Is anyone else feeling the effects of hump day? We most definitely are. In fact, today is double-hump day at the Singletrack office, particularly with tomorrow being *dun-dun-dun-dun-duuuuun* DEADLINE DAY…
So you can imagine our pleasure when a convenient excuse for procrastination turned up in our email inboxes, in the form of a frankly stunning video on behalf of Shimano. Showcasing some of the riding and terrain on Reunion Island, the video has been shot by Anthill Films and features the riding talents of Bryn Atkinson and Bas Van Steenbergen.
Bryn Atkinson, Bas VanSteenbergen with locals David Delassus and Theo Booy on Reunion Island, Indian Ocean. Photo: Stirling Lorence.
“We had heard of this volcanic island in the middle of the Indian Ocean with amazing trail riding, a tight-knit group of local riders, and diverse landscapes. We went into the trip without expectations, and left inspired by the new friends we met and the rugged beauty of the place. If you ever get a chance to go Reunion Island – do it.”
This doesn’t appear to be the UK. Photo: Stirling Lorence.No bikes here – confusing huh? Photo: Stirling Lorence.Ok, the bikes are back. Phew! Photo: Stirling Lorence.Dancing through the trees. Photo: Stirling Lorence.Bryn bringing the Aussie to Reunion Island. Photo: Stirling Lorence.
David started mountain biking in the 90’s, by which he means “Ineptly jumping a Saracen Kili Racer off anything available in a nearby industrial estate”. After growing up and living in some extremely flat places, David moved to Yorkshire specifically for the mountain biking. This felt like a horrible mistake at first, because the hills are so steep, but you get used to them pretty quickly.
Previously, David trifled with road and BMX, but mountain bikes always won. He’s most at peace battering down a rough trail, quietly fixing everything that does to a bike, or trying to figure out if that one click of compression damping has made things marginally better or worse. The inept jumping continues to this day.
