2026 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

The ride started off with rain and slippy rock massive climb...oh dear
rok1.jpg


We started it from an underpass under that motorway and it was pretty much that all the way up.
rok2.jpg


No quads allowed , but these pot smoking locals were chillin.
rok3.jpg


Miles and miles of this, endless reservoirs
rok4.jpg


All a bit low after a heatwave..after 4 months of rain, ah privatised water utilities
rok5.jpg


Quite the fib, the one on the left is a bridleway and confirms this the other end, the blue arrow shows a bridleway
rok6.jpg


The entrance to the farm from the byway, we mused how many times the farmer ended up in the stream
rok7.jpg


I love a good bridleway bridge
rok8.jpg


A guided offroad tour that got lost and one blew a fuse...no spares
rok9.jpg


Overlapping, roads, bridleways, bridges, canals
rok10.jpg


This is Britains longest, deepest, highest canal tunnel, and yes they would have powered it by using their legs to walk on the ceiling.
3 miles long.
rok11.jpg


The town was bouncing, outside squares, bands..loads of show off huge town halls and churches from the industrial revolution days
rok12.jpg


The posh pennine bridleway ridge , overlooks the commoners in the valley..her face says everything
rok13.jpg


That aqua,viaduct is actually the cycle path now
rok14.jpg


5 mile offroad to go, down to three bar and every way was straight up.
rok15.jpg


This was pretty random, I showed enthusiasm for his ride and he just glared at me.
rok16.jpg


We are high up here, these communities are probably best described as hardy but friendly as it gets
rok17.jpg


Down to 2 bar and the bridleway ran out, 20 minutes of walk mode pushing through this, Dan gave up the will to live.
rok18.jpg


Ditched the trails for a long fast descent, doing 31mph here, it felt like a 100 after that bridleway
rok19.jpg


The workers houses for mining and textile, still covered in soot from 200 years ago.
rok20.jpg


From a different time, textile mills built like grand churches, I guess they were the Apple HQ of their day.
US cotton would be processed by all these mills along the canals
rok21.jpg
 
Last edited:
Yes. Frequently when in Barcelona and there used to be a Catalan couple living here whose kids were in same year as mine. Plenty of late night discussions on geo politics language culture and red wine. Or fuelled by red wine. Irish people by default very interested in other cultures/nations stories. And the views are mixed, some for independence, some for status quo within EU, some for more devolution, federal examples discussed a lot.
Do they say they go to another country when they leave to Castile? Aren't they fans of the Spanish football team, the World Champions? Does FC Barcelona play in some foreign La Liga? Does the Catalan team reject the Cup of The King of Spain?

Don't be ridiculous Ras. The desire of the autonomy doesn't mean you are living in another country. (The Irish case is very different).
 
Back