“Video Friends”

P04.

P06.

P12.

P14.

P22.

P26.

P34.

P38.

Ali C,Fly out,Portsmouth

Introduction - Who? What? Where?

Ali C - Street on natural.

London - Vanishing estates.

Joe Maher - Life out of Barrow Farm.

Hathersage - Amazing riding in the Peaks.

Adam Bessell - The dilemma of owning two bikes.

Stan Shaw - Natural on street.

Camera Club - Tech talk and some extra photos!

Contents

Special thanks to our riders’ co-sponsors:

Over a long weekend early in April, our team riders Adam Bessell, Alastair “Ali C” Clarkson, Joe Maher and - with a guest appearance in London - Stan Shaw ventured out onto the open road to ride some new spots, meet some old friends and have a good time. Over the course of around 750 miles of driving, they rode Stanage Edge (nr. Hathersage), Matlock Quarry, various places around South London and a range of spots in Portsmouth.

These photos were taken on the trip, and the video of the trip (as well as the ‘Extras’ video) can be found on our Vimeo channel below:

Ali C,Drop-gap,Hathersage

Ali C

Ali C,Steep roll down,Hathersage

Originally hailing from Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, Ali grew up riding amazing natural locations such as Shipley Glen and Addingham Moorside. This background meant that even on his street-orientated Inspired 24” bike, at Hathersage and Matlock Quarry he was able to do some old-school style roll-downs and tech trials moves. However, when riding switched to the streets of London and Portsmouth he was able to mix it up with some more BMX-inspired moves, including the massive gap at the end of the “Video Friends” video.

Inspired Bicycles, TartyBikes, Trialtech

Click above to visit Ali’s team rider page.

http://www.tartybikes.co.uk/media/wallpapers/ali_c_hathersage_april_2013/m41.html

Ali C, Drop, HathersageClick the image to download this as a wallpaper!

TartyBikes: With your background in both natural and street, which spot did you enjoy riding the most on the “Video Friends” trip?Ali: It’s hard to say without the cheesy “I enjoyed them all”, but I think I was most surprised by the natural. I have my bike setup pretty streety with hard tyres, harder gear and short, high bar and stem so I was expecting to mostly be sat watching the others (which I still did as they are awesome) but in the end I could ride the rocks more than I had thought and ended up really enjoying riding something so different from the usual flat concrete and walls. I really liked how peaceful places like Hathersage and Matlock quarry are too, it’s nice to get away from the hussle of a city every now and then.

Are there any lines at Hathersage or Matlock Quarry you’d like to go back to?I’m not sure if there are any particular lines, but I would like to explore a little more (nice rhyme) especially on the top at Hathersage as the rocks are a little more worn from the elements and there could be scope for some natural kickers and banks. Fitting some softer compound tyres could open some stuff up too.

Do you think we might see an Ali C natural video some time soon in that case?That’s a good idea! There’s plenty of places to go. Would be interesting to see how that would be received by the trials world. So yeah, I think you might see one.

Ali C,Rail hop,Portsmouth

While in London we managed to ride some fairly well-known spots, and thanks to a little exploring some lesser-spotted locations too. One of the great things about London is that you never know what you might find down each side street, so having a look around can allow you to find some great new setups to ride.

London

We found some unusual spots in the now derelict Heygate Estate. Originally built in the 1970’s, it featured some cutting edge (for the time!) design which means that for modern day riders, there’s plenty to play on. Although it looks desolate and run down as a result of its residents being moved out, it’s a popular destination for freerunners, BMXers and even urban gardeners! Unfortunately, due to proposed regeneration plans this estate is set to be consigned to history books in the near future so if you’d like to have an explore yourself you’ll need to be quick as it’s due to be demolished gradually over the next 2 years.

Joe Maher

Joe,Sidehop,Portsmouth

Joe has been riding trials for well over a decade, and his experience on all manner of types of trials bikes from 20” mods through to 26” stocks (and even an Inspired Fourplay at one point!) shows through when he rides his latest RockMan Radix 24” build. With a well-rounded style and an amazing - and unique - technique for front wheel gaps, Joe found something to do at every spot we travelled to.

Radical Bikes, RockMan, Stan Titanium, TartyBikes, TNN Engineering

Click above to visit Joe’s team rider page.

Joe,Sidehop,Matlock

Joe,Back of bench gap,Portsmouth

Previous page:

TartyBikes: You’ve spent a lot of time riding at Barrow Farm (and the Barn!) over the autumn/winter months - was it good to head out and ride some new spots or are there still plenty of lines you’d like to ride at the Farm?Joe: As the weather has been awful for what seems like forever, the Barn has been awesome for getting riding done regardless of what’s going on outside. But yeah, getting outside and hitting up some fresh spots is always good! I’m a huge fan of all the 4 locations we rode, and the weather forecast looked promising, so it was a win win situation in regards to the trip.

