going to the movies...

a few weeks ago i recieved an email from the director of the bike shorts film festival in vancouver BC, canada, info here
he likes my fatbike films of riding the pugsley and asked if i would like to send in a film...the festival tours canada and alaska and is open to anyone who makes films for vimeo,youtube etc..he said send a few so i made 3 films from previous films as i dont really know what people want to see, i did a re-edit of a beachride...
all 4 snowride films edited into one film...
and a complimation film- a re-edit of the 9m pugsley film...

if people like the film chosen to be showen in the festival then im chuffed...
if it encourages them to go ride and enjoy themselves thats even better...
if i win anything? then it will be spent buying a better camera...
at the end of the day i started making films to show people who dont or cant get out and about whats on our doorstep in east lothian...never thought people around the world would enjoy watching them...thank you...
heres the films...
film 1, sunset beachride,
re-edit of a film made at seacliff, east lothian...

surly pugsley, sunset beachride from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

film 2, snowride,
the coldest winter in scotland in 50 years...
4 films made over 2 days edited into 1 film...
filmed in the lammermuir hills, -18C, the coldest i have ever cycled in...
so cold the compact camera wouldnt work so entire film was filmed with the tachon xc sports camera...
at the time radio scotland said -20C with the moisture level here was the same as -40c in alaska...i had frost nip on my cheeks after that day it was so cold...
but riding up there alone in that clear cold weather was amazing...

surly pugsley...snowride from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

film 3, surly pugsley,
a complimation film that i re-edited from a 9m film made a month ago showing the pugsley ridden in various conditions over the last 2000 miles of smiles....

surly pugsley... from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

bike thieves beware!...

this is brillant!, doubt this scumbag will try and steal a bike again...

singletrack forum ride, pitlochry....

today i was reminded of why scotland is regaurded as No1 mountainbiking destination in europe...for its natural scenery..
what ever time of year the highlands is just stunning...
i was up early sunday for a 200mile round drive to the central highlands to pitlochry...picking up friend andrew who had invited me along to a ride orginised on the singletrack magazine forum...
it was misty and muggy here at the coast but once over the forth road bridge it came on heavy rain as we drove up the A9,thankfully stopping as we arrived,9 of us set off following jimmy who orginised the ride and colin who had the only map!,
up up up leaving pitlochry below above the mist...

hot work climbing...

up to our first descent where we rode down into the mist...

wet grass and slippy small rocks made any easy looking trail quite tricky,colin got caught out first (unfortuantly for him caught on my helmet cam) then steven further down as the trail wound down at a good speed between walls...



if it wasnt for the 3 gates this would be a real fast descent...

heres film of the first descent...



then onto some estate roads and slowly we climbed to a food break at a farm where an estate employee gave us a better route up than we had planned...
only andrew and myself brought full suss bikes unsure of what we would be riding, but it was a hardtail day with all the climbing...
most bikes here are very similar set up and typical UK trailbikes...

up up up to this pass...note everyone trying to not look at whats ahead!

well done to day leader jimmy who cleaned this and andrew who got 2/3rds up and steven who was singlespeeding it!, me i was sweating far too much in the heat and was off my normal pace...will clean it next time!...
view at the top...we climbed from the tree`s...


break time...



and a short wander around these quarry pools...



then the long descent down...although landrover track (twintrack) it was fun!


unfortuantly andrew had an off 3/4 the way down-crossed rutted but luckily walked away unscathed!

heres the film...



regrouped it was then along the road above the river tummel...


and a wooded riverside trails all the way to killiecrankie...




heres some more film...



a few of the guys headed for a loop up around another hill above while we all headed for the pub for a pint,burger and chips, i think the heat got to more than just me today...look at the climbing graph!...

a great ride with good riders,great banter and the best scenery you can have...the scottish highlands...

scorcher weekend...

its been roasting today, around 25C...cycled mostly round the coast road with a few trails to my parents today for a family get together...

for my mums birthday...my brothers patterdale terrier ella kept us all entertained while my newphews & niece played on the trampoline!...



heading home it was really hot...a kind of heat we arnt really used to here,esp at this time of year...but im lovin it...

so why no trailriding pics today?...well im saving my legs for a big day out tomorrow ive been invited along to....so up early tomorrow to drive up to pitlochry in perthsire in the lower highlands for what should be a great days biking...

warming up nice...

things are heating up here in scotland at last...20C today at work,and with all that volcanic activity in iceland we have had some cool sunsets this week...

UCI downhill world cup fever is building too, 5th june-fort william...
tickets arrived other day...we is going!...


danny macaskill gets alot of press for his bicycle trials skills and talent...heres another british guy just as talented and usually at fort william on the world cup weekend...go see him if you can...heres how to ride a courier singlespeed bike;

Chris Akrigg THE MAURICE.0 from chris akrigg on Vimeo.

meanwhile back at the ranch....
the other evening was spent out in the mancave tweaking the karate monkey...
a creaking hope headset(now 6 years old) was swapped out for another used one in stock...

i took the chance to cut down the steerer lenght now i have ridden the 29er at various stem hieghts when the fork was off...
having lots of good tools can be addictive...but essential...
free homemade tools are even better...here are two my friend made me on his lathe...
a steerer cutter...

tighten in vice...insert steerer...clamp with grub screws then hacksaw down the provided cut..perfect everytime...

also have this bit of machined steel that dropped down seats the crown race collar nicely...

an easy to do job with the right tools...

also swapped out the 2.5 wierwolfs for the 2.25 ardents as the wtb tyres just dont clear there tread of thick mud...why i crashed on sunday!...
they have there place for sandy trails though...

thursday evening i went a ride around my local xc loop with new friend paul i met last sunday...
was a lovely warm evening...

filmed descending the nice singletrack woodland...



near letham holdings the locals are friendly...


kids in boats having fun...can you spy the heron on the wier?...

managed to go over the bars at about 2 mph somehow...twice in under a week!,jeeez..
alot of sand on the riverside trails but still sweet...

was a lovely evening for a trailride...

lots more evenings to come like this...