Alex Leigh's writing in Singletrack

So what does that sentence mean? I’m not really sure how the Schadenfreude comes into it. Isn’t it really lurking quietly in the background ready to jump out from behind an aboreal concept, ooops, sorry, a tree, when ego overcooks it and splatters himself across the landscape?

Sorry, I’m just wondering. I genuinely don’t quite understand it. Not in spiteful way. I’m just not bright enough I think.

Alex – the best stuff is the responses so far. A Masterclass in forum writing. Bravo!

(The actually para is not my cup of tea, but so what, the rest is brilliant)

So what does that sentence mean?

“Add the dry line though and a hundred days of shitty trails puts ego in the driving seat – reliably passengered by schadenfreude. Fast and hard into geography filled with arboreal stops and bone-crunching kinetic ends.”

“It’s been muddy but now it’s dry, so I’ll probably get a bit cocky and crash into a tree.”

“It’s been muddy but now it’s dry, so I’ll probably get a bit cocky and crash into a tree.”

😆

Like that version a whole lot more! Now you’re straight in there with the writer. You’re on the trail, right with him, you’re passengered, almost. You feel a strange sense of schadenfreude… and you’re waiting… waiting… for that sudden arboreal stop!

Crikey more replies. Not much to add really. Other than I don’t try and use big words to impress people, I just like some words that don’t get a lot of use elsewhere. Most of the time I’m not entirely sure what I’m rambling on about, so I appreciate it can be a stretch for others to understand it.

I will tell you one thing for sure tho. I’ve ridden with BadlyWiredDog. And he’s not a dog. So by reading through this thread, you’ve potentially learned something useful 😉

Oh and @mikeT – yeah I think that’s pretty much what I meant. Maybe I need to employ you as a translator 🙂

The paragraph quoted is a bit challenging, but I think it’s unfair to take it out of context and criticise the author.

Unless he’s a ninja.

Oh and @mikeT – yeah I think that’s pretty much what I meant. Maybe I need to employ you as a translator

I much prefer your version 🙂

Next column – you fill the left hand side of the page with flowery ****, I wrote a translation for the right hand side?

I like that idea 🙂 A universal AL translator. My wife would be interested as well 😉

Must admit I struggled with the original, but really liked Mike’s translation – felt much more immediate in the way it told the same story.

But then I make no claims to any level of being intellectual…..

@andy as I’ve said to loads of people, just because you don’t like the way stuff is written, doesn’t suddenly mean you have to offer up your own work for critique. In the nicest possible way, it doesn’t matter if people like it or hate it or anything in between. I’m too damn old now to change my style, and if the lovely people at STW feel happy to publish it, then I’m happy too. I’m sure the stuff that goes into the Mag has to filter through Barney, for which I am truly sorry – that poor man has suffered enough!

My own favourite is this: http://pickled-hedgehog.com/?page_id=9 I don’t believe there are any twisted metaphors or words last used in the eighteenth century in it 😉

I think my best article was ‘A” but I got plenty of whining peopel writing to me over it. Bizarre. But hey. try it, Writing is hard.

Samuri, your best article was the roadie “fighter control” hunting down the errant mountain biker. Brilliant stuff!

There a link to Samuri’s fighter control piece? Sounds sweet.

Just read a great quote from an interview with Irvine Welsh in today’s Guardian, who’s not too shabby at this writing lark. He talks of….

“That incredible freedom of the blank page, and now I’m going to sully it with all my limitations….”

I presume those criticising Alex are aware that anybody can submit an article to the mag? Off you go then…. I’ll look forward to seeing your literary efforts in print soon, no doubt.

And then…. who knows?…. maybe your first novel 😉

I presume those criticising Alex are aware that anybody can submit an article to the mag? Off you go then…. I’ll look forward to seeing your literary efforts in print soon, no doubt.

And then…. who knows?…. maybe your first novel

To be fair, my comments relate to the paragraph I saw, not to Alex, who no doubt is a top chap.

Stands to reason that, if anyone can submit an article to the mag, I’m tempted to give it a shot. Mine will be packed with soulless ninjas lying in wait on the crest of ridges, coke ‘n’ hooker escapades, tsetse fly, a half-decent Spesh and two fictional co-riders (both going by the name of Jeremy).

It will not be published. I will be asked why I have played down the ‘there and back again’ angle and omitted the cake and beer stops. This will prompt a rewrite with coke-infused cake and drunk hookers kidnapped by ninjas on the crest of ridges. Version 2 will be available online to the right crowd, but not be made available in Tescos.

Book’s already out. 8)

I feel Singletrack magazine definitely needs an article on your coke n hookers escapades with the 2 Jeremy’s

Get writing!!! 😀

You can rely on it Binners!

