View at Picasa 15-Dec-2011 17:14

I’ll write a more detailed post about the bike after I finish adding a few final touches to it. So far I’m very pleased with the fit and quality of the frame.

I was fortunate to have good weather during my ride–occasional sunshine, around 40°F. The area south west of York is mostly flat farmland with only occasional rolling hills, so the nice weather and easy riding (combined with several photo/snack stops) made for a leisurely outing.

There were no significant points of interest along the ride, though I did make my first stop at what was described on my map as an “unused airfield.”

View at Picasa 15-Dec-2011 14:27, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 10.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

RAF Acaster Malbis airfield was created in early 1942 for WWII and first used by the Canadian Air Force to fly American P39 Airacobra fighter planes. At that time the runways were just grass strips, but by 1945 they had all been paved and 200-300 UK RAF personnel were stationed at the airfield. While the RAF was busy using the land as an airfield, farmers continued farming between the runways to meet the UK’s growing shortage of food.

After the war and through most of the 1950′s, the airfield was used as storage for bombs and ammunition. In 1963 it was decommissioned and became a private airfield for light aircraft. During this time through the mid 1980′s the airfield was often used to transport horses and jockey’s for races at the York Racecourse. The long runways also became a favorite spot for locals learning to drive a car.

Now most of the runways have been torn up and the land returned to farm use. Buildings that do remain are slowly crumbling. It is an interesting reminder of that significant period in history, not really all that long ago.

Most of the rest of my ride was spent enjoying God’s own county under the back drop of a slowly setting sun.

View at Picasa 15-Dec-2011 15:10, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 6.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 15-Dec-2011 15:37, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 6.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 15-Dec-2011 15:56, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.2, 6.8mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

However, the call I received the next day from Cycle Heaven owner Andy Shrimpton revealed that there was much more behind his interest in hiring a new mechanic than I had originally perceived. Andy revealed his plan to open a second shop at the York rail station that would specialize in selling folding bikes, and he wanted me to be one of three full-time staff at the new shop. Good thing I rode to my interview on a Brompton!

About a month ago, after lots of planning, negotiations with railway executives, securing loans, receiving permission from various planning and conservation groups (the station is very old!), and several weeks of construction, the new shop finally opened.

Most of the final trim and fitting work was done by me, Andy and the other two full-time staff: Anne and Rich.

View at Picasa 11-Jun-2011 15:57, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 11-Jun-2011 15:57, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 11-Jun-2011 15:58, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 200

View at Picasa 14-Jun-2011 16:17, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 16-Jun-2011 16:13, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 16-Jun-2011 16:13, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 21-Jun-2011 17:07, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 160

View at Picasa 21-Jun-2011 17:07, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 320

I spent days cutting and drilling aluminum (or aluminium!) trim.

View at Picasa 23-Jun-2011 11:22, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 400

Eventually stock started arriving.

View at Picasa 23-Jun-2011 13:39, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.3, 7.5mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 320

View at Picasa 23-Jun-2011 12:52, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 320

View at Picasa 24-Jun-2011 08:59, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 160

View at Picasa 24-Jun-2011 08:59, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 24-Jun-2011 09:01, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 160

And finally we were ready for our first customer!

View at Picasa Our first customer!24-Jun-2011 10:54, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 100

View at Picasa 23-Jun-2011 19:25, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 125

View at Picasa 23-Jun-2011 19:26, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

Since then we’ve been finishing up small details like arranging tools in the workshop, and polishing off our various procedures for things like bike rentals and stock transfers. To celebrate the opening of the new shop there have also been several press releases, news articles and even a visit from MP and transport minister Norman Baker.

View at Picasa 13-Jul-2011 09:48, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.1, 6.0mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

The latest article about the new shop is featured in a free local magazine called Local Link. You can browse the online version of the magazine below. The article starts on page 24.

