demo man
16-10-2006, 07:45 PM
Okay folks, my holidays are over, and I've had my arse kicked by a few members of the forum, so the apparently highly-demanded Meet The Farkers is BACK! (not that it was ever gone, just away on holidays!).
Tonight we have the pleasure os meeting a major part of the SA riding community and a hard worker when it comes to trail access, he also runs the "TrailBuilding" forum on Farkin.
He's older than you'd think, writes answers almsot as big as Johnnys, and lives like a hermit, but he likes bikes so that's all that matters here. Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to inroduce to you all, Scratchy.
http://forums.farkin.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=48602
1. Who are you (name, bikes you ride, age, job)
Fark! What is this, Today Tonight?! The hard questions first eh? Might be easier if I break this one down…
Who Am I? Travis Deane
Bikes I Ride? Not much recently, Spesh FSR, Wheeler Hornet 20 and a flash Roadie. Got a shed full of frames waiting to be built up… When I find the time….
Age: 33
Job: That’s a hard one. Most people look at my resume and laugh, I’ve had more jobs than a Columbian hitman.
Nowadays I split my time between:
1 Geologist (Gold), look at a map of WA and I work somewhere in the middle, 8 days on 12hrs a day, 6 days off.
2 Journo for Australian MTB and occasionally other Magazines, been working at it for 2 years and love it (even discovered the spellchecker!).
3 Involvement with www.driftbikes.com I started www.bikefanatic.com a couple years back and the boys were heading in the same direction so alls good!
4 Advocacy, while it doesn’t pay anything, you’ve got to approach it with professionalism to get anywhere, for the trails I love so it can hardly be called a job, the pays lousy but it’s got a feel good factor.
Past jobs include:
Working in Taiwan in the MTB industry (but you guys wouldn’t want to know about that).
Bike Courier, MTB bum (working nights, riding days- Cairns, Grundig early 90s), Climbing/MTBing/Snowboarding Bum (Canada, Late 90s) I’ve spent a lot of time overseas so it’s pretty hard to check my references!!!
2. When and why did you become a member of Farkin?
I guess it was a couple of years ago when I wanted to whore a cause. I’ve only really initially got involved with internet forums as a way to disseminate information, which it’s proved really effective. If anyone doubts the worth of Farkin, you’d need only point them in the direction of what we all achieved last year with that Eugene McGee character. Farkin posts -> Farkin swamps Hack on Triple J -> Hack cover the story -> Other media cover story -> 5,000 people protest ->SA first royal commission in 10 years! Incredible. I may have become a member for other motives, but I’ve enjoyed my time here and I’ll continue to be a member as I can see Farkin’s potential to lead the MTB community in Australia.
3. So are you always scratching yourself, like your username suggests?
I loved Willi E Coyote as a kid, that punk took a pounding from Road Runner and kept getting back up. Scratchy is the same way, Itchy serves it up and Scratchy takes it. It’s a really good quality for a MTB advocate!
4. Who is your favourite rider of all time, and why?
I’ve got a special spot in my heart for John Tomac as I suspect he was the greatest true Mountain Biker of all time, winning XC and DH champs at the same time, repeatedly, on the same weekend (Plus I love a guy charging a DH on dropbars). Most since then have really been niche riders. I’ve never been a uber competitive rider so my favourite riders would be my mates on fireroad corner giving leaving too much room on the inside. Old School!
5. What is something about you that few people know?
Well I guess of interest to you guys was Bangers and I fronting stateside with our backpacks, Getting to Vegas buying a dodgy Dodge Van for $1000 and then with my Leatherman and hacksaw tricking a bed in the back. We rock climbed during the day, slept in forests at night. Got to Moab, bought some 2nd hand bikes (Mine a ProFlex 957 and Bangers a Slingshot). As an old skater I was a bit out of touch with the scene so when one shop offered a Santa Cruz “Heckler” I didn’t know what it was (skate brand doing MTBs, must be crap- this is pre Northshore remember). The rest of the summer fell into the routine of hitting the places I’d read about, alternating between climbing and riding and camping out in forests at night for free. So in that way we hit every sweet spot. 10 years ago you could front to a bike shop and buy a photocopied map of all the sick Singletrack trails in that area. That’s why the states rocks for MTBing. Can you do that here yet? Anyway we rock up to Rossland, BC Canada (the starting scenes of Kranked 1 about the same time) to go “Dang! This is the shit! Why haven’t we heard about this” (it was before FR exploded MTBAction was still all Cali) rode some more in BC before settling into Fernie BC for the biggest winter they’d seen in 25 years to learn snowboarding. Clocked 110 days on the hill that year, and yes it was all good.
6. What is the most useless thing in your house?
As I’m writing this I don’t have a house, I’ve got my room at the Minesite, but I’m between houses, gears in storage including bikes… Kinda depressing.
7. Why did you buy it and why do you still have it?
I told you, it’s depressing even to think about it.
