I was teaching this formula to a group of disinterested 14 year olds earlier in the week. (Not including the bit in brackets.) They had clearly been reading the book I have just started reading myself; Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck… I give a f*ck far too often. I think I shouldn’t. I’m not sure if this ties in with what I’ve written below but I think it might. If it doesn’t, well, I don’t give a f*ck and clearly the £18.99 spent at Waterstones wasn’t wasted. I’m going to go back and remove the apostrophe in ‘Waterstone’s’ as I’m trying to no longer give a f*ck. I digress…
The plan this morning was to first spend an hour or so meandering my way along the edge of the rock so as to complete a full circumnavigation. OK, it’s not perhaps the British Isles but it would at least give me claim to having visited most things […]
I would happily class myself as an enthusiastic early adopter of technology, especially when it comes to cycling. Back in 2009 when I cycled along the Pennine Cycleway as a shakedown of my skills as a first time touring cyclist I blogged as I travelled having moved on from writing […]
When I first embarked on a long(ish)-distance cycle back in 2009 cycling along the Pennine Cycleway from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Derby I took with me a pre-smart phone. I think it was a Nokia. It did a pretty good job allowing me to take some half-decent pictures and send […]
This is the official announcement from the Tour de France website: “Les organisateurs du Tour de France ont le plaisir d’annoncer que le Grand Départ du Tour de France 2014 aura lieu au Royaume-Uni, dans le comté du Yorkshire, avant une arrivée d’étape à Londres. Après une année 2012 exceptionnelle […]
I have shamelessly stolen this entire post (apart from this paragraph) from the most recent Sustrans email. It covers my corner of the World; West Yorkshire. I don’t live there now but I suppose it will always be ‘home’… NCN West Yorkshire cycle routes map This is the first […]
On August 6th, 2009, I was cycling through the Yorkshire Dales on my pre-Eurovelo 5 shakedown trying to work out if I was suited to long-distance cycling. I wrote the following comments on the blog; “On passing through a pristine village called Airton, I stopped to enquire if […]
I think I’m getting there with the new-look website. Clearly I would have preferred to go to work yesterday and today instead of coughing and sneezing over this computer (it’s true – I would; the hassles of being a teacher and missing two days of school cannot be […]
I need somewhere to put my map while cycling. I have a cheap plastic map cover thing from Decathlon that can be Velcroed to the handlbars but when I tested this out last week it flapped around everywhere and was very annoying. So, I put my thinking cap on and […]
I have spent many pounds on many glossy cycling magazines in the last couple of years but I have to say that one of the best is the one that I receive for free by being a member of the CTC (OK, it’s not really free I know […]
As I have said before, I love the fact that people all over the World read my blog and contribute either through the comments or by taking time to email me. It is no doubt the nearest I will ever come to receiving fan mail (teenage school kids […]
Long-time readers will remember that last summer, in order to see if I was physically capable of cycling day after day on a long journey by bike, I decided to cycle along the Pennine Cycleway from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Derby. It took me nine days and I stayed in a […]
Long-time followers of this blog will remember a period last summer when I seemed a little obsessed by tents. Clearly I needed to get out more at the time and the topic stopped when I decided that I would use hostels instead. It proved to be a wise […]
Michael Musto is a regular contributor to this blog via the “comments” buttons after each post. He has just commented upon my previous post about all things Alpine and I think his words deserve a promotion from the Championship that is the comments section to the Premiership of […]
Hi George Thanks for your email – your enthusiasm is infectious! I’m glad to be in touch with another person who is interested in the Eurovelo 5. My initial enthusiasm was not the Eurovelo 5, simply an interest in cycling and a wish to do something a bit […]
From: RichardTo: AndrewSubject: Maps Hi Andrew, Hope you’ve had a good Christmas. I see you’ve been busy on the blog. I’ve started telling people about my plans and am very much committed and excited about the trips. I think I will plan to try meet you in Brussels […]
I’ve just about finished reading Mark Beaumont’s book The Man Who Cycled The World. It’s a cracking read and doesn’t fall into the trap of being a repetitive log of getting up, cycling, eating and then sleeping which, in effect, is what he did for 195 consecutive days. […]
One thing that I really missed while doing my recent Pennine Cycleway journey was an ability to accurately measure the distances travelled. As a result, I have just bought a “Cateye Micro Wireless” thing (the title of the gadget isn’t long enough – there should be at least […]
Need to get back to thinking about next year’s little adventure to Italy. I am so glad to have completed the trip this summer, albeit a much shorter journey and over a longer period of time that I will need take next summer. I did 350 miles over […]
Arrived in Derby and waiting for my train to Reading. Feel as though I have achieved something but sad that my little adventure is over… There are however, greater adventures planned!
