FAQ

When did you start blogging and why?

We were on a long car journey in January 2010 and got talking about the different and new things we could do.  I decided to be a blogger as a “project for the year” but I didn’t have a clue what I was doing – it just seemed a good idea at the time.

The first blog was a bit random and all over the place.  I learnt pretty quickly from the huge numbers of mistakes that I made; inspite of them I used to get 15,000 – 20,000 page views each month.  This one, The Cycle Hub, is meant to be a bit more focussed and I’m still learning.  I need to tell you some of the older articles have been imported from an older blog.

Blogging is a great outlet.  It beats coming home from the office and falling asleep in front of the TV.  I can also spread the word about cycling, staying in good shape and so on.  If someone likes that, great.  If we can interact a bit, that’s even better.

Can you tell me about your cycling history?

Even as a young kid I enjoyed having a bike to ride so it’s in my blood.  When I was in my late teens and early 20s I got the travel bug.  One of the best things I have ever done was catching a plane to Nairobi with my bike, tent and hardly any money for a wonderful tour around East Africa.  I bought that bicycle from a friend while I was at school; it was a so-called ‘racer’.  In reality it was a heavy heap of junk with ridiculously high gears and totally unsuitable for touring but it didn’t stop me having a fantastic time.

Cycling tailed off until a few years back when middle age struck and I had to do something to stop me heading for a nervous breakdown and a heart attack.  You can read more of this in About. 

Nowadays I am a 50 something unashamed Lycra clad cyclist.  Okay, yeah, I admit it: I’m a MAMIL.   I will be cycling for several decades to come!

What about your day job?

I’m a middle manager in the public sector and the world of criminal justice.  This gets pretty heavy going at times and this is another reason to ride a bike, have a rant and blown off some steam.  Nobody doing a job like mine will ever earn huge amounts of money.  We do it because we believe in what we’re doing and it helps makes our society a bit safer for you to live in.

What about guest blogs?

I welcome offers of guest blogs and I sometimes give space to some aspiring freelance writers as well.  If you want me to publish an article, please get in touch if you’re writing with a genuine passion for cycling, staying in good shape etc.  This all helps make the web interesting and gets more people involved.  Commercially orientated articles will involve us talking about fees.

Can I commission you to write for me?

Yes of course!  I accept commissions to supplement my modest public sector salary.  Let me know what you’d like me to write about and we can take it from there.  Simple.  Just get in touch using the Contact page and I’ll get straight back to you.

Can you review a product for me?

You might already have seen some of my reviews.  I tell it like it is – how I see it.  I try to give a balanced view of things as I know there’s more to it than just my view.  You know the deal, go to the Contact page and the rest will follow.

Anything else you want to say?

Well that depends on what you want to ask me about!  Ask a question about cycling, keeping fit, dealing with stress and I’ll do my best to give you a from-the-heart and common sense answer.

I have even been interviewed on BBC local radio on various cycling related stories and happy to respond to further requests.

Oh, one other thing.  If your group, team, colleagues are stressed out, need some inspiration and someone to take you through the early steps of being in great shape, please get in touch with me.  Take a look at my Bookings page for a bit more information.

Just before I got interviewed live on-air by Iain Lee