The 1st UK FAT BIKE Gathering, 17th & 18th September 2011, Northumberland

UK Fatbike history in the making,
The 1st organised group UK meet of Fat bikes in the UK,
We had planned this last year but never got a date and venue organised, this year again there was interest so i suggested the Northumberland coast in N.E England with beachriding being the main theme and the date was set to suit midday low tides over a weekend, T Shirts and stickers were organised and ordered...


T shirt - front...


T shirt - rear...


And reservations made for the Beachcomber campsite at Goswick, 10 miles south of Berwick Upon Tweed,
The weekend clashed with Singlespeed UK but we had to go for that weekend to get the right tide times, so there were a few who could not make it,
8 of us made it for a great weekend of beachriding at Northumberland,
Meeting new friends and online forum friends at last since the start of our fatbike forum over on MTBR... nearly 4 years ago was great, putting faces to online friends who you chat with as much as local friends was nice...

Despite arriving in sideways rain we got the tents up and using my tent got out the weather and lit a BBQ and cooked burgers and Alaska Salmon and had a few beers and chatted while everyone arrived...

Saturday;
Saturday dawned with clearing skies, we had a great ride on the beach out to Holy Island...




















West along the coast from our Campsite at Beachcomber Point at Goswick i took a, er wrong turn and after a wee detour we arrived at the big dunes at the west end of the sands, time for a wee play on the biggest dune which was firm compared to my last few visits here, good for those that had not ridden on dunes, it was big grins all round...

Photos by John Climber...






Time to head out along the 8 miles of exposed sand at the approching low tide across to Holy Island...The Big Wing is up!...


Jason got a bit excited tipping his toes in the sea and nearly went in as it went over his headtube but he rode it out, i wish i had been closer to catch this on film!,
pic by Doc Feelygood...




Andy C and Mantastic, pic by Jason...








Stopping halfway we noticed that despite 6 Surly Pugsley`s and 2 salsa Mukluck`s the bikes were all different but some shared similar parts...


Show us your;
Brooks saddles...


Salsa seatposts...


Chris King Headsets...


MK 1 purple pug frames...


But we all had the same front Surly Larry` tyres!...


Back cruising again under a big sky...it was the perfect day...












On the shoreline of the Island a washed up No Parking cone, cue; some goofing around, and round, and round...


Then we rode through the dunes towards the village and food...






Food!...


Over the wall on the road was a large group of Harley riders leaving the Island...


Cue; more goofing around...



A wee ride around the island then it was along for some free sampling of the famous Lindesfarne Mead, and a look around the shop at all the whiskys, nice!...


then time to start the ride back crossing the tidal causeway...
















Arriving back at the campsite the bikes were washed just in time before the heavens opened, then the skies cleared...


Rainbow by John Climber...



We had a relaxed evening chilling out with food and beer and watched an amazing sunset...




Andy and Jane`s dogs, Hector and Humphrey... both retierd now from trail running...


There was actually 9 fatbikes as Doc Feelygood had brought his one off full suspension fat bike, This is we think the first full fat (genuine 4" tyre with proper clearance) suspension bike in the world...
The Clydesdale...


The swingarm was cut and refabricated and welded along with a few other wee tweaks to get the tyre clearance, the Doc has done a lovely job of this...












We all had a shot around the campsite, it rides really nice...


Andy and Janes Landrover and expedition trailer tent set up was very impressive,
i have never had trailer envy before!, i need to do a post and film just on this set up...






A sign from 2009 Single speed chanpionships, -:)...


They had a wee stove on the roof rack which we helped set up in front a a communial tent that Mantastic brought which had a table with cooking stoves, and all our seats fitted inside, we had brought some split logs so were sorted for later once dark and cooler...


We were going to get a lovely sunset at Beachcomber Point...




Get out the way with that bike!...






As the sun set a big Autumn harvest moon rose, not full but it lit the evening sky,
pic by John Climber...


Andy kept the stove going...


I want to get one of these, a Coleman North Star tilly lamp, burns petrol and kicks out heat, between the lamp and the stove we were cosy...


We ate and drank fine beers, and tasted some amazing Irish and Scottish Whisky,


There was cake too...


Chatting about our comman interest which brought us together it was interesting to see some similarities, we were all between 35 and 45, have been riding mountainbikes since `back in the day` before suspension etc, when a big days riding was hard earned and felt like a big adventure, and have ridden vaired type`s of bikes over the years, from old school cross country to downhill and full suspension trail centre bikes, some still ride these, also some ride single speed and 29er bikes, all have an open minded approch to anything different and this is what attracted them to buying a fatbike, not to pose and look different but to open up another area of cycling off road previously thought not possible or just too hard to ride on a normal bike, you can have a wee adventure from your back door on a fat bike,
A comman bond... and we all expressed just how much fun they are, and how much you smile and laugh when riding them which is at the end of the day what leisure cycling is all about...
I never thought nearly 4 years ago when i got my pugsley and for nearly 3 years rode everywhere alone that, one day i would be sitting with a group of like minded folk who love riding these bikes...
This had made me feel really happy...

Some film from Saturday,
Music is; `So Lonely` (radio mix) by Jakkata
`Super Nova` by Pico
`Endless Summer Theme` by the Sandels



Sunday;
Sunday dawned with clearing skies after again wild and heavy rain,
Again today we were real lucky with the weather and got blue skies and big fluffy clouds, which always give great reflections on wet sand on the beach, ideal for filming and taking pics,
we packed up and drove a few miles to Bamburgh, and one of the UKs best Castles above a big wide smooth beach, It was an amazing ride with all the bikes down to Seahouses for fish and chips...
Down to 7 bikes as Mantastic had a 7 hour drive home...see you next year! -:)







As everyone got ready i went sniffing about and found a couple of the many WW2 Coastal defence machine gun Pill Boxes along the Coast here...








All ready to go, it was down to the lighthouse and along to start of the big wide beach below Bamburgh Castle at the 2 WW2 Coastal Defence anti tank blocks painted as dice...






Some pics from Doc Feelygood, who brought the full susser clydesdale today...

I think this bike is ace and would love to ride it on the wet roots of Drumlandrig in SW Scotland...


Discussing the big wing formation to get on film...


Bamburgh Castle...


Onto the beach and a slight tailwind meant we sped along the hard sand, 2 miles cruising and we were up onto the road at Seahouses, and had an excellent fish and chips at the chippy beside the crazy golf, check it out if your down there...








Yum...


Tree parking...


Pic by Doc Feelygood...


A look around the harbour then back to the beach and messing around playing `Tig` kept our minds off a now strengthening headwind...




Big Wing formation of fatbikes...






We stopped off at a big dune which 3 of us climbed, good views from the top across to Bamburgh Castle...




And that, as they say was a wrap... a cuppa out of the on site trailer tent then we went our seperate ways home...

What a great weekend, and no doubt to become an annual fixture as already Andy and Jane have mentioned meeting in Yorkshire next year,
Thanks to everyone for making it, sure we will all see each other along with a few more next time...

Sundays film;

Song is `Slow Mama` by Black Moses, and a wee bit of The Prodigy