Very wet. Paused in Ashbourne for a coffee before heading to Derby and the train home. I envisage issues with the trains but I live in hope.
I'm staying in a stately home!
Pause for lunch. Haven’t enjoyed this morning much. Bad weather to start the day and lots of uphill! I am missing the Dales. But I am making good progress albeit by not following the 68 and taking the mainly A roads. Very scary in the fog this morning! […]
Climbing the hills just outside Holmfirth – Last of the Summer Wine country and the official start of this part of the journey. I’m back on the 68!
Almost. Setting off again tomorrow for my most taxing day of the trip: a 65 mile journey from Elland to Ilam, near Ashbourne in Derbyshire. I'm booked into the YHA place in Ilam. Looks like a stunning place to stay. I hope I get there before nightfall to […]
I have enjoyed every minute of it – far more than I actually thought I would. The cycling, the places, the scenery, the people, the weather, the accommodation, the relaxation, the fun…. I could good on. I can’t fault any of them! I would even go so far […]
Early start. The longest day is here….
Writing up today’s events for the book (once I secure that elusive publishing contract… I’m open to offers) and planning tomorrow’s cycling. Day 7 will see me back in familiar territory: West Yorkshire and my family so at least I am guaranteed a sprung bed to sleep on. […]
My pub crawl of the Dales continues… although this being lunchtime I kept off the beer. Another beautiful ride, despite another section of pushing just after Settle. Over the tops I came up with the idea of not just cycling to Puglia next year but of cycling around […]
I stayed here in 1979 for a few days when I was at primary school: it doesn’t appear to have changed!
Not another pub but an addition to the signage here in the Yorkshire Dales. Prettier they may be, but far less frequent than earlier in the journey.
I could be anywhere on the continent. Beautiful evening sunshine as I write my diary waiting for a very unsummery steak and ale pie.
My thumb shows my position on the map – about half way along the full length of the Pennine Cycleway route. Arrived in Ingleton at 4pm. Despite the spectacular short cut from Appleby to Tebay over the moors which knocked about 8 miles off today’s planned 44 from […]
Crossing the M6 just south of Tebay.
And with a view like this, Yorkshire can't be far!
I'll no doubt pop in here later.
I did two of the walking tours recommended by the tourist office and have now seen what Appleby has to offer. The rain has come again and I have been forced into this pub for a pint of Black Sheep beer. Dam you rain!
Today it has rained for the first time seriously and I am wet. Not that I mind – it’s all part of being a cyclist. However the sun is just coming out and having arrived ridiculously early – only just past midday – in Dufton where I am […]
You can understand why people go to Greece when you stand on top of this hill. Just cycled up and had breakfast in a cafe that Bill Bryson would write a whole chapter about. It’s now downhill most of the way…
Skies are a grew and there is a home wind.
The last 5 miles were frustratingly complicated and at one point I was lost. All down to the arse who has blocked one end of the Lambley Viaduct. The route then went to pot. A lack of signs didn’t help. This drink x 2 plus two cans of […]
I know you are envious of the UK’s cycle network Ian. Here is a sign showing who paid for it – the National Lottery!
I am still in the very north of England!
A steep climb to kick off the day – the steepest of the day I hope. In the distance is last night’s stopover: Bellingham. Alston here I come.
Arrived in Bellingham about an hour and a half ago. It has been a long, tough day of cycling but that only makes the arrival more fulfilling. The bunkhouse is great – fellow residents just as friendly as last night. Sitting writing my diary in the local pub […]
Bridge just outside Wooler. It saved me getting my feet wet at 9am – the road passes through the river!
Everything has gone to plan! Arrived at the hostel at around 6pm, showered, ate and am now relaxing with the other hostel dwellers, none of whom appear to fit the description of being youths. The first guy I met was 82 and he had just arrived from South […]
The start! 2pm on 1st August 2009.
'I have never been a fanatical cyclist. Furthermore, I am a lousy mechanic. When I decided to cycle around the world I had never ridden a race and hardly knew the difference between degreaser and a derailleur. I didn't want to cycle around the world, it just kind […]
I just wish I knew whether or not they were complimentary…
A while since I was at Kings Cross but it still has the feeling of a northern enclave of London with the northern accents and northern names. Getting used to balancing the bike while it is heavily laden – I was a bit anxious about getting on the […]
Does that back wheel look as though it is smiling? Set off at 6am tomorrow.
