Spooky business - an Xmas Gift

What’s this then Ian, a blog post? Where is the update about all the rides from the summer? What about the write up about the Norfolk tour, Cycle Sheffield launch and all the other stuff. What’s that? You’ve been too busy on twitter, oh give over…...

The blog has been inactive for months, for which I apologise, and this isn’t even a cycling post. If your a fan of Spooks , have an unhealthy geeky interest in old Goth tunes then read on , otherwise carry on with the present wrapping………


Jump back to Series 6 of Spooks, Ros is working within the Yalta group and they’re planning to use a weapon called “Floodland” to defeat a superpower. I thought it was just coincidence that it also happened to be the title of the second Sisters of Mercy LP. Later on Juliette (aka duck face) talking to Harry starts a sentence with “First and Last and Always”, the title of the first Sisters LP. So the script writer is having a bit of a laugh with those (sad enough) to be in the know.
Jump forward to series 7 finale and the script starts name checking the Sisterhood LP “Gift” (same script writer it seems).

Please don’t set lawyers on me as a lot of time has passed but from what I remember, and sniffing round on various web sites here follows my very brief account of the Sisterhood

The Sisterhood was a project created by Eldritch to prevent Hussey and Adams using that name after the Sisters of Mercy had split. From what I remember Hussey and Adams were already touring as the one version of the Sisterhood (I remember seeing posters in Leeds for their incarnation of the band) but it’s said that the first band to actually produce a record would receive an advance from the record company and have the name rights. Eldritch appeared with a single “Giving Ground” and an LP called “Gift” under the Sisterhood name and laid claim to it (some sources claim the LP was made in 11 days and the advance for the record was £25000). I actually quite liked “Gift” and more than 20 years on it still a fresh industrial sound, unlike the jangly guitars of SOM.

I also remember a Janice Long session when Hussey and Adams were simply billed as the “Hussey and Adams” band due to legal reasons so maybe the accounts aren’t so far from the truth. Hussey and Adams finally used the name “The Mission”, and Eldritch slips back into the “Sisters of Mercy” name for all subsequent incarnations of the band (touring yet again in 2009 and I aim to see them)

So what’s all this got to do with series 7 episode 8? Well several name checks to the Gift album

Russian sleeper agents have just been activated in the UK, they are about to release a nuclear weapon called “ Rain From Heaven”, which just happens to be the final track from “Gift”

When Malcolm is monitoring Russian radio traffic he picks up a call sign “Finland Red, Egypt White”, followed by repeating numbers “2..5..0…0…”
“ Finland Red , Egypt white” is track 4 on “Gift”, and the numbers “2..5..0..0…0 “are repeated at the start of track 1, “Jihad” (and are supposed to- be a reference to the record companies advance on the album) While Im on it the Finland Red reference is read out from the manual for an AK47 but you already new that.

Finally (or not quite) when Connie is diffusing the bomb in the tube station Lucas starts a sentence with “what you have lost can never be found”. Now that bugged me for hours as I knew it from somewhere, then I remembered, it’s a line from “Giving Ground” track 3 from “Gift”

Now there is one other link to all things Sisters that Ive spotted on forums but Ive not gone back through the episode to check yet (oh come on I may be sad, but Im not that bad…yet).
The sleeper agent is supposed to come from Faversham in Kent, and the early haunt of the Sisters of Mercy and their followers was the Faversham Arms (the Fav) in Leeds……..

So I hope that’s enough geeky trivia for you, normal cycling service return in the New Year.

Merry Xmas and all that

before and after

In two weeks time Ill be cycling down to Norfolk with @wildnorthlands and anyone else who tags along. Today I've been converting the dayride / audax bike into a light tourer.

Here's the before shot...
















Ive swapped the back wheel for one with a lot more spokes, and a 28C tyre, fitted the Carradice Long Flap bag and bag carrier. Ive swapped the carbon fibre seat post for an alloy one to support the bag and fitted A Maxx Joystick front light and some Ayeup lights with 6 hours burn time . I swapped the bar bag for the bigger one from my touring bike but decided that was over the top so Ive stuck with the small Ortlieb. Just got to swap the pedals over at some point so that I can use shoes that I can walk (to the pub) in. Finally i put the race blade guards back on What have I missed out then?

Daily Mile

A quick catch up between Olympic events.

Recent rides, Lincolnshire to the In laws in Fillingham, tram assist to Kilamarsh, then some quick miles with Rob and Simon to Clumber Park, then onward to Fillingham, 66 miles.

