BERLIN BY BIKE



Street corner in Kreuzberg

We seem to be expert at busmen's holidays, and this was no different.  On our way on the train from the airport, a wet mother and child plus bike got on at the next stop. Over the next 4 days one or other of us could be heard uttering "Lots of cyclists!", "Look what happens when this cycle lane meets a road", "Quite a few are wearing helmets but by no means all", "Look at how people just leave their bike chained in the street - looks like there isn't room for them indoors in the flat", "What a crappy old bike!", "What a machine!", "God, he's old!", "How many bikes can we count on platforms, in trains or trams in a day?", "She's young to be cycling on her own," "Hey, that postie's bike has a double-stabilised parking stand", "How can they just lock the bike to itself, unsecured to any railing or tree?"




Aaaaah, Mummy bike and baby bike



A tram - unlike in Manchester you can take your bike on it

A tram that welcomes bikes




Ready for Fat Tire Bike tour at Alexanderplatz

Beer garden in the Tiergarten

The Wall - we expected it to be much higher

Reichstag building - fab night visit walking up the endless ramp

It's hardly original, travelling round Berlin on a bike, but as it was our first visit to the city, it was a no-brainer to organise a pedal-powered sightseeing tour with Fat Tire Bikes. Five stars and a 20 Euro tip to our guide, Neil for an entertaining, informed, varied trawl through the sights of yesteryear. He explained the tough stuff - Hitler's bunker, remnants of The Wall - , revered the lost - Kristallnacht, book burning - , chuckled at the ridiculous - identical Protestant and Catholic cathedrals at either end of a square -, pointed us to the essentials - a fistful of lager in the beer garden of the Tiergarten (yes, that is supposed to rhyme). He even got down on his hands and knees just before Checkpoint Charlie and sketched out on the pavement with coloured chalks the whole Cold War history of Europe. Since Berlin was essentially apile of rubble in 1945 most of the buildings have been re-built in the last 50 years, although what was left is ravaged by bulletholes.


Holocaust memorial

There's much more to say on the subject of Berlin and how it deals with its violent, divided history with dignity and without schmaltz. But that is not the remit of a cycling blog.
As in other European cities like Amsterdam, there was a chilled-out feel to the streets: people cycled slowly along wide roads (not all with segregated cycle lanes) in their everyday clothes, just going about their business. At times the road was up for repairs - a common sight as the underground and tram routes are being upgraded and extended - so riders ambled along the pavements for a hundred metres, gently tinging their bell from time to time, without anyone batting an eyelid. 

There were loads of bikes for hire, not just one scheme, and the official DB Cycle Hire scheme was much less distinctive than Velib in Paris.


Remnant of The Wall suitably decorated

It made us think about bike snobs in the UK - including us.  It's not all about faster, lighter, slicker. The young guy riding a bike with a basket wasn't ashamed, he was just going somewhere with his friend.

Everything felt very safe. Cars seemed to slow down for cyclists; I think the law on the continent is opposite from Britain - it's automatically the driver's fault in a collision unless they prove otherwise.










The climate doesn't seem to put people off.  During the 2 days of drizzle that accompanied our visit, people got togged up in cagoules, stashed their bags in Ortlieb carriers, and carried on. I doubt, however, that people ride during the harsh winter months of sub-zero temperatures.  


Streeet corner cafe

Definitely worth another visit to cycle round and get to know the city. 

 

Tour de JoLiz

Sunday 25th August 2013

 

Inspired by the upcoming Grand Depart of next year's Tour de France, we decided to try out a section of Day 1's 200km race from Leeds to Harrogate. Choosing a loop containing spectacular Yorkshire Dales scenery, we stayed true to the race route from Buckden via Hawes and round Askrigg Common, but deviated at Reeth to complete our circular ride, with its own very challenging features.

 
Taking in 63 miles and 6152 feet of climbing, our efforts were similar to a professional athlete's -  the differences that belied the fact that we were on holiday rather than competing were: time in the saddle (6 hours 30 minutes) and average speed (9.7 mph) - notwithstanding Liz’s top speed of 38.6 mph; even Jo hit a scarifying 37.9, never before achieved and possibly not to be repeated.

