For the past five weeks I have been trapped in a DIY prison and reminiscing about biking trips and holidays gone by. Those endless summer days in the Alps, friends who no longer ride etc. Don’t fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult is one of mine and also much of the Roam soundtrack.

I’m not riding so much at the moment, but it helps inspire me for new adventures.

The theme tune to Dads army always reminds me of long winding climbs on the Kentish downs.

Feed Me, and the rest of the Replenish album by Reef always takes me back to lazy summer days, school holidays, my mate’s bedroom plastered with Mint Sauce cartoons, smoking reefers, drinking beers, big days out on the bikes with varying amounts of actual riding. Back when we used to have summers…

Song 2

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-fluGRu4z8[/video]

from chainspotting iirc

Songs that inspire that feeling as you hit your last descent after a day with no crashes or mechanicals, just big smiles all round chasing your mates down the hill.

The Rockafeller Skank by FBS – played many times on my best ever weekend’s riding back in 1998 in The Gower.

And possibly Delilah (Tom Jones) for the memories of it being played at a nightclub in Mumbles that same weekend…

Crowded House – Take the Weather With You. Back in the day, the old Lancashire Mountain Bike Club/Burnley Rough Riders used to go away every Bank Holiday weekend, usually to Keswick. We somehow ALWAYS transpired to have that tune on the radio on the way up the M6…

Definitely this… always used to get it in my head at XC races.
We used to play the album in my mate’s Fiesta on the way to rides.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG8y01do374[/video]

this one does it for me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPPP3BXurHk

Jesus and Mary Chain “April Skies”

for climbing

New Order “True Faith”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_rhnHpRSXQ

for running

The Specials “Ghost Town”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WhhSBgd3KI

About 20 years ago, two of us went for a month in a van round the south of France and bought “Drive Thru Booty” by Freakpower to play every day. Hence all I need nowadays is to hear the first note of “Moonbeam Woman” and I’m on a sun-baked dirt track somewhere in the Pyrenees.

“Get Em Up” – Ice Cube and Paul Oakenfold

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-AEPyC1NAQ[/video]

Made this my warm-up psyching-up tune when driving to various trails 5-10 yrs ago. Usually played it 2-3 times on the final approach.

Another of mine.

Carter USM, The only living boy in New Cross.

dawn lap of my first (the first) strathpuffer

sun rise , over the loch at the top near the end of the lap and faithless insomnia was pounding through my headphone(just one so i could hear folk coming behind).

good times(im also stuck in DIY hell)

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjIwm7d_xs8[/video]

Beth Orton, Thinking about Tomorrow.

Reminds me of a puncture I had in mid December mud 1/2 way down the Doethie Valley . Freezing fingers, but lovely chilled feeling….

Don’t fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult

How weird is that?!!!
I was listening to just that track in the car on the way home last night, my thoughts jumping forward to a week riding in Garda this May and thinking what a good soundtrack it would make to the inevitable video.

“Best of Johnny Cash” played on the way back from XC races in the 90’s. Two blokes singing at the top of there voices (I us the term loosely). Happy totally knackered days.

[video]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C2cMG33mWVY[/video]

Takes me back to summer ’96. Good times.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBtXL9NAPXk[/video]

This tune always creates memories of my first mtb (a Kona) and me and my mate Richie tinkering about in the garage after a ride.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWNaR-rxAic[/video]

..because EVERY SINGLE service station, shop, cafe, bar, boulangerie and petrol station was playing it during my trip to the Mega last year. Great memories 8)

When climbing i sometimes slip into humming just keep pedaling, just keep pedaling.

Rise against – Re Education – DVD Follow Me.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFemUogh6xk[/video]

Michael Franti and Spearhead – Light Up Ya Lighter – Follow Me DVD
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcFvxoq5C64[/video]

Killaflaw – Set me on Fire – Follow Me DVD
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjVecRFH63o[/video]

Bjork, Debut. On constant loop in the car in a weekend in the lakes in ’94.

Usually a random pick of whatever I listened to last. Something badass when I’m descending obviously.

If I’m suffering a really grim climb then this becomes necessary:
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkZ2_nKo7II[/video]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0YJaOPC8I8[/video]
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa-XXTAxIPc&list=FLXr086GVK0Obk-2f_JRuuQg&index=42[/video]
And a prize if you can tell which videos they are from.

Fleetwood Mac – go your own way.

Mainly from SITS and Mayhem.

Also love Roam and Collective soundtrack.

Spin Doctors – Pocket Full Of Kryptonite .
NEMBAs back in the day 🙂

Screaming Trees have a song with the lyric,
“torn like an old dollar bill”
I hear/sing that on all climbs whilst struggling/knackered.

Find myself many a time hammering down a trail with this in my head

Dont fear the reaper by Apollo 440 at the start of our night rides back when we used home made lights

State of mind by Senser from the early freeride vids

Lost Soul by the doves for the sunrise laps at Mayhem

some obscure Tom Jones song provided by Chipps as an ear worm at the start of most rides :-0

when ever i ride dry dusty trails (so not often!!!) especially in the Wyre Forest, this song pops into my head
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96C1XDlxOA4[/video]

Not really a song but when ever im on a good desent and pumping like a loon the Indian Jones theme tune plays through my head!!

just thinking about it makes me grin 8)

Pretty much anything by Iron Maiden- galloping base lines go well with pedalling. Lots of stuff from soundtracks- mostly from Vast, it all just feels like riding

When I first started riding again I was listening to Emmy the Great a lot but I’m not sure why We Almost Had A Baby became the cycling song off that album. (maybe it’s because of all the crashing- well you didn’t stop, when I told you to stop…) It’ll always remind me of riding in the pentlands and vice versa.

Oh and the entire of West Side Story, for reasons unknown

The Littlest Hobo.