Sports training camps: Why go to Mallorca when there's Manchester

Ready for my taster session at Manchester Velodrome

People tend to go on sports training camps in warm weather destinations abroad - Spain, South of France, Portugal, even Australasia. But I think that it's still possible to do and enjoy a training camp close to home, right in the UK. So I chose to go to the North-West of England. 

It's that time of year when elite athletes and amateur athletes, including some of my contemporaries head overseas to places where the sun shines a lot more than in the UK, there's less chance of rain, it's that bit warmer and folks don't have to hear stories about the latest political scandal in UK politics  [not that this sort of thing doesn't happen elsewhere, mind you!].

A large group of runners have just jetted off to Club La Santa, in Lanzarote. Some people in my cycling club went to Alicante in Spain's Costa Blanca, while a few others are preparing to go on a women's cycle training camp to Mallorca. 

I'm not averse to these sorts of trips - indeed I have done them in the past, and I've even enjoyed them. These days, I shy away from trips purely to go training because I like to get more out of my trip than each day just riding around somewhere, including a little cafe stop on a sun-kissed cafe terrace. You repeat the process every day, probably varying the café and eating a tostada instead of churros, and perhaps adding in some swimming and maybe running. 

Don't get me wrong - I love a sporty holiday. But I also like a cultural element too. When you go on these camps you are just beaming up your cycling club, or usual cycling buddy group from the UK to Spain. So you are effectively creating your own temporary British enclave in the Balearic Islands or somewhere on the coast of Spain. I must admit, that doesn't excite me. If I go to Spain, I want to be in Spain - mixing with Spanish people, soaking in Spanish culture, and vising the places that make Spain famous. 

Doing a SwimRun race while on a trip to South of France

Also, I like to give my training a bit more meaning, so with that in mind I like to take part in some sort of local sports event while there - maybe a mini cyclosportive, a running race, or as I did last Autumn in the South of France, a SwimRun race. 

Not only was there a specific focus to my trip, but I also got to mix with local-ish athletes and make new contacts.  I don't know if people would necessarily call that a training camp - I don't know what the term is. But those sorts of trips with different dimensions are what I enjoy doing when I travel abroad to do sport.

In terms of training camps in the pure sense, I am quite happy to do that nearer to home. So with that in mind, I travelled......to Manchester - well, 20 miles South, to the North-West's finest place, Macclesfield. 

It was just a case of throwing the bike and all my other sportswear in the car, heading up the M6 and less than four hours later I was at my apartment in the middle of Macc. There were no worries about dismantling the bike for the airline or paying extra to have it carried, no worries about what to take or not take through security, or keeping my luggage within the weight limit. It was all just straightforward and hassle free. I didn't even get caught up in any traffic jam on the motorway.

It was early evening on Saturday when I arrived in the East Cheshire market town at the end of a sunny day. However, sods law was that on my arrival the sky turned grey and as I set out to do a mini local spin. I felt a few drops of rain and the precipitation became heavier and heavier as I proceeded along the disused railway line, now known as the Middlewood Way. I hadn't planned on going far, and was only looking to stretch my legs after having spent a few hours in the car, so I was happy to cut short the ride.

Middlewood Way in Macclesfield

Sunday morning involved a four-mile early morning run in the sunshine along the Middlewood Way, and across to the Riverside Park through woodland between Macclesfield and its posh neighbour, Prestbury. I enjoy this area and have good memories of doing regular runs along here a decade ago when I lived in Macc. Even though its right in the town, there is a feeling of being out in the countryside, especially since livestock roam around the place in Springtime.

After breakfast I then took out my bicycle and did my training ride. This is a big area for cycling. The British Cycling talent team, based up in Manchester often come down to this area to do their training rides, and lots of local riders gather here. The equivalent of Box Hill, is a climb called the Brickworks. It's a 2.7km steady climb from the village of Pott Shrigley over moorland and past farms to near Kettleshulme, on the edge of the Goyt Valley. As I trundled along various riders past me, and said hello. I also saw a group of women on a ride. It looked like they were from the local Rapha Cycling Club. There's a cafe part way up the climb, though it would probably be better to go there on the way back down to Pott Shrigley. In fact I saw a lot of bike riders travelling down in the opposite direction, as I was winding my way up. Perhaps the cafe was their destination. I had no plans to stop there as I had a few places to visit from my itinerary and I was sure I would find an alternative place to stop if necessary.

