Totally pig sick of the gales, really really fed up to the back teeth with em...
Over my Christmas time off work I fully intended to do this:
The Festive 500 (km) ride to Redemption
Continue reading Christmas cycle up North in hail and gales... »
Held annuallly on the 27th of December the Cyclewight Mince Pie Ride was once listed by the Daily Telegraph as one of the ten best things to do after Christmas. Unfortunately icy conditions have meant the turn out has been very low in recent years but this year's mild weather led to a record number of around 40 riders.
Last Minute Instructions
Maha Powerex MH-C9000 WizardOne Charger-Analyzer
This AA-AAA battery charger wasn't given to me for Christmas but would have made a good present. My Garmin eTrex Legend HCx GPS and front/rear lights all use AA batteries. For cycle touring, normal batteries make sense as there is no need to carry a charger and replacements can be bought almost anywhere. I use disposable Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries. In my experience they last the longest and because they are lightweight it's easy to carry spares. But they are expensive so the rest of the time I tend to use rechargable AA batteries.
I've only been a patient at Papworth Hospital once, a couple of decades ago. In those days it was known as the best heart hospital in the known universe. My GP, also located in Papworth, sent me for an x-ray. (My left hip, if I recall correctly.) After I got lost in a maze of Portakabins, a friendly New Zealander did the deed. The NHS mislaid my x-rays somewhere between the hospital and my GP. He chased them up and eventually received the not particularly informative message "no x-rays; no apparent problem".
Big Skies Bike Rides is the name given to eight cycle loop rides 'launched' in 2010. They take their name from the phrase used by David Hockney when he compared the sky over the Yorkshire Wolds to 'the big sky' he experienced in the American West. This 23.5-mile route starts in Bridlington and passes through Bempton, Buckton, Grindale and Rudston.
Rudstone monolith. The largest free-standing Neolithic stone in Britain
Continue reading Big Skies Bike Rides: Bempton Cliffs and Rudston from Bridlington »
Well, OK, that might be a bit optimistic but days are now officially getting longer and on a mild day like today it feels like the start of spring. I've never understood why people celebrate the summer solstice, its really the start of winter. The winter solstice is the magical time, the promise that the sun will return, that the days will not continue getting darker until eventually all is darkness. I'm obviously a pagan at heart! The shortest day is the perfect day to visit the most significant Neolithic site on the Isle of Wight – the Longstone.
The Longstone
CycleSeven 2009-2012
