Travellers’ tales

Riaz (centre): ‘A rose between thorns,’ Paul said

Singletrack for starters RIAZ RASHID WAS ONE OF SEVERAL BEGINNERS ON AN OFF-ROAD WEEKEND IN WALES

e paused to take the sea air

Most of the in Conwy after a morning TPT is off-road W enjoying dramatic coastal views, not to mention the climbs and descents that had presented them. There were 20 off us, mostly TRANS PENNINE seasoned cyclists of the sensible and clean ‘road’ variety – clearly a different breed to the dirty mountain bikers we TRUNDLE were becoming. We were ready to face the challenge of the Marin Trail in North Wales, being equipped with rugged Cycle campaigner Simon Geller took the bikes and in some cases knee pads. It’s route from to Hornsea easy to label challenges as awesome and inspiring, but these off-road trails were certainly that. e are the Slobs, Back on the main route, we headed The newbies, including myself, were an informal riding group south on a green corridor before turning quickly brought into the fold by the W whose rides are as short east, leaving the Loop Line to follow regular riders who had signed up for and easy as we can make them. But the Mersey inland through pleasant another CTC Cycling Holidays tour once a year we do a longer ride. In parkland. The last section followed run by Paul Rogers. The group gelled 2016, we chose the Trans Pennine Trail. the canal to , home of Cycle from the moment we gathered at the From Southport, we took the lovely Facility of the Month and 20’s Plenty. bunkhouse in Llanrwst on Thursday old Cheshire Lines route. In Aintree, we Next day, we set off for . evening, looking forward to the long diverted from it to the beach at Crosby It was lovely and flat at first, passing weekend. There was good balance of to see the amazing Anthony Gormley through Tame Valley Country Park. men, women, and different ages. ‘Another Place’ installation. Then we The route then climbs over the So why had I decided to join this joined the and Canal, using Saltersbrook, one of the fixed-base holiday? It’s an amazing passing the Stanley Dock Tobacco packhorse routes used to bring salt over feeling to do something that frightens Warehouse, the largest brick building from Cheshire. A rapid descent got us you, heightens your senses, and brings in the world. We emerged on the to Wortley, where we stayed overnight you back to nature. Then there’s that waterfront by Liverpool’s ‘Three Graces’ and were regaled with tales of the feeling of being 12 years old again – the Liver building, the Cunard building, Dragon of Wantley (Google it!). and having that freedom that only two and the Port of Liverpool building. The next day we drifted down the wheels can bring. Dearne Valley to the outskirts of , passing the former Earth Centre, then made our way north on trails and quiet roads. Strawberries could be bought at the roadside. Some Trans Pennine Trail volunteers from Hull guided us through their city, showing us the preparations for Hull City of Culture on the way. Thanks, guys! We

finished at Hornsea, where I’ve never High above had better fish and chips. Conwy Bay

Another Place To support the trail, visit to park a bike transpenninetrail.org. uk/friends/

CYCLINGUK.ORG CYCLE 81 Travellers’ tales

On the Vennbahn in Belgium

Biking in times of Brexit GEOFF SAUNDERS AND HIS WIFE ENJOYED A BARRIER-FREE

Beyond the TOUR THROUGH EUROPE Arctic Circle n spring 1945, when my father crossed from Holland I into Germany, no one checked NORTHERN his passport. When my wife Virginia and I crossed the same border 71 years later, we were delighted to SIGHTS have the same experience. Following the Brexit vote, we set off for a ‘biking without borders’ visit Sandy D Franklin overtook spring on to Europe. After an overnight crossing her cycle tour to Norway’s Nordkapp to the Hook and a train to Maastricht, we pedalled east along quiet Sunday tracks. Then at Lemirs, a gap in a pring comes late to northern hedge, a small marker, and a plank- Norway, but when it arrives bridge led us unseen into Germany. A S there’s no better place to be. short ride further brought us to Aachen, We arrived in Tromso in late May to cycle Charlemagne’s former capital of a united to Nordkapp, the northernmost point Europe. The beautiful cathedral, dating of mainland Europe, and then on to from those times, should not be missed. Kirkenes on the Norway/Russian border. From Aachen, the Vennbahn leads With tulips and daffodils in bloom, south using a former railway awarded the sea sparkling under a blue sky, and to Belgium at Versailles. This well- street cafés packed with people soaking surfaced cyclepath leads into the up the sun, it felt Mediterranean. Marine Arctic landscape. The next four days Eifel Mountains, climbing at an easy smells filled the air, sunlight bounced off we cycled under cloudless skies in gradient. Along the way are lovely snow-covered mountains, rafts of eiders temperatures touching 18 degrees, with villages, such as historic Monschau. bobbed by the shore, and waterfalls ascents leading us onto snow-covered Descending from the Eifel, we left were in full spate from the spring melt. Arctic plateaux. We stayed on charming the Vennbahn to slip into Luxembourg From Tromso, we cycled over the campsites, enjoyed the midnight sun, at Vianden and followed the Sure river, Lyngen Alps with their saw-toothed and passed herds of reindeer and roads weaving our way across the border peaks, crossed fjords by ferry, and lined with lupins. We saw goosanders, bridges – coffee in Germany, lunch drank in the glaciated features of this mergansers, red-throated divers, and in Luxembourg. Where the Sure joins once a sea eagle perched so close we the Moselle, we turned north to Trier, could almost touch it. an ancient city near the limits of the Cycling towards Havoysund, the Roman Empire that once united Europe. temperature plummeted. We took the Share ferry to Honningsvag, avoiding the 7km your story tunnel to the island where Nordkapp is located. A notice warned of weather Cycle wants your Travellers’ changes from Siberian heat to Arctic Tales. Email the editor – cold in minutes – and didn’t we know it! [email protected] Riding onwards to Nordkapp was a wild, – for advice on tough ride, but standing on the cliffs Aachen what’s required. on the edge of Europe, it was another Cathedral dream realised. We were as far north as we could go.

82 CYCLE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017