Once over the Brickworks climb, I then climbed up the winding scenic road to be level with Blaze Hill, then took the fast descent through Rainow to return to Macclesfield and start the climb up the town's most iconic climb - the Cat and Fiddle. This is climb of  just over 10km (6.6 miles) takes you to the eponymous pub in the Peak District National Park, before dropping  6 km (4 miles) to reach Buxton. 

Despite the climbing practice I had had in South London, and earlier in February in Spain, I still felt unfit when tackling this climb. The road surface was quite rough, which didn't help. I figured that that would make me stronger. Once past the big turn in the road at Walker Barn I was officially in the Peak District, and with that the weather also became wilder, as the area seemed more desolate. There weren't that many vehicles, despite it being a main artery. There were very few cyclists too. Much fewer than I had seen on the other nearby roads.

Blaze Hill, outside Bollington, close to the Goyt Valley

Soon I reached a crossroads - a de facto decision point. I could continue to the summit, some 5km (3 miles) away, turn right towards Wildboarclough, turn back and enjoy a lovely descent into Macclesfield where the monthly Treacle Market was taking place, or turn left towards the Goyt Valley. Not wanting to disappear into some sort of Bermuda triangle along the A537 road, I decided not to continue towards Buxton, and I chose to do the latter option. This involved a very technical descent past Lamaload Reservoir. It honestly felt like riding down a wall while trying to avoid pot-holes and gravel. For the first time in decades I actually had to dismount and walk down the hill! On my way down, a few motocross bike riders came up in the opposite direction and waved at me, probably wondering what the hell a road cyclist was doing on this road! 

What goes down must come up, so I then crested a series of hills on the edge of the Goyt valley that took me back to Blaze Hill. By this time my legs were quite tired and looking at my Garmin watch I could see that progress through my itinerary had been very slow. You can't fake your fitness in the Peak District. It finds you out very quickly! And I found out that I still had some way to go to reach optimal fitness.

So with that, it was a very easy decision to return to Macclesfield via the gentler roads in the Cheshire Plain. After a long downhill along Blaze Hill, my ride then took me to Bollington, then through to, Tytherington, Adlington and onwards to Prestbury where life was very leisurely and folks were displaying their Sunday best al fresco at the local cafes. Getting out of Prestbury was more challenging than I had anticipated as there were a few hills to get over before reaching Macclesfield.

Finally, I reached my lodgings at Waters Green feeling satisfied that I had had a proper work-out. Indeed I had, as Garmin showed that I had done - more than 1,000m of climbing over 51 km. That was certainly the hilliest ride I had done all year.

With the limited amount of energy left, I then enjoyed a walk around Central Macclesfield to see the popular Treacle Market.

Monday was planned as a slightly less onerous day than on the Sunday. My bike ride consisted of a loop from Alderley Edge, a popular National Trust area of outstanding natural beauty, and heading through the nearby village of the same name, and home to many a footballer's wife (and in theory their husband) or Coronation Street actor. My loop also included Mottram St Andrew, once again Prestbury, before doing a loop up a local climb in that area, Artist's Lane. Nearby is a Flandrian type hill called Swiss Hill, but I decided to leave that one until another trip. 

Time was short, and I wanted to also do a little trail run through the woodland at Alderley Edge. One way I did this was by running along a Permanent Orienteering Course and identifying checkpoints. It's often a great way to make a run more interesting, and also to discover a new area. My run ended up being just a couple of miles as my orienteering skills were good enough to find the checkpoints quickly (That's what I like to think, anyway!) 

Straight afterwards it was a case of hotfooting it to the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, where I signed up to take part in a taster session at the Velodrome. It was billed as a taster session, but in fact I just took one of the reserved hire bikes and rode around for as long as I could in the time allowed - for me it was 40 minutes as I turned up a little late. I am not sure if I could have survived the full hour going up and down the steep bankings! 

