A Day in Surrey Hills with Brendan Fairclough and Friends

Oct 10, 2014
by Schwalbe  
Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

Tea, scones, little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for? Ah yes, producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great, Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits, his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels, with best buds.

Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony, we think you'll agree...

Views: 42,660    Faves: 239    Comments: 4


Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

Here we are on the set of 3 Minute Gaps, no less. Brendan still lives on 'the island' in harmony with his chickens, nestled deep in the Guildford countryside.

Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

Home life with Mum and Dad Fairclough. By all accounts Brendawg has it so good, he does genuinely believe his clothes wash themselves...

Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

Inside the man cave... Life on two wheels isn't lived for long without some serious time making sure the wheels keep on rolling. And you know, just generally tinkering with awesome oily stuff.

Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

Brendan gives some local fella a piece of his mind for not letting him back her in. Bren and Andrew had to make a double quick stop at the local bike store for a fresh pair of Nobby Nic's before they were 'shreddy'.

Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

They're getting there! Watching top downhillers trying to put on a set of tires themselves is a little bit like watching chimpanzees open a chocolate bar for the first time. 'Mechanic! Mechanic!'... Where's a mechanic when you need one outside of the races?

bigquotes People ask a lot why I come to Brendan between races; I enjoy the culture, the scene... If you get burned out on racing and all the training it's nice to just go out in the woods and have a ride. I've met all his friends over the years, they've become my friends and we go out and have a really good time... Smash some turns, ride in a train, just laughing the whole way down - Andrew Neethling- Giant Factory Racing


Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

It can take a while to find your way out of the numbered streets into the Surrey Hills, but soon the roads become a narrow labyrinth through the undergrowth and one begins to smell the proximity of high-class trails drawing near.

Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

Any district council in the UK will tell you the problems they have with people taking their trousers off in their forestry car parks.

Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

Ever tried riding alone? While it certainly beats... errr... drinking alone, it's not half as good as when you're sharing the ride with a solid crew of chums. How else can you know if your drifts are lame or your whips are bow-legged etc etc? Riding with friends is just priceless really, but well worth the money for Brendog.

Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

The guys set sail under Leith Hill Tower, the highest point in Southern England. From these giddy heights (we're talking as much as tens of hundreds of feet here) you find a healthy plethora of rad woodland trails to escort you back towards the unpleasant din of civilization at the bottom.

Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

Chocks away and 'flow' is the word as Brendog leads the charge into the woods. He knows the trails like the back of his han... Troy Lee gloves.

Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

If a man on a bicycle roosts in the forest, but there's no one there to hear it, does it make a sound? No need for Brendog to contemplate such deep hypotheticals with Jono Jones and Andrew Neethling to join in destroying the local ruts.

Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

Bon appetite... Brendog taste-tests the high quality loams. The verdict? Delicieux.

Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

bigquotes I've been pretty fortunate and lucky to travel to a lot of countries in the World, but I'm still pretty happy to live where I do. There's great riding and great friends all around me... I'm just lucky I live here and I think I'll be settling down here for while yet - Brendan Fairclough - Gstaad-Scott team


Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

Any responsible pet owner knows the importance of hydration for their trail-running 'dawg'.

Tea scones little cottages with straw roofs and those adorable red telephone boxes in case you forget your i-phone pin... What else is Britain best known for Ah yes producing about half of the top 20 currently on the downhill World Cup circuit. Southern England is where the great Brendan Fairclough is proud to call home and while it may not be too reminiscent of Champery or Crabapple Hits his back yard makes a pretty good spot for good times on two wheels with best buds. Introducing the painful 9 to 5 of a top downhiller outside of the races. Pure soul-sucking agony we think you ll agree... For the full story and video move over to www.schwalbe.com nobbynic

Brendan trying to convince everyone he's just a normal guy by suggesting they wait for the bus. It's a Sunday, there isn't one coming, but finally it looks like he's made a bond... We'll leave them to it.

