The freedom and adventure that a bicycle offers has always been, for me, one of its greatest attractions. While on a day-to-day basis my bike is first and foremost my mode of transport, it's the pull of the wild, with its rarified air, unrelenting gradients and lack of any safety net that really stokes the fire. In the same way that I'm drawn to legendary tales of alpinists, rock climbers and big-wave surfers, it's cycling sans normality that excites me the most. Harsh conditions. Big mountains. Grit, gravel, mud and dirt. Away from the streets and lanes and traffic that form the well-ridden map of my very normal cycling experience. I promise myself that I'm going to visit these places. Create a new map. Maybe I will. So I'm still constantly drawn to these tales, to these images, to these experiences. Like these photos here and here from Rapha's trip to Norway. You may dislike the idea behind imagery that tries to sell you a £200 jacket. You may dislike the brand for their romanticism, for their perceived pretensions. But whatever your thoughts on Rapha, these images make me want to ride my bike. To ride a cross bike for the first time, in the mud and rain and wind. And that can only be a good thing. For me. And, I guess, for the brand selling £200 jackets too.
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