Younger son may have been converted...

My older son gave up riding with me when I unveiled the second eight o'clock
on a Saturday to him :-) He originally expressed an interest in doing LEJOG
with me but the early morning demands of regular weekend rides killed the
notion after a few weeks. I suspect that he was more into the ability to
being able to have claimed to have done the ride than into doing the ride
itself. My younger son steadfastly refused to comeout with me as he always
claimed to have an unsuitable bike.

Having acquired a Carrera Subway bike that satisfies his needs - matt black
frame being a pre-requisite and being hybrid-ish in ability. He asked to
come out with me today on a ride that did not use busy roads and had a fair
amount of off-road riding that was not too flat which immediately excluded
using the canals around Leeds. I had confidence in his ability, he rode his
BMX bike on a daily basis - more often than not with a bass guitar strapped
to his back as he went off to practice with his pals' band.

I took him up to Sutton Bank and did a ride from the Philip's Cycle Tours
book for the North Yorks Moors. It was a nice 17 mile ride from Sutton Bank
visitors' centre, along the Cleveland Way to Kepwick Moor, over Little Moor
with a cracking descent past Arden Hall in into Hawnby. The descent was a
hit with Matthew, he'd not come across a descent so long and so steep. He
coped with the climb out of Hawnby far better than me but there again he's
50 % of my body weight. We rode past Murton Grange and joined a long lane
taking us back to Dialstone Farm and then onto the car park at the visitors'
centre.

Matthew seems to have been grabbed by the quitness of the roads - we saw
about twenty cars including some on sections of the ride that were clearly
signed 'unsuitable for motor vehicles' and the ability to go fast with
relative impunity though he was strtled by a few pheasants that flew across
his path.The scenery was pretty good with great views past Boltby Scar.

He's asked for another ride.

Great....

vernon wrote:

Matthew seems to have been grabbed by the quitness of the roads - we saw
about twenty cars including some on sections of the ride that were clearly
signed 'unsuitable for motor vehicles'

From my trail bike riding days, that sign can be read as "This Road Has Vehicular Rights But The Highway Authority Won't Spend Any Money on Maintaining It, So If You Come Down Here Don't Try Claiming On Us, Matey Boy..." so any vehicles on routes signed as "Unsuitable" are there legally.

Well done with the ride BTW - Can't wait until mine are old enough for real rides!!

bfn,

Tony B

vernon came up with the following;:

Matthew seems to have been grabbed by the quitness of the roads - we saw
about twenty cars including some on sections of the ride that were clearly
signed 'unsuitable for motor vehicles' and the ability to go fast with
relative impunity

.... and yet the cars are there perfectly legally. The 'unsuitable' bit
refers more to the amount of maintenance and/or the steepness/narrowness of
the road than it's legality for use by motor vehicles.

We try and find as many 'unsuitable for vehicles' roads as we can when we're
out driving, but for slightly different reasons than you do.

--
Paul ...
(8(|) Homer Rules ..... Doh !!!
ebay stuff 6802526343

Paul - xxx wrote:

We try and find as many 'unsuitable for vehicles' roads as we can when
we're out driving, but for slightly different reasons than you do.

Similarly, "unsuitable for loaded tourers" sections of NCN1 held no fear
for our loaded tourers last summer...

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/