Up next in 10
Join Mark, Amanda, Chipps and Sanny as they talk about the issues of the week. What does Mark think about the British Cycling/Shell sponsorship bombshell? What piece of suspension tech from the late 80’s seems to be making a comeback? Why does Amanda need so many social media accounts just to arrange a ride? And what’s the weather like in the Pyrenees about now? All these questions and more are answered in this week’s episode.InterviewHannah catches up with Richard Breedon from trash free trails to talk about the Trash Mob Academy.
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0:00
[Music]
0:11
the Kevin Bacon theory is that everybody
0:13
in the world is only seven degrees of
0:15
separation away from Kevin Bates Mark
0:17
had made his own from plumbing supplies
0:19
and again I had The Misfortune of riding
0:22
one of them and it was absolutely
0:23
hideous I should try and draw this
0:26
without Googling it
0:29
hi single track podcast listeners this
0:31
is Mark and this is the latest episode
0:34
of the single track magazine podcast I'm
0:36
joined today in our virtual Studio by
0:40
three other members of the team first of
0:42
all we've got Amanda hello there we go
0:45
say hello that's good and we've got
0:47
chips is this thing on hello yeah chips
0:50
is beaming in from the Pyrenees no less
0:52
and we also have our Scottish
0:54
correspondent long time contributor Sani
0:58
say hello Sunny hello Sunny coming up
1:01
later in this episode we've got an
1:02
interview with Richard Breeden from
1:04
trash free trails that was done by
1:06
Hannah well first of all we're going to
1:08
start off with a few talking points of
1:09
of the week and I think the first one I
1:13
want to bring up is the press release
1:15
that came in yesterday I mean for the
1:18
listeners benefit it is what day is it
1:20
today it's Tuesday Monday this week we
1:23
got the press release from British
1:25
cycling announcing their new sponsor for
1:29
the next eight years which is shell
1:32
the oil company
1:34
but I think we can say that the general
1:35
gut reaction from the public has been
1:38
WTF and that was certainly my reaction
1:42
we've got a cycling governing body
1:45
taking sponsorship from a petrochemical
1:48
giant claiming that this is in their
1:51
press release that this is going to help
1:53
them Reach their Net Zero carbon Target
1:57
you've heard the um uh the the theory of
2:00
70 degrees of separation from is it
2:02
Kevin Bacon
2:04
stay with me on this I know I'm going
2:06
off this it sounds like he's going on
2:08
the Kevin Bacon theory is that everybody
2:10
in the world is only seven degrees of
2:12
separation away from Kevin Bacon by that
2:14
I mean that you know somebody that's one
2:16
degree of separation who knows somebody
2:18
who knows somebody who knows somebody
2:19
who knows somebody knows somebody who
2:21
knows Kevin Bacon and therefore we're
2:23
only seven degrees of separation away
2:25
from Kevin Bacon or in other words Seven
2:28
Degrees of Separation away from anybody
2:29
in the world so in that regard you can
2:33
say we're only seven degrees everybody's
2:35
seven degrees separation away from
2:36
Vladimir Putin and yet just because
2:39
there's actually a trail of connection
2:42
between you and him doesn't mean to say
2:44
that you're a fascist Invader of the
2:47
East Eastern side of Europe
2:49
it's an association that's seven degrees
2:51
of Association is far enough away that
2:53
no one's going to actually call you a
2:55
hypocrite for doing that and that's the
2:57
thing that's come out of this whole
2:58
thing there's been an argument about
2:59
hypocrisy here that people complaining
3:01
that shellerin are sponsoring British
3:03
cycling you're Hypocrites because you
3:05
put Petrol in your car
3:06
and I don't take with the idea that
3:10
hypocrisy is black and white I think
3:11
there's degrees of hypocrisy in that
3:13
scale of Seven Degrees of Separation
3:15
illustrates it for me we try and
3:17
disassociate ourselves with as many
3:19
degrees of separation from the bad
3:20
things in life and the bad companies as
3:22
much as we can but ultimately we're all
3:24
connected and therefore we're all in one
3:26
way or another Hypocrites but what
3:27
British cycle have done there's no
3:29
degree of separation between themselves
3:30
and shell they've gone straight in for
3:32
that first degree of separation shella
3:34
clearly wanting to associate themselves
3:36
with the good clean green side of
3:39
cycling so they've decided to shower
3:41
British cycling with money but I don't
3:43
think British cycling thought about that
3:45
Association the other way and how it
3:47
makes them look and I think it makes
3:49
them look like dicks to be honest they
3:51
haven't actually explained anything
3:54
that's where they've gone wrong they
3:56
haven't sort of British cycling haven't
3:58
given an outline of How It's Gonna help
4:01
them or help cycling apart from
4:04
financially there's been many arguments
4:06
but forward on the Forum about this and
4:08
to be fair British cycling they do need
4:10
a sponsor they do need the cash if we
4:13
want to succeed sporting on the sporting
4:16
your front around the world then British
4:18
cycling needs that cash to be able to
4:20
support cycling athletes so they
4:23
definitely need the cash and I do
4:25
imagine that they weren't sat there
4:26
looking at many options I don't think
4:29
they had a suite of oh we've got all
4:30
these offers of sponsorship from all
4:32
these big companies and let's choose
4:33
this one shell if we're going to give
4:35
British cycle some credit I suspect it
4:37
was the only offer on the table or it
4:39
was certainly the one that was offering
4:40
the most money
4:41
and so maybe good intentions behind it
4:45
they just saw what they could do with
4:46
that cash but I just think the Optics
4:48
are absolutely awful Sonny what do you
4:51
think sorry I just raised my hand which
4:54
is probably not very good when you're on
4:55
a podcast and what I'm fascinated by is
4:58
why are shell actually doing this what
5:01
are they getting out of this because
5:02
when I think about pretty sacred I think
5:04
wood cycling and you look at the the
5:06
current teams that are sponsored in the
5:08
Pro Peloton so you've got team UAE you
5:10
get anyos you get Bahrain Pro cycling is
5:14
not exactly the Paragon of virtue when
5:16
it comes to clean sport it's always been
5:20
involved in sponsorship that may be
5:22
regarded as questionable so I wonder
5:25
whether this is just a natural extension
5:27
with British cycling just throwing the
5:28
hat in the ring with shell in late you
5:31
see Mark taking the money because it may
5:33
well be the only offer on the table and
5:35
just going you know what this is where
5:37
we're going to get our money and we're
5:38
just going to hold our nosy pack perhaps
5:40
me not even be holding look at this
5:42
they're probably thinking this is a
5:43
really good deal but what a shell
5:45
getting out of it
5:49
okay
5:53
for those of you listening at this point
5:55
chips has run off and there seems to be
5:58
a chicken a dog and a doorbell nice
6:03
carry on Sally what were you saying no
6:05
that that was that was fundament to it
6:06
that was my profundity of point and now
6:09
I feel that that has just been
6:10
completely wasted so you know what they
6:11
can do what they like
6:13
I want to just point out literally an
6:16
hour before we sat down to record this
6:18
podcast another press release has come
6:19
through it's not from British cycling it
6:22
is from the British from British
6:24
Triathlon and they're announcing a new
6:27
official partnership
6:29
and uh the official partnership who's
6:31
sponsoring British Triathlon it's a
6:33
company called NIU UK
6:36
Steeler they're not an arms dealer do
6:38
you know what they are they they are a
6:41
manufacturer of electrified two-wheel
6:43
support Vehicles which they are
6:45
