Bike rides

Saturday 17th February - Rochdale Canal/Hollingworth Lake

Stats:

ttm 49:05 odo 471.8 dst 11.51 tm 1:28:17 avg 7.8 max 21.4

According to gps (battery ran out for a bit): trip odo 10.1 moving time 1h25m odo 10.06 max speed 20.5 moving avg 7.1

Route: Gmap's pedometer site

It was one of the first really nice days of the year; I was in my room, sorting stuff out, and realised that it was going to be a really nice day as sun was streaming through the window. Consequently - after a bit of dithering - I decided to go out somewhere. I was originally going to go round Reddish Vale, but as I got there I received a call from Richard - so I diverted up to Oldham so he could join me.

The practical upshot of this is that Richard, his brother-in-law(?) Al and I went for a relatively gentle, not too strenuous or fast ride up the Rochdale canal to Hollingworth Lake.

We started from B&Q in Rochdale - the same place as Richard and I had started for a ride last year but this time went up the canal, through the town (and past Zen Internet, which is situated right on the Rochdale canal) and up to Smithybridge. Some of the towpath was being resurfaced and was consequently very bumpy in places! Other than the mud and puddles, it was a good ride.

We were last at Hollingworth lake last August but during the week; this time, on a nice Saturday, it seemed the entire population of Lancashire was walking their dogs/walking round the lake. We cycled - slowly! - around the perimeter of it, stopping a few times for a banana/sandwiches/photos (although my camera's playing up now). Hollingworth lake was originally built to feed the Rochdale canal with water - and both the canal and lake were very full after the recent drizzles and snow. The lake itself was overflowing; it has an overflow point, a bit like an overflow on a sink, which had a fair torrent of water going down.

It wasn't an eventful ride but it was very enjoyable - the first ride I've been on this year in just a T shirt and shorts - so let's hope the mild weather lasts. I think we killed Al though, since he'd not been out on his bike for a while!

I'll do Reddish Vale some other time...