Braes City Rouleurs

The Road Maestro

If I said – name a genius Spanish artist of the 20th century? I would bet my last peseta (remember them) you would say – Dahli, Picasso or Miro, right? But what if I were to tell you that (IMHO) there was a better artist? One whom’s art is spellbinding, a little bit dangerous, interactive, immersive, evocative, heart racing and eye popping!! You would propably say..wha yi bin shhmokin my friend??

Well let me introduce Antonio Parietti y Coll. THE ROAD MAESTRO. Born the son of an Italian Father and Mallorcan mother in 1899 in Palma Mallaorca. A student of ‘Ingeniero de Caminos’ in Madrid (Civil engineering), before returning to Mallorca to create his masterpiece’s. I think you see where im going with this! He is the road art maestro behind the famed and revered routes to Sa Calobra and Cap De Formentor. The latter I recently experienced it’s spellbinding beauty in one glorious summer sunrise ride.

Built in 1863 the Cap Formentor lighthouse as a twinkling beacon of warning to thirsty sailors. Fast forward 160 years and it is now a sparkling salvation and destination for thirsty cyclists and tourists. In 1930 tasked to improve touristic access on the Island Antonio mapped out a 35k route from Pollenca to formentor in addition to the much revered Sa Calobra

ON a recent family holiday in Mallorca the opportunity arose for a little morning ride. Staying in the nord of the island I was left with the decision of Sa Colobra V Cap De Formentor. I vouched for the latter. Five days deep into all inclusive binge = no way Jose for Sa calobra. Plus the romantic notion of riding car advert friendly roads made it a no brainier…The cap won and I’m so glad it did!

I start in CAN PICAFORT at 6:30 AM on my recently hired Cube Agree 62 DI2 (sweet as a nut) in a vain hope to evade the scadding sol! No happening as it’s 27oC and not yet 7 bells. Riding north to Alcudia and then onto Pollenca, I giddily embrace this golden hour of the morning as I chase the day along with a handfull of other cyclists and the ubiquitous bare chested runners with their heat rate monitor bra’s….shame on yi goan slap on a pair of bib tights? Yir embarrassing yirself!!??

I spin through the boulevard of Pollenca like the demented joker, eyes blazen and a grin as wide as the clyde as my senses spike with the rising sun. I’m taken by surprise as almost immediately on leaving Pollenca you encounter Col de sa Creueta, the gateway climb to the Cap (and the summit finish in the early season Challenge Mallorca).

The climb hit me sooner than expected yet it is nice and steady with swithcbacks that offer up recurring and delicious panoramas of Pollenca bay below. The climb finishes at the car park at the Mirador des Colomer where you’ll find a memorial to oor man Antonio. There is a handy wee coffee shack, unfortunately it is shut…que manuel, obviosuly never got the ‘cyclist’s will be oot early’ memo!!! However take a breather as it’s worthy of a stop to give yirself a wee pat on the back for the climb just conquered and to take in the monument to Antonio and the stunning bay below.

On re-saddling I quickly hit the descent. Beams of light from the rising sun shutter through the trees creating a blinding strobe effect. A full on rave descent es no bueno. Im totally fucking blinded and thrust a pathetic reactionary hand out to shield the light. Two options – fettle the brakes or descend using a Jedi like force? I opt for the former and then swerve to avoid two dark yoda like figures. I’m now questioning if yesterdays all inclusive Aperol Spritz’s were infact Absynth Spritz’s. I shoot a look back to confirm the mysterious creatures and see two skanky and skinny Mallorcan goats nonchalantly sauntering across the road. Gallus as fuck considering the temporal blindness of the Scottish dude that almost turned them into props for a Danny Macaskill video!! They must be some sort of weegi cross breed in them…”Am a goat a weegi goat, oot ma wayyy”

Plunging through the trees, visibility improving the lower I drop. I let loose and quickly approach, draft and burn past a tentatively driven car turistic. Two wheels are always better than four on terrain like this. Chow down on the 28mm’s my lil friend!! After a few kilometres of false flat the lush verdant forest recedes and you hit a crossroads. Once the bohemians took a right to Formentor hotel. A hideway for royalty, musicians and artits galore. Sadly now dalipadated or might have stopped for a wee pilgrimage, yet re-opening in 2023!

Pressing on, rocks replace tree and I’m mesmerised by the tantalising Cala Figuera cove below. But stop you must not, ahead lays a 300m black hole into which you must go. (yoda get oot ma heed) The tunnel has an ancient cave like entrance. You could say its…rustic…or ma abysinth spirtz mind is saying that hungry trolls and ravaged skanky goats have gnawed the entrance tae the cave.. sorry the tunnel.

I dont know what you call it, or if it’s just some weird fascination, but i just loooove travelling through tunnels. Like being on a fairground ride for me. Dont know why but been like that since i was a nipper. Give me some good tunes and a drive through a tunnel and i’m channelling the 27 club. The tunnel fun soon comes to an end as spin up towards the light. Still there’s consolation on leaving the tunnel that I’ll be returning through it, yet next time i’ll be hareening doonhill. Ya beauty yi!!

The camino starts to wind, drop, rise, sweep and flow. The adrenaline needle spiking into the red with the growing anticipation of discovering the lighthouse. Coming the opposite way on the road. I pass dribs and drabs of returning cyclists- all with sated glorious glows emanating from their smiling faces.

