Category: Blog

Richard’s Trail Riding

I enjoy a huge variety of riding. I ride in all sorts of riding conditions and locations. I sometimes pay for uplifts at Bike Parks but mostly I enjoy “natural trails” riding in local locations which relaxes the spirit and give me a sense of freedom.

I appreciate these locations and understand that they are there for others to appreciate too. I am merely “passing though” and I believe I owe it to everyone to do this with the minimum impact on the environment. Marked and graded trails are fine for Bike Parks and other official riding locations but I do not create them or take responsibility for their impact – I simply turn up, pay and ride.

In the woods when I am riding natural trails I aim to:

leave as little trace as possible
make as little noise as possible
be respectful of other users in the environment

I hope that I succeed at this.

Do you share my view?

Rich

24th April 2015
Chris' Racing & Riding Blog

Hopefully most of you know who I am now, I’ve started a blog about my racing & riding which will cover next years events, but to start off i’ve covered what i’ve been upto this year.

CLIC24, Cheddar, Somerset 14/05/11

First 12hr of the year was CLIC24 a charity “ride”, originally a 24hr only but this year it had a 12 and 6hr category, the course was 10miles of mainly bridleway, double track and a small amount of tarmac. Thought I’d start the race on my singlespeed 29er as I found it feels much less effort compared to my 26er. The start felt relaxed after 3 xc races and I happily cleared the 24hr racer traffic and rolled through the start top 10. I kept a steady pace all day, feeling settled and comfortable, in the end I finished first in the 12hr solo by 2 laps, beat the 12hr teams and was leading the 24hr solo field. It felt a good start after the winter.

Erlestoke 12, Erlestoke, Wiltshire 28/05/11

2 weeks after CLIC was Erlestoke 12, originally a 6pm-6am race, now a more social 12pm-12am, the course was a mixture of fast flowing singletrack, spikey climbs and longer tarmac climbs. Felt quite a bit of pressure after a good ride at CLIC and hoping to perform well in the singlespeed category. Got another good start and stayed near the front, conscious not to race to hard from the start.

With lots of support from the Black Canon guys and great pit work from my dad the hours ticked through, the small amount of raining making little difference to the course. As the day drew on I still felt good, but as the lights went on I had a very grotty lap, getting back into the pits I had a bottle of water, getting back out on the next lap I felt much better. By then my 12hours were up, turned out i’d lead the SS class since the start, had won by 2 clear laps and came 5^th overall. Some nice prizes from Charge bikes and a sit by the BCC fire helped me forget my tired legs and sore hands.

Erlestoke 12 Finish

Are You Tough Enough, Deepcut Barracks, Surrey 3/07/11

After a nice break I found a Gorrick Based 4hr Enduro lap race with a singlespeed class to enter. During my warm up I noticed quite a few big names from the enduro world were there, including Anthony White of Cannondale/MT Zoom racing. Got another flying start, leading the whole field down into the first singletrack, which came out onto a road section, legs span like crazy so I lost touch with the leaders until we got back into the singletrack. The course was tough! Very little chance to rest and very technical in places, I was glad it was only a 4hr races. Half way through the first lap I manage to wash the front wheel out on a loose corner, as I collected myself up the then second placed singlespeeder went through, and that’s how the race ended, as hard as I pushed I could not bridge the gap to him. Great respect to him, Mr White only beat me by 15minutes or so and my time would have placed me 5^th in the Open class.

Bontrager TwentyFour 12, Plymouth, Devon 23/07/11

After another little break of reduced riding I managed to get a later entry for Twentyfour 12 after writing it off for the year. Having raced Newnham Park years ago and briefly this spring I had a fair idea of the terrain, but after listening to report from people had pre-ridden the course it sounded tough, lots of climbing but a rewarding course. Having not done the race before I was caught off guard by how early people queued up at start! So I snuck in near the middle, from the off the course climbed straight up a grassy slope where I weaved through the hoards of gear’d riders who are incapable of riding quickly up hills!

