Lets go for a ride... we need to talk. Grab your lid we are going for a spin around the "purbs"...

Charlie goes to the movies... These are exciting times of rapid change. Web 2.0... the new era of internet where everyone is a publisher has changed our lives. So to entertain and educate you guys we have been making youtube movies. Its hardly hollywood production standards but its damned informative. Expect techie info, and product reviews, and no doubt some drunken racing. You can see all the movies here .

Surly Travellers Check... a new frame from Surly, actually its the classic cross check but you can now take the frame apart, which is really very clever. Check out this short movie..

 

Cows and Councils....

Got back on the Niner after the Scottish road trip for a blast around the Purbecks with some mates, and then to the Bankes Arms. All should have gone well, but Scotland, Wales, wear n tear, and cows have taken their toll on my lovely Niner,

One of the pistons on my 7 year old Hope front mini disc brake seized – not a bad innings. The park multi tool did not have the smaller allen keys on it, so I just levered the piston back with the screw driver. This meant that the bike would now roll along, but if I use the front brake I would have to stop and prise it open again.

So off we went around some very dust singletrack, with just a rear brake. A rock that was flicked up from the front wheel almost broke my foot and knock the chain real hard. Moments later the chain had come apart. It was bodged back together using a pin from a 9 speed chain in a wider 3/32 chain. It seemed to work.

A few beers down the beach, too cold to swim and it was soon getting dark. I set off towards home by myself, and  snapped and repaired the chain again. Pushed the bike over Ballard Down to save the chain. Found the path blocked with moody looking cows, so I carefully shouldered the bike through the gorse and brambles to go around the cows. I came out in the field and the cows were looking a bit shifty, as I made my way along the edge of the brambles I could here hoofs charging and found a dozen cows coming at me. I ran through the waist deep brambles with no regard for spikey cutting things, dragging the Niner behind me... and survived the attack to the killer cows, which should be the end of the story…

 

… however the brambly sprint had left my legs covered in blood, there was 9 thorns in my rear tyres, and a gashed sidewall. The front tyre was also punctured. So there I was, on top of the hill as it got dark, fixing punctures, bleeding, and putting away another fine ale for the Purbeck Brewery.

In light of yesterdays events… here is a link to a great cow recipe. That will teach them who’s in charge…. http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/chefs/gordon-ramsay/beef-wellington-07-12-21_p_1.html Its them or us! I am told its just a twilight thing, apparently instictively they get grumpy at bedtime because thats when the wolves used to come out. However this is becoming more common, dog walkers have been crushed, some killed. I suspect it may be the "body builder" effect... you know how grumpy and unpredictable the macho guys on steroids (often intended for livestock are)... I guess the cows are getting twitchy too, they may start to get jobs as doormen?

... and so the journey home continues.... The great bit of singletrack down the down (?) has been “improved” by retarded pen pushers at the local council, who have replaced all the nice organic twisty, droppy, wooded singletrack with a straight gravel track, no steps or drops, and now no trees! This is a triumph for fat tourists as they can now get up the down on the footpath equivalent of a motorway.  On the plus side it’s so badly constructed that it will no doubt be washed away by next spring, perhaps the rain will be given a little help by stealthy cyclists?

Some of the paths they have “improved” have found their form over thousands of years. They are shaped by millions of footsteps: some barefoot and ancient, some vibram'd. They lead from ancient settlements to the burial mounds. Bodies would have been carried up these paths in grand processions, as have kids on the way to sunny picnics. These paths are our history…. But F*** all that, lets badly gravel them. And while we are at it, old Harrys rock looks a bit scruffy and should be pulled down, and Corfe Castle is just an eyesore with its rough edges and crippled towers….  Would be much more convenient if it was a Harvester canteen/wannabee restaurant.

this trail was improved last year

Can a London cyclist get to Warick and back in a day... surely not he must be nuts... apparently you can also have up to 10 gears on a bike too. Enjoy this great movie...

 ... and now part 2 with a "touch of the bonk"

NEW MOVIES in stock... Klunkerz is back in stock, documenting the history of mountainbikes (the youchoob movie for this is further down). Damned fine movie. 

We also have...

Roam...

and just out... Seasons...

and not fogetting Yoga For Cyclists...

SSUK08 – What a great trip. Me and Cashy drove up overnight midweek in an Imprezza, arrived at 5am, slept in a car park, met Mel at the Break Pad (nice wee shop) and rode the big loop at Killoughtree. The route is awesome, miles and miles of flickable singletrack, well marked and simply a blast. Even the climbs were cool. We spent the next night in a layby near Mc Moab (gotta love the Scottish attitude to camping) and due to the riding and driving slept for about 12 hours.

The next day saw us on a quick loop of the Black Craig trail and off in the Suburu down some nice twisty roads to Drunlanrig castle for SSUK. We squeezed in a day on the trails at Ae with some great chaps. These trails are tough, rough and awkward in places, but there are two downhill runs that go on forever, heavenly berms and big easy jumps…. Freakin fantastic. Crashy stuck his daddy batteries on his stem and nose wheeled a few jumps much to the disdain of the local stinky jumpy kids.

Back at SSUK the set up was great: showers, bike wash, marquee, bar, live music on two nights, a castle, freak bikes, penny farthing pursuit racing. Damned good weekend. The guys organising it were brilliant, big thanks to Jules, Sam, Kenny and Tom. Oh, and there was a brief race towards the end of the weekend, won by our pal Phil The Horse and Anya who is not a horse. Shaggy got second in what looked like a really close race between two close buddies. I got to witness the racing every time I was lapped.

Thinking about riding the 7staines trails in southern Scotland? Don’t think, just drive, its only 6 hours from the English Channel.

Loads of pics from the weekend at…. at flickr

Ween @ Shepperds bush…. Great gig, damned rare to find these guys in UK, nice long boozy day in the city, and a ride in a rickshaw, and sitting around checking out the fixies, and then a solid gig complete with scuffles, and arguements with the thieving bar staff. We even managed to get a unique ween momento that Gene Ween had left on stage.... cant tell you what it was?

A weekend in Wales. A quick dash over to Afan for the weekend, saw us in a nice pub just up the valley late on Friday. We stayed at Rose Cottage which was really nice and great value, and bike friendly. We survived Whites Level in the morning which has grown an  awesome black run since I was last there. It demands you ride it smooth and fast, and it really gets your stoke gland budging.  It was all ride-able but bloody heavy duty on a rigid forked 29er. We then nailed Penhyd and The Wall. These last two trails were somewhat more rigid compatible. No proper crashes, two punctures amongst half a dozen people, and I buckled my front wheel a little…. Great weekend, which has left me thinking about Reba 29er forks.

Cycle Touring eh? last weeks intention of riding round cornwall eating, cycling, eating and drinking was eeeeerr, oh it was so cold, we could not be arsed. Cycle touring is not about cycling its about food and trying not to damage it. Really its the only important thing. Check out this documentary on the subject...

WEEN OF THE WEEK... Sorry about this, but you can expect a "Ween of The Week" until the gig on 7/5. This weeks ween of the week is Dr Rock.

This week I have been guilty of not riding bicycles in favour of a KTM 950 SM (see youtube movie below to see what a ktm 950sm is). However today I blated up to the big town and saw Nick Sanders off as he departed to motorcycle round the world two times in one go. That’s 25 time zones and 55,000 miles. He reckons he will be finished in 120 days. Smashing chap, he has also cycled (bicycled) round several times too. It was great to see his bike, or rather his luggage. Where Uwan Mc Starwars and Charlie Boardman took a dozen people, several support trucks, fixers, digital torque wrenches etc etc. He tool one small holdall, bungy’d to the back as if he was heading to work for the day. Apparently he sleeps on the bike beside the road with an umbrella over him and his head on the tank.

Another highlight was to meet some like minded chaps from the telly. Those hairy bikers, great guys. They made some nice burgers for us. I wonder if there are enough low budget TV channels round now for me to get away with a series called “The Saddle Tramp” where I cycle tour around the world killing and eating stuff, stopping at pubs and twittering on a bit. A cross between Adam Heart-Davis, Hugh Fernley Whittingstall and the Hairy Bikers???

 

SSUK... Yes we will be at SSUK, not riding up on biccyle. Probably a car, but if that does not work out it may be a KTM supermoto. If anyone needs anything we will be trading from the beer tent, or a courier bag all weekend. If you want anything specific, just email me and we will bring it along for you.

NEW STOCK ON ITS WAY... We have a load of SWOBO wool jerseys coming, that will be about £25 less than Surly and Salsa. They should be first week of April... email me if you want one. www.swobo.com.

