Yesterday afternoon, we went into town to watch the end of the third stage of the Tour of Britain. It’s quite a few years since I’d seen a stage, so the scale and organisation were a great surprise. Definitely a good thing for Newcastle.
Since today’s stage was to start across the river in Gateshead this morning, I walked down to the quayside to watch. All 20 teams were introduced as they signed-in, before the 11:00 start.
An excellent way to spend a morning.
Van viewing on Friday evening prevented our planned trip to Kings Cliffe, so my second in command suggested Whitby as an alternative.
We only stayed the one night, but still managed to fit in a decent bike ride.
Today has seen my first bike ride of the year. Because it’s sunny, a rest period was sensible.
I used to be mad keen on cycling. For around ten or fifteen years, I loved covering distances on road bikes. But in the mid-90s I discovered mountain bikes, which led to the end of my love affair with road cycling.
By the late 90s, however, I decided to build a road bike and started buying parts. The project never actually happened, due to some pretty major things going on in my life, and I parted company with the frame and some other bits.
While consigning our mountain bikes to the loft a few weeks ago, I came across a box containing some of the old, but unused, bike parts. On return from holiday, I listed them on eBay, since I’m never going to use them (particularly since my main bike is now a Brompton).
Somehow, they all sold.
I don’t remotely recall what I’d have paid for the parts, but they didn’t do badly overall. Although I’d expected the rear derailleur to sell for a decent price, it didn’t go for a lot. On the other hand, though, a pair of brake levers sold for £62.
I should really take another look up the loft.
Every time I walk past this bike stand, I recall the theft of our new bikes.
Unfortunately, at the time, I wasn’t aware that bike theft was a huge problem in Peterborough.
I’m consoling myself with a pint of Punk in the Draper’s Arms, while waiting for the Wortley Almshouses to open.
A few weeks ago, while out on a bike ride, my second in command and I came across an unusual bike outside a bar.
It was roughly the size of our Bromptons, with a similar design. However the frame was built from multiple thin tubes, rather than the standard chunky tubes of our (and most other) bikes.
Last night, while half watching something on TV, an old clip from the 60s caught my eye. A very Brompton-like bike was being hailed as having a revolutionary design. Up until that point, I’d never heard of Moulton bikes, so I looked them up.
Their evolution has now resulted in this.
Which, apart from the colour, is pretty much the bike we saw a few weeks ago. The design’s a lot more advanced than our Bromptons’, but they’re a little more expensive. They don’t fold, the main reason for our Brampton purchase, but they’re reputabley light and fast.
I suspect I wouldn’t be allowed to buy one.
This afternoon involved a bike ride.
We had corn dogs and beer too.
This week, our Saturday bike ride took us to South Shields. We stopped off at Bill Quay for refreshment in the Cricketers, which has a great new outside seating area.
Cycling was a little weird at first; I’d switched from P type handlebars to an S. So the riding position was a little alien for the first half hour or so.
We didn’t stay long in South Shields, a pint in the Alum; a nice pub, but I’m not overly fond of it.
And the Steamboat, of which I’m very fond of.
After a last pint in the Address, a pretty strange bar, we caught a Metro home.
There’re some disadvantages to Bromptons, but I’m not regretting buying them. And we still have the mountain bikes should the need arise.
The national cycle path network is a wonderful thing. Last weekend saw us largely on route 14, while today it’s 1.
The new tent we bought a few weeks is on its first outing.