As I had no pit crew I had little idea of my race position, but luckily 4hrs in I overheard the race commentator mention I was leading 12hr solo male, so I pushed on, after about 7hrs I had my usual feeling of feeling sick and getting slight cramps, luckily this eased as darkness well but I had lost first and was down to 4^th, luckily some friends popped by to check my progress, I put them to use sorting my lights and lubing my bike whilst I ate. After that I put in two strong laps which bumped me back to 3^rd, I rolled back in hoping for it to be passed 12am and leave me in third, unfortunately it wasn’t but I had called and end to my day, I went to bed thinking I’d been passed by 4^th and 5^th but luckily they had stopped before 12, leaving me in 3^rd, I was very pleased as I had gone hoping to get some endurance back and came away with a podium and prize money.

Bontrager 24:12 third

Brighton Big Dog 6hr, Brighton, East Sussex 20/08/11

I had been looking forward to the Big Dog all year as I used to live in Brighton and knew the trails well. I went down the day before to practice the course with an old friend, the course suited me well, not too rough and manageable climbs. The day of the race was very warm, riding around before the start I noticed a few familiar faces from the racing world, including defending solo champion Ian Leitch on his factory Cannondale Flash 29er.

I had a mediocre start so was pleased when the first climb appeared and I could pass people. I rolled through the start/finish line to be told I was “atleast top 20” I was happy with this an continued to push hard up all the hills and enjoyed the fast singletrack. I began to struggle with heat after a few hours and wasn’t drinking enough, but I was in a solid 7^th place so needed to keep my head. I managed to keep pushing and kept consistent lap times and had a great last two laps. After finishing I checked the lap board to see I’d came in 6^th, was pleased with that as it was a shorter race to what I’m used to, so I was surprised during the podium presentation that I was called up for 5^th place! A collection of nice prizes helped ease my headache and the drive home the next day. Definitely going back next year to push top 3.

Big Dog Podium, even for 5th!

Kielder 100Miles, Scottish Boarders 3/09/11

A race only in its 3rd year but widely renowned as an epic, which meant I had to give it a try. So on the Friday we drove the 300miles in lovely sunshine to the Campsite, checked in and stuck my tent in the only dry patch of ground I could find! We went and signed on, where I was forced to buy a survival blanket and whistle, what had I let myself into….

As the race is such a long way and they want everyone to get in before its dark the race starts at 6.30am! So I get up at 5am to discover it had been raining all night and was still raining, undeterred I dressed to suit and hoped the rain would stop. We assembled at the start, around mid pack, and followed the lead quad bike for about half and hour, luckily no one seemed keen in racing so I could make my way through the pack quite easily.

So the race got going well, I had made my way forward and the pace was good, the rain was still falling but I felt good, then disaster my brake pad wore out after only 25miles! I only had one spare set so I knew I need to save these for the rear, so I plodded on, taking it steady down the descents and pushing hard up the hills, then after another 15miles my rear brake was totally shot, stuck in the new pads and proceeded to pass all the riders I had just passed =( I reached the 50mile point and felt so cold as I was soaked through, I put on another layer and pressed on.

I reached the 65mile point and was relieved to find a tech station where I could get new brake pads for the front brake. I crossed the boarder back into the UK feeling better but still very cold, reaching the final feed station at 78miles I was ready to finish but I knew I had to keep going! 10miles from the end and I was knackered, I had been riding with another chap and we kept each other going, he left me as his brakes were working better than mine, 2miles from the finish and my front brake wore out again! So the last descent, which should have been really fun was taken with extreme care as to not crash!

I crossed the finish line in 10hrs 53 minutes, 44^th place out of 600 starters! and the 4^th singlespeed rider. As the afternoon wore on the riders slowly came in, in the end 177 finished, less than 1/3!