Rode back on the Monday, 55 miles, was keeping up at almost 20mph average as far as Worksop until the heat and the hills got to me.

Since then the weather has played some havoc with the rides and Ive had a week in Norfolk kite flying but Ive done some Rivelin off roading and finally made a full western circualr ride this Thursday. It is an excellent route, dunno how Simon's done it but i feels to have more downhill than uphill!

A few of us have joined the daily mile social web site.

Come and join us on

http://www.dailymile.com/

A Stanage Pole Story (or Jags in the Mist)

I hope Jon Fyne doesn't mind me posting his rather amusing little story, over to you Jon with the lost land of the Jaguar........

Just before I went on my hols a week last friday, I was cycling towards Stanage Pole (en route to Hathersage) by the side of the wood above Redmires. At the top of the (now) smoothbyway (by the gate that leads to the rough track up to the pole), I noticed an AA van and a police car. As I approached, I was stopped by one of the boys in blue (actually flourescent yellow) who wanted to know if I has seen "a grey jag" anywhere on my travels. Replying in the negative, I asked what the problem was. I was told that the driver had "got stuck" somewhere in the vicinity and had called the AA, but was nowhere to be seen. Suspecting what the driver had tried to do (probably with the help of a sat-nav), I suggested that they should check the other side of the pole. Would do, he said, but as the track was evidently too rough for either of their vehicles,he said he would walk over.I would mention this to the driver if I saw him, I said, as I cycled off on my merry way.

Sure enough, as I approached the really rough part of the causeway (the so-called'bear pit' - which even necessitates a dismount for all but the most technical of MTBs) on the descent, the way ahead was blocked by a large grey jag. I sauntered up to the top-of-the-range jag (replete with buff leather seats) with, it has to be admitted, a decided sense of schadenfreude, with the intention of telling the driver that the old bill were looking for him, to be greeted by an empty vehicle (the driver, realising finally that his trusty steed wasn't as capable as he had originally thought, or been led to believe, had ignominiously abandoned it). I would have liked to have stayed around to see the exchange between the driver and the AA chap / copper concerning recovery of the vehicle, which would be nigh impossible by conventional means, but I contented myself with the thought that there isn't a positive correlation between wealth and IQ / commonsense

Sunday Rides - Part 2

A dry but very blustery Sunday and I'm meeting Alan Moffat at 9.30am in Broomhill. Now I know that's not early but for me on a Sunday it counts as an early start. Its good to see Alan, its been a couple of years since we've been on a ride together and he looks his usual chiselled well tanned self putting my pipe cleaner legs to shame.

Off to Fulwood, then a stiff climb up the from Mayfield Valley to join the Route of the Peak District anniversary ride. Alan suggests my route may be much steeper than his preferred Brownhills Lane. From Ringinglow the only way is up to Burbage (did I mention that Burbage valley is my favourite view in England..maybe even the world!) , bloody hell it was windy. Couple of lads on touring bikes come past us into the wind , one chap spinning an incredibly low gear on a Dawes Super Galaxy but keeping up a good pace all the same. Slip in behind for a rest then we set off at a higher speed before the cattle grid and off to Stanage Edge.

Over Bamford moor and a fast run down to Yorkshire Bridge, back toward Bamford and on to Hathersage. Hathersage is packed, cars and cyclists every where. There is some kind of event on as numerous triathletes with race numbers on are descending into town at daft speed.

We've got the strong wind behind us now so a relatively easy ascent up to Surprise. We are joined by a young lady from Chesterfield on a serious locking Scott bike. She asks if she can take a breather behind us for two mins, then disappears up the hill in a cloud of carbon fibre (BTW it wasn't Victoria Pendelton!).

Uneventful trip back via Fox House apart from Family Guy in his Ford Focus attempting to wipe out his whole tribe by overtaking a queue of cars on the double whites, what's the point? You don't need to make this years Darwin Awards.

Back home , nearly 30 miles and back well before 12 but Sarah wants a trip out on the trailer bike. I hook it up to the Cannondale. Two trailer rides later, one down the Rivelin Valley trails is much harder work than the morning ride and I start thinking maybe a tandem is going to be easier. At least she pedalled hard on the hills and I got my bike cleaned!

Sunday rides - part 1

Just catching up...the weeks seems to have whizzed by and its a Sunday later. So back to last week.....

