Where have I been?
What have I been doing?

Cycling has been intermittent to say the least. The last long/decent/interesting ride I had was on 1st March when I took a lift to near Truro, spending the day cycling home via the south coast of Cornwall.

This is at St Mawes Castle on the south coast with Pendennis Castle in the distance across Falmouth Bay. I came down through Truro and the little lanes to the coast.

I followed as close as I could get to the coast as you can see here. This sandy little ford was across a (freshwater) stream, but the hill the other side must've been 33%. My wheels were caked in wet sand and rubbed on the inside of my mudguards making the climb even harder! I had to stop half way up, get my breath, knock some sand off, and try again! Eventually, I made it to Mevagissey – and stopped for late lunch. From there, I made my way through St Austell and Lostwithiel to home. Great ride of 85miles, but really tough with some awfully steep hills.

Since then, Easter came. Hilary loves to do something during her time off school, so we booked a last-minute deal for a cruise! Only a week in the western Med, but a cruise nonetheless. We had a great time visiting Corsica, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Toulon and Barcelona. Excellent time! Ate and drank – and spent – too much!

We came back to awful weather. It had been ok when we left, but we were greeted with a return to winter. Cold, damp and dreary. Not conducive to enjoyable cycling at all so I only managed the odd ride.

During a brighter spot, I attempted to mend a stone wall. It was job that'd hung around for a while so I thought I may as well get off my bum and do it. Boots, overalls, gloves – even a hat! – and off I went. Just as I'm getting the last stone in position, it traps my RH pinkie finger. I swore! I didn't half hurt for a second or two, then it went completely numb. The stone was so heavy I couldn't lift it, but I was able to get my finger out and I pulled off my glove expecting the worst. Luckily, my finger was still attached but what do I do next?

Hilary was at school, no-one about, I walked up to the house, into the kitchen and wrapped loads of kitchen roll round my finger, climbed into the car, out of the gate and drove the half mile to the health centre – one handed. What else? Phone 999?

Long story short, and three weeks later, my finger is mending – but slowly. It took me nearly a fortnight to be able to ride my bike. The vibration on the 'bars and trying to grip and brake was terribly uncomfortable and over bigger bumps downright painful.

This was my finger after about a week. It doesn't look much different than this now, but it's feeling so much better and I can just about use it without pain, though I'm not about to go and finish the wall – I can hardly look at it without wincing!

It absolutely amazed me how much I use my little fingers. I've almost been incapacitated because of it – I'm very right-handed and using my left hand for many things has been an effort. I wore a bandage for a week and a half, having the dressing changed daily by the nurses. They've signed me off for the present, but when the nail starts to come off and the scabbing peels, I may/will need more attention.

Any road up, I've been managing to get out and ride a couple of times, and yesterday I managed a hilly 40miler, but getting home very tired indeed. Funny how the fitness and stamina drops away!

Hopefully, I'll soon be fit and well to carry on doing what I do best – CYCLING – not building stone walls, and keeping in touch with you lot here.

Keep well, and best regards to all
Mick.

Lady CoMo was the victim of a car accident on Thursday. She came out on the losing end of the encounter. It was not my fault. Honest. In fact, I was not even on her at the time. Nor was Mary.

It happened in the parking lot of a Toronto hotel where there was only valet parking. Lady CoMo was mounted on top of the car wearing her bras, bat-like. Mary had warned the car jockeys about clearance, etc., etc. It was later than evening, when we got home to Ottawa and I was taking her off the car that I saw the damage. The front brake lever was irreparably smashed.

The damage done

The good folks at Bertrand were open that night and had her all fixed up within 24 hours. They said it's amazing how many car top accidents they get.

We also had them change our big chain ring. Our gearing is now 26-40-53 on the front and 11-36 on the back. Those ratios give us the range to almost climb a ladder, or to push ourselves all the way down a hill.

We picked her up on Saturday morning, the sky was blue, and we needed a test ride. Off we went to Gatineau Park for the climb to Champlain Lookout. It was the first day of sunblock, riding with bare arms and legs.

