The 9000 km photo

This is the 9000 km photo, taken on a bank holiday Saturday just outside Swanage where we're based for a few days camping at the tail end of Summer. We're late out of London because of mechanical failures and end up on a slow train down to Poole, so despite an early start its late afternoon when we cycle into Swanage in search of lunch and supplies and I forgot that I was about to clock another 1000k.

So not truly a 1000k photo, but a safe margin over, heading up to Tom's Field Campsite. Cat and Graham are just coming into frame.

The 8000 km photo

We've just had our first night in Scotland and are just hitting what I class as 'proper' Scottish scenery on our epic Lands End to John O'Groats bike ride when the next 1000 kilometres roll around. You can see the first hills of the day in the distance. Comic accommodation dramas still to come.

The 7000 km photo

We're in Cornwall, a few days after the beginning of our Lands End to John O'Groat's trip, and just outside Rock which is a short ferry across the bay from Padstow. Its not rainy and there's not a single car on the road.

Sadly the old faithful pink Raleigh has all but died - the last few commutes before this holiday I had to kick the derailleur back into shape and could only ride it in a few gears. Could fix it, or could get a commuting bike that's actually the right size for me.

Before the end of the trip we will roll over a thousand mark one more time...

The 6000 km photo

There has been a long winter (mostly of running) since the last 1000 milestone. Exciting bike events in last 1000 kilometres include losing bike computer, breaking bike rack and most excitingly handlebars coming loose from bike during Norfolk Coast ride - luckily when had stopped bike outside a pub where they had the necessary tools to tighten it up again.
(And that explains that wierd feeling that the handlebars were moving out of sync with the road.)

Clocked over 6000 within metres of the house, so another exciting picture of urban London sprawl is to your right.

The 5000 km photo

This is the 5000 km photo, still in London, early morning daily commute, but you can't really tell that as Justin's camera has decided that it doesn't want to take bog-standard photos like all of the other cameras in the world. And that it likes disco.

I'd like to say that this photo was taken on Bill Oddie's street (him from the Goodies, now on reasonably tame nature docos) but in reality this is the street that I once saw Bill when I was cycling the other way, in summer. That version of the story isn't quite so tidy.

(I confess, yet again I'm writing this in the distant future. Keeping you on your toes, yes).

The 4000 km photo

I've done 4000 kms! Way hey. Not so much as lycra or clipless pedals in sight. This was taken in the middle of Normandy on day three of our France cycle adventure (and back dated as such...).

This wasn't one of the rainy days, in fact it was pretty sweet from start to end. Nice tarmac in France.

The 3000 km picture

Three thousand kilometres in and its another central London road...

The clock ticked over just before an odd art deco building with giant stone cats outside, which sounds exotic but its just down the road from my work, and on the road up to Camden (Camden Road?) Most of the last 1000 kms have been done on the daily commute, except a ride down to Brighton, two day trip out to Oxford and a quiet weekend ride north of London to see friends of Justin's.

Its summer, would you believe it? Not from this picture anyway...

The 2000 km photo

April Critical Mass bike ride in central London - this is just after we'd turned TCR corner into Oxford Street, not that you can tell from photo. Dusk just falling at about 8pm on a Friday night. Justin and I left at the early evening hour of 9:00. First fine Critical Mass of 2008, and you got the feeling that they could be going all night....

The 1000 km photo

Hopefully the start of a tradition - and I've been carrying a camera around for a few days in anticipation....

Not quite the achievement that clocking the bike computer will be, but little steps, eh.

All these adventures we've been having and the numbers click over less than a km from home on a regular weekday commute.