Psychogeography and Cyclogeography

 I’m a great fan of psychogeographical wandering: I love the whole chronotope thing of getting lost in a landscape and drifting through timescapes; I love the whole Hazlittian and Solnitian walking and thinking at 2.5 miles an hour trope. I love walking, thinking, imagining and composing on my own.

But sometimes, the bicycle calls. The traditions of the Clarion Club beckon: a collective, socialist exploration of landscape, history and conversation. That too has it place: a good old-fashioned bike ride. Or perhaps a bit of Mr. Polly, Mr. Kipps, Lucia and Georgino; or working class hero; or green locomotion.

But cyclogeography is a new phenomenon: it needs an e-bike around these parts. The freedom to pedal with comfort up any Stroudwater hill; the satisfaction of knowing that you can explore as many valleys as you wish; the exploration of all those precipitous dead ends that you would never contemplate on your old steed; doing in two hours what used to take four; in short, extending your pedestrian practice of psychogeography, through the praxis of cyclogeography.

This wonderful new Raleigh really is a revolution.

Thanks to eCycle UK in Stroud – great service and attention. I particularly thank them for allowing us to trial different bikes and allowing us to explore hills and Rodborough Common before making up our minds - and for being so diligent with the Bike2WorkScheme. 10 John Street. Brilliant. Thanks to Jacob Kirby and Chris Boosey – you couldn’t have been better.