With the economic climate in the UK similar to that in the States, I feel very fortunate to have found a small business (in a shrinking industry, e.g. independent bicycle dealers) that is expanding to a niche market in which I am interested. To have all this and be located in an extraordinary city that is within commuting distance for Andrea’s studies in Durham feels nearly like winning the lottery. I love my job.

Anyone interested in buying a folding bike?

View at Picasa 30-Dec-2010 13:28, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 3.3, 19.2mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 100

Finchale Priory (pronounced like Finkle) was built by monks from Durham about four miles north of the city on a site along the River Wear which was formerly occupied by the ascetic hermit Saint Godric. Godric was a seaman and businessman until he visited Lindisfarne (a.k.a. Holy Island), learned of Saint Cuthbert, and became devoted to Christianity. Loyal readers might recall that Durham Cathedral was built to house the remains of Saint Cuthbert. Well Godric lived the simple life hard core, “…living and sleeping outside and rejecting expensive cloth and plentiful food…Godric slept on the ground with only stones and branches as his furniture.” After 50 years this lifestyle began to take its toll on Godric’s health (or perhaps it was just old age?) and monks from Durham cared for him during his final 10 years of life.

Several years after Godric’s death construction began on the priory and lasted for around a century. After its completion the priory became the permanent home for several monks, while groups of other monks from Durham would come for three-week staycations. It was sort of a party house for monks.

Now only ruins of the priory remain. Normally you can walk around inside the ruins, but it was closed when we arrived due to “dangerous snow conditions.” You can see for yourself how near to death we were just walking around the perimeter.

View at Picasa 30-Dec-2010 13:27, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 3.3, 19.2mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 30-Dec-2010 13:46, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 30-Dec-2010 13:46, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.7, 10.7mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 30-Dec-2010 13:47, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.5, 9.2mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 30-Dec-2010 13:49, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.2, 6.8mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 30-Dec-2010 13:49, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 3.0, 14.9mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 160

View at Picasa 30-Dec-2010 13:51, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.7, 10.7mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 30-Dec-2010 13:53, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.7, 10.7mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 100

Before heading home we had some tea at the priory cafe.

View at Picasa 30-Dec-2010 14:32, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.6, 10.0mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 100

Several days later (our adventurous desire not quite extinguished) we went on  a tour of Durham’s castle. We’d been planning to do this for a long time, but kept putting it off for one reason or another. The castle sits just north of the cathedral, and was originally built as a home for Durham’s Prince Bishops and to defend the city and cathedral from Scottish invaders. The oldest parts of the castle were constructed nearly 1000 years ago, while other parts were added later as each consecutive Prince Bishop wanted to leave a unique mark on the structure.

View at Picasa 08-Jan-2011 15:55, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.1, 5.5mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 08-Jan-2011 15:55, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.5, 5.1mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 08-Jan-2011 15:56, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 08-Jan-2011 16:01, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 08-Jan-2011 16:01, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 08-Jan-2011 15:57, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 08-Jan-2011 16:44, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 125

The really cool thing about this castle is that it is still completely in use. It is owned by Durham University and used primarily for student housing! Most of the dorm rooms are in the keep–the high hexagon-shaped portion visible in some of the pictures above. The views from these rooms must be incredible. We were unfortunately not allowed to take pictures inside the castle, or I would have taken many of the grand dining hall where three meals a day are served to students. The hall looks incredibly similar to the one in the Hogwarts dinner scenes of the Harry Potter movies. The walls are decorated with medieval armor and swords, as well as the UK’s largest collection of Napoleon era rifles.

The tour took us up and down windy stone spiral staircases, along grand hallways and through a basement chapel where students used to use a ground level window opening to access stairs that led up into the keep and to their rooms.  I can’t imagine what it must be like to be an undergraduate student living in such accommodations! Between terms the college hosts conferences in the castle and also runs something of a bed a breakfast.  During our tour, they were setting up for a Blackboard conference. (Moodle folks better step up your moots if you want to make any inroads here!)

