Stories from the United Kingdom

So in this current crazy climate we find ourselves in, my husband was given a bag of flour from a local mill (used to be a baker) and made a whole batch of sourdough loaves. We hopped on our bikes ... read more

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

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Living and working in Somerset, cider is a way of life! I swapped my car for a bike to get my fix. I saved 0.01 tonnes of CO2. It soothes all your troubles away! #NoCarbon

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

5

As a Key worker in NHS I am still work and have to say am happy to be part of a marvelous family NHS I have always ridden in to work daily along the same beautiful route in Bedfordshire Rain snow h... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

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Andrew Mathers God bless you one our NHS angles(all NHS are ANGLES )

God bless you one our NHS angles(all NHS are ANGLES )

Since selling my car and choosing to ride to work (6 miles) each and every day for the past 3 years, I'm now fitter, carbon neutral #NoCarbon, and a whole lot happier.

What a beautiful morning! Now spring is here I can finally make the ride to work & back in daylight without my lady wife fretting about me riding in the dark (I just don't, no-one needs the str... read more

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

3

I started commuting by bike about two years ago. I love it! You get to work feeling alert and ready for the day, there's no tedious traffic to get stuck in and I've saved to much money and CO2. I'v... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

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If the cafes are closed, take a stove, and a smart-cafe mug and make you own coffee on the go. Lovely little trip up Peddars way to Castle Acre and back testing out bike-packing bags and setup on... read more

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

3

Changing "Ride to Work week" to "Ride Anywhere week" is a fantastic encouragement to me. Earlier this year we booked a holiday for the final week in March and then, guess what, LoveToRide announced... read more

Topic: Other

5

I starting commuting to work to save a few quid on parking. Since I started I've left the car at home over 200 times, in rain fog snow and storms, and saved 433kg of carbon, which is the same weigh... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

5

We've been using the bike to get to nursery and school for a while now, but this year I'm trying to hit 200 days of commuting by bike - not easy once you factor in holidays, work trips etc. So sinc... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

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4

Janey Bennet Keep getting out while we are allowed!

Keep getting out while we are allowed!

Decided to cycle to my favourite dog walk which I do about 3 times a week. I have been driving 3l diesel 10 miles round trip so will save over 4kg of co2 each journey.
Mainly cycle ways by the ... read more

Topic: My favourite place/route to ride

4

#NoCarbon After months of cycling to and from work in the dark, the days are finally getting longer! No need for lights and the shorts can come out 😁

Topic: My commute by bike

4

So last July I changed my commute from Southampton to London from using the company car to cycling the 5 miles to the station and training it in...

I even now cycle the occassional 15 mile... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

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William Roberts #NoCarbon

#NoCarbon

William Porth Trigger it!!!

Trigger it!!!

Where are you based and what do you do?

I live in Derby, I work at Rolls-Royce in Sinfin and I cycle to work every day. I am an aeronautical engineer and I am the Assistant Chief Design En... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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William Porth GO GIRL!!!!

GO GIRL!!!!

David Fisher Kudos from PTF....:-)

Kudos from PTF....:-)

Finally the wind has dropped so cycle commuting isn't a painful slog anymore, and a 'Brucey Bonus' the Sun is out in place of the rain (occasionally!) the mornings and evening are brighter so it's ... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

1

My evening ride home involves a lovely hilly ride over my home town of Kendal, a ride that is normally fairly uneventful. This time however, I should have taken notice of the dog barking in the dis... read more

Topic: A happy riding memory

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Siobhan Simpson I'm glad you are OK (even if you did have to be washed down before you were allowed in the house!), but what about the dog ... read more

I'm glad you are OK (even if you did have to be washed down before you were allowed in the house!), but what about the dog and deer? Were they also OK?

Matthew Emmott The deer and dog vanished into the distance as I sat there slightly dazed by the whole situation.

The deer and dog vanished into the distance as I sat there slightly dazed by the whole situation.

