Newcastle

I had a whole lot of baking to do yesterday - bread, bagels and Christmas cake. But unfortunately we were out of bread flour, and most of the ingredients needed for the cake. The only option was to head off to the shop to stock up - I bake quite a lot of bread, and...
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After embarrassing myself this morning, I was in no mood for an involuntary dismount again this evening - there’s only so much humiliation a man can take. When I set out from Walker Riverside, it was already pretty damned cold. As I pulled out from my client’s car park there was a sparkly shimmer on...
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I fell off again this morning - that’s TWICE this week. A bit of a bash on the shin, and the remains of my self-respect, dignity and pride in tatters. Here’s what happened . . . It wasn’t too cold last night, but just as I was leaving home, the heavens opened for one of...
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Winter. Bah! Actually, I quite like cycling in winter. I’ve now got a full set of waterproofs, so I don’t get wet (not that it actually rains very often during commuting time), and there’s just something about the feeling of glowing cheeks when the air’s cold. But not so today - TWO assassination attempts - both...
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The weather here’s been properly wintry over the last few days. It started off with a cold & clear weekend of heavy frosts and bright skies, and then descended into freezing rain, hail, sleet and all that jazz from Monday lunch time. I was supposed to be on the BikeAbility instructors’ course from Monday to...
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This prompted by something I read on Twitter this morning. There is one thing that makes me see red. I mean, gets me steaming mad to the extent that I’ll mutter slightly more than “Gosh Darn It!” under my breath, and end up having to whistle until I calm down. Drivers using the phone. It’s one of...
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That David Hembrow’s got me thinking again. He lives just across the sea from me in what looks like Cycling Utopia. I don’t mean that in a sarcastic way either - from the saddle I sit on, the Netherlands, and specifically Assen, look like The Real Deal. Anyway, he posted some photos and a video...
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Wife’s away visiting a friend from university. So having walked Huge Dalmation, fed, bathed & put Daughter to bed, I’ve spent the evening Wwilfing. Amongst other things, I’ve found pictures from the Armistice Day services, The Great War (the war to end all wars), and a whole lot of bike stuff. Which brings me to...
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You know how bad luck happens in threes? Well I’m waiting for the third. A couple of weeks ago, I was congratulating myself on having gone at least a year without a puncture. The Gods were obviously listening, ‘cos soon after that I got a superb flat in my Sturdy Commuting Bike, Wilf’s, rear tyre....
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So there are a bunch of people doing amazing stuff today - Brad & Big Dave & a few others from sweat365.com are doing the Steelman Triathlon somewhere in and around Las Vegas. 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and then a full marathon. Any race with those kinds of distances is tough, but for...
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