I just wanted to take a moment and warn you about the pitfalls of working in bike publishing. From your side of the wizards curtain it all looks simply splendid. You see sunshine, beautiful scenery, and what looks like a great time.
Please cast your eye over these pages from the new Great Britain gravel book. On the outside it looks like a great day out... a nice 25 mile loop with only three or four southern hills. The dreadful reality is that Markus Stitz made me ride up the hills and took some still photographs. and then back down again... He then made me ride up the hill to shoot video, and then back down again... and then he got his drone out for the final ascent.
It would be easier working for the Grand Old Duke of York... but I heard he has had 10,000 men?
I climbed every hill at least three times. A route that could of been belted out in 2 hours took from 9am to 7pm. And we only stopped at one pub, for only one pint!
This, my friends, is sweatshop reality of this industry.
#PrayForCharlie
At least you could have forced a smile, through the grimace🤷🏼♂️
It's all green screen and CGI, isn't it?
Yeah, but then we have to read about it. Feel for us
Edit: smiley face/paying member, just in case...
ha haaa you are a funny bunch.
Tune in next week when I will tell you about the trials and tribulations of being given turbo expensive demo ebikes to ride. It's hell I tell you.... sometimes you have to read the manual.... yes... read the manual... and that is to make the seatpost talk to your phone or something like that.
#thoughtsandprayers
I could show you my powerpoint I've been working on all day. And lost once to the horrors of auto)not)save. And didn't ride my bike at all. Nor went to the pub.
Grim.
"could have" not "could of"! Sorry Charlie, one of my pet hates.
@jordan... no worries, everyday is a school day. Thank you.
I normally have a Hannah to make me look like I might have a GCSE.
@charliedontsurf GCSEs are overrated anyway! Looking forward to reading the article. 🙂
Edit: I wouldn't blame you if you thought you had it right in the first place. It's all over the net like that to the extent I think most people think that's the right way anyway.
#toughenupprincess...
To be fair they look like lovely photos!
Its a shame his sister Norma couldn't make it along.
Move along you fourth form boys !
Reminds me of my entry in the "Hardest ride" thread. Tim Woodcock did the same to us, way back in the 90s. Loved it though. 3 rides over 3 days and the big one was a killer.
I’m saving that tardigrade photo. For the private collection.
Buy an eBike and stop worrying about hills........ 😉
Just ordered [from STW] with 12 bottles of Chimay [unfortunately not stocked by STW]
Can anyone else hear a violin playing. It is either very very small or a long way away
I'll shed a tear for you whilst I'm in the middle of the M4 jointing cables in a concrete wall and taking the skin off another knuckle. At night
To be fair the photos are too small to really tell just how ugly…
Its a shame his sister Norma couldn’t make it along.
Posted 14 hours ago
This needs more recognition 🙌
This, my friends, is sweatshop reality of this industry.
Meh.
Needs a flow chart.
Charles - word of advice: keep the Duke of York out of it.
careful everyone, one more mention of the Duke of York and you know who's alarm will get triggered and then we won't be able to look at Charlie's pictures without being made to think
Charles – word of advice: keep the Duke of York out of it.
Article idea - 'How to control excessive sweating while riding'
I’m saving that tardigrade photo. For the private collection.
Whatever turns you on.
Isn't this just a stealth add for a mag very similar to STW ?
And since when has work ever been fun ?
Mountain bike? In a book about gravel riding? Burn the bearded witch………..Not angry. Not upset. Just disappointed. Also, the lack of Lycra, bikepacking bags and the emaciated look of the long distance ultra rider does not fit in with the gravelista image. Shame on you, Charlie Hobbs!
Sanny
I've done a few with Seb Rogers back in the day when What Mountain Bike was still published. Ride over the same bit of trails many, many times trying to make it look epic 😉 And one with Russel Burton and Mike Davies on the Quantocks. Mike's not called 'pro elbows' for nothing - I definitely failed to copy that stance 😉
Russel kept asking us to ride closer together on this little ridge with a stream either side. I was sure a t-bone/fall into the water was what he REALLY wanted!
Article idea – ‘How to control excessive sweating while riding’
I'd buy that.
With more job vacancies than unemployed you don’t have to put up with it
I hear selling copiers on the phone is great fun and no hills
I thought mountain bike publishing was just copying and pasting marketing guff from manufacturers and writing something that could be said in 50 words into 1000 cliche ridden ones?
Looks like a fake gravel article to me.... there's no paid-placement for an artisan titanium coffee grinder anywhere on the pages
OP, you got paid for riding your bike all day.
I have to do a hob I hate, stuck in an office that can be too hot or too cold any day of the year.
😀 Love it Charlie!
No hills in surfing, Just sayin'
You messed up the photos by riding stood up and now you're moaning about it?
I saw Charlie (or one of his many lookalike decoys) in an antiques shop in the Piece Hall in Halifax a couple of years ago. If the STW gig doesn't work out I reckon he could do one of those afternoon TV shows, either antique hunts, upcycling or maybe home interiors.
There's a faint whiff of Llewellyn-Bowen about him
There's a demographic for everyone !!
If you don’t fancy the hills Charlie, how about a restaurant critic gig?
bentudder
Full Member
This is amazing
If you have to look like the chef who's restaurant you are critiquing, maybe team up with chipps so you can cover Heston Blumenthals restaurants too
I am impressed that this thread is gradually morphing into one about STW staffers who look like celebrity chefs.
Maybe the hardest job is the comments section.
Article idea – ‘How to control excessive sweating while riding’
I’d buy that.
The cure apparently involves being shot at by the Argies. Still keen?
No hills in surfing, Just sayin’
So what makes the board go along then?