providing to all the event staff of
6:47
British Triathlon
6:49
um
6:51
the pot let me read this little bit for
6:53
the press release the partnership
6:54
between Nui and British Triathlon is
6:57
founded on their shared trajectory of to
6:59
reduce the environmental impact and
7:01
increase long-term sustainability of UK
7:04
sporting events I just it goes on but I
7:08
just think the irony of those two press
7:10
releases coming within 24 hours of each
7:12
other is golden I want to know what this
7:16
is I'd like to see this they make mopeds
7:19
they make electric mopeds it's electric
7:21
two-wheel transport they make electric
7:22
scooters and everything up to like you
7:24
it's kind of you know like your mod
7:27
style covered in mirrors moped thing
7:29
Vespas Vespa that's it yeah it looks
7:32
like a Vesper except it's electric
7:35
I think it's cool it's a sustainable and
7:38
this is this is the thing isn't it we've
7:40
got on the one hand we've got British
7:42
cycling taking
7:45
um
7:45
30 pieces of silver from a petrochemical
7:49
company renowned for destroying the
7:52
environment and on the other side the
7:54
press release has just come through from
7:57
uh British Triathlon saying that they
7:59
now have a major sponsor and this major
8:01
sponsor develops sustainable transport
8:06
uh just pointing out the irony of these
8:09
two press releases
8:10
and and how one of them British
8:12
Triathlon are going to get lots of pats
8:14
on the back for a sustainable sponsor
8:18
and and that's certainly not what is
8:19
happening to British cycling what do you
8:21
think chips first of all who was who was
8:24
at the door well say it was a delivery
8:26
of a bike for me
8:28
so you'll have to tune in next time to
8:30
find what exactly it was
8:33
so just to play Devil's Advocate a touch
8:37
obviously shell would you introduce them
8:40
as the oil company I'm sure they would
8:42
say that they're a technology company
8:44
that happens to do a bit of you know
8:47
drilling on the side and mostly they're
8:49
they're looking towards future
8:52
transportation in all in all its forms
8:55
but um yes they are an oil company they
8:59
do have form though for sponsoring
9:01
cycling I think the Peugeot team back in
9:05
the possibly the Tom Simpson days was
9:08
sponsored by was co-sponsored by shell
9:10
and later Esso I think
9:13
so it's not completely out of the blue
9:16
that shell has sponsored a cycling team
9:19
obviously there's uh I guess there's a
9:22
difference between having a little
9:23
shoulder patch on a you know team
9:25
Peugeot Cycles Robert Miller era
9:28
um cycling Jersey and sort of helping
9:31
steer the direction of British cycling
9:32
for the next eight years and that's
9:34
that's a it's a massive undertaking as
9:37
well eight years is that takes us to the
9:41
end of sales of petrol cars in the UK
9:43
doesn't it 2013 yeah probably does so
9:47
probably so that's conveniently timed so
9:49
there yeah by the time Shell's
9:52
sponsorship Runs Out you won't be able
9:54
to buy petrol cars in the UK indeed
9:57
right well we've got a lot to talk about
9:59
but I think I think we've expressed our
10:02
opinions there I think hopefully mine is
10:04
clear I just think British cycling read
10:07
the [ __ ] room
10:11
yes it's about the last thing that I
10:13
will say and on the one the last thing
10:15
I'm going to say is anybody out there
10:16
arguing oh you put Petrol in your car so
10:18
therefore you're a hypocrite we're all
10:19
Hypocrites but that doesn't mean that we
10:22
can't point at an oil company and go
10:23
stop drilling oil out of the ground and
10:27
try and do something better and we'll
10:30
leave it there right anyway we're going
10:32
to move on
10:33
before I burst a blood vessel
10:36
I'm gonna bring sunny in
10:38
funnily enough last week's episode we
10:40
had Ben and his talking point
10:43
I was a little worried about it because
10:45
I said
10:45
Ben what are you going to talk about
10:47
today in the podcast and he said I've
10:49
got a stem
10:51
and I just thought what on Earth can you
10:54
talk about
10:56
Sonny you too have a stem to talk about
10:59
but yours is a little different
11:01
do you want to give us some details what
11:02
have you got absolutely so
11:05
readers of a certain vintage will recall
11:07
the um the proflex flex stem or as a
11:11
ritual was made by Allroad so back in
11:14
the demon distance must have been about
11:15
1988 when I was about a lad uh a sporty
11:19
face teenager at school next big thing
11:21
was suspension now before Rock shocks
11:24
came out with the rs1 uh all Road came
11:27
out with the flex stem which got way to
11:29
get branded as proflex now this this
11:31
gave you a few millimeters of vertical
11:34
travel and it was meant to take the edge
11:36
off bumps now everyone who has ever
11:38
ridden the original Flex Dam will know
11:41
it was absolutely hideous there was
11:44
nothing to recommend it whatsoever
11:45
Cannondale with their first attempt a
11:48
full suspension bike I think it was the
11:49
EST I mean it was amazing it was black
11:52
and green it looked awesome it had a
11:54
coil shock but I had to flex down at the
11:57
front with her pepperoni forks with her
11:59
stiffer than a stiffer thing so I got
12:01
the chance to try one of these back in
12:02
the day and it was absolutely hideous
12:04
and it pretty much cured me of ever
12:07
wanting to do it again in fact even even
12:09
with that I did actually dabble in
12:11
prooflex products again and use their uh
12:14
what they call the the j-link path
12:16
Vector 2 Fork which I paid 20 quid for a
12:19
second hand and it's probably the worst
12:21
20 pounds I've ever spent
12:23
Amanda you seem to be wondering at this
12:26
point for a nurse am I talking about I
12:28
am a bit I I also when you say hideous
12:32
do you just mean the way it looks oh no
12:36
it wasn't just an aesthetic thing it was
12:38
the way it performed so every time you
12:40
hit a bump you're gonna get short
12:42
forward and let's face it bikes back
12:44
then weren't really designed for going
12:46
downhill or uphill or on flat ground at
12:49
all fast and it used to twist really
12:51
badly as well so when you found yourself
12:53
going into a corner you could actually
12:54
feel one one hand pushing down more than
12:57
you'd kind of like you're thinking when
12:59
is this going to snap now another
13:01
snapped one but I never trusted one
13:03
enough either to keep going with it so
13:06
jump forward to today if we are we well
13:08
flag stems are back no way surely
13:11
history is not repeating itself
13:13
well and are we in a way so obviously we
13:17
now have the the Great and the good um
13:19
sucking at the teeth of gravel we've
13:21
obviously just had the UCI gravel World
13:23
Championships which just an excuse for
13:25
Roadies to go off-road in the normal
13:27
road bikes and uh redshift Sports have
13:31
kicked things off again with their uh
13:34
suspension stem now you'll be glad to
13:36
know that the technology has come on
13:38
quite a lot but we're still a lot
13:40
relying on elastomers so we've not gone
13:43
down the road which it also did with
13:45
their uh dual pivot suspension stand
13:48
which had a coil in it which was truly
13:50
horrendous as well and made more way
13:52
more than pretty much most Forks of the
13:54
time so red Chef to come up with this
13:56
stem and I have the pleasure of using it
13:58
and much to my surprise it's very much
14:01
not [ __ ]
14:02
I was expected to be Dreadful
14:05
absolutely awful but it's 20 ml of
14:08
travel which on a gravel bike is
14:11
actually really really effective
14:13
I'm astonished I cannot believe these
14:15
words are even coming out of my mouth
14:17
but it's really good discuss does it
14:21
have any of the same traits as the
14:23
original Flex them well you just
14:25
outlined them you're just saying you go
14:26
around corners and it sort of twists and
14:28
