Our two Kalkhoff BeatBikes, from 50cycles.com, took Mt Ventoux – the Mecca of serious global cycling and 5000 feet or so of uphill slog – in their stride. Mark got up on the Sport setting, and bottom gear, while Jutta used the full Monty, on Power all the way up. And even then, we each […]
Read More Mount Ventoux – with a little electro-helpThe Braynes’ Tour de France Electrique continuing to go rather well, from Bordeaux and the Medoc down to the Pyrenees, where Mark spent a wonderful week this time of year in 1970 helping restore an old police station/young people’s holiday hostel in Saurat, near Tarascon-sur-Arriege (and Andorra). Alongside the weather’s perfect timing, and the sheer […]
Read More Cycling The Medoc and Pyrenees – on electrics, for heaven’s sake!A sobering quarter century or so ago, I recall appearing with our Barbershop Quartet The Four Tones in the British Embassy Pantomime (can’t remember what the nominal theme was, but it was hilarious) in Peking-as-was/Beijing-as-is with a jaunty, entertainingly xenophobic song that had as its refrain “Zat’s why you lurve ze French.” (Cliche-laden photo right of, right-to-left, […]
Read More What is it with France?
