Goodbye

Cycle Harrogate has come to its natural end this website now serves as an archiv...

Support your local Heroes - SingletrAction dig day

Myself and the boys were at Stainburn this morning helping the good people at SingletrAction build a pump track. If you haven't ridden the Red loop and descent line that are also their work get on it. Just be careful on the descent line it's tasty for a red, my eldest wears the scars. By 9.30 a collection of the young and not so young, yet I'm sure still childish at heart were warming their backs up dragging tree stumps out of their homes, digging...

Bond End - my kids deserve better

Bond End is the bit of Knaresborough where NOx (nasty oxides produced by diesel engines) go to kill people in these environs. Its officially so polluted something must be done. Actually four other pollutants including particulate matter (fine bits of soot) are also measured but NOx is the main bad guy here. There is wide agreement that Diesel engines produce most of the particulates and NOx that led to it being declared an Air QualityManagement...

Thoughts on a relief Road for Harrogate

A Harrogate Relief Road is in the news again Don Mackenzie executive member of North Yorkshire County Council for highways is all over it like a rash. There are a few routes in the mix but the ones that seem to be getting love from the Don are heading from Calcutt-way along the banks of the Nidd Gorge towards Killinghall and then maybe a link to the Skipton Road near the Old Spring Well pub. It will cost 70 odd million quid which is a lot...

This is dull but really important - NYCC Local Transport Plan (LTP4)

North Yorkshire County Council have just approved their Local transport Plan (LTP4). This sets out how they will do transport stuff for the next 5 years. The original draft barely mentioned cycling. Kevin Douglas at Harrogate and District Cycle Action wasn't having that. He wrote a lengthy and forensic discourse about why we need more cycling in Harrogate and why North Yorkshire County Council need to crack on. As a result cycling is all...

Tell North Yorkshire County Council to stop being rubbish on Cycling they don't need to be

I need your help (again). North Yorkshire County Council are consulting on their local transport plan (LTP). This sets the blueprint for how transport strategy unfolds over the next 5 years. At the moment when it comes to cycling they are arguing there is no money so they can't do much, this is simply not true, here is what they say in the draft LTP document... What will we deliver? We will seek to find funding so that we can appoint a...

Harrogate Year One Post Tour De France

The Tour is Heading for France a year after it graced our Town. Chris Froome looked good as he eased into yellow yesterday something that never really happened last year. Early days though and a long way to Paris. This year we had to make do with a Big Bike Bash and a grand day out it was. Lots of bikes, beer and a chance to ride the finish of the Tour as a family this was great. It was largely the work of Richard Cooper, HBC council Leader...

If cycling provision affects your vote. Here is what the candidates say.

Harrogate Cycle Action asked local parliamentary candidates what they thought about cycling and development going forward here is what those that responded said.... Harrogate Cycle Action(HCA) have asked all 5 candidates their parties and their personal position on Sustainable Transport and, in particular Cycling, prior to the forthcoming General Election on May 7th. We asked all the candidates the following 2 questions:- 1. What is your parties policy with regard to the expansion and development of sustainable transport to reduce traffic...

What do you think? Some thoughts on The Harrogate Cycling Delivery Plan

I went to the launch of Harrogate's Cycle Delivery plan at Veloheads last Tuesday. It was well attended by a range of people, many of them would have considered themselves cyclists, not something I do myself, I ride a bike a bit, I digress. The plan, you can find details here is about a dedicated cycle route between Harrogate and Knaresborough and a  range of other cycling infrastructure improvement that could happen over the next five to ten years to make it easier to ride your bike round our towns. We have relatively low...

Harrogate Cycle Delivery Plan Launch - Come see the paradise

What if I and others lobbied for an integrated plan for cycling infrastructure development in Harrogate and Knaresborough and decent provision for bikey types on the Knaresborough Road and then it came to pass? Well it is about too get a damn site more likely with the launch of the Harrogate Cycling Delivery Plan. If you are bothered about this stuff you can come along get an insight into the detail, ask questions, comment, and talk to your...

