Where has summer gone ?

Not that the weather has been that bad, but it's already August and the last couple of months have been a blur.
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Back on the bike after the Tribemeet and getting some good miles under the belt was a bit short-lived as we then jetted off to Greece to perform photographic duties at Justin and Hannah's wedding in Katigirorgis in the the beautiful Peloponnese.
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Hannah arrived by boat, the ceremony was on the cliff top, evening meal was on the beach - a great day had by all and I hope they liked the photos !
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Back home and hard at it for a hectic two weeks with our annual Seminars around the country to see our customers. I managed  a good ride round Dalby Red and then across the moors to Whitby one night, but the quality, regular miles eluded me.
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We got some chores sorted while the good weather lasted and then managed to squeeze in a couple of very muddy local rides. The sort where you spend more time cleaning than riding .. not good. 
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We managed to fit in a day rock climbing at Harrisons Rocks with James and Natasha. On such a good day, we were there with about 150 other people but managed a to find a couple of free pitches eventually and the kids really enjoyed their intro.
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Natasha (the limpet) loving that rock a bit too much. I'm sure she is using her teeth as well !
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In the wake of Bradley Wiggins and Team Sky winning le Tour, the Olympics were upon us and Team GB does us all proud. There are a few slip-ups with the team road cycling and the triple jump, but some fabulous results courtesy of Ennis and Farrah and an incredible mens 800 and women's 4x100. We were glued to the TV every night.
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Our friends Chris and Meg are over from Colorado to catch the Olympic Mountain Biking and a few days of 'track and field' and their last few days are spent at ours enjoying some much needed relaxation.
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We have a great day out at Bodium Castle and a very chilled BBQ in the evening and then manage to fit in a day on the South Downs to show Chris the local sights.
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Chris (Taylor) leads Chris (Lamb) up Windover Hill on our tour of Bo Peep, Alfriston, Jevington, Eastbourne, Beachy Head, Birling Gap, Friston Forest and Seaford .. phew. The 31 degrees made it hard at the time, but I'm out of breath again just typing it in. A big thank-you to Chris Lamb for supplying spare bikes of the right size for our guests.
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Great to see you guys again, thanks for taking the time to drop by and we are looking forward to the next time already. You know you are always welcome. Sarge .. you saving up ??
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Next .. a relaxing late-summer Bank Holiday weekend. Well, that's the plan.

The Tribe 2012

Take a selection of all ages, sexes, shapes and sizes; add disparate characters, different training regimes (or lack of..) and then season with a great location, riding from the doorstep and the one thing that binds us together, a YETI - welcome to the Tribe.
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This year's meet was held at the Long Mynd in Shropshire. Our illustrious leader Andrew Palmer, with valuable assistance from local rider Sandy Plenty of Leisure Lakes Bikes, had put together a weekend of fine riding along some classic local routes, a few stiff climbs, some great descents and more fun than you can have on your own.
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The base for the weekend was the Bridges YHA at Ratlinghope and the local Bridges pub figured heavily throughout the agenda, mainly thanks to the great selection of locally brewed Three Tuns ale (and the great food of course).
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Arrival day often starts with excessive socializing brought on by a combination of excitement and nerves about not being able to keep up with the fit(ter) riders. Inevitably, the less fit riders socialize more and then they have an even worse time keeping up the following morning. Last orders were eventually called and the thirsty-Tribe-night-shift wandered back to their tents to sleep it off.
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Things happen in Yeti time. It's like a combination of 'manana' and 'hakuma matata' and most folk accept this as the natural by-product of having so many people riding together. About ninety of us set off a bit late, but 'hakuma matata' as they say in Shropshire. The first incline had the night shift pushing for a while - but partly due to mud and congestion. Once you stop it aint easy to find enough space to get going, apparently.
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Apologies about the junk bike in the foreground above !
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We had a great day out, with highlights being the descent of Minton Batch and the last climb back up which was a good stiff one. Most of the alcohol had been burned off by then, so the legs were spinning strong and steady. No this isn't Minton Batch, I was enjoying that one too much to stop and take photos ..

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Day two was a different vibe with some classic woodland singletrack thrown into the open-bridleway mix. All in all a fabulous weekend amongst like-minded, tolerant and well-behaved Yeti freaks.
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Long live the Tribe and I am looking forward to next year already. Huge thanks to Andrew, Sandy and the rest of the guys who helped to pull this together, without who .....