So sat on my car boot finishing lunch before heading off round Swinley today and Louis Theroux, wife and 2 young sons wanders past. Tried to think of something whitty to say but drew a blank....
Who have you seen whilst biking?
James McAvoy, He was out on his bike too. I expect he'll be on in a moment to say he saw me
Louis Theroux near Ullswater
Bonnie Tyler. My brother almost rode into her in Mumbles.
Chatted to that Ron Atkinson footballer chap and his wife on the top of clent. Think he was grateful to talk to someone who had no interest in the sport
I caught my reflection in a puddle the other day and, well, i'm kind of a big deal round my end.
Does that count?
Dolly the sheep errrr oh hang on 😳
Michael Elphick. Having a BBQ with friends in the garden of an isolated house in Languedoc. He shouted NICE ARSE as I passed. Fairly unmistakable...
Mr Bean.
Lives on one of my routes.
Houns
Dave Hill of Slade and Robert Plant (separate occasions)
Louis Theroux on a Torridon ride
[url= http://kenhames.co.uk/ ]Ken Hames[/url] out on his bike stopped to help one of our group after a tree branch in the eye incident. I realise that he may not actually be that famous to some but he was a jolly nice chap who went out of his way to help. The Beyond Boundaries TV programme he did was pretty inspirational.
Bonnie Tyler. My brother almost rode into her in Mumbles.
She opened my cousins record shop in The Uplands back in the 80s!
Ray Mears last year, he was in the lakes for the Mountain Festival. Nice chap.
Mr Benn
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Bonnie Tyler. My brother almost rode into her in Mumbles.She opened my cousins record shop in The Uplands back in the 80s!
That would be the place I bought 'Misplaced Childhood' by Marillion in 1985 or thereabouts. The only album I ever bought there.
Graham Taylor was in front of me last week in the Post Office, (not biking but posting the days orders out so still bike related). Lovely guy, asked him to come back to the Villa to sort the mess out, He said 'you gotta be kidding' which we both laughed at.
I followed the "whistler hardtail" video guy down Dirt Merchant at Whistler a couple of times. Couldn't keep up. I also saw Kelly McGarry there I think.
**** me that Theroux geezer gets about 😐
That would be the place I bought 'Misplaced Childhood' by Marillion in 1985 or thereabouts. The only album I ever bought there.
It was called "Tape and Disc Control"
Mark Cavendish on the Cat and Fiddle
James Cracknell, rower, comenting on tour bike race,
Chris Boardman , who lives down the road,
Billy Butler,Radio Merseyside dj,
Phil Redmond, who made Grange hill,
Lady Gresley,
I dont get out a lot.
[i]Ray Mears last year, he was in the lakes for the Mountain Festival. Nice chap[/i]
was their lass with him?
Gary Fisher.
Not really whilst riding, but got flown back first class on BA after a bike accident in Bolivia, had Sophie Ellis Bexter in the bed/ seat thing next to me and she woke me up as I was snoring badly after a mixture of opiates and red wine! She was actually really nice though but was a bit embarrassing!
**** me that Theroux geezer gets about
I sat next to him and his wife/girlfriend at a table in an Ikea restaurant having a full on bad ass argument about a wardrobe. I sympathised but it was quite embarrassing trying to look like I wasn't listening in.
On a bike Jude Law - but I'd taken him out for a ride so that's doesn't count.
I think I overtook Gee Atherton the other day at Llandegla, but it was such a blurr, it could have been Dan 😆
Lord Lucan, but he asked me not to tell anyone, so ssshhhh
Carl Fogarty and his missus, twice 🙂
Some judge off of Strictly, Arlene Phillips I am reliably informed
Saw Iolo Williams at CYB he was look for deer! Also seen all the Athertons at Llandegla
TJ
Never seen anyone famous,
But a couple of Porno's being made.
Mark Webber at AYTE.
Ross Kemp Pirbright.
Saw Charles and Camilla near Loch Muick a while back.
