Spotted this quote by Arthur Conan Doyle on Who rides? Facebook page. Says it all really.
“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.”
Managed to get out on Monday (20th) to enjoy the sunny weather (for a change!) on a ride out through Belbroughton, Bromsgrove, Blackwell, Barnt Green, Hopwood, Earlswood and back into town via Shirley and Moseley.
Malvern Hills on the horizon, seen from Burcot Lane near Bromsgrove.
The next opportunity came on Thursday which started warm and sunny but soon deteriorated into a sort of chase-the-storm sort of day.
It absolutely tipped down for the first time as I went through town so I sheltered by a very forlorn and very empty Brumbeach. It soon cleared up and I was on my way west. Rain clouds hovered in the distance but my route seemed to slide round them and I stayed dry all the way through to Tanworth-in-Arden. (more…)
With the bike serviced ready for the London-Paris Challenge, I took off on three final training rides last week.
Thge first run (on Sunday) took me out to Earlswood, Hockley Heath, Packwood, Knowle and back.
Riders on the road at Earlswood lakes.
Well, the day following my meeting with our MP I thought that I really must visit Downing Street. There are two round here - one in Smethwick and the other near Halesowen. I pedalled over to Smerrick (as it is known round here) I’ll get over to Halesowen another day, the return up Mucklow Hill needs some serious mental preparation.
Downing Street, Smethwick
The haunt of prime ministers, or any minister for that matter, this certainly isn’t. However, I do believe that bicycle saddle makers Brooks are based at the city end - I cycled in the other dircection (must go back and ride the full length sometime). (more…)
With just eight weeks to go before the London to Paris ride I thought I should ratchet up the ‘training’ a bit. So I hit the road last Sunday for what turned out to be a fifty mile spin round the lanes.
Out of town via King’s Heath, Yardley Wood, and Wythall, the first stop was at Tanworth-in-Arden.
The church at Tanworth-in-Arden
I believe that Nick Drake, the singer songwriter brother of actress Gabrielle Drake, is buried in the churchyard here. He was born in June 1948 and like many creative people suffered from depression. Sadly he died of an overdose aged 26. (more…)
Sun’s out so time to get some real miles under the belt. Fifty miles on Saturday was a good workout and an eye-opener at times!
Climbing out of Kitwell up toward Frankley Beeches my thoughts turned to David Hockney.
Frankley Beeches
Hockney is engaged on a series of seasonal paintings of one particular copse in his native Yorkshire. Well, I read that he arrived to paint the Spring version only to find that the owner had cut the timber to the ground. End of series. So how about coming down to Birmingham David and putting the Beeches on the artistic map? (more…)
Thanks due to the boys at Halesowen Cycles, the bicycle was fixed and returned in good time. The possibly/probably serious problem diagnosed as a worn out bottom bracket - not surprising after some 5,000 miles!
Sunny days are here again and Spring just edges it as my favourite time of year. So off last Thursday for a ride around the lanes near Earlswood, across to Hockley Heath and on to Packwood.
Canal Bridge 26, Hockley Heath
There’s always plenty to see and this lift bridge is on the canal on the north side of the road to Warwick Road just out of Hockley Heath is like something from a Van Gogh or Dutch old master landscape painting.
The road verges down to Packwood Hall were awash with daffodils…
…while over the field the famous yews stand sentinel still over the Packwood grounds…
…it’s a C17th yew garden known as the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ as there is a conical mount at one end with one plus twelve yews representing Christ and the Apostles.