Nice Rack

A big thank you to R Johns Fabrication in Newlyn, Cornwall for the custom surfboard racks. I've been looking everywhere for some and the only option are the Carver racks but they just don't seem to look like they would come anywhere near capable of supporting anything longer that 6ft. Not that I want to take a log any further than my local beach but the option would be nice.

The board in the picture is my 8'2" Wild West Shooter from Jools at Gulf Stream Surfboards and fits like a glove. I've had the racks made wide enough to take two boards and so far so good, they just need strapping in well. When my new 7'4" Tracker inspired mid length arrives from Jools then this will just about top off the stoke level.

These racks are fully removable with just 6 bolts in total but a couple of quirky little design features to stop twist or movement, these racks are solid. If these are the rustic prototypes then we may have to keep a look out for the real thing in the future.

Well thats the first part done on the Van Van, now for a chunky front tire and a drinks cabinet and we're on our way to adventure..The Beckoning Road lies ahead, albeit when my good lady and work commitment allow!! Keep checking in for the first road trip soon.

My Project.

Man with a van van. Time to start getting this thing a little ready for some autumn action. With a bit of luck the good lady will let me take a few days and head to Brittany and cruise the North Coast this Autumn. For the price of a ferry crossing with a bike and about £20 quid in fuel I reckon that one hell of an adventure can be had. The board racks are on order and waiting to be fabricated and the board for the trip will be ordered from Jools at Gulf Stream this weekend.

A few years back I took local grommet John Buchorski to Lacanau for a Pro Junior competition and on the way back up to Roscoff we had a couple of days to kill so we spent them going up and down what seemed like an  eternal maize of tracks out to the North Coast. We came across a couple of waves and have all promised myself to go back and take a look with a little more time.

A couple of years after that I spent three weeks around the Bay de Trepasse, St Tujon and Audierne surfing some great waves and eating some splendid French cuisine. Brittany is a very special place so to head back and see it on a bike with a board and some time will be my own little "bang on trend, everyone seems to be doing it" adventure!!!

Something for the weekend sir..

I can feel this coming on to my Van Van. A nip and tuck, short back and sides and we'll be on our way.

In the beginning....

Welcome all to this new blog, 'Man with a Van Van'. I have been blogging for about 8 years and have always tried to blog at least 2-3 times a week about the surfing lifestyle, surrounding cultures and the photography that inspires me to be creative. If you would like to you can see this blog here. But today, on a rainy May Bank Holiday Weekend in not so sunny Sennen, Cornwall in the UK, my wife has yet again encouraged me to be creative and start a blog that will encourage me to write and not about other people.

Two years ago I wanted a motorbike as a way of reducing my fuel expenses going to and from work. I look at all sorts of 125cc bikes (as I never got round to doing my bike test) and came across the Suzuki RV125 Van Van. The bike was amazing, it had style and flare, it was a little different and being an old dirt bike rider I was drawn to that old school trail bike look, not to mention the hefty back tyre. I'd almost given up looking when my wife found one not 20 miles up the road and within two days it was mine.

Having reduced my weekly fuel bill by £45 a week it served its purpose but the trouble with the Van Van they are too much fun. I joined the Van Van owners club and immediately promised myself to take off on some adventures but due to work commitments and a little stress thrown in I never got around to anything close of an adventure until now.

Currently working from home, the commuter element of this bike is now redundant for the time being but the bike needs to be ridden and starting a new blog is a way of encouraging me to get out and focus on a combined adventure of fun, motivation, discovery, surfboards, bikes and the life of a 45 year old man who in some respects seems to be desperate to get some new experiences.

My life is not dull, far from it. I'm a surfer, a cyclist,  a writer, photographer, a company director and co-founder of a community interest company called Discover 2 Empower and individually this business is about to embark on an adventure of discovery. I have a lovely wife and a super stoked 6 year old who are both active and like to be busy; and whilst we all share the same passions in cycling and surfing, my Van Van is my escape and like my solo surfing or cycling it offers a chance to clear my mind and focus on the adventures ahead.

I  like to write, not professionally but for fun, for enjoyment and also for escape. I have spent many a year writing and photographing other peoples adventures within the surfing lifestyle and now its time to document my own and thats what this blog is all about. 'Man with a Van Van' is about me, my bike and the journey that we are going to embark on together. Adventures that I hope may take into account the odd ferry or two, possibly a mountain pass, experience of different places, cultures, foods and people. Its about discovering my own needs for escapism and freedom and an opportunity to rebuild some much needed confidence.

I hope to post as often as possible as I know from my own personal experience that bloggers like frequent content and this will encourage me to be consistent. Blogging can be addictive, some say its old hat, but I follow some amazing blogs, formats may change, media is updated but bloggers blog because they are telling a story, being informative or simply venting some angst and this is why we blog.

So Welcome to my new blog 'Man with a Van Van' I hope you enjoy the journey.