south downs – the man from icon

James Bond and cheap Jelly Babies

The rising sun gently lifts mist from the frosted hinterlands, the angular shapes of Arundel Castle stand out against the hill curving through the clear sky. I’m on an early […]

sussex

Riding with Ravilious

We sweep down from the opera singer’s house past Virginia Woolf’s to the Ouse flood plain, the first of our Ravilious rendezvous. A heron nonchalantly flaps overhead. The riverbank into […]

cycling

Winding On

An old point and shoot, one roll of film. A week off work. Aeroplane mode, wider world switched off. Perhaps an audiobook in one ear. The sun stays close to […]

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Surface Detail

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Beach Bivi Beach

8pm Thursday to 8am Friday

cyclocross

(Not The) White Chalk Hills UCX

cycling

Island Hopping

I make coffee in the almost-light that waits for sunrise. Shouldering the bike down the front steps into a silent city, the main road empty other than a gang of […]

cyclocross

Grey

No one bats an eyelid, raises an eyebrow, or tuts when a suggestion is made to drop down from the Downs to find coffee and some tarmac, maybe even the […]

cyclocross

Between the Storms

As the day tilts into action a thin gauze of cloud stretches across the sky. A meek light casts weak ghost shadows, there out of the edge of vision but […]

cycling

The Old Ways and New Ways

Jump on a train west to Chichester to make the most of the forecast weather. Head for home with the wind on my back and scudding clouds and an intermittent […]

cycling

From the South Downs to North London

Saturday – Rule 5 Bikes Summer Send Off Meet up with friends at Freedom Bikes, sign on and collect brevet card…and a pen, as usual I’ve forgotten to bring one. […]

cycling

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. […]

cycling

Hidden

Hidden Valley. That’s what they called it. Not everyone, just a few friends, some of the ones that ride mountain bikes. Not everyone knows about this place. Hidden Valley. It […]

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A Weekend on the Downs

Saturday on foot, Sunday on two wheels.

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Doorstep Epic Plus

A few years my friends Jo, George, and Oli, joined Le Club des Cinglés du Mont Ventoux. Their stories from that day led me to attempt the feat last year. […]

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Pleasant Valleys Sunday

Fancy a short cx ride tomorrow? Nothing serious, just pissing about. Sounds good, yeah. Tilt at Fiveways at 9.30 good for you? Yep. See you there dude. Where we gonna […]

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