8. What does your other half think of mountain bikes?
My other half, Bangers is my partner in crime. Whether it’s getting shacked in a big barrel, running it out on lead or feeling the flow on ST she’s just as stoked as I am. She’s a freaking animal on the bike with natural fitness to make me jealous, freakish speed and poor line selection (hence her name). She’s in the last AMB for those who want a perve. She loves Mountain Biking and she’s eyeing off a new bike, here GF just got an Ellesworth Distance, tricked out, so I’m guessing whatever it is ain’t gonna come with Tektro on it. She’s digging drops, loves the Kona 24 hr last year, raced XC last season but considering she’s got a shattered wrist from snowboarding, broken foot from rockclimbing and MTBing scars all over her knees, I kinda didn’t support too heavily last year when she proclaimed that she wanted to get back into DHing!
http://forums.farkin.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=48544&stc=1&d=1160990979
9. What does your boss think of mountain bikes?
In my old job, I used to commute 26kms round trip down from the hills to work. I’d be working with fatties who though I was a freak for being fit! I remember reading a trade mag on Trade show in Vegas, the point of the whole speech was that with Americas bulging waistline, fit looking people (cyclist) risked becoming the minority in society and socially ostracised for not being normal (normal of coarse being overweight), the problem then being fatties can’t visualise themselves cycling and the sport we love drifts off the radar with falling participation rates. Scary hugh!
10. What is the biggest problem with MTB trail advocacy at the moment?
The biggest problem is that a blueprint/precedent hasn’t been set. When Stromlo, Eagle etc. come on line nay sayers will be able to visually see the benefits. Until then our problem seems that we’re not professional enough in how we tackle the issues. There are still people who think trails advocacy is just digging trails. It’s only a small part of it. There is a media game, state government game, funding game etc. that all need strategies, we’ve got to evolve a multi pronged approach with specialist in each area. Add a healthy does of apathy by some in the MTB community and we’ve got mountains to still climb.
11. What is the best thing all MTBers could do to help get more trails?
Actually start thinking about it. How many threads to we see about people bitching about council workers. There freaking workers, they do as their told! We don’t see many threads about people actually approaching council and working with council to address the issues. Too many riders have a too hard basket they’ve labelled “Council, Rangers,Landowners etc.” So their conversation goes: “The farkin “too hard basket” banned us from there and shut down the trail.”
The question is, have they actually attempted to see it from the otherside? Have they attempted to talk to the “too hard basket”? Not on bikes as you’re about to kane down their trail, but in their office, talking about the issue, their concerns and ways to address their concerns. Mountain Bikers simply need to engage the grey matter, they may have legit reasons and for us to get more trails, some trails will have to be closed. It’s that simple, we can’t have it all. State governments getting into MTBing is great but quantum change will happen when local riders engage local councils to start having local MTB strategies.
Tonight we have the pleasure os meeting a major part of the SA riding community and a hard worker when it comes to trail access, he also runs the "TrailBuilding" forum on Farkin.
He's older than you'd think, writes answers almsot as big as Johnnys, and lives like a hermit, but he likes bikes so that's all that matters here. Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to inroduce to you all, Scratchy.
http://forums.farkin.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=48602
1. Who are you (name, bikes you ride, age, job)
Fark! What is this, Today Tonight?! The hard questions first eh? Might be easier if I break this one down…
Who Am I? Travis Deane
Bikes I Ride? Not much recently, Spesh FSR, Wheeler Hornet 20 and a flash Roadie. Got a shed full of frames waiting to be built up… When I find the time….
Age: 33
Job: That’s a hard one. Most people look at my resume and laugh, I’ve had more jobs than a Columbian hitman.
Nowadays I split my time between:
1 Geologist (Gold), look at a map of WA and I work somewhere in the middle, 8 days on 12hrs a day, 6 days off.
2 Journo for Australian MTB and occasionally other Magazines, been working at it for 2 years and love it (even discovered the spellchecker!).
3 Involvement with www.driftbikes.com I started www.bikefanatic.com a couple years back and the boys were heading in the same direction so alls good!
4 Advocacy, while it doesn’t pay anything, you’ve got to approach it with professionalism to get anywhere, for the trails I love so it can hardly be called a job, the pays lousy but it’s got a feel good factor.
Past jobs include:
Working in Taiwan in the MTB industry (but you guys wouldn’t want to know about that).
Bike Courier, MTB bum (working nights, riding days- Cairns, Grundig early 90s), Climbing/MTBing/Snowboarding Bum (Canada, Late 90s) I’ve spent a lot of time overseas so it’s pretty hard to check my references!!!
2. When and why did you become a member of Farkin?
I guess it was a couple of years ago when I wanted to whore a cause. I’ve only really initially got involved with internet forums as a way to disseminate information, which it’s proved really effective. If anyone doubts the worth of Farkin, you’d need only point them in the direction of what we all achieved last year with that Eugene McGee character. Farkin posts -> Farkin swamps Hack on Triple J -> Hack cover the story -> Other media cover story -> 5,000 people protest ->SA first royal commission in 10 years! Incredible. I may have become a member for other motives, but I’ve enjoyed my time here and I’ll continue to be a member as I can see Farkin’s potential to lead the MTB community in Australia.