And if wool is not your scene... we have a limited run of "these men are callled singlespeeders" shirts. You can see the design at the bottom of the home page on this site. Email me if you want one.

Music.... I have  got myself some tickets to see Ween. Dean and Gene Ween are a fairly freaky, but damned versatile band that I have been listening to for almost 20 years... and they are gigging the UK... at last I will get to see the only one of my favourite bands who are not dead (I missed Hendrix, Zappa and Joe Strummer) Checkout http://www.ween.com/ and www.weenradio.com/... Here are a couple of tasters.

 

Will winter ever end? Its been so dark and damp for so long. I have managed to keep in some sort of odd shape with some great sessions in the surf on teh Dorset reef breaks. Mainly been stand up paddle surfing this winter. Its a freaky niche area of surf... like single speeding but in rubber...

TEST YOUR OBSERVATION SKILLS

As a cyclist you and I are used to dodging motorists, cows, turds and tourist... so our observation skills are good, bloody good... right? Click the film below.

Veggie tree and dirt hugger Spike is pictured below. This is  from about 12 years ago, and is a fairly classic Spike goes for a ride shot: ambulances, morphine and nurses.

 

It's Official: The Bikemonger is bigger than gears...

... and here is the proof.  This is rather a neat thing, go and have a google fight.

Music for pleasure

If you regularly check out this blog page, you would have no doubt noticed the new and improved shop, and no doubt not considered all the work it involves.  Work is weird beast, a beast that requires fine wine and music. I am still hacking through the Xmas booze left overs, and tonight this has been my audio fuel. Enjoy the youchoob video... more info here http://www.myspace.com/pepedeluxe

stringing piano wire across country lanes to decapitate cyclists.

Have a read of this BS Article  and then go here http://www.pcc.org.uk/complaints/form.html?%20 to complain about this malicious and dangerous shitmonger. Hell the bloody Times newspaper pays this (in my opinion) journalistic charlatan of the ugliest order to write this pernicious crap…

“Does cycling turn you into an insolent jerk? Or are insolent jerks drawn disproportionately to cycling?” … I think you will find, being a self  f**kin’ righteous journo, who puts a cheap win in a column no one gives a shit about, above appropriate conduct in the national press makes you a f**kin’ jerk.

Whilst Sustrans and the CTC, and indeed you and I  make an effort to develop cycling this guy is getting paid to encourage people to decapitate us. It may be intended as tongue in cheek, but perhaps SPD’d boot in face might be a more agreeable outcome.

Right now this ****** ***** is the third most complianed about journo at the Press Complaint Committee. I think he should be top of the charts. Heres the link again http://www.pcc.org.uk/complaints/form.html?%20 Click away and put the boot in.

Hell, maybe tomorrow:

• I will re-read this article and laugh at it,
• maybe its well written,
• and maybe tomorrow a cyclist will be killed.

One of the above three is almost a certainty.

So this is why my wheelies are rubbish...

MORE MOVIES    Winter is drawing in, christmas is near and the sofa is sometimes more attactive than the soggy singletrack (sad but true)... so we have sourced two more great movies for you. We have "Joe Kid on a Stingray" a very cool retro look at BMX (90 mins long), and "Pure Sweet Hell" a quality insight into the gnarly world of cyclocross shot on Super 8 film for a cool feel (58 mins long).

The DVDs should be here by 7/12/07, email me  if you would like us to set one aside for you. Now grab a single malt, the sofa and the cat... and enjoy the clips.

 KLUNKERZ the movie...
We are really amped about this wonderful film. Klunkerz is to mountainbiking what Dogtown & the Z Boys is to skateboarding. It documents the birth of mountainbiking, only 27 years ago, but hell the sport has changed
We are expecting the DVD of this film to here around the 10th of November. Email me to get your copy. Stocks are limited, so we are happy to set one aside for you, just let me know. now enjoy this trailer.

Sometime, Somewhere... The 6th Annual Clunker Classic
The Clunker was yet again a 4 mile DH race to a pub, without a single proper bike in sight... but this year it was way under the radar...

this is Vince of Bicycle World near Poole in Dorset, on a Giant kids bike, with 12 inch wide bars, and both cranks welded solid in the 6 O'Clock position.... and he beat a field of 25 racers with drivetrains and won the whole damned thing using a DH tuck and no brakes technique

Second and third and fourth were all taken by Dorset locals.

