Yorkshire To Edinburgh: Days 5 – 9
More video highlights from the journey so far…
Cycling Day 9: Berwick-Upon-Tweed (England) To Dunbar (Scotland)
Today was a day of epic vistas and as a picture says a thousand words, I’ll keep it short tonight. I was up ridiculously early. Perhaps it was the excitement of the prospect of packing away a dry tent. I celebrated by a cycling wander around Berwick, ending […]
Cycling Day 8: Bedrule (Scotland) To Berwick-Upon-Tweed (England)
Yesterday evening I posted this aspirational image to Instagram: The reality, as with much of what we see on social media, was very different. I woke up for the second day on the trot in a tent surrounded by water. I packed, once again, inside the tent and […]
Cycling Day 7: Twice Brewed (England) To Bedrule (Scotland)
Today was all a bit Bellinzona… That’s a reference to the 2010 cycle to the south of Italy. The Bellinzona day was, perhaps, the wettest day of the trip (although there were many other contenders – read the book for details…). I packed in the tent and emerged […]
Rest Day 2: Haltwhistle / Hadrian’s Wall
Today has been split into two parts and both have brought equal joy into my life. The morning was spent in Haltwhistle doing my laundry and a bit of shopping. The afternoon was spent exploring, very leisurely, Hadrian’s Wall. Back in 2015 I cycled through a place on […]
Cycling Day 6: Little Salkeld (Near Penrith) To Once Brewed (Near Haltwhistle)
I have memories from 2009 of struggling when it came to climbing Hartside Top from the east as I cycled south along the Pennine Cycleway. Today I attempted the climb from the other direction. The woman who ran last night’s campsite had informed me that the western side […]
Cycling Day 5: Rydal (Near Ambleside) To Little Salkeld (Near Penrith)
Perhaps I should stay in places that are actually near themselves… Anyway, moving on, which, after three nights at a Rydal Hall is what I did today. Yesterday finished like this: Today started with this… …and finished with a rather nice surprise. More of that in a few […]
Rest Day 1: Rydal Hall, Ambleside
This may simply be the only ‘rest day’. I suppose it depends what happens once I’ve arrived in Edinburgh. Much will, I suspect, depend upon the weather. (Sorry to mention it again…) It’s an interesting factor that I have rarely had to contend with before. Not the weather […]
Yorkshire To Edinburgh: Days 1 – 4
A brief video summary of the story so far…
Cycling Day 4: Ambleside To Ambleside…
…via a few hills. Today started like this: It is ending with me cowering in the tent from the rain wearing the only remaining items of dry clothing in my panniers. Today the weather has been far from kind. It has rained for perhaps 50% of the time. […]
Cycling Day 3: Hardraw (Near Hawes) To Rydal (Near Ambleside)
I’m going to have a go at writing this now rather than post spaghetti dinner as I imagine I will become rather sleepy after eating some food. I’ve already been forced to visit the pub (see earlier tweets…) so am well on the way to slumber. Or rather, […]
Cycling Day 2: Bolton Abbey To Hardraw (Near Hawes)
I’m now deep in the Yorkshire Dales… The day kicked off pretty wet and, although not persistent, the rain came and went throughout the day. Nothing too heavy but sufficient to make the day a wet one. Clouds clung to the hills (as you can see in the […]
Cycling Day 1: Stainland To Bolton Abbey
Let the cycle touring commence! But my goodness, it’s a bit chilly up here in the Yorkshire Dales this evening. At least it’s dry and has stayed dry pretty much all day. A few spots of rain as I made my way across Oxenhope Moor but apart from […]
Yorkshire To Edinburgh By Bicycle
The cycle touring summer of 2020 has been somewhat delayed by the outbreak of COVID-19 and the lockdown restrictions that were implemented in March. However, to a greater extent, limitations on travel have now been lifted and it seems an appropriate time to head off on the bike. If you read the post from a couple of days ago you will know that my plan is to head north from where I live in Pennine West Yorkshire in the direction of… Edinburgh. Here are some more details.