 

Being Lancashire lasses, we followed the exhortation to Allez Yorkshire, and weren't disappointed by the succession of Dales - Wharfedale, Bishopdale, Wensleydale, Coverdale - and the increasingly clear views as the cloud cover dispersed and we were rewarded with blue-sky clarity of Pen-y-Ghent and further afield flat-topped Ingleborough and the peaks of the Howgills.

 

 

Heading north from Hawes with Great Shunner Fell on our left, we bisected the Pennine Way before passing through the villages of Muker and Gunnerside (and deciding Crackpot could stay signposted 1 mile away - we didn't need to visit it).

Following the course of the rivers Ure, Swale and Cover wasn't the gentle riverside amble that you get in other counties. Instead the road repeatedly swooped down alongside and then crossed over bridges then rose high up above the river, looking over to fabulously named hilltops: Rogan's Seat, Great Pinseat, Middle Tongue, Buckden Pike, Wether Fell, Walden Head, Great Haw.

The hardest pull, because we'd already climbed multiple hills, was over Redmire Common.  It had us out of the saddle in a different way. Yes we walked it.  But where there are ups, there are many downs. When can a downside also be the upside? I wondered.  Answer: when you're descending. We plummeted past Castle Bolton, almost missing the old railway track that's now a gated cycle path complete with warning: COWS WITH CALVES CAN BE AGGRESSIVE. We didn't slow down to find out.

 What is the law of nature decreeing that dinky tearooms can only be found in the first half of any bike ride, and when you're thirsting and starving all that's on offer are dry villages and arid farms? It wasn’t until 5pm that the mirage of the Foresters Arms in Carlton became reality. The ethos of the community-owned pub came through as "We don't do sandwiches on Sundays" was translated into 2 massive wholemeal bread sandwiches stuffed with pork from the Sunday roast, washed down with pints of coke and lime and soda.

Just enough to get us along the final 15 miles up, up, up in the shadow of Great Whernside, then down down down (nearly hitting the deck a few times) as we wheeled and swerved and careered and banked the perilous descent to Kettlewell -  25%  gradient, then calming down for the rolling return along Wharfedale to Buckden.

Watch out, Liz! Jo's skidmark - stayed upright though!

Coming back? Yes, we'll bring a group of Glow women to join us in tackling the 17% climbs and zooming descents. And what's more, we scoped out our campsite and ideal viewing point for July 5th 2014. Where? Not telling, we don't want to be swamped out.

Ride London 100 done and delighted

Outside Buckingham Palace, after charging down The Mall to the finish

On Sunday 4th August we completed the 100 mile cycle route through London and Surrey on closed roads. What an achievement - both in completing it and in it actually happening.
The build-up was impressive, the organisation couldn't be faulted, and the conditions were ideal.

We arrived in London on Friday night, went to Excel to collect our race numbers and then joined in the London FreeCycle - 8 miles of closed roads in the centre of London. Ended up at Green Park cycling festival where there were lots of cycling activities taking place. Met up with some cycling friends - not planned - and saw colleagues from the world of cycling.

In preparation for the 100-mile ride we only had a carafe of wine (not a bottle) with our evening pasta! Bed by 9.30pm. Alarm set for 4am - yes 4am. On reading through the final instructions from Ride London realising that the start was at the Olympic park which is 7miles away from where we are staying. We must be on the road by 5am and the only way is to cycle.

It was still dark when the alarm went off. All our clothes were ready to quickly spring into action, eat porridge, drink fluids, final check and leave. Oops left sunglasses on a stool in the hallway. Realised about a mile into the journey but no turning back now.

We had studied our route the day before using the London cycling maps, asked advice about the best way to cycle, downloaded a route from the Barclays cycle app........ And didn't need any of it - just followed the mass of cyclists converging on the London streets at 5am - mixed in with the drunken revellers finishing off their Saturday night out. We passed a few poor cyclists with punctures - not a good start to the day for them.

The sun was rising as we arrived at the Olympic stadium. It was a warm morning and very exciting with thousands of cyclists. Once we knew where our starting gate was we relaxed and took in the atmosphere.

At the start we looked like this, 6am at the Olympic Park
















We set off in our wave exactly on time. A leisurely 2 miles to the official start and the convergence of the blue and black waves together. Pretty amazing that 20,000 cyclists can set off and were pretty spread out in the first few miles.



