Hedgehog Cycling

Haigh Sets Out Vision for Integrated National Transport Strategy

28th November 2024

Leeds Civic Hall
Leeds Civic Hall, by Mark Stevenson, CC BY-SA 2.0

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh today set out her vision for an Integrated National Transport Strategy for England, in a speech at Leeds Civic Hall.

What were the main points, and what does it mean for cycling?

Read about Haigh Sets Out Vision for Integrated National Transport Strategy.

HedgehogCycling Newsletter



Mountain Bike Rides in the Yorkshire Dales

Mountain Bike Rides in the Yorkshire Dales
Mountain Bike Rides in the Yorkshire Dales

Find out more about Mountain Bike Rides in the Yorkshire Dales.

Buy Mountain Bike Rides in the Yorkshire Dales at £8 + P&P.

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Hedgehog Cycling Shop

Bike Rides in the Yorkshire Dales

Bike Rides in the Yorkshire Dales
Bike Rides in the Yorkshire Dales

New in 2023, Bike Rides in the Yorkshire Dales is available in colour paperback.

Find out more about Bike Rides in the Yorkshire Dales.

Buy Bike Rides in the Yorkshire Dales at £10 + P&P.

Bike Rides In and Around York

Bike Rides In and Around York
Bike Rides In and Around York

The York book in the series of Hedgehog Cycling Guides is available in paperback.

Find out more about Bike Rides In and Around York.

Buy the colour paperback for £10 + P&P or the black & white paperback at £6.95 + P+P.

Bike Rides in Harrogate and Nidderdale

Bike Rides in Harrogate and Nidderdale cover
Bike Rides in Harrogate and Nidderdale

Bike Rides in Harrogate and Nidderdale is now available in paperback and ebook.

Find out more about Bike Rides in Harrogate and Nidderdale.

Buy the paperback for £10 + P&P or the ebook at £6.99.


Latest News & Articles

Design Work Continues on A59 Knaresborough Road Cycle Path Missing Link

23rd November 2024

A59 Knaresborough Road cycle path
A59 Knaresborough Road cycle path

Design work is continuing on the missing link in the A59 Knaresborough Road cycle path, and on one of the Cycle Infrastructure Plan routes.

Will any of it ever result in any on-the-ground improvements?

Read about Design Work Continues on A59 Knaresborough Road Cycle Path Missing Link.

Active Travel England Scheme Inspections

20th November 2024

Active Travel England scheme inspections
Active Travel England scheme inspections

Active Travel England have published their scheme inspection procedure - how they look at completed schemes and decide if they are compliant or not.

How does the system work?

Read about Active Travel England Scheme Inspections.

YNY Mayor to Appoint an Active Travel Commissioner

13th November 2024

York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith
David Skaith, Mayor of York & North Yorkshire

Mayor of York & North Yorkshire David Skaith has set out his Vision and Priorities for the region, and says that he intends to appoint an Active Travel Commissioner.

What else does he say about sustainable transport?

Read about YNY Mayor to Appoint an Active Travel Commissioner.

Tour de France 2025 Route Announcement

29th October 2024

Col de la Madeleine
Col de la Madeleine, by Anthospace, CC BY-SA 3.0

The routes of the men's and women's Tours de France 2025 were announced today, in a strung-out presentation.

Where will cycling's elite be riding in July and August next year?

Read about Tour de France 2025 Route Announcement.

Paying for Driving: Is Doing Nothing an Option?

25th October 2024

Greener Transport Council Futures Wheel
Greener Transport Council Futures Wheel, paying for driving

How we pay for driving is a thorny issue, but with the transition to electric vehicles fuel duty is on its way out.

What would the consequences be of doing nothing, and what are the options?

Read about Paying for Driving: Is Doing Nothing an Option?

Swapfiets Survey Shows 90% too Scared to Cycle in UK Cities

18th October 2024

Cycling in London in the evening
Cycling in London, by future shape, CC BY 2.0

90% of respondents to a survey for Swapfiets said they are too scared to cycle in UK cities.

What are the main reasons people give for being frightened to ride a bike in an urban area?

Read about Swapfiets Survey Shows 90% too Scared to Cycle in UK Cities.


UK Cycling News

Countdown to the next General Election

The clock counts down to the start of election day, 4th July 2024. We need change.

Transport in Oxfordshire - the Big Picture

14th October 2024

Person cycling in Oxford
Cycling on St Giles, Oxford, by Basher Eyre, CC BY-SA 2.0

Oxfordshire is leading the way with forward-looking transport policies which reduce car-dependence.

What did the Cabinet Member for Transport tell the local paper about the big picture?

Read about Transport in Oxfordshire - the Big Picture.

Fragment of Scarborough to Whitby Cinder Track Being Resurfaced

6th October 2024

Newly resurfaced Cinder Track
New Flexi-Pave surface on the Cinder Track

A fragment of the Scarborough to Whitby Cinder Track is being resurfaced.

