To celebrate the opening of @ribble_cycles new Leeds store, Bobby was let loose with some masking tape and a spray gun. Taking inspiration from his masking process, I created these images. No photoshop, no ai. Just some walls, paint and rolls of masking tape on the floor of the warehouse
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#leedsleedsleeds #noai #nophotoshop #bikes #ribblecycles
It’s good to scare yourself every now and then. Brain took a lot of convincing to let go of the brake levers, then I didn’t fully commit to the right hander. Only one thing for it, go back and have another go… Great success! And many many thanks to the builders - the whole track is an absolute delight 🤌🏻
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📹 @impl0dingduck
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#mtb #lakedistrict #steep #ifatfirstyoudontsucceed
40 participants. 8 riddles. 1 map. 0 idea what they’d signed up for.
Kendal turned into the course, with runners working together to navigate between checkpoints, unlocking each clue as they went, with extra challenges at each stop for additional prizes.
A mix of movement, problem solving and plenty of teamwork throughout.
Finishing at Bakery No.4 with pizza, beers, a DJ and a big raffle packed with prizes, it was a perfect way to catch up with friends, meet new ones and make the most of a bluebird Lake District day.
📸: @jamesvincent
@mackyardevents x @40_percent_club backyard ultra portraits.
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I’ve always been a fan of a gritty b&w portrait, so here are a few selects from the Langdales recently. Sharing a couple of these in my stories a while back elicited this message which touched me more than I expected: “I guess I pride myself on understanding how things work but I do not know how you take these beautiful pictures…”
Honestly, I don’t know either mate. Going to keep searching for the answer though and it’ll be fun trying to figure it out
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#portrait #backyardultra #lakedistrict #4zero #mackyard
The Dales Divide 2026, basically a really long bike ride to Scarborough for fish n chips and then home again.
My first ever ultra cycling race, and in the weeks leading up to it I wasn’t sure I was even going to take part. But then I witnessed incredible things at the @40_percent_club x @mackyardevents ultra and realised I should really just toughen up and at least make the start line.
As I had no expectations, my plan was to simply pedal until I couldn’t. The winning combo of super fast xc tyres with no grip and muddy, slick grass made the descents very exciting, so stoke levels were super high all through Friday. Then I bumped into @rhyswainwright , @amandawish.art , @jamesstapleton1 and @brad__ventures who were all dangerously close to scratching, so I grinned them out of it and we headed on together as a quintet. Made it to York at 3am for a cheeky McDonald’s then didn’t take much persuasion to share a hotel room with James.
Saturday saw James and Brad turn for home, so Rhys and I got to enjoy bone dry trails and a tailwind all the way to Scarborough for the best fish n chips of my life. And yes I dipped my toes in the sea.
We were just outside of Goathland when Storm Dave began to take hold… Ha, I said, “I wondered when the rain would arrive”. Cue much panic from Rhys as he looked at the weather radar and declared we needed to find shelter. Now!
We found a hotel room, hunkered down and set our alarms for 5am ready to see what Dave had left in him. Turns out it was quite a bit of wind as Sunday morning made for frustratingly slow going. Quitting was never an option, and words of encouragement from friends kept us trucking. You know who you are. Thank you!
Dominos in Northallerton perked us right up, and did an excellent job of fuelling the rest of the journey.
Which took forever.
The Yorkshire dales were glorious, as the wind had died down and the stars had come out. It was also pretty damn fresh, with snow on the ground in places. We were pretty pooped by now but kept on going. Dent to Gatebeck to Endmoor was slow and dull so we had a ten minute power nap then pressed on to Arnside where Amanda and @annavince were waiting with beer and pizza. Cheers
Found a smoke machine and some coloured gels in the studio. Only one thing for it…
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Good fun shooting @sophiekwright8 ‘s new custom painted @ribble_cycles Ultra Grit. Minimum paint, reduced weight, maximum attack. Nice.
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As for the photos, it was all done in camera. Yes the bike is floating, yes the smoke is real, no I didn’t use any AI. Feels a bit like the back of an early Queen album proudly proclaiming “no synthesisers”. I’m also heavily influenced by Storm Thorgerson, who was a firm believer in doing it for real. I’m all for using AI to make life easier for dull stuff like spreadsheets, but for actually creating art that engages people, you can’t beat getting your hands dirty and experimenting. Besides, sitting in front of a computer screen all day gets boring.
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#noai #bikes #gravel #ultragrit #cycling
The @mackyardevents x @40_percent_club Mackyard Ultra took place in Langdale this weekend. 120 runners tackling the same 6.7km loop, on the hour, every hour, until just one runner remains. I was stoked to be asked to document it, and having been in the studio for the past few months it felt good to pick up my loaded camera bag and head for the hills. That the weather turned out how it did was an added bonus!
It was an awesome event to be part of, and it was inspiring witnessing people push themselves, support others and go beyond what they thought possible.
From a photography point of view, it was a dream brief - an amazing landscape, great light, and plenty of raw emotions on display made for some great images, I just needed to get out on the course and capture them. Talking of which, I’d love to know how far I actually travelled over the weekend - I wish I’d logged it on Strava.
