a.twiddler
Veteran
Fairly mild, little wind.
Today I decided to have a look at a short combined use trail that I'd noticed alongside the A530 Crewe to Nantwich road.
I set off along Swanlow lane to Church Minshull. Good going up to this point, but a new downhill best speed attempt on the Linear was scuppered by a refuse collection lorry stopped halfway down the long hill into Church Minshull. I turned Left towards Crewe at the mini roundabout by the church. I had expected a stiff climb up the hill to the canal bridge at the summit but unexpectedly quickly got into the lowest of my available gears. Of course I have a 28T chainring if I want to manually change to something lower but I felt I could manage. I told myself to just push, and got over OK. There was a disturbing amount of creaking, though, and it wasn’t my knees. Once on the flat it quietened down. I continued to the traffic lights at the A530 Middlewich -Nantwich road, turned right and continued past the hospital.
Although there were road closed signs on this stretch I hoped that there would be a bike sized gap which I might squeeze through. After several miles however, I discovered the work was being done on a bridge which was barriered off and covered with workmen and machinery. I turned back and had to wait at temporary traffic lights by the Bentley Motors works. Eventually I managed to turn right and came out at a roundabout further along, down a dip and up past the Rising Sun, where I was able to turn on to the Kings Shilling Greenway to Nantwich.
A slight uphill, which generated some more creaking. Irritated, I stopped and got the tools out. Checked the rear hub and spindle nuts -OK. Checked and retightened the rear folding quick release clamps -OK. Checked the seat clamps -slightly looser than I would have liked. Tightened. Set off upslope -no more creaking. Satisfied, I continued.
A pleasant mixed use path separated from the road by thick high hedges with occasional access points. At one of these access points there was a sculptural display and information board.
It stops at a busy roundabout on the A500. There are crossing points into Nantwich. I carried on into Nantwich town centre, through the old town then up Welsh Row, crossed over to the pavement then followed a mixed use path along the new road then crossed over to follow the riverside path which comes out near Reaseheath College. Just before it reaches the road there is an information board.
I followed a mixed use path again along the pavement then crossed over at the crossing, then into the college grounds and out on to the road to Wettenhall.
A long dip with a humped bridge and a climb on the other side led me to make a bid for speed but at the last minute a woman appeared by the far side of the bridge. She stood to one side but a dozy dog which was with her walked into the road. This led to a brake test in earnest and some weaving about. The brakes definitely work. The dog risked strangulation as its owner yanked it back to her side. I climbed up the other side from a rolling start, grinding away in a suitably low gear.
Got home in one piece. Distance 25.4 miles, max speed 29.9mph, average 8.9 mph. Not getting much faster, but again much of the route was off road. Not a huge distance, but a lot of pleasant experiences. Must try for that 50 (or more) miler before the nights finally close in.
Today I decided to have a look at a short combined use trail that I'd noticed alongside the A530 Crewe to Nantwich road.
I set off along Swanlow lane to Church Minshull. Good going up to this point, but a new downhill best speed attempt on the Linear was scuppered by a refuse collection lorry stopped halfway down the long hill into Church Minshull. I turned Left towards Crewe at the mini roundabout by the church. I had expected a stiff climb up the hill to the canal bridge at the summit but unexpectedly quickly got into the lowest of my available gears. Of course I have a 28T chainring if I want to manually change to something lower but I felt I could manage. I told myself to just push, and got over OK. There was a disturbing amount of creaking, though, and it wasn’t my knees. Once on the flat it quietened down. I continued to the traffic lights at the A530 Middlewich -Nantwich road, turned right and continued past the hospital.
Although there were road closed signs on this stretch I hoped that there would be a bike sized gap which I might squeeze through. After several miles however, I discovered the work was being done on a bridge which was barriered off and covered with workmen and machinery. I turned back and had to wait at temporary traffic lights by the Bentley Motors works. Eventually I managed to turn right and came out at a roundabout further along, down a dip and up past the Rising Sun, where I was able to turn on to the Kings Shilling Greenway to Nantwich.
A slight uphill, which generated some more creaking. Irritated, I stopped and got the tools out. Checked the rear hub and spindle nuts -OK. Checked and retightened the rear folding quick release clamps -OK. Checked the seat clamps -slightly looser than I would have liked. Tightened. Set off upslope -no more creaking. Satisfied, I continued.
A pleasant mixed use path separated from the road by thick high hedges with occasional access points. At one of these access points there was a sculptural display and information board.
It stops at a busy roundabout on the A500. There are crossing points into Nantwich. I carried on into Nantwich town centre, through the old town then up Welsh Row, crossed over to the pavement then followed a mixed use path along the new road then crossed over to follow the riverside path which comes out near Reaseheath College. Just before it reaches the road there is an information board.
I followed a mixed use path again along the pavement then crossed over at the crossing, then into the college grounds and out on to the road to Wettenhall.
A long dip with a humped bridge and a climb on the other side led me to make a bid for speed but at the last minute a woman appeared by the far side of the bridge. She stood to one side but a dozy dog which was with her walked into the road. This led to a brake test in earnest and some weaving about. The brakes definitely work. The dog risked strangulation as its owner yanked it back to her side. I climbed up the other side from a rolling start, grinding away in a suitably low gear.
Got home in one piece. Distance 25.4 miles, max speed 29.9mph, average 8.9 mph. Not getting much faster, but again much of the route was off road. Not a huge distance, but a lot of pleasant experiences. Must try for that 50 (or more) miler before the nights finally close in.
For a second I actually considered jumping off the bike! Coffee and cakes at Harts Barn put me into a better mood for the short but traffic-ridden climb up the A4136 to Mitcheldean, where we were happy to hang a left and get off the main road. Another brief climb was followed by a lazy descent down a beautiful little valley past Flaxley Abbey and then another brief section of A48 back to Westbury on Severn.