Friends interrupted the Duke of Edinburgh's shooting party on Lochnagar,
Guy Martin passed me twice during the Strathpuffer this year
Guy Martin passed me twice during the Strathpuffer this year
By Heck Chief 😉
Smoked a fatty with Anthony Kiedis (chilli peppers) at the top of Mt Tam in Marin a few years (decades) back.
Also have watched with hilarity as Cwis Eubank attempted to follow me down a very tricky trail on the South Downs:Him swearing like f••k on a rigid Klein, me on a San Andreas. He did mash me on the uphills however.
See Steve Peat in the woods every so often, but I guess you mean like 'proper' famous. In which case, nobody. Well, of course like everyone else in the thread I can't leave the house without tripping over Louis Theroux, but that's hardly worth mentioning.
I've seen Louis Ther...
oh.
**** me that Theroux geezer gets about
Yes well he likes to hang around with the mad, bad and dangerous to know so no real surprise that so many on here have met him. 🙂
During all of the below, I was on my bike or standing within 6 feet of it!
John Tomac was in Bridlington when he raced the Milk Race all those years ago. I was working as event staff on the start of the day's racing. (My bike was about 20 feet away for this one!)
Saw Gary Fisher at the opening day of 'Follow The Dog' at Cannock.
Saw Hans Rey at Cannock in his GT branded motorhome, looking for the camp site.
Saw David Hockney in Bridlington a few years ago.
Fred Dinage on a horse in the Chilterns, got off to go past him and he told me it was an excuse to walk up the hill, cheeky bas...
Saw Gary Fisher at (I think) mountain mayhem a few years ago. In time with every pedal stroke I could hear him say "Cold. Beer" "Cold. Beer" 🙂
Bear Grylls and Chris Ryan saw me once on a ride in the mountains. Didn't see them though. Friggin SAS!
Harry Enfield once stopped us for directions in the middle of Dartmoor. He didn't have a map.. 🙄
Seen Mark Webber, Guy Martin and Gary Fisher all at Mountain Mayhem.
Seen the fat vet bloke off of Emmerdale in a tea shop as I rode passed.
That there Michael Jackson mocker.. err.. Off of being in Pulp. Jarvis Cocker thats the fella.
And that Sheila bird off shameless.
I bet she was like common people?
The Queen (twice)
The Queen & Prince Philip (in a Freelander, she was driving)
Prince Philip (Horse and carriage type thing)
Beatrice, Eugenie and the Ginger One
I claim my £5
Christ Boardman, all the time. Live not far from him and my Monday ride seems to coincide with his as I run into him all the time. Tried to keep up a few times, think we can all guess how that ends.
Now think he's starting to stalk me as seen him at Llandegla a couple f weeks ago, again he had me on the hill, it's all about his carbon hard tail mind 😉
Dougie Vipond at Glentress for the win.
I've seen two famous Jeremys in The Chilterns:
Jeremy Irons a few weeks ago, Jeremy Paxman a few years ago.
Hopefully, it'll be Jeremy Vine next so that I can kick him in the nuts!
Most famous I've seen out on a bike, again, Guy Martin... Saw him a couple of times at Mountain Mayhem.
Have met or bumped into almost countless famous people whilst out and about though... Some Highlights...
Tracey Moseley came in to buy some software for her Mac when I was at work a couple of months ago.
Spent probably 5 minutes or more chatting to Ian Hislop, whilst waiting to go Water Skiing, back in 1996 in Greece (I was only just 16 too but already knew who he was). Thoroughly nice chap, and was also quite handy on waterskis.
Bumped into (almost literally) Jeremy Clarkson as he turned around after paying for fuel and fags in a petrol station just outside Oxford, but then I'm probably more than 6 inches shorter than him so he wouldn't have necessarily seen me! My mate from uni sat next to him for the Graduation Ceremony the day he got an honorary doctorate from Oxford Brookes Uni (you may remember him getting egged and floured after, it was in the front page news at the time), and said he's actually a really nice guy, and had a good chat with him.
