To cycle or walk?

I am in a quandary. Over the last two weeks I have been on the bike several times, and I am finding  it is less aggravating for my knee than walking. The trouble is my heart is truly more in walking than cycling. Walking can be paced more comfortably and there is more time to absorb the attractions of the environment, although cycling can be good for observing wildlife because you approach more silently. Cycling can be desperately hard work with those lung bursting ascents - I hate the idea of  pushing and will fight almost to explosion point to get to the top without. Wind is more debilitating on a bike, and you always seem to be riding into it even when you have turned for home on a circular route.

Next week I hope to go off with the caravan to climb Marilyns and I  intend to take the bike. I may try a short cycle camping trip after that to see how it goes. I have found I can get all my backpacking gear into two rear paniers quite easily, so what on earth those people I see toiling north up our nearby A6 towards John 'o Groats laden with paniers back and front and other assorted baggage are carrying I often wonder.

My cycle route yesterday took me north following the  River Lyvennet, a tributary of the Eden, which I had never heard of before. Driving up to Shap, cycling on the route, and returning home via the M6 was all eerily free of traffic to say it was bank holiday Monday.

The area bounded by Tebay, Kirkby Stephen, Appleby and the M6 is worthy of further exploration on the bike. The Lyvennet valley is partly limestone country, but with many houses built of red sandstone (I think), providing  a characteristic landscape meriting a return trip.

On the way home I came across Pete (my walking friend on Thursdays) and his wife Liz's car parked in Orton. I thought they were in the chocolate shop café but couldn't find them, then I discovered the newly opened Silver Yard Café which they had "discovered", and there they were. There is always competition between us to sample anything new that opens first, so they won this time, and I had my second brew and cake of the day as consolation. The café is well recommended.

Crosby Ravensworth church

At Crosby Ravensworth

Maulds Meaburn

Morland

At Morland. A great discovery - 9.5 out of 10.
 Beware! Closed Tuesdays

Zoom to Blencathra (Saddleback)

Murton Pike

The Howgills taken from road north of Orton (NY 629 099) on my way home

Lancaster Canal - Hest Bank to Carnforth

This project has been in two halves. I walked the sections north from Hest Bank to Kendal on my own, and south from Hest Bank to Preston with Pete (we still have one more trip to finish at the terminus in Preston).

Originally, walking with Pete had no particular objective other than a regular Thursday outing. It was only when I had done a couple of legs on my own on the northern section that I conceived the idea of walking the whole canal. At that point I knew I had walked the first of the northern sections from Hest Bank to Carnforth several weeks earlier, so I let that count, but now realise that I had taken no photos, nor did I post on the blog. Every other section on the canal has its own post, so  yesterday I cycled and photographed this missing section so that I would have a complete record on the blog.

My bike at Hest Bank

This section mostly runs through pleasant residential territory on one side and the A6 between Lancaster and Carnforth on the other ; the path is hard surfaced as a cycle track all the way

Distant Warton Crag

This was Easter Saturday - one of many dog walkers and casual strollers met along the way just about keeping up with the narrow boat. I must get a better bell for my bike

Close proximity to the A6 most of the way

Moorings at Carnforth

Exit the canal at Carnforth - I cycled back on minor roads

In praise of tea

My predilection for cafés, pots of tea and the like on my wanderings by foot or cycle has been questioned (see comment - L da P on my last post). The implication is that this denigrates the macho image.

This café failed me - click to enlarge to see notice in window

I have no pretension to be the “hard cyclist” alluded to by L da P.

My attitude to cycling seems to ignore the personal challenge I often adopt when walking, when I tend to compare my time with those in guide books, and others, or set myself targets. Having said that, I do have a sneaky look at the mini cycle computer that tells me my average speed, and, best of all, the fastest speed achieved (31 mph so far).

For me, tea refreshes at breakfast time, and during the day. Coffee gives me a kick mid morning, and induces repletion after my evening meal. Wine only enters the equation on outdoor trips if I eat out in the evening, or it may be beer if good real ale is available.

