Snow in York today - probably means no cycling till it clears Snow in York

Might do this:- CTC - the UK's national cyclists organisation - Go Biking with CTC - Challenge Rides - Ron Kitching Memorial Ride

The City of York has an extensive network of cycle routes: York - cycling Some of the routes are good, others simply designate part of the roadway for cycles. Some are so convoluted that they become tedious to use and others are poorly surfaced. On the whole they've been created on the cheap and offer only an impression that the city provides routes for cyclists. When compared to what I've seen in The Hague and Rotterdam in Holland where they have fully segregated cycle paths alongside roads we have a long way to go.

Just completed the "lit roads" route around York. 19 miles but it's a bit dull because the ride is almost exclusively through urban areas. A little respite comes near the University, over the Millennium Bridge and down Wiggington Road. The route: Up Haxby Road to New Earswick. Link Road to Huntington. Through the village to New Lane. Along New Lane to Malton Road and down to Heworth. Along Melrosegate, Tang Hall Lane to Windmill Lane an to Heslington. Past the hall and through to Fulford. In towards the city to the lights and left down Hospital Fields Road. Over Millennium Bridge, straight on along Butcher Terrace and follow cycle route signs to Acomb through the South Bank houses to the Knavesmire. Down Tadcaster Road to St Helen's Road and then Gale Lane to Acomb Green. Out to Beckfield Lane and through to Boroughbridge Road. In towards the city then left down Landing Lane to Clifton Green. Left to Rawcliffe Lane and through to Green Lane and Cliftonmoorgate. At the Bumper Castle right down Wiggington Road towards home. There are a few bad points. St Helen's Road surface v poor. Gale Lane has difficult mini roundabouts and rough surface. Level Crossing on Wiggington Road is uneven.

This is it: SCOTT USA Mine is silver/dark blue

End of week one with the Scott Joan took me by surprise on Sunday - after church she suggested I go for a ride on my new bike while she looked after Warwick. She's a lovely person. I took up her offer and took off for an hour. Did ten miles or so down to Naburn and back on the Selby cycle track. I have to admit to scowling at the owners of a dozy dog that wandered into my path at the far side if the racecourse. I was less than gracious when they apologised and I curtly replied "It's your dog not mine" I'm nervous about dogs ever since a nasty accident with a bull mastiff on Rowntree Avenue a few years back. I wrecked my bike and had to hobble to a phone box to ask Joan to pick me up (almost literally, off the tarmac). The dog was running towards me and without any warning did a 90 degree right turn under my wheels. It yelped and ran off. I tumbled over the bars and landed on my helmet. Thank God for the helmet. It cracked and saved me from a very nasty head injury. I was bruised all over. The bike frame was twisted, it was a write off. The dog's owner left me on the road and ran off after his dog. So when I see a dog I get twitchy, slow down and frown at the owner if they're nearby. I squeezed in another ride on Thursday. I pedalled up to Warwick's and then took off for another seven or eight miles around the north of York. It was dark so I stuck to lit roads where possible. That night I devised a "lit roads" route around York for use on winter evenings. I guess it's about 15 miles. I may try it out today in daylight just to check. If it works I'll publish the details here.

Bought my Scott Roadster S3 today. Cycled 15 miles - York -> Haxby -> Wiggington -> Shipton -> Overton -> Skelton -> York. Fabulous bike and a good ride despite dirty roads and frequent rain/drizzle.