Fog, Peak Distict, and broken clutches

In the days leading up to Tuesday the forecast had been promising clear blue skies all that day so I planned a ride to and around the Peak District. However, come come the morning, I awoke to thick fog which they were now saying would last until noon. Feeling very deflated and somewhat despondent, I mused what to do, then thought to myself ‘if Richy Vida can ride in the Scottish snow, I’m sure I can cope with some fog and have a good time even without the blue skies’. So with renewed enthusiasm I set off just after 9am into thick fog, the sort where you can’t get above 40mph and have to wipe the moisture of your visor every 30 seconds.

I always avoid major roads on my travels and head cross country but thought it wise to adjust my route a bit this time to avoid a few of the tree lined single-track roads, it’s a bit dodgy getting visibility of oncoming traffic at the best of times. After about 45 minutes the fog seemed to get a bit thinner but then soon resumed it’s denseness which lasted for another 45 minutes until I arrived in the Peak District and made my first stop just north of Brassington. Is that a bit of a blue tinge I can see in the sky?

Whilst drinking coffee from my flask it got a lot brighter and things cleared enough to see clouds in blue sky overhead and the silhouette of trees in distant fields. So when I set off after cleaning my visor I could now see the road clearly enough to ride in a manner without compromising for visibility.

I headed north through Bakewell, to Grindleford, then began a new-to-me route looping west along the hill tops north of Eyam.

Half way around my loop the road was closed off for a 100 metre stretch due to a landslip by the looks of it, though walkers and cyclists were still passing and a motorcycle could safely do too if they hadn’t put concrete bollards to block the way. As it was lunchtime I though this was a good place to eat my pasty and enjoy the view.

Rather than backtrack all the way I decided to plot a detour around the blocked road to continue my planned loop back along the other side of the valley.

That led me to Hathersage where I’d hoped to refuel but the petrol station there didn’t do petrol so I went to Bamford to do so. By now it was time to plot a route on satnav to get back home but as the weather was so good, I decided to stay out a bit longer than planned and follow an indirect route through Miller’s Dale and Longnor to include the moors west of there.

Then it was eastward and retracing the route to home, in the sun rather than fog this time.

I was still out come sunset and couldn’t resist trying to get a photo.

After filling up at my local petrol station I stalled the bike heading off, which I put down to tiredness, but when pulling into the drive at home and feathering the clutch there was a clunking from the gearbox and I realised I had gained a massive amount of free-play in the clutch cable. Turns out the clutch lifter bearing has gone, perfect timing though for it to become a problem.

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Beautiful photos and sounds like you had a great day out after the fog lifted (have to admit, I do not enjoy riding in fog, it makes me feel very vulnerable!). Talk about timing too for your clutch issue - much better to happen at home than miles away.

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Your getting some great mileage out of that bike!

Your sunset pic is a doozy!

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Great write up @BrownMouse and pictures to boot :grinning:

Yep, will hit 50k this summer, I do 10k miles a year. :slight_smile:

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