Beer during the day when walking or cycling is disastrous. On the Pennine Way (1987), I had a sandwich and two or three pints in the Green Dragon at Hardraw. The following ascent of Great Shunner Fell, on a blazing hot afternoon was one of the most uncomfortable walks I can remember.

The “mutual friend” mentioned by L da P was my old climbing partner Tony who was as good a friend as I ever had - he very sadly died in 2003. Tony was a hard climber, but he always insisted on a brew at a café before and after climbing, and that influence is now embedded in me.

Tony

A trip with Tony took us to Spain where we climbed with some Spanish climbers who were exceedingly good company. For these guys a days climbing had to include a pre-climb brew, good companionship on the crag, and a meal together afterwards, and this was reverently designated:  un compleat días, which I have always remembered as a laudable concept.

Yorkshire Dales cycling

Cycling  presents new approaches to photography. I am only a snapshot taker, but I do like to try and compose some interest.

Instead of a pair of spindly walking poles, or a rucksack, the bike can be used as a foreground prop, that is, if one can overcome laziness by dismounting and parking the bike prior to taking a pic. Remaining on the bike can give you some extra height, and the picture here of Aysgarth Falls was taken sitting on the bike with elbows solidly placed on top of a wall. I anticipate other dodges will come to light as I continue with cycling. My heart is still wedded to walking, and if the long drawn out job of sorting my knees is successful I would hope to return to that activity, but in the meantime cycling is not a bad substitute.

These pictures were taken yesterday on a ride from Hawes to Bainbridge, Askrigg and Aysgarth, and back again. The outward route was on the south side of Wensleydale, and the return on the north side, both on minor roads, splendidly elevated above the valley giving none stop nostalgic views all the way - back in the 60s I spent a lot of time with friends fishing the river Ure, and hobnobbing with locals over many pints of beer, in unspoilt (at that time) country inns in this dale.

Burtersett Falls

Roman road leading down to Bainbridge

A pot of tea and homemade shortbread here in Bainbridge

Aysgarth Falls

A bucolic encounter

A 21 mile cycle ride from home today took me on a number of tiny, grass-in-the-middle roads that I have never traversed before despite living here for 12 years, and using many minor bye-ways for walking during the foot and mouth outbreak. A couple of these with only modest elevation gave me inspiring distant views of the Lake District. 

I have a sort of love hate thing with farmers, and I have often noticed their dry and economic communication. I stopped on an old hump back bridge to look down into the pretty, bubbling and tree lined River Bela, then looked up to see I was being observed by a farmer just emerging from his domain across the road,

“A chap drowned in there yesterday” was his opening announcement.

River Bela a bit further upstream from Mr. Farmer incident

He went on to explain about a not so elderly local known to him, who had been fishing and had been found drowned. I suppose there will be more detail of this in the Westmorland Gazette next Friday.

I happened to mention my forthcoming knee operation (now scheduled for 4th May), and he had to tell me about his hip replacement which he cheerfully informed me keeps popping out. More chat raised the subject of otters which he seemed to have something against, but he did not elaborate,

“...they’re alright as long as they stay in the river”.

After this anti wildlife stance he then eulogised about recently seeing a dipper on the river, and enthusiastically told me about the abundance of kingfishers.

I left Mr. Farmer going off for his lunch, and I cycled on feeling a little confused, and welcomed a stop at the Farleton View Tea Shop for a pot of tea and a chocolate brownie.

Spring

Yesterday I pedalled 36 miles from Wigton round the Solway coast, a route I have cycled before at the same season, the attraction being five miles with abundant bushes of gorse in full vibrant yellow bloom on both sides of the road.

At a point where there was a choice to take the 18 mile option weather threatened. I was tempted, but it had been a long drive to get there and I would have missed the gorse so I battled on into a swirling hailstorm. The additional speed compared with walking makes hail lethal and my face was stinging to a point where I thought I would have to stop, but there was no place to shelter so I pressed on, and then the sun returned and I was able to enjoy the yellow splendour which has the added benefit of a fragrant and satisfying perfume.

