That Fairlight Faran
It took me a while but here's a quick look at what I did with my friend's used Fairlight Faran frameset ahead of a spot of touring in, hopefully, sunnier climes... Read more »
Rides bikes, paddles sea kayaks, takes pictures. Life on the road & my home in Cornwall.
Stories of person-powered life and adventures by bicycle and sea kayak, at home and further afield. Car-independent life in Cornwall, UK, and longer, thoughtful journeys by bike in mostly high and empty places. There is also street photography, if you like that sort of thing.
Latest Articles
It took me a while but here's a quick look at what I did with my friend's used Fairlight Faran frameset ahead of a spot of touring in, hopefully, sunnier climes... Read more »
March 24, 2025 | comments 6
Revisiting my Surly Cross Check in its role as an all-weather, all-road, all-day mile muncher, and a new camera waist pack by way of enjoying some time at my sewing machine... Read more »
January 11, 2025 | comments 4
A few bits and pieces and snapshots to wrap up the year of riding. Read more »
December 31, 2024 | comments 4
Most Read / Visited Entries
Something of an ode to the fixed wheel bicycle and why I still love to ride them. Read more »
February 17, 2024 | comments 12
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... Read more »
May 21, 2016 | comments 20
A long weekend bikepacking with friends in the Cambrian Desert of Wales Read more »
July 27, 2023 | comments 8
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... Read more »
August 14, 2020 | comments 89
In a world obsessed with carbon, 12 speeds, & electronic shifting, the AllDay stands out as a simple, well-executed steel fixed wheel frame. Post... Read more »
October 12, 2017 | comments 40
A random selection of favourites from the archives
Bikepacking to La Paz by the back door - tracks and trails of the Cordillera Real via Condoriri basecamp. Bitterly cold with snow to negotiate on the high passes above 5000m. Read more »
August 4, 2019 | comments 8
The winds of the high puna of northern Argentina and Chile are infamous amongst touring cyclists. They are to be expected but every so... Read more »
September 19, 2019 | comments 4
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... Read more »
June 21, 2019 | comments 16
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 »
April 2, 2019 | comments 17
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 »
October 1, 2015 | comments 17
Bikepacking the Andes
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 »
June 21, 2019 | comments 16
Some street photography from Buenos Aires and Villa Mercedes to wrap up seven months of bicycle travel from Peru. Read more »
December 1, 2019 | comments 10
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 »
November 18, 2019 | comments 14
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 »
November 9, 2019 | comments 2
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 »
November 5, 2019
A windy spring afternoon at the beach with my Fuji x100f. Read more »
May 23, 2024 | comments 6
Autumnal pictures and ramblings of minimal consequence.... Read more »
October 29, 2023 | comments 10
The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men... a change of plans and a spot of street photography from Vitoria-Gasteiz. Read more »
October 24, 2022 | comments 22
On the water
.. or puffins and other places. Sea kayaking in the Small Isles with a side-trip to paddle around the seabird nesting colonies of the Farne Islands. Read more »
June 26, 2024 | comments 4
A brief respite from the relentless wind and rain, with spells of actual sunshine, afloat amongst the granite of... Read more »
April 4, 2024 | comments 4
A round-up of snaps of a sea-kayaking flavour from the west of Cornwall... mostly. Read more »
August 6, 2022 | comments 10
An impromptu sea kayak journey along the coast of Cornwall from Saltash to Sennen Cove. 190km over four and... Read more »
June 1, 2021 | comments 10
Hardware...
It took me a while but here's a quick look at what I did with my friend's used Fairlight Faran frameset ahead of a spot of touring in, hopefully, sunnier climes... Read more »
March 24, 2025 | comments 6
Revisiting my Surly Cross Check in its role as an all-weather, all-road, all-day mile muncher, and a new camera waist pack by way of enjoying some time at my sewing machine again. Read more »
January 11, 2025 | comments 4
Something of an ode to the fixed wheel bicycle and why I still love to ride them. Read more »
February 17, 2024 | comments 12
A few loose ends, or threads might be more appropriate given the largely bag-making flavour of this post, to tidy up as the end of the year approaches. Read more »
December 23, 2022 | comments 16
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 »
October 1, 2015 | comments 17
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 »
October 29, 2015 | comments 6
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 »
October 10, 2015 | comments 4
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 »
September 23, 2015 | comments 18
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 »
September 15, 2015 | comments 2