Pedalpushers Social Blog

Do I look cool in this?
Originally uploaded by cyclingbob

Went for a pootle along the Chesterfield Canal to escape the hassles of work and enjoy a bit of warm sunshine. Lots of canal boats out traversing the numerous locks between Shireoaks and Turnerwood and it made me consider some of the rules of canal boating:

1. Never leave a windlass on the paddle gear spindle of a lock when it is being used.
2. Keep right when passing other boats.
3. All dogs MUST wear neckerchiefs!

IMAG0003
Originally uploaded by cyclingbob

Just part of the aftermath of coming off yesterday. This is starting to scab over now and looks horrible. I also have marvellous grazes on my arm and hip and, for some reason, a painful heel that I can't put weight on.

Bike isn't too bad - ravaged bar tape, knackered brake lever, few scratches and the like. My cycling jacket is ruined though.

No cycling for me for a few days.

Misty morning on the Chesterfield Canal
Originally uploaded by rob.appleyard

Taken very early on Saturday morning on my way to Sheffield. Between Worksop and Shireoaks.

Seen recently on a ride out east. Can't recall where exactly but I think it was somewhere near East Markham. There were a number of others too, including a rabbit and an owl.

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Cycling up Winnats Pass is hard at the best of times but going up recently in to the teeth of a stupidly strong headwind made me question my sanity. It probably would have been almost as quick to get off and walk but Look pedals and cleats meant that wasn't really an option. Grinding, gurning and gritting of teeth were all required.

Muchos credit to my mate Pete who made it up (without stopping) with his arse on this:


And whilst I was 'honking' on the pedals, he was 'honking' on this :-)

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Well below freezing on the commute in this morning. The combination of clear blue sky and fields covered in white made for a beautiful ride but by golly it was cold. Fingers and toes numb for a while afterwards, and as for the skin on my cheeks ... The cold does encourage you to ride faster though.

Forecast is for it to be about -3 on my way back to Worksop later this evening and about -8 tonight. Nice. [soft link]

I knew I shouldn't have replied to Ian's email about his spate of punctures! I'm actually no believer in fate but its usually better to keep your counsel when talking about stuff like that. The sunny weather in the early part of this week didn't just bring out more cyclists. It also brought out the local farmers with their flail hedge cutters. Now if anyone else decides to chuck vegetation all over the road then I'm pretty sure that, at best, you'd be yelled at and, at worst, be fined (heavily) for littering. So WHY do farmers think it is perfectly OK to leave decimated hawthorn hedge in their wake and not clear it up. It was so bad near Kiveton that it was impossible to pick a way through it all. The only small silver lining was that by leaving all the thorns in the tyres I could get back and fix the punctures at home. GITS. [soft link]

OK, I'm going to commit this to virtual paper. This year I plan to:

• Ride an average of 600 miles per month
• Ride at least four 200k audaxes (plus whatever BP's I can fit in)
• Go touring for a week somewhere in the UK (camping and on the cheap)
• Do the Esteli ride in July
• Do the Phil and Friends ride in August
• Join a club, do a 10 mile TT and then do another one trying to beat my time
• Do a night ride

Back at work tomorrow and the nasty cold I've suffered with for a week had just about gone so off we jolly well go. Decided on a circular route of sleepy Nottinghamshire villages and lanes that would keep me occupied for about 4 hours or so. Route here if you are interested. 56 miles in total.

It felt really cold and the wind on some of the more exposed sections was fairly stiff. My midriff was bright red when I got back despite wearing a fleece and my 'boil in the bag' cycling jacket. The watery sun did put in an appearance of sorts in the latter part of the ride though. Keeping moving was the key. No cafe/pub stops today although I did sit in a bus shelter in Bothamsall to eat some sandwiches. Blimey I felt cold and stiff when I decided to get going again.

Most of the route was lovely; largely quiet, narrow lanes lined with hedges and woodland to keep the worst of the wind away. Only the busy drag between Retford and Worksop on the last leg sapped at my high spirits.

