LANCASTER

 WE'RE TYRED !    17 Miles

A HIGH VIZ VENTURE  :-  Mike, Anthony, Danny and John.

What did we do today ?

Have you guessed ?

Of course you've guessed.  We went on a bike ride instead of a walk.

and here we are setting up......... then setting off. ... from Bullbeck car park on the Lancaster to Hornby road.

Just across the road was the start of the cycle track which follows the old railway line to Lancaster and beyond. It was not long before we reached the bridges over the Crook o' Lune. Here 's Mike taking a photo........

....... of the other three.

We, safety conscious old fellas, wore Hi-Vis jackets except John who had a rather bright "Banana" sweat shirt on.

A friendly couple we passed (no we stopped  otherwise.....? )   took a photo of all four of us together.. Thank You !

A little further down the cycle track and we stopped to take a phone call. It was from Martin who could not join us today as he was in a hospital bed in "Preston Royal".

Very soon we stopped for "brewtime". I think we had already covered more miles than we do on the whole of a walking day.

This is definitely a mechanical............ er ?............thingy !

Brews over and off again along the cycleway.

"Watch that lamp post Danny !"

Lamp post flattened but Danny still with us !      That's a lie !

Just ahead of us now was Lancaster with its magnificent castle on the hill.

And a couple of minutes later we passed the Millennium Bridge.

Once past the bridge we continued to follow the edge of the river (other side of the wall !  not us....the River Lune)

Beyond here the cycle way continues to follow the old railway line as far as Glasson Dock our starting point for previous cycle rides.

That was not our destination today, however, and after a mile or so we turned uphill to Aldcliffe.

As we paused at the top of the hill we heard a cheery greeting from "above" .... well she was higher than us on that sturdy pony. We returned the young lady's kind greetings before she carried on down the hill we had just climbed.

Passing through Aldcliffe meant climbing the only hill on our journey. Quite steep but not beyond our experienced cyclists and of course two of us less fit gentlemen had electric bikes . So as the meerkat said ........ "SIMPLES"

Then a steep drop down (Down's OK  👍😀) to the canal.

I find it quite amazing and not a little amusing that on many of our walks, not necessarily following the same routes, we end up having lunch in places we have used before.

So too today . A little public garden on the banks of the canal.

Lunch over and off again.

As we approached Lancaster the towpath crossed from one side of the canal to the other.

And then through an area of pubs and cafes.

After the cafes the towpath crossed over again and we found ourselves riding past the cathedral.

We continued along a towpath busy with both walkers and cyclists. It is, again, quite amusing that people kindly gave way to this bunch of elderly cyclist. Were they being truly kind or keeping well clear of this dangerously eccentric and wobbly bunch ?

Just before we arrived at the famous 18C Aqueduct we stopped briefly to discuss the final section of our ride.

A few yards (metres ?) further and we dropped down the narrow path back onto the cycle track below the aqueduct.

Get those pedals pushed . We're on the last section of our ride.

Not quite the last section . As we passed the cafe at Crook O' Lune our glorious leader asked "Who fancies an ice cream ?" a nano second passed before "Me" "Me"  "Me"  rang out.

So ice- creams all round.

......... at "Turners View".     "Have we been here before?"   "YES !"

If you look very carefully you will see "Ingleborough" on the horizon. ( That's one of Yorkshire's "Three Sisters". Fells for those not familiar with our region)

Back to Bullbeck car park. Load up, and off home.  

 Well done Mike and excellent bike ride and a thoroughly enjoyable outing.

THE END

JW