Taster session at Manchester Velodrome

Had I been a complete novice at track cycling the coach would have spent time showing me what to do, but because I had been to the Velodrome in the past (though was not yet accredited), and had become a regular rider at my local velodrome in Herne Hill, I was allowed to get in an individual training ride, under the watchful eye of the coaches, in order to increase my fitness. 

There were a handful of other riders doing a paceline, but I wasn't strong enough to join the line, so I did my own thing. The coach said that I looked fine, but I would just need to do a couple more taster sessions so that I can then gain clearance to join the Regular Riders sessions which is the stepping stone along the way to gaining Accreditation.

By the end of the day, I was feeling a little pooped and was ready to check into my new lodgings, a private room in Central Manchester YHA. There, I had a well-earned meal and an early night to prepare for an early start at the Manchester Aquatics Centre.

Early the following morning I put on my running gear, gathered my swimming kit, and did the two-mile run from Castlefields to the university district where I joined the other swimmers doing training laps in the 50m pool at the Aquatics Centre. This popular venue is a legacy facility from the Commonwealth Games, and still gets a lot of use. It was a clean modern pool, and quite swish following its refurbishment in 2021, compared with the spartan facilities at Crystal Palace. I felt quite motivated, so did one kilometre. That was as much as I could do in the time allowed, as I still had to have breakfast, check out and then make my way back down to London.

The end of my training camp in the North-West had come, and I feel that it had been fun-packed, productive, and I like to think I have increased my fitness. Who knows, I may even be feeling fitter than if I had just doing a few kilometres here and there with my cycling buddies and sitting in a sun-drenched cafe. 

It has to be said that some people do these so-called training camps just so that they can spend time away from the UK, and some coaches that advertise the trips talk more about the well-being benefits of enjoying a cafe stop on the coast while sipping some local patisserie and coffee that is better than back home. Indeed, I see more Instagram photos of what's on people's plates than where they actually rode their bikes! 

Potato Wharf, close to where I stayed in Manchester

Granted, there's no contest when it comes to comparing the weather in Manchester versus Mallorca. But then again, wind, rain and snow are not entirely alien to the Balearic Islands. I have certainly been caught out without a pack-a-mac while cycling up to Puig Major. Even this year there have been weather reports of strong winds on Spanish soil. So weather is not entirely guaranteed even in traditionally warmer, sunnier countries. 

At least in Manchester, it's a case of better the devil you know. In any case, UK weather is so changeable that it is still possible to find a reasonable window in which to get out and ride a bike. Then of course swimming and track cycling aren't even weather dependent. 

So overall, I am happy to ride my bike abroad as long as I get the full cultural and social experience of being in that particular location. However, if the aim is purely about getting in a training camp and keeping fit I would rather keep the logistics simple and stay closer to home. 

But no doubt, I will at some point in the year end up getting a fix of riding my bike along sunny roads in a French, Italian, or Spanish hotspot, and I certainly won't complain about it!

Related posts

Barcelona cycle ride: Montjuic and Port Vell

Bella Italia by bike - Bergamo to Como

Cycle route: Bollington and Blaze Hill loop

Reflections on Rapha Festive 500

It was only a couple of days ago when I finished riding the Festive 500, but now that Christmas is out of the way and we are back into the usual routine it seems a distant memory, but I wanted to list the things I learned, in case anyone want to tray this sort of thing.

A section of Bristol to Bath cycle path

Why did I do rail trails?
To get in 500km I could have just done various rides and club runs from my home along the usual routes like Surrey Hills, the Kent lanes and Pilgrims Way, and even out to Windsor. But I felt that given it was a specific challenge I decided to try something different and give it a theme that would motivate me.

Riding rail trails was a way of staying off-road and not worrying about being unsafe due to the climatic conditions or the traffic.


Why did I travel around the country?
As someone who writes about cycling I feel it is important to know about as many cycle routes and locations as possible. By doing a theme that took me to different parts of the country I would be killing two birds with one stone.

