Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[Stefan Mikes]

Let me tell you about my weekend ride plan.

We had a talk with Jacek on Thursday when we met. I said: 'Brother, it is my dream to see the castle of Liw but it has always been too distant! Ideas?' and he replied: 'Funny you mention that. Did you know my Mum's family roots originated in the area?' And he opened Strava Route Planner, increasing the ride distance each time! 'Well' -- he wrote to me -- 'I started with a Metric Century but I think 107 km would be more appropriate to avoid sands on out trip!' And I'm going to tell him we should visit the village of Urle, too. (Urle is a place inhabited by Mikulskis, no relationship!)

What if I started the trip with riding my Vado to him and back? (I'm afraid to think about yet another Imperial Century!)

Riding less than a Metric Century on a full power e-bike is for sissies! (I could not fail noticing Jacek increased the ride distance to 111 km when I was away!!!)

 

[Twin Valley]

Spring has truly sprung in our area with the first grass cutting, sea of dandelions, and endless yard work - loaded up the Levo and drove an hour to the mountains, pedalled for an hour or two and got bogged down in snow and ice in the high country. But surely nothing can be a better tune-up for one's mood than breathing in the fresh mountain air filtered by the towering evergreens. To top it off we had many sightings of elk, whitetail deer and the bald-headed eagles were making a pass through on their migration. I believe Art (Prairie Dog) detailed an excellent review of this trip over the Highwood Pass last year but obviously we were a bit early in our push to the summit this year. As it turned out we changed our plans after reaching the snow covering 3 or 4 inches of ice and looked to the southern facing ridges in the area and were rewarded following an old trail up into a basin south of what is called the pickle jar lakes a popular summer destination for hikers. It didn't hurt that one of my biking partners was a recently retired head of forestry in the area and pretty much knew every trail and its destination. Wished I could report a picnic of the Diggy Gun standards but alas that will have to remain a summer goal but the cold ale (well a couple) sure tasted good arriving home!

 

[DiggyGun]

I had a lovely full English yesterday at the Super Sausage Cafe in Potterspury, as I had to to take my Nevo3 GT Vario GX for a service.

The cafe has been voted “Britain’s Best Cafe” a number of times and is extremely popular with Bikers.

 

[DaveMatthews]

I had a lovely full English yesterday at the Super Sausage Cafe in Potterspury, as I had to to take my Nevo3 GT Vario GX for a service.

The cafe has been voted “Britain’s Best Cafe” a number of times and is extremely popular with Bikers. View attachment 122454View attachment 122455

Pics of the brekky or it was McD's

 

[DiggyGun]

Pics of the brekky or it was McD's

I didn’t take a picture of the brekky as I was busy eating it, but here’s one from their website to whet your appetite.

The bacon rashers are quite thick, not see through like a lot of them and the sausages are similar to a Cumberland one. I swap the egg for mushrooms as I don’t like eggs.

 

[DiggyGun]

Part Three: The Peaks

Our second Premier Inn hotel was to the west of Chesterfield, which is to the bottom right of the Peak District National Park.

The first ride was the Carsington Water. This is a Severn Trent Water reservoir, which was built in 1989 and opened in 1992.

Our first lunch stop.

Our second lunch stop.

A very windy day today. So much so that when we were riding on the dam wall, Mrs DG had to get off and push the bike as she was being blown over.

The second ride was on the Tissington Trail. This is an old railway line which opened in 1899 but closed in 1967. This ran from Parsley Hey to Ashbourne and was operated by the London and North Western Railway Company. It was formally used to transport milk to London and then sending limestone to industrial areas.

Our first lunch break.

Our second lunch break.

Not much infrastructure of the old line remains, but an old signal box and some elevation markers.

Mrs DG got a puncture in the rear tyre just after we started. Fortunately, the slime did its job and it didn’t fully deflate, stopping at 20psi. Checked the tyre and found a hole with some evidence of where the slime had come out. Nothing appeared to be stuck in it, so may have been a sharp stone. One CO2 capsule later and it was back up to 40psi.


The third ride was around Howden and Derwent reservoirs. This was built in 1916 and again run by Severn Trent Water.

Pleased to report that no further issues with Mrs DGs rear tyre as if stayed up overnight.

Our first lunch stop today.

We had a pair of Mallard ducks join us today and I think that they had more of our lunch then we did.

There was a memorial to the Dambusters Squadron 617 as they trained here in 1943.

Our second lunch stop.

The fourth ride was the High Peak Trail. This runs from Parsley Hay to High Peak Junction. This again was an old railway line that opened in 1831 was finally closed down in 1967. It was called the Cromford and High Peak Railway and carried minerals and goods.

In it’s time it had the steepest gradient ever on a railway line. There were three, 1 in 8 inclines, each with a flat section in between. And each had a stationary engine to winch the wagons up each gradient. On the flat sections, the wagons were pulled by horses.

Our first lunch stop.

Our second lunch stop.

Nice to see some of the railway infrastructure still in place.

The three inclines coming up were particularly steep and hard going as can be seen on this graph.

