Carbon-Monkey

After a storming event last year, high spirits and fast lap times this year’s mountain mayhem did have a lot to live up to, but I don’t think our poor weekend can all be blamed on overly high expectations.

Rubens first lap out went well with an excellent run and a fast lap that seemed to dodge . . . → Read More: 24 hours of… mayhem? not exactly…

With mayhem coming up this weekend I’ve been getting a few more MTB miles in and started to realise my old workhorse bike has developed a few ailments. I started to get really bad chain suck and poor shifting so last night finally got chance to strip things down and take a look at what’s . . . → Read More: hope xc hub servicing

Whilst rolling through the woods this weekend I came across an area that was being managed using fairly traditional looking techniques. Now I’ve always loved the woods and more and more I’d love to be near some woods where I could learn some of the old skills and live a simpler life. A life . . . → Read More: now that’s a log pile!

This weekend I’m back in the north downs exploring the woodland and uncovering some real gems. I’ve found some awesome trails, soft loamy soil, carving turns and a variety of gradients. From Peaslake you can wind you way up into the woods on easily climbed fireroads and trails to some wonderful viewpoints. Once . . . → Read More: windmills in the woods

Did an awesome afterwork ride on tuesday, from brimingham city centre, out to tipton in sandwell then through the netherton tunnel and across to kinver, over kinver edge and then on to stourbridge.

Got the other half of the loop to do next week – brum south to the lickeys then over to clent and on to . . . → Read More: big ride this week

I’ve had a few requests for courses over the summer (otherwise known as silly season) and am looking to book in a weekend a moth over the summer of off the shelf courses. If you’re interested and have dates you can / can’t do by all means drop me an email and I’ll try and fit . . . → Read More: course dates for the summer

I need a few images vectored and then a suggestion for a decent vinyl cutters / printers – it’s time to get the van sign written.
Any experience would be good to hear about

Anyone who’s a dab hand at vectoring and has a half hour to spare please get in . . . → Read More: vinyl cutters

Driving home from the new forest today I passed this beauty – nice wheels . . . → Read More: nice wheels

One of the tatty old buildings down the road was partially demolished a few months ago. I’ve been keen to take a look around and finally got chance this week.

There’s some great graffiti in there and a staircase up to half a hallway which makes for an interesting explore.

Needless to say snooping around partially . . . → Read More: down come the walls

The road bike has new tyres and my commute has been transformed

This was my view for part of this mornings commute and this evening I found a whole new network of singletrack ideal for a cross bike or mtb

Good times! Now off to bed for plenty of rest so I can ride the long way to . . . → Read More: not a bad commute

The very very slick, very very fast, very puncture prone bonty slicks are outta here

And on goes the knobbly front and pothole absorbing touring rear tyre. Here goes for some 700×38 bump absorbing, dirt track loving cross tyres.

I’m looking forward to a properly mixed up commute into work tomorrow.
Bit of tarmac
Bit of towpath
Bit of grass
Bit . . . → Read More: out with the skinny, in with the knobbly

i’ve got a whole week free running up to my birthday this year

that rarely happens and i’m a bit lost as to what to do with it

go live in the woods and dig trails for a week?

go climbing mountains and bivi on a few summits?

rent a sea kayak and bob around on the big blue for . . . → Read More: birthday bike ride

a lazy morning

coffee and pastries for breakfast

a few hours riding trials and ripping up the skate park

an afternoon spent cooking wonderful food with my lady

a nice meal with the inlaws and a desert that came out ok (phew)

and now off for a massage to get this back sorted

… this old back aint happy at the combination . . . → Read More: This is how sunday’s should be

All those miles round london yesterday, all the potholes dodged and cerbs rolled off, then half a mile from home a pothole finally caught me and took out the front inner tube. Managed to limp home and was very thankful it hadn’t happened en route to the train station.

Time for the touring tyres I think, the . . . → Read More: all those miles and a flat 1/2 a mile from home

Whilst chomping on pizza and sipping cold beer people and bike watching this bloke wandered past with either a great tatoo or a very good basis for one.

Set me off thinking about getting ink’d again. Maybe one . . . → Read More: nice tatoo… or at least a nice idea for one