My Dales Divide kit list was definitely overpacked – a full bivvy, sleeping bag & pad is little overkill for the sake of two hours sleep when trying to compete on the front of a bike race. Truth be told, this was my first ever ultra-distance race & I hadn’t expected to find myself so…
All Points North is predominantly road racing, in some of the more rural parts of Northern England. At 1’000km, the fast riders would be aiming to finish in 48hours, meaning an all points north kit list needs to factor in night riding & very little sleep. All North 2021 was held in September, where the…
We planned to do the Cairngorms Loop at a leisurely pace, over a 3 day bank holiday weekend in May. My Cairngorms loop kit list needed to carry equipment for cooking, & camping in temperatures close to zero. The Cairngorms national park ranges from 650m to 1300m, with the highest point on the loop being…
I rode the Badger Divide in May – this is the best time to do anything in the Scottish highlands; period. The days are warm enough & nights are cool enough to keep the midge away. General rule is to expect 4 seasons in the same day in Scotland – so my Badger Divide kit…
I rode the Lakeland 200 during the Covid summer of 2020. I was still figuring out what I needed & didn’t for bikepacking trips. Some might say my Lakeland 200 kit list was overkill for a summer night in the UK, as I write this years late, I’d agree! At the time however, I didn’t…
October in the Pyrenees would see equal amount of darkness and daylight – which means my TransPyrenees kit list & bike set up needed to consider riding at night. Given the mountainous terrain, it will also be cold both in the evenings & on the descents. Bike – As a 5ft8 rider, my Ribble is…
I wanted to share some first-hand detailed insight into TPRNo2 from the perspective of someone relatively new to the ultra-distance racing world. This post will discuss problems I had to solve pre-race; logistics, route planning, kit & bike choice & route planning. I’ll also share my thoughts on my race in general & a few…
I do these events & races as it allows me to see more of the world, these rides take me off the beaten track & to places I’d probably never otherwise visit. The Veneto Trail was another example of that; another awesome adventure in a beautiful art of the world. Logistically it was easy. Rail…
I’d categorise the Veneto trail as a bikepacking trip, where I was prioritising comfortable & sufficient night’s sleep, rather than riding all night. As such, my Veneto Trail kit list had a few extra home comforts – more than I’d carry on a race – but not as much as I’d carry on a longer…
I’m relatively new to world of cycling & ultra-distance, I’m learning all the time, however understanding the effect of bike position has been revolutionary for me. I wanted to write this post to share a couple of things I learned about bike position during 2022 & how you can get the perfect bike position for…
I thought I’d share some thoughts on some different sleep systems for ultra-distance racing, touring and bikepacking. I’ll start this post with the age-old classic caveat of ‘it depends’! Each event/race/trip brings with it different challenges & considerations, so here is no right & wrong answer. Very helpful! 2023 hasn’t been about racing, or really…
The Veneto Trail is a 500km unsupported bikepacking adventure through the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Starting in Cittadella, the off road loop takes in the spectacular views & trails of the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park. I came to the Dolomites a few years ago when touring across the Alps – It rained the entire…
The Badger Divide is a 340km bikepacking route between Inverness & Glasgow in the Scottish Highlands. Stuart Allan is the brainchild behind it, taking inspiration from the famous Baja Divide in Mexicali. May is undoubtedly the best time to ride in Scotland, after the cold & wet winter, but before the heat & midge season…
All Points North 2021 was the first ultra-distance race I had completed, so I’m not sure if it was the lure of a local race or if it was because I wanted to finish stronger than last year. Either way, as soon as registrations opened, I knew I wanted to attempt the All Points North…
The Hope 1000 is a non-stop mountain bike ride of 1000km across the Switzerland. The route itself is fixed. From Romanshorn to Montreux, it is quite simply a masterpiece, taking in iconic climbs & astonishing views of the Swiss Alps. There is no entry fee, no outside support, no prize money & the quote Willi…
The Trans Pyrenees is a self-supported ultra-distance race organised by Lost Dot, the team behind the famous Transcontinental Race. My Trans Pyrenees race report is from the second edition of the race, TPRNo2, originally schedule for the autumn of 2020 which took place at the end of September 2022. Starting in St Jean De Luz…
I’ve had a bit of an epiphany regarding ultra-distance riding & racing. So far in 2022 I’ve entered two races; the Dales Divide & All Points North – both resulting in DNFs. I should be disappointed, yet I only feel acceptance. This epiphany I’ve had is more a moment of acceptance, realising that I’m still…
Inspired by Huw Oliver’s film at Kendal Mountain Film Festival, Amy & I agreed there and then we needed to go bikepacking the Cairngorms Loop. There’s this really magical period in the UK around late April/early May where the trails are dry but not overgrown, the days are warm, with over 12 hours of daylight…
I really want to talk about dealing with setbacks; as with any endeavour in life, setbacks will happen – it’s inevitable & totally unavoidable – the only thing that matters is your response. Setbacks come in many forms; illness, injury, life events, work, bike malfunctions etc. Luckily I haven’t had any major setbacks as I…
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 10 things I learnt from my debut year in ultra-distance cycling, which I wish I knew before I…