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.