Bike at a polling station Auditors in the the next few weeks. Piles to do. Barely home in time to squeak my vote for Truth and Justice in

I threw up after some fizzy pop. Think it might be Fantavirus* *other soft drinks are available

Not too keen on carrying more than o can get in a pack. Makes me think about weight. Had toyed with a couple of things & might need space. Any one got one of these and suggest a good strong and stable brand/make/model. Is there an optimal size before they become unwieldy/unstable; affect handling?

New addition to the tour kit, arrived. Ought to start getting the pack out soon figure what I need. Got some hill walking coming up in a bit so I might give this a boggy marshy run out first, see how they perform…

Full lo-traffic mode on Emmer Green Rd this morning . In the big ring, no dawdling to work today; out late even by my standards after looking for my license for professional ID stuff; stood on the bike & nearly beat my previous skinny bike PB using my old 26”. Bumpy tires & quads all a-blazing!

Plastic grass on a woodland road. Proof positive that money doesn’t buy class…

Use the designated parking bays? No parking? Get of jail free with hazards and a Landrover; normal rules don’t apply

Either it’s intermittent or that sorted it. Didn’t feel anything tightening that much so I am surprised (and suspicious)…

Had enjoyed the Martian and I like Ryan Gosling so I was looking forward to this but life got in the way till now…

Raw footage of me getting youngest to live the Ridgeway Life. “That is such a great view!” Found a mouse under some corrugated iron didn’t seem bothered by us. Cue Hantavirus story few hrs later. Got chatting to young woman from Moseley doing a long distance walkism; gave her a lift down to Wantage

Niche fettling. Socket wrench + torx. Finally got round to the next fettle in tryna solve the crack click on my 29”

Tricking my youngest into a walkism in the medium of a real life vid game, up on the Ridgeway. Iron Age Hillfort Segsbury Camp and Lord Wantage Monument built by his wife on a Bronze Age barrow. I just got mine flowers, but rich folk. Right, that’s enough culture for you lot…

TBF, their lands are that much to speak of Niche pun

Turns out 2026 is turning out to be Year of the Twat for me. Forgot to take enough battery again. Wasn’t entirely sure the way back so keen to get somewhere I knew. So I didn’t manage to capture much of the route home. Found an excellent low-traffic route back from Kingsclere to Thatcham mind.

I enjoyed this rather. It’s one of those rural places that gets its own sign, like you should know it and have been there. Hard to quibble. It’s a road and it’s white.

Watership Down is part of the deep fabric of my journey. Been meaning to to go back to Efrafa. Not been since I took the kids when I was reading it to them…

Liminal spaces Searching for inspiration and the oldest suggested the SE, towards Watership Down. So I did. Carved out some new places on the map, in the process

I suppose if you didn’t make it to the Big London…

“They live in fear. Fear of Woundwort and fear of the patrols. They don’t think of anything else.” IYKYK

Audax library?

Was hoping I’d make my destination before the rain, but here we are… Guess the bank holidays arrived. Now for the slog Home.

They certainly don’t drive Reading Council raising a spelling dilemma. Now I’m doubting myself. Must. Not. Google….

Straight Outta Whitley Having lived 24 years of my life in a near-Whitley experience; eeking out some of those more elusive @wandrer.earth miles on my way out tp today’s adventure, so i don’t have to come back…

Life is a grind

Post your warning sign

This fella is a beauty though

I had planned a London adventure, for the day, if I got up early enough. I didn’t get up early enough… Feeling like the signs from the cosmos might be slightly accusative

I a fortunate enough to have two wedding anniversaries in one year to trip up over. In recent years I’ve taken the opportunity to passively-aggressively remember. Surprised the wife. I win marriage again: 2-0. .

Probably at the right time to reinvest in a new waterproof having lost the last one because my brain is a twat. What with the Welsh holiday coming soon as well… Who loses an actual coat?

Had to scrape the few crumbs of the day on my commute. Just in time for a big f*ck you from the Bank Holiday weather

Happy International Workers Day

Went home and back at lunch. Can confirm the wind was going in all directions at the same time Went to get passport for professional stuff. Turns out I needed driving license as well. Utter waste of time. Work’s sucking me down. Universe is vibing off me, if the signs are to be believed…

Work is sending me to a conference in Copenhagen in Sept. Had thought to stay an extra day; maybe get a ride in. But looking like an additional cost of over £500 which seems a lot for a day. Until my riches may have to give it a miss

With another Welsh adventure in the offing and having pondered it as a solution for some years I have decided to add a couple of pairs of these to the available kit…

Commute or mini-adventure; the line blurs. Wdve liked to have more of a mooch but Welsh tonight and exams looming…

I mean, I’m all for prepping but this seems a bit extreme; world events notwithstanding…

Excellent low-traffic news. Living by the skin of my teeth as usual. Barely ok time at the best of times but still on skinny tire time. Forgot to take account of the 3 min fat bumpy tire tax…

Gonna press it into use a bit more; but mod it a bit further. Ordered some jump bike stylie lower profile tyres so I can scooch a bit faster & I have some wider bars on the way

Took the old 26” on the commute this morning. It’s such a nice bike; feels v lively & playful v the 29”. Like it’s begging to be jumped. For all the nice (and more pricey) bikes I have had since, it remains by far the most capable all-round bike I think I’ve owned. Shame it went out of style.

My commute came with tractors and wildlife. Must be Tuesday.

Like the Beastie Boys said: it’s Monday, let’s f*ckin’ do it!!

Chilterns in their Glory. Line of the Ridgeway running below E-W, in front of Waltlington; the view east over the White Mark towards the N Wessex Downs and I think Lowbury Hill; East to Shirburn Hill and Aston Rowant, level with Cowleaze and the bluebells from y’days posts…

Show me the way to go home.

Took the youngest on 3k moan to the Watlington White Mark. You cd say they were droning on. Had a practice with the skills we figured on Fri up at Shiplake. Funny I’ve never actually seen it in all these years; even before the drone was on the cards, this was going to be my first target…

Just taken for a lick round the block. TBH, been meaning to press it back into service as it is a delight to ride. I pimped it originally and it dances. Gon learn from the other bikes, tho and put wide bars & lower profile tires.

That was exciting. If I’m going to have a bash at fitting a pressfit BB, going to need a) procrastination time b) backup, in the event anything goes wrong. Needed to fit a new break to the old 26”. New skill unlocked. No cutting tool, so nervy moment with a Stanley…

Updates: I’ve lost my keys and glasses again.

Peak attentional. Can’t find my keys. Wife said she gave them to me. Look at my pocket and there they are. Boil the kettle. Leave the house. Close the door, realise I’ve left my glasses inside. Go back in the house, remember I boil the kettle for a coffee before I went out.

For anyone interested there is a cracking bridleway (with several points of ingress) down through the Getty Estate (and why shd they have it to themselves?); there is a feisty climb (if you head westward) but someone had gravelled it so quit bitching!!