My children were unbelievably excited, but how they like to 'look after' Mum. Mum, have you got.....???etc. Bless em, they make me very proud, they were the reason I started cycling, so I do in fact owe them a lot. So a weekend in York, with accommodation paid for by The Health Champs, seemed like a good deal. And I kinda like to show folk, that even a single Mum with a disability can do active things with her children. As we left the train I shouted to my son, 'Have we left anything?? To which he replied 'Mum, I leave only my dignity' He does make me laugh!! For a 7 year old, he has a top sense of humor.
Fortunately Steve Marsden (CTC), had taken our cycles up on the Thursday, when he'd gone. So when we arrived, we simply had to find our way to the Holiday Inn. We arrived and there was no obvious cycle shelter or anything, I wondered how I was going to approach the subject of wanting to take my trike somewhere safe. When Dave arrived on Ziggy my trike. Ahh, I hadn't seen her for four days it was great!! I sat on her and went to reception, and I was prepared for an argument, as I explained I couldn't leave her outside, to a young but officious looking 'Kelly'.
Between us we decided on the conference room. But first I had to cycle to the race course, and how easy it was!!! There was a path about a mile long leading to the campsite, from the Holiday Inn, it was great, it crossed no roads, and seldom had cars use it :) I couldn't relax though, I'm so anal at times :D I didn't want to disappoint, Daisy, Finn, Health Champs, Steve (CTC), Dave, so for that reason, I don't think I really relaxed. Anyway, I found Steve, who was obviously setting off on a bike ride, with some young folk who'd been doing their 'Duke of Edinborough Award'. He'd obviously got his hands full, and just a little anxious :D He gave D and F their bikes, and told them where they could go . (not in that way!!!)
I can't really tell you who I saw and spoke to, I just seemed to drift and smile at people :D. Heaven knows the impression, I must have given out.
What a fantastic position, our hotel was in, the children could nip back and fetch things, without me. I really couldn't grumble, I had 20 pairs of eyes looking out for them, everyone seemed to know whose children they were. And I hope folk don't feel sorry for me or think I'm not capable? Because I'm happy and really proud of my kids. Although they did take some getting to bed that night, which was the longest day of the year.
6.50 am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we had to meet Steve at 7.30am, we had to pack our bags, have breakfast, have a coffee (priority) I don't know how but we managed!!!
I met some lovely folk on the ride, as we went the scenic route my children cycled with Steve. Whilst I struggled to keep up to be honest, and hung somewhere at the back.
I wasn't impressed with the service at York Minster, what dier hymns!! Whats wrong with 'All things bright and beautiful?
After the service, I've got to admit, I really struggled on the mass cycle ride back to the race course. At first it felt so good, and I was extremely proud to be part of it, but I had forgotten to get my flag off Steve, which sticks up about 8ft, at the back of Ziggy. So when I became seperated from the mass, I felt very vulnerable, I mounted the pavement purposely whilst I decided what to do, who did I think I was? It was obviously too much for me, I wanted to cry :( Dave Holaday phoned!! what a star!!!! And sure enough to the rescue he came :)
I've been so sick today, and so has my daughter, with sun stroke.
So will I do it again??? My children will kill me if I don't!!
Well a load of people including the Police/PCSO's and stewards were not at all pleased with York City Council insisting that we had to be stopped at every red light. As you discovered this separated friends and occasionally separated parents from children, and made the misery for other traffic (and those on the ride) of getting out from the Minster to the riverside route last far longer than necessary. There are a few deficiencies with the York cycle lane layouts (and the cycling shopper facilities at that big Tesco at Askam Bar. So poor that sensible cyclists were locking to the trolley park rails - as these were closer to the store, visible from the check-outs, and actually secured to the ground, unlike the rubbish cycle parking provided and floating around (not fixed down at all)
ReplyDeleteGiven the low level of traffic at that time on a Sunday we should have be set rolling continuously from the Minster and just 4 junctions 'corked' by the police to get us through. Riding at a slow pace and keeping well spaced also allows pedestrians to filter across, as the riders pass around them as they move from one side of the flow to the other.
I must admit that it would have been better to have hymns that we could all have put a bit more gusto into, rather than that very obscure one that people eventually worked out the melody and joined in sotto voce by verse 3.
Timings seemed to work out pretty good, I arrived 09.26, checked in at the racecourse with Steve, and other CTC folk, went back to see the 09.59 train with the bikes on and then came back to take Ziggy over to the hotel, just after you'd checked in.
Your two were really nervous about riding back on the rear carriers though.
Need to practice that handshake haulage technique, as recumbent riders cannot be assisted by a hand on the shoulder (or lower down) which works fine for conventional bicycles (but upright trikes are tricky). Works best when the pusher is riding fixed wheel but coaster brake works fairly well as a fall-back option as you then don't need to use the hands for braking.
Oh and for my overnight stay (Harrogate) I got to the station at 18.45, checked the departure for 19.11 which still gave time to head back out to the cash machine and chip shop on Blossom Street and still be on the train by 19.00.
Well Dave I certainly couldn't have done it without you, so a huge thanks. Steve was singing your praises on the way home too. He did say how normally everyone arrived together, and I would have found it much easier.
ReplyDeleteRevisited the route it should be close the St Leonards/Museum Street junction and set the ride off - a big hairpin U turn at the end of Lendal Bridge to get on to the riverside route - this avoids the Station Road - Rougier Street lights and the Rougier Street-Bishopsgate junction - the route then needs just one other closure - the Skeldergate cross-roads so everyone keeps heading along the riverside. Go slowly and keep together as a compact group until Skeldergate and then let the ride open out a bit. Just one other main road to cross, again going straight over - clean and quick.
ReplyDeleteSimple!! :)
ReplyDeleteThis really does sound to be a mess compared to the usual procession striaght down Micklegate. People were complaining that it had been messed up in 2009 with no policing so it is doubly disappointing that they couldn't fix it for the next run...
ReplyDeleteNormally it is one long procession with just the odd irresponsible motorist insisting on trying to barge through.