Nice work from Linda Appleart.

Linda’s work can be seen and bought here.

Island in the Sky from Christoph Malin on Vimeo.

‘Island in the sky’ Stunning imagery of La Palma filmed by bike guide and hiker, Christoph Malin. If this doesn’t make you want to grab your mountain bike, some panniers and a good set of lights, check your pulse. Where’s the check-in counter?

image below via top 10 buzz

I started up the side of the mountain. Road gave way to path, ride gave way to run. The bike was hoisted onto shoulder.  I could feel the  wind slowly picking up, gathering speed, garnering strength. A serene blue sky was slowly being absorbed by the darkest of cloud and a trailing rainbow. Huge spots of rain peppered the path, then steps, then fell. Cresting the top, the view revealed the drama of the sagas. A squall thrashed the Bristol Channel. Storm clouds lay siege to the distant Beacons. Brynna windfarm awaited it’s fate. Satisfied with its brief and concentrated work, the wind withdrew. The rain drops ceased. I stood at the top of an ancient burial mound in almost total silence and admired the work of the gods. This is what Valhalla must look like.

Unbelievable weather and views at the top of the Garth yesterday evening. Beautiful skies graced with dramatic clouds and rainbows. The perfect cyclo-cross riposte to a testing day. Picture taken on my raspberry.  Valhalla Image (below) via the Brooklyn Brewery.

There was a time before mobiles. A time of being incommunicado. Catching up with people on return. Forgetting the milk with no reminders. That time is long past. I spotted these commuters at Cathays station whilst connecting transport modes; train and folding bike.

Less fun more riding daddy.

<pause> eh?

Less fun more riding daddy. You’re talking too much.

I wasn’t prepared for this exchange and it brought a grin, a mile wide. Less fun? More riding??? I vehemently agree with the latter and strongly disagree with the former. Fun and riding – in my mind  – go hand in hand.

Can’t we have both?

We need to RIDE Daddy.

She was a driven 6 year old no doubt. Making a solo dart home (not withstanding my presence) from the Cardiff JIF kids club inaugural away day to hook up with another friend, Evelyn gripped the bars, gritted her teeth and powered into the wind.

She made it incidentally, arriving back from a mildly delayed kids club as Ruby knocked on the front door. From the outskirts of the city the kids had ridden along the Taff trail, through Hailey park, over some bobbly bits on the Blackweir cyclo-cross course and along the old canal bank, following Ian’s lead like a two wheeled pied piper. Arriving at the summerhouse they consumed ice creams like it was a matter of survival and climbed trees like demented macaques. Despite the regrettably imposed tight timescale, I think Evelyn will reflect that she definitely had fun. The parents certainly did.

Cardiff JIF kids club is the most rewarding thing I’ve done on two wheels. Roll on the 2028 Olympics

On my travels. Heading East to London. The window frame takes on a neon aura.

I was saddened to read that Al Fritz, former Director of Research and Development at Shwinn has passed away, aged 88. Al was the creative force behind the Sting Ray, one of the most iconic of bikes; template for the chopper, predecessor of the BMX and a bike that defined the look of kids cycling for years. Would Spielberg have filmed that  scene in ET without it? (Below – it wasn’t a Sting ray, but the bike’s DNA runs through that scene like double wheeled helix).

Al Fritz died leaving a legacy to be very proud of.

Matt Beckett of Cardiff JIF acknowledges team-mates at today’s George Greaves memorial race. Abergavaenny, Gwent.

More in the series: Reasons to cycle #1 – Commuting, Reasons to cycle #2 - Views, Reasons to cycle #3 - Early morning re-animation, Reasons to cycle #4 - Moorland moods, Reasons to cycle #5 - Empty evening trails, Reasons to cycle #6 - Picking up on things, Reasons to cycle #7 - Coastal roads, Reasons to cycle #8 - Avoiding busy roads, Reasons to cycle #9 – Watching the world go by, Reasons to cycle #10 – Urban exploration, Reasons to cycle #11 – Pint sized opportunities, Reasons to cycle # 12 – Head for the beach, Reasons to cycle #13 – The liberation of windy hilltops

Urbanflow Helsinki from Nordkapp on Vimeo.

I find cities endlessly fascinating. By turns planned, yet organic, organised, yet random. The challenges of the 21^st century will be tackled in these behemoths and the best place to start tackling them? Right outside your door. Perhaps as cyclists we recognise this on a day to day basis without giving it a second thought.

This excellent short video looks at the potential for urbanflow using Helsinki as a template.

Suggested refreshments: Organic coffee  and outsize chocolate cookie.

Yesterday, I had no option but to use the car for my chores. I felt strangely robbed. Despite the foul weather, the plethora of tasks and geographically diverse commitments, I still wanted to use the bike and I missed it. Terribly. This morning despite hurricane Cymru* still battering Cardiff streets, we were re-united like a spouse and sailor on shore leave (almost). I think that was largely due to being stuck in a soul destroying traffic jam the preceding evening, overtaken by pedestrians and idling in the doldrums.

Anyway…..I stumbled across the image above and it seemed to sum up my feelings entirely. A car has its uses for sure, but I miss the freedom of a bike, always.

Vote everyday.

Cycle art by Seymour Cornelius. 

*An imaginary hurricane, but we do seem to get blown around on a fairly consistent basis.