WORST RIDE HOME EVER

On Friday evening, after two post-work pints, I cycled home from Manchester to my home in Salford, as I do most evenings. The weather, like most evenings, was shit; cold and wet - neither of which I was particularly dressed for, but it's a relatively short ride and dry clothes and a curry awaited me.

It was less than 1/2 a mile from my home, one left turn away from my road, that my 'ordeal' happened. Cycling down the hill, out of the door zone or away from the slippery mulch in the gutters. The first cause for alarm was a car that had sped up dangerously close behind me, and was now aggressively beeping it's horn at me. At this point, we're going downhill on a residential street and I'm probably doing 15-20mph in the wet. I had nowhere to go to avoid the car (a nervous lifesaver glance identified a new white Audi A3) so I carried on until there was space to pass.

PALMA MALLORCA

I've recently returned from a stay with a friend in Palma. I carefully and nervously packaged up my new road bike to fly with me, and the conditions were set for good riding, mountains like I've never climbed on a bike before. Stunning views, great road surfaces and a distinct lack of murderous maniacal drivers make it a little easier and I enjoyed smashing it around the city on a track bike almost as much as grinding up the steeper hills out in the country. I also had the opportunity to go wakeboarding, although shortly after mastering it, we returned to shore where I promptly fell off a jetty and dented my back, and bruised and grazed my legs, injuries to which I still bear the scars.

NVA SPEED OF LIGHT

A couple of months ago, on a freezing March evening, I checked out NVA's human-powered interactive light show Speed of Light when it came to Salford Quays. I risked hypothermia, frostbite, as well as nearly smashing my camera when an overzealous viewer almost knocked over my tripod. I was able to get a few photos to justify my time in the cold, including a bit of bike porn whilst I was waiting for the runners.

Read more about NVA and Speed of Light here.

CYCLING IN THE PEAK DISTRICT

I swapped my fixed gear for a road bike last weekend and took to the hills of the Derbyshire Peak District, with a brief foray into Staffordshire. I'm glad to say that my legs held up ok against two more experienced road cyclists, but my ancient aluminium Cannondale R400 was lacking in the higher gears that the full-carbon Boardman/Felt bikes of my two friends.

We stayed at Rivendale Caravan Park, near Ashbourne, in a camping pod. It's a revelation; camping without the fuss of a tent, a heated, well insulated, wooden hut with plug sockets and lights. And at £50 per night for the pod, splitting it three ways meant it was very reasonable accommodation.

We didn't put huge miles on the clock, partly due to the often and intense climbs we undertook, 30 miles here was like 100 miles on the flat.

And now I want need a road bike.