At one time the engine house for the bottom incline house the largest steam beam engine in the country.

We saw this memorial for the Headstones for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Part Three to be continued...

 

[DiggyGun]

Part Three Continued.


The fifth ride was the Monsal Trail, which runs from Bakewell to Wye Dale. This, again was a disused railway, built in 1863, but closed in 1968. This was built by Midlands Railway to create a Manchester to London railway.

Our first lunch stop.

The only railway infrastructure still standing were a number of bridges, six tunnels, stations and a viaduct.

Saw some disused Limestone kilns en-route.

There were also some cotton mills alongside the line.

Our second lunch stop.

Picked up the delicacy of Bakewell Pudding on the way back to the van.

The sixth ride was the Manifold Track. This runs from Hurdlow to Waterhouses. It was a light railway and built in 1904 to transport dairy products to the main railway south of Waterhouses. This was operated by the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway. It was finally closed in 1934.

Our first lunch stop.

Our second lunch stop.

Thors Cave which has been created by the wind and rain.

This was the first time that we really had the sun showing, with some warmth and some blue sky. Up until today I had been wearing my Gore skull cap under my helmet, but not today and lighter gloves as well

Fed the pigs with one of our rolls.

Came across this 1957 Series One Land Rover.

End of Part Three and onto Part Four…

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Picnics definitely are the English thing Diggy!
(I plan a London stay in the middle of May -- no biking -- and I cannot wait to taste a genuine British BLT sandwich there!)

 

[PatriciaK]

I just reported you for being crude and nasty. I don't know what's wrong with you but you need to think about it.

I ignored this person awhile ago; glad you reported, though!

 

[Cowlitz]

Sheep pigs? Are they common?

 

[DiggyGun]

View attachment 122515
Sheep pigs? Are they common?

Yes, very hairy pigs, but taste nice.

 

[ChezCheese:)]

Let's not go overboard. As I just wrote elsewhere, it is 46F (7.x C) and raining hard. It is quite miserable out there. But it might be sunny on the other side of the Cascades (it is NOT).

We even have whole newspaper articles on the different types of rain here on the soggy side of the Cascades: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattl...ific-seasons-and-the-different-types-of-rain/

 

[ChezCheese:)]

Me, I prefer a Turkish breakfast: https://www.roadiscalling.com/typical-turkish-breakfast-ideas-what-to-eat/

 

[Chargeride]

I dont eat sausages or black pudding, I saw how they are made and that was the end for me.

 

[Cowlitz]

We even have whole newspaper articles on the different types of rain here on the soggy side of the Cascades: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattl...ific-seasons-and-the-different-types-of-rain/

Yesterday was very windy and we had some very dark clouds. I rode my bike to a plant sale--about a mile and it was into a very strong wind, but downhill. Stood in a line to pay for plants in the gale--still dark but no rain. Rode home back up the hill but with a strong tailwind. It rained a bit but was mostly quite dark and windy and polleny. The rain was not enough to water things good. I shall have to turn on the sprinkler system.

Heard orchard fans kicking on this morning, but it was 46 at my house--a good thing because I left my newly purchased seedlings outside.

Breakfast was a peanut butter sandwich. There was discussion about the need for margaritas for standing in line to pay for plants and it being Cinco De Mayo, but as it was a school plant sale and on school grounds, that wasn't going to happen. The sale lasts through tomorrow but was pretty much sold out yesterday. My neighbor said they sold $10,000 worth yesterday. The proceeds go to the Future Farmers group.

Tomato plants were too big to carry home on my bike.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

and it being Cinco De Mayo

Aren't you expected to eat the mayo on the day?

 

[Cowlitz]

Aren't you expected to eat the mayo on the day?

Peanut butter is more new world.

 

[kahn]

I didn’t take a picture of the brekky as I was busy eating it, but here’s one from their website to whet your appetite.
View attachment 122456
The bacon rashers are quite thick, not see through like a lot of them and the sausages are similar to a Cumberland one. I swap the egg for mushrooms as I don’t like eggs.

I guess I have to ask: What is with the British and baked beans for breakfast? They were also available at breakfast at our various hotels when touring China.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

baked beans for breakfast

Baked beans for breakfast is the most English taste to imagine*! Add to it fried mushroom and black pudding
To be very honest, I was not impressed with American cuisine on my three stays in the Free Country After my return to London, I cried from happiness at the sight of Full English and whispered: "Home, sweet home" (I find American pancakes the most disgusting meal of them all)
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*) If we don't mention Marmite and Bovril

 

[DiggyGun]

I guess I have to ask: What is with the British and baked beans for breakfast? They were also available at breakfast at our various hotels when touring China.

It’s a very traditional combination, I also prefer tinned plum tomatoes to grilled tomatoes.

Similarly, we Brits find pancakes and Maple syrup with bacon and sausages a strange combination. Our pancakes are much thinner and we traditionally have them on Pancake day (Shrove Tuesday, which is 47 days before Easter) with sugar and lemon juice.