From a technical standpoint, although I had a flash in my bag, I made the decision not to use it - I wanted my images to reflect what was happening, rather than be influenced by an external source, and also to provide less distraction to the runners. Instead, when night fell, I picked up my 50mm 1.4 and cranked the ISO. The result is shown in slide one, probably my favourite image of the weekend. The light behind @mdbaby casts a perfect silhouette, while her own head torch reflects off the walls and path just enough to light her. The others are favourites for various reasons, whether that’s nice light, sheep not giving two hoots about the race and sleeping on the course, or @coachedbyrudi_ staying up all night and welcoming the runners in.
Anyway, that’s enough waffle from me, here are some photos…
#running #ultrarunning #onemorelap #lakedistrict
Sunday -
As the dark crept in and the night got deeper the flicker of head torches that lit up the Langdale valley began to draw thin. The darkness has an eery glow, especially in the depths of the valley as the only life around are the hardened sheep that scatter the path as they rest for the night.
From camp, it looked like a moving constellation. Head torches tracing a silent path across the valley. Something that even those watching from distant farmhouses or pub windows could feel.
The comfort of a hot shower and a warm bed was too much for most as the numbers started to drop off. As athletes collected their mementos in the dead of night, it felt almost cinematic, as if a cannon echoed through camp each time, another warrior claimed. Hunger Games-like.
‘Survive the night’
The pit of night is when you really find out who really wants it. This is where you are truly tested. The temperature drops to below freezing and the element of ’survival’ is now fully in play.
6am, 84 miles down…This is now a test of gut. Who really wants it? And how far are they willing to go? The atmosphere has completely shifted. The carnival was gone and what remained felt more like a graveyard. Half empty gazebos, abandoned chairs and a thin icy dew clinging to the grass.
9am and the 24th yard starts. This for most is a BIG milestone. The completion of this yard marks 100 miles. @heidirogersrunning , our last remaining female jogs in for the final time with the biggest grin across her face as she elegantly bounds over the finish line having joined the centurion club. She bows out with her head held high and is crowned ‘Queen of the Langdales’.
The morning takes another 3 stoic runners and we are soon down to the final 3. They look untouchable. As the hours tick by, nothing seems to shake them.
The energy is intoxicating and the word soon gets out that there’s still 3 runners remaining. Athletes, spectators, passers-by began to gather. The quiet endurance event has now turned into something else entirely. The tension builds with every yard, like a title fight edging toward its final round.
Will they last the course?
Reliving every moment. 🫶
First set of Mackyard x 4ZERO Ultra photos from @jamesvincent available through link in bio. ⛓️💥
But don’t you worry, James is cooking up plenty more in the workshop 📸
#backyard #ultra #lakedistrict #justonemore
On both a personal and collective level, this weekend epitomised everything we stand for as a club and what we represent. I have yet to soak it all in and it still doesn’t quite feel real but I am going to do my best to articulate the weekend over a few posts in hope that we all remember how incredible it was.
‘Saturday’
We were greeted by an incredible sunrise. As the morning fog lifted and blue skies broke through, the runners took their first steps as our very own “Lazarus” lighting his cigarette to signal the start. From there, it was simple: Run 6.7km. Every hour. Which will break first, your body or your mind?
“Don’t be a lone wolf.”
This race is as much about the support crews as it is the runners. Those who go far don’t do it alone, they have people behind them saying exactly what needs to be said and doing everything necessary to get them back out for “one more yard.” The small, unseen things matter in order for the runner to be clear and focused on their one job and that is to run. Being a team player, trusting your crew, and building friendships is the difference between stopping and getting back up.
The atmosphere was electric. It felt like a festival with Laughter, cheering and excitement echoing across the valley. The sun was shining, music filled the air and morale was high.
Runners would arrive back in camp to cheers and whistles, walk over to their crew and be greeted to a hero’s welcome. For a minute or two they could relax, soak up the atmosphere and mentally switch off from putting one foot in front of the other.
I am unsure whether it was the blue skies, caffeine, the smell of pizza or the calibre of athlete but yard after yard runners kept coming back ready to go again. Hours passed and still runners rose from their chairs having been fed, taped and massaged ready to make their way, slowly but confidently back to the start line with a quiet sense of determination.
Over 50 warriors made it to sunset and as the sun dipped behind the Langdale mountains, something shifted. The energy changed. Head torches were donned, layers were added and the mood sharpened.
Those who were left were preparing mentally.
Who makes it through the night?
A public service announcement...
If your friends have spent a long time geeking out over bicyclerollingresistance.com and suggest that you should put some faster rolling tyres on, heed their advice.
Good, if somewhat challenging times, on my first attempt at the Badger Divide with @amandawish.art@rhyswainwright and @jamesstapleton1 . I couldn’t ask for a better group of mates to drop me on every single climb or section of tarmac.
#badgerdivide #mtb #bikes #scotland #rollingresistance
