SLOTHO rides West: Day 6 - Hartington to Chester

[@essextrails]

That was through some of my favourite countryside. My daughter lives in Macclesfield and we have walked, cycled and run around a lot of the beautiful local countryside. That was some distance to ride in the hilly area. You captured it well in the video. Keep up the great work.

[@RAsadventures-zr1ge]

@@essextrails As I said in the video, my experience of the area was 40+ (or should that be 50-) years ago in the rain, and I wasn't really expecting to encounter such lovely countryside on this ride. I noticed that there were several cycle routes in the area and I have added it to my list of "places to go back to"! Thanks for the nice comment - I appreciate your encouraging words!

[@davidwalsh566]

Cycle touring with a loaded bike can provide a great full-body workout, especially when venturing off-road onto paths and bridleways - well done on getting your rig over the bridge. I've had many similar struggles when bike camping, particularly at kissing gates, so always go as light as possible so that I can lift over. That is the main downside to ebikes - manual lifting is almost impossible. Again, not a single other cyclist on your video - solitude in the midst of one of the most densely populated countries in Europe!

[@RAsadventures-zr1ge]

@@davidwalsh566 My rig is heavy even without camping gear! It's a very heavy bike, but I enjoy having a high degree of confidence that it won't let me down in the middle of nowhere! I think some e-bikes are probably lighter than my Nomad! I only recall seeing 2 other cyclists during the day. One was an e-biker who was a dormitory-mate at the hostel; he hummed past as I was winding my way up a rainy hill and was gone before I could record the moment. The other was a young lady cyclist who arrived just after I had struggled down from the bridge - she threw her bike over her shoulder and practically jogged up the steps; my camera was still recording and I would have included the clip to contrast her physical competence with my ungainly struggle, but I thought that scene had already been as long as the "flow" of the movie could tolerate. It was amazing how quiet and countrified this route was - both on this day and the whole tour, passing between busy industrial towns. I think this was actually one of the nicest days of the trip, although every single day was worth at least 4 stars! Thanks for following my tour and commenting again! ATB!

[@johnm-wv6bo]

Well done shame about the weather at the start maybe a stair lift could be put in at that bridge for you more mature bike riders.🤣🤣looking forward to your next one.👍

[@RAsadventures-zr1ge]

I think a stair lift would be a good investment - perhaps I will write to the Canal and Rivers Trust and suggest that they adapt all of their bridges. Just after I had struggled down off the bridge a lady arrived, threw her bike up onto her shoulder and practically jogged across; clearly a sign of immaturity! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@johnm-wv6bo]

@@RAsadventures-zr1ge was this a cycle route as we have one near us and the bridge has 32 steps each side and one of those little channels at the side that doesn't help really at all.

[@RAsadventures-zr1ge]

32 steps!!! I'd die! This was on route 55, just south of Macclesfield. To be fair, the route should be able to use the swing-bridge which may well be back in place when the season for sensible cycle-tourists reopens! Those channels are helpful if you have a light bike, but I struggle a lot with them. I watched some mature e-bikers using one near Cambridge. They were able to get their heavy bikes over by using the motor - but I understand that a bike whose motor works without pedalling is illegal! I just pushed mine, and hurt my back in the process! In France some young people (with tattoos and nose rings) helped me carry everything across which was a nice cross-cultural experience and a huge help.

[@johnm-wv6bo]

@@RAsadventures-zr1ge E-bikes do have a walk mode to help when pushing. Mine is called brute force withe less brute and very little force.

[@RAsadventures-zr1ge]

@johnm-wv6bo I did not know that! Thanks. I guess I will have to learn about that before too long!