Today's Bike Ride

[Graham Breeze]

The weather forecast said "wintery showers" which, if this includes snow, sleet, rain, winds and an average temperature below zero C for the whole ride was spot-on, but did I mention the ice on the road? ADV on my Boardman stands for Adventure so today the Bianchi stayed snug and warm. A trip north to Bolton Abbey-Embsay-Skipton was chilly and noticably short of fellow riders but farmers were hard at work so why should I weaken?

From Skipton turning south the rain came down in sheets and the roads turned into lakes where the drains couldn't cope. There might be some activty more miserable than being drenched in cold filthy water by a lorry passing a few feet away but rather than reflect on that I decided to move to the canal bank for a few miles back to Kildwick. There might be something ironic about being dryer (in relative terms)a few feet from a billion gallons of water on a canal bank than on a cambered metalled road, but never mind.

At this time of year nobody cruises on canals so all the boat yards are full, if not fuller than full. Quite an array of colour.

Anyway 1200 feet in 26 miles - most of them grim but all of them character building.

[Travs]

I spent a good many weekends last year cycling the length of Ullswater, from Pooley Bridge down to Glenridding or Patterdale.... i can recall only one occasion where i didn't get utterly drenched on either the outward or return journey. Perhaps the worst was in October when i arrived at the venue for the Hodgson Relays absolutely drowned, just in time to spend a few hours on the storm-racked fells following the first couple of legs around.

As Graham says... character building.

[Mossdog]

New Highway Code changes are due at the end of Jan 2022.

As a keen equestrian, I try and avoid riding on roads as much as possible, but rather stick to the fells or an arena.

Our group Christmas Eve hack down to the pub, about 5 miles there, reminded me why. Despite 8 riders, all with hi-viz, we were 'buzzed' by two cars, who failed to slow down. Just as I'm sure many cyclist, runners and general pedestrians have experienced, there are some right plonkers driving cars (but to be fair some riders - horse and bike - can be ejets too).

Anyway, the Government are due to implement changes to the HWC. I post here as it has great relevance to bikers. Here's a summary.

https://www.driving.co.uk/news/cycli...-need-to-know/

The key take is that there is a 'hierarchy' of road users. As a horse rider,it was nearly 'always the horse and riders' fault in the past, even when it wasn't, as it was often considered to be an animal control issue.

[bigfella]

How does one find out about these updates?

I didn't know until signs started appearing around here that it is illegal to park parallel to double white lines where broken or solid. Has this always been so, I last read the Highway Code around 45 years ago when I passed my test.

Despite this lack of knowledge I believe I am a fairly careful and considerate driver (and bike rider).

[PeteS]

How does one find out about these updates?

I didn't know until signs started appearing around here that it is illegal to park parallel to double white lines where broken or solid. Has this always been so, I last read the Highway Code around 45 years ago when I passed my test.

Despite this lack of knowledge I believe I am a fairly careful and considerate driver (and bike rider).

A good point.

As a cyclist I tend to take note of such things but as a member of Cycling UK (CTC as was), I've been painfully aware of them lobbying the government for months to try and get them to inform the general public, a lot of which are plainly unaware of the changes. Of course if you are a Daily Mail reader then you can't possibly have missed the headlines on how these non-road tax (sic) paying lefties are taking over the roads and would be well aware of the changes....

[Mossdog]

A good point.

As a cyclist I tend to take note of such things but as a member of Cycling UK (CTC as was), I've been painfully aware of them lobbying the government for months to try and get them to inform the general public, a lot of which are plainly unaware of the changes. Of course if you are a Daily Mail reader then you can't possibly have missed the headlines on how these non-road tax (sic) paying lefties are taking over the roads and would be well aware of the changes....

Ah, but it's also well known that we horsey types are all Countryside Alliance, drooling bloodsport, flog-a-peasant-a-day rightwingers, don't cha know. No lefty oiks here. Taxes are for the lumpen prolls

[Graham Breeze]

Ah, but it's also well known that we horsey types are all Countryside Alliance, drooling bloodsport, flog-a-peasant-a-day rightwingers, don't cha know. No lefty oiks here. Taxes are for the lumpen prolls

That all sounds good. Where can I get hold of one of these horse things?

[molehill]

You can find them walking about on the moors, just take one home, put a carrot in your pocket and they follow.
Added advantage is they don't go rusty when you put them back in the shed after a wet ride and they only have 4 gears (walk, trot, canter, gallop) so no faff with indexing.
You should look out for an Italian model, they have Ferrari stamped on them.

[Mossdog]

That all sounds good. Where can I get hold of one of these horse things?

As with so many things in life, we all need to be careful of what we wish for.

'Horses: Filling your heart and repairing your soul, while emptying your wallet and breaking your body' (equestrianhub)

Come to think of it, perhaps not so different from cycling, but X 1000

[Graham Breeze]

There was only one craven heifer (1807-12), although with every town in West Yorkshire having a pub of that name one might think otherwise, of which the one on the Grassington Road near Skipton is exactly 10 miles from my house and so suitable for a quick blast today before darkness fell.

I thought I might see Mr Brightside there but since I did not venture inside, perhaps that was unlikely. In fact in the twenty miles of riding I saw no runners and no cyclists. Well somebody went past me on an electric bike but that doesn't count. Actually I haven't seen an electric bike for a long while - presumably they are generally only ridden when the sun shines.

So along with feeling superior to lesser mortals that is another benefit for riding in the rain.