bikesandbees.blogspot.com
Bikes And Bees: June 2014
http://bikesandbees.blogspot.com/2014_06_01_archive.html
Sunday, 22 June 2014. Making A Beeline to Russia. The only puncture we had happened before we started. That's a good sign I thought at the time. Just like I thought I was with the right person, when John told me he'd once got lost in the Sahara. Russia is almost twice the size of the Sahara, but we're not going to all of Russia, we're going to the Solovetsky Islands. Second test ride after puncture. Photo by John Spooner. Early 'back of an iPad' route. Hummers wishing us a safe journey. The next day, sti...
bikesandbees.blogspot.com
Bikes And Bees: January 2014
http://bikesandbees.blogspot.com/2014_01_01_archive.html
Wednesday, 1 January 2014. Only the grandest tour of the best buildings in London you could ever have missed. If I was pointed out just one of those buildings a month, I'd be happy for all of 2014. Maybe there is a calendar idea in there for mmmartin. It's not only what you see, it's what it makes you see that gets me shaking my head. For example the building on the corner of Bethnal Green Road was not part of the tour but caught my eye. The old Swan Tavern incorporated into a new building. What a treat ...
bikesandbees.blogspot.com
Bikes And Bees: LEL 2009
http://bikesandbees.blogspot.com/p/lel-2009.html
London - Edinburgh - London. Yes', I would answer to the question 'Is this your first LEL? By Tuesday, I would answer: 'No, this is my ONLY LEL! How can they tell anyway, why don't they ask 'How many LELs have you done? Is it my new bright white road cycling shoes? Don't think so, because they were covered with old black tatty water-non-proof overshoes most of the time. Is it because I am cycling sooo slowly and my head is sunken between my shoulders? The highlight was on the same day though! It was here...
bikesandbees.blogspot.com
Bikes And Bees: October 2013
http://bikesandbees.blogspot.com/2013_10_01_archive.html
Tuesday, 22 October 2013. I was already putting away my camera, but still, the net was closing in on me. Susie's call of 'we'll wait for you', didn't make me feel any better. It's as good as a telling off. The Shard - tallest building in the European Union. I had ambitions of doing a bit of way marking, however not once did I find myself in a position to offer my services. I've lost a bit of condition but this ride was fast! Photo by Trickedem - http:/ cyclingmagic.blogspot.com. Now back to The Call Boy&...
bikesandbees.blogspot.com
Bikes And Bees: April 2014
http://bikesandbees.blogspot.com/2014_04_01_archive.html
Sunday, 20 April 2014. The Easter Arrow 2014. The death of Gabriel Garcia Marquez broke the ice at the breakfast table. 'One hundred years of solitude' Arabella said with a rising inflection. No, I have not read it, but I will now! There was more education to come from our captain when she said she had been abstemious with the salt in the porridge. Fantastic word. Home made hot cross buns. The other highlight was the finish at the Punchbowl pub in York. Me at the finish. Watching you, watching me. Easter...
bikesandbees.blogspot.com
Bikes And Bees: BPB 2010
http://bikesandbees.blogspot.com/p/bpb-2011.html
Brussels - Paris - Brussels. Da's ne keer een schoon ritje." is what 'nochain' wrote on a belgian cycling forum. It's a sentence you can't translate. Just like you can't translate into flemish "Lets have a nice cup a tea". Three out of five might be having coffee, but you are still all having 'a nice cup a tea'. The ride might be 600km long, but it still is a 'nice little ride'. But no football anywhere! I asked various people about the world cup and shoulders shrugging is what I got every time. Nobo...
bikesandbees.blogspot.com
Bikes And Bees: March 2014
http://bikesandbees.blogspot.com/2014_03_01_archive.html
Sunday, 23 March 2014. The Dean 300 - 29 March. The Dean 300 can be described as a 'Wales and back' ride. It starts in Oxford (where you'll find oxes), goes west to the Forest of Dean (where you'll find wild pigs), takes you to the half way point at Chepstow (where you'll find Wales), goes to the most southerly point of Marlborough (where you'll find white horses) and then back north to Oxford. I spent yesterday afternoon audaxifying my bike, which had me thinking about the highlights from previous years:.
bikesandbees.blogspot.com
Bikes And Bees: The HCH 1200
http://bikesandbees.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-hch-1200.html
Sunday, 13 July 2014. One day, it will be the difference between success and failure', he'd said. Keith Shorten was right. A gift from Keith Shorten anno 2011- thank you! My chain snapping on the Herentals-Cosne/Loire-Herentals 1200 wasn't a lowlight, it was a highlight. It is, when you're able to repair it! I'm going to find it difficult to find many lowlights. For only about half an hour did I have those 'Never do this again! Jose Maria and I, laughing our way through the rain. Photo by Guy Roefs.
bikesandbees.blogspot.com
Bikes And Bees: May 2014
http://bikesandbees.blogspot.com/2014_05_01_archive.html
Thursday, 8 May 2014. The first May Bank Holiday is one of my favourite weekends of the year. It involves going over to Belgium to see my family and celebrate my mum's birthday. After only the second year running, the weekend will now always be associated with the Flemish Night Ride to the Kust also. Brussels to Ostend via Ghent and Bruges. We were blown away by the hospitality of our hosts at the middle of the night stop. Lost for words we were, a thank you doesn't seem to do the trick. Hard to leave .
SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT