Video: Phil Atwill and Tommy C Get Weird in Greece

For Episode 2 of Juice Lubes Home to Roost we're in Greece with the Master of Disaster himself, Phil Atwill and the man behind the Banger Machine, Tommy C.


Here's the story behind the video from Tommy:

After arriving into Athens and negotiating a wildly confusing airport, I was greeted by Phil, his girlfriend (and our photographer) Kat and their BMW. Phil and I hadn't filmed together in some time so the vibe was good and we were keen to get cracking.

We drove north for about four hours to a small village in the mountains called Zagora. It's the type of place where everyone knows everyone. Everything is old and a little run-down but very beautiful. I got the impression that it's a very simple, relaxed pace of life for the people who live there. That's maybe why the folk who live there are so friendly.


You've probably seen Phil ride Zagora's trails in Gamble. It's here that he had an infamously gnarly crash that put him off the bike for weeks. Since the film, more and more trails have appeared and a small scene has started to emerge, pushed on by Phil's buddies Nikos Mixos, Lasonas Laz and a small handful of riders. It's clear to see Gamble has had an affect on the local community.

Whilst there weren't loads of grown-up mountain bikers to be seen, there was a regular army of local kids playing on bikes and sending it off little wooden kickers in the town square. We spent our evenings in the square eating the freshest food I've ever tasted, grown in the local hills with names full of X's and Z's that I can't remember.



Whilst Gamble showed Zagora in glowing, golden orange the seasons had changed for us and the forest was glowing bright green and was full of life. We spent the best part of four days digging and filming on the hill.

We'd start the day at a new spot, dig a crazy line that Phil's imagination had dreamt up. With a fresh line carved out, we'd get to work on sessioning and capturing the action. Nikos, Lasanos and another rider - John Yohanou - spent the week with us, grafting away on the shovels and riding their own bikes alongside.

On one day, Phil persuaded John to bring his XC hardtail rather than his DH bike... not the perfect tool for dry, rocky and rough trails. Regardless, John absolutely ripped and we filmed a mini-video of him to put out later on!




Some of the trails on the mountain are ridiculous. There are perfect loamy gullies everywhere and undulations caused by melting snow form perfect transitions and landings. As you'd expect for one of Phil's favourite spots, you can hit everything at Mach 10.

With the shooting done, we hit the long road back to Athens. I flew back to the rainy UK and Phil jumped straight on a flight to Fort William World Cup.


Big thanks to -

Kat Georgudis
John Yohanou
Nikos Mixos
Lasonas Laz

Photos – Kat Georgudis
Video / Words – Caldwell Visuals

Home to Roost is presented by Juice Lubes, the no-nonsense British bike wash and maintenance brand. You can learn more about Juice Lubes at http://juicelubes.co.uk.

Stay tuned for more from Juice Lubes Home to Roost as we head to South Wales for Episode 3.

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Videos Riding Videos Juice Lubes Phil Atwill