Man On Bike: “A Film About What Pushes Us Beyond”
A documentary film from Yorkshire – now available for all to see for free via Vimeo – about life, death, and bicycles; “a film about what pushes us beyond”.
Summer 2020: Plan B…
Plan A was, of course, to cycle the length of Japan. I should have arrived in the country today and be looking forward to cycling for around six weeks from north to south via Tokyo to take in the atmosphere of the Olympics. Next year? Perhaps… Time will tell. So it is on with Plan B which, until a few days ago, was a very vague “well, I’d like to go camping somewhere in the UK…”. The pesky Coronavirus has, of course, reached its tentacles into most aspects of our lives in recent months and ‘camping in the UK’ is one of them. Although many campsites have now reopened, many remain closed or open with limited capacity and facilities or, bearing in mind all the staycationers this summer, have no availability.
Strike Up The Pipers! A Minute Of (Yorkshire) Sun…
Clutching at straws here but it was nice while it lasted yesterday afternoon in the Scammonden Valley. Hoping for more sun next week when, well, more of that later…
CYCLOPS: Cycle Optimised Protected Signals
It’s certainly something I’ve never heard of before but an email has arrived from Transport for Greater Manchester telling me all about it. And from the picture provided, it looks like an impressive bit of transport engineering. Clearly it requires the drivers to play ball and not drive like maniacs but with things like this, perhaps in some places at least, we are slowly – very slowly – making progress towards what is the norm in some countries.
The Summer Of 2020: Camping Clarification Needed!
“From 4th July, provided that no more than two households stay together, people will be free to stay overnight in self-contained accommodation, including hotels and bed & breakfasts, as well as campsites as long as shared facilities are kept clean.”
I do wonder what this will mean for us cyclists.
A Tale Of Two Cycles: It Was The Best Of Rides, It Was The Worst Of Rides…
With a nod to Charles Dickens, that just about sums up yesterday’s cold, rain-drenched ride from Tadcaster back home after collecting Wanda the WorldTraveller from her pit stop at CycleSense. One of those days when it would have been all but impossible to actually get off the bike, fumble with the phone with numbed fingers and take any photographs. So there is no photographic proof that the conditions were as bad as they were; you’ll just have to take my word for it.
Scammonden Valley… In 4K
You may remember a couple of months ago ago at the start of the lockdown period, I wrote a post for CyclingEurope.org about my local wanderings up and down the Scammonden Valley where I live here in West Yorkshire and how I had managed to discover some interesting nooks and crannies. At the time I thought I must make a video. And last weekend, I did just that.
Heading East (And Back…) With Wanda
Today is promised to be the hottest day of the year so far. Yesterday was my longest ride of the year so far, albeit split into 3; 65 km from home in the west of West Yorkshire to Tadcaster, just over the border in North Yorkshire, 16 km to York and a final 10 km from Huddersfield station back home after a train ride back west. Why? Well, apart from the joy of the cycling, Wanda, the Koga World Traveller had been booked in for her first service at CycleSense in Tadcaster and I’m delighted to say she passed with flying colours. New brake pads, change of oil in the Rohloff hub and a few checks here and there… Good as new!
The 2020 Virtual Cycle Touring Festival: A Review
Last weekend was the virtual Cycle Touring Festival. I was planning on writing a few words about the event myself but then a chap called Graham Johnson from Derbyshire got in touch. He had never previously attended the (non-virtual) Cycle Touring Festival but had signed up for a few of the online webinars – including the one delivered by yours truly – at this year’s virtual event and was planning on writing something for his local CTC / Cycling UK group newsletter. Could he use some of my photos to illustrate his text? he asked. Yes, of course! Could I publish your article about the festival on CyclingEurope.org? I asked. Yes, of course! Mutual happiness all round. And here is what he wrote, illustrated by the photographs he chose to use. I think it’s all rather entertaining. He is clearly a man with a book inside him.
Silver Linings On My Doorstep: The Scammonden Valley, Hey Lane… And Waterfalls!
