Category: Other

The morning was silent, save the gentle throb of hangovers from the neighbouring tents. A short day in prospect today, with the Welsh hills behind me. And the Shropshire hills in front of me. I explored Welshpool, which didn’t quite have the picturesque centre I imagined, though I got a glimpse of the canal towpath…

The railtrail up Elan Valley (NCN81) is superb: smooth flat scenic tarmac for miles, from Rhayader to the head of Garreg-Ddu reservoir. The weather was a bit less superb, grey and damp and spitty, but I was happy, winching my way up the waterside paths. Waterside information boards showed the sort of rare animals you…

On a beautiful sunny morning, a beautiful ridgetop ride from my farm campsite to Aberaeron. I’d not even heard of it before, but it turned out to be a pleasant harbour town with a high count of bistros, cafes, and agreeable locals giving me helpful route suggestions. I headed east out of town along the…

With international travel tricky, I’m doing Geneva to Florence, for a possible magazine article. Not from Switzerland to Italy via the Alps, though: it’s from Carmarthen to the Potteries via mid-Wales mountains. Which means some spectacular passes, at least. Geneva, Wales is pretty small. Not a village. Not even a hamlet. Not even a farmhouse….

It was all go with the flow today, following the Tyne downriver to Newcastle mainly along the fine NCN72, with a friendly tailwind. I investigated a few back lanes north and east of Hexham, ending up ruling more out than in for my routes article, but did enjoy some excellent ridgetop views, quiet roads, and…

Dales, moortops, bits of the C2C, England’s third-highest road and the very centre of Britain (maybe): there was plenty of variety today, as well as breathtaking climbs and descents. Haltwhistle, further along the Newcastle–Carlise rail line from Hexham (which may give you a clue as to how I had a slap-up breakfast and still got…

Hadrian’s Wall has many things in common with the Great Wall of China, such as not being visible from the Moon. It was certainly visible from our circuit today though, on quiet narrow lanes, in, over and through some big Northumbrian landscapes. From Hexham we struck north past the old Roman fort at Chesters, and…

I was biking for a few days in and around the abbey town of Hexham, on the Tyne in Northumberland, researching routes with my friend Tim. We spent many hours exploring the town, most of it a vain search for decent beer. The pleasant market square is dominated by mighty religious buildings such as the…

A loop west of KL (Lynn, not ‘Kuala Lumpur’, obvs) today, in the flat fenlands, in contrast to the gently hilly loops east of the previous days. We explored KL itself a bit in the morning, and much enjoyed the tiny ferry between the town and West Lynn, across the Great Ouse. I’d been to…

Back to Sandringham this morning, this time doing a gravel-bike circuit, now accompanied by Mark again. We took the cycle path (rather than the Coach Road) through the royal estate, and it’s utterly gorgeous. The red and yellow stripes on the ‘cycle path’ post made me feel like we were about to enter Germany through…