Be our Guest... Introducing Glen's Fly Fishing Blog

We are thrilled to be able to introduce to you Glen Pointon, a UK fly fishing fan & blogger who has agreed, very kindly, to be our first ever guest blog-poster!

Glen's tales of fishing around the Staffordshire & Derbyshire area are a real inspiration, which he then combines with some stunning photography to make a really entertaining blog.

We hope to bring you fresh posts from Glen soon, but for now he has kindly agreed to share his 'River Dove Salmon, My first 9lb 4oz' post with us. Over to you Glen...

"Well here is my story of catching my first ever salmon. I am not a Salmon fisherman and have never tried it, but enquired around Scotland this year but never got chance to go but as things turned out i did not need to bother.

I was Grayling fishing last saturday and whilst wading through a deep run i saw a salmon come clean out the water, this fish was around three ft away from me and scared the **** out of me, i was shocked to see how big this fish was, it was around three foot long and had a red glow down the bottom of its body. It seemed unreal to see a fish so big in a small river like the dove but it made me realise that these fish are coming back to the dove around a very good size.

The next day on sunday i went back to have another go at the grayling and hoping to see these salmon again, I took a friend with me who wanted to watch me fish, As the light started to go i flicked my nymph unpstream where i had seen the fish and when i started to retrieve the bug i saw a huge salmon come out the water again, i thought wow what a nice fish when my friend shouted from the bank 'its took your fly',I lifted into the fish and felt my rod tighten into the fish, i was using a 8ft 4 weight greys streamflex rod with 5 lb line and i knew i was in for some fun!!

The fish went absolutly nuts when it felt the hook set home and just run downstream, it went through a stong rapid a i could not stop it doing anything, its took me straight onto the backing so it was at least 40 yards down stream and still running, I knew the only way i would get this fish was to tire it out so i went running down the river to my friends amusement!! I cover at least 60 yards running down the river with the fish still going when my line got caught around the reel, everything went tight and i thought it was going snap but it turned from the pressure and came leaping out of the river making my heart jump, the sheer size of this fish had me shaking like a leaf, my friend was shouting 'dont lose this fish you ****'.

I was into a fish of a lifetime and eventually got it to start turning under full pressure, my rod was just doubled over all of the time,When the fish saw me it made four more big runs but it was starting to tire, After half a hour i had the fish in full view and she was lumping around like big fish do, so I had a small trout net on my back and there was no way it would fit in there so i when i got it close to me i threw me rod down and grabbed it with both hands!I took it onto the bank and me and my friend Micky were jumping up and down like we had won the lottery! Well to me it felt better than that!! The fish was a female Hen and was quite dark. the fish measured 34 iches long with a massive tail, i got the scales from my van and it weighed 9lb 14 ozIn fact it was the lenght of my foot to my waist.When i got home i told the mrs i had had the best night of my life and she said 'better than your first night of sex with me' and i said 'no not that good babe' but i am a great liar and if you are a fisherman you know what i mean!! "

Thanks Glen! If you'd like to read more tales from Glen, then check out his blog at http://glenpointon.blogspot.com/.

Skate Monkey

Allow us to introduce you to one of the coolest creations that we have ever seen in blog-land...

Check out Skate Monkey doing a kick flip!

Skate Monkey & his paper friends are the creation of graphic designer Morgan Gleave, whose blog http://anywereamateurreportersclub.blogspot.com/ has been entertaining us for weeks.

Now you too can create your very own Skate Monkey - simply download your completed or blank templates (for your own creative juices to flow) free of charge from http://www.morgangleave.co.uk/toyshop.htm and start sticking! It's like Blue Peter but oh so much better (my yoghurt pots & loo rolls never ended up as Tracy Island... I am emotionally scarred to this day).

If you're brave enough to complete a blank template, we'd love to see a picture of it.

Thanks to Morgan for granting kind permission to feature his creations.

Naked Bike Ride...

At a loose end this weekend, footloose & fancy free?