After a blustery but successful Dr Bike at the Walkley Festival we actually had some warm summer sun for the Sunday ride. I met Richard, Chris and Simon, the mathematician, not our venerable dead head who has spent the summer in the Pyrenees, Norway, France, anywhere it seems to get away from Sheffield rain

Original plan was to head out to Hope Valley but there was a late change when Chris and Richard had to get over to Barnsley later in the day, so we headed out to high Bradfield in quite a hurry as we needed to meet Rob D in 30 mins.

We reached Bradfield in time but entered the phone dead zone so didn’t realise Rob was up on the top ridge road till we set off looking. General consensus was to avoid that bastard hill at Ewden Bridge, saving it for “Phil and fiends” so we skirted round Broomhead reservoir and up the hill to Bolsterstone and the first stop of the day.

From Bolsterstone it was back towards the Phil and Friends route via Midhopestone and then on to Langsett to join the dozens of other cyclists from clubs from all over the for some food (i saw Doncaster CC, Cheshire Wheelers and others). Despite the warning that we would have a long wait I had my sausage butty and pint of tea in less than 15 mins.

After Langsett it was time to take Gilbert hill up onto the opposite side of the Valley, followed by a swift wind assisted thrash across to Green Moor.



Quick stop for Photos, then an uphill to Wortley and to the pub where we received
three pints of something I wouldn't even grace my chips with, the beer was very off, but exchanged for 3 pints of drinkable landlord. After a sit in the sun we split up, Chris and Richard in a Barnsley Direction, Rob back to Oughtibridge, and a swift hack down to town and back up to Walkley for me

Enjoyable ride and good to come home feeling weather beaten by the sun for a change.

photo tracking in the rain

Last week I manged to borrow a GPS photo tracker from my mate Sue who runs the North Sheffield CLC (hope you enjoyed Glastonbury Sue!).

Didn't find the time to try it until Sunday when I found I had a spare hour between swimming with the family and the visit of in laws in the afternoon. So installed the software, got the GPS to find its location, synched it to my digital camera and set off toward Rivelin in the sunshine.

Going down by the allotments first near disaster, the tracker detached itself from the supplied lanyard and lodged in someone’s rhubarb. Retrieved and relocated it to cycling top pockets. Stopped to take various shots on the way, opted to wade through the ford rather than cycle it when I saw it was almost over the dog walkers wellington tops.

Just got to Coppice Lane when the weather comes in of the peaks. Driving rain now but opted to carry on up to Stannington just to keep warm. By now office camera was getting a bit upset at the weather so hasty trip down the valley side and back up through the woods. Almost dropped the camera in the river at one point which would have taken some explaining today at work.

Saw a newly cleared bridleway so headed down it for some shelter from the rain , only to realise it was rapidly taking me all the way back down to Rivelin Valley road. I didn’t want to have to come back up Hagg hill so I opted to head off the trail into the woods.

Now technically I wasn’t lost, I mean i had 3 GPS units with me (Garmin, Nokia N95 and the Photo Tracker) and i could hear Rivelin valley traffic but I did end up dragging the bike up a rocky outcrop and through a particularly sharp hedge to get back to Hagg Lane.

Reunited with the route I set of back home and had my one near disaster, my handlebar got caught on that new metal gateway which i supposed to keep motorbike off the trails. This pitched me sideways and I had that dreadful fraction of a second when the pedal decided it would be load mire fun to hang onto the shoe cleat.

Home safely, dried off, and then came the fun bit trying to get the supplied software to tag the pictures. I was getting nowhere till I twigged that the GPS was still using GMT not GMT +1 (British summer time...allegedly)

Uploaded the results onto Google earth where they worked perfectly. Then went ahead and added them to my Flickr map.

Here's the results, a rather damp but beautifully located set of photos



This is the little GPS unit.

http://flickr.com/photos/walkleyian/map/

Definitly need a new rear tyre on my cross bike as doesn't grip ot all in wet mud now.

7 hills blog on twitter

Just linked the 7hills blog through to @ianloasby on twitter. Post to check all is working

Catching up and Coppice Lane

Not blogged a few recent rides so heres a quick catch up...

Last Sunday, Jon's 5 valleys. Now I could only do the first part since i was down to take the kids to see Indiana Jones. Opened curtains at 8pm, grey Sunday. By 10pm it was heavy rain and I had no mudguards on, yeuch. Jon and I decided to press on as the only riders who had turned up, as we had to meet Charlotte at Loxley Common. Actually the rain stopped at that point and after a pleasant ride over the common I was a little sad to be heading home early from the cafe in Bradfield. Jon's come up with a classic route, so I hope more turn up to try it next time

Tuesday ride was a fast thrash out to Hathersage, I met the others up at Ringingow. Simon headed for the open air pool but the rest of us had a detour round Stannage in lovely evening sunshine before we all met up at the Little John. I headed home early, good to have a thrash back up the hill to Surprise View.

