Rides site updated
Admin for pedalpushers & ppmail
Respond to mpoole re removal of bikes service on rural buslink
Events updates on Sheffield Forum

Sent out meeting minutes by email

Preparatory work for Day of Action: Talked to Press : Attended cycle forum meeting

Set up new northern-urban -cycling ng; Advised members of our pieces in Shef Telegraph that day. Explanation of Day of Action event 10/12

sumfink I did for work
posted details of new cycle route - Meadowhall-Chapeltown

The blog is being hijacked! I'm not doing any incredibly interesting cycle trips at the moment, but I need to keep a record of
what I do as secretary of Pedal Pushers, so I'm going to keep it here.

Pedalpushers Events Diary

Warren Zevon has died.
Entertainment Story - canada.com network

this a.m. Have to collect something from the sorting office. Am also heading off for the weekend so am heavily laden with panniers etc, including Brompton pannier, as am planning to switch to the B. (IL having borrowed it to go to the Bikes on Trams conference in Nottingham the day before. Get to sorting office to discover the item is in fact a big box of Sheffield Cycling Packs. How do I get this home? Conumdrum. End up with it on the rack, and Brompton pannier bungied to front rack and waving about a bit . Just about make it home - not recommended. Later discover all trains cancelled, so no need for BRompton & Bag after all! Going to drive instead -wld have gone to bed earlier if I'd known that.

Saturday: Start of National Bike Week (It's always something week isn't it) Did Dr Bike in the city centre - pretty good fun, we fixed a few bikes. Sunday, blew off all that nonsense, went for a nice bike ride to Abney and up to the gliding club, back via Eyam.

Sunday 9th:To Meadowhell Retail Park to whinge about my Palm which is no longer synchronising. It seems you have to ring the Palm support line. Is it open on Sunday? No. 5 Weirs walk is OK with a trailer - reminds me that we need an Accessibility register for cycle routes in Sheffield for people with unusual bikes. Having established that scanners are about UKP20 more expensive at PC World than they are at Maplins, back into town to pick one up, along with a USB hub and some rechargeable batteries. Then up to work to pick up the laptop - haul the lot home, get home just in time to miss the rain, which could have been embarassing. Monday, ring up the Palm helpline, after half an hour picking up the voicemail "options" trying to avoid buying some support that I've already paid for, get through to a Glaswegian lassie who judging from her croaky voice survives on 60 Benson & Hedges a day. I know and she knows that the device is faulty, but we have to go through the hoops of uninstalling the software, removing the references in the registry that the crap uninstall program has left behind, and re-installing the software only to find that it doesn't work. They then ask if I can try connecting it with a different computer. I say OK, but subsequently realise that I can't be bothered. So I ring back and say "tried that, didn't work" They then agree to send out what they term an "Expansion Card" which, they say, will solve the problem. They could have done that in the first place and not wasted my time, but presumably they make you jump through the hoops in the hopes that you will give up and go away. I am awaiting the card, so we'll see how we get on.

Tuesday: Just the usual, hauled the recyc, up to Beanies to load up with foodstuff (tue and thurs are veggie delivery days - get there early) home for a delish stirfry. OLC + trailer.

Wed: Set off on the Wednesday night bike ride w/ Gerry & the Doctor - Lurch having decided he was in too much of a hurry to wait on his way to Litton. Us three go up the parks and carry on towards Fox House - the Doctor fancies a bit of rough stuff so he goes up Sheepshaggers Lane, while Gerry & I hit the main road in a rainstorm, other cyclist are cowering under trees but we carry on. We wait for the Doctor over a pint at the Fox House - he arrives soon after, complaining that what he thought would be a pleasant country lane was more of an obstacle course- the effect of four-wheel drivers anbd motorbikes tearing up the surface, unfortunately. The Doctor has an appontment with the Dentist so we leave him there, and carry on towards Litton, having arranged a lift home. Our route takes us through Grindleford, up the Eyam road which is closed because of subsidence and therefore very pleasant, continuing to climb onto the limestone plateau known as the White Peak. Rain buckets down as we turn onto the Main Road, a fast but not pleasant run down to Wardlow Mires, and back up to get onto the Litton Rd. Our lift is already waiting for us at the pub, and Lurch's wallet is lying on the floor, so I pick it up, remove a tenner and buy a round. He himself has been do eager to get there that he carried on past the Litton turnoff and ended up at Peak Forest, so had to come back again - adding about 9 miles to the journey. Some very bad jokes are told, and Terry the landlord invites us to pull our own pints, so we do. Back in town there have been floods and hail.