An enjoyable ride but it felt tougher than it should have done and my knees were a bit stiff and sore afterwards. Suppose I could blame the nasty cold I've just got rid of but in reality I'm just unfit having been off the bike since a week before Xmas. I aim to put that right though. [soft link]

Nothing like as bad as yesterday but still very blustery this morning and I was pretty knackered after a 20 mile commute into the teeth of it. Came down Gleadless Road this morning and it was actually quite tricky staying upright and in a straight line going down the steep 1 in 6 bit. Scary. Also realised that my front brake blocks had somehow loosened a bit and had turned through about 30 degrees. Basically braking against the tyre sidewall!!! Lucky it didn't cause a blow out. All sorted now and looking forward to being blown home this evening. [soft link]

I recently saw this lad grinding along on his bike; grinding being the operative word here as it was making a horrible noise as he struggled along. He stopped and chained it up near Waitrose supermarket and walked off. Me being me, my curiosity got the better of me and so I wandered over to have a looksie.

Oh dear! Maybe I should have left a note.


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Sometimes its easy to forget about enjoying cycling for cycling's sake. I do that too often so have come up with a (far from exhaustive) list of tips/stuff to do that might lead to happier cycling. I think we should all try to do at least some of these once in a while.

1. Don't attach a cycle computer to your bike.


2. Just pootle. What's wrong with doing a 15 mile ride that takes 3 hours because you've stopped at a cafe and a pub? Nothing.


3. Say 'hello' to people as you pass them/they pass you.


4. Ignore the temptation to chase down the cyclist 200 yards in front of you. Just chill.


5. Similarly, if you notice someone behind you who is trying to catch you, don't try and speed up.


6. Fit some cheap platform pedals to your bike and go for a ride in an ordinary pair of shoes.


7. Go for a ride on a good bike in 'non-cycling' gear.


8. Don't think that spending £200 on a particular component will make you go significantly faster (or even faster at all).


9. Stop and take photos regularly.


10. Go for a ride in a the pouring rain.


11. Own a bike that you don't mind riding in a downpour.


12. Learn how to build a wheel (it really isn't difficult).


13. Always take a pump, spare inner tube and repair kit on a ride.


14. Feel comfortable about mixing and matching stuff on your bike(s).


15. Always stop and ask if another cyclist is OK if they are stopped at the side of the road.


16. Do a time-trial on a touring bike with panniers attached :-) At least you'll beat your time next time out.


17. Vary your commuting route often.


18. Just GO for a ride one morning and don't come back til dusk. No planning. No maps. No GPS. Just follow your nose.


19. Go for a night ride.


20. Go cycle camping for a night.


21. Make sure you spend (much) more time riding your bike than cleaning/fettling it.


22. Never sneer at another person's bike.


23. Ride down a big hill with your feet off the pedals, shouting 'wheeeeeeee'.


24. Buy stuff in your local bike shop(s) rather than from t'interweb.


25. Resist the temptation to become obsessive and a 'cycle-bore'.

What makes a cycling tour comfortable?
Originally uploaded by rob.appleyard

Saddles are definitely personal but for me the Brooks B17 is the only thing I'm happy sticking my arse on. I can cope with other saddles up to about 50-60 miles but I can ride on one of these all day with NO problems whatsoever.

I'm lucky in that I find them comfortable straight away - even before they have moulded themselves properly to my backside. OK, they aren't light, they need a modicum of TLC and I HATE it when I get them wet but look after them and they last years. Why sit on anything else?

Well today (from South Shields to Whitby) was a bit of a slog. Nearly 64 miles into a headwind and heavy rain for the last half. Oh, and some bloody steep hills chucked in for good measure as well.

A few spots of rain as I packed everything away and I took advantage of the hot shower facility then waited 20 mins to retrieve my bike from the locked laundry room. Open at 8.30am my arse!

Still, on the go fairly early but soon noticed the headwind as I made my way back to Sunderland. Followed NCN route 1 out of the place, grabbing a sarnie and a cake for brekkie on the way. The first part also constitutes route 7 (C2C route) so at least I can say I cycled the WHOLE of that route.

To be fair I was NOT sad to be leaving Sunderland. In my opinion it's dire (sorry any Wearsiders reading this). Can't think of ONE redeeming feature. And the route out to the South is crap. Convoluted, not that well signed and mostly strewn with broken glass or parked cars.