I pass a break in the rocks, my peepers are drawn magnetically left and there it is… a little white beacon of warning perched on a crop of rocks with a winding camino pearl necklacing it – The CAP DE FORMENTOR…. Antonio you are a fucking genius! Just as quickly as it is flashed, it is stolen away from me by some rocks.

I scrape, kick and push the pedals in a whirling fury. I drop down a sweeping fast left-hander with the barrier and the med(the sea not a sweater thats between small and large!) on my right. The lighthouse is now in full view ahead. Ive never hidden my love of descending fast but this time the breaks are lovingly squeezed as I savour the roll down with the lighthouse dead ahaead. Alright, alright, alright….I drop down before climbing back up through a couple of punchy swithcbacks and reach the lighthouse. Sweating , hungry, thirsty and very happy I roll my bike to a stop as a cheshire cat smile splashes across ma salty face.

‘Cap De Formentor is hands down the most stunning ride of my life’

Its before 8 bells and albeit low cycling season (high scorchio season), I’m sharing the viewing platform with another two cyclists and a couple pulling all sort of weird sexy moves(clothes on) for each others camera’s and likley IG feeds. I paw the dry jam roll profered from yesterdays breakfast buffet and look at them quizically before averting my gaze and holy shut the front door moly. The view is straight up incredible. Lighthouse behind me, the road travelled ahead and the between small and large sea right in front of me.

There is a cafe and an energising espresso would be absolutely awesome right now, but yet again the ‘cyclists out early’ memo has been missed…the man from del monte obviously he say …no! I have to settle for a sweat glazed bidon of warm salty water. As I regain my breath both figuratively and literally. I savour a string of ant like cyclists aproaching down the descent and into the swithcbacks. Each meeting the lighthouse with the same awestruck glee as myself moments before. Bring me some cold beers and I could sit here shooting the shit and vista all… day… long….like some kind of upside down type 2 Lionel Ritchie party! I hang for a bit longer and eventually steal myself away to make the return leg, which is equally as stunning in reverse. The tunnel! Man that tunnnel was gid….I hit it like Renton in the end sequence of Trainpsotting ! Bueno

In summary Cap De Formentor, Antonio.. you make Dahli, Miro, and Picasso look like they are painting by numbers! What vison, what engineering, what longevity!! For me no box is unchecked. If you get the opportunity to ride it- Hit it. It’s a masterpiece and a masterpiece you dont have to pay millions to enjoy…(just 40 euro for DI2 or 35 for ultegra)

Antonio Parietti y Coll……Legend!

Salud

Happy Rolling

Daz

July 31, 2022August 7, 2022

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Everesting T-2

T-2 to Everesting Cairngorm

In Aviemore now for our forthcoming Everesting fundraiser on Cairngorm. I awoke at 4am and decided to get up, shake the body into getting used to an early rise ( and thus early bed) for the gargantuan effort required in two days time.

I’m nervous. Excited nervous. Things are building up, the logistics, movement of people especially now the C19 haze is (hopefully) receding. Nutrition, carb depleting- carb load( yeehah). Bike checks, kit check, kids having fun checks. Sitting when I can stand, laying down when I can sit etc etc All about energy conservation now.

We lost our best friend Mikey to Mouth cancer. A cancer that is unduly stigmatised as the cancer for smokers and Alkies. Mikey was neither.

It was late 2019, deep in our grief when I had the idea to raise awareness, raise funds for some pioneering research that may one day mean, that some other family doesn’t have to suffer and lose a loved one like ours.

Aviemore and in particular Caingorm & Loch Morlich is a place we hold dear in familial hearts. A place our two families would often share some amazing times. Thus EVERESTING Cairngorm was a no brainer. I spoke about it to family as its not just a spit and polish on anyone’s fitness to realise. I took on a cycling coach. I needed focus. The regimen of a coach and in particular someone to hold me responsible and accountable for completing training sessions. To easy to reach for the remote control in the dark winter months instead of the power button for the wahoo kicker.

I hit the turbo through January and February like nobody’s business and then we all know what happened. Instead of getting fitter our community collective spirit was now to get and stay healthy ( touch wood). Not to impair the immune system with going deep in training. I kept training on the turbo all through the pandemic to the revised plan set out by my coach Richard. Not knowing if Everesting was even feasible due to lockdown and travel restrictions, then only in the last month are we seeing some pinhead of light at the end of the tunnel.

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The travel ban was getting lifted in July. This didn’t leave much of a window. I set my sights on 17th July . Went public with the intention. Kicked off the fundraiser Wrote a song to soundtrack the event with a sample of Mikey on it. We are now on 15th July.

This has pretty much taken over our family life and now I just want to hit the start line for fear of losing health, fitness or picking up an injury and everything going to waste. And then the weight of expectation lifted- it wouldn’t go to waste would it? We set out to celebrate Mikey’s life and raise awareness and funds for head, neck and mouth cancer research. Out of a target of £2000 we are almost at £5000. Incredible.

Who knows what the next few days will hold, but one things for sure. Once i roll that start line, I’ll be giving it my full heart and spirit with the support of a very special family and friends.

Please dive into the fundraiser and spread the word. Links below

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ride4mikey

https://www.facebook.com/donate/2676276736026262/

The song is available to download at bandcamp with all proceeds going to Oracle cancer research.

https://ruffasflock.bandcamp.com/track/rhythm-of-time

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Happy Rolling

Daz

July 15, 2020

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From Lucca with Love

It was this time last year we travelled to Italy for Craigs birthday celebrations. A city apartment in Lucca, a roll around the Tuscan hills with our guides Alison Testroete and Enzo Della Corte of the Lucca cycling club. It was as sensory feast of culture and cycling. The Tuscan countryside is everything you see in the adverts. Rolling roads, peppered with terracotta villas, vineyards and the signature Tuscan Cypress trees.

What a difference a year makes. Such a venturesome want has never been … so…desperate. No other time in our lifes has ‘Freedom of Movement’ been so understood and when borders re-open we hope that our wheels will roll again in the beautiful Tuscan hills.

Yet until they do, we have been clearing out the digital vaults ( with the rest of the house) and taking solice and comfort from our video archives and flung together a few edits.

It’s a rolling joke in the BCR that Im partial to photo or two (yeah that guy). This is not a vanity project or a neglect of being …I simply enjoy pictures and movies. A collection and catalogue of memory’s that not only serve as a reminder to a feeling, smell, sound or notion, but a period of life….that all to often can get taken for granted. Words can’t paint a picture but picture can paint a thousand words.

Cycling around Lucca

In the mornings before our big bike rides a few of us would rise early and post Espresso ride some laps of the city walls. A beautiful time of day to see Lucca come to life and Mario Cipollini do his workouts. One of my own songs about cycling flung in to soundtrack. “Man in Yellow’

Our full descent from San Baronto.

Home to Lenoardo De Vinci’s birthplace. A brilliant cruisy descent we undertook after the Giro had passed through. Simple edits, No filters, No flashy zoom cuts. We are allowing the videos to roll out like the Tuscan countryside itself.

When you do get rolling. Stay Safe and enjoy.

Daz

May 9, 2020May 10, 2020

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Velodio- Man In Yellow

Next up and available to stream or download at ITUNES, AMAZON and all your streaming weapons of choice is ‘Man in Yellow’. An infectious slice of indie disco with cover art from none other than The Veloist- Michael Valenti

Press play and enjoy

Listen on APPLE MUSIC
Listen on DEEZER

Download. Click on ITUNES AMAZON

VELODIO Playlist on Spotify below.

Man In Yellow- Listening notes

This song is one of those ephemeral joys that visit your muse fleetingly. It all came together pretty quickly. The joy of simplicity. I had the lyric ‘ when all else fails’ bouncing around my mind since the Interview with Michael Valenti, I kept thinking that his throwaway line ” When all else fails you follow yellow right?” was a chorus line in the making. Then one night somewhere between playing with the kids and dinner I started noodling on the guitar before I knew it I was riffing on a simplistic three-chord wonder with a rhythm along the lines of Ryan Admas – New York- New York and the lyrics started flowing. Get my phone for me boys’ need to get this down on voice recorder. Before I knew it I’ve got a chorus and two verses on my hands. That very night, with a wine bottle in hand I retired to the studio to put the bones of the song down that you hear today.

It was only natural that I would name drop Michael as a musical dof of the cap and thank you. The majority of what is heard on the release is from this original sketch session recorded in Ableton. The plan was to go back and re-record all the parts but loved the feel, vibe and rawness of the session. So pretty much demo guitars and vocals have survived in the final cut.

The track demo was laid down very quickly. I got fellow Rouleur Neil Lawson to add some riffage and then, I wasn’t going to add any bass as the song was holding up good, but couldn’t resist the temptation to invite our Citisin cohort and bassist Andy Hume into the studio who always hears the music between the notes. see what it would do to the track. He practically nailed it in a few straight through takes. The dudes are gifted musician’s.

Andy

Neil

Andy & Neil laying doon the Bass and Lead in the summer house in the winter

TRIVIA

The song is a story of a weekend fuelled by morning bike rides and afternoon/night trips into Glagow with the wife. The country club ( a tongue in cheek colloquial reference to our village golf club) was on the brink of closure at the time of writing. Thankfully, now and thriving.
Once the song was taking shape I contacted Michael Valenti to check and request..

a) He was cool with the name drop?

b) He would be interested in sketching out some cover art? You’ll agree the cover art is amazing and captures the playfulness of the song perfectly.

The maillot Jaune refrain is a cheeky poke at the stereotype of our auld alliance gallic French friends. This was inspired and kind of a pastiche on my favourite scene in the french movie AMELIE. The scene where Lucien is making fun of his boss on the grocery stall.

The crowd noise in the break was recorded live at The Brewdog/Crank it up/Zwift event we attended earlier this year in Edinburgh.
A wee gadge in cargo pants and work boots fuelled with a few free brewdogs fancied a go and this was the crowd pushing him on as he bumbled over the line at least a minute after his opponents. Chapeau

If you like the song spread the word and if you are a cycling musician/artist or both and want to get involved in VELODIO in any way shape or form, give us a shout.

Happy Rolling

Daz

March 14, 2020June 24, 2022

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This is Velodio

Introducing “VELODIO”. A new music concept that celebrates cycling through a rich and diverse tapestry of electronic music. Written by cyclists, performed by cyclists(ish). To yir lugs will be delivered a techno-coloured kaleidoscope of compositions. Some riders collect bidons, musettes, casquets when they visit races. For the last three years, I have been collecting sounds, rhythms and ideas from the VUELTA, TOUR & GIRO. A kinetic palette to create sonic emulation of the iconic cols, the swashbuckling protagonists, the crazy fans and all those character-defining moments of the riders and rouleurs who choose to ride the road less travelled.

