This gallery contains 3 photos.
It may be psychological. But my New Year doesn’t start until the first ride is done. Dark, damp, muddy. Who cares!
New Year is not New Year until the first bike ride is done
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Category Archives: Life in Belgium
Into the gold – riding into autumn
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This gallery contains 10 photos.
Three weeks ago I was in Taiwan for the annual Cycle Show. In the five days I was away Autumn burst upon Belgium. Before I left there were tentative changes, the non-native cherry trees and the horse chestnuts had provided … Continue reading
#WorldBicycleDay – celebrating cycling through my years
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This gallery contains 5 photos.
Celebrating World Bicycle Day Destination: the Butte de Lion, memorial on the site of the Battle of Waterloo – 1815 Connection? Invention of the bicycle – just 2 years later – 1817 Ensemble: Shorts of the Cyclists’ Touring Club – … Continue reading
#WorldBicycleDay is here! Celebrating everywhere
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This gallery contains 30 photos.
It is easy to be skeptical about promotional days and wonder how anyone choses them. But if ever there was a day that has my name on it Sunday 3rd June is the one. Due to a lobbying campaign by … Continue reading
Tour de France 2018 – our dusty day in hell
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This gallery contains 16 photos.
The sun is glaring down, baking the land in Belgium and Northern France. The landscape is fluffy clouds and blue skies above golden fields which have begun to be harvested early because of the heatwave. But across one set of … Continue reading
Easter in Flanders – a cycling pilgrimage
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This gallery contains 16 photos.
Time for a quick gallery of photos from Tour of Flanders weekend! It is the first weekend in April and there is only one place to be for cycling fan in Belgium. Once again I had the best excuse to … Continue reading
Hold those spring thoughts for a day longer….
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This gallery contains 3 photos.
Despite the cold spell I was delighted to see that the snow was no longer forecast to come to our area this morning. That meant I could get out on my road bike with the club. Time of depart for … Continue reading
A spring in my step
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This gallery contains 1 photo.
I am going through a very strange time in the calendar at the moment. The year has a sort of “spring phase’ when a range events and activities begin to pick up momentum. And in a normal year this is … Continue reading
What a difference a day makes
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This gallery contains 4 photos.
Wow. We needed this, A proper glow in the sky for a bike ride this morning, above cold frosty ground. It seemed so unlikely I had to keep a diary to prove that it was really happening. 7.45 am – … Continue reading
Wading through treacle – or cycling into the New Year
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The New Year’s Day ride is a tradition. A tradition of mine, and the founding basis of I Do Not Despair, as I first posted on New Year’s Day 2012. Special rides Cold rides Failed rides But 2017 didn’t really … Continue reading
2017 – a gallery. Thanks to all readers and followers of Idonotdespair.com, have a great 2018
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This gallery contains 40 photos.
Trying to find a way to summarise 2017 I reminded myself that this year almost every blog post has a unique header photo – some interesting shots, but only used once. So for my personal journey down memory lane, here … Continue reading
“Happy old year” – last ride of the year
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Even a tiny flash of sunlight from time to time! Happy Old Year, Happy New Year!
First snowride
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This gallery contains 4 photos.
My first snowride of the season. For my nephew Oli it’s the first time he has ever seen falling snow – and his first snowride. Growing up in Singapore and Sydney doesn’t offer much snowy fun so this was a … Continue reading
Autumn treats – All Saints’ Day ride
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This gallery contains 7 photos.
One of the simple pleasures of living in a foreign country is unexpected public holidays. I have discovered that I have a deeply entrenched internal calendar because I half expect a holiday whenever the UK has a day off, but … Continue reading
Cycling and foraging – or striking white gold in Wallonia’s tracks and trails
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This gallery contains 4 photos.
If you want to find the way to the heart of most cycling enthusiasts it can be mapped out in three simple steps: Cycling Cycling and food Cycling and free food I can live by that code, which is why … Continue reading
I Do Not Despair 