Cycling The Hebridean Way: The Kit
I have to admit that these kinds of photographic displays of kit have, in recent, years become very much of a cliché, but they are fun to make and someone out there in the ether may find them of use. For most people they provide amusement and, perhaps more often, bemusement (“why the hell is he taking that with him???!!”). Below, in excessive detail (it wasn’t a busy day…), you’ll find set out most of what I will be taking with me when I travel to the Outer Hebrides early next week to ride the length of the Hebridean Way.
The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 038 – Cycling The Hebridean Way
Britain offers some amazing places to explore on a bicycle, but there can be few locations within the UK that offer the remoteness, drama and sheer spectacle of the islands of The Outer Hebrides. The Hebridean Way guides cyclists from Vatersay in the south to the Butt of Lewis in the north: “10 islands, 6 causeways, 2 ferries and 1 unforgettable adventure”. In this episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast, writers, travellers and cyclists reflect upon their experiences of cycling The Hebridean Way. The chief executive of the local tourist board is also on hand to offer his advice.
The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 037 – Simon Parker – Britain By Bike
The travel writer and cyclist Simon Parker first appeared on The Cycling Europe Podcast in February 2021when he talked about his ‘Earth Cycle’ TV programme. He returns to discuss his latest project; an end-to-end cycle around Britain in the midst of a global pandemic. His main aim was not to clock up the kilometres but to meet the people and hear their stories. He told his own story in a weekly column for The Daily Telegraph and here he looks back upon a cycling staycation to beat most others.
Skipton, Settle, Sun…
Phew! What a scorcher! It was predictable that, with horizon-to-horizon sun forecast for the first time in weeks, the cyclists would be out in force. And they were, especially in the few kilometres north of Skipton. As were, alas, hoards of drivers so, when the opportunity arose, escaping the main road from Skipton to Grassington came as welcome relief.
Cycling The Outer Hebrides: The ‘Ready-To-Pounce’ Plan
So… the Outer Hebrides. I have posted two articles recently about my proposed cycle along the Hebridean Way and, after a nice ride over the Pennine moors this afternoon, I am in the mood for adding a little flesh to the bones of my plan. It’s all weather-dependant of course. I have no wish to travel to the north-western corner of the British Isles if the outlook is not looking that great (I learnt my lesson the hard way back in the ‘summer’ of 2014…) but, whenever I do decide to go, I need to be able to pounce with a plan!
The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 034 – Steve Silk – The Great North Road / Laurence Warren – Austria
One hundred years ago, the Great North Road closed and the A1 opened, heralding a century of domination by the motor car. The Cycling Europe Podcast meets BBC journalist (and one-time San Franciscan cycle courier) Steve Silk who set off on his bicycle to cycle from London to Edinburgh to rediscover what remains of the old road, its stories, milestones and coaching inns. Steve’s book – The Great North Road – is published by Summersdale on July 8th. Plus: cycling in Austria with local resident Laurence Warren. Is there more to this Alpine country than just big hills?
Question: The Outer Hebrides? Answer…
A few days ago, I posted an article to CyclingEurope.org about the possibility of visiting The Outer Hebrides this coming summer and cycling the Hebridean Way. The response was one of the best that any article on CyclingEurope.org has ever received. On the website itself and on social media, the comments came in thick and fast and such were their quality that they merit a post of their own. They are collated below but before you read them, I suggest you first of all read the original post that was published on May 23rd.
Summer 2021: The Outer Hebrides?
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I had been sent a copy of The Great British Adventure Map. It’s now on my wall in such a position where, every morning, I spend a few minutes staring at it as I shave. Such is the level of detail that it’s the kind of map that will see me shave my chin many hundreds of times before I have exhausted its facts and figures. In recent days, however, my eyes have been drawn north. North west to be precise to a corner of the map that has had me examining the Outer Hebrides…
The EuroVelo 12 In Yorkshire / The Humber Bridge
The Humber Bridge is the longest bridge in the world that you can cross on a bicycle… or it was until recently when the authorities. for ‘security reasons’, decided to prevent access to the bridge by cyclists and pedestrians. A (very!) long detour was suddenly required to cross the Humber Estuary. Not great.
Cycling From Dumbarton To Strathisla Distillery For MND Scotland
My name is Jon Hunter and in 2010 I bought an Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op Revolution Pathfinder over the internet after wanting to get back into cycling. The last time I rode a bicycle, I used it for delivering newspapers as a child! I rode the bike for quite a while until the pressures of family, young children and work reluctantly saw me put the bike in the shed to be ridden at a later date. I didn’t realise how later that date would be.
