The live blog will be back in some (possibly slightly hungover) form next week... until then put your feet up, pour yourself a glass of something nice, and stuff your face with all that glorious grub to burn off in the new year!
Merry Christmas!
Right on cue...
What did they want in Britain's woodland in winter?
— Back Again (@trollornotto) December 22, 2023
Thank you, Brednan...(had to triple check that spelling)...
If my experience of Aberdeenshire is anything to go by, these routes are not much less of a quagmire in the spring, summer or autumn.
— Brednan Gavrin (@Brendan_garvin) December 22, 2023
Hirsute checked the "rest of the route I could have taken on Google Maps. Goes to a quiet road, that then has a bridleway. However, the images showed the next section was as muddy. Summer only."
Apologies to Chrisonabike for 'correcting' his earlier comment, now I see why you spelt it Notional Cycle Network... onwards with the tales of NCN disappointment...
Bob Bending: "We used some riding from home up to Harwich for the ferry. In the summer the biggest problem was overgrowth – nettles and brambles, but I could imagine some stretches being a muddy nightmare in winter."
Will Rogers: "I tried to take NCN51 years ago. Suddenly took me down a hill on fairly sandy soil mixed with sharp flints. Had to walk and pray I didn’t get a puncture. Have avoided their routes ever since."
Rod Spurrier: "The NCN is a signposted aspiration. It needs a real effort to take it to a standard where it can be used by a fully-laden touring bike at the very least. otherwise, it's useless."
Rodney Forster: "Looks like Scarborough to Whitby, but could be any part of out national superhighway NCN1."
Nothing unusual I'm afraid... https://t.co/ZF9T0vpQdZ
— @2_Wheeled_Wolf @ mastodon.social 🇪🇺 (@2_Wheeled_Wolf) December 22, 2023
A cautionary tale from the live blog comments section. road.cc reader Hirsute had "decided to try a cycle route today as I had lots of time". Who knows? Perhaps this National Cycle Network offering would become a new traffic-free favourite of theirs — accessible, practical and a pleasant escape from the road network? Ah...
Another one for the collection of official cycle routes unusable in winter unless you're a mountain biker. As much as anything this post will be a great starting point for all your snaps of local mudfests...
"Gave up after 40m of NCN 1. Utterly appalling — there are better routes in Dutch small towns," Hirsute commented.
Fellow live blog regular Chrisonabike agreed: "What kind of bugs me is not so much that 'cycling' still mostly equates to 'recreation' for the powers that be (when they think of it at all). It's that even that 'recreation' is qualified [...] so it's 'narrow footpath down a muddy track/round the garages at the back of a chocolate-and-glitter-path estate'.
"I know that this is the National Cycle Network (being charitable here — an amazing effort to somehow stitch together some kind of continuous routes across the UK). I know that 'but nobody cycles'. It's the vicious cycle we have to break out of (for any change) — somehow...
"Meanwhile other countries not only have a network for actually getting around everywhere — just like the roads. They also have much better-quality 'narrow paths in the countryside' for recreation also! Heck — they signpost these with the intention that people will ride to the ride!"
And while I'm sure this post will get the usual cries of 'oh, but that's nothing, we'd be grateful for a path that clear', the underlying point is more about the wider state of off-road (and road for that matter) routes for cyclists and walkers in the UK. If a seasoned rider from the road.cc live blog comments section is put off, think about how a family trying to make more journeys by bike might feel.
This will be a scene repeated up and down the country no doubt, for example NCN4 which Miller reports is a canal towpath that "looks just like that, and worse, with the added amusement of threatening you with an unguarded deep cold canal".
It's only Alan Shearer! lan and Trevor are delighted to hand over our final bike of the year. Lovely to see Alan upgrading from his Gen1 V+1 to the latest V+1 Gen2 in Blue stone.
A great way to end a busy year before we head off for Christmas lunch. #vielo#nufcpic.twitter.com/7TxhtgVWqS— Vielo Sports (@VieloSports) December 22, 2023
> Footballers who cycle XI — the Premier League stars who love life on two wheels
While we're on the subject...
> Video: road.cc crash tests the Hövding 2.0 Airbag for urban cyclists
Australian-based platform for coaching and training, Today's Plan, will close in the new year, the company has announced. The programme was bought by Specialized in 2019 and offered a platform similar to TrainingPeaks. In a letter to users, shared by DC Rainmaker, Today's Plan announced that "due to many factors we must cease operations as of 12 March 2024".
"This decision was not made lightly, and we understand the impact it may have on you. Please know this was an incredibly difficult choice, and we explored every possible avenue before reaching this conclusion," the letter continued.
[Zac Williams/SWpix.com]
A brief statement from the UCI to confirm the news:
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has taken note of the agreement reached between Belgian rider Cian Uijtdebroeks, his current team Bora-Hansgrohe (GER) and his future team, Team Visma | Lease a bike (NED).
Having received the documentation relating to the agreement, and in compliance with the rules in force (cf. Art. 2.15.121 of the UCI Regulations), the UCI confirms that Cian Uijtdebroeks is authorised to join the Dutch team from the coming season.
A situation you suspect all parties will be glad to be leaving in 2023...
We did it!! We cycled up Everest, all 8848m of it on a classic Raleigh chopper while dressed as Santa!! Another absolutely brilliant day but Santa is very tired now! Thank you so much for all of your fantastic support - more stats to follow. You can still donate to help us help… pic.twitter.com/dTPtnpJoEp
— Cyclists Fighting Cancer (@CyclistsvCancer) December 21, 2023
As mentioned earlier in the week, the team from Cyclists Fighting Cancer, a charity to support children with cancer getting into cycling, has undertaken (and now COMPLETED) a monster challenge for any cyclist — an Everesting. Not only an Everesting, but an Everesting in a Santa suit, on Raleigh Choppers...
The hill reps have all been worth it, the fundraising target of £1,000 smashed over on Just Giving, the current total standing at £1,775. Chapeau to everyone involved!
[Luis Angel Gomez / SprintCyclingAgency©2023/ASO]
Praise the lord, a Christmas miracle has occurred. We can finally stop talking about Cian Uijtdebroeks' departure from Bora-Hansgrohe to Visma-Lease a Bike. The most protracted transfer saga of the off-season has reached its inevitable conclusion — a mutual termination of the Belgian's contract.
> Cian Uijtdebroeks quick to slam Bora-Hansgrohe for "out of order" Specialized TT bikes
Bora team boss Ralph Denk released a statement, two-thirds of which were the usual PR-friendly transfer commenting... "Today is a day of mixed feelings. I was surprised to be approached on short notice with the desire to reach an agreement. But it's well known that I'm open to talks and that I won't stand in the way of a transfer if the conditions are right, and if it's done according to the rules. That was the case three weeks ago and it was the same today.
[Pauline Ballet/ASO]
"I am pleased that the dust has finally settled, and that the case is now closed. The agreement shows that it's never too late for a reasonable, personal discussion. I would like this case to remain an isolated incident for the entire cycling family: Let's respect contracts and rules, let's be fair with each other."
The final paragraph, however, touches on the biggest talking point — the allegations heard in the Belgian press that Uijtdebroeks was the victim of bullying during his time with Bora. Denk continued: "Above all, I stand behind my team. When false accusations are made against our riders, a line is crossed. To be clear: these accusations did not come from Cian. They were never voiced to us by Cian as a reason to change teams."