I’ve travelled across Europe several times seeking out places of great beauty through which to cycle. Today, thanks to the Coronavirus, I found one on my doorstep. That’s a silver lining if ever there was one…
Cycling Europe: ‘A Time Of Birds’ By Helen Moat
Spring 2020 will forever go down in the annals of history as the time of the Coronavirus. We don’t yet know how the story will end – this is history in the making – but we do know that the pandemic has had a significant impact upon the lives of most people. Schools closed, festivals cancelled, sporting events postponed, film premieres rescheduled… Yet with the majority of the population at home, what better time to pick up a book and start reading. And what better time to head off on a vicarious cycle across Europe. But fear not! This is not some shameless plug for my own books. (Although they are rather good…) It is about a new book that is being published on April 9th called A Time For Birds by Helen Moat.
The Normality Of Self-Isolating On A Bike Ride
We live in surreal times. The world is approaching a state of lockdown. The shops are emptying of toilet paper and hand sanitiser. The Italians are singing from their Juliet balconies. We are encouraged to ‘self-isolate’ at the drop of a, err… handkerchief. Work from home! Wash your hands! Sneeze into your elbow! This is far from normal.
The Best eBike Routes In Europe
Europe offers some of the best cycling routes in the world. Here are some of the best routes to take your eBike with you for an unforgettable ride.
May: The New Start Of The Cycling Year
May was once just another month albeit a nice month in spring with thoughts turning to the longer, warmer days of summer. Then in May 2015, two things happened. Hot on the heels of the visit of the Tour de France to Britain’s largest county in 2014, the […]
Talking Of Cycling In Spain And Portugal: The Preamble
I’m delighted to say that I have a new talk in production for 2020. It focuses primarily upon my 2019 cycle across northern Spain to the Douro Valley in Portugal and onwards to Coimbra. There is still much to prepare before the talk gets its premiere in Halifax […]
Cycling Europe: Coming To A Northern Town Near You…
Well, if you live in Yorkshire that is. I’ve done a fair bit of speaking about my travels on a bike (called Reggie) since I returned from that first adventure back in 2010 from southern England to southern Italy – the full list of speaking engagements is here […]
Off The Beaten Track: The Luddenden Valley And Castle Carr
Despite the rather dull, wet weather (at least it wasn’t too cold), I went for a little local jaunt on the bike this afternoon with a friend, setting off from the very Christmassy Piece Hall in Halifax… …keeping out of the bottom of Calder Valley by taking a […]
The General Election 2019: Cycling
Have you noticed that there will be a British general election in December? Hopefully you plan on voting. (If not, why not for goodness sake?!) As I did in 2017, I have looked at the different party manifestos for mentions of the word ‘cycling’. All the main UK-wide […]
Sustrans: Trails, Lochs And Glens…
These are nice: “Walking and cycling charity Sustrans has teamed up with mapping experts Ordnance Survey (OS) to launch a series of video clips that explore the National Cycle Network – a network of traffic-free paths and on-road cycle routes spanning the breadth of the UK. Created by […]
Beautiful Views, Ugly Driving
I’ve been on cat-feeding duty this week and this means an extension to the normal cycle from home into Halifax. It more or less doubles the length of the journey. This is no bad thing, especially as the road climbing from my house to the ridge that forms […]
The Sound Of Cycle Touring
Some names are easily forgettable. David Evans, Margaret Butcher, Terry Wilson… (I just made those up. Apologies if you are offended because you have one of those names.) My own name isn’t that exciting; Andrew Sykes. That’s why I stuck the ‘P’ in there for the purpose of […]
Bikepacking Microadventure: West Is Best
A nice little film to start your weekend from Cycling UK, aka the CTC…
UCI Road Cycling World Championships: Yorkshire 2019 (It Rained…)
I did have tentative plans to head over to Harrogate today to see the UCI World Championship cycling but, with the weather being as it was, I decided to watch from the warmth and dry of my living room. I have to say, however, that the rain made […]
The Cycling Europe Podcast: Isle Of Wight Video Promo
Listen to the full episode of the podcast of the podcast page of CyclingEurope.org, via iTunes or search for The Cycling Europe Podcast on your preferred purveyor of podcasts. Read all about the two-day trip to the Isle of Wight in the following post on CyclingEurope.org:
The Long Read: Cycling The Isle Of Wight
In the first of a series of posts, I look back over this year’s summer of cycling that took me and ‘a bike called Wanda‘ to Spain and Portugal preceded by a short visit to the Isle of Wight. Indeed it is on England’s largest island where we […]
The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 010 – The Isle Of Wight
The Cycling Europe Podcast is heading to northern Spain and Portugal* but pauses en route for two days of cycling on the Isle of Wight. Andrew P. Sykes follows the Round-the-Island Cycle Route in an anticlockwise direction before hooking up with the Red Squirrel Trail for a return […]
Last Of The Summer Rides?
