Camera

For some time now, I’ve been thinking about getting a helmet cam, but choosing a helmet cam isn’t as straightforward as you may think.You need to consider the megapixel rating, the resolution it films at, the frames-per-second filming speed, the battery life, etc., etc. The list simply goes on and on! And then you get to ... Read more

This is not a political statement

News reports recently have been overshadowed by the terrible events in Japan, and in Libya, with Bahrain getting a mention now and then. Japan was a catastrophic natural disaster that probably put several nails into the coffin of the “nuclear energy is clean” argument, and with just reason too. After all, in a nation renowned ... Read more

A nice day out

I had this idea in the back of my head that perhaps I ought to do a detailed route map of the Plym Valley trail and Drake’s Trail, with photos and info on handy places to stop for a rest (and perhaps a picnic). Throw in references of good shops along the way (like Sonya’s ... Read more

Walkham Viaduct – an update!

A while ago I e-mailed Devon County Council for an update on the Walkham viaduct. I waited patiently and received only a thundering silence as response.Fortunately we have the Freedom of Information Act, which means if I asked the same questions as a Freedom of Information request they had to respond, and respond with a reasonable time ... Read more

The old and the new

My bike’s rear tyre was geting badly worn, and I have been meaning to replace it, but life seemed to be getting in the way all the time. In the famous words of John Lennon, Life is what happens while we’re busy making other plans. Today I finally got round to buying a replacement tyre, ... Read more

And justice for all?

In January 2010, Paul Chambers tweeted a message he would live to regret. Snow had closed the Robin Hood airport, and he needed to fly to Ireland. In frustration, he tweeted “Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your shit together otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky ... Read more

Critical Plymouth?

Together with two of my kids, I attended a Critical Mass ride in Plymouth today, and I must admit it was a bit of an eye-opener. No, not the ride itself, but rather what happens (cycling-related) in Plymouth. Recently-ish a new cycling forum was established in Plymouth. According to the minutes of their first meeting, ... Read more

Morning rush hour

Following my usual route to work this morning, I cycled up Tothill road. I saw another cyclist up ahead and tried to catch up.Fortune smiled on me as the other cyclist was slightly delayed by the traffic lights at the intersection where Tothill road becomes Greenbank road. As I got close I realised it was ... Read more

Back-sliding in Plymouth

In Plymouth, we have some cycling infrastructure that, although not brilliant and certainly not up to Dutch standards, still remains actually quite good. An example would be Billacombe road, heading out of the city. Have a look at the following pic: Billacombe road used to be two lanes in each direction, but was reduced to ... Read more

Walkham Viaduct

For those of you not fortunate enough to live in a narrow strip of land sandwiched between the coast and Dartmoor, with NCN route 27 passing less than half a mile from your front door, the Walkham is a river that gave it’s name to the village of Walkhampton. Apart from that bit of otherwise ... Read more

Slush rage

I cycled to work yesterday morning, and as ever I felt I was far safer and better off than had I been driving. Overnight Plymouth had a lot of snow, but towards 05h00 we also had some drizzle, turning all the snow to slush and ice. For some obscure reason Plymouth City Council apparently did ... Read more

Danny MacAskill is a copycat!

Not quite sure about the claim of this being the first bike trick EVER, but still well worth watching.

On the other hand…

Having just completed a rather hopeful & optimistic post, my home town of Plymouth still has a LONG way to go: This picture is of what the planners/road safety implementers have gone and done on Charles Cross roundabout. As the next pic (of the same spot) shows, there is a bus lane, which of course ... Read more

Phoenix?

During these freezing cold winter days, a breath of fresh air has started to blow. A breath of fresh air that holds the potential of bringing something remarkable to the UK. We have suffered for so long at the hands of the government, the DfT, and even organisations who are supposed to be on our ... Read more

I’m not competitive…

Commuting to work this morning, I cycled my usual route, which took me up Tothill road and Greenbank road. It was on Greenbank rd that I saw him – a little bit ahead, joining the road from a little side street that doesn’t really go anywhere.He was on a slicked-up fully rigid mountain bike, while ... Read more