Great ride-out on the Little Bikes today. Malc and I rode to Chorlton to meet up with Nigel (a contact made through Jack at Mobberley Brewery) who'd invited us on a ride to North Yorkshire with some 'Little Bike' friends of his.
The three of us then rode to Clayton in north east Manchester where the group met up. We mustered about ten Little Bikes, and then the group hit the road!
We passed Burnely, Nelson, Colne, Skipton before arriving at Bolton Abbey, which is a terminal station on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey heritage railway, where we watched a couple of trains come and go as we enjoyed an al fresco lunch outside the station cafe. At Bolton Abbey I met an old friend from MoSI steam driving days, Stuart, who was guard on a train at Bolton Abbey today.
The route home was magical, over the moors via Haworth, Oxenhope, Hebden Bridge, and Mytholmroyd, with absolutely stunning views and great biking roads over the tops.
Back in the Manchester conurbation, Malc and I peeled off at Middleton to take the M60 for the last lap to home.
Thanks to the guys for really enjoyable ride-out in superb countryside in excellent weather!
Click on any picture for a larger image.
Click on any picture for a larger image.
The first five arrivals at Clayton, by the Rochdale canal, this morning. Malc's C90 on the right, my Innova next to it.
The Little Bikes at Bolton Abbey station.
This superbly rebuilt petrol electric railcar was in the platform when we arrived
Some of our contingent enjoy an al fresco lunch.
The Hunslet 0-6-0 runs around its train.
'18' refers to its fleet number at Eastmoors Steel Works, Cardiff, where it spent its working life.
Another view of our bikes at Bolton Abbey.
A final fuel stop on the way home, somewhere near Littleborough.
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