Our annual between-Christmas-and-New-Year ride round Ladybower Reservoir, but I’m calling it ‘cycle route research’ to make it tax-deductible. Fine weather and a spectacular sunset which, it turned out, had to be best viewed from the Yorkshire Bridge Inn.
Category: Route research
Saffron Walden: Cake stop
Cycle-cafe article research in Saffron Walden, which sounds like a singer-songwriter rather than a well-to-do Essex town. It has a Wetherspoon, a Waitrose, a castle, and quite a lot of cafes. Something for everyone, then.
Stevenage 2: Puddled up
Another very good, if puddly, day researching cycle routes round Stevenage in Bucks, Herts and Beds, which sounds like a dating agency.
Stevenage 1: Old Town, New Town
Excellent first day researching bike routes with Nigel around Stevenage, a traditional New Town with a modern Old Town. And two Wetherspoons.
Chilterns: Ups and Downs
Excellent first day researching bike routes in the Chilterns. Good job Nigel got his low gears fixed up beforehand. They’re hilly. Fine picnic lunch at Dunstable Downs, but no, we didn’t have those mushrooms. We had sandwiches from Tesco.
Edinburgh 2: ‘Town centre’
Cycle route research in Edinburgh town centre…
Edinburgh 1: View from the Seat
Cycle route research round Edinburgh, one of my favourite Scottish capitals.
Exeter: Maths rivers
Finished my route research in Dartmoor, so I had a spare morning to explore Exeter, and one of my favourite ‘maths rivers’, the Exe. Hmm: Dee, Exe, Wye; there could be a promising ‘Differential Trail’ consisting of Dee-Exe over Dee-Wye.
Dartmoor 3: Thatcher era, satnav age
Final day of route research in lovely Dartmoor.
Dartmoor 2: Fair weather cycling
Another lovely day researching cycle routes round southern Dartmoor. I did pop in to Widecombe, notorious for its folksong (‘…Old Uncle Tom Cobleigh and all’, etc) but didn’t see any examples of eight drunken locals all trying to ride on the same borrowed bike.