Consett, Knee Bother - 19th June 2009

(approximately 40 miles)

Another bike ride that's been slow to make it onto the blog. More dodgy pictures have surfaced, so.....
Cast your minds back to June 19th, and it's just Ian and Dunk out again, as Jim and Chris had delved into the bag of excuses once more.
Just a gentle ride was planned, as it was blowing a gale again, and my knee wasn't what it should be, plus I had new cycling glasses to try and get used to. Odd distortions from the prescription lenses you know.


Along the Quayside by Scotswood Business Park, and the heavens opened. Just a shower, so we hid behind a building and let it blow over. Note the stylish headgear and aforementioned shades.

So, it was along the Newcastle side of the river, over the Scotswood Bridge, and onto the Derwent Walk.


Action shot on the Derwent Walk at Rowlands Gill.


And here's George Clooney Dunk at Lintz Green Station. Too cool for school.
Actually, the new glasses were performing pretty well. No flies in the face or watery eyes. Result.

Sadly, the dodgy knee eventually gave up the ghost at Consett Steel Works, rather badly actually, and of course the furthest point from home. We limped very slowly to the tearoom at Lydgetts Junction.


Ian puts on a brave face while I load up with drugs. Ahhhh, emergency Ibuprofens.
Actually, he's probably admiring himself in the reflection on the new shades.


Toastie!
Cheese and Ham. Lovely.


Tucking into a rather large piece of Banoffee Gateaux, somewhat drowned in cream. Which is a good thing. Can't have Ibuprofens on an empty stomach you know. The Hownsgill Tea Room is very good, dead cheap and big helpings.
Note, still wearing the new glasses. DId I mention I was trying out some new glasses?


Used to have hair before wearing the cycling helmet you know.


Just west of Annfield Plain, and the drugs are working as long as I took it slow. We had fiddled with the seat height as well, which also seemed to help.

We pressed on until past Stanley when Ian decided to take us on a detour to avoid any uphill bits and save the knee.
A few hairy moments crossing dual carriageways, Ian racing on ahead so much that I got lost near Pelton, nasty rush hour traffic in Ouston and a few grumpy moments down towards Lamesley, and then up the old Bowes Incline to the Angel.
And then to top it all a puncture. Back wheel of course. Not my day. Ian fixed it double quick (well, much quicker than I would). I had paid for the food though, so he earned it.

So with that, it was back to the pub. 40 miles. Just taking it easy apparently.

(There might be a Google Earth file at some point of this route)

Four One Get Fat On Fish - 12th June 2009

(approximately 36-ish miles)

It's been a bit quiet on the cycling front for a while. Various excuses offered, from injury, to work, to redecorating the ladies toilets. Some are perhaps more convincing than others.
Anyway, a disc of photos has mysteriously found it's way onto the internet at last, so......

It's June 12th, a hot sunny day, and the four usual suspects set out from the car park of The Black Horse, and head through Birtley to the railway line, before barrelling along to the coast at Sunderland.


Ian remembered he had a cameraphone with him at this point, and clambered up an embankment by the National Glass Centre to take this picture. An odd looking ship.
Just off to the left of this picture, a couple of young ladies scurried past a moment later, no doubt overcome by the acres of Ian's belly flesh that could be seen. We pray for rain sometimes and the waterproofs.


Jim, our resident Doctor Doolittle works his magic a little further along the riverfront at Sunderland.
Surprisingly, they didn't stay that long, and hurried away.


Kate Winslett has let herself go.

We pressed on to the seafront, and turned north for a mile or two, before stopping for a spot of nosh at Latimers Shellfish Deli near Whitburn.


Chris has just seen the previous picture.


Kate Winslett has really let herself go, again.

Actually, Jim was gorging on a smoked mackerel with black pepper sarnie he managed to cobble together himself. Rather good stuff actually.


Mmmmmm, mackerel.....


The remains of Dunk's traditional carrot cake.
To be fair, Ian did press the shutter on his cameraphone before any had been eaten.


In the carpark at Minchella's next door, we stumbled across this scene of horror. Didn't put anyone off the ice creams though.

And with that, Ian and Chris fled back to the Black Horse at breakneck speed, hence the lack of further photos, leaving Jim and Dunk to meander back at a more sedate pace. Especially up Leam Lane bank. That was very sedate.

There may not be a Google Earth route for this ride, as they take ages to do and I'm feeling quite lazy in this hot, humid heat.