Your ride today
20/5/23
Since my trip to Moulton and back last week my interest was piqued after looking at a map and finding that there was another bridleway avoiding the barrier with which I’d wrestled on the route. I decided to explore it on the way back from my ride today.
Bright sunshine and little wind encouraged me to dig out my floppy hat and slap on the sunscreen before setting off. I’d noticed some creaks from the seat area of the Linear last time but it wasn’t loud enough to spur me into doing something about it. Anyhoo, out through the back gate, check the coast is clear and launch without ado. Soon on Swanlow Lane approaching the uphill lights which changed to red as I got there. Ho hum. No sweat getting going again. Trundled down Swanlow Lane to the A54 roundabout where I again stopped at the lights. Onward to Delamere St. I turned right into an estate road, downhill then left into a steep lane to the familiar “A” frame barrier leading to sports fields. I noticed that someone had removed the thick shrubbery on the right of it making it redundant as a barrier. Much wider things than the Linear could now get through.
I enjoyed the freewheel between the sports fields where a couple of games of football were going on, keeping up the speed up the other side before any unwelcome attention from the spectators occurred. I picked my way through the crowded car park to Grange lane and freewheeled slowly down the gentle downhill into the countryside, enjoying the breeze. The surface deteriorated and I bumped over the potholes down a dip and up the other side. Soon I reached the ramp up to the old railway line on the left and spun easily to the top. I could feel the heat as I gradually changed up and got going again, creating my own breeze. I kept my speed down, which I seem to be getting better and better at these days, so as not to overheat. Green dappled light, sunlight and shade, accompanied by birdsong, rolling by almost effortlessly. Could it get any better?
Well, if I could manage to overtake someone, that would be nice. Still, no one overtook me though I met plenty, on wheels or on foot, coming the other way. There were groups of young walkers going in my direction, who singled out politely as I twirled by. As I came near to the turn off for Kennel Lane I saw numerous tents alongside the trail. There is a young persons’ adventure centre here so no doubt this is where the walkers were heading.
There was nobody on the steep ramp to Kennel Lane so I spun up it with surprisingly little effort and some creaking, then turned sharp right at the top. Before I plunged down the other side of the bridge I sussed out the surface. Usually it is sandy with patches of loose gravel but today, probably because of recent rain, it seemed compacted. I let gravity do its thing and the bike tracked reassuringly. I passed through a vehicle barrier and crossed a bridleway then continued along Kennel Lane. It climbed, hemmed in by encroaching vegetation. A family group of mountain bikers came the other way. Once over the summit, it was rutted and rather stony. A bit teeth rattling. Certainly not an off roader, but it does pretty well. A bit more careful downhillery then the road surface improved. Soon I came out on the A556 at Sandiway which was full of slow moving traffic.
A truck coming from the right stopped and held up traffic, flashing his lights. I waited for a gap in traffic coming the other way then crossed over to Weaverham Road, waving as I went.
Steady progress along Weaverham Road then as it began to slope downhill, free speed. I reached a cross roads, waited for traffic, and launched across. A gentle downhill, over a railway bridge, then a steeper downhill. Right at the bottom on to Mill Lane. I remembered this road from last year some time, with its series of undulations. Up the first one, gently over the top, then speed up downhil, gently over the top again, and repeat. It all ended too soon, and I found myself riding a gentle uphill slope. Strange how today I’m getting up hills OK, but slow on the flatter stuff. In my mirror a middle aged roadie on an extremely tall bike got bigger and bigger. Definitely an old school bike, horizontal top tube et al. I watched his skinny rear tyre as he shrank in the distance. Far ahead was a set of traffic lights at a bridge over a railway. The lights slowly cycled as traffic came and went. The tall roadie reached the lights just as they turned red. I fleetingly thought I might even reach the lights before he went but he was obviously a man on a mission. He paused then started off on red. He stopped again and raised a hand as several cars came the other way. The bridge is only wide enough for one vehicle. Once they had passed, off he went again. I don’t know. Blooming red light jumping cyclists. Does he think he’s in that Lahndan?
I arrived on red which changed just as I was about to stop. I spun up the slope, down a dip, up the other side and down into Hartfordbeach. Right at a mini roundabout on to Beach Road and straight on, on the road to Northwich. Through Greenbank into Castle, right into Darwin St then into an estate. Left following cycleway signs, through a gate and out on to Northwich Locks on the River Weaver.