Singlespeed UK Championship, Pippingford, East Sussex 17/09/11

My first SSUK Champs and I had been advised not to take it too seriously! Undeterred I headed out on a practice lap to check the course, it then started raining heavily and I could tell the course was going to be tough in wet conditions.

As is customary at SSUK races you leave your bike and walk to the start line, in the meantime your bike is “arranged” mainly into piles of colours or brands. After the Le Mans style running start I quickly found my bike and got going, unfortunately I took a tumble and damaged my rear brake lever, at this point I thought it was race over, but I managed to get them working again I contuined racing.

Eventually I crossed the line in joint 4^th officially, the organisers only count the first 3, or 9^th unofficially, and happy enough to be top ten, but wondered how well it could have gone. Always another year.

Bristol Oktoberfest, Ashton Court, Bristol 15/10/11

Had been looking forward to this race, partly because it was the last long race of the year, and because it had a singlespeed category. The format was 9am-5pm which meant an early start but less time for me to stand around fretting! Being a local race there was a few familiar faces to catch up with before the start, the start was a Le mans style running start, with such a big field it meant finding my bike and getting going quite frustrating, eventually I was going and trying to get through the field! The course was very fast and flowing man made singletrack, with a few long climbs but nothing too testing, i was expecting to struggle on the rougher sections but the 29er made light work of most of it, only struggling with a section of rock garden.

Due to my poor start i found myself in 4th, the second and third laps went much better with consistent 28/29minute laps, this put me upto 2nd, where i was informed the leader was “2 minutes” in front, it took me another 2 laps to catch him, when i did overtake him he was looking spent, but I continued lapping at a consistant 30minutes, ensuring no one could catch me. As the day drew on i felt good and was enjoying flying through singletrack, trying my best to pass back markers in a polite manner, due to the amount of singletrack this proved difficult at times!

I finished with 25minutes till the end, knowing i couldn’t squeeze in another lap, to my surprise I was only clear by 5minutes! I was happy to end the season with a win, gives me motivation to work hard over the winter.

swooopppy

Thanks for your time, and thanks for the support over this year.

Chris

you can follow me on @c_noble87 and http://chris-noble-mtb.blogspot.com/

20th October 2011
October ride away- Glyncorrwg Trail Centre

By Ryan McKee

6am Saturday morning and i am awoken by the all too familiar shrill, electronic tone of my alarm. Meaning i have to drag my poor old bones out of bed and pack my kit ready for this Month’s ride away to Afan. After a bacon sandwich and a can of red bull i am a little more lively and head off to meet Will at the pre-determined rendezvous point. Will was a few minutes behind schedule, giving me some time to realise the scale of the task i was about to undertake, dragging a 38lb DH bike around Afan’s notorious trails. But it was too little too late and we were on our way.

A faultless journey led by TomTom had us arriving in record time, only being beaten by the speed merchant that is Marjory. Whilst waiting for the others to arrive we had a poke around the Skyline bike shop and snapped up a few bargains. By this time everyone had congregated around the cars and were beginning to unload and piece together the 12 bikes, owned by our congregation: Will Hardy, Marjory Hatvany, Steve Corner, Sharon Loader, Chris Sheppard, Chris Snell, The Amors, Mark Vose, The Tileys and myself. Excited chatter ensued as serial faffer Will made some final “adjustments” to his bicycle and we made our way to the climb.

As ever the climb was challenging and slippery but we all made it to the top with little fuss (but much effort). It was at this point the group split, those who wanted to do the Black Run and those who would prefer to continue with White’s Level. Led by Chris Sheppard, Will, Rich, Steve, Marjory, Chris Snell and I made our way over to the Black whilst the others followed the rest of the trail. To begin with i thought the Black had been mis-graded, it was fairly straight forward. It wasn’t until we got to the final section that i realised why it had been graded. A short, very steep section of sharp rocks and steps to negotiate. Sadly my enthusiasm outweighed my ability, all leading to quite a spectacular crash (reportedly) with an audience of 20+, luckily only a dead leg and dented pride were found in the aftermath!

After a short fire road climb back up to the trail head we re-joined the White’s Level trail and began the hunt for the splinter cell group. A few minor incidents were had along the way, including Rich sliding off the trail and Will having a little moment but we made it down in one piece. We regrouped in the cafe, trading stories whilst taking on much needed coffee, beans on toast and sugar.

It was time for another lap, sadly Juliet decided to sit this one out due to a recurring injury (or the fact it had started to rain), so we put our coats on and headed off for another dose of pain… i mean fun! It shortly became too much for Steve who decided to call it a day, but left with a smile on his face after breaking in his “virginal” new bike. So the rest of us assumed our positions and began the slog back to the summit.

The plan for this lap was to do the Skyline decent, without having to endure the other 45km that makes up the trail. So a stretch of fire road brought us to beginning of the decent and after a little more faffing we were on our way. Chris made us aware of some rock steps, just so they didn’t come as a complete surprise.

It turned out there was another set that had slipped his mind, but they weren’t a problem for our trail centre veterans. We regrouped on a tight switchback to relieve the claw-hands that were rapidly developing and make sure we hadn’t lost anyone. As we were setting off, Rich decided to experiment with a new line, whilst still doing the SPD dance with his right foot. At this point the bike slipped from under him and he is greeted by a large boulder. He was now initiated into the dead leg club who’s numbers had now doubled to two (Myself and Rich). The rest of the decent was a howler, rough, flowing and exposed. This is the ONLY time i was happy to be riding a Monster Truck, the extensive travel made the decent a breeze. It was definitely the best decent of the day, and a perfect note to finish on.

We met back with the well rested Steve and Juliet, packed the bikes back into the vehicles and headed towards the showers/ cafe. The shower token system caused confusion, with the signs differing from what the receptionist said. It all got figured out and it gave us a chance to wash away the Welsh clag and investigate the war wounds we had picked up along the way.

Back into the cafe for more coffee, sweets, Beer (Snell) and a flick through March 2009’s issue of MBUK. We said our goodbyes and made our way home. Will and I spent the return journey exploring the classics on my iPod! Will was exceptionally good at singing duets with the likes of Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado and Will’s favorite… N’DUBZ 🙂

Good ride was had by all, Thanks for organising it and i look forward to next month!

11th October 2011
Lost and found
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By Ryan Mckee...
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Well, I always moan about having to endure a 10 mile journey to my closest trails, so I thought I would dust off the trusty OS map and see what I could discover. I sketched out a rough route over breakfast, prepped the bike and ventured off into the (relative) unknown…

It took all my determination to get out of the door, it had been threatening to rain for the past few hours and I am highly allergic to rain! However, I am glad I did, stumbling across some hidden trails that I shall definitely be re-visiting in the near future.

So with the OS in my pocket and “Don’t worry be happy” on repeat I trudged along the 1/2 mile section of road to reach The Bell Inn where the trail begins.

There is a path that extends from the pub and joins the local woods, where most of the ‘local youths’ can be found on any given evening. After sliding along the tunnel-like dirt track, the trail opened up, with several directional options I chose to to head up-hill towards the Chalk Quarry. Due to large amounts of precipitation that seemed to have been falling for the past 7 days I was pleasantly surprised (and slightly perplexed) to find bone dry, dusty trails beneath the relative shelter of the trees above. Perhaps these new trails have a micro-climate all of their own?

My mind was soon drawn to other things as the track became narrow, rocky and very steep. This is exactly what I was hoping I would find. The climb continued for several punishing minutes, reaching a clearing at the top gave me a perfect excuse to have a much needed drink and check the map.

