"Legends of the fireside, all you need is a couple of beers and someone to listen."

Around August last year when cycling trials rider Danny MacAskill released "Industrial Revolutions" I'd got together with a few friends for a beer or two one Saturday night. Bike riders, you know the kind, they live breathe and talk bikes, never stop talking about it, on the bike at the coffee shop wherever. Double trouble - these ones were the kind used to riding motorcycles as well. They'll reminisce about races run and won long ago or races they were in last week. No one is spared from every minuscule detail, wind direction, who was in the race, the gearing they used, when and where they attacked, how they attacked, how many times they attacked and how much it hurt - followed by the most important part - how much their self inflicted pain hurt the other riders too - legends of the fireside, all you need is a couple of beers and someone to listen.

More beers - more tall tales. The fire faded, in it empty stubbies slowly melted in the embers - eventually old mate pulled out his laptop - on it was Danny MacAskill's video "Way Back Home". Old mate was most likely responsible for a few thousand of the 18 odd million You Tube views to date, he'd re-played Way Back Home half a dozen times by the time his wife came and bundled him into the car. Asked if she had seen Way Back Home old mate's wife answered she "had seen it many times", followed by "yes I have seen it dear". For some time we heard this conversation plus the MacAskill video looping simultaneously - cancelled out as the tail lights dimmed in the distance . Doubtless "Way Back Home" played that night all the way back home.

By today MacAskill's "Inspired Bicycles" video had reached more than 29 million views and climbing, 18 million plus for Way back Home, and the more recent Industrial Revolutions approaching five million.

In a New York Times article MacAskill's life was described as being in two parts - before and after the video release of Inspired Bicycles. Inspired Bicycles was Filmed by MacAskill's roommate at the time David Sowerby.

Inspired Bicycles Apr 19, 2009 | Way Back Home Nov 16, 2010 | Industrial Revolutions Aug 9, 2011 | Now he's PRO more promised soon.

In the spirit of Velo Aficionado join - Old Mate a dedicated Aficionado plus 18 million others - and watch Way Back Home again....

Title bike trials image by Robert Cobcroft