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

New winter bike

After two months waiting this came in the post.

Updated - Lights and bits and bobs like pedals now fitted, went out for a quick spin and its a very nippy winter bike, not sure how they manage to produce these for 350 quid. (not including the Brooks saddle). Its got a Mirage triple set up, a 13 - 23 on the back which i thought might be a bit high for Sheffield but was the only option offered, aluminium frame, carbon fibre forks, campag hubs and mavic rims . Just need to put some miles in now.

Lake District Post Card

Phil and Friends 2007

No blog posts for ages, blame it on work, trips to London (but not to le tour) work on the house and a chest infection that refused to go away for weeks. Finally managed to up the miles on the last 3 weeks leading up to Phil and Friends today. I’ve been going out to Hope and back every Saturday morning, joined in on the CTC ride last week (we rebelled on the way to Bolsterstone and made our way straight the Strines, sorry Ruth).

Woke up a 7 today, pulled back the curtain hoping to see the wet weather that was forecast and the sun was shining brightly, damn ill have to do it.

Met an old chap at Malin bridge, he looked like a veteran of many club runs so we twiddled our lowest cog up to Stannington at a fair old lick to get to the start.

Signed on then met Tim from the CTC rides (one of the Strines mutineers) and we started off. Straight away we met another Tim , Tim “the Duracell bunny” Hess so we hung about while he signed on. Tim (Hess) had clearly decided he was going to tackle to ride at a much faster pace than us; he must have had a fresh set of cells on board so he got on the tail of a faster group at Bradfield and disappeared into the distance. I was taking it very easy to make sure id last the distance so we were often overtaken.

Nice long run down to Ewden Beck then onto the first real climb of the day. Took it easy as I knew the climb went on a bit, near the top Jon Cotton, Dave Bailie and young James flew past us. Rain started on the way to Holmfirth so we all caped up and pressed on to the breakfast stop. Dave John and James already there. Chris Buck who mailed me about the route turned up next soon followed by Andy wild on a borrowed cyclecross bike and some other familiar faces from PP rides.

Rain stopped so Tim and I set off up Holme Moss, it’s a long drag but it seemed to go ok. Took it easy but by this time we finally started to catch and overtake some other riders. No 55mph descent from the top today, far too greasy after the rain so came down in the high 20s with the brakes on

On the Devil’s elbow road and we seemed to pick up good speed and were overtaking quite a few riders, maybe the slow start had paid off. Into Glossop in heavy rain, saw Dave Baillie’s group bikes at the café but we opted to press on. The Chunal climb wasn’t as hard as I remembered from before and we made good speed but the same could not be said of Hayfield and Chinley. We were down to a slow crawl now and the Dave Bailie group came past us like we were stood still and promptly disappeard into the distance.

Into Chapel, quick snack and you know the worst is over (if you’re doing the 100k that is!)

Slight tail wind up Rushup edge, first sign of the bonk at the top so the little climb up to Mam Tor had me in a bit of trouble. Stopped for more snacks then the downhill to Edale and the next feed point, opted not to visit the jolly Rambler pub this time round. By this time the sun was back out and we made good speed down to Hope then on up to Moscar, forgoing the chance of pint at the Ladybower.

Fastest part of the day for me, the top road back to Stannington, didn’t even have to stop when the chain bounced off on a pothole and back to Lomas Church Hall, 75 miles, 6 ½ hours and nearly 10000 feet of climbs.

Found that Dave Ballie and co were still there having refreshment, James has to refuel every 20 miles so he must have hollow legs. Swift pint of shandy in the pub and back to Walkley.