Headed off to work this a.m. in shorts,realised I had nothing to change into (having taken my smart trousers home at the w/e for washing). So there I am, meeting with the boss in half an hour, no trousers. Solution, pop into office, turn on PC, check messages, shoot down to Burton's and buy some trousers, shoot back, still in time for quarter hour preparation for meeting. You couldn't do it any other way - mind, you wouldn't find yourself in this predicament in any other way either...

Saturday, Did the Pedal Pushers Sheffield to Derby ride with SWMBO Fantastic day, lots of highlights.
Sunday, Did a little shopping - HP 5550 printer, new rubbish bin, new curtain rail - hauled the lot back home in double quick time, (photo here) as had to get to the supermarket before it shut at 4. 8 bottles of mineral water clink rather a lot. Got back just as it started to rain.

3 days tandeming in West Wales with the Doctor. Day 1: Get a lift to Rosebush, high in the Preselis. A ten mile downhill run to Narberth, where we are slightly held up by a puncture. Climbing up again from the river valley, reach the southern braid of the Celtic Way, part of NCN route 4, Fishguard - London. This takes us down to Saudersfoot, a slightly downmarket resort with which we are not impressed, and up the big hill again to drop down to Tenby. We tour the town to look for a b&b, the tandem attracting attention from all, eventually ending up in the Ventnor hotel, the scruffiest place in town, with wood-chip panel abounding. As the Doctor likes to have a smoke before retiring, this suits us down to the ground, and nylon sheets are hard to find these days. Out to hit the town, all the pubs are heaving, find a relatively quiet one, then on for dinner. The second bottle of wine might have been a mistake - can't finish the tin of lager afterwards, wake up feeling a little fuzzy. Never mind, a day on the tandem sorts out most problems. Heading East, the coastal cycle route takes us up hill and down dale, perhaps slightly more than we would have wished. A long swoop downhill takes us to Laugharne, home of Dylan Thomas' boathouse (where he presumably used to drink himself insensible as he was young and easy under the apple boughs. We satisfied ourselves with a large pot of tea and a Cawl for me, the Doctor not being partial to lunch. Climbing out of Laugharne, we chased a posse of ancient british motorcycles down the hill on the main road to St Clears, where the pub beckoned.
Two pints of Greene King IPA under our belt (accompanied by a TV advert for Greene King IPA - can you say no to another? ) we set off on a short trip the wrong way up the A40 before diving off to mount another hill, the A40 having stolen the easy route, and climb through Welsh countryside, past the county fair, the blue signs guiding us through the lanes (just one missing) until finally we hurtle down into the industrial area of Camarthen, across the railway and the trunk road, eschewing the quiet route by the river (it's to late for that) up past the war memorial, rejecting Spillman's hotel, settling on one of the rambling old comfortable inns on the high street,Tried all the real ale listings, (lovingly torn out of the book before leaving Dinas) and a 20oz steak at Hamilton's, unconscious as soon as the telly came on, leaving the Doctor to inspect his medicine chest.
Day 3, breakfast didn't go down easy, many hours have been spent discussing whether to follow the route which is a mighty switchback for the first five miles, or join it further on having cut out the hard stuff. We go for the latter, get a good speed going up the A40, the hard shoulder not too hazardous, and a bike route on the other side, taking the side road to Meidrin, starting to meet the hills, then two ledges to gain the height (we walked some - we're not proud) Agreed that a big f***-off triple clanger is required - the bike's a little too slow in top, and it doesn'r crawl like an Evans - but once we're up there she steams along, soon at Tegwyn and rejoining the route. We find Dinas mill, looks in need of some refurbishment, and pass the watershed. Rain threatens but the donning of waterproofs staves it off as ever. We sense victory as we crest the hill to find the sea and the view of Dinas Island before thrshing down to Crymych, where the Cafe, open on bank holiday, serves us nourishing soup. There are more cyclists around as we skirt around the Preseli, in the bowl of the mountains. A last climb above Maenclochog find us once again on the road to Rosebush, earlier than expected - an hour with a pint or two reading the papers, before we take the long downhill gradient into the Gwaun to meet our families, Bessie less impressed with our exploits than we are.

More rain. Last night did the re-cycling, (OLC + trailer) product of SMBO's weekend in Derbyshire - 2 bottles Cava, 3 bottles Sainsbury's Claret (I prefer the Special Reserve) , lots of strawberry boxes. Quite abstemious really. Met Mal on the way back - he was off to Safeway on his utilility tricycle, having just constructed a wooden box for the back of it. We were able to pretend to stop to let each other go past like the cagers do, even though I think we would have been able to squeeze past with a few metres of road space to spare:) Anyone seeing us merrily chatting away in torrential downpour in 'us waterproofs might have thought that the future of sustainable transport had arrived! One thing about using a cycle as primary transport is that you frequerntly meet people you know either cycling or walking - beats trying trying to have conversations on the mobile whilst dangerously careering about on the highway in a high-speed killing machine. Switched to Vernon to take a cheque up to Greenhill - slow work getting up there, pretty quick getting back. Stopped to inspect new cycle-friendly junction on Broadfield Rd.

