Cycling UK Forum

xerxes wrote: ↑23 Mar 2023, 12:35pm I am in agreement with Billy Connolly about cruises - "Like being in prison with the option of drowning".

Best keep clear of the thread then.

Having done quite a few cruises I'd probably arrange cycle hire in each port of choice. I'm not sure I've ever seen someone embark or disembark a cruise ship with a bicycle but I actually like the idea.

DaveReading wrote: ↑19 Mar 2023, 10:29pm The A4 between Maidenhead and Reading may not be very scenic, but it isn't particularly intimidating.

Its a fast A road. Hare Hatch and Knowl Hill aren't exactly places for a US cycling tourist expecting a canal Perhaps the OP can make their own mind up with what they're comfortable with. I hate it

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.50783 ... 384!8i8192

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.50242 ... 384!8i8192

djnotts wrote: ↑19 Mar 2023, 10:31pm Shorthand for my opinion.

Trust me If I said the same about someone from Nottingham non short hand I'd be looking at reinventing myself on here.
Out of interest what sparks the animosity?

djnotts wrote: ↑19 Mar 2023, 9:45pm Never even thought of it as an insult. If it offends I shall desist. My interpretation of facts remains unchanged.

If you don't think its an insult why paraphrase it ...twice ?

Richard Fairhurst wrote: ↑18 Mar 2023, 11:44am You can get as far as Slough on the Grand Union towpath. But there’s no canal from there to Reading.

Indeed and that towpath isn't great fully loaded. From Slough to Reading is a bit of a mess but doeable, approaching Reading the diversion up to Crazies hill isn't good. Taking the Bath road is taking your life in your hands.

djnotts wrote: ↑19 Mar 2023, 11:25am

Tangled Metal wrote: ↑19 Mar 2023, 10:01amNo!

The OP question is of course imprecise.
"Trusted" to do/be WHAT?

MY answer would be "yes", trusted to mistreat all those that it can without fear of any repercussions, trusted to look after its own however appalling their behaviour.... etc

As always, wouldn't, fire, and on.....

You had a previous abusive post removed yet repeat it again. It kind of nullifies all discussion when all you can offer is playground insults. Its a shame as this forum is so much better than you. Thirdcrank once intimated that if you show you hand on here, the insults will follow. My guess is you now think you have a stage which is very brave under a cloak of anonymity.

cycle tramp wrote: ↑18 Mar 2023, 2:00pm Apparently for the first time sales of e-bikes in Germany are likely to outstrip the sales of non-powered bikes...

Germany is an odd one. Having toured there extensively the vast majority embracing e bikes are in the upper end of the age scale, they also have the infrastructure to enable grandad to safely cycle from A to B to the shops and back etc without setting pedal on a road. In short it's so much easier and their infrastructure is positively encouraging folk to do it. In other words its a cheap form of transport that is safe and not to taxing on the body. Likewise leisure wise its fully embraced, mainly due to infrastructure.

As an example you can cycle the length of the country without hardly going on a road. From the North Sea to the mountains of Bavaria and thousands of routes between. Many of these routes started in the 60's so its nothing new.

As for the UK, we will never embrace it. I think I'm actually seeing less cyclists than previous years.

Bonefishblues wrote: ↑18 Mar 2023, 10:19am
I think it highlights the need for reform throughout the police service, not just in the Met, which has been under particular scrutiny.

The investigation was conducted by the IOPC. Are you suggesting they need reforming as well ? How about the court process who found her not guilty of assault ? How would reforming the Police service impact these decisions ?

al_yrpal wrote: ↑17 Mar 2023, 8:21am My knowledge of immigration issues in Germany is limited to conversations with long standing friends in Bavaria. They are sore about unification and very sore about immigration largely because both have contributed to noticeable falls in pensions. And, from visits long ago I am aware to be of colour there puts you in a much worse situation than it does here. Lots of discrimination.

Al

That's about right. I was brought up near Bielefeld in the old West Germany. I cycled the Rhine over a month in late 2015 from Rotterdam to Basle through Duisburg, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Bonn and Koblenz when these cities were clearly struggling to cope with the weight of numbers after Merkel opened her doors. There were vast numbers of refugees (mainly single men) literally camped along the Rhine and gathering in large groups in city centres. I spoke with many locals who weren't happy with the situation, it was quite tense. This was followed by the Cologne immigrant attacks on women a few months later. Indeed the majorty of Germans were against Merkels refugee policy and a fair bit or retribution was handed out .

https://www.dw.com/en/merkel-germany-re ... a-54769229

My last visit was a cycling tour from the UK in 2019 where I returned to my old British army base and the accompanying housing estates over three weeks . On cycling to my old estate I was greeted by a large group of Syrian and Afghan refugees (men) stood outside my old house. I engaged with them and they told me the houses were all being renovated to house refugees and some had moved in. They all spoke English and none of them really wanted to be in Germany, they wanted to be in the UK - simply because of the language barrier. They said were were struggling to integrate.