Back from the mainland, wandering more locally with Wanda… Hopefully the answer to the question is ‘no, not yet!‘.
Cycling Europe 2019: 21 Days Of Travelling In 20 Videos
Which is your favourite? All Cycling Europe’s videos can be found on the Cycling Europe YouTube Channel.
Cycling Europe 2019: 21 Days Of Travelling In 23 Photographs
Which is your favourite?
Cycling Europe 2019: Days 20 & 21, Homeward Bound
Soon back home in Yorkshire to my pipe and slippers. Well, without the pipe and slippers bit… Thanks for following this little adventure. More to come, hopefully very soon. And remember to keep fighting the impending horror that is Brexit. All of what I do here came about […]
Cycling Europe 2019: Day 4, The Pont Aven Departs
Cycling Europe 2019: Day 3, The Isle Of Wight
A less dramatic day in terms of the scenery, but equally enjoyable. And at 62km, a step up from yesterday’s 50km. Here are the full route details and here’s the video summary: The Military Road – I imagine they call it that because it is very straight – […]
Cycling Europe 2019: Day 2, Reading To The Isle Of Wight
If I ignore the shenanigans with the trains this morning, today has been a wonderful day of cycling. It had it all; great weather, interesting places, majestic landscapes, dramatic seascapes, bucolic cycle paths. I’ll be back after you take a look for yourself: I imagined the Isle of […]
Cycling Europe 2019: Day 1, Yorkshire To Reading
We’re off. Not a great deal of cycling taking place today; just a 10km journey from home to the train station in Huddersfield and the prospect of an even shorter cycle to a friend’s house once I arrive in Reading. It is not the stuff of epic adventures […]
The Inevitable Equipment Photograph, Again…
They take some doing but are fun to make and here is my third submission into the genre: UPDATE: It’s now the eve of my departure and everything is packed away. Time to reflect of what is to come over the next three weeks… Not bad… As noted, […]
Cycling The Isle Of Wight: The Plan
I’ve mentioned the upcoming trip to Spain and Portugal a few times here on CyclingEurope.org recently, but I haven’t yet said much about what I’ll be doing immediately beforehand, which is spending two days and two nights cycling and camping on the Isle of Wight. Here’s the basic […]
The Cycling Europe Podcast: EuroVelo 12 In Yorkshire
Hot on the heels of my four-day trip to the Far East of Yorkshire and the cycle from the Humber Bridge to Whitby (and thence by train to Middlesbrough) comes a new episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast. It’s the first time that I have dedicated an entire […]
Whitby Abbey
Suitably windswept. Interesting museum telling an interesting story run by English Heritage. There’s more to Whitby Abbey than Bram Stoker and Dracula…
Whitby: Morning Has Broken… And So Has The Weather
Well it has been forecast all week to be grim but this morning is the first time those promises have born fruit. Wet, cloudy, grey… Now if this were Norway in 2015 or indeed Spain at the of the month, I would shrug my shoulders and carry on. […]
EuroVelo12 – Yorkshire, Day 3: Scarborough To Whitby
Whitby this evening was just beautiful… …and after writing this I’ll be heading back outside to cool down. The weather today was sublime, especially if you happened to be cycling. I’m not sure I have the energy to write too much this evening. Bullet points might have to […]
The Cinder Track
A full report later but here are the edited highlights…
EuroVelo 12 – Yorkshire, Day 2: Beverley To Scarborough
That was a long ride but a very good one indeed. Not without its frustrations or challenges, but the best rides are so much better because of them, especially from the perspective of a belly full of curried spaghetti in a youth hostel in Scarborough. My only complaint […]
Motionless In Scarborough
It’s a step up from Bridlington and a fitting destination after a cycle of 105km. I moved less than Wanda during the filming of this video…
Bridlington: Sensory Shock
After 60km of almost deserted country lanes this morning, Bridlington arrives loudly and abruptly!
