Rob Ainsley
@robainsley.bsky.social
Cycling writer. Get wet in obscure places, then write bad jokes about it. See https://e2e.bike
Recent Czechia research trip
'Řezané' is a 2-tone beer: one dark, one light, carefully poured to separate in 2 distinct layers. Czech speciality. Also Slovakian. For careful and distinct separations, quite appropriate.
Tvarg Brewery nr Olomouc
#beer #olomouc #czechia #czechrepublic #czechtourism
'Řezané' is a 2-tone beer: one dark, one light, carefully poured to separate in 2 distinct layers. Czech speciality. Also Slovakian. For careful and distinct separations, quite appropriate.
Tvarg Brewery nr Olomouc
#beer #olomouc #czechia #czechrepublic #czechtourism
November 12, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Recent Czechia research trip
'Řezané' is a 2-tone beer: one dark, one light, carefully poured to separate in 2 distinct layers. Czech speciality. Also Slovakian. For careful and distinct separations, quite appropriate.
Tvarg Brewery nr Olomouc
#beer #olomouc #czechia #czechrepublic #czechtourism
'Řezané' is a 2-tone beer: one dark, one light, carefully poured to separate in 2 distinct layers. Czech speciality. Also Slovakian. For careful and distinct separations, quite appropriate.
Tvarg Brewery nr Olomouc
#beer #olomouc #czechia #czechrepublic #czechtourism
Back from fabulous few days in the Lakes, doing some Amphibious Cycle Touring. (Boat transports bike, bike transports boat. No car needed, but train helps.) Blog: e2e.bike/other/route-...
August 16, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Back from fabulous few days in the Lakes, doing some Amphibious Cycle Touring. (Boat transports bike, bike transports boat. No car needed, but train helps.) Blog: e2e.bike/other/route-...
Lovely bike ride in the North York Moors to Egton Bridge, to enjoy the world famous Egton Bridge Gooseberry Show. World Champion and gooseberry GOAT Graeme Watson won again! The Bradman of Berries! The Eddy Merckx of Egton Bridge! Blog: e2e.bike/.../places/e...
August 7, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Lovely bike ride in the North York Moors to Egton Bridge, to enjoy the world famous Egton Bridge Gooseberry Show. World Champion and gooseberry GOAT Graeme Watson won again! The Bradman of Berries! The Eddy Merckx of Egton Bridge! Blog: e2e.bike/.../places/e...
Inflatable boat/ folding bike/ camping setup. Boat goes on bike. Bike goes inside boat. No, they don't both quite fit inside the tent. But the tent does fit on the bike. Even with the boat.
August 5, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Inflatable boat/ folding bike/ camping setup. Boat goes on bike. Bike goes inside boat. No, they don't both quite fit inside the tent. But the tent does fit on the bike. Even with the boat.
Eddy Merckx metro station, Brussels, disappointingly has no marker or plaque about the great champion. Surely there's the opportunity to open a restaurant here called 'Le Cannibal'.
April 16, 2025 at 6:59 AM
Eddy Merckx metro station, Brussels, disappointingly has no marker or plaque about the great champion. Surely there's the opportunity to open a restaurant here called 'Le Cannibal'.
Cycling round the Peaks cycle trails (Monsal, Manifold, Tissington, High Peak) I came across this repurposed phone box. Not village library or defibrillator post, but Honesy Cake Shop. I was honest. A few times.
March 3, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Cycling round the Peaks cycle trails (Monsal, Manifold, Tissington, High Peak) I came across this repurposed phone box. Not village library or defibrillator post, but Honesy Cake Shop. I was honest. A few times.
Cycled Yorkshire's longest street (possibly), Hull's 6km-long Beverley Road, to Yorkshire's shortest street (probably), York's 20m-long Whip-ma-whop-ma-gate. (Certainly Yorkshire's silliest street name.)
February 22, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Cycled Yorkshire's longest street (possibly), Hull's 6km-long Beverley Road, to Yorkshire's shortest street (probably), York's 20m-long Whip-ma-whop-ma-gate. (Certainly Yorkshire's silliest street name.)
After twenty minutes nothing had happened, so I managed to slip away unnoticed
January 17, 2025 at 7:40 AM
After twenty minutes nothing had happened, so I managed to slip away unnoticed
Possibly Britain's smallest-headroom bike underpass: 4ft 9in / 1.4m on the riverside path in central Bedford. Val Doonican should have done his music video for 'Walk Tall' here.
January 16, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Possibly Britain's smallest-headroom bike underpass: 4ft 9in / 1.4m on the riverside path in central Bedford. Val Doonican should have done his music video for 'Walk Tall' here.
Plans for 2025:
1. Go for some bike rides.
2. Er...
3. That's it.
Happy New Year, everyone!
1. Go for some bike rides.
2. Er...
3. That's it.
Happy New Year, everyone!
January 1, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Plans for 2025:
1. Go for some bike rides.
2. Er...
3. That's it.
Happy New Year, everyone!
1. Go for some bike rides.
2. Er...
3. That's it.
Happy New Year, everyone!
