In This Edition

The positive introduction to the last newsletter may have been somewhat premature.  We have come out of Lockdown 2 into Tier 3 restrictions, high winds, rain and now a smattering of snow.  The Forum’s rides to the end of the year, including our two Christmas rides, have been cancelled. Our Guided Rides and Events 2020 leaflets have been shredded but you can still get out on your bike for exercise and essential shopping.  Two loaves of bread or a packet of cereal will fit in a pannier but it will take more than one trip to stock up your wine cellar.

We have agreed with Wakefield MDC to lead a minimum of 50 guided rides in 2021 and four bike doctor sessions.

Details of all rides and bike doctor sessions will appear on our Facebook page. In all cases, booking is essential on info@cycling-wakefield.org.uk.  If a ride looks particularly popular, we may be able to call on additional ride leaders to enable a second ride to set off from the same point at an appropriately socially distanced interval if that is what next year’s rides require. 

As this year’s Christmas rides have had to be cancelled, why not enter into the Christmas spirit nevertheless, by dressing up in a festive manner, decorating you bike and just going out for a ride.  To inspire you, here is a photo from last year’s outing at Nostell, with the Christmas tree decorated by WDCF in the middle.

You could even choose to go out when the weather is good.  Not like this intrepid bunch in 2019, who braved rain, sleet and high winds just to bring some Christmas cheer to Castleford.  By the end of the ride, it was red noses all round, not just on Rudolph.

We did manage to fit in some rides before the shutters came down again. The government restrictions meant that the easy ride to Fairburn on the 10^th October was split into two groups.  This one on the right doesn’t have a tandem in it!  It was a lovely crisp morning with beautiful autumn colours and the rain didn’t start until after we got back to Castleford.

The second team diverted on their return journey for a brief fungus foray.  Only photos were taken so all, including the toadstools, survived intact.  Award yourself five points if you can identify the mycologist. Their name will be revealed in the next edition if enough people ask for it!

25 Miles for 70 Years

Barbara Phipps posted a request for sponsorship on WDCF’s Facebook page.  To celebrate her 70^th birthday, she was proposing to undertake a 25 mile cycle ride in aid of Children in Need, aiming to raise £500. 

The route was based on the Wonders of Wakefield circuit, with some additions/ diversions to suit the proposed mileage and to meet her support party/gang /family.

Our offer of company was accepted and the tandeming twosome duly turned up to meet Barbara at the New Inn in Walton on the 30^th October in good time for a 9 am start.

It was showery at times, with sunny intervals and small autumn gales.  Barbara’s Children in Need t-shirt mean we got smiles and cheerful waves along the route.  We encountered a cycle group from outside the area in the woods.  We explained our motivation for what was by then a muddy ride and, duly impressed, they kindly donated £20 from what was probably their beer money towards the cause.

After a photo stop at Nostell, we got back to the New Inn marginally later than planned, to learn that Barbara had reached her target.  It was a satisfying day all round.

Working Party and other efforts

Correspondence continues with WMDC concerning the Haw Park Wood access barriers, or rather the barriers to access. The council seems more concerned about the need to keep out troublesome, if rarely seen, motorcyclists than permitting easy access for cyclists on recumbent cycles, tandems, those with children on tagalongs, on tricycles or wheelchair users.  Writing only from a personal point of view, I would suspect that the more users of this type there are on cycle paths, the less attractive they become to budding scrambles riders.

WDCF had joined with Agbrigg and Bellevue Community Association to press for the provision of a shared use footway/cycleway from Oakenshaw Lane Walton to Montague Street Agbrigg along a section of the disused Barnsley canal.   The route is in a very strategically important area for Agbrigg in the development of cycling, with the flood alleviation scheme at the top of Montague Street offering a great beginners circuit.  The Community Centre nearby is a good spot to store bikes and host training sessions.  The proposed route is an area that needs safer cycling as the Neil Fox Way development has turned it into even more of a traffic cut-through.

A safety audit carried out by Leeds City Council Development Department raised some concerns which we believe we have been able to answer.  If some of the objections made were accepted, many of the cycle routes in the centre of Leeds and York would be threatened.

The pictures illustrate the before and after effects of some pruning and clearance by a WDCF working party, socially distanced at all times. If you would like to be involved in future working parties, which usually happen on Tuesday mornings, do email your details to info@cycling-wakefield.org.uk .  A man with a van or a woman with a trailer would be very useful, but we welcome all volunteers.

John Harvey

WDCF would like to provide a bench as a memorial to John Harvey, a very popular and likeable man and a keen and enthusiastic member of the forum, who died too soon on the 23^rd October 2017.

John was a gentleman: polite, honest, reliable, hard-working and always willing to help. He joined the forum in April 2012 and over the next five and a half years completed nearly 350 rides with us.  He didn’t just ride, however. John’s enthusiasm, willingness, persistence and hard work were unprecedented and his dedication to Wakefield District Cycle Forum was without equal. Ride leader, workday manager, logistics manager for our village events and odd-job-man, he never refused to help with any task the forum asked of him. And all done with a smile and often a wee bit of mischief.

