tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21758536001757322662024-02-08T05:34:03.777+00:00Robbie RickmanRobbie Rickman rides a Cotic BFe mountain bike for 4X, BSX, Downhill, Trails, Skatepark and BMX Track.Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-79672830134422721952011-12-16T17:32:00.000+00:002013-03-17T10:56:50.011+00:00Redbull Downforce - My Last Race :)<p>This post has been somewhat put off as it marks a turning point in my cycling career. Earlier this month I took part in the RedBull Downforce race which ran right past my house down the steep, greasy and somewhat hairy streets of Swansea. It was a cracker of an event, unusual and impeccably well organised. The race was amazing fun showcasing some of the UK's top mtb talent to a totally different audience and at a very unique venue. It was a cool mix of riders ranging from trials riders and Dirt Jumpers to some of the top DH boys, there was also a few of us 4X riders in the mix for good measure. It showed what a great mountainbiking city Swansea is, the track was lined with crowds and there was amazing support despite a mixed bag of weather. Racing didnt quite go to plan, I came off the bike both runs coming in 16th place overall. Fellow Swansea student Greg Hampton had a stormer and just missed the podium taking 4th spot. I have to thank Surf-Sales who managed to get me a bike to ride right at the last minute. They sent down a Transition TR450 to play with for the weekend! DH bikes have seriously come on since I last raced one. The suspension was so beautifully balanced and despite the big step up from a hardtail it still felt lively and elegant to ride.</p>
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The real news however is that I have decided that this race marks the end of my competitive cycling career. I have never quite managed to grab the top results but just being in the game and getting to compete regularly with the top riders at both national and international level has been an incredible experience. I have to thank Cotic for the fantastic support they have provided me with along the way. When I started riding for them Cotic was a small, and to me at least, a fairly unknown brand. It has been awesome to watch Cy's ongoing perfectionism with bike design driving the company forward. Cotic has developed a strong reputation based on some great products. I am looking forward to watching their future progress and can only imagine Cotic will go from strength to strength. Just check out the new Cotic Rocket, a stunning mismatch of steel and aluminium that Cy has elegantly crafted together to create one hell of a trail bike, it put a massive grin on my face when I got to ride it! I also would like to thank Surf-Sales who have helped me out with protective gear for the last few years.</p>
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I guess its sadly growing up but work is the new focus, I have my PhD to finnish. I am currently involved in some really cool projects right on the forefront of technology, its a really exciting place to be. The microscope techniques that we are developing are being applied both in the field of life science with work studying toxicology and human health. We are also working on graphene which has the potential to transform electronic devices of the future, think faster circuits/processors, smaller sensors, cheaper and more environmentally friendly touch screens. This for the moment is driving my need for progression. Bikes will never go away but for now I have other games to play!
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<div style="display:none"></div><script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/APIModules_all.js"></script><object id="myExperience1154759062001" class="BrightcoveExperience"><param name="labels" value="http://www.redbull.com/cs/RedBull/brightcove/labels/en_UK_labels.xml" /><param name="linkBaseURL" value="http://www.redbull.co.uk/cs/Satellite/en_UK/Video/Red-Bull-Downforce-Video-021243135151151" /><param name="@videoPlayer" value="ref:1243135151151" /><param name="width" value="620" /><param name="height" value="349" /><param name="autoStart" value="false" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="isUI" value="true" /><param name="playerKey" value="AQ~~,AAAA1vDIGdk~,NR1bCsD6UB4vvTuHvJsbvNWSFKTbLqyP" /><param name="playerID" value="1154759062001" /><param name="debuggerID" value="" /><param name="isVid" value="true" /><param name="secureConnections" value="true" /><param name="dynamicStreaming" value="true" /><param name="isRTL" value="false" /><param name="purl" value="http://www.redbull.co.uk/cs/Satellite/en_UK/Video/Red-Bull-Downforce-Video-021243135151151" /><param name="flashID" value="myExperience1243135151151" /></object><script type="text/javascript">brightcove.createExperiences();</script>
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Finally thanks to anyone who has taken the time to read this blog, the internet is a great place to share stories and its been good fun sharing adventures with you guys out there!
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PS: I also sneaked on to the Redbull and Dirt websites, check out the links here for more pics and coverage:</p>
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<a href="http://www.redbull.co.uk/cs/Satellite/en_UK/Article/Red-Bull-Downforce-Photostory-021243133948580">Redbull photostory</a>
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<a href="http://dirt.mpora.com/news/rowan-bryn-sorrell-wins-swansea-red-bull-downforce.html">DirtMag coverage</a>
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</td></table>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-35614455372617723972011-11-22T20:16:00.011+00:002011-11-22T23:23:34.768+00:00LaserDuck.py - Coloured object tracking from webcam image using Python + OpenCVI have recently been playing with OpenCV in Python for webcam image analysis. This real time analysis of camera footage can be of real benefit to some of the microscopy techniques that I work on. Here however is a more lighthearted project which I created for a talk I am giving in a local school. The program tracks a yellow object and uses it to control the mouse position (see vid below). I thought it would be fun to replace the overused laser pen with a rubber duck for the presentation and show the kids how easy it can be to achieve what at first looks like complex tasks with some basic programming. <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2500608/LaserDuck.py" target="_blank">Full code</a> given at the bottom of the page.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0vJqc6Yjnp4" width="420"></iframe><br />
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First a brief bit of background. OpenCV is a cross platform, open source computer-vision library created by Intel. This means it is free to access by anyone and will work on any operating system. I am using a Python implementation of OpenCV in this example. Python is a fantastic language to start out with. The syntax is very simple and it works as both a basic scripting language and a higher level object orientated programming language. In short it is easy to pick up by those with little programming experience but is capable, when in the right hands, of producing complex programs using techniques that are now commonplace in the more, shall we call it, 'professional' languages such as C. Python is again open source and cross platform so is free to use by anyone on any computing system.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMQw4ZcR4vauO4SwKB-_BWjBlUCDjRbXgHQ5jQWbdjP3A76mPmXO1LcbPc6BzFWfvVtwFgvtIob3G_ZMW5wStBVrQYvT-3pFScZZpaOyiqvTQcpYPiU1MrMnZZo24F99KJpeCBiJ8hbD2/s1600/LaserDuck.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677938203000818898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMQw4ZcR4vauO4SwKB-_BWjBlUCDjRbXgHQ5jQWbdjP3A76mPmXO1LcbPc6BzFWfvVtwFgvtIob3G_ZMW5wStBVrQYvT-3pFScZZpaOyiqvTQcpYPiU1MrMnZZo24F99KJpeCBiJ8hbD2/s320/LaserDuck.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 274px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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I have been really impressed at how accessible OpenCV is. It has a lot of very powerful functions built in and with Python does not require extensive programming knowledge to access this potential. It really is straightforward to capture and display webcam images and perform object tracking or face recognition type tasks. It also seems to be massively under-reported on the web, hence why I thought I would add this example which is a slight twist on some of the others out there. <br />
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The code is given in full below, it is fairly extensively commented and also provides some additional functionality so dont be too taken aback by the length of it. There are some bonus features built in that are not necessary for simple tracking. I will give a brief overview here but is should be reasonably obvious what is happening by following the code (Hint: start at def main() at the bottom) <br />
<span id="fullpost"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span id="fullpost"><br />The steps are:</span><br />
<ul><span id="fullpost">
<li> Capture image</li>
<li> Convert Image to HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value)</li>
<li> Threshold the image based on the hue value. Hue is independent of the intensity and saturation therefore it will select all pixels within a specific colour range i.e. yellow and the lighting conditions will not be massively critical. The output is binary so a map is produced of white pixels (representing yellow) and black pixels for every other colour.</li>
<li> Basic noise filtering - An algorithm removes speckles and other random noise from the thresholded image.</li>
<li> Contours are fitted which enclose areas of white pixels.</li>
<li> The largest contour is found and its centre position is used to set the mouse position</li>
</span></ul>
<span id="fullpost">Additionally a histogram is plotted of the Hue and Saturation values. These values are found by binning (or averaging) a region of the camera indicated by the green square. This is not strictly necessary but I thought it was interesting to show how to make a histogram and the output can be useful for setting the threshold values for the object that is to be tracked. The end of the video shows the histogram in action sampling the ducks beak and body in succession. <br /><br />References:</span><br />
<ul><span id="fullpost">
<li>A really good book on OpenCV is free to download <a href="http://www.cse.iitk.ac.in/users/vision/dipakmj/papers/OReilly%20Learning%20OpenCV.pdf">here</a>, bear in mind it is written for C but it gives a great overview of all the functions available and what they do.</li>
<li>The Python OpenCV manual can be found <a href="http://opencv.willowgarage.com/documentation/python/index.html">here.</a> This defines how to call the specific functions in Python and what variables they require.</li>
<li>Inspiration for this project was initially taken from this <a href="http://www.aishack.in/2010/07/tracking-colored-objects-in-opencv/">blog</a> which shows how to track a coloured ball in C.</li>
</span></ul>
The code works for me using:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Python 2.7.2</li>
<li>OpenCV 2</li>
<li>Mac OSX Lion</li>
</ul>
<br />
A note on additional package requirements:<br />
pylab is part of the MatPlotLib package (based on SciPy/NumPy) - I use this here for some basic mathematical tools. It is my standard Maths and Plotting library and I highly rate it however with a slight tweak of the code NumPy should be sufficient. <br />
The object tracking should not be dependant on platform however the mouse positioning code is exclusive to Mac OSX. <br />
pyObjC is required for the setting the mouse position in Mac OSX.<br />
<br />
Code: (I apologise for the low quality formatting on Blogger - full code is also available to Download: <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2500608/LaserDuck.py" target="_blank">LaserDuck.py</a>)<br />
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<pre># Track objects in webcam based on Hue value.
