an autumnal bike ride

I’ve not been out on my bike much of late, and a ride organised by two lovely women, and including plenty of flapjack, was just the encouragement I needed.

It was also a nice excuse to get out and see a bit of autumnal scenery, albeit through a haze of drizzle.

We headed into the wind, and made our slow but merry way up the Mayfield Valley, pausing (lots) to look at the scenery, have a bit of a breather, and shelter from the wind.

At the top we stopped for what tasted like The Best Flapjack In The World.

Fortified, we headed round the corner to Redmires reservoirs.

You’ll have to excuse the slightly gloomy picture – I was a little chilly by this point and had decided my hands were far better stuffed in pockets than fiddling about with camera buttons!

This isn’t too far from where I live, and in the past I used to come up here quite regularly. I must start doing that again. The reservoir was really low today, I didn’t realise what a dry summer we’d had.

You can just about see the outline of a plantation of trees on the horizon on the right of the picture. If you walk up the hill past the trees, you get to Stanage Edge. I forget how lucky we are having such beautiful scenery so close to home. One day I’ll take you on a little trip up there…

Today though, after scoffing a quick picnic, some of the group headed back the way we’d come, and the rest of us followed Wyming Brook nature reserve down to the Rivelin dams. Wyming Brook is astonishingly beautiful, all overhanging trees and mossy crags. I don’t go there often enough, especially considering how close it is. I’ve walked the footpath that winds along the bottom of the valley before, but the bridleway stays high up, so you can see right into the tree tops, with occasional glimpses of the view over the city.

Autumn’s definitely arrived round here.

I have no idea how many miles we did. We had a beautiful ride though, my photos just don’t do it justice (it was rather too cold to ask 25 other people to wait around for me to get my camera settings just right). Autumnal bike rides like that just have to be followed by soup and hot chocolate, don’t you think?

And for the rest of the day, I’m planning on staying right here.

What are you up to today?

 

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