Mike the Expat

Thought I'd put up some pictures of me working very, very hard in Hong Kong. But I can't because I don't work very hard, so here are a couple of me on a Junk trip instead. Hong Kong is a lot of fun, hectic, beer is expensive but watches are cheap. And there are lots of friendly ladies from the Philipines who all keep trying to hold my hand, which I must say is most welcoming of them. I've finally unpacked my bike but don't have my mountain biking licence yet (seriously!) so I'm yet to try out the trails (Hong Kong is small enough to actually get caught!), but I joined the HK Ultimate Frisbee league, yet another extreme sport for IBFC!

It is good here, everyone should come and visit (but not in August or September, because you'll die of sweating).

Wow, photos on Film!

I had a bunch of really old film processed today and found some pictures of a ride we had in Surrey the day after the Bunsfield oil depot blew up. I knew something major was up at 7am when driving down the A41 and seeing a massive bomb-esqe cloud! Anyway, a good ride as I remember and a nice sunset from all those oil particles...

Demise of my trusty(pah!) steed

A sad week for me as i finally said a sad goodbye to my very underused Alfa 156 2.5 v6.



Since moving back to London, i use it approximately once a month so in all fairness its the right decision. So for the first time in 9 years, i am carless!

But...i bought a house this week in london (pending the usual paperwork/mortgage schlap), so i definately don't need a car.

fairfwell betsy. i will miss you and the way you corner. but not the way you invaribly cost me massive amounts of money, or decide to not start, the windows stop working, the airbag lights coming on and off..the list goes on...

Goodwood Revival

I've just noticed this is the 100th post on IBFC!!

Spent a thoroughly British weekend at teh Goodwood revival last weekend with Kate and her 'rents. Quite different to the Festival of Speed as it was more about the racing. Having watched come of the big engined American cars and particularly the bikes I have decided that racing drivers from the 50's and 60's have to do all the stuff todays drivers do plus have an enourmous set of b****cks to account for the fact the cornering and stopping were equal measures of pot luck and skill executed at high speed whilst sliding sidways on rubbish tyres with no roll bars. I could be a Formula One driver today piece of cake................mmmm cake


Durin' the war


Woollen trousers itch and make your nuts hot, fact.


broom broom


Did I mention I've chopped the Golf in?


Oi oi.


I say, spiffing day Winco', mmm fabulous General, more Pimms

see below

finally got the lakes post up...

Stanage Edge

Wasson Ho?!?! Amazing day out at Stanage Edge in the Peaks on Sat. After deciding to have a few ales in Stoney on Friday, Gav and I woke with the birds (or more likely the cat licking my face) and were in Shef at 9am just as Decathlon were opening their doors, allowing me to purchase some more nuts and a rope bag. Then a bit of faffing ensued (!) as we waited for the climbing shop to open and buy the Eastern Grit Rockfax book... Arrived at the High Neb car park just before 12 and headed west to a climb called New Years Eve (Vdiff, I think). Proper Bo. We hit a couple more before I decided to up the anti and had a go at 'February Crack', a VS and took three attempts to do the last move after about a 15 min shakey gear placement trauma. Gav didn't fancy it, so I abbed down and spent a further 10 mins trying to get said bit of gear out after sitting on it. Last up was back towards High Neb and having got up the first part, realised that we didn't have the right gear to protect the moves on the Vdif we were on (cam needed, I thought) so had a crack at another VS next door and again after much grunting, made the last move. Gav fairly flashed it on the top rope and we both left with big silly grins!


Climbing with a madman!!!


Gav on 'New Year's Eve' our first outdoor lead. Vdiff.


If it wasn't bombproof, I wasn't climbing...


Cheeky ab to get my brand new nut back out.


Last climb of the day and pump enduced panicky last move above that hex... Just like to point out that I did indeed climb the first bit, not just walk up the dirt to the right. Just resting contemplating defeat, here.

Better Lake than Never

Finally got the post up...computer problems at home and busy at work haven't helped.

