Two days in the Peak District

After two years of not getting myself out there for a ride in the hills,
yesterday I did my second ride in as many weeks.

Two weeks ago, I did an 80-mile circuit from Glossop, over Chunal Hill, Long
Hill, Bole Hill, Miller's Dale, Hathersage, Strines Moor, down to Holmfirth,
and back to Glossop via Holme Moss - nothing like saving the hardest til
last! Only a couple of days before, autumn made a sudden arival, in fact the
day before I went was definitely wintry. I took the pannier to carry all my
"just in case" cold weather gear, and ended up wearing at all anyway. Funny
thing was, I stopped for lunch at a pub in Eyam, the same one I'd been to
only a week before when I was out walking, sat outside the same pub in
blazing sunshine.

Yesterday was more ambitious. Starting from home in Liverpool, and ending at
Glossop. Out to Warrington, Knutsford, Macclesfield, over the Cat & Fiddle,
Long Hill, Chinley and Chunal. Leaving Liverpool, the city I've lived in for
6 years, riding out on the road I must have ridden out on 100 times, I had
to go via Tesco which I've been to about 200 times. I tried to make a
shortcut from one to the other, and got lost.

By the time I got to Warrington, I decided that if I was going to be going
to these hills, I'd better get some new front brake pads. Ron Spencer's was
the only one I knew of, and knew how to get to, only five minute's walk from
my sisters house. I got lost, again. Then the old ones proved very
troublesome to get out, coming out a lot easier when I removed the wheel.
After putting the wheel back in, the brakes were misaligned so I spent more
time re-aligning them, before realising after all I just hadn't put the
wheel in straight......

Because of all the faffing, I had a surprising 50 miles on the clock at
Macclesfield, where I stopped for lunch. After all that, the Cat & Fiddle
was straightforward and very enjoyable, much less traffic than when I've
ridden it at weekends. Up and over Long Hill, unlike last time I descended
to Whaley Bridge I wasn't hindered by a headwind, though halfway down a
strange swishing noise from the front wheel turned into a clanking. Nothing
was amiss when I stopped to check it, and it went silent and never came
back.

Across to Chapel-en-le-Frith and over Chinley and Chunal. I suffered. Ridden
both in this direction before but must have blocked them from my memory. An
earlier thought of nipping up and back down the Snake Pass when I got to
Glossop were abandoned by now, too knackered. Except when I did get to
Glossop, I just couldn't resist it. A few hours daylight left, what's the
worst that can happen? I can give up anytime and ride back down.

I made it to the summit in 35 minutes, sooooo glad I did, it's overtaken all
others as my favourite climb. After a few minutes admiring the scenery I
turned round and arrived back in Glossop ten minutes later - now my
favourite descent too!

90 miles in total yesterday, unfortunate I had to stand on the train all the
way home, feeling wasted today, but I'd rather do that every Monday that sit
for 8 hours in the office!