Sunday, November 19, 2006
Town & Country
A hefty cycling day. Down to town to meet up with Tim who became a father today. Went for a spoing around the TPT in Sheffield with him, then back to town to meet Michael, and up to Redmires meeting Ian, Jon & Charlotte to tackle the Stanage Pole & Long Causeway. Then on to the Stanage Forum and back by train to Sheffield.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Coming back from the Tuesday ride, excellent run to Hathersage, great food on the Wicker and a few pints in the new Real Ale house, the Harlequin, formerly the Manchester Arms, got onto Shoreham St when something went at the back of the bike. Bit of wobbling and I'm off to meet the tarmac with a horrifyingly familiar crunch. Pick myself up, get the bike off the road, sitting on the wall and start to assess the damage. Police Car tuns up really quickly (maybe I was seen on CCTV?) two policewomen but they don't get out straight away, just look at me. I'm sitting on the wall going "Hello? I'm hurt?"So they get out and take a look. One of them says have you had a drink?" I say yes (well there's no point lying to a policewoman is there.) "You know it's an offence to be drunk in charge of a bicycle don't you?" Thanks for letting me know.
Meanwhile two cycling police turn up and are a bit more sympathetic, dig out out their first aid kits and clean me up a bit (but run out of wipes so I have to lend them mine) and an ambulance is called. Got a cut on my eyebrow line (the usual place) and although they have people who can come out and sort you out on the spot they don't like to do faces apparently. So bike & I are loaded into the ambulance and off to the NGH. Quick exam, no apparent more serious damage and I'm soon glued up and packed away. Patrice is called and I'm home by about 1:30.
So what went wrong this time? Two falls in two years is a bit too often, on the same bike, isn't it? The rear mudguard is damaged so could be something to do with panniers and mudguards. Less serious than the last one, and I was wearing a helmet which looks as though it didn't actually come into contact with the ground. Last time I couldn't remember the incident and therefore had to spend the night under observation in the NGH - I figured I might have got away without the eyebrow line cut that time, but it seems I might have been mistaken. Going to be off bikes and off the bike scene for a while anyway - please respect my privacy.
Simon
Meanwhile two cycling police turn up and are a bit more sympathetic, dig out out their first aid kits and clean me up a bit (but run out of wipes so I have to lend them mine) and an ambulance is called. Got a cut on my eyebrow line (the usual place) and although they have people who can come out and sort you out on the spot they don't like to do faces apparently. So bike & I are loaded into the ambulance and off to the NGH. Quick exam, no apparent more serious damage and I'm soon glued up and packed away. Patrice is called and I'm home by about 1:30.
So what went wrong this time? Two falls in two years is a bit too often, on the same bike, isn't it? The rear mudguard is damaged so could be something to do with panniers and mudguards. Less serious than the last one, and I was wearing a helmet which looks as though it didn't actually come into contact with the ground. Last time I couldn't remember the incident and therefore had to spend the night under observation in the NGH - I figured I might have got away without the eyebrow line cut that time, but it seems I might have been mistaken. Going to be off bikes and off the bike scene for a while anyway - please respect my privacy.
Simon
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Don't forget to go see "An Inconvenient Truth, on at the Showroom until 5th October at least.
http://www.climatecrisis.net/
http://www.climatecrisis.net/
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
"
Monday, September 18, 2006
With Dr Bike cancelled, had no excuse for not driving SWMBO out to the van for the on-going refurbishment work. Then selfishly set off on a bike ride, wanting to try out the section of the Pennine Cycleway between Parsley Hey and Buxton - not done that bit before. Down and Up Millers Dale, always a good climb, then Sheldon, Flagg (spotted a few spire-ites at the tea shop)
and onto the trail just above the Hey. Good surface on the old rail trail, a bit bumpier and with loose stones on the connecting bit that takes you onto the road to Earl Sterndale - wonder if motorbikes have churned it up. Quick pint at the Quiet Woman (sexist chortle at pub sign, picture of woman with no head) White Lightning I think it was, very tasty, on over the hill into Buxton. The route uses a quiet-ish road through Harpur Hill, and into the very genteel Victorian residential areas of Buxton. Outside the Opera House though, in full view of a troupe of Morris dancers, terrific sprang and my rear mech collapses in a twisted heap of expensive Campag spare parts. Quick mod to convert the bike into a single speed machine, decide to head back to the van. Not too bad except occasionally forget and try to change gear on the front, which pulls the wheel out of true - have to stop and adjust. Gearing mostly OK but had to walk up Smalldale - maybe I'll turn it into a fixer! Got up Cliffe Rd in Tideswell OK, quite pleased with myself for that.
