cycling
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Not Quite The Hailsham 600 (reprise)
I walk through the door of the empty café. It’s almost 11am, prime Sunday brunch time. “Hello, you’re our first customer”, the girl behind the counter greets me. She looks bored as does another girl behind the counter looking at her phone. I’m soaked through and dripping water on the floor. My shoes squelch as…
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Winging It
Oh I’m here. Didn’t recognise it coming from that direction. A few hours of getting lost on home roads. Not lost as such but wandering, no fixed itinerary, no list of place names, no destination other than back home. Making it up as I go along. Reaquainting myself with Sussex. Apart from commuting it feels as…
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Flanders To The Alps: Notes On A Tour [Part 2]
Day 7 – Montriond and Morzine (18km) Snooze. Into Morzine for a coffee. Snooze. Up to the lake for a swim. Snooze. Day 8 – Col de Joux Plane (55km) Over the Joux Plane to meet Nigel for coffee. Lunch at Col de Ranfolly. The Reilly looks a little out of place surrounded by full…
![Flanders To The Alps: Notes On A Tour [Part 2]](https://themanfromicon.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_20180804_124916_443.jpg?w=1024)
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Flanders To The Alps: Notes On A Tour [Part 1]
Day 1 – Hastings, UK to Gent, Belgium (216km) Meet George and Vic at Brighton station. First train cancelled due to two pissed teenagers being dicks. That’s our time buffer gone. Meet Mark at Hastings station. Tailwind across Romney Marsh, heads down, smash it to Dover (didn’t need to worry about that lost half hour).…
![Flanders To The Alps: Notes On A Tour [Part 1]](https://themanfromicon.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_20180729_232024_644.jpg?w=1024)
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Channel Hopping
The ferry turns and powers away from England in a soft haze that mutes the whiteness of the chalk, rendering the cliffs as almost inverted shadows. A mirror image the other side of the channel as mist solidifies into landforms. Heat bounces from the road. The snap, crackle, and pop of…
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Wander Wye
Friday Sitting on the train to London a small amount of trepidation floats around my mind. I’ve yet to complete a 600 kilometre audax having failed to complete the Hailsham 600 and the DIY in France last year for different reasons. I know I can do the distance but it’s been a while since I’ve…
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Dolomiti
Last year I took part in the fifth edition of the Transcontinental Race but unfortunately didn’t finish the race, making it across parts of Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, and Italy before stopping short of Control Point 3 in the High Tatras mountain range in northern Slovakia. After recuperating in Poprad for 36 hours we rode…
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Sussex Spring Classic 2018
The Sussex Spring Classic 2018. 120km of stupid fun on the lanes, farm tracks, and bridleways of Sussex in homage to the spring classics of northern Europe (more Tro Bro Leon than Flanders). A bit late this year due to being disorganised and shit weather. The annual email to the usual suspects ended with… *disclaimer:…
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May Day
Awake before the alarm and sun rise. Fall out of bed, flick on the radio. The World Service, still too early for Radio 4. Thick black coffee, teaspoon of sugar. The Shipping Forecast, the long version, inshore waters included. It’s still early but light outside as I bounce the bike down the steps. Freewheel down…
the man from icon 