[rustynutz]

And miss out on all that exercise? 

[eye30]

Well I finally did it.........I got to Wigan Pier!!!
Wigan Pier........ well check out the photo and decide if you would call that a pier!!

Today, after saying I would do it for nearly 2 years, I got to finish off my cycle trip along the Leeds Liverpool canal to Wigan or should that be Liverpool Leeds canal as I stared at Liverpool. 

If you recall I've already cycled the canal from Liverpool to Burscough, 24 miles, so today i was finishing off the remaining 11miles.

Took the train to Ormskirk then cycled the 3 miles to Burscough to join the canal.

Cycled the canal to Wigan. Lovely views across the Lancashire Plains.

Along the Leigh Spur where there has been mine subsidence there is a large nature reserve and water sports where I was told they had coal pits.

At Wigan, rather than get the train back to Liverpool, decided to take the Leigh Spur towards Abram/Leigh but only for some 4 miles to join the A58 and a few back roads, 3 miles, to get the train from Garswood back to Liverpool.
(ps I can use my free travel pass from Garswood but not from Wigan as I would have had to pay a supplement of £2.80 for 2 stops!)

Great ride and decent track although in some places when it is wet it would be a little bit muddy so best done on a day when we have had a few days of dry weather.

Enjoy the pictures.........




The rest in here.

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[Lakes]

Looks Like you had a great adventure & top weather for a ride too, where was the pint & chippy's? Or did you do that dry & starving? thanks again, interesting! do they only give you a free pass in your area? i have a Gold Opal card good for public transport in NSW state. thanks again for the pic's

[eye30]

Pub and chips on back burner today.  As i was on my own took sarnies and pop.

I have an all england bus pass but only local area train pass.
 Can't take bike on bus unless one of those fold up ones.

Wigan is in another local travel area so my pass is not valid for train travel.

As the train service goes from the invalid area into the valid area i can use the train but have to pay for that part of travel outside my area.

So as i only had to cycle some 3 miles from the canal spur to the station in my travel area i cycled back into my local area to catch the train.
Cheapskate or what!

[Dazzler]

Not a cheapskate!  I would do that even in a blzzard!

[CraigB]

I might be able to contribute to this topic once the warmer weather arrives, finally got the bike fixed up with some new brake pads and oil and a new seat as everything had deteriorated after sitting around in the shed for 8 years Now I just have to convince the girlfriend to buy a bike 
 

[Dazzler]

 

[eye30]

Out today along the River Mersey using the, prom from Liverpool Pier Head to Otterspool then over to Hunts Cross for a jaunt along the old Cheshire Lines rail track to Aintree.  As I've done this ride before and posted pictures so just 1 new picture.

[eye30]

Just a few pictures from my latest ride..

The boat and "band" at New Brighton has been made from drift wood.
If you recall there is a similar boat, although smaller, next to the Life Boat station at Hoylake.

[rustynutz]

Is that Daz's pallet I spy?   

[Shambles]

Is that Daz's pallet I spy?   

Yeah - it's been recycled

[Dazzler]

Go on Lester, knick it and make it back into a coffee table!

[eye30]

Friend from Crewe came to see me today so as the weather was dry we took the opportunity to go on a brike ride.

Decided on a split ride, some country and some sea views.

By chance in Birkenhead which lies on The Mersey opposite Liverpool, we went past the Birkenhead Priory which was founded by the Benedictine monks in 1150 (yes the year not the time!), and is one of the oldest standing building on Merseyside. 

Also, the monks ran the original "Ferry Across the Mersey".

The Priory is only open on certain days and by chance today was an open day.

The Priory is mainly ruins but the Bell Tower is relatively new , built in 1821.

The Priory is surrounded by industrial units with the biggest being Cammel Lairds Ship Building site.

I've included a selection of pictures from the Priory and a panoramic type picture from the top of the Bell Tower.

(click to show/hide)

[eye30]

Captain Eye30 on the Black Pearl

[Dazzler]

Eye, eye Captain! 

[Lakes]

I loved my little dog Rocket, but I mainly took him to save him. I need to do quite a few trips to Sydney and other places and don't like to leave him for long periods. So I sadly gave him to a good home. They have another dog called Charlie who is his new girlfriend.

They get on great (you can see their tails wagging!)

[eye30]

Finally got round to posting pictures from my last "tour" on 12 October 2016.

The ride was a circular ride, some 28 miles, around Crewe and Nantwich.

A first for me was a short ride along the Mersey and Trent canal which has unique 2 single locks side by side to allow barges/boats to go up and down at the same time.

