Oh mighty org, get me from A to B... Tomorrow!

Evening all,
I've got to do a home visit for one of our users tomorrow, he lives in Clitheroe, I live in Malpas, Cheshire. I have been browsing google maps looking for decent routes to avoid the trudge of the motorway but thought I'd crowd source the info as to coin a phrase "everyone knows better than me"
heres the unrefined route, http://goo.gl/maps/2j0W can people suggest bits of the route that would be better than the M6 et al?
I'm not adverse to it taking longer, google shoots for 1:45 for the unadulterated route, I'm up for anything under 3 hours.

Suggestions greatly appreciated!

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&so...36&ie=UTF8&z=9

and you could always stop in at mine for a brew on the way back (depending on time)

[Bluepete]

Change to the A49 for a warm up blast, get to Bolton and find Scout Road, then up Belmont Road to the M65, pass Hoghton Tower, then cut past Salmesbury to Clayton le Dale on the A59. Turn left through Ribchester, then right onto Lower Road just before Longridge. That road is one of the best in the area and takes you right into Clitheroe.

Whilst there, go to Cowmans sausage shop near the castle and Mr Byrne's vintners just doen the hill.

Pete

Originally Posted by davepreston

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&so...36&ie=UTF8&z=9

and you could always stop in at mine for a brew on the way back (depending on time)

darn, link only displays my original one, if you still have it open I think you have to click the little link icon at the top right of the map and copy/paste that one. thanks for the brew offer, might be short on time but if not I'll PM.

Originally Posted by Bluepete

Change to the A49 for a warm up blast, get to Bolton and find Scout Road, then up Belmont Road to the M65, pass Hoghton Tower, then cut past Salmesbury to Clayton le Dale on the A59. Turn left through Ribchester, then right onto Lower Road just before Longridge. That road is one of the best in the area and takes you right into Clitheroe.

Whilst there, go to Cowmans sausage shop near the castle and Mr Byrne's vintners just doen the hill.

Pete

Just plotting that one out on the map, thanks!

The org is awesome, never fails to impress me

[Bluepete]

If you get chance, head out of Clitheroe north through Waddington, to Slaidburn and on to Long Preston. Then south on the A682 through Gisburn and down to the end of the M65. Blast home!

Pete

OK think I've got my route sorted, programmed the tomtom as best as it will allow (using only one via point) and I've got the link sent to the ipad. I've looked over the route that many times now I can probably do it from memory using google maps.
Thanks for the advice guys!

Bluepete, I owe you a pint and a half, that route was awesome! Almost done and the sun is out, will be taking that road north first on the way back!
Made a boring work day into a paid for rideout!

[Bluepete]

My pleasure!

Come on the Border Patrol brewery ride and enjoy some more great roads!

Then the Pennine Massive brewery ride and we'll probably use some of those roads too!

Pete

Right, I'm rested (after being knackered last night) and feel the need to write about my awesome day

I checked the forecast when I got up, nice bright weather, even a little warmer than expected, I debated it and decided I'd go in my leathers as they are more comfortable then the waterproof gear.
Over christmas I bought myself an autocom kit for my bike, I've got my iphone hard wired in but on the 15-20 min blasts to work each morning its debatably worth messing around cabling up... The last time I used it I pulled the coil cable a little far and when I plugged it back in and had only one ear working (gutted didn't begin to cover it) thought I'd ripped a delicate cable in the helmet or something. left it alone out of shame for a few weeks while I was using the car etc but came back to it yesterday... I'd just knocked one of the pins out of line! straightened that out and voila working again! I couldn't wait to get out on the road! I'd prepared a playlist that should last me, I'd got tomtom on my iphone, I was ready!

After thoroughly checking out the route suggested I streetviewed some key junctions so I knew what they would look like when I got there. I set out with the intention of stopping and turning tomtom on when I felt I wasn't heading the right way or was lost completely. Somewhat amazingly I made it all the way to Clitheroe taking exactly the route I expected!

The A49 run to the motorway I've done many times but it was good advice to take it as it was nice to get into the swing of things on familiar roads rather than blasting up the boring A41 and onto the motorway.

A quick motorway shuffle later, M56, M6, M60, M61 (sounds a lot but it was 10-15 minutes I think) I was heading off a junction with a notion of which way I was heading and a streetview memory of what the two turnings I needed looked like. everything happened sooner than I expected, what looked a long distance on a scaleless map (OK it was there I just wasn't paying attention) was coming up quite quickly, theres a shell garage, is this the one I need to turn at? quick glance at some road signs confirmed ring road.. "left turn Clyde" bit of dual carriageway then I was looking for the turning for old kiln road, expecting it sooner now, there it was, just as expected, perfect, looking over I could see the countryside leading away, the ride was looking up already, much sooner than I expected!
up and over a hill or two then down to an entertaining 90 degree bend, in the distance to my right there was a chimney engulfed in mist, fading into existence towards the top, stopped and grabbed a quick picture then headed on, the mist got a little thicker but as I rounded the 90 degree bend I saw why, I was descending into a valley filled with cloud, it looked amazing! I didn't have a decent enough vantage point to take pictures to do it justice but I headed on, into the cloud and out the other side.
The A675 was really nice, sweeping, up and down hill, nice views of reservoirs along the way. Before I knew it I was heading under the M65. Lamenting the fact that the journey seemed to be almost over but far from it!

heading through the mentioned small towns and over Roach Bridge (Another photo op, I'll post them sometime), then a bit of main road over to Clayton Le Dale, caught the right junction without a hitch and off onto more windy B roads heading for ribchester, it just kept getting better the whole journey, then turning onto that last road, B6243 I saw a couple of bikes along the route but it was bliss for my bimbling pace.