# Use object position to control cursor on macbook
# Optimised to track yellow beak of rubber duck!
# ctrl+c Quits program
import cv
import sys
from pylab import *
from objc import loadBundle, loadBundleFunctions #required for mouse position.
# Set mouse position in OSX
class ETMouse():
def setMousePosition(self, x, y):
bndl = loadBundle('CoreGraphics', globals(),
'/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework')
loadBundleFunctions(bndl, globals(),
[('CGWarpMouseCursorPosition', 'v{CGPoint=dd}')])
CGWarpMouseCursorPosition((x, y))
# Convert image to HSV and threshold to produced binary image based on Hue value.
def thresholdImage(img):
#allocate temp image based on size of input img
img_hsv = cv.CreateImage((img.width,img.height),8,3) #3 channel
img_thresh = cv.CreateImage((img.width,img.height),8,1)#1 channel
cv.CvtColor(img, img_hsv, cv.CV_BGR2HSV)
cv.InRangeS(img_hsv, cv.Scalar(5, 100, 100), cv.Scalar(30, 255, 255), img_thresh);
return(img_thresh)
# Plot a histogram showing Hue vs Saturation. Not necessary for function of program, useful for optimising image thresholds
# Samples from box in top corner of camera image only.
def histogram(src):
# Set ccd sampling region.
cv.SetImageROI(src,(10,10,100,100))
# Convert to HSV
hsv = cv.CreateImage(cv.GetSize(src), 8, 3)
cv.CvtColor(src, hsv, cv.CV_BGR2HSV)
s_plane = cv.CreateMat(cv.GetSize(src)[1], cv.GetSize(src)[0], cv.CV_8UC1)
h_plane = cv.CreateMat(cv.GetSize(src)[1], cv.GetSize(src)[0], cv.CV_8UC1)
cv.Split(hsv, h_plane, s_plane, None, None)
planes = [h_plane, s_plane]
h_bins = 28
s_bins = 5
hist_size = [h_bins, s_bins]
# hue varies from 0 (~0 deg red) to 180 (~360 deg red again */
h_ranges = [0, 180]
# saturation varies from 0 (black-gray-white) to
# 255 (pure spectrum color)
s_ranges = [0, 255]
ranges = [h_ranges, s_ranges]
scale = 15
# calculate histogram
hist = cv.CreateHist([h_bins, s_bins], cv.CV_HIST_ARRAY, ranges, 1)
cv.CalcHist([cv.GetImage(i) for i in planes], hist)
(_, max_value, _, _) = cv.GetMinMaxHistValue(hist)
# Reset cv sampling region to full CCD Area
cv.ResetImageROI(src)
# plot histogram data
hist_img = cv.CreateImage((h_bins*scale, s_bins*scale), 8, 3)
for h in range(h_bins):
for s in range(s_bins):
bin_val = cv.QueryHistValue_2D(hist, h, s)
intensity = cv.Round(bin_val * 255 / max_value)
cv.Rectangle(hist_img,(h*scale, s*scale),((h+1)*scale - 1, (s+1)*scale - 1),cv.RGB(intensity, intensity, intensity),cv.CV_FILLED)
return hist_img
# Filter noisy pixels using custom kernel size.
# Removes visually insignificant noise such as speckles
def erodeImage(img):
kernel = cv.CreateStructuringElementEx(9,9,5,5, cv.CV_SHAPE_CROSS)
# Erode- replaces pixel value with lowest value pixel in kernel
cv.Erode(img,img,kernel,2)
# Dilate- replaces pixel value with highest value pixel in kernel
cv.Dilate(img,img,kernel,2)
return img
def contour_iterator(contour):
while contour:
yield contour
contour = contour.h_next()
def findImageContour(img,frame):
storage = cv.CreateMemStorage()
cont = cv.FindContours(img, storage,cv.CV_RETR_EXTERNAL,cv.CV_CHAIN_APPROX_NONE,(0, 0))
max_center = [None,0]
for c in contour_iterator(cont):
# Number of points must be more than or equal to 6 for cv.FitEllipse2
# Use to set minimum size of object to be tracked.
if len(c) >= 60:
# Copy the contour into an array of (x,y)s
PointArray2D32f = cv.CreateMat(1, len(c), cv.CV_32FC2)
for (i, (x, y)) in enumerate(c):
PointArray2D32f[0, i] = (x, y)
# Fits ellipse to current contour.
(center, size, angle) = cv.FitEllipse2(PointArray2D32f)
# Only consider location of biggest contour -- adapt for multiple object tracking
if size > max_center[1]:
max_center[0] = center
max_center[1] = size
angle = angle
if True:
# Draw the current contour in gray
gray = cv.CV_RGB(255, 255, 255)
cv.DrawContours(img, c, gray, gray,0,1,8,(0,0))
if max_center[1] > 0:
# Convert ellipse data from float to integer representation.
center = (cv.Round(max_center[0][0]), cv.Round(max_center[0][1]))
size = (cv.Round(max_center[1][0] * 0.5), cv.Round(max_center[1][1] * 0.5))
color = cv.CV_RGB(255,0,0)
cv.Ellipse(frame, center, size,angle, 0, 360,color, 3, cv.CV_AA, 0)
ETMouse().setMousePosition(2.6*max_center[0][0]-150, 2*max_center[0][1]-100)
def main():
# create windows for use later
cv.NamedWindow("LaserDuckOut",1)
cv.NamedWindow("Theshold_IMG",1)
cv.NamedWindow("HSV Histogram",1)
# initiate camera
capture = cv.CreateCameraCapture(0)
# grab frame from camera
if capture:
while True:
frame = cv.QueryFrame(capture)
if not frame:
cv.WaitKey(0)
break
cv.Flip(frame, frame,1)
hist = histogram(frame)
img = thresholdImage(frame)
img = erodeImage(img)
findImageContour(img,frame)
# Mark out sampling region for histogram
cv.Rectangle(frame,(10,10),(110,110),(0,255,0),1,0)
# outputs image to windows created previously
cv.ShowImage("Threshold_IMG",img)
cv.ShowImage("LaserDuckOut",frame)
cv.ShowImage("HSV_Histogram",hist)
if cv.WaitKey(10) >= 0:
break
cv.DestroyWindow("LaserDuckOut")
cv.DestroyWindow("Threshold_IMG")
cv.DestroyWindow("HSV_Histogram")
if __name__=='__main__':
main()
</pre>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-7289076420688711182011-09-11T18:32:00.007+01:002013-03-17T10:58:03.169+00:00BFe's flying Wideopen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/249967_1955726925812_1021866630_32224329_1646730_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px; " src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/249967_1955726925812_1021866630_32224329_1646730_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Its all happening in this months issue of <a href="http://wideopenmag.co.uk/news/11366/wideopen-magazine-issue-16-read-it-now-for-free">Wideopen magazine</a>. Theres a nice interview with Britain's very own World Champ Danny Hart. A follow up review of their longterm Cotic BFe build and to top it off I somehow sneaked into its coveted pages as part of Alistair Keens writeup of our Scotland World Cup adventure. <br /><br />Best of all its free to read over the Web so follow the <a href="http://wideopenmag.co.uk/news/11366/wideopen-magazine-issue-16-read-it-now-for-free">link</a> below to check it out.<br /><br /><object style="width:600;height:450"><param name="movie" value="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf?mode=embed&documentId=110909090626-074cf69c9b2144099fd83cb57f9f50b2&documentUsername=wideopenmag&documentName=wideopenmag_issue_16&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&viewMode=presentation&backgroundColor=FFFFFF&showFlipBtn=true" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" style="width:600;height:450" flashvars="mode=embed&documentId=110909090626-074cf69c9b2144099fd83cb57f9f50b2&documentUsername=wideopenmag&documentName=wideopenmag_issue_16&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&viewMode=presentation&backgroundColor=FFFFFF&showFlipBtn=true" /></object>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-11341165291148510942011-07-21T11:15:00.004+01:002013-03-17T10:59:15.896+00:00Harthill NPS and National Champs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/281458_10150247533712857_508362856_7532615_7138752_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/281458_10150247533712857_508362856_7532615_7138752_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The big news from last weekend was that Luke 'Limbo' Limbrick took home the Elite National Champs Jersey. This was a trully massive event, usually riding for in the Senior category he managed to step it big time and raced like a hero to beat the pro's at their game. In the final he had to fight hard with Pat Campbell Jenner as the lead swapped a number of times but Limbo wasnt having any of it at and held the lead at the finish taking the win. The crowd were on their feet screaming as the underdog thrashed it to the finish. Serious celebrations followed and a highly ecstatic looking Limbo was on the podium sending the Champagne corks flying.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishcyclingphotos/5950721342/" title="rnd_4_4x_harthill-28 by britishcycling.org.uk photos, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6126/5950721342_74e5020a33.jpg" width="500" height="246" alt="rnd_4_4x_harthill-28"></a><br /><br />Once again we had another very wet and windy weekend of 4X. This time up near Chester at Harthill. The track was an interesting one. It has the potential to be a really nice track but in my view it just falls short on the final touches. It is too narrow and encourages a single file procession and some of the lips and landings really aren't great at race pace. The short start straight lead into a 90 degree right hander which saw a serious number of collisions. One line leaving this corner and no room previously to separate the riders created a lot of four rider pileups and some heavy crashes. The track is very sandy and so the corners are super loose both in the dry and the wet which was a lot of fun to ride and livened up the racing with plenty of crashes. There was also a gusty cross wind to contend with down the pro line. A lot of riders were having their wheels blown out from under them over the second pro jump. It was clearly the quicker route but a heavy gamble due to the changeable weather conditions. The track and conditions came together for some real crash heavy racing. By far the most crashes of the season took place on this track which created some lively racing but not really for the right reasons. <br /><br /><object width="480" height="270" id="mporaplayer_C9tARw6ye" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" ><param name="movie" value="http://video.mpora.com/ep/C9tARw6ye/"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://video.mpora.com/ep/C9tARw6ye/" bgcolor="#000000" width="480" height="270" name="mporaplayer_C9tARw6ye" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object><br />More <a href="http://video.mpora.com/mountainbiking/">Mountain Biking Videos</a><br /><br />The national round went ok, in the motos I had a win two 2nds and 4th after Mop rudely took me down on the first corner. I was through to the quarters but this was it as I ate sand once again on the first corner taking me out of the comp. The national champs was a little more successful. I had a good qualifying run and made it through the first knockout round and then took 3rd place in my second knockout round leaving me in 20th place overall. <br /><br /><object width="480" height="270" id="mporaplayer_pXXzkSv6I" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" ><param name="movie" value="http://video.mpora.com/ep/pXXzkSv6I/"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://video.mpora.com/ep/pXXzkSv6I/" bgcolor="#000000" width="480" height="270" name="mporaplayer_pXXzkSv6I" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object><br />More <a href="http://video.mpora.com/mountainbiking/">Mountain Biking Videos</a><br /><br />The champs race was massively competitive and action packed. The Semis saw Will Evans take out both Nate Parsons and Jake Ward in the first turn. The finals followed and Scot Roberts and Scott Beaumont came together in the first turn leaving Luke Limbrick and Pat Campbell to fight it out for the top places. Somewhere through the proceedings Isaac was taken down on the first straight catapulted through the air using his head to smash through a marker post and bring him to a stop. Jono Jones held it all the way to the last rollers before choosing to throw himself over the bars and across the line. Dowie and a few of the other big guns were sent to the floor on the pro line along with many others during racing. There really was too much of this camera pleasing action to comment on, unfortunately most of the camera men were hiding this round. Duncan Philpott was out representing the togs and has put together a few awesome videos of both the racing and the shockingly sunny pumptrack challenge which went down on the Saturday night. <br /><br />Another good weekends racing, with any luck the next round down in the south west will be a warm sunny event where we can stick on some fast tyres and see some rapid, dry racing, my fingers are crossed!Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-20202223833613623772011-06-07T15:03:00.010+01:002013-03-17T11:05:43.463+00:00Epic Week: Afan NPS, Afan Euro, Glentress and Fort Bill World Cup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/247779_204991286209792_100000967670455_515715_4871403_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/247779_204991286209792_100000967670455_515715_4871403_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Afan NPS4X:</span><br /><br />To kick the week off we had an NPS 4X round and a European 4X round on at Afan. The guys at Bryn Bettws Lodges had done a huge amount of maintenance to the track prior to the race weekend. The track was looking really good and was absolutely flying on the Friday night. There were a good number of riders hitting the pro line and the track was running fast and dry. This all changed come race day. A massive load of rain fell over night and the start of racing was delayed as we all hid waiting for the rain to stop falling and the wind to die down. The track was running much slower but was fast enough to make for some good racing and by the end of the day a formula one style dry line was forming making passing one for the brave taking on the greasy alternative lines. Saying that this was one of the best 4X races I have ever been to for overtaking. There were moves being made the full length of the track and a hell of lot being made and stuck on the last corner. It goes to show wide corners work and produce fantastic racing! I had my best result yet at the NPS taking 2nd step on the podium alongside Gareth on 3rd who was giving me a lift to Scotland, a great start to the week for both of us. <br /><br /><object width="480" height="270" id="mporaplayer_M3Z6r9QmJ" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" ><param name="movie" value="http://video.mpora.com/ep/M3Z6r9QmJ/"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://video.mpora.com/ep/M3Z6r9QmJ/" bgcolor="#000000" width="480" height="270" name="mporaplayer_M3Z6r9QmJ" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object><br />More <a href="http://video.mpora.com/mountainbiking/">Mountain Biking Videos</a><br /><br />The Euro went less well for me. They do a worldcup style system with timed qualifying runs leading to straight knockouts. I qualified in 35th place after loosing my clips out of the rockgarden and got knocked out first round of the knockouts. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/247091_1957223843234_1021866630_32226198_5692705_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/247091_1957223843234_1021866630_32226198_5692705_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><table><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/249967_1955726925812_1021866630_32224329_1646730_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/249967_1955726925812_1021866630_32224329_1646730_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/249707_1955730205894_1021866630_32224349_3900904_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/249707_1955730205894_1021866630_32224349_3900904_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Glentress:</span><br /><br />From here me and Gareth loaded up and headed to Glentress with Mop Head, Keeny, Jess Greaves and Chris Ratford. We spent a lot of time in the skills section messing about on the jumps and having a lot of fun. It was great to have a chilled out session throwing the bike around in the air, I have still barely jumped the MTB since the leg got broke so it was nice to start feeling confident again with the wheels off the ground. Chris Ratford was on camera duties and got some brilliant shots on the jumps and through the trees. They had just finished a new section of the blue run. It was the most amazing section of trail featuring probably of the order of 50 berms, all perfectly smooth and shaped so that it was flatout off the brakes the whole way. A huge amount of fun I definitely recommend visiting that place. After a bit of ghetto camping we did the red run the next morning then back into the cars up to the Fort. We had heard on the way up that the Glen Coe race got called off due to 70MPH winds and snow and so we were a little apprehensive about what the weather might be like up at the Fort. <br /><br /><table><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/252498_1957228163342_1021866630_32226227_5710261_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/252498_1957228163342_1021866630_32226227_5710261_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/254474_1957230283395_1021866630_32226238_2798066_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/254474_1957230283395_1021866630_32226238_2798066_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/247894_1957230203393_1021866630_32226237_569318_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/247894_1957230203393_1021866630_32226237_569318_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/253632_1957226323296_1021866630_32226216_5827216_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/253632_1957226323296_1021866630_32226216_5827216_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The World Cup, Fort William:</span><br /><br />This was both mine Mop Heads and Keenys first world cup. Gareth was the seasoned vet of the group having entered Fort Bill last year. The nerves and excitement really started kicking in once we had gone up and taken a look at the track. The whole scale of the track is way beyond anything seen at nationals. The jumps are big and intimidating and the style of the track meant there were some very awkward looking features. The worst bit was the amount of time we had to sit around and think about it before we were allowed to actually get the bikes out and give it a go. This came in the way of two 90minute practice sessions. One on the thursday and one on the friday right before our timed qualifying runs. This gave a really pressurised atmosphere where there was no time to mess about. We had to step it up right from the start and get the track nailed. It was really interesting, the big jumps that typically on a national level track would be massively intimidating and scary were not too bad. The gradient meant there was tonnes of speed to be found without even trying. This made sending the big jumps easy as there was no need to worry about making the distance on the larger gaps. With the big jumps done and that mental game out of the way my focus was on the first straight which was somewhat awkward and required good rhythm and committed pumping to get down fast and smoothly.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/248633_217524984935802_112038735484428_755633_2182741_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/248633_217524984935802_112038735484428_755633_2182741_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/254479_584141631224_289302378_3321143_5775591_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/254479_584141631224_289302378_3321143_5775591_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />The track kicked off abruptly and continued in that manner most of the way down. The gate dropped with enough room for one pedal before hitting a steep sharp roller and into a double. This lead to a camel triple type thing that most riders were picking on to then dropping down the other side. The quicker line was to jump over the camel hump and push the back wheel into the backside of the transition, this was somewhat risky and with not much room between jumps required good skills to pull off without binning it. There are then two doubles into the first wide loose corner. This lead into a massive roller that could be pedaled over and into a decent sized double. The next roller was big and took some care. Hitting at race pace it was near impossible to keep the bike on the ground over it and it naturally sent you onto your front wheel well past the landing transition. I and a few others had a good stack here in practice trying hopelessly to hold on following a very heavy front wheel impact weight fully over the bars then finally digging in and pitching over on the loose entry to the next corner. This next corner had two main options, a wide entry following the berm or a loose inside line cutting tight to the flag. The corner was up over a hump which unweighted the bike and made it very easy to loose the wheels trying to keep it tight. Loads of moves were being made here, if you were in front it had to be ridden defensively however lots of people were using the extra speed from coming wide to capitalize on other riders mistakes and make a pass stick. The entry to the rock garden was a similar concept with a wide line carrying speed or a tight inside line on the flag. The tight inside line setup to allow the rock garden to be jumped and cleared but the run in was by no means straight forward and jumping the lot required commitment. The rocks themselves were not bad to ride and there were a number of lines through them. After this point most of the racing was done. It was on the pedals and off the drop into the big table which had been reshaped this year making it longer and with a steeper landing. This jump felt beautiful to boost and kept the crowd entertained as the riders flew past. A really loose right hander lead into the steep sharp quad that I think no one jumped in full this year. A sprint to the finish dropped the riders into the large and packed grandstand area with the big screen and loud commentary amping up the atmosphere and making it by far the coolest event I have taken part in.<br /><br /><br /><table><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/250170_1957233203468_1021866630_32226255_6519244_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/250170_1957233203468_1021866630_32226255_6519244_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/248812_1957234843509_1021866630_32226268_6014021_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/248812_1957234843509_1021866630_32226268_6014021_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/252866_1957234643504_1021866630_32226266_1171880_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/252866_1957234643504_1021866630_32226266_1171880_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/255726_1957232643454_1021866630_32226252_1103314_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/255726_1957232643454_1021866630_32226252_1103314_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><br />Friday night saw qualifying, I actually didnt find this part too scary. The top of the track was fairly empty of spectators and it didnt feel any bigger than a normal event. On the gate I got my race head on and was fairly relaxed and focused. I had made the decision to take all the safe longer lines and try and hit them fast and get the cranks in wherever possible. There were 89 people entered and 64 places available so this was the run where it had to count. The qualifying runs are timed with the quickest riders going through. My logic was that the looseness of the track meant that a load of people would wipe out and so staying safe and keeping the tyres underneath me would pay off. I put in a reasonable run with no mistakes and got to the bottom just inside the top 60. There were 10 more riders at this point to come down and so it was by no means guaranteed. Mop Head was in a similar position and we both had to wait for the board to cycle through to see if we had scraped in. I placed 62nd and Mop made it by the skin of his teeth in 64th place. I think it is fair to say we were both ecstatic, we were the only UK Senior riders to make it through qualification and this meant we were in the game to ride in front of the crowds and freecaster the following day.<br /><br /><table><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/251759_1957235283520_1021866630_32226272_8174786_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/251759_1957235283520_1021866630_32226272_8174786_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/254855_1957234723506_1021866630_32226267_6974280_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/254855_1957234723506_1021866630_32226267_6974280_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><br />Another round of practice and things were starting to get really intimidating. I spent most of the session on the top half of the track trying to get relaxed and comfortable on the bike and ignore the large crowds accumulating at the bottom. It is ok come race run as there are so many other things to focus on and race head makes you oblivious to anything going on beyond the extents of the track but in practice I found it hard to ignore all the spectators and I wasnt really enjoying riding in front of all the people. The setup for the race was cool. It was fun being up there with all the big names and lining up on the gate the adrenaline was really kicking in. I was on the gate with Dale Russel, Pat Campbell Jenner and David Graff. Off the start I felt that Dale was edging towards me and veered to the side, this unfortunately messed up my timing on the first straight and left me trailing by the first corner. I did my best to catch up but was never close enough to the action to be threatening any of the higher places. No one made any serious errors and so that was it, I was out of the comp. To be honest I couldnt have cared less. I was so happy to have been part of an event of this scale and getting that far was a massive achievement for me particularly this year having just come off the back of a fairly decent injury and able to get back to form in time for this event. Final position was 60th place which I was super happy with for my first ever World Cup. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/252864_1957235723531_1021866630_32226275_7817820_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/252864_1957235723531_1021866630_32226275_7817820_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />Watching the rest of the racing was really cool. The intensity of the top guys is absolutely nuts. Everything from raw power to the lunacy of of the lines they are prepared to hit is so much further beyond anything I have previously experienced in 4X. There really is a big jump up moving to World Cup level 4X and rightly so. As a spectacle it looks absolutely fantastic the coverage and the way the event was setup and run makes it look really impressive and great on TV. This is the sort of action that can spread the sport wider into the public domain and we really are in a position now to push it to a bigger audience. It was amazing to be part of such an event and an incredibly intense experience. Part of me now wants to run away having ticked that box and said I have done it, the other part wants to dive in and have a focused effort to step my game up and take on a few more of these world class events next year. I guess we will have to wait and see on this one!!<br /><br />Big thanks to Chris Ratford for taking some awesome pics throughout the week and for Cotic and SurfSales whose excellent support and fantastic bike allowed me to get to the World Cup and take part in such a fantastic event. To see the action in full check it out on <a href="http://uk.freecaster.tv/mountainbike/1014859/replay-uci-world-cup-2011-4x-2-fort-william-gbr">Freecaster</a> My heat is about 24 minutes in!Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-89405227683049251802011-05-27T15:34:00.003+01:002013-03-17T11:07:18.521+00:00Big week ahead.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://fortwilliamworldcup.co.uk/rare-management/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/4x5.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px;" src="http://fortwilliamworldcup.co.uk/rare-management/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/4x5.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Works done and I am packing up ready for an epic week on the bikes. This weekend it all kicks off lightly with a National 4X on the saturday and then a European 4X round on the Sunday up at my local track in Afan. We are then packing up the cars and heading North to Glentress and Inners before ending up at Fort William for my first ever World Cup. It is an interesting mix of nerves and excitement at the moment, well saying that right now it is a frantic dash to get packed and make sure nothing is forgotten!! <br /><br />I will keep the updates coming via Twitter so keep an eye on my account (@RobbieRickman) to find out how the week is developing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/230512_10150194243294288_239390814287_6852408_7816816_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/230512_10150194243294288_239390814287_6852408_7816816_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The Wideopen boys have a nice preview and timings for this weekend <a href="http://wideopenmag.co.uk/news/10236/race-preview-schwalbe-4x-afan">up here.</a> There will be plenty of Pro's down for this race and Sky TV are there doing the filming so its worth checking out and mixing with a lap of The Wall if you are local. The track is literally at the top of the final decent on that trail.Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-90335226307441802862011-05-10T08:42:00.003+01:002011-05-10T09:11:09.215+01:00NPS 4X Rd2 PORC<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5706507774/" title="DSC02444 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2121/5706507774_9732af4030.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="DSC02444"></a><br /><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5705937877/" title="DSC02546 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2076/5705937877_d940a25933_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="DSC02546"></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5706502702/" title="DSC02454 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3175/5706502702_fe3ff797f6_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="DSC02454"></a><br /></td></table><br /><br />This weekend saw the 2nd round of the NPS 4X series at PORC right down in the south east of the country. The track features a narrow start leading to a tight left hander putting a lot of emphasis on getting a good gate. This leads out over the bridge and down the main straight which is probably the fastest straight of the season. It is flat out with long low jumps and fires you into a large bermed 180. The next 2 straights have been modified this year providing more options for overtaking for those keen on the pedals. Both feature big 180 degree corners. This spits you out over two left handed hips and over a road gap into a loose corner, the finish line is more or less in sight by this point and only a seriously ballsy last minute move would allow the finish order to change. A flat left hander leads into a new double and then some drops and then a short sprint to the finish line. The track is a blast, very hairy in places and I think the changes they have made meant it was racing well with moves being made on the middle section of the track. The weather was a real mixed bag, mainly it was very hot sunny and very dusty but overnight we were getting massively heavy rain which cleared the dust and greased up the lower flat corners. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5705936791/" title="DSC02200 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3164/5705936791_cb8143d78c.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="DSC02200"></a><br /><br />The motos were highly heated and looked very well fought in all the categories. Senior seems to have stepped up again in competitiveness and there are a lot of riders pushing hard to make the quarters. Unfortunately in the Senior quarter finals there was a very serious crash. The officials made the right decision to call off all further racing off. The rider, Scott Shepherd was taken to hospital via air ambulance. I think its fair to say that everyone on the 4X scene is thinking about Scott and we all wish him all the best in making a full and speedy recovery.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://wideopenmag.co.uk/images/187653_513073816_237992_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 270px;" src="http://wideopenmag.co.uk/images/187653_513073816_237992_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-55667700007355566982011-05-04T08:38:00.003+01:002011-05-04T09:18:59.708+01:00Greek Easter<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5686014099/" title="DSC02045 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5186/5686014099_53b7e41c29.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="DSC02045"></a><br /><br />I will let age take the hit for this one, I just went away on a holiday with my roadbike. I am not sure when things changed but a few years ago that never would have happened, or at least I would never have admitted it! Me and Katie went out to the Greek island of Corfu for Easter, the bikes came along and we did a cycle tour around the island. The Greeks out there are known to celebrate Easter properly and it was a seriously cool event. Their culture is based around food and socialising and this really was the emphasis of the religious festival. The main town out there is Corfu town. It is a very picturesque place and for the whole Easter weekend the majority of the islands inhabitants could be found in the towns small streets and squares. There were big processions, fireworks, pot smashings, egg smashings and every family had an entire lamb on their barbeque and were laying on massive feasts for the occasion. Food is a bit of a passion of ours and the Greeks really understand the value of quantity so that side of things was a real winner! The craziest part of the whole easter event was the pot smashing. The main square in the town filled up from all directions with a steady stream of people. Everyone was there from grans to babies and the odd dog brought along for good measure. Once there was literally no space left to breathe a small space, literally only a few meters deep was cleared in front of the buildings surrounding the square. This was the target for the buildings occupants to hurl terracotta pots into from the balconies above. It is lucky to get hit by flying fragment (probably not whole pots) so being up close and personal with the carnage is meant to be a good thing! We were about 4 rows from the front which was more than close enough for this unordered chaos. <br /><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5686013331/" title="DSC02027 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5257/5686013331_7506243604_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="DSC02027"></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5686580288/" title="DSC01959 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5069/5686580288_e05eeccbe8_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="DSC01959"></a><br /></td></table><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5686580538/" title="DSC01986 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5106/5686580538_912df063e0.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="DSC01986"></a><br /><br />Greeks like competition and a chance to show off and so there were progressively bigger pots emerging from balcony windows. The climax was when a few 6foot tall pots requiring 3 people to lift them were dropped less than gracefully from a 4th story balcony. It was quite an engaging experience. The police there were taking a blase approach to protecting the safety of the onlookers and after they had blown their whistles a few times it seemed that they reasoned there was nothing else they could do and so let the crowd bulge past any optimistic safety tapes laid out on the ground. The cycling was nice, the locals thought we were totally insane, no one else cycles out there. The north end of the island has some really scenic terrain, the roads were quiet and the weather was nice without being overkill. All in all it was a really nice trip even if it does mark a dangerous descent from the cool steps of mountain biking towards becoming some kind of leisure cyclist!<br /><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5686578896/" title="DSC01363 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5288/5686578896_ea4bb09802_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="DSC01363"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5686579366/" title="DSC01578 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5142/5686579366_4305400e7b_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="DSC01578"></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5686011641/" title="DSC01427 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5246/5686011641_1987a19d72_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="DSC01427"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5686578140/" title="DSC01227 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5241/5686578140_ddbbfa532a_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="DSC01227"></a><br /></td></table>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-67516822079293661742011-04-06T07:49:00.002+01:002013-03-17T11:14:24.761+00:00Rd1 Race Report published on SouthernDownhill.My race report from the weekend has made it on to Southern Downhill accompanied by some very slick looking pictures from Dave Franciosy, <a href="http://ride.io/racing/schwalbe-british-4x-rnd-1-report/">check it out</a>!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ride.io/racing/schwalbe-british-4x-rnd-1-report/"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 330px; height: 60px;" src="http://ride.io/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/RIO-logo.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ride.io/racing/schwalbe-british-4x-rnd-1-report/"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 330px" src="http://ride.io/wp-content/uploads/stories/reports/British4x/Rnd12011/robbie-cotic-bikes.