Tuesday, November 28, 2006

الى الهاوية, ماذا الى الجحيم!, الى حيث القت رحلها

Road_signs
picture remains copyright of http://members.virtualtourist.com

1st Prize for anyone managing to translate the the title!! I'm already looking forward to pondering signs such as the above whilst Dave utters the now infamous phrase 'am I the only one here with a sense of direction'

We will be departing for The Gambia from North Carriage Drive in Hyde Park on Sunday 17th of December. We will be in the park from 10.30 onwards aiming for a Midday departure. There's talk of local television being there both Dave's and my family are coming so if anyone else fancies a day out in the Village come and wave goodbye!

Christoph the neveready

Monday, November 27, 2006

Radder than a no footed Endo



Words fail me, never have I seen anything quite like this. Its like another whole undiscovered form of bike riding, we could fit some 6x9s to our bikes and cruise down to McDonalds in Billericay next Friday and impress the local G's with some slick manouvres similar to those displayed above. Special.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

We don't have the technology

Gav 'spank my code monkey' Edwards has formulated some kind of genius plan to allow me and Davros to post directly to IBFC while we're on the road to Africa, marvellous except we need a phone that takes pictures, having lost my phone my current piece of technology has this game on it.

snake

Not even Snake II, it's the original. Daves phone doesn't even have an answer-phone capability and doesn't send text messages!! If anyones got an old photo capable phone we can use to post to IBFC over Christmas let me or Dave know 'cause that would be just dandy.

Chris

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Afan XC Whippets

Introducing a whole load of new people to the ibrakeforcake collective....

Dom's head isn't really that big

From left to right - Dom (sporting shades straight from Milan), Nick, LL Cool Mike, Chris, Tom, Phil.

A most excellent long weekend to wet welsh Wales, staying in a superb little log cabin right at the top of the final descent of The Wall. We all rocked up pretty late on Friday night, I travelled with Phil in his 80s superbeast Porsche 944. The bikes strapped to the back may have comprimised the aerodynamics somewhat but still a very smooth ride.

Saturday got off to a true ibrakeforcake start with Phil locking his keys, and my bike wheels, in his car. While the others went off to do the Skyline, Phil and I waited for the Autoglass man to arrive. When all was sorted we had a good hack at The Wall as it was too late to join the Skyline action, although of course I would have won given the chance.

Sunday morning we hit White's Level, where it was clear that a couple of months of accelerated kebab consumption in London has done nothing for my already embarrassing climbing prowess, and in the afternoon it was The Wall. Phil had a bit of an encounter with the ground but we had fun bashing his chainring back into shape with rocks. I only did half of the course as I nipped back to the cabin to get the curry going (read: drink beer and not have to climb any more hills) so that Nick and Chris could head back east to the world of work.

And finally on Monday was the Penhydd trail, quite a lot of fire-road but an equal amount of sweet technical traily stuff, especially the Hidden Valley which was full of folkloresque type magic pixie ancient woodland style.

A very successful extreme adventure indeed.

I might buy some SPDs. But the lycra can wait.

Nick at Mach II

How many architects/designers/engineers does it take to fix a bike? All of them.

The team mock Mike's carrying technique

International man of action

Hey laydeez!

Tom looking scared

Big Bad Dom

I made those

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Bedgeburry

Double_trouble

Chris_see

Bob_woodberm

Andy_woodberm

Andy_drop

Adam_doghand

Devil?


Sorry everyone, quite unusually, I've been really busy, but the pics are finally here! We went for a ride down at Bedgeburry, the new Forrestry Comission site in Kent at the weekend which was good/a mission/a nightmare depending on who you were...

Bob had come to mine on a flying visit whilst back from Corsica before heading off next week to the Alps for the season (Absolute B*stard!) and we did the unbeleivable mission from MK down to Kent with almost gracefull ease. Didn't get lost at all! Chris and the Brighton Crew were already there and had done one loop of the trail by the time we arrived and so we got stuck into the freeride bit which turned out to be great fun - if not a little scary as I don't love the shore and I'm feeling a bit rusty after my knee. All the others got stuck in though and the see-saws and roll ins saw some action whilst Adam tried to boardslide his enduro... I had less luck as it turns out that I'd blown my brand new DHX Air 5 which I didn't discover until we were about to set off, rubbish. Thats two very expensive shocks in 3 months, I must be fatter than I thought, or very unlucky. Bob did himself proud considering he'd left his steed under a chalet in Chamonix and hasn't been riding that much and everyone else had a good blast round the loop, whilst I tried to peddle and steer my low-rider enduro whilst knackering my back and grounding my pedals every 2 seconds! Geometry really does make a difference it would appear!

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

lake district tour

Had a great time in the lakes last week.

Full write up to follow, but had to get some photos up as I can't bear to look at Bob's foot anymore!!
Daryl

gem in action
Gem slooging up Lingmell Crag on way to Scafell Pike

gem slogging
Gem on the final slog up Scafell Pike

ahhh...lovely view
Nice gay arty shot of the sunset!!!