After confirming that I wasn’t lost (yet) I continued along the ridge line, scoping out lots potential tracks off the steep slope to the left. After eyeing up one particular track I decided to give it ago, it wasn’t in the route plan but the whole idea of this outing was exploration. I am glad I did. berms, jumps, off-camber, high speed, Heaven. I Got a bit over excited and ended up heading towards a particularly large tree, however my head was acting as an effective break so no damage, only pride!

A short, steep push up and I was back en-route.

I then emerged onto a gravel double track path which ran parallel to the Westbury Chalk Quarry. This is quite a sight, seeing such a large space of the Earth missing seemed like quite a shame when you consider the rolling landscape that Westbury is nestled in. Another road section followed, stretching from the White Horse to Eddington, where the next trail was located.

This is where things began to unravel somewhat, I had accidentally ended up on a footpath, which lead in the opposite direction to the bridleway I was originally aiming for. There was a steep, grass track climb to reach the the summit. It was at this point I had realised I was more than likely in the wrong place. There were several hints:
- It could be the lack of any visible tracks
- It could be the gunfire which echoed across the plains
- Or it could be the large “Military Firing Range KEEP OUT!” and red flags whistling in the high winds that swept across the vast space before me
Whatever the reason, I now had to rely on orienteering skills which I hadn’t used since completing Duke of Edinburgh 5 years previously. They were shoddy, At best. However, Technology soon came to the rescue as for some strange reason i had WiFi connectivity? Taking this as some kind of gift from the gods, I pulled out my phone and plotted a some points. I had no choice but to trust the directions it was giving me, as time was not on my side (I had to be in work within 90 minutes). For the first time ever, it took me to the destination i wanted to reach! This meant I was securely back on ground i could ride over without running the risk of finding an unexploded land mine or becoming a training exercise target.

All was well, I put my foot down mindful that the clock was ticking, re tracing my footsteps and revisiting the trails I had found only hours previously. They were fast and loose, and definitely made the steep climbs and risk of being “neutralized” by the T.A worth it. It was quite an adventure, I can no longer moan that nothing exciting ever happens, and to top it off I made it to work on time. Bonus.
21st September 2011
Balance

by Will Hardy

The last few days have been particularly windy. I prefer to say ʻblusteryʼ which always reminds me of Winnie the Pooh. On Tuesday evening I set out towards East Woodlands for the weekly club Nightrider; Roads were damp, Cannimore was squidgy and full of puddles, evidence of other adventurous cyclists wiggling around ahead of me to avoid the worst. My lights were on from the start. It didnʼt feel like summer, a far cry from the dusty memories of two weeks ago.

Today things were much the same, except my knees ached. I stumbled out of bed at a spritely 6:30am, saw the veil of mist outside and semi-consciously wrote-off expectations of a ride. Again, mainly because of knee pain (they could do with a good rest) but also because I knew there was a solid day in the study to be had, pimping my CV. I say study, itʼs the room with a computer. And a tumble drier. But thatʼs beside the point.

That went really well so I decided a reward was in order, and bit of relaxation. Enter the bicycle. In the spirit of ʻtaking it easyʼ I opted for the cleaner of my two cycles; the fixed gear. Shoes on, helmet, iPod, and Charge Bikes T-shirt (essential fashion requirement). The roads were now mostly dry (about 4pm) thanks to the wind that made my jacket sound like a helicopter landing on my shoulders. The list of qualifications and employer references faded into the muddy banks on route to Centre Parcs, replaced by the happy notion that I wasnʼt going to get soaked. I took the scenic route up to Heavens Gate, using the wiggley drive up to longleat instead of the straight one and cutting across from the toll booths. Sometimes itʼs nice to listen to sounds around you in the forest; itʼs peaceful. Not today though, the wind covered almost everything including Jay-Z who made frequent appearances through my headphones.