Releases…to date.. include

Domestiqué’ – A cinematic immersion in a bike race from the viewpoint of a Domestiqué
Domestiqué- Alaphilippe mix- A stripped-back heavily percussive rework. Tagged to Alaphilippe due to its rambunctious fearless attack.
‘Flahute’- a rough and ready house track set against the silhouette of the Flahute pounding the Flandria pave

In a world of endless music genres, let’s make our own for the cycling community and let’s call it ‘VELODIO’

However, a breakaway is itching to get up the road. So stay tuned for tunes like…

‘ Man In Yellow’. A story of exploration and discovery delivered on a carrier wave of Indie disco- The cycling artist ‘ The Veloist’ has created an amazing piece of cover art to compliment the story. Below
Velo-Nova – a narrative of Bike infatuation laying on a bed of deep house
Rey de Las Montana’s – A piano-laden house track with vintage commentary of historic races.

Big thanks to fellow rouleur Neil Lawson for riffing on a few of the tracks. Andy Hume, ma Citisin cohort for laying down THE bass. Tom Main for some quality social media portraits and last but not least Michael Valenti for not only catalysing the concept but producing the cover art above for upcoming release

THIS IS JUST KILOMETRE ZERO

If you are a cycling artist and would like to get involved and have a track or piece of art you would like showcased on here and the Velodio playlists then get in touch. love a collab opportunity to so don’t be shy. Alternatively, if you have art you would like considered as cover art for upcoming releases then also get in touch at braescityrouleurs@gmail.com

Head over to your streaming service and tap in ‘Ruff as Flock’ or hit some of the links below.

The tunes will also be available to download at ITUNES and AMAZON.

In a world of endless music genres, let’s make our own for the cycling community-VELODIO- Let’s spread the word

DOWNLOAD LINKS

STREAMING LINKS

Happy Rolling

March 2, 2020March 12, 2020

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Velodio- Domestiqué

Introducing ‘Domestiqué’. The first official release from our VELODIO project.

Domestiqué is a musical composition that immerses the listener in the beating heart of the road race from the drops of the team Domestiqué. Bringing to life the emotional tapestry and kaleidoscope that engulfs the Spartan of the team.

Press play then read accompanying listening notes below. The Dmoestiqué is getting the column inches they deserve.

Available to stream on all your weapons of choice or to download on ITUNES or AMAZON

Domestiqué- Listening notes

The composition rolls in with the Domestiqué in the maelstrom of the service vehicles. Retrieving, provisions and instructions for imminent dissemination. Launched back into the fray by the team car.

Filtered and flanging high hats fluttering, evoking the transient oppression of the overhead helicopter rotors.

The Domestiqué is a seeker. Rampaging through the peloton on a smooth mission of dissemination on a one-way journey to physical destruction

Forever alert to machiavellian opportunities to attack and dance on the misfortune of others. Pushing and cajoling through the eager peloton, tearing at any loose thread in the fabric of the race.

Reaching the head of the race, the Domestiqué has a dual mission. Pull his team to glory and push the competitors to the brink of destruction. The wailing and lamenting guitar is that moment. In isolation, the Domestiqué is racing head down towards the cliff edge until the precipice of abandonment approaches. The dropping penny’s the last bastions of resolve and energy, both quickly decaying.

With a swelling of calf and heaving of thighs, the alchemy of adrenaline, determination and desperation take hold and spark a final surge. The pounding bass pushes the kinetic rhythm the composition and the Domestiqué into the hypnotic cadence of the warriors. The race fueling the heart and the lactic drowning, the screaming legs -The last remaining flurries of the battle unfold.

Pinheads of sweat cascade and bomb the ground below. The matador falls on his own sword as the bulls blur into the horizon. An instrument in the orchestration of glory of others. One day it will befall the Domestique. But today it’s relief, gasping relief of salvation and celebration. Tomorrow the battles will begin again.

The Domestiqué rides on one road and one road only. The void between the gutter and the stars…….

I would like to thank fellow Rouleur Neil Lawson for the wailing lamenting guitar on this track. I’ll be calling on some fellow rouleurs to perform on some other compositions.

TRIVIA

This song was inspired after Neil and myself went to Paris for the final day of the Tour. We spent the day cycling around the city before settling into the Columbian thrum of the Champs Elysee for Egan Bernals victory precession. We got a front-row seat where we were served a cheese board and bottle of red (or two) by a very moody and typically french waiter. Goti luv le tour.

With the race in our ears, the song practically started writing itself on our return to the campsite… after a very expensive uber. Yes, we missed our last train due to a heady concoction of Fench wine, cheese and Columbian music.

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Once DOMESTQUÉ was in the can, I wanted to create a raw percussive remix whilst the lactic was still in the legs. I called this the Alaphilippe mix in honour of the swashbuckling, maverick French rider.

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Happy Rolling

Darren

February 27, 2020June 24, 2022

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Cameron Mason – The Racer

The Simpsons, Series 2, Episode 13 – Homer vs Lisa and the 8th Commandment.
Homer and friends sit down to watch a live cable t.v broadcast of Watson v Tatum 2: The bout to knock the other guy out.
Breathy, English-accented voice over – “The challenger learned how to fight in the notorious projects of Capital City, and honed his skills whilst serving time for aggravated assault and manslaughter in Springfield prison”.
Barney Gumble – “Aaaallright! A local boy”

There’s always been a correlation when following professional sport between an athlete’s perceived geographical proximity to one’s self and the level of will to see them succeed. Not a fandom necessarily, or something rooted in parochiality, but an interest in who they are, the results they produce, and what it was that took someone from the same milieu as you to the ranks of professional sport.
We in the BCR are not immune to this ourselves, particularly when the sport in question is cycling; so when we’d heard of someone from our corner of the world, who has trained on the same roads as us and appears on the same Strava segment leaderboards, making a successful foray into professional cycling, we had to find out what his story was.