Now, are the hookers also riding, or are they waiting with cake?

Both Jeremy’s will pack beer and be able to Mr T their bikes into ninja-deflecting weaponry. Natch.

I’m sure the stuff that goes into the Mag has to filter through Barney, for which I am truly sorry – that poor man has suffered enough!

He gets shed loads of bike bling to test you have no need to be sorry. It’s a balancing of the Yin and Yang, possibly with Schadenfreude on the side.

Like it or loathe it, its generated a healthy debate and i guess when you are writing, if people are subsequently talking about it it cant be a bad thing!

Camo16 sounds like a couch session with his psychotherapist than an article to be published. I got the gist of the article and find people trashing it on the basis of too many big words akin to refusing to buy new tech as they don’t know how it works. Reading is supposed to challenge and help to enlighten us through knowledge. Thats why books were once considered to be evil and the ruling class didn’t want the plebs to be educated through books. Knowledge is power.

Samuri, your best article was the roadie “fighter control” hunting down the errant mountain biker. Brilliant stuff!

Cheers, actually that was my favourite too. Completely off the cuff and based on real events.

There a link to Samuri’s fighter control piece? Sounds sweet.

Sadly I’ve lost the original electronic copy. If anyone has one I’d appreciate getting it back.

I presume those criticising Alex are aware that anybody can submit an article to the mag? Off you go then…. I’ll look forward to seeing your literary efforts in print soon, no doubt.

You don’t have to be a writer to be a reader though. People can have opinions on published writing without writing themselves. Being criticised is part of writing. That doesn’t mean you should be spiteful, but as Alex himself points out – hi Alex! – it goes with the territory.

Or do you think you need to be published in a mag before you”re allowed to express an opinion?

Most of the time I’m not entirely sure what I’m rambling on about, so I appreciate it can be a stretch for others to understand it.

That just makes you sound a bit arrogant. Sure that’s not the intention.

My comments were most certainty not intended as criticism of the writer, sorry if that’s how they were interpreted. Was more a comment on my ability to understand that style of writing and remain engaged – some people are more cerebral in what they like to read/write, some like me prefer quite punchy, direct style.

And yes, I’ve had quite a few articles published in MTB mags and sites (and been paid for them), as well as doing translation work for a couple of pro riders in their articles, so know at least something about what I’m talking about.

I think I’d be considered reasonably literate and I have no idea what that paragraph is trying to say. Ah well.

Should it not be ‘put’ rather than ‘puts’ by the way?

BWD – I like both the starkly powerful simplicity of Hemmingway and the opaque verbosity of David Foster Wallace. Either style can leave me reeling with joy at ots perfection – just different types of perfection. For me, variety is interesting. The straight up blow by blow ride report can become tedious, there is a place for the flowery prose of Alex or Barney.

I’ve liked Alex’s writing via his facebook screeds and pickled hedgehog diatribes for some time. I’m glad to see it in print in ST. Keep it up!

Camo16 sounds like a couch session with his psychotherapist than an article to be published.

Word. 🙁

I have a minority sense of humour and serious levels of internal rage. Apologies all.

I blame T.S.Eliot 🙂

The straight up blow by blow ride report can become tedious, there is a place for the flowery prose of Alex or Barney.

None taken 😉

I translated the whole article:

It is spring and I want to ride my bike without getting muddy.
I could ride my bike without getting muddy when the ground was frozen, but then it rained and it’s not as good as in the summer.
The weather means it’s getting less muddy.
Busy places and dark places are still muddy.
I can ride when it’s muddy but some people don’t like to.
I like it when it’s not muddy, because it means I can wear different clothes.
It doesn’t get less muddy because you were riding in the winter. It just happens.
After riding and not getting muddy, I can wear my bike clothes in the pub or have a barbecue after riding my bike.
When it stops being muddy it’s better if you kept riding while it was muddy.
It’s easier than riding when it’s muddy, so you go faster.
It’s been muddy but now it’s dry, so I’ll probably get a bit cocky and crash into a tree.
In the summer we like riding our bikes.
We need to ride our bikes before it gets wet and cold again.
Ride your bike.

Can’t argue with that 🙂

I do think you have to “tune” into Al’s writing, but no bad thing in my opinion, I like the way he grabs a word, and batters it into a sentence (sometimes with menaces) in ways it wasn’t necessarily designed for. Makes for an engaging read.

Plus he’ll be pissing himself that this has got to three pages. 😆

That’s some serious straight talking, miketually. 😀

miketually for Prime Minister!

miketually for Prime Minister!

or the local council, as a starting point.

miketually for Prime Minister!

or the local council, as a starting point.[/quote]

miketually for Haughton and Springfield, to be specific.

Wahey! Our future is in safe hands then. 8)