The gears were great, and the new brake lever did its job (very important!). We are getting better at climbing. At the bottom of a hill I move us to a comfortable gear and as it gets tougher Mary stands. Then, when she tires, I sometimes stand for a bit and we alternate. Stability can be an issue, depending on how tightly she grips the handlebars and fights me for balance, but we are growing accustomed to it and the climbs are smoothing out.

On the descents the bigger ring is a definite improvement. We like to keep the pedals engaged even if we are braking – it gives greater control. At the bottom of a descent we can take advantage sooner of our momentum and keep up the pressure to get us up the next hill.

The step differentials on the chain rings do require more careful gearing, especially between the middle and smallest rings. I usually do a double shift (i.e. front and back) to avoid too large a jump when down shifting. I also have to mentally keep track of which cog I'm on since there is no flight deck for visualization.

So far so good. I don't know if we'll have the legs to do justice to the ride to Kingston this year, but we'll have fun trying!

On my way out today I wave to a couple of fellow-villagers. As the blustery day threatens rain, I wonder where they are going. Later on the bus overtakes me and I spot them on the lower deck. I'm on the direct road into town, the A428, which is single-carriageway here. The traffic isn't too bad. I prefer the quieter country-lane route but it's longer and hillier, and I'm running a little late.

Thursday is market day in St Neots. I generally arrange my dentist appointments on such days because I enjoy wandering around the crowds and browsing the stalls. One has shopping trolleys. I've been thinking about these for a while. When the roads are icy or I'm on crutches, I take the bus, and I'm not sure if 20 kg of shopping in a rucksack might wreck my vertebrae.

I hope to see my co-villagers so I can mention to them that from next month we won't have a bus to St Neots. I fear that few people know this. There was a press release:

Stagecoach has decided it is time to let new and potential customers know how they continue to woo people out of their cars onto its ‘Greener Smarter Travel’, despite facing rising costs and reduced fuel incentives.

They nearly give the game away with:

... we have not ignored the needs of the market towns and rural communities.

This meant they were axing the service between my rural community and the market town. Stagecoach is a commercial service. Although they have said that this route didn't have a county council subsidy, I suppose they make more profit by having their buses whizz along the bypass rather than diverting into the village for the rare passenger. Or perhaps they hope we will ask the county council to pay Stagecoach for a diversion. I raised this with the county councillor, the parish clerk and at our recent Annual Parish Meeting, which passed a resolution to do something.

After my dentist rebuilds a chipped tooth, I pedal off to Lidl for some groceries. They are selling nine bungees for £4.50. My bungees are mostly knackered, and new ones can be useful this very day. So back I go to the market, where the trader jokes that I could put the bike in the bag. While he helps me strap the trolley to the bike rack, he asks how much Brown Bike cost. I tell him about £400, twenty years ago. He is suprised by the age and high price, "and that was twenty years ago". I say that it's a very good bike, and good bikes aren't cheap but do last well, and bike prices have decreased since then, at least in real terms. A similar quality bike now would cost a similar amount. None of the market stalls sell bikes, or even bike bits, as far as I can see. I find this surprising as cycling is quite popular within the town.

It starts raining and I pedal off, taking the back route along country lanes. The wind is a bit horrible, and I hate to think what the lashed-up trolley is doing to my air drag, but I don't much care. It's a fairly warm day and a pleasant ride. My jacket is waterproof, and my trousers mostly shed water.

The shopping bag trolley turns out to be 40 litres, which is pleasingly exactly the same as my panniers. It seems sturdy.

... Oh, yeah, the triffids. At my GP's surgery the other day, half the Sheffield stand was occupied by a plant. At first I feared this was a misguided gardening scheme, but then I figured that a wall creeper had come down in a storm. I reported this to the receptionist, who seemed baffled that anyone would bother to report it.

Now, how did we get this together last year?

Once again I was manning the cake stall. I'd even got a smart new gazebo to sit under this year, a welcome haven in the cold wet weather. All the hard work of cutting up and buttering had already been done, all I had to do was sell them. Its not hard to convince a cyclist that they need cake and I was soon doing a roaring trade. We seemed to have enough for a small army but it soon went and by early afternoon only the chocolate was left and that was selling fast!

