Isle of Man 2012

This weekend was our third May Bank weekend Isle of Man cycling trip.  As per previous years the plan was to ride up to the Heysham ferry on Friday, ride the island Saturday and Sunday and ferry/ride home Monday.

Due to some ferry issues, we were on a faster boat (2 hrs rather than 4) but at an earlier time.  We had top be at the ferry for 11:30, which meant leaving at 7:30.  We got most of the gear laid out on Wednesday and Jayne did most of the packing Thursday before heading out to her bowling club.  I finished off the packing and prepare a meal for my sister and Mum who were coming to house sit for the weekend.

Friday’s weather forecast wasn’t great but it dawned pretty clear and dry.  We headed out expecting Karl and Alison to catch us by the Cartford bridge.  This year’s group was quite different from previous years.  With the regulars of me, Jayne, Karl, Alison and Ian were Mark (Birdy) and first timer Pete.  Only 7 this year.

No sight of Karl and Alison by Cartford and we pressed on.  As we passed Condor Green, Karl texted saying they were at Cartford.  This was repeated for the rest of the morning, but they never caught up.  Jayne and I arrived at the ferry terminal in plenty of time.

We were a bit worried about the others arriving as check-in closed at 11:30 and they still hadn’t arrived.  Jayne asked if she could check them in but no, they had to be there.  Eventually Alison, Birdy and Pete arrived, Ian had a puncture about 2 miles away.  Fortunately the boat was late due and took a lot longer to unload due to it not usually going to Heysham where they didn’t have the gear to unload foot passengers properly.  Eventually we were on and despite the hour delay, we were in Douglas much earlier than usual.  Karl and Alison were cooking that night.  There was some discussion about starter aesthetics.

Saturday was forecast to be sunny but cold.  On the day it was very sunny and warm if you could keep out of the bitter northern wind.  A guy on the ferry had recommended a ride that was hard but very pretty.  It included a 1 in 4 section but took in a very pretty set of valleys. We decided to give it a go.  It got off to a bad start as we had to turn around at the start of the first hill because we had left our stare tube and tools behind.  Eventually we got onto the climb.  The road was lined with wild primroses.

It was incredibly steep and exposed.  Guess which way the prevailing winds blow!

Down the other side was exhilarating and a bit scary because of the wind.  At the bottom Pete found he had a puncture probably due to hitting the cattle grid at 40+ mph.

After another short climb we drop down towards Kirk Michael.  You can see Scotland and Ireland while only moving your head slightly.

Scotland

And Ireland (honest!)

The road didn’t pan out as expected.

Eventually we mad it to Peel, where we saw a seal.  The ride back took us past the Tynwald, the Manx parliament and possibly the oldest continuous government in the world.

We decided to avoid the ford, going via the foot bridge.

We were once again diverted by the closed road junior bike racing and eventually made it home after 45 miles and several thousand feet of climbing.  It was our turn to cook and we did Tarragon Chicken which went down very well.

For Sunday the main group decided they would ride out to the Calf of Man and maybe risk getting the train back.  Jayne and I were worried about getting the tandem on the train and didn’t fancy the 4000ft of climbing in 40 miles that the full route would require.  Instead we headed once more to Laxey, this time armed with out English Heritage membership cards to get free entry.  The weather was fine as the guys set off after some last minute maintenance.

Jayne and I set out in full sunshine in the opposite direction for Laxey.  Soon it became apparent that the Laxey weather wasn’t going to be good.  We got ourselves in to the Laxey Wheel grounds but there wasn't much cover from the hail.

The site is fascinating, and includes a huge moving rail viaduct that moves a mine pump that is 100+ yards from the wheel.

Eventually the weather improved and we got back in the same bright sunshine the others had enjoyed all day.  The guys cooked stuffed mushrooms, roast lamb and chocolate sponge pudding, delicious.

The weather forecast for Monday was horrendous.  We packed on Sunday night expecting the worst in the morning.  It was actually not too bad, quite windy, overcast but not actually raining.  After breakfast and tidying up, we headed in ones and twos down to the ferry.  The crossing was uneventful apart from occasional trips to the deck to experience the howling wind, we were worried about the final 35 miles home.  My sister texted just as we came into dock saying that the weather had deteriorated and the forecast was so bad that they were going to head home rather than wait for us.  It didn’t bode well, but apart from the very strong winds, the rain stayed off for most of the way home.  We had one problem where the road past the Golden Ball pub was flooded by the high tide.