My BMX from a skip came in 7th after a crash that left me hanging from a branch some 15 feet above a rocky riverbed. http://www.flickr.com/photos/reggio/1359597564/
The post race party was great once again with crashing and firey fun. Thanks to everyone who made this such a nice weekend, expecially Johnny Cognortonworth
who organised the whole thing.

Bike theft eh?

 

   

4/9/7   Charlie The Hobo Saddle Tramp

Back home safely after the awesome adventure from the English Channel to the Highlands of Scotland. Something like 600 miles in around 10 days. The trip became what I had hoped it would be… a great, big, relaxing, yet challenging adventure. So what did I learn?

One speed cycling touring is tough, but not too bad, getting the ratio right was critical, but fortunately 34:16 was about spot on.

Don’t set deadlines and destination, just hit the road and enjoy being free from all the usual crap. Deadlines will turn it into a job. Where as hobo saddle tramping bumming around on a bike is nothing like work. Its like grazing, you just don’t stop eating… eat, eat, eat, sleep.

MSR petrol stoves are ace, we used about 1.5L of unleaded over 12 days… that’s something like 2,000 miles to the gallon.

Don’t go near big towns, as navigating across an unknown town as a cyclist is crap, all the signs send you down the busy roads.

People who live in the countryside are nice and polite. Shitheads live in big towns. Bastards ***** live in cities. Hereford is full or ugly careless woman who cant drive, or apparently brake, or even see! Its Ok to hop a train to clear a crappy city.

 

Big hills are not the exclusive territory of the mountains. Some of the toughest climbs were way down south (Ebbar Gouge in the Mendips, and Dinmore south of Leominster)

We finished riding around a week ago, yet I still have circulation problems in my hands. I still eat like I have 80 miles ahead of me before dark. But I do return a changed man, relaxed, chilled, frisky and damned fit. I am over consumerism and possessions – if I can live out of two panniers for two weeks, what the hell do I really need? I need big open spaces, good people, great experiences and I need a life, not some shitty status symbol. I also need to be damned sure I am a good person: on the road and in life you have often yourself as company, who wants to be stuck with a shithead as their constant companion for life. Generosity, humility, refection, and change.

My body no longer wants rubbish but nice food, I crave vegetables and water, not beer and doughnuts. This is very much alien territory for me and my digestive system.

On the road friends become great friends, with a heavy dose of tolerance and support we did just fine, making a great team, each of us shadowing each other and complimenting each others weaknesses.

We had some "One F***in Malt - Charlie The Bikemonger.com" stickers printed for the race. This picture got me into trouble... emailed to Michelle (AKA Mrs Bikemonger) whilst I was still up there racing


The weather loved us, an hour of drizzle in 10 days. We often arrive in a valley after a heavy downpour, but never actually got caught in one. Given the 2007 summer this is a miracle.

The Lake District is pretty despite being over run with England cap wearing tourists.

Tourist information centres should be considered a last resort for info. When we hit Windermere and asked for a nearby campsite, the girl directed me to a campsite 35 miles away round the other side of the mountain claiming everywhere else was fully booked. Screw that… we stuck a tent up straight across the road in the woods.

Avoid campsites like you would avoid a 3^rd world chav refugee camp – go wild, sleep illegally, its far more fun and more peaceful too. Forestry Commission land is a safe bet.

The Taybank hotel in Dunkeld (just off the A9) does great beer and food. Introduce yourself to Suzie behind the bar.

Surly "nice" racks are very very very good, industrial stuff and worth every penny of £90.  Really they are very nice.

Escape Route bike shop in Pitlochry is ace, and has good coffee. Bothy Bikes in Aviemore is staffed exclusively by fine, cool and generous bikers… two really great and true bike shops.

The national cycle Network routes are awesome, and really put the pleasure back in to riding. Ride side by side, no traffic, just peace. The cycle path from Perth to Aviemore is awesome, we must of climbed gently for 50 mile, slept out in the middle of nowhere next to a burnt out crofters cottage, climbed to the top of the pass, had a fry up on the stove in the sunshine, and then gently descended about 30 miles to Aviemore. Those two days were the best, knowing we no longer needed to rush. However we were sad to finish… I could happily carry on forever.

Oh.. and the race.. awesome organisation by Dr Jon, Marty and Chris. Great parties, great course, really technical and worthy of a world champs race (however it did claim much flesh and bone keeping the ambulance folk busy). The people there were fantastic, SSWC always fills my heart with joy as the people are the best company… old friends, new friends, a few famous folk, and I also got to meet some great Bikemonger customers (Get well soon Ant67, and ride hard Davie Graham) The winners won, and got their tattoos (on the lower cheeks).

