 | | | | | | | | | | | Have you ever crashed or injured yourself through having no brakes?
No. Not at all. never.
And you'd never put them back on?
Never.
Do you ever change your bike setup?
Occasionally, I swap the pegs about. Just for something different, but most of the time...
..what? You already have four on! So you just move them round? How's that going to do owt?
[Laughs] Yeah. No, I just mean like I'll run just three or two pegs, but generally I'm just sticking with four pegs just now 'cos you can do double the stuff.
Do you do a lot of opposite stuff?
I used to when put them on, but now it's more rocket stuff that they're being used for. It works out though.
Do you brake parts easily?
Not at all, 'cos I don't really do big stuff. I'd like to say small and technical, but, I dunno, I'm not like Captain Hardcore who goes balls-out every time [laughs].
So if you're twice as big as Graham, how is he the one braking the frames?
[Laughs] I've no idea. I break myself more.
Have you had lots of injuries?
Yeah, I've dislocated both my knees and broke my arm. You'll have to see that [show's arm with huge, impressive scar].
That's lovely!
It's a beast.
How did you do it?
When I was younger and I ended up falling off my bike just going along the street with my friend. And just the way I landed, the whole thing popped out there [points to part of his arm].
What about the knees?
That was at a bike show. It doesn't really count for being on the bike but I was trying to get on a bike and I got on and my knee twisted and the whole thing fell over.
So you decked yourself just trying to get on a bike?
Yeah [laughs]. And I knocked over about 12 of them that were in a row.
Were they all brand new display numbers?
Aye. They were all the show bikes [laughs]. Andy, who I was with, ran away after it 'cos he was too embarrassed [laughter] and I was left lying on the ground with ma knee.
So who put it back in?
Me. When I hit it I caught it and put it all back together.
What about t'other?
The other one was when I just fell off my bike and I think it was just the way i fell. My foot stayed and I kind of twisted with it, and it all just went to hell again.
For such a big lad, why do you ride frames with such a small top tube? Isn't it all cramped up?
Nah, not at all.
It's like a flatland bike!
I know, but it's easier to pull up with a smaller top tube and it doesn't really get in your way much.
You don't deck your knees on your bars a lot?
Nah, well I wear knee pads all the time.
Graham: He is riding a longer top tube nowadays.
Aye, I went from a 20.25 to a 20.5, but it's got a shorter back end.
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