Cameron Mason is a 19-year-old cyclocross racer from Central Scotland.
After a few years of racing all over the country and making regular cross-channel trips to race in Belgium, he is spending his first full season living and racing on the continent as part of the Trinity Racing team.
Multiple top 10 and 20 finishes, including in World Cup and European Championship races, and a podium finish in the UK Championships means 2019/20 has already been fruitful.
Cameron is also voracious in documenting his cycling life, both racing and otherwise, through various forms of social media.
Without further ado, let us introduce Cameron Mason…

Let’s start right at the beginning. How did you get into cycling?

My cousin Calum was big into cycling when he was a youth and junior, so the cycling side of things came from there. I always rode my bike when I was little, I really enjoyed it and my parents encouraged it. When I was about 8 years old I started some racing in the Under 12s at Scottish XC MTB races. After I started racing properly I spiralled into wanting to race all types of events. I did road, XC, CX, track and running when I was younger. When I was about 12 West Lothian Clarion youth club came about which helped massively with my development.

Your first club was West Lothian Clarion. What did you learn from riding and racing with the club, and was this where you first discovered you had a talent for cycling?

I loved riding in the club, I learned loads while in WLC. It allowed me to push myself as it opened new opportunities, like riding the club 10 mile TT, training session and club races. It was a perfect environment to learn surrounded by my friends and passionate coaches and helpers. I don’t think there was ever a ‘discovery’ of talent. In my head, I knew I was enjoying it and I was always on my bike and mucking around. That seemed to be a good recipe for making a good bike rider.

Cyclocross is the discipline you specialise in.
What attracted you specifically to CX; what are the attributes, skills and talents you have that mean you excel at cross, and have you ever toyed with the idea of transitioning to road?

Cyclocross is a funny one. It’s hard to describe the discipline to someone who doesn’t know about it. It requires a range of skills as the courses can be so different week to week. Some races we ride are very fast with average speeds close to 30km/hr and some are the opposite with very slow speeds and sometimes 50% running. You need to be adaptable and have the ability to handle different situations quickly and decisively. For example if it starts to rain 10 minutes before the race you need to change you tire set up them re-adjust your race approach to ride better in the mud. In cyclocross things are always changing, track conditions, how muddy your bike is, the riders who are around you and also the way you have to ride sections.

The last few years I have been asked about the road a lot. As I have progressed in CX and with the success of guys like MVDP and Wout van Aert who combine both disciplines, people are curious to see how I would do on the road. Right now I am very happy to focus on my CX progression. At the moment I have lots of opportunities to push my CX forward, but if those were to come about in the road I would be happy to pursue them.

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How much of your practice time is spent on the skills required to be a good Cyclocross rider – dismounting, clipping in and out, shouldering the bike, picking a line through an obstacle etc. – and how much is spent on just developing the power and endurance in the legs and the cardiovascular system to push you through a race?

In a normal week, 80% of our riding time is on the road, we don’t actually do much specific CX training midseason. That is mainly because we are racing two times a week, the race time keeps our skills sharp and the road sessions are the best way to get a quality training ride.

I want to be the best I can be in the world of cyclocross…

In October 2019 you were announced as having signed for Cycling super-agent, Andrew McQuaid’s Trinity Racing.
How did that come about and what attracted you to join the team?

Tom basically DMed me on Instagram in August 2019 and asked if I would like to ride for the team. I said ‘FOR SURE!’ and that was that. It was a very logical fit though. I want to be the best I can be in the world of cyclocross and being in Trinity meant I would get to ride the best gear, the best races and be teammates with one of the best riders, Tom Pidcock.

You now share a team with Men’s Junior and U23 Cyclocross World Champion, and Junior and U23 Paris-Roubaix winner, Tom Pidcock, and participant in numerous Giro Rosa, Women’s Tour, and World, Euro and British Championship Road Races, Abby-Mae Parkinson.
What have you learned from spending time with these guys and seeing how they go about racing their bikes?

First of all, they are VERY quick bike riders (obviously) so that has been fun trying to keep up with them! We have a really good team dynamic and bring our own unique qualities to the table which is really cool. I have learned so much from them already, Tom’s wealth of race experience in all disciplines have taught me lots about this sport. I ask him lots of questions which might annoy him sometimes I think, but he is always happy to help and to see me learn. Abby does not live in Belgium full time with Tom and me but when she is over I really enjoy training with her. She has very cool stories of the road side of the sport that I don’t know a huge amount about.

You predominantly race on the continent these days, with Cyclocross being particularly big in Belgium and the Netherlands.
How do you cope with all the travelling, the time away from home, and the pressures of racing?

I will be away from Scotland for about 5 months in total this season which is the longest I have been abroad at a time. To be honest I haven’t really noticed it or missed home that much. That must mean I have been enjoying myself so that’s good. The training and racing is quite intense so there isn’t time to really miss home and I am doing exactly what I want to do and I love it! I live with Tom in Belgium, he is good company. The Trinity Team is also like a wee family so I kind of feel like I belong here.

