Shed Fire

Making things better

RSS

• 

  Kickstarter?

  I’ve had half an eye on Kickstarter over the last few whenevers. Was fascinating to watch Steve Domahidy of Niners new venture form and pass it’s target just hours before the end. It was dissapointing to watch Axey McBeardy, sorry, Jamie Hibberd’s Nu-Man magazine –βeta Male magazine fail. But maybe that’s because it’s hard to write Beta. Dunno.

  Sam at Singular has funded a couple of projects on there – the Rooster 29+ and the Puffin Fatbike.

  I tripped over this project the other day – a truly amazing project – for technical reasons – there seem to be a whole load of mountains to climb there, and also for funding reasons – exceeding it’s lofty target by a significant amount – the Vanhawks Valour is an amazing machine. Quite unlike anything that’s on the market right now, and created by people who don’t seem to have any current involvement in the cycling business. I hope they get it sorted. It’s a breath of fresh air, and from the funding received, and the style of bike it is, it’s an indication in the market that there’s something amiss in the specs and ranges from many large manufacturers. I’m a bit sceptical though…

  It’s not all fun and games – Nuseti seem a long way off their half million pound target, though have 36 days to run. It could all change.

  The Universal Bike is cute, but solves problems that I don’t think most people even understand.

  Dave  Weiner’s Priority Bicycle ticks similar boxes to the Vanhawks. Something that the big brands don’t have in their portfolio, certainly not the ones that they’re pushing in the UK or USA to my knowledge, and by the sign up rate – the public seem to think so too.

  Bikes should be simple, and so many are not. Brands that offer zillions of combinations of slightly different thing. Does a mountainbike brand need eight styles of handlebar, each coming in five or more colours?

  Anyhow – Rhys (not Reece) who works evenings at Old Gate Hebden up the road plays drums in a band called Leopards that are trying to raise some funds to do an EP release. It’s not on Kickstarter, but it’s on a music thingy like it.

  I’ve backed them. Rhys is great. Maybe you might like to back them too.

   

   

   

  shedfire 5:56 pm on July 24, 2014 | No Comments | # |
  

   
• 

  Broked and collared

  It’s been a while coming. I have been waiting for a big one to happen, and sure enough, Tuesday it arrived…

  We were on a test day with the DH bike and some fast lads at the Moelfre track. Thats not us in the vid, but thats the track we were riding. Some of the CRC Intense team were there too, and perhaps, in retrospect trying to keep up with Matt Simmons and Pagey was a mistake, especially on a borrowed bike (I wasn’t riding our sample).

  I’m still not entirely sure how, but I think I hit a kicker at about 1:55 on that vid, and took off into space . Cord found me about 10-15mins later, barely concious with a very broken bike. Big dints in my helmet and a pain in my shoulder.

  Ed from Greatrock valiantly whisked me to Wrexham Hospital, who checked me over, confirmed the damage – broken collarbone -, and in the process had to cut up my Dianesse suit. And my Icebreaker Merino. And my Aldi long sleeve.

  I have a fracture clinic appointment today, and a 13hr flight to Taiwan on Sunday. ~Hmmmmm.

  Ow.

  

  Anyone know where you can get new green Travis forks from?

  shedfire 8:39 am on March 18, 2010 | 20 Comments | # |
  

   
• 

  Tweak Bikes goes live

  
  Tweak Bikes is the name of the [brand] that I’ve been working on, and you’ve been watching for the last couple of months.

  We press-released it all this afternoon, and here’s the story on Bikeradar, and another on Singletrackworld.com.

  I’m just relieved to get it all out in the open at last so we can crack on with what we’re meant to be doing, rather than doing things with smoke and mirrors. Cheers!

  We’ve got a tweak website, but it’s not there yet – http://www.tweakbikes.com

  shedfire 6:52 pm on March 31, 2009 | 12 Comments | # |
  

   
• 

  Sounds like “bollocks” to me

  

  Taiwanese and Chinese people often adopt and English name to let stupid westerners do business with them easier. We were out in the company of Wei Hau (Pazzaz) the other night and decided that it was all wrong, and so asked if we could have Chinese name instead. 

  After looking us up and down they decided that I should be called this, as shown, which seems to be pronounced “bollocks” and is something to do with a racehorse. Better that than the first one they thought for me which was “ta ta ta”, or “blah blah blah”. And Chin Chin means cock in Japanese.

