Saturday, December 22, 2012
Little drummer buoy
Vicious Cyclocross happened today. It was wet, Warhead played drums and I accidentally made Phil Glowinski take a dip in that big puddle... Good times!
Friday, December 21, 2012
XC
I spent a couple of weeks in 2012 following Cannondale Factory Racing riders Marco Fontana and Manuel Fumic for a feature in issue 12 of Privateer. Cool guys and top level XC racing is great.
There are more photos on my Flickr and there's a story on the Women's race at Houffalize over on the Privateer site.
Grenzstein Trophy
I rode this crazy event back in June, 1200km along the old inner German border. We slept in the woods and rode for 14hrs or more per day, existing on a diet of whatever we could buy in Lidl or the bakeries we occasionally passed. At the time I hated it; looking back, I've mellowed to the experience. It was epic, and by far the most extreme thing I've ever done.
We featured the race in issue 11 of Privateer, with words by Aidan Harding - he sums up the event brilliantly. There's more photos on my Flickr too.
Info: grenzsteintrophy.de
We featured the race in issue 11 of Privateer, with words by Aidan Harding - he sums up the event brilliantly. There's more photos on my Flickr too.
Info: grenzsteintrophy.de
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Photo story for Rapha
Monday, November 26, 2012
Contact Sheet Love
I'm lucky enough to work for a publication where I can take a risk with my photography, so shooting film is still an option, and an option I'm always eager to take - it gives the mag a different look and feel and sets us apart from the rest of the market. Well, that's my excuse at least.
On Friday I headed down to Bristol to shoot some photos for a feature in Privateer 13. I decided to shoot black and white film, medium format, and for some of the shots I used two off camera flashes. There was a lot of experimentation going on and a lot of opportunity to fuck up, but having got the contact sheets back today, it appears everything worked ut just fine. Now it's just a case of scanning the negs - I cannot wait for these shots to appear in print. They look amazing. Privateer 13 will be available mid January, more info at www.privateer.cc
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Today
Was muddy as hell. I raced hard and I came fifth; I then spent two hours cleaning everything and I reckon I've got another hour to do tomorrow. This sport is nuts, but I love it. Loads more great photos from the London League at Gunpowder Park at http://www.flickr.com/photos/irl2010/8217536813/in/set-72157632100714430
Monday, November 05, 2012
27th best
The sad sodden earth pleads with your tyres to remain, like peasants pleading for mercy in a medieval painting, arms aloft, loss and fear etched in their faces.
It saps and strains until finally you give in and stop pushing on the pedals, let bygones be bygones and come quickly to a halt.
It takes different people wildly varying amounts of time to come to the conclusion that resistance is futile, that mother earth will win and you will come to halt. Physique, past performances and form separately serve an unreliable predictor of performance in these conditions; William Hill was notable by his absence in Ipswich.
Me, I came 27th on the back of no really impressive results or performances. I got overtaken and I overtook, with no real logic to the speed of people I was passing or being passed by. Why didn't that guy ride like that at the start of the race? Is that guy ok? He's going so slow. It makes no sense, and that's why we do it: some days it comes together and you keep the standstill at bay till the right side of the finish line. Yesterday was one of those days.
It saps and strains until finally you give in and stop pushing on the pedals, let bygones be bygones and come quickly to a halt.
It takes different people wildly varying amounts of time to come to the conclusion that resistance is futile, that mother earth will win and you will come to halt. Physique, past performances and form separately serve an unreliable predictor of performance in these conditions; William Hill was notable by his absence in Ipswich.
Me, I came 27th on the back of no really impressive results or performances. I got overtaken and I overtook, with no real logic to the speed of people I was passing or being passed by. Why didn't that guy ride like that at the start of the race? Is that guy ok? He's going so slow. It makes no sense, and that's why we do it: some days it comes together and you keep the standstill at bay till the right side of the finish line. Yesterday was one of those days.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Magazines and the shopping experience
A couple of weeks ago I was (un)lucky enough to find myself at Stratford Westfield, the new shopping mall that is part of the Olympic park in East London.
