Offroad Gangsta II

The Revenge Of the Escape Artist

Yeah. If you've watched my first Offroad Gangsta Video, chances are, you might have thought, I were done with that long bike trail. Frankly, I was pretty done at times. But hey, there was a whole lot of singletrack to ride, why the heck did I climb all those hills? 

Nice? Take this:

Things were just starting to get a little wet where we left off. Then came the rain.

Now, that's what I call, nice. 

Flickr 

PS. There is more. Here are some nice pictures from the video.

Offroad Gangsta

This is my homage to helmcam'ing. Please watch it in HD.

Trailer

Now even theatrical.

Here is the movie.

Promotion

The video.

The pictures.

Am I being obtrusive?

Scotch On The Rocks

Here is how I enjoyed last saturday.

Sorry for the vibrations (and for the odd quirks in the video). It was a rocky ride and my first HD video. Next ones will be better.

Love The Ride

Earn your solitude.

Let The Guy Sleep

It's nine thirty on a Saturday morning. I am sitting at a Costa Cafe in Dumfries, Scotland. I just finished my giant latte and ate my strawberry granola yogurt. Two girls are managing the store, a couple with a new born are sitting in the corner, one guy has been reading a book since I came here.

It's busy, I feel tired.

I didn't sleep well last night. In fact I didn't sleep at all. One bunch of golfer idiots from Ireland ruined my two-night-stay at the Cairndale Hotel right across the corner. Those fuck ups, as I prefer to call any golfer till I play that damn game myself, partied all night for two nights, each till 6 AM every morning.

I am not really pissed off, because I didn't choose to party myself, but rather because I just couldn't get my good night's sleep to be ready to tackle a wild ride or two in Scottish woods with my mountain bike. Exact the reason I come to Scotland - to ride my bike, to play in the woods.

Too tired? Oh god, never! When it comes to riding my bike, I am a brave heart, a Scot myself. A shot of "Amazing Grace" mixed with Neil Young's "Cortez The Killer" would do the job.

Did I mention, I am driving to the coast tonight, Kirkcudbright to be exact, where I'll spend the night and eventually go to a Neil Young Tribute Concert in an old abbey?

Rock in the Church. Now that is Scotland.

Brave Heart

Me rocking the Ae Forest back in 2007

I will be flying to Edinburgh next week to ride the 7 Stanes. This will be my fourth time in Scotland since 2005 and the 7th time overall. I love mountain biking in Scotland and I love being there.

Scotland not only offers one of the best mountain biking experiences you may ever encounter on the planet, but also amazing outdoors, spectacular landscapes, friendly people and - even if I‘m not an expert on this - the greatest whisky (and ales) on earth. 

No matter if you‘re on a long walk on the Irish Sea coast, hiking the Highlands, passing by Loch Ness or strolling the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, you don‘t necessarily have to be an outdoor aficionado for Scotland to embrace you with its incredible beauty, untainted ruggedness and wild history. And the notoriously rainy weather is usually nicer than its widespread reputation.

In Scotland, there is no such thing as bad weather - only the wrong clothes.

- Billy Connolly

I‘ll pack my bags, pack my bike, take a few Burns‘ poems with me and crank the hell out of some awesome singletrack. No phones, no distractions. 

What tho' on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hodden grey, an' a' that;
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine,
A Man's a Man for a' that!
For a' that an' a' that,
Their tinsel show and a' that;
The honest man, though ne'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that!

- Edward Burns, from "Is There for Honest Poverty"

Scots say, „climb hard, descent harder“: the more challenging the climbs are, the more rewarding the downhills will be. If you‘re brave enough, they are doable; you slack, you lose. Bravery is definitely it.

As Wallace once said: „It’s all for nothing if you don’t have freedom.“

Aye. A Man's a Man for a' that!