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://ride.io/wp-content/uploads/stories/reports/British4x/Rnd12011/robbie-cotic-bikes.jpg"></a>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-5085143222404969412011-04-05T08:23:00.003+01:002011-04-05T08:52:18.392+01:00NPS4x 2011 Rd1: Leamington Spa<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5591687670/" title="DSC00777 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5102/5591687670_7b4fc6aff7.jpg" width="500" height="233" alt="DSC00777"></a><br /><br />This weekend saw the opening round of the national 4x series at Leamington Spa. It was a hell of a start to the season, these people spreading the quite frankly ridiculous rumours that 4X is dead need to get to an event and check one of these events out, the atmosphere was buzzing. There were 40 riders signed up in Senior, 20 Elite riders on top of the Youth, Juvenile and fun categories making 170 riders in total. Even the women were really well represented and battling hard. This year the series is looking very pro. The trackside was lined with big team stands and there were loads of spectators giving the event a real motocross feel and great atmosphere. The quality of the organisation from Naked Racing is top notch and very slick. Out on the track the it is obvious how competitive the team competition is going to be this year. There are now a number of really big teams displaying some trick looking bikes and striking race kit. The big players for this season are going to be team 44Racing who have last years victory to defend but that wont be an easy task when up against the formidable looking team Identiti and team Nukeproof. It was also great to see a load of the dirtjump scene signed up and charging hard, Glen Coe was on the gates and Ross Tricker was back giving 4X another go in the Elites.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5591094497/" title="DSC00660 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5176/5591094497_bba0e1e01c.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="DSC00660"></a><br /><br /><br />The track has just been rebuilt and so it was super fresh for this event. The track has a clear BMX influence with lots of steep close set jumps and rollers. First straight was awkward right off the gate, first pedal stroke put you into a small double that required good timing and control to pedal over then there are 3 doubles that split into a small roller/double and a do or die double into the inside of the first corner. This line couldnt be rolled, it was the faster but slightly more risky option. On the ouside there was a triple to double. Again very closely spaced so you had to be really on the ball or else it got really ragged. The first corner was long and loose and tarmac on the second half. This saw some big crashes as people struggled to hold the inside flatout. Out of this corner was a large camel hump table, most people were stepping on to the hump but a few were storming the corner and clearing the lot. This lead into an S-turn and a few more BMX style roller doubles. A right hander lead into the final straight where the track split to form the pro line on the left and a load of small tight rollers and doubles on the right. The proline isnt the biggest out there but the run in out of the corner is more or less uphill so you really have to be on the cranks to have the speed. Not everyone was into the BMX feel of the track but I think we need to have a range of tracks that make a dynamic and interesting race series and which can test the full range of riders skills. It was definitely challenging to ride but good fun, its a track that I would love to have on my doorstep as there is so much there to play with and learn from.<br /><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5591094137/" title="DSC00713 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5230/5591094137_a5d0d3466b_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="DSC00713"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5591686598/" title="DSC00715 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5106/5591686598_5cd48a6993_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="DSC00715"></a><br /></td><td><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5591094859/" title="DSC00742 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5026/5591094859_11e57fe4df_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="DSC00742"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5591686940/" title="DSC00668 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5307/5591686940_5b18f7a159_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="DSC00668"></a><br /></td></table><br /><br />The sky was threatening to produce a big storm but we managed to dodge the worst of it and we had a mixture of sun and big heavy clouds with some wind to keep people on their toes down the first straight. The track did produce some good racing and really showed which riders were still asleep from the winter break. Most of the action happened on the first straight but there were plenty of moves being made lower down the track. The best racing of the day was coming from Nathon Parsons. It was his first race in Elite and he was pushing to the limit and not giving any of the more experienced Elite riders an easy time on the track. In one of the motos he came from 4th at the end of the first straight and chased down the riders in front making up two places by the finish. Nate made it to the A finals but got tangled with Oggy to take 4th overall. Not a bad first outing! In Senior Alistair Keen was the shocker of the day. He is a Leamington local and has clearly been getting the practice in as he was storming every moto and held it all the way to a 3rd place finish overall. The big crash prizes went to Ross Tricker who was gunning for the inside on the first corner but caught the other riders wheel and lost it at full pace shoulder barging the upslope of the next jump which marked the end of his racing for the day due to a suspected collar bone injury. Tom Knight had a good one coming off one of the doubles half way along the first straight getting thrown impressively over the bars with bike still attached. He got away with it and was back up and sprinting back down the track. Lee Ferry went down sending the camel top table in what looked like a really heavy crash but luckily he was back up and able to race. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5591687310/" title="DSC00748 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5304/5591687310_53777d7321.jpg" width="500" height="211" alt="DSC00748"></a><br /><br />I was happy with my day. It was literally my first day back on a mountain bike since the cast came off. The ankle was giving me some grief in practice so I took it easy and got it strapped up ready for races. My first two motos werent that great. I was too fresh on the track and a little hesitant which gave me two 3rd place finishes. the last two went a lot better and I was feeling my racing form coming back and feeling like I was riding far more respectably. Third moto was a 2nd place finish. The last moto I had a decent start but got chopped at the end of the first straight and didnt have the speed for the inside line. Coming from the back I managed to get back with the pack and finished the moto in 3rd. This wasnt enough to get through to the quarters but I am super happy to be back on the bike and its great to know that even after hanging up a few jumps the leg is in one piece and good to go. Bring on the next round!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5591687478/" title="DSC00773 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5229/5591687478_1228ff77f4.jpg" width="500" height="224" alt="DSC00773"></a><br /><br />Thanks to Chris Roberts and the team at Naked Racing for putting on another great event. It was brilliant to see so many riders out, the scene looks really vibrant at the moment, the atmosphere was awesome, I am looking forward to seeing how this 4X buzz develops throughout the season. If any of you DHers realise you are missing out and want to give 4X a stab then next round is at PORC on the May the 8th.<br /><br /><br />Heres a nice video from Duncan Philpott covering the event.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/21923766?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="398" height="224" frameborder="0"></iframe>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-57822586692058842802011-03-28T19:24:00.004+01:002011-04-05T08:53:21.050+01:00Video Blog: Back on two LegsHere is my first attempt at video blogging. In all honesty I am still getting my head round the software, IMovie seems to hide and disguise all the actually useful controls. This vid could probably still do with a few more tweaks particularly on the audio side but I think these projects reach a point where it just needs to be sent out, I would end up fiddling forever otherwise! It does however leave plenty of room for improvement so expect bigger and better things next time and possibly a little more mountain bike riding! First race is next weekend, I still havent tested my leg on the MTB so it could go either way. I am confident and feeling strong so with any luck it will be a good weekend and if nothing else it will be good to catch up with everyone after the winter break. <br /><br />UPDATE: Followed some feedback and got the audio levels sorted so heres the new tweaked version!<br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/21634078?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="398" height="224" frameborder="0"></iframe>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-83157454798645310362011-03-15T16:06:00.004+00:002011-03-15T18:01:56.039+00:00BUCS 2011 - Moelfre<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/21066205" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/21066205">BUCS 2011 - Moelfre Student Championships</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/rickman">Rob Rickman</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br />I was on camera duty for this years BUCS. It was a great weekend and really nice to be back out in the welsh hills. The weather was a mixed affair but that didnt dampen the mood and there was plenty of excitement both on and off the track. Swansea was well represented, we had 5 riders posting more than respectable times. It is fair to say that thanks to the shear genius of the vibe trolley swansea was also responsible for bringing the party. The XC on the sunday was fantastic, a straight up straight down track, the down being down one of the DH tracks the up being up the uplift track. Bike skills were required along with brutal fitness. The steep showdown section provided endless entertainment as rider after rider were sliding out or getting flicked over the bars. There is a strange beauty about that unavoidable moment when the front end digs in which when combined with an epically high saddle and an extended stem forces the rider into a slow but perfect arc over the bars, the bike following thanks to the carefully engineered clipless pedals. All of us who practice the statistically safer sport of DH had a great time cheering on the XC riders and providing helpful advice and support whilst sitting in the sunshine nursing a hangover. All this action has been crammed into the video above for all the non students out there who want to know what they are missing. Once again BUCS wins the prize for the best atmosphere and all round event, thanks to all the organisers for pulling it off again this year.Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-69442206578997024742011-03-04T11:00:00.002+00:002011-03-04T11:11:10.701+00:00Oot n AbootThis is why I would be hard pushed to leave Swansea. Since the weather has picked up and we have had some stunning mornings I have been taking the long route into work down the Clyne valley cycle path. It feels fantastic to be out first thing, flying down through the woods with no cars around for miles and the dappled early light creating a striking mix of colours. For now the cross tyres are still on which help take out the odd bump and allows the Rat to keep exploring when the tarmac runs out.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5496787568/" title="DSC00014 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5098/5496787568_e758081165.jpg" width="458" height="500" alt="DSC00014" /></a>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-39876004651216424552011-02-26T16:39:00.002+00:002011-02-26T17:00:56.284+00:00Back on the road!The big news is the cast is now off and I am back on a bike! The doctor doesn't recommend anything too agressive for a while so the BFe is still locked up and sitting in the corner looking neglected. After so long being immobile it feels great to get back out on the road bike and getting some freedom back. Today was a gentle but rather cold and blustery ride out onto the Gower. My leg feels far more natural on the bike than walking at the moment, cycling was actually far easier than I expected after so long off. The goal now is to stay intact and get fit ready for the race season.