NASA's image of the day...

The historic final landing of the space-shuttle Atlantis, marked by this gorgeous photo from NASA

Atlantis, the fourth orbiter built, launched on its first mission on Oct. 3, 1985.   Overall, Atlantis spent 307 days in space and traveled nearly 126 million miles during its 33 flights.  Atlantis touched down yesterday at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at 5:57 a.m. EDT, bringing to a close 30 years of space shuttle flights.

"Although we got to take the ride," said Commander Chris Ferguson on behalf of his crew, "we sure hope that everybody who has ever worked on, or touched, or looked at, or envied or admired a space shuttle was able to take just a little part of the journey with us."

Quite a poignant day for all the folks at NASA today, as they held the decomissioning ceremony for the last flight of the Space Shuttle Program...

On a lighter note, we are delighted to discover - in an unashamedly geeky way :0) - that we can now download a range of NASA android & iPhone apps - check them out here.

Keep up to date with us on Facebook...

We have lots of lovely friends sharing news, views & photos with us on Facebook , why not join them & keep us up-to-date with what's happening in your world?

We also tweet & we'd love to follow your news.

Make your own jet-powered Batmobile...

... this guy did!!

It is powered by a military-spec turboshaft engine driving the rear wheels through a semi automatic gearbox. It features a custom tube frame/monocoque chassis with fully independant suspension, disc brakes, and a sequential shifter. It runs on kerosene, diesel, or Jet fuel and has a power to weight ratio comparable to a Dodge Viper. The car is registered and insured for the road in the United States. Built in 2011 by Casey Putsch, of the Putsch Racing facility.

Where can I get one?!  I'm sure that the insurance premiums will be no problem at all :0)

Wooden bike...

... a snip at just £4000 & just a 12 week wait for delivery...

When established furniture maker Seth Deysach was invited to be part of the Object Society design show in June last year, he decided to create something special for the occasion that combined two of his passions - creating things in wood and cycling. The single-speed, one size Lagomorph bike boasts strong, elegant lines and an impressive catalog of high quality components. Now the designer is taking special orders for the wooden-framed bike, with custom options available on request.

Personally, I'd be a bit too nervous about my wooden pride & joy ending up as a box of matches if I had a little accident... :0)

SMB Skate Crew update...

SMB Bearings is proud to sponsor an AMAZING bunch of riders & we are delighted to bring you some of their latest news:

Welcome to John Griffiths, UK downhill skateboarder:

John will be travelling to Europe this year to race Kozakov and Insul on the IGSA European tour and hopes to do well. John says "I have been riding downhill for three years now and have competed successfully on an national and international level, heres a list of my results so far:

3rd - Festival longboarderz in portugal
1st - Marignar outlaw
1st - Bo peep outlaw
2nd - Sheepy outlaw
3rd - Bo peep crash & burn "

We look forward to following John's progress closely :0)



New videos from our Bristol crew - Shannon Francis, stunt scooter rider:



& Schaeffer Mclean, 7 year-old skateboarder:



Aaron Skippings has just announced a new blog, so that we can all keep up with his exploits... check it out here


Gravity sports "Team for Ride" won out at last weekend's Familia Challenge in France - Marie stole the show for the ladies, bagging 1st place

And buttboarding we have Fabien at the front & Thibaut bringing up the rear in their race at the Familia...

Tony Leard, US skateboarder & awesome graphic designer, has been a real treat for us - proactive, helpful & talented, he's produced some great graphics to support the SMB Skate Crew & here are the results so far:

Thanks to you all - we are so pleased (& a little bit awed) to be represented by such a talented bunch of riders!

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Aaron Skippings, downhill skateboarder & newest member of the SMB Skate Crew...

Welcome Aaron!  All at SMB Bearings are delighted to announce that we are now proud sponsors of Aaron Skippings. 

Aaron is only 19, but already a serious contender in UK & international downhill skateboarding events - he is also a passionate & articulate guy & really the best kind of ambassador that this sport could hope for.  Normally at this point we would have searched the web for snippets about new riders, but Aaron gave us such an amazing presentation of his skills that we'd like to share it with you unadulterated...

