Chris Akrigg Blog

So things are slowly getting going. Been getting out on the road bike a bit, i’ve just forgotten how dangerous it is out there. first road ride of the year and nearly got knocked off about three times, drivers are just dicks i’m hoping if you are a driver you give bikes a good amount of room ” THINK BIKE”. So anyhow after a slowish start things are starting to come together, just booked a trip to Barcelona, going there in a couple of weeks to film my first podcast of the year which will be posted up on this site at the end of the month,and after that i’ll be uploading a new vid at the end of each month for the rest of the year so stay tuned.. Tomorrow i’m off Camera shopping “whoop” looking forward to getting some new kit which will hopefully get my 2010 podders looking rad. As well as sorting new camera gear i’m just on with ordering my new bikes really looking forward to getting all my new kit through, i’ll up load a bike gallery when i get them all sorted. So thats were i’m at, really looking forward to this year have a feeling its going to be good one……

So the weathers warmed up a couple of degrees so most of the snows melted now so wont be long till i can get out on the bicycle . i’m real glad about that as things hit a all time low the over day , i felt real bad as i’d not been riding for what felt like weeks “probably was” so i borrowed a turbo trainer of my mate to get my legs turning. I’ve never been one for all that training lark , i just ride and that seems to do the job i never really think of riding as training but i guess it is but it doesn’t feel like it as apposed to the turbo which is hell. So for the last five days i’ve been watching films while spinning the legs in my cellar praying for the snow to go thats pretty much me at the moment, been scanning the cheap airlines for a get out of Yorkshire idea so hopefully be jumping ship pretty soon to get the year going. Anyway mint vienetta time, peace out

So the snows still here and with sub zero temperatures doesn’t look like its going anywhere fast. Did think about hitting the roads today on the bike but what’s the fun in risking life and limb at this time of year? So just went for a nice winters day walk instead. Think a trip to the sun is looking like a good idea at the moment, not sure where but if the suns out somewhere i need a bit of it. nothing really to say so i wont ………

Well i thought i’d better say hello and welcome to another year. Looks like its going to be a good one. Been putting some stuff together for this year and it all coming together by the looks, can’t tell you what my plans are as yet but i’m going to be busy. Anyway whats doing atm? not much really as i said working on the years plans but apart from that just chilling. Was up in Scotland over Crimbo being best man at my mates wedding, was beautiful up there loads of snow proper Christmas weather for a change. Riding wise not been doing much due to the amount of snow thats been about, been out filming a bit but between breaking my camera and blowing my forks its not been going to well. That said, its early doors so no stress atm for riding snow will meld and and things will get going as there always do. Anyway thats it, as i said things are going to be good stay tuned ……..

Right then, just got back from Spain. Been over there for the last couple of weeks road tripping it up. Victor Lucas ( photographer ) and myself had been chatting about a trip for over a year probably more like two but we finally got it done. So the plan was simple Victor, Rowan Sorrell ( downhill racing machine and shovel snob) and myself all would jump in a camper van basically drive down to the bottom of Spain and back and hit up as many wild and interesting riding spots as we could over the twelve days and Victor would document the whole thing on his fancy black spirit catchers. Trip was sterling but i don’t want to go into the whole trip right now and as i said it was all documented and will be in the mags i guess early next year, as well as stills we got a bit of footage so keep a eye on my site for a short film of the trip pretty soon. So now i’m back in the shitty weather trying to get a podder done but every time i have the time the weather just piss’s down upon my back, but hopefully tomorrow will but better and i can harvest some footage and get something new up for your viewing pleasure . So thats pretty much it for now, Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat….

Been a while i know but not been up to much lately , so nothing really to talk about. Just got hold of the Mongoose Teocali a couple of weeks back ( its a 5 inch travel trial center style bike) amazing little bike ,one that you get on and feel totally at home. Hopefully if weathers on my side this week i’m going to start work on a podder on the beast. There has been talk of a spanish road trip for a while now but finally it looks like its got a green light, hopefully blast offs in about three weeks so pretty excited about that. thats about all i know, went to see the Maccabees a couple of weeks back which rocked and the mighty Slayer are on tour so think it would be rude to pass the up. Anyway thats it………

So what’s been doing? well haven’t really been doing any real physical riding of late so i decided to get out on the XC bike. Been hearing a load of good stuff about a local spot ( Gisburn Forest ) trail center type of deal,so popped up there Wednesday. As i said i haven’t been pushing the boat out on the physical front lately so i was a bit worried about getting slayed by big John but it turned out i wasn’t to weak. The loop was rad, about 22k i think loads of work been done and a mint job to, pretty tech in places,tight stuff through the trees and some amazing burns down a valley, top work. The nest bike i hadn’t ridden for a while was the downhill beast so yesterday i dug it out and headed for the woods. We’ve been chipping away at a line in the woods for some time now and yesterday we did a little work on a proper Akrigg esk drop (shit run in/out ) little did i know there was added danger a f**king wasps nest, anyway i was gently hacking the wood to death when i was attacked by a swarm of the little buggers, i sustained five stings, but to add to the pleasure i had a saw in my which i used rather harshly to brush them off, thus cutting my arms and legs to ribbons. So thats it, no real plans at the mo just free wheeling ……..

Right. I personally didn’t say hull was a shit hole. That was the opinion of others that i’d spoke to,i take peoples opinions on board, most of the time these are not based on fact or knowledge, so i travel and draw my own conclusions. As i said “Hull seemed a pleasant spot”

So i heard a town called Hull was the shittyest spot ever, and has been voted worst place to live in the uk . So obviously this sounded like my type of place “have you seen the spots i find to ride?” so yesterday Big John and i got on over there. This has to be one of my favorite ways things about riding , i just lov going to new spots and just chilling about riding whatever we find, sometimes you can ride all day and not find owt but on this occasion it went pretty well. Straight out of the van we were riding and just found loads of rad stuff to play on all day. My point being, get out there and try a new spot,throw a dart at a map whatever, just do it…….
ps,
Hull seems a nice spot, not as shitty as expected

Just to let you know my latest vid “the fixie one” is now available on I Tunes. A couple of you have requested that i up load it so i have. Plus if your new to this site all my my older stuff is on there to, just go on to i tunes and search my name and subscribe, easy……..