A Bit About the Project
Wherein the Author gets on his bike…and stops. Often. And takes notes. And the occasional photo and the like.
Run 05/05/26
I’m not a very good cyclist. I can’t go terribly fast. I don’t really care about shaving seconds off my personal best. Or shaving my legs either for that matter. I don’t really like lycra though I do like those woollen 1960s/1970s/ team jerseys. Classic and stylish. These days the replicas cost a fortune. I have a few Visma Tour De France jerseys. Their kit is normally yellow but you can’t wear that in Le Tour has the leader’s jersey is that colour so they bring a new alternative one out every year. My favourite so far is the year they had a mash up of Dutch classic artists. Who’d have thought you’d have a bit of a Vermeer and a Rembrandt on a cycling shirt? Another had a personalised star chart on it, so mine had the position of the constellations over Derry on the night (around 11 o’clock!) I was born in the late 1960s. This year’s is inspired by the architecture in Barcelona apparently. They have some great cyclists do Visma, such as Wout Van Aert and Marianne Vos but to be honest I like them probably because of the kits. If they’re reading this, can I have a free shirt?!
Below. Derry Looking Pretty. View from Strathfoyle Greenway.
Anyways…this is an art project and a cycling project. Imagine Richard Long, if he had a bike and was not in the greatest physical condition. Did he ever do anything with a bike? He really should have. The plan is to do a number of journeys around Derry and its locale and share my thoughts and photos in a kind of Tour De Derry diary. There will be plenty of tangents (see above) both on and off the bike. My bike is a 4 or 5 year old Vado SL. It’s an electric bike, but one you can switch off and use as an ordinary bike. I can’t drive so I don’t own a house or a car, so it’s the most expensive thing I ever bought. I needed six months to recover and my savings never did recover sadly. If it breaks down completely the chances of getting another are pretty slim. Still, I’ve done around 5000 miles, which for dedicated types is nothing, but for an out of shape editor who has COPD isn’t too bad at all, even if I do say so myself.
I don’t know if any of my ramblings will be of interest to anyone. I guess the closest things I’ve done to this are the year Art Arcadia online residencies that Abridged does. Though I’m hoping this one will be a bit less apocalyptic than those. I’ll also try not to complain about potholes, dogs not being on leashes and people on e-scooters and scramblers.
Below. Alas poor rat. or possibly rabbit. Late of Gransha.
I’m remarkably ignorant of local history. I know the big events of course but those little micro (or subaltern as they used to call them) tales I never paid too much attention to. Same with local geography. I know vaguely where places are, but really, I can get lost in the place where I was born these days. There’s more streets than there used to be. And they all look the same. Derry likes its red brick.
Below. Little Something Or Other. Gransha.
Today I did 13 or so miles, from Clooney to Strathfoyle, around Gransha whilst taking in our 4 bridges. Well, 3 and a half really. The latest bridge is so small it really can only count as an abridged bridge. Sorry, I couldn’t help that. The route is mostly flat though the bit to Strathfoyle is hillier than you’d imagine. Gransha was as usual full of people looking very unhappy whilst trying to stay fit, continually looking at the band on their arm. Personal bests and all that. There was a few patients and nurses wandering around also. This is one of my regular routes.
More soon. This project is very kindly supported by Derry City and Strabane District Council.
Run 10/05/26
“But I can put a tennis racket up against my face and pretend that I am Kendo Nagasaki” *
I bought one of those watches, the ones that tell you that you’re not sleeping properly, your heart-rate is sky high and your soul is withered and dark. It’s an old model, bought on Ebay for £20. God knows what the new version tells you. It has an app (everything has an accompanying app these days – even my fridge, in case you want to ‘change cabin temperature on the go’ – what kind of person wants to change their freezer temperature at the supermarket or in the pub? The type that knows where the bodies are, that’s who!) that talks to you on the ride, though I can’t hear what it actually says as the phone stays in my pocket. I like to think it’s telling me: ‘keep going, you’re the new Kelly!’ (or Pogacar for the current generation) but more likely it’s asking why I go so slow and sniggering continuously.
Below: Art, St. Columns Park. Artist Unknown.
I’ve just put my bike for its 1500 mile MOT. Apparently it need a new cassette, new chain and new break-pads. I figured as much. Fortunately this little project is paying for it. I do put it through the mill a bit. We used to have a few really good bike shops in Derry city centre (or thereabouts) but now there’s just Halfords. Would you believe we used to have a bicycle factory in Derry? The very famous Viking, probably most famous as being situated in Wolverhampton, was during the 1970s, based in Derry. And you could buy a lilac Harry Quinn! ( If God had meant us to work, I’m sure he would’ve given us jobs! **) Harry Quinn before he was a Half Man Half Biscuit title, was a legendary bicycle frame maker. Viking cycles were very good. Also they gave us kids stickers from their float in the yearly May Day Parade.
Below. The Famous Viking Livery.
Todays ride was a circuit of Derry’s four(!) bridges – The Craigavon Bridge, The Foyle Bridge (also know as the ‘New Bridge’) the Peace Bridge (not known as the ‘Newer Bridge’ even though it’s newer than the ‘New Bridge’. Confused yet?) and, ahem, I’ve no idea what the newest bridge is called. Probably not the ‘Newest Bridge.’ I seem to be obsessed with bridges. Explains a lot!
*Half Man Half Biscuit
**Also Half Man Half Biscuit
More soon. This project is very kindly supported by Derry City and Strabane District Council.
