Two years of Spoon Customs. Marked with CAT scan by Andrew Rumble.

I’ve just had a message from a customer (Andrew, IKB matt blue Izoard RR) who’s right now out in Briancon recovering from a nasty bang on the head. He’s a tall lad and chalets aren’t always made for us taller folk and it seems he’s hit a beam in a chalet. 

Andrew left Brighton this weekend - with his new Spoon Customs bike - to ride his Izoard RR up the very climb that gives it it’s name, on his journey to Nice to see the work of the artist that inspired the paint job. 

This morning when the news came in, I was midway through writing a post about our two year anniversary since launch and obviously reflecting on how lucky (and somewhat unbelievable) it feels that I’m still here, marking two years since we launched the Izoard RR to the public.

Weirder perhaps, is that yesterday (the day Andrew got put in the cat scanner at Briancon hospital) is the same day that three years ago I was being examined in the very same French cat scanner.

The first more tenuous date was 1st June Summer 2017. Approximately two years ago this month. It was a launch so I said a few words and at the time I recall telling everyone it felt like a celebration at the end of something when in reality it was just the start. The weight of expectation was heavy on my shoulders back then and it was scary. Excited, but I was near skint and completely terrified that this whole thing just wouldn’t work, surrounded by mates who’d come to see just one bicycle.

The year before, almost on this day, 23rd June 2016, I’d crashed my mountain bike at the Downhill Park in Monty. I was going too fast to not be paying attention and went over the bars after a jump, using my head and collar bone to abruptly slow my progress on a well placed rock. The result was an ambulance trip to the same hospital and an emergency brain scan to check I still had a brain in there, in presumably the same scanner. 

So what of it?

Well, it’s all a bit of an eye opener innit (sorry Andrew, that wasn’t a dig). Not because I’m overly concerned about our Andrew and his broken bonce (now I’ve heard he’s ok). Or because I’m overly superstitious about the confluence of these dates, but because all these events and the occasional set back (for different reasons) are really scary. 

At times running this business feels like - as a friend put it whilst chatting on the phone recently - like you’re running toward a brick wall, but you have to run hard enough so that you have enough energy to go through that brick wall when you get there.

Whether you’re doing stuff that makes you bang your head, or just running a business or dreaming about it, truth is, the time flies. None of us know when the orders stop coming or when we’re going to metaphorically or not need a cat scan or a staple or two in our heads to keep our business or personal worlds going round. And no one knows when the party stops - if that’s not too morbid a suggestion. 

Andrew’s having a rough day today and his trip hasn’t gone quite to plan this time, but he’s already messaged me to say he’s going back, and I can tell he’s already putting the mental plans in place now so he can be back out there completing his dream trip as very soon as he can. 

Maybe next time, the time will be right so I’m back home too, so we can ride it together.

All the love Andrew, and I hope you feel better real soon and aren’t too disappointed this time. Let’s stick a date in for September, and see what we can get both get done and where else we can adventure to in the meantime. 

And whether you’re reading this thinking of starting a project, business or chasing a dream don’t wait. Get on with it. We can’t plan everything, and you can’t predict the future or the outcome, but you absolutely can chase your dreams. And you can start now.

Thanks to Andrew, and please join me in wishing him all the best for a quick recovery. Thanks also to everyone that’s helped, supported, backed or bought something rad and supported what we’re trying to do here at our little bike company. You love, support and faith is always mind-blowing and always appreciated.