Two Wheels Good

13.10.07 Mind my bike because it's a Giant (XTC) and quite a beautiful one. For those saddos like me to whom such things are important, here's the setup: Rock Shox SID forks, Mavic 223 disc rims, IRC Mythos XC semi slick tyres, Continental Speed Light tubes, Shimnao XT 9-speed front and rear mech, SRAM gripshifters, Hayes disc brakes, Race Face cranks and chainset, DMX V12 LE chrome pedals, Race Face Evolve XC bars and stem, Kore iBeam saddle and seatpost. My bike is one of the few things I missed when in India and so when I returned one of first things I did was get on it. My local bike ride happens to be a really good one. Starting off along the Regents Canal towpath it turns left into the Hertford Union Canal , (below) which eventually flows into the River Lea (below)From there it's into the Hackney and Walthamstow marshes for a bit of off-roading, though the bike path extends thirty-five miles into Hertfordshire.

The trail I took was unsurprisingly muddy and I got well splattered, though the tyres gripped like glue. On the day the weather was beautiful, a lovely autumn glow with brown leaves everywhere. An English breakfast at a caff on the Hackney Rivera (below) quickly replaced lost calories.












Further inspiration to explore the countryside on my urban doorstep was provided by the new BBC series The Nature of Britain - a celebration of the creatures, such as the blonde hedgehog (pictured), with whom we share our small but animal-friendly island.

Hedgehogs: Blondes have more fun (BBC Images)








The Bicycle Film Festival, Rick Mix Cultural Centre, Oct 23-26 I only saw one film at the festival and Klunkerz made me wish I'd seen more. This is a documentary on the birth of mountain biking. Let's face it, any film about a bunch of pot smoking hippies creating a multi-million dollar industry can hardly fail, and this one didn't. True, it could have done with serious editing but let's not carp. The title refers to the prototype
MBs used by Gary Fisher and his pals in Marin County, just over the Golden Gate in San Francisco. Klunkers were downhill only and had no brakes - steel boots were the method of choice in this regard. Fisher, of course, went on to found his own bike company though he comes across in the film as a hippie with an eye for the main chance. Tom Ritchey offers plenty offers of insight as you would expect from a frame builder and the creative force of the group. He, too, now has a highly respected bike components company bearing his name.

The material is mostly 8mm footage of guys (and one gal) tearing down Mount Tam, attempting to stay on their bikes. There's also some interesting footagedetailing the links between the mountain bikers and the counter-culture movement prevalent at that time in the Bay area. The numerous anecdotes are worth hearing, though I would have liked more focus on the transition from hobby to serious business. One unintentionally funny moment comes when the now head of Specialized bikes describes how he got Ritchey to build a frame, which he then took to Japanese steel foundry and ask them to copy it in bulk. "I wanted to turn this into a proper industry" he states in businessman-like tones, a marked contrast to all that had gone before.

Other films at the festival which I would have liked to have seen include Night of the Living Bicycles - zombie bikes in Copenhagen, and Duet on Three - waltzing bicycles. This is a travelling festival so it may well be that it's coming soon to a cinema near you. Ding! Ding! Bicycle Film Festival