There is a strip of tarmac that joins the Heavens Gate view point to the main Longleat entrance road, which I have decided to adopt as my fixie training ground. It ticks all the boxes: Flat – yes. Road – yes. Devoid of traffic – yes. Quite often there arenʼt many peoople around either which makes falling over and looking silly more enjoyable. My goal is to learn how to ride a bike backwards while sitting on the handlebars. Iʼm not sure if itʼs backwards or forwards; the bike is backwards, but Iʼm going forwards. Iʼm willing to compromise and just call it sideways; most of my practice runs go round in circles.

Itʼs nice to have a spot where one can focus and perfect ones art free from distraction. Just like the study for editing important documents. Like Heavens Gate for fun and trying alternative riding styles. Some day Iʼd like to ride home like that.

6pm. I sat on the bench and watched the rain float over from Frome. Time to put the kettle on. So I set off home again along my scenic route, knowing I probably would get soaked after all, but that wouldnʼt matter because Iʼd had a really good day and there were at least five types of cheese in the fridge.

9th September 2011
Time Machine

I was looking at my calendar the other day (it’s a lovely BCC 2011) when I realised we were in March and I hadn’t flipped the page over, apart from admiring the great shot of Ben Batt man-handling his bike down a dh course, I immediately checked my watch to see if it was also showing the correct date.

I did this because it’s mechanical and not particularly fancy, but I had this sudden realisation, the sort you get when something you normally take for granted makes it’s presence felt (like your car not starting, or your oven blowing up).

I realised that I had this tiny little machine strapped to my arm, which somehow without being aware of all the other millions of similar tiny machines in the world was beating along with them, with remarkable synchronicity. The more I thought about it the more I wondered how we had been able to create such amazing machines over the course of the last few hundred years.

I tried to imagine a world without well measured time, and began to appreciate how much we all depend on these boxes of cogs and springs (ok I know they are mostly digital now, but the principals are the same).

The human mind is an immense and sometimes apparently random thing, with seemingly uncontrolled chains of thought, so my brain jumped to thinking about if there are any other machines that have impacted us (humans) in similar ways, and top of my list unsurprisingly was the bike.

I considered the bike up there with the chronograph for many of the same reasons. They are both fundamentally a collection of simple mechanical and physical principles. They both need to be brought into the world with a great deal of engineering precision and skill if they are to function. Both have carved themselves a niche as machines that we depend upon, both have provided engineering firsts that have been utilised elsewhere.

But I’m not sure that was enough of a tie for me, there was more, there was a personal element.

There was this notion that I could almost use the bike as a time-piece for my life, I know it sounds crazy, but it’s like I can remember every bike I have ever owned, and have vivid memories associated with my bike time-line.

It’s as though bikes and cycling have been counting my seconds for me, from my first pedal stroke right up to now.

I can clearly remember my Raleigh Tomahawk followed by a Chopper and moving on to my metallic blue Eddy Merckx race bike and that was just the start.

But it’s more than just about a succession of machines it’s more about the experiences associated with them.

From getting my first BMX (Coventry Eagle) and riding on acres of frozen marsh land, to having my Fat Chance Wicked stolen at gun point, to riding my first downhill bike in the alps, to weekend trips away to ride in Delamere forest with my mates. There are so many finite memories you’d be bored to death if I even attempted to list them all, not to mention the paltry four hours battery life I have left on this computer.

I think what I’ve realised is that actually it’s the people that this interest has allowed me to stumble into that’s been the important thing. I consider that all of my ‘proper’ long term friends were met through cycling, and hopefully this shared interest will lead me to making a few more.

Along the way I’ve subverted new friends, girlfriends and colleagues into cycling. Sometimes I feel a little guilty, subconsciously am I trying to just get myself some more riding buddies?

I don’t think so, it’s like I get so enthused I want to share the experience, and well if that takes a bit of arm-bending so be it. I reckon that it was a worthwhile cause if one person has stuck with it, and they enjoy the experience half as much as me.

So to the future, I hope that my time continues to be measured out predominantly by the bike, and maybe less by the watch (although I am typing this sat in a hotel room on a work related assignment).

