I read the 'Riding in Oxford and Moscow' thread with great interest.

Thought I'd offer another rather than interfere with that one.

I've been in York, England since July, and loving it. It's one of the UK's most cycling-friendly cities, and I feel it exemplifies the idea of the 'critical mass' - not the great big city centre ride/demonstrations, but rather the generally accepted use of pedal cycles as a way of getting around the city. Bikes everywhere, mainly upright with wicker baskets. And it seems to me (freshly out of the Middle East where drivers are confrontational or oblivious) that car, bus and taxi drivers are happy to accept that this is the normality and that the more bikes, the fewer cars.

I think I've seen the future, and it works!

It also helps that the city is beautiful and mainly flat!

You've chosen well! So many picturesque areas close at hand. Time to get used to hills, perhaps. Will you settle in York?

Not sure. We both like it a lot here. We're also completing purchase of an apartment in Brighton Sussex, south coast of UK, and in discussion about a further Middle East assignment!

For the moment, we like York

Just watch out for marauding Scots.

York is great if you like rain, cold wind

During the 1400-km London-Edinburgh-London ride, we passed near the outskirts of York on the stage between Pocklington and Thirsk. I remember this is where the ride started to get hilly, but very scenic, a nice contrast to the flat rides along the canals south of Pocklington. We rode thru the Howardian Hills, past Castle Howard, very rural, very narrow and winding roads, just beautiful countryside. What great places to ride!

Luis