Best Article: ‘Look At The Time’ by Chipps

Your votes have been counted, and you have decided that the best piece of writing you’ve read this year, either in print or on this here website, is ‘Look at The Time’ by Chipps.

Thanks for voting my interview with Rob Warner as your favourite story of 2023, I’m very humbled that you picked it over the other super strong contenders. 

To be honest, I knew that it was going to be a good interview the moment I sat down with Rob. He can’t help but talk his mouth off, and what he comes out with is either funny, or blasphemous, or probably supposed to be off the record. My job was just asking the right questions and filtering out all of the stuff that he wasn’t supposed to tell me. 

What I didn’t expect, though, was the depth of feeling in some of Rob’s answers. To the world he is a brash, over-confident, blabbermouth, but dig down a little and there’s been a fair amount of soul-searching and self-doubt, not to mention a lot of hard work behind those Melon Optics. I was happy that the 30 years we’ve known each other helped Rob open up a little and also helped me dig down into some of Rob’s less salubrious moments, especially as I’d been there for a few of them. 

Writing this interview was a little like growing a bonsai tree or creating a sculpture. All I needed to do was trim away the bits that weren’t part of the story and I was left with pure Rob Warner, for better or worse. 

I’m really glad you enjoyed reading it. Now, who shall I talk to next? 

Chipps

If you’ve not already read this article, catch up here.

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Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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