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Long Mynd, Shropshire

This area often seems to get overlooked which is a great shame as it offers some stunning countryside and superb MTB trails. There is also a great MTB (and outdoor pursuit) centre in the grounds of the traditional Station Inn pub and restaurant,  a bike shop,workshop, cafe, shower block, bike wash, and electrically heated camping pods and campsite making it a lovely, fun, cheap & easy option for a weekend away see www.mtb-shropshire.co.uk

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Glentress & Innerliethen

2 superb trail centres very close to one another, offering great riding for all abilities. Glentress really encourages and enables riders to progress and develop their skills, from novice to expert levels, while Innerleithen is more suitable for downhill and advanced riders. The facilities are also top notch, with the superb Hub cafe at Glentress, with good food, bike hire, rides & skills training. A very popular trail centre so it gets very busy at weekends.

Trail info: The routes on offer include a 4.5km Green Route for beginners, using family friendly single track and signs to guide you through the challenges along the way, an 8km or 14km Blue Route with over half the route on singletrack and the longer route using the lovely ‘Falla Brae’ (Red grade) singletrack to finish. The 19km Red route is designed with speed in mind and home to ‘Spooky Wood’, a superb 1.6km singletrack descent with twelve 180-degree bermed corners, eighteen jumps and seventeen tabletops (chicken runs available), as well as some other superb, fun & technical trails. The 30km Black Route is a superb trail with around 75% singletrack with great black sections such as ‘Soor Plooms’ the rocky descent of ‘Goat Track’ and fast bermed corners of ‘Britney Spears’. If your legs tire before the end you can opt to miss out ‘Deliverance’ & ‘Redemption Climb’. The skinny northshore ‘Ewok Village’ is optional, then it joins the Red route but with optional Black sections along the way back.

Freeride Park:  ’The Unnamed’ trail is packed with 23 jumps (mostly tabletops) and berms, while the ‘Cycopath’ uses northshore obstacles, with skinnies, ladder drops (that require jumping off) and 2 wall rides. Both trails end with a couple of tabletop jumps and the ‘Funbox’ (8ft high, 6ft wide, 15ft long) to jump (or use the ramps) on & off. The ‘Essentials’ trail is designed for riders new to freeride, enabling you to have a go on easier versions, with bigger & harder options alongside them, to progress onto when you are ready.

Innerleithen has 4 world class downhill runs, with an uplift service, and the 19km, red graded, Traquair cross country trail, with black graded options along the way.

General Info: Getting there, South from Edinburgh on A703, signposted to Peebles, then left (east) on the A72 for 2 miles. Grid Ref: NT 284/397  Sat Nav: EH45 8NB. Train: Caledonian Sleeper to Edinburgh & book lift with www.go-where.co.uk or www.bikebus.netin advance. Facilities:  Bike shop & cafe with hire, repairs, skills lessons, group rides & cake. Showers & toilets. Bike shop: The Hub cafe (on site), tel: 01721 721736 or see www.thehubintheforest.co.uk Map: www.forestry.gov.uk search ‘glentress trail map’. Tourist info: Edinburgh T.I. on 0845 2255 121. Website: www.7stanes.gov.uk. For accommodation see www.tweedvalleybikehouse.com or www.thebikelodge.co.uk

Another top weekend away is to hire a big bouncy downhill bike and treat yourself to some uplifts.

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Afan, South Wales

An easily accessible and very popular trail centre with over 100km’s of superb, technical, all weather trails. With great facilities & accommodation it makes a top weekend destination. The trails are between 2 sites: Afan Forest & Glyncorrwg aka ‘The Drop Off’. The Penyhdd & Wall trails start at Afan car park and White’s Level & Skyline start at Glyncorrwg. Both sites are best suited to experienced riders, although there is the easy ‘Rheilffordd’ trail along an old disused railway, which also links the 2 centres.

Trail Info: Penyhdd, 17km: Lots of tight, twisty, single track and sections such as the Hidden Valley, Side Winder and Dead Sheep Gulley. It’s a great introductory route to the area as the riding isn’t too technical. The Wall, 23km: A very popular trail offering  great views, a rock infested roller coaster section named ‘The Graveyard’, and a fast and furious final section which gives the trail its name ‘the Wall’. NOTE: The ‘W2’ trail combines the ‘Wall’ & ‘White’s Level’ trails, to make a 44km, Black grade trail.