I really like the feeling of involving people in my racing and it is amazing when things are awesome because you can share your success with thousands of people.

What have been the other high points in your racing career so far?
Any particular events or results that stand out?

Up until now, I would say my career highlights have all been things like racing my first world cup, racing my first world champs, and racing with MVDP. As I start to do more of these big races and my results climb up I am raising my bar to bigger things. My top 10 at the Tabor World Cup felt very big but this season has really been a whirlwind of new best results and high points, it’s all been awesome!

There are many obvious facets to being a professional sportsperson and a very important one nowadays for fan and sponsorship engagement is social media. You do this really well with your IG/FB stories, YouTube, Vlogs etc. Is media/social production another passion of yours and how has this evolved as your career has grown?

Yes, I do think social media is more important nowadays as an athlete but it is definitely not essential. I really enjoy sharing what I am up to and showing people as much as I can about the sport but it isn’t really for everyone. If you don’t enjoy sharing and you force it then it will come across and unauthentic which is the opposite of how it should be. I really like the feeling of involving people in my racing and it is amazing when things are awesome because you can share your success with thousands of people. But it can be hard when things don’t go great and you feel like you have to share that with people. That is when it is important to set yourself boundaries and remember that you come first, not social media. Sharing the low points as well as the high points is good as it is important for people to know its not all amazing, but sometimes it’s ok to not share when you are not feeling great.

Having dabbled ourselves with videos, there is a huge amount of time in editing and general production. How do you pull all this together in addition to the obvious time sacrifices for training and racing?

As a bike rider you spend your time either eating, sleeping, riding or recovering. There isn’t much time for anything else but I have found something productive and enjoyable I can do with my downtime, edit YouTube videos! Other riders have XBOX, Netflix and reading, I have Adobe Premiere Pro (my editing software) I have busier training and racing periods where editing is put to the side so I am less productive there. I also find races where I didn’t perform as well as I’d liked to harder to edit as it’s basically 6-8 hours looking at footage from the race and race day. And if that’s of a bad day it’s not the most inspiring thing in the world. But when I have a REALLY good race it is so fun to edit because I can relive how good I felt on the bike that day, pros and cons!

What benefits has your vegan diet brought you?

Going plant-based has been quite a gradual thing for me over the last 5ish years so I can’t really say any definite benefits that I have felt. I get to eat a lot! Firstly because plant foods are generally less calorie-dense and secondly because no matter how much I eat I never seem to gain weight, I guess that’s a good thing! I have my own reasons for choosing the diet I do and that as long as I know that then I am happy, I don’t want to press my views onto anyone.

I can imagine that in this world of hidden ingredients, you must have to take extra measures to ensure you uphold your vegan diet. How do you manage this dietary lifestyle with the obvious fuelling required when on the road racing and training?

I think that life is too short to get hung up on the little things so I try to think about the big picture in some instances. For example, if someone is kind enough to bake me something then I am not going to turn it down just because it may have a little dairy in it. Diet is very personal and you can choose exactly what you want to eat for your own reason so don’t feel like you have to uphold to anything. I feel good eating plant-based and I get everything I need so I am happy :). On the road, things can get harder as it’s difficult to find good veggie and vegan options in some places. Planning ahead is the best way of dealing with this though so I make more of my travel meals and snacks myself so I don’t have to worry about finding options for me.

What’s the goal and vision for the future, both in the short and long-term on and off the bike? Concentrating on improving in Cyclocross, or is there anything else in the works?

Short-term, continue to love racing/riding my bike. Long-term, continue to love racing/riding my bike. That is really what I am in it, I really love it and that’s what motivates me to train and race every week. Being more specific though, in the short term (3-5 years-ish) I would like a medal and a major championship, that would be big. Long term I am not really sure, I am not very good at planning ahead for things like that. For now, I’ll just focus on the now.

Who is your favourite cyclist?

Chris Akrigg. Look him up! He is a UK trials rider and I would say he is the most skilled bike rider in the world. His videos are insane and he seems like a very cool guy. Life goals is to be as smooth and as skilled as him!

One drink, one film, one song?

Apple juice, Hot Fuzz, Dog Days Are Over

A massive thanks to Cameron for taking the time to share his cycling life with us during a hectic festive race period. Since interviewing, Cameron has recently finished 2nd in the Nationals U23 and 3rd in The nationals Elite. Check out the video on his channel. Absolutely amazing performance and continuing his impressive ascension to the top of the podium. Chapeau.

Be sure to check out and follow him via social media using the links below. His video content is both brilliant and inspiring.

Camerons next racing on Sunday, at World Cup Nommay, the following week at Hoogerhiede World Cup then the World Champs the week after that. We wish him ‘aw ra best’ fae The BCR. Follow his progress at cyclocross24

Cameron’s YouTube Channel
Cameron’s Instagram
Cameron’s Twitter

Trinity Racing YouTube Channel
Trinity Racing Instagram
Trinity Racing Twitter

Happy Rolling in 2020

Darren & Craig

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January 18, 2020January 17, 2020

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Michael Valenti – The Veloist