Organisations like the Wakefield District Cycle Forum are built on individuals who give of their time and talents freely and unconditionally and we are lucky to have so many in our midst. John was a shining example: assisting or leading rides, bicycle repair man, encouraging new members, organising and leading workdays, transport manager- there weren’t many areas where he wasn’t involved. He loved helping people and all was done with a smile in that quietly calm and endearing manner.

There is not a corner of WDCF activity that John did not influence, but his contribution to our workgroup activities has proved to be irreplaceable.  When he died, cycling around our area, every filled-in pothole, every signpost, every newly surfaced stretch of cycle path and every reinforced canal towpath had his name written on it.  We try to carry on the work of improving and repairing the cycle infrastructure through our workgroup but, without John’s storage, transport, technical expertise, direction and organisation, it has proved a struggle.

The proposed bench would be more comfortable than that shown alongside, supporting John, our present chairman David Leigh, who met John on his first ride with us and spoke movingly at his funeral, and member Warren Miller.  We are hoping to site it next to the river Calder, in a spot easily accessible by bike, where riders can enjoy a flask of coffee or a swig from their water bottle and a few moments of quiet contemplation, or swap stories of past adventures. 

If you would like to make a contribution towards the cost of the memorial bench- perhaps you weren’t able to send flowers to the funeral-then we are proposing to open a Go Fund Me page for the purpose.  The address will appear on our Facebook page and will be emailed to members.

The first ride of 2021 will be a Steady Plus road ride from Darrington, starting at the Darrington Hotel car park at 10 am on Saturday 2^nd January.  Alastair Wilson will be leading the ride, with David Leigh backmarking. 

This is not a ride for novices and places will be very limited in light of Covid19 restrictions.  For those who do book via info@cycling-wakefield.org.uk, it will be an ideal opportunity to blow away the cobwebs and work off some of the Christmas calories

In This Edition

Readers will be overjoyed to hear that WDCF has at last been able to resume guided rides. We are taking it steady to begin with, concentrating on Easy Rides which focus on those just starting cycling, returning to it after a break, needing to build up their confidence or unfamiliar with the area. Rides are at present restricted to six people, including front and back markers, but the small number in the group does mean that the ride can be tailored more precisely to the needs and skills of the riders turning up.

You will know from our recent email that Steady Rides will be resuming in October from Darrington, Nostell and Castleford Mill and details of Easy and Steady Rides will appear on our Facebook page. In all cases, booking is essential on info@cycling-wakefield.org.uk. If a ride looks particularly popular, we may be able to call on additional ride leaders to enable a second ride to set off from the same point at an appropriately socially distanced interval! If you are driving to Nostell, you will need to book and pay for your parking in advance with the National Trust. Although existing National Trust members park free, they do still need to book. If you arrive on your bike there is of course no charge.

Your help is needed in stopping the installation of unnecessary barriers on Wakefield’s cycle network. One of the few positives to emerge from the Covid 19 lockdown is the increase in the number of people getting out on their bikes.

A knock-on effect from this saw local and national governments committing to do more to encourage people to cycle and walk. New cycle lanes sprang up in many towns and cities and more investment was promised for cycling infrastructure. Making life easier for cyclists will be at the heart of this new mindset. The Countryside Section of Wakefield Council is, however, bucking the trend.

Regular readers of this newsletter will recall Wakefield District Cycle Forum (WDCF)’s unsuccessful attempt in 2018 to halt the installation of a new gate at the Santingley Lane end of Anglers’ Lake.

Well, they are at it again and have installed a new gate at the entrance to Haw Park Woods. These gates are on the route of the Wakefield Wheel (the Wheel) and the Wonders of Wakefield (WoW) cycle trails, which are not only hugely popular with cyclists in the district but also attract visitors from all over the country.

The Wheel and WoW were featured in Wakefield Council’s recent publication highlighting the best attractions in the district which acknowledged the contribution WDCF made to their development. Since their inception, WDCF has worked hard, and largely successfully, to remove barriers on the trails.

The two reasons given by ‘Countryside’ for the installation of these gates are:

• ‘concerns raised by disabled users which highlighted that the ‘A’ frame barrier restricted access for them and their scooters – the barrier has had to be replaced with this more suitable kissing gate which allows them, along with all other legitimate users, access to the woodland.’
• ‘the persistent and significant problem of antisocial behaviour from motorcycles and quad bike users’

In actual effect, the installation of the gates at the Santingley Lane end makes it more difficult for disabled users as there was no barrier there before the installation of the gate and the simple removal of the A-frame at Haw Park Woods, which WDCF has been asking for, would have served disabled users better than a kissing gate. 

WDCF have asked for details of the instances of ‘the persistent and significant problem of antisocial behaviour from motorcycles and quad bike users’ but have been informed ‘we aren’t in a position to provide you with the additional information you have requested.’ You may wonder why? When WDCF asked for this information in 2018, Countryside were unable to provide it but information gained from the police indicated five instances of antisocial behaviour over a period of 2 years – hardly ‘persistent and significant’.