Wanda: Channeling Her Inner Theresa May…
My arrival in Great Driffield (it’s OK but not ‘great’) coincided with the first rain shower of the day. You can see the rain clouds approaching in this video from the crest of a ‘hill’ just to the south of the great town itself:
EuroVelo 12 – Yorkshire, Day 1: The Humber Bridge To Beverley
My timing is exquisite; I’ve just arrived at Beverley Youth Hostel and it has started raining… I got no further than typing those words before the hostel manager came to rescue me from the raindrops. I locked Wanda in the shed (if you think that a curious thing […]
…Go: EuroVelo 12 In Yorkshire
It seems fitting that the 3,000th post on CyclingEurope.org – that’s this one by the way – sees me return to the EuroVelo routes that have guided me across Europe three times. Here I am on EuroVelo 12, the North Sea Cycle Route, in Hull. Alas I won’t […]
…Get Set…
On Your Marks…
It’s Tuesday August 6th 2019 and, after a four-year break, this cycle tourist is returning to overnight cycle touring. I’m a little nervous…
Hull To Middlesbrough Along The EuroVelo 12: The Plan…
Back in May, when the sun was beating down and the temperatures slowing rising (not sure what happened there…), I discussed some tentative plans to take Wanda (that’s the new bike, Wanda WorldTraveller of course – keep up!) for her first proper ‘adventure’ along the coast of Yorkshire. […]
Out Of Office | Bikepacking Dartmoor
When I head off on my travels later in the summer – to the Isle of Wight, Spain and Portugal – I won’t be writing a book about the whole thing. Well, unless I get kidnapped by remote Asturian villagers and spend months in captivity, learning the local […]
“Cyclists: Scourge Of The Streets?”
If Brexit wasn’t bad enough… Last night’s ‘cyclists vs. drivers’ offering on Channel 5 was a rather predictable hatchet job on the former group of travellers. Although the voices of two pro-cycling contributors were featured (including a police officer), they were far outnumbered by a rather aggressive group […]
Crossing Europe: ‘Worthing 2 Sicily’
“On the 6th July 2019 at 1.30pm we will be setting off to cycle over 1700 miles for Chestnut Tree House, unsupported. From The Rose and Crown, Worthing the journey will include riding through France over the Alps into Switzerland, then into Italy and all the way to […]
A Summer Of Cycling (And Cruising…)
So, summer has arrived. Well, meteorological summer. Pedants who insist on sticking with the astronomical one (which starts on June 21st) will still have to live in spring for a few more weeks but the rest of us are already basking in the sunshine… (That’s how it works, […]
10 Things I Learnt At The Cycle Touring Festival 2019
Another inspiring Cycle Touring Festival has been and gone and I am beginning to miss it already. It will hopefully be back in 2020. The festival has now been running for five years and I’m proud to say that I have attended in four of those years, only […]
The Art Of Camping
The weather report from the Cycle Touring Festival in Clitheroe is not great this Sunday morning. Somewhat reminiscent of Switzerland in August 2010; very wet but not that cold. (More details in ‘Crossing Europe…‘.) Yesterday, however… Beautiful!
Yorkshire, The EuroVelo 12… And The Cinder Track
The plan is to pick up the new touring bike – a Koga WordTraveller S – on Thursday June 27th. Rather than driving over to CycleSense in Tadcaster (the other side of Leeds), I’ll probably catch the train to York and jump on a bus back to Tadcaster. […]
Much Ado About Cycling
The HandleBards are a unique cycling theatre company, who carry all of their set props and costumes on the back of their bicycles, performing charmingly chaotic Shakespeare’s plays at outdoor venues all across the UK.
