Clothing brand Howies used to make a t-shirt, with that as a slogan written across the front. I’m not the biggest fan of slogan t-shirts, but the message it conveyed is important. It’s a much clichéd term to say ‘live each day like it’s your last’, and implies irresponsible behaviour, but I understand why you would want [...]
This weekend, my bike may as well have been a hovercraft – it was so waterlogged out, I’d go as far as saying it was the wettest, slippiest and most muddy ride I’ve ever had. You know what it’s like when you kind of avoid the mud and puddles, but as soon as you’re wet you seek [...]
Comedian Michael Macintyre famously did a sketch about the man drawer- which every biker I know has several of. You know, that draw full of European plug adaptors, old fuses, old Nokia cell phones and other junk. Except a mountain biker version is a little different- old rear mechs; worn out handlebar grips; sections of [...]
The low-end mountain bikes of today really are pretty damned good- even the kids 20in and 24in versions. The first bike I could call a mountain bike that I had was a 24in wheeled bike, with steel rims, cut-your-calf-muscle-up-every-revolution sticky out cantilever brakes and massive bullhorn bars, with a short stem. It had, in reflection, [...]
There was a really inspiring documentary on featuring some injured Royal Marines Commandos recently, and their Hasla division which is part of the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund. The money collected here goes directly into helping Marines that have been injured in action, and gets them back to being fully functional- be it back as [...]
A lot of people tell me I’m addicted to mountain bikes. I used to laugh it off, thinking they were talking out their back sides, or that they maybe didn’t have a hobby themselves, so just didn’t understand what passion was… But actually, the more I think about it I think they’re right. I’m completely [...]
