Dermot Murnaghan rides the Economic Cycle for Sky News

Sky News anchor, Dermot Murnaghan is cycling around the South West of England to look at how the downturn has affected the region – naturally the two day ride is dubbed the “Economic Cycle”… well, we would've too.

Murnaghan's has made good use of the national cycle network for much of his ride – which finishes in Bristol and Bath today – which leads him to draw an analogy between it and the nation's current economic situation:

“One minute you're happily pedalling on a beautiful tarmac-laden cliff top route, admiring the panorama and taking in the air.
Seconds later, the path ends without warning and you're forced onto a lethal B road, dodging the advancing vans and dodging the potholes.
In many ways it's a useful metaphor for what has happened to the economy over the past year. Suddenly and without warning the decade and half of confident prosperity came to a shuddering halt.”

That'll be Dermot of the Sustrans Christmas card list. You can check out his route here (okay he's not exactly flogging himself, but he is on a bike… and he has got a camera crew in tow) Oh, and the bike's a Trek.