3 Peaks CX 18

It’s that time of year again. 600 crazy folk heading for the hills on their trusty cross bikes. 3 Peaks. the climbs are, well, virtually impossible on foot, but with a bike? And the descents? Not for the feint of heart. It’s a tradition. All are winners regardless of time. I was positioned on Whernside. Part of the volunteer marshalling crew, without whom the race couldn’t proceed. While my colleagues dibbed, I cheered, cajoled and captured some moments as riders crested the second of the 3 Peaks.

Check out 3 Peaks Gallery for a lot more images which will be updated as the week progresses…

The battle for the top

Cresting Whernside, Ingleborough in the background. 2 down, just 1 more to go…

Leading

The scale of the race. Look closely and you’ll see eventual winner Paul Oldham on the ridge with Rob Jebb just cresting the further brow in pursuit.

Pushing on

It's not just about riding

3 Peaks is a war of attrition. Cajoling you and your bike anyway you can up and down the iconic 3 peaks.

The struggle is constant

No time to rest.

Lead out dog

Ribblehead

The hectic feed station and iconic Ribblehead viewed from far above. You can just make out ant sized riders as the battle their way to the next and final peak.

Shut the gate on the way down

The last rider off peak 2

Bike Packers

One ride, many voices. A fantastic portraits feature published by CRANKED. I'm delighted that the magazine loved the images so much that not only do they appear in Issue 10 but also the ones not featured in print can be found on the CRANKED website.

Portfolio

A selection of some of my favorite shots from over the years.

Sonder

Full fat Sonder Vir Fortis. The bike of choice of Para Olympian cyclist Steve Bate

3 Peaks at Ribblehead

The toughest CX event in the UK. 38 miles with 5000 feet of climbing. Some descending....

Street Velodrome

This girl can

A shoot featuring a young enduro racer Katie Clark sponsored by Garage Bikes, riding her new Pivot.

Sunset at the O.K Corral

Part of a series of images shot to promote a new event soon to hit the British shores...

Grounded

I'm currently involved with a dance project with the fantastic eclectic mix that makes up Grounded Moves. These guys and gals cover all aspects from Lindy Hop through to Breakin. This was from a shoot we did in Brixton early one morning...

Above, below and under

Whilst shooting bikes was my main object for Factor Bikes, I never pass up an opportunity to capture a different aspect. Here we made Jake Birthwhistle show us his swimming moves. It's not all glamour on these shoots.... Sometimes you still gotta train.

Pro Series

A recent shoot with Islabikes for the launch of their new pro Series range

Grounded

I'm currently involved with a dance project with the fantastic eclectic mix that makes up Grounded Moves. These guys and gals cover all aspects from Lindy Hop through to Breakin. This was from a shoot we did in Greenwich enjoying the late evening sun..

In Yellow

A shoot for long time cancer survivor and all round tough guy of cycling James Golding to show off his new Cancer UK kit along with a new bike from Trek.

Rocking

The lonliness of the long distance cyclist

Tourmalet

Part of a shoot for MET helmets.

Glen Nevis

Part of a shoot for MET helmets, featuring the Bluegrass Enduro Series at Glen Nevis.

Elusive

A hunt for the northern lights. They're elusive and yet abundant. Worth the late nights.

Steps

National CX Championships 2016. The steps were just one of many challenging aspects of a truely championship worthy course.

Fun

The night time 'fun' race with tequila shortcut for those who were a bit thirsty. All part of a fun packed Rapha SuperCross two days at Shibden Hall, Halifax, where cyclo cross racing took over the park...

Temple Mill

Gallery

The chase is on.

On a shoot for Cycling Plus. Riders hug the car as they chase to regain the group ahead.

The beautiful elegance of night riding

a pattern of light silently breaking the cycle of darkness

Red

A sign of combatitivity

Beautifully Brutal.

Checking the bikes out

Ringing the bells

You may now kiss the bride

3 long weeks

Col du Tormalet

Weather in the mountains is a fickle beast. It changes so rapidly. One minute you are bathed in sunshine, rewarded with stunning vistas then suddenly the shutter drops and you can barely see your hand as the mist envelops. Makes for planning images an adventure...

