Perhaps it was the weather forecast but an unusually modest collection of Saddistes turned up for our June ride on Tuesday.
Still quality still counts for something these days!
With the not very secret, secret passing of the Flying Scotsman through Saddleworth in the afternoon, the bulk of our riding was to be done in the morning with the opportunity offered to view the iconic steam train after lunch.
Thus Roaches Lock was the obvious choice for lunch and so all that remained was to plan a route there and try to convince our cunning Saddistes that it was a new route and maybe find a bit of track no-one had ridden before! Stitching together tracks in unusual ways has become part of the challenge but there is no getting away from the fact that to begin with, you have to get out of the Tame Valley. Wade Hill was our chosen route and some rose to the challenge quite admirably while others chose to walk sections of it but that’s what it’s all about. Soon we were on Burnedge Lane with wonderful views across to Dovestone reservoir. The ancient track of Wood Brook Lane took us precipitously down past Grotton Hall then just before it plunges to the Wood Brook itself we turned off along a tricky little path strewn with little boulders which popped us out into the pretty little hidden hamlet of Lawton Fold.
Heading down to Grotton we took Thornley Lane to join Lane Head Lane and begin the slow climb towards Hartshead Pike, our local landmark. This is made much more interesting by the survival of a much older track which sets a bit of a challenge to all riders and today was especially wet with a stream running down its length. Attaining the summit we headed up to the Pike, except for John and Dave whom I spared the additional climb, instead directing them through three very deep puddles (lakes?) to where we would meet up again!
Now a real challenge for the route planner. Had anyone other than me been on the route from Mossley Cross across Luzley Brows down to Heyrod on a bone shaking but rather exciting cobbled lane. No-one had cycled it, but Roz had run it, going up - respect!
A detour which began promisingly over a hidden footbridge over the railway descended, quite literally, into a bit of a farce as steep flights of very treacherous steps lay ahead of us - thanks Roger! So to the canal and a familiar trundle along the towpath with the usual diversion to avoid Scout Tunnel and thence to lunch where we said farewell to the true athletes amongst us who eschewed the excellent value two course lunch for £5.95 with a couple of pints of excellent, albeit rather expensive, Wainwrights.
After an extended lunch Eric offered his daughter’s garden overlooking the railway track as a viewing point for the Flying Scotsman with the promise of coffee as an aded inducement. We happily took him up on the idea and although neither his daughter nor the promised coffee ever materialised, the Flying Scotsman did and we were in a prime position to catch the runaway train as it came down the track - and she blew!
Rob Newton
Roger's photo plus a great video of the Flying Scotsman can be viewed here: