When we moved into our house 25 years ago the garden was largely composed of lawns and rose beds. We reduced the amount of grass until we had none but even before that we’d dug up and disposed of every rose bush. I suppose that was our reaction against a style of garden we didn’tContinue reading “Flower of the Week, 13th June.”
Practicing riding technique again.
I would have liked a trail ride on my mountain bike today. Weekends, though, often mean that the trails are also used by lots of walkers and the inevitable need to slow or stop can be frustrating. For this reason I thought it would be better to repeat my last ride which involved 3 lapsContinue reading “Practicing riding technique again.”
Riding skills.
Before my mountain bike ride today I read some pages in the magazine Mountain Bike Rider (MBR) about riding skills, particularly on the subject of jumping the bike. Jumps can be intimidating to riders and way back I’m not sure if the majority of riders, including myself, had much in the way of technique. IContinue reading “Riding skills.”
Italjet Dragster 200.
A change from my usual subject matter, I’m using my blog to review the new Italjet Dragster scooter. I’ve been on the road with motorcycles since 1978 but converted my interest to scooters in 1999. The scooter culture in the UK holds old Lambrettas at the pinnacle but having tried all kinds of scooters IContinue reading “Italjet Dragster 200.”
Canal Cruising.
Due to unpredictable weather and various commitments over the Platinum Jubilee weekend I haven’t exercised for 5 days. I’ve been keen to sail my pedal powered dinghy for quite a while and I finally managed it today. I’d hoped to sail for longer than my usual trip which takes 47 minutes most of the timeContinue reading “Canal Cruising.”
Flower of the Week, 4th June.
Hostas do flower but are grown mainly for their foliage, which appears in many shades and patterns. They prefer a fairly shady environment which we have at the far end of out back garden. The leaves are shaped to channel rain water to the roots.
Riding Ben Nevis.
I’ve heard of riders “Everesting” on a bike. That is to climb the height of Mount Everest at 29,028 feet, in a single road ride. I’m not at a stage in my life where I could contemplate such a feat and I wouldn’t want to do a long road ride in any case. I decidedContinue reading “Riding Ben Nevis.”
Planning the big one.
I have a target to meet this year in the form of a bigger ride than I usually do. I want to climb the height of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, in a ride around the local hills. 2 years ago I rode the same kind of distance and ascent when I attempted the MaryContinue reading “Planning the big one.”
Road riding and a summer cold.
For a long time during the Covid crisis I didn’t suffer from any colds, then when we started to mix again I had 2 in quick succession. After more than 6 months I’ve now endured the indignity of a summer cold. It was mild and only lasted for 3 days but I would certainly haveContinue reading “Road riding and a summer cold.”
Flower of the Week, 25th May.
The title of the garden section of my blog is not ideal since flowers don’t decide to bloom with a regular rhythm. This time I’ll feature the border to the left of our pond, which we dug last spring.
Mountainbiker 