New links list....

Added a new links list to the page ( over there, left at top of page). This will link to google maps of routes described in this blog. There will still be links from posts but I plan to make them accessib from the side bar as well.

You 'll see that the Cassop Vale route still not complete with description! But a 1:25,000 map will show you the way without problem! It will be complete tomorrow - thats a promise!

There's also a new link to the CTC's cyclehero campaign. Worth a look - you can win a spesh!

Make some noise...

Out this morning with youngest daughter on trailer bike and old friends G & F and their daughter on her bike. G took us on a circular off-road route from Seaham , taking in South Hetton, Murton and Dawdon. There seems to be a lot of new off road tracks in that area and they seem worthy of further exploration.

Joined the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) today - they do a lot of work around rights of way access and trail building. I've added a link to their website so take a look and join.

Concert for Diana on telly tonight. P Diddy shouted out: "If you miss Princess Diana - make some noise!" Priceless.

Google Maps 2

So I've taken the plunge with Picasa. Installed on PC that only has a few pictures on it reducing my worries about privacy greatly!

And I have tried out adding a photo to the Google map for the Cassop Vale route, and it seems to work!

This is a "good thing" : it resolves many of the problems that I had encountered when trying to work out how to mtb routes here. Using Google maps means that these can be viewed easily, linked to, printed off easily, turned into jpeg relatively easily and you can even get directions to any point on it, meaning that for loops the "start" can be anywhere you want it to be.

This whole project is taking a lot longer than I ever imagined but now I feel some progress has been made.

Sunny Sunday afternoon....

Sunny Sunday afternoon ride..... P persuaded me to venture out. I was feeling like an afternoon in front of the TV but he talked me into a quick blast out towards Finchale Priory, on the banks of the Wear. Explored some bridle paths and tracks to try and make a bigger, more exciting ride but that part seems a little limited. Perhaps linking it into a bigger loop might work...

On the way back stop off to the bmx track so P could get some "air". Or try to get some "air" anyway. We decide that the jumps are too close together and blame the designer.

Email from Fred - he's been reading about my difficulties with PDF, jpeg etc and made a great suggestion. It wasn't the answer I was looking for, but seems to have given me a solution. A screengrab can be saved as jpeg so why was I struggling to find a way to convert pdf?

I 'll see how that works. I want there to be a printable written description of routes as well as a map. Thats why I want a jpeg version as that can be zoomed in on and manipulated at ease and takes up less space on here!

Durham Big Ride

A great family day out - it says here. Hmmm... Remind the kids of that if its pouring down, and their bums and legs are sore and they are fed up.....

But seriously folks (!) - there is a big ride in Durham for all the family on 16th September 2007. Actually there are two rides - I guess that's a little big ride and a big big ride.

Go on! You know you want to!

Mad dogs, horses and flies!

Great tea-time ride today. Great weather - lots of sunshine but not too hot - added to the enjoyment! P and me got out after he finished work and we tackled one of our favourite "doorstep" routes. After much discussion as we started by the time we got home we decided it ranks as moderate route due to a couple of steep climbs along the way and the distance (19 miles). The fact that I took a spill probably confirms that grading - although strictly that was my own stupid fault when I stopped to take a picture of a turning on the route:
I'm still pondering the best way to put routes up here! So far I think I will use OpenOffice's Write - convert to PDF and then on to jpeg. Jpeg can be posted as an image which can then be opened and printed out. Write will save as Html but that doesn't get around the problem of enabling routes to be easily printed out.

The title of this posting refers to:

• The big bad barking dogs you encounter on route - they are behind a fence.... except once they got out!
• Horses - apparently young 'uns can be a little unpredictable. Yes they can be!
• Flies - a huge one and an open mouth sucking in air as I powered up the hill. You get the picture...?

This week I'll format the route and see if it works!

Rain limits play... and a route for little beginners.

Lots of rain severely limited the opportunities to get out on Sunday.

A brief trip out in the morning took in Rennys Lane to Sherburn to Running Waters and then back towards Shadforth and then homeward bound via Crime Rigg. A few pictures taken and I'll illustrate a route map with those later in the week.

The afternoon saw a trailer bike outing with youngest daughter by railway path to Langley Park and return. This is just over 8 miles and relatively flat although with a few "swoops" to liven things up a bit. These are where bridges are now missing.

