Tools of the trade: my journal

I never embark on a cycling trip without it. My journal is my most valued possession. I use it to record my thoughts and observations during my journeys and from this I create my blog posts and travel features.

It is a moleskin journal with lined paper. I like the feel of it in my hands- not too heavy, not too light. I can also bend it easily for storage.

Inevitably it ends up in the back pocket of my cycling top, so that I can easily reach behind and whip it out to take a quick note. My pen is always stored inside the journal, easily held in place because the book can be sealed shut with the built-in elastic strap. It also has a built-in bookmark which makes getting to the page I want easy and quick. It performs well when confronted by the worst of Scottish weather or oily hands from its owner. A good all rounder, I would say.

I only started taking notes on my cycling travels in 2011. Cycling trips prior to this live on in memories, but without the richness in detail that comes with writing about it.

I am now onto my second moleskin notebook and soon to be my third. My writing devours pages and I love to record absolutely everything that I see, everything that happens to me. This does mean that I am a slow cyclist because I stop often to write in my journal and to take a closer look at things, but this is the way I like it.

When time is short and I need to cycle fast I sometimes have to abandon the journal until I reach the end of my journey. This usually means staying up late and writing up my notes, using my photos to jog my memory, which can be exhausting after a day on the saddle. I worry that I forget things, important things that could really make a travel feature shine. Even if I am in a hurry and there is something that happens or something interesting that I see I will pull over and write it down to prevent me forgetting.

I hope that my blogs and travel features are richer and more interesting as a result of my journal, my most valued possession.