Return Of Bike Bum Blogger

It's been a year or so since I last posted something here. At the time, I had left my job and the security that offered, I was in a country where I barely spoke the language and I was trying to pursue a professional cycling contract with absolutely no idea what I was doing. What …

Avoiding Friction

‘’You’re tired, whatever.’’   As most cyclists know, this is probably the most common phrase heard from our other halves in response to whatever moody utterance we have made post ride. Queue: World War Ten only, without the physical violence please as I’m too weak to get up… ''How best are we to deal with …

Top Ten Tips: How to Deal With Injury

As cyclists we have to come to terms with the fact that we will injure ourselves at some point. It is inevitable. Like shaving your legs; one day it will happen, no matter how much to try to put it off.   Whether it is a stretched muscle, road rash or broken bones, we will …

Dealing With Obstacles

Below is a post I wrote when I was returning to France after a weekend back in England. It was the weekend of these insta photos. Anyway I will deal with the events behind this post another day. All I can say is that this is acutely relevant given I am recovering after a particularly nasty …

Top Ten Tips: Getting into Racing

Start at the beginning. Getting into racing is almost as complex as getting into cycling itself. I know from experience. If I hadn’t had a friend around (Nigel, thanks again) then I would probably have lost all patience with the idea and binned it. Thankfully, I didn’t and I was able to navigate the sea …

Mosquitos: a Commentary on Life’s Utter Bastards

I had been warned, by a French colleague, to be extra wary of the mosquitos in Southern France. I ignored him, on account of him being Parisian and not, therefore, actually from the South. My mother tells stories of how, as a baby in Australia, I used to be fodder for the little buggers and …

Define Your Happiness

''Setting goals is the biggest waste of time on planet Earth.” These are the words of Andrew Wittman, an ex-marine who now advises Fortune 500 CEOs. I am going to compare this with something one of my favourite brains, Tim Minchin, said in a speech given to some students on graduation day. His message consisted …