The value of getting rid of 15,000 cars

Dartford Tunnel Cycle Service bus

Dartford Tunnel Cycle Service bus
Originally uploaded by Tom Burnham

Found this image completely by accident! "How cool is this bus!?" Is not a phrase I'd ever expected to say!

Night ride

Had a good night ride in Kings Wood, a large Forestry Commission woodland on the North Downs.
It was mild and muddy.
We tested some new lights. Easy and stable fixing to the bikes, bright White LED - a claimed 1200 Lumins - three settings (although the flashing mode is likely to induce fits!) and good battery life. They were a bit of a gamble being cheap eBay imports... But they were excellent.
It wasn't a huge ride but a great way to spend a Friday evening and an added bonus were the deer running across our tracks.
Washed the bike off today.
Before...


After


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New bridge work

Work has begun in ernest on the new cycling and walking bridge over the M20 at Ashford.


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Wye Resolution Ride

Everyone gathering at the Julie Rose Stadium.


Nice turn out for our Resolution Ride today from Ashford to Wye. Weather was bright and clear, if a bit chilly.
We followed Route 18. It's a shame about the Willesborough Road. It seems to act not just as a physical barrier but a mental one too. So this route to Wye is cut off from the main population of cyclists in Ashford. People are worried about the section along the road as it is a fast, narrow and twisty road. The cycle paths are pretty poor too although that's mainly due to the objections of the land owners. If the Conningbrook Watersports Park gets going, there could be a nice route through there avoiding the Willesborough Road section completely. It would be great to connect it up with the rest of the cycle network in Ashford too.
Anyway, today's ride was very nice.


Coffee break in Wye.

New Year's Resolution - Learn to ride

It’s like riding a bike!

That’s what we say about something we’ll never forget. And it’s quite true. Once we have learnt to ride a bike our brains will remember. It’s down to our molecular layer interneurons…apparently!

It is great when you get an opportunity to re-introduce someone to cycling. Even after a break of more than fifty years, it only takes a few minutes to get riding again.

But some people never learn to ride a bike. As a cycling instructor, one of the greatest joys is to help people to learn to ride a bicycle for the very first time.

As we get older we build up fear barriers, so the challenge is to persuade new cyclists to break down those barriers. Consequently teaching someone to ride a bike later in life is a gentle, careful activity where we progress in baby steps. It’s about boosting confidence – also known as “Gok Wan-ing” – and convincing the brain, those molecular layer interneurons, that it is perfectly safe to balance on two wheels.

So if someone you know is planning to make a New Year’s resolution to learn to ride a bike, then encourage them. Support them. Help them. It’s never too late and it just might be life changing. And you only have to learn once, because you never forget how to ride a bike!

First Frost

First frost of the winter. Just zero at 8am this morning. Car impressively iced up. Beautiful bright and sunny day. Great day to be out cycling.


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