View at Picasa 08-Jan-2011 15:58, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 3.3, 19.2mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

And last, but not least, we had an eerie moment the other evening as a series of UFO-like flying objects started floating over our building. They came from beyond a row of trees behind our building. One landed nearby and I caught it on video.

View at Picasa 12-Nov-2010 19:30, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 3.3, 19.2mm, 0.2 sec, ISO 400

For those of you not in the “Brompton know,” Brompton has been perfecting the art of folding bicycle design for over 30 years. They’re the cream of the folding bicycle crop and are designed, manufactured and assembled right here in England (one of only two remaining English bicycle manufacturers–the other being Pashley). They ooze British class, and have joined the likes of red double-decker buses to become iconic symbols of British culture.

We went for our first ride this afternoon to a large grocery store which we hadn’t yet visited about 2 miles away. The trip was a little hair raising for both of us thanks to  left-side-of-the-road driving, roundabouts, double-decker buses and afternoon rush hour. But, our wind-burnt cheeks were spread wide in smiles when we returned. Here we are about to head out. Andrea ordered her bike with these colors switched, so the shop is reordering a new one for her. They’re letting us use this one until the new one comes in.

View at Picasa 12-Nov-2010 16:26, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 12-Nov-2010 16:27, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 80

If your bike folds, why leave it outside?

View at Picasa 12-Nov-2010 16:44, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 320

View at Picasa 12-Nov-2010 16:48, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 160

Here’s a quick video showing the  fold. If you watch closely you’ll notice that after unfolding the bike I forget the last step: unfolding the left pedal. (You might also notice my underwear drying in the background.)

For those who are interested, here are the specs (indentical for each bike).

Brompton M6R
M = classic shaped Brompton handle bars
6 = 6 speeds via the Brompton Wide Range SA 3-speed hub with two cogs and derailer
R = Rack and Fenders

Additional Extras
Custom colors (Orange & Desert Sand, Turkish Green & Yellow)
Shimano generator front hubs w/ B&M front and rear lights (headlights soon to be upgraded)
Schwalbe Marathon tires
Touring roll-top bag
Brooks Champion Flyer Special saddle

More Extras Arriving Soon
Carradice Originals City Folder bag in black with white leather straps
B&M Cyo N Plus headlights
Ergon BioCork grips
Koolstop Salmon brake pads
Schwalbe presta tubes (I have this thing against schrader valves, and you should too!)
Abus U-lock (for those occasions when the bike can’t come along the entire way)
Berne Muse EPS helmet in deep purple (guess who that’s for?)
Brompton Easy Wheels

View at Picasa 12-Nov-2010 19:29, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 400

Bristol: A Brief History
Bristol is located in south west England on the banks of River Avon, just a few miles west of Avonmouth where the river empties into what eventually becomes the Celtic Sea. A growing port city (primarily for trade with Ireland) since the 12th century, Bristol became highly involved in the triangular slave trade routes with Africa and America in the 17th century. Bristol’s harbor was transformed in 1809 when its “floating” harbor opened. It’s referred to as floating because a system of locks keep the water level constant, unaffected by the tide, so ships can remain afloat. The reason behind needing such a system is described at BristolFloatingHarbour.org.uk:

The tidal range of the rivers in the Bristol Channel is the second greatest of any in the world (the biggest is the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada). At Avonmouth the tide can rise and fall as much as 14 metres twice a day and even in Bristol the water level can change as much as 12 metres. This was both an advantage and a disadvantage for sailing ships. On the plus side, ships could be carried all the way to Bristol on the current before the tide changed. Less helpfully, they would be stranded in the mud when the tide went out.

Cargo ships eventually outgrew the river harbor, forcing the commerical port west to Avonmouth. Since the 1980s Bristol has been restoring its historic maritime structures and turning the harbor into a scenic tourist destination. The harbor is now filled mostly with house boats and cruising tourists.

Avast ye mateys!

