Tag: cycling
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1,000km of Solitude
Today, I again cycled into work and back. The commute in was fine, albeit pitch black, but on the way home (also pitch black), the heavens opened – and just when I was half a kilometer from the nearest shelter so I couldn’t even take refuge whilst I pulled the rain cover over my CamelBak. Within minutes I was soaked, and slipping all over everywhere in the mud. It was 5degC, and the wind was a force to be reckoned with, almost blowing me off my bike a couple of times – and inexplicably always being against me, regardless of… Read more
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Getting skin in the commuting game
Further to my last missive, I finally succeeded in biking to/from work. Although (much like Finn learning to ride his bike without stabilizers) I didn’t really have much choice, as my car is in for repair. The windscreen wipers stopped wiping, opting to emit a burning plastic smell instead, and when I took it to the garage on Wednesday they noticed that the shock absorbers were shot (that would explain the clunking every time I take a speed-bump, then) and also needed replacing, and announced that I wouldn’t get my car back until Friday. So having cycled from the garage to… Read more
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Mid-life mountain-biking crisis
This weekend I treated myself to a new mountain bike. My old one has been slowly dying on me and I finally decided I’d had enough when it shed a pedal 5km out from home, forcing me to walk all the way back. When I visited my local bicycle emporium (Robeet BikeStyle, in Tervuren) I was surprised by how much bike technology has changed since I bought my last one (a Specialized Rockhopper, bought ten years ago). It’s now almost impossible to buy a mountain bike without front suspension, and disc brakes are common on all mid- to high-end bikes. Naturally… Read more
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And not a ‘Hi-De-Hi’ within earshot
Last weekend we enjoyed a family holiday (4 days – does that count as a holiday?) at one of the CenterParcs here in Belgium (De Vossemeren). We’ve never done one of these kind of places before (I think us Brits have a natural aversion to anything that even vaguely smells of a Butlins Holiday Camp), but yes, we did actually enjoy it. It’s not necessarily my first choice of vacation [I couldn’t sell the family on a 10-day meditation retreat…], but the kids loved it and if they’re happy then the holidays are a lot more relaxing for us parents,… Read more
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Sofa vs. Cycle: The Relative Merits
In a rash fit of positivity, we decided that we’d take a family bike ride this Sunday. Maybe I was artificially stimulated by the purchase on Saturday of a new bike for the wife (even though we won’t pick it up until next week), and the fact that I finally repaired Finn’s bike which has had a puncture for around a year now. Or maybe it was the thought that this could well be our last burst of good weather before winter really sets in. Either way, it seemed like a good idea at the time. We cycled up to… Read more