I had reason to drive to Tavistock today, and on the way back I had literally a few minutes spare, so I quickly checked on the progress made with Gem Bridge. Only one photo, but it speaks volumes! Gem Bridge and some random dog walker The deck is in place throughout, and the railings are … Read more
This morning I spent in the company of some Sustrans volunteer rangers. I’m not a ranger, and I’m not exactly overly fond of Sustrans, but that relates to how it is structured. I do have a lot of time for what Sustrans does! So why did I spend my morning with Sustrans rangers, I hear … Read more
The Times today have taken an extraordinary step by leading with a story that is all about increasing cyclists’ safety. If you read many cycling blogs, then you’d already know this. And no, I’m not jumping on any bandwagon here – I’ve always been on it! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like The Times. … Read more
I’m planning on offering fully escorted Devon Coast-to-Coast (C2C) tours along National Cycle Network route 27 (NCN 27) over two or three days, to small groups, or perhaps even individuals. Ilfracombe The tours will include overnight accommodation at selected B & B’s along the way, as well as having all your luggage transferred each day … Read more
The Bere Alston peninsula is a strip of land sandwiched between the Tamar and Tavy rivers, and is conveniently close to Plymouth.Never having been there before, I read about cycling there from a far better blog than this one. Earlier today I took the opportunity to go cycling there. There is a marker “Bere Alston … Read more
Spending some time going through the Plymouth.gov.uk site, I stumbled across some really good sections. For starters, there is the Cycling Journey Times page, which predictable enough shows you how long it would take an average cyclist to ride between various areas in the city, as seen below: I also stumbled onto the Plymouth City Council Cycling … Read more
In this era of austerity, we can all do with a little freebie, so here’s one from me to you: If you’re looking to buy some mulch, then don’t. Instead, simply go help yourself to the up to 5 cm (2 inches in old money) thick layer of squished mulch covering the Plym Valley cycle … Read more
I had a chance today to see what progress has been made on Gem Bridge since I last saw it. The pics below are the result of my curiosity.As you can see (and as I said two posts back) about half of the bridge deck has been laid (oh stop that sniggering there in the … Read more
I’d have loved to have the first post of 2012 to be some wonderful news, guaranteed to put a smile on anybody’s face. Sadly this is not the case. I was looking into the whole debacle surrounding the proposed mountain bike paths that the National Trust aims to build at Plymbridge, when I stumbled across … Read more
I was again supplied with an updated photo of Gem Bridge by a colleague and friend of mine. I’m quite grateful for that, as I haven’t had the chance to get out there for ages. As you can plainly see, half the decking has been laid, and according to the man who sent me the … Read more
As a species, we pride ourselves on our ability to reason. This, far more than possessing opposing thumbs, is what sets us apart from any other species. After all, primates also have opposing thumbs, yet don’t compose hauntingly beautiful concertos, nor do they sculpt Venus de Milo, nor indeed do they know how to change … Read more
Here’s a short little video clip I was given by a colleague, showing the final span of Gem Bridge is now in place. Although not clearly visible in the video, a significant portion of the deck also have been laid. You can see the temporary bridge used by construction vehicles.The small wooden bridge that used … Read more
As far as I can work it out, this is the route for NCN2 from Cremyll Ferry in Plymouth to Ivybridge. I haven’t updates the Openstreetmap yet, as I’m not 100% certain on a few aspects. And this is where you come in: please will you look the route over and point out any inaccuracies that … Read more
A Dark Side Ride On Dartmoor, north-west of Burrator Reservoir lies a small body of water known as Crazywell Pool. Almost exactly the length of a rugby field, is isn’t exactly awe-inspiring at first glance. View Larger Map But don’t let appearances fool you! The mere mention of Crazywell Pool is enough to make many … Read more
I was out cycling a day or two ago, going nowhere in particular. You know the type of ride: you simply get on your bike and go where the wind blows you.Anyway, as I was merrily cycling along NCN27 through the Saltram estate, I paid attention to a particular sign probably for the first time. … Read more