Want to sound like an East Yorkshire native? No, I thought not. But if you did, you’d describe today’s route as ‘Pock to Brid, via Drif’. We’re keen on initial syllables as nicknames here. Anyway, after a sound night’s sleep in my own bed at home in York, I got back to last night’s finish…
Category: Coast to Coasts
WoR 1970s 3: Ripon to Pocklington
The Pareto Principle splits things into 80/20 contrasts (such as ‘80% of the work is done by 20% of the people’, an idea most of us in the 20% can agree with). On the other hand, the Football Principle splits things into two halves: usually, along the lines of, ‘we lost the first half 6-0,…
WoR 1970s 2: Malham to Ripon
Another hilly day today, though to me it was a walk in the park. Because it’s the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and whenever it got steep I got off to walk. All thrilling scenery, though, as more quiet back lanes wound their way through, up and over the hills of Malhamdale, Wharfedale and Nidderdale. It…
WoR 1970s 1: Morecambe to Malham
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…
Glasgow to Edinburgh 2: Falkirk to Edinburgh
The second day of route research, following the Union Canal from Falkirk along smooth flat tarmac towpath right into Edinburgh city centre. *slag heaps
Glasgow to Edinburgh 1: Bowling to Falkirk
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…
M2H 14: Ferriby to Hull
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….
M2H 13: York to Ferriby
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…
M2H 12: Harrogate to York
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…
M2H 11: Aysgarth to Harrogate
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…