Jacquie Phelan was great fun (80’s mtb pro and all-round crazy banjo girl) and chatting with her was just great. I like to hang with folk who make me look calm and sane. http://www.wombats.org/

A track sprint and whisky necking race on the rollers was won by a chap from Napa, California… so we are off there next year. Might take a plane for that one… or load the panniers and set off next week?

All in a great and life changing trip, it was pretty full on and damned tough, but never unpleasant. Life should be full on, big and hard… who the hell ever celebrated a soft on?

Tough on people, tough on Bikes - this aint no soft on.. Check the blood lashed, stickered and totally killed Soulcraft. Gotta love the publicity

20/8/7
Well… hey and hell…. Here we go… two weeks on the road, its blooding raining outside, and the 700 miles is looking like an effin great big proposition.
My religious training regime, has been as strict as…  eeer… basically I have avoided the bike. I reckon I have two weeks of cycling, so I don’t want to over do it, and hate cycling. So I have been surfing, mainly stand up paddle surfing (what?    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRcDpuIWRog&mode=related&search=)

I found myself in the local camping store trying to buy comfort, comfort from the 700 mile fear. Whatever little camping gadget I bought would just add weight to my bike, so perversely the gadget won’t help me at all. So I compromised with a 40cm by 80cm camping towel the size of a baby’s fist. This left me feeling no less fearful, just feeling like a bit of tourist cock who thinks he can buy his way past the pain.

The iPOD is loaded with cool tunes from the MC5s to Dread Zepplin to RadioDread to Johnny Cash to Captain Sensible. That should see me over any mountain pass.

I test rode the loaded bike with a 34:16 gear for a bout half a mile in the rain… yep that feels like a do anything ratio. The other guys: Crashy, Beardy Marv/Mart and Spike have also adopted the same ratio, so I bloody hope I am right… Oh except Spike, who is waiting for his new Niner, which has not arrived (cos he didn’t buy it from me), so he has scrounged a 700c hybrid less than 18 hours before we leave. Spike is a keen but infrequent cyclist and thinks he does not need padded shorts…. Yeah right, you will be able to smell the chaffing in France.

Wish us luck….  And scroll down and have a click and chip in few quid for a damned worthy charity

Mrs Bikemonger is keeping the shop running whilst I play bikes... so there is no interuption to service, you can still score your one speed gear, right here.

 

  13th August
 Blimey, its been a while since I last blogged…. Eeer, In July I got a stash of Niner 29er frames in. Damned lovely Niner SIR9 is the best bike ever, I have fitted 180 cranks 27 inch bars and fat 29er tyres, and it fits lanky me better than any other bike ever. The ride is just sweet too, loving 853 made in England steel feel.

There has been some canoe touring, many ale festivals, a few gigs, chatted to guitarist of Toots and The Maytals about motorbikes http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LWZB7tF5GbE and had an informal sing-a-long with the guitarist of Spiritualised in a pub garden whilst sheltering from the rain. The notorious Swanage Carnival week was a blast: yard of ale, pub crawls in wheel barrows, more beer, crabbing contests, bay swim, but I was too hungover for the cycle race. My eldest daughter was carnival princess and made me very proud.

We have the marvellous WISE CRACKER aheadset bottle opener, its an aheadset spacer and a bottle opener, marvellous thing and about £18.

Its only days before I cycle the 700 miles up to SSWC in Scotland, its bloody big cycle ride, and will involve almost 50,000 feet of climbing, that’s like going over Everest 1 and ½ times!! There is an awesome charity who look after terminally ill children who wont live to see adulthood, or I suppose get to experience ale festivals and cycle touring etc… I have bagged over £500 for these kids already, click the stuff below and chip in few more quid for a damned worthy cause.

 

Well its going to be damned nice to step away from deadlines, work, clocks, bills, dents and all the other crap for a few weeks. Just one deadline in two weeks, simply gotta be in Aviemore for the end of August for a party and a race, nothing else to worry about.

The ride starts on 21/9/7, and I should be able to update the blog as I go - come back to see how I get on.

