Real World Riding

Into alpine prep between work now - last week was a great example:
Friday - Rest Day
Saturday - 9:30 to 4pm non-stop loops of Glencoe getting some downhill mileage in
Sunday - Cairngorms; Cairngorm and Ben MacDui loop getting in some climbs and mountain Gnarr.
Monday to Thursday - rest day and then strength training and cardio days
Friday - 110km witb 1000m ascent on the tourer - getting some endurance work in and long days
Saturday and Sunday - DIY
Monday Strength training again

Weeks of this getting in some big days and multiple big days will be the core of my weeks as we approach September.

In the meantime, the doors are open for coaching and guiding in-between - the more riding the merrier!!

Oh Ben Macdui!! - so good it only needed to be named once 🤣

Ridden and guided this Scottish Mammoth from the Braemar side numerous times, but never before from the Aviemore side; until now.

I won't kid you that there was no pushing up vehicle tracks through the Cairngorm Ski Centre, no carrying through boulder fields or up onto Coire an't Sneachda, but I will tell you that it was all totally worth it, especially turning down toward Coire an Lochain. The descent down to the valley floor was epic as the little snip of Jsmes eill show ypu, smd it finished on a fast and flowy trail down to the finish back at the ski centre.

Shout out to the two ebikers trying the route - they certainly had a better time getting to the summit of Cairngorm, but I think we held our own on the carrying sectioms 😉

Another awesome day of prep for the alps with who was flying again.

Quality day at today - blissfully cool in this third UK heatwave.

There's been a lot of investment in these trails, and they are running really well.

We didn't head up on to the plateau to try the Enduro trails today as the views were 'limited', so there's another excuse to come another time - leaving us to blast the red DH trail all day.

I did find that my newly restored rear shock behaved much better when it wasn't set to 'firm'; note to self to check the details.

Let's hear it for North Third!!

Hot and sweaty with high humidity as the next weather system prepared for wetness up above Stirling today.

The atmosphere is always amazing up on this lovely ridge-line trail which weaves it's way along the edges and through the forest; you are so often genuinely riding on the edge on this trail.

Thanks to the local trail crew who contjnue to maintain and develop the trails - the three jump lines have been rebuilt after the clear-fell, but the absolute crown has to be the amazing last half of the clifftop trail as it flows amazingly toward the end of the clifftops - you can't help but finish grinning ear to ear. Amazing.

Oh Aberfoyle!!! - little village that packs a punch.

Todays wind (and smyrr it turns out) dodging trip was to the steep and slippy mecca of sleepy Aberfoyle in the Trossachs.

Some of the trails have definitely seen a lot of water in the last year or two - lots of big drops into slippy cobbled singletrack as the mud has been washed out, but there is a lot of gold in them there hills.

Possibly the worst bit about Aberfoyle is that when you get back to the van, there are so many tempting eateries and take-outs to choose from - hot pies direct from the butcher, durty fries, or just a traditional ice-cream, and everything in-between.

Over the last few years Aberfoyle has rightly gained popularity as its alter-ego Gravelfoyle as it sits within a massive gravel trail system within the Queen Elizabeth Forest with waymarked trails and some hefty events throughout the year, but give it a moment and in-amongst the skinny wheels and lycra, every so often you'll find a mud-splattered wide eyed survivor of the other side of riding here.

I have to say that some of my favourite steep techy rooty and downright slidy trails are up there above the village, and I rode most of them today.

PS - this was upping the ante for the new beast, and it definitely passed with flying (or sliding) colours.

Also had a sneaky peek at the new bike park being built - can't wait to see the finished article; the last one was great.

See you on the trails folks - maybe these ones sometime?!

Todays "dodge the wind" mtb escapade was a blast up the local mini-mountain Dumyat, and back down into Uni woods for a poke about to see what's what.

Amazingly dry considering all the rain we've had of late; almost hero dirt, but with an edge of slidy to it in the woods to keep you concentrating.

Photos don't show wind, but there was a lot of it up there!

Still getting used to the new beast, but I can feel the difference already on the steep rooty stuff.

I head off Dumyat so often in random directions it was actually nice to take the normal route down over witches craig for once - for a small hill it really does have a lot of character though.

Hope you're finding a way around tbe truly random weather we're having at the moment. See you on the trails (and maybe in the woods).

What is Real World Riding and what can we do for you?

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See you in the trails!

The beast is dead, long live the beast!!

Bit random - celebrating the Trek Slash I've been running as my bigger bike for guiding and coaching for the last few years as it retires and is replaced by a new (to me) frame - a classic Mega 29.

Having a second bike when you're working can be a godsend if you have a significant mechanical on a trip, and so I've made a point of keeping a classic about.

The Trek's last trip was the recent utter gnarr-fest trip to the Alpujarras (pics n vids to come) but it was starting to show its age - it's had a good life.

Hopefully it'll make someone a great cheap first full-suss, and now - lots of Mega jokes.

So proving day today - taking the mega to my local trail centre at Canada Woods in Falkirk for a wee spin - nothing too poky but some good trail to bed everything in and play with the new suspension. +1 for the local bike trail.centre.

While I'm handing out kudos, then +100 to my local bike shop for fixing my unfixable shock - thanks so much to the team for an amazing job.

Now its tested, need some plans for a 'christening' somewhere big, gnarly and steep.......

If you're still about over the summer and want a big adventure or to upgrade your skills - get in touch to arrange a free consultation - I'll be here 'till September!

See you on the trails folks!



some photos courtesy of

Bit of spannering this weekend - somethjng tells me that crankset aint coming off (that's an 8mm hex btw) 🤣🤣