 

 

 

We had decided to stop off at the 3 hubs 25 miles, 45 miles and 75 miles. Drinks, bananas and bars on offer. We had our fill at each stop. At 45 miles and after the first hill we sat on the grass for 10 mins with a fantastic view of Surrey. Leith hill was a bit steep and then box hill was extremely mild. All that anxiousness for nothing. We are so unconfident of our ability. My goal was to complete 100miles and enjoy the experience - which I did. It was fantastic to be cycling through villages and towns on closed roads with crowds of clapping people encouraging us on. It felt very special. Once we got to 20 miles to go I felt that's it we have done it. All down hill from now - except Wimbledon hill - short, sharp, shock!

Cycling into the centre of London was special - 1. Knowing it would all be over soon, and

2. The honour of being able to cycling in central London and then down the Mall at 18 mph.

We were given a medal at the end and a goody bag.

It was so good to finish. Took some pictures outside Buckingham Palace and then went into Green Park to lie horizontally on the grass and drink some revolting recovery drink from our goody bag. We both fell asleep exhausted probably for 10 mins. We then staggered over to the food area and bought a veggie burger - delicious.



At the end we looked like this, 3pm at Green Park.

We then walked back towards Green Park tube where the roads were open and cycled back to our flat ( well Deborah's flat). Had a bath and then forced ourselves to go out and have some Thai food and a Chang beer. That was enough. Back to the flat and in bed by 8.30pm. What a day.

I loved every minute of it and am really pleased that I did it but I have no desire to do it again. It might spoil it! And someone else can have a go at it.

Freecycle weekend in London

The media build-up set the scene last weekend's festival of cycling in London as a mass experience not to be forgotten.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/aug/02/cycling-boom-ridelondon

                                   It was warm, it was well-organised, it was wonderful.

As out-of-towners, we thoroughly enjoyed ambling round central London for 8 miles.  Best sights were the Tower of London and riding alongside the Thames with no traffic distractions.

The carnival atmosphere was uplifted by music and all the generations taking part -  small children pushing their parents on tagalongs, or weaving in and out of the crowds with their little legs pumping away. 

 

 

To cap it all, Liz got to sit in the golden throne previously occupied by Chris Froome and friends

 

 

 

Pride of BikeRight!

How could we resist these gorgeous guys cosying up to Ed Clancy at the Velodrome last night?  It almost deserves a caption competition.

Talking of taking cycling seriously, the hours are ticking away towards the Ride London - Surrey 100 following last year's Olympic road race route, which Liz and I have a coveted place on.  Only 11 days to go, and wondering if our confidence is due to utter naivete or the cockiness that's the preserve of the experienced cyclist? Only time will tell. It will be a change from the Manchester 100 which we've done for the last few years; a welcome change?

Rob at BikeRight! did the Liverpool - Chester - Liverpool (through the Mersey tunnel) on 7th July, and now intends to sign up for the Manchester to Blackpool night ride in September. Personally a night ride seems a bit pointless to me, as you can't see anything.  I'd rather be tucked up in bed, apart from the sunset - which I 'm prepared to admit has the chance of providing a substantial Wow! factor.

Another Rob from Newcastle described his 24-hour charity cycle ride last year.  "We started off watched by office workers eating lunch. At 5pm I imagined them going home while we continued cycling. As it got dark I thought why can't I go to bed like they are? During the next morning, having stayed awake ALL NIGHT while those lucky people were sleeping peacefully, my thoughts drifted to them again: they were looking forward to another lunch and we were STILL CYCLING!"

This Rob heads up The Grand Scheme, a bike share/bike hire company.  We spent two delightful days together on the pavement in front of Liverpool's Catholic Cathedral (known as Paddy's Wigwam locally) demonstrating how the Grand Scheme system works.  Liverpool City Council's publicity campaign has obviously worked, since most passers-by had heard of the planned hire scheme, dubiously dubbed Scou-cycles by the Press.

So, taking cycling seriously can take many forms, from loving the sport, to leisure rides with a purpose, to providing facilities for many more people to adopt the cycling habit - involving individuals, organisations and public authorities.  All have a stake in cycling, and all need to invest in it too to saturate our culture with cycling.

The last word goes to Mark, one of our new instructors.  "I was cycling to a school in Crosby, and I passed a little girl I recognised out cycling behind her Dad, so I introduced myself to him.  'Since you taught her to ride on the road last month, she's had me on my bike constantly' he said. That's why I love this job" said Mark.