3. So are you always scratching yourself, like your username suggests?
I loved Willi E Coyote as a kid, that punk took a pounding from Road Runner and kept getting back up. Scratchy is the same way, Itchy serves it up and Scratchy takes it. It’s a really good quality for a MTB advocate!
4. Who is your favourite rider of all time, and why?
I’ve got a special spot in my heart for John Tomac as I suspect he was the greatest true Mountain Biker of all time, winning XC and DH champs at the same time, repeatedly, on the same weekend (Plus I love a guy charging a DH on dropbars). Most since then have really been niche riders. I’ve never been a uber competitive rider so my favourite riders would be my mates on fireroad corner giving leaving too much room on the inside. Old School!
5. What is something about you that few people know?
Well I guess of interest to you guys was Bangers and I fronting stateside with our backpacks, Getting to Vegas buying a dodgy Dodge Van for $1000 and then with my Leatherman and hacksaw tricking a bed in the back. We rock climbed during the day, slept in forests at night. Got to Moab, bought some 2nd hand bikes (Mine a ProFlex 957 and Bangers a Slingshot). As an old skater I was a bit out of touch with the scene so when one shop offered a Santa Cruz “Heckler” I didn’t know what it was (skate brand doing MTBs, must be crap- this is pre Northshore remember). The rest of the summer fell into the routine of hitting the places I’d read about, alternating between climbing and riding and camping out in forests at night for free. So in that way we hit every sweet spot. 10 years ago you could front to a bike shop and buy a photocopied map of all the sick Singletrack trails in that area. That’s why the states rocks for MTBing. Can you do that here yet? Anyway we rock up to Rossland, BC Canada (the starting scenes of Kranked 1 about the same time) to go “Dang! This is the shit! Why haven’t we heard about this” (it was before FR exploded MTBAction was still all Cali) rode some more in BC before settling into Fernie BC for the biggest winter they’d seen in 25 years to learn snowboarding. Clocked 110 days on the hill that year, and yes it was all good.
6. What is the most useless thing in your house?
As I’m writing this I don’t have a house, I’ve got my room at the Minesite, but I’m between houses, gears in storage including bikes… Kinda depressing.
7. Why did you buy it and why do you still have it?
I told you, it’s depressing even to think about it.
8. What does your other half think of mountain bikes?
My other half, Bangers is my partner in crime. Whether it’s getting shacked in a big barrel, running it out on lead or feeling the flow on ST she’s just as stoked as I am. She’s a freaking animal on the bike with natural fitness to make me jealous, freakish speed and poor line selection (hence her name). She’s in the last AMB for those who want a perve. She loves Mountain Biking and she’s eyeing off a new bike, here GF just got an Ellesworth Distance, tricked out, so I’m guessing whatever it is ain’t gonna come with Tektro on it. She’s digging drops, loves the Kona 24 hr last year, raced XC last season but considering she’s got a shattered wrist from snowboarding, broken foot from rockclimbing and MTBing scars all over her knees, I kinda didn’t support too heavily last year when she proclaimed that she wanted to get back into DHing!
http://forums.farkin.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=48544&stc=1&d=1160990979
9. What does your boss think of mountain bikes?
In my old job, I used to commute 26kms round trip down from the hills to work. I’d be working with fatties who though I was a freak for being fit! I remember reading a trade mag on Trade show in Vegas, the point of the whole speech was that with Americas bulging waistline, fit looking people (cyclist) risked becoming the minority in society and socially ostracised for not being normal (normal of coarse being overweight), the problem then being fatties can’t visualise themselves cycling and the sport we love drifts off the radar with falling participation rates. Scary hugh!
10. What is the biggest problem with MTB trail advocacy at the moment?
The biggest problem is that a blueprint/precedent hasn’t been set. When Stromlo, Eagle etc. come on line nay sayers will be able to visually see the benefits. Until then our problem seems that we’re not professional enough in how we tackle the issues. There are still people who think trails advocacy is just digging trails. It’s only a small part of it. There is a media game, state government game, funding game etc. that all need strategies, we’ve got to evolve a multi pronged approach with specialist in each area. Add a healthy does of apathy by some in the MTB community and we’ve got mountains to still climb.
11. What is the best thing all MTBers could do to help get more trails?
Actually start thinking about it. How many threads to we see about people bitching about council workers. There freaking workers, they do as their told! We don’t see many threads about people actually approaching council and working with council to address the issues. Too many riders have a too hard basket they’ve labelled “Council, Rangers,Landowners etc.” So their conversation goes: “The farkin “too hard basket” banned us from there and shut down the trail.”
The question is, have they actually attempted to see it from the otherside? Have they attempted to talk to the “too hard basket”? Not on bikes as you’re about to kane down their trail, but in their office, talking about the issue, their concerns and ways to address their concerns. Mountain Bikers simply need to engage the grey matter, they may have legit reasons and for us to get more trails, some trails will have to be closed. It’s that simple, we can’t have it all. State governments getting into MTBing is great but quantum change will happen when local riders engage local councils to start having local MTB strategies.