I do ride Barrow Farm way too much, but there is reason for it. Having one of the best trials locations in the UK on your doorstep, why bother going anywhere else? Obviously the Barn is very useful too, helping make the most of the winter, and the Field in the summer is awesome. Every time I go to Barrow Farm I can find a new line to try so the venue never gets old. As long as I keep improving, there will always be new things to try.

Despite riding Hathersage a few times prior to this trip, you mentioned having never ridden Matlock Quarry (18 miles away) before. What did you think of it?Matlock Quarry was good! A good selection of different shaped rocks for all abilities of rider! When we were at Matlock, I did get a puncture - how, I’m not too sure - but after fixing the flatty, my brake wasn’t 100% perfect, and my energy levels were very low, so I lost enthusiasm and this resulted in not giving Matlock a decent try out like it deserved! I’ll definitely be heading back though.

Lastly - you’re pretty well known for ‘to front’ moves, so do you have any hints and tips out there for riders trying to emulate the signature Joe Maher ‘gap to front’?My hints and tips for going to front wheel would be - don’t do it anything like me! I’m not too sure how my ‘technique’ (if you can call it that) works, but it does. I’m forever trying to correct the technique, but I find when I’m pushing myself, I fall back into old habits of not doing it properly. That is one of the things I love about trials, you never really stop learning and you can always better yourself.

Joe,Gap up to front,Hathersage

Previous page:Ali,Trespassing,Somewhere...

Hathersage

Although this riding spot is often refered to as Hathersage, that’s not technically true! Hathersage is a town located nearby to these rocks in the North of the Peak District. The specific area ridden in the “Video Friends” video was near Stanage Edge.

Thanks to the erosion caused by weather over time, the rocks and terrain in this area are quite distinctive and offer a much different challenge compared to quarry-based or cut rocks. This means that on the top of the peaks you can find some flatter, smoother rocks whilst on the sides of the hills there are more traditional piles of rocks and boulders. Conveniently for trials riders, as the rocks are all limestone and sandstone it means that they are super grippy!

However, thanks to it’s unique location and geological make up, some areas can be off-limits to riders as our bikes technically class as vehicles and therefore can only be used on the “public highway”. Certain parts of the area are also Sites of Special Scientific Interest, so again, bikes are a no-no. These areas are usually well sign-posted, so if you approach them on any of the paths around the area you will see the notices about them.

It’s also worth noting that the area is very popular for walkers, so to try and keep everybody happy it’s worth being polite and courteous to any walkers you might encounter. This will hopefully allow you to ride without any hassle from any of the rangers!

Ali,Vert wall air,Portsmouth

Adam Bessell

Adam,Nosepick over,London

Adam Bessell (or just ‘Bessell’ as he’s universally known!) is another well-rounded rider, something which he definitely proved on this trip. Bessell spent all of the day at Hathersage and Matlock Quarry doing super tech lines on his Crewkerz Freed, but then switched to his Inspired Hex Team 2013 build for the streetier spots in London and Portsmouth where he did some BMX-inspired moves as well as big gaps and drops!

Elite Access, TartyBikes, Trialtech

We have no idea who this guy is! Click above to check out Bessell’s team page.

Adam,Kicker to back wheel,London

Adam and Joe,Making their own entertainment,London

TartyBikes: You’re riding a Crewkerz Freed and an Inspired Hex Team 2013 - it must be pretty tricky choosing which one to go out on! How do you decide?Adam: Yeah, it just depends on where we’re riding really - if I know there is a line I want to do in that place I just work out what bike is best for the line really.

With your Freed and your Hex having such different specs, do you find it hard to swap between them? Not really - it doesn’t take too long. I pretty much get used to one after warming up riding it, really.

In London you did some fairly big drops and gaps that people might not really expect to see done on a Hex - did you specifically want to do them to show it was possible on a ‘street’ bike? How different is it doing that type of riding on a Hex compared to your ‘normal’ trials bike?I just go out to have fun on my bike really. As we found that sweet spot there were a few lines I really wanted to do. The Hex is a strange bike - at first it felt really hard to get used to, it took me months and months to get completely comfortable on it, the longest any bike has really. But now I feel at home on it I can ride it pretty much the same as my “normal” bike. The only thing I find is that side hops are limited. Always guaranteed a fun ride on the Hex though.

Ali,Rock line,Matlock Quarry

Next page:

Stan,Back wheel gap,London

Stan Shaw

Stan is known throughout the trials world for his super smooth style and creative, technical style of riding. Despite usually being seen riding our TartyBikes indoor area or some of his favourite natural spots around the North of England, Stan met up with Adam, Ali and Joe in London and brought his unique take on riding street to the spots they encountered.