Thursday night , the western circular ride, well attended and we headed up to one of my favourite spots in Sheffield, Fulwood Head road. The rest pressed on to Dore on, but I had to head back to town early to pick up the Eee Pc to show to the IT imbibing mob at the Rising Sun.

Throw in a few short bridleway runs over the weekend, then tonight we had a run along Rivelin Valaley lanes (Sheffield forgotten gem ) and up Coppice Lane to Stannington. Now I've never done Coppice Lane before and its a challenge, steep, straight up, and with tarmac that has long since turned into rubble in places . Loved it. We then headed back to Damflask and up the steep West Lane to Loxley Common and a swift Ruddles in the Rose and Crown.

Think that's just about caught up with the last week rides, its bike week next week.

Oh and big Thumbs down to the the useless white van driver who tried to overtake me on Howard hill where it was far too narrow and forced me off the road . I see there still giving out driving licences in cornflake packets...

Bridleway Spin and PP meet

Successful PP meet today, transfer of membership secretary and treasurer sorted, .Plenty of good ideas round the table. One good idea was to adjourn to the Hillsborough hotel for post meet food and refreshment. Bit of a hot stuffy ride back up the hill on Birdy.

Went out for very short spin around Rivelin Valley bridleways, had several refreshing splashes through the ford. Noticed lots of movement in the water and saw it was totally swarming with tadpoles.

Chris's Spin , couple of photos

New Thursday Night Rides

A new venture for us, Thursday night rides.

Wasn't sure Id make this after a stop off in the Closed Shop on the way home but with the rain showers turning to a sunny evening thought Id better turn up.

5 off us headed out (me , Simon, Chris, Richard and Pete) through the most salubrious of the Fulwood suburbs before heading out via Lodge Moor and up past the observatory.

Up Roper hill and after 10 minutes or so looking at one of the best views you can get in Sheffield it was time to cut the ride short (chilly by now) and head back to the Rising Sun to plan some future events (Ghent I seem to recall being put suggested!)

Not the longest ride in the world but some cracking views over Sheffield all the way out into Lincolnshire

Spring sunshine at Stanage Edge

Tuesday ride.

Waited down at Coles but no one had turned up by 5.50pm so I set off on my own. Went through Bingham park, then rather stupidly turned up Highcliffe road, what a git of a hill that can be (hello to Nicola who overtook me in rather large Merc, yes it was hurting at that point). Reached High Storrs and felt like turning back to town , mental note, lower bottom gear needed

Decided to press on having climbed that far and headed on up Ringinglow (hello to Helen this time who was driving her 4 X4 back toward town, seems I'm going to meet all my work colleagues tonight!)

Kind of slipped into a groove at this point , forgot I was thinking of heading back at Ringinglow and found myself at Burbage. Having got that far it seemed a shame not to cycle past Stanage on a glorious spring evening (42 mph on the downhill) then onwards to Bamford Moor.

From there my umpteenth hundred ascent on the A57 back to Moscar. The hedges have all been cut back and the amount of rubbish the motorists have chucked out is sickening, some off it they even took time to bag up.

The sun had brought out the scooter jockeys on the snake , dozens of them out there enjoying the best sunny evening so far this spring, all of them pretty well behaved.

After passing the burnt out Norfolk arms (it wasn't such a bad pub) it was a quick spin back up Manchester Road and back before 8.

Hail in the woods

Typical April, after a reasonably bright day the hail stones started falling at 4pm and that didn’t bode well for this evenings spin. Actually by 5.30 things had improved and 3 of us blasted out to Ecclesall Woods to be in there in time for a 6pm tour of the impressive work that is going on out there. At the old sawmill.

By 7pm the weather had broken again and it was time for a hasty crash through the woods in more hail for a quick couple of jars in the Rising Sun at Whirlow.

Definitely worth a return to the woods soon when the spring weather improves and the bluebells have had time to open up again.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesall_Woods

Holm Moss Ride report

Well here's the in depth account of Saturday's ride over Holm Moss......er it didn't happen.

The official line, nasty bout of asthma over the weekend kept me in bed, unofficially...not helped by a banging headache from Friday nights leaving do at work.