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5479372446/" title="IMG_0234 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5017/5479372446_b1e9a0ed0f.jpg" width="500" height="374" alt="IMG_0234" /></a>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-39413344652707297102011-02-21T20:03:00.004+00:002011-02-21T20:26:38.575+00:00Protection (apparently I need it!) from Kali and TrickXKali have just sent down one of their new line of Piss Pots the Samra. The graphics look sharp and the fit is a noticeable improvement on my Maha from last year. The new shape feels far more fitted and super secure so big thumbs up there.<br /><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5461223975/" title="IMG_0200 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5055/5461223975_e97bd5c9c0_m.jpg" width="240" height="179" alt="IMG_0200" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5461223501/" title="IMG_0199 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5296/5461223501_0b4d7d0db8_m.jpg" width="240" height="179" alt="IMG_0199" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><br />To go with the new lid TrickX have provided knee pads and ankle guards. The knee pads follow the standard slimline pad design that positions foam and a hard knee cap exactly where it is needed. They look tough and this tried and tested approach to protection will no doubt result in secure and comfy pads that will stay in place when shit hits the fan. <br /><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5461224563/" title="IMG_0201 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5252/5461224563_66d56ca7b6.jpg" width="240" height="179" alt="IMG_0201" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5461225117/" title="IMG_0202 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5214/5461225117_6152c5424a_m.jpg" width="179" height="240" alt="IMG_0202" /></a></td></table>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-75766782707863560022011-02-21T19:53:00.003+00:002011-02-21T20:02:49.434+00:00Sneak peak at the BFe's new KCNC BlingShiny new bits just landed on the door step, first impressions are really good unfortunately first tests wont be for another few weeks yet. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5461220747/" title="IMG_0193 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5252/5461220747_5d66fae117.jpg" width="500" height="374" alt="IMG_0193" /></a><br /><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5461221403/" title="IMG_0194 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5091/5461221403_682d86e70b_m.jpg" width="240" height="179" alt="IMG_0194" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5461221893/" title="IMG_0195 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5134/5461221893_e5f7cd6a9d_m.jpg" width="240" height="179" alt="IMG_0195" /></a><br /><br />Did I mention all this time off the bike has robbed me of my sanity!<br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5461222941/" title="IMG_0197 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5138/5461222941_7076e7b4d0_m.jpg" width="240" height="179" alt="IMG_0197" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5461222437/" title="IMG_0196 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5300/5461222437_cc1e786f66_m.jpg" width="240" height="179" alt="IMG_0196" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5461220173/" title="IMG_0182 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/5461220173_438908406b_m.jpg" width="240" height="179" alt="IMG_0182" /></a></td></table>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-89813915902885810382011-02-07T09:40:00.006+00:002011-02-07T09:56:16.475+00:00Southern Downhill Interview<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.southerndownhill.com/news/interviews/cotic-rider-robbie-rickman-interview.html"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdB1Ws30vVbouEjvJgqjoniV7gneEkvxo7Zn6rQKZdEpyxLuM7TMqTkodYke-xyM6mswHCcXLf_80qRRs2HW-MeV1kqpxIvKvMrHyDsudT4QUwJ6zIVVYnmsuYFrQxscDv8e3SS06dLgsk/s400/Screen+shot+2011-02-07+at+09.43.17.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570883882767941618" /></a><br /><br />I was interviewed by Rob from SouthernDownhill this weekend about life and Four Cross racing. If you need some monday morning distraction then the full interview can be found <a href="http://www.southerndownhill.com/news/interviews/cotic-rider-robbie-rickman-interview.html">here.</a>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-60293422494289378412011-02-03T09:50:00.002+00:002011-02-03T10:30:00.444+00:00Discount BFe's<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cotic.co.uk"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 450px;" src="http://www.cotic.co.uk/home/features/primary/BFe-sale.png" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Cy has just announced an offer on Cotic's awesome BFe frame. For this month only they are down to £300. If you are after a super fun, thrash around hardtail that can take on more or less any type of riding then it is definitely worth checking out their website for more info (<a href="http://www.cotic.co.uk">www.cotic.co.uk</a>).Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-56631975389164134342011-01-10T20:28:00.017+00:002013-03-17T11:17:37.945+00:00New Year Guide to Nailing Spins, Wheels and Bones<table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5307175698/" title="IMG_3560 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5041/5307175698_7bfa1d8cac.jpg" width="240" alt="IMG_3560" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5307172204/" title="IMG_3585 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5244/5307172204_8e2a1fa75d_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_3585" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5315995125/" title="IMG_8493 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5285/5315995125_279a6a1850.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="IMG_8493" /></a><br /><br />"Tricks are for Kids" well it seems maybe this time I should have listened. Cy lent me one of the new XS BFe's to play on over the christmas period along with some light encouragement to see how the XS behaves as a throw about, freestyle type bike. To be honest I have got a bit carried away with having a small flickable bike to play around on, but it is a hell of a lot of fun. It makes a really nice change my usual long, fast stable setup. Getting back on something more diminuitively sized has sent me back to the riding I did as a teenager. When first getting into bikes we would go out and find some little pimple or dirtjump and mess about playing with tricks, boosting and generally just having a laugh. I have to say, the christmas break in the end really was that, a real laugh. The XS has now been out in the snow, tentatively aired in a cold icy mini ramp, manualed around a small council skatepark, sprinted down a rather waterlogged BMX track and taken a lot of abuse on the dirt jumps at our local sand quarry. This is where the XS belongs in my view, out in the parks and smashing the dirtjumps.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5307104903/" title="IMG_8451 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5001/5307104903_b701c9b24e.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="IMG_8451" /></a><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5307105471/" title="IMG_8449 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5169/5307105471_9cc4c251bf_m.jpg" width="240" height="233" alt="IMG_8449" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5307697022/" title="IMG_8457 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5307697022_d4bd06e6b8_m.jpg" width="164" height="240" alt="IMG_8457" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><br />So from the beginning. My first real taste of the XS was on the brand new and beautifully crafted concrete mini ramp that has just been built in my village. It took some time clearing the ice from the inside of the ramp but it was an opportunity not to be missed. Dropping in was hairy with the ice covered coping sucking the wheels out sideways but the transition was nice and the XS was very comfortable to air. My mini ramp tricks are more honed outside the ramp, back in the day we rode a lot of mini, it was all about smooth manuals across the length of the ramp and tricks to tyre tap, the odd failed pedal grind. Snow was killing this kind of action but it was still fun to pump around and throw the bike into the air. <br /><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5307173840/" title="IMG_3613 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5130/5307173840_3a520441b8_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="IMG_3613" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5307174488/" title="IMG_3614 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5241/5307174488_4b1b2d2c14_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="IMG_3614" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5307176438/" title="IMG_3563 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5169/5307176438_6f3095cc89.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="IMG_3563" /></a><br /><br />My personal mission for the Christmas hol was to relearn 360's. I have tried a few spins on flyouts on my normal BFe but it really is hardwork to get the bike to spin. The extra length just keeps it railed in a straight line and it really has to be hauled into a rotation. 360's are one of those tricks that I very almost had as a kid. I could do them over small box jumps in parks but never had the guts to throw one over a proper double. The sand quarry this winter has been the perfect training facility for nailing this trick. Being sand it really is a winter venue as it needs water to keep the jumps held together. It builds quick but also erodes fast and sand is definitely one of the nicer substrates to bail onto. I have got to thank the local guys because this year there was a really nice 6 pack riding a small semi table top jump and a larger double with long soft landing for stepping the tricks onto. The place is also the host of 'famous' an absolute monster jump built by Grant Fielder, Blake Sampson and Sam Pilgrim. Luckily that one was not really in a rideable form, it has an immense run in from the top of the quarry wall and the take off is a super steep and massively imposing piece of spadework, the landing long wide and soft. It is one of those scary beasts that looks humongous but worryingly doable. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5307172692/" title="IMG_3592 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5084/5307172692_d39f349b23.jpg" width="500" height="343" alt="IMG_3592" /></a><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5306582561/" title="IMG_3559 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5244/5306582561_1811d19d8e_m.jpg" width="240" height="135" alt="IMG_3559" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5306585117/" title="IMG_3579 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5042/5306585117_c3856b9501_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_3579" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><br />The first session up there was a chilled out affair. It took a while to get out of race mode and hit the jumps at a slow dirt jump pace. Initially I was charging about with twice the speed I needed, squashing the lips and having to fight the over hectic nature at this tempo. Once the speed mellowed and I had found a more suitable flow we had a mint session on the 6 pack. The 6 pack is a nice size where the jumps are big enough to play on but by no means intimidating or overly risky. The larger jump at the side of the quarry was a little more intimidating. It had a nice steep take off, reasonable gap and a slight bomb hole before reaching the takeoff ramp. With no setup before it speed is somewhat guess work. First attempt was too fast and I totally miss judged the bomb hole killing my launch and ending in a nice solid hang up on the back of the lander. Spades had to come back out to mend the mess. Second attempt was far more successful. I was able to send it high and 90 percent in control. The short bomb hole meant the takeoff came up very quickly and it required nice timing to feel balanced in the air over this jump. Never the less Grant and Blake showed up later in the day and were busting flips and spins over this jump with upsetting ease. <br /><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5306584495/" title="IMG_3578 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5166/5306584495_ff1e2d37b9_m.jpg" width="240" height="184" alt="IMG_3578" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5307178386/" title="IMG_3581 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5006/5307178386_ae8feae9ae_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_3581" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5307178992/" title="IMG_3591 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5207/5307178992_b6c0d8c6f5.jpg" width="500" height="336" alt="IMG_3591" /></a><br /><br />Having got my taste for the jumps my mission was to start bringing out the 3's. First attempts were on a flyout, I found spins initiated really nicely on the XS but was struggling to keep the front wheel at a reasonable height and had the bike near vertical through the rotation. I blamed this on the awkward nature of the flyout and decided it was time to transfer them to the smaller table. A couple of chicken runs lead to the first attempt that was succesful in the sense I got round but front wheel was high and one foot was not on the pedals. The sensation is strange, and pretty full on. In a sense when learning these things you have to chuck them fairly blind and hit them with confidence to maximise the chances of a good outcome. Assuming a reasonable take off it is only on the last portion of the spin, reaching round with your head where you really know how its going to work out and there it this last minute panic of trying to crank out the extra rotation needed or surpress any extra momentum. After a few attempts I was getting the front wheel low but not getting the distance I needed to travel through the air any where near right. I had about 4 or 5 attempts a couple of crashes but felt happy to be able to succesfully judge the rotation even if landing on the right part of the jump wasnt working. Last attempt of the day was a quality crash where I put extra effort in to make the landing. I held onto the bike for the complete rotation but landed heavily on the front wheel, dug in and ended up on the floor with my handlebars in my chest. This marked time to leave before any serious damage was done.