It didn't last long!

The 6 people making tea and coffee were constantly busy – back and forth from the kitchen with tea pots, pouring it out then quickly washing the mugs so they could be used again. Steaming mugs were in great demand as hand warmers as cyclists arrived cold, wet and bedraggled. We could have made a killing if we had had dry socks and gloves to sell!

Anyone got any dry socks?

Wish I'd got mudguards!

It did eventually stop raining but it remained very cold. I was well wrapped up in about 4 layers but I never felt warm all day. The Isle of Wight is not supposed to be like this – especially not in May. One rider told me that he'd checked the weather reports and it was 3 degrees colder than it had been on Xmas Day!

At last its stopped raining!

There seemed to be more people riding mountain bikes this year which rather surprised me. A few years ago there were a lot of mountain bikes but these have been steadily replaced with road bikes. Actually some of the lanes were so muddy that a mountain bike was probably a good idea! There were a few more unusual bikes taking part. I don't know how this guy managed. His bike dates from 1900. The huge chainring must have made the many hills very hard work and the brakes must have made for some hairy descents! However he was clearly enjoying himself and happy to pose for a photo.

Moral fibre not carbon fibre!

A modern Pedersen

No risk of SMIDSY for these two!

By the end of the day 1684 cyclists completed the Randonnee. This was a little down on last year's 2100 but quite a remarkable turnout given the weather conditions. Complex calculations by Jackie established that we had sold 738 slices of cake/buns/chocolate bars and made 862 mugs of tea/coffee. Not only did we supply much appreciated refreshment to weary cyclists but we were able to donate the £606.17 profit from the refreshments to Cancer Research. Another successful day!

New Vision for Cycling

CTC wants the UK to be a place where it's easy and safe for people of all ages to cycle, whatever their ability, background or income. They believe that cycling is more than just transport; it makes you feel good, gives you a sense of freedom and creates a better environment for everyone. CTC lobbies locally, regionally and nationally for better rights and conditions for cyclists. The measures that they think will encourage more people to cycle – and why they think more people should be encouraged to do so – are set out in the New Vision for Cycling.

Safety in Numbers

Cycling gets safer the more cyclists there are. That's the message of CTC's Safety in Numbers campaign – the more people cycle, the safer it is for each individual cyclist. CTC wants to halve the risk of cycling by doubling the numbers. The Government has already adopted a target to halve the risks of cycling in its draft Road Safety Strategy, A Safer Way. This is exactly what CTC proposed in its "New Vision for Cycling".

Stop SMIDSY

Stop SMIDSY aims to address the far too common attitude that simply saying "Sorry Mate, I Didn't See You" somehow erases an act of bad driving. This is not true and it must be stopped. CTC has long campaigned for the rights of cyclists to use Britain's roads safely. Safety in Numbers research found that the more cyclists there are in a given area, the less likely that each individual cyclist will be involved in a crash. They also found that fear is one of the main reasons that people don't cycle. To get more cyclists on our roads, we need to make our roads feel safer – by stopping bad driving.

More on dedicated website

Fill That Hole

The Problem: potholes can be more than a nuisance. They can be a danger to cyclists and others. In the UK, there's an average of one road defect for every 110 metres of road. If you want it repaired, you have to report it. FillThatHole is the easy way to report potholes and road defects. CTC contacts the right people to get the roads repaired.

More on dedicated website

Cycle Champions

CTC's cycle champions programme is an exciting initiative which is changing the nation's health and fitness. CTC are running projects throughout England (14 areas in the North of England, Midlands, and South of England) which bring cycling to groups of all abilities but especially those that have historically not experienced the health benefits and sheer pleasure that cycling can bring.

Find out more information about the scope of the project and what a cycle champion is. If you would like to get advice on setting up your own cycling champions project in your town then CTC is here to help. Supported by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund.

