Cycling adventures across Britain and beyond
I’m doing the Way of the Roses 1970s-style: the 170 mile coast-to-coast east across northern England, from Morecambe to Bridlington, on a 1978 bike and using only seventies kit. No gadgets, no lycra. A rain cape, not Goretex jacket. Terrible old Ever Ready lights, not LEDs. Fixing accommodation on the hoof, in a callbox or…
The second day of route research, following the Union Canal from Falkirk along smooth flat tarmac towpath right into Edinburgh city centre. *slag heaps
Route-researching this Scottish coast-to-coast. It goes a mere 60 flat miles, all on smooth tarmac canal towpaths. The Clyde Canal goes thirty miles from Bowling to Falkirk via Glasgow; from Falkirk, the Union Canal goes another 30 miles to Edinburgh. Ideal for families, trundlers, and lazy cycle bloggers looking for an easy ride. But Falkirk’s…
The final leg was another stretch I’ve cycled many times. From Ferriby I followed the Trans Pennine Trail alongside the Humber (picture). There’s still a sign up claiming the route is ‘closed to cyclists’, even though it reopened weeks ago. Being an experienced touring cyclist, I always read such signs carefully. And then ignore them….
York looked lovely, on the hottest, most beautiful day of the year. The Millennium Bridge (picture) was busy with the city’s everyday cyclists shuttling across the Ouse to Rowntree Park. If they were hoping to play table tennis at the park’s free-access table they were to be disappointed, because we were using it. I rode…
Back home to York – a service stop for changing socks, offloading camping gear, eating curry etc – so a short day. In fact, all today’s highlights were in Knaresborough, traditional home of 16th-century prophetess Mother Shipton (picture). One of her lesser known predictions, clearly foreseeing the coming of the Tour, runs “…On iron wheels…
A sociable day of beautiful but hilly stuff in and around Wharfedale (picture). I was relieved I’d put new brake blocks on back in Penrith. Much of the cycling was an uphill struggle. The socialising in cafes (picture, Kettlewell) certainly wasn’t. In fact, a combination of pushing up 1 in 5s, stopping constantly to take…
I followed quiet, rolling back lanes in the morning from Penrith to Kirkby Stephen, in the shadow of the Pennines. Some of the roads were surprisingly busy with traffic (picture). That’s rush hour just outside Appleby… Handsome Appleby is just about to play host to its famous annual horse fair, when lots of travellers come…
A rest day in Penrith today, sitting out indifferent weather and doing service-town admin such as haircuts. The hostel (Wayfarers Penrith) is excellent, and possibly the best for cyclists I’ve ever stayed at – it’s aimed at Coast to Coast groups. It has a fine bikeshed-cum-workshop in the basement (picture), with workstand and tools and…
A very early start – I had taken down the tent and was out from the campsite in Moffat by 6am – so that I wouldn’t have to lay in bed being disturbed by early risers taking down their tents. Sound travels in campsites. I had breakfast at Lockerbie, where I was not impressed by…