WDCF will continue its campaign to remove unnecessary barriers from all the cycle infrastructure in the district, but we need your help. You can do this by writing to Wakefield Council to complain about the erection of these gates and the persistent use of ‘A’ frames in a variety of widths. 

Please email customerservices@wakefield.gov.uk . Below is a sample email which you can adapt to your personal style and views: 

‘While most of the country seems to be accepting that cycling is something that needs to be encouraged and that cycle-friendly infrastructure is a good investment, Wakefield Council continues to waste money on barriers that deter cyclists. The latest example is a new gate at Haw Park Woods, on the route of two popular cycle trails. As far as I am aware this was installed without any consultation with cycle groups in the district and is contrary to Wakefield Council’s Cycling Policy and government guidelines. The A-frame that was in place previously was bad enough, but this new gate suggests that deterring cyclist is not a problem for Wakefield Council.’

Thanks for your help.

Of course, A-frames do not just affect cyclists. The picture alongside shows one on a footpath branching off the Dando Way bridlepath.

Walkers prefer to skirt round it rather than attempting to squeeze through and the gap is now filled with nettles and other weeds as the mowers can’t get near them. The flanges represent a health hazard for those with impaired balance or mobility and the structure as a whole is an eyesore and complete waste of taxpayers’ money.

Why do they do it?

Our first post lockdown ride took place on the 8th August from Castleford Mill. A select group of five set off along the canal to Fairburn Ings. The weather was lovely and the spring flowers which blossomed on our last ride had been replaced by shiny fat sloes and glistening blackberries. Although the café there was closed and we had to walk a short way through the RSPB reserve, the day was fine and all enjoyed the ride, which was a splendid introduction to WDCF for some of the group.

Nostell was the starting point for our next sortie. Those attending were split between those with electric assistance and the dinosaurs relying on pedal power alone.

Each group set off at different times and kept within the limit of six. We did cross fleetingly at the café at Anglers’ but proprieties were always observed.

Brambles, nettles and Himalayan balsam all attempted to encroach on the track and in places, the path was crunchy from fallen acorns.

The solitary non-leader/backmarker on our next Castleford ride received individual attention. This extended tour went out to the St Aidan’s reserve and on the way back took in routes through Castleford which most of the group were unfamiliar with.

The plethora of bottles lining the track next to the Aire after the spring floods seems to have been cleared although idiots continue to drop litter. The opportunity was taken to look at improvements to the cycle path near new housing developments and places where more work needs to be done.

We hope to inspire more members to join our next working party, details of which will appear on Facebook.

Having been thwarted by the covid restrictions in her attempt to thread her way through the tulips earlier this year, one of our more mature members (in years at least), Janet Taylor, decided that she would like to celebrate her 80th birthday by cycling 80 miles along the Bay Circuit from Barrow in Furness to Glasson Dock, Lancaster taking in Ulverston, Grange over Sands and Carnforth along the way.

She was joined on her enterprise by Cherry Oldham and Meg and Neville Andrews on their tandem.

The team stayed at hotels and bed and breakfasts along the way, breaking the journey into manageable chunks and allowing for some sightseeing en route.

The weather was perfect; dry and sunny with sufficient sea breezes to keep the riders comfortable. The first two days had some really steep climbs, reminding all parties that they were on the edge of the Lake District.

After a short diversion to view the fantastic topiary at Levens Hall, the group took a tour of Ulverston on foot for photo opportunities with the Laurel and Hardy statue commemorating Stan Laurel’s birth in the town.

They had a brief encounter at Carnforth Station, but the museum was closed.

When the party hit precisely 80 miles on the following day, streamers were let off to celebrate. The debris was of course then carefully collected up for later disposal. The group pressed on to the end of the ride which finished at Glasson Dock where, once again, the riders were able to find yet another willing bystander to take a photo of the group. Despite cropping, you may be able to spot some-one’s hand at the edge of one photo and the photographer’s shadow on another. 

Carrying luggage for a six day trip made the bikes much heavier than usual and all appreciated electric assistance. The journey actually took 92 miles, as we had to cycle back to the hotel in Lancaster from the Dock, so Janet doesn’t need to repeat the feat for another 12 years.

The ride made a pleasant break in good company and it was good to learn that carrying the equivalent of two small suitcases and a backpack is feasible, although I’m not sure we could manage a tent and sleeping bags too.

Personally, I think my next ‘mile for each year’ birthday ride will be celebrating our grandson’s 12th birthday, when no luggage will be required.

Has getting out on your bike ride kept you sane during lockdown? Have you tried out new routes and gone exploring while on furlough? Has the need to avoid so many children on bikes meant that you have travelled more widely than you usually manage or have you ridden out with a line of grandchildren strung out behind you like ducklings?

Send your Covid Cycling stories and photos to info@cycling-wakefield.org.uk and you may feature in our splendid Christmas edition.