I had already planned to do cyclocross races outside of London (in the South-West and in the Peak District), plus I have family in Yorkshire, so it was a no-brainer to do rail trails in those areas.


How did I know which rail trails to ride?
Some of the rail trails were ones I had written about for cycling publications in the past, such as the Down's Link and the Crab and Winkle Way. Some were trails I was familiar with because I lived near them or used them when visiting family - for instance the Middlewood Way and the Hudson Way.

Then there were other rail trails that I was aware of from word of mouth, articles, or just looking at an Ordnance Survey map and they are quite obvious. That's how I found out about the Marriott Way and the Bure Valley rail trail. Checking out an area on an Ordnance Survey map is extremely useful as it gives information about local trails, some of which may be relatively unknown (like the Bubwith rail trail) but also cut-through routes and of course how hilly an area will be.

There were loads of others rail trails that I would have like to include, but logistics just couldn't allow it. For instance in the Peak District there were Tissington, High Peak, and Sett Valley Trails. Closer to home there were the Forest Way, and Worth Way. There are loads more around, so I will probably have to do another series on rail trails.


Did I have any contingencies in case of problems?
I did as much as possible to plan for the controllable things. For instance, I put mudguards on my gravel bike, knowing that the trails could be muddy.

They worked well most of the time, but the day I did the Longendale trial the conditions were very wet so there was nothing I could do about that. So then, it's just a case of having spare clothes and the means to wash down your bike.

Margate beach, before the fog arrived

I generally try to plan routes that are not too far from train lines so that I can resort to that if something goes wrong.

For Christmas Day and Boxing Day when there were no trains I aimed to do local rides so that I would not be so far from home if things went wrong, or so that a taxi ride would still be feasible if I really had to take one.

I did do an impromptu train ride on the Kent day when on the Viking Coastal Trail and got lost in the fog after Margate. There had also been a lot of talk of local train strikes and engineering works over the Christmas period so I kept a watchful eye on that. For instance, I knew that trains would be sketchy in the East Anglia area so I planned my day to Norwich being aware that trains would not be working.

And of course I always have tools - at least to do the repairs that I know how to do! Then the usual things like money and enough charge on my phone. I also had strong mountain biking lights as I knew it was highly likely that I would be riding at night.


How did I cope with doing it all alone?
I never really gave it any thought. I do loads of travelling and bike rides on my own, so this was no different. If I am not sure of something I don't have any qualms about asking passers-by for local information.


Did I get tired?
To be honest, it was more tiring than I had expected, and probably more time-consuming as well. Because the rail trails were in different parts of the country I needed to allow time to drive to the places, find somewhere to park, then set up the bike before I could get going.

On the first day I set off in good time in the morning, but most of the other days my rides started late because before I could leave the house I had to blog and do social media across the different platforms (Blogger, Instagram, Facebook, Strava, Twitter) about my previous day's ride. I wasn't very good at using some of the platforms - especially the Instagram Stories and Facebook Live - and I ended up taking longer than usual!

Even though I was getting up at 6am to do social media it still led to late starts because I also had to gather my things together, load the car and drive somewhere.

By the time I was starting the ride it was practically the afternoon, and by the time I'd done the ride and moved on to the next place I would just have time to eat, rest up and go to sleep - something which I did quite easily because I did get increasingly tired as the week went by.

On one day I did social media, drove a couple of hours, did a rail trail, raced cyclocross and drove to the next place - and somehow I fitted in some Christmas shopping. I think I might need a social media team to travel with me next time, as well as someone to do my chores!

I was most relaxed on the last day because I didn't have to drive to get to the start of the ride, and I knew that I wouldn't have to get up early the following day.


What else did I learn?
The need to have lots of clothes for when night falls. The weather was generally mild over Christmas week during the day, but at night the temperature would drop suddenly and dramatically. I was glad to have extra coats, hats and gloves.


Would I do it again?
Most probably yes, but not necessarily as part of a Festive 500, so that I can take my time. Having said that, the next time I do a Festive 500 it is likely to be based around a new alternative theme which could also end up being equally challenging!