<br /><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5316584964/" title="IMG_8501 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5250/5316584964_9ebbdff6c7_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="IMG_8501" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5316586186/" title="IMG_8498 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5048/5316586186_f4bbbfe0ea_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="IMG_8498" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><table><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs013.snc6/166357_10150363180140346_729630345_16133038_5335729_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs013.snc6/166357_10150363180140346_729630345_16133038_5335729_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs098.snc4/36277_10150363184495346_729630345_16133175_7921768_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs098.snc4/36277_10150363184495346_729630345_16133175_7921768_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1365.snc4/163722_10150363182360346_729630345_16133097_2936370_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1365.snc4/163722_10150363182360346_729630345_16133097_2936370_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs062.snc6/167221_10150363177645346_729630345_16132954_8460_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs062.snc6/167221_10150363177645346_729630345_16132954_8460_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1396.snc4/164807_10150363186800346_729630345_16133246_6630066_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 540px; height: 720px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1396.snc4/164807_10150363186800346_729630345_16133246_6630066_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Second session at the jumps I was jumping far more naturally and feeling far more confident on the bike. First attempt at a 360 of the day went well. It was a really nice stable rotation, I cleared onto the landing and barely drifted sideways. The problem was on the landing I wrapped the rear wheel into the frame. The obvious answer to this was to get the spoke key out, jump on the rim until straight and keep riding. This worked and we had a good play on the 6 pack. Second 360 of the day was near identical nice rotation but folded wheel on landing. Feeling I had 360's fairly well nailed I wanted to step them up onto a proper jump. This spot with its soft landings is one of the few places I am prepared to try this kind of thing, the usual hard packed dirt sends the risk level too high for my liking. I knew I would probably have only one shot at the 360 over the larger jump so I got the guys to arm their cameras ready and hoped they would not miss the shot. A serious amount of 'maning up' later and switching all sensible thought processes to the back of my mind I dropped in. I had the bomb hole pumped nicely, I felt balanced up the take off and initiated a nice spinning action. Chances felt good, only as I reached the top of the take off there was a massive crack and my rear wheel folded in two. This stalled my bike and sent me careering through the air backwards. I managed to land with my shoulders onto the very top of the landing and rolled out but the bike dictated that it was game over for the day. Still the psychological hard work was done.<br /><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5356806724/" title="IMG_0924 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5042/5356806724_83b18e3dc3_m.jpg" width="240" height="152" alt="IMG_0924" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5356807040/" title="IMG_0925 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5003/5356807040_d53d7cc644_m.jpg" width="240" height="158" alt="IMG_0925" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5356807414/" title="IMG_0926 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5356807414_31f9e7441c_m.jpg" width="240" height="157" alt="IMG_0926" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5356195465/" title="IMG_0930 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/5356195465_811f80fb4e_m.jpg" width="240" height="164" alt="IMG_0930" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5356808096/" title="IMG_0931 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5205/5356808096_b7ac8a4411_m.jpg" width="240" height="153" alt="IMG_0931" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><br />I needed another poke at getting the 3 on the larger jump. All my mates had finished their christmas break and with relatively good odds of hurting myself I didnt want to end up jumping alone. In the end my parents kindly offered to take photographer duties and so we were back in the car with a fresh rear wheel ready to take on a 'proper 3'. On getting there it was clear this would not be on. The guys were changing the larger set and it wasnt going to be riding for the day. After a bit of warming up I tried a couple of 3's on the smaller ramp. The first was perfect. Nice and high and clean to the landing with little drift. The second however was not so nice. I got off balance and squirley on the take off and ended up ditching the bike. I stayed just about in control and landed on both feet facing forward. There was a loud blunt noise which turned out was my fibular snapping. I walked away but my leg would not hold my weight. After a brief moment on the floor getting my breath back I got up and could feel a crunching sensation. The strange thing was no considerable pain. Arguably one of the other great things about this jump spot is that there is a Minor Injuries unit literally across the road. Within a few hours of snapping the bone it was X-Rayed and in a cast. By far my quickest and most efficient hospital experience! No pins have been needed but the injury will unfortunately keep me off the bikes for a while and the worst thing is I now still dont know if I could have landed a proper mansized 3.<br /><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5356196179/" title="IMG_0948 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5127/5356196179_c4c64de7dc_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_0948" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5356809018/" title="IMG_0956 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5209/5356809018_1b00bb7977_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_0956" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5356809286/" title="IMG_0977 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5281/5356809286_c8da48b4fa_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_0977" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5356808738/" title="IMG_0951 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5041/5356808738_4f2e82d80b_m.jpg" width="240" height="168" alt="IMG_0951" /></a><br /></td></table>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-61377803894035761822010-12-20T22:44:00.003+00:002010-12-20T23:08:01.452+00:00SnowRat<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5278759310/" title="IMG_3489 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5083/5278759310_49e03cfdcb.jpg" width="500" height="235" alt="IMG_3489" /></a><br />This cold snap has produced some lively conditions out on the roads, the mix of snow and ice makes getting about a load more interesting than usual. I recently chucked some cyclocross tyres on the Rat. These things have been absolutely fantastic now that things have got slippery. In the snow and ice I feel as in control as on the mountainbike but with none of the excess drag. The Rat sporting these cyclocross rubbers has been perfect for flying around the city whilst everyone else is stuck inside or sliding around in their cars. I have to say that I have been enjoying it so much I keep taking the long route to work and avoiding the gritters to find the fresh snow and more challenging descents and climbs. Here are some early morning pics from the top of the hill, even the bay has had a splattering of snow!<br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5278758450/" title="IMG_3491 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5165/5278758450_b739a99a9c_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_3491" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5267774257/" title="IMG_3492 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5267774257_340106723f_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="IMG_3492" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5278758904/" title="IMG_3490 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5210/5278758904_cff49760f1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="IMG_3490" /></a>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-32975358321863442872010-12-04T18:28:00.005+00:002010-12-05T09:59:08.520+00:00Bfe: Extra Small and Extra GritstoneCy has made a bold move with a near invisible graphic scheme on the new gritstone BFe and it looks seriously sharp. The wrap matches the frame the logos are done in reflective vinyl which by normal light arent visible but ride past a strong light or get a flash on it and the graphics really pop. A cool effect that I reckon would make for some interesting pictures under the artificial lights in a skate park. Incidentally this is where this frame wants you to take it. The reduction in length makes it super chuckable and dead manageable on the back wheel, Pete more or less manualed the first straight of the pumptrack first try and he had only been on the bike an hour. The new stealth graphics will be grabbing some attention for sure, they have a really intriguing appeal. The look reminds me of a subtle version of Pashley's matt black frames from back in the day. Anyway enough of me rabbling here are some pics.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5231556879/" title="IMG_8059 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5208/5231556879_7b42749880.jpg" alt="IMG_8059" width="500" height="371" /></a><br /><br /><br /><table><tbody><tr><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5231555913/" title="IMG_8055 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/5231555913_0d44e053e7_m.jpg" alt="IMG_8055" width="240" height="160" /></a><br />No Flash</td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5231555415/" title="IMG_8052 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5208/5231555415_fb12c8c7c1_m.jpg" alt="IMG_8052" width="240" height="160" /></a><br />Flash!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table><tbody><tr><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5232148146/" title="IMG_8056 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5121/5232148146_343636bc2b.jpg" alt="IMG_8056" width="240" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5231554915/" title="IMG_8036 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5046/5231554915_eac9d4d556.jpg" alt="IMG_8036" width="240" /></a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5231554397/" title="IMG_7996 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5163/5231554397_ef6cd11d6a.jpg" alt="IMG_7996" width="500" height="333" /></a><br />Pete getting his slide on!Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-49412288227004770362010-12-04T18:03:00.003+00:002010-12-04T18:25:32.165+00:00Snow LinesStunning weather, snow, bikes what more can be said. We hit the hills and had loads of fun sliding around in the white stuff. Jonathon Lloyd was on the camera and did a great job of catching the action to compact flash. Lets hope theres more of this great winter weather to come.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5232155908/" title="IMG_8116 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5244/5232155908_b65bb8d5d1.jpg" width="500" height="110" alt="IMG_8116" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5232145492/" title="IMG_8001 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5046/5232145492_2fddc4bb3f.jpg" width="500" height="257" alt="IMG_8001" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5231563953/" title="IMG_8095 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5161/5231563953_8881727a80.jpg" width="500" height="221" alt="IMG_8095" /></a><br /><table><br /><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5232155160/" title="IMG_8210 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5206/5232155160_36f3a83fcb_m.jpg" width="240" height="126" alt="IMG_8210" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5232154768/" title="IMG_8282 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5232154768_e1a5b61ec1_m.jpg" width="240" height="121" alt="IMG_8282" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5231562379/" title="IMG_8269 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5201/5231562379_0617af27df_m.jpg" width="240" height="128" alt="IMG_8269" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5232153518/" title="IMG_8255 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5206/5232153518_61abe0ae99.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_8255" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5231560439/" title="IMG_8023 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5164/5231560439_655ae89342.jpg" width="500" height="278" alt="IMG_8023" /></a><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5231559969/" title="IMG_8022 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5241/5231559969_63de4e3d4e_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="IMG_8022" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5232151300/" title="IMG_8016 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5046/5232151300_4a043baa8d_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="IMG_8016" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5232150878/" title="IMG_8002 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5163/5232150878_5eb06fb52e.jpg" width="500" height="232" alt="IMG_8002" /></a><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5232150426/" title="IMG_8000 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5232150426_46f3296301_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="IMG_8000" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5231558177/" title="IMG_7995 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5250/5231558177_1fa74dee85_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="IMG_7995" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5231557713/" title="IMG_7994 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5088/5231557713_604d3330a5.jpg" width="500" height="220" alt="IMG_7994" /></a><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5232149142/" title="IMG_8227 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5167/5232149142_edf93d4e3d_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="IMG_8227" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5232153108/" title="IMG_8254 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/5232153108_a03d02372c_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="IMG_8254" /></a><br /></td></table>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-5027099294945868142010-11-12T13:26:00.006+00:002010-11-12T13:50:46.903+00:00Wet Welsh Windy NightWinters here, lights are strapped on ready for some urban night riding. Jonathan brought his camera and flash out and his new proto bike lights. We spent some time smashing into this leafy flower bed corner and playing with lighting options. Here are a few of the results. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5168835529/" title="IMG_7966 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1392/5168835529_abc789a7ed.jpg" width="480" alt="IMG_7966" /></a><br /><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5169434670/" title="IMG_7960 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1336/5169434670_3cf094559a_m.jpg" width="220" alt="IMG_7960" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5168835733/" title="IMG_7971 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1405/5168835733_259fc652ae_m.jpg" width="220" alt="IMG_7971" /></a></td></table>Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-1881521056983925532010-11-02T20:21:00.003+00:002013-03-17T11:20:24.097+00:00Autumn Chilling<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs930.snc4/74313_554997830634_289302378_3013725_7272136_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs930.snc4/74313_554997830634_289302378_3013725_7272136_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />It has been a bit quiet up on here recently so I though about time for an update. Following the end of the race season and the rapidly closing in evenings I have been making the most of the local riding here in Swansea. This has involved a whole load of the trail centres with a splattering of Kilvey and Clyne on the side. Kilvey is riding really well, there are now 3 full, official DH tracks on the hill. I am really enjoying the new track which is a nice tech affair tracking tightly through the trees at a relatively slow pace making for a decent length overall run. The original trail is still a super fun, rapid run. I sometimes forget what a great bike the BFe is when the trail gets faster and more challenging as I have pretty much spent the whole year on small XC tyres. Sticking some large bouncy rubbers on her and pointing her down a proper DH trail feels beautifully natural, balanced and puts a massive grin on my face. <br /><br /><table><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs467.ash2/74091_554704353764_289302378_3004076_586902_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs467.ash2/74091_554704353764_289302378_3004076_586902_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs929.snc4/74206_554704413644_289302378_3004082_2440109_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs929.snc4/74206_554704413644_289302378_3004082_2440109_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs796.snc4/67667_554704518434_289302378_3004090_1858715_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs796.snc4/67667_554704518434_289302378_3004090_1858715_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs465.ash2/73801_554704483504_289302378_3004088_3443189_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs465.ash2/73801_554704483504_289302378_3004088_3443189_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></td></table><br /><br />Clyne is all change at the moment, they have had a decent chunk of funding to link together the network of home built trails and make something more all weather and loopable. Rowan Sorrel and his crew have been involved, Moos trails has had a boost and the old dirt jumps are being rebuilt and targeted towards the beginner rider with some safe tabletop lines. This should see Clyne becoming a top quality local facility right in the heart of Swansea. Unfortunately a slight hiccup in the funding has put some the development on hold temporarily but I understand the project will be kicked off again at the start of the next financial year.<br /><br /><table><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs468.ash2/74128_554997760774_289302378_3013718_7138595_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs468.ash2/74128_554997760774_289302378_3013718_7138595_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs974.snc4/76756_554997750794_289302378_3013717_8343543_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px;" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs974.snc4/76756_554997750794_289302378_3013717_8343543_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></table><br /><br />Afan 4X track has seen some action with a University club day both last weekend and one planned for the weekend coming. The club now has an elite 4X rider, Pete Warner and with a local track it seems a few more people are getting inspired to give it a go. Last weekend was good fun, we were playing with race lines. The massive open, rough corners give so many options and open up some decent battles as all lines are compromised. Cut inside get ahead and aim to block or go wide carry speed and dart through on the next straight. I think the track will produce some top class racing. In places it still needs some love but I think with more people getting up there the track will ride itself in.<br /><br /><table><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5141171596/" title="IMG_3416 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1379/5141171596_bf072875e6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_3416" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/5141170616/" title="IMG_3403 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/5141170616_4ba9b2593f_m.jpg" height="180" alt="IMG_3403" /></a></td></table><br /><br />The RoadRat is getting daily action. It really is a solid, setup and forget bike. I am loving the simplicity, the Alfine hub works a treat and all bar a change of brake pads the bike really has required no attention. I have just equipped it with a set of the Hope dual LED lights with the intent of also using them on the BFe for some night rides. I am still a little uncertain about these lights, I have ridden halogen lights in the past and the spread of the beam made a lot of sense. These seem a little too focused for a sole handlebar mounted light but they are yet to be properly tested out on the trail so I will reserve judgement. Build quality is absolutely top notch and they come in a very nice compact, lightweight unit. Burn time is good and they make a great head torch but I think there are a few niggles that are amplified by the price tag which sets expectations high. Expect more to come on this topic with some head to head tests out in the woods as the winter progresses.Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2175853600175732266.post-39043257669727839242010-09-20T08:37:00.002+01:002010-09-20T08:56:46.773+01:00Chicksands NPS 4XApologies for the fantastically late post on this one. Chicksands held the last round of this years NPS 4x the weekend before last. Changes to the track destroyed what used to be a drag race to a multi-stage race. A loose chicane has been added halfway down before the triple producing a whole heap of action at the halfway point. The exit of this section was slow and created a staggered start as we had to get back on the pedals uphill towards the triple whilst everyone was bunched up and pushing for position. The track was very physical to say the least. <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/4996167443/" title="IMG_3141 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/4996167443_8b297c7546.jpg" width="500" height="233" alt="IMG_3141" /></a><br />Racing wise it did kind of work with moves being made the length of the track but the triple was now out of action and it didnt have the flow of other tracks that we have seen this year. In the senior category there was a bit of a mix up as some of the usual suspects didnt make it past the quarters. Keeny left it to the last round to show he can sometimes ride a bike and me and Mop Heap pushed out a few of the other higher seeded riders. The B-Final was a really good race. By the chicane I was somewhere near the head of the pack but left the door open and got taken out taking 7th for the day. Mop pushed ahead of me which gave him enough points to jump me in the season standings taking 8th place and so I finished the season in 9th overall. <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11034892@N07/4996167915/" title="IMG_3146 by robbie rickman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4147/4996167915_0441b592c3.jpg" width="500" height="208" alt="IMG_3146" /></a><br />The guy to watch for me was Duncan Ferris who was making some insane moves in the elite category. He was destroying the corners in a flat out do or die manner. The moves didnt stick every time but it was awesome to watch him push it right to and slightly past the limit.Robbie Rickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03802196667824996616noreply@blogger.com0