Surly Cross Check
It's been in the Surly Catalogue for more than 20 years, what possible relevance could the venerable Cross Check still have in a world of modern adventure and gravel bikes...? That would depend on you, here's mine. Read more »
Stories of person-powered life and adventures by bicycle and sea kayak, at home and further afield. Based in Cornwall, UK, but with a solid dose of riding in favourite locales such as the Andes, Himalayas, and a bunch of other places. There is also street photography, if you like that sort of thing.
Recently
North Penwith Cliffs
A mid-summer sea kayak micro adventure along the north coast of Penwith. Read more »
Dodman Point and Other Places
A local riding and paddling diary from the post-full-lockdown days of June. As the spring wildflowers fade and the dust turns to the mud of the summer, a period... Read more »
Favourites
South to Mingulay and Beyond
A Hebridean sea kayak journey from the Isle of Barra south to Mingulay and Barra Head. Towering cliffs, cathedral-like caves, and camping on remote island beaches. Read more »
Via Condoriri
Bikepacking to La Paz by the back door - tracks and trails of the Cordillera Real via Condoriri basecamp. Bitterly cold with deep snow... Read more »
Wayfarer Centenary Ride, and weekend
A weekend in north Wales with the Rough Stuff Fellowship, in honour of the centenary of Wayfarer's snow-bound crossing of the Berwyn Mountains. Read more »
Project: Big Fat Dummy Fenders
A workshop project to make a set of laminated wooden mudguards for my Surly Big Fat Dummy. Made from a blend of oak and... Read more »
via Tizi n’Tazazert…
It was a very definite sense of deja-vu. Not the first time I’d found myself sat by a fire beneath a wonderful starscape on... Read more »
Close to Home
North Penwith Cliffs
A mid-summer sea kayak micro adventure along the north coast of Penwith. Read more »
Dodman Point and Other Places
A local riding and paddling diary from the post-full-lockdown days of June. As the spring wildflowers fade and the dust turns to the mud... Read more »
Last of the Lockdown Riding Diaries
Spring in Cornwall; lockdown cycling as an opportunity to slow down and appreciate just how special this little corner of the world is. Read more »
Still in the West
It’s been a month and I probably have enough material for another spell of idle rambling… and with work understandably quiet, it’s not like... Read more »
In The West
Cornish lockdown riding diaries; time for reflection & reconnecting with my local area - a spiritual place with a deep connection to the ages. Read more »
On the Road Again
The Empty Quarter… Laraos to Huancavelica
Technically “The Empty Quarter” applies to the Rub’ al Khali desert on the Arabian Peninsula, however I’m going to use a little creative license and use it to describe the last few days on my bike from Laraos; it could equally apply to parts of Bolivia and the Puna de Atacama in northern Chile and Argentina so I reserve the right to use it again. As usual I’ll use pictures rather then a tedious narrative to … Read more »
Mostly Buenos Aires
Some street photography from Buenos Aires and Villa Mercedes to wrap up seven months of bicycle travel from Peru. Read more »
The End of the Road
A medium-sized provincial town deep in the heart of Argentina, about 700km west of Buenos Aires, may seem like an odd place to end... Read more »
Córdoba Streets
Thought I’d sling up a few impressions of Córdoba city. It’s alright; colourful, busy, good icecream. I’ll say goodbye to friends here this evening... Read more »
Cerro Aspero
To my mind one of the greatest things about a bicycle is the ease with which it enables new friendships and shared adventures. The... Read more »
Street Photography
Bikepacking with the Fuji X-System
An overview of the Fuji X-series camera gear I use for bikepacking adventures at home and overseas. Primarily motivated by street photography, my bag currently contains an X100F or an X-Pro 2 with a small selection of prime lenses. Read more »
Mostly Street
A new home for my portfolio of street photography from around the world. Mostly featuring the high Andes, there is however a sprinkling of... Read more »
Mostly Buenos Aires
Some street photography from Buenos Aires and Villa Mercedes to wrap up seven months of bicycle travel from Peru. Read more »
Córdoba Streets
Thought I’d sling up a few impressions of Córdoba city. It’s alright; colourful, busy, good icecream. I’ll say goodbye to friends here this evening... Read more »
Sea Kayaking
South to Mingulay and Beyond
A Hebridean sea kayak journey from the Isle of Barra south to Mingulay and Barra Head. Towering cliffs, cathedral-like caves, and camping on remote island beaches. Read more »
North Penwith Cliffs
A mid-summer sea kayak micro adventure along the north coast of Penwith. Read more »
Dolphins etc
It has been a while since I posted anything of a sea kayaking flavour; when I have been out... Read more »
Various
On reaching the mighty age of six my brother and I were given a small secondhand mono tape deck.... Read more »
Bikes and Gear
Surly Cross Check
It's been in the Surly Catalogue for more than 20 years, what possible relevance could the venerable Cross Check still have in a world of modern adventure and gravel bikes...? That would depend on you, here's mine. Read more »
Project: Big Fat Dummy Fenders
A workshop project to make a set of laminated wooden mudguards for my Surly Big Fat Dummy. Made from a blend of oak and smoked red gum with home-made brass and stainless steel fittings. They look cool and are a more sustainable solution than moulding composites. Read more »
Surly Big Fat Dummy
My Surly Big Fat Dummy.. a mad, bad, fat supertanker of a cargo bike that has proven to be way more fun loaded, and unloaded, than I could ever have imagined. Read more »
N+1 = Big Bro
Mk1 Brother Cycles Big Bro. A well thought-out rigid steel 29er for bikepacking and general trail duties, that supports the kind of old-fashioned standards that I enjoy fiddling with. Read more »
Spiti & Kinnaur
Spiti etc
Bikepacking through the stupendous Spiti Valley in the Indian Himalaya, as part of a two-wheeled exploration of the Spiti and Kinnaur Valleys. Read more »
Post-Himalayan Apathy…
It’s always ‘challenging’ returning home after a decent adventure but this time seems to have been, or rather ‘is’, particularly difficult. All I can... Read more »
A little bit of Delhi
I had a little bit of time in Delhi… I found street photography quite difficult. Despite the obvious potential it is the sort of... Read more »
The Hindustan-Tibet Highway
Winding it's way northeast through the Himalayas of Himachel Pradesh, the rough, landslide-prone Hindustan-Tibet Highway is an engineering marvel and makes for a great... Read more »
Transitions…
I’m really happy, got my Inner Line Permit. It had been on my mind a little because I kept hearing and reading all sorts... Read more »