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    Storm Ali and a Rally!!
    Phill, chief cake taster
    • Oct 26, 2018
    • 1 min

    Storm Ali and a Rally!!

    In early October, we were hit the first big storm of the autumn, Storm Ali. Whilst she didnt bring too much rain, there was a vicious westerly that many riders on the TCW have felt over the years. Day two from Rhayader to Llangurig is the most affected, and slows the ride down at times to standstill, and saps your energy in the process. The Wales Rally GB was also in mid Wales, and would be flying through Tarenig Forest during Saturday. How inconsiderate! So with all of this
    33 views0 comments
    Not as dry as Ibiza... or as flat as Holland!
    Phill, chief cake taster
    • Oct 25, 2018
    • 1 min

    Not as dry as Ibiza... or as flat as Holland!

    That was the summary from Thomas, born and bred on Ibiza now residing in Harlem, Holland. Thomas is Polly's younger brother, far left in the picture below modelling a fine Addict jacket from our Madison collection. He's never really needed a coat for riding his bike on Ibiza, so this was quite a new addition. When it came to riding through water, that was a whole new experience too, and one that he revelled in!! It was such a pleasure to have Thomas join us in late September,
    40 views0 comments
    Storm Callum, is that all you got?
    Phill, chief cake taster
    • Oct 25, 2018
    • 1 min

    Storm Callum, is that all you got?

    The Black Mountains of mid Wales looked more like the west coast of the Us after a hurricane had passed through. Did it stop play, did it hell!! We braved the weather and made our way over and around Waun Fach, at times resembling a scene from Mary Poppins as we floated through the air with the bike!!! Sunday was a much calmer affair, the Gap loop was awsome, and the sun even came out to play!! Thanks to the crew for an awesome weekend! #mtb #breconbeacons #blackmountains #wa
    26 views0 comments
    And action...
    Phill, chief cake taster
    • Sep 14, 2018
    • 1 min

    And action...

    There were a few aspirant movie stars for our first TCW in July. Joby from Newson Media in Llanidloes joined us at various point to produce a short story about riding the TCW. The result? Absolutely fantastic!!! Joby also filmed it in real time while we got on with the job of guiding, Joby would then appear, or not with just a drone above, along the route over the three days. This route planning was done using a meticulous, in depth planning meeting of just 5 mins before we d
    24 views0 comments
    The heat wave continues...
    Phill, chief cake taster
    • Sep 14, 2018
    • 1 min

    The heat wave continues...

    Our last weekend of a very busy and crazy June was a TCW under a blanket of blue skies. Mid Wales looked more like spanish mountainside in a drought. When the conditions have been this dry for so long, the ground is rock hard meaning we travel that bit quicker, in fact, a lot quicker! The fast rolling conditions meant we finished on average 35-50 mins earlier each day over 4 TCW weekends. Great if you want to finish early, not so for tired legs!! #transcambrian #wales #mtbwal
    30 views0 comments
    Not a bad spot...
    Phill, chief cake taster
    • Jun 21, 2018
    • 1 min

    Not a bad spot...

    In mid June we had a double header with both me and Polly out guiding the Trans Cambrian. We thought the two groups would be spaced far and wide, and would only gather in the evening for a beer and a chat about the days riding. Not a hope! Everyone was so equally matched on pace, that we found is very difficult not to gather, and only on day three did we manage some space, until lunch that was, and I was gifted this photo of everyone hunkered down enjoy one Liz's packed lunch
    51 views0 comments
    Will it rain again in June? Of course it will, but make hay while the sun shines!!
    Phill, chief cake taster
    • Jun 21, 2018
    • 1 min

    Will it rain again in June? Of course it will, but make hay while the sun shines!!

    Sacha and the valleys crew from the Rhondda had booked roughly 12 months ago, so this weekend was long in the making. But it didn't disappoint! The Trans Cambrian is never dull, never, but it's much more of a treat when the sun shines, and everyone is riding along with a smile! #TransCambrianWay #Wales #MTB
    15 views0 comments
    Blorenge
    Phill, chief cake taster
    • Jun 21, 2018
    • 1 min

    Blorenge

    I've often wondered what the riding was like on the big lump above Llanfoist. It's a massive looking hill, and I know the road climb is a local classic and strava hotspot, but what about off road. I picked up Tom Huttons guide, met Polly after work at 5pm, and sety out following the route. Basically it's a big climb, arrive at the bwlch, traverse the Blorenge then descend to the Punch Bowl. However, there is one sting in the tail after the pond, and that required stronger leg
    195 views0 comments
    Two trails in one day, how hard can it be??
    Phill, chief cake taster
    • Jun 21, 2018
    • 1 min

    Two trails in one day, how hard can it be??

