Health and Fitness not Bikeability

The government's Bikeability scheme was in the news today with investment for training an extra 200,000 children.The bikeability website includes a page where you can find out if bikeability training is available in your area.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, from today, allow people aged 16 to 49 from Blackburn with Darwen to enjoy a wide range of free sports if they sign up for a free beeZ card. However, this does not extend to Bikeability, which is not on offer. Email health&fitness@blackburn.gov.uk for further information.

Hand Signals

Cyclists aren't the only road users to utilise hand signals. This is the local brewery dray. Thwaites have a long tradition of keeping shire horses. Their beers are mighty fine too.

No Waiting

As if..

Cyclinks #1

I keep reading cycling sites but forget to post about interesting stuff. This is an attempt to put that right. It's a collection of links related to cycling.

More singletrack
Lee Quarry near Bacup is another resource for MTB singletrack. Also reviewed on Singletrack and mentioned at BikeRadar. Check out some fresh vid from YouTube.

Manchester bike festival
The third I Bike MCR festival is starting the weekend after next. It entails three weeks running the full gamut of cycling events from bike art, races, social rides, parties through to bike pole, alley cat and critical mass rides. Sounds like if you cycle and live in Manchester, you need to be involved.

Even more singletrack
Over in the northeast, Hamsterley is to get 25km of bike trails.

Retail Misery

I cycle past the Roe Lee in Blackburn twice as part of my daily commute. This is the long straight on the A666, which is good for sustained speed given no car doors opening or cars jumping out of side roads. At speed, I have to focus on what's ahead, but going slower I look around more. The recent culvert repairs forced slower travel in this area because of the traffic lights. These have now gone and it is amazing how much more flowing my commute is again.

One thing I've noticed along this stretch is how the retail misery continues. In 2007 a glimpse of how bad things were down at the local shops showed many for sale or rent. Roe Lee is home to a significant number of retail outlets. Not only are many still for sale or rent, but some, which changed hands and accommodated new businesses, have since packed up and once more are empty. Any brief flicker of improvement seen by new businesses opening have been all but extinguished by the recession.


The Blue Diamond became the Eastern Delight but never looked like it had any customers. It has now closed.


Brittney's sandwich shop never seemed to be open when I passed in a morning so I never did pick up a lunchtime sandwich on my way to work. It's now up for sale.


This clothes shop also recently closed. On the other side of the road Nails4U is closed and the car dealership also.

On the flip-side, Tesco Express always appears busy.