Current Sponsors riptide sports,skateboardsofchoice,eko slide gloves
Videos of me in action http://vimeo.com/15005171 - Sheepy outlaw 2010 http://vimeo.com/14558614 - Bo peep free ride action http://vimeo.com/13051476 - Exeter outlaw final 2010 http://vimeo.com/12843576 - St Aubin freeride France 2010
 

Watch out for this guy - we expect BIIIIIIG things for him :0)

Almabtrieb world championships,Germany 2010

Aaron tells us all about himself:
"For nearly 2 years Downhill Skateboarding has been a passion of mine and has also become a big part of my life, it is still quite a small sport so not many people know what it is about and is often mistaken with regular skateboarding however the two are completely different. A Long board or speed board is much larger than a skateboard and is designed for speed which often ranges between 50 -80mph, this requires full safety gear such as leathers, helmets and gloves. Roads are closed to create courses for races which have 2-6 man heats. I have competed in many skating events and have travelled across Europe to compete in events trying to push myself that little bit faster every time.
.
My Background
I grew up around skating you could say, it happened by chance, I mean I tried skateboarding first, trying to skate skate parks for the best part of my child hood. You could say it didn’t go very well, crashing was imminent, it was always happening, and I just never seemed to pick it up. It wasn’t till about 2007 when a friend of mine showed me a video of 'downhill skateboarding'. woahhh! It blew my mind .The thought of guys bombing down hills on planks of wood with wheels got my mind going crazy. I thought to myself why can’t I do this? It did I admit look super hard and thought it couldn’t be possible. So a year passed with me going crazy still wanting a long board. Anyway in 2008 they had a world cup race in Eastbourne down Beachy Head road, I had to go to this, so I did. It was amazing to see the skaters shooting down these hills at such fast speeds, the thrill of it must have been brilliant. The event was a success and I knew this was it; this was the sport for me.

Few weeks later I acquired a board a lush Mako to be exact it wasn’t perfect for downhill, but I didn’t
care. It was setup bad at the time but I thought it was perfect. Over time speed was achieved and wobbles were seen far too often, no matter what happened and how many crashes I had, I never stopped riding and pushing myself more and more. 

2 years past and my love of downhill skateboarding has grow and grown and to be honest now I was ready for some competing , I had started to get pretty good and I felt it was time to be let loose on the world. Representing Britain in an awesome way. I had new equipment and at high costs too, top end equipment is not cheap as some people know, it’s a lot of money but is well needed if competition gets a hold of you. Having some top end equipment gave me more confidence to push myself more and more.

Starting off with a few free rides to get me going before I competed was a brilliant experience.
I travelled to France for a few free rides then came back setting up for euro tour madness. I would be competing in the Germany world championships, my biggest race so far. Then after that I would be travelling to France for my final leg. I was dead excited.
Getting some practice in Germany before my qualification run
My Euro events were a success! I had so much fun and learnt more skating skills than I could have ever possibly imagined!! . Coming back made me sad because I had met so many friends along the way. I want to try to travel to Europe as much as I can to skate more and get my skill level as high as it can be and with sponsors I feel I can achieve that.

To me skating is everything it’s what drives me and makes me feel alive, without skating I wouldn’t stand a chance of being who I am , being someone else is not who I want to be. Travelling the world and getting the chance to skate with some amazing people is what is keeping me alive, I have the drive to do something good in my life and with skating I feel that it’s only right for me to use this passion, this drive I have and make myself be the best person that I can be. Downhill for me is like a drug, an addiction; I need it to work, to live. The feeling of going downhill at 60moh is like nothing you can experience it’s a silent but peaceful and energizing way to travel; I will never stop for no one this is my sport my life.
Skating makes me happy!

Watch out for this guy folks, he's going to be BIG!

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Stunt-scooter riding, meet a star of the future...

Gone are the days that scooters were the poor relations to skateboards, they are now seriously competing in stunts, tricks, turns & flips at skateparks across the UK.  Let us introduce to you a very talented lady - please meet Shannon Francis from Bristol, already picked as a hot new star in the world of stunt-scooter/trick scooter riding in the UK.  Shannon has only been riding for 18 months but already shows serious skills, as well as bags of enthusiasm!

See her latest vid here:

You rock Shannon!  Thanks for sharing your pics & vids with us :0)

Find out more about the sport & scooter community here  ...

Gravity sports "Team for Ride" photo report from Rigalet Championships 2011...