things does it not do any of that
14:30
strange week not at all because it's
14:33
stems back then were thinner than a
14:35
sensing they're all made from chromoly
14:37
and it was a classic quill design so
14:40
they were very narrow
14:42
this thing is a good I'm just looking at
14:44
it right now it's like at least twice as
14:46
wide and they put the pivot they've got
14:49
a dual pivot so there's a proper bolt
14:51
that goes through at the stem point
14:53
which is lateral to the steerer so that
14:56
gives it a degree of stiffness which is
14:58
the old proflex never had so amazingly
15:00
it works and I just can't get around how
15:04
much would yeah how much would one of
15:06
these cost these days that's irrelevant
15:09
because obviously how much would it cost
15:12
technology you can't put a price on
15:15
technology it'll cost less than a gravel
15:17
suspension Fork it costs significantly
15:21
less well said Amanda it's a I have the
15:24
pro version so that's the 15 lighter
15:27
with the titanium bolts blah blah blah
15:29
blah and it comes in it
15:33
so again sorry I don't think we call
15:35
that
15:37
169 pounds and 99 Pence however
15:41
baking powder uh no there is actually a
15:44
cheaper version as well that's the pro
15:46
version which obviously uh being a pro
15:48
or not being a pro I had to have because
15:50
it just sounds cool but there's a normal
15:52
version as well which comes in at about
15:54
180 pounds which is oh what a white
15:57
bargain quite a bit substantially
15:59
cheaper now
16:01
I feel you're not embracing this Mark
16:03
there's a there's a degree of um
16:04
cynicism feeling yes yes just bear with
16:09
me though so let's face it gravel bikes
16:11
even Raider gravel bike knows that as
16:13
soon as you start hitting a bit of rock
16:14
a bit of Chunk but an R it's horrible
16:17
they really have the limitations I think
16:19
it's Ross would say it's the wrong bike
16:21
100 of the time
16:22
of course I quite enjoy riding my gravel
16:25
bike and I've always enjoyed riding
16:27
Cross Bikes previously uh in
16:30
inappropriate situations on mountain
16:31
bike trails what the stem does is just
16:34
take the bike out take the edge out when
16:36
you're hitting into a little little even
16:38
little Pebbles and bigger hits as well
16:41
and you get just enough cushion that by
16:43
then to ride you don't feel like you've
16:44
been battered
16:45
so I think it's a two thumbs up from me
16:47
so far I'm still testing it we'll see
16:49
how it goes longer term
16:51
but I'm genuinely impressed when when
16:54
are we going to see your um your testing
16:56
results
16:58
testing it within the next month and
17:00
then I'll write up a review for the
17:01
website
17:03
excellent so there we go chips what do
17:05
you reckon to the return of the
17:06
Flagstone
17:07
I think for this uh application it's
17:10
probably the right technology for the
17:12
job
17:14
um I've ridden a number of gravel
17:17
suspension products
17:19
uh there's things like the specialized
17:22
diverge
17:24
bike which has that also has a an inch
17:28
of travel
17:29
um where the the stem moves
17:32
vertically about an inch
17:36
um and again can you lock this one out
17:39
Sonny or are you always suspended
17:42
with this one you are always suspended
17:44
it does come with a range of elastomer
17:47
so you can have the fun changing them
17:50
um the King Creek version thicken it
17:54
be cynical the King Creek version does
17:58
actually have it's not called the
17:59
lockout but it's a stiffening lever on
18:02
top which looks like it's handly placed
18:04
to um remove certain parts of your body
18:06
if you come off at a bad angle
18:08
um but this particular one no you fit
18:10
and forget
18:12
yeah well I would say that for for the
18:17
amount of suspension you're asking it to
18:20
do on the terrain that you're riding
18:23
it's probably a decent thing because
18:26
you're looking for Comfort rather than
18:30
uh performance grip really because if
18:33
you're riding on proper gravel you
18:35
should have no grip anyway
18:37
that's the joy of gravel riding
18:41
um you know if you wanted grip you'd
18:43
ride a mountain bike you know you'd do
18:45
riding a gravel bike because you want to
18:47
be quirky and different and maybe you've
18:50
got the the right kind of terrain for it
18:52
but um certainly I've you know I've
18:54
found on uh suspension gravel suspension
18:58
forks like the the Cannondale uh gravel
19:01
Lefty and the um
19:04
uh uh and the RockShox Rudy fog you know
19:08
they're all sort of 30 mil of of travel
19:11
and it's enough to know that it's
19:13
working but you're you're not really
19:16
I I don't think there's any room for
19:19
needing you know compression damping
19:22
adjustment because it's either on or
19:23
it's off and and you've either got to
19:25
the end of the travel or you're on your
19:27
way to it
19:28
so what's what's I want to know what's
19:30
next you know with the 30 year old Tech
19:32
is now coming back is this the start of
19:35
a trend what else can we think of from
19:37
back then that might be coming back mag
19:39
wheels will we see those again
19:44
oh my God chips it was horrendous I
19:49
don't know if he ever had the dysplasia
19:50
riding one but it was truly truly awful
19:53
it utterly pointless even got a custom
19:56
frame that could go with it as well it
19:58
bolted on to your top tube and it was
20:02
just this I don't know how they made it
20:03
was it carbon I can't quite remember but
20:06
Amanda doesn't have any clue what we're
20:08
talking about here so if you if you
20:10
imagine a like a trials hardtail so
20:13
really really sloping frame with no
20:16
saddle
20:17
and then
20:19
draw it and then your frame this is
20:21
going to work well on the podcast so
20:23
frame or you need pictures angles
20:25
diagonally down towards the rear drop
20:28
out you know
20:29
um from the head tube and then angling
20:32
up towards where the saddle sits is
20:35
another diagonal only this is made from
20:38
two bits of it's a sandwich of two
20:41
carbon fiber
20:43
Twigs with I should try and draw this
20:46
with Russ without Googling it I don't
20:51
wish to alarm anyone but I think I've
20:52
just had a stroke is this actually
20:55
happening
20:58
so yes it was it was too sort of
21:02
um I don't know baseball bats of carbon
21:05
with a rubbery mid layer like a
21:08
blancmange
21:09
mid layer so that
21:12
as it flexed the the two layers shared
21:16
against each one another the best bit
21:19
about it was if you sat down on the
21:21
saddle the you were completely suspended
21:24
you were like uh super comfy because
21:27
you're saddle with I had probably about
21:29
a foot of vertical travel it did mean
21:32
that when you went down and you stood up
21:34
the saddle came up to meet you
21:37
so you were always sat in the saddle
21:42
is that clear Amanda you've got a full
21:44
yeah
21:45
to Amanda's reimagine yeah yeah there's
21:50
a moment to process that one you need to
21:52
draw a picture of what you think that is
21:53
yeah and and then we'll put that into
21:55
the story
21:56
this is what Amanda thinks chips was
21:59
talking about
22:01
your your question mark about what could
22:04
be coming back
22:05
um again find us in the old Madison
22:08
freefield catalog back in the late 80s
22:10
The Odyssey steering dampinator
22:13
basically this was a dampening Rod that
22:16
was attached to your forks to basically
22:19
take the big hits out when you're
22:21
clutching through things on your rigid
22:23
bike and again I had The Misfortune of
22:25
riding one of them and it was absolutely
22:27
hideous there's no point to it
22:29
whatsoever so I'm pretty sure it'll fit
22:31
in with it just because it's gravel
22:33
doesn't mean it's not [ __ ] Brigade I
22:35
think it could make a real comeback I
22:37
think it could be absolutely awesome
22:38
right well moving on okay from ancient
22:42
kit that's uh coming back
