Tag: ride

February 16th – At last, a long ride and a day that felt like spring! This is what my heart has been hoping for.

I sneaked out of work at lunchtime on a sunny, reasonably warm day with not too much wind, called home, then left on a mission: To visit the cake stop at Abbots Bromley for the first time in 2018. And boy, was that pistachio and honey sponge worth the effort!

I delivberately pushed myself as hard as I could – I rode up through Hammerwich, Chorley, Longdon, Handsacre and Blithbury, managing a healthy average of 13.1mph over 16 miles. Not too shabby considering my recent illness. Following cake, I rote up through Abbots Bromley to Hoar Cross, and back through Hadley End, Kings Bromley, Lichfield and Wall. 48 miles in total at 12.5mph.

The day finished quite overcast, but Hoar Cross in the grey evening light with it’s huge clump of snowdrops was still a joy to the heart, as was the endless Trent at Kings Bromley.

A great, restorative ride.

November 12th – Two ride cams for the Chase fans: The first is from Brocton Field just by the trig pillar to the valley floor at Sherbrook, a lovely challenging descent. The soundtrack is Bob Walkenhorst’s ‘Broke Down’

‘Where’s Bob? Where did he go? I don’t know he was here a second ago – he must have broke down’

The second if from Pepper Slade, down the length of Abraham’s Valley to Seven Springs. Soundtrack ‘Earth Angel’ by Dreadzone.

Both films are real time, filmed using a GoPro mounterd on the head tube of the bike.

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

October 29th – It’s been a long time since I did a proper ride cam, something I’ve been needing to sort for a while. I have lots of footage to edit up, but the software I use has been a bit crabby in recent versions, which has now been ironed out, so hopefully I’ll get some more done.

This is a short film of riding Rainbow Hill on Cannock Chase from the edge of the golf course on the Rugeley Road, over Rainbow Hill and down to Moor’s Gorse, a ride I’ve recorded before but on this bright, sunny autumn afternoon it seemed a good one. I’m riding a mountain bike for a change, and get to speeds of about 30mph. The ride is recorded real time.

The music is ‘All of the Time’ a cult classic by Mason Williams.

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

October 18th – A week or so, I posted a video ‘Welcome to the suck’ pointing out the dark winter commutes were upon us, and every year I note that when the dark nights come, the traffic behaves oddly until around Christmas, when drivers finally get used to the dark.

Tonight was a grim commute. All the way in not quite rain, a penetrating mist-drizzle soaked me; it was cold, and the traffic was awful. But seeing this was astounding. Sorry it’s so blurry with rain on the camera lens but I’ll explain.

I’m stopped at the cross roads of the Pleck Road (Ring Road) with Bridgman Street in Walsall, near the Manor Hospital. I’m at the front of my queue heading northbound straight on. The lights are red. 

Heading south in the opposite direction, pushing through the traffic which is moving aside are two fire appliances on blues and twos. I can smell smoke. Their shout is local.

The engines get to the the lights opposite me, attempting to turn down Bridgman Street to my right, their left – but are blocked by two cars, just resolutely unmoving. Eventually a small movement is made, one appliance takes the outside line, the other the inside line.

It’s not rocket science, and it’s in the Highway Code. Get out of the way of emergency vehicles when safe to do so. After all it might be your family, house or business these people are rushing to the aid of.

There’s a word for these obstructive people: arseholes. But totally symptomatic of the madness of the first dark evenings of winter.

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

September 28th – Terribly grainy, long distance ride cam footage of something nice about darkness commutes: Urban foxes.

Follow this short film and you’ll join me cruising around the bend by Coppice Woods on Green Lane between Walsall Wood and Sheffield. Out of the darkness to the right darts a large, fit male fox, who jumps the ditch into the wood.

Fantastic to see, and his antics will brighten many a dark commute over winter.

It’s not all dark. I just wish the footage was better. You may need to click the full screen button to see it best.

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

September 7th – It’s about time I started doing ride cams again, and having discovered how to overcome the piss poor battery life of the Hero 5, they should be a lot less hassle to capture.

On my way home on a grey day in North Walsall rush hour, life on a bike is faster and more efficient than many of the motorists around me seem to think…

Soundtrack is ‘Smash It’ by Fuzz Townshend (yes, THAT Fuzz Townshend).

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

August 20th – A much better, brighter day for me, but not the weather, which got worse as the day went on.

Out for a meal and a ride with someone I’d been missing while they were on holiday, a ride out to a local pub for a huge steak blowout and then a ride to work it off.

There was no wind, and I started in sun; but it soon became overcast and the rain started. But for once it didn’t matter. Returning home 50 miles later in darkness and soaking wet was actually a joy after a wonderful trip out.

Travelling up the A515 through Abbots Bromley, I noticed the modernist, brutal concrete Jubilee Memorial bench, which must be one of the first examples of a very particular municipal style; and then the Best Kept Village trophy sign, which lists all the winners since the competition in Staffordshire began, which is actually fascinating.

I do wonder why that’s in Abbots Bromley, though, and not somewhere else. It seems very… specific.

April 9th – A 35 mile recovery ride for tea and cake on the following day didn’t go so well though. With technical issues and some spills the ride didn’t start well, and like a fool, I headed out with a punishing wind flat behind me.

The ride out was beautifully sunny and warm, and the oilseed rape at Middleton was beautiful.

As I rode from Middleton up the canal to Tamworth, someone flicked a switch and the nascent summer instantly was turned off. A harsh, cold wind and overcast skies battled me all the way home.

It was harder to ride 35 miles today that the 111 I rode the day before.

March 25th – First decent-length ride of the year in nice weather, still a very keen, cold wind but the sun was warm on my back, especially when stationary. 

A run to Rosliston and back via my summer haunts of Coton in the Elms and Clifton Campville was just what the doctor ordered, and I enjoyed the ride.

The ride passed my favourite horse chestnut at Home Farm, Sandhills, visible from the canal. I judge the seasons and watch them pass by the condition of this fine tree. I think there is a suggestion of fresh green there: just a hint.

For a large gallery of this ride, see this post here on the main blog.