Sunday, August 27, 2006

Quick Creamfields 2006 Review

Well Creamfields is over for yet another year. I've just got back home after an amazing all night dance fest at Daresbury near Warrington (Creamfields organisers.. really like the new location.. good call.. dont think you'll get too much grief off the locals, think we were all pretty well behaved).

Anyway, the party was intense, the atmosphere electric and the Active Brits possie managed to catch some quality sets from some great DJs (and as a serious bonus, the rain stayed away). Active Brits would like to say thanks to the following DJs was helped kick out some storming beats to make the experience a memorable one:

Hernan Cattaneo - for setting the scene and providing a quality warm up to a night of dark edged trippy tunage...
Sasha - Yet again a flawless prime time performance.. awesome..
Felix the Housecat - Absolutely bangin early hours set to finish off the proceedings at 6am. Cheers for dropping a really eclectic blend of electro and tech.
The Mighty Prodigy - An epic performance of prime show boating and entertainment fused with the usual hard hitting crowd pleasers..
Plump DJs - Always pull out the stops, quality breaks and tunage selection.
Andy Farley - A bit on the hard side fo me but really knows how to get the vibe sticking... a quality bit of insanity..

And thanks to the 45000 ravers who helped drum up the Creamfields atmosphere and make it a memorable one, catch you all next year :o)

Right before i pass out and die its time to go fettle the bike for a day in Wales 2moro.. Its just gotta be done.. best beer detox ever :o)

Note: if any readers have a couple of good quality pics of the event that they wouldnt mind letting us use to make this post look more impressive then please send them to us via the profile. Cheers.

Friday, August 18, 2006

Please Check my Archived Posts and Leave Feedback

Dont forget to have a look through my archived posts (scroll down the column on the right hand side till you get to archives).. Also if you are a regular reader and would like to see something added on a site, or you'd like us to do a review of a specific ride then send me an email (via my profile). If you get fed up with the video and would like me to embed a different one on the site just say and i'll put a different one on.. Also dont forget to go to http://www.activebrits.com and add your biking club, biking blog, biking event, retail shop or biking holiday company, biking accomodation (or any other extreme or adventure sports) to the appropriate category (just, select the category at the top, go to get pixels and follow the simple instructions). Have a top weekend all.. :o)

Hawthorn Hedge Trimmings.... AAHHHHHHH.

Hey, i'm all up for a bit of countryside management but seriously how hard would it be for hedge cutting contractors/ farmers/ landowners to actually clean up the freakin mess on the roads after they've done a bit a trimming... Get rid of ya 2nd World War antique hedge blitzer, buy a new machine, turn on ya blower or better still brush the crap off the roads when ya finished.. Duty of care for the countryside, how about duty of care for those bikers that come tanking through the mess you've left all over the shop.. I'm beginning to think i should get shares in a butyl rubber factory, i've just had to order another 10 innertubes (many thanks Wiggle for ya rapid despatch)... It would be so nice to go through an entire month without having to worry about my innertubes ending up like a freakin teabag.. come on, show some consideration and sort it...

Active Brits off to the USA

Less than 3 weeks to go then the Active Brits possie are off on our annual overseas pilgrimage to somewhere hot and activity orientated. We are not the kind a people who enjoy sitting by the pool so as always its gonna be one hell of an adventure. This year providing we are not delayed by the current airport issues we are off to the South West USA to do stacks of outdoor stuff in Yosemite NP, Seqouia NP, Kings Canyon NP, Joshua Tree NP and the Grand Canyon. It will be mostly long hikes to the top of big peaks (notably Half Dome), some bouldering and a 2-3 day backcountry hike down in the Grand Canyon. Its going to be so so cool, 4 brits cruising in a Grand Cherokee Jeep.. you've just gotta do the USA proper goodstylee.

We have got a bit of biking sorted though, cant live on just hiking and climbing alone. Because of the distances we are covering and the potential risk of someone nicking the car together with everything we own, we have found a company just outside Vegas that does advanced level day tours incorporating big hitting uphills and quality decents on high end Santa Cruz Blur full sussers (sweeeeeetttttt.....). I've been wanting to test drive Santa Cruz machines for ages so now i'm going to get the chance to put them through their paces. The company even picks you up from outside your Vegas casino, supplies you with everything you need and whisks you off to the nearby Cottonwood valleys for some exhilarating riding. It will be such a contrast to riding in North Wales with temps in excess of 90-100 degrees but the views back over Vegas are supposed to be outstanding. I'll let you know how we all get on when we get back at the end of Semptember :o))

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Creamfields 2006.. less than 2 weeks to go.


Two more weeks to Creamfields, lots a partying followed by a Bank Holiday Monday of biking in North Wales. For any groovers out there who are going to the event and are yet buy tickets, dont forget its moved and is now outside Warrington at Daresbury, Halton..

CREAMFIELDS LINE-UP HERE

Whatever you are doing over the bank holiday weekend do it properly and have a top one ;o)

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Flying Sheep

They may taste mighty fine with a bit of mint sauce but you've got to respect em on account of the speed they can reach on downhill sections. Obviously we are talking about sheep running like hell to get out of the way in fear of their lives and not sheep directly riding the lastest Santa Cruz rig (thats too surreal even for my imagination) but they can seriously reach some speeds over the harshest obstacles and technical sections. So next time you are out and have nailed that ultimate downhill and really pulled out all the stops, just think that those fur-balled critters would have probably nailed it in half the time..

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Panaracer Cinder Kevlar 2.1 Review.



Well its been several months now since i stuck a new set of Panaracer Cinder 2.1's on the GT and i can honestly say i'm well impressed. I've thrown everything at them, mud, gravel, tarmac, grass fields, rock runs and they really seem to to the job properly. I have used Panracer XC Pros for years and have been moderately impressed but the Cinders seem really suited to the UK mixed transitional routes and are excellent during edging manoeuvres on fast flowing corners where you like to keep momentum. I went for the Kevlar beaded model to reduce a bit of weight and they seem really strong and well constructed. The only downside i have discovered is that you could sometimes do without the incredible grip on uphill tarmac sections, you can actually hear the tyres sticking to to the road. It will be interesting to determine the longevity of the tyre but i would imagine by the level of grip and increased friction that the overall lifespan will be slightly reduced (i'll be prepared to buy an extra set of tyres in favour of performance). They retail out at about £20-25 a tyre which is on par with the XC Pros and in my opinion are definately worth checking out.

You can find more information on the Panaracer Website