MORE COOL STUFF COMING SOON:

Despite riding loads we have also found time to order more stock... already here or somewhere over the English Channel / Atlantic:

• Niner YAWYD beer car ahead top caps.
• Ahearne hip flask cages,
• Surly double cog'd fixed wheel cogs,
• damned light Wheels Manufacturing spacer kits,
• Conti 29er tyres
• Halo 29er tyres
• Shwalbe 29er inner tubes in standard and fly weight
• KMC top quality 3/32 singlespeed race chains
• Surly hubs in 130mm and 135mm, fixed one side freewheel the other.
• 1/8 inch width chain whips to get your fat fixed cogs off.
• and some more 3/32 half links.

 

16^th June

Myself and Beardy Marv/Mart (delete as appropriate) rode fixed wheel to Lord Bath’s Stately home. It’s about 60 something miles, and 60 something hills away. We were invited up by Chunkolini (www.artinsteel.co.uk) for his art exhibition on the lawn in front of Longleat House. The ride went well, we sampled many ales in many ale houses in Dorset,and then in Somerset, and finally in Wiltshire. We arrived a bit wet and late, but riding through the gate house and down the long drive up to the house felt like a deserted tour de france finish. We were indeed champions of something. Obviously the wet lycra look blended in seamlessly with the top hats and suits. The art was great, the people greater, and the Lord is damned fine fellow, and didn’t set his tigers on us. www.lyingcheetah.com for the art

 

    

 

 

9-10th June

SSUK07, the national singlespeed champs was bloody great for several reasons

• Every racer got a ahead top cap with their name on it, mine said “Monger”
• Every racer got a weekend worth of free cider and ale
• Every racer was given a beer on completing every lap.
• And the we had a free BBQ after the race
• The Le Mon start featured an on-one bike pile, where the marshals had piled all the on ones in one place – I lost my monkey in the long grass.
• I had great race, but crashed hard into a tree
• Someone won it
• The prize giving was awesome, several frames, a bike, loads and loads of cool swag. Really put the Enduro race (another race at the same event) to shame. The ladies who won a 12 hour race got a brush!
• Shaggy and Mel are lovely, and should quit riding bikes and just organise events. Their flat is not as organised as their races.
• The guys from Trek are good guys for a dark hot night
• Crashy didn’t
• The weather was shit hot
• Chipps let me play on the belt drive orange prototype
• The race course was the best I have ever raced on, techie, and flowing fun.
• The bike jousting was a blast to watch, and bruising to participate in.
•  I gave away about 500 one speed slogan stickers, many to people who didn’t want them on their bikes. Gil at www.thecycleshed.co.uk is a damned great man.
•  Racing SSUK or SSWC really gets your stoke gland bulging.
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/ssuk2007/ for more pictures

3^rd and 4^th March 2007 - Skull & Crossbikes

Off we went to Bristol for round zero of the Skull & Crossbikes league. Once again a race with no marshals, insurance, entry fees etc.

Upon our arrival in sunny Bristol I discovered a shonky crank arm. However over a coffee at Shaggy’s I met Alex from Cyclewerks, who did me a smashing deal on new cranks. He even let me play in his fully kitted workshop, and even his grease monkeys were nice guys too. Damned fine shop and people.

An afternoon ride with one of the organisers of SSWC amongst others, garnished with the aid of a hip flask saw the afternoon away. The “stay right” long steep slippery descent was generally tamed on my crosser, but it totally beat shaggy on a fixed wheel (good to see the boy has limits). As we crossed an old railway bridge on the way home we happened across some artistic photography (young lady, guitar and little else). Pub stop, Then beer stop at Mud Dock – again nice bike shop folk, but another funny shop with gears n stuff.

The evening was a massive giggle and lasted to the morning. Shaggy celebrated being something like 27 years old. Shaggy’s flat has more bikes in it than many bike shops, you need to move a fixie if you wanna flush.

 The race was simply fantastic. 25 or so racers hooked up in the rain, rode singletrack to the start amongst more singletrack. Shaggy had marked the most excellent course: twisty narrow gravel, big hoiking the bike on shoulder climb, mudududyyyy singletrack, singletrack descent, up a small cliff and back down again. The techie climb could be bypassed and an easier road option was available if you downed a beer. I rode like a git for the first lap, but my mojo came on stronger and stronger until I was a singletrack dropbar demon. Shaggy introduced the “a naked lap is worth two laps” rule, which was all Phil The Horse needed to secure a victory and a bottle of quality whisky.

 Damned fine weekend, damned good race.

