My ride today was to check out a previously flooded cycle path.
Knowing it would be muddy, I took my bike with studded tyres because they also have a bit of tread.
Looked like some black ice in the back lanes which form part of the early section of the route.
I will never know if the studs kept me upright, but they did give me the confidence to carry on with the ride.
The path I wanted to look at is part of the former C2C route on the south side of the River Wear in Sunderland between South Hylton and Offerton.
The flood has been there for months, and nothing has been done despite a few requests to various likely bodies.
Last I heard, the job was mired in a responsibility dispute between Sustrans, the local authority, and Northumbrian Water, who it is suspected did some work nearby which caused the problem.
As the pic shows, there's still a lot of standing water, but it's now shallow enough to be passable even for a cautious cyclist such as myself.
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Having passed the worst part of the track, I could now continue on my muddy - and icy - way to Penshaw, then the bridge at Fatfield to cross to the north side of the Wear.
Turning back towards Sunderland at St Robert's Newminster school put me onto the current C2C route.
Several ways to go through Washington, given the conditions I opted for a road-biased route which also took me past a Sainsbury's Local at Teal Farm Estate, which is handy to pick up some comestibles.
Trunk bag fully loaded, it was time for a cuppa at the cafe in the Washington Wildfowl Trust.
I've used it often, not considered cheap for up here - the plate below was £6.10 - but they are reasonably welcoming to cyclists.
The bike park is out of sight from the cafe, although it's an unlikely location for ne'er do wells and there's usually staff trudging about.
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Anyone local to the area may just recognise Penshaw Monument behind the trees on the skyline.
Suitably refreshed, I trundled on along the C2C towards Sunderland, more tracks with more surface mud, puddles and ice.
I took to the road again for the last two or three miles, which took me past Sunderland's under construction new bridge.
Not quite sure why they need such a tall crane, the bridge deck is the blue bit.
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Incoming darkness means it's time to deploy my lights for the last three or four miles home.
The ride is about 15 miles with only a couple of climbs, neither of which are very steep or long.
I rather like it, varied going and plenty of interest/stopping for a smoke opportunities along the way.
And knowing that path is passable again reopens some of my longer routes for future.
Madness! 
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