cycling Archives - Plutonium Sox

Natalie Ray August 20, 2018 Outdoor fun

Cycling at Sutton Bank National Park Centre

A few weeks ago, we spent a couple of nights camping in Yorkshire. We enjoy cycling together as a family but sadly, it’s quite rare to find somewhere off road where the girls can ride safely. Locally, we cycle in the Forest of Dean but we were keen to try somewhere new, and Sutton Bank National Park Centre in Yorkshire looked ideal. About Sutton Bank National Park Centre Cycling is actively encouraged in Sutton Bank National Park. You can hire or even buy a bike there, or bring your own. We brought ours, but realised when we were there that Lia’s…

View Post

Natalie Ray May 23, 2018 Outdoor fun

7 tips for family mountain bike adventures

This is a collaborative post. We’ve had a bit of a breakthrough over the past fortnight. After eight months of riding a bike, Lia has finally mastered starting and stopping. Being unable to do so didn’t stop her cycling, but it stopped me. I tended to run alongside her bike to help her rather than cycling myself. But now, we’re ready for proper cycling. So, here are my top tips for family mountain bike adventures. 1. Get the right bikes A good bike makes all the difference for a child who is learning to cycle. I personally swear by light…

View Post

Natalie Ray September 18, 2017 Outdoor fun

12 things you need to know about cycling in the Forest of Dean

Two seasoned mountain bikers stopped beside the trail for a drink. Covered in mud and exhausted from pushing themselves, they watched as a tiny tot pedalled past. The beauty of the Forest of Dean cycle tracks is that they really do cater for everyone. Here’s what you need to know before you pump up the tyres and head for the hills. 1. Where to start There are various locations in the Forest of Dean to pick up the cycle trails. Head to the tourist information website for links to the different routes. Alternatively, you can pick up a cycling guide…

View Post

Natalie Ray June 12, 2017 Health and Fitness

My love hate relationship with cycling

This is a collaborative post. I remember having my first bike as a child. It wasn’t much of a bike, a second hand monstrosity with a broken seat that my dad had mended with building foam. But nonetheless, I learnt to ride it and eventually graduated to a slightly larger second hand pink bike. It was here that my love of cycling started – and ended. The accident Well by adult standards, it wasn’t a proper accident. But to me as a six year old, it was nothing short of a disaster. I got on my pink bike on our little road…

View Post

Natalie Ray August 4, 2016 Our Thursday Photos

Thursday Photo #117

The girls amaze me with the way they change and develop every day, but this week has been really quite exceptional. Libby in particular has pulled achievement after achievement out of the bag, delighting herself with her own abilities. For a while now, she has been learning to ride her bike without stabilisers. We initially removed the stabilisers when we were in Loch Leven, and we’ve since practised on a few occasions. But this week, she has got to a point where she can just get on the bike and ride off. I’m very aware how safe she needs to be…

View Post