Hanging Out with Jim

This week I'm in San Francisco for work... a great opportunity to hang out with my friend Jim Rice and do some trail riding with him at Hollister Hills on Sunday.

Up early... but not too early. Jim prepping the bikes...

Out on the trails with John and Jim... both are mega trails riders.

Hollister Hills is just miles and miles of trails some fast, some single track, some wide, some steep, some jumps... all huge fun.

Brian, Frank Jim and John. Awesome riding with these guys.

Franks classic Maico scrambler

Awesome Californian weather :-)

Suburbs of Hollister

Brian, Jim and I went for a Mexican after... :-)

This is a 'new' fire engine. Only in the US of A!

I haven;t ridden a dirt bike in more than 2 and half years... holy crap... I'm feeling it now! All good conditioning for the TT.

What an awesome weekend... hanging out with friends... riding bikes and talking bollocks... about bikes. Thanks Jim!

Riding with a Legend

Ten days ago I was fortunate enough to riding with my buddy Jim Rice (of On Any Sunday fame) in California. We went down to Jim's 'home track', Hollister Hills for a day of trail riding.

CRFs packed and ready for a day in the dirt

What an incredible place! It is huuuuge! Filled with single-tracks, switch-backs, MX tracks, hill climbs and mad trails... oh... and a TT track thrown in for good measure! Cost: $5 parking for the day.

Jim telling some race stories on the way

It's some of the best dirt riding I've ever done. The facility is specifically for dirt-bikeing and brilliantly kitted out and maintained. Makes anything I have been to in the UK look like a hovel run by bandits.

The 'day-paddock' area... trails extend into the distant hills... one could get lost in there and never get found!

The Americanos like thier jumps and after the first half-hour 'warm-up' on some of the wider trails, I'd done more jumps than I've done in my entire life!

Turn 1 on the TT track... hillclimb in the distance

Jim is one hell of rider and blindingly fast - I was playing catch up the whole day. We finished off the days riding with a few laps around the TT track where Jim used to race 650 'Scramblers'. Of course, being racers...it landed up being a sprightly affair. Actually... most of the day was like this!

The best darn lunch I've ever had out riding! Homemade cherry-pie was deeeeeelicious!

A fantastic day just riding and hanging out with Jim. Man, I sure wish I lived 6000 miles closer and could do this more often. Thanks Jim for an awesome time! We must do it again soon :-)


Food for the soul!

Great riding and great company under sunny California skies... what a day!