  Heading out of here in 4hrs and I land back on mothers day, home about lunchtime if the trains work. Save some rain for me. I’ve missed it.

  shedfire 5:07 am on March 21, 2009 | 7 Comments | # |
  

   
• 

  New cleats work

  I fitted some new cleats to my old shoes. New cleats make everything much better. If you have old cleats, fit new ones.

  ps: Copperslip is your friend.

  shedfire 10:03 am on March 9, 2009 | 5 Comments | # |
  

   
• 

  Lines and lines and lines and lines

  Have been working on a grip pattern for Nukeproof for a while now. Finally got it nailed this morning in a way that would make Mr Lazenby, my old engineering drawing teacher, smile. Lots of centrelines and offsets and stuff. Now just up to the really clever guys at the factory to make it into a grip.
  

  shedfire 9:57 am on March 9, 2009 | No Comments | # |
  

   
• 

  Just go where you want

  Top of the hill and back. It’s getting pretty regular now. However, this was my first post-Wharncliffe ride (it’s been busy), and with a head-down day tommorow working out what I have/haven’t done in the last month, I was after a good one.
  First up – lubed my chain – got some Prolink lube from Blazing Saddles the other day – (walked in – “can I have a bottle of your best chain lube please”) – and was quite impressed. Chain no longer brown. Bonus.
  Rode Sunny Valley (sunny), and managed to clean, properly from the bottom gate to the top gate on Long Causeway. Properly. Not messing. Still a long way off my summer fitness where I can do it in 32:18 on a 29er, but hey.
  Through the gate to Lancashire, and up to Hades top. Stream crossing was green and almost dry. Climb up was slow and draggy. MXers been playing in the gully on the RHS. Looked fun.
  Rode down the gully, swoopy shaley fun. Decided my “vicar’s leg over” was a result of extremely worn cleats. Happened again.
  In one piece, got back to the gate to Yorkshire, and, setting saddle at a nice compromise height, hacked off downwards.
  Hit the entrance to the roughest section fast, then clicked up one, then another, and was just PINNING it through the rocks. Laughing. Finding lines where there weren’t any, and hitting them bang on when I wanted to it.
  And that’s when I realised.

  It’s all about momentum. Mass, movement, direction. And relying on a bobbling about 25lb (ok 28lb) bike to control where I’m going… fuck that.
  If I want to go over there, I will. I weigh LOTS more than that bike. So I’m off that way. Push off that pedal and I’m over there. The bike’ll come. It has to cos I’m holding onto it.

  Steep shaley slope entrance to supergully. Never ridden it before. So just hammered it. I want to. I will. And I did.

  Try it. Just move your body where you want to go. The bike’ll have to come with you.

  Supertacky rubber and stuff helps when you want to steer it to go. But it’s like controlled falling a lot of the time. So just decide where you’re heading and drag the rest of your kit in the same direction.

  Works for me.

  shedfire 5:16 pm on March 1, 2009 | 4 Comments | # |
  

   
• 

  Back on it

  After that last ride, the Thursday night one with the gang, I’ve been busy. But probably avoiding riding as I was a bit fed up to be honest. Ed insisted that I was only slow going up – “you were at the front going downhill”. 

  And so, after much persuasion by my lovely wife I got out – just the usual up the hill and back. And it rocked. 

  Had a super-ace ride, climbed well, descended great. Got lots of stuff worked out in my head, and validated lots of ideas that I’ve got going into products right now.

  I don’t know what sort of person I’d be if I didn’t ride at all, as it gets so much straight in my head when I do. Shouldn’t leave it so long next time.

  shedfire 3:43 pm on February 15, 2009 | 2 Comments | # |
  

   
• 

  Down not up please

  First Thursday night ride of the new year that I’ve got out on, and I was SUFFERING.

  Straight out the Stubbings and up the hill to Heptonstall. Not a great start even if you’re on form, but by the time we hit the trafficlights by the Fox and Goose I could tell I wasn’t firing on the right number of cylinders.

  Ed practically dragged me up to Heptonstall, and whilst the descent of Blue Pig was fun, the climb to the top of Nutclough was awful. Then Kelvins extended classic requiring a hike up to the top of Old Town, I bailed on the climb when even Chipps couldn’t humour me to the top. 

  Turned around, picked up the nice bit of tech bridleway and opened the gates for the A-Team arriving back down. Seems I didn’t miss too much in terms of tech, so was all good – and the run down Nutclough was top stuff as always – the Ti Summer Season sample just rocking with slightly too soft tyres and forks (which probably didn’t help me going up).

  A pint and a half of Landlord in the Stubbings rounded the evening off nicely. And sure enough, this morning the cold monster has crept up on me. Lungs a bit congested. All the kids are off with various ailments. I’ll see if I can get to the hospital for a wrist-X-Ray to find out why I can’t move it right (but it’s ok on the bike). Odd.

  shedfire 6:29 am on January 23, 2009 | No Comments | # |
  

   
• 

  It’s slipping…

  It’s not a new fitness regime as such, but I should have been out since. Been busy.

  Didn’t have a drink last night – ah – though I did have 2 cans of  Gin and Tonic at about 5pm… 

  Got a Dr’s appointment in an hour about my wrist which is being odd. I bet it’s RSI, but we’ll see.

  Nightride from the Stubbings tonight. Which will be damp at best. Lights charging. Wikid.

  shedfire 9:39 am on January 22, 2009 | No Comments | # |
  

   

Flickr Stream

© Shed Fire 2009
Don't steal content without appropriate acknowledgement - it's just good manners.