This is not unusual, put we’ve managed to avoid it in previous years.  Eventually, we got home, tired but pleased with our weekend’s riding.

As I sit here writing it up, the rain is tipping down so we were pretty lucky with the weather, apart from the hail!

Over the weekend we did 144 miles on the tandem, some very hilly, I’ll try to post elevation charts in the week.  In addition to the 55 miles commuting, not a bad week at all.

Cheers

Tim

Wheels for sale

27" x 1 1/4" wheels

I have acquired a load of 27 x 11/4 rims and wheels.  They look like new rims on old hubs. All seem to have been stored either outside or somewhere damp and most have some rust on the eyelets.  There is some surface corrosion on the aluminium of the bare hubs and rims.  Not identified all the hubs yet but there are:
Pair Mavic MA40 36h rims £15
Pair Mavic MA2 36h rims £15
Pair Mavic Mod4 36h rims£15
Pair Weinmann concave 36h £15

Pair Rigida AL320 on small flange hub with Rigida 5 sp block, rear hub stamped Hague £35
Pair MA2 on what I think are high flange Campag track hubs £45
Weinmann concave rim on large flange front hub £20
Weinman concave rim on large flange front hub, different from above £20
Pair Mavic rims, no markings rear is on large Suzue, front on large Lambert £35

all plus postage at whatever the Post Office will charge.  Or will swap for stuff, I'm looking for a 700c wheelset and a 26" wheelset or pos just rims

Scrapped By

Just managed to reach my target miles – 117.

Monday Jayne and I had a day off.  We struggled to get going but got out in the afternoon.  We rode out to Great Eccleston for a tea cake and coffee, passing the geo-survey machines that are surveying for the fracking company that hope to drill in the area.  We went home via a convoluted route to avoid Cop school kicking out and ended up going past three other schools instead.

Tuesday to Thursday I was in Bristol, but took my bike down.  Wednesday night I rode out to Clifton Downs for a short spin.  It was phenomenally hilly but good ride.

Saturday we rode the tandem to the Apple Store via the hilly route.  We met up with Ian, Mark and Ross, who’d set out from Lytham and eventually with Joe, Karl and Alison who had gone round the Trough and where knackered.  After soup, sandwich, tea cake and lots of tea, we all decided to head back the way Jayne and I had come.  We were much the slowest, especially on the hills, but set a fast pace whenever the road turned down hill.

Early start this morning for the Ribby Tri.  I was marshal again.  Usually I man the level crossing, but Karl had bagged that job, so I was general dogs body.  First task was to jog round the run course with bollards on my shoulder laying out the turn points.  Then go round again with mile markers.  Then go round again with paint to mark the turns, which were washing away in the rain.  I set off to do the last bit on my bike, when I noticed a flat tyre.  I was supposed to ride round the bike course, making sure the marshals were in place and had bibs.  Instead I got Liam, who was there on behalf of St John’s Ambulance, to run me home where I got my car and drove the course.  After that I didn’t really have anything to do, but somehow ended up at the finish with the timekeeper, logging people’s finish time.  The weather in the morning was atrocious, some people out on the bike course hit by a hail shower, but lots of rain everywhere.  By about half way it cleared up and was quite sunny.  It was good to go and help out.

Cheers

Tim

Contrast

Its been a busy few weeks.  I was in Paris Sunday/Monday of Easter week, then got a bit of riding in Easter weekend, but really did very little as we were both knackered.  This week again has been mixed but finally I’ve finally got some decent miles in.  Thursday night Jayne was bowling so I did a little extra loop out to the pub. 

Yesterday we headed out on the tandem to Cafe de Lune.  This is the first leg of the ride out to the ferry for the Isle of Man at Heysham.  We wanted to time ourselves as the ferry times have changed.  Karl and Alison met us there and we rode back together.  It was very hard work, there is a cold northerly wind blowing and little to shelter you out on the marshes.  Here’s our elevation stats for a 42 mile ride we did 700+ feet of climbing.

