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.
Tomorrow, I set off for London before flying to Munich. The Trans Alp trip I talked about previously is upon me. I’m feeling pretty fit after six weeks of pretty hardcore training, by my standards at least: Circuit training, spinning classes, gym sessions, swimming and core / back workouts all part of the weekly routine. I never had myself down as a gym person, but with the right motivation, I’ve really made the most of it. That said, I’m still daunted by the task ahead. Seven days of riding through the Alps with several very fit German Trans Alp veterans…
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…
I’m getting more and more into my mountain biking, and spend a lot of time thinking when and where I will go next. I’ve just returned from the centro joventud (still got a few weeks before I hit 30) in Alaquas where I was trawling through all their mountain biking and trekking route guides. While there I discovered the GR10, one of many of a network of trails all over the country. This particular trail, also part of the European E7, works its way from Med coast near Valencia to the Atlantic in Portugal taking in some pretty stunning scenery…
Well, I said I’d do it, and despite numerous people telling me that I was crazy, I did. After four or five days in Madrid catching up with people (including this unlikely rif raf pictured below), playing far too much GTA IV on Jon’s PS3 and stocking up on Maps at the wonderful Tienda Verde, I set off in the general direction of Valencia. Day 1: Arganda del Rey to Algarga Distance: 59km Highest Point: 760m Lowest Point: 550m I had no maps for the first part of the journey as I’d found much talk on t’interweb of this Via…
A good friend from childhood coffee mornings / Halfords / faffing about with cars came over to visit me in Bristol the weekend before last. As someone who was always into mountain biking we jumped onto the bikes and headed up into Ashton Court and Leigh Woods to have a go on the purpose built trails. Halfway up the hill to Ashton Court I realised that I’d forgotten my helmet and my gloves and I remember thinking, today will typically be the day I need them. We were blessed with beautiful weather and the trails were the driest I’ve seen…