Tony Harrison

Bebo all the way.

I read through that too, was interesting. Those earlier bike shows were amazing. I remember one, I think it was 2000, when they had Giant trials bikes you could try out on a course they'd built.

From what I saw he's still finishing the season, just missing Monaco. I have to say though, I do feel for Alonso a bit - he's a world class driver who should have the tools right now to be up there battling with Vettel and Hamilton. The thing is, how would you ever have any two of those three on the same team?

It wasn't the worlds, it was a national round in 2004. I also went to that world round at Addingham the following year, I think Gav was riding at both those events. I remember talking to him about the newer geometry frames at the world round and it convinced me to buy one. Good days for sure.

I had a hunt through some old folders and found a picture of the Giant frame/forks I have, which came from Martin Hawyes. One of two (or maybe three) given to him by Giant, I think the blue was team only and not available to the public. The other picture is of Martin's bike at the Bike Show 2004. I did build mine up a few years later, around 2008, and it rode ok but not quite as refined as the early Ashton frame (chainstays were too long!!). (I remember asking Martin about the new frame at a BIU round he was riding it in, I think it was Addingham Moorside also in 2004, and him lamenting the fact that Giant hadn't fitted 4-bolt brake mounts - "The stupidest thing you've ever heard" I think were his words : )

It's just as well that humans have a natural lifespan.

Totally. I have enough to worry about in my daily life without having to consider the implications of which alien race infiltrated the government and who's watching me type this via my webcam. Maybe there are 'truths' hidden from us, and maybe they should stay hidden.

Yes, I'm pretty sure they pre-dated the XC ones too. I think they may have made a more conventional fork later. These ones look like 4-bolt, but then again that's Akrigg's bike so he may have had prototypes... Regular ones as sold to customers:

As far as I know only Hawyes had one in those colours, although you could pretty easily mask and paint one yourself... That's the XC fork though, but thanks for looking. Maybe I should ask Wayne - I still have a frame and fork I bought off him about 13 years ago!

I commissioned [myself to produce] a sketch of what I believe to be the future of trials innovation. Wheels and steering are done-away with in the interests of saving weight. Instead I introduce the concept of frame 'legs', a fixed one at the front, a spring-loaded and hinged one at the rear. Each of the legs has a small rubber 'hoof' attached for grip. The first version had an upright 'handle stalk' arrangement not much different to what you might find on a micro-scooter, but for a more contemporary approach I have opted here for some Raleigh Chopper bars. Of course for production you'd want to make carbon or alloy ones instead to save weight.

Just makes me think of this: And not so much because of the fork brake mounts being on the back (that's been around for ages) but the whole odd bar positioning thing. Confused as to why someone is yet to 'innovate' a bar and stem combo that makes it look less like the dumbass kid in the warehouse has put the bike together incorrectly...

I always thought Hawyes's one with black Fatty forks and the front of the frame black looked good:

Those chainstays aren't too long! I have one of Akrigg's old Pace frames (I bought it from Danny Holroyd about 13 years ago!) which I'd like to repair (cracked weld on the downtube) and build up as an Akrigg replica, but where the hell to find a set of Pace trials forks...

They were great to ride, and not all that dissimilar geometry-wise to the Vario - probably not surprising since Tibo was involved with both. Some of the Liverpool riders had them. I got a detention at school for sneaking out to buy that issue! They rode with the Sunn forks with the strange dropouts like in your second pic there - I have a couple of pairs of those forks somewhere. They were spec'd on the BMix bikes that Sunn produced.

Clown bike.

Very very nice, really like that, and tastefully done too.

That's good to know. I insured my bike on a classic policy (it's just over 15 years old, so qualifies) and with all the mods it was about half what the more commercial insurers were charging. And actually it makes sense because as you say we're the ones who're going to take care of our vehicles.

Do you think that applies with most insurers or just specialist ones? Also when you change an engine do you have to get anything changed on the V5? Presumably you need the capacity to be updated, and if so how is this done?

These cars are starting to look ridiculous.

One year it would be great to have a pre-2002 (or thereabouts) fun trials comp, maybe at one of the 'fests'.

He'd probably be more useful to the spooks whilst alive though. Plus the paramedics generally have a duty to help people regardless, which in itself is honourable.

He seems to really enjoy it too, just going out and having fun.

I have Freeriders which I bought because my softer Vans shoes weren't giving my feet much support, and on long downhill rides my feet would ache because the soles weren't stiff enough. Not used the Five-Tens much yet but pleased with them anyway.

That's about what I had I think. It was just super fun, rode quite similar to my Hex. At the time I had that setup (2004-2005) the long bikes were getting in vogue, like the Coustelliers and Koxx (also Atomz etc), but they just seemed boring. I suppose that was soon after the start of the long frame thing, and around the time high BBs were coming in. Funny how shorter street bikes are so popular now : )