Review of the Rail trails


My favourite rail trail
This was strictly not a rail trail, but I liked the River Avon trail from Bristol back to Pill because on that section I was in the Avon Gorge with Clifton Bridge right above me. That looked quite spectacular. As for pure rail trails I like the Monsal trail for the beautiful views of the Peak District, and the series of tunnels.

Monsal Trail just before one of the tunnels

Most remote lost and lonely: Market Weighton to Bubwith - you just don't see anyone around as you bump along rugged terrain past farm houses and stables for over 10 miles.


Best maintained: Bristol to Bath - it had beautifully smooth tarmac and was well signposted to various other trails and bridleways. Selby to York was also well maintained.


Most dramatic: Longendale - it goes the length of the Torside and Woodhead reservoirs, with the Peak District towering over you. There are also nice views of the Woodhead Pass in the distance.


Most family friendly: Monsal trail - there are seating areas, refreshment stops, and a good compact off-road surface; sections of the Downs Link, especially around West Grinstead and Partridge Green where there are places to eat, and play areas.

Start of the Crab and Winkle Way in Whitstable

Most logistically convenient: Middlewood Way - it is never far from the villages. Both ends of the trail are near train stations and there is a train station at the half-way point, at Middlewood.

There are places to sit, picnic areas and nearby shops and pubs in Bollington and Poynton which are along the way.

Most challenging to ride: Crab and Winkle trail - there is a tough gradient to get up whether you ride it from the Canterbury side or the Whitstable side;

The full length of the Down's Link could be a challenge as it is around 36 miles when starting from Shalford and going all the way to Shoreham-by-Sea. There is a brief section with a steep climb and a steep descent; Market Weighton to Bubwith is quite bumpy and may require reasonable off-road biking skills if you are not used to that terrain. A mountain bike may be a more comfortable option for a novice.


Hidden gem of the week: Waterlink Way - a traffic-free route through south London that is round the corner from where I live, but had never previously ridden it in all these years; Market Weighton to Bubwith rail trail - a good trail to practice for cyclocross practice if I lived up that way. It appears that hardly any cyclists ride it because no one seemed to be on it when I was there!

And I can't neglect to mention other key traffic-free cycleways I rode on, that aren't necessarily rail trails - Avon Cycleway, Regent's Canal, Viking Coastal Trail, and Transpennine Trail.


Related Posts
Festive 500: Rail trails in England - Day 8 (Last day)

Why I like the Festive 500

Wanna do the Rapha Festive 500?

Festive 500: Rail trails in England - Day 7

Middlewood Way and Londgendale Trail - Northwest and Peak District

Stats
Kms ridden: 43
Running total: 420
Kms left: 80
Refreshments: 250ml water; Clif Bar; tortilla chips; walnuts


Weather: light rain, drizzle, hanging mist; 12 degC

Highlights: Seeing the sun set over Torside Reservoir and Woodhead Pass; getting an extremely muddy bike from the trails


Rides on Strava

Middlewood Way

Longendale Trail

Start of the Middlewood Way just outside Macclesfield (medieval labrynth just behind)

No cyclocross for me

Today was probably the worst day so far in terms of weather, which also impacted on the riding too. I had hoped to get out early and ride the Middlewood Way before my planned race in Macclesfield. However, at 8am it was still pitch black (Sun rises later up here than in London!), misty and raining. I really wasn't ready for this, so I waited for things to clear up a little.

In a way, if I were doing one continuous ride during the day that would have been easier to manage. At least once you stop riding you know you've finished for the day. However, my plan had been to do a ride, then stop to do a cyclocross race, then get in the car to drive somewhere else and do another ride. So taking off and putting back on drenched kit wouldn't have been great, and given that I was on the move there wasn't the facility to dry my clothes - logistics....

So after waiting an hour or so I ventured out, but the weather had only marginally improved. Then I began to worry about doing the cyclocross race. Last week when I raced in similar conditions at the Mendips Raceway it was at least 90 minutes after finishing racing before I could get going. That's how long it took to clean myself and my bike up after getting covered in mud. I couldn't afford to spend that much time again, knowing the other things that I had to do.

