OK, there’s a few things happening to the site at the mo… I seem to have re-discovered a desire to blog, and so:
There is an update to this template on it’s way – the lovely Mr Mig Pilot is hard at work creating something special…
I’ve copied over the most interesting / relevant blog postings from 06 and 07… they have now all been tagged and I am slowly going through re-inserting links and photo’s. Check out the category cloud or the calendar on the RHS to find what I was up to…
Fred Machabert is a guy I’ve known for a few years, a well known face on the French MTB scene as he used to work for Bike mag over here.
On the way down to last years Roc d Azur I gave him a lift – spent a nice few hours chatting over stuff; life, work, bikes (of course) and his ideas for providing a better MTB racing information site.
Well, he’s now gone off and done it, and I have to say that after a few months of fine tuning it’s proving to be a very useful reference – after today’s UCI DH WC he was the first to upload results (yes, before the UCI itself…)
My only “complaint” – and one I warned him about – is that by writing in French he’s rather limited his audience, however if you don’t mind trying to decipher another tongue, do go and check it out, it’s well worth it.
Where is it? oh… how about here?
There is something great about the Swiss, behind all that accuracy and paranoia (did you know ever bridge in CH is built with dynamite in the pillars ready in case of invasion…?) there is a whole scene of music, sports and general insanity that I really enjoy. Spending time there keeps me sane…
I’ve know the guys at Keetch Clothing for a few years now, they are a kind of cool co-op group of friends based in Lausanne who started making some T’s for themselves and their mates about ten years back. Now they are hooked up with some superb factories that means their clothing is about as technical as you want it to be, with a dash of the underground Swiss shredder.
In turn they have hooked up with leading French mag Big Bike, which is one of my must-read’s for the extreme MTB sector – similar to dirt but a bit more academic.
Anyway, they have got together and come up with a super little T, with a cool wrap-around graphic that I’m digging.
‘Foux Da Fa Fa’
Frikkin’ genius! Cheers Mig for sending this through to me, it’s pure frikkin genius!
I’ve been trying to find out the name of this series for ages – I saw one episode at about 3am on a long-haul flight, and had to bite the person in the seat next to me to stop myself laughing…
Anyway, here is Flight of the Conchords Episode 8
Verbier is just one of my favourite places to ride… this is why:
I’ve just spoken to Sam at Verbier and he tells me that the snow just keep on dumping there – unheard of at this stage of the season… and bad news for getting those trails all dusty…
one WordPress page at a time…
Since Mig Pilot got me switched onto WP, I’ve dumped all my stuff out of .Mac (which i will keep using but more for family stuff) and built up this here WP site.
My old buddy Ben has been suffering from not enough Mac time, and too much riding, so I noticed that his website was down… so I decided to spread the love and threw together a quick site for him.
If he’s not yet managed to turn on the domain forwarding, then the site will be here, otherwise it might be here?
Old friends never really leave us, even when you can no longer just pick up the phone and talk to them. That’s the worst bit, the regular itch to speak with those you took for granted, never for a moment considered they wouldn’t be there.
Lee just pinged me this link to Bill Nickson’s hill climb bike, but for once it’s not the bike I’m interested in, it’s the wheels. “Built by Clive Tulip”. That means they were thought about, discussed to the n’th degree. Probably started in the shop one rainy afternoon, then finished late at night, with the music blaring, by a dog-tired but dog-with-stick happy Clive…
Clive was the owner of my LBS, then employer, and finally firm friend. He went out on a bike ride one sunny day, had a heart attach and never made it home. He’s still missed.
Mig Pilot is a guy who I’ve never met, but in our e.mail chats he seems like a damn fine person, a superb artist and all-round MTB fan.
Anyway, I’ve just spotted one of his most recent pieces, and thought it’s worth you checking out if it floats your artistic boat?
Anyway, he can be found over at Mig Pilot or his Flikr feed.
Chris is a buddy of an old buddy of mine. And when he’s not busy being a great buddy, he’s running his skate shop in the UK, and when he’s not busy running one of the coolest skate shops in the UK he’s drawing. And he’s damn fine at it.
Chris Bourke
If ever I’m feeling down, I go see my dealer and good buddy; Dan for all things inspirational and numinous…
The fix he provided me with today was much appreciated; the link to a website by Chris Bourke… some great skate influenced graphics and themes.
I’ve spent a happy hour browsing and theres several pieces I especially like; including the above called “We’re not out of the woods yet”.
Image used entirely without permission – so I do hope Chris won’t mind – but I thought this worth sharing with you all….
She’s awesome. She’s Blond. She’s dappy 
She’s Loving her new bike, and really ripping it up in the Welsh trail centres…
She’s been having the toughest time ever recently… and she’s come through it amazingly well considering… she’s been on holiday to a organic pig farm in Italy… she’s got an Amazing promotion last week to a awesome new job – in the Civil Service actually…. she’s my biggest fan, and I am hers…
She’s on FaceBook (as am I now – look us up if you know our real identity’s…!) She’s not the cat…She’s my little Sis…
She’s awesome. She’s Blond. She’s dappy She’s Loving her new bike, and really ripping it up in the Welsh trail centres…
She’s been having the toughest time ever recently… and she’s come through it amazingly well considering… she’s been on holiday to a organic pig farm in Italy… she’s got an Amazing promotion last week to a awesome new job – in the Civil Service actually…. she’s my biggest fan, and I am hers…
She’s on FaceBook (as am I now – look us up if you know our real identity’s…!) She’s not the cat…She’s my little Sis…
It’s been a looong day, up at 05.30 to be at Chatel by 8.45 for a couple of meetings. Was odd to be there on the very last day of opening – just about a dozen cars in the car park. Then some more chats with various people in Chatel to arrange some things for the summer.
After that – let the fun begin! Headed over to CH to meet up with Ben and ‘Gordi at Bex BMX track. Got kitted up with the pro-tec for the first time this season, and then felt very silly rolling through centre of town in full Dianese & full-face!
Grabbed the tram/train at the corner stop, and then sat and watched the world roll by for half an hour as the mountain train winched it’s way up the mountain. Who needs ski-lifts, the Swiss ride whenever there’s not snow on the ground!
There were only five of us today, though I was told of a day back in Feb when they had 50 riders on the train!
I forgot my camera – but found a old pic on the locals website.
I popped over to see Ben and Gordi the other day – spent a lovely morning “not-Skiing” (this years “must-do” sport for those of us in the Alpes) and prating about.
Tonight was “Bicycle Industry Exporters” night, courtesy of TAITRA & Taiwan beer. I think it probably had another, more formal name, but thanks to several bottles of gassy amber piss I honestly can’t remember much.
A table procured, myself, Dave, Vlaye and a very Fred Astaire looking Matthieu did Anglo-French relations proud.
And the winner is a carton of beer, borrowed…erm, procured from the TAITRA trade evening… they were handing out single bottles to everyone leaving, but a “ni-hao” later and a case of Taiwan Beer was liberated in aid of a good cause….
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