And so the sun sets on another fine day on Her Majesty's shores, and it was time well spent with a solid posse of 'fully legitimate' mates in a forest full of glorious loam. What can we say? That's living and that's what friends are for!

www.schwalbe.com/nobbynic

Author Info:
schwalbe avatar

Member since May 19, 2008
33 articles

67 Comments
  • 43 1
 Great video and nice to see the Surrey Hills



Overseas viewers may be surprised just how much good riding there is in the South-East of England (let alone the rest of the UK), perhaps this helps explain the large numbers of World class riders this small island has produced over the year

We may not have mountains, but we have a big scene of riders and trails everywhere, it very accessible, the Surrey Hills are less than 45 minutes from centre of London Smile
  • 18 0
 we are truly lucky to have these trails on our doorstep. Gotta thank the guys who maintain it, and the landowners!
  • 8 10
 Does anyone know the trail names in the video?
  • 15 1
 our riders are so good because of the great trails and the awful rain lol, when we find a dry trail its like hitting the nos button Smile I can tell winters coming in now, the rains getting colder
  • 1 0
 nice trail's you guy's have, i wish i had so many people to ride here and trail's like that look sick when the rain there comes they come to here or Spain or some place hotter ahah , from the english riders that i have talked they all like to ride here
  • 9 5
 A larger portion of Americans still think mtb should be boring -- like jogging. Happily, for US mtb, it's improving. UK has the fun of mtb firmly in the culture. BTW, mid-winter, a drenching cold rain sounds like a god-send over here -- liquid water will help melt away some of the feet and feet of snow.
  • 2 0
 Don't they get free tires
  • 1 1
 they have to go get them
  • 5 0
 nah, the tyre fairy brings them
  • 6 0
 Was wondering how that corner got so chopped up... hooligans! Smile
  • 12 0
 This really brings back memories, I used to live in Coldharbour, just below leith hill tower. This is where I learnt how to ride, my dad would pull me up the hill with a strap attached to his frame and my handlebars (I was 5 years old). I now live in Annecy in the Alps.

Even though the riding is more "proper downhill", I have really fond memories of Surrey and riding there; great times riding on holmbury hill, the quarry, "Barry knows best" (if that's the right name) that goes down to Peaslake...

Even though the riding itself isn't as good as it is here, there are a lot more people riding over there compared to here, and the atmosphere is better ! There isn't really any "riding culture" here and the LBS are all run by a***holes...

Great article ! Smile
  • 1 0
 Not surprised at all. Beats the flatlands where I live.
  • 2 2
 Did Dan Hill Just win the Downhill Championships?! Big Grin
  • 23 0
 There's no way that's taken on a Sunday!! There's normally about 100+ cyclists around that bus shelter all clutching a hot cuppa and cheese straw from the legendary Peaslake Stores!!
  • 7 0
 Someone beat me to it. Sunny day, Sunday at Peaslake & they are the only people in shot? Yeah right!
  • 4 9
flag pigman65 (Oct 10, 2014 at 8:39) (Below Threshold)
 Fat bird,loud squarking thing, omg !! Always burns the sausage things.
  • 3 0
 True, if you're talking 8am on a Sunday, come beer o'clock there's plenty of room
  • 7 2
 Pigman65 how dare you diss Trudy!
  • 4 0
 yeah fuck you pigman trudy is an absolute hero!
  • 1 3
 Good to see some trails from down south but i think ill stay in BC, ha ha
  • 16 0
 one of the best riders out there. what a top bloke! you know its quality material when brendog is in it. always very entertaining to watch him ride...the freeracer. one of the most stylish riders to ever sit on a bike. spesh you shouldnt have dropped him...even if he would be last in every dh race, he is the most fun to watch. yes, i am a fan :-)
  • 16 1
 life behind bars DH version please?
  • 20 0
 Brendog: Life off the leash?
  • 10 1
 Trying to work out weather its a schwalbe ad or a tld one haha
  • 3 1
 As an expat who grew up in the Surrey Hills (now call Calgary, Alberta home where the mtb is incredible) this was an amazing sequence of photos - thanks! I hate to be picky, but... Leith Hill is not the highest point in Southern England , just in South-East England - there are much higher hills in the West Country.
  • 1 0
 Calgary and Incredible mtb are not words you usually hear together in a sentence... Try Kamloops and incredible mtb that makes more sense
  • 2 0
 That was epic. This really reminds me why I ride and what its all about. Sure smashing trails on your own is fun, but when you can pull of some silly shenanigans with your best buds, it makes the whole experience even better. Keep shredding! Smile
  • 3 0
 No way! Seeing leath hill just took me back. Used to go on walks with gramps as a kid there. Love that area, it's beautiful. Thanks for the walk down memory lane.
  • 4 1
 "He knows the trails like the back of his han... Troy Lee gloves..."

