Second post of 2018. Second quote from a book – a different book – that I’m reading:

“Cycling is a popular pastime in Yorkshire, especially in the industrial areas – there are no fewer than sixty clubs in West Yorkshire alone. Indeed, the county’s dedication to cycling led to the Tour de France mounting its high-profile start (Le Grand Départ) in Yorkshire in 2014.

“Across the county you’ll often see twenty or thirty cyclists bowling along in their full cycling gear, a study in ferocious dedication. However, for the weekend cyclist the least challenging cycling is in the Vale of York and East Yorkshire – it’s far less hilly. Elsewhere, routes alongside canals and reservoirs can also be relatively gentle or forest rides such as those in Dolby Forest.”

The book is The Rough Guide to Yorkshire. I have to say that, despite me being a resident of the county, I have yet to see ‘twenty or thirty cyclists bowling along…‘. Occasionally ten or so, but no more than that. Perhaps that’s a reflection of my position is the far west of West Yorkshire. Indeed here’s the view looking east towards the rest of Yorkshire that I took earlier today:

The Rough Guide goes on to mention the National Cycle Network in Yorkshire and how York has routes 65 and 66 intersecting at its centre and that national routes 1, 6, 62, 67, 68, 69 as well as regional routes 10 and 52 pass up and down the valleys of the county to which it has lent its name. I check on the Sustrans’ website where an interactive map shows me this (left):

I look  more carefully and I make a list of all the routes that I can find:

1, 6, 10, 62, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 71, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 627, 636, 656, 657, 658, 665, 668, 677, 688, 689, 696, 697, 699.

That’s 28 routes of the National Cycle Network which pass through the county. I also make a note with my European cycling hat on that the Eurovelo 12 – the North Sea Cycle Route – piggybacks upon the National Route 1 from Hull to Bridlington, Scarborough, Whitby and beyond as illustrated in the second image above.

I see from the Warmshowers’ website (left) that Yorkshire is not a county lacking in potential hosts (of which I am one). It also has 14 YHA youth hostels (right):

So I have a plan for 2018: to cycle Yorkshire via the 28 routes of the National Cycle Network. There might even be a book: Crossing Yorkshire on a Bike Called… err… Dale?

Note to self: I must, however, remember that the sun doesn’t always shine up here, as demonstrated only a few days ago: