JG facing heavy weather, somewhere between Chinley and Lantern Pike.
A spot of joyful technical fun where the streets are paved with carboniferous limestone - leave the road bikes at home ladies and gentlemen.
Wise words from Steve Jones...your legs are your suspension.
The terrain hasn't changed much since that glorious March day: still awesomely un-ridable on a hardtail - the challenge continues!
Racing: as for me I know there's not a snowball's chance of a podium - it's all about the camaraderie, being part of the scene and riding like a psycho for an hour without the usual threat of pedestrians in the way...
I almost wept with joy when this was published ;)
Not much has changed really since the mid 90's, save for the hair lengths and tube thicknesses.
In the UK you've just got to accept you'll be up against more than a light coating of dust after most rides...
Classic Peak line on a superb day.
The apex of targeted training: the White Lion Pork Pie...
GB rides old-skool and proud at Cannock Chase...big air and berms with seat post at full XC race height is a site to behold!
Ultra long term test bike, 1999 and still riding tech!
Gearing up for a session, and rebuilding skills left by the wayside for eight years, the tall-guy proves he can still work his way back up to eight foot doubles. Sweet.
We could talk about the various benefits all day, but when things really hit the fan, any wheel is better than none at all.
Nothing beats honing your skills on a munchkin bike. Who needs mountains anyway?
Contrast these covers with those of similar contemporary magazines sporting shots of 'gritty' XC on big travel bikes..industry led v olden days fun?