Blogs

Group ride. Wet February day. Mud. And we're not even in Belgium.

But not forgotten.

Never Valentines Day any more but the anniversary of your death. Was it really 5 years ago I burst into tears when I heard the news getting home from a race?

You were a hero to me, you still are, despite, and because of, your faults.

Grazie Marco, may your good lord take the time.

I have a new bike.

It started with a scrap of paper full of sketches and scribbles and ideas for a new frame, with some nice colouring in. I took this scrawl to the pub to meet my friendly local frame-builder and over a few pints we talked about this and that while he translated my random jottings into meaningful numbers and he promised alchemy to turn them into something lovely.

Some while later my frame turned up.

Before I've even turned a pedal on the thing this bike seems to be laden with what could be called "Soul".

Don't have a course? you soon will...

Dear manufacturers: we've come a long way since those grey boxes that took batteries the size of your fist and spat out enough light for you to see your front tyre, so praise where praise is due: we've had some progress. Now we've settled on what looks to be the perfect solution, the humble LED. In a decade we've moved forward a long way, from those green flashy things that cateye used to make to 1300 lumen searchlights you could use to light a football stadium. And it's all good. There's one thing that hasn't really changed though.

Forests have already been felled and a zillion innocent pixels, er zapped bringing you the news that Lance Armstrong and Don Catling the UCLA drug-testing expert have agreed to end their independent doping program before it started. So what do a few more matter!

Just in case you've been locked in a cupboard for the last 24 hours I might as well throw my two penn'orth in, and point you at the choicest opinions aired on the matter so far.

1) overtrousers don't break when you're trying to get your bike in the boot

2) If your overtrousers rub on your wheel, you don't need a spanner to make them stop

3) if you get a stone jammed in your overtrousers you don't end up in a hedge

4) it doesn't take half an hour to put your overtrousers on

I don't mean just commuting on a 15 year old mtb, which I did today, but spend my Saturdays mornings riding round the Peak District when I could be in the Westfield centre. Or doing the tour of Flanders sportif the weekend of my partners birthday when we could go to Barcelona instead.

I wouldn't have that big bruise and graze on my thigh from coming down on ice last weekend or had a 10km walk home the other week.

Whilst sifting through youtube following tangential threads starting from 'amusing cat videos' I ended up on this. Now, don't get me wrong, I like tricks on fixers but this makes me feel a little confused. Please share your comments.

Justin Burls is tucked away in a quiet corner of Harwich. His background in classic vehicle restoration and metal fabrication have equipped him with an unsurpassed eye for detail, making the transition to bespoke frame building a surprisingly easy one. He still has his first frame-a TT mount built for his own sporting his trademark, super-smooth fillet brazing and deep, luxurious blue livery.