It’s been a long December…
For many people, this time of year is when we catch up with old friends, family and places as we return to our roots for the festive holidays. I always enjoy Christmas as I get to catch up with friends and family. This year, as always, I went riding around Alfred’s Tower, near my mum’s house in Somerset. Just me and my bike, riding round tracks I’ve ridden every year for the last 18 years. I was riding a state of the art carbon Ibis with loads of travel, disc brakes and other fancy gadgets, but I still got as wet and sideways as when I first rode there on my Pacific 7-Comp back in 1989…
There’s something gratifying about returning to your origins, though, and seeing the obstacles that once challenged (and defeated) your younger self. They’re now ridden over with ease and the epic drops of yesteryear hardly register underneath the wheels of the new behemoth I’m piloting. I wonder, then, if in another few years time if the 6ft drops and enormous gaps that now astound me will be passed by so casually by the future me…
Hey, I can always hope… 
Happy Christmas all and best wishes for a fantastic 2007!
Chipps
January 2nd, 2007 at 1:44 pm
I’ve also got childhood memories of riding round there. I remember finding a downhill track that had been carved into the hill and riding down a very steep drop in and giggling at how much fun riding a bike was and the seemingly physics defying things you could do on one. Some things never change.
January 18th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Hello Chipps
I was just curios about your name and wondering if you have any relation with William Chippendale (He was an England embassy consular in El Salvador, Central America.)
I was doing some research about his name and I end up with yours, which is exactly like his.
Thank you,