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!

Jim Rice - Hero

This pic of my friend Jim Rice was posted on facebook today. Jim responded a few hours later with the story behind it. He's told me this awesome story before... but here it is in his own words:

"1972 San Jose Mile National win: It was an exciting and interesting race. On the ninth lap, while in fourth place, I hit my shoulder on the inside fence post. The impact tore both hands off the handle bars, and my chest landed on the gas tank. I was laying on the tank, amazed that I did not crash. I lifted my right hand up and grabbed the throttle, and when I tried to lift my left hand up, my shoulder muscles were not responding. I tried a couple times and finally got my left hand on the handle bar. During this process, I got an andenaline rush, focused on the race, and realized I could win. Dick Mann passed me while I was recovering from the impact, and a few laps later I re-passed him. 

The last few laps, Kenny and I had a dual for the lead. Kenny would pass me in the first and second turn and I would pass him in the third and fourth turn. I knew the last lap third turn was going to be "banzai". I "drove it" into turn three striving not to drift off the groove, while Kenny was "hanging it out" on the outside trying to get a drive off the turn. I managed to cross the finish line with inches to spare, before Kenny passed me. 

I was so EXCITED, and by the time I got back to the finish line, the pain hit me like a freight train! I could not pull in the clutch, so I held on, put both feet on the ground and stopped next to Mike. He gave me a congratulation slap the back of my left shoulder, and I crawled off my BSA, and got into the ambulance. What an interesting race!"

Jim Rice - one tough, talented and awesome guy. Hero!

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!

Meeting a Legend

Last weekend  I got meet a flattrackin' legend: Jim Rice.

Jim Rice San Jose 1971

Jim stars in 'On Any Sunday'... he provided some spectacular footage by crashing through the bales and fence at the mile.

Jim was a BSA factory rider and won many National AMA Flattrack races... beating the likes of Mert Lawill, Dick Mann, Kenny Roberts and many, many more... on brit iron.

Jim at Alice's Restaurant - a local biker hangout

Inside Alice's... good beer, burgers and clientele...

Jim showed me around his backyard and took me up to Alice's Restaurant (made famous by Arlo Guthrie) where we shared beer and race stories. What a guy!

We like Nicky Hayden!