The Right to Ride Network

CTC's Right to Ride network is the largest team of dedicated cycle campaigners in the UK. The network is made up of local representatives who campaign for better cycling conditions in their area, and who support the Campaigns and Policy department's national agenda. The reps cover urban and utility cycling, all forms of offroad cycling from recreational riding on bridleways to mountain biking, and the integration of cycling with public transport.

CTC and Cyclenation (the federation of voluntary campaign groups around the UK) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) setting out how they will work in partnership to strengthen the capacity of the UK's networks of local cycle advocates and campaign groups. The MOU has been drawn up in response to the Government's 'localism' agenda, with more and more decisions affecting cycling being passed down to the local level.

In practice, CTC and Cyclenation have worked closely together for many years, organising regular joint conferences for local campaigners. In many cases the key players in Cyclenation groups are in practice local CTC 'Right to Ride' campaigns representatives and while CTC's existing local group structure is primarily focused on recreational riding, many of these groups also play an active role as advocates for cycling at the local level. The MOU is intended to be flexible, complementing and building on local arrangements which are already working well, enabling people from both networks to come together in whatever ways best suit local circumstances.

Right to Ride to School

CTC believes that all children should have the right to cycle to school. There are many excellent programmes designed to promote cycling to children – such as Bikeability and Bike Club – but there remains a persistent problem – many children are unable to cycle to school.

It is especially frustrating when children who have received Bikeability cycle training and whose parents are supportive of cycling are unable to cycle because their schools forbid them from bringing their bikes onto school grounds... or just forbid them outright.

In response to these concerns, CTC has produced a campaigning kit to help persuade reluctant schools to allow cycling.

No Longer Lorries

CTC is opposing moves by the Department for Transport to lengthen lorries by over two metres. The Department for Transport is pressing ahead with a ten-year trial of longer lorries, despite acknowledging the potential danger to vulnerable road users and the impact on road infrastructure. During its first year, the trial could see 1,800 of the larger vehicles on the roads of the UK. CTC campaigned against the proposed trial, with more than 1,300 CTC members writing to their MPs to object.

Thanks to CTC's campaign against longer lorries the initial trial is smaller than the DfT might have conducted. However, the cyclists' organisation remains deeply concerned that many more longer trailers will be permitted onto the roads in subsequent years if the trial is widened.

Campaigns and Policy Briefings

Policy Handbook: CTC is in the process of updating and revising its campaigning policies, currently outlined in the Policy Handbook. They are also developing policies on topics not covered before.

Campaign Briefings

Each of the following bulleted items is described by CTC in a PDF document containing a headline message and CTC view, amongst other things including advice, best practice, etc.

Transport policy

• Cycling & local transport

The environment:

• Climate Change

Active travel:

• Cycling and health

Infrastructure, transport planning & maintenance:

• Contra-flow cycling
• Vegetation and Hedge Trimmings

Road safety & legal:

• Road Safety Strategies
• Bad Driving Offences
• Cyclists' behaviour and the law
• Daylight Saving
• Goods Vehicles
• Powered Two Wheelers
• Traffic Policing / Other Enforcement Agencies
• Cycle helmets

Offroad, rights of way & recreation:

• Public Footpaths
• Non-motorised RoWs for cycling
• Un-surfaced highways shared with motor vehicles
• Local Access Forums
• Rights of Way Improvement Plans
• Off-road cycle access in Scotland
• Coastal access and sea fronts
• Towpaths and Canals
• Obstructions and out of repair rights of way
• Changing the status of Rights of Way

Promotion and encouragement:

• Smarter Choices

Other initiatives

Workplace Cycle Challenges are run by CTC Challenge for Change; a partnership between CTC Charitable Trust and Challenge for Change.

Bike Club is a partnership between CTC and two other organisations – ContinYou and UK Youth.

CTC is joining Sustrans's Quality Streets campaign calling on local authorities to make 20 mph the normal speed limit in most built up areas.

Forest Cycling... CTC has joined with other outdoor enthusiasts calling on the Government's Independent Forestry Panel to put public access to English woodlands at the heart of its policy.

The Summer of Cycling is a national campaign running between March and October 2012 which aims to encourage more people to cycle. The All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group and The Bicycle Association, alongside the force of 23 cycling organisations are aiming to double cycling this summer.