Pulled over and kicked in tomtom, music still playing I wondered what would happen, it directed me in my ear as I approached all the right places, the screen isn't nearly necessary for a bike. One closed road diversion later I was turning round and heading the other way much to tomtoms annoyance, I went round where I thought I could go (didn't want to check a map) and realised it was trying to direct me back onto the closed road, pushed on and it gave in to my will (OK it realised it now made more sense to go the way I was going) got to my destination with an insane grin on my face, I couldn't believe I was being PAID to do this!

4 hours of tech work in between, nothing too major, leaving around 2:30 I figured I had time to take in the suggested loop to the North. I could hardly afford to miss it given I was all this way out already... Then it dawned on me that Bluepete had also recommended a shop in the town, quick text for what was wanted and I called in the town, got that and some chips and cherry coke (what a combination, bliss, I'm STILL being paid for this!) sat in the sun drinking and eating with the prospect of more roads the same ahead I was in heaven!

Right, need to get going, start the bike, getting helmet and gloves on, ****, iPhone still in pocket, stop bike, take pillion seat off and plug it in, back on bike, ignition on, nothing, oh yeah, plug it in! plugged it in after realising I was being an idiot and bent that same pin again! grr! Thankfully, my moment of brilliance that day was realising that if nothing else, stupidity endures, I'd stashed the nail I used for straightening last time within easy reach in the tank bag. Straightened it out and job was a good one, game on!

my user had mentioned it was a good road with some dips and rises and a nice hairpin bend somewhere on the route, all that had gone out of my head as I pootled across the landscape, beansing it on the straight or clear bits and taking the bends cautiously as its all unknown and rural roads after lots of rain. Although by then the roads were drying so the visible corners became more fun!
I'd forgotten mention of the hairpin bend till I came to it, uphill, quite steeply then back on yourself to the left, if I'd have looked ahead properly it would have been more fun but I knew I hadn't checked what was coming the other way and with the incline the way it was I didn't have time to, I headed up the steepest part on the inside of the bend, felt like I should have had a traillie for this but my trusty SV made it and my nerve held, didn't fancy trying to put a foot down, it might have been a very long way at some points!
Incidentally there was a nice looking pub just before this with some bikers sat outside, looked like a nice place to stop if you have the time: http://goo.gl/maps/fMa0

Some slower traffic had come out by afternoon and heading back for the M65 involved a bit of overtaking on rural roads, got overtaken by a couple of other bikes but stayed until I could see enough to go myself, no point in taking chances, I was enjoying myself too much anyway. got my chance to overtake and shortly after we were at the M65 anyhow.

Back on there, I was heading back to that junction I'd passed under before. I NOW know this was junction 3, I ascertained this as I flew by it.. grr, should have checked that bit of info before hand. Fine I'll hop on the 61 and turn round at a junction, but by the time I got to one I was a long way past, decided just to get back.... then all hell broke loose, traffic ground to a halt, what time was it again? oh yeah, 4:15 right, what a stupid idea this was! being as I had all those motorway changes to come I should have abandoned it but I didn't realise the lanes would be so narrow, sometimes making filtering impossible. I wasn't enjoying this now, didn't feel safe filtering for such distances, eventually got to the front, a truck broke down in lane 2 so all traffic was cramming into lane 3, a mile or two past that there was a car rolled against a tree up the embankment! not sure if this was the first accident that caused the truck breakdown or someone letting off steam when past the congestion and just gave it too much.

oh, forgot to mention, the last 40 minutes of filtering were done with the fuel light flashing too, adding a little bit of tension I didn't need!

I got back to my junction cursing, but then the fuel light hadn't gone solid yet and I'd said to myself I'd go to Shell on the A556 if it hadn't by the time I got there. (I far prefer pay at pump, especially when wired up) just as I hit the sliproad it went solid, phew, well timed but at least I reasonably conclusively know how much I've got left, gave it some beans down that section of the A49 when traffic allowed, went to fuel up and my card was declined!! WTF! thankfully had a second card with me so still didn't have to get off the bike. I suspect some over enthusiastic algorithm somewhere assumed that a single use in Northwich, a subsequent one in Clitheroe and then back in Northwich again seemed suspicious.

Fuelled up, grinning like a loon and back on roads I knew very well I was in my element, the perfect end to a rideout!

Upon arrival back I slipped my wife a large portion of sausage... (remember the shop Bluepete advised? get your minds out of the gutter!) and collapsed on the sofa, head still spinning with the route.

First real ride of the year and it was a corker, definitely up for getting out on some of the org ones, I try to make a few but will try harder this year.

sorry for the self indulgent ramble but hope some of it was entertaining, it certainly was for me! The org never fails to amaze me, such short notice and I got such good information.

holy crap that was a big post! sorry, didn't preview and I'm still enthused!