Due to a knacked knee, and being off running for a while, I’ve now taken the huge step of getting on my bike (well my daughter’s very old bike to be exact). Only two peddle outs thus far but I’m getting the hang of things, starting to enjoy it and I can see it becoming a regular thing, even when I get back running.

The bike though is a ten year old mountain bike that has spent the last eight years quietly rusting in our, partially open to the elements, slightly decrepit greenhouse and has definitely seen better days. My daughter went to Australia in 2012 and is now a full blown Ozzy so it hasn’t been used even once since that time. Fortunately the brakes work and it responded well to an all over WD40 spray. I’ve retained a scraggy old smurf fhat has always dangled from the handle bars but, aside from that, I have to admit I look a bit of a knob on what is now a very sad old bike.

So just thinking out loud at the minute but, were I to buy a brand new bike, would an adventure/gravel bike make sense for me? I want to cycle quiet lanes and bridle ways and dirt tracks and all things off road and it looks a good fit. To me at least, not having the first clue what I’m on about!