Whites Level, 15km: Starting with a 2.5km singletrack climb, at the top you have an optional Black grade section. After some flowing singletrack, small rock jumps, natural berms and a flowing boardwalk section, the ride finishes with a fast, fun singletrack descent, back to the café. Skyline, 48km: Venturing higher & deeper into the wilderness, this trail is recommended for experienced riders only. However, there are a couple of optional shortcuts named; ‘July’ & ‘August’. All options still finish with the superb 6km ‘Jetlag’ descent which has lots of rock jumps along the way, leaving you smiling no matter which option you decided on.

There are also some other less technical trails in the area, such as the 39km (one-way) Celtic high level scenic trail from Neath to Pontprydd and a 11km family route. For more information see www.cycling.visitwales.com & www.mbwales.com

General Info: Getting there, exit the M40 at junction 40 nr Port Talbot and go north on A4107. Afan centre is on right GR  SS821/951 / Sat Nav: SA13 3HG & Glyncorrg 3 miles further on at GR SS 872/984 / Sat Nav SA13 3EA. Train at Port Talbot, 7 miles on Afan Valley cycle route. Facilities:  Both sites have cafes, showers, campsite, bike hire & bike wash, but everything at Glyncorrwg is newer & nicer, plus it has a great bike shop, demo bikes & a bar. Bike Shop:  Skyline Cycles at Glyncorrwg, 01639 850011 & the Glyncorrwg MTB centre on 01639 851900. Map: www.forestry.gov.uk & search ‘afan cycle map’. Tourist info: www.afanforestpark.co.uk. Website: www.mbwales.com For accommodation see the lovely and very bike friendly  www.mountainview.me.uk/ which is just over the hill or another nice & bike friendly place www.mountain-bike-accommodation.com

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Coed Y Brenin, North Wales

Coed y Brenin was the first forest to be developed for (man made) MTB trails and it still retains its reputation as the best one. A superb choice of technical XC trails for the more experienced riders, but still enough to entertain beginners & some short Red routes for them to progress on to. The facilities are also very good, so it gets very busy.

Trail Info: The 7km Yr Afron trail is a family route using forest roads, with magnificent views, including waterfalls, the river Mawddach and the old gold mines. The Temtiwr (9km) trail provides a taster of the Dragon’s Back and MBR trails, using some challenging singletrack trails.  MBR (18.5km) is a nice mix of open, flowing trails and long sweeping descents with tight, technical, rocky single track such as the ‘Badger’, ‘Pink Heifer’ and the most challenging of all ‘The Beginning of the End’ all squeezed into a relatively short ride. Great fun. Tawr (20km), formally known as ‘Red Bull’ this is a technically challenging ride with rocky descents, fire road climbs and plenty of singletrack. It includes the superb ‘Pins & Needles’, ‘Snap, Crackle & Pop’, ‘Rocky Horror Show’ and ‘Mantrap’.

Cyflyn Coch is 11km and a mix of the other trails, starting on the Yr Afon Trail, the Cyflym coch bears off left up a short technical climb onto Pinderosa. It then uses the best of the fast & flowing trails from MBR & Dragon’s Back. Dragons Back, at 31km and formally known as ‘Karrimor’ is long, challenging trail contains a wide variety of terrain. Highlights include sections of trails, such as the rooty, rocky ‘Big Doug’ and the fast, flowing corners of ‘Herman’. Finally, the Beast of Brenin is 38km, is a combination of the MBR and Dragon’s Back trails, to provide a very challenging ride. Lots of superb single track trails, but only recommended for fit, technical riders. There is a (very welcome) cafe half way around the route.