[url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil_D%27Oliveira ]Basil D'Oliveira[/url] was one of my Dad's best friends incredibly in his later life. I met him a number of times, and though 9 times out of 10 he was pissed, when you consider what he achieved in his life (not just as a sportsman), he will be remembered up there with Nelson Mandela for his part in the end of Apartheid in South Africa.
I met most of the England Cricket team in Antigua in 1994. My mum saw Nasser Hussein and Phil Defraitis in KFC out there, brazenly went up to them, started flirting, chatted for a while and ended up getting her picture taken sat on Nasser's knee! A couple of days later we then met most of the rest, at their hotel...
Bumped into Martin Johnson, getting out of a lift at Twickenham, after England Thrashed South Africa before the World Cup back in 2003. He is HUGE!
Had a phonecall from my Dad, pissed, in about 1998. He was at Twickenham and had just watched England play. He'd got chatting to some people who invited him into the players bar afterwards, and he got chatting to Jeremy Guscott, so he got his mobile phone out, called me, then got Jeremy Guscott to have a conversation with me on the phone! Slightly awkward, but nice guy nonetheless...
Seen Rowan Atkinson driving his McLaren F1 through Oxford just after he'd had it rebuilt after smashing it up the first time.
Was waiting behind Eddie Irvine in a queue in Richer Sounds in Oxford, the year he very nearly won the F1 World Title!
Seen Eddie Jordan out running in Headington in Oxford, which surprisingly enough is where he lives.
Seen Rory McGrath picking his son up from School years back, in Oxford.
There's a few more too, though those are the most well known.
Wow mboy, you've ridden your bike in some strange places. 😀
I was once told (quite rightly) to stop riding on the pavement by tv's Celia Imrie.
I ride with a few 🙂
I have NEVER seen anyone famous anywhere (Louis T being the notable exception). I'm not the noticing type, I can walk past my mates in the street and not see them sometimes.
Am sure I've been past a few - I know I was in an airport queue with the little fella off JLS once but I didn't know who he was
Josie Dew, on a train.
She was returning from a talk. She had all her slides in one pannier and a projector in the other. Had a really good chat, then she cycled off into the rain with a cheery smile. What a cool person she is.
Am sure I've been past a few - I know I was in an airport queue with the little fella off JLS once but I didn't know who he was
Unless you're 16, and female, I think you could be forgiven for not noticing that one!
Wow mboy, you've ridden your bike in some strange places.
Haha, too right! Ironically though, all the ones spotted whilst I was out and about in Oxford, could have been whilst I was riding my bike (I can never remember) as I used to live there, and get about everywhere by bike.
Yeh, my 2 daughters and wife all knew it was him but "didn't dare say anything" 🙄Unless you're 16, and female, I think you could be forgiven for not noticing that one!
Another Guy Martin, at the endurance downhill- shared a gondola going up then passed him later on going down 😉 Almost knocked Jello Biafra down once on the commuter, poor feller was having trouble with UK traffic.
I sold a bike to Geoff Hoon, right in the middle of the invasion of Iraq (the time, not in downtown Baghdad....) he came into the shop with his son (for whom the bike was for) and 2 bodyguards who I'm pretty sure were packing heat. The shop was halfords. He bought a Raleigh Rave. A rigid BSO...
Billy Connolly in Scotland somewhere. Nice bloke
Nearly ran over Richard hammonds dog as I came out of Leigh Woods, Bristol. Admittedly I only knew it was his dog as I'd just swerved around him.
Josie Dew, on a train.She was returning from a talk. She had all her slides in one pannier and a projector in the other. Had a really good chat, then she cycled off into the rain with a cheery smile. What a cool person she is.
