The Next Challenge

Author: Tim Moss

  • 1,001 miles in a rickshaw

    —

    by

    Tim Moss
    in

    Yesterday afternoon I arrived back home having cycled a rickshaw a thousand miles home from the Highlands. It took just over four weeks, meaning that I finished two weeks ahead of schedule. I passed through all the Special Olympics Great Britain operating regions, furthered the previous record of 955 miles and had a bit of…

  • Why rickshaws suck (compared to regular touring bikes)

    —

    by

    Tim Moss
    in

    They have the aerodynamics of a brick If you’re camping, you ain’t gonna hide it You can’t lift them over walls/fences They are wider than many gates and cycle lanes (see above) They are slooow on the uphill and unstable on the down (and thus slow) You can’t lean them and they don’t have a…

  • When again will I eat houmous at midnight?

    —

    by

    Tim Moss
    in

    When next shall I find myself lying in a ditch beneath a sheet of camouflage nylon inside a sleeping bag strewn at the most obscure of angles to find comfort whilst tending a pot of luke warm cous cous as it heats slowly above the purr of a stove? How long until I once more…

  • Long days and short

    —

    by

    Tim Moss
    in

    This blog post is being written from a small gravel layby off the A4074 from which I’ve just turn off in a mild hypoglycaemic funk. Yesterday was my biggest yet – 74 miles – but I’ve decided to crack on today with another 40-odd to a friend’s house to keep momentum up, push the body…

  • Why rickshaws rule (compared to regular touring bikes)

    —

    by

    Tim Moss
    in

    Loads of space for kit Seat cushion doubles as a great mattress You have an instant and comfortable park bench wherever you are Better crowd support It stands up on its own (and you don’t have to unclip your SPD shoes at traffic lights) People are even friendlier than normal when you ask for help…

  • 7 Signs of Support (for the long distance rickshaw rider)

    —

    by

    Tim Moss
    in

    The car honk – invariably positive rather than angry as displayed in the Pie Chart of Positivity (scroll far right) “That looks like hard work” – as I struggle uphill and riposte predictably with “Yeah, it feels like it too!” The wave – drivers passing on the other side of the road or overtaking and…

  • Stage 2: Edinburgh to the Peak District

    —

    by

    Tim Moss
    in

    The most notable change for the second leg of my journey is that The Bug now works properly. Where previously my cycling was accompanied by a continual grinding-of-metal noise and my charge would lurch ever-so-slightly left with annoying consistency, it now does not. I hadn’t thought it was having a great impact on my progress…

  • Bigger, Stronger, Faster

    —

    by

    Tim Moss
    in

    My forearms rest over the handlebars and my head is down. My body rocks from side to side and my legs keep turning over. I look ahead at the rising road and subdue a smile with gritted teeth. In the pub last night, the guys propping up the bar all had the same response when…

  • Vote tomorrow, but not for yourself

    —

    by

    Tim Moss
    in

    Tomorrow our country goes to the polls to decide who will lead the country and I’m taking a moment out of my day’s cycling and my website’s expedition updates to write about something I’ve been thinking about these past few days. I hope that whatever your views, you will be voting tomorrow. To not do…

  • Let’s talk about the weather

    —

    by

    Tim Moss
    in

    Let’s indulge for a moment in true British fashion. Let’s talk about the weather. I’ve not been checking the forecast. I rarely do. But on two occasions I’ve been told in passing or overheard that “tomorrow” is going to be wet. I hate it. I spend the night worrying about a day spent cycling in…

  • Blood Sugar (Sex Magic)

    —

    by

    Tim Moss
    in

    Without going into too much boring detail, I’ve had a number of mechanical issues arising with The Bug since stopping in Edinburgh. They’ve largely revolved around dodgy wheels and ill-functioning brakes. Considering it was supposed to be a rest day, I found myself gunning up a fair few of Edinburgh’s finest hills on a single…

  • Stage 1: Aviemore to Edinburgh

    —

    by

    Tim Moss
    in

    There are lots of reasons that pedalling this contraption is quite slow and a little hard work – its size, its weight, its poor aerodynamics and the fact that the left wheel acts as though someone is jerking the break every two seconds giving the bike a sort of nervous twitch are just a few…