General Info: Getting there, go south from Colwyn Bay on the A470 and the is on the right, 8km’s before Dolgellau (inland from Barmouth), signposted ‘Maesgwm visitor centre’. From the Midlands follow the A458 from Shrewsbury. GR SH 720/270 / Sat Nav LL40 2HY. Facilities: Parking, toilets, showers, cafe, bike wash, a shop and a bike shop. Bike Shop:  Greenstiles bike shop in Dolgallau 01341 423332 & Dragon Bikes & Kites on 01341 423008. Map: www.forestry.gov.uk search ‘coed y brenin cycle map. Tourist info: Dolgellau T.I. on 01341 422888. Website: www.mbwales.com

Accommodation: Log cabins up the road at www.logcabinswales.co.uk/home.php?/mountain-biking-and-cycling/mountain_biking_in_coed_y_brenin or nice friendly B&B in Dolgellau village www.ivyhouse-dolgellau.co.uk/

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Dales Bike Centre, Yorkshire Dales,

The Yorkshire Dales has some cracking mountain biking and it also has the perfect place to explore it from, the Dales Bike Centre. This place is made for cyclists (quite literally) and is an absolute must for cyclists visiting the Yorkshire Dales. It has accommodation (bunks & rooms), drying room, laundry, secure bike store, kitchenette, café (24hr cake!!), bike shop, workshop, bike hire and a wealth of advice on where to ride, as well as offering guided rides (to the unmapped trails in Swaledale) and ‘Basics’, ‘Steep & Rocky’, ‘Speed & Flow’ and ‘Jumps & drops’ skills courses.

For more information call 01748 884908 or see www.dalesbikecentre.co.uk/

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7 Staines, Southern Scotland

At the Scottish border, hang a left at Gretna, and you will discover a number of world class mtb trails at the trail centres of Mabie, Dalbeattie, Kirroughtree, Ae and Drumlanrig.

Ae: A great destination for riders of all abilities. The green trail (& blue extension) are a great introduction, while the Ae Line & downhills runs will appeal to experienced riders. A great selection of trails which loves the use of berms & jumps along the way – great fun for everyone.

Dalbeattie: A memorable trail centre that is at the top of many peoples ‘to ride’ list, thanks to the large natural slabs of bedrock that are adapted into the trail. The easier trails are mostly fireroad, but the Hardrock trail provides some very unique and challenging obstacles, such as ‘The Slab’ and ‘The Terrible Twins’.

Drumlanrig: These trails are on the private estate of Drumlanrig Castle and a small (but very worthwhile) fee is charged for riding here. The routes have been designed by Rik Alsop (who owns the bike shop here). The trails are natural, tight, twisty single track with natural obstacles such as roots (and lots of them).

Kirroughtree: The trails here have a very remote & wilderness feel to them as well as some wonderful unique terrain which is incorporated into the trails. A prime example of this is the infamous rock slab known as ‘McMoab’ (on the black route). The red & black routes offer some brilliant & original technical challenges, lots of excellent flowing single track & grippy granite rock features that make it the favourite 7 Stanes trail centre for lots of riders.

Mabie: Although Mabie sits in-between Dalbeattie & Ae, it offers something quite different, with a more naturally feeling trail, flowing single track through beech trees, with roots rather than rocks to provide the challenges. A good selection of trails for all abilities, great northshore, a bike shop, Youth Hostel & hotel (with bar) and camping pods

For more information on the trails, accommodation, etc see www.7stanes.com

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Lake District

The Lake District has some excellent, steep, technical rocky MTB trails, as well as 2 man made trail centres (Grizedale and Whinlatter Forests), which offer some more ‘controlled’ mtb trails, where less experienced riders will be safer. There are lots of great rides to do, and you will find a good selection of the classic trails such as Skiddaw, High Street, Borrowdale Bash, etc in our UK Breaks with Bikes guidebook as well as other rides around Grizedale & Ambleside.

There are LOTS of places to stay, but it gets extremely busy, so you will need to book well in advance. For some good campsites & camping pods, see www.discovercumbria.co.uk/Pod-Camping.html If you need a bike shop, check out Bike Treks in Ambleside 015394 31245 or www.biketreks.net and Keswick Bikes on 017687 80586 or www.keswickmountainbikes.co.uk

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Isle of Wight

A ferry trip and visit to the ‘holiday island’ is a great get-away. You really feel like you’ve left England behind you and it is always sunny whenever I’ve been! If you catch the ferry over it’s cheap as a foot passenger and bicycles go free. See our UK Breaks with Bikes guidebooks for some routes on the island, or attempt the challenging 100km off-road around the Island mtb route, offered in the British Heart Foundation MTB event, which also offers 50 & 75km options, on the 18th of June this year. For more details see:  www.roughrideguide.co.uk/mtbike/2010/06/isle-of-wight-off-road/

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Calderdale, South Pennines

Home to Singletrack magazine HQ, and some of the best natural riding in the UK, with lots of steep, technical, rocky singletrack trails, over moorland and through woodlands. It is also home to a new breed of man made MTB trails, with the recent arrival of Lee & Cragg quarries, near the town of Bacup. These old quarries have been converted to provide some superb (red & black grade) mtb trails: Lee quarry has around 8km of tough technical mountain bike trails with rock gardens, drop offs, tabletop jumps, huge berms, plus a pump track and 4 trials areas. A 1.2km (multi use) trail links Lee quarry to Cragg Quarry, which is home to a further 5km of wonderful flowing Singletrack.

