If you're a blog subscriber you might not have noticed that I have a new podcast on the website called Pain and Fromage! I've set this up to gather together some of the audio that I've recorded on various trips but also to share some experiences from the road (mostly, I think from bike trips). … Continue reading Podcast: Exe Estuary to Exmoor
Cycling
From the Exe to Exmoor
The last week or so has flown by, and all of a sudden the Paris trip is upon us. In three weeks we’ll be exiting the French capital en route to Nice, and today was my last opportunity to train. Next week is the last one before half term - always a busy one - … Continue reading From the Exe to Exmoor
Bike Anxiety
We now have just 40 days to go until the big trip from Paris to Nice, and I’m starting to get anxious. It’s not my fitness. I’ve worked hard this year and shed 9kg in weight, and I’m probably as fit as I’ve ever been. We have the logistics nailed, trains and ferries booked, and … Continue reading Bike Anxiety
Morning out in South Norfolk
This morning, I left the family snoozing in our tent and took myself off for an early morning ride around the nearby villages. Our campsite is right next to Banham zoo and so far on our holiday it has been too cold to sit outside in the evening and enjoy the sounds emanating from the … Continue reading Morning out in South Norfolk
A Big Day Out Around Exeter
My wife, Elaine and I had one of those awkward negotiations this week. If you’re into cycling and your partner isn’t, you’ll know how it goes. ‘I fancy a big ride this weekend.’ Silence. ‘The forecast looks a bit rubbish on Friday and Saturday. Maybe I could go on one of those days so we … Continue reading A Big Day Out Around Exeter
Advancing in the Moonlight
This was a really nice feature over four pages about an overnight Audax cycling event that I rode with my friend Graeme in November. The first version appeared here on this blog and I sent in an edited version to the Audax members' magazine, Arrivée. It was published in their spring 2026 issue and I'm … Continue reading Advancing in the Moonlight
The Long Way Home
At last it’s that time of year again! The sun is out, the sky is blue, conditions are absolutely perfect for cycling, and up and down the country the same conversations are taking place in cyclists’ households. When is the best time for me to go out for a ride this weekend? It isn’t always … Continue reading The Long Way Home
Paris-Nice 2026 – the DIY version
I get on incredibly badly with winter, so I always look forward to Paris-Nice. The first major stage race of the European cycling calendar is famed for starting in the cold and wet of late winter in northern France and, over the course of the following week, making its way steadily south to meet the … Continue reading Paris-Nice 2026 – the DIY version
Marans, Charante-Maritime
Our first impression of Marans was not a positive one. We had only booked the campsite there because La Rochelle was, predictably for an August weekend, already full and Marans was conveniently close for day trips. We arrived after a hot four-hour drive from our beautiful lakeside pitch at St-Yrieix-la-Perche, and were not immediately impressed. … Continue reading Marans, Charante-Maritime
Moonrakers and Sunseekers 2025
Beautiful dawn at Bournemouth It's 5.30am on a Saturday. The air is cold and crisp, bitingly sharp on the lungs. My fingers and toes are satisfyingly numb with the cold. Behind us, away to the east, the sky is starting to crimson below a thin line of grey clouds, and the warming air will soon … Continue reading Moonrakers and Sunseekers 2025