Then why not head to London's 6th Annual Naked Bike Ride...

... watch out for sunburn though, this weekend's meant to be a scorcher!

New this week...

We present the latest in mobile technology for your bike...I bet this costume seemed like a really good idea at the start of the race...

This guy's name is Bodge & he is pictured participating in a US road race this weekend.

*****

The we move on to Japan & a man who has, in all seriousness, strapped a gas barbecue to his bike... mmmm!

What else would you do with your bike rack eh, except turn it into a potentially lethal death-trap?! Still, I suppose some people live for adrenaline...

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Closer to home, this weekend also saw the annual Smithfield Nocturne Bike races in London.

We present to you the "Commuter Race".

The competitors, dressed in business attire wait 30m away from their folded bikes & at the drop of the British Flag, the competitors have to run to their steeds building them as fast as they can and setting off on a 5 lap dash around Smithfield. In true commuter spirit, winner takes all - there’s no second chance when it comes to catching your train… There is fierce competition, barging and even a little cheating as our commuters race to prove their skills.

F1 in Schools Challenge

For the last three years, SMB Bearings Ltd have been active sponsors of teams in the "F1 in Schools Technology Challenge". The F1 challenge sounds simple enough - design the fastest possible slotcar to win the race against other competitors down a 20 metre track, but it involves a great deal more...

Spanning age ranges of 9 to 19, F1 in Schools teams must raise sponsorship and manage budgets to fund research, travel and accommodation. The challenge inspires students to use IT to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacture, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership/teamwork, media skills and financial strategy, and apply them in a practical, imaginative, competitive and exciting way. The race is then on, literally! Completed cars race side-by-side along 20-metre straights. Teams are judged on car speed, as well as supporting evidence of their design, verbal presentation and marketing display stand in ‘‘the pits”. Teams compete regionally, nationally and internationally for the Bernie Ecclestone F1 in Schools World Championship trophy.

This year, we are proud to announce that we will be sponsoring Lutterworth College in Leicester & their Mach 1 team.

Watch this space for updates on their progress...

In the meantime, for more news on the team visit: http://www.lc.leics.sch.uk/C2/News/default.aspx

RC Helicopter Fishing

Yes really! This guy manages to combine two of our favourite activities in one!

Watch in wonder & awe...

We are in the process of sourcing some top-notch Japanese ceramic hybrid bearings, for our RC model & hobby nuts, so watch this space & we'll let you know when the lovelies arrive...

Schaeffer Mclean - sponsored skater update

More Skateboarding >>

How cool is our little dude?!

If you didn't get the chance to meet him at the recent opening of the new Glastobury Skate Park & want to meet the mini miracle in person, Schaeffer will be at the NASS (National Action Sports Show) at the Bath and West Showground in July. He says "I am looking forward to skating the street course and ramps and as part of the Route One Riders Team".

Schaeffer's Mum has given us all a real boost, by telling us "He is always telling other kids about SMB bearings and they frequently ask to see his bearings in action. He usually kicks down on his wheels very hard and shows them how long they spin for. They even have competitions to see whose wheels spin the longest and his always win!! As you can imagine he is very proud of being sponsored by you."

A big thank you to you both, we're really pleased & proud to be your sponsors!

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We want YOU! If you fish, that is...

Yes - it's true - We want you!

Or, more specifically (before we start getting too many dubious offers) we'd love to hear your fishing reports, tips, stories, favourite spots/least favourite spots, biggest catch etc.

If you'd like to share anything, please contact us (email to emma@smbbearings.com) so that we can dispense your fishing wisdom to the world at large!

We're keen to make regular updates to our blog & our website about your adventures, so any stories, videos or pictures will be considered (except for the nudie ones...).


If you're into your rigs & kit, then why not visit http://www.smbbearings.com/index.htm for information on our high spec reel bearings and our EMQ2 low vibration bearings, with oil lubrication, which spin freely and quietly.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Roller-blading, Southern style

Southern Motion Trailer #1 from David on Vimeo.

