Recently in Music Category

Keeping with my teenaged years of the early 1990s, Ride's Leave Them All Behind is one of those songs that fits with cycling both lyrically and musically.

It's one of the pinnacles of Shoegazer pop for me, from a time when it felt like there was a bridge between electronic/dance and guitar/indie music.

At eight minutes long it's a good way to fill out the time it takes to do a little under half a lap of Richmond Park. I checked this yesterday, although my speed probably means it was closer to a third of a lap.

With the little breaks and shifts in the mood of the song it fits well with the rolling and expansive landscape of the Park.

Wheels turning around
Into alien grounds
Pass through different times
Leave them all behind

Just to see
We've got so far to go
Until we get there
Just let it flow

• Buy from iTunes
• Listen on Spotify
• Listen on last.fm

As the days lengthen so the time for riding grows. Music has always filled my head when I ride, regardless of whether I'm wearing my headphones or not.

Some tunes fall into the category of CHOON! and recur on playlists and preferences at certain times of the year.

Waterfall is inextricably a Spring song.

It's the guitars that make it one. That swirling chorus effect that underpins the crispness of the riff, played through what sounds like a Vox AC30 amp (Perry help me out here).

The hushed, unforced vocals and harmonies are for me the audio equivalent of enjoying the sight of your breath condensing in front of you.

The precise interlocking of the rhythmic bass pulse and metronomic high hat has pushed me up the hills and along the lanes for many years now.

• Download from Amazon.co.uk (£0.89)
• Download from iTunes
• Listen on Last.fm
• Listen on Spotify (12" mix)

There's definitely a chill in the air and the leaves have started to turn. I've put the road bike away and the 'cross bike is in the hallway.

It's a bit dusty as the damp hasn't set in yet - I took it out for a bit of deer dodging in Richmond Park last week.

So here's a few tracks which make autumn riding a pleasure

Here's another batch of five, available from amazon.co.uk and currently on my iPod (other mp3 players are available).

Today's ride was punctuated by a puncture and coffee so not the most profitable but I'm still gradually working my way towards the very distant goal of "being race fit".

Right now I'm currently distracting myself from writing work with a very interesting interview with Michael Ashenden on NY Velocity which seems to me to be a very large cat among the pigeons. It covers the usual topics you'd expect him to cover, in particular Lance Armstrong and EPO, but in more depth than I've seen many other articles go into, notably on the 1999 samples and the information around how EPO positives are analysed. I'm only half way through it as I type so you can read the article in full on nyvelocity.com.

My head's a bit mashed after my first race of the season so rather than try and write, here's five songs I frequently listen to when I'm out riding. A mixed bag and all available as DRM-free downloads from amazon.co.uk for around 79p.