Archive for the ‘Rides’ Category

Temper fugit…

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

It’s been weeks now since I’ve been able to cycle regularly which isn’t helping my health or temper - missing the endorphins! First the bad, rainy, windy weather kept me indoors. Then an attack of gout in my left big toe prevented me from even attempting to put a cycling shoe on, let alone ride anywhere. Then Christmas and now all this white stuff and, blow me, another gout flare up!

I did manage one outing early in December with a few guys to raise money in support of Focus Birmingham in aid of the blind and visually impaired. The ride was well organised by Andy Kilminster and took us from the Old House at Home, Harborne, up the Harborne Walkway and into town along the canal. Thence out on the Rea Cycleway to Northfield, along the roads over Frankley Beeches and back through Bartley Green to the pub for lunch. Twenty five miles or so with a couple of  much appreciated Christmas cake stops! Andy had even organised emergency support from the St. John Ambulance in the form of two cyclists. They were both equipped with what looked like a mini Queen Elizabeth Hospital strapped to each bike!

Pitstop in Cannon Hill park.

Pitstop in Cannon Hill park.

Andy completed the ride dressed topically as Santa. I’m looking forward to the next fund raising ride….in warmer weather!

Riding the Lincolnshire Wolds…

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

The ‘Medium Ride’ report in the September issue of Cycling Plus, forty miles over the Lincolnshire Wolds from Horncastle and back, endorses my views on the delights of cycling in this county. Indeed the ride covers some of the roads I mention in my June posts.

Merrie Middle England…

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

Friday 14th saw me heading south by Earlswood to Tanworth in Arden and down to Ullenhall through lanes so quiet that at times one could hear birdsong without the background noise of traffic or mechanical contraption.

A right turn in Ullenhall takes one up passed the church and on to a tee junction. Left here onto the A4189 and then first right onto the lane to Morton Bagot. At the next crossroads taking the left one heads towards Shelfield. From this hamlet it is on to Little Alne, a short hop on the B4089 and then a left and a right back to the pleasures of quiet country lanes and the village of Aston Cantlow. (more…)

Mini tour of Warwickshire…

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

I managed to strain my back muscles whilst lifting boxes of leaflets at the RBSA Gallery on Monday 3rd. So the ‘injury’ and the foul weather kept me off the bike until Sunday 9th when there was sunshine at last! As the forecast for the day was good I took off to have a look at Warwick

On the way through Solihull Lodge I went down Aqueduct Road under the Stratford Canal then left and left again into Drawbridge Road. This takes one up and over the canal at a lift bridge which looks like something out of a Dutch old master’s painting.

Shirley drawbridge

Shirley drawbridge

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Man from Uncle in town…

Saturday, August 8th, 2009

Hooray! A dry day last Sunday and the opportunity to get off the settee and stretch the legs.

I rode through town and out along the cycle lane down Hurst Street to the junction with Sherlock Street. The ‘cycle way’ heads diagonally across the junction via traffic light controlled crossings. One reaches the island refuge and then hs to press another button and wait for the green light on the traffic light by the Eden bar. I waited and waited. Then another cyclist arrived and commented that he’d “never seen that light turn green.” So we waited until the traffic had stopped, assumed we had right of way and cycled off. Not terribly satisfactory.

Sherlock Street/Hurst Street junction.

Sherlock Street/Hurst Street junction.

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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.

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…)

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

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.

Le groupe - c’est ici!

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
The gang's all here!

The gang's all here!

Cyclists and crew, photographed at the Parc du Champs de Mars, having completed the London to Paris challenge on Sunday 28th June. I’m back row second from right. Photograph, courtesy of Classic Tours, arrived the other day together with the Challenge certificate:london-paris-certificate1

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.

tennis-cannon-hill11

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…)

London-Paris. Day Three. Tete de la course…

Saturday, July 4th, 2009

Day Three (Sunday 28th June): Gournay-en-Bray to Paris

The day started with the promised 5:30am alarm call, another good breakfast, slap on the sunscreen and retrieve the bike from the bike store. It was a cool morning and the sun was shining - a good start to the final day of cycling.

Check your bike...

Check your bike...

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