Steel bicycles, handmade in Plymouth, England
Stephen, Eddy and I were migrants, borne from a mix of races thrown into the melting pot of South Wales. Our grandparents had, for the most part, been escaping agricultural poverty. The mines and steelworks provided secure, albeit dangerous, employment; and organised labour gave birth to a political movement which changed the social fabric of … Continue reading Journey by Bike: Geometry Lessons
Bespoked, the handmade bicycle show in Bristol, is the annual showcase for handmade bicycles in the UK, if not the whole of Europe. This year, 'Team HEVANS' attended the show with a selection of handmade bicycles: The three completely different bikes attracted quite a bit of attention from the visiting public. First up was my … Continue reading Bespoked 2019
Leaving England firmly behind, we headed for foreign parts . . . Scotland. First stop was to visit my sister and family in Bridge-of-Weir, near Glasgow. Unfortunately, this was only a passing visit, but we did enjoy a wonderful meal accompanied by my two young nephews, Gwyn and Llewellyn, who despite their Welsh sounding names … Continue reading The Bongo Tour 2018: 3
Wales has been left behind and the open road unfolded before us, leading to exotic lands of . . .The NorthFirst stop was S's old Uni pal Maureen (& family) in Halifax. A relaxing two days when all I had to do is eat and drink beer because S and M talked without drawing breath … Continue reading The Bongo Tour 2018: 2
The VanThe blog has returned, but we are no longer cyclotouring, cyclogîting, cyclohoteling (delete as appropriate) - we are cyclovaning whatever you want to call it. I am the man with the van and S is the lady in the van - but not looking at all like Maggie Smith. And the plan with the … Continue reading The Bongo Tour 2018: 1
Grand PrixAnother day on the bike, so we cycled once more to Cleguerec to see another race, this time a 2nd and 3rd category criterium around the village. The course was 16 circuits of a 5.4 km course, so we positioned ourselves just before the the finish, which is invariably at at the crest of … Continue reading Bretagne en Velo 2017: 3
Les EglisesIf you’re into compact, granite churches then Brittany is the place . . . in a close tie with Cornwall. We have stumbled across numerous places of worship in our travels, but lacking any particular religious leanings, or enough architectural knowledge to make curiosity worthwhile, they can be a bit of a ‘ho hum … Continue reading Bretagne en Velo 2017: 2