This area is also home to the Mary Townley Loop, the first purpose-built long distance bridleway for horses & mtb’ers. It offers a superb circular 72km loop of the South Pennines, providing a memorable challenge. This route (along with others in the area) can be found in our UK Breaks with Bikes guidebook.

TOP TIP: If you would like to be guided around the best natural trails in the area, or improve your riding skills, ‘Great Rock’ comes very highly recommended book and is run by the very nice (and hairy) Ed Oxley. See www.great-rock.co.uk for more information.

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Exmoor, Somerset/Devon

This is one of my favourite holiday destinations to go with my family. Stunning countryside, superb, technical rocky terrain, big hills, quiet trails and cream teas (there is a nice place in Horner). Sparkhays campsite is right in the centre of Porlock village (just a few miles west of Minehead) and the lovely Ship Inn pub up the road.

Porlock sits on the coast, surrounded by big hills all around, so it’s tough going to start, whichever direction you go, but it also means you have a choice of superb descents to finish the day. If you can find a willing driver, you could do up-lifts, driving up the infamous Porlock Hill (A39) to Hawkcombe Head, to ride back down the absolutely cracking descent, through Shillet Wood, back to Porlock.

Accommodation: Sparkhays campsite: 01643 862470, Burrowhayes farm campsite (also highly recommended), just out of the village on 01643 862463, or the Overstream Hotel in Porlock on 01643 862421. Porlock tourist info: 01643 863150 and very helpful and will help find you a bed.

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Dark Peak, Peak District

Right in the heart of the country, the Peak District offers some superb riding, with big rocky climbs and big rocky descents. A classic route for when it’s dry is ‘Cut Gate’, offering a superb ‘There & Back’ ride from Fairholmes visitor centre, across the moors. If you have the energy left the superb Hagg Farm, Beast and Lockerbrook trails are close by too.

The superb, award winning 18 Bikes in Hope www.18bikes.co.uk will happily help you with anything bike related, while the superb and very bike friendly Woodbine cafewww.woodbine-hope.co.uk/ just along the road, will sort out any hunger or accommodation needs.

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These & lots more routes can be found in our

plus, in the month of March you can get £5 OFF the price

and a FREE pack of Nuun hydration tablets, worth £6

OK, we’ve covered training plans and getting ready for a big ride, so I thought I’d cast a little light over what to eat during the ride, as I regularly see riders eating the wrong things, or the right things at the wrong times!

The key to a big ride is fuelling your body well. This starts before the day of ride. You need to stock up your carbohydrate stores (pasta and rice are the usual favourites), then continually keep restocking them throughout the duration of the ride, being careful to never to let them get so low you ‘bonk’ as you will struggle to recover and ride anywhere near your potential.

Start the day off with a good breakfast. Carbohydrates are key, but also make sure your carbs are low-average GI foods (which take longer to get into the blood stream) e.g. beans on (wholemeal) toast, porridge, muesli, cornflakes, rice Kripsies, cereal bars, scotch pancakes. A chocolate bar before the start of a ride (which seems to be pretty common) is not really the best thing!

NOTE: A fried breakfast isn’t the best as it is high in fat, but if you can’t resist it (like me), go big on the beans and wholemeal toast!

On the ride, energy bars, gels & drinks are great, providing the right mix of ingredients but they are expensive and can be too sickly in large quantities (and play havoc with your digestion), so include some real food such as sandwiches (sweet or savoury). Basically you want some (calorific) foods that provide a mix of fast & slow release energy to help sustain performance without aggravating blood sugar levels. As a rule of thumb, look to eat 1g carb per kg body weight, per hour, so 70g of carbs for a 70kg person. An average male uses around 2,000kcal in a ‘normal’ day, but cycling will use around 500 calories per hour, and these will need to be replaced.

