By It’s great to feel a sense of self achievement and satisfaction whilst also recognising that it couldn’t have been done without the help of others. It is also amazing that the help has been based on good faith, a willingness to support, and all based on a photograph and short
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? I’m 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 wouldn’t 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, ‘Frankie says Relax’, but it felt like I was the in the minority at the
The case for The Special Tool
Special tools are designed to do one thing, really well. How many special tools do you have in your toolbox? How much have you spent on special tools that you’ve only ever used once, or twice or….? How many times have you not used the correct special tool on a
The fascinating world and psychology of ‘The bicycle Collector’
A common dictionary definition of the word “collector’” 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: What’s occurring/happening/going on then? Me: I’ve recently bought a 2007 Cannondale Prophet mountain bike for $300 on Craigslist in Phoenix, Arizona. You: WTF! Isn’t that a long way from home? On a different continent even? How the hell
Cycling Brand belonging, our unconscious biases and the answer to; Has the drinks stereotype been finally smashed?
I’m going to test your cycling-related unconscious bias now, so get ready. If this is the first time you’ve read something from this site, you’ll already have created a fast image in your mind of what type of person I am, what car I drive, what food I eat etc
The future of vintage bicycle sales and a spoof ‘Back to Black’ 1990s MTB review
Total new bicycle sales are increasing every year and in 2018, global sales were approximately $50bn, and the forecast for 2025 shows sales hitting $75.5bn. In addition, and over the last few years, about 100 million bikes have been produced every year. This means that there are a quite a