Flaming June, plate spinning and bad spelling

There's been so much happening in the world of two wheels of late that I've not managed to keep all the plates spinning and keep my blog updated. Truth is, I've been enjoying the outside and riding rather than writing! Manged to squeeze in 200 miles last week!
So, by way of an update, here's a few of the things, had I been on the ball, I'd have written about recently.

Other bloggers have no trouble

The bastion of peace and tranquility that is Oxford Road, could be about to become kinder, much kinder, to us cycling folk. For the civic overlords at Manchester City Council are encouraging you, yes you, to tell them what you think of their plans in a consultation exercise. Apparently 'Dutch style' cycle lanes could be installed  as part of a revamped streetscape. Reports that this includes strategically situated bongs have not been confirmed. You can find out more about it here.

TfGM was also reportedly successful in its bid to trouser £15m for the, still annoying, Velocity cycle scheme. This is the money we all pledged our support for in a web-based clicking exercise a few weeks back. Cash in: get building.

Not to be outdone, Tory led anomaly Trafford Council has bagged £320,000 for 'paralell routes' (sic) at the A56 in Gorse Hill and Old Traffod.

And finally, that Brady Wiggin chap is no longer any good, so the Daily Mail is switching its allegiance to  Chris Froome who is just about British enough for them to support.

Etape du Dales 2013 - review

Well, I managed to get 'round. That's my assessment of my ride in this year's Etape Du Dales sportive which took place under glorious skies last Sunday 19th May. I could ride this event every year for the next 20 and the weather will not be as clement ever again. Barely a breath of wind, literally a couple of spots of rain but mainly bright clear sunshine.
Starting in the Dales town of Grassington - at a rugby club with Glasto standard toilets - the 114 mile route takes in some stunning countryside, severe climbs walks, the UK's highest pub and the magnificent Ribblehaed viaduct.

Green line: anti-clockwise

I was rather hamstrung on the ride by a series of mechanical issues which left me with manual only selection of my chainrings and the inability to climb out of the saddle. I also gave myself a right fright on the first major descent with a mahoosive speed wobble which left me descending like a Wiggins. So doing my best Jan Ulrich impression I managed to nurse myself round in under ten hours.
It's very different from the Fred Whitton in that the climbs are shorter but steeper and you're basically at it all day - up hill and down dale.
Abiding memories include: dry stone walls, gravel, loads of road kill, motorbikes, flapjacks, sunshine and pain.
Lovely day out really.

Time gentlemen please

May has been a great month for riding so far: dry and spring like. Of course, it's supposed to lash down later on for what seems like the first time in ages - what a difference a year makes.
This year's Giro is warming up nicely too - apart form the weather which has been pants - with a few early skirmishes from last year's winner Ryder Hesjedal and Nibali. 

Long way to go though and its a cert that Wiggo will nail the time trial. The use of time bonuses adds an extra dimension to the racing too - they were removed from le tour a couple of year back. There's no time bonus in le tour again this year but stage winners can console themselves with 4,000 euros and a place in history!

@bradwiggins bike parking

You'll probably have seen this but it really is extraordinary. I sometimes struggle to stand my bike upright against the side of the house. This is just showing off! From the recent Giro del Trentino.

Click Wiggo's face

2013, Froome's year?

Chris Froome has been talking up Team Sky's chances for next season and he thinks it could be a magnificent year for the team.
By his reckoning, Sky could nail the Giro and Tour with Wiggins and himself respectively.
Much has been said about the Giro route being suited to Wiggo - time trials etc, but does the 100th Tour route suite Froome?

France, in yellow

Well, it's hilly and we all saw his superb form in the Tour's mountains last year.
If it pans out this way - Froome being given a shot at Le Tour - then next year's event will provide mouthwatering dual between Froome and Bertie on some memorable stages.
There are hills, hills and more hills on next year's parcours right up until the penultimate day.  The double ascent of Alpe d'Huez on the same day should be spectacular too.
I'm already looking forward to it. A bit sad? Possibly but we need something to keep us going throughout the winter!

@andycronshaw weighs in to cycle safety debate

Wiggo's and Shane Sutton's crashes continue to make headlines and generate many column inches in our newspapers investigation just what should, or could, be done to make riding safer in the UK.
The piece below appeared in the Manchester Evening News a couple of days ago as they continue to weigh in to the debate.

I agree with everything Andy Cronshaw says in the article but would add that being assertive on your bike is one of the best ways of keeping safe.
I've always taken the view that if some loon is beeping their car horn at you, then that's a good thing as it means they've seen that you're in their way.  Or to put it another way, I'd rather somebody shout some obscenity at me rather than knock me off because they 'didn't see me'.
At times it's a really fine line though and you can easily put yourself in more danger but assertiveness is generally good while recklessness is, well, reckless. 

Thanks to @cyclinstructor for the head's up.

Wiggo in Van Slam Sham

Having won as many Olympic medals and anybody else in your country's history, and becoming your nation's first ever Tour de France winner does not insulate you from the painful reality of cycling in the UK.

This is what Bradley Wiggins has discovered after being knocked off his bike by a van.  How pathetic that sounds: Tour de France winner knocked off bike by a van.

Dutch vans are different

It was Marx who said that 'History repeats itself first as tragedy and second as farce' and he was absolutely right.

Every day, people are knocked off bikes and nothing is done about it.  The £billions which is spent on road building and other pet projects to appease certain lobby groups is frankly disgusting for a nation such as ours in the early 21st century.