Back in the 80s she came up to Edinburgh with a couple of pals from London. We took them riding on Ben Lomond in February. We got caught in a blizzard. She dedicated one of her books to Chris Shaw, the guy in the red jumper who was sadly killed while out on his bike. She was great fun, I liked her a lot, she talked about tours she hoped to make. Her books are pure biking inspiration.
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Randomly out on Mt Tam, I met Charlie Kelly. Went skinny dipping with Jacquie Phelan and italspark. Italspark, Cynical and I went to a friends wedding where Joe Breeze was taking photos perched in an apple tree. Oh and we had a back door catering snack with JP and Charlie Cunningham, he even showed us his basement workshop. Awesome is insufficient as a superlative to meet the man in his shed.
I've never seen Louis Theroux.
David Millar passed me when out on my bike going up long hill between Buxton and Whaley Bridge. Very nice guy, he slowed down to my pace for a 2 minute chat, off his own back 🙂
Also got passed by Malcom Elliott on the same ride 🙂
When I moved to Ludlow, discovered that Isla Rowntree's house backed onto mine 🙂
Non-bike celebrities wise...
Colin and Alister McRae in the lift line up at Whistler
We took Charlie Borman on a heli biking trip. Jon Montgomery (Canadian Skeleton Gold medalists) on a heli biking trip
A plethora of bike related celebrities but they aren't really 'celebs' because they are typically really easy going people that are just like any other rider - except much faster!
Pauline Quirk at the LBS. I arrived by bike so I guess it counts.
Forgot about Chris Boardman, my mate said he was at Llandegla with his ITV cycling mate when we were there but I don't know what they look like so I'll take his word for it!
Sean Wright Phillips, whilst riding through Wilmslow. Two Corrie actresses (also in Wilmslow). Geraint Thomas, Jess Varnish (at the velodrome), Darren Kenny (in Mobberley), Jody Cundy (velodrome again). I ride with Jon Butterworth (paracyling Kilo World champ and national champ in kilo and flying 200) who hands me my own ass on a routine basis.
Ooooh, forgot... Bike related... I sold Adrian Chiles a bike back in 2001...
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And saw Mike Atherton (at the time England Cricket Captain) and Andrew Flintoff, both rather pissed, in a nightclub in Worcester on the Saturday night before a Lancashire Vs Worcestershire Sunday game!
See Rob Hayles and Nick Craig around Hayfield fairly often. Been on the Salcombe - East Portlemouth ferry with Michael Parkinson, and for those who have been on it, will know it's pretty small. Saw Martin Johnson on the beach in East Portlemouth, he's massive.
I told a very enthusiastic Davina McCall to eff-off once.. she looked crestfallen.. 😕
Team Sky's Peter Kennaugh passed me while I was riding in a sportive last summmer!
On a somewhat tangential note - can anyone think of a celebrity they care about? (and by care I don't mean lust after).
I'm struggling to think of one. No....drawing a blank.
Saw Cled from Pobol y Cwm once, does that count? Not very good with names and faces.
Boyd Clack in Cardiff but he's always around and the DJ guy that was in twin town too 😀
Mate of mine here (Luxembourg) was on a solo road ride and became aware that two riders had caught him up. He thought he could sit on their wheel for a bit as he was tiring a little and waved them through. Unfortunately for him it was the Schlecks out for a Sunday ride so the result was bit predictable.
Whilst working in a bike ship in the mid 1990's I sold a bike to the taller one of the Chuckle Brothers...
While a cycle courier in London around 2001 I nearly ran into Ricky Gervais.
Just before Christmas saw Guy Martin at Dalby Forest.
Cheers, Rich
"Christ Boardman, all the time. Live not far from him and my Monday ride seems to coincide with his as I run into him all the time. Tried to keep up a few times, think we can all guess how that ends."
Does he actually ride a Boardman bike?
Riding through Wharncliffe woods once I came across Steve Peat coaching some juniors. Didnt really twig who he was and asked him if there was any decent XC riding at Wharncliffe (I was new to the area at the time) he was actually quite helpful !