It seems to be the done thing on sites such as these to say a bit about the person on the other side of your screen... so call it vanity or whatever... here's a bit about me.

.... being asthmatic at school I was 'late' to the racing scene at 18yrs of age, I dropped out again when I did my Masters degree and then took off traveling at 22 (in 1995) after a successful couple of seasons, and ended up working in Montreal after a couple of years wandering and working in the Far East. Montreal was a fun city, it was here I became good friends with a cyclist (hi Owen!) with a professional riding background by pure coincidence (he also rather usefully ran a bikeshop!). He was a very handy guy to have along on a training ride in a fresh headwind! That was my reintroduction to the cycling scene I suppose (in '97), but I was on fat tyres at first - it took me until 1999 to be seduced back to skinny rubber and asphalt. Winters in Canada are not particularly conducive to cycling so I spent mine playing in the mountains - back country skiing, snow camping, winter climbing and mountaineering.

I returned to the UK finally at the end of 2002 where I linked up with my current team/ club Cyclelogic.co.uk. These days my interest is mainly long sportives around the world, adventure touring in crazy high and wild places, and time trials - something I turned my nose up at when a young roadie but the road scene is pretty sparse down here in Cornwall and I discovered a strength for the longer (50miles+) events.

When I did settle back here I was riding as much as ever but it took a year or so to start taking things seriously enough to take out a license, I found though that I was now more interested in long distance cyclo-sportifs and 'out-there' touring. Since then aside from some decent placings in events like the GF Campagnolo I've taken my Thorn Nomad across the Himalayas, North Africa as well as shorter trips in Europe, plans are oafoot for a 2-wheeled adventure in Bolivia,Chile & Argentina soon. The competitive streak has been satisfied on and off road with regional TTs, cyclosportifs and MTB events.

Oh, and I'm a sucker for bikes that are just that little bit 'special'!

17,500 ft up in the Himalaya....

Other stuff... well, I suppose my other main passion is photography, my online portfolio is at www.mikesimagination.net. Beyond that, well I do enjoy myself in the kitchen... and I recently bought a 200yr old granite cottage that I'm in the process of renovating. I'm not materialistic (except when it comes to bikes and Leica cameras...)... I value things like the smell of fresh baked bread or a misty autumn morning... heck, I'd better stop - you'll think there's something wrong with me! When I have time (don't tell my employer that...) I earn my keep as an aeronautical engineer - but that's dull so I won't say any more about it!

Cheerio!