So yesterday I had an escorted ride. My book club is based in Chorlton and last time I tried to negotiate my way on the bike from work to there I messed up. More than once. And the 8 or 9 mile route took me closer to an hour and a half than the 45 minutes I might have anticipated. The next book club is planned for 3rd August, so I'm on a schedule.
One of my work colleagues has this as her regular route home so on Tuesday I negotiated an escorted ride to Chorlton after work on Wednesday. The bribe being a blackcurrant, cherry & raspberry dorset cereal bar. Food of the gods. The ride to Chorlton was fabulous. Sunny day, off road the entire way and just us two girls riding together. Not often you see women out in pairs on the bikes curiously enough, and on the way many many cyclists of all shapes, sizes and genres. A previous discussion had fortunately prevented us from wearing matching Team Sky jerseys or riding our matching Boardman MTBs and we were in simple T-shirts, and me on the Trek hybrid. We alighted at the St Werburgh's Road tram stop to go our separate ways.
To my delight, after just a mile or so of road I discovered an off road route home. Hopped onto the canal towpath at Stretford tram station and was on my way. The map showed the route as taking me into Trafford Park and then onto the road, but reality was far far better. How often does that happen? Within a mile of my house all the way on the towpath. Not sure I'd do it at night mind. There were a few less cycling friendly bits and some absolute joys. The gentle bridge with steps going up where I had to walk the bike, but then the descent the other side down 6 or 7 well spaced steps with one having a huge drop off (for someone on foot anyway) of a foot or so. All this on the no suspension hybrid which stood up to it all most admirably.
Even more lovely was to realise that I'd managed to get in a fabulous hour and a half ride after work and still be home in daylight and with a thirst to attend to the allotment.
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