Entranced with the adventures of Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island, I downloaded an mp3 audio tour that highlights Bristol’s “pirate past” and points out places that may have inspired Stevenson to write the novel. The tour lived up its claim, taking me to unique places around the harbor at which I normally wouldn’t have thought stop. Interludes between the narration even included sounds of creaking wooden ships and singing sailors!

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 10:59, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 11:01, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 11:03, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 3.2, 5.1mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 11:05, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.5mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 11:07, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 4.0, 5.1mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 11:12, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 11:12, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 11:14, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 9.2mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 11:18, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 11:20, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 4.0, 12.8mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 12:03, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 3.2, 5.1mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 11:50, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 11:42, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 3.2, 5.1mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

One of the more interesting sites on the tour were the Redcliffe Caves, originally dug to mine sand for glass production. The caves are now owned by the city and are opened for tours once a year in September. You can see one of the cave entrances below (barred door).

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 11:34, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 11:31, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 11:32, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 1000

Following the tour I continued along the harbor to the SS Great Britain, a fully restored ship from the mid 19th century now back in the same dock where it was originally built. The story behind the ship is absolutely fascinating and a museum next to the boat filled with original artifacts, videos and hands-on activities does a wonderful job of bringing the story to life in a way that’s interesting for both adults and kids. I’ve been on historic boat tours before and this one is definitely a cut above the rest.

SS Great Britain: A Brief History
From SSGreatGritain.org:

The SS Great Britain was a world first when she was launched in Bristol in 1843.  This uniquely successful ship design brought together new technologies in a way which transformed world travel. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the most daring of the great Victorian engineers, conceived the groundbreaking combination of a screw propeller, an iron hull, and a massive 1000-horsepower steam engine. She was immediately successful – on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic the ss Great Britain easily broke the previous speed record. Although effectively a prototype, she continued sailing until 1886, and travelled thirty-two times around the world and nearly one million miles at sea. She was finally abandoned in the Falkland Islands, in 1937, after more than 40 years use as a floating warehouse. In 1970 an ambitious salvage effort brought her home to Bristol, where today she is conserved in the dry dock where she was originally built.

What the brief history doesn’t mention, is that when the ship was salvaged from the Falkland Islands, it was probably just a few months from splitting apart and being washed out to sea. But you would never know this from touring the restored portions of the ship. The restoration team did a phenomenal job.

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 12:23, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.2, 5.1mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 12:24, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 4.0, 5.1mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:07, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 4.0, 5.1mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:08, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:09, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 4.0, 5.1mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:10, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:11, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 4.0, 5.1mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:12, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:12, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 3.2, 5.1mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:13, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:15, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 125

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:15, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:16, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:18, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:21, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:22, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:23, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:24, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 400

I eventually found may way to the engine room, where there is a complete replica of the original steam engine. Very, very cool.

The SS Great Britain is not in sailing condition, nor will it ever be. The original hull is too badly damaged. So the boat sits in a dry dock, with harbor waters kept out by a wall at the bow of the ship. The dry dock is covered and sealed air tight at ground level with a glass ceiling. Above the ceiling the hull has been refinished and there are a few inches of water over the glass to make the ship look as though it’s floating. Below the glass ceiling, inside the dry dock, the hull has not been restored and you can walk around to view the condition of the ship from when it was salvaged.

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:46, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:47, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:50, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:51, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:51, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 320

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:52, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.2, 5.1mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 13:57, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.5, 8.5mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 14:02, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 14:04, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 14:07, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 3.2, 5.1mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 14:07, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 4.0, 12.8mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 14:06, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 4.0, 9.2mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 14:07, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 12.8mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 14:07, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 14:08, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

Lots of little details around the ship helped create a 19th century atmosphere (though the trike is 20th century).

