Where to begin, well i hope this video link still works ? one of the forum chaps posted this over at hardtailnation http://www.ghvideo.at/0080v1.htm if it works you will be watching a DH race from 1990, and the older ones of you out there will be looking for the Tioga disk drive wheels, the GT rts, the proflex etc etc, also the high number of bent front wheels and snapped bars, and the hissy fits (a couple) where the bike gets tossed in the hedge after a crash.

This in turn lead to a mint condition bike being pulled from the workshop queue at the local bikeshop www.pompyscycles.co.uk (in case you fancy asking how much ££ ? ) i got excitied as i only ever saw AMP forks in mags back then, i have never seen a pair in real life, ok they werent that reliable but back then this was cutting edge kit, i googled the bike and reckon it’s from 1994, it’s then value $1800 it’s been hanging in a garage for years, the owner is having it checked out, cleaned up and then selling it. I was naughty, i pumped up the tyres and went for a quick razz as i have never tried AMP forks, chances are i will never get the chance again.

Blast from the past or what ! havent we come a long way. I fancy the bike myself for sunday best, you know posing at some trail centre. I look at it and think “yep i can snap that carbon frame with no problem” but back then one bike did it all, XC, DH, trials, cranks broke, BB axles snapped, frames snapped wheels bent a lot, a £700 HT from now would have ruled at races back in 1990, progression is a good thing, but to progress you have to push the limit of what you have now.

So a retro race video (if it worked) a retro race bike in carbon fibre no less and now a Retro Class in a race.

www.borderline-events.co.uk have teamed up with Si Paton from Descent-gear, and Rob from www.southerndownhill.co.uk and Pureridersco to bring us the Descent Gear Unclipped race, with a Retro class.

If you have a pre 2000 susser frame and fork/shock in the shed, well now you get to race it, kinda curious to how many will fish out the old frameset and race it, could be some classic kit being cartwheeled down Moelfre over 11-13th September, they have even laid on a HT class so i will try and get there ! although i will be busy looking for classic bikes.

Now onto “F”ACEbook, in my learning curve of how to use the internet i have been badgered into going on face book, i dont like it ! nothing works, it dosent like me and like many places wont let me load photos.

So people reckon the more friends i have the easier it gets to use ( crap i reckon) so i have devised an experiment and your help is needed.

At the moment i have 7 friends who have all found me. So if you read this send me a friend request on facebook to “ace woodley” it will also give a clue as to how many people read my blog bit, it’s more fun this way, i could ask Billy how many hits i get, but that wont tell me where in the world you all are ?

I reckon a few of you might go for it, i never thought i would be conducting an international social experiment, or writing for 2 websites, if i was getting paid for this, then it would be truly awesome, so in the words of Dirty Harry ” go on make my day” (punk) and you dont even have to own a hardtail. Go on you know you want too, make my day !