What can I say? I love mountains, I love mountain biking, and I’m starting to get into this personal fitness thing. So, based on that, this holiday could only be a great thing. Despite all the training I threw myself at, the trip was physically very very tough. Quite possibly toughest physical exercise I’ve ever done. Rubbed in by the fact that everyone around me was much fitter. Still, I feel pretty proud of what I achieved. We covered over 534km in total, with a cumulative elevation gain of 11,096 metres. This was the third trip for Christian and some…
I’ve just found out that the 5 guys I’m with are studying physical education to a degree level. 2 of them are spinning coaches! What have I let myself in for?
Went for an ‘easy warm up’ ride. 22km with a 642 metre climb nearly killed me. Scary fast, but fun, decent followed by some flowing single track was my reward.
Great service & flight from British Airways. Met Christian & chums in Munich before getting the train to the stunning mountain village of Bayrischzell in the alps where we will spend the night.
The crossing of Spain and Portugal will have to wait. A few weeks ago I was chatting on Skype with a German friend of mine when he invited me to join him on his trans alps cycle ride that they do every year. Honoured to be invited (last year I think Christian was of the impression that I wasn’t up to the job, but my Madrid to Valencia ride might have gone some way to convincing him otherwise) I set about finding out if it was a possibility. I now have the time off work arranged, flights booked and I…
The words Nurburgring and Nordschleife will set the blood of any proper car enthusiast flowing. This place is motor sport Mecca and I had the pleasure of taking my first petrol head pilgrimage to the place with Niki and a whole load of his Lotus chums. I received an email from him in June asking if I’d be interested in joining him for a long weekend in August. I didn’t have to think twice about that one, even though I knew it would only be as a passenger. Once I´d got the OK from both bosses I was set to…
Espe and I had the pleasure of visiting Mats and Tasja in Berlin. They have a wonderful flat just North of the old GDR center. We were put up and fed for the full four days, so a huge thanks for that. Friday night, due to our late arrival we sat down for Dinner prepared by Tasja. After a great feed, loads of catching up and a few too many glasses of wine we retired to bed. Come Saturday, the weather was not too accommodating with minus temperatures, driving wind and constant snow. We headed down to Potsdamer Platz to…