Hurry, hurry! Rush! C’mon, we need to move! But… do we? Do you? Rush hour If ever there was a ridiculous concept, it’s rush hour: millions of people going far slower than normal, precisely because they’re all in such a hurry! Most of us don’t have much a realistic choice for never getting caught up … Read more
Did I get the title sequence wrong? Quite obviously, what we should be most concerned about is the impact of our activities on climate change. Climate change is man-made, real, speeding up and is frankly terrifying. Still, for the purposes of this post, I’ll focus on the impacts of climate change on cycle touring. Is climate … Read more
What is Op Snap? In most of the UK cyclists can report bad or dangerous driving captured on their helmet cam to police, via an Op Snap portal. Not all UK police forces allow this, though. In Scotland, police remain determined to lag decades behind the times with regards to helmet cam video submissions. Why … Read more
Wild camping on Dartmoor Dartmoor is the last remaining wilderness in England, and the only place in all of England and Wales where wild camping is legal. Or rather, was legal! The Darwall Effect Alexander Darwall is a hedge fund manager and wealthy landowner, who owns a large estate in Scotland, and a huge tract … Read more
and what have you done? Another year over, and a new one just begun. Those are the opening lines of my all-time, most-favourite Christmas song, Happy Xmas (War Is Over), by John Lennon. Around this time of year I always do a Christmas roundup post. More of a friendly chat with friends, really, and I … Read more
Inner-city cargo bikes are the future London has an Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ for short) in an attempt to address the extreme levels of traffic pollution. Last Wednesday, the Economy Committee met to discuss the business case for shifting away from diesel vans, towards e-assisted cargo bikes. And that business case is overwhelming! After all, … Read more
Dartmoor is the only place in England where wild camping is legal Wild camping laws vary considerably in the UK. In Scotland, subject to restrictions and limitations, wild camping is legal is most places, but in Wales and England it is different. In all of Wales and England, the only place where wild camping, without … Read more
YOUR help is needed As you may know, I started creating route guides for traffic-free cycling routes in the UK. Though cycling infrastructure in the UK is overall generally quite poor, there are nevertheless some great traffic-free routes. But Sustrans already covers this, don’t they? Many of these traffic-free routes are part of the National … Read more
Aren’t you tired of getting yet another pair of “cycling” socks? Christmas is about giving, but let’s be honest, receiving worthwhile presents is also nice. Maybe you’re looking for a present for a cyclist in your life. Perhaps you’re looking for a present for yourself? After all, Christmas is a great excuse to get yourself something you … Read more
The fedi-what?? As I’m writing this, Twitter seems to be on fire and in freefall. Though I’ve little time for Twitter’s new owner, Elon Musk, I’m also not happy at him apparently destroying Twitter as we’re watching. Still, I have a strategy in life that’s served me very well so far: control what you can, … Read more
So, you love the wild places? I can see why? Who doesn’t like travelling to exotic places, to experience it for themselves. Who doesn’t want to go explore Machu Picchu, go cycle the Ho Chi Minh Trail, or scale Everest? Not to mention visiting Patagonia, or Lake Baikal in Siberia? After all, it’s a beautiful, … Read more
The melancholy of autumn While autumn is unquestionably a beautiful season, each autumn I get a sense of melancholy, a sense of almost sadness. I’m not referring to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – though winter certainly isn’t my favourite part of the year, I’m fortunate enough not to suffer from SAD. Perhaps it’s the passing … Read more
Climate change is terrifying During the summer of 2022, the UK (and much of Europe) saw high temperature records smashed in a great many places. In the UK, we saw temperatures of an unheard of 42 degrees Celsius. The latest IPCC report on climate change makes for terrifying reading. Remember, if you thought the summer … Read more
Old is good Some five weeks ago I had a serious crash, breaking my collarbone in two places. I also broke four ribs. I don’t know exactly what happened, as I was knocked unconscious and I have a gap in my memory. From the damage to my bike’s front wheel, it seems something got caught … Read more
