Living in the Cotswolds I feel pretty privilaged in being able to ride all kinds of roads locally. Many of the best roads around here are small A-roads and bigger B-roads, but they hold their own dangers.

I see a lot of people riding them poorly and putting themselves in unnecessary danger. I’m not an expert, but I ride these kinds of roads a lot, so these tips may prove useful to newer riders.

There are plenty of dangers out there, but many can be seen well in advance and planned for. Use the hedgerow, fences, traffic ahead and anything else you can to judge the direction the road ahead goes. Look up, the further you see, the more you can plan. You can even use the angle of buildings in the distance, since most of them will have the front parallel to the road.

A common danger in rural areas are horses. They pose a danger to you if you hug the inside of bends or when takeing a crest without spotting them. They also pose a danger to themselves, so be sure to keep a look out, slow early, pass them wide and try to keep the revs down. On clear road I often turn my engine off and coast past a hundred yards with the clutch in before carring on (be sure to check your mirrors first).

Horses aren’t the only wildlife. There are birds, badgers and rabbits. You can’t always spot the quicker animals as they dart out, but you can anticipate. Dawn and dusk are the times for foxes and rabbits. Pheasants will often flap about in the middle of the road. If it’s a bigger animal don’t swerve until the last minute or it may well double back.

Tractors are a constant source of danger. Keep and eye on your surroundings. Trees often mean tractors are less likely, but open fields will tell you the state of the land and the likelyhood of farmers needing to tend it. Watch out for possible gaps in fences/hedges. The best indicators are usually dirt tracks on the road. Don’t just avoid these, read them.

While we’re at slow moving vehicles, don’t forget to warn other motorists. Give them the slow down arm signal (arm out straight to your side, move it up and down) to warn them of slow vehicles, horses, fallen trees… anything that may require them to be more aware and slow down. Be especially aware of trucks, coaches, trailers (yes, even horse trailers and caravans) and let them know. You don’t want to find one of them carving your lane or crashing on a bend in front of you because no one warned them of a danger.

Your biggest danger by far though has to be other bikes. Bikes fly around country lanes and often with little thought to who else might be coming the other way. Listen for them and think where they may cut corners or stick to the middle of the road. Be aware of bikes overtaking in the oncoming lane, or trying to overtake you (God forbid).

Many new riders hug the inside of bends and advanced training tells you to (generally) hug the outside. Use your judgement but be aware that bikes coming the other way may well be more central in the road, so if you are too… Also think about horses, tractors etc. you can’t see if you are too close to the apex. Never cut corners unless you have had a good view for some time. Consider where hidden entraces may be, and what could be over the crest. It’s easy to miss vehicles hidden by crests and dips.

Position is a constantly changing thing, but ride for yourself and consider everthing before deciding where to place yourself. Once confident and looking (and reading) far enough ahead (at least 1/2 mile) there is no reason to stick to your own side of the road. Use the oncoming lane for a better view. When overtaking, hang back in the oncoming lane to see earlier that it’s safe to move past. It’s very safe when done properly, and quite rewarding.

Speed is a factor on country roads too. They are often less uniform in width and offer far less visibility of the road itself. Undulations, sharper turns, poor signage, very tight turn offs and off cambers all contribute to requiring constant assessment of speed. Good overtaking is a skill, and one well learned on these roads. You will also find far less favorable road surfaces, so take care over those bumps, especially when leant over.

Oh, and watch those 30 limits; they are often there because of a particularly tight turn that if missed, will lead to you ending up in someones lounge.

These are just a few tips, and while neither comprehensive nor well structured, it should get you thinking about the right things when heading out of the city. For those that rarely do so, I hope it helps.

I wonder what sparks a passion for two wheels? Bicycles and motorcycles are often passions we have from a very young age and passions which tend to stick with us for a long time. I don’t remember when I first got interested in motorcycles, but I do recall my first two wheel experience.

Obviously when I was a kid I had kids bikes, with and without stabilisers. They were usually encrusted with poor rip-off paint jobs of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or some such. My first real bike though, the first one I chose came later.

I don’t know how old I was, or where I was but I do recall being upstairs in a blue carpeted cycle shop with my parents. At one end of the room were mountain bikes (MTBs) and at the other were road bikes. Early on I spotted a beautiful white road bike with dropped bars, skinny tires, light-weight frame and ten gears if I recall. It was built for speed, and it was cheap. I pleaded for hours with my parents to get it.

They weren’t convinced. Instead they tried to talk me into a black, bad-ass looking mountain bike. 21 useless gears, straight bars, made for giants and heavier than a bloated rhino. “You’ll grow into it.” I remember them saying. “It’s more fun, more versatile…” More tiring more like.

