A day out in Lancashire with the Fylde Bicycle Belles

Today was a really lovely day. Part of my role as CTC Councillor is to meet the groups in the North West and get to know them. It is very useful to talk to member groups and find out how they are getting on and if there are any problems.

I was invited up to the AGM of the Fylde Bicycle Belles last year but due to circumstances, couldn't make it. I've kept contact and got an invite to do a ride with them. To me personally, this is the best way to get to know and talk to members.

So a date was set and we agreed that today would be the day for me to join them.

I got up at a silly Sunday hour (6.30am), left the house on my bike at 7.30am and got the 8.30am train to Liverpool. Travelling to Preston is not really that far but as fate goes, there were maintenance work scheduled so the fast route wasn't possible. It was a bit dodgy as no bike reservations were required for the journey up but in the end it was allright. The train from Liverpool to Preston (went to Blackpool North) was a milk train - stopped everywhere! The straps to tie your bike wasn't really good so my bike kept sliding. I was rather nervous about that so my journey up wasn't as relaxed as it could've been.

I got to Preston station and found my way out - only to realise that I took the wrong turn and that Ursula was probably elsewhere! I saw someone who was looking like a Postie on the middle platform after I went back to search for her (Sorry Ursula! I need to explain here: her pannier looked exactly like a Postie pannier from behind!) and realised it was her.

We made our way out and headed for Avenham Park where the others were waiting. We were 6 all together - Ursula, Sarah, Marion, Mandy, Julie and me.

The initial ride took us along some nice cycleways and thus avoiding the traffic. I managed to see some really hillarious lane names: Sod Hall Lane; Wholesome Lane and Long Meanygate.

Lunch didn't come soon enough. We were all really hungry and in the mood for some good food. Sarah, who was ride leader today, took us to to the Marina near Rufford. The view was great and after a short spell of waiting patiently outside, we got a table just as it started to drizzle.

After lovely fish and chips (and a double chocolate gateaux) we were ready for the ride back. At about 3.50pm I said my goodbyes and split from the group to head for the station.

Overall a really nice day - thanks girls! It was good to meet you and I would love it if we can do that again.

Fabulous Ladies Ride - 12 March 2011

It was a great day for cycling! We met up at the Kingsway Cafe as usual and then head towards the 50p shop near Huxley. We had a few new girls, which is always good, and some who have been cycling for a while.

The stop was lovely tea and scone at the small cafe on-site at the 50p shop and I bought a few books - a couple of Sudoku books, a wordsearch book and a crossword book.

Jo and I needed to find home soon due to other commitments and left ahead of the others. Overall a very enjoyable ride!

Big plans for coming Sunday is to make my way over to Preston to meet up with the Belles there. They are doing a 25mi ride which take them to a lunch stop. I need to get on the train for 8.30am and will arrive at 10.39am where Ursula will meet me. I'm looking forward to that and hopefully another blog post.

 
 
 

Killing two birds. . . ?!

So why killing two birds with one stone? Well, planning works well but sometimes unfortunate circumstances takes over!

I planned a 15mi ride for today only to get a desperate text/sms from my daughter asking: Mum, can you cycle to school and bring my PE kit?
School is sort of on the Holt/Farndon route so I thought I could do my 15 miler tomorrow. So while I did my duty as a good mum, I also got some exercise in.

I packed my pannier with the PE kit and head off. To my surprise it only took 40min to do the trip to school. Before heading off, I text my better half to ask if he will spend his lunch with me in Sainsbury's which is close to the school. I thought that I will probably need a cup of tea by that time so after the PE kit was dropped off, I headed for Sainsbury's. Had a lovely relaxing time waiting for him to arrive whilst I read the paper.

Coming out of the shop, it seemed that the weather decided that the nice morning was now over and it looked quite threatening. I covered everything up with rainproof covers and headed out, back along through town. I wasn't keen to go down to Holt due to the weather.

But the weather played along and it merely gave a drop here and there so I decided to stretch my return a bit and go via Eccleston and Pulford. The photos was taken just after I went through the arch bridge outside Eccleston, on my way down to the Grosvenor estate (Duke of Westminster lives there). The weather still kept at bay and I got my mileage in which paid off in calories (950 Cals burned).

So a successful cycle on my first day of leave! Roll on tomorrow...:)

The view towards the Welsh hills.

The arch bridge outside Eccleston.

Boris Bikes

I plucked up the courage tonight (yes you read correctly - tonight) to rent one of the Boris Bikes in London.

I travel to London fairly regularly and there is a docking station just outside Euston, but so far I've only glanced at it as I have been too self-conscious to go to the machine and try and figure it out.

Tonight was a different story. I was on my way to my hotel and passed another docking station outside Russell Square station. Mmm, I thought...one day.

That one day turned out to be tonight when I realised that the restaurant where I wanted to go is 0.7mi from the hotel. Of course it is walkable distance, but why walk if I can cycle. So a plan started to form and I went online to check out the procedure. There are also a few short videos to watch (which I did) but somehow I missed the fact that you need to insert your card twice into the pillar - once to register for usage and the second time for the release code for the bike to want to use. It took a phonecall to their helpline to get that info.

Well bike was released and off I went. And it was fun!! I rarely cycle in the dark so first of all - this was in the dark (well, you get it, lit streets in London) and secondly, I was on one of these sturdy bikes with wind in my hair. I checked the map before I left, so I had a good idea where the docking station was where I was heading.

