Sun, Mar 27, 2011 - 22.30 mi Newcastle Alien Hunt

Sun, Mar 27, 2011 - 22.30 mi [Cycling]
22.30 mi in 01:43:29 hours at 12.93 mi/h on Pinnacle Hybrid. [Cycling] Cycle up to Newcastle on a lovely long day now the hour has gone on to look for aliens ... which I photographed for my cycle blog.
Posted from My Cycling Log



I did find a lot of the aliens but there are at least another 4 I am aware of that I didn't locate - anyway here's the pictures of them ... enjoy

Photographs

I encountered the first alien on the Quayside - he seemed to have a
transmission antenna, no doubt to contact the Mother ship.

Alien #2 - This one seemed to be monkeying about - on the Tyne bridge
of all places !

Alien #3 : I cycled up to Chinatown and Stowwell Street to find this fella
and once again he seemed to have a reconnaisance device.

Alien #4 : This one seems to have his eye on some of
local delicacy's - but his camoflage didn't fool me.

Alien #5 : Spotted partying in the Bigg Market - he had thosse big red eyes
firmly fixed on Pop World across the road.

Alien #6 : This fella was hiding in a corner of High Bridge
Street .. but I tracked him down.

Alien #7 : High up on Pilgrim Street this alien was watching

Alien #8: This time at low level this chap was on a wall at the end of
Saville Row.

Alien #9: Back on the Quayside this fire breathing Alien
can be spotted just above the Side gallery - no doubt
observing local culture.

Alien #10: This was a baby Alien trying to hide on the railway bridge on City
Road .. but I spotted him.

Alien #11: This guy is obviously new in Town ... well
I mean just look at those colours - so inappropriate for
theToon - he's a brave little fella sitting just beside the Old
Bank of England Vaults on Pilgrim Street. 

Alien #12: Just when I thought I had seen the last of them this Alien turned up
at Gateshead metro station of all places - obviously trying to expand
their base in the North East.

Sat, Mar 19, 2011 - 42.67 mi Ulverston Coniston Windermere Loop

Sat, Mar 19, 2011 - 42.67 mi [Cycling]
42.67 mi in 03:24:49 hours at 12.50 mi/h on Carrera Road. [Cycling] Beautiful day for a cycle over the top to Broughton Beck then up the Crake Valley to Coniston followed by a lovely cycle along the quiet east shore road. Then a nasty one up Hawkshead Hill before dropping into the Drunken Duck for a well earned pint of Tag Lag. Next it was back down off the Hill and past Wray Castle to Windermere following the west shore to the Ferry at Sawrey - then it was back via the rolling, hilly roads through Greythwaite, Oxen Park & Mansriggs.

Here is a short Video of me cycling along the East Shore of Lake Coniston

Longest ride of the Year & TOUGHEST !!

Full details uploaded onto my blog.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Photographs :

5 Miles - The Village of Broughton Beck

9 miles - First signpost for Coniston 

12 miles - Looking across the length of Lake Coniston and
towards the Old Man in the distance.

12 miles - The Old Man of Coniston !

14 miles - A jetty on Lake Coniston

14 miles - Another Old Man of Coniston

17 miles - Hawkshead Hill which is 500feet higher than
Lake Coniston - top of the climb :-)

19 miles - The Drunken Duck Inn :-)

19 miles - Still at the Drunken Duck Inn and with a Pint of
Tag Lag which is brewed on the premises by
Barngates Brewery.

19 miles - That's not my  bike but there are so many
roads to choose from.... Fortunately mine was
downhill all the way to Windermere.

19 miles - By the way this is the view I had to look at whilst sipping my
Tag Lag - looking Northeast towards Clappersgate
Not Bad eh ?

20 miles - My first view of Windermere

22 miles - The road along the west side of Windermere
after Wray Castle isn't the smoothest of rides.

24 miles - A Day Tripper cruiser just going round Belle Isle

24 miles - a Sea King Helicopter went past me about 100 feet away -
by the time I stopped and got my camera ready it was off across the lake
and about to Buzz Bowness

25 miles - The ferry between Sawrey & Bowness on Windermere

27 miles - Black Sheep

27 miles - White Sheep

29 miles - the next 2 miles at Greythwaite are nasty with
about a 400 feet climb in half a mile - but after that it's
fun fun fun for a while.

37 miles - A lych gate at a church uo yet another hill just after Greenodd on
a lane called the Rake.

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 - 10.28 mi Tadcaster to York

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 - 10.28 mi [Cycling]
10.28 mi in 00:42:41 hours at 14.45 mi/h on Pinnacle Hybrid. [Cycling] Return ride back to York was a bit faster although the wind did seem to have died down from this morning. Anyway I wasn't fast enough - carrying a bag full of stuff to take to the brewery in Manchester I locked up my bike and looked at the Departures - 4:58 to Manchester ... Platform 10 ..... It was 4:57 - A quick run through the tunnel carrying tow very full & heavy bags and up the stairs just in time ......

