August 28th – Urban riding can be surprising to people who’ve never considered it before. Our towns and cities are surprisingly green, and even concrete jungles can be fascinating places. The panorama of Paddock, from Church Hill, Walsall, demonstrates this, as does the one from under Spaghetti Junction. So much to explore, even in the depths of the city. All joined together by our fantastic cycle network.
August 24th – Another late night at work, but I managed to escape by sundown. Cruising back through Darlaston and Pleck, the urban landscape was bathed in pleasant light. I noticed this house on the corner of an unmade drive on the Walsall Road in Pleck. It’s a peculiarly gingerbread house for this area of largely red brick terraces and townhouses. There are quite a few old, imposing homes on their road; it must have been quite important and exclusive in it’s day.
July 28th – It was the kind of hazy, warm, mellow evening one dreams about. Heat haze shimmered off the roads, and as I cruised down Shire Oak Hill into Brownhills I took in the the view, and reflected on how much it had changed since I was a lad. There used to be flats and maisonettes here, almost as far as the eye could see. It was never as green as it is now. We don’t realise just how verdant Brownhills is now, it’s gorgeous.
June 9th – A free afternoon and a bimble along the canals into Birmingham, via Great Barr and Saltley, a stop for tea at the wonderful @urbancoffeeco before heading home on the the waterways through Smethwick, West Brom and Darlaston. I love cycling the urban canals here – a 45 mile run around the best – and worst – our conurbation has to offer. The sheer variety of texture, surface, architecture and wildlife has to be experienced to be believed. The day was changeable with sun, overcast periods and light showers, and thankfully, little wind. A fine ride.
May 11th – this morning found me in Telford, early. I find the new town to be a generally unfocussed, soulless place, with no real centre. What it does have, however, is a remarkable quantity of off-road cycle paths. This one crosses the motorway to Priorslee. This network is wonderful – shame it’s almost totally unmapped and not serving a nicer place.
April 21st – interesting fixie in Birmingham city centre. I locked my bike up in High Street, and it was in the stand next to me. Interesting conversion as both gear levers and the front mech are still present. It’s obviously a well loved, well used urban bike.
April 20th – negotiating the Longford Island, Great Wyrley, Staffordshire, at rush hour on a bright Wednesday afternoon at 5:00pm. Not as scary as you’d imagine.
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