27/6/25
Reverse Loop on the Rans
A muggy day, tempered by the occasional breeze. T shirt weather again. Out through the gate, across the road then right towards Swanlow Lane. Right at the lights, then downhill to the town centre lights. As usual, a wait with the traffic before going across to Grange Lane. Unfortunate timing, as despite school run time being over, there were a few secondary schoolkids about. As I passed a group of girls, someone said, “like that bike!”, while another said, “That bike is
so cool!” I raised a hand as I’d gone past by then. I hoped that was it for today. Perhaps I’m not so attuned to the Rans as I am to the other two yet that I can take the attention in my stride.
I soon came to the point where Grange Lane turns away to the right, through an estate and into the countryside. Down a dip and up the other side, soon approaching the site of a demolished bridge on the old railway. Today I turned right, an awkward sharp turn which I managed but wasn’t in a low enough gear so I stalled just inside the barrier. Oh well, know better next time. I waddled up the slope until it eased then set off again. I usually come the other way on this section, so it was a bit of a reverse loop today. An easy ride downhill most of the way, through the old Catsclough level crossing and under the shady trees to where the rail trail meets Bradford Road.
Left past the extensive rock salt mine. I stopped to take a picture.
The underground salt caverns extend for miles in every direction and due to the constant temperature and low humidity are used for storing archives, among other things.
I continued along Bradford Road, across the Pettypool Brook not far from where it meets the Weaver on the right. A sharp left, and a shady, slightly downhill interlude before the climb past Bradford Mill. It didn’t feel as steep as I remembered, helped by a following breeze and the overhanging trees. It didn’t seem obvious, but the Rans got up it without great effort.
Once past here, it was into the open with little shade and the long gradual uphill towards Whitegate. I could feel myself heating up. The breeze had disappeared. I was glad to reach the slight summit before Whitegate and start freewheeling to the left turn into Grange Lane. There was a woman in a garden chair on the pavement outside her house who said “Hi” as I turned in, and I replied.
It was pleasant to get into the shade again, once through the vehicle barrier and among the trees. The lane shrank to a narrow footpath with encroaching prickly and stinging plants. I had to stop from time to time to push them aside before proceeding.
I reached a more open area and stopped to listen to the silence. It wasn’t truly silent. There was the sound of the shallow Pettypool Brook from below, rippling over its sandy bottom. There was the shussh of the wind in the upper branches of the trees, though it was still and sultry where I was. A distant woodpecker rattled against a tree, pigeons expressed their endless surprise, a chiffchaff chiffchaffed, a chaffinch requested a-little-bit-of-bread-and-no-cheese, and many other melodious birds which I couldn’t name added their sounds to the airy amphitheatre.
What there wasn’t, was vehicle noise.
Reluctantly, I remounted and prepared to resume battle with the prickly stingers.
I hadn’t been going long when a tall woman with a white top and a dog came jogging towards me. I said, “I’ll pull over.” She replied, “I’m past now”. I pressed on and soon came out on to the place where the lane opened out. Though steep and rutted, I made good progress and after it levelled out, came to where it became a metalled lane again.
Soon I passed between the old bridge abutments where I’d turned off earlier and was heading downhill into a dip and up the other side. Past a golf course, through some houses, right at a T junction then across the sports complex car park to a path between the playing fields. Through the exit barrier, up a steep lane, right on to an uphill estate road, left at Delamere St then a little further on right past St John’s church, left on to a bumpy lane past some small engineering businesses then right on to a path behind some houses.
This eventually led to a barrier, then on to a green area. I followed a path between more houses then came out on to a road where I turned left. Left again at a T junction, then shortly afterwards right on to an underpass beneath the A54 dual carriageway.
So far so good. As the afternoon was warming up my plan had been to get across town to near where I lived by using paths and estate roads. I wasn’t too sure of the route from here on, so would have to play it by ear.
There seemed a promising turning just up the road so I went left then right. A few minutes later, out I came again. Left, downhill then left into the next close. This time, a through route. Past a school, along a path, into a car park and left on to a road. Soon after, right at a T junction on to Beeston Drive. Left at the next turning and after some winding about arrived at my back gate
Distance 11.31 miles. Max Speed 24.0 mph. Average Speed 8.3 mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent 384 ft. According to Bikehike.
safe to report no major setbacks with the knee yet so we shall see how it feels tomorrow but if it stays like it is i shall be back to commuting next week .
