May 15th – Springtime canal cycling. I got 99 problems, and most of them are truculent, obstructive and aggressive geese.
Patience and gentle coaxing a must.
May 15th – Springtime canal cycling. I got 99 problems, and most of them are truculent, obstructive and aggressive geese.
Patience and gentle coaxing a must.
April 3rd – It’s Good Friday. You’re going home, mid afternoon. It’s raining, you’re wet and you just want out of here.
The trafic is awful and backing up. It’s time to just go for it and get the hell out.
February 11th – Coming up Hatherton Street in Walsall to turn right on to the New Ring Road. Clear behind, then as I roll into lane an engine revving hard behind my right hand shoulder.
Why she did this, I have no idea. Just as well I know the junction and the Advanced Stop Line for cyclists. It’s about the only time I’d ever use one. It visibly irritated her.
I don hope she got to work or wherever in a foul mood.
November 11th – Riding along the Darlaston Road in Pleck, Walsall at about 5:30pm, towards Walsall. I’m on the left as I’m hauling uphill and the banjo in the taxi overtakes me and turns left, not too far from wiping me out.
Fortunately, he hesitated, and I saw what he was going to do, so I drifted to the left as he pressed towards me. Long time since I shouted at a driver.
This was not a case of not seeing me. He saw me, he went for it. Thankfully, I have my wits about me.
September 7th – Hopwas Hays Wood. A downhill from the north tip I’d not done before. Difficult, unexpected, exhilarating. I’ve pussyfooted around with this damned bad foot too long. Time to wig out.
I’ve also not done any ride cams for ages, and have a bit of a project on the boil. More later.
This is filmed real time, max speed about 35mph. Music the gorgeous “Close Behind’ by Calexico. In the western classic I’ll never direct, the hero and heroine ride off into the sunset to this music.
April 25th – This one’s for Trevor in Oz. You may miss life here when it’s sunny… but not on a went Friday afternoon.
A horrid ride. They guy soaking me in the last 10 seconds just clinched it.
The audio is the remarkable ‘Rain Dances’ by 1970s prog-jazzers Camel. Recording used at normal speed.
April 13th – Back up on the Chase for the first decent, dry ride in what seems like an age. Still the heavy wind, but a joy to fly down Rainbow Hill to Moor’s Gorse.
Note the young bloke who overtakes me. He was absolutely flying. I topped out about 35mph and bottled it. He just floored it. Respect.
Music is Lindsay Buckingham’s ‘Don’t Look Down’ from the chronically overlooked ‘Out of the Cradle’ album. Video is real time.
April 13th – Up on Cannock Chase. The ears. That’s all.
Sorry for the poor quality – caught by the bike cam, some way off. Heavily zoomed, and slowed down for clarity.
March 23rd – The Chase is still very muddy. This is a normal speed clip, from Castle Ring to Stonepit Green this afternoon. Top speed about 30mph. I was absolutely plastered in mud. But by heck, it was funn.
Soundtrack ‘Ritual Dance’ by Michael Hedges.
March 9th – At Sittles, north of Whittington, a surprise. It’s amazing the things you get overtaken by in country lanes…