 

15/2/7  Racing and fighting, and storms.

Blimey, its been a busy time, and no blog updates.

 Hooked up with the guys on the otherside of the harbour for a “low profile” race involving a dark golf course and no permission. The 4 mile singletrack circuit is Bournemouths finest city centre singletrack (Yes we have golf courses in the town centre).

 Kicked off with a staggered start, with the weakest off first, and the next guy leaving when he was out of sight. I put in good effort and held the lead for about half the course, before being passed by Den and Vince. They were still in sight when they crossed the line. However the fella from New Milton had gone missing.

 We checked the entire course and could not find him, so headed to the beach hut for more refreshments (burgers, wine, beer) and deckchairs. The guy (I cant remember his name damn it) turned up after a few phone calls. He got lost, asked directions, and one of the chavs snuck up and punched him in the head, and then kicked him whilst on the ground, but a brave “F*** *** *** ** kill you m***** ******* ****” saved him. Townie scum, bring back conscription for shitheads.

 This all took quite some time, so I left the beach hut with 20 minutes to cover the 2 or 3 miles to the last ferry of the night. Miss this and I am either on a sofa or doing and extra 25 miles. A effin’ great big storm kicked off as soon as I set out, 40 mph head wind, lashing rain, the prom 6 inches deep in sand and water. Unable to progress even at a walking pace I collapsed in the lea of hut and decided even if I made the ferry, I could not be sure I would survive the next 10 miles over the hills. So back to the beach hut where the guys demonstrated their confidence in me making this epic sprint… they already had a glass of wine ready for me… I was expected - damn it.

 

COOL STUFF COMING SOON:

Its not just playing on bikes, I also sell bike parts and try hard to source the coolest and most interesting bits...

 

 

• New stretch resistant 3/32" single speed chains
• New colour Timbuk2 bags and ipod/mobile cases (ALREADY HERE)
• 3/32" half links, yes the rare narrow ones
• beer related aheadsets - these are so cool, you will love these
• Pedal DVD and book documenting the NYC courier scene
• Dia compe Mini Vs for cross bikes
• and maybe even a logo and some stickers for the bikemongery

30/11/6

OK, its on the website so it must be true, and we will now damned well have to do this.

 Inspired by the awesome book "Two Wheels North" where two fellows ride up the west coast of America around 100 years ago on one speed clunkers... get chased by mountain lions, robbed by Indians, saved by Indians and take just a blanket and two guns with them! They even tie fallen trees to the rear triangle to use as a drag brake on 10 miles descents in the Rockies!!!! ....
... Me and beardy Bmart will be cycling up from the Dorset coast to SSWC07, the single speed world champs in Scotland on our one speeds (probably a Surly 29er and a Schwinn crosser)

The 700 mile onroad/offroad route looks like:

• Swanage Dorset,
• Bristol,
• Ross on Wye,
• Aberystwyth in Wales,
• Snowdonia (Including a swap of tyres and a quick detour up the mountain),
• A ferry to Dublin - Ireland,
• Into Northern ireland - Belfast,
• Another ferry to Treen in Scotland
• and then we pootle off to the race and win.

Sounds easy eh! We will either be the fittest cyclist there and win the world champ tattoo, or be completely wasted, oversleep and miss the race.

 

20/11/6

ohmigod, how many timbuk2 bags did I order. loads of options sizes and colours. But the one I really dont want to sell is the awesome  "billboard" bag - I want this one. The centre strip is vinyl and especially designed to be the ideal home for onespeed and offensive stickers. Check the picture. its just such a rad idea. (omigod I just said "rad")

 

18/11/6

Just built up a SURLY cross check for my customer of the year “Mr Crashy”. It’s built for the road with touring tyres and a fixed wheel. Crashy is kinda new to fixies, but picked it up straight away. Despite being a road ish bike, we were offroad in no time - riding slowly has never been so scary. We rode to a cliff top castle and drank beer whilst watching storms track up the English Channel (see picture for the view from the bench). The damned storms then changed direction and got us. But the plus side to this was the great big cropped grass slope leading to the Victorian pier in Swanage was soaked, which made for the longest fixie brakeless skid session ever at 300m plus. We giggled like girls, stopped at the pub at the bottom for a pint, and then went round again.

 

 

October 06…

A good biking month, my body has started to work again, and a few of us rode afan. We hooked up with Sam at www.singularcycles.com for a 29er day out.

