So much for a flat earth.
However, what goes up ...
...the best UK place to live for cycling
Re: ...the best UK place to live for cycling
Cyril Haearn wrote:Oldjohnw wrote:Cyril Haearn wrote:I like cycling uphill but I dislike cycling downhill, is there anywhere that might suit me?
I was eventually finding that all roads were uphill - and year by year increasingly so.
Which is why I acquired a ....
The 'opposite' problem?
The unspeakable!
Just had a brainwave, I already have one bottle dynamo, drags a lot
Is there any reason I could not fit a couple more?
You could try liking the downhills. After all, we are supposed to be masters of our own mental thingymajigs. Just repeat "I am not a girlyman" about 300 times whilst looking fiercely at yourself in the mirror.
If this fails, there are other tekneeks....
Find the route that goes uphill by the short route and downhill by the long route. 15-20% ups and 5% downs. Your downward velocity will be a gentle freewheel, especially if you too exhausted to pedal anymore from doing the 20% ups.
Notice the days with a brisk wind that can blow you up a hill and act as an air brake coming back down again.
Go out as a stoker on a tandem with Frederick the Frightening Flyer. After approximately 12 down hill rides at a very alarming speed, nevertheless piloted safely to the bottom by Frederick, you will have got used to the plunging and so able to do it yourself on the single seater.
E-bay the bike and take up furious knitting instead.
Cugel
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
John Maynard Keynes
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Witterings
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Re: ...the best UK place to live for cycling
Cyril Haearn wrote:I like cycling uphill but I dislike cycling downhill, is there anywhere that might suit me?
Back of my tandem ... you can shut your eyes and relax as we go down the hills ... and I'll do the same as you're peddling your nuts off to go up them
Re: ...the best UK place to live for cycling
late entry.
Rather nice to see so many folks recommend places which they have a connection with.
so,a contender from me.
Ribble Valley.
Though I took it for granted when young, if you look at it on a map it seems ideally placed.
Ribble Valley in itself is beautiful
The wonderful hulk of Pendle Hill to cycle over if you want the shorter but more painful way to places on the other side (including one of my favourite spoons
Lots of historical cycling links in the area - a remaining Clarion hut, the ghost of the sadly departed Karrimor, still-active Carradice
Bowland
Yorkshire dales within easy striking distance
Settle Carlisle railway via a company which is, despite its many faults, great with bikes - requires a pedal to Hellifield (was there twice at 5.30 am recently) but direct from Manchester Clitheroe line if the Tories ever make the Northern Powerhouse mean anything at all. The line is still there - used on summer Sundays.
Not too far from the lakes.
I did read once that the Ribble Valley has the lowest concentration of traffic lights of anywhere in the land - may be true - can't think of many and I know of one from my childhood that became a roundabout.
Drivers seem quite nice.
Racing cyclists (honest) seem friendlier/more open minded about other sorts of cyclists than down south.
Very helpful station ticket office - though almost closed recently - see above Northern Powerhouse waffle
Keeps you fitt/ish - very few flat rides in the entire area.
Rather nice to see so many folks recommend places which they have a connection with.
so,a contender from me.
Ribble Valley.
Though I took it for granted when young, if you look at it on a map it seems ideally placed.
Ribble Valley in itself is beautiful
The wonderful hulk of Pendle Hill to cycle over if you want the shorter but more painful way to places on the other side (including one of my favourite spoons
Lots of historical cycling links in the area - a remaining Clarion hut, the ghost of the sadly departed Karrimor, still-active Carradice
Bowland
Yorkshire dales within easy striking distance
Settle Carlisle railway via a company which is, despite its many faults, great with bikes - requires a pedal to Hellifield (was there twice at 5.30 am recently) but direct from Manchester Clitheroe line if the Tories ever make the Northern Powerhouse mean anything at all. The line is still there - used on summer Sundays.
Not too far from the lakes.
I did read once that the Ribble Valley has the lowest concentration of traffic lights of anywhere in the land - may be true - can't think of many and I know of one from my childhood that became a roundabout.
Drivers seem quite nice.
Racing cyclists (honest) seem friendlier/more open minded about other sorts of cyclists than down south.
Very helpful station ticket office - though almost closed recently - see above Northern Powerhouse waffle
Keeps you fitt/ish - very few flat rides in the entire area.
Sweep
Re: ...the best UK place to live for cycling
Bolton.
Just kidding!
Just kidding!
Bill
“Ride as much or as little, or as long or as short as you feel. But ride.” ~ Eddy Merckx
It's a rich man whos children run to him when his pockets are empty.
“Ride as much or as little, or as long or as short as you feel. But ride.” ~ Eddy Merckx
It's a rich man whos children run to him when his pockets are empty.
Re: ...the best UK place to live for cycling
Twice recently cycling through bolton my best efforts at preplanning a gps route** have sent me towards a path/cut through which doesn't seem to exist so have given up and gone for the main road which is a drag/not very nice. Not sure i can be bothered to revise the route a third time. So maybe it is jinxed.
** The truckers smoking under a bridge were I think a bit surprised to see a fully loaded cyclist walking his bike round their glass strewn parts just after five in the morning.
Bolton does have a handy no nonsense train line with pretty straightforward fares though. Good for bikes. Recently got a free trip to the entwistle request stop (no dishonesty on my part) and the friendly driver who noted my request for the train to stop apologised to the early morning passengers for the inconvenience caused to them by the abscence of an on board ticket machine
** The truckers smoking under a bridge were I think a bit surprised to see a fully loaded cyclist walking his bike round their glass strewn parts just after five in the morning.
Bolton does have a handy no nonsense train line with pretty straightforward fares though. Good for bikes. Recently got a free trip to the entwistle request stop (no dishonesty on my part) and the friendly driver who noted my request for the train to stop apologised to the early morning passengers for the inconvenience caused to them by the abscence of an on board ticket machine
Sweep