So in the end, I had to choose between doing the cyclocross race or doing the trails. Well, given that a cyclocross race only gives about 10km as opposed to a trail ride giving me double that amount in the same time period, for the purposes of getting the 500km-challenge done, I had to leave out the cyclocross race. It was sad to have to leave it out because Macc Supacross is a good event, and I have fond memories of going to South Park in Macclesfield.


Middlewood Way

Without too much crying over spilt milk I got on with the task of riding the Middlewood Way. I am familiar with this trail as part of it was my regular commute when I worked in Macclesfield. It was great to ride or run on it, through the woods, to get to Tytherington.

That section near Macclesfield is fully tarmacked. However, with the damp weather it was still a messy affair with all the leaves and mud on it. The surface is still fairly compact through Kerridge, and up to Bollington. Then after the bridge in Bollington it becomes a forest trail, which is very muddy in the wet.

Picnic time! Middlewood Way near Poynton

Still, the weather didn't deter people and there were lots of folks out - more groups of mountain bikers than leisure cyclists. Lots of people were on lunchtime walks too. In fact, the picnic area near Poynton was quite popular even on this dreary day, as was the nearby Boars Head pub!

Some years ago, I wrote an article for the now closed magazine, Cycling Active. I remember having a good day out when we did the photo shoot here.

I didn't do the full 10-mile trail, which runs from Macclesfield to Marple (near Stockport), but instead turned around at Middlewood train station and returned to Bollington via a road route, just to give the bike respite from the mud. The road route is still pleasant, and passes along the edge of Lyme Park. It burns more calories than being on the trail though, as there are a few steep climbs to get through the village of Pott Shrigley. Thankfully, there's a handy coffee shop along the way.


Longendale Trail

After the Middlewood Way, I jumped into the car and made my way over to Glossop, to ride the Longendale Trail.

The last time I was in this area was when I rode the Transpennine trail from Southport to Hornsea a couple of years ago. Discovering this trail was a real delight, especially when the weather was so much nicer than on this day.

Torside Reservoir shimmered beautifully in the sun, there were loads of brightly coloured flowers of early summer, and near the Woodhead Tunnel people were even sunbathing. Not so today!

Torside reservoir seen from the Longendale trail

It was misty and damp, there was low cloud on the hills, and the trails were very muddy. People had shied away from coming out today, as there weren't many people at all.
Up until now my clip-on mudguards on the bike had done a good job. But with today's conditions were probably a big ask, and the bike plus my ankles and shoes were covered in cack.

Once again, I didn't ride the full 8.5 miles as it was just too dark, damp, and miserable. The riding was very slow-going, and I needed to get to my lodgings in East Yorkshire that day.

So I turned around after around 5 miles and returned to the car via a minor road. It was lovely seeing the sun set over the hills and the reservoir, with the lights from the towns in the distance. In a strange way I felt lucky to have the chance to ride along this road through the Peak District at this time of the day.

With my Proviz jacket and Exposure lights, plus a high viz cover on my rucksack I was sure that any vehicles would have seen me, so I felt pretty safe. The road wasn't busy in any case. This route was slightly longer, and hillier (naturally) than the Longendale trail, but nothing too steep. The best bit was the long descent into Padfield, which made the road route worth it.

I still have around 80km to ride, and I will have to do it all tomorrow. Hopefully, it shouldn't be too difficult. I would prefer not to deal with a lot of mud though!





Related Posts
Festive 500: Rail trails in England - Day 6

Festive 500: Early morning rant

Festive 500: Rail trails in England - Day 5

Festive 500: Rail trails in England - Day 4

Festive 500: Rail trails in England - Day 3

Festive 500: Rail trails in England - Day 2

Festive 500: Rail trails in England - Day 1

5 Favourites - Off-road biking trails

In this lovely weather why not get your bike out and have a quick spin on some off-road trails. They are mainly on disused railway lines and are easily rideable as they aren't too technical. Some are longer than others and are family friendly, with picnic areas and refreshment stops along the way.