Stopped for "bikers" lunch (Chips and curry) in Crewe town centre then on to the Swann Inn at Wybunbury for liquid refreshments, next to the leaning church tower of the now closed Wybunbury church.

[Dazzler]

Nice photos Lester.

[nzenigma]

Lester's photos illustrate the wealth of historic and quaint places that are within easy reach of the cyclist and hiker in England/Europe.
A little different here down-under.
                                                     To cycle in Australia is to have a death wish.
 By law (impracticable as it may be), drivers passing a cyclist must  leave up to 1.5 meters clearance between their car and the cycle.
  But, we have relatively few cycle tracks, heat, distance, cyclists mixed with 100 kph traffic ......... AND  Mrs Kumah  .
I have Mrs Kumah's last car in my workshop.
 Its a 2011 i30 that was written off after her 4th minor accident - : right front guard wrecked, headlight smashed and lightly rippled doors from a yellow bike and matching rider.
Since accident #3 she has managed to DESTROY all four hubcaps on inconvenient kerbing and peddlers.
 

[Lakes]

Hi nzenigma are you only talking about Queensland? or the whole of Australia, as i have seen many pushes riding around Tassie, also a lot of Cycle ways in Sydney & suburbs, and down in the deep south coast of the state there are a lot of Cycleways. Canberra is also big on Cycling with a lot of cycle tracks. i think & get the feeling when i'm in Queensland it is Americanised. not sure about Victoria But they have culture! or South Australia but i loved the trip to SA!!  there is West Aussie that takes up half the country & low population & the Northern Territory still wild untamed. so are you talking for the whole of this great land?

[Surferdude]

Hi nzenigma are you only talking about Queensland? or the whole of Australia, as i have seen many pushes riding around Tassie, also a lot of Cycle ways in Sydney & suburbs, and down in the deep south coast of the state there are a lot of Cycleways. Canberra is also big on Cycling with a lot of cycle tracks. i think & get the feeling when i'm in Queensland it is Americanised. not sure about Victoria But they have culture! or South Australia but i loved the trip to SA!!  there is West Aussie that takes up half the country & low population & the Northern Territory still wild untamed. so are you talking for the whole of this great land?

Great tracts of cycleways in Queensland. My son rides from Jindalee to Fortitude Valley with only about 200 metres of road sharing.
Also, in Queensland all footpaths are designated "Shared Pathways" for pedestrians and cyclists
And as you say, plenty in Sydney. My daughter rode from North Parramatta to Botany Bay only needing to cross a few roads.

[nzenigma]

Hi Guys,  I was riding and later racing bikes from early age, but I don't enjoy riding on the roads any more. In Queensland, our bikeways are a nice after-thought. But, due to the size of our country there are too few of them. The roads have been built for cars and trucks; and footpaths for pedestrians (rarely see a cyclist using one).

Im not sure if our (Queensland) passing distances apply to other states. Here, you must give 1 meter clear to the bike in a 60kph zone and 1.5 meter clear on an open road.

I live out in the Samford Valley, we do 80 - 100kph almost everywhere and cyclists share the road with the cars. They have relaxed the laws so that you can cross double centre lines to pass them  . Its a recipe for disaster.  Not to mention the early morning (winter) cyclists who ride eastward oblivious to the eastward drivers who are also blinded by the rising sun.

If you go to Europe, especially countries like Holland, you can travel virtually anywhere on bike paths and you find both bike paths and dedicated road bike lanes in towns. Generally, cyclists have right of way over motorists and the Dutch are used to the system so it works well.

[rustynutz]

Im not sure if our (Queensland) passing distances apply to other states. Here, you must give 1 meter clear to the bike in a 60kph zone and 1.5 meter clear on an open road.

>They have relaxed the laws so that you can cross double centre lines to pass them  . Its a recipe for disaster.

There are a couple of States that have taken up those passing distance rules...and I believe there are "trials" taking place in a couple of other States.

The sooner they are introduced Australia wide the better, me thinks....and it would be even better if the same laws applied to vehicles passing motorcyclists!

As for crossing double lines...why is it a recipe for disaster?
It makes perfect sense to give a cyclist plenty of room and if it means partially crossing double lines (if safe to do so), I'm all for it! 

[Dazzler]

Yes, but I get nzenigma's point and feel a bit the same... "If safe to do so" is very open to interpretation!

[rustynutz]

"If safe to do so" is very open to interpretation!

Yes, but is it really so much different to normal overtaking over broken lines?  Both require you to only pass when safe to do so... 