Today Karl, Alison and I drove out to Abbeystead to do a loop through Caton, Wray, Slaidburn and the Trough.  Slight difference to yesterday, BikeHike was predicting 4500ft of climbing in 42 miles.  It wasn’t wrong, it was a very hard day.  I am completely knackered.  My speed up Boundary Hill dropped to 2mph.  It was a glorious day though.  The weather started sunny but with the cold northerly wind blowing it was bitter over the hills.   The weather turned over the Tatham Fells and we rode through some hail and it looked threatening all the way through Slaidburn and on to the Trough.  It held though and we rode back into Abbeystead in the sunshine, cold, tired and hungry.  Karl’s Garmin said 4610ft of climbing!

150 miles for this week, getting better.

Cheers

Tim

Dad

My eulogy for my Dad

“I’d like to take a few moments to talk, well really, about me.

A while back I was on the phone to (my big sister) Sara and she said “You sound just like Dad”

Then last Christmas I hadn’t shaved for a few days and she said I looked like Dad

And I know Sue (my sister in law) has said “Just like your father” to Paul (my brother) loads of times

And I’m sure Sara, Claire (my middle sister) and Jane have heard it at least once each

But more than looking and sounding a bit like Dad, we, all of his children, behave a bit like him

I don’t mean coming into the room, changing the TV channel then walking out again, or the one word emails

I mean the way we treat each other.  I can see Dad’s influences in the way we lead our lives, in the choices we make

I hope we can continue to be a bit like Dad, with his love of his family, his humour and his integrity

And if I can strive to be like him as a father, a husband, a brother and a friend, then I could do a lot worse, and that would be no bad thing”

It seemed to go down OK. Was hard to do though.  Still overcome by emotions almost by the minute.

Tim

Some Things

My Dad died last week.  He had bowel cancer and was going into hospital to have a section removed.  I think it was a far bigger operation than either he or my Mum let on.  Unfortunately the surgeons couldn’t stem some serious internal bleeding and he never regained consciousness.  All but my brother were there at the end.

That and various work commitments have kept me off the bike a bit.  Last weekend Jayne and I went up to Witherslack and did this ride again.  A bit of a rain shower but a great if tiring ride.

Yesterday we went out on the tandem for a 30 mile trip out to Barton Grange.  Today Karl, Alison and I drove  out to Abbeystead and set out for a sufferfest of hills.  Only 32 mile but 3900 feet of climbing.  Hard work but good.  My climbing was OK.  Kept up with Karl and Alison.

Knackered!

Dad’s funeral is Thursday.

Cheers

Tim

Couple of Good Weeks

The weather has improved.  Some parts of the country are 30 degrees warmer than they were a fortnight ago.   Not quite such a big change here but still temps into double figures for the first time this year.

Last weekend I went out with Ian and Ross, just 45 miles at a medium pace, but plenty for me.  We got out to Chipping just as the Pendle Forest club got to the cafe.  Service isn’t great at the best o times so we turned round and headed up to Beacon Fell.  A very strong wind down the other side made for a tough slog home.  Sunday we headed out to Scorton, our furthest tandem ride so far this year.  Again the wind picked up on the way home and the ride across the moss from Nateby was hard work.  The toll for the Cartford bridge has gone up 100%! 20p now rather than 10p.

A full week of riding in 3/4’s this week and almost a full week of riding home in daylight or dusk.  Spring is coming.  Yesterday we planned a long leisurely ride out to Scorton again.  But the weather changed, wind and heavy rain.  We cut the ride short and headed to Great Eccleston and the Courtyard Cafe.  Then the sun came out, but by then we were cold and wet.  Today we went out to Honeywell’s to get meat.  5lb of mince, 5lb of steak and 1lb of venison.  We took it really easy but the temps today were half of yesterday.  By the time we got home, after 20 miles, we were frozen again.

My bike was making a lot of squeaking noises over the last few weeks and it was filthy but I’d hung back from doing anything cos the roads are covered in mud.  But it was time to do something.  I started by trying to find the powerlink in the chain.  I was sure I’d put one in, but couldn’t find it.  Eventually I broke the chain with a chain tool.  Then I took the lower jockey wheel off.

There are supposed to be teeth on this.  after a while chipping away with a screwdriver I eventually got it clean.  I cleaned the chain in a bath of white spirit.  In the process I discovered that there was a powerlink after all.

I’m slowly clawing back the deficit but still 350+ miles short.  I’m off to Bristol tomorrow but I’ll take a bike