Eroica 2021
I’ve never entered a cycling sportive in my life… but I’m a sucker for a good poster and these posters from the people who organise the Eroica events have featured several times in the past on CyclingEurope.org. They’ve just sent through the complete set for 2021 – yes, it appears that they are starting again… – and the first of their cycles is actually today in South Africa.
The Calder Valley And The Drone
Since purchasing the drone about a month ago, I’ve been continuing to take small steps towards making a film that involves some cycling. Although not quite there yet, this new film does tell the story of my 72 km ride yesterday along the Calder Valley and back with friend Craig. Hopefully the next film will involve some drone footage of a cyclist actually cycling. The cyclists featured here are all static; admiring the view, operating said drone or pumping up a tyre. It was a glorious day for a bike ride with barely any wind; it’s amazing to note how little wind is required to keep those turbines rotating. One day I’ll return up there with the drone and try to fly it through the turbines as they spin. Perhaps…
Velio Festival: 17th-20th September 2021
Cycling festivals – and here I’m talking about ‘festivals’ in the sense of Glastonbury or Reading where people head off to spend a few days in a particular place at a particular time – are few and far between. I’ve been involved with the Cycle Touring Festival in Clitheroe for quite a few years now. It’s a relatively small scale event, very informal where just as much time is spent watching the world go by or chatting with fellow cycle tourists as it is in formal sit-down-and-listen events. That’s perhaps one end of the cycling festival spectrum. At the other end? Well, how about this?
Winter In Spring: April Snow Showers In Northern England
We seemed to have had more than our fair share of snow in the north of England during the winter of 2020-21. Last week, however, the temperatures were in the low twenties and people were sunbathing on the beaches at Scarborough so I wasn’t quite expecting to wake up this morning and see that the snow had returned in April. I put the drone into action and here is the result. I reckon that by midday it will have all melted – probably until next winter – but you never know…
Cycle Touring Friends (Romans, Countrymen… [And Countrywomen…])
As I was croaking my way through recording the links for the latest episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast that was published overnight, I mentioned that I would put all the relevant links to the accommodation providers on the website. We, here I am doing just that. The four people interviewed were Tahverlee Anglen from the accommodation sharing website WarmShowers, Simon Ainley from the Youth Hostel Association of England and Wales, Simon Kershaw from a new hotel – soon to be a chain of hotels – called Bike and Boot in Scarborough and the wild camper Tim Millikin. You can find more details about Tim’s travels and the book he has written by visiting his website.
The Cycle Touring Festival: Touring In A Time Of COVID
This weekend sees the start of the 2021 Cycle Touring Festival. It’s virtual once again so you can listen to the speakers and watch the films from the comfort of your own living room. You do need to register however for each of the sessions (delivered via Zoom) and you can full details on how to do that by visiting the Cycle Touring Festival website. My contribution this year will be mainly in the form of a short talk in the first session at 8pm on Friday 12th February. The theme is ‘touring in a time of COVID’ and I’ll be discussing the motivation behind setting off last summer to cycle to the four capital cities of the UK as well as the journey itself. Below are a few screenshots to whet your appetite. Look forward to seeing some of you there.
Cycle Commuting When You Can’t Commute
Over the years, one of the most frequent questions I’ve been asked about the long trips across Europe is ‘how did you train? ‘. The answer is easy; I didn’t. Well, not really… What I did do, however, was cycle to work most days each week for many months, years even, before setting off to ride from one extremity of Europe to another. I suspected – and I am think I am correct in saying this – that the biggest challenge of riding long distances over a period of a couple of months or more is not necessarily the distance, it’s the motivation to keep going day after day, irrespective of your mood or the weather. And this is why commuting by bicycle to work each day in the run-up to a long trip is worth its weight in gold.
The Great British Cycle Tour: The First Rushes Of The Film!
Having just upgraded my computer, I’m now in a position to start editing the film of last summer’s Great British Cycle Tour. Here’s a few minutes from the start of the movie… Hopefully the complete film with be readyy by the end of the month.