“When the sign discloses more road closures, and you wait for a train in vain,
When, Heaven knows, even the Bus Stop is closed, it’s time to think again!
So it’s the car, the train and th... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

1

Looking back on the romance I have had with my bike, it’s something that very few can relate with. Well, within the circle my riding buddies anyway. Born in rural and remote part of Tanzania, bikes... read more

Topic: My Bicycle Romance

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Simon Severn Is that photo Fleet Moss ? i was up there last weekend

Is that photo Fleet Moss ? i was up there last weekend

hi. this is not really a story but I didn't know where to post this.
Does anyone know what I can do to release my bike saddle post? it is totally stuck. All I need is to lower it a couple of i... read more

Topic: Other

5

Chris Anthony Hello. My advice would be to take it to a local bike shop and get them to remove it. Shouldn't be expensive. Any reputable ... read more

Hello. My advice would be to take it to a local bike shop and get them to remove it. Shouldn't be expensive. Any reputable bike shop will have lots of tricks for removing stuck seat-posts!

Elena Simon-perez Hi Chris. Thank you for your advice. I did exactly what you have suggested. Halfords couldn't do it but GA Cycle did it w... read more

Hi Chris. Thank you for your advice. I did exactly what you have suggested. Halfords couldn't do it but GA Cycle did it with no problem. I am really happy now. Thank you

Gavin Turner Sounds like you have tried most things already - carbon is a bit of a bugger for fusing to stuff - and it doesn't help that... read more

Sounds like you have tried most things already - carbon is a bit of a bugger for fusing to stuff - and it doesn't help that greasing carbon can cause it to swell too... hmmm. Sounds like you just really need to salvage your frame... If you have access to a good strong bench vice - try turning your bike upside down and clamping the saddle post - at this point, with help from a friend you should be able to twist the actual bike, which might crunch and crack and free things up... by twisting the actual bike itself while clamping the saddle post you're creating a massive amount nms of torque and putting yourself at a huge mechanical advantage over the fused hardware. Good luck.

Elena Simon-perez Thank you Gavin. I tried to twist the seat and I fell on the back wheel. I took it to the should and they managed to do r... read more

Thank you Gavin. I tried to twist the seat and I fell on the back wheel. I took it to the should and they managed to do remove it plus they also had to true the back wheel as I twisted it with my fall!

Gavin Turner Glad you managed to sort it! :)

Glad you managed to sort it! :)

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I don't drive, so if I didn't cycle I would rely on Public transport to get me to work, which is not always great. I do enjoy my 20 mile daily trip from Harlow to Ware PSC GSK site, even through Wi... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

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Gavin Turner That's a good length commute, and it really does wonders for conditioning/legs to keep rotating through the winter. Come su... read more

That's a good length commute, and it really does wonders for conditioning/legs to keep rotating through the winter. Come summer you'll be a machine! I too long for when I can trade the neoprene back in for something lighter and more breathable. Spring is just around the corner.

I struggled to exercise after cancer treatment as I would suddenly get tired and had to stop quickly. A Brompton bike was suggested so that I could just fold it up and get on a bus, in a taxi or on... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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Awesome ride to work this morning......clear roads, green lights, fresh air to clear the cobwebs! #lovetoride

Topic: My commute by bike

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Week off + Rain = Pain!
First ride in 11 days.

Topic: My commute by bike

2

Just a thought for those who are safety conscious about burglary and stalking.
If you use Strava go to your privacy settings and create a privacy zone around your home location- this will keep... read more

Topic: Other

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Tom Darville I agree and always horrified when people show events on Strava when on holiday basically telling everyone your house is emp... read more

I agree and always horrified when people show events on Strava when on holiday basically telling everyone your house is empty for a week or more.

Carvel Lonsdale Excellent point Tom!

Excellent point Tom!

Mozelle Langford Thank you for the great advice! Be safe out there!

Thank you for the great advice! Be safe out there!

Chris Wiffen Thanks for the tip, I've heard it mentioned just wasn't sure quite where to look for the setting.