The route south took in Seaham, Easington (where they filmed Billy Elliot I think) and I can't remember much more. It was all a bit drab and depressing. Especially after the scenery of the Pennines.

I didn't trust myself to find my way through Hartlepool, Stockton and Middlesbrough so opted for the train from Hartlepool to Redcar. A good move I think. The guard was a bit of a miserable bugger but I'll give him his due - he managed to get 6 (yes SIX) bikes on a busy 2 carriage train. Well done that man.

At Redcar it started to rain and it just got heavier and heavier as the journey went on. You'll note that there are very few photos of today. This reflects the fact that there was bugger all worth photographing for the 1st half and too wet to get the camera out for the 2nd half!

The hills started from Saltburn. First a steep drag up to Brotton followed by a little descent into a tiny coastal village called Skinninggrove. The climb out of here on a minor road towards Staithes was a git! Very steep. In fact the steepest road so far on my trip. first part was half a mile or so of about 25% Ouch!! From Staithes to Whitby was up and down and quite depressing on the main A174 but it did include a 25% descent at Lythe Bank. Unfortunately I couldn't get too gung ho on it as it was very wet and there were lots of manhole covers that could have resulted in a nasty crash. Was getting really hungry now and didn'y fancy another 12 hilly miles to my planned stop so decided to go for the excellent Youth Hostel at Whitby Abbey and enjoy a dry night (at least in one sense of the word!). Ate fish and chips in a skanky Whitby bus shelter to avoid the torential rain. Blimey they were good fish and chips.

Later on the rain stopped and I wandered into Whitby for 3 pints at the Black Horse (very nice real ale pub) before collapsing in bed.

The STEEP hill back up top Whitby Abbey. Glad you are not allowed to cycle up here. I couldn't

Todays stats:

Mileage: 63.9
Max speed: 37.6 mph
Av speed: 11.0 mph (bloody headwind)
Pints: 3
Soakings: 1 very long one
Mechanicals: 0 [soft link]

Woke up to an overcast but dry morning and stocked up with unhealthy calories with a fantastic cooked breakfast. Rolled back into the harbour area for the obligatory photo next to the C2C artwork. An obliging old lady with a Jack Russell did the deed. The photo that is. I'm not suggesting that she got jiggy with her dog.


Ready for the off



You're supposed to dip your back wheel in the Irish Sea on the slipway. What they don't tell you is that it isn't called a SLIPway for nowt! It was very greasy at the bottom and there was a danger that I'd be more submerging the whole bike AND me rather than dipping the wheel. Contented myself with the wheel touching the salty water and seagull shit on the slipway and off I went.

The first section through Whitehaven is a bit drab and the cycle paths are, typically, strewn with broken glass in places. However, I was soon on to a disused railway line that was well tarmaced and it was lovely. Lots of artwork on the route to enjoy and its not long before you can see the North Lakeland Fells in the distance.

Example of artwork on the early part of the route






Lakeland Fells loom

Lots of wildlife. Highlights included a buzzard flying very close by and a red squirrel.


Looking across to Grassmoor

The first 10 miles or so are all flat and then there are only a few short hills to contend with before a steeper, longer climb up Whinlatter pass. This gets me sweating a bit and breathing harder but its not that difficult and not steep enough to require the use of the granny ring. Passed a group of 3 doing the C2C. Two of them were carrying huge rucksacks on their backs. I bet that got sweaty and painful before too long. Stopped at Whinlatter visitor centre for tea and stodgy ginger cake (nice). Its a beautiful place inhabited by birdwatchers and for good reason. Handy tip number 1: don't park your bike under a tree with loads of birds heling themselves to nuts and seeds. Not if you don't want bird shit on your saddle that is!




Very welcoming but cover your saddle!

The road from the visitor centre was steep and rough (just as the map indicated) and I was on the brakes most of the way down. From the bottom it was secluded country lanes all the way to Keswick. Very picturesque and under the shadow of Skiddaw. Came across the 3 lads again who must have taken the road rather than the C2C track. Good call as the guy loaded up with panniers and a tent had wheels that were very sparsely spoked!! In Keswick I should have visited a cashpoint but forgot. From here it was another disused railway line that criss-crossed the river on its way to Threlkeld. It was fantastic. As was the pint of Jennings at the Horse and Farrier in Threlkeld! Then more cycle lanes and tracks avoiding the main A66.