K-124, Stan Titanium, TartyBikes, Trialtech

Stan, trademark wodge - click it to view his team page.

For a rider who’s often associated with riding tech natural spots, how did you find riding some new streetier setups in London?Immensely fun. Mark knows London really well, so all the spots we went to were like little gems hidden away. I hadn’t ridden or really seen any of them before, and getting to ride new spots is always exciting. The Heygate estate was kind of surreal to ride. A derelict place that has plenty of character and is full of lines. I would like to go back there before they demolish it as there is definitely more to be filmed.

You were only on the trip for a day - what brought you down to London?I had already planned to ride the first round of the British Trials Cup on the Sunday at Hook Woods (just outside of London) and when Mark mentioned the ride in London on Saturday, it was too good an opportunity to miss out on. What was even better was that Joe, Adam and Ali were out too, riding with those guys is always mega fun. I have only really ridden London properly once before on the Brakeless Roadtrip back in 2010, so I’ve been wanting to ride it with brakes on the big bike ever since. It’s funny though, because we didn’t go to any of the same spots, but still rode for 7/8 hours. That shows how much potential there is there. Can’t wait to go back!

How did the competition go?Not quite as well as I’d hoped! I finished 4th out of 8 riders. I think all the fun the day before took its toll a little. It was a nice day though and I got to meet up with some old and new faces which is always good. Congrats must go to my team mate Tom Rankin for taking the win, he rode really well. I’m looking forward to the next round at Bracken Rocks and hopefully I can do a little better.

Camera Club

We all like watching videos and seeing photos of riding, but what goes into making these images? We took a look inside Mark’s camera bag to see what he used to film the “Video Friends” video and shoot the photos from the trip.

Batteries: “Cameras and flashes burn through batteries fairly quickly, so I usually have a few spare.”

Flash guns: “I use a couple of different types of flashes - I’ve got a pair of really old Sigma EF500D Super flashes, and a Nikon SB-28. The Nikon’s the more reliable so it’s my main choice.”

Fisheye lens: “I use a Tokina AF 10-17mm AT-X DX fisheye lens. It’s nice and wide so helps you get everything in shot if you’re shooting in a small space. For rolling or moving shots it’s handy too.”

Camera and lens: “I use a Canon EOS550D when I’m out and about. I use a 7D in the studio, but I’m more comfortable filming with the smaller 550D. They’re relatively cheap compared to most cameras, but film and shoot photos in great quality. They’re also incredibly easy to use. It’s fitted with a Canon 50mm lens here which is the lens I used to take a lot of the photos here. Being able to shoot at f1.8 is useful sometimes too, especially for playing with depth of field.”

Zoom lens: “For most longer shots, I use a Sigma AF 17-50mm EX DC lens. It’s nice and flexible so you can play around a bit more to get some different angles. It can shoot at f2.8 too which helps if you’re filming in low light.”

Triggers and light meter: “I use PocketWizard PLUS II Transceivers to trigger my flashes. They’re really expensive to buy, but they’ve held up to 5+ years of abuse now so I’d say they were worth it. They’ve got great range and haven’t let me done yet. The light meter is a basic Sekonic model - it’s not es-sential, but it’s handy when you’ve got to set up flashes in a rush and don’t want to have to guess any settings.”

A

B

C

D

E

F

-

-

-

-

-

-

Flash setup:

Off camera flashes are really useful for shooting at night, but can also help fill in shadowy or darker areas in daylight too. To get them to fire when you press the shutter button, you need some form of trigger. There are lots of different types available, but I use PocketWizards. They’re a little more expensive than most other triggers (these were over £200 for a pair when new), but they’re among the most reliable and have great range.One of the triggers sits on the hot shoe on my camera, while the other is connected to the flash using a cable called a sync lead. When the shutter button is pressed, the camera trigger fires out an infrared signal which is received by the PocketWizard on the flash, which then triggers the flash through the sync lead - hopefully! My flashes and triggers are quite old now and have been hit by people, bikes and the ground a lot so they’re a little temperamental at times.

Tripods:

Tripods are useful in plenty of ways for shooting both photos and video. They double up as flash stands if required, or if you’re using a very slow shutter speed at night they can help keep an image clear. For filming they’re great for keeping shots stable, and allow you to get nice smooth panning shoots. A handy trick is to use them as a big camera handle for keeping moving shots stable too - I use a Jessops Carbon Fibre tripod, and with the centre of the body extended it works as a really good handle for the camera if you need to either walk, run or ride along whilst filming. Although it’s not pictured here, I also used our studio tripod which has a ‘fluid head’ - this allows you to move the top of the tripod in a smooth, controlled way which helped a lot for the panning shots on the introduction. The downside is they do weigh quite a lot!

Ali,Bank air,London

Ali,Fence hop,London

Ali,Roll down,Hathersage