LEJOG Blog

Breakfast at the Red Cow was actually pretty good, but on balance I think it is better to stay at specialised B & Bs rather than pubs, because in a pub the accommodation invariably seems to become a sideline whilst the landlord is busy with what, quite rightly, is the top priority, i.e. selling good beer.

It was another lovely morning as we headed towards Church Minshull, and toyed with the idea of the canal towpaths. However, we have had enough of off-road for a while so even though the A-roads were busy, they were not intolerable and we were able to keep up a decent pace.

We had one awkward right turn near Northwich and had been waiting some time when suddenly a motorist gave way to us from the right whilst another followed suit from the left. How refreshing!

At one point we heard an unusual bird call so stopped to take a look. There was a nuthatch scurrying around in the branches of a nearby oak tree. There are nuthatches in Essex, apparently, but I have only ever seen them in Wales or the North and West of England.

Somewhere in the area of Lostock Gralam there was a massive chemical plant with pipes bridging the road to some reservoir or other which seemed to have escaped the notice of the cartographers. "Beware of steam vapour for one mile" said the sign, so we did that, and were soon on quiet rural roads again.

We passed through Pickmere and turned onto Frog Lane. We had scarcely gone a yard when - BANG! - with open jaws a lion sprang. Actually it didn't, but the fettling of which I had been so proud not two days ago was all undone in a nanosecond as the brand new Panaracer Pasela 26" x 1.75" tyre, being of a dangerous sort, exploded with a loud report (that's enough of the Hilaire Belloc references - ed.)

I can think of no prettier place than Pickmere if you ever have to change a tyre. It's a little irksome, to say the least, when that particular tyre cost the best part of 20 quid and had only done about 80 miles, but that irk is considerably lessened when a man called Keith, who had been hoovering out his BMW, offers you a cup of tea. Keith definitely provided a service of great value, also disposing of the ruined tyre and tube for us. Thanks, Keith, you're a star!

In quick succession we crossed the M6 and M56, in the first instance treating the drivers underneath the bridge to a quick striptease, as we both ostentatiously removed our trousers, but Janet wouldn't let me moon at the motorists below. We then joined the A6144 on its inexorable journey to the big, bad city.

We felt like a couple of hobbits traversing from the green and pleasant Minas Tirith which is rural Cheshire into the Mordor of Manchester. Crossing the Mersey just doesn't have the same romantic feel to it that crossing the Tamar had done all those miles ago.

In Davyhulme we happened upon a bike shop in which the only member of staff present was a youth. I asked for a 26" x 1.75" Schwalbe Marathon Plus, and after some rummaging he came back with a pair of 700Cs. At least they were made by Schwalbe, which is something, I suppose. We carried on.

The next couple of miles were perhaps the nastiest of my cycling life. We went past the Dark Tower which is the Trafford Centre and then came a little respite when we crossed the Manchester Ship Canal and rode alongside the Bridgewater Canal.

The worst part was negotiating Junction 13 of the M61 and the very unpleasant A575. We took to the pavement and, on crossing the East Lancs Road, picked our way through peaceful residential roads to our friends Enid & David's house.

Once we had been fed (Covent Garden parsnip & apple soup and ham sandwiches) the quest was on for another, or preferably two the rate at which we had been getting through them, Schwalbe Marathon Plus 26" x 1.75" tyres. I tracked one down at the Green Machine Bike Shop in Horwich, so Enid, lovely lady that she is, gave me a lift past the Reebok Stadium to Lee Lane, where I purchase the said item. This looks to me like another Very Good Bike Shop.

So that's all the riding for nearly 24 hours and we have only about 25 miles to do tomorrow. We will set off for Dunnockshaw after lunch.