More toys on test...

Yet more goodies turning up in the Wideopen mail bag this week... a Madison jacket and Bell helmet.

For general arsing around riding in the UK it's sensible to have a decent jacket, and Madison are hoping to plug the gap with a range of really well priced and specc'd options for you to choose from.

We've just got a Trail jacket into review, which is a lightweight, waterproof, breathable shell - priced at just shy of £80 RRP.

Hopefully I won't have much chance to wear it this summer, so expect the first proper test later in the year... although with the UK who knows! I could be wearing it in August! First look in Issue 10 (in production at present).

Morning at Fli

Just spent a very pleasant morning visiting the guys at Fli Distribution in Glossop, just up the road, for a feature in Issue 10 of Wideopen. The place has a great vibe and buzz about things, and we finished off the coffee whilst perving over the latest Twenty6 goodies (my god the pedals are amazing) and had a sneak peak at the 2010 O’Neal gear (helmets, protection and riding gear) which looks pretty special.

Picked up a Skad helmet for longterm test in the mag as well - so keep your eyes peeled. It looks awesome and matches the Wideopen race jerseys!

On one...

Not literally - although we should have an On-one successor (Ragley) in our midst in a month or so via Wideopen (to join the Cotic Bfe I'll be running)...

No on-one from a riding view point.

A crazy man thinks he's in control of life, and his ride, but I like to think that I can react fast to what the trail throws at me... tonight Jon and I really enjoyed the short Macclesfield Forest blast. Charity Lane was immense - I somehow held Jon at bay despite being on the hardtail and him being the fastest rider in Macc at the moment! Awesome. Singletrack was fun. Despite some extra scoping it still needs some effort to link things up... but safer (although I did lose the front end on the flowy grassy descent).

Rock on.

France 2010? My 30th? Hardtails? VW Camper?

If you're up for joining Leo, Jon and I let me know!

A different kind of hardcore hardtail...

Newcomer Tom joined regulars Chris and I this week for the jaunt around Macclesfield Forest. Rocking up on a very light-weight frame, featherweight aero bladed wheels, skinny tyres and carbon forks he wasn't sure what to make of Chris and I with the fat tyres, big forks & brakes and armour! Scorching pace up the climb he was certainly making the most of the weight advantage.

The tables were turned on Charity Lane however... Chris and I anihilated it today - awesome. I was running a little more tyre pressure than normal and it really seemed to make a big difference to my confidence and I was pretty much 'on it' 95% of the way down. Great feeling, a big whoop and holla - despite some agrivated dog walker being rude despite me being polite and warning her of other riders behind me! The bottom berm is getting really rocky now, really tricky to get a good line through there so it's about easing off into the berm so you don't kill yourself.

Anyways on to the singletrack and a second ride, un-interupted, on the new stuff and it was ok - but needs a lot of scouting to become flowing. A good back up and more required to make the potential realised, a great flowing final descent but hard work in the middle.

I'm out again tomorrow with Jon - otherwise until next Thursday...

When I'm 64...

Ten years. Chris and I have known each other over 10 years and I can't recall us ever falling out. We've been riding together for 7 years - Chris was one of the other founding members of Fearingout...

So why am I talking bollocks? Well we were wondering whether we'd still be here in another 10 years! Hope so!

So after a promising turnout only Chris and I headed out tonight. After Martyn's excuses of bad weather and Tony leaving later it was actually quite nice to be just the two of us - we'd a really good chat on the climb and good chortles on Charity Lane which was surprisingly dry given all the rain in the past 7 days... fast and flowy.

We then re-visited the 'verge ride' - hell yeah. Remember the iconic snap of Scott on his Stinky pulling high out of this one? Well unfortunately you only have Chris and I to re-live the action - but I managed to get the bars turned a little. Tribute (and surprisingly good fun to just stop, chat, and mess about - just like the 'old days').

Onwards to the singletrack and we scoped out some new possibilities. Look forward to showing the trusted few what we've found. It looks really good fun and was great exploring in the woods. Taking it back to the roots - literally.

Cheese mode off - good ride, good laugh, good chat. Great weather, great company and great skills. See you next week!

Macclesfield Forest 11/6/09