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Mike G - Sorry to hear that you have been in and out of hospital so much.

Baildon is a lovely part of the world. I have friends who live at Eldwick and often get out over there on my bike. I ride through Esholt to Hawksworth, down to Baildon , up over the moors passed the reservoirs then down Shipley Glen, then down onto the canal at Saltaire, home .......4 decent hills and a 23miles, which is a gentle gaunt after work.

Looking at some of the site prices we may be a distance away from the lake, but  must be in Annecy on the 24th August for Brahms Requiem concert.

We are, that is BFCS are performing at Bradford Grammar school on March 24th(Eternal light , Howard Goodall).

...

We may even meet if you come

Mike - I'm actually doing far fewer miles than I used to. I used to go to Bolton Abbey at least twice a week in the evenings. I was in the Yorkshire Clarion then Joined Yorkshire Road Club for a few years, so 23 miles really is not very much at all. My father was the Yorkshire Cycling Federation Vice President when he died at 81, ao its in the blood.

When we take the bikes to France we do a fair few miles and it is always fantastic. Fron Annecy there are several climbs up to wards Semnoz which are worth riding(the shootings took place on this road last year)...its a stiff climb up but the views are amazing. Annecy is better with a road bike but as I don't want to be limited to road surfaces I take my MTB.

The main reason for choosing our campsing location is for decent rides. In Bordeaux there are miles of  cycle paths...hubby goes mad as I disappear for hours at a time.

Burgundy is quite good for circular routes too.

I walk or ride to work everyday. Only Calverly to Rawdon but if you know Apperley Bridge its no mean climb up that hill.

There is life in the old dog yet...I may be 55 but on a bike I am still 25 !

We bought the 'Yeti' with bikes in mind.

Remove the back seats and the bikes fit exactly in the spaces next to the wheel arch. The wheels fit behind the front seats. We remove the seat pins and conceal the bikes from view with black throws from Matalan (£10 each). With the tinted rear windows yo cannot tell we have bikes on board. 

I pack the airbed, clothing sacs, then put the tents on the top. The cool box and hamper are handy just as you open the boot...and you can plug it in near the wheel arch (right). the tenst are the large Quechua base Seconds pop ups, they sit on the top tubes of the bikes !!!  

We would never have rack or have them external to the vehicle, not at 1k + each. It would mean that someone has to stay with the vehicle all the time.

We/ I have it down to an art now.

There are only two people to consider and no passengers, so it suits us perfectly.

The only thing between us and a Kia Sportage was the fact that the seats can only be folded forward in the KIA. plus the fact that the new design has insufficient clearance and a smaller rear window...this can be said for the Nissan Quashqai, and all the stable of vehicles of a similar design.

The other plus with the Yeti is the deeper boot (no spare wheel).

The only down side is the lack of secret storage. In the Scenic there was space under the seats and a much bigger glovebox.

The bikes are not a flash statement, its just that with me racing I was used to really good road bikes. Steve Woodrup built my frames, then I bought a GIANT TCR, so the transition to an MTB had to be mid range.

As I use my bike nearly every day instead of a car I deserve a decent machine....doesn't get you up hills any faster, you still have to pedal hard up Apperley Bridge and Hollins Hill (Old Hollins Hill is a pig I can tell you).

On a camping trip we take 2 bikes, 2 tents, 2 folding chairs, the folding table,the windbreak, the cooker (which we never seem to use), kitchen stand thing, 1 large plastic box full of pots, pans and all that type of thing, The cool box. 2 holdalls, cycle kit, running shoes,  And much to my husbands amusement my wicker basket...looks so much better when you have a picnic or when we stop at an Aire in France...and I use it in the French markets when I go native. Last of all Roberts (Bob's) Trangia, 2 cups and the camping kettle, which fit neatly into an M&S lunchbag. This is for the riadside brew if needed.  

GIve it a try....lots of extra space.

We always et pulled over at the port though, just in case we could be smuggling anyone in or out under the 'throws'.

The cat always knows when we are going away, there are car seats in the corner and lots of things being brought downstairs from the spare room.