A depressing truth about modern society is that we have to take more and more responsibility for ourselves in completely new ways.
Sure we have more trappings of civilisation; legal institutions, UN conventions, media, communications, free markets and all that but these things in themselves present us with dilemmas and issues that have been hitherto almost unknown.
Yes it is a mountain biking blog, bear with me.
I dont need to move too far in my everyday life, got motorised vehicles, got remote controls, got portable communications devices, so there goes most of my 'incidental' exercise.
Food of a high standard (protien and fat loaded) are extremely accessible, even delivered if I wish and at a very affordable price so theres the fuel that my everyday life no longer requires.
You see where this is going?
The upshot of this situation is that we are in need of a reality check from time to time. For one there are millions of people who cannot find enough food to fuel their every day life, despite the shrinking world. Secondly it is a dangerous situation for our physical wellbeing, ah you know what I am saying, it makes us fat. Too much food, not enough exercise = lard-ass. ipso facto.
That is right, back to the subject of the blog and dont think this is purely a 'get out there and ride to stay slim' message I'm not that banal (not today leastways), its a case of performance and physical shape that affect your riding.
For a start heavier means slower climbing & harder climbing. It also has impact on how the bike and you perform technically, more top weight means balance is harder, more chance of pinch flats and loss of traction not to mention the potentially hazardous (or comical) situations when the brakes are not up to the job of bringing you to a stop in time!
Sure Mountain bike riding is a great way to stay in shape but the very sport you love could become far less fun if you put on the weight.
I will be headed to the hills this sunday, rain or shine, to slog it out on the trails and remind myself why I got a carbon frame and lightweight components, not for the sake of being able to eat myself into a huge sofa dent but so my riding could be better.
Its going to be a good year for riding, I have a list of trails that I need to explore and lots of people to go riding with.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Navigate
A necessary evil this one, but somebody should know the route you plan to ride.
Had we not met a logger driving a vintage Landcruiser or a bunch of Christian 4WDers we may well still be out in the jungle right now.
20k isnt very far in most places but in the Crocker Range National Park where there are only hills that go upwards its a bloody long way.
Out of water (schoolboy error), on the wrong road (ditto) the only thing that went right for us today was the fact that it was overcast. Had the sun been out we would have fried.
When we finally found a way out and made it to a small village, there was only rubbish Indonesian Cola for sale, no water! the obligatory sunday drunkards got free entertainment as Mark dispensed a tuneful belching session thanks to the over carbonated beverage.
Alls well that ends well or so they say, and apart from a little chafing we are none the worse for the experience and in a funny way it was a good day out on the bikes.
Grown men in their 30's and 40's, with more than a little experience riding mountain bikes in remote jungles of Asia, we really shouldn't be getting into scrapes like this should we? Theres no fools like an old fool...........
Had we not met a logger driving a vintage Landcruiser or a bunch of Christian 4WDers we may well still be out in the jungle right now.
20k isnt very far in most places but in the Crocker Range National Park where there are only hills that go upwards its a bloody long way.
Out of water (schoolboy error), on the wrong road (ditto) the only thing that went right for us today was the fact that it was overcast. Had the sun been out we would have fried.
When we finally found a way out and made it to a small village, there was only rubbish Indonesian Cola for sale, no water! the obligatory sunday drunkards got free entertainment as Mark dispensed a tuneful belching session thanks to the over carbonated beverage.
Alls well that ends well or so they say, and apart from a little chafing we are none the worse for the experience and in a funny way it was a good day out on the bikes.
Grown men in their 30's and 40's, with more than a little experience riding mountain bikes in remote jungles of Asia, we really shouldn't be getting into scrapes like this should we? Theres no fools like an old fool...........
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Wakey wakey!
You'd need to be a bit short of adequate mental faculties to have escaped the non-stop battering from both the 'Arab Spring' and the Global Financial Crisis.
We are, as a race committed to an awareness of the wider world and its goings-on. Tsunami in Japan, Russian space station, US presidential elections, whatever. There is no reason why many of these things should impact our lives but we choose to know about them. Knowing about them gives us perspective, enables us to reflect on our own lives and influences and enables us to become more rounded human beings.
In the Middle-East people are rising up, enough of the brutality of dictatorships they are saying and many are giving thier lives to the cause, nothing is more noble than sacrificing your lives for the benefit of the future of your people, nothing.
In the world of global financial wrangles there is almost the opposite going on, self-serving minorities of privileged people draining the world of its heart. Sucking out the hopes of millions of hard-working people and injecting vast quantities of despair where they had built hope and the facade of opportunity.
I was mulling these issues at the weekend as I watched the sweat stream off the end of my nose onto the hard-packed gravel on what felt like the worlds longest hill. My thighs were burning, not just from the exertion but the sun was stripping my flesh with no wind at all to cool me.
Its an abstract existance we have, so little of what we consider comes from direct experience, while I can get irritated by stupid European polititians whacking each other with their pathetic egos I dont really need to know this stuff, its makes little difference to me.
