Writings – e2e.bike

I’m Rob Ainsley, a cycling writer based in York, England.

I contribute regularly to magazines and books, and give talks on cycling and cycle-touring. Here are a few examples of what I do.

Books

I have two books which came out earlier 2021. Find out more about Ride on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram:

**Ride: Cycle the World** (Dorling Kindersley, Apr 2021)
*I contributed chapters on Sri Lanka, the Baltics, Cuba, the Berlin Wall, New Zealand, the Antrim Coast, and the UK End to End*

**How to Sound Clever at Maths (even if you’re not really)** (e2e, Jun 2021)
*A humorous guide to popular, and unpopular, mathematics. Free to accompany my talk at the York Festival of Ideas 16 Jun 2021 (see it on YouTube)*

PDF of whole book (1.4MB, free)Download

I’ve also written, and sometimes co-written, edited or contributed to, over two dozen books. These include the Bluffer’s Guides to maths, university, Japan, the internet, computers, and cycling (Oval/Bluffers Guides/Haynes, 1988-2018); 50 Quirky Bike Rides (Eye, 2006); Great Cycle Journeys of the World (New Holland, 2010); The Sideways Guide to Composers (Future, 1993); Inside the Orchestra (Future, 1994); That British Style (Kodansha, 2000); and a few computer manuals.

Magazines

I write a monthly humorous column on everyday cycling for Cycling Plus magazine, and research many of their ‘Local Knowledge’ routes. I also write for Cycling UK’s magazine and website, and occasionally for BBC Music magazine.

**Cycling Plus** *Why paper maps are best*

**Cycling Plus** *Cycling = happy. Ask a rat*

**Cycling Plus** *Where am I? Here’s how to find out*

**Cycling Plus** *Spain: Desserted roads*

**Cycling Plus** *Taiwan: Imported frames*

**Cycling UK** *Britain’s ‘Caminos’: Great pilgrimage routes*

**Cycling UK** *Bikepacking across Scotland’s empty quarter*

**BBC Music** **Sep 2021** *Hooked on Classics: When Beethoven went to the disco*

Talks

I give lively and humorous talks on everyday cycling and touring, illustrated with unique images from twenty years of touring the world.

**TEDx Truro 2019** *‘Cycling against the tide’: Video of talk*

**Cycle Touring Festival 2020** *‘Bizarre Britain’: Picture highlights*

**Cycle Touring Festival 2021** *Britain’s best river rides: Video of talk plus webpage*

Podcasts

**Cycling Europe Podcast 23** *Touring ideas from autumn 2020: I’m on at 3:00, 41:30 and 1:23:00*

**LEJOG Audiobook** *My 1997 Britain End to End on local food and drink. (Contains bagpipes.)*

**Camino de Santiago** *Info and advice, with audio diary of 2011 trip*

Music

I occasionally write pieces for guitar. Here are seven recent examples, inspired by bike rides. Follow the links for photos, info, PDF scores and more.

Mam Tor Etude for guitar (MP3, 3min). MTB rides on collapsed roads over the ‘shivering mountain’.
Hen Cloud Lyric piece for guitar (MP3, 4min). Slow summer evening ride in the Staffordshire Peaks.
Hornsea Mere Reflections for guitar (MP3, 6min 30sec). Yorkshire’s largest lake.
Coldstones Cut Workings for guitar (MP3, 5min). ‘Yorkshire’s Machu Picchu’.
Zebra Hill Patterns for guitar (MP3, 6min 20sec). The hill at the end of my Yorkshire A to Z.
North Cave Observations for guitar (MP3, 6min 13sec). Wetlands reserve, East Yorkshire.
Stary Gdańsk Imaginary old Polish song for guitar (MP3, 3min 20sec) from my Polish End to End, which finished near Gdańsk.

I also arrange a few pieces for the instrument. Some examples are below. Links go to YouTube videos of performances with the scores. You can also download PDFs of the scores.

Focus Sylvia (Score)
Focus Hocus Pocus (Score)
Roy Harper When an old cricketer leaves the crease (Score – Chords)
ABBA Knowing me, knowing you (Score)
Elton John Sorry seems to be the hardest word (Score)
Dukas Fanfare from ‘La Péri’ (Score)