Cycling

[only2garners]

This may be of interest.

http://prestonguild2...com/guild-wheel

It's a really nice ride, almost wholly traffic free and the great majority on a decent surface. There are a few short stretches of rougher track but even a serious road bike should be fine. The Wheel has been immensely popular since unofficially opening a few weeks ago. I have been round it three times now and the two times I did it on a weekend I must have seen 100-200 riders on the circuit. Not a place to ride if you want to test yourself as it's quite narrow, often with walkers sharing the space and you will see large groups with small kids. I particularly like the cycle sized cattle grids they have put on the section from Walton-le-Dale to Brockholes.

It's not quite finished yet but it's complete enough to get round easily. The official opening will be at 11.30 on Sunday 19th August in Avenham Park

[Audax]

Here in the last days of the Olympics, one of my favourite all-time Olympians was Harry Hill from Bury, 1936 Bronze Medalist in Cycling of course at the Berlin Olympics. If you don't know his story, these two web sites give a little bit on him: http://www.the2012londonolympics.com/forum/athletes-sports-news-facts-figures/13633-britains-oldest-male-olympic-medallist-harry-hill-dies-aged-92-a.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Hill_%28cyclist%29 One of the old time cyclists I read about rode phenomenal distances every day training. May have been Hill.

[Paul]

Weekend club rides, a social community, I think it use to be a big deal. they really depended on the bicycle a lot.

I think we have to accept times have changed but all the social aspects of club riding still exist. I don't know where you live but Ribble Valley CRC meet your criteria.

With a user name like yours I'd assumed you belong to a club

[JC4LAB]

For anyone you doesnt feel they have club level fitness,Go Skyride is very active this time of year for casual social cyclist...Lots of short social rides on offer each sunday in Blackburn Preston Blackpool and Manchester areas for all abilities with tougher Ride strong options for those who want them.(Ride strong + is very tough)..Bolton area offers quite a lot at the moment...Bolton has its own town centre skyride in September..Blackpool offers the new Blackpool to fleetwood coastal cycle path ride and Ride the Illumination Lights for bikes only in the week prior to switch on..

[only2garners]

For anyone you doesnt feel they have club level fitness,Go Skyride is very active this time of year for casual social cyclist...Lots of short social rides on offer each sunday in Blackburn Preston Blackpool and Manchester areas for all abilities with tougher Ride strong options for those who want them.(Ride strong + is very tough)..Bolton area offers quite a lot at the moment...Bolton has its own town centre skyride in September..Blackpool offers the new Blackpool to fleetwood coastal cycle path ride and Ride the Illumination Lights for bikes only in the week prior to switch on..

Indeed. The Sky Ride in Preston was very enjoyable. I also came across a Sky Ride group of c20 on the Guild Wheel last Saturday.

[Clitherover]

Not sure if mentioned on here but Stage Four of the Tour of Britain takes place on Wednesday 12th September. The stage starts in Carlisle and finishes in Blackpool. I fancy catching it somewhere between Kirby Lonsdale and Lancaster, I might even cycle there.

Will be interesting to see if Team Sky put out any of their big names or use some lesser known cyclists for this event.

http://www.tourofbritain.com/_ns_race/default.asp?section=stage4_start

[only2garners]

Well you can rule out any of the team down to start the Vuelta on Saturday as they overlap. That means Froome, Stannard, Swift, Uran, Porte, Flecha, Henao, Pate, and Zandio won't be there. I would not at all surprised to see both Wiggins and Cavendish in the Tour of Britain. It's a relatively short race in Sky's home market - it would make the race very high profile so would be excellent for Sky for marketing.

[david_daft]

I'm off to cycle the Way of the Roses from Wednesday next week which runs from Morecambe to Bridlington via Settle, Pateley Bridge, Ripon, York and Driffield. As I've already ridden the Morecambe to Settle area on many occassions I plan to pick up the route in Gargrave, overnight in York, overnight in Bridlington and then head home. May have to catch a train home from York on the return as I really want to get to the Shabby Singh meeting and have the feeling this is a four day rather than three day trip.

Anyone done this route? Comments would be good.

How'd it go, Paul?

[T4E]

Can anyone explain in simple terms this Lance Armstrong thing? As I understand it he hasn't failed a drugs test - I'm assuming at his peak he must have been on of the most frequently tested athletes on the planet - so what is the evidence against him?

[only2garners]

Can anyone explain in simple terms this Lance Armstrong thing? As I understand it he hasn't failed a drugs test - I'm assuming at his peak he must have been on of the most frequently tested athletes on the planet - so what is the evidence against him?

Essentially the evidence is from former team mates who said that they saw him doping. That's made more complicated because at least two of them have been caught doping themselves previously

[T4E]

Why hasn't he failed a test before now then? He must have taken hundreds of them?

Out of interest O2G, do you believe he's guilty?

Edited August 24, 2012 by T4E

[only2garners]

Why hasn't he failed a test before now then? He must have taken hundreds of them?

Out of interest O2G, do you believe he's guilty?

I can't profess to have enough knowledge of doping to know, but as I understand it there are substances which can be taken and which will be undetectable if you stop taking them in enough time before any potential test i.e. they will help build you up ready for an event or the season as a whole.

On his potential guilt, backing out of the case right now might be assumed to be an admission of guilt. No doubt he will spin it as being beneath him as he holds the US agency in contempt but you would have thought that putting at the very best a question mark against his whole racing record would be enough to want him to clear his name if he knows he's innocent.

Personally I have very little time for him. He has a reputation as a very single minded, ruthless individual who is happy to upset anyone who has a different view to his own. He has been able to trade on his story as a cancer survivor to provide a lot of goodwill, particularly on people who are not keen followers of cycling. I think he is much less liked amongst the cycling fraternity than the general population. In a nutshell I have grave suspicions.