 

I can tell you that Sam’s frames are really nice, ride very very well, and look damned fine. Sam himself rides damned well, looks OK, but is good fellow too.

The following day we rode the Rheola DH race circuit. No racing this weekend, just a 4 mile towpath ride out, a 45 minute fireroad climb, followed by a right gnarly downhill trail. The trail had no flowing mellow sections, it was balls out and techie all the way.

Now we were told that the pros get down this in 3 minutes… however on a rigid clipped in 29er singlespeed I clocked a remarkable time of over 20 minutes. But the pros only touch the ground every 10 metres or so, I touched every damned rock.

 

08/09/06

Oh dear, quite an unlucky week. Over the bars and into some really rough hardpack sandy heath at the start of the week, and then an almighty great big crash, sliding a loooong way on fireroad. The front tyre blew out and sent me flying. Spent several hours in the local rural hospital, but got seen to early because I looked really ill, loads of shock, lots of blood loss, plenty shaking and for the first time ever I was sobbing, a weird uncontollable emotional crying. The nurse gasped when I revealed tha gaping wound in my side, and went on to check for internal injuries.

Look closely at the picture below and you can see that several days later I'm still oozing under the bandages on my side. It does not show the bruising near my "daddy batteries".

My lovely salsa wool jersey is in tatters (it looked like a gunshot wound, big holes, soaked in blood and gaping fleshy hole), as are my gloves, and the Karate Monkey just needed a fresh tube and a straighten of the bars. I'm still leaking and sticking to the sheets three days later. 

I love Co2 inflators, you're staggering, bleeding, concussed and it take 10 seconds to blow up a tyre, I would have hated to spend 5 mins working a minipump whilst also pumping more blood out of my holes - what would happen first, an inflated tyre, or pale gothic death from blood loss?

The karate monkey is really good ride, the 29er wheels roll over everything and its so good to be back on steel. Its brown, singlespeed, v braked, wide flat bars and about 24 pounds. Email me on charlie@charliethebikemonger.com if you wanna Surly or Salsa big wheeled frameset.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22/8/06

This week I've been mainly riding fixed wheel. I have found a real nice bit of long steep grass near a cliff, which is ideal for practising fixie skids. You see the grass makes losing traction easier, and the crashes softer. The cliff is just for show.

Today saw a leisurely ride around the Purbecks on the Dorset coast on my one speed Santa Cruz Chameleon and John The Snake Slayer (Dawes One). We followed up a lead on some great singletrack, (north side of Church Knowle hill, heads to the east, comes out at Norden campsite - make sure you turn right at the mile stone and go across the bridges) ate well at the Corfe castle model village cafe (which has full scale food), drank a bit of cider too up at The Square & Compass whilst watching a middle age internet date kick off.

Waiting for the delivery of Timbuk2 courier bags, awesome bags in lots of colours...  Also waiting for more dia compe drop bar levers to arrive. He waits.. that what he does.

12/8/6

This weekend was fixed and offroad out on the welsh borders at the notorious Rat Race. A great time was had.  Chunkolini rode his tall bike through a bomb hole, I striped the thread on my crossers hub (lockring thread) whilst skidding down some big hills. Tan went off in an ambulance after breaking her leg, and we all drank loads of cider, jammed around the fire folk style, and I slept in a hammock all weekend... The apple falls from the tree, goes 200 foot to the barn, gets moshed, sits in barrels, is carried back to my hammock, put in a glass, is consumed under the tree, and eventually leaves me and is deposited under another tree.... nice.

 

4/8/6

Set off in a mood with my courier bag, crosser, a flyweight sleeping bag and a corkscrew. Swapped to slicks in Dorchester after 30 miles. rode on to Bridport (50 miles in), missed Beardy Martin, was still grumpy so rode on over the vast hills near Lyme, Beer and Sidmouth. The hills are several miles long - I honestly believe that I walked about 10 miles. Finished the ride in the dark at Dawlish in Devon 100 miles later, with a screaming rabbit dragging itself around by its front legs after getting run over. "Dont full beam me you ****er - I know I have no lights, what do you want - a better view of angry tired biker - **** off) Found Chunkolini (the only bearded bike freak in Dawlish - everyone else was a chav or cockney). He came out of his tent when he heard an SPD click "Cockneys dont use SPDs". We drank beer 'til late, and I cheered up. 42:18 is a good long distance road gear.