9.8mile
12thy May 2016
Click Here For Route Via Strava
This was to be the first outing for Graham’s new bike so I had taken the decision that as this was also our first adventure of the season, our route would be a shorter than usual one to ease us both into it and just in case there was a problem with his new bike, this proved to be a good idea on my part as you will read later, also it was Graham’s first adventure as a 50 year old.
Once again I planned our route for this evenings adventure using the route planner http://www.plotaroute.com/routeplanner . The route was to take us away from our usual area, up through Leverhulme park heading towards Oakenbottom road where we crossed bury road and on down to Seven Acres following the path of Bradshaw brook, whilst crossing the bridge I heard a small noise behind me, thinking I had rode over something I carried on ignoring it, but thankfully my right hand man was right behind me and shouted that something had fallen off my bike, it was just the cover and batteries from my rear light but if Graham hadn’t been there they would have been lost forever. Further along the path we came across a group of kids playing in the water, upon seeing us they took it upon themselves to whistle and heckle us as we rode by, it being all in good humour with no malice, but further along we came across 2 police officers having a heated discussion with a group of adults, we just rode on.
We left the path and rode up through past the car park and emerged out onto Crompton way, we then turned right to go down Thicketford road to get back onto our original route. Now we were back on route we turned down the road that leads to Huws Gray builders merchants, passing the barrier and up the path we again left our planned route taking a path to our left, where after sounding his bell Graham nearly collided with a man obviously oblivious of what was going on around him. The path brought us out onto
Cartmel crescent and back onto Crompton way 50m from Thicketford road, so we went back down Thicketford road and retracing our route. It was here though that Graham’s bike decided it want to play up, it wouldn’t let him select the correct gears, even though he had the posh facility to change down 2 gears at once! So he kept chunering to himself trying to get it working , but eventually he gave up and resigned to the fact that his posh new bike would have to be repaired in his garage at a later date. We came to the point where we had previously turned left, but now we turned right not knowing where it would lead. Across a small bridge we came upon a small arrowed sign so we decided to follow this, it led us along a path through some lovely scenery until we came to a clearing at this point we parked the bikes up and had a short rest before continuing up a steep hill and past a small playground to a road ,Longsight Ln we had actually been through Longsight Park without knowing !!
Now we decided we would head towards home as we had cycled off route once again. Turning left we rode up Longsight Ln to Hough Wold way until we came to a dead end, so down Ashdene crescent we went soon realising were heading back the way we had come, so now back along Hough Fold way turning left up Longsight lane up to the junction then left again hopefully heading now in the right direction. Soon we passed Tottington road and we knew where we were.
The lights at the junction with Turton road were on red so as we waited we heard some shouting up the road, then a group of cyclist all looking like Sir Bradley Wiggins passed us with a guy on a old clapped out motorcycle just behind them effing and jeffing at them, road rage on a different level. As we approached the traffic lights at Crompton way the guy on the old motorcycle passed us and proceeded to go through the lights on red just missing a couple of cars.
Once we got to Matalan on Tonge moor road we turned up onto their car park to try and find the path which we believed would take us towards Tonge cemetery , we found it tucked away and followed it until it brought us out onto Bury road , where we crossed over down Cemetery road and back up through Leverhulme park.
Now feeling the effects of our exertion we only felt it pertinent to call at the Farmers Arms in Darcy Lever for refreshments, ready for our next adventure.