I also visited our old barracks, this was opening as new finance University, our school was now a nursing college. The British army were still in situ and I was fortunate enough to be given a tour of the site and meet with the civilian German assistant of the Brigadier who was in charge of handing multiple British Army bases and housing back to the German Government in North Rhine Westphalia .

The message in areas where refugees were being housed on these estates in large numbers was one of distrust and inward hostility towards the local Government and immigrants themselves, most were unemployed there was little integration. Many felt the housing should have gone to German families.

In 2020 only half of all immigrants to Germany since 2013 were in employment. I quote "immigrants are disproportionately involved in violent crime including murder, manslaughter, assault and rape. But this is partly because many of the immigrants are young men who tend to be more frequently guilty of such offenses."....err where are the women and children then ?

Political scientist Herfried Münkler said 2015 had "exposed a rift in German society" and radicalized politics.

https://www.dw.com/en/five-years-on-how ... a-54660166

So yes there are plenty of cracks, the country is still deeply divided over Immigration, far more I'd argue than the UK is.

pedals2slowly wrote: ↑13 Mar 2023, 9:36pm As the original poster I'm aghast at the c**p people have posted in this thread that have nothing to do with the title question - glad I opted out of notifications as the time wasters chatted amongst themselves!
Anyway if anyone is interested we're currently heading south taking intercity or TER trains when the weather is bad and it's working well, cheapish and simple.
The object is to reduce our carbon footprint.
I hope that helps anyone actually interested in the title subject.
(Heading back via Santander Plymouth ferry late April)

Its a bit rich coming back nearly a year later and moaning about the course of the thread. Your input was minimal, be thankful others turned it into something useful.

roubaixtuesday wrote: ↑12 Mar 2023, 9:29pm

ossie wrote: ↑12 Mar 2023, 9:27pm We might as well pull the thread now.

It's a shame mind as numerous other forums have managed the same sort of discussion without knee jerk reactions from those upstairs.
Although I don't necessarily agree with every view on here, this has been the most mild mannered of debate, even if slightly heated.

It's just possible that you didn't see the posts that caused the thread to be pulled.

Did you ? We now have another thread on exactly the same subject with the same folk saying the same stuff.

We might as well pull the thread now.

It's a shame mind as numerous other forums have managed the same sort of discussion without knee jerk reactions from those upstairs.
Although I don't necessarily agree with every view on here, this has been the most mild mannered of debate, even if slightly heated.

Grldtnr wrote: ↑24 Feb 2023, 2:17pm I have thoughts of doing the Eurovelo 1 down to Spain,
Anyone know if there is a list of municipal camping in France along it.
I have used municipal campsites before , cheap basic and simple , what more do you need?

Many were listed on Archies camping but I he see he's closed his website. The good news is the Android / apple app is still being updated . I use a Garmin so no update of POI's I guess. Such a shame as its done me for 15 years.

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-toge ... of-an-era/

roubaixtuesday wrote: ↑11 Mar 2023, 10:38pm
Re underlined, France or Germany will not take them back, and you cannot make them. And why should they; both countries already take far more than we do.

The last sentence obviously shouldn't be dignified with any response.

Take them back? Most of the refugees travel through a place of safety before reaching the channel. So I ask again what is the matter with France, Germany, the Netherlands or Belgium before putting themselves in mortal danger?

The last sentence is real. I've travelled throughout Europe and engaged with many refugees, most fall back on the fact they want to come here because they speak English, thats a fact so worthy of discussion. I can give intricate details of families who have been housed in Germany yet still want to come here.

roubaixtuesday wrote: ↑11 Mar 2023, 9:10pm
St Maarten wasn't mentioned by me.

Address the beam, sir!

Rwanda has much do do with the UK: complaining that we are overcrowded whilst supporting outsourcing our refugees to a more crowded country is the most rank of hypocrisy.

Indeed it wasn't but you supplied a link with all 'dem little countries in so are guilty by association

I personally haven't supported outsourcing refugees to Rwanda, I also fail to see the issue with France or Germany as a place of safety.

Perhaps you can enlighten me on what the issue is with France or Germany or even the Netherlands ? France aside they speak English so it can't be the language barrier.