[T4E]

Always disappointing when the incredible achievements of an athlete come under suspicion.

Regarding drug testing, do they not have random unannounced testing like other sports?

It does seem bizarre that someone who has beaten cancer and won the TDF 7 times wouldn't want to fight this.

Edited August 24, 2012 by T4E

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Always disappointing when the incredible achievements of an athlete come under suspicion.

Regarding drug testing, do they not have random unannounced testing like other sports?

It does seem bizarre that someone who has beaten cancer and won the TDF 7 times wouldn't want to fight this.

I also do not claim to know a huge amount about doping but I believe that many of the substances/doping methods Armstrong allegedly used were undetectable until recently. Blood doping I think only really became detectable in the last 5/6 years. All Tour de France winners are vigorously tested probably more so than in any other sport and that is why so many are caught even several years down the line. There have been so many questions regarding Armstrong that its hard to believe that there isn't smoke without fire and for him to not contest the allegations makes it even more damming. It'll be very interesting to hear the evidence against Armstrong when it is made public.

[Pedro]

I also do not claim to know a huge amount about doping but I believe that many of the substances/doping methods Armstrong allegedly used were undetectable until recently. Blood doping I think only really became detectable in the last 5/6 years. All Tour de France winners are vigorously tested probably more so than in any other sport and that is why so many are caught even several years down the line. There have been so many questions regarding Armstrong that its hard to believe that there isn't smoke without fire and for him to not contest the allegations makes it even more damming. It'll be very interesting to hear the evidence against Armstrong when it is made public.

I read some time ago that one of his team mates witnessed Armstrong having a blood transfusion during the Tour de France. I think that the "evidence" will be released very soon.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

I urge anyone interested in this current Armstrong saga to read the book 'From Lance to Landis'...an eye opener indeed.

You just have the feeling that dreams of 'supermen' coming back from the dead are going to be shattered very,very soon.

Oh dear.....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/24/lance-armstrong-stripped-tour-de-france

Edited August 25, 2012 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[Audax]

I urge anyone interested in this current Armstrong saga to read the book 'From Lance to Landis'...an eye opener indeed.

You just have the feeling that dreams of 'supermen' coming back from the dead are going to be shattered very,very soon.

Oh dear.....

http://www.guardian....-tour-de-france

I've read that book twice, it's a page turner, best book on at least doping in cycling. David Walsh.

I just hope that Wiggins in 2012 and Cadel Evans in 2011 are clean and I tend to think they are. I liked Evans for quite awhile before he won it last year, so to me, he's always seemed decent.

[Baz]

http://www.blackpool-illuminations.net/Ride-the-Lights.html

Illuminations closed to road traffic tomorrow night from 7-10pm. Sounds like a brilliant idea to me. They are doing a trial run this year before the officially open, but if popular this could become a annual event.

[only2garners]

http://www.blackpool...the-Lights.html

Illuminations closed to road traffic tomorrow night from 7-10pm. Sounds like a brilliant idea to me. They are doing a trial run this year before the officially open, but if popular this could become a annual event.

It has been an annual event since 2006. I've never done it but am planning to go tomorrow night. At least it will make me buy the lights I've been planning to get for weeks now.

[JC4LAB]

Off to Blackpool tonight too..weatheroutlook looks good..

http://www.goskyride.com/boltonSkyRide..Anyone who likes this type of family bike ride may be intertested in Boltond Skyride coming soon on 16th September around Bolton Centre...

....

[Baz]

It has been an annual event since 2006. I've never done it but am planning to go tomorrow night. At least it will make me buy the lights I've been planning to get for weeks now.

Only going off some posters I saw in Blackpool.

Hope you all enjoyed it though, weather appears to have held up for you.

[only2garners]

Only going off some posters I saw in Blackpool.

Hope you all enjoyed it though, weather appears to have held up for you.

It was indeed a beautiful evening for it. They said last year there were 15,000 there and there must have been at least as many tonight.

[JC4LAB]

Very good especially the feel good happy atmosphere.and much better than by car...At bit light if you go at 7.00 pm but it goes dark pretty quick and fully dark on your return journey from Bispham...

[only2garners]

Very good especially the feel good happy atmosphere.and much better than by car...At bit light if you go at 7.00 pm but it goes dark pretty quick and fully dark on your return journey from Bispham...

We used the excuse of a fish supper in Bispham to let it get a bit darker.

[Paul]

How'd it go, Paul?

Apologies David for not replying sooner, I've been trying to get time to map the route. I think the link below will work. It was a great ride, harder than expected in places and easier in others. Weather was beautiful only felt any wind when I got within about 10 miles of the east coast by which time a cool breeze was welcome. Basically I rode to York on day one, Chorley to Blackburn, caught train to Whalley then made my way to York following most of the Way of the Roses. Day two followed the Way of the Roses from York to Bridlington, this was the best day as I went through the Yorkshire Wolds which are VERY quiet (no sounds at all in places) and beautiful. I had planned to overnight in Bridlington but wasn't struck by the place so got a train up to Scarborough, rode to Malton and took another train back to York. Spent the night in a wonderful pub! Day three rode York, Whetherby, Leeds and caught the train to Blackburn and then rode home.

The straight lines are train trips. Actual ride distance was 261, with a lot of buggering about in York and other places. Obviously the train trips don't count! Total climb was just under 10,000 feet with most of that on day one. Slept well that night!

It's slowish to load, be patient!

http://www.mapmyride...reen/131032875/

Edited August 31, 2012 by Paul