Engagements

Some rides are so wrong that they just turn out so right. Today's venture out on the cross bike proved why it has become the 'go to' bike. The roads where rivers, the trails where mud floating in rivers - a road bike would have been silly and a single speed would have been purgatory. The ride wasn't long, but it provided ample time to reflect on 2012 and revisit the plans and engagements for 2013. 

have faith

A few guffers have milestone birthdays to celebrate in 2013 (we are trying, honest!) and a number of dream rides found their way into recent conversations. It's fair to say that these where fueled by local ale and malts of the month. A couple of plans will require a leap of faith, but where would life be without ambition and goals.

As for other engagements, if you happen to be in the mood to pop the question this Hogmanay, cyclesguff wishes you all the very best.

See you in 2013 and please stay upright

cyclesguff should take up gambling

Well, the odds were in our favour.

Stay upright

localism

A number of years back I found myself cycling from Glasgow to Stornoway (you guessed it, that was before parenthood descended with a bang) and it has to be one of the most memorable weeks of my life. I'll keep the stories for another time, but one thing I did find out about was localism. Once in Stornoway I booked into a bunkhouse above a surfshop, started talking with the owner and the next thing; I'm wearing a wetsuit, a board is under my arm and waiting for him to start up the surf bus. Two days where spent paddling, driving, exploring, talking, laughing, lot's of drinking and loving the sensation of actually being able to stand on a surf board and catch a wave. It was during those two days that I was introduced to the term localism. The guys from the surf shop had their favourite spots. It's fair to say that I would have ended up in hospital, or even worse if I'd even set wetsuit in water at their favourite breaks. Some breaks required a jet-ski or boat to escape the imposing coastline and head out towards the horizon. The great thing about the guys in Stornoway wasn't that they only embraced the areas that they discovered, but they were also keen to show them off and prove just how good surfing could be in the the Outer Hebrides. A far cry from some of the anecdotes from other global surf spots.

if you look closely there's an old windmill

I've seriously missed being out my bike and earlier today I finally swung a leg over a mtb for the first time in months - bliss!  The ice from the past few weeks has began to thaw, but there are still areas that are best avoided, primarily fire-road and exposed paths. The parallels with the local trail fairies and the Stornoway crew suddenly hit home when a group of guys that I've not ridden with for sometime peeled off a recognisable trail, quietly slipped into the forrest and introduced me to some fantastic local singletrack. They have been busy exploring and building and it's payed off. Riding singlespeed through the off camber acute twists&turns, chutes, roots, planting ruts and pine needle covered trails required finesse. A quality that I've never possessed, but who cares when you have the chance of riding with a fab group of like minded souls who show you how it's done and flow through sections that had me dabbing, striking pedals and cursing in equal measure. My strava feed is one twisty red line of fun, will I be able to find those trails again.......thanks guys!

Stay upright

Dr Alex Moulton

It's been sometime since the last post and I was hoping to type something with more cheer.  However, the news of the death of Dr Alex Moulton has stopped me in my tracks. 

 

As many have said, and thankfully during his lifetime, he was an inspiration and will continue to be. There cannot be that many people on this planet that can lay claim to designing, engineering and manufacturing an iconic object that is coveted by many and is the epitome of a looking at things differently. In Moulton's case, he just happened to have more than most and his collaborations with another genius, Sir Alec Issigonis resulted in what is quite possibly one of the most loved vehicles to ever role of a production line and is a symbol of a generation.

Moulton was a man who embraced the technical challenges of developing complex products with an equal appreciation of the craft of the artisan and a focus on the experience and enjoyment of the user. In these times of mass manufactured land fill; his philosophy, responsibility and approach is a legacy that we can all benefit from.

Thank you

Colour, Nose, Palate, Body, Finish

The past few weeks have been pretty quiet for the guffers. Injuries, illness and just good old life have put an end to any plans for quality time on two wheels. This weekend may provide a glimmer of hope, but and it is a big but - there's an event taking place in Glasgow, no it's not the UCI World Cup. The guffers will be joining forces to see what else can come out of finely crafted and cared for strips of timber. The nose will be in fine fettle, as for the taste buds, they will be squeezed, smoked and pulled in all manners of directions by the wonderful delights on offer at the Glasgow Whisky Festival. Ah, the joys of a weekend dram in the Arches. 

Sareheids will hopefully be minimised by a strict routine of taking the time to plot a path amongst the stalls. If you believe that, you will believe anything.