Very pleased that the ride didn’t seem too bad this year, although Chinley and Chunnel are still awful, and very pleased not to be doing that extra 30 mile loop this year, maybe come back for that in 2008 if Im better prepared

So if you have never done Phil and Friends , you are prepared to grind up a few long hills and you have a compact or a triple chainset you should be Ok Must email Tim Hess and see just how quick he got round

Heron in the Park

Waiting to meet the others for the 4 valleys ride on Saturday I spotted this Heron looking very regal on the island in middle of the Hillsborough park lake.

all t'way round

At least once a year I haul myself up Winnats Pass just to say its been done and for the reward of the plunge down over Mam Nick to Barber Booth and the wonderful ride down the Vale of Edale. This year we did it as a Tuesday evening ride, it was a cracking late spring evening, sunny but with just enough breeze to keep cool on the climbs. 12 turned out for the ride and I think that’s the best turnout to an evening ride we have ever had outside of bike week.

Ill let the others blog the main ride in more details; I want to talk about someone I met up on the Moscar road.

I had a few errands to sort out so I agreed to meet the rest out at Bamford, and I rode my old commuting route to Carbolite on the A57 over Moscar. It’s a busy road, a pleasing number of motorists did pass at a suitable distance , but plenty came by too close and being a sunny evening the born again motor bikers and sports cars were all out for the mad thrash over to the Snake to Glossop and back .

Just heading up toward the old isolation hospital at Hollow Meadows I could see a mountain biker in the distance , then as Father Dougal McGuire never quite grasped, I realised it wasn’t a large cyclist in the distance at all, he or she was just a very small cyclist quite close . I caught up and found a young lad giving his all on a bike just a touch too large for him, not much older than our Patrick, Id say around 12 - 13 years sold.

I was a bit shocked and concerned at first seeing this little lad on his own surrounded by the speeding cars and motorbikes that seemed oblivious to him. I overtook him and asked if he had far to go. A broad Sheffield / North Derbyshire accent said proudly,

“Ive been all t'way round and me house is just o'er hill”

He pointed in the general direction of the few houses up at Moscar top. I said cheerio and carried on up the hill to Moscar Moors as I needed to make time up to meet the other’s (I didn’t I was 10 mins late ).

As I headed on up I realised how wrong it was to be shocked seeing this young lad on the road, he had just a much right as the rest of them and he was doing a sterling job. I wondered just how many miles “ all t’way round “ was for the lad from Moscar Top.

Drifting off in one of those flashback moments...

Down in the East Midlands in 1977 a 13 year old boy gets his first real road bike, a 10 speed Puch Freespirt with drops and a 23” frame that would be slightly too big for him even 30 years later. A wide ratio 34 tooth rear block was good for wheelies in the street but meant the bike could go up hills and haul camping gear. A summer spent working on a farm in Northamptonshire (75p an hour) resulted in a set of hand made alloy wheels from Renolds cycles in Northampton, pannier carriers and Karrimoor panniers. A few years later that same frame took me and my camping gear from Kettering to Barber Booth and on to Edale.

It took 3 days to get up to Edale via Drayton manor, Fenny Bentley, and Buxton mostly on minors roads. A couple of days in Edale included being chucked out of the Jolly Rambler for underage drinking and going straight on at the bottom of the hill into Barber Booth as neither of us knew there was a bend there and old Weinmann centre pulls couldn’t quite stop the bike . We went back via Whatstandwell and on to Kettering, a 95 mile day in the saddle on Chuck and Di’s royal wedding day.

gardening , no cycling

After a hairy experience almost hit by a car while negotiating the tram lines at Hillsborough Corner yesterday (when will we get the cameras on the tram gate) I decided on a quiet day pottering round the garden listening to England v West Indies.

This old Raleigh was given to me by a Professor at Sheffield University Law Dept and I had hoped to make it into a pub hack bike but it has ended up as a trellis for my clematis.

its been a funy old weeked

Its been a funny old weekend As Arkwright probably never said.

We did an absolute classic North Derbyshire / Yorkshire Route on Saturday in every kind of weather apart from snow. Flouch, Holmfirth, Holme Moss, Glossop , Snake Pass , Ladybower and Moscar moors. Only 60 miles but nearly 9000 feet of total ascent

Ill let Simon give you the run down at

http://smgcycleblog.blogspot.com/2007_05_13_archive.html#5889145524462867824

I have to admit I look half like I was doing OK in Simon's photo of me which Ive shamelessly lifted of his blog in fact I kept strruign to hang on but Im short of big miles this year.