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 14:09, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 14:09, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 14:11, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.5, 5.1mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 14:11, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 14:12, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 28-Oct-2010 14:14, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 10.7mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 160

I enjoyed roaming the SS Great Britain so much that I had lost track of time until I realized it was about 3pm. My train was leaving at 5:15 from Yate. I grabbed a quick lunch and hurried back to the hotel to pick up my bike, stopping at a Mudd Dock Cycleworks to get directions to the start of the cycle path. However, as was the case when I first got to Bristol, having maps and directions didn’t keep me from getting lost several times before finding the trail.

By now it was 3:45 and I knew I was going to have to pedal like crazy to get back to Yate in time to make the train. Rob and I had arranged that after picking me up from the trail head, we would go back to his shop so that I could purchase a few things and drop off the bike before heading to the station. Now, tucked in full aero position with legs pumping furiously, I whizzed past pedestrians on my 3-speed basket bike cursing myself for not leaving Bristol sooner. At around 4:15 (I got the time from my iPod), with about 6 miles more to go, I decided to stop and call Rob to let him know I was running late.

To my horror, my cell phone was no where to be found.

I had left Bristol behind me, passed through its suburbs and was now out in the country with hardly another soul on the path. I had no way of letting Rob know when to meet me, or that I was running late. For a brief moment, I pictured myself missing the train, searching in vain for Rob’s house or some secluded place to spend the night, then trying to explain later to Andrea how I had lost the cell phone (which we had just purchased a week earlier)…

But before too long another cyclist appeared and after flagging him down I used his cell phone to call Rob (I had written his number down on a piece of paper, just in case something like this would happen). We agreed to meet before the end of the path at a nearby gas station. It took a few more wrong turns, but I finally found the gas station. Rob soon showed up and we quickly stowed the bike in the back of this truck and headed off. By now it was 4:30 and there wasn’t enough time to return to Really Useful Bikes. In fact, Rob thought that because of afternoon traffic I might even be rushed to make it to the Yate station, so he volunteered to take me all the way back to the Bristol station where I would have transferred trains after leaving Yate. Talk about customer service!

I arrived at the Bristol station in plenty of time to relax and grab some food before boarding the train. I even had time to call Stuart to see if I’d left my cell phone at his house, which I had. Both trains were on time for my return to Durham, and at around 11pm  I finally arrived back at our flat. While the trip turned out to be at bit more of an adventure than I had originally planned, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and only wish I would have had more time in Bristol. Thanks to AMBS for offering me the assignment, and special thanks to Rob at Really Useful Bikes for the tour of his shop, demo rides, renting me the Kona, saving me from my little predicament and then sending me on my way without having paid him a pence, trusting that I would get in touch later (which of course I did).

I started out last Wednesday catching a 7am train from Durham to Bristol. The train was on time, but soon after leaving Durham became delayed because of engineering work on the tracks ahead. The engineering work had already delayed other trains before ours, which caused us further delay as we waited for the tracks to clear. By the time we were an hour behind schedule, the conductor announced that our train would be terminating in Birmingham instead of Bristol due to the delay. The next train from Birmingham to Bristol was also delayed, as was the train from Bristol to Yate, so that by the time I arrived in Yate I was 2.5 hours behind schedule. Thankfully I’d planned 5 hours to get from Yate to Stuart’s house for the webinar, so I still had time to meet Rob from Really Useful Bikes and ride from there to downtown Bristol.

Rob met me at the Yate station and we drove in his old red VW truck to his shop. It quickly became apparent that Rob is a first-class, A1 type cool dude and all around great guy. If there was a club called Really Nice Guys, Rob would definitely be in it and would probably be its president. And you’ll find in the next post about day two, that it was Rob that made my entire trip possible and in the end helped me out of a little self-inflicted jam.

Really Useful Bikes is located in barn-type out building on what used to be a dairy farm. The other buildings on the property are used by other businesses. Rob lives nearby in one of the old farm houses. His shop was filled with a nice selection of bikes designed for daily transportation. While he started the shop with a focus on long-tailed bikes (bikes with extended rear sections for hauling kids and cargo), his focus has evolved to include all bikes that use internally geared hubs. I had fun testing several bikes that I hadn’t ridden before, like the WorkCycles Fr8, a Gazelle and a Koga-Miyata. After talking shop a bit, it was soon apparent that both the world of city-bike enthusiasts is rather small and that Rob and I must waste a lot of our time reading exactly the same stuff online.

