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No cycling holiday this summer and now I'm deep into winter. The Dahon Vitesse is still in daily use. I had a spoke replaced yesterday. The rear wheel was wonky so I took it in for repair. All is fine now. The Scott is also doing fine - although it's a few weeks since I was out on it. The last trip was to Stamford Bridge on what turned out to be a wet afternoon. The ride home in the rush hour was no fun at all. Just how many gallons of mucky water are thrown up from a passing bus or wagon?

What a summer I treated myself to a Dahon Vitesse D5 for my birthday. I use it everyday for trips to the shops and around town. I've taken it on the train to Leeds and London and in the car to Greenbelt. It's a gentle cycle that doesn't demand speed. The handlebars are relatively high and the riding position upright. Cycling in London was really enjoyable. All those big places are so close together on a bike. The tube is dark and hot and walking the streets is crowded and pushy, but cycling is at your own speed. Lots of cycle lanes and on a bike I can use the bus lanes too. There are some worrying areas. Shepherds Bush is a bit complicated and the area around BBC White City is a bit of a desert. But on the whole it beats other forms of transport in the capital - and much cheaper.

Late ride I went to Warwick's house but he was out shopping at ASDA - such an exciting life! So I decided to have a late ride. (Set off about 8.30pm) Left Huntington and cycled through Hopgrove, Stockton Lane, Holtby, Dunnington, Elvington, Wheldrake, Crockey Hill, York. At the end of the circuit I felt it had been a really good ride - some fast sections and I managed to keep up the speed on the gradients too. The light failed as I enetered York and I wished I'd set out earlier - although if I had I may have taken it easier too and not felt the same satisfaction.

Cycle Rally in York I was on the Knavesmire on Sunday afternnon for the York Cycle Rally. Lots of cranks at these events!! Met up with the Company of Cyclists again - and arranged to call Jim McGurn about borrowing their Dual Cycle for Warwick's birthday. Looked at a Dohan Vitesse D5 on the Gearshift stand - they were selling them for £300 at the end of the show. Very tempting - but I resisted. I bought a cycle hanger for the garage, a map of the C2C and joined the CTC. A relatively cheap afternoon. I would still like a Dohan Folder though.

Cycling Plus

Trans Pennine Trail home page

I followed part of the route of the GYBR on Saturday. Starting from York I set out for Alne and followed the route to Malton and then came back to York through Kirkham, Westow, Bossall Claxton, Flaxton, and Strensal. 67 miles in total. The stiffest climb is up Terrington Bank to Coneysthorpe. It'll sort the men from the boys. Fabulous ride and it reassured me that I can manage the Wetherby to Filey ride in June.

I've just received the details of my entry for the Great Yorkshire Bike Ride. I'm riding in number 1240. Wetherby to Filey and the route goes through Crayke, Terrington, Coneysthorpe and along the wolds to Filey to identify just a few hills along the way. Should be great fun.

Useful for cycling - available on WAP too UK Wind Map

Even more useful page of links Cycling - Cycles - Cycle Racing - Mountain Biking - BMX - Cycling Holidays

Really useful links USEFUL LINKS : Bike Week 2004 (12-20 June)

Bicycle Business

Bikeweek 2004 - The UK celebration of cycling : : Bike Week 2004 (12-20 June)

Great Yorkshire Bike Ride. Wetherby to Filey Home Page1

I've just realised that there are big gaps in this blog. Since February I've been building up my fitness with regular 20mile rides plus a few at 35 - 40miles. I'm planning to catch the train to Hull tomorrow and cycle back to York via Market Weighton using the White Rose Cycle Route. Sustrans

Hull Cycle Map City of Hull Cycle Routes

Did the route in reverse tonight

Bought new cycling gear on Saturday but had to wait until Monday to try it out. Gore Jacket, blue zip thing to go underneath and some black trousers. Can't remember all the brands. Tried it out on the 18 mile Lit Roads route last night. Felt good. As I cycled along Knavesmaire Road someone pulled past me on a racing bike. Enjoyed the sprint, but he turned right when I turned lef down Taddy Road so the challenge was shortlived. Bike needs it's first service now - gears not quite engaging as they should - I assume the cables have stretched.

At last a dry evening and I manged to get out around York. I used the Lit Streets route devised last weekend with some modifications. I took the cycle route through the University and across Walmgate Stray between Windmill Lane and the Millennium Bridge. Good route but there's a dark path across the stray. The river was very high tonight making the bridge look very dramatic. Riverside paths on both sides of the bridge were submerged but access along Hospiral Fields and Butcher Terace were passable. I later took the cycle route across Hob Moor to avoid the poor surface on St Helen's Road and Gale Lane. I also used Water Lane instead of Rawcliffe Lane to reach Clifton Moor. The totalk distance for tonight's ride was 18 miles - 1.5 miles less that the first route.

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.