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).
August 9th – The weather echoed how I felt. Constant, relentless, driving rain.Inside my heart and out on the streets.
Some days are damned hard from start to finish and I commenced at a wet, miserable disadvantage.
November 21st – The UK, today. It was raining in my heart.
November 7th – Coming up from the Black Country, back to Walsall – at this time of year, Junction 9 is the safest route, as the traffic volume makes negotiation of the junctions easier.
Music is ‘Snapshot’ by the Art of Noise.
October 24th – Something out of the ordinary picked up by the ride cam as I hopped on the canal at Moxley on my way to Great Bridge on an errand at midday.
Riding the canals, you get used to seeing rats occasionally, but this small one was absolutely frantic to get somewhere safe, and repeatedly tried to jump over the wall, but each time failed.
I understand people not liking them, but they really are fascinating creatures.
October 19th – Although I use the bike cam constantly, I stopped featuring video here because road cams are so common now I think they probably bore the pants off people.
But I’ve been thinking of late that I should start again – short clips showing positive things about riding.
Here, I’m about to tackle the Bescot Road island in Pleck, Walsall, and the importance or environmental awareness is key. A quick dive left and they pass, no delay.
Monitor not just your fore space, but to the left, right and behind you. And never relay on hearing.
October 15th – Terrible photos and video taken hurriedly and in poor light, but something remarkable. I was heading back to Brownhills from an errand in Walsall Wood, and cut through by the new pond at Clayhanger. Dusk was falling and in the gathering gloom, a herd of maybe 12 red deer, split into two groups; three hinds with a stag by the treeline near the pond and the rest of the hinds 20 yards away, browsing the meadow.
I think there was some mating behaviour going on, as the male was standing his ground, and calling constantly. I’ve never seen this in person before, and it was a fascinating, mournful noise he was making (the video clip should be played with the sound up).
I wished I caught it earlier in better light, and made a better fist of the video, but who ever would have thought this ind of thing would be on our doorsteps?
June 17th – So help me god, I’ve been asked how you know if your bottom bracket needs replacing (see last entry, 16th June) – so I made a quick video. The old part is held in a vice over white paper for clarity. I’m wobbling the other end, out of shot. There should be no wobble at all.
Hope that helps!
June 12th – Just found this from a few weeks ago.
Riding out of the Galton Valley canal cutting in one go up on to Galton Bridge. Real time, no stopping.
For a tubby old bloke, I still have me moments.
Music ‘Forest Dance’ by Jethro Tull.
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.
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