I've now managed to get out on the mountain bike 4 times this year already. All 4 rides have been modest 12 - 15 milers but enjoyable nevertheless. This weekend's trip took me up through Penwood towards Bughclere, Old Burghclere, up on to the Whitway and home via Highclere. This picture was taken on a bridleway just outside Old Burghclere, and there's a deceptively steep hill just out of view.
Bridleway near Old Burghclere, Hampshire
I have finally finished David Byrne's excellent Bicycle Diaries and thought it was quite appropriate that soon after I had a good pedestrian vs. bad cyclist incident in London last week, that I read the chapter about the rules of the road. My incident involved me crossing a pedestrian crossing at which the green man was displaying, i.e. my right of way. I was just about to cross when someone on a fold up bike came speeding through what, for him, would have been a red light. My cry was half chastising him for his error, and half surprise that he nearly ran me down. Instead of an acknowledgement of error on his part I was greeted with a gruff "f*** off". I wasn't particularly shaken by the event, but very angry regarding this man's ignorance and arrogance. It's these sort of people who give other law abiding cyclists a bad name.
Fortunately I was en route to Notting Hill Gate where I rewarded myself with some CD retail therapy, picking up a couple Thing of the Past and Errant Charm bu Vetiver, Exile by Charalambides, along with CDs by Espers, Roedelius and Brian Eno
Anyway, having finished the David Byrne book, I am about to move on to a book I bought just before Christmas On the Slow Train. I've got a few trips to London this week so will hopefully manage to make some good progress during the train journeys.
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