The trailer bike is an Edinburgh Bike Co-operative Revolution Glider trailer bike. We have black ones to match my politics. It connects to the seat post of my "old" Kona NuNu and pulls along nicely. Both girls offer added "jet power" at times and to give them credit it does make a difference.

This was the longest that youngest daughter has done so far. Previous outgoings will have been no further than a couple of miles maximum. Due to the torrential rain and hail we'd experienced over the last few days there were a number of puddles and she asked that we go through them all. I was happy to oblige and soon we looked as if we could have come out of Glentress - smiles and all! A drink stop at Langley Park and we turned for home.

Route details:
Suitable for: All - families and children, especdially those just starting out or as a warm up for others. Can be extended easily!
Starting Point: Broompark

• Approx 3 km (2 miles) by road from Durham City centre (A690 south west to the Stone Bridge roundabout, then west on the B6302)
• Grid Ref. NZ 251 415
• There's plenty of car parking. No other facilities. Pub and garage at Stone Bridge Roundabout. Pub in Broom 1km past location.

The route itself is simple - follow the Lanchester Valley Railway Path to Langley Park (Grid Ref NZ 211 457 ). Langley Park has shops and pubs in village centre which is a short distance from the route. Diggerland is at Langley Park and the railway path runs adjacent to it for a stretch.
The return is simply that! Turn around and come back.

As stated its relatively flat and well surfaced. There may be puddles in wet weather. Two roads to cross: Aldin Grange: caution as although minor road cars approach quickly around corner, and at Witton Gilbert old station - road ends at path so little traffic except for dog walkers. There was a good quantity of dog turd at Witton Gilbert so careful!

Plenty to see - we saw pigs, hens, sheep ( and lambs) , cows (and calves) and horses. Ruins of old Beau Repaire a former monks retreat, makes a good picnic spot and is just off the route.

So that's first route done! A bit of a cop-out I admit. I'll get something done this week of more interest.
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Durham City's pedicabs...

Bumped into Stephen Murphy outside Clayport Library at lunchtime whilst doing a bit of shopping. Stephen is the guy who is launching Durham's first pedicab service (that's a bike taxi). I know Stephen from work. We chatted for a while about his plans and the process of getting a hackney carriage licence. The City Council is treating the pedicabs as proper taxis so there is a lot of paperwork that needs sorting out.

Local council are supposed to be encouraging cycling as a healthy, non-polluting, sustainable and enjoyable means of transport. Bike taxis will also add to the attractions of Durham as a tourist spot. Whilst I can see the need for safety checks, in my view any other bureaucracy must be kept to an absolute minimum.

Stephen is looking for other drivers - I'm going to give this some serious consideration. It would be a great way of training as well as having a chance to show off my adopted home city to tourists and visitors. I'd make some money as well, although probably not very much. But I could use that to fund some new bike kit.... or a trip somewhere...

Stephen has a great idea there and one that is good for the city too. I really hope it takes off for him.

C2C website

While looking at how others put up maps and routes I came across this excellent site about the Coast to Coast (C2C) route. OK so the C2C isn't really a route that I should put on this blog! The idea is to have some new routes for mountain bikers to get out and enjoy and make their own. And the C2C isn't great mountain biking (in County Durham at least) due to its flat nature. But... it exists and its useful for getting to other places by bike, and indeed at least two of the routes I'll put up here will involve parts of the C2C. The website is great and will be of use to anyone thinking of doing the C2C in any small part.

I'm getting a bit worried. Third post and as yet no routes in Durham. Perhaps this blog should be about my attempts to post up some routes, rather than the routes themselves...

Starting out .....

The first posting on my first blog! As they say around these parts "Whey aye!".

I've had a germ of an idea for about a year now to share details of some routes in and around County Durham for mountain bikers. Perhaps I'll be the only one who ever reads this ( and if so then so be it!) but if even one other person gets out on their bike and comes home with a grin on their face as a result of visiting this blog then I'll have achieved what I set out to do.

I've yet to work out quite how to paste up route maps but no doubt I'll find a way. I'll add some photos to illustrate things.

I guess I'll also put some other stuff in here too. Music and politics probably. And the odd rant about something which probably no-one else would find in the slightest irritating - isn't that what bloggers do?.

I'm off to Scotland in the morning to ride the Great Glen Cycle Way. I've wanted to ride that for a few years and at long last it's all organised. Its not particularly tough but I'm really looking forward to it. I'll post if I can.

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