Day 18 “What an amazing way to start the day riding the IOM TT Course!”

Tuesday 13^th November – Day 18                              Daily Mileage 204 – Total  6709

To be honest this is going to be one of the shortest Gold Post Box Blog entries ever for the simple reason I only had one Gold Post Box to visit and photograph.

The ride up to Heysham was a very sedate afire, across a very quiet M62, up the M61 and M6 then heading across land towards Heysham. Turning off the M6 just before Lancaster University arriving at the port at 1.15am. After a good half hours wait I was loaded and got bedded down in my “dos-bag” between the seats. Only to wake with an almighty pain in my neck from the draft under the seats.

Douglas, Isle of Man - Disembarking at 6.15am I plumbed in the location of the one and only Gold Post Box which turned out to be a 6 minute ride away along the promenade past the B&B I stayed a last year.

Turning left up the hill towards the petrol station on the mini roundabout the Gold Post Box is just a matter of meters along the road on the right. 

I took a couple of pictures of the Gold Post Box which is directly outside Onchan Post Office.

Onchan Post Office Isle of Man

Peter Kennaugh - Gold medal Men's Team Pursuit

Onchan Post Office

That done and with 2 hours to kill before my return trip on the same ferry as I’d arrived on there was nothing for it! I headed around the corner and joined the famous Isle of Man TT Course. 

Starting at the Grandstand I headed out of town and away. The weather was kind to me until I rode up onto the mountain mile, which was surprisingly busy for 7.00am in the morning. It was blowing a gale, this combined with the fog made for a very interesting ride.

The Isle of Man TT Grandstand

At the end of an exiting "pootle" around the TT Course

The course felt so familiar, as if I’d never been away. Having ridden around the track a fair few times early in 2011 and blogging the event “You are not a name, you are a number and your number is 23” you can see why. It's an amazing experience riding around the course and I would advise anyone who as not yet done it to get over to the Isle of Man an just do it at least once.

Heading back towards Douglas I was tempted to fill Mr T up with fuel that was until I saw the £1.45 a litre price tag.  “Big mistake Raymondo, big mistake”.  

Riding back along the promenade I saw the War Memorial and stopped to pay my respects.

"Lest we forget"

The return crossing was spent devouring a “Full English” with a coffee all for just £7.99 and just tweeting away until I lost my signal. It was then time for another snooze. 

Heading home I eventually hit reserve on the M61 and so decided to pull into the newly refurbished and re-named Rivington Services (formerly Bolton West Services) having ridden past it numerous times.

“How bloody much a litre?” £1.52 a litre. I half expected the staff to be wearing “Dick Turpin-esk” masks. Daylight robbery just does not come close so it was a quick £10 top up and away to fill up at ASDA’s in Rochdale for £1.31. (note to self never ever, ever return to Rivington Services on the M61 for fuel).

Day Eighteen - 1 Gold Post Box

Arriving home I was delighted with the amount of  Re-Tweets I’d received and a PM from the MEN asking me to get in touch

@Jap_STi_3 Hi, we’re interested in your Gold Post Box ride. Could you get in touch for a story for the Ob. Thanks. (Ob = Rochdale Observer my local paper).

So let’s see how that pans out. Not to mention @MotorBikeTV who may (or may not) be in attendance for the very last Gold Post Box visit of 110 Gold Post Boxes

A sight for sore eyes!

109 Gold Post Boxes DONE!

This will be taking place at 11.00am on Sunday the 25^th November at Manchester’s, Piccadilly Square Gold Post Box to celebrate all the Cycling Gold medals Won in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

I’m so chuffed Jeannie & my Manc Rider Mates are joining me to celebrate by riding in from Rochdale with me to the very last Gold Post Box in what has been a fantastic Gold Post Box Challenge Ride.