Bank holiday rain and a word or two about David Byrne's Bicycle Diaries...

Bank holiday Mondays are traditionally rained off in the UK. The very phrase 'bank holiday Monday' brings to mind past days of gloom when there was nothing much to do but watch the television and look out of the window at rivulets of rain in the gutters and the occasional person wrestling with an unruly umbrella.

I knew it was going to be raining this morning and I was right. When the alarm went off at 0600hrs I just lay there listening to the news headlines without any sense of urgency – EU crisis talks on migration, the death of US horror movie director Wes Craven, Isis inflicting severe damage on an ancient temple in Palmyra and, of course, the death of neuroscientist Oliver Sacks.

Well, at least the grass is greener after a downpour...

At 0700hrs I looked out of the window to see the rain hammering down on next door's conservatory roof. There would be no cycling today, I thought. Now, sitting in my own conservatory, the rain hammering on the roof above me and the time rapidly approaching 0730hrs, I feel quite relaxed about the prospect of not riding the bike. Sometimes it's nice to just not go out, although I'd much prefer sunshine and blue skies and the prospect of a ride somewhere.

A book I've been dipping into of late is David Byrne's Bicycle Diaries. I bought a hardback copy of it back in 2011 and have been reading it here and there in between other books. Reading about his rides around Buenos Aires in Argentina makes me want to visit the city and follow in the footsteps of my grandfather, George Harry, who lived in the Argentine capital for a short while before enlisting in the army to fight in the Great War.

My hardback edition of David Byrne's Bicycle Diaries

I've referenced Byrne's Bicycle Diaries in past posts and will continue to write about it in the future as Byrne is an interesting man. I flicked to the back of the book where he discusses bikes and the fact that he doesn't like the folding bike with small wheels. Byrne rides around the cities of the world using a foldable bike and while he started off with a small-wheeled Peugeot he now rides full-sized folding bikes with some form of suspension. He talks about Montague and Dahon folding bikes with full-sized wheels, which can be folded into a large suitcase with wheels and checked in (when travelling by air) as a second piece of luggage. But I wonder if Byrne is making a rod for his own back. Surely, if he knows where he's going he can check out local bike hiring or the availability of a bike share scheme.

Avid readers of this blog will know that I've used bike share machines in Indianapolis, San Antonio, Montreal and Essen and have hired bikes from hotels in Berlin and Amsterdam. Although, to be fair to Byrne, he writes, "An alternative to all this luggage and packing is to rent a bike when you get to where you're going."

I agree with Byrne's thoughts on bicycle maintenance – that bikes with expensive gears and brakes are a constant headache. "...keeping it in tune and running smoothly was such a never-ending process that when it was eventually stolen...I didn't bother to replace it," he writes. I feel the same way about my bike, although I don't want it stolen. At the moment, however, my bike uses only eight of it's 16 gears and has a faulty front brake. I can't remember the last time everything was running smoothly. It is, as Byrne says, a constant headache.

He is also right about helmets. They are 'notoriously uncool-looking'. He's tried other headgear, such as a baseball batter's helmet and an English riding helmet (I assume he means horseriding). He's even decorated his helmets and once tied a raccoon's tail to the back.

Proof that Byrne would be more than welcomed on a NoVisibleLycra ride at any time comes with his remarks about Spandex (Lycra). Byrne prefers semi-baggy shorts with a crotch pad. "We guys have read about bikes and the prostate," he writes, claiming that 'only once in a rare while' has he ever experienced what he calls the freaky feeling of numb nuts. David, that's why I bought the Spongy Wonder bicycle saddle – it also negates the need to wear Lycra cycling shorts.

Outside the garden is wet and dripping with rain and it looks as if the rain is here to stay, at least for today. I'd planned to visit the Peaslake Fayre near Guildford and will probably still go as the British tend to 'carry on regardless' and won't let a spot of rain get in the way of Morris dancing and tug-o-war competitions. That said, plans keep changing. We might drive to the south coast, we might simply go to Croydon. Who knows what the day will bring?

Bank holiday weekend – a few early morning thoughts

Caribou crossing – an interesting sculpture in Indianapolis, IN. USA

I'm pleased with the interest shown in my blog by the folks of Indianapolis (see previous post for more details). I'm reading David Byrne's Bicycle Diaries at the moment – it's not my main book, but I occasionally pick it up when I want to chill out a little as it is a very chilled and laid back creation, ideal for a sunny day accompanied by a glass of Cabernet. I'm about half way through it (on the chapter about Buenos Aires) but this morning I flicked back to the beginning to find a quote that the guys in Indianapolis might not necessarily agree with (although the fact that the Pacers' Bike Share scheme there is only a few weeks old might mean that Byrne is right).

Byrne says that 'most US cities are not very bike friendly' and adds that they are not very pedestrian friendly either. 'They're car friendly – or at least they try very hard to be', he says and being as he's an American who lives in an American city, he's probably right, but that makes the two bike share schemes I've tried in North America (in Montreal and San Antonio) worthy enterprises – and here's hoping there will be more in the not-too-distant future. I think they work in some cities and not in others.

