By Iām riding up a tiny, Swiss road that has 27% gradient and it keeps going up at this rate for 3 kilometres. For a couple of months of the year, itās impassable due to snow. Itās only a very narrow road with rough tarmac and itās not used enough for
The Beach. On Any Sunday.
Thereās a certain sense of freedom on a beach. Itās locked like a border between the land and the powerful sea. The beach can provide tranquility, interest in washed-up sea shells, dead fish, international litter and wood that has travelled the oceans, only to be finally deposited with a smooth,
Life as a Projecteer
I must admit that Iām a bit of a āProjecteerā. This is a new term that Iāve dreamed up to illustrate people like me who always have a project on the go, have a few in the pipeline and at the same time, on the look out for another suitable
Itās the best thing since sliced bread! Really?
One of the very well used sayings that was quoted when I was a kid was āitās the best thing since sliced bread!ā, and it was always in reference to a new innovation or product. The first automatically sliced commercial bread loaves were produced on July 6, 1928, in Chillicothe,
Punk Maskara IV – The Swiss Spring Classic race
Cast your mind back through all of the cycling events that you have ever ridden in, and then pick the best one. Why did you pick this particular one? Because you won it? Because you did it with friends? Because the weather was good and the scenery spectacular? Because you
The Carbon Raven
When did you last see or hear a Raven? Iām not talking about seeing or hearing the 1970s-80s British Heavy Metal band, Raven. This was the band set up by the two Gallagher brothers, and not Noel and Liam from Manchester, UK, who also started the globally successful band, Oasis,
Testing round, prototype, rubber products…..The RIDER T1
I wouldnāt be telling the utmost truth if I said that I get regular offers to go testing prototype mountain bike (MTB from now on) tyres. However, I have had just this type of offer recently. Whilst most MTB riders in Switzerland are ordering studded ice tyres or oiling their
Frankie Says Relax
You may or may not remember (and guess the year) when the top Liverpool band, FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD, knocked out that great track, Relax. I never owned one of those t-shirts that boldly said, āFrankie says Relaxā, but it felt like I was the in the minority at the
The fascinating world and psychology of āThe bicycle Collectorā
A common dictionary definition of the word ācollectorāā is; a person who collects things of a specified type, professionally or as a hobby. This is obviously a broad definition, and after looking around my bike shed, and after a quick look in the mirror to see if I looked like
The Arizona MTB interview
Interviewer = You, whoever you are Interviewee = Me, the Author You: Whatās occurring/happening/going on then? Me: Iāve recently bought a 2007 Cannondale Prophet mountain bike for $300 on Craigslist in Phoenix, Arizona. You: WTF! Isnāt that a long way from home? On a different continent even? How the hell