Here there are two locks side by side. Each lock has two bridges over the top of the gates. One is narrow, pedestrians only, the other a little wider, so you can get a bike over fairly easily. I got over the first lock pushing the Linear without too much trouble. The wider bridge on the second lock was barriered off, leaving only the narrower one. A cyclist emerged from the narrower one pushing his bike. He asked if I wanted a hand with that thing, to which I replied, “I’ll manage somehow.” I’d got the bike onto the bridge where I could see that there was an inch or more clearance either side of the underseat bars when a chap wearing a canal and waterways trust top appeared and “helpfully” picked up the front end by the front accessory bar and mirrors. I had to point out that I had the handlebars at my end. It seemed rude to refuse his help but I’m sure I could have got it across easily enough, and unmolested, by myself. We got it past the tricky point where the lock gates formed a “V” and the walkway followed it. I was grateful that he hadn’t tried to pick it up by the steering rod. It’s tough, but it’s not designed to support the weight of the bike. Like most of the Linear, it’s made of aluminium. He then offered to help me get it through 2 barriers on to the path, which didn’t seem difficult to me, so I declined. I wriggled through on to the path then stopped to reset and tighten the mirrors and check that he hadn’t deranged anything else. Just ahead there was a footbridge on to the riverside path. I waited for a walker and two girls pushing bikes to cross. One of the girls said “cool bike, mate”. I was feeling quite hot and uncool at the time so just said.”thank you!” and pushed off over the bridge. After turning right on to the path things started to settle down and I began to enjoy the ride again. I remembered that last time I came this way I was on the upright tourer, which would have had no trouble on the narrowest of bridges. Maybe time to consider something with over seat steering. It would certainly be narrower.
I wriggled through a couple more barriers by Northwich Rowing Club and then continued in the knowledge that there were no more obstructions until after passing under the A556. There were boats tied up along the opposite bank and some boatyards.
Last time I passed here there was a large tug boat all sealed up and rusting. Perhaps it had been taken away for scrapping, or restoration.
The surface along here was good, tarmac in places but mostly crushed stone.
A few people about, with and without dogs. A cafe with some bikes locked to the inside of a fence and their owners sitting at tables nearby. Tempting, but I had my own supplies. There were some benches situated along the way, but they were either occupied or in the sunshine. I kept looking out for a shady spot
but before I knew it I was near the A556 bridge over the Weaver, with traffic noise audible for a good distance. I passed under the bridge and stopped in the shade beneath it. Strangely, there was very little traffic noise here, just the occasional thumpthump thumpthump of wheels over the road joints.
I stopped here for a drink and a choc bar. Apart from the subdued sound, it was quite pleasant. The underside of the bridge was painted blue, and the sun striking the water reflected on it in shades of rippling silver blue. A shaft of sunlight lit up the translucent brown depths though I couldn’t detect any fish or weeds at this spot. I managed to take a photo at this point then the camera battery threw up its tiny arms and cried, “Enough!” so no more piccies this trip.
I got going again.There is steep path up to road level either side of the bridge. I started to climb up the Moulton side of it but was thwarted by first one then a second barrier which broke my rhythm. I got going once again then stopped by some kind of gas installation. It usually pongs of gas and today was no exception. Feeling hot, I pushed the rest of the way up the hill.
Once I reached the top I turned right uphill towards Moulton. Back on the flat I took a shortcut through a rather nice new estate to a well maintained path which took me to an unsurfaced lane. Turning left, this brought me out on London Road where after turning right again I reached Jack Lane. Right into Jack Lane, avoiding the speed humps, across a mini roundabout then right into Niddries Lane which passes through an estate of houses. A steepening slope led to where the tarmac ended.
I continued past a terrace of houses and was passed by a Toyota RAV 4 hybrid. I noticed it particularly because it was silent and that this current model seemed enormous compared its predecessors. I thought it was going to turn into the end house but it followed the lane sharp left. All the traffic from the caravan park further downhill by the railway was having to use this lane as the other exit at Meadowbank bridge was closed due to bridgeworks. It’s basically a dirt track, rutted and potholed at the best of times, and not helped by the increased traffic. I followed this vehicle for 50 yards or so then predictably an even larger silver SUV came the other way. I paddled backwards into a field gateway. Both these vehicles filled the lane so the one I’d been following reversed all the way back to the sharp turn. I considered saying, “don’t you think your vehicle is Excessively Large?” through his open window but as he thanked me so nicely for making room as he reversed by I didn’t have the heart. The other monstermobile went past and I continued on my way downhill. As I neared the two tunnels under the railway a car sized van appeared but there was room for him to pull over and I went past. Just before the tunnels there was a track to the left and this was what I wanted to try today.
