If you’re on two wheels you can use most of the bus lanes in Bristol, part of a trial originally started in 1996. Bristol was one of the first to experiment with the idea, which is now being adopted by other cities throughout the UK.

Bristol boasts the world’s biggest manufacturer of hot air balloons, which are one of the modern symbols of Bristol. Cameron Balloons in Bedminster makes more than anyone else in the world. Bristol even has its own International Balloon Fiesta, which many local fans feel is best watched from the Avon Gorge hotel’s patio bar rather than up close and personal in Ashton Court!

Ribena was invented in Long Ashton. Loved by all (except maybe dentists), this traditionally blackcurrant-flavoured drink was invented by a Bristol University scientist in 1933 at the National Fruit and Cider Institute, and quickly gained popularity during the second world war as an alternative source of vitamin C.

Born in Bristol in 1680, Blackbeard, aka Edward Teach, is famed as the world’s most notorious pirate. Believed to be the inspiration for Treasure Island’s Long John Silver, Blackbeard had a hide-out in Redcliffe caves, and the home of his birth still stands on the harbourside.

The Nails outside the Exchange on Corn Street is said to be the where the phrase ‘paying on the nail’ and ‘cash on the nail’ originated from. The bronze nails, with their flat tops and raised edges that prevent coins from tumbling onto the pavement, were made as convenient tables at which merchants could carry out their business. The oldest pillar is undated, but experts say it is late Elizabethan. The second oldest was given by Bristol merchant Robert Kitchen who died in 1594. The two remaining nails are dated 1625 and 1631. The Exchange building behind the Nails is the only surviving 18th century building of its type in England and now houses St. Nicholas Market a very successful indoor market selling great food and other wares.

Made famous in ‘Only Fools and Horses’, Mandela House stands behind Ashton Gate. The fictional Peckham estate is, in fact, in the south of Bristol. Much of the filming for the series took place in and around Bristol, and the renowned Batman & Robin scene was filmed in Broadmead.

The first bungee jump took place from the Suspension Bridge. On 1st April 1979 (this was no mere April Fools jape!), a member of Oxford University’s ‘Dangerous Sports Club’ bungee-jumped from the Clifton Suspension Bridge and a new sport was born around the world.

The prolific and international street artist Banksy hails from Bristol where several pieces of his work are still visible today, Originating from Kingswood but remaining anonymous he has had numerous successful exhibitions throughout the world including L.A, New York and of course the Bristol Museum which saw very long queues every day of the exhibit.

Wallace & Gromit were created by Bristol-based Oscar-winning Aardman Animations, whose main man is Nick Park. He acknowledges the debt the lovable Plasticine duo owe to the city and believes a lot of the humour has come from Aardman being rooted in the Bristol area.

Interesting Points about Fowlers Motorcycles…

• Situated opposite Temple Meads, Brunel’s Great Western Railway station, Fowlers is just minutes away from the dock housing his famous iron ship, the SS Great Britain, and the Clifton Suspension Bridge, perched over Avon Gorge, also engineered by this great man.
• Popular rendezvous point for ride-outs, with a large free car & bike park, outside seating area, great café and good links to routes out of Bristol
• Family run business for over nine decades with friendly, knowledgeable and helpful staff.
• Fully-equipped workshop with factory-trained technicians, including no fewer than 6 ‘Master Technicians’.
• Between 350 – 400 quality pre-owned bikes in stock
• The latest models and offers from Triumph plus nine other franchises.
• Probably Europe’s largest stockist of genuine spare parts for 11 franchises.
• Huge area dedicated to clothing, helmets, boots and accessories.
• Off Road Centre

Ride-Outs

Some ride-out info has been included, which Fowlers’ RAT club has recently completed over this Summer. The basic route notes have been converted into Google map routes to make it easier – just use the links below.

Fowlers – Compton Abbas http://fowlers.bike/ridecompabbas (approx. 2½ hours duration)

Fowlers – West Bay (Dorset) http://fowlers.bike/ridebay1 and return route is http://fowlers.bike/ridebay2 (approx 5 hours)

Fowlers – Cheddar (Somerset) http://fowlers.bike/ridebay1 and return route is http://fowlers.bike/ridebay2 (approx 5 hours)

Tim Gajser today added another chapter to the motocross legacy he started writing last year when he clinched his first MX2 World Championship crown just twelve days after his 19^th birthday.

Now, remarkably, less than a year on, GT243 has done the double and taken his first MXGP crown in dominant fashion. Whereas he clinched the MX2 title in the last round of the season, before his 19^th year was run Gajser sealed the MXGP crown with three motos remaining, underlying the powerhouse he has been in his maiden season aboard the Honda CRF450RW.

 

Tim’s 2016 season aboard the CRF450RW:

– An unrivalled seven Grand Prix victories

– Fifteen moto wins and seventeen fastest laps

– An unprecedented fourteen GP podiums from fifteen races

– Lead 242 laps = 43 per cent of the whole season

 

In taking his back-to-back MXGP title, Gajser becomes the first big-class World Champion for Honda in 16 years, since Fred Bolley triumphed in 2000. He joins an elite of nine riders who have claimed back-to-back motocross world titles on Honda machinery, and an even more elite group of those who have graduated to a bigger class and still been victorious in consecutive years (those in bold).

 

Honda’s back-to-back champions:

– Andre Malherbe – 1980, 1981 (500cc)

– Dave Thorpe – 1985, 1986 (500cc)

– Eric Geboers – 1987 (250cc), 1988 (500cc)

– Jean Michel Bayle – 1988 (125cc), 1989 (250cc)

– Georges Jobe – 1991, 1992 (500cc)

– Greg Albertyn – 1992 (125cc), 1993 (250cc)

– Stefan Everts – 1996, 1997 (250cc)

– Fred Bolley – 1999, 2000 (250cc)

– Tim Gajser – 2015 (MX2), 2016 (MXGP)

 

Gajser becomes Honda’s second-youngest big-class World Champion, just behind Greg Albertyn who won the 250cc category in 1993. Although they were both 19, Albertyn was just 61 days younger.

 

How old were they when they took their first title?

– Graham Noyce – born 1955. 1979 (500cc) = 24 years of age

– Andre Malherbe – b.1956. 1980 (500cc) = 24

– Dave Thorpe – b.1962. 1985 (500cc) = 23

– Georges Jobe – b.1961. 1987 (500cc) = 26

– Eric Geboers – b. 1962. 1987 (250cc) = 25. 1988 (500cc) = 26

– Marcus Hansson – b.1969. 1994 (500cc) = 25

– Jean Michel Bayle – b.1 April 1969. 1988 (125cc) = 19. 1989 (250cc) = 20

– Trampas Parker – b.1967. 1991 (250cc) = 24

– Greg Albertyn – b.13 October 1973. 1992 (125cc) = 18 (23 August, Suzuka). 1993 (250cc) = 19 (8 August, Finland)

– Alessandro Puzar – b.1968. 1995 (125cc) = 27

– Stefan Everts – b.1972. 1996 (250cc) = 24

– Fred Bolley – b.1974. 1999 (250cc) = 25

– Tim Gajser – b.8 September 1996. 2015 (MX2) = 19 (20 September, Glen Helen). 2016 (MXGP) = 19 (3 September, Charlotte)

 

It’s hard to believe that Gajser’s MXGP crown comes just ten years after he started leaving his mark on the sport with the 65cc European Championship title in 2007, at the tender age of just ten.

 

A history of Tim’s Championship titles:

2016 – MXGP World Champion

2015 – MX2 World Champion

2014 – Joined Honda Gariboldi with an HRC contract

2012 – First Slovenian 125cc European and World Champion. GP debut

2009 – EMX85cc European Champion

2007 – EMX65cc European Champion

 

Since the end of 2013 when GT243 was picked up by Honda and Giacomo Gariboldi’s eponymous outfit, the resurgence of Gajser since has been meteoric. His flamboyant style mixed with his otherworldly ability to scrub has won him fans and fame across the world, from his native Slovenia where he’s a national celebrity, to the USA where they can’t wait to see him to do a ‘JMB’ and take his exceptional talent to supercross and the Monster Energy Cup.

Tim Gajser, the Honda CRF450RW and the Gariboldi Honda Racing team have blazed a dominant trail in MXGP after this season.