Videos

August 28th – Afternoon saw me again investigating national cycle route five, cycling into Walsall to see what the marketplace looked like without the Overstrand, then down through the Sandwell Valley and onto the canals through Brum. For a lark, thought I’d try my hand cycling up the treacherous cobbles of Church Hill to St. Matthews. Hardly Paris – Roubaix, but I was fairly pleased with myself…

August 24th – On my way home at sundown. Walsall Road, Fallings Heath, Darlaston. Watch for the car coming out of the side road on the right. Lights on front and back didn’t stop this dozy woman in the black car from not seeing me. To compound the irritation, she smiled at me and waved me on, like I was in the wrong. They just don’t get it…

August 18th – coming back home through Darlaston again, I found myself behind a car that clearly was in no condition to pass an emissions test. I’m seeing (and breathing!) more and more of this – does anyone have the power to nick the drivers for such bad exhaust output? It’s blinding to cycle through.

August 16th – About the only positive thing to come from the fire at the former Jabez Cliff factory in Walsall was that the traffic was static as I headed into Walsall at 8:00am next morning, due to the Ring Road west being shut on safety grounds. This pretty much gridlocked the traffic fright back to Rushall, which allowed me to skip past it all the way into Walsall. Having the ring road to myself for the first couple of legs was fun, too.

August 13th – A spin round Chasewater and a particularly fine, uninterrupted blast on the traffic-free bike route between Chasewater Heaths Station and Pool Road, at the north end of the dam. This is just a fraction of the great, family-freindly cycling to be had at Chasewater. Ideal for the nervous or those just not fancying road cycling, there’s cycle hire available on the south shore. Just watch out for pedestrians, loose dogs and obstinate red deer.

August 4th – Cresting Greenhill in Lichfield, heading down the Birmingham Road on my way home, traffic was very heavy. I love riding the traffic in Lichfield – challenging, exhilarating and smugness-inducing. A fine ride.

Sadly, I had a better audio track for this ride, but yootoob’s audio fingerprint thing spots it and removes it, which is a great shame. That technology is bloody impressive, though…

August 3rd – Pushing my bike across the Bridge pedestrianised zone in Walsall, at about 5pm on a Wednesday. A cycle cop is dawdling here, clearly riding their bicycle in a pedestrian zone. How ca we seriously expect the police to enforce the cycle prohibition here if they ignore it themselves? Yobs cycling down Park Street is a serious problem, which, as a responsible cyclist, I expect them to deal with.

This really annoys me.  I expect them to set an example. I’m ready for the rash of excuses you normally get for complaining about such things… considering I was once threatened with a fixed penalty ticket for sitting astride my bike whilst using a cashpoint in Cannock, bring it on.

August 2nd – Coming through Shelfield on my way home, my attention was snagged by the sound of an engine being over-revved. In the distance, I saw the snap of a large Transit hand coming fast in the opposite direction. Sensing the danger, I pulled up. The driver was driving so fast that when he crossed the speed bump near the Four Crosses Junction, there was a loud bang as the vehicle grounded.

I can only assume he was late for tea. Such speed is unnecessary on such residential roads. I’m looking on Darwinism to sort this one out.

July 18th –  * bonus muppet * (actually filmed on Monday 11th of July, but forgotten) – This just defies any explanation. Scarborough Road, Walsall, about 10am. The day is clear and sunny. Visibility is good. Driver made eye contact with me initially, and just ploughed on. I think she was half asleep, or just plan stupid. Half of me laughed at her, and the other half was horrified.

July 14th – Gorse bushes line the canal banks and cover the heaths and commons of Brownhills in abundance. For a while in May they are a riot of yellow and deep, deep green, and then, late July into August the seed pods ripen, blacken and dry in the sun. When ready, the seed casings pop open in the heat, with a characteristic cracking sound that will be familiar to any local who grew up amongst the grasslands of the area. As the Gorse slowly ripens, the rattling of the fruit is almost musical. It’s always fascinated me. This fine example was on the sandbank at Wharf Lane.