Note: this purely is a list of the campaigns and related initiatives I could find on the CTC website (they do other things too). If I was in charge I might be inclined to simplify things a little, or at least to consolidate all these 'campaigns' into fewer headings. Actually I'd probably start from scratch, beginning with a review of aims and objectives, then policies, and only then the actual campaigns and what they are likely to achieve...

Perhaps CTC needs a new name. It's not really a club any more, and cycle touring is now only a small part of what it's about.

The weather is very bad for cycling, so I've been going through old cycle-touring photos of which I've literally thousands, and have picked some to present; I'll have something to say about many of them...

Card player in Ardales, Andalucia. Fuji 4900. 2mp interpolated to 4mp. Not a bad photo for 2mp!

Ardales, Andalucia.
Andalucia is full of wonderful-looking white villages. Many on hill-tops like this.

Mary on route from Malaga to Ronda. Via El Chorro and Ardales.
A great cycle this is. I've done it three or four times.

Coffee in Ardales. Mick Lehane, Mike Harris and Mick Sweeney.

The Retablo behind the main altar in Seville Cathedral. This is the largest Gothic church in the world and only behind St.Peter's in Rome and St.Paul's in London for size. This giant work of art which is carved wood covered by gold, is the lifetime's work of one Flemish artist. It's very tall and as you look up the figures look the same size as he made them bigger to facilitate this. It is said to be the greatest single work of Christian art and certainly to me, it is. I've seen nothing with the same wow factor. The photo was done with a poorish camera so it doesn't do it justice. If you visit the cathedral ask for someone to turn on the lights, as you can't see it without them.

Seville Cathedral. The tower is called El Giraldo and was the greatest minaret in the Muslim World. When the Christians took the city they kept it as part of the Cathedral. 2 horses side by side can ride up an internal ramp to the top. You can walk. It's quite plain side and a huge disappointment compared to the retablo.

Picnic in Corsica in the only town on the giant climb to the Col de Vergio. This climb is 4800 ft from sea-level. It has to be the finest climb I've done (3 times). Apart from the food, Corsica is very hard to beat as a cycling destination, but to be avoided in high season.

Another time in Corsica. Been there three times.

Climbing to the Col de Vergio

Looking at Arran from the Kintyre Peninsula.
You can get a ferry from Lochranza to Kintyre (there's nothing on the Kintyre side) and then there's a difficult up and down road to Campbeltown. It's only 35 miles but so hilly that it's enough for the day. I love the scenery (I've done it three times).

..more from Kintyre

..and more

..more still.

The Mull of Kintyre on the right, Ireland straight ahead. It's about 11 miles away I think.

Mull of Kintyre.
Maol Ceann Tíre. Maol means bald or a bald thing, in this case treeless, Ceann is head and Tíre is "of land", so it means the bald end of the headland.
Simples..

Iona, just off the Isle of Mull, at Fionnaphort.
This of course is not the original church. The monastery of Iona was founded by St.Columcille or Columbanus (he had two names). Colm is "dove" in Irish and Cille means of the church or churchyard. Colmcille was a name he was given because of his peaceful disposition I suppose. The Book of Kells was written here it was thought and another man, Saint Aidan, was brought from here to Lindisfarne to set up its monastery, because he was good as monky business, if you'll forgive the worst pun of the say, so far.
Iona is stunning for the view of the surrounds it affords. I can't think of a finer place for views. (been there twice). I've yet to go to see Staffa, however.

Sound of Iona, looking North..

Cottage on Mull. I've exhibited this on this website before and I think Hilary knew someone who lived here.
I love the photo. It speaks of remoteness.

Shoreside road of Loch Na Keal (Loch na Caol, the lake of the narrows). This sea inlet is my favourite place that I've ever been and I don't know why. I think it's its feel of remoteness that I love.

Glaswegian birder I met at Loch na Keal. I'm very extrovert and love talking to strangers. I wouldn't do in the home counties!

By the shore of Lock na Keal. Misty magic.

