Weather sunny, or was it bright because I took the jacket out?

The plan is to pick the bike up and go for a ride, so off me and the ballast go onto the bus. Me wearing the Jacket, strange but cars kept flashing me in a “your dazzling me at night on a country lane type way”.
Across town I go in the jacket looking like a rookie road sweeper.
Pick the bike up, little test run, ARRRH its still clicking.
The plan now is to give it a ride for a bit, see if it stops or gets worse and take it back next week.
So off we go! As I mentioned before, one of the other items I had ordered was a set of padded cycling shorts.
Wow! I had now found paradise. The cushioning effect they had against the seat was marvellous. Yes they look like nappies, but hey, saves stopping to have a wee. Just needs ringing out at the end of the day.
Wonder what that smell is?
Of we set through town, two slight altercations with buses and we make the delightful restored Wicker.
Restored to the condition it would have been in the middle ages, the land the council forgot.
I plan to go via the five wears river walk to Uncle M’s. Having shared this news with the ballast he rhythmically chants “Mcdonalds” in my ears for the next 40 minutes
So under the wicker arches is the first suspended bridge section I intend to tackle, suspended on silver looking cables, nestling above the River Don.
However some wag had thought he could make a few bob and nicked the silver looking cables, path closed.
Back to the road and re join the path later.
Back on the river side walk I wonder how people can claim Sheffield is no longer industrial. (Sure, Thatcher did the steel industry what the Luftwaffe failed to do) But it is still an industrial city.
I can hardly say this is an attractive route, sure I am not catching it at its best, the rivers been in flood and every branch, twig or root has a bit of polythene stuck to it, it don’t look good. Through the hedges you can see factories. Cans and things lay on the muddy banks.
I suppose the spring will bring new growth to paper over the crap.
I wave to two fisher men. Looking at where they are fishing they appear to have caught two washing machines. Perhaps that’s how they have been cleaning the Don, with washing machines.
I pass a factory what must make end of dog parts, the floor is littered with them outside the factory. They must be rejects, but it looks an eye saw.
Now if I sound anti Sheffield nothing could be further from the truth. I love the place to bits, it’s like having a brother or sister. Only you can hit them, if any one else tries, god help them.
Sheffield strange place but I love it, the people, how we thank bus Drivers when we get off (perhaps they do that elsewhere to), even when the bus drivers the most miserable sod in the world and cant even grunt at you when you get on , we say Thank you. This does not apply to all, just some.
Only in Sheffield can we have an airport and the sell it to make more factories.
God I love this place.
On to Uncle M’s. BALLAST HAS HAPPY MEAL. Then whilst sat out side, runs about, falls over, bites his lip in the fall and hurts his hands, cries for twenty minutes. I try to hide (from embarrassment), but it’s not easy in my yellow jacket.
Not a very happy meal.
Off we set for home and to cheer him up I suggest we go past the airport (whilst its still there).It will take 40 mins longer and I will encounter my arch rival (the big hill that I need to go up).

After 5 minutes the ballast falls asleep, and sees nothing of the airport which appears full of activity (1 plane moves).

Up the hill from hell and home to a total disaster, I can’t believe it my world came crashing down.

My yellow jacket had a spot of mud on it!

On arriving home I thought that a nuclear reactor had had a melt down in my house as a huge yellow glow was seeping out the letter box and cracks in the curtains. I quickly donned my protective equipment (bobble hat and woolly gloves and zipped my coat to the top).

In side the house it was like that scene from Only Fools and Horses when Del boy paints the Chinese takeaway in luminous paint! She indoors and the ballast were sat with sun glasses on. My eyes were struggling to adjust to the light, but I am relived to see it’s that yellow jacket I had ordered off the t’internet

Bright or what, that jacket and the Great Wall of China are the only to man made thing on earth visible from the moon.

For the record some proper cycling shorts had come and some glasses as well.

Went to pick the bike up after the service only to find that the bike had a problem, with a clicking when you peddled, more of a jolt that went all the way to the saddle.

So the bike stays in for open heart surgery.

FRUSTRATED! as wanted to get some miles under my saddle.

Cycle into town with Ballast to take it in for servicing.

Initial report from cycle technician, bike will be fine, but recommends replacing me.

Wake up and its choice time for today’s training trip.
The exotic destinations on offer are a) Rotherham, b) Barnsley c) Chesterfield.
Right, the clear winner was Barnsley!!!!!!

Off we set, past Meadowhall looking out for sign to the cycle path to Barnsley , no sign of it(pun intended), so it looks like Rotherham via the towpath.
The canal tow path cuts thought the scrap yards either side of it like the river Nile through deserts of sand in Egypt(oh look a flying pig coming into land).
Arrive in Rotherham and find a blue cycling sign with three destinations, the type that are too easy for vandals to turn around or the wind.
So I have three choices, follow the sign what points to the town centre via the canal (literally). The Meadow hall sign which points into the court building. Or the third one which points back to where I have just come from labelled Armageddon, I choose Armageddon, it nice this time of year.
On the way back I stop to have a drink. The Ballast makes contact with mother earth for the first time as I can’t hold the cycle up stood still.

CCC cycles Sheffield has agreed to kindly assist in my mission by servicing the cycle.