The mockery of cycling by the likes of Clarkson, his posher alter-ego but equally loathsome Quentin Wilson or the crowning turd, TV cook James Martin, has a logical conclusion and it ends with people getting knocked off - simples.

If you listen carefully, you can hear the conversations taking place in offices and over garden fences right now: 'I was going to ride my bike to work but if that Brady Wiggin fellah is getting knocked off, then what chance have I got?'

But, could there be a positive backlash?  Could Bradley's accident - which I confess, I don't know who was at fault for - actually have a galvanising effect on cycling safety?  Well, optimistic perhaps but without optimism what do we have?  Jeremy Clarkson, that's what. Eugh! 

One final thought, it should be interesting to hear Wiggo's account of what happened - he rarely pulls his punches.

Superb racing in Spain

The racing in this year's Vuelta has been absolutely superb.
Despite Chris Froome inability to make an impression on the GC, the duel between Bertie and Joaquim Rodriguez has been fascinating.
Regardless of what you think of Bertie, you have to admire his racing style.  Yesterday's stage was a faultless  example of cycling strategy bearing fruit.
Battering over the 180km course at an average of 48kph, he not only managed to get the jump on his rivals, he swatted them aside to take the leader's red jersey.
Rodriguez's view that he expected Contador to beat him turned out to be prophetic.  He must be wondering how it happened after not allowing Contador any breathing space in the high mountains, he goes and blows it  on a stage with Cat 3 climbs.

Expecting the worse

There may still be more twists and turns to come but it'd be a brave person to bet against Bertie now.
This year's Tour was superb to watch with Bradley dominating proceedings, but it lacked the excitement that's been shown in the Vuelta.

Wiggins adds gloss to Tour of Britain

The organisers of the Tour of Britain must be absolutely cock-a-hoop that Mr Wiggins has agreed to ride this year's event.
It is a huge PR scoop to have the main man of the moment taking part and it's a move which should add some badly needed impetus to the levels of public interest to the event.
I remember watching the Milk Race as a lad on one of its many visits to Liverpool in '87.  There was a huge crowd at the finishing line on the cobbles of William Brown Street to watch local lad Joey McLoughlin win a group sprint against a field which included Stephen Roche.
I'm sure the daily stages were shown on Channel 4 as a highlights package - the race was really in the public eye.
Since then the Tour of Britain has fallen off the radar somewhat and of course ceased to exists for five years at the turn of the 21st century.
Wiggings' inclusion will draw crowds from outside of cycling to roadsides up and down the country - there are many other good riders taking part too, of course.
He's a PR dream at the moment is the sideburned one - his Mr 20 per cent must be getting offers and request left right and centre.
It's a bit of a shame that the route does not include visits to the major centres of population: stage two skirting Manchester and Liverpool in favour of Knutsford and Knowsley Safari Park.  Both wonderful places in their own right but on a Monday afternoon, I'm not sure how successful it'll be in terms of visitors.  I hope I'm wrong and besides, what do I know about organising a major sporting event?

Classic year

2012 has already been a superb year for cycling and with lots more to come, it's set to live long in the memory.
Sure, the tour de France wasn't that exciting (Voeckler aside) but it was great to see Bradley on top of the podium in Paris. Wiggo's close win in the Paris-Nice and obliteration of the field in the Olympic TT, were great performances too.
Thomas de Ghent's stage win on the Stelvio in the Giro was inspiring as were Tom Boonen's gloveless rides in the spring classics.
With Chris Froome leading team Sky in the Vuelta and Olympic mountain biking this weekend, we really have been spoilt this year...

Put a lid on it?

Bradley Wiggins put compulsory helmet wearing right back at the centre of the cycling debate recently with comments which he's since distanced himself from.
We all have the choice as to whether to clip into a helmet or not when we set off any many would have it remain that way: a choice made by sentient beings.
For me, I always wear one, unless I forget it and leave it on the kitchen table. The thing with it being on the kitchen table is that if I come off, it's not going to protect my swede.
After not coming off at all for over three years, this morning I clocked my third spill of 2012, the second in six weeks, and this one was the most significant.
After a long Wednesday night club run, my legs were heavy on my commute. Bizarrely the forks on my steel framed hack bike sheered off and sent me sprawling.
The crack to my noggin was cushioned by the helmet which, fortunately wasn't keeping the fruit bowl company.
So, with Sunday's club run now a doubt for me and my scalp glued together in A&E, I now need to find some new threaded forks for an early 1990s road bike - oh, and buy a new helmet!
Ride safe

Grand depart

Welcome to the first post of this new blog: area of outstanding natural cycling.

Of course, cycling is not natural - bikes don't grow - you have to buy them.

As cycling continues it meteoric rise in the UK following Wiggo's victory in le tour, I've decided to return to blogging after a few years absence.

The purpose is that I can share some routes and talk about stuff that happens while I'm out on my bike.  It'll hopefully encourage me to get out more too: the incessant rain and a spill on my ride to work, which has left the ligaments in my right hand permanently damaged, have curtailed my efforts a bit recently.

I've also just arrived back from summer hols France where I managed to catch two tour stages - one of my pix is below from the Col de Peyresourde.

This is on the lower slopes just before Cadel Evans had his goose cooked - you can see him toward the right of the shot - mid roast.  There were lots of upset Aussies in the bar in Arreau that day.

Don't get me wrong, I like Aussies and Cadel was a very worthy winner in 2011.  But it is always good to see them get wiped out - in a sporting sense.

Until next time, ride safe.