The temple

The Col du Tourmalet can be literally translated as 'Bad Trip' which for many this formidable climb can be... The 'temple 'is time to take a breather on this long climb, time to reflect how far you've come and how far you have to go. A time to pray that the next section isn't quite so brutal.... You may linger a while...

The race is on

Being a tourist

Concrete

New bike, fresh shadows, old concrete

Securely abandoned

Reflections

Heavy engineering reflects and contrasts with new aluminium...

Old Mill

A promo image created for City Cross and the boys at Morvelo.

Thin White Line

This image won a gold medal in the 2012 PX3 - Prix de la Photographie Paris competition back in 2012. Shot during a local evening criterium, during the elite race. The rider is James Moss riding for Endura Racing.

Arenburg Scrum

There is a race on. Behind the scrum of motorbikes. Nuetral service, commissionaires, press, photographers and assorted all vying for the best postion. Behind them the riders are tackling the infamous Arenburg Cobbles. Both sides lined with spectators, the best line is a narrow strip on the left, but barriers make this line hard to stick to. The riders are forced to ride the cobbles. Some make it some don't. The beauty of Paris Roubaix. It's brutal, survival of the fittest and sometimes pure luck of the draw, with mechanicals and random spectators ruining the party on more than one occasion. Oh and don't mention the weather...

Traveling

A road less traveled. Following a man on a mission. A dream to break a record.

The Chase

Caerphilly Mountain

Tour of Britain 2013.

Hadleigh Olympic Park

Preview imagery produced as the Olympic MTB venue took shape.

Low n Fast

Dave Collins, part of the ever popular Hope Racing Team tackle the invitational race, where teams of 5 race over an hour, off camber, uphill, steps and mud, all for cyclo cross glory... Rapha SuperCross.

Over the bars

Perfect timing. For me that is.. Not intended. No one was hurt thankfully!!

Night Rider

Mountain bike action during the night.

Paris Roubaix

Bernie Eisel tackles the first section of cobbles on this iconic race.

Shadow riders

The Battle

Published

A small snippet of articles published featuring my images.

Stybar - Strade Bianche

Featured in VeloNews back in April, this great shot I got at Strade Bianche at the final corner, now makes it way back into VeloNews as one of it's 'Best Photos' of the year. Pretty pleased with that.

Bikepackers

A portrait feature on bikepackers. Published in issue 10 of CRANKED mountain bike magazine.

Pro for a day

Nice 3 page spread in the January issue of Cycling Plus featuring my images & One Pro Cycling. Grab a copy to see and read the whole article.

One Day Ahead

A recent feature in Cycling Plus utilising my imagery from the challange.

Conquista

Part of a 15 page spread in issue 6 of Conquista featuring imagery of james Golding as he attempted to break the 7 Day record.

IslaBikes

Never work with animals, children or cyclists!

I've had the pleasure of working with a number of youngsters over the last year, who love riding Islabikes! Images produced for use by the company for newsletters and website and advertising campaigns.

3 Peaks CX

It's billed as the toughest cyclo cross race in the UK. They're not wrong. 38 miles of sheer Yorkshire grit awaits the rider. As the name suggests, you race around the 3 peaks of the Dales, Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-y-Ghent. You ride, you run, you scramble, you slip, you slide, you survive. This isn't your normal 'cross race, where you sprint round a field for an hour. This is epic. Truely epic. The winner this year, completed the course in just over 3hrs. There were time cut offs. Not everyone made it through. It was tough. It's iconic.

More images can be viewed here:

3 Peaks CX Race 17

Up and over

The riders appear like ants on the landscape as they approach the final ascent of the first peak of the day.

Jebby

Rob Jebb, had a solid lead coming to the top of Ingleborough.

Oldham

Paul Oldham, calmly walks to the top of Ingleborough in pursuit of team mate Rob Jebb. Despite the gap, Oldham caught Jebb on the descent. Oldham went on to take the win.

In pursuit

The only way is down

Follow the tracks

Fun Hurts

Finished

Wedded Bliss

And occasionally I shoot weddings. They're fun. A celebration of a couple's love for each other, captured in my own unique way. If you'd like me to shoot your wedding drop me a line.