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 15:27, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 7.5mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 14:49, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 125

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 14:49, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 250

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 14:49, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 320

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 14:49, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 320

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 14:48, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 125

My rental bike was to be a Kona Africa Bike, which Rob setup with the Brooks Flyer Special saddle that I’d brought with me from the states (my butt is very particular). Rob then drove me to the start of a bicycle path than runs from Yate to Bristol and set me on my way.

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 15:50, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 7.9mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 15:51, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 80

The paved path is on a former railway bed, and included a very loooong tunnel. I also happened on a guy painting the inside of an overpass.

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 15:58, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 15:58, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 16:08, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.9, 13.9mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 320

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 16:08, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.5, 5.1mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

Despite having printed several maps of Bristol from Google Maps, I exited the path in downtown Bristol and was immediately lost. It’s a good thing I’m not afflicted with an ego that resists asking for directions, because I had to stop 4 or 5 people before I eventually found my way to Stuart’s house. Turns out that asking for directions is also a great way to meet people. One nice fellow cyclist even rode with me for way to make sure I made the correct turn at a tricky roundabout.

Stuart lives near the top of a big hill in Bristol (most of which I climbed in 24-inch gear) and I was quite out of breath by the time I got there.

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 17:04, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

Stuart and I got down to business right away setting up for the webinar. Stuart had planned ahead well and studied his script as I setup a new web cam.

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 18:30, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 400

All went well with the webinar, and I was glad to find that my presence proved helpful on several key issues. As I left Stuart’s feeling that the main purpose of this trip was truly worthwhile. It also felt good to coast down the big hill into downtown Bristol, my reward climbing it earlier in the day.

After checking in to my hotel, I walked just a block over to the Hole in the Wall pub at the corner of Queen’s Square and right along Bristol’s Floating Harbour for a good pub burger and a pint of beer. In my diligent preparation for this trip, I read the classic pirate novel Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson, as it’s suggested that Bristol’s harbor was part of Stevenson’s inspiration to write the book. Specifically, Stevenon’s depiction of Spy-glass tavern (owned by Long John Silver) is said to have been inspired by Hole in the Wall. While the atmosphere of Hole in the Wall certainly had nothing in common how I had imagined Spy-glass tavern, the food was scrumptious.

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 21:50, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 400

Sufficiently stuffed after eating finishing my plate, I strolled along the harbor back to my hotel.

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 21:16, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 21:16, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.1, 6.0mm, 0.25 sec, ISO 400

My hotel was very nice; a bit more luxurious than what I’m used to. Lets just say, I enjoyed myself.

View at Picasa 27-Oct-2010 22:56, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 400

Stay tuned for the next post on Bristol Day 2!

A Man
That would be me, Eric. In my former life back across the pond I worked for the AMBS Church Leadership Center, supporting continuing education and other non-degree seminary programs. Relatively near to the end of my time there we started offering webinars, in response to feedback from our constituents who were too far away to attend our on campus events. In my final week we successfully held our third webinar.

A Plan
Excited by the success of these first webinars, my wonderful supervisor, Jewel Gingerich Longenecker, planned no fewer than 11 webinars for the current academic year. That’s a lot, especially given all the other events normally overseen by the Church Leadership Center. The presenter for one of these webinars is Stuart Murray Williams, who resides in Bristol, UK (not to be confused with Bristol, IN). About a week ago, Jewel sent me an email asking if I would be interested in traveling to Bristol to help Stuart with any technical issues that might arise during the webinar.

Yes! Of course I would!

So the plan was hatched.

A Webinar
The webinar will be based on content from Stuart’s recent book, The Naked Anabaptist: The bare essentials of radical faith. You can read an excerpt from the book here. The webinar takes place at 2pm Eastern Time on Wednesday, October 27, and you can register here to participate.

