So… I’d had a season off ‘cross and was enjoying a bit of gentle riding, when there was this strange calling to get racing again…
Cross Comes Calling from Planet X Bikes on Vimeo.
It was a load of fun. A muse. A whim that got carried away on its own whim. I really enjoyed Tim Royle’s blend of weird and light entertainment in his film with Ed Oxley ‘The Chop‘. Ed and I share a barber – (one of the finest in the country, I’d argue – the North West Barber Co) and I originally thought it might be fun to do something with Ed and them but with a cross bike. But Ed moved on, Chris cleverly pointed out that any barber-based film would just be too much of The Chop, and I formed the storyboard over a few weeks in my head.
Filmmaker Tom Richards was really enjoyable to work with. And half my age. His style is simple but very intimate, and the whole thing was shot chronologically (nobody likes sticking a beard back on), and Tom was meticulous but confident. Pretty much first take stuff. . Alan was just sublime. I’d told him to find some clothing that looked official, but weird. I was thinking a white lab coat. His Frock coat was what he wore to get married. Just class.
Thanks – from concept to chats to cutting-room to: Crossjunkie / FluentInCross, Tom Richards, Chris Brownless, Steve Jarvis, and all at Planet X Bikes.
And I got to ride a fatbike. That was nuts.