A dedicated cycle lane on the Indianapolis bike share scheme

Do they work in London? Well, I would avoid riding in London at all costs regardless of the type of bike available. It's simply not safe and there have been many media reports of fatal clashes with lorries. City cycling only works if specific travelways can be established, like in Indianapolis, or, failing that, if the traffic, by and large, isn't that heavy (like in San Antonio and Montreal). In Montreal, for  instance, I remember standing in the middle of the road to take a photograph of the distinct lack of traffic on a Saturday morning around 0900hrs – it wouldn't be possible in London. Likewise in San Antonio. But in Essen, Germany, there's an element of taking my life into my own hands as the situation there is 'here's a bike, provided by the council' but that's it, you're on your own, sharing space with the traffic and it's a similar story in London. Travel to Milton Keynes and you'll find dedicated cycle lanes, similar to those in Amsterdam and other parts of Holland where city planners took the bicycle into consideration.

Bridge over the canal in Indianapolis – all very pleasant

Here in the UK, bad weather was promised this bank holiday weekend and bad weather was received in the form of rain. I awoke early on Saturday morning expecting a ride to Westerham in Kent, with Andy and Phil, but the rain was hammering down outside and was still doing so around 0600hrs so I sent out the abort text. On and off it rained all day, with little patches of sunshine here and there, and by early evening it was quite pleasant. It was one of those deceptive days. Had I woken up to a spot of sunny weather I might have gone out and then taken a soaking en route, but the morning was constant rain and the patchiness didn't start occuring until later in the day.

Now, sitting here in the conservatory at 0641hrs on Sunday, the plan is to ride out with Phil, possibly the slow way to the Tatsfield bus stop. Andy's out of circulation now until next week. His only opportunity for a ride would have been yesterday (Saturday).

A map showing the various bike stations dotted around Indianapolis

Things have conspired against us and we haven't been cycling a lot recently. Mainly it's been me travelling (I was in Indianapolis for the best part of 10 days if you include the getting back) and then it was the poor weather. Oddly, it's a been a time of extremes as over the Easter holidays I managed roughly 10 consecutive days of riding, all of which are detailed on this blog (just scroll back and you'll find the relevant posts).

Indianapolis' fantastic yellow bicycles

The blinds are down so I can't see the garden from where I'm sitting, although I can detect that there's a breeze as I can see the tops of some shrubs swinging from side-to-side. Still, as long as it doesn't rain it'll be alright.

Non-stop to Botley Hill and home again...

Near Botley Hill, Sunday May 26th 2013. Note the blue skies

I didn't go cycling on Saturday because I was tired. I awoke in the early hours – something like 0415hrs – and found it difficult to get back to sleep. While I love the summer months, waking early can be cause for concern because the birds wake up early and so does the sun. Put them together and its as if the bedroom is full of wind chimes. I cobbled together an 'abort' text and sent it to Andy. Phil's away for the weekend so there's no need to send another one. Andy texts back saying 'see you on Monday'.

It's a long weekend, which means that not going on Saturday isn't a problem and besides, I was tired after Lille. Not that Lille is anything like 'long haul' travel. In fact, it's only around 90 minutes from St Pancras, which is amazing when you think that, in the other direction, you'd be in Birmingham. And while I admit to liking Birmingham, I prefer Lille.

So I lazed about on Saturday, dealing with a few issues that have arisen over the past few days. But Sunday was another day and while I wasn't up with the lark – I hadn't set my alarm so I awoke at 7am – I took the view that I should go for a ride and eventually got out of the house as the time edged around to 0830hrs. It was getting late and I figured the best place to go was Botley Hill. I packed a flask of tea and headed off, not stopping at the green to meet Andy.

As I headed up the 269 I decided that I'd do a non-stop ride, which was just as well. When I reached home just before 1000hrs, I discovered that I hadn't taken any teabags with me. How disappointing would that have been?

The weather was good. I didn't need my jacket. A tee-shirt alone would have sufficed. Well, not 'alone'. I'd still need trousers and trainers. It was clear blue skies and sunshine and it stayed that way for the whole day. There's nothing better than hot weather, it makes you feel great. In my case so great that I mowed the front and back lawns on my return from the non-stop ride and then, after a cheese salad sandwich and a rest in the garden reading David Byrne's Bicycle Diaries, I went swimming at a brand new swimming pool in Waddon – what a great pool! It's open at 0630hrs, it's brand new and it's empty, ie there were only a few people in there at 4pm when we purchased our tickets.

Andy and I are meeting on the green at 7am tomorrow (Bank Holiday Monday) and that could mean a ride to Westerham or Botley or the Churchyard at Tatsfield, who knows? We'll make up our minds at the Green.

David Byrne's Bicycle Diaries...

David Byrne's Bicycle Diaries are definitely worth a read. The Talking Heads frontman is more than just a pretty face. It's good to discover that Byrne regards the bicycle as his principal means of transportation and that he feels both energised and liberated when he goes for a ride.

I spied the book for sale on my local railway station and as soon as my train – the late-running 1639 to London Victoria – was edging its way out of Sanderstead, on its way to East Croydon, I was busy reading the introduction.

David Byrne – read more about him by clicking this picture caption.

For Byrne, riding a bike is like 'navigating the collective neural pathways of some vast global mind.'

"It really is a trip inside the collective psyche of a compacted group of people. A Fantastic Voyage, but without the cheesy special effects."

The book charts Byrne's rides through a number of big cities around the world, including London, and while I'm writing this small review based on reading just 32 pages, you can rest assured that you will hear more from Mr Byrne's book as I progress through it.

I'm already inspired to take a few urban rides, perhaps through the mean streets of Croydon.