For once I didn't have any problems laboriously manoeuvring my bike up on to the stupid bike hooks they have on LNER Azumas. Because the bike cupboards were locked.
December 21, 2024 at 4:08 PM
For once I didn't have any problems laboriously manoeuvring my bike up on to the stupid bike hooks they have on LNER Azumas. Because the bike cupboards were locked.
"Yes, there's cycle parking just in front of the main entrance". Merry Christmas to you too.
December 18, 2024 at 8:43 AM
"Yes, there's cycle parking just in front of the main entrance". Merry Christmas to you too.
Yay! The nights start drawing out tonight!*
*In northern hemisphere. Earliest sunset was Fri 13 Dec. Latest sunrise is 29 Dec. Shortest day (which is neither earliest sunset nor latest sunrise) is 21 Dec.
*In northern hemisphere. Earliest sunset was Fri 13 Dec. Latest sunrise is 29 Dec. Shortest day (which is neither earliest sunset nor latest sunrise) is 21 Dec.
December 14, 2024 at 11:10 AM
Yay! The nights start drawing out tonight!*
*In northern hemisphere. Earliest sunset was Fri 13 Dec. Latest sunrise is 29 Dec. Shortest day (which is neither earliest sunset nor latest sunrise) is 21 Dec.
*In northern hemisphere. Earliest sunset was Fri 13 Dec. Latest sunrise is 29 Dec. Shortest day (which is neither earliest sunset nor latest sunrise) is 21 Dec.
Cycling, the wise transport choice
December 14, 2024 at 10:19 AM
Cycling, the wise transport choice
Bike ride from Yorkshire's least used station (Rawcliffe, 10 passengers/week) to most (Leeds, 15m/year). Forbidden train journeys, spoonbills, sausages etc. e2e.bike/yorkshire-ri...
November 28, 2024 at 11:04 AM
Bike ride from Yorkshire's least used station (Rawcliffe, 10 passengers/week) to most (Leeds, 15m/year). Forbidden train journeys, spoonbills, sausages etc. e2e.bike/yorkshire-ri...
At the North Cave Wetlands bird reserve, I was delighted to spot something special. I thought I might be too late in the season for it, but actually I was in time to catch it before it disappears for the winter. The Butty Bus, doing its Bacon Stilton Burgers. (It's my 1979 Claud Butler, btw.)
November 28, 2024 at 8:00 AM
At the North Cave Wetlands bird reserve, I was delighted to spot something special. I thought I might be too late in the season for it, but actually I was in time to catch it before it disappears for the winter. The Butty Bus, doing its Bacon Stilton Burgers. (It's my 1979 Claud Butler, btw.)
Lowther Hill radar station is Scotland's highest cyclable road, and closed to cars. If this was a golf ball, to scale, a 320m par 4 would be 380km, with the hole near Stratford on Avon. A 200m drive would go 250km, roughly to Chester. If you avoided the water hazard of the Mersey or Dee estuaries.
November 26, 2024 at 9:12 AM
Lowther Hill radar station is Scotland's highest cyclable road, and closed to cars. If this was a golf ball, to scale, a 320m par 4 would be 380km, with the hole near Stratford on Avon. A 200m drive would go 250km, roughly to Chester. If you avoided the water hazard of the Mersey or Dee estuaries.
Pleased to discover that a cutout from a Tesco Bio detergent bottle is exactly the right shape to make a mudflap. Plus the detergent comes in handy to wash the clothes I got grubby making the thing.
November 18, 2024 at 9:11 AM
Pleased to discover that a cutout from a Tesco Bio detergent bottle is exactly the right shape to make a mudflap. Plus the detergent comes in handy to wash the clothes I got grubby making the thing.
Another nice picture with blue sky, interesting thing, and bike: York Minster. I ride past it most days en route to the shops, so I'm adept at saying 'Sorry I photobombed your selfie' in Mandarin.
November 16, 2024 at 10:04 AM
Another nice picture with blue sky, interesting thing, and bike: York Minster. I ride past it most days en route to the shops, so I'm adept at saying 'Sorry I photobombed your selfie' in Mandarin.
So here's a nice picture of blue sky, at Nun Monkton, outside York. Its maypole is Britain's tallest, an aircraft-bothering 27m high. To put that in perspective, if you laid it flat on the ground, it would be 27m across.
November 15, 2024 at 7:48 AM
So here's a nice picture of blue sky, at Nun Monkton, outside York. Its maypole is Britain's tallest, an aircraft-bothering 27m high. To put that in perspective, if you laid it flat on the ground, it would be 27m across.
Hello Bluesky. Hope it proves a more agreeable place to swop news, ideas and info than you-know-where has become. I'm just back from cycling the Yorkshire coast's 150 thrilling miles: Day 3 at e2e.bike/yorkshire-ri...
November 15, 2024 at 6:43 AM
Hello Bluesky. Hope it proves a more agreeable place to swop news, ideas and info than you-know-where has become. I'm just back from cycling the Yorkshire coast's 150 thrilling miles: Day 3 at e2e.bike/yorkshire-ri...