The Tour De Yorkshire: People Watching In Halifax
Today the Tour de Yorkshire returned to the cobbles of Halifax and stage 4 of the race set off from the historic Piece Hall. In fairness, we didn’t get to see much of the riders themselves (not to the extent that I was able to see them in […]
Treacherous Times In Border Country
Today has been a little like an episode of Line Of Duty; it starts all mundane and then quickly descends into all kinds of shenanigans. The day started with cats in Yorkshire and ended with a fall down a 30-metre ravine in South America. That should keep you […]
The End Of Winter?
I’m sure it will bite back soon but in this spring-like weather, can there be a better alternative to getting out on the bike? I doubt it… Today’s ride took me along the Calder Valley to Hebden Bridge… …over Oxenhope Moor in the direction of Haworth and then […]
The Battle Of West Yorkshire: Town Versus Country
Pennine West Yorkshire defies definition as either ‘rural’ or ‘urban’. Or, rather, I struggle to know whether I live in the town or countryside. Away from the nearby moors, it’s hard to find land that isn’t put to use (I refrain from saying ‘good use’) and hopefully this […]
Have You Got What It Takes To Be A Tour De Yorkshire Tour Maker?
I was an Olympic Games Maker back in 2012 (can you believe it’s now nearly 7 years ago?!) and had a wonderful experience. The Olympics won’t be coming back to Britain anytime soon (and post-Brexit, you can’t blame them…), but every year the organisers of the Tour de […]
The Return Of The Two-Wheeled Commuter
Sunday 13th January 2019. No, I haven’t got the date wrong. I know that today is Wednesday 9th January but my mind is focussing upon the 13th. Here’s the forecast: Looks OK for January, no? Now, when the Cycling Europe Podcast returned for its second series of four […]
Photography: Freedom Of Movement On A Bicycle
In these dying days of Britain being within the European Union, a retrospective photographic look at what the freedom of movement – across a peaceful continent of countries with shared values and aspirations – means in reality… That freedom is about to be curtailed for most people within […]
The Cycling Touring Festival 2019: Find Your Tribe!
The Cycle Touring Festival has featured frequently on CyclingEurope.org in recent years and I’m delighted to say that it is back in 2019. Here is how the organisers – Laura and Tim Moss – explain it: “We really believe the Cycle Touring Festival is different. Unlike other festivals, we don’t […]
A Tale Of Three Cities: A ‘Nice’ Idea, Implemented in Bologna, Ignored In Halifax?
An interesting report from NICE – the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence – entitled “Physical activity: encouraging activity in the general population“. It’s the kind-of report that will make the average consumer of the Daily Mail / Top Gear foam at the mouth. In my opinion, […]
Cycling 4 All Calderdale: 2019 Sessions
The Tour De Yorkshire 2019: Déja Vu… Presque (Etape 4)
I live near Halifax so I’m not complaining, but it’s curious that stage 4 of the 2019 Tour de Yorkshire will be almost identical to stage 4 in 2018. The only difference I can spot is that from Halifax the cyclists will head north out of Halifax in […]
Spot The Cyclists: A Short Teaser Film
Here’s a teaser of a video project that I’m working on at the moment. Can you spot the cyclists? Can you recognise the town?
Walking To Work / Autumn Sunlight
The sunlight yesterday was beautiful. It was the early morning / evening sunlight of summer for a full twelve hours and I took advantage by walking some of the way to work in Halifax. It also afforded me the opportunity of working in RAW for the first time. […]
The Tour De Yorkshire: Hors Catégorie!
The host towns and cities for the 2019 edition of the Tour de Yorkshire were announced yesterday… …and two things should stand out. Firstly, that ‘Hors Catégorie‘ classification (or, as Sir Gary managed to mangle it into, ‘whore’s category’ which is surely a ranking system used for a […]
Burning Rubber, Cycling 300 Miles: Job Done Or Job Started?
