Spectacular Roads

[NewcastleFalcon]

Well if you get sick of spectactular roads on a visit to China, you could always try out this...



yes its a suspension bridge with 24mm of glass underfoot, and a slight sway in the breeze

Nice article here with more pics, of similar features in China and elsewhere including the walkway over Tower Bridge in London.

Regards Neil

[jimmymarsbar]

Here's a challenge for you in Whitby Jim.

Donkey Road

walked down there once after a skinful.....

[Peter.N.]

Been to Whitby haven't seen that though - we have a similar one in Shaftsbury Dorset, Gold hill where the Hovis advert was made.

Peter

[CitroJim]

Here's a challenge for you in Whitby Jim.

Donkey Road

walked down there once after a skinful.....

I'd love to have a go at that

[myglaren]

Been to Whitby haven't seen that though - we have a similar one in Shaftsbury Dorset, Gold hill where the Hovis advert was made.

Peter

It leads from Church Street up to St. Mary's Church and the Abbey.
Beside the 199 steps.
Called the donkey road as it is the path they brought the donkeys down from the abbey plain to the beach.

[Peter.N.]

Thanks, I will try and have a look at it next time we are there.

Peter

[CitroJim]

Been to Whitby haven't seen that though - we have a similar one in Shaftsbury Dorset, Gold hill where the Hovis advert was made.

Peter

It leads from Church Street up to St. Mary's Church and the Abbey.
Beside the 199 steps.
Called the donkey road as it is the path they brought the donkeys down from the abbey plain to the beach.

That one is incredibly iconic and popular to the point of dangerous crowding by cyclists at peak times...

Love to try it though...

Odd how it looks so typically 'grim up north' but is well down south where it's far from grim!!!

The background music is ace too - Dvorjak....

[white exec]

And a couple more for Le Bicycliste . . .


"We waited for Jim, but he'd whizzed by..."
There is an excellent cafe at the bottom, at Lochranza, top end of Arran - muffins a speciality.


And we missed him again, along Glen Torridon

When a teenager, I used to have a Fred Dean.
Now there's a conversation-stopper...


...with handlebar-end Campagnolo change, and lightweight everything. Think I even developed a Brooks bum, during something like 2000 miles a year

[NewcastleFalcon]

Here's one from Norway, very spectacular if you catch the moon at the right time



Regards Neil

[white exec]

...An Activa sort of road - or XM properly sorted!



So this is how he spends his weekends


...up in the Quirang (top end of Skye)

[CitroJim]

I dream of roads like that Chris... Love the bike In fact I'd love to own a vintage bike now and then I could look at partaking in events like the Eroica that cater for old bikes and riders wearing period dress...

These days though bikes have STI shifters that nicely obviate the need of bar-end shifters... Brakes and gears on the same lever. Seems a bit crazy but it works beautifully...

[Zelandeth]

Had my first run in with changing a gear cable on a bike (well, trike actually) with Shimano Grip-shift gears. What a complete faff...you need to dismantle the entire selector to change it. Won't be volunteering to do that again in a hurry!

As for fantastic roads, one of my favourites when I was back up north and had the Cappuccino was to head out of Aberdeen, along South Deeside Road (B9077) until you hit the A957, Slug Road which runs 15 miles or so south to Stonehaven. At which point I'd turn around and go back the other way. Decent visibility for most of it, and a nice mix of elevation changes, long sweeping curves and really tight twisty bits. Was perfectly suited to something like the Cappuccino, though I've given the Saab quite a workout down there too.

Always a good one for giving the brakes on a car that's sat for a while a good workout...

[NewcastleFalcon]

Well....marginally off topic, but then again maybe marginally on-topic as well! I have been amusing myself looking through the RM's special stamps collection which lists with images all special issue stamps from 1960 to now.

In the British Bridges issue in 1968, along with Tarr Steps, the Menai Bridge, and Aberfeldy Bridge, this sneaked in from 1965.....a marvel of tarmac and concrete and quite spectacula-looking from the image!



Not an M4 expert so I don't know at this point of time exactly where it is......Let me know if you know before curiousity gets the better of me.

Regards Neil

PS the Tarr Steps one is a very nice piece of art and design in my opinion and I remember the stamp well from my youth.

[bobins]

Not an M4 expert so I don't know at this point of time exactly where it is......Let me know if you know before curiousity gets the better of me.

Regards Neil

That looks suspiciously like junction 2 of the M4 i.e. the London end, though I think there may be marginally less trees there nowadays

[white exec]

Yes, the Interchange with the A4 underneath the start of the M4, and looking westward toward the rest of the elevated section - then Europe's longest section of elevated motorway. The greenery is a slightly idealised and 'stretched' bit of Gunnersbury Park, which was only ever on one side of the roadway! T'other side was Brentford F.C., gasworks, and some rather unedifying tower blocks.

I have a rather good photo of the time, which I'll try to post.