Winter Errands Bike Ride in an English Town EP 009

Winter cycling vlog in the UK. I’m doing a real-life errands ride through an English town (Macclesfield, Cheshire) — stopping at a local bike shop to fix my shifting/derailleur and tighten the headset, then heading to B&Q for DIY bolts to install my BLB front rack. Finished with a coffee stop, Christmas town centre lights, and a quick grocery run for pork nilaga ingredients. If you enjoy UK winter bike rides, commuter cycling, and cozy town rides, you’ll like this one.

#cycling #wintercycling #ukcycling #cyclingvlog #bikeride #commutercycling #bikerepair #derailleur #frontrack #macclesfield #cheshire #christmaslights #coffeestop #everydaycycling

Hello. How’s it going? It’s been a while since I last uploaded any content. I’ve been busy picking up shifts at work to earn a bit more money for the holiday season. And we’ve also had non-stop rain for days. Anyway, maybe I’m just making excuses, but these are the days I managed to squeeze in a ride while doing a few errands. On this day, it was still pretty cold, so I needed to wear gloves. The weather was nice and sunny, but after just few hours, it would get dark again. Lately, it feels like we only get about 5 to 6 hours of daylight. And honestly, we’re lucky if the sun even shows up. Also, recently the shifting on my bike hasn’t been great. I don’t really know how to fix it myself. So, today we’re heading to a local bike shop here in Michaelsfield. It was recommended by my friend AJ. He said, “Dave, the mechanic is excellent and their pricing is very reasonable. It’s a bit busy around this part of town because we’re already in the town center. And honestly, there’s a part of me that feels weirdly happy when I’m just rolling along smoothly and I end up passing the cars. I don’t know if it’s because I’m genuinely just happy to be on the bike or if I’m being a bit naughty because I’m overtaking him. But yeah, if the town had better bike infrastructure, maybe more people would feel encouraged to cycle, especially if they’re only traveling within the local area anyway. So, I left my bike at the shop and after about an hour, he’d already fixed the derailer and tightened up the headset. It might have worked loose when I rode along the Michaelsfield Canal. Dave’s genuinely a lovely guy, really welcoming, easy to talk to, and you can tell he takes pride in doing the job properly. He explained what was going on in a simple way, didn’t try to upsell me on anything, and even gave a few small tips on how to keep the shifting feeling smooth. He shared some of his old rides around the Peak District back when bikes were a lot more simple and before all those arrow setups that are popular now. You can really feel the Christmas spirit here in the town center. The Christmas tree is all lit up and there are loads of food stalls. Really diverse choices and plenty of Christmas themed bits and pieces as well. It’s got that cozy festive atmosphere. Lights everywhere, people wrapped up in coats and that little buzz in the air like everyone’s out for a quick wander after work. I honestly would have loved to hang around a bit longer and have a proper look. Maybe grab a snack and just soak it in. But it’s getting dark already. And if I’m being real, I’m trying to save money, too. So, I’m just here to enjoy the atmosphere today. Oh, and I just remembered I’m working on Christmas Day and Boxing Day as well. As a Filipino, we usually celebrate more on Christmas Eve anyway, so I’m honestly okay with it. And after those two shifts, I’ll be off for 6 days. I’m heading down to Eastburn to see my family and spend New Year with them. It’s always new year that feels like the main celebration of the whole holiday season. I don’t know why, but that’s just how we are. Is that weird? So today I decided it’s finally time to install the BLB front rock. I saw a post from Rune Bicycles on Instagram and I commented asking what front rack they were using and luckily he actually replied. That gave me a little push I needed to finally get mine fitted. I’ve been meaning to do it for ages and you know how it is. Sometimes you just need that one sign to stop overthinking and just get it done. The only problem is I don’t have the right bolts, specifically an M6 45 mm screw to mount the rock to the fork. So, we’re going to try a bit of DIY and head over to BNQ. It’s basically a massive hardware shop here in the UK. Kind of like a grown-up playground if you’re into tools and fixing stuff. Hopefully, we can find the exact bolt I need. And if not, we’ll improvise and make it work. That’s half the fun, right? No matter what the time is, there’s always loads of cars here in the town center. But honestly, I still enjoy riding through here. There’s something fun about the energy, people walking around, shops and cafes, little corners you only notice when you’re moving at bike speed. And yeah, it kind of feels like I’m a gamer on a quest, dodging obstacles, timing the gaps, reading the road, and trying to get through it all smoothly. Not in a reckless way, more like being fully alert and in the zone. When it flows, it’s actually really satisfying. Like you’ve completed a level without taking any damage. Yikes. So, we made it to BNQ and I couldn’t find where the bike parking was. Anyway, I just parked up and locked the bike right here at the front of the shop. I was only going to be inside for a quick minute, and it felt pretty safe, busy, well lit, and with people coming in and out. The screws I picked up didn’t really look like the ones on my bike, but they would do the job as long as they held the rock properly and kept everything nice and firm. I decided I’d just do the full install at home where I could take my time and not feel rushed. I could have gone back to Dave’s bike shop to ask, but I felt a bit shy about requesting a screw from him. Maybe next time. Now, I’m going to reward myself with a coffee for completing that little quest. There’s a coffee shop over at West Park. So, that’s where we’re heading. I’ll be honest, I’m not really a coffee expert. Any flavor is fine with me, even matcha. I actually only started drinking coffee back when I was a medical underwriter in the Philippines about 10 years ago. I used to read ridiculously long medical records and one time I was getting so sleepy. I tried the free coffee in our pantry and it worked. I remember I even felt a bit jittery and had palpitations but it gave me that boost I needed to keep going through all the clients medical histories. On a 6:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift, I’d probably have around three coffees. When I came to the UK, I tried tea, and I ended up liking it, too. It hits me differently compared to coffee. It still wakes me up, but in a calmer way. And I don’t know how to explain it. It feels more gentle, like you’re getting a little lift without the chaos. I think I’m starting to understand why British people love it so much. It’s not just the drink, it’s the whole comfort of it, especially on a cold day, holding a warm cup, taking a minute to breathe, and just slowing down a bit. It’s like a tiny reset button in the middle of the day. Because it was a cold evening, my wife and I decided we were going to have a Filipino dish for dinner. The only problem was we didn’t have any of the ingredients at home. So, yep, a new quest unlocked. And this time, I finally got to use my new bag. It’s the bad jelly bag from Wizard Works. I’ve been excited to actually take it out on a proper run, not just stare at it at home like a new toy. One issue though, when I mounted it on the handlebars before, it was hitting the front tire. But luckily, I just installed the front track, so now it actually sits properly, nice and stable, and I don’t have to worry about it rubbing while I’m riding. Maybe after this, it’s a sign that I should buy a cargo bike. Think about it. You save money because you’re not paying for petrol. You’re doing something good for the environment and you still get your exercise in. Plus, you end up with a whole new bike that’s actually useful. And yeah, let’s be honest, you look pretty cool riding one. And it’s not just cool cool, it’s practical cool. You can do proper grocery runs, carry heavier stuff without stressing, and it turns boring errands into little adventures. Instead of sitting in traffic, you’re outside, moving, and actually enjoying the trip. It’s like upgrading your everyday life, one errand at a time. If you made it this far, I just want to say a big thank you for watching. I’ll see you on the next ride. And please like and subscribe for more.