Bleak midwinter

Overnight temperatures were in the region of -5C giving a hard frost this morning. Cycling has its advantages even on a freezing morning like today. I passed many motorists scraping frost off their windscreens or warming their cars up before they set off. No such preparations needed on the bike. This is when some of them find their cars missing altogether as opportunist thieves run off with them.



With my commute being short, I find the blood isn't circulating fast enough to prevent a bit of frost nip at the finger tips and toes. A couple of miles more and I think things would be different with everything warmed nicely, not unlike the first run of the day when skiing.

I took it a bit slower this morning, took wider lines around hazards and steered more gently where the roads were a bit icy. One worrying hazard on a morning like this is whether car drivers can see me properly. I saw a few this morning that hadn't got their windows cleared as they drove along peering through a hole in the ice in front of them hoping the demister would clear the screen as they went.



It's satisfying to have cycled up to this point in the winter. For the last couple of years I generally haven't commuted by bike in the couple of months before Christmas but have started around Christmas to get fit for skiing. It's nice because I'm already that much fitter from commuting four or five times weekly. It's also nice knowing that the days will be getting longer.

Trouble 't Mill

I set off through the frost this morning expecting drama. I'd heard on the radio that Bastfield Mill on Beech Street (the one with the really nice tarmac) had been the scene of a fire overnight. Apparently fire crews from local towns had been drafted in to tackle the blaze in the roof. As I cycled past there was no evidence of a fire so I carried on. There were a couple of official looking guys with clipboards, but nothing else. I guess the fire must not have been obvious from the street where I was. I saw Tom, who works there, who will often stop for a chat, talking at the neighbouring premises so I couldn't get a comment from him.

(I need a picture of Tom. He's famous for hauling Tom's Cart around the vicinity in days gone by. It's difficult to know what Tom's saying when he does chat but he's a really friendly fellow).

Roadworks week 14

I found it difficult to get a picture of the building site this week as the activity is all going on in the narrowest part where the single lane working is in operation. Things are happening and this week's turn of events is in fact a turn. The culvert opening is slowly moving toward Little Harwood so the direction is starting to head away from the road. This will be the final stretch as it joins the previously restored culvert from the other direction. On the other side, the main roof of the section over Knusden brook has been removed. The weather has been freezing all week.

Cycle man - Meet the 'Greens'

Driving my son to climbing recently, I noticed a large cycling related poster on a hording. I kind of took me by surprise as you don't tend to see large posters featuring people claiming to cycle to work. It showed 'Cycle Man' who states 'I cycle to work every day... What are you doing?'. At the bottom of the poster is the logo of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.

BwDC's website currently features on its front page, a link to 'Meet the Greens', one of which, is Cycle Man . The poster is part of a new environmental campaign by the council to raise awareness of how families living in the borough can make a difference to the environment. The initial posters are ficticous characters, but there will be a subsequent round of advertisements featuring real people from the borough. Anyone living in Blackburn with Darwen and doing something green can put themselves forward to be part of the next phase by sending a photograph and small description of themselves by 4th Jan 2008 to

theshuttle@blackburn.gov.uk

or

Freepost RRHY ZKBR BSLA,
Lucie McFall,
Communications and Marketing,
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council,
Town Hall,
King William Street
Blackburn
BB1 7DY

I would, but I don't live in Blackburn borough.

Sustrans bid wins £50m lottery money

Yeah! They, we, you did it! The Peoples £50m lottery give-away has been awarded to Sustrans' Connect2 scheme after capturing 42% of the votes.

BikeRadar summarises the areas to benefit. It is also covered in many other news articles.