22:45
um I'm coming back for gravel bikes
22:47
isn't it you bought a jack of no trades
22:49
bike and you're trying to make it work
22:52
on stuff and the only way you can make
22:54
it work is by importing Tech from the
22:57
80s you can't see that Amanda you're I
23:01
can say it because I've got a gravel bag
23:03
and I know that it's pointless it's just
23:05
a road bike that can cope with the canal
23:08
in hebden
23:09
but really I should be on a hard sale at
23:12
that point yeah you absolutely can see
23:14
it but you're not meant to see it sorry
23:16
gravel is really cool
23:17
excellent big fan the top of it will be
23:21
after you
23:23
Amanda what you got for us this week uh
23:25
a public apology I think too uh
23:29
not for what I've just said
23:32
so I I'm the person that turns up on a
23:36
night ride with an exposure Max D on my
23:39
bars and a Diablo on my head and I can
23:43
see fine and I think I just render
23:45
everybody else's lights useless unless
23:48
they've also got however many lumens
23:50
I've got
23:52
it's that thing where your light is only
23:55
as good as everyone else on the group
23:57
ride at night
23:59
um and I got a taste of my own medicine
24:00
when I went to the Todd harrier's trail
24:03
run last week because I went with just a
24:06
head torch that I take camping that I
24:09
can run with fine on my own
24:11
and everyone's got like they're all
24:13
serious
24:14
and they've got the equivalent over Max
24:17
D but on the head and I couldn't see a
24:20
thing
24:21
and it just made me realize that I just
24:24
you know I've got the best lights I can
24:26
get for a bike so I can see and I do a
24:30
lot of group night rides like all
24:32
through winter I will only really be
24:34
riding at night
24:35
and if people complain that they can't
24:37
see because of my lights I just think
24:39
we'll get some decent lights then I
24:41
don't say it although they're probably
24:42
going to hear this now sorry ride drink
24:45
pie and that ship has sealed
24:53
I don't really have anything in
24:55
particular to say it was just quite a
24:57
shock turning up to I mean the whole
24:59
thing was a shocked at night is
25:03
definitely a shock it's a group of
25:04
people that enjoy it
25:06
no it's a turned up to the meat outside
25:09
of Pub which is about the only thing
25:10
that was the same as going through a
25:12
group bike ride
25:13
and everyone looks at your shoes to work
25:15
you out because I wondered why everyone
25:17
was staring at the ground
25:19
but it was to see how spiky trainers
25:21
were and um
25:23
yeah
25:26
but they're all looking me up and down
25:27
and just assuming I'm a trail Runner but
25:29
actually no they've just looked down at
25:31
my shoes
25:32
maybe it's a fetish club you've got into
25:34
by mistake pretending to be a running
25:36
club
25:38
I I added a bit of a taste of that funny
25:41
enough yesterday I've I've started doing
25:44
the couch to 5K
25:46
and um yesterday was day one
25:49
and Vic decided that she was gonna
25:52
accompany me she's she's a reasonably
25:54
good runner and I am not and um I've got
25:59
cyclist muscles that only go one way
26:01
when you start running everything starts
26:03
to try and Rewind and go the other way
26:05
and everything hurts so I I she said
26:07
right we're going running I said right
26:08
well I've watched all the way I'm just
26:10
going to put some
26:11
jogging bottoms on and all I've got some
26:14
really good trainers and I went into the
26:16
depths of our cupboard and pulled out
26:17
these really good A6 trainers which cost
26:20
me about 130 quid in 2002.
26:24
and uh she she literally all I got for
26:28
the entire half an hour I've got Joe
26:30
Wiley in one ear telling me how to run
26:32
and I've got Vic on the other going I
26:34
can't believe you're still running in
26:36
those
26:37
80s I've called them want less shoes
26:40
back so there's something judgmental
26:42
about runners
26:43
all right I think they but like cyclists
26:46
don't do don't do that we don't do that
26:49
no on your B twin with your uh you're on
26:53
hell we're so accommodating to all
26:56
comers and whatever they judgmental at
26:58
all not just metal at all I would like
27:01
to defend the Todd harriers in that they
27:03
were the most welcoming bunch
27:06
but I I just thought oh this could be my
27:08
cheap winter thing but once you've got
27:10
some it's like upgrading new tires to
27:13
Winter spec you need to get some decent
27:15
running shoes for winter and you need a
27:18
light and then it's just as expensive so
27:20
what's the moral of this story anyway
27:21
we're going to give the listeners a sort
27:23
of a moral but yeah
27:25
um lanyard on your exposure Diablo and
27:29
run with it in your hand and then
27:32
is that the moral of it though no no I I
27:36
like running my hips don't
27:39
not built for running it's quite good
27:42
for uh going the places that you're not
27:43
legally allowed to on a bike thinking oh
27:46
this would be good on a bike
27:49
I did that because he's Scottish
27:52
absolutely I'm just I'm just thinking
27:53
why don't you you do what British
27:55
Triathlon have done and get yourself one
27:56
of those scooters because that'll
27:58
that'll solve all your problems then you
28:00
don't need to do anything as silly as
28:01
running but you'll actually get to the
28:03
places you want to go or just go to the
28:05
pub and stay there suddenly I think
28:07
you've completely missed my point
28:09
earlier I think so we're going to move
28:10
swiftly on now to chips
28:13
chips how's things going over there in
28:16
the Pyrenees what's the weather doing
28:17
there right now well no one likes to
28:19
show off uh
28:24
you know you might need a light jacket
28:26
in the evenings and it did rain last
28:28
Monday I think last Monday it did rain
28:31
so oh
28:34
how was your French coming along anyway
28:36
it's still pretty uh Rusty Schoolboy
28:39
French I think when I first turned up it
28:41
was caveman French it was a man make
28:43
fire and now it's this man make hot fire
28:47
now
28:49
and so you know it's it's moving on
28:52
I'll get to work with tenses and uh
28:55
adjectives at another time so um yeah my
28:59
my thing I was I was just going to look
29:02
at the the joys of Technology
29:04
um my commander with her light and I I
29:06
can remember my first night ride still
29:09
uh was with a six watt halogen uh bulbs
29:13
BLT single headlight thing and it was
29:17
fine because everyone had the same dim
29:20
yellow light and you just road to the uh
29:24
to the speed accordingly and and
29:27
as the the uh the light walls have have
29:31
gone on and bikes at them lights have
29:32
got better and batteries got better
29:34
people have just
29:36
kept up with uh the technology and at
29:40
some point I think lights have got to
29:41
the point where they're actually good
29:43
enough you
29:44
any brighter won't make you any quicker
29:47
and it used to be if you had if your
29:49
lights were twice as bright you could
29:51
actually go a lot faster because you
29:53
could see more but now it's just like
29:55
riding in daylight so
29:57
so you need to uh look at the uh the
30:00
single track calendar when it's a full
30:02
moon on especially if it's snowed and uh
30:05
and go out with just your head torch and
30:07
uh and then to feel the trail more
30:11
um yeah
30:14
here's the menu for menu chips me and
30:17
you first met doing a lights feature
30:19
didn't we for uh we did yes some Bike
30:22
World was it yeah I I have the brightest
30:25
lights in the on the planet at that
30:28
point I had a cat eye Stadium which was
30:31
one of which was the first HID light
30:34
and uh the first time I used it people
30:37
were getting off the trail about 400
30:40
meters ahead of me like going come on by
30:42
like I'm not there yet
30:44
and Market uh
30:46
and but they were 400 quid which was a
30:48
ridiculous amount of money spent online
