I love him, but he loves Tom more

So the new addition has been named Scotty Boy. Welcome dear lad, welcome. Took him out for his first ride on Sunday to Brockwell Park BMX track. A six-year-old looked at me after one race around the course and very calmly said: 'Control.' He followed it 10 minutes later with a very precocious: 'Pumping makes you go faster.' Oh if only you knew.

But the Slacker is a pretty darn cool ride, pumping or no. Heavy yes, but whippy and really solid on landing. it has QR on the front but the option of bolt-thru so I may change that later. Not digging the brakes but I knew that. Pair of Hope minis maybe?

Then yesterday I swapped a life on suspension for road riding and attempted stage 6 of the Tour of Britain from Frome to Bideford across Exmoor. I think it's fair to say that road riding can kiss my ass for the near future. It was for a video for the Guardian travel site - should be up September time and I'll pop the link. Exmoor in the pissing rain. Need I say more?

Welcome to the family!

No name yet, we're still getting to know each other. But it's a boy.


I think he'll settle into Chicksands very nicely. I know, the brakes need changing but shhhh don't hurt his feelings yet.

Women's 4X final

Great piece of footgae of women's 4X final in Mont Ste Anne.



One word: commentators ...

Morzine piece finally up and well done Tracy!

So Ms Mosely nabbed third in the UCI Downhill in Mont Ste Anne, upsetting the French 1,2,3. Sabrine and Floriane first and second. Jess Stone came in top 20 - she's rad (18 years-old damn her) and Fionn Griffiths in top 10. Sweet.

Here's the Morzine/ Dirt Girls piece which was in Observer yesterday. Fantastic piece of prose. or no.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/jul/26/dirtgirls-mountain-biking-alps

Chicksands last weekend. Ride from the station was a bit of a schlep broken only by a can of Red Stripe halfway. Nice. Good mellow day on the dirt jumps and 4X course. Was on the Subzero but heading back next week on a 24seven Slacker. Shall report back obs. And just took delivery of Norco Faze 2 for a bike test for the podcast. Happy, happy days.

Guardian interactive map joy

You have no idea how long this mo fo took to create. So do me a favour and add some of your own fav placs to ride in the UK before I drown myself in the sink:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/interactive/2009/jul/22/mountain-bike-trails-cycling-uk

Lining up a 4X test for the podcast - watch this space. Or listen to it. Whatevs. need some rum infused coffee.

Yummy, yummy Charge stuff

Well I'm not cool enough to customise my fix gear or use it for anything more than getting MASSIVE thighs for mountain biking BUT. Last night I popped along to the Charge Bikes press day where they had lots of lovely new products. Charge riders Juliet Elliot and Posy Dixon were rocking it and seemed to have the brand well within world domination status.

The new Plug looks very trendy. Quite intrigued by the Skewer - stylishly simple for a road bike and that seems to be a hallmark of Charge. Mixer though? Not convinced. 8-speed hub gear on a commuter bike - changing a punctured back tyre suddenly becomes a bit of a hassle. Fan of a disc brake in any capacity though just because. Whatevs.

Anyway, photos so you can check it all out yourself. Get. In. Volved.



Mixer-8











Plug Grinder and the new flashy Plug













I love a great saddle ...

Mega results

Voila! Le male nutjobs in their top 10 glory:

1 ABSALON Remy PRIO COMMENCAL ( France) 0:49:28. 210
2 WILDHABER Rene PRIO TREK ( Suisse) 0:49:44,120
3 VOUILLOZ Nicolas PRIO LAPIERRE ( France) 0:51:36,160
4 BAREL Fabien PRIO SUBARU MTB PRO TEAM ( France) 0:53:30,390
5 PAROLIN Franck PRIO RIVIERABIKE.COM ( France) 0:53:41,840
6 BALAUD Alexandre PRIO TRIBE SPORT GROUP ( France) 0:53:55,930
7 VAZQUEZ LOPEZ David PRIO LAPIERRE SAAB SALOMON ( Espagne) 0:54:11,070
8 DOUCENDE Gregory PRIO LAPIERRE SAAB SALOMON ( France) 0:54:11,930
9 CLEMENTZ Jerome PRIO CANNONDALE - KENNY ( France) 0:54:12,790
10 NAVARRO Olivier EXTREME BIKE BANDOL COMMENCAL 0:55:10,560

Who won the women's? Who do you think: AnneCaro Chausson. If she wasn't so freakin' fab that would be booooooooring. Pauline Dieffenthaler was second