Docking was a bliss and not difficult at all. Cycling back after my meal was more difficult for obvious reasons !! ;-)

So how much did these two rides cost me? Well only £1 (access charge for 24hrs) as you get the first 30min free of each journey. And I can do more journeys tomorrow as long as it is shorter than 30min and before 18h30 when my 24hr access expires.

I can recommend the Boris bike if you are in London.

Hibernation

There is really no excuse for not posting. I am really sorry if you've been following me and (almost) gave up!

I can only say in my defence that it has been one of the coldest winters so far since I arrived in the UK. Blinking freezing cold. And I went into hibernation.

I don't have a turbo trainer or anything remotely as fancy as that so I had to do with an odd bike ride on days when it wasn't so icy or snowy. And those days were far in between. But hey! On the bright side, the buds are coming through and new leaves are on the verge of showing the world their gorgeous new green and my plans have since matured for 2011.

I'm very excited as I have next week 'off'. I've got 11 days leftover leave and as I can only carry over 5 days, I need to take 6 days before the end of March. My March is already pretty full so it is almost a squeeze but next week is special as I've set aside 4 days (Monday, Tuesday, Wenesday and Friday) to spend outside on my bike. I almost want to say that come rain or shine I will go out.

I have several rides booked for the next few months - I'm booked onto the Spring Tourist Trial, a 50mi CTC (local) ride on 17 April and the Wiggle Sportive Cheshire Cat on 27 March. In between there are local ladies CTC rides and I've been invited up to the Fylde Bicycle Belles on 20 March to join them for one of their rides in the beautiful countryside surrounding Preston.

So my March seems very busy with 3 rides booked on different weekends and I'm also considering joining the CTC Fabulous Ladies on their annual weekend away - this year in June.

I have nothing as elaborate as last year planned. Last year I did Land's End to John O'Groats in June - one of the most marvellous experiences I've ever done. If you haven't yet read my blog about that epic ride, here is the link again - welna-lejog.blogspot.com

So there you are, I have some good times to look forward to and will soon have some more bits to share.

Happy cycling!

Two girls on bikes

Brrrrr!! What a freezing day yesterday was!




I am homebased (Whoohoo !) this whole week and after being encouraged to look more after my own well being, I just couldn't resist the excellent weather we had yesterday.

I sent a Facebook update on Sunday asking if someone wants to go with and Jo responded as she planned to go out for a ride too. We agreed to meet at the Queens pedestrian bridge that spans the Dee in Chester.

Good grief but it was cold!! The frost was everywhere and by 9.30am nothing had melted. The fields were white and cycling was difficult. It felt like my bike weighed a ton and I just couldn't get going. My face was freezing and I even put my balaclava (under my helmet) over my lips with only my eyes showing. I must have been a funny picture to some motorists! My lips are quite sore today - usually I wear lipbalm when out and about on my bike but somehow I forgot that yesterday. Mmmm.

Frost on the bridge

Arriving at the Queens bridge was interesting. Usually I cycle over but this time I had to get off. See the picture!

The bridge was covered in a thick layer of frost with some marks where other cyclists have gone over - some looked like skid marks!

I met up with Jo on the other side, both of us arriving simultaneously. The route took us out if Chester, down Sandy Lane and down the B5130 towards Aldford where we planned our first stop.
The fields along the road were slowly starting the defrost but had still severe frost under trees and in the shadows.

Jo sitting in the sun!

We stopped as planned at the Grosvenor pub in Aldford. First thoughts were that it is shut but we saw a gardener at the back with a leaf blower so he went in and got us a yes for some tea and outside sitting in the weak chilly sun.

The rest of the journey went smoothly and after reaching Dodleston I lead Jo to get back towards her route home. I did just over 20mi and burned almost 1000 cals!

Thanks Jo, that was a lovely ride and I hope one of many in the coming winter.

Tea! All cyclists preferred beverage (me thinks!)

CTC AGMs

I had the privilege on Saturday 16 October to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Manchester and District CTC as Elected CTC Councillor for the North West. I am one of two councillors, the other being David Robinson.

I met very friendly cyclists who have cycling close to their heart. The venue was quite interesting; at The Friends Meeting House in Manchester opposite the library on St Peter Sq. When I walked into the building, there were lots and lots of tables on both sides displaying Socialist literature and it seemed that they had a student meeting scheduled !

The AGM started promptly at 2.15pm and finished at 4pm. It was not very well attended - I guess about 12 people at the most, but I guess that is typical of AGMs. A special award was given by the President Laurie Green to a very long serving member, Graham Trunks (see photos below). Graham has been publishing the 'Northern Wheel', the Manchester and District quarterly magazine for 26 years and has now retired. One of the sad things is that nobody has yet stepped forward to take over the editing of this wonderful magazine. I was very fortunate to receive the very last copy of the 'Northern Wheel' and what a beauty this is! Not only are there the regular features in it but also reports from other groups like Macclesfield Wheelers, Bury, Warrington Road Club and many more.There are also some very interesting touring tales in!

My next AGM is this week Thursday when I will attend the AGM of South Manchester CTC.

 The photos here are of Laurie Green presenting the long service award to Graham Trunks.

Another photo of Laurie and Graham with Mike Wigley, their Secretary in the backdrop.