    Very!!! Dan was over from the British Cycling MTB Leadership Team in Manchester and wanted a little company while he did a pre-ride for a Level 3 assessment that Dave over at Wye MTB was delivering that weekend. So, the idea was to do the Gap ride with an add on, then skip to Gwyrne Fawr and ride over Lord Herefords Knob and back up Y Das. Simple. Oh my days... My legs stopped screaming 48hrs later, that was one tough 70 hard kilometers!! Might not answer the phone next time
    32 views0 comments
    And another fine weekend... very!
    Phill, chief cake taster
    • Jun 21, 2018
    • 1 min

    And another fine weekend... very!

    Gary and the Darksiders from south east Wales and Gloucestershire know how to pick a weekend!! The fine weather continued, trails were bone dry, and the factor 50 was being rubbed in on an hourly basis!! They also hammered along finishing at 4.50 on the Saturday and a very red Polly!! #TransCambrianWay #Wales #mtb #cycling
    9 views0 comments
    'Howay man!' (or something like that?!)
    Phill, chief cake taster
    • Jun 21, 2018
    • 1 min

    'Howay man!' (or something like that?!)

    John and company joined us from County Durham under glorious blue skies. The trails were surprisingly dry, and the trail off Foel Fadian was mint! Great start to the summer... #TransCambrianWay #Wales #mtb #cycling
    11 views0 comments
    Trans Cambrian Way, here we go...
    Phill, chief cake taster
    • May 9, 2018
    • 2 min

    Trans Cambrian Way, here we go...

    Our first TCW of 2018 rolled out of Knighton on the last weekend of April. It's always a gamble so early in the year, and just a couple of weeks earlier, we were under 2ft of snow! However the weather gods had decided to be kind, and it only rained on the Friday, leaving day two and three completely rain free and dry, well, from the sky that is!! Andy, Phil, Chris and Vicky all ride together up in Macclesfield, and were joined by Stu (Stourport), Arwel, Gareth and Aron (Carma
    44 views0 comments
    Ride, pint and a joke or two...
    Phill, chief cake taster
    • May 8, 2018
    • 1 min

    Ride, pint and a joke or two...

    It's been a while since I met up with Tegid and the crew over in Mach, but when we do it's always a class session. For Tegid, it was the first May bank holiday he's had off in 18 years, being one of the key guys for the annual Dyfi Enduro. But as the ground was saturated, Joe had no other option than to cancel the event. The upside was a weekend off for Tegid, Mach Comedy Festival was in full swing with Rhod Gilbert and other comedians wandering around, and the weather was gl
    9 views0 comments
    Not so 'wet' now eh Alex?!
    Phill, chief cake taster
    • May 5, 2018
    • 1 min

    Not so 'wet' now eh Alex?!

    Another nice surprise in April was the return of Alex (and friends) and Chris, both of whom came on the TCW in 2017. For Chris it was early in the year, and glorious after the driest spring in decades. For Alex though, it was a different story. It rained, howled and battered him and seven other friends for the whole weekend, survived to tell the story, and wanted more! So when he asked for better weather on April 20, I said "sure, no problem, I'll book it now" with my crystal
    11 views0 comments
    Elan Valley - Easter
    Phill, chief cake taster
    • May 5, 2018
    • 1 min

    Elan Valley - Easter

    Our first weekend of the year saw the return of Jo and friends from one of last years Trans Cambrian tours. It's always nice to see friends return, and Jo is an absolute love. She loves nothing more than being outdoors (and Terry) and her enthusiasm is infectious. But for Jo it brings it's own challenges, she suffers from Lupus disease which affects her joints and muscles, breathing, and is in all sorts of pain. But she never complains. We knocked out a very hard 49km on the
    17 views0 comments
    Trans Cambrian Way in 3 words...
    Phill, chief cake taster
    • May 4, 2018
    • 2 min

    Trans Cambrian Way in 3 words...

    Trans Cambrian Way in 3 words 1) Excellent 2) Challenging 3) Rewarding. Just do it. Day 1 I would say was an easy intro, it's all relative as you will find out. Plenty of ups and downs on grassy trails, with stunning opportunities to view the Welsh countryside. I say opportunity as the weather really needs to play ball to capitalize, unfortunately for us it did not on this occasion, but it is Wales and it does rain sometimes. All I can say is you can only get wet once, then
    50 views0 comments

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