and onto the trail just above the Hey. Good surface on the old rail trail, a bit bumpier and with loose stones on the connecting bit that takes you onto the road to Earl Sterndale - wonder if motorbikes have churned it up. Quick pint at the Quiet Woman (sexist chortle at pub sign, picture of woman with no head) White Lightning I think it was, very tasty, on over the hill into Buxton. The route uses a quiet-ish road through Harpur Hill, and into the very genteel Victorian residential areas of Buxton. Outside the Opera House though, in full view of a troupe of Morris dancers, terrific sprang and my rear mech collapses in a twisted heap of expensive Campag spare parts. Quick mod to convert the bike into a single speed machine, decide to head back to the van. Not too bad except occasionally forget and try to change gear on the front, which pulls the wheel out of true - have to stop and adjust. Gearing mostly OK but had to walk up Smalldale - maybe I'll turn it into a fixer! Got up Cliffe Rd in Tideswell OK, quite pleased with myself for that.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
If you're viewing my blog via an aggregator like the Pedal Pushers Social Blog (http://axelrod.plus.com/sftp/ppfiles/ppsocial.shtml) you might not be able to see the pictures unless you click on the title bar which is a link to the blog itself. We're working on it.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Took a ride down to Corporation St to see how the new road is going
Just trying something out with pictures here...
Now it's (nearly) always good to see a new cycle route going in, but what kind of perverse logic puts the signs up before the tarmac has even gone in?
North Don Trail emerges north of the Corporation St Bridge...
Needs a bit of tidying up south of the bridge though.
...and the road is coming on. It's good to see that the retaining wall is quality stonework, matching the Wicker Arches with which it is contiguous.
Just trying something out with pictures here...
Now it's (nearly) always good to see a new cycle route going in, but what kind of perverse logic puts the signs up before the tarmac has even gone in?
North Don Trail emerges north of the Corporation St Bridge...
Needs a bit of tidying up south of the bridge though.
...and the road is coming on. It's good to see that the retaining wall is quality stonework, matching the Wicker Arches with which it is contiguous.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Trike spotted at Norton Water Tower...
& I'm the guy that got it there. (For those who don't know, Norton is one of the highest spots
in the hilly city of Sheffield.) The trike is, I think, no.10. Runs on croissants, scrambled eggs, toast, coffee & water.) Mal (who makes them) thnks it needs a shortter wheelbase but I thought it was a dream to ride. The full trip was, from Meersbrook, Newfield, Blackstock Rd Dumpit site (the guys laughed when they first saw it but took it seriously when they saw what I was carrying, including a defunct Black & Decker Workmate - I laughed when I saw the current price of petrol) up to the Tower, Hemsworth Rd, Pole Hill (that was fun) Homebase, Meersbrook Park & Home.