So Ive rescheduled for may 3rd, but at least that ll give me time to fit a more suitable set of gear ratios.

This is what it should have looked like......

The Tuesday ride - it started with the best intentions

The plan was simple, quick spin out to Dronfield, visit the Coach and Horses (CAMRA pub of the month) maybe a swift half then back to town avoiding the start of the Sheffield derby at the Lane.

Only two of us this week (my first Tuesday ride for ages) after a quick chat with Jon and Charlotte who were hanging about rather suspiciously outside Weatherspoons we set off avoiding the legions of police and horses getting ready for the game (I mean the Wednesday United game, not some bizarre event between coppers and horses).

The weather was spot on, showers were forecast but it was a sunny spring evening for us all the way out via Meersbrook Park (youth were kicking a ball onto the roof of the Bishop’s House, I assume he wasn’t in), then on via Norton, Greenhill Village Bradway Dronfield Woodhouse and up towards Holmesfield, before taking the little narrow lanes that go into Dronfield the back way.

Found the pub, it’s on the way back to Shef so well placed, very cosy place, I went for the Jaipur , Simon went for the Kipling. Now we had intended to head back when the CAMRA mob appeared but the evening went a little awry. A quick pint of Kipling, then we pooled our resources and found we just had enough for another beer (yes this means you Alistair Darling!). Then the presentation took place, then the free beer vouchers appeared and next thing we are persuaded by Kat (the pub’s manger from New Zeeland) that we should stay for a raffle.

So stay we did….now Im sure Simon bought the wining raffle ticket we had but I couldn’t possibly let him struggle back home with his panniers even more laden so I promptly stuffed a Jaipur T-shirt and a couple of bottles of Stout it into my Rucksack.

After that a quick spin back the short way, now so late that the game had finished and the crowds all disappeared so London Road was pretty quiet.

Maybe next week a bit more cycling and a bit less ale….maybe.

It’s Holm Moss on Saturday, but if the weather is a bad as last year’s run I may turn back at Holmfirth. Cycling over the snake in driving rain is not my idea of Saturday enjoyment!

back on track again

2 rides in a week (not counting to work and back!). Ok Ill admit its only the Rivelin loop and back but its a start. Not only that but I took the summer bike out as well, (p*nct*re on the commuter, have to fix it tonight)

I'm finally starting to forgive the BST GMT switch for screwing up my Sunday, I love lighter evenings.

Odd things on the road tonight, a pair of Lady's stiletto sandals , well I assumed they belonged to a lady......

Ice and snow forecast next week so make the best use of some early spring sun.

Rivelin Valley Bridleways

A quick trip out on the road bike today as I missed the run out to Wharncliffe woods.

A lot of work is going on on the bridleways that criss cross Rivelin Valley and Bole Hill. Ill head out that way next weekend with the camera and OS map and have a better look. Maybe try and work out some traffic free routes that link up.

Sunny Sunday on the Snake Pass

With the Snake Pass still closed due to a landslide we had to set off for a quiet traffic free run to the top, and what an amazing ride it was. It may be early February but by mid morning sun tan cream was needed, it was much more like a warm May Sunday.

The Snake was full of riders of all types enjoying a almost traffic free run , there seemed to be smiling happy groups of club riders from all over the North and Midlands , plus plenty of friendly walkers, and family groups on bikes near Hagg Farm.

What few cars came by were all courteous except for the one dickless wonder in a Range Rover, hooting at cyclists and passing by with only cm’s to spare despite having the whole road to use.

Return via the Ladybower and Strines Inns for a brilliant ride.

They should shut it once a month and hold a traffic free day up there.

5 in 4 weeks

another p*nct*re today, this time on the fixer that I'm now using for the very short commute from Walkley to Bartolome House on Winter Street.

Im using the old fixer as there is no secure parking here, it gets back up the hill ok on 42:18, bit of a drag coming down hill though as my blurring legs limit me to about 18 mph.

bl*ddy p*nct*r*s

Its a new year not only does Matthew Parris want to decapitate me, and an old man with a big white beard has been building a suspiciously large boat outside in the rain, i now find the p*nct*r* fairy living in my saddle bag.

4 punctures now in 2 weeks, none dramatic, all caused by tiny glass shards and Ive had the conti ultrasports pumped up well over 100psi. I think Ill replace these tyres ASAP , they also feel a bit unnervingly slippery on Sheffield's mud and diesel soaked roads.

Later edited to p0int out that I know its stopped raining now and we've had a few gloriously sunny and very mild January days