A commute from the 26th March, turned to video to go with an article on my main blog noting the first anniversary of this journal. Please read the original article by clicking here – and if the video above is blocked in your country, there’s an alternate version linked in the article.
Here’s to more of the same… and another 365daysofbiking.
March 16th – The first video of the Peak District ride. I will do a second in time.
A journey from Comford Wharf, on the Cromford Canal in the Derwent Vally, Derbyshire, to Hassop Station in on the Monsal Trail, not far from Bakewell. The trail starts with a 300m Climb to HArborough Rocks, near Brassington, and follows the High Peak Trail for 12 miles of utterly flat, traffic-free trail. Joining the Tissington at Parsley Hay, it’s a slow climb to Hurdlow, the on to the Penine Bridleway, where the route peaks at Fivewells at 440m. A sharp descent to Wyedale, vita Topley Pike and the A6 ensues, then the Monsal trail to Hassop, for a well deserved lunch. Part 2 to follow. From Hassop, I cycled the rest of the Monsall, then into Derby on the A6, then home via NCN 54 – Mackworth, Etwall, Egginton, Burton, Barton and Lichfield. About 115 miles total.
Music is the divine ‘This Sky’ by the Derek Trucks Band.
March 13th – Coming back up Brownhills High Street I encountered more than the usual share of morons. It was clearly drive like an idiot day, and yet again I appear to have missed the memo. This vehicle – operating as part of Walsall’s Ring and Ride service, the transport provider for people with limited mobility. Is the driver trying to increase the customer base? Note they’re already indicating left when they overtake. Idiot. And yes, my lights were on…
DX10GXS, 6:20pm, March 13th 2011.
March 12th – I was amused by this wonderful piece of driving at Rushall Square, just north of Walsall, yesterday. Not dangerous, but a symptom of someone not concentrating, one wonders what was going through his mind. Didn’t seem to be on the phone, either, which is the usual cause of this kind of thing.
January 6th – It felt good to be back on the bike. They afternoon was so pleasant, it felt like the storm was over both inside me and outside. The journey from Stonnall to just outside Lichfield via Hilton, Chesterfield and Wall was excellent.
The track is ‘Somewhere Nicer’ by Obi. It’s just how I felt. It’s great to be back.
December 29th – Now do you see what we have to put up with? This weather is awful. Heading into Brownhills, yesterday lunchtime. Waterproofs on, resolute into the rain. Watching for the traffic, which goes a bit silly in these conditions. Come on, weather, give us a break. Leave the rain if you must, but please, please, please drop the wind. Thanks.
The music is ‘Il Pleure’ from The Art of Noise, a lost classic from a sadly overlooked album ‘The Seduction of Claude Debussy’.
Boxing Day – couldn’t resist a bit of ride footage. This one runs from the top of Wolseley Plain, down Abraham’s Valley, along the A51, hopping on the canal through Rugeley, then a little of Bardy Lane, near Upper Longdon. I touched 42mph, but note I slowed right down for the horse and dog walkers. People, if you have dogs off the lead and a cyclist is coming, don’t call them. The dogs are normally too interested in the smells of the open than the cyclist and won’t cause a problem. The lady calling the retrievers here actually causes them to run in front of me…
Christmas day – Whilst at Chasewater, I also discovered the northern shore boardwalk – don’t know how I missed it before. I obviously wouldn’t ride it on a day when there were people about, but I took advantage of the quiet to give it a blast. A fun, precarious ride.
Christmas day – Chasewater was unusually quiet, even for Christmas day, which is normally quite busy with walkers and families taking the air. I couldn’t resist seeing if the geese were still feeling obstreperous, and they didn’t let me down. I’d love to know where they came from…
November 20th – I’m currently trying out the upgraded version of my bike cam – the GoPro HD Hero 2. One of it’s claims is to be better in low light, and I can vouch for that. This video would have been impossible with the original model, it simply wasn’t sensitive enough. This is a ride from the Top of Rookery Hill, on Rookery Lane in Hints, down to the ford at the bottom in pitch darkness. From here, there’s a section over the A38 pedestrian footbridge at Weeford, and section crossing the Birmingham Road at Shenstone, before crossing the churchyard at the top of St. John’s Hill. The light is a hope R4 on medium brightness – my usual light and setting of choice. On the downhill run, I’m hitting 25-30mph.
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