Tag: bike cam

5th October – This one is far more serious. Recently, the Whitehouse junction in Aldridge was resurfaced an re designed. It’s now horrid to cycle across, and encourages the type of driver behaviour demonstrated above. The guy cuts me up, then stops his car, opens the door and shouts something abusive at me (I couldn’t hear what, due to the wind). I notice he didn’t seem to want to hang around and discuss the issue. All I did was shake my head and mutter.

EY52ANE – you’re dangerous. Please consider your behaviour and it’s effect on others, before you kill somebody.

5th October – There seemed to be a lot of dodgy driving today as I rode home from Darlaston. This one, at the Pleck Road Junction near the former Brown Lion pub, Walsall – although not terrible in itself, was somewhat annoying. Clearly the result of queuing across the junction. The lady driver giving me the finger as I cycled past was a particularly tasteful touch, I thought.

September 18th – A glorious run on Cannock Chase from the Hednesford Hills to Seven Springs. Plenty of young cyclists out learning to ride – see if you can spot the girl with the teddy bear in her front basket. The journey actually takes about 45 minutes, but is condensed into two minutes 46 seconds.

Soundtrack is the gorgeous ‘Clockwork’ by Buttcher Boy.

September 1st – I’ve followed this guy and his wonderfully joyous dog down the Arrow Valley cycle route in Redditch a couple of times this week on the way to work. There’s something infectious about the way the dog is so happy to run with his cycling master – I love the way he looks back at me and to his companion, almost as if he’s laughing. The happy tail and general air of enjoyment make me sad to overtake this pair on what must be a regular fixture. Look out for the quick glance rightwards as the dog crosses the road, and his expert negotiation of the barriers. Love it.

August 28th -This is one of my favourite canal runs anywhere – from the junction by the ICC (Old Turn junc.) to Aston junction. Fast, technically tricky (cobbled sections very challenging, to say the least), often busy with people and other cyclists. When relatively unobstructed, as on this quiet, sunny Sunday Evening, it’s a joy to the heart. Only brief edits of the boring bits – whole journey only takes a little over 7 minutes if you crack on.

August 28th – Afternoon saw me again investigating national cycle route five, cycling into Walsall to see what the marketplace looked like without the Overstrand, then down through the Sandwell Valley and onto the canals through Brum. For a lark, thought I’d try my hand cycling up the treacherous cobbles of Church Hill to St. Matthews. Hardly Paris – Roubaix, but I was fairly pleased with myself…

August 24th – On my way home at sundown. Walsall Road, Fallings Heath, Darlaston. Watch for the car coming out of the side road on the right. Lights on front and back didn’t stop this dozy woman in the black car from not seeing me. To compound the irritation, she smiled at me and waved me on, like I was in the wrong. They just don’t get it…

August 16th – About the only positive thing to come from the fire at the former Jabez Cliff factory in Walsall was that the traffic was static as I headed into Walsall at 8:00am next morning, due to the Ring Road west being shut on safety grounds. This pretty much gridlocked the traffic fright back to Rushall, which allowed me to skip past it all the way into Walsall. Having the ring road to myself for the first couple of legs was fun, too.

August 13th – A spin round Chasewater and a particularly fine, uninterrupted blast on the traffic-free bike route between Chasewater Heaths Station and Pool Road, at the north end of the dam. This is just a fraction of the great, family-freindly cycling to be had at Chasewater. Ideal for the nervous or those just not fancying road cycling, there’s cycle hire available on the south shore. Just watch out for pedestrians, loose dogs and obstinate red deer.

June 28th – Taking a shortcut through Wall to the A5… a little-known byway called Back Lane runs from Wall Lane to Market lane. Normally clear, an irrigation pipe now crosses it barring normal traffic. It’s now beautifully overgrown with grass nearly 3 feet high. On my right is a field of broad beans. On Market Lane, I gently pass the parked car blocking the top of Roman Walk and into Wall Butts. A lovely summer run on a fully loaded bike that rolls downhill well….

The soundtrack is the beautiful ‘Letter to Bowie Knife’ by Calexico.