30:50
so Mark had made his own from plumbing
30:52
supplies and uh ready to control car
30:55
batteries I believe yeah that's true
30:57
which we're fine so I have a I have a
31:00
grumbling dog in the background
31:03
um they thought that was your stomach
31:06
well you know
31:09
um yeah I was I was just going to Marvel
31:11
at you know we have this technology that
31:13
that lets us all kind of communicate uh
31:16
talk uh have actual conversations uh to
31:20
and fro across three different countries
31:23
we're including Scotland uh and uh and
31:27
probably Lancashire as well is that a
31:29
different country
31:31
um there's the independent
31:35
um is that like Yorkshire but not as
31:36
good
31:38
you know I've got these buttons here
31:40
that can cut you all out if I choose to
31:43
don't
31:45
but I think we have such a um a such
31:51
choice of of Technology uh that it's
31:54
very easy to
31:56
send someone a message and they didn't
31:59
see that because they were checking
32:00
their emails or you were sent sent them
32:02
a message on slack but not on
32:06
um you know ichat or whatever it is and
32:09
and I've noticed that the like even in
32:12
the hebden bridge night ride Brigade
32:15
there's about five different Splinter
32:17
groups from you know because there's
32:19
there'll be an original night ride and
32:22
then there'll be people who who think
32:24
it's not rad enough so they'll go and do
32:26
their own other night ride and there'll
32:28
be people go well no I I think that's
32:30
too right we need a less rad ride as
32:32
well
32:33
but they all have different ways of
32:34
communicating so the Tuesday night ride
32:36
will arrange things on a WhatsApp group
32:39
and then the Wednesday night ride will
32:42
will have a Facebook group
32:44
and then the Monday night ride might
32:45
have a different WhatsApp group that has
32:47
some of the same people but not all of
32:49
them and so everyone on both groups
32:51
assumes that everyone in both groups has
32:53
seen all the messages
32:55
and and then they'll be the really
32:57
organized people that have a spreadsheet
33:00
of the next six weeks of rides and the
33:03
ride leaders and the contact names and
33:05
the grid reference of where all meeting
33:07
nobody in hebden Bridge
33:10
that's a spreadsheet
33:13
and electricity there yet oh says the
33:17
man whose phone still has buttons
33:20
I will defend my phone to the hilt it
33:23
has buttons and it has a battery that
33:26
will measure in Half-Life not hours for
33:28
usage so
33:30
get it wrenchy
33:32
and then that's the other thing the uh
33:35
the cycling has become an eternal search
33:37
for USB power sockets
33:40
uh you know you you can hop on a bike
33:44
and it's got like six different things
33:46
to charge up oh well I can't come out
33:48
riding for a bit because I've got to
33:49
charge my gears up and then my garmin's
33:52
running low on battery and actually uh
33:55
I've got a wireless dropper that has a
33:57
different charger so I need that and
34:00
then uh oh hang on my heart rate monitor
34:02
and my headphones and has anyone got an
34:06
adapter for a USBC to a to a USB a or
34:10
whatever
34:11
sorry so this being a problem I mean
34:14
there are solutions you know there's I
34:16
think uh most e-bikes well uh it was it
34:19
the canyon e-bikes come with USB ports
34:21
on now which is very very useful but but
34:23
um that aside James what's what's what's
34:26
your point caller what's your solution
34:28
to this
34:31
well you know it could be a let's return
34:34
to simpler times when we all rode steel
34:36
hardtails and didn't have any uh any uh
34:40
with flex stands that don't need
34:43
charging
34:44
um I think
34:46
doing that kind of writing now and again
34:47
is is very liberating once you get past
34:51
the oh no I've left my phone at home how
34:53
will anyone know I've been on a ride
34:55
well it count if it's not on Strava
35:00
uh
35:01
uh but then equally I have a rigid steel
35:04
hotel from the 90s that I keep and I
35:06
ride once a year usually at the malverns
35:08
and it reminds me just how far we've
35:10
come
35:11
so I think that's that's nice to to look
35:15
back on technology and then actually
35:18
realize that bikes these days are are
35:21
all great and nothing goes wrong with
35:23
them and you don't stop for punches
35:26
every 10 minutes
35:28
so I started off as a whinge about
35:31
technology
35:33
and now it's and it ended in favor of it
35:36
well I think non-charging technology is
35:39
great because uh there are you know
35:42
along with this sort of well let's
35:44
Electrify gears and let's Electrify
35:47
suspension and everything because we can
35:50
not particularly because it does
35:53
anything loads better than than cables
35:57
uh I think the technology that has
36:00
grown up around it things like tubeless
36:02
tires
36:05
and components that aren't made of
36:06
cheese
36:07
and uh and you know bearings at work and
36:12
uh clothes at work I think all those are
36:15
fantastic bits of technology that that
36:19
is worth the price of admission uh I
36:22
think there's still plenty of cheese
36:23
components around if we if you think
36:25
hard enough I don't think everything's
36:27
improved dramatically there's certain
36:29
group sets I can think of that seem to
36:31
feel to me to be made of cheese
36:33
and uh but but yes we take your point
36:36
chips the point well made
36:39
just because
36:42
I don't know just because it's old it's
36:45
because it's old doesn't mean it's not
36:46
[ __ ] I think is the conclusion isn't it
36:50
that's all right so it's Tuesday which
36:53
is my night ride
36:54
I'm going on my steel hardtail and I've
36:57
checked the WhatsApp group and the
36:58
Instagram group
37:00
to make sure that we're all meeting in
37:02
the same place so it is
37:05
Sunny doesn't have any of these problems
37:07
because the what we're talking about is
37:10
these like exist on special phones he
37:12
finds a the back of an envelope uh taped
37:16
to the third post box down the down the
37:19
lane yeah postcard so that's how you
37:22
communicate with yourself isn't it
37:24
that's harsh but probably quite close to
37:26
the truth if I'm being brutally honest
37:27
yeah but the whole concept of Instagram
37:31
Facebook social media and then Strava
37:35
and all that has just completely passed
37:36
me by and
37:39
it's bizarre because I used to be in
37:40
charge of I.T how the hell did that
37:42
happen but it's just one of these things
37:44
that it's just that I have zero interest
37:46
in it it doesn't add to the experience
37:48
for me I'm the same
37:50
zero interest but how do you arrange to
37:53
see people if they all depend on it how
37:56
did we do this in the past I've got no
37:58
idea I'm I'm so old-fashioned I still
38:01
phone people and talk to them I know
38:03
that's quite an alien concept uh but it
38:06
seems to work quite well actually a
38:08
range of time and a place we're going to
38:10
ride and then meet up and ride it's
38:12
quite old-fashioned and there's still
38:13
the danger that folk won't turn up but
38:15
that's part of life you can you don't
38:18
need to worry about what's going to
38:19
happen in Strava or anything
38:22
I'm such a fart I really am I'm such a
38:24
fart no I'm gonna hand over to Hannah
38:27
now who's uh been interviewing Richard
38:30
Breeden from trash free Trails talking
38:32
about the trash mob Academy
38:35
so over to you Hannah
38:38
[Music]
38:47
so I'm joined Now by Rich Breeden from
38:50
trash free trails and trash retails has
38:53
just launched the trash mob Academy
38:55
which is an outdoor educational course
38:58
to tackle environmental disconnection in
39:01
young people so rich hello
39:05
thank you for joining us and off in the
39:08
deep end what is the trash mob Academy
39:11
then what are you trying to do with that
39:15
uh yeah so it's uh I'll go the Top Line
39:19
um it's a youth engagement project with
