Archive for May, 2008

Will ‘Westwood’ Westwood made a video of the cheppo jam among other things. A bit long, but fun if you were there!

REALLY? from William Westwood on Vimeo.

And for all the people moaning about the lack of pictures from the jam some of them should be in the next issue of Ride mag, ones which don’t make it will be on here. I have my last ever exam tomorrow! Can’t wait for it to be over and get riding, hopefully weather will play too. xx

The other afternoon I had time off work, so myself, John, Butler and Jordan decided to head over to a cool mini ramp set up in a little village near us. Nice and peaceful, relaxed atmosphere, no hood rats running about the place, just good fun bike riding and hanging out. I took some photo’s that I’m pleased with myself for.
This weekend just gone was super nuts, such a good time with heaps of awesome people, Winchester, Bournemouth and a bunch of rippers we travelled with. Go check Lights in the trees for more on that. I also have a few photos on my camera still for some time soon.
Also check out Aidan’s Aidan for some awesomeness that now appears in a different web space. One love.

Boom

Goofy tablers, who wins, you decide…

180

Jordan and her umbrella

Jordan, her umbrella and a bench

3 foot high, about 7 wide, savage

Me and my usual tweaks

Backboard

Madonna just climbed up the door and poked her head in to see what was happening, bloody brilliant rabbit

This update is at it’s essence going to be the best update you’ve ever clapped your eyes on, even better than when the Bible was updated with the new testament. So the stories all start with some funny pictures from Aidan’s driveway a while ago. We were messing about riding the miniscule bank and doing silly tricks, when Aidan got really stoked and decided to take photos. These are the horrific results of these ridiculous manoeuvres. This bank is pretty much non existent, so if you’re expecting the world from these following three pictures you’re probably going to be greeted by a shit place like Hull at best.

Footplant fakie inspired by Tin Head

Arty angles innit bruv

Airing the shit out of it, streets is probably not saying much about this

There was then this other time at band camp…oh wait, actually it was at Aidan’s house. Me and my buddy Tobe were chilling at 157, in between shooting the Abingdon photo’s you saw on a previous update, and getting punctures at Radley riding in the wet. We decided to take this photo, where I thought I was the Fonz from Happy Days, and Danny boy Tobin thought he was going to sex my ear hole. Those guns are banned in 52 states, some European countries, and most of Antarctica.

Sicker then you, or something like that…

Oh yes, and then there was this time where I was in a completely different place to the photo’s location. I could have been working, eating a toasted sandwich, out buying some ornamental candle sticks, anywhere. The photo that someone took, my guess being Mr tripod, shows Aidan and Pipeson building up the steep jump lip. It may look wonky here, but the spirit level says differently…

Heroes in their own rights

This update is actually operating in chronological order, which works nicely I reckon. I remember when a Sprung video or something put the World Cup downhill mountain bike rounds in a random order through the video, and it didn’t really work. Sometimes rules are good…
The next photograph comes from just this Saturday morning, although Aidan has been hucking his bike over stuff like this since the late 1960’s. Let me give you some historical background. This gap is in Oxford city centre, and as part of the college I would imagine was constructed sometime during the 1900’s. And then sometime during 2007, Will Hermann gapped it, followed another time afterwards by world famous BMX super pro Liam Eltham. Forward to 17th May, and Aidan ‘big dog pimp number 1 fight you for your loafers’ Mahon also manned up. Although he was clipping the far edge of the pallet, it was pretty much a done deal. I’ll leave those boys to these sort of racer pedalling concrete gaps. Jen was also stoked on this gap, although confessing to the fact she had no idea whether it was good or not, bar judging by our excitement. We also got bothered by a drunken guy in a petrol station.

Rather you than me, scary burly street gappage

The following afternoon, we headed down to the land of Winchester. Rory met us there, and is what can only be described as a ‘rad dude’. He had been fixing lots of stuff that needed fixing, and changing the mud in need of changing. We had a little ride on some of the little line up top, then shredded back line. Scary stuff, but confidence boosting as the first foreign jumps session for us two of the year. Back line is officially the best line in the whole entire planet that we live on.
Aidan also got completely nuts, and decided to spin the first proper jump. In his usual do or die style, he sent it fully, eat quite a lot of shit, and then pulled it a few times clean. He wanted to continue down the line out of it, but the rest of the summer will bring that undoubtedly.