If you are not already acquainted with his work, then let me introduce Michael Valenti. Hailing from Lindenburg Illinois, via Boston and Chicago. He’s an artist who loves to cycle. A cyclist who lives for art. He is the Veloist; a cunning portmanteau of Velo & Artist. If he’s not chasing the Peloton around the globe on his trusty ‘Steel is Real’ Waterford bike creating amazing art as it happens, then he’ll be in the studio or out on the home roads of Illinois & Wisconsin with his beloved Veloist.CC. We have been huge fans of his art and also avid followers of his Social media posts, including his hilarious ‘Bonjour from the tour ‘despatches for some time now. We had to reach out, discover more about the art of cycling and, the cycling in his art. We were hopeful of a short interview, yet we received so much more and via the mediums of facetime Michael welcomed us in with open bandwidth into his life and creative world. Without further ado, please charge your bidons with your weapon of choice and enjoy our chat with the amazing artist that is Michael Valenti

Continue reading “Michael Valenti – The Veloist” →

November 2, 2019November 2, 2019

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Derek Mclay – The Wheelsmith

So I was on the lookout for a set of carbon wheels and going through the motions. You know the drill, checking out the best wheel reviews in the price bracket desired then transposing that info into a multitude of search engines. Wiggle, Facebook, eBay, Gumtree you name it. All in the vain hope you’ll find that shining pebble in the discounted price stream. I was even narrowed down to two of the leading brands Zipp V Mavic. Yet every time I hovered my finger over a ‘Bid Now’, ‘Buy It Now’ or a ‘Complete Your Order’ button. I would stall, something wasn’t squaring up.

Then through friendly discourse, I received not one but numerous glowing recommendations to look no more. Why buy generic big brand mass produced, when you can have bespoke, customised wheels made by ‘The Wheelsmith’. So I did. I visited his workshop in Larbert. I was fascinated by this menagerie of wheels and the spinning world into which I stepped. My eyes bounced and floated around like the sound waves of the eclectic tunes wafting out of the sound system. Tracing and darting all over the stunning variations of rims, hubs, spokes and nipples available for customisation.

After blethering, questioning and perusal I decided upon a pair of carbon 40mm rims running Dtswiss 240s. But not only that I was now fascinated and had to learn a little more about this art and the master craftsmen behind it. This is a brilliant example of what happens when passion, knowledge and skill collide. A barometer of this is a client list that spans the spectrum from Russian Oligarchs, Record Breakers, Race champions to Braes City (weekend) Rouleurs.

I asked if he would do a Q&A with us. Reluctant at first (due to previous bad experience) he gladly warmed to the idea.

Without further ado, Let me introduce you to Derek McLay- The Wheelsmith. Grab a glass and enjoy. Continue reading “Derek Mclay – The Wheelsmith” →

July 13, 2019July 22, 2019

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Total Bike Forever- Cycling the World Making Music

When we first set out on this road to discovery, the premise was and still remains to uncover and champion the amazing subculture of creative souls that are drawn to this cycle life ( like a deodorant can to a village bonfire).

So when we recently discovered and got lost in a story so unique and inspiring, we couldn’t wait to find out more. Total Bike Forever are two bike packing, friend making, soul-shaking electronic music troubadours on a year-long bike packing and musical adventure. A story so amazing, so captivating, so beautiful and banging, it will surely grace paper, movie and airwaves to come. Why? Their plan is to write an incredible album of sonic exposition’s inspired, fused and spliced by the sights, sounds and souls they discover as they bike pack their way across the mountains, deserts and cities of this stage we call the world.

If you haven’t already been reading their incredible blog and adventures on Stolen Goat then let us introduce you to Tim and Adam. They are one half of London Indie band Bear Muda and are now on the final leg of this amazing bike packing adventure.

As muso’s ourselves we couldn’t wait to find out how they are adapting and immersing themselves in the full writing, creative process as they traverse the globe on two wheels.

So without further ado here is our amazing interview with Tim and Adam. Total Bike Forever. Turn up the tunes, grab some IPA and enjoy.

What was the genesis of the idea to cycle halfway around the world, playing and creating music as you went?

We wanted to cycle to Japan and we couldn’t dream about doing that without making music. It’s too long away from our beloved synthesisers! Then we thought ‘hold on! Let’s just do both! Let’s get other people involved and make something new and amazing.’ And we did and we are at this very moment!

How much planning and preparation went into both the cycling and musical aspects of the journey? Were there nights spent deliberating over the best bikes or panniers to use, and was there any pre-arrangements with venues or artists you’d meet along the way?
Cycling – we did plan, yes. We read the books and the blogs and then realised that as soon as you start it all goes out the window!
Route and gear wise we did prep, yes. There’s the boring crap like insurance but I think accumulating all the other stuff is really fun and gets you super excited to depart.

Musically it was all quite up in the air. It could have gone in any direction, and still is going in any direction! Playing live wasn’t part of the plan before we left for example. We were going to release a track a month instead of playing live which we’re glad didn’t happen. Playing is an amazing way of meeting people!
Gear

What bike and gear set up did you settle on for this gig?
Adam rides a Thorn Sherpa, Tim a Kona Sutra. We use Carradice panniers which are brilliant. Shout out to the ‘Made In The UK crew!’ It was a case of starting from scratch. We had little to no knowledge of what a trip like this would demand from you so it was all patched together on the hoof. A case of ‘stick it all in the bags and see if it goes’ a lot of the time!

What is your music gear set up for the trip?
There was only one requirement for the gear: MINIATURE. You can’t go lugging around heavy machinery. We needed the smallest equipment for the biggest adventure and size really does matter when you’re pulling it up and down mountains around the world. Hardware wise we have a Teenage Engineering OP1, a Roland SH 1 a and a Make Noise 0 Coast. We then have a laptop that runs Logic + Ableton. And of course a trusty zoom dictaphone.