To see the 4:58 leaving :-(
Posted from My Cycling Log

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 - 9.79 mi York to Tadcaster

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 - 9.79 mi [Cycling]
9.79 mi in 00:50:12 hours at 11.70 mi/h on Pinnacle Hybrid. [Cycling] Another cool morning but waht ade the ccyling hard was the headwind gusting quite strongly along the A64 - I even had to drop a cog on the chainring and my time says it all 50 minutes to do less than 10miles
Posted from My Cycling Log

Tue, Mar 8, 2011 - 9.77 mi Tadcaster to York

Tue, Mar 8, 2011 - 9.77 mi [Cycling]
9.77 mi in 00:37:06 hours at 15.80 mi/h on Pinnacle Hybrid. [Cycling] Very easy and fast cycle back to York with a great tailwind - 20 mph + most of the way along the A64
Posted from My Cycling Log

Tue, Mar 8, 2011 - 10.37 mi York to Tadcaster

Tue, Mar 8, 2011 - 10.37 mi [Cycling]
10.37 mi in 00:51:08 hours at 12.17 mi/h on Pinnacle Hybrid. [Cycling] 40 seconds from Disaster !!

Cycling along the cysle path on theA64 today approaching Tadcaster when up ahead a Land Rover towing a caravan swerved, clipped the kerb - the driver reacted and steered hard right causing thecaravan to jump sidewards across the cycle path, land, dig in and flip onto its side back on the near lane of the A64.

If I had been about 40 seconds faster ... well I would have been sideswiped by a 50mph caravan !!!
Posted from My Cycling Log

Sat, Mar 5, 2011 - 7.28 mi Newcastle to Jarrow

Sat, Mar 5, 2011 - 7.28 mi [Cycling]
7.28 mi in 00:31:24 hours at 13.91 mi/h on Bianchi Nironne 7. [Cycling] Fast cycle back home after a disappointing match - just too many players missing - After avoiding a drunk on Dean street who decided to walk in front of a bike doing 20mph the only other delay was lots of people walking on the cycle deck of the Millenium Bridge .... Aaargh
Posted from My Cycling Log

Sat, Mar 5, 2011 - 7.39 mi Jarrow to Newcastle

Sat, Mar 5, 2011 - 7.39 mi [Cycling]
7.39 mi in 00:30:03 hours at 14.76 mi/h on Bianchi Nironne 7. [Cycling] Quite a cold day but a steady enough ride up into town - effortless up Dean Street - well I did come off the top chainring :-)
Posted from My Cycling Log

Fri, Mar 4, 2011 - 8.98 mi Dunston to Jarrow

Fri, Mar 4, 2011 - 8.98 mi [Cycling]
8.98 mi in 00:33:33 hours at 16.06 mi/h on Pinnacle Hybrid. [Cycling] Very fast cycle home - a bit cold & tired but managed to dig in on the uphills to keep a good pace going.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Fri, Mar 4, 2011 - 9.07 mi Jarrow to Dunston

Fri, Mar 4, 2011 - 9.07 mi [Cycling]
9.07 mi in 00:38:00 hours at 14.32 mi/h on Pinnacle Hybrid. [Cycling] Possibly the last time I will commute to Dunston - the old brewery building is now just a large box and all boarded up.

Bit cool weather and roads still a bit slippy / grubby and thousands of potholes.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Thu, Mar 3, 2011 - 9.64 mi Tadcaster to York

Thu, Mar 3, 2011 - 9.64 mi [Cycling]
9.64 mi in 00:40:05 hours at 14.43 mi/h on Pinnacle Hybrid. [Cycling] fast ride back into York after work to catch a train home - just about averaged 4 minute miles
Posted from My Cycling Log

Thu, Mar 3, 2011 - 9.59 mi York to Tadcaster

Thu, Mar 3, 2011 - 9.59 mi [Cycling]
9.59 mi in 00:39:34 hours at 14.54 mi/h on Pinnacle Hybrid. [Cycling] Bit chilly this morning but no wind or rain - nice cycling weather - can't complain. Fast commute up to Tadcaster - under 40 minutes !
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Wed, Mar 2, 2011 - 4.17 mi Manchester to Moss Side and return via Piccadilly

Wed, Mar 2, 2011 - 4.17 mi [Cycling]
4.17 mi in 00:24:55 hours at 10.04 mi/h on Pinnacle Hybrid. [Cycling] Routine commute from the City down to Moss Side & back via Piccadilly Station to pick up my tickets to York in the morning.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Tue, Mar 1, 2011 - 12.25 mi Manchester Cycleway East, Sportcity to City Centre

Tue, Mar 1, 2011 - 12.25 mi [Cycling]
12.25 mi in 01:03:27 hours at 11.58 mi/h on Pinnacle Hybrid. [Cycling] Cycle around the east section of the Manchester cycleway which was good but spoiled by about 100 traffic calming barriers which you had to negotiate.

Took the spur up to Sportscity thorugh gorton and thois section was quite patchy and muddy and not a nice area.

At sportcity the path followed a canal right into the City centre which was incredibly hazardous with wet cobbled sections leading to wet muddy stretches on narrow towpaths - all this on semo slicks made it quite an achievement not to go in the canal especially as it was getting dark.

PS : This towpath section made Gorton look nice !!
Posted from My Cycling Log

Tue, Mar 1, 2011 - 8.31 mi Manchester Cycleway West Section

Tue, Mar 1, 2011 - 8.31 mi [Cycling]
8.31 mi in 00:40:45 hours at 12.24 mi/h on Pinnacle Hybrid. [Cycling] Took a detour into work this morning to find the west section of the Manchester Cycleway - I did misjudge exactly where it started a bit and almost tried to cycle onto the Manchester metrolink tram system.

Quick U turn and I was soon on the cyclepath through to Wilmslow road where I turned off, headed North to Whitworth Park then along Denmark Road to work.

Nice morning warm & no wind or rain.
Posted from My Cycling Log