3,000 miles to go

An early start for the friends and family of our intrepid Ibrakeforcake rally team as we gathered on an amazing Winters Morning in Hyde Park.

In typical Gav style i had a phone with no charge but had had the foresight before the previous evenings drinks to fourmulate some sort of plan! Off we trotted to Find both Monsieur Lawler and senor branfield looking suprisingly chirpy and excitable as you would be knowing or maybe not knowing what the next three weeks were all about!

In true bodge it style the roof rack was on and strapped down all the essentials our team needs for a challenging 3 week rally...yup a spare wheel and their surfboards! Fear not i did overhear a conversation in which chris reassured someone they were organised and had spares etc...i'm not saying anything, checked you passport this time chris?

So good luck to the chaps, we will be utilising all the latest technologies to keep you all updated of their progress. We wish them safe travels and a superb christmas. I am not quite sure how either of them will cope without the turkey, maybe they have a secret plan? Although looking at them in this photo i'm not convinced! Good Luck Dave and Chris spreading the IBFC name across the lands.

Summer lovin'

The following shots are from the summer in the Alps. Just some scenery and different ones to the original posts, 'cos I've not got much work on today! Memories like these are good for the cold, wet darkness that is winter.

Bracknell all fuzzy...

Following a night of cheese-based excess, Dave and I hit the familiar trails of Bracknell. I think it's fair to say that we were not at our best, but we still managed to fit in some sneaky extreme action poses and got nearly 3 inches of air over some of the jumps. Pretty sweet.

International Bob of mister-ey

Bob has gone away again, maybe because we smell or maybe because he knows something we don't! Good to see you when you were around, Bob and looking forward to hooking up in Val d'Isere for some snowboarding in March... Is it snowing yet?

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

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

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.

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.



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

Afan XC Whippets

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



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.

Bedgeburry

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!

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 slooging up Lingmell Crag on way to Scafell Pike


Gem on the final slog up Scafell Pike


Nice gay arty shot of the sunset!!!

W.T.F

Ohh my god the state of my feet was unbeliveable when they get wet every yes every single day for around 5 hours a day.

Bob


Just to clarify I did NOT post this although it's my name at the top, the wayward sibling has used my login, I repeat these are NOT MY FEET, NORE DID I DECIDED TO POST A PICTURE OF MINE OR ANYONE ELSES MINGING FEET. Bob lobster, you are disgusting.

Chris

We're Back!

Things have been a little quiet of late, not because people havn't been riding/climbing etc, but no-one has taken any pics or bothered to post! Anyway, I was up for a little ride to ease my knee (progress has been excellent so far and I have a surgery referal on Wednesday) back into things and what was originally going to be Mike, Chris and I, turned into a far bigger gathering with Daryl, Jan and Nikki coming up from Pompey and The Posh putting in an appearance too. It was sunny and increadably mild which made up for the rain all last week and although a bit stodgy under wheel, generally pretty good. I was amazed at how unfit I felt after only a month out of action but the others made me feel better with hangovers! Some great trails and a new jump which was absolutely perfect. No pics of that ju,p as my camera decided to run out of juice. AGAIN! but some video which'll find its way on here somehow. Daryl seemed on jumping form, although everyone had it to be fair. Lots of people looked at the Trooper in the carpark, so its officially 'noticable'.

IBFC goes all dynamic

Bobs promo video he shot out in Cham last season. just trying to get video hosting up and running before the release of the Alps extravagnazer!!! Gav, sorry if this breaks any code, I know no better.

Rich shows his true colours...

Rich 'The Alki-Christ' Price, takes his life in his hands in Mike's death-mobile. On our way to the Dogs for Rich's stag do with a spattering of IBFC crew making attendance! Best of luck at the wedding next weekend, Rich. I can't wait!

More of Yorrrr

Just found these shots on an old cd and took me back down memory lane to when I was shooting for Sidewalk. I used to be ok at shooting action sports type stuff, now I'm too busy enjoying it and far too lazy!!!! These are just a couple of shots that were already sized up for web, so I thought I'd bung 'em on. Sorry, not going to turn this site into a skateboard pic dump, but these are pics from my days of Yorr!

Dave

Medic! Medic!

As is usual for me before any big trip (ie P2B!) I have injured myself in some special way. Climbing last night I partially dislocated my left knee which has caused some ACL damage according to the hospital! I need to go back to my GP in a few days time so they can asses the damage when the swelling has subsided! Mike cheered me up though, with the promise of an operation, 6 weeks off work and a six MONTH recovery period. DAMN!!! As I'm a bit bored already, I thought that I might instigate some 'Sweet days of Yor' photos - ie any pictures that the IBFC have knocking around of them in action as nippers! I'm thinking that shot of Ben doing the worlds biggest x-up gap should be aired, Adam! Here's me age 17, 9stone ;p and taking it to the edge in a West Mersea carpark!


Dave

PORC...

We rode at PORC on Saturday, as we were all getting togethrer to celebrate Chris' birthday, it seemed the right thing to do. Bit of a mixed bag, really - I'd allways been led to believe that PORC was the nuts and Mike, Daryl and Adam whod all ridden there some years earlier were making all the right noises, but we spent the first hour and a half actually looking for fabled berm runs and 'sweet drops' that had all just been let to go to pieces. Looks like they're in the process of making changes, with the quarry being filled in to make a water pit for children to decapitate themselves trying backflips and some other bits and bobs here and there. We had a bit of a blast on the 4x and I was really annoyed not to clear the bridge (I was miles of!) as I didn't commit to connecting the triple that sets you up for it. Nice one Daryl for showing me how its done... There were one or two runs that were quite nice and Daryl and I had a blast on a sandy double at the top of one of the runs, with two blokes who were styling it much nicer than us! See pics. I don't think Adam liked anything except the dirt jumps which the rest of us hit with our trademark DJ stylee - ie crap...

Good day out in the end and set us up nicely for a wicked birthday shinding in Brighton.