What did make a difference was the fact that every time I go out on my bike I realise that there is something that I meant to fix after my last ride that I never got around to. On this particular occaision it was sticky brakes, on the uphill that is far more irritating than anything Sarkozy or Cameron can say in a news conference.
Damn Juicy 5's have some glitch with the return spring on the levers and they just stick the pads against the rotor preventing the wheel from rotating freely. I am sure the resistance is tiny in real terms but on a hot uphill it feels disastrously unfair and I feel like a seal pup being beaten to death by a cruel Alaskan just because Sarah Palin needs a new purse.
The new carbon frame continues to be a source of pleasure and I remain happy with the gamble on buying unbranded from China. I guess it could blow apart any day but so, so good.
We are, as a race committed to an awareness of the wider world and its goings-on. Tsunami in Japan, Russian space station, US presidential elections, whatever. There is no reason why many of these things should impact our lives but we choose to know about them. Knowing about them gives us perspective, enables us to reflect on our own lives and influences and enables us to become more rounded human beings.
In the Middle-East people are rising up, enough of the brutality of dictatorships they are saying and many are giving thier lives to the cause, nothing is more noble than sacrificing your lives for the benefit of the future of your people, nothing.
In the world of global financial wrangles there is almost the opposite going on, self-serving minorities of privileged people draining the world of its heart. Sucking out the hopes of millions of hard-working people and injecting vast quantities of despair where they had built hope and the facade of opportunity.
I was mulling these issues at the weekend as I watched the sweat stream off the end of my nose onto the hard-packed gravel on what felt like the worlds longest hill. My thighs were burning, not just from the exertion but the sun was stripping my flesh with no wind at all to cool me.
Its an abstract existance we have, so little of what we consider comes from direct experience, while I can get irritated by stupid European polititians whacking each other with their pathetic egos I dont really need to know this stuff, its makes little difference to me.
What did make a difference was the fact that every time I go out on my bike I realise that there is something that I meant to fix after my last ride that I never got around to. On this particular occaision it was sticky brakes, on the uphill that is far more irritating than anything Sarkozy or Cameron can say in a news conference.
Damn Juicy 5's have some glitch with the return spring on the levers and they just stick the pads against the rotor preventing the wheel from rotating freely. I am sure the resistance is tiny in real terms but on a hot uphill it feels disastrously unfair and I feel like a seal pup being beaten to death by a cruel Alaskan just because Sarah Palin needs a new purse.
The new carbon frame continues to be a source of pleasure and I remain happy with the gamble on buying unbranded from China. I guess it could blow apart any day but so, so good.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Gimme dirt and gimme hills....
Right then, a lifetime ago I decided it was time to run a marathon, no idea why, why did not come into it, I just decided to do it. Had there been any mention of a why then it probably would never have happened and my knee would not hurt so much now but you live and learn, apparently.
Thing is my life has been dominated by the training, like a downtrodden servant I have been dutifully getting up way before dawn and plodding the streets of Kota Kinabalu to meet the demands of my evil master - The Training Schedule. It all culminated in a sweaty, nauseous overheated, five-hour odyssey of bleary-eyed ass-dragging on sunday.
Now I can go riding again.... and. I have four new bearings in my suspension, hopefully some improved stamina and a hunger for trails.
I shall take some photos of Dave trying to keep up with me, like he did to me before, git.
Thing is my life has been dominated by the training, like a downtrodden servant I have been dutifully getting up way before dawn and plodding the streets of Kota Kinabalu to meet the demands of my evil master - The Training Schedule. It all culminated in a sweaty, nauseous overheated, five-hour odyssey of bleary-eyed ass-dragging on sunday.
Now I can go riding again.... and. I have four new bearings in my suspension, hopefully some improved stamina and a hunger for trails.
I shall take some photos of Dave trying to keep up with me, like he did to me before, git.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Island expedition in October
Having heard some amazing stories about the islands of Balambangan and Banggi we have decided to run an adventure expedition there in October, purely for Sabah riders. Its gonna be unsupported and done as a team. If you might be interested drop us a line at simon@fieldskills.com.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Big ride coming up
Gonna take some punters on the round Kinabalu route along with a couple of pro-riders from OZ who are coming to do some skills and mechanics training for us.
My bike is getting new bearings fitted to the suspension after the last round Kinabalu ride! all four of them were totally mashed. Must have been made of cheese.
Anyway, anybody want to join in the fun? we are taking local riders at a fantastically reduced price on account of the fact that none of us get paid proper salaries and got no money.
Drop me a line for our special offer (simon@fieldskills.com).
When? oh yeah, 21 - 26 th of June
My bike is getting new bearings fitted to the suspension after the last round Kinabalu ride! all four of them were totally mashed. Must have been made of cheese.
Anyway, anybody want to join in the fun? we are taking local riders at a fantastically reduced price on account of the fact that none of us get paid proper salaries and got no money.
Drop me a line for our special offer (simon@fieldskills.com).
When? oh yeah, 21 - 26 th of June
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