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| Freshwater Bay's lovely colours |
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| Steephill Cove - lovely on rainy days out of holiday season when you get the place to yourself! |
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| Lighthouse Cat!!!! |
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| I love my bike and my handsome guy more than anything - they make perfect holiday companions |
Thursday, 24 May 2012
More Isle of Wight Cyling fun
Round the island on a tandem was not enough cycling to quell my thirst for it, so I dragged S off with his bike and ignored the moans about his sore butt. Thankfully the riding was beautiful and fun enough for him to be distracted from the pain!!
Next cycling holiday is back in the Pennines - the Peak District from a tent - fingers crossed it's not a washout
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Dad's camera
I dug out my Dad's old Pentax Asahi from the early 60s, afew weeks ago. Lo & behold there was a film in it that must have been nigh on 20 yrs old. Some of the resultant pics below. I took it on hol last week with an in-date film and its getting processed now. Looking fwd to the results - hope they're brighter than these, but developing a well out of date film prob creates some very different results.
Tandeming the Isle of Wight - pretty similar to the Pennines ie hilly!!
The 28th annual Isle of Wight Randonnee, around 100k touring the isle. This year there were around 1700 cyclists (it was rainy and cold) and 4500ft of ascent. And we were doing it on a tandem!
Our total time on a tandem was the two miles the night before, when we collected the bike from the hire shop. I'd fully expected to wobble off it straight away, but we set off with no probs. Took a little getting used to that if S stopped peddling, I stopped - I had to ask that he let me know when he was stopping and more importantly - restarting peddling.
Sunday morn and a hearty breakfast etten, S & I got well & truly waterproofed up & we set off two miles to the check-in point for our cards that would be stamped at the check points round the isle.
The first 20 miles to check point 1 flew by - mainly on the flat & you can really get speed up on a tandem - we passed road cyclists. I held on tight and tried not to show fear on the downhills and especially on the downhill turns!!
Leaving someone else in charge of the bike you're on is a little scary, but it wasnt long before I had full confidence that S wasn't going to have us crashing over and relaxed into it.
After the first check point things got much much hillier to say the least! It was like Lancashire a bit here - hilly and wet, countryside very familiar feeling. Very beautiful. Alas didnt take many pics on the ride simply because of the rain.
After each check point, brew and bite - it got much colder - waterproofs kept rain from soaking in, but we were both just as wet under them - the sweat stayed in & after stopping and restarting into the wind, we were freezing for a mile or two til we heated up again.
All our fellow cyclists were lovely - really cheering us on being on the tandem and congratulating us at getting up the hills - we did not push up any at all! We must have been keeping good pace because at the check points we kept meeting the same people.
The last third was lovely after a very long climb of a mile or four up to pretty much the highest point on the island - the scenery very different from here - more gentle hills here and quaint tiny villages.... Til the last 7ish miles when there were two enormous hills that we were both very proud to conquer.
One cyclist asked at the end if we'd be investing in a tandem. I would love to, if only I had somewhere to store one! I'd love to aim for the Manchester 100 after summer on another hired one. Yes they're hard on the uphills, but for the extra conversation and smiles you get, I certainly think it's worth it.
Our total time on a tandem was the two miles the night before, when we collected the bike from the hire shop. I'd fully expected to wobble off it straight away, but we set off with no probs. Took a little getting used to that if S stopped peddling, I stopped - I had to ask that he let me know when he was stopping and more importantly - restarting peddling.
Sunday morn and a hearty breakfast etten, S & I got well & truly waterproofed up & we set off two miles to the check-in point for our cards that would be stamped at the check points round the isle.
The first 20 miles to check point 1 flew by - mainly on the flat & you can really get speed up on a tandem - we passed road cyclists. I held on tight and tried not to show fear on the downhills and especially on the downhill turns!!
Leaving someone else in charge of the bike you're on is a little scary, but it wasnt long before I had full confidence that S wasn't going to have us crashing over and relaxed into it.
After the first check point things got much much hillier to say the least! It was like Lancashire a bit here - hilly and wet, countryside very familiar feeling. Very beautiful. Alas didnt take many pics on the ride simply because of the rain.