About 8 miles before my campsite in Greystoke the Heavens opened dramatically. Took some shelter but carried on when it eased. Amazingly, 3 miles later the road went from wet ... to dry immediately. Thats the Lake District for you.

Greystoke cycling cafe is wonderful. A cyclists' oasis where you can make yourself tea and enjoy some excellent home made cake (blackberry and apple flapjack for me). There are towels to dry yourself off and even a radiator on which you can dry wet kit. Its not officially a campsite but the very friendly owner was more than happy to let me pitch my tent on the lawn. I'd strongly recommend it to anyone cycling in the area. Oh, and the cats are friendly too.




Squinty the cat gets friendly




Greystoke cycle cafe


Wandered a mile or so to 'The Crown' in the next village (Blencow). Huge portion of liver, bacon and onions and 3 pints of Black Sheep. Just what the Doctor ordered.

Todays stats:

Mileage: 51.8
Max speed: 36 mph
Av. speed: 11.5 mph
Pints: 4
Soakings: 1
Mechanicals: 0 [soft link]

My plan for the week was to do the C2C (Whitehaven to Sunderland) and then carry on down the Yorkshire coast and in to Lincolnshire before heading back to Sheffield.

Caught the 10.54 Virgin train to Newcastle (and then connections to Carlisle and Whitehaven) and by golly it was on time. That boded well as Virgin trains are often tardier than a disorganised woman on her wedding day. And it was sunny for the first time in ages too. Wondered if I'd be leaving that behind.

Some of the countryside between Carlisle and Whitehaven was lovely. Firstly you could see Skiddaw in the distance on your left hand side and looking imposing, then the Irish sea with the Scottish coast across the Solway Firth. All bathed in glorious sunlight.

Whitehaven Marina

Can be found here. [soft link]

Spent the next day fishing and drinking. When I say fishing I actually mean sat relaxing at the edge of a lake with a few beers and sharing a bottle of brandy. In nearly 12 hours we caught nowt but put that down to the fact that the lake was still swollen after the recent heavy rain. Didn't mind one jot. Just happy to relax for a day and enjoy the wildlife.

The following day was back to Sheffield. Dad kindly gave me a lift back to near Dunham Bridge and I cycled back home from there on a lovely afternoon. Another 39.6 miles to finish off my trip.

392 miles this week and all but a few of them extremely enjoyable. Can't wait for my next tour. [soft link]

What a day! Longest day in the saddle. Furthest I've ever ridden in a day. First ever century ride. I was chuffed and knackered in equal measure at the end of it. Nearly 126 miles and that into a strong head/cross wind on a loaded touring bike.

The original plan was to stop in Hornsea/Withernsea area or Hull (if my old friend Martin was around for beer). He wasn't and I felt strong so I decided to keep going to my Dad's house in Horncastle, Lincolnshire.

A marvellous breakfast at the Youth Hostel prepared me for the long day and I was soon climbing up on to the edges of the North York Moors. Lots of ups and downs for the 1st 15 miles with some steep bits chucked in to keep you on your toes (or out of your saddle would be more apt). More of an issue was the traffic on the A171. Busy and not very nice. Lovely to see the heather in bloom though. Dropped into Scarborough (my fave seaside resort) for my 1st cuppa and a cake and then climbed out and stuck to the main road to Bridlington. Another stop for a drink and then onwards to Hornsea at which point I'd made my mind up to press on down into Lincolnshire. Stopped at Hornsea Mere (like going back in time) for lunch and topped up my water bottles.

Looking down towards Scarborough

North beach at Scarborough

Hornsea Mere cafe

Then on towards Hull into the teeth of the wind with no shelter. I was pleasantly surprised by the centre of Hull. Very nice indeed. It was the 'Wilberforce weekend' and lots going on but I wasn't stopping. On towards the Humber Bridge along the Hessle Road. The bridge is free for bikes of course and I took the west path so it didn't feel like I was going to be blown into the water below. And then it started to rain.