It’s been a terrific summer so far this year and I’ve really been working on getting my cycling mojo back – and I had a great ride last Friday (29th June 2018) with a 121 miler from Macclesfield, up over the roaches, onto Morridge, around Longnor, The High Peak Trail, Carsington and East Staffordshire.

Kicking off from Macclesfield at 7:40am it was a full day ride with lots of stops and exploring, coming home at dusk.

A 2x speeded up journey from the edge of the Macclesfield Forest down to Bottom of the Oven, then on to Wildboardclough. Music is Japancakes ‘Soft ‘n’ EZ’. This would have been at about 8am. Rush hour in the Moorlands…

The day was incredibly hot, but there was a keen easterly that made conditions very challenging at times when high up on the moors, which as ever, were stunning. Sad to note today that the moors around the former Mermaid pub are alight in a grass fire – that’s right where the chap is swimming in the pool.

Riding was so good that the return was over Whitemoor Haye, Whittington Heath, Weeford and Shenstone – when you’ve been on a long ride, that return and long downhill into Brownhills isheavenly.

The climbing between Longnor and Hurdlow was a good bit more challenging than I expected, but a good tea and cake stop at Longnor prepared me well.

It was very clear really, and the new cameras got a lot of exercise. Still can’t decide between them.

For more of this sort of thing, my 365daysofbiking journal is still running…