Way back at the start of August, I set myself two challenges. The first was to climb the national ‘Three Peaks’ of Britain in three weeks. I did just that, ascending to the summits of Scafell Pike, Mount Snowdon and finally Ben Nevis over three consecutive weeks in […]
UCI 2019 Road Cycling World Championships: Yorkshire, Great Britain
Britain has decided to shoot itself in the foot (ankle, leg, stomach etc…) by leaving the European Union so, unless we manage to wrestle power from the current lunatics who are attempting to run the asylum that is the UK, come late September 2019 we may need cheering […]
Cycling, Marginal Gains…And The B6112, Stainland Road
If you think of ‘cycling‘ and ‘marginal gains‘, you tend to conjure up images of Team Sky, Dave Brailsford and the success of the British at international sporting events such as the Olympic Games. Indeed Dave Brailsford, head of Team Sky defines the concept of ‘marginal gains‘ in […]
The Cycling Europe World Tour Of Britain 2018: The Last Leg – Saddleworth
Cast your mind back 12 months; more specifically to 15 minutes and 13 seconds into film-themed episode 003 of The Cycling Europe Podcast: You heard an interview with Jimmy Hyland who, in 2016, set off on an adventure across Mongolia. He made an award-winning film about his travels – Mohon […]
The Three Peaks, In Three Weeks, In One Film (In Three Parts…)
So, here is the complete film of my August quest to climb the highest peaks of England, Wales and Scotland. 26 minutes of hiking adventure…
Mobike, The Individual, The Cyclist And Society
Today, Mobike, the bike sharing service, announced that that they would be pulling out of operating their system in Manchester due to theft and vandalism of their bicycles. You can read more about this sad, but very understandable decision in this article on The Guardian website. A cyclist […]
Three Buses: Peter, Hans And Mark
It’s always good to from people that I have met on my travels. This week, two fellow continental drifters from the cycle from Spain to Norway back in 2015 have been in touch. First up is Peter Udell. I met him in northern Spain in the early part […]
The Three Peaks In Three Weeks: Part One, Scafell Pike
All good walks end up in the pub. Today’s ascent of England’s tallest mountain, Scafell Pike, was a good walk. And I’m writing this in the pub with that first pint glow adding a silver lining to a cloud that didn’t require one in the first place. It […]
August: The Month Of Hiking
One morning last August I made an impromptu decision to head off to the Dales and hike up the three major peaks of Yorkshire: Pen-y-Ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside. I did so over the two days of August 20th and 21st. I’m hoping to do something similar this August […]
Yorkshire Day 2018: West Yorkshire
Saltaire, Haworth, Hebden Bridge, Halifax… where better to celebrate on August 1st?
Brompton World Championship Final 2018: Smiles All Round
I’ve ridden a Brompton bicycle only twice in my life. The first time when I visited the Brompton factory in London in 2014 – more details here – and the second time last year on a visit to Brussels on the bicycle above – more details here. I’ve […]
London To Paris: But Which Way…?
DEADLINE FOR BIDS – MIDNIGHT ON TUESDAY 31ST JULY IF YOU’D LIKE THE COPY OF THE CICERONE GUIDE MENTIONED BELOW, IT WILL GO TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER! YOUR BID MUST ARRIVE BEFORE MIDNIGHT ON TUESDAY 31ST JULY . I’LL DONATE THE MONEY TO THE TEENAGE CANCER TRUST AND […]
The Ryburn Valley Greenway: Making The News (And Not Making The News)
There’s been much about the Far East in recent weeks, but let’s come back to Yorkshire and more specifically the Ryburn Valley. Some of you may remember me mentioning the Ryburn Valley Greenway project on CyclingEurope.org in the past – follow this link to read the previous posts. […]
In Welcome Other News… The Ryburn Valley / Electric Cars / Japan / Norway / Edwardian Britain
Trump, Brexit, May (although see below)… I’ve had my fill. In other news: I joined BBC Radio Leeds presenter Andrew Edwards last Thursday morning for a walk along part of the route of the disused Sowerby Bridge to Rishworth railway line and one day, hopefully, the walking- and […]
