The Albion - Issue 7.

Well, it's that time again, we got the  new issue of The Albion in stock. 

Once again, they've put together a really solid collection of articles and interviews. 
This issue has spotlights on the "father of freestyle" Bob Haro, street riding prodigy Garrett Reynolds and all-round demi-god, Van Homan among others. There's even a write-up on the nose manual for those who are into the tech or flatland side of things.

The cover of this issue is a little different from the usual Albion cover (although not too far removed from number 4) and the layout of the contents has been updated, too. The layout has changed quite considerably from the previous issues, so while maybe their way of doing things hasn't changed too dramatically, the appearance is fresh. Personally, I like that they're working through a "volumes" system, a pretty interesting idea for a BMX magazine.

Where the last issue was relatively drama free, I'm sure some of the vert and mega ramp riders are going to wonder if the Albion has it in for them... Rather than sweep the controversy from a past issue under the carpet, Steve Bancroft takes a further stab at the X-Games and all that comes with it. Given that I'm not personally into the X-Games or competitions in general, I think it's pretty reasonable to point out that dirt has a place in contests rather than what's essentially the BMX equivalent of being fired out of a cannon. I'd much rather watch someone roasting a 360 invert than any sort of backflip variation, and that goes for any obstacle or situation, not just the x-games.

The interviews in this edition are a welll chosen and as usual, a good read. There's something for everyone, "quitters" with trails legend James Brooks, Jimmy Levan being Jimmy Levan, Scott Ditchburn, a pretty interesting insight into the world of Garrett Reynolds which was quite different to what I would have expected, United's very own maverick, Geoff Slattery and an in depth piece on the man with arguably the best back catalogue of video parts, Van Homan. While the stories are all delivered differently, from a disastrous trip idea with Slattery to Homan's rollercoaster through his head injury from a few years back, it's all worth sitting down and taking in. 

At the end of the issue there's an awesome feature on F.B.M and their signature way of doing things. In a world where so many companies are trying to be as slick as possible and working on being marketable, the fact that F.B.M are still around is a breath of fresh air. Roadtrips, bonfires and getting weird. Some things will NEVER get old. The "anti-social network" certainly put a smile on my face. 

Get out and ride your bike!  

-Shiels

 as per usual, some videos for your enjoyment!