39:21
sequence and overall well-being in young
39:24
people that we think might need it the
39:25
most so through a program of nature
39:29
connection uh what we think is an H
39:31
connection uh environmental and social
39:33
responsibility with a catalyst of
39:36
outdoor physical activity we're looking
39:37
to develop those three constructs um the
39:41
reason for leading with the kind of
39:43
well-being side of things is because to
39:47
me uh far from being a like prerequisite
39:51
for well-being is actually part of
39:53
well-being and an indicator of so you
39:57
know broadly those who are more
39:58
connected to Nature display higher
40:00
levels of well-being so I think then we
40:03
are saying that nature connection is
40:06
good for the planet because it means
40:08
that we care about the environment
40:10
that's around us but you're also saying
40:12
that it's good for us because we're more
40:14
likely to have Happy Feelings of
40:16
well-being if we're out there in nature
40:19
is that right so it's a circular thing
40:21
absolutely yeah and and yeah I don't
40:24
know I don't even know whether circular
40:25
is the right I see where you're going
40:26
but it's it's more like interdependence
40:28
you know like one relies on the other uh
40:30
an inverters come as happier popular
40:33
population should result in inverted
40:36
commas happier nature right for you to
40:39
use those words um but in short yeah
40:42
it's good for it's good for us and and
40:45
nature so it's what the the word we use
40:47
for the kids is it's it's good for both
40:49
of us if we continue to act this way
40:51
okay so what sort of things do you do
40:55
with trash mob to uh to facilitate this
40:58
it was It was kind of the the brainchild
41:02
of a of a couple of people to start off
41:04
with um right back before I started
41:07
working with treasury trailers while I
41:08
was doing my masters I I went through my
41:11
own journey of kind of rediscovery with
41:13
this and found nature found the outdoors
41:15
and I I wanted to help help people
41:18
you know using the methods that I had
41:20
come across and discovered myself and um
41:23
Dom from trashy Charles who was uh just
41:26
it was just him at the time and a few
41:28
volunteers uh wanted to figure out how
41:30
we could incorporate that kind of work
41:32
into the more traditional work the
41:36
Trashy Charles was doing at the time and
41:38
we knew that there was a link between
41:39
Environmental Protection and well-being
41:42
but we didn't really know like what what
41:45
that was or how to implement it and then
41:48
all of a sudden we were trying to like
41:50
maybe
41:51
um borrow a term chase a dragon that
41:53
didn't exist and what what eventually uh
41:57
Joe sway came to us and said look I want
41:59
to run a program of work with a group of
42:01
kids from my purple pupil referral unit
42:03
and we thought well hold on a minute
42:04
this is it this is the opportunity to
42:07
work with people that might need it the
42:09
most so we developed a program of uh a
42:13
program of work for school teachers to
42:15
deliver so it was six sessions of nature
42:17
connection environmental awareness
42:18
little education and that kind of thing
42:20
coupled with six mountain bike coaching
42:22
sessions and the idea
42:24
to say that mountain biking is very much
42:26
the Catalyst for the changes in
42:28
environmental awareness and nature
42:30
connection that we were looking to
42:33
looking to solve really so right
42:35
we ran that as a pilot and then the
42:38
pilot was successful and then we decided
42:40
to take a bit of a step back from the
42:41
delivery of it and let teachers guides
42:43
coaches deliver it themselves so between
42:46
2020 and now there's been 12 10 to 12
42:51
Pilots that have ran and they've all
42:53
been they've all been successful some of
42:55
them have required a little bit more
42:56
input from us than others
42:58
um
42:59
but really the outcomes have been great
43:01
so supported by uh Sprayway hope and
43:04
cotic and just more recently go ape
43:07
um we've let that run it let those
43:09
successions run their course we've had a
43:10
bit of feedback and stuff around it
43:12
might be too much for some people
43:13
believe it or not I don't know about
43:15
anybody on this podcast but everybody
43:16
it's not the case that everybody likes
43:19
mountain biking I found that quite hard
43:21
to believe at the time as well but
43:23
moreover they people might not have
43:25
access to bikes or access to Trails or
43:27
whatever so we've kept that six session
43:30
content but we've now relaunched it such
43:34
that it's a little bit more developed a
43:36
little bit more detail involved but
43:38
there's also content for runners and
43:39
Walkers so we always say ride we are
43:41
Riders Runners and Romans and everyone's
43:43
welcome so contractual economy as it was
43:45
didn't really fit with that because
43:46
there wasn't anything for runners and
43:48
Romans to do specifically so we've
43:51
launched that alongside that we've also
43:53
launched a brand new e-learning uh
43:55
course in collaboration with a company
43:58
called udemon.com
43:59
[Music]
44:00
um
44:00
so that's kind of a bit of
44:04
a bit of the stuff I was talking about
44:05
and a bit of the kind of background to
44:07
Trashy chairs and what we're all about
44:09
in in a kind of easy to digest format so
44:12
that even if you're not a rider Runner a
44:15
Roma and you sit behind a computer all
44:17
day you can still
44:19
you know see some of those nature
44:20
connection benefits and stuff that we
44:22
were talking about
44:23
okay so even if you are in a school that
44:26
doesn't have the funding to get some
44:29
kids out into a green space and that
44:32
kind of thing there is an e-learning
44:33
opportunity there
44:35
but for those that can get out into some
44:38
sort of Green Space you don't have to
44:40
have a mountain bike you're saying you
44:42
could also just walk or run yeah walk
44:46
run right run a roam or or whatever
44:48
other means of Transport your system I
44:50
guess so now there is a rather wonderful
44:54
video
44:56
um that sort of shows the Journey of
44:58
some of the kids that have been on the
45:01
treasury or the trash mob um Academy and
45:05
um and certainly I think anyone that's
45:08
ever worked with kids that haven't had
45:11
all the chances in life that um maybe
45:13
our own kids might have or whatever
45:16
um it it's really uh noticeable that
45:20
there are kids that are excluded from
45:22
mainstream education and
45:24
they've never had a day where they've
45:27
been good at something or they've been
45:28
praised for something and taken them out
45:31
of that environment and giving them
45:34
something else and letting them discover
45:36
that they can do something like ride a
45:38
bike or do a wheelie or whatever it is
45:41
that they find is can be really
45:43
transformative for them can't it
45:46
yeah absolutely and
45:48
the the kind of young people that we've
45:51
worked with today
45:52
yeah you're right they like they they
45:54
haven't had this feeling of
45:57
being that they think that it's just
45:59
them you know in their little world and
46:01
that's why they act out uh they don't
46:03
get the attention the right kind of
46:05
attention so they they invite the wrong
46:08
kind of attention in verticals you know
46:11
um
46:12
there's there's so many things like any
46:15
constructs in in this project and in
46:18
this work that we're doing that
46:19
contribute so you're you're part of a
46:22
group which is always like these people
46:24
have never been part of a group with
46:25
similar goals you this there's a concept
46:27
called self-transcendence which is this
46:29
feeling that you're part of something
46:30
bigger than yourself and this is
46:32
something that we at trashy Charles do
46:34
as much as we can is try and make it
46:37