I changed down and climbed up a steepish track to what at a distance seemed to be a gate with three bike sized square spaces in it but as I got closer I could see that there was steel mesh in it. A sign said, “Restricted Bridleway”. To the left was a bike sized gate with a sign that said,”please leave this gate open” which seemed promising. The track passed a padlocked gate on the right that seemed to be an access for vehicles on railway business. It narrowed straight after this to a cramped track with vegetation close on each side. It became difficult to ride in parts. There was an excellent surface of crushed limestone but as you ride underseat bars with a fingertip touch it doesn’t take much vegetation brushing by the bars and downsweeping cables to unsettle it. Add to this that a lot of it was nettles and prickly plants. It was hard to keep a straight course and I stopped a few times. I don’t think a horse would enjoy this either. Probably my upright tourer would manage it, though legs would be a bit close to the prickly bits, maybe a recumbent with over seat steering would do better. Someone had cut back the vegetation recently as I could see the raw cut ends. It must have been hard to get through even on foot before. The track was getting further away from the railway but I was suffering from press on -itis by now and kept going.
Finally I came to a rutted lane. I could either turn right towards the railway, or continue straight on. I turned right, and after crossing a cattle grid the surface got worse before a railway bridge reared up before me. The surface was loose and gravelly but I just kept pedalling and went up and over easily. I joined a better surfaced lane and turned left.
After passing a bungalow the lane looked more cared for. There were green railings along it, and access for local houses. I came to a locked gate with a kissing gate alongside. The Linear went on to its back wheel but I struggled with the gate as it persistently tried to swing shut on me. It was easier coming the other way last week. I got through and came to a roundabout and tarmacked roads. I passed an estate of houses and several car dealers. Soon I came to a roundabout on the bypass and got on to the cycle track on the right of the dual carriageway. Trundling steadily along I came to the next roundabout where the road and cycle track went downhill to the right. This was really steep and at the bottom where it crosses a side road a car was parked while someone loaded it up. I squeezed between the car and the corner of the building then found myself on the cycleway outside the Red Lion. There were tables on the pavement crowded with people. I got going briskly and looked neither to the left nor the right. Someone said to their companion, “Hey! That’s what you want! One of those!” Perhaps they were just looking at the menu. I stopped at the cycle crossing. Since there was nothing coming, I didn’t press the button, but went straight across.
The path sloped steeply down from the crossing and was broken up by tree roots but I pressed on until the surface improved and the path went under a road bridge. There was a man with a couple of small children looking at some ducks on the water so I dinged my bell and they pressed themselves to the railing . I thanked them. As I came out from under the bridge the path turned sharply right with a steep climb to the road at the bottom of Weaver Street. The path was steeper than the road so I stayed in the same gear and twirled my way up. After the initial climb it eased off and I climbed steadily between parked cars. Normally it’s a bit of a rat run but I didn’t have to stop for anyone today. Level for a bit, then I took a shortcut over the pavement for Gladstone St and Townfields Rd and the climb to Swanlow lane. After riding the trike up here recently it seemed so much less effort on two wheels. As I rolled steadily uphill two boys passed on the opposite pavement. One spotted the bike and said to the other boy, "Lookit that bike! That's sick! I want one of those!" Just doing my bit, scattering the seeds on my travels which might blossom into future recumbent riders.
On reaching the summit the lights were briefly red. Then left at the lights, down a dip to get up speed for my turn off which led to a short sharp climb, then mostly downhill through the lanes to my back gate.
Once I was in, I slackened off the seat, slid it back, cleaned up the seat rail and re greased it. All reassembled and tightened. It shouldn’t creak next time I’m out. The Linear has a reputation for creaking but this one has been pretty quiet. As long as you keep everything well greased it’s OK. This is good, as it has no chain tubes or idlers to make a noise. It’s normally pretty stealthy which adds to the WTF factor when you go by.
19.6 miles. Max 24.6. Average 6.7. According to Garmin.
Total Ascent: | 589 | ft | |
| Total Descent: | 588 | ft | |
| Start Elevation: | 191 | ft | |
| End Elevation: | 192 | ft | Elevation |
| Min Elevation: | 47 | ft | Gradient |
| Max Elevation: | 277 | ft | |
According to Bikehike
60ft per mile ascent approx.
