Tag: day ride

#365daysofbiking Beyond the blue

August 26th – I normally hate August Bank Holiday Monday – it’s seems to be the end of summer (although it usually isn’t). If it’s grim it’s the most depressing day, and when bright it can be hard to think of a summer passed.

However, today was fabulous. I slipped out in the morning heading for old hands – the countryside of the A515 corridor to Sudbury, the lovely villages between there, Ashbourne and Utoxetter and the Weaver hills, before returning via the Churnet Valley and Blithfield.

I was fast and the riding was good. I caught Sbnelston, the perfect little village in the Dove valley with it’s gorgeous, tree shrouded church; I sat at the top of the Weabvers, unusually with the company of picnickers. I saw the Moorlands edge village of Cotton shrouded in heat mist.

A cracking day that was just what I needed. A most excellent Bank Holiday.

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#365daysofbiking Iron man:

June 28th – Been a while since I was last at Ironbridge. A long dayride with a companion I don’t ride nearly enough with was great: Miles of chat, fun, company and relaxation were just what the doctor ordered.

Arriving at the gorge and bridge at 5pm, ice creams were had, coffee and… Pork pies. Well, it’s a Ironbridge thing.

We explored old haunts, stopped at a riverside pub, marvelled at the bridge (now a lovely deep red colour following extensive renovation) and enjoyed the river, gentle atmosphere and evening warmth, before climbing out of the gorge at the east end and riding home via Ryton and Albrighton.

A lovely place I don’t go nearly enough, with someone I really should ride more with too.

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May 7th – The third day of a long weekend, May Day bank holiday, and I knew what to do. The forecast was for a beautiful, hot day so I hopped on a very early train to Macclesfield, and rode back via the Moorlands, Roaches, Morridge and Weaver Hills.

You can see a full gallery from this ride on my main blog here.

Just on the moors near Thorncliffe, I found this curiosity, something I’ve never seen before – a UK Meteorological Office remote weather station. I have no idea why it’s here specifically, or for the oblique angle it subtends to the road, but it is fascinating, populated with a host of instruments measuring rainfall, win speed, polled count, air quality and other metrics of the atmosphere. All this seems to be remotely operated by telemetry link.

Also in the compound is a GNRR sensor for the Ordnance Survey, a Leica device to provide calibration for GPS signals.

A fascinating and slightly haunting thing, right in the middle of nowhere.

April 8th – The first big hayride of the year – out to Staffordshire, Weaver Hills and the Manifold, then around the Moors and Roaches and returning from Congleton on the train.

More photos on my main blog later today – a cracking ride; I was fluid, had energy to spare and it was a fast, warm ride on a day more usually expected in May than April.

Nice to be back in the saddle for long rides again!