Matt's Website

Sign in Subscribe

You did not walk with me

You did not walk with me

When my mum was seriously ill in hospital and not expected to live, I sought solitude on an early morning walk.

A Brompton bike stands in a shaft of sunlight in a concrete underpass.

To fold, or not to fold

I've decided that Brompton's small-wheeled wonder is the perfect bike for me. Sometimes.

A black and white photo of a road with 'one way' painted on it, with an arrow pointing away from the camera position.

So long, Strava

I’ve dropped the habit of logging my exercise, and I don’t miss the nagging presence of the orange app.

Two people walk along a high, grassy track bordered by a drystone wall. Beyond them is a low valley, above them only sky.

Dales Way: thunder and lightning

Our two days of walking included a very apt flavour of ice cream and ended with a journey in the wrong direction.

A blue Hoy balance bike rests on its side atop a grassy hill, with a cloudy sky in the background.

Finding balance

The art and science of keeping upright is essential for cycling and life.

A large expanse of sandy beach at low tide, with small sailing boats standing among channels of water.

A postcard from the Wirral

Drawn to the peninsula’s big tides and even bigger skies, we followed in the hoofprints of an Arthurian knight.

A poem about Birmingham on the wall at University Station is partially visible in the photo. It begins: "Dear Brum, of course I'm here writing you again..."

Photo story: Bold Brum

A regular walk through Birmingham has proved surprisingly poetic and photogenic, creating a welcome distraction from a stressful time.

Looking up to the canopy of a blackthorn tree in blossom, seen against a blue sky with a white cloud.

Ride the west wind

Taking inspiration from the Dutch and Italians, I name the wind that eases my way across Herefordshire.

Two figures walking on a hillare silhouetted against the dark blue evening sky.

Conversations with strangers

I've come to appreciate the fleeting, chance encounters that occur when travelling by bike or on foot.

Along a tree-lined coutnry lane, a gravel bike with a black handlebar bag leans on a road sign with the words: "Lowbands: Chartist Settlement Founded 1847"

Cycling, resistance and revolution

A ride through a village founded by a working-class political movement drew me to the story of the bicycle’s radical role in history.

Bike tyre tracks and footprints are visible on a sandy beach, with the silhouettes of people in the distance by the sea.

Along the foreshore

Moving through the liminal space where sea meets land, we’re immersed in a transitory world.

A black and white image of a muddy farm track with large puddles of water and trees either side.

Cycling through winter

Spending one lonely, dark season pedalling on rollers in my garage convinced me I'd rather face the cold and wet.

Three walkers silhouetted among trees on a hillside at dusk, a dark blue sky above them.

Photo story: walking the between-days

When we’re becalmed after the storm of Christmas, our family seems drawn to pulling on our boots.

The night's sky full of stars, with trees silhouetted at the bottom of the picture.

Walking into darkness

The story of two winter walks, one at dawn and one at dusk, and a call to dream.

A black cargo bike leans against a brick wall, the strong sunlight casting shadows.

I've joined a cargo cult

A secondhand e-cargo bike has delivered me into a select but growing group of people who know how to make errands fun.

Two figues walk up a snowy hillside path in whiteout condition.

Solstice promise

On the darkest evening of the year, I’m vowing to forge a deeper relationship with the places where I walk and cycle.

On a foggy autumn day, a bike with its red rear light shining leans against a railing at the side of a leaf-strewn lane.

Keep going and enjoy the ride

Lessons for life and cycling – from a channel swimmer, an ultra-commuter and my elderly neighbour.

A view of Bellano on the shores of Lake Como – red-roofed buildings surrounded by wooded hillside.

The Wayfarer’s Way

Walking on the Sentiero del Viandante in the footsteps of wayfarers, traders and smugglers is a reminder that journeying on foot was once part of everyday life.

A courtyard in Lyon surrounded by buildings with terracotta-coloured render.

Drifting through Lyon

Wandering on foot, metro, tram and funicular to soak up the city – and buy a bottle opener.

A child in a billowing organge jacket cycles away down a sweeping forest track, mountains in the distance.

Riding without a reason

Cycling purely for the sake of riding a bike clears my mind and leaves me ready to face whatever life has in store (after a nice sit-down).

A gas lamp illuminates the tree that surrounds it.

Darkness, my old friend

A pre-dawn dog walk stirred thoughts about how society resists the close embrace of darker nights.

Looking up at a forest canopy, with the green leaves of the trees against the blue sky and white clouds.

Into the woods

In need of escape, I crammed my bike into the car and drove to the forest to think of nothing.

A black and red mounatin bike with panniers leans on white garage doors, its front rack loaded with a pack of toilet rolls

No ride is too short

This year my bike riding has been confined mainly to shorter distances, often local errands. I felt like I was missing out on longer rides – until I read the words of a bike industry icon.

A distant figue in an oranhge coat stands amid the wide green expanse of Dartmoor under a grey sky.

Walking with Wulfgar

An annual pilgrimage to Dartmoor takes us past the territory of Brian Carter’s vulpine hero.

A child with walking poles descends a ridge on a yellow-grassed range of hills.

From the door

Setting out from home to cover ground by bike or on foot brings a precious bit of adventure into my everyday life – and not just while I'm on the trail.