I also believe more strongly than ever that the bike is going to become an increasingly important machine, rather than being overshadowed like the chronograph by quartz.

How so?

I only have to look out of my hotel window and see the ever increasing number of commuters on bikes, the corporate backing of cycle hire schemes from retailers and banks, and on a more global scale the dependence of developing nations on cheap easily maintained transport and efficient sources of human power to feel confident in this amazing machines longevity.

For me personally I have discovered my own time-machine, it’s got pedals and whole lot of future.

18th March 2011
Members Blog – Long Term Addict

It’s a funny old thing this life, I pulled this photo out of a box of stuff my parents had in the loft, and it made think about all the stuff I did as a kid, and the excitement I got from getting out on my bike. I reckon I’m 6 in the photo, so 34 years ago give or take a week or 2, but that sense of freedom that being on your bike gives you is evident.

I remember that Raleigh Tomahawk and the battering it received like it was yesterday, I particularly liked the brake cables patched up with red insulation tape, which when you look at the state of the brakes was an exercise in futility. I loved that thing, wheelies all the way down the road, bumping up and down every curb I could find, zooming down every hill.

I look at my little lad Ollie now and I see that same gleam of mania in his eyes, his little legs pedalling like buggery to go as fast as possible nothing has changed…only his bike stops.

What is it that makes us want to ride? That word freedom is high on the list I reckon.

When I was a kid I didn’t get ferried round by my parents if you wanted to get out, visit your mates, have an adventure it was you and your bike, together you could go anywhere, do anything. As I got older that didn’t really change, I progressed onto road bikes and pedalled further, most of my school mates lived at least 10 miles away. I was always out, wearing a groove in the blacktop.

I still love the sensation that a fast road bike gives you, the sound of the tyres barely skimming the tarmac, the easy surges of acceleration and the sense of once your tank is empty, no matter how light or efficient your machine is it’s just down to you and your determination. I think that sense of achievement, of self sufficiency can’t be underrated; it’s the sense of well being that makes me bearable, and the removal of which that turns me into a grouchy sod.

That dependence on a piece of machinery has led me down the road to OCD tendencies when it comes to bike maintenance, I’m afraid I’ve turned into a bit of a bike polisher. I’m often found in my kitchen or in the shed with my bike in bits, making sure everything is just so. It’s like by taking this collection of tubes, castings and bearings to pieces and knowing every little detail I’m going to somehow find what makes the whole thing tick, come alive, finding its beating heart.

I’ve yet to unearth the Frankenstein monster, but those of you who have seen my downhill bike may understand…

1991 was the first time I rode a mountain bike, I went out for a ride around the local (Pennine) hills with a couple of mates (and their mates) and in amongst the assortment of road bikes there was this Marin with knobbly tyres, I took it for a spin off-road and knew I had to have one (even though it was way too small). Getting on that bike made me feel like a little kid again, I felt like I wanted to go and bump kerbs, do wheelies, be 6 again.

That’s 20 years ago now…there have been lots of bikes come and go from my shedbedroomkitchenloft, and there have been times when I just haven’t been able to ride for prolonged periods, through injury, location, work or just being too busy (young kids are a full-time job), but I still keep coming back (slower and even less proficient each time).

I think maybe it’s the addict in me, it’s that sense of the next time it will be better, searching out that moment when me and my bike are greater than the sum of our parts, when the most powerful engine that exists, the mass of the planet tries to suck me into its metallic core.

It’s that moment when you go from pedalling and into freewheel (or is that free fall), when your tyres go from buzzing to floating over the ground and sometimes, just sometimes you get that sense of stillness, quiet and harmony, and you become a powered human being effortlessly riding gravity itself.

I think it’s the pursuit of these seconds of clarity that keep me (and maybe you coming back).

So next time you see an old codger struggling up or down hill, don’t be too harsh they’re just out getting their fix.

31st January 2011