Editorial

I am often (like, really often) guilty of letting my phone ruin a good ride. When such a small and fragile device harnesses so much information and amusement, it is easy to be distracted.

Maybe I should post a story? Should I take a photo? Check my email? See if someone has sent me a message on Messenger. Maybe even a message request? What Instagram profile am I logged in on right now – and should I check my altitude app to find out the boiling temperature of water for where I am right now? I wonder if Training Peaks has updated my CTL from the first short ride today? Is it going to rain?

This probably isn’t too far off what you might experience as well. Whether you constantly check your phone, or maybe a riding buddy does.

Our visit to Tasmania for one of the main stories in this issue was about 8 days of using my phone a lot. But not continually. Working with Tim Bardsley-Smith for over a week is tiring – because Tim doesn’t stop working. So I didn’t either. But there were times on the trail, maybe not every day, where we agreed we had the photos we needed. I’d banked the stories, shared the stoke and replied to emails. It was time to just ride. Put the phone away, remove distractions and enjoy the moment.

Now Ryan Walsch’s story from Trans Provence is in a way chasing a similar idea. Just ride. Trans Provence was a multi-day event where every stage is ridden blind, and you are going to work hard to get to the start of each stage, every day. The images tell the story as much as Ryan does, and without wanting to sound naff this event looked to be mountain biking at its purest.

I read through the story and scanned through hundreds of images thinking back to my own trips to the Maritime Alps, and half of those trips were before I had a smart phone or a GPS computer. I’d look at a map, make some notes, put food in a small bag or pockets and just ride. Sometimes I misjudged things and was back after dark. Sometimes I had to climb electric fences. Sometimes I rode off the edge of the map I had. But even 10 years or more on I have vivid memories, even if the digital records are scant.

We are coming into the warmer months, when many of us get to rack up more saddle time. Why not make the most of it, store your phone for emergencies and experience what is happening around you. Listen to the sounds of the dirt beneath your tyres, your ragged breathing and native bird song. See the colours of the Australian bush through your personal wide angle lenses. Get out and ride analogue!