My aim on these day rides is to set off early  so I can get back, have a hot soak, and then a relaxing evening. Yesterday I was heading home on schedule south on the M6 when all came to a halt. I learned from the radio that a lorry had overturned to the south.  Police cars, fire engines and ambulances seemed to be speeding in random directions up and down the hard shoulders. I was stationary for two and threequarter hours. For part of this time the northbound carriageway was also closed to traffic, but occasional police cars came flying past at speed. Many people on my side had vacated their cars and were wandering around on the northbound carriageway taking photos and generally fooling about, when at any time traffic could have been resumed, or another high speed police car could have mown somebody down, and even without an accident some of these people could have been trapped on the far side of the northbound motorway. Why oh why are people so stupid?

I arrived home at 8:00pm.

__________________________________

Katie update:

Spring is here...

... Katie is attempting her own spring

___________________________________________

Pride comes before derailment

On Thursday I took the Claude Butler Voyager on her/his/its maiden voyage. I put the bike on the train at Arnside, there was just one coach - only two cycles are permitted. There was already one on board. My journey was one stop, across Arnside Viaduct to Grange-over-Sands - six minutes and £2.50 (I think the bike went free).

Cycling back round the bay the sun was shining.The 28 inch wheels promote that sense of superiority gained riding in a 4 x 4, and the Voyager rolled along so much more freely than the old mountain bike which set me thinking about its recent sale. 

I had Googled the Ebay purchaser, revealing him as a “systems developer” at Lancaster University. Some of his research had related to emotions transmitted by the skin with connotations for marketing. This sounded interesting. Various scenarios flitted through my mind: a car salesman having a gismo telling him your true feelings about the car being viewed when you touched it, or when you shook hands with him, and other potential applications too intimate to articulate here. I tried to promote conversation when I delivered the bike, but I was cut short, and the guy just wanted to be off somewhere else.

I suffered some nostalgia parting with the Terrago. It had been a part of my Munro endeavours over the last few years. One troublesome memory of derring-do occurred on my ascent of An Sgarsoch and Carn an Fhidhleir, remote Munros southwest of Linn of Dee. I met two guys on the first summit, and they beat me to the second by taking a shorter route. I was nettled.

Back at the bikes I saw the young duo some distance down the track. I was determined to restore pride by beating them back to Linn of Dee, a ride of about 10km.  I was inspired, and at one with the bike, born along by the gods. I passed the junior-hards at great speed in a whirlwind of rattling stones and dust, heightening my senses yet again, and I pressed on.  Three kilometres out from Linn of Dee I was abruptly stopped by a loud cracking sound. My rear wheel had submitted, but with clamorous protest, to a large stone, and it now looked like something out of a Salvador Dali painting - all bent and droopy.

My journalist brother exhorts me to photograph dramas, "more interesting than pretty landscapes". I always forget - this one is thanks to Google Images

The two Munro usurpers arrived, and were able to interpret the scene instantly. There was no conversation between us, they just passed by. I squirmed as I imagined their conversation, and pushed on with my wounded mount back to the car, a sadder and hopefully wiser egoist.

Bikes, knees, cows and Katie

This blog should be renamed Conrad Walks Not.

The  pre-op examination for my knee replacement was as far back as 7th February. I reckon the relevance of that will be considerably devalued by the time I get to the op. I rang the waiting list people and was told it would be unlikely before May. In the meantime the other knee is becoming just as painful, and I have no doubt I will be booked in for that as soon as possible after the first one. It looks like this year is going to be a write-off.

Fortunately cycling is not a problem, and I have bought a new “hybrid” bike (Claud Butler Voyager) to replace the Giant Terrago mountain bike, and I hope to investigate the possibility of “cycle backpacking”, but not until I have had the op or ops, followed, I suppose, by weeks and weeks of rehabilitation. So I reckon I have now got a month ahead when I can go out for day rides and try to develop muscle build up and stamina required for cycling.

_____________________________________________________

Katie update:

KATIE MEETS THE COWS: