merry christmas

swains lane this morning

Halt gooey brake pads

I didn't want this to be a review blog, plenty of those, but just wanted to praise my new halt gooey pads (they are friggin yellow too!). For £12, they are the best pads i have ever used. part of thinks even better than my swisstops.

Ben Ingham

Rapha Continental – The Movie from RAPHA on Vimeo.

Really nice collection of films on the rapha blog (there's that R word again), anyone stuck for my present ideas my christmas list can be found on the rapha site also titled "shop". i find it hard to swoon over other brands kit like i do rapha stuff, being a designer & a cyclist is the quickest way to bankrupt yourself i reckon. but hey ho.

Most by Ben Ingham, who also has done lots of nice rapha photography in the past, long my it continue.

I have posted up my personnel favourite of the films (although ingham didnt do this one), its 17 mins long (a long time in this digital world we live in), but worth sitting through, very inspirational shots as well as interview bits with the riders. gets me thinking about planning even more for next year, the states may have to wait for me till 2013 though, i'd love to ride across america, or at least parts of it.

Cecil Sharp House

nothing to do with bikes this time, music, even better. been meaning to post this, saw the brilliant Mount eerie last week in the even more brilliant Cecil Sharp House (aka the english folk dance song society) in Camden. A lovely venue made me feel like i was in a 1950s school in a good way. if you don't know mount eerie check him out, he is one of my favourites.

"i could not get through september without a battle
i faced death
i went in with my arms swinging
but i heard my own breath
i had to face that i'm still living
i'm still flesh
i hold on to life with feelings"

Powdercoat yourself happy

Today had an early morning bike mission – got back my new (secondhand) track frame from the powdercoat place in Hackney. Its now in glorious yellow, RAL 1003 to be precise. And will switch and clean all my current single speed bits from my current commuter.

Afterwards did some laps of the park (as haven't been able to do anything much other than commute recently), which very much felt like laps of honour to say farewell to my current frame set. So long old boy, you did me proud. not quite sure what to do with it, guess try to sell it.

and my now matching my italian coffee pot.

Just entered in the 2012 Etape du Tour...

My all or nothing attitude strikes again. this time its gonna be hard to top. had sweaty palms filling out the form, but that was the easy bit. gonna do it for charity i think, try raise some money for the air ambulance team that saved me this summer.
signed up for the Etape Acte I, the route sends riders over Albertville to La Toussuire highest points includes the Col de la Madeleine, Croix de Fer and the slightly less of a giant Col du Mollard. Croix de Fer being the highest point of around 2067m. if you're wondering what i'll be doing this weekend, laps of swains lane on my single speed. proper training gotta wait till next year though xmas is gonna ruin everything anyway, as it always does.
not sure how accurate these are but just tried to find it on google maps seeing as i have never been.

yet another italian love affair

hell yeah

just had my first proper ride since the accident, "the italian duke" felt great, perfect winter weather, got home now listening to rocket from the crypt, flip i feel good for the first time in 2 months. its so true sometimes the wind is on your back other times its in your damn face.

Nice video from last weekend

Rapha Super Cross 2011 from RAPHA on Vimeo.

I am in there around 2.25, beats the time i was on the local news playing football, except i was actually involved that time round rather than just drinking.

SUPER (fun) cross

The second of this weekends cyclo-cross racing was Rapha's  third 'Supercross' instalment in Alexandra Palace. A fantastic day, Rapha's lovely logo looked glorious in the sunny weather, I couldn't stop staring at the grey touring van. My friend Delia won, there was great beer and we shared a lovely (and now legendary) piece of lemon drizzle cake watching the high spirited novice & junior race. Pretty weird seeing the London skyline ever present and I think it threw a few unknowing locals as the first race kicked off with cow bells and all.

The AP logo stair rails – could make a great head tube badge.

Ahhhhhhhh

 Delia races to victory

Not so muddy hell

This weekend was a double bill of London cyclo-cross racing that my two friends David and Delia were racing in, and I was, well drinking in. The first up was 'Muddy Hell' – brought to Herne Hill by Rollapaluza cycle club/events. my photos aren't great from this nite, i was too busy catching up with friends and having a good nite. It is a Halloween themed, the riders are encouraged to dress up in devil's nite attire and ride their lungs out. Like all fancy dress nites, some go all out and others just pin a cats tail to their shorts.