After each check point, brew and bite - it got much colder - waterproofs kept rain from soaking in, but we were both just as wet under them - the sweat stayed in & after stopping and restarting into the wind, we were freezing for a mile or two til we heated up again.
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| resting after a long uphill drag, still smiling! |
All our fellow cyclists were lovely - really cheering us on being on the tandem and congratulating us at getting up the hills - we did not push up any at all! We must have been keeping good pace because at the check points we kept meeting the same people.
The last third was lovely after a very long climb of a mile or four up to pretty much the highest point on the island - the scenery very different from here - more gentle hills here and quaint tiny villages.... Til the last 7ish miles when there were two enormous hills that we were both very proud to conquer.
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| The last hill looms ahead. |
One cyclist asked at the end if we'd be investing in a tandem. I would love to, if only I had somewhere to store one! I'd love to aim for the Manchester 100 after summer on another hired one. Yes they're hard on the uphills, but for the extra conversation and smiles you get, I certainly think it's worth it.
Monday, 23 April 2012
The rides in between the showers
April in the Pennines has been very cold and very damp. But there have been a couple of moments worth getting the camera out on the bike.
Had a glorious time zooming round the mountain bike trails in Gisburn Forest with my better half. Nice picnic by Stocks Res too and some fun watching the more hardcore riders on the big jumps showing off for everyone.
Afew cycle commutes and some very changeable weather. But at the weekend despite the wet forecast, a cycling mate & I got some fantastic rays on a beautiful ride from Carnforth to Preston via Lancaster and some of the Lancashire Coastal Way.
There was a scary moment when I heard barking and of the corner of my eye saw a hound racing for me. A nano second later and I realised it was a big fat labrador, phew... it wasnt going to catch me and also wasnt all that scary.
The ride was a good mixture of on & off road with a challenging section between Glasson & Cockeram where there was a path about 4 inches wide to try to stay upright on... few feet of drop to the right and an incline to bash the peddles on to the left for a good few hundred yards. That took some concentrating! Definitely memorable tho.
Had a glorious time zooming round the mountain bike trails in Gisburn Forest with my better half. Nice picnic by Stocks Res too and some fun watching the more hardcore riders on the big jumps showing off for everyone.
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| Stocks Reservoir |
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| The Yorkshire Dales |
Afew cycle commutes and some very changeable weather. But at the weekend despite the wet forecast, a cycling mate & I got some fantastic rays on a beautiful ride from Carnforth to Preston via Lancaster and some of the Lancashire Coastal Way.
There was a scary moment when I heard barking and of the corner of my eye saw a hound racing for me. A nano second later and I realised it was a big fat labrador, phew... it wasnt going to catch me and also wasnt all that scary.
The ride was a good mixture of on & off road with a challenging section between Glasson & Cockeram where there was a path about 4 inches wide to try to stay upright on... few feet of drop to the right and an incline to bash the peddles on to the left for a good few hundred yards. That took some concentrating! Definitely memorable tho.
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| looking towards Lakeland Fells from the Lancaster Canal |
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| Lancaster from the Lune Aquaduct |
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| Sunderland Point |
Sunday, 8 April 2012
30 days of biking week #1 down
Short rides and medium rides this week - mainly due to the bobbins weather - biting winds, wintery showers and usual northern grimness of skies... except for Friday when I took advantage of the sunshine (albeit freezing morning) to commute & my fav route on saturday for some zooming fun!
Following work on Friday, I peddled a new way to S's house along a part of the canal I'd not been on before. Started off delighfully well with beautiful views of the hills, swans sailing along and the first ducklings of the year. Oh and also more midges than you can shake your arms at as you try not to swallow the blighters. My hair was an unwitting midge trap - ahh that time of year again!
Alas as I neared Blackburn the route became quite isolated & being followed by a teen lad on his bike who just would not seem to overtake me whenever I slowed down freaked me out just a bit too much. By the time I reached a dog walker, I stopped and he passed - probably harmless enough & if so he possibly didnt realise he was unnerving me, but boy did I need to catch my breath after those couple of miles.
