Boneshakers and Brixton

My equipment taking up all the space in the office in Brixton Bikes

New project on the go over here. This time I'm shooting a portrait project on the good people at Brixton Cycles for the new bike magazine coming out of Bristol called Boneshaker.

Brixton Bikes, for those of you that don't know, is a workers co-operative, started in the early '80s when Red Ken was handing out grants for such things. The result isn't the traditional bike shop, with every employee an equal in the business. Look out for this in the next issue. Distro for it hasn't been totally sorted out yet, but those of you in London will be able to pick it up at Magma Books in Covent Garden. Keep an eye out for it though, it's a great read and looks awesome.

Currently listening to Buffalo Stance by Neneh Cherry, totally without irony.

Utter lunacy

I was watching one of the first BMX videos I ever bought the other day and noticed that something as simple as a 360 tyretap and an x-up were usable clips in those days. Then I see something like that. Bloody hell, I'll just be sticking to the race track these days, I think…

Phone photos

Been a fun couple of weeks. First up, there were a couple of shoots for the June issue of MBR: a First Ride article for the Genesis IOID bike, a fancy looking hardtail with an internal geared hub, then there was a cover shoot with MBR Art Ed, Mr Ben Smith doing the riding (don't worry, my head swelled up a bit, but it's all gone down now). It'll all get posted up as soon as it's gone to press.

Then Saturday was spent in the pub watching Paris-Roubaix. Awesome display of total domination from Fabian Cancellara (who you'll also be glad to hear is a top bloke off the bike), but let's face it, we all knew it was over when he rode off the front making everyone else look like a bunch of Sunday afternoon chippers riding a sportive – didn't make for the thrilling race that the Boonen/Pozzato face-off last year did. But yes, you read that right: I watched it in the pub! In England! This was all thanks to the organisers of the London Classic sportive, with the Alma in Crystal Palace hosting the finish with the race on the big screen. Big thanks to all involved in that, even if I didn't do the ride and made the awful faux-pas of turning up on a BMX.

Cycling! In the pub! On the big screen!

Speaking of BMX, it's quite hard to get your tax return done when the weather's so good and Stockwell looks like this…


Finally, you'll be able to see my photos from Ghent-Wevelgem in the next issue of Cycle Sport. As soon as that hits the shelves, check back for the out-takes.

Paris-Roubaix 2009

With the 2010 edition of Paris-Roubaix lurking around the corner this weekend, I thought it'd be about time I posted the complete edit of shots from last year's race. These appeared in Cycle Sport the month after the race. All were shot on a Noblex 135u swivel lens panoramic on a combination of Kodak TMAX 200, 400 and 3200 iso film.

Myself and fellow Cycle Sport photographer Richard Baybutt stayed in St Quentin and caught the race three times. The first at the first cobbled sector just outside the village of Inchy, then at the infamous Arenberg forest and then legging it to the finish at the Roubaix velodrome (where, we realised that the race was following the motorway, what with all the cars hitting the hazards and either stopping in their tracks to watch or pulling over to the hard shoulder).

Last year's was a blinder, let's hope that the Boonen/Cancellara rematch makes for as good a race this time round.

The peloton chases the break at the first section of cobbles near Inchy.

Marcus Burghardt poses for a photographer in the Roubaix velodrome.

Tom Boonen and Sylvain Chavanel being interviewed for television before mounting the podium.

TV cameramen check their footage at the finish.

Joost Posthuma leads the break at the first sector.

Sylvain Chavanel interviewed by the press shortly after finishing.

Another Quick Step rider is collared by the Belgian cycling media.

Photographer Rich Baybutt goes native and watches the race from the motorway. When in Rome…

Andrei Thcmil looking less than amused at a persistent journalist.

A policeman surveys the crowds at the Roubaix velodrome.

Photographers await the arrival of the winner. Don't worry, mate, things can't be that bad…

Photographers throng to the finish as Tom Boonen wins his third Roubaix ahead of Filippo Pozzato.

Thor Hushovd finishes in pain after taking a spanking courtesy of Roubaix's cobbles.

A rider from the BMC team is treated for a knee injury as the photographers/ghouls look on.

A fan watches the peloton pass at the Inchy sector.