Yesterday was my longest ride since last September! I did 52 miles.
Very slow in horrible headwinds on the way out. Taking lots of photos, including several for the various photo challenges on here, were great excuses for stopping for a break from the relentless wind - I have windburn.
Waugh Brow Farm was closed but luckily the Barnshaw Smithy - between Knutsford and Ashley, were open and their coffee was very good. The bacon barm and their coconut, lemon and blueberry cake was also good.
I reversed my route so that I went through Irlam,
Knutsford, Lowton and Mosley Common in alphabetical order for the ABC challenge.
Unfortunately, where the cycle path on the Cadishead Way runs out, I was just about to join the road when I noticed that one of the lanes was coned off and I didn't want to be close passed by traffic that coudn't get passed, so I did a loop back through Hollins Green where I often pass this lovely pub with a marker for the End to End LEJOG JOGLE
and round Dam Lane where I was able to approach Warburton Bridge from the opposite direction.
I also took the time to investigate some of the interesting features I passed. I do like reading the boards that explain the historical information about what you are looking at.
Just off the Cadishead Way is this board for this sculpture on the roundabout that I had never known before.
In Knutsford I learnt about the old market hall,
and watched some planes.
It was so lovely to get out onto the country lanes and see the lambs in the fields, the spring flowers in the hedgerows, the deer in Tatton Park and just admire enjoy the views.
From Lymm, taking the route to Tatton Park via Rostherne, I mostly had the lanes to myself.
It was somewhat quicker on the way home, in fact, with the wind behind me and all junctions clear or on green, on leaving the cafe I didn't stop pedaling all the way through Ashley and Dunham until the just before Warburton Bridge where I caught up with the beginning of the queue of traffic. So I had a quick stop at the bus stop to have some of the chocolate brownie I'd bought at the cafe.
Then it was a quick wriggle past the cars, sprint (don't forget the wind was behind me and I had a sugar rush from the brownie) up the bridge and zoom down to the lights, just getting through before they changed. I soon turned off to go through Hollins Green again to avoid the traffic. At Glazebrook, the road was quiet and I didn't catch up with the traffic again until I got to Culcheth, but going left to Lowton and onto the path on the A580 meant I avoided any more queues.
Mosley Common was a mining area.
This bike is just the ticket for this sort of thing, it's everything I wanted it to be. 
Plus they were admiring it in the post office. 
A big thanks to 