The kiss

Preperations

Waiting

Don't let it rain on your parade

The Family

Reflections

Shrouded in love

A moment to reflect

Off to the putting green

Ringing the bells

You may know kiss the bride

The final prep

Safely delivered

Beautiful end to a beautiful day

Factor

Commissioned to shoot the new range of Factor bikes, featuring David Millar and his exclusive Factor ONE Chpt./// model.

Faces

People fascinate me. The characters, the players, the bystanders all united in their passion for the sport of cycling. This is a small snippet of some of the amazing people I've had the privilege to meet and capture this moment in their busy sporting lives.

I'd rather be climbing

Portrait of Para Olympian Steve Bate for a feature run in CRANKED magazine about riding when losing your sight.

Beamish Lady

A blast from the past. Shot at Beamish museum, where the past comes to life...

Al - Cross people

Part of a feature shot and written for CRANKED magazine - "Cross People"

Paul - Cross People

Isla - Cross People

Verity - Cross People

Steve Cummings

Portrait shot for Cycling Weekly feature.

David Millar

Newly retired. Taking a well earned break before hitting the stage at the Braveheart Dinner

Jose Hermida

One of the best loved pro mountain bikers out on the world circuit.

Oli Beckingsale

Dominant on the UK MTB scene for many a year.

Pro life

The life of a pro cyclist is spent travellng, riding, eating & sleeping. They see the inside of many hotels throughout their careers.

Sean "The King" Kelly

Never mess with the king...

Nick Craig

The granddaddy of mtb racing here in the UK. Craig has done it and probably won it all in his time. Still going strong with added competition coming from his two young equally as talented sons.

Sean Downey

Irish rider with AnPost Chain Reaction. Taking time out after a hard days training out in Calpe.

Johnny McEvoy

A quiet moment in the back of the Endura Racing team bus on the way back to team digs after an impressive 3rd spot in the Tour du Finistere back in 2012.

MTB Tom

Tom Stewart, riding for Madison Genesis in the 2014 edition of the Tour of Britain.

The glamour of finishing a stage & changing ready to roll onto the next one.

Mr.Campag

Or Graeme Freestone King as he's otherwise known as... What he doesn't know about Campagnolo, isn't worth knowing....

Millar

David Millar at the launch of His collaborations with Factor Bikes, Castelli-Chapter/// & Brompton.

Sean Kelly

Enthralled by an evening of auction as the Braveheart Dinner raises money for young riders. Kelly donated two donkeys to the auction causing quiet a stir but raising in excess of £600.

Faces

A few faces from a fab Aggregate 100. Photo gallery now online to view here:

AGGREGATE 100

Chris Opie

Pete Williams

Tom Baylis

HSBC UK National XC Series R3 - Glentress

HSBC UK National XC Series R3

Full gallery of images can be viewed and purchased here: HSBC UK National XC Series R3

HSBC UK National XC Series R2

Full gallery of images can be viewed and purchased here: HSBC UK National XC Series R2

HSBC UK National XC Series R1

Full gallery of images can be viewed and purchased here: HSBC UK National XC Series R1

Grounded

A London based dance troupe, showcasing Lindy Hop though to beatbox and beyond. Shot in various location.

The Workshop

Based north of Stoke on Trent, Longstaff Cycles is a small British manufacturer with a well known reputation for building bespoke audax and trike cycles for over forty five years. What isn’t so well known, is that Longstaff built winning trikes for the last Paralympics and World Championships. A classic story of a traditional small British company quietly doing what it does best and hitting well above it’s weight along the way.

Unsung Heros

The fight against the mud is never ending. The riders forge a path as best they can. Behind the scenes and vibrant hub, ankle deep in slop, runs, pushes, carries, washes. An endless production line.

A Week

"Keep a week clear in April" the voice on the other end of the line randomly said. The voice belonged to the enigmatic James Golding. We’d met briefly in the past, I knew a little of his story but when he mysteriously rung me at the start of the year to ask if I could be available for a little photo taking jaunt, I said yes, without question. Little did I know what I was letting myself in for…

Fast forward to April and departure into the unknown, 10 days in the company of people I either vaguely knew or had never met before. And why?