We found David's vid tagged on his blog & can't wait for the second helping, coming out soon.

See more about David at http://ideasforlions.blogspot.com/

SHOCKING! How to replace your bike's bearings

Cycling to work, minding your own business...

and then some disastrous/frankly moronic road planning sends you tumbling.

Cyclists take heart, Britain's roads may seem out to get you but

if they do, never fear - we can help you replace damaged bike bearings quickly & easily.

All kinds of things can cause a bike's bearings to fail - to name but a few, see:

• Shock load (a sudden increase in load on a bearing, causing it to deform) from falling down a road-grille for example...
• Dirt - a bearing's nemesis.
• Over-enthusiastic jet washing of your pride & joy at the weekend - you know who you are!
• Poor fit - you hear that rattling noise? That's probably your bearings vibrating, before they collapse under the strain. As Mum said, just because it fits doesn't mean you should always wear it...

We can't fix road-planners or mud for you, but if you click on the title of this post it will take you to an article showing you how to replace your bearings in a jiffy!

Good luck & happy, safe cycling.

Brandon Ide - SMB's latest sponsored skater

We are thrilled to introduce Brandon Ide, SMB's newest sponsored skater.

Brandon says " Im 21, living in Glasgow, Ive been skateboarding for about 7 years now and been sponsored for about a year. I skate for Osiris shoes, Focus skateshop, Monster Energy, Elwood clothing and Flow Enjoi skateboards.

Thoughout my time skateboarding I've found that SMB Bearings have been the best bearings I've used."

Thanks for that Brandon!

We'll soon be featuring Brandon on our website, www.smbbearings.com

together with our other sponsored riders, Kyle Decot & Schaeffer Mclean, so watch out for more news coming soon.

In the meantime, learn more about this talented Scottish skater at http://www.caughtinthecrossfire.com/skate/interviews/5772

Danny Macaskill - Crazy Biker!

For anyone who hasn't seen it yet, check out this -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o.

Danny is based in Edinbugh & is a You-Tube sensation right now, due to his crazy bike antics!

We were impressed & scared in equal measure...

Decks!

Meet Kristin Fialko.

http://kristinfialko.blogspot.com/2009/04/skate-this-art.html

This unusual deck is being produced for an upcoming show in San Fransisco & we think it is one of the most unusual decks we've seen - ever! If you have any decks you'd like to show us, just get in touch & we'll post them on our blog.

We're back!

Hello blog fans & followers!

Well, after an unscheduled break from blogging,

we're back on track & ready to fossick our snippets & nuggets of exciting bearing news for you.

Look out for our new posts coming up soon.

With best wishes from all at SMB.

Update on our sponsored riders

We'd just like to say, "Congratulations Schaeffer!"

We are very proud to announce that our little skate-wonder,

Schaeffer Mclean, aged 5,

has been made an official team rider with Route One Active,

the Uk's largest independent street store.

We have been sponsoring Schaeffer for some months now & are thrilled that other companies also recognise his talent. See Route One's article at
http://routeoneactive.blogspot.com/2009/01/introducing-schaeffer-mclean.html.

We are also proud to sponsor Kyle Decot, a 22 year old rider from Columbus Ohio, USA.

You can see more about Kyle at at http://www.kyledecot.com/

If you'd like to join our sponsored riders, why not get in touch with us?

The Joys of Ice Fishing...

Having recently returned from a trip to Sweden (200km north of the Arctic circle) I've been keen to see how other people have enjoyed the unique art of ice-fishing.

For those who are uninitiated in the ways of ice-fishing, you drill a deep hole in a frozen lake (laboriously by hand in my case - no posh power drills for me!) & then hover over your hole nervously twitching your line, with a rod that you may have stolen from a passing garden gnome, until you catch something. After about 10 minutes, the temperature being about -30 degrees centigrade, my hole had frozen over & I had to go through the 'hole' process again!

