July 9th, 2006
Glycogen, Body Fat & Caffeine
The ingredients for todays ride.
I woke up late and with all the faff of getting ready for the ride I ended up going out of the door with no more sustenance than a cup of strong black coffee.
I wanted to try samuri’s Block The Bike route.
It was one of the steepest climbs I’ve tackled in a while. Ahead of me two guys, one of them on what looked suspiciously like a Marin, gave me something to chase. I was catching them up by Great Hill so I stopped to take some photos and let them extend the gap. I timed catching them up perfectly on Redmonds Edge so that I could take their photos as they descended down to the road.
I really enjoyed the trail. It’s going to be a real Three Peaks training route, combining steep trails, walking sections, square edged rock slabs and grassy descents.
Feeling strong I rode to the Pike into a raging headwind, then instead of down the ICR and the flat route home I decided to ride back the way I’d came.
Just after I started the climb to Redmonds Edge the weather really closed in. One minute it was grey and windy - a backwind fortunately - next I could see no more than 50 yards in any direction. I pondered stopping to put on my waterproof, decided not too, and five minutes later knew I’d made the wrong decision. I was better off than the sheep though…
They’ve recently been sheared, and with the weather closing in I was wearing more wool than them. I was keeping warm by climbing too - they were huddling in the peat hags. By now the lack of breakfast was beginning to show. It didn’t help that in filling my Camelbak after yesterday’s ride I’d taken out the Tangfastics.
Bugger.
Fortunately I had a (very damp) fiver in my pocket, a bike that descends like it has an engine, and the ladies at White Coppice Cricket Club cafe sell a bacon sandwich to rival any equestrian centre cafe.
The addition of coke and chocolate saw me home in driving rain as the wind continued to get up.
Two good and different rides this weekend, and some new trails ridden.
I call that a result.
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July 9th, 2006 at 10:53 pm
Oi, stop riding my trails!
July 10th, 2006 at 8:37 am
They’re clearly marked on Bacon’s Cycling Map from just after the war so I don’t think that they’re just yours Simon :-)
July 10th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
I found it before Simon… what was the climb you refer to at the beginnning, I see no steep climbs if you decend into WC.
July 10th, 2006 at 12:36 pm
Out of White Coppice up to Drinkwaters Farm was a fair old climb.
July 10th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
I can’t find that farm on my map
July 10th, 2006 at 2:23 pm
It’s the ruin here: http://lyxus.net/doh.
July 10th, 2006 at 2:51 pm
Ah, this one.
July 10th, 2006 at 4:06 pm
You’ve dropped your chocolate raisins :-o
July 10th, 2006 at 4:14 pm
“Out of White Coppice up to Drinkwaters Farm was a fair old climb. ”
ah yeah, right.. erm.. did you ride up that then?
better route though wheelton plantation > road > moor
July 10th, 2006 at 4:21 pm
Course I rode it!
It’s what a Five Spot and a teeny granny ring are good for.
It was only when I headed back down it that I realised how steep it was.
July 10th, 2006 at 5:31 pm
Noticed some track building / improvement stuff around Healey Nab and Roddlesworth recently. Found this at weekend - almost looks like a (shock horror) reasoned and intelligent argument. I guess a formalised link route in that area is pretty close to completion.
http://www.lancscc.gov.uk/environment/countryside/pdf/Bridlewaywp.pdf
Maybe I’ll thrust it in the nose of the dogwalking moaner from last thursday night when we were riding by the Goit. Bikes on a dry wide track = bad but her crappy arsed spaniel paddling in somebody’s water supply is evidently OK.
July 10th, 2006 at 6:21 pm
Looks like they want to extend the flagstones over Redmonds Edge, that would make it an all weather route rather than the current baked dry or frozen only route. That’s the sort of thing I like. Things I don’t like are sanitising like that on Heapy Fold Lane.
July 11th, 2006 at 6:35 am
Think we have to live with the sanitisation whilst they put the linking routes in. One good winter and it will all be back to normal ;-)
At least the discussion paper from the council vocally acknowledges the need for some routes to remain challenging - I was quite (pleasantly) shocked at how well researched it all was and how they were actively trying to please everybody - we really can’t moan in such a highly used area.
July 11th, 2006 at 6:36 am
But I’ll cry if they rip up the nadgery upper track from White Coppice to Brinscall woods…..
July 11th, 2006 at 8:42 am
Yes, that is an ace track.
July 11th, 2006 at 8:45 am
Thanks for the link Mick.