Here is the weather forecast for Appley – the half way point more or less – and it looks OK. Nothing more than that. The wind is 15-20 miles per hour… Could be worse. “Sprinkles” is an amusing way to describe the rain. Thursday and Friday look the […]
That was easier than I thought! All the accommodation is now booked – all YHA apart from Wednesday 5th when I will be staying at a place called Stackstead Farm: they have dormitory style accommodation for a very reasonable £11 per night. I think my camping mat might […]
Spent the day at Hampton Court with a friend – very impressed – they have special things going on as it is 500 years this year since Henry VIII acceded to the throne. Before setting off I emailed the six YHA hostels at the places listed on the […]
Need to decide where I am going to stay on each night: can’t risk having nowhere to stay. In order to do that, I need to decide which towns I’m going to stop in. Not going to list the places here. Will put them over there on the […]
French language pun there…(tumbleweed crosses screen)… Anyway, they have – the Sustrans maps arrived that is if your French isn’t quite what it should be. Much time will be spent pouring over them in the course of the next few days. To my relief, campsites are noted on […]
More useful info from the CTC forum: “We camped here in 2001. Marshall Meadows Farm BERWICK-UPON-TWEED TD151UT Tel: 01289 307375 The site was basic with no shop, but does have toilets and showers. It also has the main rail line running past it, although we didn’t find it […]
A reassuring post on the CTC forum that I set up:“No suggestions on campsites, I’m afraid – I stayed in B&Bs and Youth Hostels. But don’t get too worried about the wind. We did it south-to-north and had some really rotten wind in Northumberland – “beasterly easterlies”, I […]
MSN are very brave: they attempt a ten-day weather forecast! The BBC only go as far as five days. In ten days, it will be the 1st August – the day I will travel up to Berwick-upon-Tweed to kick off my Pennine Cycleway trip. The full ten-day forecast […]
I have a reply – from a certain rapidfire72 – here it is:“I did the Pennine Cycleway a few years, but only from Settle to Berwick, but I only B&B and YHA it. I can recommend the Pennine View Caravan & camping in Kirkby Stephen, very good and […]
OK, a bit of Internet research has poured scorn on my first choice of tent (see below: the Karrimor which is a nice colour but which one reviewer witheringly described as a “…Peter Storm tent [those are the very cheap ones you get from Millets] with a different […]
I’ve just started a CTC forum thread asking for advice and top tips on cycling route 68: here is the link.The kit I bought today is cracking – £60 for the cycling shorts is a bargain if they continue to be that comfortable after a week of hard […]
Call me fickle, I don’t care! Waking up with thoughts of boredom on my mind and a desire to spice up my trip to Yorkshire this summer, I have abandoned it! This is great news. I don’t now have to trudge from Reading through to the Peak District […]
Just been checking availability of the youth hostels and they are fine until…. The Peak District. Many seem to be closed for “summer camps” in August, including Alstonefield and Crowden. Alstonefield is not really a problem as there are the other two places I have already identified, but […]
OK. More progress planning my trip to Yorkshire this summer. I have identified some Youth Hostels en route, or just off the route in some cases, that I could use. Although they are by no means equidistant from each other, they do split the journey into a 6-day […]
OK. Three maps and one route from Reading to Yorkshire. The middle map – Leicester, Coventry & Rugby – is twice the size of the other two so that section is a bit enlarged on the second picture. When you mark the route on the maps it doesn’t […]
I bought the maps and got the 3 for the price of 2 offer…. except that the Peak District “Tour” map won’t arrive until the end of the month. It’s fun however, with the two maps that I have got, following the route. It doesn’t actually seem that […]
Now this map shows the no-brainer routes from Reading to Stratford-upon-Avon and from Derby to Huddersfield (covered by the two maps mentioned below). The question is whether I continue via Birmingham (the blue circle on the left) or whether I continue via Coventry (the red circle on the […]
My focus must now be on what I have predictably called “Yorkshire 2009” (no change of website however!). And I am making good progress already. Thanks to the National Cycle Network, my route planning is more or less done for me. This probably won’t be the case next […]
Today will go down as a milestone on my road to Puglia 2010. Many good things have happened, one an out of the blue but “why didn’t I think of that earlier?” idea that I shall come to in a few moments (the map on the left is […]
