End of an Era -Cranked CC magazine, #34 Final edition.

 

Autumn is defo on the way now - Durham's old railway lines are wet & muddy

 

Another day and another ride. This time it was one of my regular loops taking in a couple of the old railway lines - Broom Park to Crook then the road to Willington. At Willington I turn left at the Coop and pick up the Bishop Auckland to Broom park line. The weather was mainly overcast but kept dry. The wind was back again but not as strong as yesterday but still hard going in places. There was quite a few others out n about but not too bad. The bike is running well after a good wash, dry, lube and charge up last night. At the end it was covered in mud again as the lines are still wet and up the naff's in places. Below are a couple of snaps from the ride, enjoy and hopefully more soon - 

A spin up the Waskerley and Pontop Pike Transmitter on the way back down

 

It was a long over due ride up the old railway line (C2C) towards the Parkhead cafe. It started off overcast then the sun came out but the wind was on the strong side to say the least, 25+ mph gusts. I was hoping to get all the way up to the cafe but I gave up after the car park at St Matthews Church, Waskerley. It is the first time I have rode the full length of the new motorway tarmac section. God help us all when it snows, half melts and becomes a solid sheet of polished ice. There was a few others out but not that many. For some reason all the none cyclists were walking, running etc right in the middle of the track, not too worry my brakes are scrubbed back in again. On the way back down I decided to take in a small road section loop up to Pontop Pike transmitter. There are a few short video clips at the bottom of the blog as well. All in 28 miles with 1500ft of climbing. Enjoy a few photos below from the ride and hopefully more soon- 

Fresh Goods Sunday - Assos GT SOCKS C2 (Droid Orange)

 

I suppose it is not really the right time of year posting a Blog on Fresh Goods Sunday - summer socks with white parts! I bough these last year as the orange matches my Assos trail short sleeved jersey and Endura MTR shorts which have orange logos. As ever with Assos the quality is top notch and cannot fault them Assos manufacture a massive range of socks for all types of riding in all seasons. This model comes in loads of different colours and three different size options. I have only used them when it dry offroad as the white rim on the top of the socks will get marked very easily with the local clarts. They are comfortable on my feet and wash well. They are too thin and the material is too breathable for cooler days or winter months. As ever shop around as it is the end of the summer season now and the shops are starting to stock the winter range of clothing. 

RRP £15 and I paid £12 from Chevin Cycles. Discount 20% 

Manufacturers blurb - 

A classic cycling sock, updated with functional technology for cooling and support and a slightly longer cuff for a clean, current aesthetic.
A piece of cycling equipment is effective when it does its job so well that you forget about it. Like their predecessors, the latest GT Socks embody that ethos, pulling moisture, resisting odor, and providing a light wrap of support across the metatarsals, arch, and ankle. We’ve updated the design with new yarns, improved ventilation, and a cuff height of 16cm (6in).

90% PA 10% EA