Bristol!
This is where things really start to get exciting (as if imagining naked Anabaptists wasn’t exciting enough!). Near Bristol there is a wonderfully unique bicycle shop called Really Useful Bikes. It’s unique not only because of the  eclectic selection of cargo bikes, dutch style city bikes, bakfiets and folding bikes you’ll find there, but also because the shop is located on a dairy farm! Before booking my train ticket to Bristol I contacted R.U.B. owner, Rob Bushill, to see about stopping by for a visit. Since then we’ve exchanged a few emails and Rob has kindly agreed to pick me up (“collect me”) at the Yate station, show me around their shop, and then release me into the wilds of left-side-of-the-road traffic on one of their three-speed Kona Africabikes. I’ll ride 12-15 miles from Yate to Bristol, a good portion of it on separated bike paths (not shown on the Yate to Bristol map link), check-in and get settled at my hotel, and then ride to Stuart’s house for the webinar. My hotel is right along the quayside of the Floating Harbour, “…surrounded by the best of Bristol’s Old City and maritime history: Bristol Old Vic and the beautifully restored Queen Square, Bristol Cathedral and of course The Arnolfini, Bristol’s celebrated contemporary arts centre, right next door.” The day after the webinar I plan to spend the morning and early afternoon exploring these wonderful sites, after which I’ll cycle back to Yate and board an evening train to Durham.

Needless to say, I’m very excited about this little paid-for-by-someone-else excursion. I’ve been spending much of my time the past two days working out all the details and identifying things to do during my short time there. Look for a follow-up post with pictures after I return.

Bristol, here I come!

(photo by Joe Dunkley)

(As an aside…I’d like to encourage all my fellow Goshenites to adopt this britishism of [city name] Upon [river], by now referring to Goshen only as Goshen Upon Elkhart.)

It takes about 10-15 minutes to get to Newcastle by train from Durham. The trains here are frequent, fast, comfortable, and reasonably priced. I’ll have to write a post just about public transportation at some point, as the bus system is great as well.

While Durham comes across as a busy old medieval town (with out-croppings of modernity), Newcastle is at once recognized as a large modern city. The streets radiating from the city center are lined with tall neo-classical buildings and the bustling to and fro of pedestrians feels more business focused than Durham’s mainly student and toursit population. I didn’t take any photos down town, because this trip was primarily to scout out bicycle shops for potential employment, and to test ride some Brompton’s prior to submitting orders for our own.

It was a long walk to the first shop and had it not been our first trip to Newcastle, we certainly would have taken a bus from near the trainstation. However, we wanted to see the city as much as possible and I’m glad now that we went to the extra effort of walking. As we walked east the tall stone buildings of the city center eventually gave way to large highways and several vast bridges spanning a deep valley. Over looking one of these bridges we saw landscaped green space and some fenced horses.

View at Picasa 09-Oct-2010 12:26, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 3.3, 19.2mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 400

On the others side of the valley we followed some side streets through a small industrial park and eventually came to our first stop: Recyke y’bike, a non-profit bicycle shop similar in many ways to CRBP.  The shop is located inside two bridge arches; the non-traditional location seems to fit their business well. Recyke y’bike accepts donated bikes and re-sells them for a reasonable price. They also send crates of bicycles to Africa. A lot of the workers there are volunteers, though they do have several paid staff as well

View at Picasa 09-Oct-2010 12:49, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.9, 13.9mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 09-Oct-2010 12:49, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 100

View at Picasa 09-Oct-2010 12:48, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 09-Oct-2010 12:49, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 400

View at Picasa 09-Oct-2010 12:57, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.5, 7.9mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 100

There I met the organization’s manager Dorthy Craw and had a good conversation with a guy named Dave, whose one of their board members (though don’t call it that). Dave showed me inside the second bridge arch, where they stock bikes as they’re donated and repair them before placing them out for sale in the sales arch. This method of keeping sales separate from from repair works really well for them, and it’s something I had considered for CRBP if we had had more space.

