I am not big on hocking holiday gift ideas as much as other publications seem to be (they gotta earn that affiliate money, I suppose), but I will give a shout out to my fellow moto-journalist and Pikes Peak record-holder Rennie Scaysbrook, who just wrote his first book: The Big Book of Motorbikes.
We are super proud of what he created, and what he is trying to do in terms of getting kids to ride motorcycles. Nice one, Rennie – you magnificent bastard, you.
This video of Rennie Scaysbrook (resident fast man at Cycle News) racing at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is insane and must be watched, as his Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory summits in a time of 9:44.963.
This video showcases what it takes to set a new Heavyweight motorcycle record and the fastest time ever for a motorcycle at the iconic Race to the Clouds.
Be sure to watch all the way to the end though, because Rennie’s elation at finishing the race in record time is easily worth the price of admission.
The 97th edition of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has finished for the motorcycle riders, and with it comes a new outright two-wheeled record at the iconic race.
Rennie Scaysbrook took the heavyweight class win, and along the way (we interviewed Rennie on the MOTR Podcast just a few weeks before the race), he pushed the outright motorcycle record at Pikes Peak to 9:44.963 on his Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory.
In Episode 6 of the MOTR Podcast, I sit down with Rennie Scaysbrook, the road test editor at Cycle News magazine, and also one of this year’s competitors at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
In this short show, Rennie and I discuss what it is like to ride on “America’s Mountain” and what goes into creating a successful Pikes Peak racing program.
The 97th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb might be still five and a half months away, but things are already looking very interesting for the road race above the clouds.
This is because the entry list for the 2019 PPIHC is out, and it contains more than a few curious motorcycle entries that have piqued (peaked?) or interest.
Today saw the 96th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, with riders and drivers once again racing to the clouds, just outside Colorado Springs.
This year’s race was framed as Ducati vs. KTM, with the Australian claiming the outright record at Pikes Peak, after Chris Fillmore took his KTM 1290 Super Duke R up to the summit in 9:49.625.
Looking to reclaim its crown, Ducati came back to Pikes Peak after a short hiatus, enlisting the help of Carlin Dunne (of A&R fame) and Codie Vahsholtz.
The duo would square off against Cycle News test editor Rennie Scaysbrook, who would ride again on his KTM 1290 Super Duke R, while Chris Fillmore would take on the middleweight class with a KTM 790 Duke, in a quest to post a sub-10 minute time on the smaller bike.
With the 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb framed as one of the most exciting in recent memory, the event surely didn’t disappoint.
There is no place like it anywhere in the world.
A jewel in the Centennial State’s crown, Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain, towers over Colorado Springs like a matriarch. It is a natural representation of America itself – big, beautiful, bold, and intimidating.
The mountain, almost mystical in its presence, serves not only as a source of local pride, but of speed.
For one day every year, the mountain’s tourist road transforms to one of the world’s most daunting racetracks—156 corners, 12.42 miles of adrenalin-charged terror as men and women blast up the side of the mountain as fast as they dare, finishing some 14,115 feet above sea level.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, scheduled for June 24, 2018, is one of the most dangerous races on the planet. No run offs, no gravel traps. It’s just you, your machine and a mountain getting steeper by the second.
There is no race like it anywhere in the world.
Today we are announcing the third podcast that Asphalt & Rubber is involved with, the Motorcycles on the Record Podcast…or as we like to call it: the MOTR Podcast.
The concept is pretty simple, as the MOTR Podcast is designed to compliment our popular Two Enthusiasts Podcast production. For those who don’t listen to it aleady, on the Two Enthusiasts Podcast, myself and co-host Quentin Wilson take an outside perspective on what is happening in the motorcycle industry.
So, to contrast that with the MOTR Podcast, this new show will provide an insider’s view of what’s going on in motorcycles, with a focus on interviews and discussions with the industry’s leading figures.
We will loosely be publishing shows on a weekly basis, with yours truly on the mics as I pop from one industry event to the next, and steal time with various motorcycle experts.
To jump right into it, we already have a show for you to sink your teeth into, straight from Spain and the Ducati Panigale V4 S press launch.
In this Episode 1, I sit down with motorcycle journalists Adam Waheed (freelance) and Rennie Scaysbrook (Cycle News), after a fun day of riding Ducati’s new flagship superbike around the Valencia circuit.
Talking about the new Panigale V4, we give our riding impressions of the new Ducati, which we all agreed was a potent track weapon. We don’t agree on everything though, and the back-and-forth between this gathering of journalists is pretty interesting.
To get our full opinions on the new Ducati Panigale V4 you can read my review here on Asphalt & Rubber, as well as Adam’s reviews on Ride Apart & Sports Bike Inc., and Rennie’s review on Cycle News.
You can find the latest episodes of the MOTR Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, SoundCloud, or via your RSS feed, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well.
If you’re not already, you should also listen to our sister podcasts, the Two Enthusiasts Podcast and The Paddock Pass Podcast.
The old adage in racing is that you get slower once you have a child. Being from Australia and all, I don’t think our friend Rennie Scaysbrook (of Cycle News fame) got that memo.
Just days before he would head off to Colorado for the 95th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Rennie and his wife Annabelle gave birth to their first child, Harvey James Scaysbrook.
Having just joined the noble ranks of fatherhood, it would be a short introduction, as Rennie would have to leave Baby Harvey right away and compete in the 95th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
For his work on the mountain, Rennie joined an exclusive club of a different kind, posting a solid 9:57.712 time on his 2017 KTM 1290 Super Duke R – thus becoming one of just a few motorcyclists who have broken the 10-minute barrier at the Race to the Clouds.
With that time, Rennie was the second-fastest man on a motorcycle at Pikes Peak this year *cough* first loser! *cough*, as his teammate and Pikes Peak rookie, Chris Fillmore, would go on to break the standing motorcycle record with an even more impressive 9:49.625 time.
We already showed you Fillmore’s lap, but we think Rennie’s give a better perspective of what it is like to race up the 156 turns of Pikes Peak.
As an aside, we were pretty stoked to see Rennie break the 10-minute mark at Pikes Peak this year, and of course the A&R team gives a big congratulations to the Scaysbrooks for their bouncing baby boy. Let’s hope he gets his racing skills from Dad, but his looks from Mom!