I was a bit underwhelmed by the experience to be honest (although, very sadly, I was impressed by how smooth-running the bearings in my rod were), so was keen to see how other bloggers had fared, as people seemed so enthusiastic about ice fishing I was sure I must have missed something...

I was pretty amused then, to find the following from Illinois, USA:

1. Park your car in a safe placeGet ready to...retreive your mate's car - he wasn't so sensible!Then help your mate who's dropped his skidoobefore finally sitting down to fish!And, after a tiring day, return to the safety of the car park...

I think that my conclusion is, ice-fishing can prove an expensive hobby!

Should you ever need any replacement reel bearings, why not visit us at http://www.smbbearings.com/index.htm for information on our high spec reel bearings and our EMQ2 low vibration bearings, with oil lubrication, which spin freely and quietly.

The next big thing?

Meet (imagine the drum-roll please) "The Magic Wheel"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1OGHuGSPAw

The design dudes are going head-over-heels for this new invention that combines a skateboard, a scooter, and a bike wheel, but we can’t decide how we feel about this thing! Apparently you can get up to 20 mph on the wheel, if you pump your leg hard enough.

Has anyone tried one yet?

What did you think?

And lastly, can we have a go?!

Rollerblading, Brunei style & solar powered rollerblading chariots...

Check out this guy hanging out at one of Brunei's favourite skate spots, having fun on the half-pipe with his friends.


Thanks to http://www.surkrew.com/ for this amazing image!







Also this week, we thought you ought to meet Bob Schneeveis, the inventor of the Solar Powered Walking Chariot (not a joke folks, actually true)! See it in action here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ZquJIolvY .






















Bob is a brilliant and eccentric character who studies nature and then turns it into sustainable, solar-electric vehicles and gadgets… Bob also donates his time to students studying robotics, and certainly gets our award for being the truest of nutty professors! Check out how the solar powered engine drives these legs and rollerblades in such a powerful, human-like fashion…amazing! This astounding rollerblading contraption actually has a lot of kick to it and is capable of covering all kinds of terrain it seems.


I bet this thing gets through a lot of bearings...

The Art Jeweller strikes again...

Thanks to our favourite Jeweller in St Maartens for the following shout, we are honoured to be featured!

Making Small Screws and a Bearing Housing
This is a short Hidi ( how I do it ) on how I make some screws and a small bearing housing for a spinning ring. A Hidi on how to make a complete spinning ring can be found here. I order the bearings from SMB bearings in the UK at http://www.smbbearings.com/. In this Hidi I am using a bearing with a 6mm flange and a 5mm diameter and a bore of 2mm. If you go check out SMB's website, they got all the schematics of the various type of bearing available.I start this Hidi with the screw making part first. I use only bench tools, no lathes or milling machines.I bought a tap and die set from Rio Grande. It is quite nice, adequate for the job and costs about $115.

For the full report, visit Hans Meevis' blog http://hansmeevis.blogspot.com/ . Thanks Hans!

Catching up with Schaeffer

Our 5 year old sponsored skater, Schaeffer, has posted up details of his trip to

King of the Groms, USA.

Check out his tour diary & more pictures at:

http://routeoneactive.blogspot.com/2009/01/king-of-groms-2008-write-up-by.html

Snow business!

With all this cold weather, now is the perfect to mention that we can re-lubricate bearings down to a staggering minus 80 degrees centigrade (should you fancy taking them on a trip to the Arctic circle with you).

We can also lubricate up to a maximum of +288 degrees centigrade, for those of you who fancy more tropical applications. Lubricants are critical to bearing performance, as they reduce friction, inhibit corrosion & dissipate heat. The lubricant will also affect maximum running speeds, temperature, torque level, noise level & ultimately, bearing life.

Thanks to www.bbc.co.uk/oxford we can bring you some pictures from the locality, just to prove that we are very excited because WE HAVE SNOW! There has been some very silly behaviour going on here ("Surely not!" I hear your cry), with snow-throwing & sculpting of dubiously shaped snow figures. We won't feature those for legal reasons...