View at Picasa 09-Oct-2010 12:52, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 400

We also met a volunteer who regularly works in the IT department at Durham University, and who helps run the university’s “bicycle user group” (DBUG). I had read about the group before and it was good to make a connection in person. Before leaving I signed up to be a volunteer, which I’ll get to do after participating in a volunteer induction service (another great idea!) on October 19th.

The atmosphere and friendliness of Recyke y’Bike was refreshing, and reminded me quite a lot of working for CRBP. As I told Dave, “It feels a little like home.” I can’t wait to get started there.

The second shop we visited was Cycle Center, where we finally got to test ride some Bromptons! Let me just say, this picture pretty much sums up my experience.

View at Picasa 09-Oct-2010 13:28, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 5.1mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

Andrea and I each took turns with this model and one with a different style of handlebar. The ride is certainly not as smooth as a traditional bike with larger wheels, but the construction is very solid and inspires much confidence. And then there’s the fold.

View at Picasa 09-Oct-2010 13:31, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.8, 7.9mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

How cool is that? So small, so portable and made right here in England.

View at Picasa 09-Oct-2010 13:38, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.5, 6.8mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80

Inside Cycle Center it was very busy. Lots of bikes for all kinds of riding, including lots of kids bikes. The staff were friendly and our salesman gave us some Brompton literature to take home to help us make our final decisions before we place our order. You can buy Bromptons straight from the sales floor, but because there are a host of build options, most customers order their bikes from the factory (through a dealer) and the bike is delivered a few weeks later. Cycle Center also seemed like it could be a good place to work.

The third shop we visited was the Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative. This is a chain of bicycle shops that originated in Edinburgh, Scotland. I almost walked into this store stuffing myself with fish and chips, before Andrea wisely noted that that was probably not the best way to make a first impression. Duh! So after finishing my lunch outside, we walked in and found a nicely laid out shop with a great selection bicycles, parts and accessories. The benefits of chain ownership were clear, as this shop  definitely had more resources available to create a visually appealing shopping experience. This shop was also very busy and as we left Andrea noted that we were not once greeted while browsing. It is certainly an option for employment, but perhaps not my first choice.

To be fair, we did vist a fourth shop, Halfords, which is a chain of stores that carry both bicycle and car parts; an interesting combination to be sure, but one I’m not too keen on pursuing.

On our return trip to the train station, we skipped the bridge and walked through the valley we had previously seen from overhead. There we found an peculiar urban farm and a wonderful used furniture shop.

View at Picasa 09-Oct-2010 15:34, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 100

View at Picasa 09-Oct-2010 15:35, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 160

View at Picasa 09-Oct-2010 15:38, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 160

View at Picasa 09-Oct-2010 15:38, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 09-Oct-2010 15:43, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 2.0, 5.1mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 250

Overall Andrea and I really enjoyed the urban environment in Newcastle. We both agreed that if I find a job there and Andrea’s study schedule can be arranged to limit time at the University, we could easily see ourselves living in Newcastle, instead of Durham.

View at Picasa 30-Sep-2010 07:31, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 5.6, 5.1mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 80

There’s bike parking out front, but it’s completely full of what appears to be mostly abandoned bikes. Nearly all of them are department store trash (BSOs).

View at Picasa 30-Sep-2010 07:31, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 4.0, 5.1mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 30-Sep-2010 07:31, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 6.3, 7.9mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 80

View at Picasa 30-Sep-2010 07:33, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 4.0, 6.4mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80

In the picture below there are two columns of square windows. The second square window from the bottom on the left is our kitchen. From there, continuing left to the corner of the building is our apartment. The other square window just visible around the corner is our bedroom.

View at Picasa 30-Sep-2010 07:33, Panasonic DMC-LX5, 3.0, 14.9mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

Here’s a little tour of new home, just after we first arrived.