Where is the work taking place, and what surface is being put in?

Read about Fragment of Scarborough to Whitby Cinder Track Being Resurfaced.

Our Changing Travel Post-Pandemic

1st October 2024

Our Changing Travel, willingness to change for environmental reasons
Our Changing Travel 2023

Our Changing Travel 2023, published by the DfT, analyses post-pandemic transport trends via an online survey.

What do respondents say about their willingness to change the way they travel for environmental reasons?

Read about Our Changing Travel Post-Pandemic.



Harrogate Cycling

Redwings 'not British enough' - rabbits | Area 6 active travel requests | Close passes on Beech Grove | Bad driving in Harrogate

Oatlands Drive and Wetherby Road Crossings Delayed Again

14th October 2024

Junction of Slingsby Walk and Oatlands Drive
Junction of Slingsby Walk and Oatlands Drive

The long-awaited crossings of Oatlands Drive and Wetherby Road have been delayed again, as North Yorkshire Council carries out its work at a snail's pace.

What has the council been doing in 2024?

Read about Oatlands Drive and Wetherby Road Crossings Delayed Again.

What North Yorkshire Told Active Travel England vs the Reality

4th October 2024

Pannal Ash Road, Harrogate
Pannal Ash Road

North Yorkshire's active travel schemes exist in a twilight zone, where they are simultaneously happening in theory but not happening in practice.

What did the council tell Active Travel England about a new 20mph zone, and what is the reality?

Read about What North Yorkshire Told Active Travel England vs the Reality.

Victoria Avenue TRO Published

18th September 2024

Zebra Crossing on Victoria Avenue
Zebra crossing on Victoria Avenue

A Traffic Regulation Order has been advertised for North Yorkshire's proposed changes to Victoria Avenue.

Originally, the Active Travel Fund 2 was to pay for four flagship cycling schemes; now there are none, just the somewhat pathetic Victoria Avenue pedestrian plan.

Read about Victoria Avenue TRO Published.


York Cycling

York's Transport Strategy Implementation Plan is Fizzing with Ideas

24th September 2024

How we will travel in York
How we will travel in York, trips per day

York's draft Transport Strategy Implementation Plan is fizzing with ideas.

How does the old Roman and Viking city plan to change the way people get around in the next two years?

Read about York's Transport Strategy Implementation Plan is Fizzing with Ideas.

Framework for York's Movement and Place Plan

23rd September 2024

Movement and Place
Movement and Place graphic, by PJA

The City of York has received a report advising it on a framework for a Movement and Place Plan.

What should the plan say?

Read about Framework for York's Movement and Place Plan.

Labour's David Skaith Elected Mayor of York & North Yorkshire

3rd May 2024

York & N Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith
York & North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith

Labour's David Skaith is the first York & North Yorkshire Mayor.

He was elected today with 66,761 votes. How does that compare to the other candidates?

Read about Labour's David Skaith Elected Mayor of York & North Yorkshire.


Hedge-Blog

Time Savings for Cars not Treated as a Benefit in Welsh Transport Schemes

16th September 2024

Lee Waters promoting 20mph
Lee Waters promoting 20mph, by GOV.WALES, Open Government Licence v3.0

When assessing transport schemes in Wales, journey time savings for private car users are no longer considered as a benefit.

Former Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport Lee Waters explains how, as well as strategies and plans, the system needs to be re-wired in order to produce meaningful change.

Read about Time Savings for Cars not Treated as a Benefit in Welsh Transport Schemes.

Mind the Carbon Gap

24th November 2023

Mind the Gap
Mind the Gap, public domain image

Current government transport decarbonisation policy is not enough to achieve the UK's climate goals. There is a carbon gap.

A new report called Bridging the Gap highlights this problem. What solutions do the authors suggest?

Read about Mind the Carbon Gap.

Explaining Dangerous Driving in Autumn

22nd November 2023

Dangerous driver in Autumn
Dangerous driver in Autumn

In Autumn motor vehicles and their drivers become a bigger deterrent than usual to utility cycling.

Which of three theories best explains dangerous driving in Autumn?

Read about Explaning Dangerous Driving in Autumn.


Europe

82% of Fietsdeal Utrecht Users Cycle Every Day

22nd December 2023

Fietsers Utrecht
Fietsers Utrecht, by Sebastiaan ter Burg, CC BY-SA 2.0

A subsidised bike scheme called Fietsdeal is proving to be effective in enabling low-income Utrecht residents to get around by bike.

How much does the Fietsdeal cost, and what are the results of a survey of subscribers?

Read about 82% of Fietsdeal Utrecht Users Cycle Every Day.

Emerging Dutch Cycle Highway Network

11th October 2023

F35 Cycle Highway
F35 Fietssnelweg, by Steven Lek, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Dutch have built 62 long-distance Cycle Highways, out of a planned total of 326.