Bloomin brilliant weekend though twas, Me (Daryl), Gem, Rich and Anna all got up to the Lakes on Friday pitched up rather prompt and started a fire, wahey. Up really early the next morning for me and Rich and straight down to Grizedale forest on the bikes. Did a loop of the North Face Trail which was very good indeed then straight to the pub to meet the girls for lunch and then out on the water in a cheeky little sport 16 dinghy where Rich did a sterling job of steering us round the lake, then I took over and almost nailed it into the side of some poor folks happily sailing along. Rich then tried to split my difference coming back into dock!!

got up early again on the Sunday and went up the langdale pikes, up to Pavey Ark and then a scramble up Jacks Rake, which the girls did brilliantly on considering it was there first scramble and Anna's first time up a mountain! Decided on the way down we should go to the pub, then on arrival thought the only thing for it was to get absolutely plastered. Hit up the swings on the way back from the pub to complete the radness and then early to bed...bloody marvellous, I want to go back. SOON

Update

I've decided that facebook has killed this site, but I'm going to carry on regardless... J and I managed to squeeze in a session of snowboarding tomfoolery at xscape on Friday night. Although a touch icy on one side, it was considerably better than the last time I was there with Chris and we had a really good sesh. Its nice to go out and be straight on it and the rail/small kicker combo that was out was spot on... Below are some photos that Mike took last month on the south coast, rescued from facebblahblahblah.... Lake District/Wales (can't decide what to do as the bathroom REALLY needs finishing!!!!) this weekend so much better as Gav and I got rained out of climbing in Shef this weekend.

CWNCARN

Absolutely amazing day out at Cwmcarn, yeaterday! Bit of a full-on mission, getting up at 6am, driving to Wales, doing the XC loop, a couple of runs round the Freeride bit at the top, a hike back up to the road drop on the downhill and riding up to the first tunnel on the DH twice! Then driving home and getting stuck in all the traffic from the Biker that was shot on the M40... Bloody worth it though! Sadly no photos as the camera is now officially deed. Great to get back on it after breaking my paw, but it felt ace, although I didn't punish it too much. Daryl didn't shut up all day about his DeeMax rims and new Lyric fork and having had some time out, I've replaced/serviced a hell of a lot of stuff on my frame, so it felt really smooth again. Always amazed with Chris' performance (speed mostley) on a hardtail, especially going down the slab garden on the DH course. We finished our last run absolutely beat and almost unable to hold our bars. Proper job. Bring on the lakes in a few weeks!

Cwm Carn

Darn it, I just had to get Gav's face lower down the page! Off to Cwm Carn for a one hit wonder on Sunday... Just hoping my Chain Reaction parts arrive before then! Bloody postal strikes...

The Beautiful People....

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing yet another extreme string the IBFC's already hardcore and gnarly bow, we introduce the International Art of Jowling. Perhaps for the first time on our fair shores, IBFC members subject their faces to levels of G-Force previously experienced only by astronauts and test pilots in order to pull the ultmimate Jowl. Not everyone can do it, patience and perseverence are required, but I think we might already have a couple of ProJowl contenders...

CAM.P.

Tents out, bad food and hangovers are the order of the day because Captain Slow is moving to China. Well Kong Hong. Information on location and activities is limited but I'm sure we'll have a blast!

bum.

Just a note to say that although a few of us are esconsed in home improvements, we are also numpties at this too... I have joined Daryl in the 'Broken Hand Club' having fractured snapped it using an SDS drill last week. Bloody painful and REALLY annoying! Be careful out there!

What happens when its too wet to camp...

Washout is the only way to describe the weather in the UK at the mo. Really crappy. We had all planned on going climbing outdoors on the south coast somewhere last weekend, but the sheer amount of water comming out of the sky was enough to kill that idea dead. As a compramise, I met up with Daryl and Gem (with Nic in attendance as well - putting us all to shame) at Craggy Island in Guildford for a spot of indoor climbing, whilst Steffi complained that climbing gyms smell of feet. Well, yes they do. Good old climb, really as we are all a bit rusty, starting out with some top ropes and then 4 or 5 lead climbs. Spot on.









After which Steffi and I headed to Brighton for to see what Kate and Chris have been up to in their new gaff. Loverly twas and apart from the 'easy access' loft, a really nice place that they are doing quite a bit to! Several drinks later we founf out that we were a little tipsy and it was time for Daryl to wake us up with abusive phone calls about that days' riding. We got out and had a damn good thrash around in the wind, not too much rain and slippery mud. Cracking loop on the south downs and much better than I thought it would be. Pic sums it up nicely.... And pose.

International Cohen

You can only get hold of Mike on Facebook these days, so I nabbed these shots that he'd posted to show more people just how much help he's really giving those poor Hondurans. Looks to me as if they fed him up then threw him off a cliff to dam a river to make a hydro electric plant... Best use of 'technology', I'd say.