The part I missed from the birdseed narrative was the ratrunning cager (trans; motorists taking a short cut) who leaned out & said "is that a DVD player in there?" I said "no, it's birdseed". "Too bad", he said.

Took a duff monitor to the computer centre in trailer - impressed the techies by cycling in with it (well, the door was open). Returned with functioning monitor. This was OK for a short trip, but leads one to think about what would be required to shift IT equipment full-time - suspension, and a lockable rainproof padded box capable of containing a 17" monitor or tower case. Anyone know of such a thing, please contact me at s dot geller at blueyonder dot co dot uk.!

"Heavy" Showers (you have to have lived in the North of England to know what that means). SWMBO rings up from her weekend retreat in Derbyshire and says "I forgot the photos of Namibia" (she had spent a month doing Good Works there earlier in the year) "why don't you cycle out and drop them off?" So around 1:30, muggins looks up the trains, there's one at 2 (it's a quarter hour ride to the station) This only entails returning the tandem to the garage, cycling back on the Brompton, putting on waterproof gear and heading off on Vernon . No problem except can't find my keys. Find' 'em with 10 minutes to go, set off, heavy rain, strong headwind, road works. Made it though (helped by train a little late, you can always rely on UK trains) Grindleford, bright sunshine , still a strong headwind. Had already realised not going to make it to Monyash (it's up a big hill on one of the the bleakest and most windswept plains on the planet, honest) so left messages on mobile to say, you want 'em, meet me in Bakewell. Fought my way over to Bakewell - just outside the town, the mobile rings - I could tell this because it interferes with my CD-Walkman just enough so you can hear it ringing, handy that really (listening to Neil Young, Sheffield Arena 9/6/01, you want a copy, get in touch, B&P please, s dot geller at blueyonder dot co dot uk.) Herself to say she, along with any fool, would be in Bakewell in 20 mins. Arrange to meet up in Car Park, slight confusion over which car park, meanwhile buy a medium size bakewell pudding and eat it (normally two bites of a b.p. is enough to make anyone feel ill) V. nice by river in B. watching the birdies. Make the handover OK, Set off back in torrential downpour (soon over) just miss train, so over the hill with that fiendish wind behind me now, quick pint and packet of S&V in the Grouse, fast downhill to Sheffield. Bluebells v.nice in Ecclesall Woods.

Rain. Went up the parkway to take a look at the new cycle/foot bridge that's being put in. It's sitting at the side of the road, with a few workman standing around looking at it. Also took a look at the Cobweb bridge, a specatacular structure than runs under the Wicker arches - massively over-engineered Victorian railway arches. It's taking ages to build because of the risk of flooding. There has been some work on - I was able to get onto it from the northern end, and for a moment I thought I would be able to get all the way across! No such luck Soon another excuse for not cycling to Meadowhall will have been removed.

Went on a shopping spree - bought new USB card, 40 CDR's, some rechargeable batteries, a new portable radio to replace the one than got nicked when my daughter held an impromptu party, some mags and a doorknob. Hauled the lot home in panniers.

Have recently transported 2 used car batteries to the dumpit site by trailerbike. One was from my car; other had just been dumped in our car park at work. Car batteries are surprisingly heavy ! Can get to dumpit site through local woods so don't have to go up a huge hill and down the other side like the cagers do.

16/5 (really!) Raining so drove to work with SWMBO who's off to Derbyshire for weekend. Caught in tailback on ring road so got Brompton out of back of car, cycled rest of journey. Got to work unreasonably early.

OK previous post was actually 14/5/3 (UK date format - day before month which is obvious) ) 15/5 - commuted to work on Vernon (Touring bike) 2.2 miles. Home at lunchtime to switch to One Less Car (Evans MTB) & trailer, back to work. Hauled a 20kg box of birdseed home. Evening , to Pedal Pushers meeting on Brompton - cock-up over room, so we had to hold the meeting outside the pub. Early finish so as to avoid rampaging Blades fans.

Catching up. 15/5/03. p.m. Cycle ride to Apperknowle NE Derbyshire . On tandem with Dr Walker as stoker. Two clapped out nearly 50 - somethings gave the heavy duty Pedal Pushers a run for their money. Yellow Lion a recommended pub.