Tell us a little bit about yourself. What do you do and where do you live?
My name is Alastair Humphreys. I live in England and I work as a speaker and an author in order to fund my real passion: expeditions.
How would you describe the cycling scene in your country?
Thriving! Urban cycling is becoming an important political issue, we’ve got a Tour de France team, and we’re possibly sinking with people who have cycled / are cycling round the world.
What do you like most about living in England?
Its disproportionate number of adventurers for such a small country, its proximity to Europe and all the variety there.
What are your top 3 places to visit in England?
Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Scottish Highlands
When did you get your first bike? What kind of bike was it and how did it make you feel?
It was small and blue and I was small – maybe 4? It’s an exciting step for any kid. Shame my Dad let go of me and I crashed into a wall…
At what point do you recall riding a bike becoming an important part of your life?
I enjoyed mountain biking in its early days in the UK in the early ’90′s). I saved up for ages to buy a bright pink mountain bike for £130. Once I grew out of that I couldn’t afford another bike until I got into touring at university.
How many bicycles do you own?
One – a pretty crappy old bike. I would love to have a Brompton, a mountain bike and a racing bike but I can’t justify the money right now.
Describe the bicycle in the photo above. When and where did you get it?
It’s a £400 steel Specialized Rockhopper. I bought it in my first year at university and used it for all my rides up until I set off round the world.
Why did you pick that bike over any others?
The man in the shop said it was good and it met my budget!
Where are you in this photo? Give us the back-story behind this specific photo.
I’m lying in the Nubian desert in Sudan, following the course of the river Nile towards Khartoum.
What kind of bicycle would you most like to have at some point in the future
I’d love to have a really nice road bike – I’ve never had one.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Antarctica. Though I am not sure it’s great for biking.
For more information on Alastair Humphreys, visit his website at www.alastairhumphreys.com
I am looking to start a new series of bicycle related interviews here on 21Bikes. I will be talking with contributors of the site and asking them to share some of their most personal cycling stories.
If you are interested in being interviewed and are willing to speak with me about some of your favorite cycling destinations, what it felt like to get your first bike, and what it is like to cycle in your home country… then there’s just one thing you need to do – UPLOAD YOUR PHOTO!
I will be selecting the individuals I interview based on the best and most creative photos added to the site here at 21Bikes.com. So, if you are interested in being interviewed and you haven’t added your photo yet, now is the time to do so! Click here to set up an account, upload a photo, and instantly get a chance at being interviewed on 21Bikes.com.
You may have noticed, but 21Bikes is undergoing some drastic changes. The site is being completely re-designed and some exciting new features are being added. Here is a screen-shot of what the site looks like today:
At the moment I am going through and manually editing over 150 photos which need to have their images enlarged in order to match the new site’s design. This is taking a huge amount of effort, but after that’s all over and done with the real changes will start to take affect.
One of the biggest changes on the site has to do with how you search for specific bicycle types. On the first incarnation of 21Bikes.com the only way to search for specific bicycle types was to visit the 21Bikes page and select a bike type from the drop-down options. The new version of 21Bikes eases this process by allowing you to search by category type from almost anywhere on the site. You can still search by category from the 21Bikes page, but you can also select what type of bikes you want to view by either selecting one of the category names from the right-hand sidebar of the website or by clicking the hyperlinked category names that appear to the left of each and every photo.
Another big change for 21Bikes is the addition of User Profiles. This new feature will allow you to submit multiple photos to 21Bikes, along with information about where you are from, your personal interests, a link back to your website and/or blog, plus a whole lot more. The use of User Profiles also means that you will be able to upload an avatar (an image with your face on it), so that every photo you add to the site shows both your name and your face alongside it.
The best part about the future use of User Profiles on 21Bikes.com is that people will be able to click on your name after you’ve uploaded a photo and then be able to view each and every photo that you’ve submitted, along with an additional mentions you may have received on the site (For example: Click here to see my User Profile). This has been a big request from our current contributors (especially those who have uploaded more than one photo), so I figured it was time I finally added it this new feature in. I’ll talk more about the User Profiles and what it means the future of 21Bikes in a upcoming post, but for now, just know that this new feature is coming!
Also, I’ve added a new blog section, where I plan to talk about site updates, contests, giveaways, and other cycling related events and happenings. Hey, guess what, you’re reading the new blog section now!
Finally, I’ve decided to add an “Interviews” section to the site where each and every month I will be talking with a couple of 21Bikes‘ most fascinating contributors. I’ll be asking them to reflect on what it felt like to get their first bike, share their best cycling moments, describe their favorite cycling destination, and give out intriguing info on exactly what it’s like to cycle in their corner of the world. I plan to do about one or two interviews per month and plan to have the first interview up before the end of February.
So, that’s it for now! There is still a lot of work to be done, but I thought I would take a moment and fill you in on exactly what’s been happening . I am excited about the future of 21Bikes… and I think you for being part of the site.
Submit a photo of you and your bicycle, share it with your friends, and vote on the best bicycle portraits from around the world. It's a website all about YOU and YOUR BIKE. What are you waiting for?