Thanks for the tip, I've heard it mentioned just wasn't sure quite where to look for the setting.

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As part of "Team Speyside" within Moray Council I have thoroughly enjoyed the September cycling challenge.
Before the challenge I was an occasional cyclist. Paul, my husband, and I bought bike... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Anna Vince This is absolutely amazing to hear! Thank you so much for sharing, it has made my day :-D To go from not cycling much at a... read more

This is absolutely amazing to hear! Thank you so much for sharing, it has made my day :-D To go from not cycling much at all to cycling 65 miles in one day is seriously impressive, so I wish you all the best for your cycling "journey" - 75 miles will easily be in your grasp!

Sheila C Johnson Thanks Anna, frosty mornings are already here and the nights drawing in so may have to stick to my hilly commute for a whil... read more

Thanks Anna, frosty mornings are already here and the nights drawing in so may have to stick to my hilly commute for a while. Living so far north in Scotland doesn't make cycling easy, especially where I live. I shall continue to commute by bike for as long as it's safe to do so. Sheil

I thought my #Ride Anywhere Week was totally thwarted as the family went into 14 day self isolation. However I dusted down a 1994 Raleigh Pioneer that's lain idle since 1995(!) and cycled circuits ... read more

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

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Working in social services, have been flat out at work today, enjoyed my one and only exercise of the day, a tonic for a heavy day and the stresses of the current situation. Lovely views over the G... read more

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

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Andrew Mathers God bless you and your team (all angles)in gods eyes

God bless you and your team (all angles)in gods eyes

For the first time in a long time I had intended to cycle in and out of work everyday this week but with the office closed for the foreseeable I've swapped my commute for an early morning ride, lov... read more

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

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Doesn't matter where you are everywhere beyond your front door looks very inviting and appealing right now. We are all guilty of taking it for granted. As long as we respect and follow government a... read more

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

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I've just realised that since mid last December I haven't used my car at all for traveling to and from work or meetings. I have been using my cycle to work bike instead. I got the bike in May 18 bu... read more

Topic: Other

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With all that's going on, in terms of social distancing, staying at home and what have you, I decided to go out in the dark of the night. Car free, people free, just me and nature. It was a 1am rid... read more

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

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Who knew thinks could change so much in just a couple of months...

Today is Mothers Day but one is meant to keep away just in case...

So I cycled the 25mile round trip.. it is 6am... read more

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

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Cycling for me used to be all about pulling on the lycra and getting out on my sportive bike around the Yorkshire dales for a couple of hours or half a day. This is great fun and fantastic exercise... read more

Sometimes it's difficult to drag yourself out of bed first thing when the rain is lashing against the window and the car is sat on the driveway but it feels good to get the bike out and go #NoCarbo... read more

We've been using the bike to get to nursery and school for a while now, but this year I'm trying to hit 200 days of commuting by bike - not easy once you factor in holidays, work trips etc. So sinc... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

3

It's Winter, the weather is miserable, but despite that, I find myself pulling on my lycra, safety checking my bike and bracing myself to ride to work.

Chances are I'll get splashed by th... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

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#NoCarbon After months of cycling to and from work in the dark, the days are finally getting longer! No need for lights and the shorts can come out 😁

Topic: My commute by bike

3

#NoCarbon
I found a route that keeps me away from the traffic with a short off road section too! And so far my bike is 7lb lighter than when i started riding it...!
Happy cycling!

