The Happy Thread

[Guillermo M. 202]

I met Kevin Liu today 

[Tom Booth 1877]

How many pieces is he in now?

[Guillermo M. 202]

Still in one piece, such a nice guy 

 

[dann2707 6240]

£1k Christmas bonus. Awesome. 

[Guillermo M. 202]

 

[ogre 684]

met a family in the woods yesterday whilst slacklining, got them having a go and the mum started ribbing the dad for a unicycle that he never uses. it's now mine  i also met the serious slackliners in london and it was incredible, got to use loads of kit and try some big ol' lines and my understanding of the hobby beyond the ratchet sets i've been using has improved massively. i'm f**king smitten with slacklining. it's really nice to be teenagishly enthusiastic for a hobby again. yay

[Herbertlemon102 698]

been in and out of hospital over christmas. been able to ride since a couple days ago. waking up knowing i can ride my bike is making me f-ing hyped again. love it.

[Herbertlemon102 698]

Just walking into the shed and seeing my bike makes me tier 1 happy at the minute.

[Tony Harrison 1024]

On 07/01/2019 at 10:34 PM, Herbertlemon102 said:

Just walking into the shed and seeing my bike makes me tier 1 happy at the minute.

 

I remember when it was like that :/

[Herbertlemon102 698]

15 hours ago, Tony Harrison said:

I remember when it was like that :/

I found the key is constantly having a riding goal, no matter how good (or not) you may get- then everytime I see the bike I’m hyped to go try it  

[Tony Harrison 1024]

For me I got to a point where everything I'd ever wanted to achieve, I had. By the time I did so (around 2003/4) the things I'd wanted to learn (basically whatever was in Tricks & Stunts and Chainspotting) were quite below par compared to how trials in general had progressed. I had no real want to learn the bigger hooks, taps etc, it was more the fun of socialising on rides and d'cking about. I think once your 'heart' isn't in something, it's not a bad idea to stop. Now and again I've had the bike out since, but the hunger hasn't been there to re-learn what I used to do, let alone anything else. However if you're getting a positive feeling each time you see the bike then that's a great sign that riding is what you should be doing! I do still have some 'retro' projects I want to finish building though, and trials will always be part of me I think.

[Luke Rainbird 4326]

I'd agree with that. I've not ridden a trials bike "properly" in about 8 years, with the occasional cruise around with a group since but very rarely. Even then, I don't think I was actively trying to "achieve" anything for a good couple of years before that in terms of bigger/newer stuff, just dicking about on a 24" doing silly stuff and having fun which is why I stayed with it so long. I have a Hex in the garage that's never been ridden and in the meantime the scene locally has died off a lot, so really I know I should just sell the bike now rather than it going to waste sitting there. Rose tinted specs I guess, as without getting into bikes (primarily trials) I suspect my life and the choices I've made along the way would look incredibly different.

Life moves on though - I do a bit of climbing these days which is a relatively similar "scene" to trials in some ways (very social, slow-paced) whilst different enough in others (much more family-friendly, more cafes) to make it suit me better. I get out on the MTB to keep myself on wheels, and that's also something Soph can do which is nice. We even had a few of the SW OG trials crew out together a few weeks back, so hopefully do that again throughout 2019.

[dann2707 6240]

I've started climbing/bouldering and there's always a (different) guy in camo trousers with dreadlocks. Is it the same everywhere? 

[Tony Harrison 1024]

21 minutes ago, dann2707 said:

I've started climbing/bouldering and there's always a (different) guy in camo trousers with dreadlocks. Is it the same everywhere? 

Yeah, and they often have those giant bucket-sized chalk bags and about six different brushes for cleaning the holds...

[Luke Rainbird 4326]

And only ever in a vest. Nothing else is acceptable.

[forteh 861]

1 hour ago, dann2707 said:

I've started climbing/bouldering and there's always a (different) guy in camo trousers with dreadlocks. Is it the same everywhere? 

Alter rock?

Edited January 10 by forteh

[MadManMike 2514]

A had a hospital appointment today for something that I had worked myself up about, convinced it was going to be bad news.

Thankfully I've been given the all clear and told to come back for another check up same time next year.

[Duncy H 362]

I’ve had a real bad time finding good work since I got back to the U.K. which had made me try doing my own thing. I’ve actually been making a serious effort towards focusing on cycling specific photography and yesterday I got my first paid mtb media job booked. Not a big one but I felt like it was a good milestone.

[Ross McArthur 4174]

5 hours ago, Duncy H said:

I’ve had a real bad time finding good work since I got back to the U.K. which had made me try doing my own thing. I’ve actually been making a serious effort towards focusing on cycling specific photography and yesterday I got my first paid mtb media job booked. Not a big one but I felt like it was a good milestone.

Out of interest dude. How do you go about finding that sort of work?

I know from competing in Enduro and DH events that there is a lot of weekend warriors who pick a spot on a stage and snap away, later to upload their images to Roots and Rain. Some good money to be made if you can make a name for yourself. I also know a couple of people who work for uplift services who snap away on a daily basis. BPW is a good example. Adrenaline Uplift being another.

I also know a boy who does a bit of work for mtb coaches who are trying to start up their coaching business and need media for their website.

There is so much of that work out there I've even been thinking of doing it myself! 

[Duncy H 362]

1 hour ago, Ross McArthur said:

Out of interest dude. How do you go about finding that sort of work?

I know from competing in Enduro and DH events that there is a lot of weekend warriors who pick a spot on a stage and snap away, later to upload their images to Roots and Rain. Some good money to be made if you can make a name for yourself. I also know a couple of people who work for uplift services who snap away on a daily basis. BPW is a good example. Adrenaline Uplift being another.

I also know a boy who does a bit of work for mtb coaches who are trying to start up their coaching business and need media for their website.

There is so much of that work out there I've even been thinking of doing it myself! 

I've recently just been trying to get more involved in the local scene, photographing more often and networking with more people. This job came about from someone I've recently been working with gaining a new sponsor who requires some media content.

I have been told about folks shooting races and posting on roots and rain, I am tempted to give a few a try but I'd approach it in a more creative way rather than standing in the same spot all day with a tripod getting the same shot.

Mostly though it's been a case of putting myself out there a bit more.

Maybe we should shoot together sometime. 

[Herbertlemon102 698]

Rode again after a weekend of not due to a broken bike. I was sitting in bed about two hours ago, wasted day, watched too many trials videos, and had to get out. Boy am I glad I did. Re-did some lines I haven’t done in yonks- And some new ones. In the dark. Was in complete send it mode. I really, really love it when that happens. 

Oh and the bike looks rad. Still slightly bitter about my disc brake dying on me though. 

[SamKidney 1414]

Biting the bullet and taking steps towards sorting my own workspace out. Phone call with estate agent regarding property arranged tomorrow. 

[Tom Booth 1877]

Keep on it man. Get a location, setup how YOU want it, not how others recommend, do good work and it'll come good, you'll never be a millionaire but it's satisfying as hell knowing you've earned the money.

Most self employed people I know that are wealthy are crooks and tossbags with a story behind them.

[ogre 684]

my 26 is going tonight, i like the guy whos getting it so that makes it feel better? i know i'm not going to make time for it anymore. and i still have the mod if i get the itch. slacklining is still progressing and is tickling all those feelings trials used to give me without ruining my shins. i managed to stay up on the line for 1 hour and 11 minutes just going back and forth tonight 

[Wobbly 0]

My first trials bike arrived Monday morning first thing and I've hardly been off it since. Different geometry than I'm used to but I will in time. Happy as a pig in dog eggs