A great performance this weekend at the Rigalet Gravity Sports Championships (near Bordeaux).  Our amazing sponsored team, Team for Ride, produced some outstanding results... 

Marie Bourgourd, the only female competitor, had to compete with the men but ranked a very impressive 15th overall. Thibault Meline placed 3rd overall in Buttboard and finishing sixth in streeluge. Fabien Prual celebrated a double - placing second in both Buttboard & streetluge!

Rigalet French Championship 2011

 



Fabien, of "Team for Ride", takes the podium...




A little down-time for Fabien between races!



Fabien & Thibaut take 2nd & 3rd place in the buttboard...



A celebration drink with friends - it is very important to keep hydrated :0)



And doing it for the girls, Marie Bougard...

Taking her top podium spot...

What an exhausting day!

Team For Ride are using our ceramic hybrid bearings (metal rings, ceramic balls & a high-speed plastic cage) & have found them, to quote Fabien "My feeling: GREAT!".  Check out Team for Ride on Facebook, for more news, updates & amazing photos.

Well done guys, you are all awesome!!

World's fastest RC car in action...

...blink & you've missed it!

Britain's "Manliest" Cyclist required...

Singletrack cycle magazine bring us the exciting news:

"The men’s grooming brand Bluebeard stands for the less than conventional approach to life, cocking a snoot at the nanny state and the madness that is the ball ache of endless red tape and over the top health and safety clap trap.

They believe that racing cyclists are real men who emulate the brand’s philosophy of ‘Train Hard, Shave Easy’. And they are looking for ‘Britain’s manliest cyclists’ at the Dartmoor Classic Cycling Sportive 2011, which takes place between June 25-26 in Kingsteignton, Devon. This individual will demonstrate characteristics of a real man. Someone that goes that extra mile, someone who never gives up, someone who will be a great advocate for the luxury brand.
The winner will:
- Become the face of The Bluebeards Revenge in the world of cycling

- Receive The Bluebeards Revenge racing jersey and accessories

- Receive a year’s supply of The Bluebeards Revenge shaving products

- Star in a cycling ‘Train Hard, Shave Easy’ commercial

- Receive £500 to a cycling club or charity of their choice"

We look forward with great interest to seeing who is crowned the manliest man very soon!

Photo of the day...

Legendary skateboarder Bob Burnquist lands the world’s first-ever “Christ Air” back flip during the North American debut of Nitro Circus Live at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on June 4^th.

Next in line was the inspirational wheelchair athlete from Las Vegas, Aaron ‘Wheelz’ Fotheringham, who made the crowd erupt when he landed a front flip off the Giganta ramp in front of his hometown.
Other memorable moments included the first-ever two rider mini bike combination jump, FMX rider Josh Sheehan attempting his first-ever double back flip, and a number of world first stunts with crazy contraptions thrown off the 50-foot Giganta ramp, including a drink cooler with wheels, a boogie board, a “Barbie” car, a side car BMX bike, and a number of back flips on kids’ tricycles.

 For up-to-date tour information and behind-the-scenes footage visit http://www.nitrocircuslive.com/

Photo of the day...

These photos feature sponsored skater Schaeffer Mclean, just seven years old, busting some moves at skate club & with his friends - his latest video just goes to show that you can skate anywhere if you put you mind to it!

Tony Leard, sponsored skater...

Hot news people!  We've just made a new friend :0)

We would like to introduce you to Tony Leard from Porter, Texas.  He is a skate nut & instructor for Go Skate, as well as a brilliant graphic designer. 

We look forward to bringing you more news & updates from Tony very soon!

BMX triple backflip...

... virtually impossible to achieve according to the science bods (see Wired News) , but here's Jed Milton doing it anyway!!



Don't try this at home folks, unless you have an ambulance standing by and LOTS of insurance... :0)

Glen Pointon on fly fishing...

Our friend Glen Pointon has just posted this smashing little vid & we'd like to share it with you.



Glen's fly-fishing blog is well worth a visit, as it's full of real character, passion & fishing!

Fishing knots...

Are getting tied up in knots (or not!) when you have to do an improved clinch? Is a dropper loop driving you insane?  Well no more people!!!  Check out Grog's Animated Knots, a series of animated step-by-step diagrams guide you smoothly through the knotty complexities, so you don't end up with your knickers in a knot!