First in Back line, twist, gggg-narly, first session of the year

Aidan tuck the scariest one in the line, such a fun jump

This weekend we also partied really hard in the Cellar in Oxford. Stuicide Loxley also came out to play, and we met up with Light in the woods. For an unknown reason I made the decision to try to out drink everyone in the whole place’s combined alcohol intake. Ended up really messily, talking an absolute load of waffle, eating the disgusting food that is McDonalds, creating a shower of disposable cutlery and portions of sauce, nearly getting beaten up by a guy I’d named Margaret, generally getting wild. The following morning was not enjoyable in the slightest.
I also ripped down some curtains on Thursday night in a club in Banbury, for which the bouncers and owner claimed he would be sending my an invoice in the post. Made me give them ID for my address before they threw me out whilst I drunkenly tried to charm them into letting me off. I went from ‘this is the time of my life!’ to ‘what’s this bouncer doing dragging me across the dance floor’ in the blink of an eye.

Liam training as resident Cothill tree surgeon, whilst Pipe and Jibbles supervise and offer advice

The Sunday after the Cellar we headed down the woods for a little session. Most people we pretty haggard, and only a few rode much. Timmy and Jamie were up from Croydon, so along with me, Aidan and Stu, we had a session on the hip line. First runs whilst still drunk are scary. The highlight (for me anyway) was definitely watching Scott Edgworth go through, best style, racer backgrounds always shine through. He is so in control on a bike it’s untrue. Even with my drunken rants at him the night previously, that I was informed of that morning at Aidan’s, he was still a bloody nice chap. Note to self; must not talk complete shit to people I meet when drunk. Lima also did the tree surgery you see above, including a tree to tree leap of faith at about 15 Feet up. Ripper.

Eddie’s new bicycle, Kane’s new Blewbmx tag he did for me…

So to the final chapter, which is a Wednesday afternoon nibble on a cool village mini ramp, followed by an evening session down the local. I took these pictures of Eddie and his awesome looking new United Forte. He got heaps of new parts too, and had the nicest looking bike since the public first locked their eyes onto the very first penny farthing. Hope you’ve enjoyed this seemingly endless update, which is now coming to an end. If you have read all this, then send me a myspace or something, because I think we need to make some sexy time. Adios amigo’s.

Two wheeler and it’s proud owner

Extravaganza

Basically trails are rad. Went up Caerphilly (Goldtecs) again last night and had a real good session. Marcus, Jim and I went up there. Marcus wasn’t feeling it too much so borrowed my camera and took some rad photos. That place is infested with these little bugs which eat the shit out of your skin and each one feel like have been stung by a nettle. Gotta get me some insect killer spray or something.

Jim table from the depth of the jungle

Me chilling

Jim having it

Jim x-up

Me table. So good to be riding trails again, scares the shit out of me but can’t help myself. Best thing in the world. I got some shiny new Odyssey race forks too, a headset which actually doesn’t require power steering to turn and a monster dirt tyre for the front.

Red Bull Empire of Dirt
is looking good. Kye said “The route of the course is fairly similar to last year, just bigger and better. We decided to keep almost all of the major features including the huge dirt pipe and the big curve wall ride. One of the exciting new areas is the elevated quarter pipe, which also has a large bridge ledge. I think it’s going to be the gnarliest part of the course! This year’s course has been designed with more of a divide between the dirt and street side. There really is something for all the riders.”

So there you go, go out and ride and fail your exams.

This Sunday we were treated to a visit from Ollie Gun, Tommy Higgins and Stu Loxley. Along with the usual suspects, this made for a sweet session. I could ramble on for ages about how good trails are and how much fun being in the woods is, but if you understand that then you do, and if you don’t then I guess that’s your loss. Here’s some photo’s I took on my favourite jump in the woods, the steep 4th with the hip off the side. Enjoy.

Bad table photo angle, but Ollie Gun’s usual standard sick table

Badly framed Pipe - shooting a Dead End photo for him, hence the sign cropping up in photo’s…

Signiture Stuicide, these are the best

Ollie wafting the straight one, best style in Dorset I’ve heard

Polly Poll Pollard

Aidan’s spins on this jump are nuts, hard to capture on photo but sooooooo good to watch, do or die…

Stu Loxley, tabletop