International Women's Day 2020
For International Women's Day 2020, I decided to set up a campaign to encourage more girls and women to cycle after the Love to Ride Cycle September statistics sh... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

3

Cycled to work as usual this morning. In the very heavy sleet. As I arrived at work a driver let me into the car park ahead of him, which I was obviously grateful for, a few seconds less in the sle... read more

On the 22 November I had an accident and ended up falling off my bike and seriously dislocating my Shoulder, I was amazed at how many people stopped to help me, cyclist, car drivers and pedestrians... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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My workplace I happily refer to as the stables, somedays it can feel like a chore getting out of that duvet on a Monday morning when your body is numb with physical pain! It is a 1000m walk for me ... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

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I'm not a big fan of riding in the cold/wet of winter, but invariably the early miles allow fitness to flow later in the year and enjoyment of riding in the summer months. This year, the early mile... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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A great tailwind and lots of cars stuck in traffic gave me a real smug feeling on this particular morning! I had to cover my face to hide a massive grin 😆 #winterwheelers

Topic: My commute by bike

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No frost this morning. No rain. No wind....just an almost silent bike on quiet roads, beautiful Westmorland country side and hardly any traffic. One of the best commutes I've had in ages. Great sta... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

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BEST RIDE EVER!
Today I followed my friend and colleagues advice and to a ride on his daily bike commute along the Taunton and Bridgwater canal.
Such a great ride.
Did an 8 mile roun... read more

Topic: My favourite place/route to ride

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In July as a group of four I cycled from Whitehaven to Sunderland in a day. Whilst having fun on my bike I chose to raise funds for a cause close to my heart - Fibromyalgia.
Today I had another... read more

Topic: Other

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There are not many things that can ruin the start to a day than a puncture on your commute to work. The rule of Murphy will tell you that these are most likely to happen in wet weather and therefor... read more

Topic: Other

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Tom Darville Question..how will tubless tyres stop you getting a puncture? and does a tubless tyre not make it harder to repair at the r... read more

Question..how will tubless tyres stop you getting a puncture? and does a tubless tyre not make it harder to repair at the road side?

Robert Clegg Hi Tom, firstly it's impossible to get a pinch flat from hitting a pot hole or similar as there's nothing to pinch. For tho... read more

Hi Tom, firstly it's impossible to get a pinch flat from hitting a pot hole or similar as there's nothing to pinch. For thorns or similar the tyres have sealant in which is supposed to immediately seal any run of the mill punctures. If the hole is too big then I still carry a tube just in case although because of the sealant this would be a little more messy than normal. I've not had to do this yet (fingers crossed).

Tom Darville I'm not convinced! I used to get on average almost 2 punctures per month having to cycle past a skip yard every day so I fi... read more

I'm not convinced! I used to get on average almost 2 punctures per month having to cycle past a skip yard every day so I fitted Schwalbe Marathons and now hardly ever get a puncture in fact only 1 in over 2 years and that was a nail going all the way through and out the side wall. Upside is it's normal tyre so none of the expense or mess and easy to repair if needed (I carry puncture kit and spare tube) Tom

Richard Beale Repairing punctures on a dark wet night. Part of the fun I thought.

Repairing punctures on a dark wet night. Part of the fun I thought.

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30 Sept 2019, East Devon, leaving work I thought no way can it continue to rain this hard for the entire eight mile ride home. How wrong was I? Biblical. So there’s me doing my bit to mitigate the ... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

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Robert Goodwin Who ever said life was fair!

Who ever said life was fair!

Paul Thomas I remember cycling across the Dikes in Holland on my way London to Amsterdam into a headwind. Just thought God please turn ... read more

I remember cycling across the Dikes in Holland on my way London to Amsterdam into a headwind. Just thought God please turn the wind off but he didn't for 2 days

Åsa Pamphilon I left the office on Tuesday, no sign of rain, when I came out from the changing room it was raining so hard that most sens... read more

I left the office on Tuesday, no sign of rain, when I came out from the changing room it was raining so hard that most sensible people would take cover. But I had to pedal through the rain to collect my son from school. Despite what I thought was good quality water proofing I still was soaking wet within 5 minutes or so..so basically I couldn't get more wet and thought never mind. It continued for the entire 25 minute ride. Any ride after that one will be better!

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Sent an email last week encouraging colleagues to have a go. Volunteered to bring in my tandem if anyone wanted to have a try on the back. So glad Peter took me up on it! Only 10 minutes round the... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride