March 2017
8 | Cycling World
ED ' s LETTER
March 2017
This is the time of year that I get the cyclist ’ s equivalent of itchy feet . I am reluctant to say what part of my anatomy is equivalently itching , as I ’ m sure you get the idea . The cause is having already watched two Grand Tours . May saw a thrilling Giro d ’ Italia with stages linking snow-capped mountains and sandy beaches . July hosted a breathtaking Tour starting just over the Channel in cyclingfriendly Normandy . Now the delights of August will be sun-drenched with a predominantly arid Veulta a Espana and an exotically humid Olympics ; both harsh reminders of what a wet summer we are having .
Thankfully the UK ’ s longer days and slightly warmer temperatures do facilitate more bike riding , though I have been experiencing the greatest use of both waterproofs and tyre levers so far this year . Kent is flint country , rain washes it onto the road and no tyre , however many words like plus , proof or skin are added , can resist this Palaeolithic cutting tool .
No matter , it is the holiday season and this must be embraced . When the children start to climb the curtains or get lost in their own PC World- Project Catatonia- it ’ s time to consider Project Catalonia . Bike touring could be your salvation .
A tour could be an unvisited area of the UK , even just for the weekend . Tags and trailers make the transportation of family members not only possible , but dragging all the weight uphill is great training for that late summer sportive . Bikes can be taken on trains and it gets easier once across the Channel . If a more distant location is desired , bikes can be boxedup on planes or hired on arrival .
Don ’ t let the summer slip by as you watch highlights from places that are cycling paradises while the children reenact physical activity on a screen . Get out there- whatever the weather .
" Thanet Road Club has no pitch , no square , no stadium , no clubhouse . We meet at bus stops , slip roads , car parks , rented tracks . But we are all over Thanet and beyond in East Kent- on the A roads , B roads , minor roads , tracks and paths . Our history is tucked away in photo albums under beds , scrapbooks at the bottom of sideboards , boxes of trophies stuffed away in garages , medals packed away in the loft . There is a risk it all ends up getting thrown away .”
David Robert , film director , in a note to the production company , 5.7.15 .