Eventually I caved and got the more expensive MTB. I loved it. I rode it everywhere. I wasn’t quick, didn’t venture too far off-road and I didn’t care. I was free and my medium pace coupled with my never-ending desire to keep going no matter what got me far. Even though I could barely lift it, and certainly couldn’t straddle it properly, a passion was born. A passion which quickly grew.

I rode that bike for years and years. It was the only bike I owned until it was stolen when I was 18. Later, I began riding motorcycles in it’s place. I’ve owned a few bikes since then, but I’ll never forget the white road bike that never was. I regret it to this day.

There I was, on my longest ride to date on my new bike, way out in the middle of no-where, two thirds of the way around the ambitious circuit and feeling great. Suddenly something feels wrong—I’ve got a puncture!

Only then did I realise it was raining. Pushing it home I realise it’s so flat that even going up and down pavements is risking the rim. As I get back into Cheltenham I try a few cycle shops, but—being Sunday—they’re all closed.

Thankfully one was open—Leisure Lakes Cycles (LLC)—and they did a great job of fitting me straight in for a new tube fitting. I just had time to wander to Starbucks for some refreshment and to try and find a boutique shop I’d read about (which still evades me now).

All in I’d lost the mojo, but LLC had saved my mood at least. Riding home in the rain felt good. It occurred to me that £15 for a replacement tube (fitted) is a lot better than the £200 it cost me last time I had a flat on my Ninja.

Regardless, punctures suck.

I don’t make new years resolutions for two reasons. Firstly, you can only make them at New Year’s. Secondly, you have to resolve to actually doing something. That might sound a bit funny, but let me explain a better way.

I make want lists. Instead of at New Year’s, they can be made at any time. It’s not even once a year—it could be 4 months after the last list, or 4 years. In my case, it tends to be around every 18 months. I also don’t resolve to do something, but to acknowledge I want a change. It’s a step before resolving to try something. Which itself is the step before actually doing something.

It solves the problem of a tendency to try to do something before you have really considered it, before you know it’s not a fleeting idea. Let me give you an example.

I, like many, tried to quit smoking countless times during the 8 years I smoked. Sometimes I really meant it, sometimes I ran out of cash, sometimes I did it to appease others. The problem is I never really wanted it. To want, is to have desire for a period of time. That period is indefinable, but it is longer than an hour, or a day. One day I simply woke up and decided I had considered it for long enough and I really, truly didn’t want to smoke anymore.

There are two subtle differences there: it was a long time considered, and I didn’t want to quit, I wanted to not smoke. The method worked and in 3 days the symptoms of being a recent smoker were well on their way to disappearing, and I felt great. Nearly 3 years later and I’m still really happy about it.

This was on my want list for a while. Probably about 2 years or more. The great thing about a want list is that it can change, and there is no anxiety about something being on the twice in a row—that’s progress because you still want the same thing

It appears I have a passion for all things 2-wheels. As anyone who’s spent time with me will know, I love motorcycles. I always have. Sportbikes to dirtbikes, it’s all part of the fun. The best thing I’ve ever bought was my Ninja—twice!

Recently however I have decided it’s time to try something else (as well). I’ve purchased myself a bicycle and I wanted to record a few intial thoughts, so bare with me.

I haven’t ridden a bicycle in nearly a decade, and I certainly haven’t ridden a road-bike before. I am used to mountain-bikes (MTBs) that are way too big and heavy for me. I’m used to 21 gears, massive brakes and straight bars. What I bought, age 26, is a single-speed road bike.

My new Kona feels tiny. It’s tall but oh so slight, weightless, and initially unstable. Quite different to the Ninja before peddling. I grew used to it quickly of course, but relative lack of off-the-line power and heavy braking takes a little longer. Hopefully my legs will grow powerful enough after years of neglect to use it properly.

Single-speed seemed interesting to me, and it is. It stops me from going too fast at times, makes it really tough for longer climbs and all round helps me work out (I think—not being an expert). It doesn’t seem easy anyway, which I guess is how it should be.

I’m exploring locally, really local. I’ve seen parts of Cheltenham already I had no idea existed. I’m getting an idea why people here don’t ride on the bike paths, footpaths or anywhere else without dual suspension. I’m quickly learining the terrain isn’t as flat as I imagined but I’m building quickly and enjoying it.

I hope to write about some of this in more depth as it’s interesting to me how little I knew [still know] about my local area and what treats there are if you bother to look. Until then, ride safe, whatever powers you.