Misty magic of Ardnamurchan. This is the peninsula above Mull. It's very quiet and very like the Berehaven peninsula in Cork. Superb cycle.

From the ferry, Tobermory to Ardnamurchan

Somewhere up towards Loch Ailort, north of Ardnamurchan

Skyeƒ at Elgol.

Elgol

Skye.

Skye, eastern border.

Posture mimicry at Elgol.

Skye

That pinnacle I believe is called the Old Man of Storr. Skye

Hot Rod on Skye. A Damp Rod might have been more appropriate..

Mary at Eilean Donan. Very beautiful but not an old castle. Monty Python and the Holy Grail finished here!

Cycling the Great Glen

Pub sign. Dingwall, I think.

I think this is Harris.

Van on Harris. Meirg is the Irish for rust. Not strong enough a word for this...

Light show on Harris

Sheep farmer on Harris. I spoke some Gaelic to him. Gaelic is derived from Irish, but you'd have to learn it. It's as different as Geordie and Scouse. It's very easy to learn from Irish, and vice-versa but you'd only get the gist of it without learning it. The words are 90% the same but the idioms and phrases are a good bit different.

Self Portrait on Harris

This is how languages are killed. No Gaelic on a notice in a Gaelic speaking place.

Western shore of Harris. The sea has colour stripes here. Very striking. Not sure why.

Maybe the idea of tweed came from the stripes??

I think that this is a new old house..

English couple cycling on Harris. The man's face was very familiar to me and it wasn't until I was back in Ireland that I realised that he was the image of my father as a young man.

Barra. Wasn't on the island but had got the ferry from Uist to Oban and it called in here.
Barra is well worth visiting.

Scotland, but where? Can't exactly remember.

Scotland

Glencoe

Lake Bras d'Or (Bradore') in Cape Breton Island. This sea lake almost splits the island in two.
Great place for sailing as very sheltered.

Cape Breton Island.
Cape Breton in its tourism bumph boasts fantastic scenery. It has about 5 really good views. This is one of them.

Cape Breton

This is the most famous view which is very impressive. You see this in all the ads.

This was on Cape Breton in 1996. This chap with whom I got talking turned out to be the man from Cape Breton Tourism who helped me in my on-line inquiries, before I went. It's a small world!!

Mary cycling in Glenveagh Co.Donegal. Donegal is seriously spectacular but VERY hilly, unlike say Connemara.

Donegal

Slieve League in Donegal. That almost vertical drop to the sea from Slieve League is a mere 1300 ft.

Bernkastel Kues (I think) on the Mosel in Germany. If you want an easy nice cycle the Mosel, Rhine, Lahn, Neckar, Nahe cycles are great.

Burg Eltz very near the Mosel

From above

Warthog (huge enlargement) over the Mosel.

Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia. The Camino was the best tour I've done. Fantastically interesting and loads of good company.

The Hotel in the same square. Parador. Oldest hotel in the world. Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos. Food, as in all Paradors, did not challenge the palate.

San Martin Church, Fromista, Camino.

Camino

On the Camino

A friend in the French Pyrenees on the climb to Bielsa Tunnel. The drop from the tunnel to Ainsa is phenomenal.

Me on way down. Our first time ever in Spain and second continental tour, 1991

Col du Tourmalet. 11 miles of 8.5% average. Our first (of many) HUGE climbs.

Paul starting the descent of the mighty Col du Tourmalet

Piana in Corsica. Shot on 35mm slide film. This is the most beautiful place. Been there three times.

Porto, near Piana. Totally stunning.

Porto

Harbour in Bastia, Corsica, at night (you'd never have guessed!)

Sierra de Gredos NW of Madrid, near Avila.

Sierra de Gredos

Cathedral of Segovia, Spain.

The mighty aquaduct in Segovia Spain. Roman.

From the gorge in Ronda, Andalucia

Sierra de Cazorla, Andalucia.

Trento, Italy.

Lago di Garda, Italia

Mary on Beach in Rias Bajas, Galicia, Spain.

O Castro, ruins of an old Celtic Village on the coast of Galicia. Well worth seeing

Near Loughnafooey, Connemara, Co.Galway.

