Every year, the Tour de France seizes quiet corners of the country and recreates scenes reminiscent of a refugee camp with lycra. After a peaceful week grovelling up the cols of the Pyrenees, we entered the nothing-town of Mouilleron-Saint-Germain which, for that morning, was the centre of the cycling universe. This little village was barely … More The Best Col You’ve Never Heard Of
I had spent an entirely unwholesome day at my desk eating pastries and writing about how to be healthy. The irony is not lost on me. That evening, one day after midsummer, was a beautiful one and offered me the perfect opportunity to detox with a walk home. You’d be forgiven for thinking a walk … More A Tale of Two Cities – Walking Home Through London’s Grey and Green
In sickness and in health – to be really into a hobby is a form of sickness that keeps you healthy. It’s undeniable that time spent outdoors climbing, walking and riding is healthy. But then there’s the sickness that comes with it; a condition that my wife has been amicably tolerating (mostly) and reluctantly nursing … More What My Wife Puts Up With
In cities and in poor weather, the characters ordinarily found on the hills are funnelled into indoor climbing gyms. Here are some of those characters to help you make sense of the interesting social structure of indoor climbing … The Unwanted-Beta Sprayer “Mate, if you hold that undercling like you’re trying to coax a … More 10 Types Of Indoor Climber
Earlier this year I had a job interview with an online cycling magazine. It was halfway through the interview that I realised I hadn’t got the job. When asked about their style and target audience, I answered correctly that they are “focused on new kit and tech” and crucially, “readers have disposable income”. My income … More A Cheapskate’s Guide To Cycling Kit
Like a proficient driver, a good road cyclist can read the traffic and predict events before they happen. This is mostly down to a familiarity with road layout and traffic movement. The best road cyclists however add another element to the equation – the type of car people are driving. After recently reading a blog … More Cars To Watch Out For – A Road Cyclist’s Guide
For most of us, the mountains are a source of health and wellbeing. The combination of clean mountain air, physical exercise and mental decluttering makes for healthy living. It’s when we start pushing our bodies, our capabilities and altitude, that the pendulum swings. Clean mountain air becomes bitterly cold wind that sucks warmth and life … More Mountain Malaise, A Guide To The Ills Of The Hills – Part 1, Altitude
To refer to the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix as bone-rattling or teeth-chattering is to assume that you have any bones or teeth left once you’ve submitted to them. Indeed, riders can be left with teeth resembling the disconcertingly spaced cobblestones with cavernous voids between each unit, or with a body feeling as fragile and hollow as … More Paris-Roubaix – From Cycling Fan to Fanatic
“Going once, going twice … Sold, for fifty pounds!” “Shit.” I collected the medley of rust with two wheels that called itself a bike and thought, “What the hell have I just bought?” Auctions suck you in. One minute you have all your faculties and no intention of spending more than £20 on something you … More What The Hell Have I Just Bought?
“And you’re happy with that?” asked the walker, looking sceptically at my anchor – an ice axe buried in snow. “I was until you said that,” I thought, too tired to speak having hacked a hole in névé with the consistency of set concrete, as I now tentatively shouted “Safe!” down to my second, Nick. … More Leading the Way
London Outdoorsman 