At the end of the day it's only an "extension" of a previous rule...

You have always been allowed to cross unbroken lines to avoid an obstruction, they've just altered this rule to also include cyclists... 

[nzenigma]

... "If safe to do so" is very open to interpretation!

True. We could also say crossing a broken line is open to interpretation and or circumstance.  You don't do it if a Semi is coming toward you.
I just assume double lines indicate danger and use the precautionary approach. Out here in Samford, on a weekend, you are "interpreting" the risk every few kilometres. It may be a fun ride, but not a pleasant drive.

But I genuinely wish everyone on the bike trails a pleasant journey. 

[eye30]

In uk the following apply re solid white line

It is illegal to cross a continuous solid white line if the solid line is on your side of the road, except under certain conditions.

You are permitted to straddle or cross a continuous solid white line to enter a side road or property, to manoeuvre round a stationary vehicle blocking your side of the road, to overtake a cyclists, horse or a road works vehicle moving at 10 mph (16 km/h) or less.

Crossing double white lines where the line closest to you is solid is illegal outside of the circumstances described above.

[nzenigma]

In uk the following apply re solid white line

It is illegal to cross a continuous solid white line if the solid line is on your side of the road, except under certain conditions.

You are permitted to straddle or cross a continuous solid white line to enter a side road or property, to manoeuvre round a stationary vehicle blocking your side of the road, to overtake a cyclists, horse or a road works vehicle moving at 10 mph (16 km/h) or less.

Crossing double white lines where the line closest to you is solid is illegal outside of the circumstances described above.

I spent 3 weeks driving around England and Wales in a left hand drive Peugeot. Big mistake. It was ... an ordeal. Brit streets are so narrow that you have about enough space to get an i30 down the centre of the street.
When I came up to a parked lorry I had to drive the Peugeot out into the traffic before I could see if the road was clear.... which it was not!
They called me a French *^!!**%*..... and worse  . Such an ungrateful race!

[Lakes]

Hi Guys,  I was riding and later racing bikes from early age, but I don't enjoy riding on the roads any more. In Queensland, our bikeways are a nice after-thought. But, due to the size of our country there are too few of them. The roads have been built for cars and trucks; and footpaths for pedestrians (rarely see a cyclist using one).

Im not sure if our (Queensland) passing distances apply to other states. Here, you must give 1 meter clear to the bike in a 60kph zone and 1.5 meter clear on an open road.

I live out in the Samford Valley, we do 80 - 100kph almost everywhere and cyclists share the road with the cars. They have relaxed the laws so that you can cross double centre lines to pass them  . Its a recipe for disaster.  Not to mention the early morning (winter) cyclists who ride eastward oblivious to the eastward drivers who are also blinded by the rising sun.

If you go to Europe, especially countries like Holland, you can travel virtually anywhere on bike paths and you find both bike paths and dedicated road bike lanes in towns. Generally, cyclists have right of way over motorists and the Dutch are used to the system so it works well.

Have you been to Sydney?
all the car drivers complain as no car street parking Sydney has Cycleways that have borders and dividing lines it is NOT the footpath it is Cycleways cars can not use them as they are designed to stop a car entering, if one tried the car would be stuck & undrivable the fine the driver got big $$$.

Trev has said it His Daughter road from one side of Sydney to the other. there are network's all over not just Sydney But a lot of regional centres too like Bathurst to name one. there is a Cycle track that goes from Victoria following the blue mountains for mountain bikes, i have ridden part of it. i never ride on highways or roadways just fire trails & cycleways, the only time i ride on roadways is when i ride in the Sydney Spring Cycle three lanes on the Harbour bridge is closed to cars the police close all the roads we use from  North Sydney the Bridge  and all the roads we use in Sydney CBD as well as Domain Lady Maquaries Chair and it goes to Darling Harbour for the novice, the advanced can ride to Homebush bay. i'll post photo's next year. plus all public transport to the start & from the finish ,like government Bus's Electric Train's Ferry's all free to people entered in the Sydney Spring Cycle they travel free from long distances too like from Nowra in the south Lithgow in the mountains Newcastle in the north all free return.

I just remembered My mate Phil said they Ride the river cycleway from his place at Indoroopilly every day ( him & a group of 50 others.

Also note that in Sydney CBD very expensive on street parking for car's & trucks and enforced with a vengeance!! BUT all motor Bikes & Scooters free parking.

[eye30]

Here is site i use. Also has app via playstore.

If you go into maps it shows official designated routes but there are also others not shown as official.

https://www.cyclestreets.net/