more than the sum of its parts so this
46:39
feeling that not only are you part of a
46:42
group but that group is part of a bigger
46:44
group and that group is part of a bigger
46:45
and bigger group and if you're able to
46:47
do that and instill that in people that
46:49
Fosters that ownership it Fosters the
46:51
community that I was talking about and
46:53
it really helps helps people like work
46:55
on themselves really so
46:57
these These are the kind of people that
46:59
you know
47:01
uh it could be all on them for them in
47:05
both Commerce right it could be on them
47:07
to improve their own lives but
47:10
it kind of can't be but at the same time
47:12
you have to empower them to be able to
47:14
do it themselves and how do you do that
47:15
and that that's what I'm talking about
47:16
about being part of a group developing
47:18
ownership developing this sense of
47:21
passion and and
47:23
ownership not just over your trails and
47:27
and the wild place they take us to but
47:28
actually over your own emotions as well
47:30
um which again These Guys these guys
47:32
don't have so
47:34
yeah I mean watch the film
47:38
uh I say all of this in the film as well
47:40
but we're launching it properly uh think
47:44
it's this weekend so nice
47:47
the 9th of October I think yeah because
47:49
that live yeah I saw a Kendall Mountain
47:52
film festival last year and it um yeah
47:54
it's really good and so
47:57
um we've been talking here about the uh
48:00
trash mob Academy being developed uh in
48:03
the context of uh pupil referral unit
48:06
but there's got to be benefit to Nature
48:09
connection
48:10
um for for everyone so uh can any school
48:15
or any educational setting do the trash
48:17
mob Academy
48:19
yeah absolutely uh so I always thought
48:22
that when I was at school like why did
48:24
the why do the bad kids get through the
48:25
good stuff
48:27
um
48:27
yes we developed it with
48:30
people referral units in mind but that's
48:32
only because they have the flexibility
48:33
in their curriculum to allow this kind
48:35
of stuff to happen
48:36
um we've it's been piloted with with
48:40
regular schools and with similar levels
48:43
of success so it's it's all there's
48:46
lesson plans it's curriculum linked risk
48:48
assessments provided you do the risk
48:50
assessments and stuff then you're
48:51
covered by our public liability
48:52
insurance
48:54
um
48:55
so yeah the the great thing about it is
48:56
that it's it's super easy for any
48:58
teacher any guide to just pick up a run
49:01
with it you don't need to develop
49:02
anything because we've done all that for
49:03
you and it's all free of charge as well
49:05
so cool and so for us oldies that are
49:09
past our school days unfortunately uh I
49:13
believe you have something called
49:14
purposeful Adventure which might kind of
49:17
uh help us reconnect as well would that
49:20
serve the same sort of purpose
49:22
uh yes
49:24
um personal Adventure is is a it we ran
49:27
a summer of personal Adventures but it's
49:29
also a program that's that's integral to
49:32
our work so our mission is to remove 75
49:35
of sync use pollution from trails and
49:37
wild places by 2025
49:38
and also to reconnect people with nature
49:41
through purposeful Adventure
49:43
um and like I say we ran the project in
49:45
the summer and we tried to Center
49:48
the idea around leaving a positive trace
49:51
um and the idea of leaving a positive
49:53
trace in
49:55
the places that you pass through the
49:57
people that you come across on that
49:58
journey and yourself we've been able to
50:01
show that that actually deepens your
50:02
connection with the places that you find
50:04
yourself in interestingly so that's
50:06
that's different to leave no Trace isn't
50:08
it
50:10
uh yeah
50:12
um well that's kind of the leave no
50:14
traces that has been the traditional
50:16
kind of man yes Mantra so yeah it's a
50:20
mantra and it's an it's an amazing
50:21
movement and they've been at like the
50:23
seven the seven steps or whatever it is
50:25
have been well received and it it makes
50:30
sense people get it uh but I think the
50:33
very fact that trashy Trails exists the
50:35
fact that we're talking right now means
50:37
that it's not enough like the idea of
50:40
not leaving any
50:42
any Trace isn't isn't working or it is
50:45
working to an extent but the fact that
50:46
we're here means that we need a little
50:48
bit more that idea of leaving a positive
50:49
trace ads to that so people know where
50:53
you've been in a good way so I think I
50:55
don't know this for sure but leave no
50:57
choice is founded on the principle that
50:59
people were leaving a bad Trace so if
51:01
you left no Trace that's better than
51:03
being bad but we move that forward to
51:06
that adding something to to your
51:09
adventure and it can be it does like we
51:12
a couple of people went on went on an
51:14
adventure and the purpose was to go to
51:16
do a school tour or a school visit or
51:18
something and do a lecture to some kids
51:19
or do an assembly or do a trail clean or
51:21
something like that but it can be as
51:22
simple as do you know those signs that
51:24
you see on like parks and stuff and you
51:27
just don't like who you always think
51:28
who's reading them just spend spend the
51:31
30 seconds to read about the place that
51:32
you're in and that will that will deepen
51:34
your connection with the place
51:36
if you see a bit of a bit of rubbish
51:37
pick it up that counts as leaving a
51:39
positive trace because before you were
51:40
there there was a bit of rubbish no
51:42
there isn't
51:43
um and then the one for yourself
51:46
uh because that could be whatever the
51:48
whole the beauty of that is it could be
51:50
whatever you interpret it to be
51:52
um but for me and yourself it's just
51:54
about taking that time sometimes when
51:56
you're you know when you're trying to
51:58
get your best time or you're trying to
52:01
get to the top because it's bad weather
52:03
or something it's not going to hurt to
52:05
just take a few minutes just to stop and
52:07
think about what you're doing because
52:09
and and why you're there you know
52:11
because all too often we head out on our
52:12
bikes we head out on our on our rides
52:15
and runs and roams or whatever and we're
52:16
just doing it for the sake of it because
52:18
it's fun but why is it fun and why do
52:21
you keep going to that same place and
52:23
just just that process of thinking about
52:25
it a little bit deepens your connection
52:27
to those bases and another element then
52:30
that I think has contributed to the
52:32
success of the uh trash mob particularly
52:35
in Wakefield
52:37
has been the presence of Leeds Urban
52:39
bike parks I think a lot of the mountain
52:41
biking that they did was there
52:44
um so you yeah you obviously said that
52:47
it's not essential for people to be able
52:50
to get on a mountain bike to go and do
52:52
trash month Academy but how how
52:55
important do you think those Urban
52:57
spaces outdoor spaces are it's a nature
53:01
connection
53:03
right yeah I mean depends what you find
53:06
defined by Urban Green Space because I
53:08
don't know what the the government
53:09
definition is but I bet it's not the
53:11
same as our definition well let's say
53:13
being able to access it yeah
53:18
well super important right like
53:22
yes it is really important but at the
53:24
same time with something we tried to do
53:26
but with perhaps of Adventure that I'm
53:27
not sure whether it came out so well was
53:29
trying to think about
53:31
uh like Adventures from your doorstep
53:33
um and try your everyday because like
53:36
we're we're very privileged in that like
53:39
I've got a lovely dog walk just out the
53:41
back of my new house I can hop in my van
53:43
I can drive 15 minutes to to ballet
53:46
Woods if I want to ride my bike I can go
53:48
an hour or so into the into the
53:50
mountains because I'm privileged enough
