Tropical Heat in the Celtic Rainforest

Posted on May 27, 2012 by wheelist in Riding.

Last Friday I spent exploring new trails, in and around the Rhinogau (the Rhinog mountain range) to the west of Coed y Brenin, in an attempt to link up some familiar trails for some extended mountain bike guiding. The Rhinogs are often touted as the last wilderness in Wales – not many people walk here, […]

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Dyfi Enduro 2012

Posted on May 8, 2012 by wheelist in Riding.

Last weekend saw the 11th annual howies Dyfi Enduro. It’s the fastest selling ticket in the world of mountain biking (sold out in 62 minutes!) and given the epic nature of the ride, the attention to detail, the friendly atmosphere, and the free bar before the finish line, it’s a well deserved accolade. As ever […]

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And so ends Welsh Summer Time (WST)

Posted on March 31, 2012 by wheelist in Riding.

It’s official: as the sun goes down tonight it marks the end of Welsh Summer Time (WST) – that brief period (8 days this year) between the snowy wastes of last winter and the even snowier wastes of next winter (Easter). The forecasts are out and we can definitely expect to be back in sub-zero […]

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Heavy Traffic on the Commute Home

Posted on March 8, 2012 by wheelist in Riding.

Heavy traffic on the ride home from work this evening: 1 runner, 17 sheep, 2 squirrels and a woodcock. Unfortunately, by the time I’d stopped, got the camera out, and lined up a shot, the runner had jogged by, the sheep had wandered back into the fields, the squirrels had scarpered, and the woodcock had […]

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Muck spreader.

Posted on January 16, 2012 by wheelist in Riding.

So, I cried all the way to work this morning and, by the time I arrived, the tears were frozen to my face. That’s the last time I commute in January without glasses! On the plus side, I managed to slipsteam a tractor towing a muck spreader on the final climb out of Ganllwyd. It […]

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Tinker time. Ride time.

Posted on January 13, 2012 by wheelist in Riding.

Okay, so in a previous post I said that my new bike had arrived and posted a picture of said bike. Well, for the purposes of accuracy and honesty, I should point out the bike in the picture wasn’t actually my new bike. Rather it was the extra large size model we’ve just got in […]

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Ark at that wind!

Posted on January 3, 2012 by wheelist in Riding.

If this weather keeps up I’m fitting a mast and sails to the bike. I figure it’ll be a nice addition to the hull I fitted last week.

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Happy New Year – Happy New Bike!

Posted on December 31, 2011 by wheelist in Riding.

The sun is shining at Coed y Brenin! Well, actually, it’s still raining, and the mountains are barely visible through a thick cloud of hanging water, but my shiny new Specialized Camber Comp 29er has arrived at the shop so it feels like the sun is shining anyway!

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Very Low Altitude Weather

Posted on November 21, 2011 by wheelist in Riding.

It’s a beautiful day today. The sun is shining and the sky is blue. At least it was when I set off from up the mountain. Unfortunately, a few hundred feet lower riding along the valley floor, there’s all this V.L.A.W. (Very Low Altitude Weather) to ride through. Thankfully there’s a massive climb coming. Joy.

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Sheep can jump.

Posted on November 17, 2011 by wheelist in Riding.

On today’s commute to/from the shop I arrived at a number of scientific and not-so-scientific conclusions: 1. Watching David Attenborough’s Frozen Planet isn’t good mental preparation for a frosty morning commute in the Welsh hills – the sweat produced whilst wearing 8 layers of synthetic fibre pushes Goretex’s breathability to its limit. 2. Cadair Idris […]

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