Summer in Timperley

We returned from Scotland to weather reminiscent of our recent trip to Turkey – constant blue skies and pleasant warmth.

It’s a shame that ‘home admin’ rather got in the way, and particularly galling that we chose to spend one of the best mornings on Sue’s ‘once a decade’ trip to a car showroom (although pleasing for her to find that prices are the same as ten years ago!).

A few short trips were however enjoyed, and after Stumpy’s failure the old Shogun Trail Breaker bike enjoyed a few outings (it’ll still be used for flattish trips around home after Stumpy has passed his medical).

Here’s Shogun, on the Trans Pennine Trail path around the edge of Carrington Moss.  At this point, between Ashton upon Mersey and the chemical plants of Carrington, the old Moss (bog) has long since been used for agriculture, and on this day (30 September) four tractors were feverishly at work in this huge field.

It’s a pleasant circuit from Timperley – the 14 mile route is shown below.  If you can do it in an hour, you’re a lot fitter than me!

The Bridgewater Canal looked in great form in Sale, on this glorious day.

It’s definitely autumn, though, with spiders very active around the house, and mushrooms sprouting all over the place.

Here’s George, who guards our porch.  He has a velvety coat which is lovely to stroke, but I’m not sure whether he appreciates the attention – he has now moved to a more secluded location.  He’s a cannibal, by the way, but is probably no more edible himself than the Shaggy Caps (aka Lawyer's Wig) (Coprinus comatus) that I discovered in Newton Heath, beside the Rochdale Canal, on Sunday morning.

It was my second trip by bike from home to Sholver, this time a bit quicker than my first attempt (see here), though by now the weather had deteriorated a little.  Sections of the canal are currently atrociously loaded with rubbish and Canadian geese, but the autumn colours are developing nicely, as here in Failsworth – not known for its colourful countryside.

 

This small dog bravely investigated my passage after I’d taken a cross country route from Rochdale to Shaw.

 

 

 

 

Kate and Jacob were in good form, as were Simon and Oscar, as we all enjoyed a stroll around Crompton Fold.

Then autumn arrived…

Thursday 29 September 2011 – Stumpy Bites Back

I chose the ‘Big Macc Ramble’ as a first outing for my ‘new’ mountain bike, Stumpy (pictured above), acquired a month ago on the August Bank Holiday weekend.  It’s a route that I’ve done many times, although not so often in recent years.  It has one or two vaguely technical descents that should have brought the best out of the full suspension and left me with a good feeling about the new acquisition.

But Stumpy didn’t play ball.  After 5km of steepish ascent the bike got fed up with its new owner.  The chain broke.  I should have known how to mend it, and I probably have a suitable tool, but it’s a first for me to have a chain failure – in all its thousands of miles the Trail Breaker’s chain has never broken.  Stumpy’s chain was exceedingly oily, so I cut my losses and free wheeled back down the hill to Trentabank.

So my first trip on Stumpy was a mere 10km, with 300 metres of ascent, in an hour and twenty minutes.

My confidence is dented, especially as the disc brakes were squealing like a demented batchelor, so I’m getting it serviced before venturing out again.

On the positive side, some steep steps encountered on the free wheel descent would have been a serious challenge for me on the old steel bike, but Stumpy took them in his stride.

It was a lovely afternoon – here’s the view of Tegg’s Nose from Teggsnose Reservoir.

The view across the fields towards Macclesfield Forest seemed very ‘pastoral’.

Here’s Stumpy, shortly before the hill that broke him.

 
Ho hum, but not so bad really, I’d much prefer my equipment to break than the other way around!