Essential kit for cycling

Here I am wearing a fetching anti fly fringe!

Hi viz

When you leave map on the boat a photograph of the trans pennine trail helps enormously.

Except for the bit from Harlington down to Rotherham.  We have discovered the gps is a pain in the ... on a bicycle and led us to do one more hill than strictly necessary.

That bridge/viaduct I took earlier between Sprotbrough and Conisbrough.

This is the view from above.

The slope from that path you can see to the viaduct is very very steep.  Himself says they are not hills but 'attitudes of mind'. I still don't like them.

My hero!

When my puncture proof tyres fell victim to a small screw in Rotherham he cycled back and forth trying to locate the Halfords on the Canklow Trading Estate whilst I steadily walked the two miles. He managed to borrow a pump from Halfords and fixed my tyre cycling back to return the pump to them again.  Lessons learned? 1. take a pump with you.  2. take both mobile phones 3. take spare inner tube.

Beautiful Brick Building

Down by the River Don on the 5 Weirs cycle route.

By the end of this week we will have cycled from Sheffield to Doncaster as we boat and cycle back for car etc.

Looking forward to it, but not sure my legs are.

Yesterday the Supertram took the strain as it took us first to Centertainment to see the Star Trek Movie, then back into Sheffield for another walk around (after shops were shut!) and then a lovely meal at the Wig and Pen.

Today as we are now at Tinsley Marina for the night we plan to eat all we can at the Chinese Restaurant recommended by Mick off Rose of Arden possibly followed by yet another film.

Decadence !

Victoria Quays

Visitor moorings at Victoria Quays are just under the ring road but still quiet.  Proper long term moorings are further in after going through a little swing bridge.  We are allowed through into this hallowed area for pump outs and general use of the facilities and of course for winding.  Which we will do tomorrow (wind not pump)

Now I never knew this is what happens on top of Ponds Forge Mega Roundabout as when I am usually here I am concentrating on making sure I am in the correct lane and moving at the correct time.  As I am never quite sure where I am going this can be quite a fraught experience!

Instead all was calm as I wandered up and down the walkways, viewed the trams and cycleways pausing to eye the busy roads beneath.  Different world.

I walked through the Winter Gardens.

admired the posh pizza express

Sheffield at it's best.

But I have spent too much money.  I now have a super little hoover, new shoes, extra shower curtain and shower accoutrement holder, some velcro for trying to hold the sofa together (it keeps trying to convert to a bed) and we are heading back in again this afternoon.  Oh dear, city living not good . . .

We might also go to Cineworld by tram and see the new Star Trek movie.

Tinsley Flight etc

Impressive water feature here and on several of the other locks.

I was a little late getting to Holmes Lock as I found Rotherham Town Lock and Ickles Lock were hard to do solo.  Mooring up before and after was a tad time consuming and Rotherham Lock required the paddles all lowering before operating the lock then after going through you had to crank them up again at both ends before locking them in place.  Ickles Lock in particular was tough as the moorings below the lock had three lovely bollards on the right but no ladder while on the left there was a ladder but no bollards.  I chose the left side because the right side was just too high for me to get off the roof of the boat safely or even in a mildly dignified manner. 

Mick from Rose of Arden and Dave the Lock Keeper arrived together to help me up the flight.  

They are both absolute stars.

Didn't manage to speak much to Mick as he kept setting the locks in front but hopefully we can have a longer chat in a couple of days.

Large Weir after Jordans Lock

So this is Sheffield

On the other side of this bank is Meadowhall!  

This is Locks 7 & 8 amalgamated together.  Not quite Tuel Lane but impressive nonetheless.

Small boy

Small boy stuffing his face in borrowed coat.

It was good to catch up with him as we have not seen each other for ages.  Since he is the reason for me venturing into the city and he is working all weekend I suppose technically I should just turn around and go back again!

