seriously limited options for crossing the River Weaver and the next crossing up is even worse! As we approached the A49 café, hordes of cyclists were piling into the café... must be a good café despite its location but its too close to home for us. Then a wander around the backlanes around Lewis Carole's birthplace and around the M56 area. Passed the scene of Thursday's mechanical issues and onto Arley Country House estate... 12pm means I have to stop for my steroids, so photo opportunity...
Arley Hall (I presume) in the sunshine
And my OH doing the "she's taking photos again... she's turned it my way sulk"...
From there the first of our good deeds for the day. A first time out on new bike (and presumably first bike?) when we called out to check a guy on a BSO was OK... turned out he was not. His chain was off, it had jammed between the BB & cassette in that little space they somehow work their way into and he wasn't sure how to get it out... it took a little teasing it out of the area but we soon had him back on his way.
Setting off towards home and the only 'car' issue of the day. The BMW driver was never going to win, but he gave it all he could at the expense of some damage to his paintwork. He got a 'sugar won't melt sweet smile from me' when he finally conceded and pulled over into a gap between 2 parked cars - he had already been stationary between 2 others for the car in less than 10m front of me, but apparently cyclists don't count and pulled back out despite it being my right of way, me wearing newly washed hi-viz jacket and having my front light on, so I refused down right to budge from my line and cycled straight at him (no way in h**l was I going anywhere near the wet cobbles to the side of me that is the 'pavement' at that point!).
We were almost home before the next person needing our assistance asked for it. A young lad in football kit trying to find the local football club. I'm guessing he has not walked there before because it was several miles away still and he was lost...
Now to wash the mud off the 2 bikes, yet again and @
potsy the roads are clean(
ish) in Cheshire at the moment - it was torrential rain overnight, all night and most of the mud has been washed away, honest!
http://www.strava.com/activities/107453842 Just the 48km this morning. Roughly 30 miles.