Category: Cycling

Monday 8th July 2019 Jim picked me up at 5.50 this morning to drive to Newark where Des and Phil were arriving by train.  We took a few minutes to find our way out of town but once underway, we had three very good cycling days, with only an hour of heavy rain (and about […]

Monday 1st July 2019  Any day when it doesn’t rain is a good cycling day. Except, perhaps, when you need to head in a specific direction into a fierce headwind. Today, for instance.  I was aiming for Liverpool via Southport and then down the coast, but a 25mph Westerly was doing all it could to […]

Monday 3rd June 2019 Lucky or what? Here I am again on my way back to Scotland for another cycling trip.  For the past decade or so, I’ve taken part in a 3-day charity bike ride in Scotland which this year starts in Prestwick on Thursday and heads to Skye. Usually, I’d drive to Prestwick, […]

A cycling trip through the Outer Hebrides – May 2019 Day 1 – Saturday 11th May 2019 It’s a long way to Scotland, at least the bit we’re going to. Five hours in a car, then an (almost) 5 hour ferry crossing just to get to the start of the ride.  But I’m sure it’ll be […]

Day 1 Monday 25th March 2019  – Brindle to Malaga My first attempt at international cycle touring has had a slow, but satisfying start. A total of three hours riding, 6 hours in an airport waiting for a delayed flight and 2.5 hours in the air. My biggest concern (that the bike would get trashed […]

Tackling Tan Hill          October 2018 Tuesday 23rd October 2018.  I knew today would be a windy ride, but I seriously underestimated the strength of the gale (correct word) while climbing Tan Hill.  Starting from Kirkby Stephen, I enjoyed the initial climb of Lamps Moss out of Nateby with a 20 mph tail wind and the ride […]

Monday 1st October 2018  Planning for my North Wales tour began when I realised that for the first time, I had the chance to cycle in each of the four UK countries in one year, having toured in England in March, Northern Ireland in June and Scotland in September.  OK, I haven’t quite got to […]

Monday 3rd September 2018  Day one of my Fife tour with Jim started off wet, on both the English and Scottish legs. The plan to ride out to North Berwick was abandoned due to the wind and rain. We got as far as Longniddry before heading back. The spare time gained was usefully spent in cafes […]

With Laurence, Rob, Kat, Dean, Netty, Jim, Dave, Terry and Dan (who provided the initial idea and the planning behind it all)  Thursday 28th June 2018. After work today, Dean and I collected a hire van from Easirent in Preston at 5:30pm before driving back to Warton to load ten bikes and luggage before a […]

Day 0. Wednesday 6th June 2018 I’m just about to leave for another cycling adventure, this time a charity ride with a bunch of Scottish pals. Oddly enough, we’re heading to Ireland (North and South) cycling from Larne to Galway. The Prestwick Cycle Challenge is an annual fully supported charity event which began in 1997 […]