This would've made more sense if Brendan was actually wearing gloves and not riding au' naturale.
  • 1 1
 3:30 what the hell is he talking about?? ´´all the wc riders come over,we can see all the new trick stuff happening´´ wc riders dont do tricks,they race for time. and also ´´they are just trying to keep up with us on our lightweight trail bikes´´ everbody in this video are riding trail bikes!!!! and he fisishes off by saying ´´sometimes they crash quite a lot´´ huh,like you never crash!!!!!
  • 4 0
 Chainless riding at 3:26 - not bad
  • 3 0
 Giant are slimming their team down, pretty sure needles is moving to Scott.
  • 2 5
 Giant doesn't worth having a team anyways, Danny needs to move to some real company as well.
  • 3 0
 Always look forward to seeing what Brendog is up to. This was great, especially the intro.
  • 3 0
 speculation alert: is Needles going to scott, or Brendan to Giant? Razz
  • 1 0
 parents place is probably worth around £3-4 million, UK would probably produce even more top downhill riders if more of us had bank of mummy and daddy for support
  • 1 0
 Can anyone identify what those bikes are. It's not that I think getting one will give me those skills but I'm looking for a bike that can do just that. Thanks
  • 2 0
 Dayum boys, I want to be your friend. Actually who don't?
  • 2 0
 What did this whole video have to do with the "New" Nobby NIc?
  • 3 1
 Total lad. Keep doing it Brendog!
  • 4 1
 This is MTB
  • 2 0
 Haha "slow down Brendan!" Cheeky monkey
  • 1 0
 Is leith hill actually worth going to? We always ride peaslake way under the impression that leith was more XCish.
  • 1 0
 Leith is good fun bud, like Peaslake all about if you know all the trails, But there is the new Summer lightning all weather extension trail running right from the tower going all the way down to Coldharbour, thats great fun with hits of all sizes and some large doubles. Really good fun, thats where most of that riding was shot on that new trail. Worth a visit 100%
  • 1 0
 Oh really? I was told summer lightning was more or less just a longer version of telegraphs over holmbury way which frankly is dull as dishwater. Maybe we'll have to take a look.
  • 1 0
 It was, up until this late spring, early summer when the new trail opened that they where building all through last winter. Apparently took years and years to get permission from all the different land owners/groups red tape Land Rover wellie types to build. But its pretty fun, easy to find as its off the tower and the top and lower sections are great and lots of hits to session, Trail centre type surface, good for rubbish weather, worth the visit.
  • 1 0
 Sure the Nics are Nobby but Hans Dampf Trailstar delivers superior trail grip.
  • 1 0
 Do I spot a Saracen hint? Needles off there?
  • 5 0
 its Jono Jones' bike mate Smile
  • 1 0
 Needles to scott Wink
  • 1 0
 Does anyone know the name of the photographer
  • 1 0
 It`s the amazing Philip Ruopp, Scott.
  • 1 0
 I want to ride with this crew haha!
  • 2 1
 That's what it's all about.
  • 1 0
 What's with the super cheesy photo captioning?
  • 1 0
 Looks like a cheap gaff...
  • 1 0
 Chickens + Bikes = Winning
  • 1 0
 i think you'll find that it's Chicks and Bikes = winning !!
  • 1 0
 leath hill ftw !
  • 4 4
 Love summer lightning up on Leith Hill! One of the best trails in Surrey!
  • 1 0
 MTB Cribs
  • 1 0
 Any body know the song?
  • 1 0
 no knee pads?
  • 2 2
 what is this, the tall boys club or something?
  • 2 3
 got to respect a guy who became a great downhiller despite living there
  • 1 3
 Living near London must be shit, stinks of rat piss and commuters.







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