Bike lights, big city

I seem to be working in Leeds as a bike evangelist, come bicycle grease monkey. This has come as a bit of a surprise. I know applied for the job and everything, but the scale of the ambition here is quite something. Compared to the head banging I felt I was having to do for trying to do the same thing in Harrogate. It used to be hard to even get a hearing when I talked about utility cycling. More on the positive changes...

NYCC change their mind over the Leeds Road Junction - now to make it cycle friendly

We pretty much lost a battle over the Leeds Road junction last year with North Yorkshire County Council. They went ahead and remodelled the junction making it rubbish for bikes and it appears rubbish for everyone else. This after a concerted campaign by local activist asking them to think about bike riders and pedestrians more in their design We lobbied they did a bit, but not it appears enough. They have just announced they are to have another go. Lets hope this time they do something rather than the bare minimum for cyclists, pedestrians and...

REJOICE - Well you know, things are getting better

It looks like the cycling argument is being won nationally. Everyone has been rather more pro cycling recently, but you know what, show me the money. You can't change behaviour or give people more choices without investing some of everyone's hard earned and it looks like that is about to start happening in a more structured way. Last night an amendment to the infrastructure bill in parliament was passed. This obliges Government to set budgets...

Come and adore the mighty Veloheads

I spent some of this morning with my boys down at Veloheads a new business come social enterprise in my neck of the woods, down the Avenue in Starbeck. Harrogate has it's fair share of bike businesses. Why am I getting excited about this one, I hear you murmur with barely repressed indifference? It opened for business this morning and I had the heads up, as I met the owner a couple of months back. Carl Nelson said owner, seems to have a different...

They work for you - Richard Cooper and NYCC fail to spend the cycling money they do have

I know I know, I had retired from this campaigning lark but this one has me spitting feathers. So there is money in the pot for a toucan crossing (bike traffic lights) on Wetherby Road/Slingsby Walk by the hospital. This is part of a government grant for bike infrastructure in Harrogate (LSTF if you are nerdy). What could possibly go wrong? Without this crossing, on a bike, North Yorkshire Area 6 (transport dept) believe this crossing...

Sutton Bank MTB trails

I got out with the family at the weekend to the trails at the top of Sutton Bank. Park up by the visitors centre at the top of the hill and there is a new shop Sutton Bank Bikes. Take some change for the parking meters it's four quid and you can't use a card, I ended up parking down on the road but there are only a few spots. You can hire bikes, we had our own but if you need them there is a good choice of sizes and kids bikes and tagalongs...

Open Harrogate A review

So whilst I was off my holidays the Open Harrogate App/website thingy came out. What of it? There is a website with some info on it for residents and visitors which is nice to look at and easy to follow. It includes some good advice on why cycling walking and public transport are sensible decisions. There are some suggested routes as a walker and a bike rider which are good as far as they go. Along with the above there are some links to bike...

Cycle cultures

Whoosh they were gone. I shouted for Cav and the whole team Quickstep until my lungs burned. They had control of THE Tour De France with 2k to go, barreling in toward Parliment Street as the sun burned down. Until that is Spartacus spoiled the party. Then with everyone else in the fan park I watched the bottomless heartbreak unfold. Next day in Starbeck and Kittel rides past in pole position, I clapped but I had hoped to be cheering a Manx...

Play fantasy Tour de France

I posted this last year. Other than the venue for stages one and two its nearly all still true. But this time they are coming TO OUR TOWN Its that time again Wiggo is out but Froome looks on form and the behemoth of Cav looks as good a bet as ever. Its tour De France time. Get yourself by a telly at about 4.15 in the afternoon for the next few weeks. The nice people over at velo games run a fantasy Tour De France game, league, thingy. You...

This years hot ticket

This from Andy Grinter, about an exciting one off Performance by the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Knaresborough, as well as a chance to talk to some of the people involved in the drama. It will sell out as there are not many tickets, I would suggest if you want to go you act now. "Beryl" excerpts from the West Yorkshire Playhouse production of the play by Maxine Peake at the Frazer Theatre, Knaresborough. Start: 12 June 2014 7:30...