Dealing with the simplest problem first, the Cycleops trainer is supplied with a special skewer that is meant to replace the existing one. There’s probably some law about someone my size forcing themselves in a triathlon one piece suit anyway and the attendant risk of being harpooned by a passing Icelandic trawler if swimming in open water, but I do look forward to hearing about those who branch out into two and three discipline events as part of the ‘Blue and White Tri Dynamite’.

Fuelled by coffee, cake and conversations, this unlikely adventure takes Paul to the top of the world and the edge of despair. It all really boils down to a question of circumstance, and at the risk of coming over all corporate and job’s-worthy, a case of making some form of appropriate risk assessment. Alas, I have yet to find a way of attaching it to my Brompton, but at least I’ve been able to make use of my much-neglected, entry-level, near-vintage hybrid, and maintain my cycling-legs, without getting frozen, drenched or bedraggled. I'd also hazard a guess that the headset bearings on the tall head tube bikes last somewhat longer than those of the short tubed models. I'm sure this will inspire many a fat bloke to don his lycra, and maybe this one will continue past the station one of these days.

But then, as we all know, reliance upon common sense doesn’t necessarily stand up in court when it comes to an injuries claim! You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. I use a Cycleops front wheel holder for this, except that I don’t place the wheel in the grooves but rather, I rest the wheel on the top. Fat Bloke on a Bike' follows Paul's novice attempt at cycle-touring as, huffing and puffing, he hauls his seventeen stones from Weardale in the North Pennines, along the North Sea Coast, and through Scotland's cities, islands and highlands to Inverness.

Part fish, Julia’s ability in water was already intimidatingly good and if she could be coached to cycle downhill at the same speed she cycles uphill, and we can keep her upright on the run, well, watch out Alistair and Jonny. But it takes some time to get used to them: for example, you have to wear SPD cycling shoes if you want to take advantage of the cleat clamps; if you wear normal shoes, it feels a bit weird and unstable if you end up pressing the cleat-clamp side of the pedal; and fitting a non-folding pedal results in a noticeable negative effect on the size of the folded bike – the right-hand pedal is OK, but the other one kind of sticks out a bit. I currently have a Cannondale Hybrid Road bike, but have been told by a friend and cycling nut, that this is wholly unsuitable for my task and I have rcently bought a Specialized Tarmac Elite 2009 Road Bike to give myself a better opportunity.Talking of tinkering, something else I’ve been experimenting with is changing the standard 50T crank to a 44T crank, the idea being that I would get a lower bottom gear to help with the hilly roads we have round here. Except that, if you fit a ‘skewered’ Brompton to an unmodified trainer, the roller will not meet the wheel as it is designed for a 26″ wheel or greater.