Byrner
08-08-2008, 10:09 PM
I went down to ballinadafydd tonight for an old spin..I knew the schlomp wouldn't be too bad as i felt like an old dry ride.
i met Jimmy Synnot who was masquerading as Denis brennan and as it was his first time cycling in ballinastoe, he went off ahead of me..
the carpark only had a couple of cars in, so i thought it would be goober free..
off up the hill i went determined to catch jimmy ( he was a savage in his day) he was on beths freeride bike, which was a tad too small for him, so i thought, I'll catch the old bollix on the first singletrack.
I eventually caught up with Earl and friend high up..but didn't catch jimmy till the very last stretch of singletrack, obviously the old bandana and big gold earing is still working !!
When i reached the car park it was filling up, it was 7.00.
I handed out a few flyers for the blast and it was then I realised that Mountainbiking really is for the masses..
Once upon a time, i knew the name of every rock climber in ireland..then i knew every mountainbiker in the Country.
We were hardcore, fringe people, living on the edge, pushing the boundaries , pioneers..
If you weren't wearing flourescent lycra , you were nobody..
Half of me hopes they'll all quit and leave the mountains to me and the blessed few..(unlikely now) and the other half of me hopes the whole country will become mountainbikers and a new religion will be born.
I know i've a lot to answer for with all the people i've introduced to the sport but hey, its deadly.
That feeling of timelessness when you are absolutely bating down a piece of singletrack.
That religous feeling you get when you do a really big jump.
The mutzig in Robinsons bar in Morzine when your brain is fried from high speed hanging off the back in the mud in france
The Beeps on at the start of the DH race.
Andy Potts saying " in the next 30 seconds "
The leadmines in the sun
3 rock in the rain
Kindlestown in the dark
the Horn of El Dorado
The legend of Rogan..
We are blessed.. don't ever forget it..
These boys with their bar ends and their foam helmets..they're coming in after The Golden Age..
i met Jimmy Synnot who was masquerading as Denis brennan and as it was his first time cycling in ballinastoe, he went off ahead of me..
the carpark only had a couple of cars in, so i thought it would be goober free..
off up the hill i went determined to catch jimmy ( he was a savage in his day) he was on beths freeride bike, which was a tad too small for him, so i thought, I'll catch the old bollix on the first singletrack.
I eventually caught up with Earl and friend high up..but didn't catch jimmy till the very last stretch of singletrack, obviously the old bandana and big gold earing is still working !!
When i reached the car park it was filling up, it was 7.00.
I handed out a few flyers for the blast and it was then I realised that Mountainbiking really is for the masses..
Once upon a time, i knew the name of every rock climber in ireland..then i knew every mountainbiker in the Country.
We were hardcore, fringe people, living on the edge, pushing the boundaries , pioneers..
If you weren't wearing flourescent lycra , you were nobody..
Half of me hopes they'll all quit and leave the mountains to me and the blessed few..(unlikely now) and the other half of me hopes the whole country will become mountainbikers and a new religion will be born.
I know i've a lot to answer for with all the people i've introduced to the sport but hey, its deadly.
That feeling of timelessness when you are absolutely bating down a piece of singletrack.
That religous feeling you get when you do a really big jump.
The mutzig in Robinsons bar in Morzine when your brain is fried from high speed hanging off the back in the mud in france
The Beeps on at the start of the DH race.
Andy Potts saying " in the next 30 seconds "
The leadmines in the sun
3 rock in the rain
Kindlestown in the dark
the Horn of El Dorado
The legend of Rogan..
We are blessed.. don't ever forget it..
These boys with their bar ends and their foam helmets..they're coming in after The Golden Age..