Today's cycle

...was mostly very nice. A couple of villages from here is a lovely, wide, smooth, fast track along the Rhône-Rhine Canal, after which it’s home for lunch through a couple more pretty, painted villages with names ending in Bach, Kirch or Dorf. It’s a real struggle to remember that this really is France; I have to force myself not to say “Kein Problem” to people in shops.

Anyway, sunny, pretty, nice minor roads and gravel tracks. Then there was the Right Side Up Failure, which came from thinking that I could ease to one side to give the patient car driver behind me room to pass. Didn’t work; front wheel lost adhesion on the loose edge, and was on the way down into the ditch before my attempt at correction had any effect. Travelled a little way along the tarmac on my left side before my right knee made contact and brought me to a halt. Helmet touched the ground at some point too, so I’m glad I was wearing that.

I was up on my feet straight away, although grazed in several places, the knee being the worst. The young couple in the car were full of concern but eventually accepted my assurance that I was fit to continue, and that I was only a few minutes from home. I mostly felt embarrassed that I’d done what I’ve coached the boys since they started riding not to do: get too close to the gravelly edge.

Now patched up and feeling only a little sorry for myself. I suppose it’s a hazard of the activity, and it’s been many years since I last had a mishap. I don’t recommend it, though; it hurts.

...yup, two bottles tonight for him.......

Well, you can help me choose something else, because all our bikes were neatly removed from the carrier during our overnight in Liège. The buggers even decided MrsB1’s tatty Falcon Bedstead wasn’t good enough for them, and left it behind - but, since they’d cut all the retaining straps, we couldn’t get it back on the carrier and had to abandon it. Only MrsB1 persuaded me not to abandon the carrier as well, but it probably can be fixed with new retaining arms — possibly at most of the price of a complete new one.

We’d actually chosen Liège for our stopover so that we could admire the spectacular TGV station that I’d previously seen only from inside a train. Instead, I spent my free morning in the little police office inside the station, with a genial policière called Sylvie, who made it all reasonably painless.

So my last memory of the venerable Cannondale is being dumped off it, while Boy1 can stop grumbling that his Saracen is too slow on tarmac, and Boy2 that his can't do the rough stuff to his liking. And I’ll be needing something else too. Paperwork. Bugger.

Oh crap ! What a rubbish thing to happen.

Depending on what you want to spend, there are some great bikes out there now for sensible money. Go Outdoors Calibre range are way better than they should be for the money as are Voodoo. But for really usable kit at not too scary prices I’d start with Specialized.

EG - Specialized Pitch Comp at +/- £500 is a great all rounder that will take a bit of hammer.

Thanks, Humph. Remember that it’s got to fit; the Cannondale looked a bit gawky with its 24in frame and 26in wheels but I kept for so long partly because it fitted me and not much else does. Now Boy2 (15, 1.92m) is closing in on my height and will have the same problem. Boy1 (17) is a more prosaic 1.85m and can pretty much choose what he likes.

I’ve been thinking cyclocross for me. Thoughts?

These are good guys, I’ve used their mail order facility a few times. Quite near you too
though. www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/

Then we were perilously close to meeting yesterday, Bromp. MrsB1 and I parked the i3 early at the Barbican (£9 all day at weekends — and there’ll be charging points by the next time we go) and strolled across to Tate Modern for the Picasso 1932 show. (Ho and a little bit hum — but then there’s The Shape of Light , on photography and abstract art, which is stunning. And the brownies in the Members’ Lounge aren’t bad either.)

Anyway, we exited through the gift shop and wandered back over the bridge for lunch by St Paul’s and a look at the High Walk and the old walls. Didn’t notice any Bromptons, but you were probably moving too fast for us to see.