The Long Read: Britain, Cycling And Pillory By German Seven-Year-Olds
A German student, Hannes, has sent me some questions about cycling in the UK and cycling from the perspective of British person… and I need your help. I’m going to write answers to Hannes’ questions but, as most of you are British and live in the UK, I think it would be nice for you to add your comments into the mix. (Even if you aren’t British and / or don’t live in the UK you may have valid points to make.) You may or may not agree with what I write and it would be good for Hannes to have more than just the one opinion. So here goes…
BREAKING NEWS: There’s No Breaking News…
It’s foggy and cold outside, CNN is on the TV (as with much of the world, I’m sitting here waiting and hoping for that 253 to change soon) and it’s the first Saturday of Lockdown 2.0. Not a great deal to do other than ponder over the future… That could be a real Pandora’s box but let’s keep things focussed on cycling.
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.
Warning: Detailed (And I Mean Detailed) Maps Of The EuroVelo Network
One for the maps geeks. (Of which I am one…) You may wish to turn away if you have a dodgy internet connection as clicking on the links below is likely to test your patience in terms of download time, but I will persist. It is often a […]
The HandleBards: Cycle Touring, Or Not Cycle Touring?
Well, that is the question… I was telephoned earlier this week by a chap called Jack: ‘Hi, I’m Jack from The Handlebars…‘ he said. I initially struggled to piece together what he was talking about; bicycles, plays, Romeo & Juliet… It then suddenly clicked; I’d misheard the name […]
I Don’t Have To Cycle Up Everest…
Here is a post from Rachel Cullen’s website. She’s a runner but has caught the bug for cycling… For anyone who knows the Calder Valley (as I do), the hills she refers to will be familiar. I feel her pain!
THIS WEEK: Cycle To Work Day – 13th September 2017
It’s back: will you pledge? You can do so here. Here’s what the organisers have to say: Cycle to Work Day, the annual event encouraging workers across the UK to take to two wheels for their commute, will celebrate its 5th anniversary this September 13th. The event invites […]
TODAY: Up The Buttress!
Here’s a cycling event with a difference: ‘Up The Buttress…’. The buttress in question is a steep, cobbled 365 metre lane from Hebden Bridge in the direction of Heptonstall in the Calder Valley of Yorkshire. In the words of the organisers: “£10 to attempt the Buttress, then your […]
The Three Peaks Of Yorkshire: 3. Whernside
In fairness, the climb to the third of my Yorkshire Three Peaks was always going to struggle to meet the standards set by the wonderful hike to Ingleborough (see previous post). That said the not-always-favourable comparisons actually started on Ingleborough itself with a treacherous steep descent into the […]
The Three Peaks Of Yorkshire: 2. Ingleborough
A wonderful climb to Ingleborough this morning. Listen to my thoughts recorded at the top of the mountain: …and here are the photos:
The Three Peaks Of Yorkshire: 1. Pen-y-ghent
Shortly after completing the previous post about La Vuelta this morning, I looked at the computer and wondered where my summer was going. I then looked outside and questioned the use of the word ‘summer’. Grey sky, breezy… but dry. August? Well, if the calendar says it is. […]
Hebden Bridge: ‘Prettiest Bitch, Handsomest Dog, Waggiest Tail’
Cycling The Calder Valley: The Audio Documentary
The observant amongst you will notice that, on September 1st, the first CyclingEurope.org podcast will be unleashed into the world! It is still very much a work-in-progress but I’ve decided to share with you a snippet (well, it’s a 15 minute long ‘snippet’ that will probably be trimmed […]
The Queensbury (Cycling?) Tunnel
CyclingEurope.org has just received a bit of a makeover… and what better way to mark the event than an initiative that seeks to reinvent a disused railway tunnel into something that could benefit generations of future cyclists: The Queensbury Tunnel. This website has seen how disused railway infrastructure […]
Cirencester: The Cotswolds, Calmed
One of those ‘nothing-to-do-with-cycling’ posts, although I have tried to include a few bicycles in the photographs taken today and shown below. Between speaking at the CTC ‘birthday’ rides on Thursday, a day of cycling in the Cotswold yesterday (see previous post) and staying to hear fellow touring […]
The CTC ‘Birthday’ Rides: Moreton-in-Marsh
It’s a tradition that dates back many years – nearly 50 I think – and is held every August in a different location over the course of a week. Around 500 members of Cycling UK (although these guys hang on to the original name, the CTC) pay a […]
The Brooksbank Cycling Open Day
It’s here again; a chance to cycle around the cycling track in Elland. Here’s what happened last year:
