Today is the start of week 3 of my Sabbatical and as planned, I'm still up north with my parents. What was not, however, planned was for my dad to be now battling with complications following a routine hip replacement! Those out there with family members requiring acute medical attention will know how much time is spent travelling, waiting and sat by loved one's beds, such that it is important to find a balanced routine to ensure some sense of normalance is preserved. For us, we seem to be settling on the evening run to the hospital, which means that this morning, with the weather behaving, I was able to saddle up for a ride.
I should, on reflection have gone further than I did, but my legs felt very heavy and drizzle had started to fill the air as I completed my planned circuit; the one I spoke about and should have done yesterday, 'In the Steps of Hadrian'. This is a really enjoyable circuit, reminiscent of my Honiton Golf Club run back home; a little less climbing overall but it still has a couple of hilly moments to keep things interesting. I head out of Brampton along The Swartle, a 5km faux plat climb out to Lanercost Priory. From here the road rises steeply, at first reaching 11% and then levelling out for a lumpy raised ride alongside Hadrian's Wall. Panoramic views from here are excellent. I see very few cyclists on this road but plenty of walkers, some laden with waterproofed back packs, others in tee-shirts having just stepped off their air-conditioned coaches.
As the wall disappears into the distance, the road makes a sharp turn to the left and drops away to meet up with the B6318. It is here that my route turns west, marking both the top of the circuit and the completion of the main climbs. From here the road gently undulates into the village of Walton, across the single traffic light controlled bridge over the River Irthing, before taking a gentle 3% climb back into Brampton. At 30 km this is near enough an hour circuit and perfect for a quick leg spin when time it tight, as it is for me at the moment. I'm sure it will be revisited again soon!
Showing posts with label Brampton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brampton. Show all posts
Monday, 20 July 2015
Sunday, 19 July 2015
Sabbatical Day 10/65 - In the Steps of Hadrian
This week I have travelled 350 miles north to the Boarders, where the English county of Cumbria meets Scotland along a line drawn by the Roman emperor, Hadrian in 122 AD. The purpose of my visit is not to cycle, so I have not got in any where near the miles of last week's cycling fest, but I have brought my Tarmac with me so, where possible, I have and will continue to take advantage of every opportunity. The weather has, however, deteriorated as the days have passed such that Saturday's Rock & Roll CC ride couldn't run due to high winds, and even golfers playing in the Open Championship at St Andrews had to down clubs when 40mph gusts of wind suspended play!
I've managed a couple of rides this week, totalling 41 miles. Although 20 short of my weekly target, as last week I did over 3 weeks' distance, I can afford this time for 'recovery'. My last ride of the week was along the Wall, taking in the great views of the rolling countryside and amazing historical Roman sites of mile castles, forts and of course the wall itself.
I normally like to do a full circuit, hating to retrace my own steps but without a map and with no sense of direction, I chose the simple route of cycling 10 miles and then making a u-turn to retrace my steps. I've seen since returning, that I could have continued all the way to Walton from where I know my homeward route, so weather and time permitting, I'll have a go at this next week.
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| Last Week's AVP Leaders' Table |
I've managed a couple of rides this week, totalling 41 miles. Although 20 short of my weekly target, as last week I did over 3 weeks' distance, I can afford this time for 'recovery'. My last ride of the week was along the Wall, taking in the great views of the rolling countryside and amazing historical Roman sites of mile castles, forts and of course the wall itself.
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| Views from along the Wall ending with Hadrian himself |
I normally like to do a full circuit, hating to retrace my own steps but without a map and with no sense of direction, I chose the simple route of cycling 10 miles and then making a u-turn to retrace my steps. I've seen since returning, that I could have continued all the way to Walton from where I know my homeward route, so weather and time permitting, I'll have a go at this next week.
Saturday, 7 June 2014
Rock to Roll Cycling
63 days until the RideLondon and just 14 days until the Dartmoor Classic, the training continues. I am not sure, however, how much of this is 'training' and how much is just having fun on the bike! I'm sure training should be something planned and linked to a schedule, while I'm just grabbing any opportunity for a cycle. That aside, I'm sure even my unscheduled rides, up hills, down dales and across the moors, is good enough training for my humble couple of sportives.
May was a good month for opportunistic cycling and I'm hoping June will be similar. This week started strongly with me getting back into my pre breakfast rides. Thursday would have been my regular AVP evening saunter but an appointment with my 'stone consultant' brought forward my long weekend visit to see my parents up in Cumbria. As you will have seen my new Yeti now offers me the opportunity to take my cyciling wherever I travel and so this is just what happened.
I made good time over the 360 mile drive north such that I managed a very pleasant 12 mile spin around the Cumbrian lanes. I neglected to mention, however, that I somehow picked up a metatarsal injury earlier in the week and reached a peak of pain that warranted support strapping and anti inflammatory treatment to get me through the ride. It is amazing the wealth of self treatments available for sports injuries these days.