Women wow the track coach

It was my birthday.  What better way to celebrate than to watch 30 women whizzing round the Velodrome track, many for the first time.  Our coach, a British Cycling old-timer was superb in explaining, instructing, persuading, directing and generally being a fantastic advocate for cycling for all the Team Glow riders.

            "I've never had so many women on the track at once!"

Well done women of Team Glow, and a big thanks to Sarah Griffiths for organising my birthday entertainment!

Two ways of looking at teenagers cycling

My latest article on maintaining the cycling habit amongst teenagers is on totalwomenscycling. It came out on Wordle like this. Teenagers no doubt would think this is a much better way of expressing my thoughts than a boring 1,000 word article. However, to translate this jumble into cogent thoughts, you might want to read the article.

Jo Somerset provides some top tips on how to maintain the habit of cycling with teenagers.

My 16-year old turned up at our house last night on her bike unannounced. It’s 5 years since she rode a bike. She’d cycled 4 miles along the busy dual carriageway, got frightened, and at one point rode facing the traffic but was soon put right by a stream of time triallists out for their evening spin.

        She hadn’t told anyone what she was doing and secretly she was really pleased with herself for having sorted this all out and done it herself. I sent her back to her Mum’s with a jacket (why do teenagers always go out without a coat?) via the back road?.......read more

 

Luscious Lake District and lovely Lancashire

Holiday is over. What a treat, a whole week in blistering heat in our beloved Lake District.

It was a week of leisure, combination of getting out and doing stuff, and reading Sandi Toksvig's novel on my birthday present Kindle. The doing stuff consisted of:

• Half-marathon run with Lakeland Trails.  Hot but I did it.

• Ascent of Helvellyn - descent including a refreshing dip in the beck on the way back to Gillside campsite

.

• Guided walk across Morecambe Bay

 

 

We did dust the bikes off one day for a ride through dappled sunlit lanes of Silverdale, fuelled by bread and cake from Arnside bakery (highly recommended).

Coventry crops up

It's such a delight to see an article that's clear and explanatory about learning to ride with skill and confidence in ordinary traffic conditions. Reporter Mary Griffin has her first experience of cycle training and finds it an empowering experience.  Well done to instructor Tom, and good for Mary in slowing down a speeding BMW driver with her gimlet gaze.



http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/free-course-turned-savvy-cyclist-4864668

Snowdonia weekend

We spent last weekend in Snowdonia with six women from Team Glow doing a 52-mile circular ride Nantlle - Llanberis pass - Prenteg - Nantlle, taking in

3784 feet of climbing

 

Drizzling when we woke up after a wild night. By good fortune, and the fact that everyone was up late last night, we didn't get off till 10.15 and the rain had stopped.  But the wind was still severe, blowing and gusting.

It meant a tailwind up Llanberis pass, easy to negotiate. Snowdon and Crib Goch were in cloud as we descended the other side.  It was hard to keep steady against the cross-wind, we couldn't get up any speed, pushing against the force of it.  Pedalling downhill is a strange feeling.  We sheltered from the Welsh summer at our favourite cafe in Nant Gwynant (butternut squash soup, venison burger, chocolate chip cookie) then pedalled alongside a blowy lake, waves flowing, remembering my New Zealand trip in 2008,  nine miles along a lake with black swans against a head wind thinking  "I can't do this", but I could and did.

We decided to head for Prenteg and up one of Simon Warren's  "Another greatest cycling climbs" graded 8 out of 10 (Llanberis was 6 out of 10). Shocked by the steep 1 in 6 at the beginning.  The whippet-thin Simon claimed to have done the 2-mile climb in 9 minutes. Heather had done it last week on the Etape de something with other Glowies, and her and Nadia chased his example, whooping at the top.  I got off 4 times, worried that I'd topple off  in my clipped in feet, so then tried one free foot unclipped, but had to stop again when my front wheel left the ground, it's dangerous when there's air between the wheel and the road.  To my credit I got back on each time and faced the twists and turns in the road, charging into the headwind. I was so far gone that I just thought it was refreshing to my over-heated head rather than a barrier to progress.

