Nostalgia's never a good thing!

It's been a funny old week. I've been reflecting on the weekend and reminiscing about the old days of Fearingout.

Back in the day we used to mock the guys on full sussers doing trails. We used to mock the guys wearing helmets, camelbaks, arm and knee pads. We thought we were it - xc hardtails with a few choice upgrades, GAP shorts and cotton t-shirts, Vans trainers - the only comprimise being decent gloves.
Then slowly over the years the toys and gadgets have crept in... admittedly as we got faster and crashed more helmets and pads became a must (we all have a day job unfortunately)... but with it came base layers, camelbaks, special shorts and coats.

Somewhere along the way I think I got lost.

Anyway enough of the nostalgia bollocks - what do I want to do about it I thought?
Well I'm thinking DH shorts paired with short sleeved chequed shirts - piss pot or full face helmets and flat pedals...

Maybe I'm just having a mid life crisis!

Anyway got an email from Scott about the video preview below - cheers mate - it's made me re-evaluate things. I really enjoy making films - films of us lot riding. It's never been about the amazing stunts but Scott mentioned something that got me thinking? Do you lot really value it? At Innerleithen I was really upset with the piss take slow riding past the camera - maybe you lot don't value it as much as I do?

Fearingout used to be a lot about messing around with your mates, pushing back up to get a better photo, pushing yourself further and riding new stuff.
I'm going to take it back to it's roots this summer. Camera wielding rather than video camera wielding...

So tonight then, good ride.
Changeable weather, but Jon and Chris joined me and we had a good laugh. Charity Lane was BONE DRY - very quick (not so quick with a streaming nose though - damn cold) and great fun. It all bode well for the singletrack... which turned out to be AMAZINGLY fast - wicked on the roots! We stopped half way to investigate alternative routes around the fallen tree and have started a new line above the fallen obstacle. It was fun. Scouting for lines. Messing about and feeling like this is really where it's at!

Oh and big up Jon for his retro chrome BMX bars! Good lad - they look awesome!

Macclesfield Forest 14/5/09