Here are my top 5 (in no particular order) for the weekend:

1. Tissington Trail: 13.5 Miles - Ashbourne to Parsley Hay

Set in the Peak District: The oldest, and one of the most popular trails in England

2. Cinder Track: 21 miles - Scarborough to Whitby

One of the most spectacular off-road trails. You are never far from the coast as you journey between these two North Yorkshire seaside towns. Don't miss the beautiful views from Robin Hood's Bay.

3. Middlewood Way: 10 miles - Macclesfield to Marple

A scenic ride through Cheshire. There are lots of little villages to stop at along the route, with the beautiful Lyme Park nearby.

4. Downs Link: 37 miles - Guildford to Shoreham-by-Sea

A slightly longer ride, but very rewarding as you end up at the seaside on the Sussex coast. It might be a little long for a family ride with children, but it is perfectly possible to ride sections of it and there are various places to get refreshments along the way. If you have energy at the end of the Downs Link you can ride an easy 10 miles along a tarmacked coastal cycle path to reach Brighton. I did this ride earlier in the year, though rather than taking the coastal path I decided to challenge myself by going across the South Downs! 

5. Longendale Trail: 6.5 miles - Hadfield to Woodhead tunnel

Very pretty ride going along the side of the Torside reservoir at the north-west end of the Peak District. I rode along it while doing the Transpennine Trail.

Related posts

Rail trails galore!

Ride from London to London-by-sea (aka Brighton!) off-road

Notes from the Transpennine Trail - Southport to Warrington

Notes from the Transpennine Trail - Stockport to Barnsley

Lunchtime jaunt - 2

Bollington - Adlington - Pott Shrigley

Following on from my previous post on a quick loop around Blaze Hill, here is another little route that can be done during a lunch break in the Macclesfield area.

The hills are not as severe as Blaze Hill, but as there are a few of them you still feel like you have had a good work-out at the end.

If you want to take a pub lunch afterwards, you are spoilt for choice for places to go. Considering the small size of the village, Bollington has a glut of pubs. Of course, I am not advocating drink riding!

From Tytherington go to Bollington via Dumbah Lane and Flash Lane where your legs are given their first little test. This is easy enough and is probably barely noticeable as a climb if you are feeling fit. At the Cock and Pheasant pub turn left and go through Bollington as far as the Dog and Partridge pub where you  turn left, passing the Vale Inn and the Middlewood Way car park. The road climbs quite steeply at this point as it leaves the village and you arrive in Adlington.

As you look to your right you can see Pott Shrigley above, which gives a sense of foreboding as you realise you have to get way up there before you can tuck into lunch! At least the climbing is steady and the gradient is never severe. Just keep turning the pedals at a regular rhythm and you get there.

It is worth looking around and admiring the views around though. Lots of farmers' fields with livestock, and beautiful trails adorn the green rolling hills on the horizon. At one point below you cross the Middlewood Way and the Macclesfield Canal where people are walking, jogging, cycling and fishing below. Even now I still have to pinch myself to comprehend that this is a fairly standard way to spend my lunchtime.

Eventually you reach the country house and hotel known as Shrigley Hall and then the road plunges downhill to return to Bollington. At this point you can either continue straight on to the Dog and Partridge to start a second loop if time allows.

Otherwise, return to base but not without the final testing climb up Church Street in Bollington. The climb is short but the gradient is around 20%. The thing I dread about it is if the road is wet I am obliged to ride the whole thing in the saddle, since an out-of-the-saddle effort just makes the back wheel spin. Also, the road is a little narrow so there's always a risk of having to give way to an oncoming vehicle. Usually, motorists give way to cyclists though. The drivers tend to look at you with a mixture of bemusement and admiration that you are even attempting to ride up such a steep slope.

At the top, you are then rewarded with a steady descent back to Tytherington via Jackson Lane/Oak Lane, passing another clutch of pubs, including the Red Lion at the top of the lane, and the Lord Clyde at the bottom.

This is a nice loop which can be done quite easily within a lunch break and you even have time to sample the brew at one of the many local pubs!