Saturday was grey, but S & I headed out to the woods to have some fun whizzing down past the reservoirs & to work our legs out on the return trip uphill. My favourite bike route put a smile on my face and worked up my appetite for a chilli tea. Perfect way to spend a weekend afternoon.
Week #2 commences in the morn... in the rain.
Following work on Friday, I peddled a new way to S's house along a part of the canal I'd not been on before. Started off delighfully well with beautiful views of the hills, swans sailing along and the first ducklings of the year. Oh and also more midges than you can shake your arms at as you try not to swallow the blighters. My hair was an unwitting midge trap - ahh that time of year again!
Alas as I neared Blackburn the route became quite isolated & being followed by a teen lad on his bike who just would not seem to overtake me whenever I slowed down freaked me out just a bit too much. By the time I reached a dog walker, I stopped and he passed - probably harmless enough & if so he possibly didnt realise he was unnerving me, but boy did I need to catch my breath after those couple of miles.
Saturday was grey, but S & I headed out to the woods to have some fun whizzing down past the reservoirs & to work our legs out on the return trip uphill. My favourite bike route put a smile on my face and worked up my appetite for a chilli tea. Perfect way to spend a weekend afternoon.
Week #2 commences in the morn... in the rain.
Sunday, 1 April 2012
30 days of biking begins
April 1st - the third year of 30 days of biking starts today. I'm determined to make it this time, no matter what the weather... and we have snow & sub-zero temperatures forecast, bobbins!
Already had a good week of cycling to & from work since the crazy fuel situation in england this week. Peddling past queues of cars waiting to top up is alright if you're riding about in the sunshine & only have a work commute ahead. If it had happened in winter I'm not so sure I'd have felt quite the same way. Hopefully that and this month filled with riding every day, plus the soon to be ready cycling facilities at work will mean my bike will be commuting much more this year.
So my first ride for April was an easy one in the sunshine at the park with my better half too. Here's to 29 more days smiling as I ride!!
Already had a good week of cycling to & from work since the crazy fuel situation in england this week. Peddling past queues of cars waiting to top up is alright if you're riding about in the sunshine & only have a work commute ahead. If it had happened in winter I'm not so sure I'd have felt quite the same way. Hopefully that and this month filled with riding every day, plus the soon to be ready cycling facilities at work will mean my bike will be commuting much more this year.
So my first ride for April was an easy one in the sunshine at the park with my better half too. Here's to 29 more days smiling as I ride!!
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Sunshine Picnic & Rough Rides
Two misty mornings with the sun breaking through into blazing sunshine in the Pennines.
A fun fast belt up the Rochdale Canal - almost 30 locks in less than 7 miles- this isnt your usual boring flat canal, but one your can get your peddles into rushing up & down the locks.
Saturday's ride was just the right length to mean that I was still fresh for 25 miles of off roading round the hills with my cycling group.
We peddled up & up over farm tracks until we emerged out of the morning fog near the Nic O Pendle.
More tough riding under the blazing sunshine and hill after hill before the first brew stop of the day at Clarion House, Roughlee with this beautiful view to enjoy as the tealeaf tea worked its magic on my thirst!
The stunning views helped draw attention away from the knee ache that hill climbing can bring.
And a nice relaxing lunch in the sunshine kept me going for the rest of the afternoon.
A fun fast belt up the Rochdale Canal - almost 30 locks in less than 7 miles- this isnt your usual boring flat canal, but one your can get your peddles into rushing up & down the locks.
We picnicced at Hollingworth Lake, which was heaving with people grabbing as much sunshine as they could. The water level is very low after a quite dry winter, so it didnt have quite the same seaside feel that it usually has, but chilling out with butties and coffee was still delightful.
Saturday's ride was just the right length to mean that I was still fresh for 25 miles of off roading round the hills with my cycling group.
We peddled up & up over farm tracks until we emerged out of the morning fog near the Nic O Pendle.
More tough riding under the blazing sunshine and hill after hill before the first brew stop of the day at Clarion House, Roughlee with this beautiful view to enjoy as the tealeaf tea worked its magic on my thirst!
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