Fustle Bikes Causeway Shoot
Fustle Bikes recently released an updated version of the Causeway, their popular aggressive gravel bike designed in Bangor, Northern Ireland.
Built for rowdy trails and bikepacking trips, the Causeway G2 ticks many boxes as a do-it-all bike for the UK and Irish gravel scene.
I spent an evening on Cave Hill overlooking Belfast with riders Catriona and Pete to see it put through its paces and shoot some photographs for their new website.
We briefly set up Pete’s bike with a few Restrap bikepacking bags to demonstrate the versatility of the frameset.
Watching Catriona shred this downhill section put a smile on my face too.
The ‘Dunseverick Dingleberry’ colourway, Cat’s green top and the purple heather all worked perfectly together.
The views over Belfast from Cave Hill are really quite special on a late summer’s evening.
Everyone loves a good panning shot.
To find out more about Fustle’s range of gravel bikes, head over to ridefustle.com.
Hare’s Castle Camp
Hare’s Castle in the Mourne Mountains is a secluded rocky knoll offering commanding views over Annalong Valley.
It’s an easy hike from both Carrick Little and Dunnywater car parks and a great option for those wishing to avoid the crowds on the more popular routes in the area.
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
T.S. Eliot
We tend to be creatures of habit—following the well-worn trails, climbing the familiar mountains.
But when we break from these routines and step off the beaten paths, we often find the best experiences. The kind that leave lasting impressions.
This camp with Stephen Reid on top of Hare’s Castle in August was exactly that—a fresh adventure in a mountain range I’ve been exploring for over 25 years, and easily the highlight of the summer for that very reason. It was still the Mournes I know so well, but somehow new again.
There’s nothing quite like a starry night in the hills with a good friend, a smoky fire, and a hipflask.
Just don’t ask about the midges.
These photos were all shot with a 7artisans 25mm f/1.8 budget lens for Canon EF-M—such an enjoyable little prime to use when the outdoor experience is more important than the photography. I absolutely love its quirks and the almost vintage aesthetic it adds to the images.