Why indeed. James is a very special man.

5 years previously he had been fighting the toughest battle, the one for his life. Having being diagnosed with cancer complications set in during his treatment leaving his life on a knife’s edge. His odds were less than 5% survival, but against these most difficult of odds, he found the strength to fight and on the 12th April 2009 having learnt to walk once again he headed out the door of the hospital…

When faced with the ultimate challenge of life itself most people would rejoice and lead a sheltered life, but not James. The cancer was a turning point in his life, giving him a new lease of life. He wanted to prove himself time and time again whilst raising funds for the very people who helped in on his lowest days, Macmillan cancer. These images were captured during a week in France following James as he tried to capture the World 7 Day record. It wasn't to be, for a number of reasons. This is unfinished business...

Iceland

An adventure. A trip to visit the land of epic sagas. Elusive lights, breathtaking vistas. The land of fire and ice.

Elusive

A hunt for the northern lights. They're elusive and yet abundant. Worth the late nights.

Thingvellir

A lazy winter sun, sleepily awakens over Thingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland. The landscape carved from lava.

Gullfoss

The golden waterfall, living up to its name.

Strokkur

Erupting every 5 mins, spouting hot water over 30m into the air.

Vik

The southermost village in Iceland.

Seljalandsfoss

One of many amazing waterfalls located in Iceland.

Seljalandsfoss

Another view

Eyjafjallajökull

Shadowed by the volcano.

Trolls

Legend says that these are the remains of two night trolls who were petrified as they were trying to pull a three-masted ship out of the sea. The dawn caught them and had them turned into stone.

Skógafoss

According to legend, the first Viking settler in the area, Þrasi Þórólfsson, buried a treasure in a cave behind the waterfall.

Reykjavik Geese

Bird feeding on the small lake in central Reykjavik is almost a national pastime.

Skálholt

Details of the stained glass found at Skálholt

Temple Mill

A grade 1 listed former flax mill nestled in the urban village of Holbeck on the outskirts of Leeds city centre. This fascinating building was constructed between 1836 and 1840. Built in the Egyptian style with the office section of the building based on the Temple of Horus at Edfu. The vast single storey weaving shed was once the largest room in the world covering a staggering 2 acres, natural light was provided by 67 conical glass domes on the roof. at the time of construction the architects, Jospeh & Ignatius Bonomi were ahead of their time. Their unique design at once set it apart but also proved it's downfall. The whole building was built under compression, which meant the weight of the roof was supposed to keep it stable. It failed immediately. The architects rectified this problem by putting the building into tension, something that had never been done before or since.....

Another claim to fame for this amazing building is the fact the worlds first hydraulic lift was developed here, to enable sheep to reach the roof. Yep, sheep were used to keep the grass down on the roof which had been sown to help keep a constant temperature in the moist flax room.

The heady days of the flax trade collapsed in the 1870's leaving Temple Works to run as a normal textile mill, until the 1950's when Kay's catalogue obtained it. Kays folded in 2004 and since then Temple Works fate has hung in the balance with many plans come and gone to develop the site. Large cracks in the main room combined with a partial collapse of the main facade means work is needed sooner rather than later to preserve this historic ground breaking inspiring building. While it's fate hangs in the balance, the building has become home to a thriving creative hub that regularly hosts many events, from music through to experimental theatre.

The images are mainly a collection of shots of the amazing glass conical domes as the sun sets in late autumn, reflecting the buildings inspiration of the Egyptian god of the sky Horus.

Temple Mill

Modeled on the original Horus temple in Edfu. A neglected jewel of architecture just a few minutes walk from the centre of Leeds.

Inside

A small snippet of the roof space seen from the inside.

66 at sunset

66 glass conical domes, elegantly dancing through a late autumn sunset.

Reflection

Beauty and the beast

Events

Shooting charity events, capturing the raw emotion of riders as they undertake their personal journeys against endurance. The bike their transport of choice to complete distances from one country to another to raise awareness and funds for charities of their choice.