Nice one Delia for coming in third (bravo face pictured)

judging by the cover

and while i'm talking about objects i've seen i love the look of – here's the cover of Condors' (by far my favourite bike shop, for their friendlyness and stock) new book, 'past present future'. can't wait to get a copy and i'll stand it next to all my other yellow things. maybe one day in the future i'll also own on of their frames.

Look out for the Lug Man

this is enough to make you cry and put your fist in your mouth and think about another credit card, nevermind another frame. lovely lovely hand cut lugs from the yorkshireman. nerd yourself out. Sigh.

smile as wide as my bars

A smile as wide as my home made bullhorn bars – went for my first ride after my crash yesterday. it was fine, a couple of laps round the park in the glorious october sunshine?? – and even stopped to read my book for a while and pause and reflect on it all. My friend has just lent me a bunch of cycle based books, including "put me back on my bike" – the other tommy simpson bio. fairly apt title for me over the last couple of weeks.

I wasn't expecting it to feel as weird being back in the saddle – i was all like "oh it will be just like sitting in my favourite chair once more" – but it was actually more like wearing someone else's odd shoes, only for the first five minutes thank god.

good charity shoppe

picked up this amazing old magazine rack today – reminded me of three things – spokes, my favourite colour combo at the moment and the eames coat rack. 

i always thought those coat racks like all coat rack/stands look better with nothing on them at all, which fights with their function. unless it's nice a cane umbrella or 1960's gents hat. my new rack needs a spot of paint and gluing – nice little restoration project i got while i am taking things easy. 

using my head

So i've been planning to create this blog covering mainly my cycling and bike stuff as well as my love of coffee and design, the three things i surround myself most with at the moment, for a while. 

But unfortunately had to put it on hold along with my entire life after a pretty gruesome crash a few weeks back.

I collided with a truck on a country lane on a blind corner probably at quite a speed – I have no memory of the accident at all, and have been in hospital for 2 weeks and at home resting for almost the same period. My head is fractured in 3 places and a have a few cracked ribs, as well as a bunch of small cuts. Which has left me with dizziness, memory loss, and general weakness. As well as a 24hr headache.

It is only really sinking in now what happened. which would be scarier if i could remember it i guess. at the earlier stages my head was full of what if's and maybe's but i realised everything in life could be viewed like that so i just had to be thankful with my lot. being this broken has just left me feeling frustrated. not working, unable to even stand up at times and not just getting on with things, feeling truly useless and anxious.

despite all this have to say I'm super keen to get back on a bike, well tiny bit nervous getting back up to the over 30mph mark.  sure as hell not gonna jack it all in just yet, I'm not even middle aged yet (the glory days). And I wanted to do so much next year, join some races of some kind, cycle holiday, break my swains lane record...

Healing now  seems to be going ok but i am incredibly impatient, and had a few really low days which have been tuff. at its worst it felt like a punch in the face every morning feeling sick and like i had a bag of sugar taped to my head. which now feels like a diner sachet instead. my teeth are still giving me grief, as is doing everyday things, dropping stuff, feels like walking and thinking in treacle. memory loss, mainly trival stuff except all my 29 years spent absorbing facts about films and music has taken a hit – the plus of this particular side effect i rewatched fargo the other day, felt like it was the first time, which has got me thinking about whether to re watch the wire. oh man i wonder if i remember goodfellas.

Its also a pretty good time to take stock, been writing lists in my head but forgetting them instantly. i'd like to think i'll be better person through all this but who knows might just end up with more tattoos and records i've wanted for ages.

The biggest thing that stuck me, other than the truck, was how great everyone has been, it has truly overwhelmed me –  the hospital staff, friends, family, people in my life have been amazing, (you know who you are thank you) a special thanks needs to go to David and Delia – who have gone beyond their call of duty and I now feel a hell of a lot closer to them. And of course rebecca whose been my rock through all this. if anyone is reading this who is recovering from something, let me just say stay strong and surround yourself with people to combat those horrid dark days that creep up.

God speed – I'll let you know how the riding goes soon.

hello interweb

culture – cycling – coffee, this blog isn't meant to be cutting edge, just a journal of the stuff i like, design, music, bikes, etc and things i've been doing. also gives a chance for my long distance brothers a chance to see what the hell i'm been up too.