18th May 2017
Journey Length 14.7ml
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A week is a long time, unless you’re an extreme biker. Last weeks adventure started off badly with one thing causing a problem my chain slipping, but that was to be fixed by tonight but as usual time just disappears. A busy week it was, incorporating a impromptu Adam Ant concert in Manchester, trip to the pictures watching Guardians of the galaxy 2 and arranging two tickets to watch the final night of the Take That concert for Peggy Lou and Val, hence to say my bike didn’t get fixed and I only realised this on Wednesday night watching the late news when the weather forecaster gave the news of, a nice day tomorrow, “great night for a bike ride” I said out loud but then “sh*t, sh*t sh*t ” to Peggy Lou’s disapproval and the realisation I hadn’t fixed it
Not wanting to let Graham down I went for it anyway, arranged our meeting point and set off, bang the chain slipped, “arghh”, and then again shortly after. Eventually I made it to our meeting point, after pointing out my predicament to Graham he hinted at calling it a day but I wouldn’t let my mate down so easily and we agreed to head toward Bury, it being the flattest route we could think of as any hills were a no no for me.
Eventually things seemed to be going OK, we had traveled quite a way along the Canal stopping off to take couple of photos on the way.
As we neared its crossing of the road in the Centre of Radcliffe we hit the cobbles, chain slipped, 20m farther chain slipped again, and again, now it was becoming really annoying, even slowing down didn’t help. It took a little longer than normal to reach the smooth part of the towpath but then it did get easier, it was smooth and flat.
Shortly before we came to the end of the canal where it joins Wellington St we saw a path on our left and decided to investigate. The path led across a small field and then up a steep embankment and then it dropped away just as steep on the other side. Graham at this point had taken the lead and as approached the drop, down he stuttered as his wheel hit a rutt and he toppled head first off his bike. Luckily for him he was wearing his helmet which prevented him for serious injury, the only real injury was to his bike, loosing a reflector off his pedal.
The path had actually brought us out a Elton reservoir marina ,from here we headed up the road towards Bury, before reaching the end of the road we turned off down the cycle route heading towards Bolton but as it veered off we tried to continue off road, but all in vain as the trees and bushes were just too thick and we had to admit defeat and retreat.
Now along the cycle way towards Bury we passed over the viaduct which goes over the river irwell and then we went up the side of St Gabriel’s high school and along Baron St. 
Previously we had turned left towards Bury Centre from here but I spotted a sign for a level crossing, and remarked to Graham “let’s have a look up there”. Half way up there was the level crossing and either side on the tracks were various old engines and rolling stock, probably part of Bury Transport museum.
After a short stop and chin wag we rode up to Manchester Old road turned right looking to follow the cycle route, but unfortunately we took 2 wrong turns to dead ends and failing to find the route we ended up on Manchester Road and back up Radcliffe Rd before turning off down Eton Hill Road passing Grahams place of employment.
From here we continued up to the junction with Cross Lane there again I had the problem of not being able to power away from the junction and spent a while waiting for a big enough gap in the traffic, then it was up to Rectory Lane a left there and up to Sion St to rejoin the Canal.
Once we were back on the canal it was easy going and I knew it would be fine until we got to the breach in the canal where the path drops down and then back up the other side. So we stopped to take a few more photos and spotted a swan with 7 cygnets, a beautiful site.
Now the troubles with the bike were beginning to pay a toll on me and I was beginning to find it hard going. Once I parted company with Graham at the Meccano Bridge I looked forward to the home straight, but once I hit the big hill back up to the canal after Hall lane I was done for, the chain still slipping, it was making it bloody hard going and by the time I got to the hill on Radcliffe Road I had no choice but to get off and push. So the moral of this tail is to find time to fix your bike, unless someone says “fancy a pint downt pub” then it’s another hard ride next week.
