Track Cycling

It's customary to do something special for an anniversary blip but I've not really been wearing my blip hat much lately. My love for photography hasn't waned; it's just that it's not been possible to find any quality time to give over to it - or to blip generally. One interesting side effect of this has been that I've posted far more in colour in the last few weeks. I've left quite a few holes in my journal too, although I will get around to filling them in at some point, being the completist that I am.

Working long hours at the moment, and not being able to take any time off, I've been making a deliberate effort to avoid being at the computer in the evening. The eyes have been getting very tired at the end of the day, and this week I've also started to suffer a very stiff neck. It means that my feedback to you guys out there has been non-existent. All I want to do here is to thank everyone who still makes the effort to pop by, whether just to look, to comment, or to leave stars and hearts. I am much honoured by your visits at a time when it's totally unreciprocated. I've never been inclined to turn comments off before but as I just passed my four year anniversary this one is thrust upon us a little too soon! You're let off the hook!!

It was another typical day in this cold and windy summer we're enduring up here in the north of England. I went for a ride after work and arrived home with numb hands and feet. I had two layers on but really needed a third in order to be able to keep warm. Having waited all autumn, winter and spring for some decent cycling weather, I'm still waiting in the second half of June and feel like demanding my money back!

I thought it was about time my trusty steed, the custom Scott CR1, got a moment in the spotlight. This is the bike responsible for getting me to the locations from where a very great many of my blips have been taken. It's now done thousands of miles in pursuit of a good blip - as well as over a hundred alpine cols and many Sportives, plus getting me to and from the office on a regular basis. It's quite a workhorse really. And actually a very good friend. We've spent a great deal of time together and shared some amazing experiences. It's wonderful to have been able to share many of them with you too.