They also feature help on a variety of other knotty problems - household, climbing, scouting & rescue to name but a few...

Home build your own electric Z-Kart, this guy has...

As major automobile manufacturers around the world pour countless dollars and man hours into the research and development of electric vehicles, George Fortin has quietly gone about making one of his own. While it is true that his Z-Kart is just a one-seater with a range of 20 miles and a top speed of 40 mph that lacks pretty much any safety features or cargo capacity, it is nonetheless a well-engineered little buggy that looks like it would be a blast to drive. Not bad at all, for something that was made and designed and built by an estate agent!  I feel inspired to get the Meccano out this weekend... :0)

iPhly lets users fly their RC planes from their phone...

How cool is that?!  Thanks to Gizmag for the news, check out their site for more details.

The app can store settings for thousands of different R/C models, and it isn't just limited to planes – iPhly can also be used to control model boats or cars.

So James Bond... :0)

Amazing skate vid...

Take a run with Louis Pilloni as he rips down a hill somewhere in California..

Fly fishing film

Courtesy of our Facebook friends Fish Porn, we bring you this gorgeous little film:


Jonathan Adams 2011 Hunting/Fishing Visual Reel from Jonathan Adams on Vimeo.


You can almost feel the sunshine :0)

Coming soon... iBike, for gadget lovers on two wheels!

iPhone/iPod touch-Based Fitness Coaching System for your Bike

http://www.ibikedash.com/, a leading sports technology company and creator of the iBike® Dash line of cycling computers and power meters, announced that the iBike Dash CC (Cycling Computer) and new iBike Phone Booth Bicycle Mount are now available at all Apple retail stores, starting today.
iBike Dash CC turns any iPhone or iPod touch into your own personal bike and fitness coach, enhancing the cycling experience by helping you ride smarter, keeping track of your cycling accomplishments. Easy to install, the compact (3.2 oz) iBike Dash CC includes the “Smart Phone BoothTM” protective bicycle case with advanced electronics, a wireless bicycle sensor, and free iBike app with customizable bicycling and training tools, available from the iTunes App Store at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibike/id369550718?mt=8

The included iBike app shows you how to pace yourself, so that you have more than enough energy left for the last few miles. The app keeps a calendar of your weekly and monthly rides, making it easier to see if you’re improving.

Sounds pretty spiffy to us!



Schaeffer Mclean, sponsored skater

Just seven years old & bustin some serious moves already!

Well done Schaeffer :0)

May the 4th be with you...

Happy International Star Wars Day to you all!

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Hubble's 21st birthday...

A galactic rose highlights Hubble's 21st anniversary

(PhysOrg.com) -- In celebration of the 21st anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope’s deployment into space, astronomers pointed Hubble at an especially photogenic group of interacting galaxies called Arp 273.  How beautiful is that?!

Model Show

The South West Model Engineering,

Model Making and Hobbies Exhibition

@ The Royal Bath & West Show Ground, Shepton Mallet

Saturday 30th April 2011, 10am – 5pm

Sunday 1st May 2011, 10am – 5pm

Monday 2nd May 2011: 10am - 4pm

The 2011 South West Model Engineering, Model Making & Hobbies Exhibition will take place over the Royal Bank Holiday weekend from Saturday 30th April – 2nd May 2011. The organisers expect to see over 12,000 visitors over the new 3 day event.

We hope everyone enjoys a smashing show - visit the website for more details :0)

And here he is again!

Here's the latest video installment from Schaeffer Mclean, now a very impressive 7 years old & so much better at skating than me (& most other mortals) that I might cry...

Sorry we haven't been able to post much of late, but it has been sooooo busy

- not that we're complaining of course, but if we don't do some filing soon

we're going to disappear under mountains of paper... :0)

Happy weekend everyone!

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More action from Schaeffer Mclean, sponsored skater...

Now that Spring is finally here, maybe your family can get the living room back Schaeffer!

Unusual uses for bearings...

We always love it when we hear from customers using our bearings in applications that are slightly unusual & today we had the pleasure of chatting to Stan Jankowski.  Stan has ordered some of our stainless steel bearings for his custom-made weather vanes...

Aren't they just gorgeous?!  See more of Stan's work here.