Look,I can put photos on now thanks to help from James. This is my bike but I hope to put more interesting pics on once I get to take some good ones. 

It was very cold today so only a light ride round the locality. My new windproof bright yellow jacket came today so I will really look the part now.

Good night.

What a foul day, unrelenting, cold driving sleet, if you think I'm going out cycling in this you are wrong. I have the Wii Fit to keep me in the peak of condition and while it might not be ideal preparation for real cycling at least it is warm and dry. At this point anyone thinking I am a wimp is entirely correct but I did play Hockey this morning which was great fun, on my way home I passed a couple of blokes out on their bikes and they looked profoundly miserable so feel justified in staying in.

I went round by my old place of work (Greenfoot Elderly Persons Home) this afternoon, demolition has commenced and it looks very sad reduced to rubble, however it does mean progress is being made towards the new Extra Care scheme that should be completed in the summer or autumn of 2014.

Tomorrow I will ride out.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that after two hours on the road a cyclist is in need of a good meal. So it was for me today as I took a southerly route via Rathmell, Wigglesworth, Paythorne, Bank Newton and Gargrave. The Anchor Inn at Gargrave tempted me in for Fish and Chips (it is Friday) then putting my life at the mercy of the various lorries, vans and cars on the A65 made it to Hellifield where I had intended to purchase some of the excellent potted meat made at the butchers there. Alas the shop was closed so I continued my journey off the main road returning via Wigglesworth and Rathmell again.

I had further contact with the loan company who spotted someone pretending to be me and it seems this fraudster knows rather more about me than is comfortable, time to beef (or horse) up my security. If the person responisible is someone I know and is reading this, not only am I disappointed in you, I will find out who you are and I will express my disappontment in ways I might later regret.

Tomorrow I deserve a rest from heavy cycling, some light dusting I think.

Great day for a bike ride round by the great centres of population of north craven, Eldroth, Newby, Clapham, Austwick and Helwith Bridge.
It was very cold though, icy sheets across the road in places although the gritters had been out and my ride was accompanied by the the sound of salt pinging off the spokes and mudguards.
Two pairs of gloves and still my fingers were stiff with cold, downhill bits were exciting with a bracing icy blast freezing my ears and making my eyes water.
Spent some time this afternoon on the phone regarding a fraudulent application for a pay day loan made in my name by some dishonest scoundrel, fortunately the loan company suspected it was bogus so I don't have the hassle of recovering any money but it is worrying that someone is pretending to be me (they must be desperate) and annoying to have to spend time sorting it out.
Bought tickets to go and see Moishes Bagel later this month, a great band that play wonderful music infused with all sorts of influences such as klesmer, jazz and folk look them up on youtube and google, better still see them live at Settle Victoria Hall Sunday 24th February.

Today is beautifully sunny so having now got my hybrid bike I went for a ride. Headed south and flew along like a proper cyclist. it wasn't until I turned round that I realised my rapid outward journey was not a result of increased muscle power but the wind at my back. Felt a right fool struggling to pedal along the flat into the teeth of an icy wind, my return journey took more than twice as long as the outward. Clearly lots more work to do.

I have now got a rather flash smart phone device that will enable me to update my blog wherever I have a mobile signal, it has a camera, maps and weather applications but best of all Angry Birds (is it legal or safe to play games on a phone whilst cycling ?). This thing is so clever and I am so dim it will take me some time and alot of patient instruction from my son to figure out how to get a picture from the phone onto the blog page, I am working on it.

So there I was happily imagining training for my ride in beautiful early spring sunshine, birds singing, buds forming and snow drops blooming as I bowl along country lanes waving to friendly farmers and stopping for refreshment at a wayside inn. Wake up today to cold north wind and snow. I hope I am not a fair weather cyclist but wind is not a friend to two wheeled transport.
I have looked at the monthly outlook on the BBC weather page, looks like winter is with us into March and I shall have to man up and get out there regardless.
Today I will seek out the device necessary to blog on the road (that sounds disgusting but you know what I mean).

Today I start 23 weeks of leave from work and am both excited and apprehensive.
There is so much about work I will miss, e.g. the people I work with and the money. There is so much about work I won't miss, e.g. the awful building and the tyranny of computer systems.

For a long time I have believed it would do most people good to take a portion of retirement at a time of their choosing (after say 20 years of work) to go off and do things while still fit and well enough. I won't be able to retire until I am 67 and whilst I am confident that I will still be relatively fit then I am not sure I will be up to cycling 3000 miles (I might not be already!), so I decided to do it now and my employer (bless them) have allowed me the leave.

Having announced to everyone that I am going to do this bike ride I guess I had better get on with it. My work colleagues have given me a generous voucher to spend at the local bike shop so I think some padded cycling shorts and a good windproof, waterproof, lightweight hi-vis jacket are top of the shopping list. Oh and a bike of course.