Floody hell: York cyclists under water

The stormy weather through the week flooded the Ouse in the centre of York.

High water here is nothing unusual. Indeed, the King's Arms by Ouse Bridge is regularly inundated: a floodometer inside shows levels over the years, the highest of modern times being in 2000. (Because its cellars tend to turn into fish tanks during much of winter, it only sells keg beer.)


Nevertheless, the quick rise of water on Friday morning caught a few people on the hop.

Quite literally, when they found the riverside cycle track by Scarborough Bridge was a foot deeper than they anticipated.


Anyone following the cycle route signs from here to Beningborough along NCN65 would be in trouble. It's hard to pedal in flippers.

York being a real cycling city, nobody queries if you aren't wearing a helmet. In this weather, though, they might raise an eyebrow if you're cycling without a snorkel.

Hamburg's water-bikes: Wurst-Käse scenario?

Well, Hamburg is clearly the place to be this weekend: there's the 34th Alstervergnügen, whatever that is, but it looks fun, and features cool aqua-bikes (scroll down to the Wasser-Fahrrad section).

(The bikes might come in handy for the residents of Greenwich, whose tunnel - used by hundreds of cyclists per day - is now being closed off for long periods of refurbishment, with no alternative to get a bike across the Thames apart from several miles' detour to Woolwich or Rotherhithe. They could just ride across the river instead)

In England, the home of bog snorkelling, we seem to prefer underwater biking, as demonstrated by a woman in Brighton in June. Sorry, but I'm with the Germans on this one. Biking on top of water, and enjoying a few sausages and beers as you wait patiently for the main verb: sounds a fine way to spend a bank holiday weekend to me.