Fort William World Cup 2014 - Pics from the Pits 2

Here’s a quick roundup, in no particular order, of more things we found wandering the pits that tickled us…

Cue banjo music..

Matt Letch (formerly of this parish) is channelling his inner American Survivalist. And that guy out of ’80s band Buggles.

This is the queue for the gondola up the Ben on Saturday, when it was quiet..

..and this is the queue from the other direction. It got a LOT longer. Happily, riders got priority.

Commentator Dan Jarvis spoke incessantly for many, many hours. It’s why we love him.

Gnarly riders of all ages were catered for. They even had their own special course.

Urban Pirate had some excellent hats,

t-shirts,

and tea towels on display. Cue Dave’s favourite joke (it involves Yorkshire’s most popular Owl, the ‘Teat’. My, how we laughed).

Ex Singletrack Staffer Sim is a shy lad..

Installing turbo trainers is like putting up deck chairs. They’ll get it right eventually, bless..

New Minion DHR II available in 26″, 27.5″ and trail 29″ flavours.

Rainbow passes will get you access to *everything*..

Gareth from ONE Industries has some ‘issues’. Let’s leave it at that.

More old school loveliness from Buff. This time a ’50s (to mid ’60s) Schwinn Cruiser.

..we have no idea.

Why are pirates so great? They just ARRRRRRRR.

I’ll get my coat.

These magnificent father-and-son moustaches were proudly on display.

Mark channelled his inner bee-keeper many times during proceedings.

Here is our Home Away From Home. Purveyors of luxury cowbells all weekend.

Husky t-shirts had some ace t-shirts on display.

As if you needed more people falling off things at a DH world Cup – mechanical rodeo!

There was a fine Trails section, and some very talented young riders.

And finally, here’s a shot of Dolly the dog entering into the spirit of things.. a bit grumpily (she wasn’t allowed on the mechanical bull).

Barney Marsh

Barney Marsh takes the word ‘career’ literally, veering wildly across the road of his life, as thoroughly in control as a goldfish on the dashboard of a motorhome. He’s been, with varying degrees of success, a scientist, teacher, shop assistant, binman and, for one memorable day, a hospital laundry worker. These days, he’s a dad, husband, guitarist, and writer, also with varying degrees of success. He sometimes takes photographs. Some of them are acceptable. Occasionally he rides bikes to cast the rest of his life into sharp relief. Or just to ride through puddles. Sometimes he writes about them. Bikes, not puddles. He is a writer of rongs, a stealer of souls and a polisher of turds. He isn’t nearly as clever or as funny as he thinks he is.