It's an impressive structure with impressive facilities - I'd highly recommend the pizza from Franco Manca, an independent import from Brixton market - and overall, even for a curmudgeon, an impressive shopping experience.
As someone who has fully embraced e-commerce, what struck me wandering between the chain stores at Westfield was just how sophisticated the shopping experience has become over recent years. Every shop feels like a boutique, regardless of target market and price point: the experience of browsing in H&M and Top Shop doesn't feel a great deal different to browsing in Cos or Reiss. It's only when you look at the prices, or your fellow shoppers, that you really get a feel for the store's market position.
It struck me that every clothes shop in Westfield has learnt from the high end, allowing shoppers room to browse and space to see the product - and more importantly, the range of products - on offer. With their sofas and unobtrusive staff, my day at Westfield turned out to be far less hellish than I expected.
And then I went in to WHSmith.
As someone who makes a living producing magazines, seeing how the UK's largest news retailer mistreats our product and has learnt NOTHING from the retailers either side of it, was entirely depressing.
While the clothes shops leave you room to browse and give the product space to breathe, magazine retailing is all about stacking it high and selling it cheap(ish).
The aisles are narrow, the product is buried layer upon layer, the lighting and shopfitting haven't been haven't been updated since 1992, and should you ever find some sophisticated, beautiful magazine (like Privateer), when you get to the counter you'll be brought crashing back down to gutter with the offer of an Obesity Bar for just £1.
No. Thanks anyway.
For some reason the magazine industry hasn't cottoned on to quite how appalling a job WHSmith is doing selling our pride and joy - in fact, we're so in thrall to this retailer that rather than pressure it to change, we dumb our product down to base primary colours and SHOUTY COVERLINES!!!! designed purely to stand out in this shower of shit.
If the printed media wants to survive the digital revolution, I'd suggest shaking up the way our products are sold would be a good place to start. Maybe someone at WHSiths should go into Zara and see how it's done?
It's an impressive structure with impressive facilities - I'd highly recommend the pizza from Franco Manca, an independent import from Brixton market - and overall, even for a curmudgeon, an impressive shopping experience.
As someone who has fully embraced e-commerce, what struck me wandering between the chain stores at Westfield was just how sophisticated the shopping experience has become over recent years. Every shop feels like a boutique, regardless of target market and price point: the experience of browsing in H&M and Top Shop doesn't feel a great deal different to browsing in Cos or Reiss. It's only when you look at the prices, or your fellow shoppers, that you really get a feel for the store's market position.
It struck me that every clothes shop in Westfield has learnt from the high end, allowing shoppers room to browse and space to see the product - and more importantly, the range of products - on offer. With their sofas and unobtrusive staff, my day at Westfield turned out to be far less hellish than I expected.
And then I went in to WHSmith.
As someone who makes a living producing magazines, seeing how the UK's largest news retailer mistreats our product and has learnt NOTHING from the retailers either side of it, was entirely depressing.
While the clothes shops leave you room to browse and give the product space to breathe, magazine retailing is all about stacking it high and selling it cheap(ish).
The aisles are narrow, the product is buried layer upon layer, the lighting and shopfitting haven't been haven't been updated since 1992, and should you ever find some sophisticated, beautiful magazine (like Privateer), when you get to the counter you'll be brought crashing back down to gutter with the offer of an Obesity Bar for just £1.
No. Thanks anyway.
For some reason the magazine industry hasn't cottoned on to quite how appalling a job WHSmith is doing selling our pride and joy - in fact, we're so in thrall to this retailer that rather than pressure it to change, we dumb our product down to base primary colours and SHOUTY COVERLINES!!!! designed purely to stand out in this shower of shit.
If the printed media wants to survive the digital revolution, I'd suggest shaking up the way our products are sold would be a good place to start. Maybe someone at WHSiths should go into Zara and see how it's done?
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Walking in the Peak District
We did 30miles in 3 days. My legs haven't hurt so much in years. Cut Gate on Day 2 destroyed me.