We'll do our best to stay upright

just because...

one careful owner

contrast

There have been many jokes and quips about the inclement Scottish weather, with a favourite being 'just wait 10 minutes and it'll change'. let's consider last weekend in the West Coast; Saturday greeted those rising from bed with a wonderful clear blue sky courtesy of a high pressure and a light northern breeze. All was good, in fact very good.  The family where about to enjoy a treat of going to the recently opened Sir Chris Hoy velodrome. Once in the car and underway, it didn't take long before the kids level of excitement could be measured with the classic question 'are we there yet'? True to from, this hit home every few minutes.

Upon arrival at the velodrome, I was struggling with the fact that the venue actually exists and is no longer an evocative CAD image. This is not a criticism of other major building and civil engineering works following the plan, budget or even running at all - Edinburgh trams anyone? It's just a sense that Scotland has been waiting for this for a long, long time.  The velodrome is a pleasant geographical and historical reminder to Celtic Park on the opposite side of London Rd. Cycling has most certainly come home to the East End of Glasgow.

The last time a major cycling event was hosted at Celtic Park was in 1897. More than 20,000 cycling fans watched Dubliner, O'Neill winning the 10 mile race. The prize money was £300, not bad for 1897. A manual worker at ship yards would be earning approx. £40 per annum, so putting your body to work on a bike was quicker way, and more than likely a safer way to make a living. The current tracks stars will be back competing in Glasgow at the UCI World Cup from November 16 to 18, let's hope that the prize money is more than £300!

This guffer had been invited to attend the Thunderdrome, courtesy of Graeme Obree, my day job does have some pretty good perks. Soaking up the atmosphere and spinning round from the track centre watching the racing unfold was a treat that I'll remember for a long time. At times, you would literally be stopped in your tracks by the site of yet another legend from the sport. My daughter's autograph book is now filled with Dan Martin, Stephen Roche, David Millar, Sir Chris Hoy and let's not forget Graeme Obree. Sean Kelly, the Dowling brothers, Tiernan Locke and a host of many others where there and no doubt putting in a spot of 'practice' before the Braveheart charity dinner. The opportunity to watch Hoy and his famous contemparies doing what they do best was simply superb. The added bonus was watching Graeme Obree on Old Faithful doing a few laps. As Graeme got into his tuck and showed us all how it's done the cheers and applause from the crowd raised hairs on the back of my neck. Just imagine what the atmosphere would be like if an hour record was attempted at the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome.......

I'm sure that those of us that are parents do have idealistic notions of what it's going to be like taking our kids to a major sporting event. This guffer's first experience of a sporting event in any form of arena/ground/muddy field and was in stark contrast to the velodrome experience. Going to the local football Derby aged 6, frozen to the spot, watching, listening to the crowd and attempting to show some form of interest to what was happening on the pitch was poison in comparison to the velodrome. The real treat was the opportunity for me and my Dad to spend time together without any other family distractions. At one point between races, I was sitting back relaxing watching my daughter taking pics and speaking away with other guests. I started to imagine a scene of a Dad and Daughter going to their seats together for the first time in Celtic Park for Saturday's game. Celtic didn't fair too well on Saturday, if they where Celtic fans, the Thunderdrome would have been money well spent. 

Just for the record, my my daughter's first experience of a footie game was the 2012 Olympics opening round, France v USA (ladies) at Hampden park, she loved it and supported USA right to the end, thankfully they went on to win Gold - ah, the romance of football.

With the clocks changing in the early hours of Sunday morning there was a slight glimmer of hope that the forecasted weather front wouldn't materialise.....how wrong was I to be. I'd signed up for the Glasgow Couriers Cycling Club, Halloween Howler cyclocross race at Glennifer braes on the outskirts of Paisley. Has any form of profanity been used on cyclesguff before? I'm not sure, so this maybe a first. The only word that I can use to describe the conditions is, shite! It was so bad that the seniors race was held off for thirty minutes as the previous race entrants tried their best to finish. 

a place where shoes are lost

Due to the conditions, the senior race was then reduced to 40 minutes and a lap (great decision).  I know that cross has a reputation for being tough, and the past few experiences of blue skies had lulled me into a false sense of security, but that race was bonkers. Cyclesguff salutes those that organised and endured the event, those that where mad enough to came along, spectate and cheer us on. As for the riders, let's hope for the blue skies to return. One memory that I'll take from that race was the view out over Glasgow. It could have been the cold beginning to shut down my brain, but I could swear that there was a heat haze over a certain part of the East End. The balmy climes of the velodrome certainly have an appeal for the winter days ahead.

Stay upright and warm