2021 challenged me in a lot of ways; injuries & Covid cancellations mainly. However disappointment is only a disappointment if you allow it to be so – really its an opportunity to learn, develop & grow. Here’s 9 things I learnt from my debut year in ultra-distance cycling, which I wish I knew before I…
Intro All Points North 2021 is a self-supported, ultra-distance, endurance race. It’s a really unique race in that there isn’t a set route – there isn’t even a set direction! The only criteria is you must ride to each of the 10 checkpoints, which are dotted – not very evenly – around the north of…
Intro The Dales Divide is a 600km coast to coast (and back again!) off-road bikepacking adventure through the Yorkshire Dales & North Yorkshire Moors. It follows quiet back lanes, smooth gravel tracks rough hardpack field crossings & unforgiving rough-stuff bridleways – all the while taking in some of the finest Yorkshire vistas. This blog has…
As daft as it sounds, riding long distances is not how I’m training for ultra-endurance cycling. You probably read my first diaries of an aspiring ultra-cyclist post & were left wondering ‘how on earth is a moderately fit recreational cyclist going to turn himself into an ultra-distance endurance cyclist? Surely he must be spending every…
Welcome to the diaries of an aspiring ultra-cyclist, a first-hand documentary of my journey towards becoming an ultra-cyclist – or should I say, attempting to! It’s a bold statement to call yourself any kind of athlete, let along an ultra-distance athlete. That status is reserved exclusively for those who have successfully completed an ultra-event. Period….
“Now, this is a story all about how my life got flipped-turned upside down…” Hey everyone, It’s been a while since I posted here! I hope you’re all well, that you’ve managed to maintain some sort of sanity & wellbeing and here’s hoping for much more positive year! So… 2020, the year of roaming home….
Injuries, an inevitable art of living an active lifestyle. The subtle art of slowing down isn’t really an art, more an enforced mundanity that absolutely no-one enjoys. 2020 was a year that meant taking every opportunity to get outside, before Boris changed his mind about restrictions – again! I rely on exercise for physical wellbeing,…
What better way to change the tune of monotony than an exhilarating weekend of scrambling in Snowdonia! Over the last few weeks I’ve found myself feeling dull & routinely, needing some time away, a break from this new ‘normality’. Craving time off the beaten track, up in the mountains where the only thing that matters…
This summer has been a strange one. Trying to live adventurously amidst a global health crisis has had its challenges. Not knowing when, if, or how far we will be able to travel has put a number of constraints on how we pursue adventure. It hasn’t been easy. The midweek microadventure has been my answer….
The number one question I get asked in response to bikepacking posts on social media is ‘what do I pack for a bikepacking trip?’. When I think about packing for a bikepacking trip, the answer is not just as simple as ‘take your usual bike riding kit + camping kit’, how you pack it is…
The next chapter in my roam home series this summer was bikepacking the Lakeland 200. Branded as a rite of passage for Lake District mountain bikers, it’s a fiendish 200km loop that has just about everything, from quiet back lanes, smooth gravel, technical climbs, bog slog, high mountain passes & super fun singletrack. The route…
Straight off bikepacking the spine of England along the Pennine Bridleway, what better way to continue my summer of UK exploration than to jump straight back on the bike & set off bikepacking the Yorkshire Dales 300?! In all honesty, I told myself on Sunday evening on the way home from the Pennine Bridleway I…
2020 is looking like the year of roaming home. With restrictions being gradually lifted, multi-day bicycle trips are back on the agenda – first up, bikepacking the Pennine Bridleway. Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic this summer, I’m swapping a ‘round the world bike tour’ for a summer of UK exploration – it’s a good thing the…
Embrace, adapt, overcome. Life under lockdown is um… novel. After the initial carnage of people panic buying three thousand toilet rolls each & stockpiling a million tonnes of pasta, it seems we are finally settling into some kind of new normality – if it can ever be called that! First of all, I hope all…
Last minute, spontaneous plans are always the best. I mean who doesn’t love getting a text on a Monday morning suggesting taking Friday off & heading north for a 3-day ski weekend in the Scottish Highlands?! Life has been hectic of late. Balancing training for 2020 goals, planning an 18-month career break, saving for an…
I can’t say I’m one for routine, nor I am the biggest fan of winter. The wind, rain & unpleasant forecasts often get the better of me. So how does someone who likes neither of those things find the motivation for outdoor winter training? Quite simply, I like to have something to look forward to…
Winter is a slow time of year for me. I spend the cold & dark months saving my pennies, yearning for endless summer nights filled with warmth and adventure. I find it hard to stay motivated in winter & I find it easy to say no. The perpetual cold and dark weather makes it hard…
Aside from some exciting adventure plans, one of my personal goals for 2020 is all about saying yes more. Saying yes to more adventures, fresh challenges and new opportunities. As someone with multiple hobbies, I quite often let the weather dictate my plans. This means last minute plans, late changes and often a lack of…
Over the last two years, cycling has had a hugely positive effect on my life. It’s become influential in the way I live each day of my life – almost to the point of obsession. Given cycling will be dominating the latter part of my 2020 plans, I thought I’d write this post to explain…
So I probably couldn’t have picked a darker, colder, wetter time of year to head out on a 3-day adventure, winter bikepacking in the Scottish borders. After a pretty hectic end to year, I set out with the sole intention of addressing my work/bike balance. I ride to work every day, but work a lot…