Mountains of Andalucia

Puerto del Pico, Sierra de Gredos. You can see a Roman road, on which the man is driving his goats, and a modern road. This is at about 6000 ft.

Collada de Boixols, Catalunya.

Arriving at the top of the Collada de Boixols.

Rocamadour, le Perigord, France
What a place!!

Not a million miles from Rocamadour, the Cele Valley. A fanstastic cycle on a nice day.

Lac de Serre Poncon, Alps. Paul Harte, Mike Harris. 1993. Photographed on half frame camera.

Can't remember if Neckar or Mosel.

Magic Light on Bodensee (Lake Constance). This is a huge lake on the Rhine bordered by three countries. Germans cycle around it. It takes about three days I imagine. We did about a quarter of it in more than half a day and got the boat back.

Bavaria near Neuschwannstein.

Neuschwannstein. Disappointing as when you're at it you're right up next to it. The famous view of it is from the air or up a mountain. King Ludwig only built three castles and paid for them with his own money. The myths about his castle building are nonsense.

Giant in the water Opera Stage on Bodensee, I think in Lindau

Lindau, Bodensee, Germany

Konnigsee. In Berchtesgaten, the highest lake in Germany and 10 miles long, like a fjord. Silent electric boats go along it. It is a total must if you're ever near there. Magnificent.

Munich. As fine a city as Milan isn't.

Rothenburg on the Romantische Strasse in Germany. That's a good tour. I've done it twice.

Donegal

Horn Head, Donegal.

Sheffrey Pass, Co.Mayo. You've seen this before

Milan Cathedral. Nice on the outside, as dark as the hobs of hell on the inside
Milan is the most disappointing place I've been. It has no centre. Everything is scattered. I'm glad it has fashion because it's not even as interesting as Macroom Co.Cork!

Lake Como. A helluva lot better than Milan.

Framed at home. Nahe Valley near the Rhine. Shot on Fuji Print film with 21mm Contax lens on Contax G2.

Tom in the Nahe Valley

Mary in the Nahe Valley

Roman gate (Puerta Negra) in Trier, on the Mosel

Tom on the Lahn, Germany. Limburg cathedral in the distance

Morning Mist Peloponnisus, Greece. Pronouned Pelo ponsis. This is one of the most highly rated cycletouring destinations. It's brilliant apart from poor stodgy food, nothing like you'll get in a good Greek Restaurant in this part of Europe, or in Crete etc.

Serious view in Peloponnisus.

Mountain biker, Greek style.

Greece, or possibly Grease!!

Mary on Inismore, Aran Islands. This very Irish-speaking place is populated by people with unusual blood groups. It turns out that Cromwell put a garrison on it, and that much of the genetic material is from East Anglia. The quirks of history!

The sun loves Connemara

Cliffs of Moher, Co.Clare. Ireland's no 1 view, in my opinion. Stunning to actually see.

Co.Mayo

Mary took this. Corraun Peninsula, Co.Mayo, south of Achill Island. Stunning place

Killary Harbour, Galway/Mayo

Killary

Achill island

Near Lettermore, Connemara, Co.Galway

Achill Island

Near Sheffrey Pass, Co.Mayo

Germans skating in Sardinia, as one does..

Picnicking in Sardinia, as two do..

Bandit Territory, Mountains of Sardinia

Coast south of Alghero, Sardinia. Description superfluous.

Mary, deep-sea diving ready in Sardinia

Castelsardo, Sardinia

Castelsardo

Above Allihies, Berehaven, Co.Cork. One of Ireland's best views.

Tom and Count Garry Dracula in Transylvania..

Me on my first ever bike tour, 1988, on Valentia Island Co.Kerry. I was really fit back then.

Cape Clear Island. I love islands

Postprandialcyclingpythons, France 1993

Me, more of a cycling peacock, on same tour

Cime de La Bonette, highest climb in France, nearly 10,000 ft.1993

Paul, just behind the monument. It ain't cotton wool.

Jerpoint Abbey Co.Kilkenny

From tower outside cathedral, El Duomo, Florence, Firenze, Italy, Italia, Toscana, Tuscany.
Do I make myself clear??