At the top we were triumphant - who cares whether we walked some of it - Team Glow rules for bagging the 100 climbs state that we can claim the peak regardless of how we got there.

From there we pedalled along the top, emerging from the hills onto a plateau populated by sheep with fleeces hanging half off them - where are the shearers? - looking quizzically at red- , and yellow-clad speedsters silently sprinting across the landscape past a tempting dew-lake (not tempting at all in this weather).

Descending back to roads with traffic (well, one yellow mini) we decided, bearing in mind the strength of the wind which was still a real challenge, to take the fast way back to Nadia's: main road then Lon Eifion cycle route then back through Penygroes where people socialise on the corner by the Co-op and down past the vineyard and the piles of slate back to Nantlle.                 

 

What a Bike Week it was!

It's been a fantastically busy Bike Week  - overall we ran 71 events and 69 Bikeability courses in Manchester, Newcastle, Warrington, Merseyside, Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country.

Chris Boardman joined Liverpool city councillors for a cycling tour of highway facilities and plans for regeneration in North Liverpool, and how this will affect cyclists and transport in general.

Our mission of creating new cyclists continues, with around 800 'conversions' this week amongst all the children we've trained and a number of adults, including:

- Councillor Claire Glare, Liverpool

 "a big thank you to you and your team for Tuesday and Saturday. I really enjoyed the training and the bike ride and learnt loads!"

- Colin - our star pupil at level 1 session at BikeRight! Birmingham


and John - Learnt to ride last week and now taking part in level 1 training.

 

 

AND BIG CONGRATULATIONS  to seasoned cyclist 10-year old Ed Diamond who completed his football-themed 100-mile Anfield to Albion charity ride, supported by his Mum Annie, and                BikeRight! on Saturday.  Starting out from Anfield Football Club (Ed’s Team) to West Bromwich Albion (Annie’s Team) they raised funds for Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice in Liverpool and Walsall HeartCare                                                                                                                                                   

Wet but finished - Ed and Mum after 100 miles

 Of course, Bike Week wouldn't be Bike Week without some traditional rides. Canals were popular this year in the West Midlands; and Liverpool's canal ride ended up at Crosby Marina. Well done to all the cyclists.

When can children ride independently?

As Bike Week rounds the corner of its second weekend and enters the home straight towards long-term pedalling not just a one-week wonder, here's the latest from totalwomenscycling on moving children towards sustainable cycling.

Can you remember the freedom and joy from riding a bike when you were young? The wind in your hair, the miles zipping by, downhill excitement, bursts of pride at cresting a hill. But when, as a parent, do you take the plunge and let your child and their bike out on their own? READ MORE at totalwomenscycling Mums Corner

Lon Las trail

 

Quick write-up of our 170-mile ride in Wales from Builth Wells to Conway a few weekends ago, completing a section of the Sustrans Lon Las route.  We're still reeling from the beautiful weather in Snowdonia, and the shock of being able to see the tops of Snowdon and Cader Idris - usually wreathed in atmospheric (chilly) cloud.

The trip was a Team Glow outing, characterised by 6 women's camaraderie and incomprehensible jokes - I found a kindred spirit who also HATES binoculars.  Ok, that's apropos of nothing, so back to the cycling.

The reason I've avoided cycling in Wales is the relentless ups and downs. The first day's upping-and-downing approached the ridiculous - in 57 miles we climbed 6,100 feet, included one 20% pull which I'm proud to say I crested still in my saddle. The culmination of that day was the most fantastic 8-mile run downhill from Llanidloes to Machynlleth where Liz achieved a fantastic 45mph. We strongly recommend doing the Lon Las 'backwards' (according to the Sustrans map) so you get that descent - we felt so sorry for the poor b***ers toiling their way up as we sped past.

This was another trip where we had no rain and no punctures. Most of the roads were a delight to ride on - big thank you to the Welsh Assembly Government. As well as the inland hills and valleys - including the delightfully-named Happy Valley to Tywyn, we rode by the coast, up the estuary by Maentwrog, past imposing castles at Harlech and Conwy, over a rattling wooden railway/bike bridge at Porthmadog (no cars), and then the whole Snowdonia experience via the Nantlle Valley, the climb up Nant Gwynant and through Capel Curig to the gentle riverside roll along to Conwy.

 

The trip was "bendigedig" said our Welsh speaker - fantastically superb.