My my legs still ache on Sunday night and the whole ride was 5 parts hell and 5 parts stunning scenery. Holme Moss is always brilliant and at least the sun stayed out up there. Ill be back up there again with less tired legs on a less wet day soon. Top marks to the friendly little Corner House café in Holmfirth.

This was the same climb 6 years ago, see I've hardy aged at all!

http://ianloasby.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/phil/

If Holme Moss was a joy in the sun the Snake Pass saw us cycling up through the clouds into a virtaul monsoon with absolutely no shelter to go and hide in. I was worried about aquaplaning straight off into the moors. Isnt odd how cadgers always drive faster and closer when its stair rodding down.

Today in equally grim weather Shef United got relegated dramatically on the l;ast day of the season judt like they did a few years back . Feel sorry for the Blades fans and the team put in a real effort to stay up but Ive never been a real fan of Warnock and his opinions and now in the press he seems to be blaming Man united for losing to West Ham. It was good to see Leicester old boy Emile Heskey play a blinder for Wigan. looks like Steel city derbys again next season although there could be some legal messing till this is all sorted.

Finally big thanks to the ignorant driver of the blue Citroen C3 speeding through the floods in Walkley last night. You certainly saved me the effort of having a Sunday bath, why not just have the bath while walking to the curry house.

If id been a child or old and frail that tidal wave you sent up over the path would probably have knocked me off my feet. Ill return the favour one day mate.

May Elections

Today (May 3^rd) sees council elections in Sheffield and we are told the result is on a knife edge. In the Walkley ward we have a sitting Labour councillor who is up for a re-election and the result here could swing the whole council.

I went off and voted Labour this morning, partly on party lines but also because our councillor has been an excellent hard working representative for our community over the last few years.

The only party material I have seen the year is from the Labour party. I would have liked to read what the Lib Dem candidate has in store for Walkley (after all 2 of our 3 councillors already are from that party) but Ive received nothing from them apart from the newssheet they delivered about 2 months ago telling me how awful everything is. I didn’t even know the Lib Dem candidate name till I saw it on the ballot paper

The Greens have been equally disappointing. Im interested in green politics and I know some of their councillors. Their stand on cycling and transport issues in the city seems sound and their councillors in central ward have always helped us out at the Sheffield Cycle Campaign (although we are independent of any political party). The Greens may never have enough support to take Sheffield council but it’s quite possible they will be the largest party outside Lib and Lab and maybe tomorrow they will have to support one of the other parties in a hung council. Did they deliver anything, maybe printed on recycled paper, or come to they come knocking at my door to seek my vote, sadly no, not a peep from them.

Finally the Conservatives, who lets face it are on hiding to nothing in most, but not all, parts of Sheffield (It seems folk in the former Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire have long memories ), but I would have least liked to have read what plans and ideas they have for Walkley . It not that long ago that the Conservative candidate would at least get out and put the hard work in even though they knew they were always going to lose, and Id respect them for that (remeber that episode of Rab c Nesbit?). I cant ever see me supporting that party but I feel slightly let down by them that they didn’t even put the effort in off delivering some material about their candidate (sorry name slips me now)

So I cycled down to the polling station and cast my vote for Veronica Hardstaff, hoping that she gets back in for the excellent work she has done for us, but with a slight feeling of having being let down by the whole process and having little or no choice in the matter as none of the other parties seem to want my vote.

lads...I know a shortcut

the pubs just up here...


honest

More Birdy Upgrades

Took Birdy to work today, just cause its fun to ride.

Note new rear folding carrier with thanks to Martin Bright and finally got myself a rack pack.

New chain wheel cover as well.

Cycle heaven said they only came in black, ok I says that will do, what did they send, , a silver one. Look s smart enough though

With the front carrier as well i think I have the makings of a nice little light weight tourer.