Very local lane, on my CLR.

[NeverRodeBefore]

I used this lane a week or two back as a short cut home from my Dad's. I said I would go back with a camera, so I did! It goes very close to Hartshead Pike, although depending on who you listen too, it goes over Hartshead Pike, the hill, not the tower?

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

Looking back round to my home, you can see the Northern most bit of Stalybridge, and the main road from Ashton to Mossley that I cycle twice a day.

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

My trusty, rusty wheeled CLR125 CityFly, a perfect bike when I learning, and now having a new lease of life!

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

Erm, where did the picture go, never mind, try again

Seems this ones too big, so back in a second!

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

The lane itself is generally stoney, with shallow ruts, and the occasional small rock.

 

[(RIP) Tunneruk]

Unrelated I know but is the pub still open up there, I believe it's called 'The Colliers arms"
I lived in Ashton in the late eighties and I allways take family visitors up there to see their faces, The bar area was a single width split stable type door with a 4" shelf nailed to it

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

On a clear day you can see Jodrell Bank from up here, and right the way into Manchester Airport, both of which I think would be just to the right of this photograph

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

The pub looked shut, but then again, it's been years since I went up to the pike myself, and I never once ventured into the pub

You can't ride right to the Pike itself, not legally anyway, so I just took this shut through the fence. It used to contain a small shop inside it, and steps up to a viewing area to get a good look into Wales if you wanted

Like everything else though, the insides were vandalised and so the whole tower was bricked up. I think that happened before I was born!

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

The lane whilst being stoney for the most has one section of rock steps, now I've been down them today, and up them the other week. I think going up is easier

I'm not an offroad rider by any means. I tried to ride them feet up and controlling the back brake for speed, but I'm afraid I put both feet down and slid the bike down on the front brake, which I did feel locking on the smooth rock, but seen as I had my feet well and truly on the floor I wasn't too bothered. I wouldn't want to have tried it on the GS mind

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

There is however a more friendly way around the Pike which goes the otherway round (although it's not on my SatNav) and it has much more in the way of water splashes (I didn't, I went round the edges ) and a few bigger rocks, but nothing too difficult, and I think I would've tried my GS that way

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

Along the way I found a few horses, and lots of cows. The area is primarily now farmland. Although it used to be mines and quarries (hence the Collier's Arms) Apparently there was also a Card Tack Factory, a bronze age encampment, a smallpox hospital and a mortuary based around the hill.

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

This should be in the show us your road signs, but it rather sums up what happened to me!

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

By the time I took that picture I was back in civilisation and going to the petrol station. I'd done 90.6 miles from the last time I put fuel in it, and it 'swallowed' 7.74 ltr, which is 1.7 gallons, which gives 53.21 mpg over a mixture of A's and B's mainly, with a trip into Stockport on the motorway, and a couple of lanes thrown in for good measure.

I was mainly going out today as I had a job to do at work to ensure it would be all systems go in the morning. I did the same thing yesterday with my Landy. I drove to work via the supermarket, and then back home again. I probably used a gallon just doing that trip with the Landy

I got to work just as the heavens opened, so I did what I had too, then sat and had a brew watching it pour down as the lightning cracked away overhead.

Incidentally, the original beacon tower on Hartshead Pike was destroyed by lightening in the mid 1800's, leaving only a stone ring now!