LEJOG Blog

Today we had a lie-in followed by a leisurely breakfast. Then Janet and I strolled down to Walkden and did some essential shopping in the form of a couple of spare inner tubes and a pressure gauge for Presta valves.

After a lunch consisting of bacon butties, we loaded the bike, said our farewells to Enid and David and headed for the hills - again! With Enid's help we worked out a very quiet route to Kearsley and then used NC route 6 (OK, I know, I never learn) to Radcliffe. The surface of this particular farcility was very good and it was also direct. From there we joined the B road through Ainsworth and through Tottington.

We were in familiar territory again when we crossed the M66/A56 into Edenfield and followed the road through to Rawtenstall (I have been to Rawtenstall many times but have yet to witness the Annual Fair, as celebrated in the music-hall song). From there it was a slow and steady plod through Crawshawbooth, Love Clough and Dunnockshaw before climbing part way up the Hamelden Hill to New Laithe Farm.

Nephew Robert proved to be the perfect host, supplying soup, bread and coffee. I pumped up the tyres of his mountain bike and I also gave the tandem the "once over", washing off the accumulated dust, proofiding my saddle and giving both chains a good dose of Purple Extreme.

There has been quite a lot of discussion on the ACF forum about the merits of various chain lubricants. For what it's worth, I have had to retension the chain of my solo machine as it has stretched quite a lot. Mostly that has been lubricated using White Lightning, and the chain had already stretched noticeably in the first 1000 miles. Today we completed our first 1000 miles on the T-bird, I have used only Purple Extreme as a chain lubricant and there is no noticeable stretch in either chain, both of which have been under great pressure. In my mind there is no doubt that Purple Extreme knocks spots off any other chain lubricant I have ever used.