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NBD

I may have acquired a new bike. Well, new to me anyway, it’s probably at least ten years old but in remarkable condition. It’s also bloody awesome. Like, really bloody awesome. It’s a steel framed, rim braked cross bike, it has limited tyre clearance and short (compared to today’s bikes) chain stays, leading to snappy…

Contrasts

Christ it’s stunning, Christ it’s bleak. That pretty much sums up the rides to and from work one day in October. I decided to take the scenic route, so dragged the freshly re-gravelised (I hate that word but it seemed fit for purpose) Peregrine out the night before and gave it the once over. Set…

Road Bikes are OK

I’ve never really been a proponent of the skinny tyred road bike. I’ve owned a few in the past, ranging from classically styled skinny steel to feather light carbon framed, carbon wheeled, but none of them have lasted very long. There was nothing fundamentally wrong with them, it’s more that at the time they didn’t…

Thoughts on commuting Part 1

I’m fortunate in that there are a number of traffic free ways I can get to work from home and vice versa. There’s two distinct categories though – up and not so up. Ups great, from Lewes I can be up on top of the Downs and heading west in minutes. The short way is…

Walking

We’ve walked a lot this year, don’t know why, it’s not a new thing for us, but since Christmas we’ve quite often found ourselves out and about in all weathers and all times of day. Maybe it’s because this area is still quite new to us. Maybe it’s because with the pubs and shops back…

Summer Part 1

High summer. Not my favourite time of year, but this time it’s a bit different, the tail end of spring and early summer were both, literally and mentally a washout. Riding the same old roads day in day out has knocked the pleasurable edge off, the weather was mild enough that even when lashing with…

January ’21

Cold – properly cold, no wind, no noise other than than the hum of the chain and the slight creak of cleat. Untreated roads covered in ice crystals, a solitary set of tyre tracks proving I’m not the only one to be stupid enough to come this way. Run off from the fields leaving great…

Commuting

Up while its still dark dark, the sun just threatening the horizon, kettle on, wash, layer up. Quick, bitter, too hot coffee. Hop on bike and roll out the estate. A few moments to settle and then dropping down to an empty town. No need for rat runs and quiet back streets at this time.…

Winter