2017 – BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking

March 4th – Lovely to see the jumble still popular – it’s a yearly tradition, and much of the stock has been coming to this longer than I have – and that’s been a good few years now!

As ever, I bought a few things, but the enjoyment is seeing old faces (’The wagons not got you yet, Bill?’) reawakening old scores and shooting the breeze. And of course, studying the steeds and curious solutions of other utility cyclists.

It was nice to spot a John Perks original. Older readers may remember his shop in Aldridge.

I very rarely miss this – it’s the closest thing cycling in these parts has to culture.

December 31st – A bit of a bug and a mountain of admin and accounts paperwork for work kept me home, but the weather wasn’t great. I slipped out at teatime, and sped along the darkened canal through Brownhills to Chasewater.

There was no moonlight, and for once, Chasewater in the dark was uninspiring but not so the M6 Toll. For once quite busy, I waited for a gap in the traffic which bunches strangely.

I’m not keen on new year, to be honest; I dislike the forced jollity and felt quite down; but as ever, a ride on my cyclic antidepressant did the trick.