The weather’s not exactly been summery recently. In fact the ominous grey clouds and recent high winds have been more reminiscent of autumn. It’s hard to believe that it’s almost June. I decided today to start exploring in some other directions out of Manchester. After half an hour pouring over Google Maps looking for inspiration and memorising locations, I headed off towards Salford Uni. Up and over the Cliff, past the Manchester United training ground, before dropping down and picking up the Irwell Valley Way.
From here National Cycle Route 6 heads north. I followed it up through Radcliffe and into Bury, before heading up towards Ramsbottom. I turned off and then investigated the route to Tottington. A friend of mine, Hugh Bearn, is the parish vicar and after tracking down his church, it was under darkening skies that I decided that it was time to head home. Fortunately as most of the route is either canal towpath or disused railway line, it was fairly sheltered from the wind.
Riding back into the urban areas of first Salford and then Manchester was a different matter. Hideous headwinds in seemingly all directions. Quite tired after the ride and my left knee is twinging a bit. It started when I was riding a while ago, but I haven’t been to work out what is causing it. After a couple of rides I think that the CST tyres seem to drag like a mofo on tarmac, so I might need to try some alternatives, but still I seem to have found a fairly straight forward way of getting into the area to the north west of Manchester. Not quite made it to Rivington yet, but it’s definitely doable and almost within reach.
R O T H A R . C O M 