53:52
to have enough money to have and have
53:53
and run of that uh I'm privileged enough
53:56
to have an owner house but and lots of
53:59
people don't have any of that at all so
54:02
but I think that we would do well as the
54:06
outdoor community
54:08
to
54:09
pull back from that importance a little
54:11
bit and try and
54:14
try and advocate for adventure in
54:18
in its broadest Venture people think of
54:21
a multi-gave and actually it can just be
54:23
to the dog walk or to the local shop so
54:25
one of the one of the uh the groups that
54:29
pilot at the Joshua Academy is called
54:30
out of Liverpool
54:32
um has a lot of orphaned Refugee kids
54:35
and they get excited about going to the
54:38
shop so they get excited about going to
54:40
Asda was the when they're away for half
54:42
term that was that was what they came
54:43
back and said they were the most excited
54:45
about so
54:47
how did how on Earth do you try and work
54:50
with someone like that local park you
54:52
they don't the fun the school doesn't
54:54
have the money to take them anywhere so
54:56
what do you do you know the teacher a
54:58
lovely lady called Louise organized for
55:01
a load of scooters for him and that was
55:03
the physical activity that they needed
55:04
and it doesn't matter where you look you
55:07
will be able to find some sort of nature
55:09
uh whether that's the people or whether
55:10
it's just weeds or pigeons or whatever
55:12
so
55:14
yes uh of urban green spaces are of
55:18
parallel importance to Nature connection
55:19
but I think we could do well
55:22
we would do well to to try and advocate
55:25
for other ways of of doing it other ways
55:28
of Adventure and other other ways of
55:30
being really because it is adult okay
55:32
right well uh I think that possibly
55:36
raises a few interesting questions for
55:38
those who are uh racing against the
55:41
clock and um yeah like I wonder how
55:45
connected
55:47
they are to Nature
55:51
the Strava watches yeah yeah uh this is
55:55
it right um don't don't
55:59
I understand we understand that a lot
56:02
for a lot of people that's what being
56:04
outside is about it's about getting your
56:06
best time it's about training for the
56:07
next event don't let what I'm talking
56:09
about get in the way of that rather just
56:11
separate the two so every ride doesn't
56:14
have to be a training ride and if it
56:16
does then fair play you've you've we've
56:18
got some work to do to engage you in our
56:20
work but
56:22
I wouldn't want to take that away from
56:24
anybody and and I I'm not a writer but I
56:27
understand the drive and the passion to
56:31
be that dedicated to something that you
56:33
love and
56:34
Oliver Ollie Young from Bristol who just
56:36
did the GB Duo uh
56:38
raise money for for us result it raised
56:42
like 850 quid or something so thanks
56:44
thanks to Wally and everybody who
56:45
donated but he also did Trail cleanings
56:47
and stuff along the way so for him yes
56:49
he was doing the gb's Euro so it was an
56:51
endurance thing and he was trying to get
56:53
a good time and stuff but he was also
56:55
incorporating other bits and Bobs into
56:57
it as well so that's that's just really
56:58
cool to see so uh it sounds to me like
57:01
for those of us that are in the position
57:03
of of having a bit of awareness around
57:05
what is around us then we can
57:08
potentially improve our lives and and
57:12
the planet by just being a bit more
57:14
conscious about our interactions and and
57:16
maybe getting involved with trash free
57:17
Trails
57:19
um but yeah if you want to go a step
57:21
further definitely do okay if you want
57:24
to go a step further and in some way uh
57:27
support the trash mob or Josh mob
57:30
Academy or find out a bit more about it
57:32
just briefly give us the the key web
57:35
addresses that we should be heading to
57:36
for more info
57:38
uh so well yeah we're at trashy Charles
57:40
and Instagram is the best uh kind of
57:42
source for
57:44
content and useful information and
57:47
there's always someone on the end of the
57:49
messages like I say if you have any
57:50
questions
57:51
.org is the website and then if you
57:54
click on the Joshua threshold Academy
57:57
all of those links are on the uh the
58:01
Instagram uh link but if you forget all
58:04
of that if the easiest way to get
58:05
involved is to get out on your local
58:07
Trail
58:08
I guarantee you'll find some sort of
58:10
single solution there of some sort uh
58:13
and pick it up uh whether you want to
58:15
tell us about it or not great uh if you
58:18
want to contribute a little bit more
58:19
we've got the state of our travels
58:20
report which is the first uh and only
58:23
study of its kind cool well I will put a
58:27
bunch of uh other trash free trial
58:29
stories that we've run on single track
58:31
across the years
58:32
um in in the podcast story too because I
58:36
know there's a bunch of different links
58:37
there and there's also Dom talking at
58:39
length about uh trash free trails and
58:42
and some of the brands that you've
58:43
worked with or challenged so lots more
58:46
information for anyone that wants to go
58:48
back in time and and learn a bit more uh
58:51
well thank you very much uh Rich for
58:54
joining us today
58:55
um and all the best for the trash mob
58:57
Academy
58:59
thanks a lot yeah no great great to be
59:01
writed and thanks for yeah thanks for
59:03
chatting
59:04
uh welcome back to us here in the studio
59:06
we're all that's it for this week that's
59:08
the the that's the sum total of our of
59:11
your learnings from the single track
59:13
team I don't know whether there was
59:15
anything in particular that you'll take
59:16
away from this week's episode take this
59:19
knowledge and use it wisely yes
59:23
I'm going to go and research about all
59:25
those things Sunny spoke about from
59:27
before I was born don't you've got to
59:29
draw a picture of what you think she was
59:31
talking about the soft ride you're gonna
59:33
draw a picture of that so anyway just
59:35
quickly go around the table chips what
59:36
are you up to this weekend
59:38
oh my God uh this weekend I've got a a
59:42
couple of friends coming to visit from
59:44
Canada strangely lots of people want to
59:46
come and visit me these days it's I
59:47
don't know why uh so they they're
59:50
turning up
59:51
um and then my mum is turning up on
59:54
Monday as well so I'm gonna have to
59:55
hurriedly uh tidy the house so very
59:58
glamorous fantastic
1:00:00
what you're up to this weekend well
1:00:02
we'll contrary to what my reputation
1:00:04
might seem and I'm actually installing a
1:00:06
smart heating system or a new radiators
1:00:09
as well so yeah
1:00:12
pretty much dial up this is indeed hello
1:00:16
can we change this for you no I will be
1:00:19
using my wife's smartphone to actually
1:00:21
operate it because I do not possess such
1:00:23
a thing and other than that I'm going to
1:00:24
ride my gravel bike in the sense of
1:00:27
supreme satisfaction I've got 20 mil of
1:00:29
travel and I'm quite happy about that
1:00:31
very good uh Amanda what are you up to
1:00:34
sorry I love that Sonny's wife is going
1:00:37
to be in charge of when the heating
1:00:38
comes on
1:00:40
what am I up to I'm going on a bike
1:00:42
packing trip with the really good bike
1:00:44
club
1:00:45
right good
1:00:48
okay that's it I'm sorry Northern talk I
1:00:51
do understand that yeah okay great good
1:00:55
rate good
1:00:56
excellent be right
1:00:58
it's lovely and Regional I do love your
1:01:00
accent
1:01:02
fantastic and on that note what am I
1:01:04
doing this weekend I will finish off on
1:01:05
that I'm going to probably ride another
1:01:07
e-bike that's that's all for this week
1:01:10
so you will catch up with us next week
1:01:12
when we've got more amazing things to
1:01:14
talk about bye
1:01:16
[Music]
1:01:17
[Applause]
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