Packing to not only cycle the world, but also to record an album couldn’t have been easy. Any tips?
Adam’s tip: Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be creative all the time. You’re being influenced and inspired by everything around you. Eventually it’ll flow out of you and the results are usually magnificent. Everything you interact with generally inspires you but in ways you don’t usually expect.

If more people combined forces with other creative minded people with different styles around the world we’d make more interesting music.

Tim’s tip: Don’t feel like you have to have all the kit when you leave. Especially if you’re starting in Europe. It’s super easy to get stuff as you go and piece it all together as you think ‘damn, that would have been useful’. In our case that was camping stools! Man, I couldn’t survive without that now.

Which one thing did you leave out that you wish you had packed?
A decent drum machine. In fact we’re planning on buying one in Japan for our next adventure. And some IPAs for those low moments!! Beavertown, if you’re reading this: You don’t realise how much of the time we talk about drinking Gamma Ray. Well done for making the best beer in the world.

How did the collaboration with cycling clothing company Stolen Goat come about?
We love working with those guys! We basically got in touch a bit out of the blue after seeing the awesome designs on their gear. It all came highly recommended as well, especially the bib shorts. We then partnered around our instagram and blog. They host our blog and the world watches us test their stuff to destruction as we drag it through Eurasia! We had an amazing video of a pair of bib shorts that was deemed too NSFW in which the material had worn so thin that they were 100% revealing.
Music

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Can you tell us about your song writing and recording process on the road?
Well, it’s quite fluid. We usually both start with bits then we kind of bring them together. There’s a constant collection of sounds going on as well and a hunt for collaborators when combined with our electronic sensibilities. That’s the beauty of moving through all these different countries (26 in all): Everything stays fresh.
We’ve also come to thrive in during live performances and sound checks have become vital moments to bring together new tunes and ideas. It’s hard to know how songs are going to sound on club systems when you’ve only listened to them on your bluetooth speaker!

Which one leg of the journey or experience has had the biggest impact on you personally and musically?
The more intense the place (cycling, people, culture) the more it brings out the best in us and our musical endeavours. It’s kind of happened that the music we’ve made in those places (I say those places I mean India specifically) has reflected the conditions and really ‘sounds like the trip’ to us which is a strange thing to say but it does transport you back to those moments and places.

Whats been the favourite gig or DJ set?
We played a couple of times in Busan and they were both brilliant. The first had a big audience and they reacted really well to the set. There’s a difference in taste between our style and the people of Korea we still managed to show them a real good time. The second was very quiet but we played a lot of new material and a lot of ambient stuff that we really loved.

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Have you adopted any influences, styles or sounds into your tunes that you have picked up along the way?
We’ve picked up a lot of sounds for sure. Influences and styles is a harder question to answer. Subconsciously, definitely. Consciously? Maybe sometimes. In fact we actually spend a lot of time trying to twist more traditional styles from around the world, to fit a more electronic style and pattern which makes in sound and feel more like the music we want to make.
What or where has been the most inspiring place you have recorded or jammed so far?
A couple of days after we left Istanbul, heading east, we climbed up this mountain and when we were going down the other side we could hear somebody playing drums from this village. We were flying down this mountain and, lo and behold, this guy was just sitting there with this drum kit playing. We instantly got all our kit out and we were playing with him for ages until everything ran out of battery. He was going back to Istanbul the next day. We would have gone back with him but we’d been sucked into the place for three weeks and really needed to carry on. We carried on chatting on WhatsApp and he was like, ‘I’ve got some friends who want to want to hear our music, just meet us in Trabzon in 10 days’ time.’ We were going that direction anyway and thought it was worth a punt. When we got there it basically transpired that this guy, called Berkay wanted to make a piece to apply to drum college in London and California and his friends ran a production company. They had a full production crew, we went into the mountains and set the instruments up and just played on the fly, making stuff up as we went. It was exactly what we wanted to do for the trip and almost like we’d premeditated it. It was crazy – so, so good. I think we cycled 1,000km in 10 days to make it happen.

From this adventure what have you learned about Cycling, Music and Friendship?

Big question! Cycling: It’s all about what you personally like. Everyone likes different things and has different goals for an adventure like this. For us it’s the music. If more people combined forces with other creative minded people with different styles around the world we’d make more interesting music. As for friendship, It doesn’t matter what language you speak and where you are you can always make friends and find common ground.

Which three words best define this experience for you?

Total. Bike. Forever.

One drink, one party and one cycle leg from the adventure?

One drink: BeerLao (best lager in the world). One party: Seoul. Every day was a party with those guys! Our Seoul family. One leg: To avoid the tried and tested Pamir Highway answer I’m going to say the strange but amazing route we took through Laos. Basically we climbed a mountain a day for 10 days through the remotest part of the country. Awesome.

Do you plan to take this electro-cycling-musical on tour when your return to blighty? (A space disco powered by only bikes perhaps?)

Yes! We’re going to turn the bikes into a mobile stage and cycle them to venues and festivals around the UK and europe. More on that soon.

A huge chapeau to Tim and Adam for sharing their story and creations with us. If you want to connect and follow their Journey click below. Listen to their mix’s and tunes head to Souncloud and Spotify

Instagram

Total Bike Forever Blog

Soundcloud

Spotify

Happy Rolling

Daz & Craig

April 13, 2019April 12, 2019

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