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Category: Cycling

  • RideLondon 100 2016

    For the second year running, I was fortunate enough to get into the RideLondon 100 via the ballot. I had thought that the slightly increased numbers of competitors and the addition of a 46 mile option (only announced much later), might mean that everyone who wanted to, was able to enter. But that’s not true…

  • The Political Cycle

    It’s my favourite time of year – The Tour de France is well underway. Mark Cavendish is back on form, picking up wins 27, 28 and 29, leaving him second on the all-time wins list, and the fireworks are about to kick off as the race enters the Pyrenees. Recently I raised my hand to…

  • London Nocturne 2016

    For 2016, the organisers of the London Nocturne (aka the Smithfield Nocturne), moved it from its previous course around Smithfield market, and closer into the City of London on a new circuit set between St Paul’s Cathedral, Bank tube station and the Guildhall. As a result, the course was flatter without the slight drag that…

  • London Six Day Racing

    Note: I began writing this last year, and then like so many posts, I left it languishing in drafts until I’d got around to processing the photos to go with it. Then I was lax about getting up to date with processing my photos. And so finally, three months later, here’s the whole piece. I…

  • What Goes Around and Cyclogeography

    I’ve spent the better part of my working life in the West End of London. That means lots of tourists, black cabs (you can’t really identify an Uber), buses and a general melange of people going about their very different businesses. As a cyclist, you can’t help also noting the cycle couriers. When I was…

  • Cycling Lights

    The clocks have gone back, and so, while it was getting dark before when I returned home, we’re now in guaranteed darkness – at least if you finish work after 5.30pm or so. And as ever, it appears a lot of fellow cyclists really haven’t thought about their lights for a long time. Yesterday, as…

  • The Program

    Right at the beginning of The Program, the BBFC certificate popped up. The film is rated 15 for “strong language, use of performing-enhancing drugs.” Quite. (And I realise, I’m not the first person to note this.) The Program is Stephen Frears’ new film about Lance Armstrong, the seven-times winner of the Tour de France, before…

  • Tour of Britain 2015 – Stage 8

    The Tour of Britain ended this year as it usually does, with a circuit race around central London. But there was a new circuit this year, with the race heading more into the West End than it has previously. The crowds looked good, and although it was hard to follow the race, I later learned…

  • Tour of Britain 2015 – Stage 7

    This year’s Tour of Britain is spread out quite a lot compared to some recent editions. It started north Wales, heading into Lancashire, then Cumbria, Scotland, Northumberland and the Peak District. Today’s stage started in Fakenham, Norfolk and would end in Ipswich in Suffolk. The profile showed the route to be effectively pan flat, and…

  • Garmin Ride Out 2015

    Last Thursday was National Cycle to Work Day, an attempt to get more people to discover the benefits – both financial and to their health – of riding to work instead of driving or using public transport. I use a Brompton as part of my daily commute, but last Thursday I rode the full distance…

  • RideLondon

    A couple of weekends ago was the now annual RideLondon cycling festival in London. There are several strands to it, including: – FreeCycle – 10 miles of closed roads around central London for families in particular to pedal around – The Brompton World Championships – The RideLondon Grand Prix – Women’s professional circuit race –…

  • Chapeau Chris Froome!