Herself in San Gimignano

Colourful Tuscany

Alhambra

Innsbruck. Austria.
Accordionist was of course, Irish!

Yorkshire Dales. Wonderful cycling territory. Been there three times.

My carefully crafted DIY mudguard. MTB inner tube and electrician's adhesive tape

I had driven to the start just to show my face if necessary as I had no intention of riding yesterday. Actually, there were two cyclists at Cottingham Green from another club who were also planning to ride to the coast – Hornsea. I hope it was worth it.

Desperate times and all that. So tonight I managed to sneak in a cheeky thirty-odd miles after picking up Mrs Bailey from her car share lift by strapping the bike on the car's rack and driving to the meeting point. Helmet, gloves and shoes on and I was away (er, without tyre levers, money and mobile phone – I was rushing to get ready in the end ). Glorious weather after yesterday's washout.

In preparation for this year's Big G Cyclosportive I have been trying to get my average moving speed above 17mph over 25 miles or more. It is proving to be an elusive target. Today I made a slight variation to a route around the southern slopes of the Yorkshire Wolds in order to ride approximately 30 miles and get in two decent hills. A good tail wind on the way out slowed me down on the long descents coming home. I could get used to these cheeky evening rides

(Garmin track below. I made a 3-second video of the wind stretching out a couple of flags yesterday. However, it was a bit rubbish, so here is Karen Carpenter instead. Off topic for a cycling blog (and not even appropriate given that I enjoyed this Monday), but she did have a beautiful voice didn't she?)

I'd forgotten just how nice rims look before they come into contact with brake pads! The contrast between the amount of metal on the flange of these compared to my defunct Hope hub is quite striking.

Nice chunky flange

Only half the size

The marks on the Shimano hub are just tiny flecks of cardboard from the packaging. The marks on the Hope hub are yet more cracks! I sent the old hub to 'Brucey' from the CTC forum who wanted it for spares. He said it was the worst cracked hub he had ever seen!

Yet more cracks

I hadn't been idle while waiting for the wheels – I'd been busy cleaning, polishing and spending money! I had previously been running Schwalbe Marathon 26 x 1.5 tyres on this bike but I didn't really like them. The ride felt heavy and dead and the puncture resistance wasn't as good as I'd hoped. In fact mile for mile these tyres were getting more punctures than the the much lighter tyres on my Roberts. The problem seemed to be the size of the tread which allowed large pieces of flint to become embedded. They were also hard work to get on and off. They had to go. I ordered a pair of Panaracer Paselas. I've only done about 60 miles on them so far but they have transformed the quality of the ride, they feel light and fast. They look great too!

I was still using the saddle that came with the bike – a women's Brooks Team Pro. It was well broken in to someone else's shape but always felt too short to me. This is a very compact frame with a very short top tube. I felt the saddle needed to be further back but the rails were too short to allow this. I intended to get a standard B17 but when a virtually new B17 Special came up for sale on the CTC forum I couldn't resist. I did manage to sell a saddle I'd never liked to help fund the purchase!

New wheels clearly called for a new cassette and chain! I did think this was a bit of an extravagance until I put a chain checker on the chain and realised that it was quite stretched. Now I could spend more money without feeling guilty! My original cassette was an 8 speed 11-26 which meant there were some quite big jumps between gears. The chainset is 46/34/24 so the gearing is quite low but I still almost never used the 11 or 12 sprocket. It was a bit of a gamble going for a 13-26 cassette but it has given me closer gears and I've not yet missed the higher gears. High speed descents aren't my thing!

So, cassette on rear wheel, tyres on both wheels, wheels on bike, chain on, front mech cable tightened so it no longer rubs. But what's that horrible rattling noise? Oops! I've not threaded the chain through the rear mech properly!

Spot the deliberate mistake!

That was soon rectified. A quick test ride confirmed that everything is working as it should. There is only one problem. This was meant to be my bad weather bike but now she looks too nice to go out in the rain and get dirty!

Ready to go round the world!

Well, down the road anyway!