& I'm the guy that got it there. (For those who don't know, Norton is one of the highest spots
in the hilly city of Sheffield.) The trike is, I think, no.10. Runs on croissants, scrambled eggs, toast, coffee & water.) Mal (who makes them) thnks it needs a shortter wheelbase but I thought it was a dream to ride. The full trip was, from Meersbrook, Newfield, Blackstock Rd Dumpit site (the guys laughed when they first saw it but took it seriously when they saw what I was carrying, including a defunct Black & Decker Workmate - I laughed when I saw the current price of petrol) up to the Tower, Hemsworth Rd, Pole Hill (that was fun) Homebase, Meersbrook Park & Home.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Monday, June 12, 2006
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Sunday, June 04, 2006
mopped the floor and cleaned the cooker, then up to Meadowhead via the preferred route. Out to Holmesfield, got cut up just as I was about to turn left for Common Side (no not that one) Followed the miscreant all the way down, but never quite close enough to point out the error of his way (just as well probably). Then up the hill to Pudding Pie, being followed by a trotting horse but he never quite caught up. Over Beeley Moor, did a zigzag to avoid the rough bit of track, following the pp route to Derby. There's an enticing looking track off to the right which looks to take you down to Darley Dale, so I followed it - warned by some MTB'ers thst it was pretty rocky, but it was OK to go down on a tourer with a little walking - uphill might be a different matter, Down to Two Dales, across the A6, found mysefl in the car park
of DFS Sofas. You can get on to the narrow path that runs alongside Peak Rail - this might be fun to follow down sometime, narrow but cycleable (give way to walkers of course, but it's not exactly the pennine way) had a look at the station, no large kettles in sight, so on to on to Winster & Elton - this a strenuous climb. Beyond Elton you are in one of those area where nothing is quite like it looks on the map- set off down a road then convinced myself I was going the wrong away, went back to the top, discovered I wasn't. Despite this my best efforts to come out on the Long Rake west of Youlgreave were thwarted (think I know what do next time though) and I swooped across the Bradford vallet leaving with me with that tedious climb out of Y. continuing to Arbor Low. I knew I had to turn around at 2:30, and this was rapidly approaching, so a quick cup of tea and cohocolate cake at Parsley Hay was in order, the soft cyclists parading around in their smart gear, with my Sustrans tabard on (become a Sustrans ranger and get one free) I felt like everyone's great-uncle. (Sustrans didn't built the Tissington & High Peak trails of course, but they have linked them in to the Pennine Cycleway, forming a continuous route between Derby & Berwick-upon -Tweed and placing a requirement that the trail be kept up to NCN standards. ) Turning around, shot back down the way I had just come, across Lathkildale with its steep climb out, found a neat little way in/out of Bakewell,
stopped to take water (it was HOT!) over to Froggatt, drifted up the climb to Longshaw with the wind following, checked out whether the path through the estate is a bridleway but the evidence is inconclusiv. Shot down Hathersage Rd, across Sheephill to Ringinglow, then down the 50th anni route (unusual to go down it - usually the temptation to shoot down Ringinglow Rd is too strong.) Just below Forge Dam, took the new route up to Fulwood (loose surface and bit steep - had to push up the last bit just because I couldn't get any grip) - leaving me to hurtle down to the Rising Sun to meet Ian Sam and Andy for a world-shattering meet of the Executive and a couple of tasty well-earned pints, before repairing to Kumquat Mae for dinner.
of DFS Sofas. You can get on to the narrow path that runs alongside Peak Rail - this might be fun to follow down sometime, narrow but cycleable (give way to walkers of course, but it's not exactly the pennine way) had a look at the station, no large kettles in sight, so on to on to Winster & Elton - this a strenuous climb. Beyond Elton you are in one of those area where nothing is quite like it looks on the map- set off down a road then convinced myself I was going the wrong away, went back to the top, discovered I wasn't. Despite this my best efforts to come out on the Long Rake west of Youlgreave were thwarted (think I know what do next time though) and I swooped across the Bradford vallet leaving with me with that tedious climb out of Y. continuing to Arbor Low. I knew I had to turn around at 2:30, and this was rapidly approaching, so a quick cup of tea and cohocolate cake at Parsley Hay was in order, the soft cyclists parading around in their smart gear, with my Sustrans tabard on (become a Sustrans ranger and get one free) I felt like everyone's great-uncle. (Sustrans didn't built the Tissington & High Peak trails of course, but they have linked them in to the Pennine Cycleway, forming a continuous route between Derby & Berwick-upon -Tweed and placing a requirement that the trail be kept up to NCN standards. ) Turning around, shot back down the way I had just come, across Lathkildale with its steep climb out, found a neat little way in/out of Bakewell,
stopped to take water (it was HOT!) over to Froggatt, drifted up the climb to Longshaw with the wind following, checked out whether the path through the estate is a bridleway but the evidence is inconclusiv. Shot down Hathersage Rd, across Sheephill to Ringinglow, then down the 50th anni route (unusual to go down it - usually the temptation to shoot down Ringinglow Rd is too strong.) Just below Forge Dam, took the new route up to Fulwood (loose surface and bit steep - had to push up the last bit just because I couldn't get any grip) - leaving me to hurtle down to the Rising Sun to meet Ian Sam and Andy for a world-shattering meet of the Executive and a couple of tasty well-earned pints, before repairing to Kumquat Mae for dinner.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Friday, May 12, 2006
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