The true substitute for my Thursday evening club circuit was to be a ride out with the local Cumbrian cycling club, Rock to Roll Cycling, centred on the cycle shop of the same name. I met the owner, Rob, last year over a winter glove purchase and was now looking forward to catching up with him again and what better way, than over a 30 mile ride. I was, however, worried that my foot would let me down, so squeezed in another afternoon cycle, this time covering the southern area down and through Castle Carrock. It was so warm and beautiful that I pretty much forgot my foot as I covered those 15 miles quickly across smooth empty roads, quite different from my narrow bumpy Devon lanes. My melange of self treatments was working well and I felt good for the Saturday R2RC ride.
I met Rob at the cycle shop for 08:45. He's such a nice guy, I'd previously mentioned that my gears had been a little noisy of late and he popped the bike into his workshop, a few tweaks later it was as good as new. We were then joined by another 3 riders all decked out the black, yellow and white kit of the R2RC, they looked very professional. Rob had already worked out a route, a 30 mile ride east to Haltwistle, so on the dot of 09:00 we rode out with me the obvious visitor in my yellow AVP colours.
The going was easier than on my Devon circuits, the hills were much gentler and rarely required me to drop into the low gear to complete the climbs. I do think, however, that the route was weighted in this way as some of the down hill drops were quite steep, one of which got the better of me as I ended up being thrown into a bank of nettles and shredding my handle bar tape. While the rest of damage to the bike looks to be just cosmetic, I was still disappointed and annoyed to have been so badly caught out. As for myself, I'm not sure what hurts more, the nettle stings or my wounded pride.
The ride was otherwise highly ejoyable. The company of the other cyclists entertaining and the long quiet wide roads and beautiful rolling scenery made up for the lack of a coffee and cake stop .. although if this was a regular ride for me, I think I would have worked on that.
What struck me most about my first foray into Cumbrian cycling, is how two wheel friendly the roads and drivers seem to be. There are cycle routes a plenty and we even came across a mass of riders taking part in the Haydon Hundred, luckily coming in the opposite direction, and all of which offered a friendly wave or acknowledgement. To then top it all, back at the shop at the end of the ride, I was humbled when Rob produced two rolls of bar tape to replace that which I'd damaged, such a nice guy. I would have had a go at fitting it had the heavens not opened as soon as I'd given the bike a quick post ride clean; we were so lucky to have had such a dry ride.
May was a good month for opportunistic cycling and I'm hoping June will be similar. This week started strongly with me getting back into my pre breakfast rides. Thursday would have been my regular AVP evening saunter but an appointment with my 'stone consultant' brought forward my long weekend visit to see my parents up in Cumbria. As you will have seen my new Yeti now offers me the opportunity to take my cyciling wherever I travel and so this is just what happened.
I made good time over the 360 mile drive north such that I managed a very pleasant 12 mile spin around the Cumbrian lanes. I neglected to mention, however, that I somehow picked up a metatarsal injury earlier in the week and reached a peak of pain that warranted support strapping and anti inflammatory treatment to get me through the ride. It is amazing the wealth of self treatments available for sports injuries these days.
The true substitute for my Thursday evening club circuit was to be a ride out with the local Cumbrian cycling club, Rock to Roll Cycling, centred on the cycle shop of the same name. I met the owner, Rob, last year over a winter glove purchase and was now looking forward to catching up with him again and what better way, than over a 30 mile ride. I was, however, worried that my foot would let me down, so squeezed in another afternoon cycle, this time covering the southern area down and through Castle Carrock. It was so warm and beautiful that I pretty much forgot my foot as I covered those 15 miles quickly across smooth empty roads, quite different from my narrow bumpy Devon lanes. My melange of self treatments was working well and I felt good for the Saturday R2RC ride.
I met Rob at the cycle shop for 08:45. He's such a nice guy, I'd previously mentioned that my gears had been a little noisy of late and he popped the bike into his workshop, a few tweaks later it was as good as new. We were then joined by another 3 riders all decked out the black, yellow and white kit of the R2RC, they looked very professional. Rob had already worked out a route, a 30 mile ride east to Haltwistle, so on the dot of 09:00 we rode out with me the obvious visitor in my yellow AVP colours.
The going was easier than on my Devon circuits, the hills were much gentler and rarely required me to drop into the low gear to complete the climbs. I do think, however, that the route was weighted in this way as some of the down hill drops were quite steep, one of which got the better of me as I ended up being thrown into a bank of nettles and shredding my handle bar tape. While the rest of damage to the bike looks to be just cosmetic, I was still disappointed and annoyed to have been so badly caught out. As for myself, I'm not sure what hurts more, the nettle stings or my wounded pride.
The ride was otherwise highly ejoyable. The company of the other cyclists entertaining and the long quiet wide roads and beautiful rolling scenery made up for the lack of a coffee and cake stop .. although if this was a regular ride for me, I think I would have worked on that.
What struck me most about my first foray into Cumbrian cycling, is how two wheel friendly the roads and drivers seem to be. There are cycle routes a plenty and we even came across a mass of riders taking part in the Haydon Hundred, luckily coming in the opposite direction, and all of which offered a friendly wave or acknowledgement. To then top it all, back at the shop at the end of the ride, I was humbled when Rob produced two rolls of bar tape to replace that which I'd damaged, such a nice guy. I would have had a go at fitting it had the heavens not opened as soon as I'd given the bike a quick post ride clean; we were so lucky to have had such a dry ride.
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