UK Cycling

[Boddie]

Round about now I am dusting my trusty bike down and will be venturing out on it again. If anybody has any tips for good routes they would be appreciated. Weather permitting I should be out and about as of this weekend. I am situated in Birmingham but am able to get anywhere via my company car so suggestions are welcome from all quarters.

Cheers

Boddie

[digi]

I used to cycle the High Peak trail, from Middleton Top near Wirksworth or Ashbourne. Its a beatiful area and not too hilly but your high up with some excellent country pubs to refresh yourself in.

Sadly no more cycling for me these days.

[Boddie]

Hi Digi

Is this more road bike or mountain bike terrain?

Hopefully a bit of both

[digi]

Its the old Leek and Manifold Valley Railway line converted to a cycling route, a road bike would be fine, perhaps not a road racer though.

[Boddie]

Ah OK, this is my bike here by the way

http://www.brooksengland.com/brooksengland.html

A handbuilt Chas Roberts road touring bike, with a bit of suspension thanks to Thud Buster seat post. It sports a Brooks saddle (New Swallow) and plenty of pannier space for touring. It is one of my pride and joys - the other being a Proflex XP8 full suspension mountain bike.
Roll on better weather.

[nightshade]

Cycling is fine what do you do about transporting photo equipment and keeping both it and the cycle safe during your perigrinations?
One of my bikes ,chained to a post,was physically lifted up,over and off
despite discrete but extensive postcoding never recovered,so having lost 2 now, I walk or leave it to the car to get me around. Lights no one seems to obey the law anymore close on a cyclist at night and you see the whites of their eyes before the silly twinkly lights!

[speckled wood]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Cycling is fine what do you do about transporting photo equipment and keeping both it and the cycle safe during your perigrinations?
One of my bikes ,chained to a post,was physically lifted up,over and off
despite discrete but extensive postcoding never recovered,so having lost 2 now, I walk or leave it to the car to get me around. Lights no one seems to obey the law anymore close on a cyclist at night and you see the whites of their eyes before the silly twinkly lights!

I have got a couple of the Cateye 5 LED lamps, paid for one in Halford got the other for £7 off ebay! They are almost as bright as standard bike lamps and have 20 plus running time on AA batteries (I use NMH rechargeables). As to the "Twinkly Lights" there are many road legal LED rear lights available Cateye and Halfords own brand and more.

The lightless cyclists you mention are not really an excuse for you not to use a bike as you will have lights surely.

I transport my equipment in panniers .... no problems so far. All my current bikes are folders. Main one is a Dahon Epresso which is full size with 26" wheels, I have three years of good service from it. I also have a Trek and a Brompton ... the Brompton is great for train trips (and on the bus) and has a brilliant front pannier that you can get everything bar the kitchen sink into. Another advantage of folders is that they are easier to hide away or even to keep close to you rather than locking them up and leaving them outside while you are in a shop or cafe.