Friday, February 03, 2012
Writing for Rapha
I've just written a blog for Rapha on Rob Peeters and the lure of the underdog, go and have a read (get yourself a brew first, it's a bit long...)
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Crowe Custom Motorcycles
I shot this whilst visiting Jordan @ hufnagelcycles.com last week in Portland.
Jordan shares his workspace with James Crowe @ crowecustoms.com/ - Jordan makes bicycles, James customises motorbikes. It's a cool set-up and the two guys were super welcoming.
There will be more about Jordan and Portland bike builders in an up coming issue of Rouleur magazine - rouleur.cc/.
Some of this will make its way into my magazine too - www.privateer.cc/
Shot on a Bronica SQ with Fuji Portra 800 film and a 50mm lens.
Jordan shares his workspace with James Crowe @ crowecustoms.com/ - Jordan makes bicycles, James customises motorbikes. It's a cool set-up and the two guys were super welcoming.
There will be more about Jordan and Portland bike builders in an up coming issue of Rouleur magazine - rouleur.cc/.
Some of this will make its way into my magazine too - www.privateer.cc/
Shot on a Bronica SQ with Fuji Portra 800 film and a 50mm lens.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Death outside the gunstore
Day two of our stay in the US, 8am, rush hour, we heard a loud bang out on the street. There was a guy lying in the middle of the road and two other bodies outside the gun store - that brick building in the back. There were sirens and police and the snow was cold and white, like the sheets they laid over the bodies.
Our minds were racing. Had they tried to rob the gun store? Was it a shooting? What kind of idiot tries to rob a gun store?
It wasn't until the evening when we saw the TV news we found out the truth. Two guys had stolen a car, they were pursued by police, they crashed the car into a pylon, throwing them both from the car, and killing a pedestrian in the process.
The guy in the road, the car thief, survived.
Welcome to America.
Our minds were racing. Had they tried to rob the gun store? Was it a shooting? What kind of idiot tries to rob a gun store?
It wasn't until the evening when we saw the TV news we found out the truth. Two guys had stolen a car, they were pursued by police, they crashed the car into a pylon, throwing them both from the car, and killing a pedestrian in the process.
The guy in the road, the car thief, survived.
Welcome to America.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Chris King
Met the man himself yesterday. There's more over on the Privateer blog - privateer.cc/chris-kings-yeti-arc
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
File under framebuilder
I'm now in Oregon, and today we visited Rolf wheels and Winter bikes in Eugene. It rained all day - it's not stopped in 24hrs - but I like this place. The people are good and the beer is nice, and vice versa.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Louisville CX Masters Worlds course
I'm racing the World Masters this weekend for Rouleur. It is hellish. I'm not being melodramatic when I say its like the Somme.
My race is tomorrow, Friday. When we were at the course today it started snowing, and since then the temperature has dropped to 25f, which is somewhere in the minus figures in centigrade.
I.E. Fucking cold
I'm dreading it, and not just because it's cold and miserable, but because I'm really underprepared with what I could bring - no spare bike, no wheels, no bags of kit to keep me warm and dry.
You forget how much you rely upon being able to drive to races to take all the gear you need.
Also, since my training ride in the freezing rain this morning, I've got a really sore knee – as most of the course is only really passable on foot now that means PAIN.
One more hour of suffering and the season is over. I can't wait.
My race is tomorrow, Friday. When we were at the course today it started snowing, and since then the temperature has dropped to 25f, which is somewhere in the minus figures in centigrade.
I.E. Fucking cold
I'm dreading it, and not just because it's cold and miserable, but because I'm really underprepared with what I could bring - no spare bike, no wheels, no bags of kit to keep me warm and dry.
You forget how much you rely upon being able to drive to races to take all the gear you need.
Also, since my training ride in the freezing rain this morning, I've got a really sore knee – as most of the course is only really passable on foot now that means PAIN.
One more hour of suffering and the season is over. I can't wait.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
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