Yesterday, I rode so far....

[Arch]

...I ended up packing my bike next to a satellite...

Seen here against a clearer background...

It's been put up in the last month or so, on the York Selby bikepath, which has a scale model of the solar system laid out along it. 6 miles from the Sun to Pluto. Never really meant to ride all the way to Pluto, just went out for a breath of fresh air, but felt quite fit so I kept pedalling. And then discovered when I turned to come back that the 'quite fit' feeling was down to a tailwind...

Still, it was a nice ride, even though it was a bit slushy, and the tarmac ends at Neptune so the last couple of km were a bit puddlely and slushy. I normally avoid riding though any water I can't see through to the bottom of, but I just carried on and ended up surprising myself with my 'bravery' (and getting wet feet. Overshoes? pah, I hadn't even thought to bring a bottle of water!) Hardly off road by most people's standards, but brave for me.

Just in case, it wasn't anyone here who overtook me at Neptune with a 'hello', and then passed me on the way back with a 'bit wet innit?' - obviously having decided to ride to Pluto and back like me. In fact, I saw another chap doing the same as well. However, since I had mudguards and he didn't, I had a cleaner bottom.:?:

Sunny all the way, until I got back to the edge of York, and the blizzard started. Decided to plough on through without stopping to put rainlegs on, since I was nearly home, so got wet jeans, and then the snow stopped as I got back to the flat. Classic timing.

Still, I felt I'd earned my Easter Egg...

 

[Melvil]

That's such a cool idea! Nothing illustrates the vastness of space better than a lot of, er, space. You know what I mean!

 

[alecstilleyedye]

well done arch, although i never ever ride in jeans as they chafe like buggery when they get wet.

sounds a nice little route for a quick burn on the other bike, or with the kids.

 

[Arch]

That's such a cool idea! Nothing illustrates the vastness of space better than a lot of, er, space. You know what I mean!

See here:

http://www.solar.york.ac.uk/

The individual bodies are to scale as well, as best they can be - the sun is an old spherical tank painted gold, and Pluto a teeny ball bearing. Only Earth has it's moon, but the probe I've shown there is next to Saturn, where it should be. You wizz past the inner planets pretty swiftly, then it becomes miles between the outer ones...

There's a plaque at the end, that tells you how fast you've walked or ridden, in relation to the scale speed of light. Even walking, you exceed the spped of light, so every trip you make, you come back younger!:?:

 

[Arch]

well done arch, although i never ever ride in jeans as they chafe like buggery when they get wet.

sounds a nice little route for a quick burn on the other bike, or with the kids.

I toyed with the idea of kitting up properly in bikesters, but didn't know how long I'd want to be out for, and decided to just go for it and see how far I got. There's something nicely anarchic about heading off for 15 miles or so in jeans tucked into your socks, and no water bottle.

Wet jeans on my thighs wasn't much fun - if I'd been further out I'd have stopped and bunged the rainlegs on, but 10 mins from home I thought 'sod it' and just rode on. Already had wet feet....

 

[rich p]

... Never really meant to ride all the way to Pluto,

Great line, Arch. I wish I could drop it into a conversation myself sometime

 

[Arch]

Great line, Arch. I wish I could drop it into a conversation myself sometime

Just as I was taking the pic, my Mum rang my mobile to say Happy Easter, and I think she was a bit confused when I said I was just photographing a satellite.:?:

 

[Melvil]

See here:

http://www.solar.york.ac.uk/

The individual bodies are to scale as well, as best they can be - the sun is an old spherical tank painted gold, and Pluto a teeny ball bearing. Only Earth has it's moon, but the probe I've shown there is next to Saturn, where it should be. You wizz past the inner planets pretty swiftly, then it becomes miles between the outer ones...

There's a plaque at the end, that tells you how fast you've walked or ridden, in relation to the scale speed of light. Even walking, you exceed the spped of light, so every trip you make, you come back younger!:?:

A nice site and a really good idea. I like the bit about the unicyclists from the BJC (which is a cool thing to go to, even if you're only a little interesting in juggling and the ilk - always some fascinating people there).

 

[marinyork]

Looks like they've installed all this stuff after I used to cycle along it. Is the satellite just about 100 yards before the A19? I think I'd quite like to have seen the sun. Only ever really saw those diddy planets around Bishopthorpe and the bench at Pluto. Might try and did some photos out. I know the feeling of not meaning to ride to Pluto though, it's how I discovered all the areas south and west of Selby.

 

[Arch]

Looks like they've installed all this stuff after I used to cycle along it. Is the satellite just about 100 yards before the A19? I think I'd quite like to have seen the sun. Only ever really saw those diddy planets around Bishopthorpe and the bench at Pluto. Might try and did some photos out. I know the feeling of not meaning to ride to Pluto though, it's how I discovered all the areas south and west of Selby.

No, the satellite is just outside the old station house at Naburn, 'orbiting' Saturn.

Pity, that station house was going to be a youth hostel and cafe - it was a cafe for a while last year, but the woman running it had no business sense and sold up. It could be a really nice place to head for, run by the right people.

The Sun is just at the point where the path goes under the A64. just after the racecourse, where there are some concrete burms for BMXing on. It's been there as long as the planets as far as I know - maybe you just didn't register it because it's up off the ground?

Interesting though, I bet that's the first time anyone's used the word 'diddy' to refer to Jupiter!:?:

 

[Maz]

In the second picture i thought that satellite was orbiting just above some treetops!

 

[marinyork]

Originally when I first saw it I thought it was perhaps attached to that wind turbine in a farmer's field along the route! Anything like this is very interesting to just be nosey about what they've changed for somewhere I used to cycle a lot.

 

[Danny]

The route is a really good way for kids and adults to get a feel for the relative distances between planets.

I particularly like the sign at Pluto which says that to go onto Alpha Centauri you would have to do the equivalent of cycling round the world 2.5 times (assuming everything was to the same scale).

 

[marinyork]

No, the satellite is just outside the old station house at Naburn, 'orbiting' Saturn.

Pity, that station house was going to be a youth hostel and cafe - it was a cafe for a while last year, but the woman running it had no business sense and sold up. It could be a really nice place to head for, run by the right people.

The Sun is just at the point where the path goes under the A64. just after the racecourse, where there are some concrete burms for BMXing on. It's been there as long as the planets as far as I know - maybe you just didn't register it because it's up off the ground?

Interesting though, I bet that's the first time anyone's used the word 'diddy' to refer to Jupiter!:?:

PS I know where the sun is from the photo. Not sure about the station house though. Is it where the B road crosses under the path and there's a house and there was a little outside cafe on the grass and a maniacal dog that runs into the path of cyclists? Or is it nearer to York on the outskirts of Naburn in the monte carlo area of Naburn with all the boats?

 

[Amanda P]

When doing that ride, look out for the Fisher of Dreams on the river bridge.

He's made of wire. Behind him is his wire bike. While he's fishing for wire dreams with a wire fishing rod, behind him, a wire dog is pissing on his bike.

Always makes me chuckle. And there's probably some sort of moral to him if think about it.