The Guardian: Britain's Best Bike Rides

'Urban routes, family rides, long-distance tours, art trails and hill climbs'

Once again, the Guardian champions the cyclist with it's guide to rides. There's 20 of them in total in Part one of the newspaper's homage to cycling which, it claims, is officially cool again. If you bought today's Observer you've been lucky enough to pick up the second part, but as I've been busy doing 'stuff' today (going to M&S in Redhill to buy some much-needed clothes) I missed it.

Having said that, it's probably worth checking out the Guardian's website to see all the routes available to cyclists looking for a bit of fun. For NoVisibleLycra, the best one (and I think we should ride it) is the 12-mile Wandle Trail, which takes us from the south bank of the Thames to Wandle Park Tram Station in Croydon. The Guardian reckons it'll take two hours to complete and points out that 'much of the pleasure of this route comes from the multiple green spaces it crosses'.

According to The Guardian, 'Cycling is officially cool again – and not just for spandex warriors'.

For further details, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/britains-best-bike-rides

Andy's pix from the South Downs Way...I don't think he escaped a soaking

"You can leave that outside, mate!"

Andy's Kona Blast – in perfect condition for a trip to the bike shop.

I'd get the hose out when you get back, Andy.

Mud pie anybody?

Andy's been away for the weekend riding the South Downs Way from Winchester down to Eastbourne. Judging by these photos, taken by Andy, it looks pretty muddy out there so I'm guessing that he got a bit of a soaking. 

There's been one helluva lot of rain over the past two months, which doesn't bode well for next week's Black Horse Ride. In other words, I won't get smug about the fact that I've been nice and cosy in the warm while Andy's been out in the elements on the Blast. Why not? Because, as I write this, it's only a week away from me being out in the rain, with Andy, on the Black Horse Ride – and this time there's no free pint at the end of it! Still, mustn't grumble!

Another day of fine rain...

...so once again I didn't go on a ride, although it looked as if it wasn't raining when I woke up, but, on closer inspection, it was raining! So I didn't go. I wonder what the Bank Holiday Monday holds in store.

Andy has sent through some photographs of his off-road journey from Winchester to Eastbourne. The shots depict his bike covered in mud (and will be posted here soon). I can only assume that he's enduring a rain-sodden hell that is (ahem) cycling in the rain – except that he's got a whole weekend of it!

Yesterday's post was written in a John Lewis store on Croydon's Purley Way. I was messing around on one of the Macs on display, logged in and posted. How nerdy and obsessive is that? Anyway, I'm rambling again. Better go.

Next up, Andy's pictures.