Wheels-Near-U blog

James May is an award winning journalist best known for presenting Top Gear, alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond. Once a week he writes a column in the motoring section of The Daily Telegraph.

Nicknamed Captain slow for his laid back approach to track racing, he is one of the few people that has been able to take a Bugatti Veyron to its maximum speed of nearly 253mph (one third the speed of sound.)

James May and Jeremy Clarkson were the first people (aided by a small Icelandic support crew) to drive to the Magnetic North Pole in a customised Toyota pickup truck. James was also, according to Jeremy - “the first man to reach the Magnetic North Pole who didn’t really want to go there in the first place.”

Heres some of his classic James May Motoring quotes:

“He’s not sure whether he’s driving, or in a branch of Dixons.” - Honda S2000

“What’s the Norwegian for “Oh, cock”?“

“I’ve just noticed, looking though these results, that ten of the thirteen bottom cars are French.” - Top Gear Survey

“Would the Element be a car for people who like hip-hop, or for people waiting for a hip-op?” - Honda Element

“Actually, this is why it’s called the F360, this model. You drive along and you go ‘ffffffff’ and you do a 360!” - Ferrari F360 handling

For our next instalment of Wheels of the world we turn our attention to Mountain Biking. Far from the standard push bike or road bike, mountain bikes and trials bikes are a completely different breed of bike.

FreeRide is a form of mountain biking that entails riding off huge cliff faces and other protruding objects, followed by a descent down a steep surface. This video highlights some of the more extreme Freeriders of the world as they seemingly defy gravity and ride off to tell the tale! - Free Ride Mountain Bike Jumps - Includes a double backflip on a mountain bike, canyon jumping and more!

Downhill Mountain Biking - This video shows a downhill mountain biking track done at speed by a professional rider

That’s it for this Mountain Biking instalment of Wheels of the World

Richard Hammond - Presenter of Top Gear on BBC - nicknamed “Hamster” by his co-hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May is this weeks Motor Critic of the Week.

Born in Birmingham Richard has been in tv and radio for years, as well as Top Gear he also co-hosts the live annual motor show (MPH) held at Earls Court and the Birmingham NEC with Jeremy Clarkson and Tiff Needell (Fifth Gear) and presents the show ‘Brainaic: Science Abuse’.

You may also read his weekly column covering motor related topics, which can be found in the motoring section of the Daily Mirror (Fridays.)

He sustained a serious brain injury in September 2006, in a high speed crash at 288 mph but has since made a full recovery, coming back on air for a top gear episode just 4 months later!

Ever the committed Journalist, comic quoter and general good bloke - Richard Hammond - Motor Critic of the Week - here’s some of his classic quotes:

“the Hyundai Accent, which is wretched, whatever engine it has, but we were particularly depressed with three-cylinder diesel version. It really is less fun than drowning!” - Hyundai Accent

“The last time I saw plastic like this it contained Tic-Tacs.” - American Car Dashboard

“Understeer works like this: [moving a model of a Ford Focus] you drive down the road, turn the wheel, but the car goes straight on, crashes into a tree and you die. Oversteer works like this: [moving a model of a BMW series 3] you drive down the same bit of road, turn the wheel, but the back of the car comes round like this [showing how the car does a 180], and you go off the road, crash into a tree and you die. Now, oversteer is best, because you don’t see the tree that kills you.” - Understeer and Oversteer

“My life is now in the hands of A-level physics.” - Sitting in a car in Germany, waiting to be struck by lightening

“Don’t forget, she was only half a second a mile behind you, and she was in this van.” - Mocking Jeremy Clarkson’s lap of the Nürburgring.