It started to rain hard just before getting to Victoria Quays so I have hunkered down and he has rushed off to work.  Hopefully I will hit the sights/shops tomorrow and Saturday.

No excuse not to do some work myself now.

Ho hum.

oh dear I think I am losing my mojo

today I dipped my toe in the water for no apparent reason and nearly lost a nail on my right hand (slight exaggeration) clinging on (this is making typing difficult,)

I still did another lock before thinking my life jacket might not be a bad thing! Der.

This photo is one that didn't get deleted yesterday. It is the approach to Keadby.  This railway bridge used to lift to let the big boys through.  Now they can get so far and no further.  Glad they were tied up.

I knew I should have moved further yesterday in the bright sunshine.  So today's photos are of a slightly damp hue.  I have finally used my umberella ella ella as it was not blowing a hooley just a bit mizzling so I kept fairly dry even if it did mean standing whilst it was raining and sitting on side when not.

We go under this tiny bit

and this is the rest of it.  Actually there is more either side but you get the idea.

Conisbrough Castle

When I woke up this morning I missed following another big commercial boat that would have had a lockie opening and closing their locks for them.  I never caught them up so I had to turn them all and operate them solo.  My electric button finger is quite sore!  The above lock is not too deep but a couple are humungous.  I do not like ladders.

They don't look too big at this distance

Bit bigger now.  A lot of walking at this lock as the lock landing is behind me and at other end you would be on the wrong side and have to walk round the lock but a lady popped out of the Waddingtons work boat and closed the gates behind me and returned me my key while I hung on to the boat.

The next lock back onto the river had all its lock landings on the wrong side as well.  I will never complain about having to walk around a double lock again!

This is Aldwarke lock (aka supermarket lock) here the landing is not only on the wrong side but next to the lock towards the weir so once you have set lock you have to reverse around the corner.

Reversing in these conditions not a problem as very wide and no boats to hit!

This is what I was following and hoping to share a lock with!

It is an oil tanker and it fills the lock completely.

Rushing to take this photo as it passed me on it's return journey I forgot I had propped the back hatch closed with a piece of wood so I clonked my head really really hard on the semi closed hatch.  I was on the phone at the time to small boy so if I had keeled over he could have alerted the media!

 (so glad I did not meet this monster whilst moving!)

Sheffield tomorrow.

Oh tittle says I

when I cleverly wiped all my photos off the sd card before they had been copied onto computer.  Some of them I hadn't even seen as I was saving them for the big screen.

I could weep.

Still it is another beautiful sunny day and I am well on target for the Tinsley Flight on Thursday.

Not sure about the setting off from Eastwood at 8am though!

Passing under the A1m was magical.  You know the River Don is actually quite pretty - previously I had only seen the bit in Attercliffe on a rainy day so perhaps I wasn't seeing it at it's best.

Wonderful weather

the last couple of days.

Yesterday was spent with an old friend from Uni.  We boated and she operated the three swing bridges for me which was a big help although these ones appear to have moorings on the correct side.  We had lunch that she had brought with her then we cycled back to our cars.  Considering we have not seen each other since 1997 it was like we had never been apart.  Good friends are like that.

Due to the landslip at Hatfield there are no trains so the unique sliding railway bridge at Keadby was left open.  As we cycled back over it we were able to have a good look at how it worked.  The signal man was very chatty understandably as he has absolutely nothing to do all shift!  It was the same for the signal men at all the swing bridges.  The night shift apparently go to sleep!

Today the weather was so fabulous that I made the decision to move a further two swing bridges and still be able to visit my friend for dinner tonight.  They were both very easy to do solo due to the moorings on the operating side and  I had only one vehicle turn away in disgust!

Yesterday my friend had brought a proper bike for me to use so the grassy towpath wasn't a problem.  Today it was a little exciting on the electric bike with it's tiny wheels.  I think I can safely say it is not an offroad bike, I was airborne rather more than I would have liked in normal mode so I had to do it in Eco/slow mode.