A long way (sort of...), on a bike
The starting...
I first got the cycling bug in 1989, when I was a mere whipper-snapper of a 15 year old. Me and my mate would go out on a 25 mile circuit, nothing heroic or super fast, just a "pootle" out on a summers evening on some of Staffordshire's lanes, from Lichfield, to Whittington, then over to Elford by the river Trent, onwards to the pleasantly named "No Man's Heath", and home again.
First long trip
After that, in 1989 I had the pleasure of going on a 5 day Youth Hostelling / Cycling holiday with my school at the end of the summer term. That was a wonderful trip, covering 350 miles in 5 days.
- Lichifield > Ironbridge, Shropshire
- Ironbridge > Chester, Cheshire
- Chester > Bangor, Gwynedd
- Bangor > Dolgellau, Gwynedd
- Dolgellau > Shrewsbury, Shropshire
- Shrewsbury > Lichfield, Staffordshire
That was a wonderful trip - we covered about 70 miles a day, or maybe more on some of the days since the first and last days weren't that long.
Another YHA trip
Between my second and third years at University I went on another Youth Hostelling holiday in summer 1994. My friend and I initially thought we'd go for the "End to End" from Lands End to John O'Groats, but thought it would be too hilly. Instead we thought we'd go to Cornwall and along some of the South Coast. We didn't realise how hilly that part of the country was! We covered about 700 miles then, from Lizard Point near Lands End, over to Tunnbridge Wells and back West again to Lymington, near the Isle of Wight. Another nice trip.
On one of the days me and my friend covered about 106 miles, I think. Or at least it was over 100 miles, and we were very pleased with ourselves. That was the longest either of us had ever been before on a bike.
Staffordshire Lanes - some nice ones!
A few examples
During 1996/7 I really explored the wonderful Staffordshire lanes between Lichfield and Cannock Chase, which is a huge coniferous plantation run by the Forestry Commission.
The places which these wonderful lanes pass between include the following, in no particular order: Farewell, Chorley, Gentleshaw, Cannock Wood, Hazelslade, Upper Longdon...
Cross in Hand Lane, Lichfield
If you ever get the chance, leave Lichfield on the A51 towards Rugeley, past Beacon Park on the right, and before you get to a pub called "The Hedgehog" there is a tiny lane called "Cross in Hand Lane" which is one of the most tranquil and beautiful lanes I have ever had the pleasure to cycle down.
One of the nicest things about this lane is that it seems to be buried well below the levels of the fields on either side of it. There is quite a steep climb up the lane, and on a damp day you can smell the earth seeping out from the banks on either side of you. Above you is a tunnel of trees reaching up over the road, and all around you feel like you are in a hidden place, far removed from the busyness of the modern world.
Even if you don't live anywhere near Staffordshire, it's worth visiting Lichfield just to experience the delight of this lane. This is a link to a map of the lane.
Coalpit Lane, Rugeley
This is another favourite. As you approach Rugeley on the A51, take a left up Coalpit Lane which is located just opposite the power station, and just past the Cedar Tree Hotel (which happens to have a huge and magnificent Cedar Tree in front of it). Follow Coalpit Lane, and you are taken on a lovely ascent out of Rugeley into the heart of Cannock Chase. Doesn't sound much, but it is well worth a visit.
The 100+ milers
Over the years, I have done a few 100-plus mile rides. Some have been longer than others. In June 2007 I managed a 200 mile ride.
Most of the routes have been based around the Cheshire Cycleway Regional Route 70 . This is a 175 mile route around the edge of Cheshire. The great thing about it is that it is very well signposted with blue signs so you can get around it without having to stop all the time to look at maps.
| Date | Distance | Route | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 26-AUG-2000 | 126.52 |
Most of the old 135 mile Cheshire Cycleway Regional Route 70
Time: 09:05:41 |
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| 29-JUL-2001 | 131.46 |
Most of the old 135 mile Cheshire Cycleway Regional Route 70
Time: 08:58 |
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| 06-AUG-2002 | 120.87 |
A friend and I thought it'd be a nice thing to cycle from the hills in Wales to the West of Chester, all the way across the Cheshire Plain, and then up to the Cat and Fiddle Pub, and then all the way back again to Chester. So that's what we did. It took about 45 minutes to get from the bottom of the A537 in Macclesfield (by Arighi Bianchi) to the Cat and Fiddle.
Time: 08:10:27 |
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| 11-SEP-2004 | 160.23 |
Started out as a ride up the Horseshoe Pass nr. Llangollen. After 90 miles my friend stayed at home and I planned to cycle back to Middlewich, but since I had a favourable tailwind I added in some extra miles to try to beat my previous distance record of 130ish miles.
Time: 11:40:00 |
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| 14-AUG-2005 | 177.58 |
Time: 12:16:40 |
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| 18-JUN-2006 | 150.31 |
Middlewich to Christleton High School, Chester. Then a hacked up version of the Cheshire Cycleway Regional Route 70 , starting at Christleton High School, and ending at the Ring O Bells pub in Christleton. Cycled home to Middlewich after that.
Time: 10:18:50 |
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| 08-JUL-2006 | 129.55 |
Bus / train home due to feeling weedy.
Time: 09:36 |
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| 08-JUN-2007 | 202.61 |
As ever, a hacked up version of the Cheshire Cycleway Regional Route 70 , following (sort of) the full 175 mile route, with some extra bits added to get to 200 miles. Nice to have finally managed a 200 mile trip. Didn't drink enough water though, so felt like I'd been run over for about 12 hours after getting off the bike. This was the first time I'd included the Wirral / Ellesmere Port loop of the Cheshire Cycleway route. It's not the prettiest part of the ride... I feel pleased to have reached 200 miles, but as ever, there are others who can always go further and faster, as with all sports... Anyway, it's all relative. I used to feel small and pathetic compared to those who do insane endurance events. Now, I am content to think that I do my best with the time I have available. God willing, next year I'm going to have a go at a 250 mile ride in a single day. It's a much nicer round figure - 250 miles / 400 kilometers. I'm not sure what I get out of doing these long rides. After my 200 miler (I'm writing this a few months after I rode it), I said "never again", and now I'm planning again for another long ride. I think what appeals to me is that it is such a big challenge. People across all sports like a challenge. Perhaps also it's a vanity trip. Perhaps it's also about stepping outside the normal routine of daily life, and pushing myself to do something extreme, to do some mind-over-matter work, and to test what I am capable of achieving. They sound like lofty ideals, and maybe they are. At least I'm not getting drunk in the pub and getting into fist fights anyway...
Time: 14:07 |