What are the characteristics of these routes, and are they achieving modal shift?

Read about the Emerging Dutch Cycle Highway Network.

Paris Mayor Celebrates 40% Less Traffic and Pollution

30th August 2023

Bicycle in front of a bakery in Paris
Bicycle in front of a Parisian bakery, by besopha, CC BY 2.0

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo yesterday celebrated the French capital's achievement in reducing traffic and air pollution by 40%. How long did the reduction in foul air take, and what are the health consequences?

Read about the Paris Mayor Celebrates 40% Less Traffic and Pollution.


Hedgehog Guides

Bell Busk Bumble Mountain Bike Ride

6th September 2023

Stone Waymarker at Weets Gate
Stone waymarker at Weets Gate

The Bell Busk Bumble mountain bike ride is a pleasant loop starting and finishing at Gargrave.

It won't take your breath away, not metaphorically at least, but it's a nice bumble through the countryside and good exercise.

Read about Bell Busk Bumble Mountain Bike Ride.

Langstrothdale Chase Mountain Bike Ride

23rd August 2023

Approaching Greenfield Woods, Langstrothdale Chase
Approaching Greenfield Woods

The Langstrothdale Chase mountain bike ride is 20.5 miles, starting and finishing at Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

It's medium distance with plenty of climbing, and explores one of the remoter parts of the Yorkshire Dales.

Read about the Langstrothdale Chase Mountain Bike Ride.

Bowderdale Classic Mountain Bike Ride

16th August 2023

Riding the Bowderdale Classic
Bowderdale Classic

The Bowderdale Classic is a 24.5 mile mountain bike ride in the Howgill Fells. It starts and finishes in Sebergh.

Visit Sedbergh say it's not for the faint-hearted, and that's accurate.

Read about the Bowderdale Classic Mountain Bike Ride.

Around Pen-y-Ghent Mountain Bike Ride

7th August 2023

Track climbing out of Littondale
Track above Littondale

This 18.5 mile mountain bike ride loops around Pen-y-Ghent.

It takes in Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Litton. There's nice scenery and the tracks are generally decent quality.

Read about Around Pen-y-Ghent Mountain Bike Ride.

Settle Clapham Loop Cycle Route

31st July 2023

Road sign near Eldroth
Road sign near Eldroth

The Settle Clapham Loop Cycle Route takes you from Settle via Austwick to Clapham. The return is by Clapham Station, Eldroth and Giggleswick.

In Summer, you can enjoy the Settle Flowerpot Festival too.

Read about Settle Clapham Loop Cycle Route.

Grassington, Halton Gill, Malham & Cracoe Road Cycling Route

Updated 7th March 2023

River Wharfe at Conistone
Wharfe at Conistone

A road cycling route starting and finishing at Grassington. It takes in Malham Tarn and Cove, and returns to Grassington via Airton and Cracoe.

Read about Grassington, Halton Gill, Malham & Cracoe Road Cycling Route.


Sustrans Slow Tour of Yorkshire

Stage 1, Roundhay Park to Temple Newsam

Wyke Beck Way
Start of the Wyke Beck Way near Roundhay Park

This urban route along the Wyke Beck Way, follows Wyke Beck and goes through parks and greener areas within Leeds, as well as some housing estates. It takes you from Roundhay Park to Temple Newsam.

Read about Stage 1, Roundhay Park to Temple Newsam.

Stage 2, Garforth to Woodlesford

Woodlesford Lock
Woodlesford Lock

Stage 2 of the Sustrans Slow Tour of Yorkshire takes you from Garforth, past RSPB St Aidan's, to Woodlesford Lock. It's a pleasant ride along the Linesway (former railway), then by the river Aire. It can be quite muddy.

Read about Stage 2, Garforth to Woodlesford.

Stage 3, Leeds to Saltaire

Canal towpath near Saltaire
Canal towpath near Saltaire

Stage 3 of the Sustrans Slow Tour of Yorkshire is a 14-mile (one way) ride along the Leeds & Liverpool canal from Leeds to Saltaire.

It's pleasant being by the canal, the views keep changing, and there are plenty of cafés and pubs where you can refuel.

The destination, Saltaire, is interesting and has several attractions. Highly recommended.

Read about Stage 3, Leeds to Saltaire.


More stages of the Sustrans Slow Tour of Yorkshire.

Other Hedgehog Guides

Tour de France 2023 | Tour de France Femmes 2022 | Tour de France 2022 | UCI World Championships 2019 | Tour de France 2019 | Tour de Yorkshire 2019 | Tour de France 2018 | Tour de Yorkshire 2018 | Tour de France 2017Tour de Yorkshire 2017Tour of Britain 2016Tour de France 2016Tour de Yorkshire 2016Tour de France 2014

Yorkshire wildlife | Bookshelf (book reviews)