Here's a change from the usual misc photos and contest press releases. 10 questions with Mark Noble. Hopefully I will try and get more stuff like this in the future. This post was one off being post number 666 on this site!

1. How many photos roughly, do you think you look through each month?
Enough to fill a medium sized cardboard box - this is how we file the new issue. Each article has a large envelope with everything in it, and the box is then full of envelopes - looks a little old-school, but it works! These days though, more and more photos come in on disc - as old fashioned as it sounds, I still like looking at colour slides on the lightbox and a nice contrasty large B/W print with rebates in place.

2. Do you still ride much?
I try to. We have a ramp in the office, which I'm really into - nice and simple 4ft mini - but often it's covered in product stuff, and it doubles up as our photo studio area. Right this moment it's covered in new point-of-sale mag boxes which Joel and Chris are hand-screening for the bike and skate shops that sell the magazines, so it's not ridable every day. I'm really into my friend's local trails, really nice scene there - need to make more time to ride those as well... I'd like to ride more than I do to be honest!

3. Issue 100 is not far off, got any big plans or is it top secret?
We'd better start scanning in all 100 covers! That's all I can let out the bag right now...

4. A tough one, but favourite riding photo of all time?
Damn! I don't know... Out of my own photos, one that comes to mind immediately is a b/w shot of Jason Davies doing a no-handed disaster on our old local outdoor midi ramp in the early 90s; I shot it shot silhouette style straight into the sunset, he's wearing a cowboy leather jacket with full-on tassels on the arms, totally spread out... Nice. B/W rules. Out of other people's photos, maybe the cover of the first BMX Action I got from summer 1982; a pack of pros blasting into a flat turn, feet out, awesome. But there are so many amazing photos...

5. Anything you would like to do with the mag but can't because of technical restrictions?
Technically, the world is our oyster - it's just budget restrictions more than anything that holds us back. Our printer can do pretty much anything, it's just a case of whether we can afford to! Otherwise, we could have 260gsm embossed covers with foil blocking, die-cuts, eleven colour printing, spot varnish, fold outs, metallic inks, neon inks, the whole shooting match. Right now, I think we're doing great, with what we have in terms of production qualities. Not many people know that we use stochastic screening for our printing, for a start.

6. There must be some desirable parts kicking round the 4130HQ, what's the most treasured item?
Hmm... We have a ton of old-school parts, new parts, BMX magazines that are filed and go back to 1982, BMX photos that go back to 1981 - so it's hard to pick. I don't know really, maybe... A pair of Oakley 3s still in the packet? An extra large BMX Action magazine sticker? Something daft like that maybe.

7. Being so involved with BMX day to day, what other stuff are you into to as an escape?
Just riding, really. Riding with my young sons and watching them learn, riding on my own, riding with whoever locally. Aside from BMX, it's the usual stuff - keeping the home together, family stuff, that sort of thing...

8. Biggest misconception of Ride magazine?
That we're some sort of untouchable unapproachable corporation? People always seem surprised when they visit the offices anyway - whatever they were expecting, it's not. Sometimes they expect a big flash office, sometimes they expect a tiny run-down place, either way people always seem surprised when they visit 4130 towers. Well, we do what we can... I wish it was bigger and flasher, that's for sure! Or at least, tidier.

9. Ever thought about doing a downloadable version of issue 1, there must be a lot of people who would like to check it out.
Watch this space! (Personally, I don't like looking at our old magazines though. It's almost a little embarrassing at times...)

10. B&W, 35mm slide, medium format or digital?
Digital for sheer convenience.
B/W for art.
Medium format for pin sharpness.
35mm slide for that good old fashioned Velvia feeling...

Cheers to Mark for taking the time out to answer these. Keep up to date with all the latest at the Ride Blog