English Lake District

by Paul Graveson, European Sales & Marketing Manager



Living in the Beautiful Kent countryside near the South coast of England I have few excuses for not getting out into the great outdoors, although my burgeoning middle age spread tells a different story! However, my first blog for Kryptonite takes me back to my roots in the North West of England...

Two or three times a year I get together with a few of my old mates from 'up-North' to do some walking, biking and a little drinking in the English Lake District! Due to work commitments (yes I do), I've missed the last few outings with the Lakeland dogs (my mates). So arriving in Ambleside, a small town on banks of Lake Windermere, was pleasant and warming feeling - I'll try not to get too poetic just yet.

Due to the long drive I arrived late, checked into my hotel and then set off the Drunken Duck pub. Now for those of you who don't know this part of the world we are talking about a unique piece of heaven on earth, pristine countryside, quaint pubs, lots of sheep and... lots of rain!

Believe me, the rain only serves to buff the sparkling-green terrain so that when the sun does arrive you can take a deep breath and feel at one with the world.

On arriving at the Drunken Duck the early birds where already out and about on their mountain bikes, the real workers had a pint and contemplated which curry house we would be frequenting that evening...

Meet Spike & Baldric (Mike & Sean to their Mothers). They are both bankers, really, & while the rest of us are consumed by the effect of the sub-prime market, they're out on their bikes - who's steering the flippin ship!?

After a bite to eat & a pint of England's finest bitter, we set off into the wilderness, onward and upward toward Helvelyn. Now I need some leeway here because it rained so much we didn't actually do much of a climb and just ended up doing a lowland walk around Grasmere & Rydal Water (look-up Wordsworth if you want to get poetic). Still it was good fun, the company was great and the heart warmer for the effort.

Yes, I've noticed too, the The Lakeland Dogs do have a penchant for blue!

Chipps Chippendale, the editor of Singletrack Magazine, was my inspiration for this blog post. After reading his magazine for the first time I realised that you could be over 40, enjoy an odd drink with your mates and still be part of the action sports world, power to your elbow Chipps!

My next blog will take us away from cycling to the world of five-a-side football, the football where you use your feet - OK, if you must, 'soccer!', and the epic journey of the 'Real Stars' soccer team & their quest for mediocrity.

See ya soon

Paul

Cyclists Win Lottery in UK!

As we mentioned last month, the lottery system was giving away £50 million to an initiative that would change the way people live. The winner will be announced on live television in the UK, but both BikeBiz and BikeRadar are reporting that the winner is Sustrans Connect 2 project.

Bravo! Here's a little blurb about the project. Can't wait to watch the progress!


"Connect2 is a UK-wide project that aims to improve local travel in 79 communities by creating new walking and cycling routes for the local journeys we all make every day.

By building bridges and crossings over busy roads, rivers and railway lines, Connect2 will get people to the places they want to go. Each crossing will link to a network of walking and cycling routes, taking you to your schools, shops, work and green spaces. Connect2 will also bring people closer together, making journeys quicker and more convenient and leaving more time to spend with family and friends.

Around 6 million people live within a mile of a Connect2 project. Each one will change the lives of people of all ages – from cyclists and leisure walkers to commuters and schoolchildren, as well as elderly people and wheelchair users – everyone will have a better quality of life thanks to Connect2."

UK Cyclists - Connect2 Needs Your Vote

As I was buzzing through some sites this morning to get my brain going after a 4-day weekend, I came across some exciting news on the BikeBiz site. There is a lottery give away in England that the people can vote for - what's the prize? 50 million pounds (as in money, but I can't find the symbol here in blogger...hmmm). Who gets it? Not an individual, but an initiative that will change the way people live for the better.

From what I can tell, the lottery sytem in England is giving away this boat load of money to one of four different initiatives. The finalists are: Black Country Urban Park, Sherwood: The Living Legend, Eden Project: The Edge and Sustrans' Connect2.

All are great projects, but the Connect2 is one that all cyclists in the UK should get online and vote for. You can read more about the project on the summary page, but here is a little exerpt:

"Connect2 is a UK-wide project that aims to improve local travel in 79 communities by creating new walking and cycling routes for the local journeys we all make every day.

By building bridges and crossings over busy roads, rivers and railway lines, Connect2 will get people to the places they want to go. Each crossing will link to a network of walking and cycling routes, taking you to your schools, shops, work and green spaces. Connect2 will also bring people closer together, making journeys quicker and more convenient and leaving more time to spend with family and friends.

Around 6 million people live within a mile of a Connect2 project. Each one will change the lives of people of all ages – from cyclists and leisure walkers to commuters and schoolchildren, as well as elderly people and wheelchair users – everyone will have a better quality of life thanks to Connect2."

Voting started today and continues through noon December 10. You can also vote via phone, if you'd like. You can spread the word about your favorite project in a number of ways, including imbedding images into your Facebook page.