Earlswood « Bob the Bike Man

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Weather and loads of it…

Friday, July 31st, 2009

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…)

Posted in Bromsgrove, Canals, Earlswood, Lowsonford, Rides | No Comments »

Close encounter…

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

Sealed in a motorcar one is protected largely from the hazards of the outside world. In particular, insects either bounce off or come to a sticky end on the windscreen or other parts of the front end of the vehicle. Not so on a bicycle.

On the road between Earlswood and Hockley Heath the other day I was minding my own business and sailing along at just under 25 mph, when a bee chose to land on my forehead, between helmet and shades. I shook my head but the bee decided to take shelter, behind the spectacles! It crept up over the cheekbone and I closed my right eye to let it crawl across over my nose. Quickly shutting my left eye and opening my right, the bee strolled over to my left temple. There was nowhere convenient to slide off the road to a stop for a hundred or so yards. The bee then decided to do a reverse traverse and, in between synchronised blinking, I spotted a driveway. Off and in and pulled to a stop. Relief! As soon as I was stationary the bee flew off and no damage done to it or me!

Apian shade

So, it is always worth wearing spectacles when out cycling. If not just to protect bees from the wind then certainly to protect one’s eyes from other insects and any stray detritus which might be carried on the wind.

Posted in Close encounters, Earlswood, Rides | No Comments »

Endorphin fix…

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Certainly felt deflated, even grumpy at times, this past week, following the thrill and physical exertion of cycling down to Paris. Must have been missing the endorphin rush! So it was a delight to get on the bike once more last Sunday for a fifty mile aimless spin in the sunshine - markedly cooler than the thirty degrees we experienced in France.

There were people playing on all the tennis courts in Cannon Hill park. These courts are always busy. People of my age group would have learnt to play tennis at school and practised in the park before, if keen enough, joining a club. Now few schools include tennis as part of the sports curriculum and fewer parks have playable courts. No wonder we haven’t seen a Wimbledon champion for 73 years! (more…)

Posted in Earlswood, Lawn Tennis, Rides | No Comments »

Days of greenfly and roses….

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

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.

(more…)

Posted in Canals, Earlswood, Pubs, Rides | No Comments »

I visit Downing Street…

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

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…)

Posted in Canals, Earlswood, Henley-in-Arden, Lowsonford, Pubs, Rides, Ullenhall | No Comments »

Look around, look up, watch the weather…

Monday, May 4th, 2009

On Anzac Day I wished everyone a hearty “G’day” as I went by - saves remembering whether it’s the fore or afternoon! I swung through the Jewellery Quarter and city centre before heading out of town to Earlswood.

St. Paul's

En route to St Paul’s Square I rode up Holland Street, one of the very few remaining cobbled roads in the city centre. The hundred yards or so gives just a miniscule hint of what the Paris-Roubaix cycle race, over the cobbles of northern France, must be like.

Holland Street

(more…)

Posted in Earlswood, Lawn Tennis, Rides | No Comments »

Copse and Llamas…

Monday, April 6th, 2009

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…)

Posted in Belbroughton, Bromsgrove, Canals, Earlswood, Hopwood, Icknield Street, Lincolnshire, Rides | No Comments »

Right at the Bluebell, left at the Bull…

Saturday, March 7th, 2009

There was a time when one could stop a Brummie in the street to ask for directions and be guided to one’s destination via landmark pubs. With this in mind I went out on my bike for a ride south of Birmingham and photographed some of the pubs on the way.

Starting at the Court Oak in Harborne, just up the road from the Little Sisters and the start of all the rides in the Rides section elsewhere in this website. (In due course I’ll be expanding on the ride maps with written directions and relevant photographs).

The Court Oak, Court Oak Road, Harborne.

Riding down Court Oak Road towards the centre of Harborne, you’ll pass the site of the Duke of York on your left. Here modern apartments stand where Harborne’s biggest pub (?) once stood. Hanging right into Harborne Park Road and the Kings Arms on the corner is closed and looking for a buyer. Head along to Selly Oak and the Golden Cross, on the left near the QE Hospital, will soon be replaced with a new development (not including a pub!). Up the hill to Selly Oak, go right and left towards Bournville and the site of the old Oak pub is where Sainsbury is now. (more…)

Posted in Earlswood, Icknield Street, Pubs, Rides | No Comments »

Bob the Bike Man