Last Sunday I visited the London Bike Show at the Excel Centre. It was held in conjunction with the Outdoors Show, the Adventure Travel Show and the Boat Show. Boats make me seasick but the rest sounded right up my street.
Approaching Middleton on the Wolds along an unfamiliar road
Ooh, dear. I see this morning's online Independent report about the Yorkshire Wolds (and David Hockney's A Bigger Picture exhibition that opens at the Royal Academy on Saturday) is in the Travel section.
Continue reading The first ride of 2012 in "Hockney Country" (aka the Yorkshire Wolds) »
Hello all! Happy New Year, and thanks for coming back – after three months I've just finished collecting my sponsorship in for my Singaroundiceland cycle tour (£3933, plus another few hundred in Gift Aid!), but now it's about time I told you a bit more about the place, and set a few myths to rest. Sael(l)! It's good to be back!
Continue reading Dan's Singaround Iceland tour – a few myths about Iceland »
This is not a pretty story. I will be spare in the details.
Annie Londonderry was the first woman cyclist to circle the globe. Although she was a celebrity in her day she would now be completely forgotten if it was not for the extensive research of her descendant Peter Zheutlin and his book 'Around the World on Two Wheels'. Santa kindly brought me a copy and, although it can be hard to seperate truth from fantasy, it makes fascinating reading.
Annie's real name was Anna Kopchovsky and she was married with 3 young children. In 1895 she set off to cycle round the world apparently as part of a bet of $10,000 between two Boston sugar magnates. To make things even more difficult she had to set off without money, was not allowed to beg, and must earn $5000 during her journey. Earning the money was no problem for her as she gave talks to sell out audiences and sold signed copies of her photograph but as she only learnt to ride a bike two days before she set off she faced a steep learning curve!
Fifty miles in, the bicycle wheels I built for myself a few days ago are as true as an arrow from Robin Hood's bow. They did not fly into pieces at the first bump in the road and there is no reason why they should. Wheel building is much easier than, say, knitting or basket weaving. The difference between a wheel built by a professional and one that you build yourself is probably about two hours – a pro will build them a lot faster – but yours will be as good, or possibly better.
Continue reading Building bicycle wheels: the best builder is you »
Totally pig sick of the gales, really really fed up to the back teeth with em...
Over my Christmas time off work I fully intended to do this:
The Festive 500 (km) ride to Redemption
Continue reading Christmas cycle up North in hail and gales... »
CycleSeven 2009-2012