Here are some of our favourite trail foods (and their nutritional values) in the sort of quantaties you might eat:

Chelsea bun (85g serving). Good amount of carbs and easy to make yourself, and rucksack safe. Calories 255, Fat 4.9, Carbs 46.9, Protein 5.5

Sesame Snaps (30g). They stick to your teeth, but are small, handy and cheap from Pound shops. Calories 157, Fat 8.8, Carbs 14.8, Protein 3.7

Rice Krispie square (28g/1 bar). Light, durable, readily available, tasty, good value and good nutritional value. Calories 118, Fat 3.5, Carbs 21, Protein 1

Malt Loaf (64g/2 slices). Great value & nutritional properties, but can stick to your teeth. Best with butter. Calories 220, Fat 6.4, Carbs 36.5, Protein 4.1

Jelly Babies (25g). A favourite pick-me-up for near the end of a ride. Calories 84, Fat 0, Carbs 20, Protein 1

Eat Natural (1 bar). Great taste, easy to find and good value. Calories 228, Fat 14.4, Carbs 26.4, Protein 2.9

Clif Bar (50g bar). Our favourite energy bar, as they taste yummy and have good texture. Calories 193, Fat 4.5, Carbs 29.5, Protein 9

Banana (1 medium). An excellent, healthy energy food, but they get squashed very easily. Calories 105, Fat 0.4, Carbs 27, Protein 1.3

Sun dried banana (50g). From www.tropicalwholefoods.co.uk Chewy, tasty, fresh banana supplement. Calories 110, Fat 0.2, Carbs 26.1, Protein 1.1

Fig Rolls (36g/2 biscuits). Easy to eat on the move, but dry, so requires some water. Calories 122, Fat 1.8, Carbs 24.4, Protein 1

Flapjack (28g). Homemade or shop bought, these are great high calorie trail food, but crumbly. Calories 140, Fat 7, Carbs 16.8, Protein 1.1

Fruit cake (80g). Best enjoyed on a break, with a cup of tea. Christmas cake is a favourite variation in January. Calories 290, Fat 9, Carbs 49, Protein 3

Energy gel (25g). Quick & easy to consume, if the texture doesn’t make you gag. Have a swig of water after. Calories 88, Fat 0, Carbs 22, Protein 0

My favourite for a powerful kick up the bum is a Clif Shot or the Shot Bloks.

Energy Drink (1 serving in 500ml) . A very easy & effective way to take on energy, especially in hot weather. Calories 189, Fat 0, Carbs 47, 0 Protein

Another good and favourite trail food (as it is cheap, can be made at home, packs well and has good energy properties) is a peanut butter and jam sandwich on wholemeal bread.

TOP TIP: Avoid fatty foods and high GI  foods e.g. sweets & chocolate, which boost your blood glucose level right up, but then drop heavily, leaving you tired & lethargic.

After the ride:
Consume a ‘recovery’ drink or something like a chocolate milkshake asap after you finish riding is perfect. Follow this with a proper meal when you can though. Look to consume 1g of protein per 1kg of bodyweight (lean meat, fish, etc), but don’t go silly with the fat or it will hamper your recovery as it slows digestion and absorption of carbs.

NOTE: It is important for multi day rides to recover as best you can for the next day’s riding. Special protein / recovery bars and drinks are easy and practical to consume directly after a ride, then get some good old fashion food down you afterwards, when you’re all cleaned up etc.

DRINKING
DRINK LOTS! Staying hydrated is vital, and your performance will deteriorate very rapidly if you don’t drink enough. As a rough guide, aim to consume about 1 (750ml) bottle per hour. We often ride with an ‘emergency’ water bottle (or two) on the bike to make sure we don’t run dry and always have some  Nunn tablets on us (undoubtedly the favourite hydration tablets available).

TOP TIP: You can make your own cheap & simple hydration drink by using 1/3 fruit juice, 2/3’rds water and adding a pinch of salt.

OK, event season is kicking off properly now, so here are a few tips to help settle your nerves and make sure you are well prepared for your big day.

Firstly, have a quick read of our 3 Month Training Plan article.  Chances are you may not have that long until your event now but knowing that you have done some training beforehand is great for setting your mind at rest.

The week before the event, make sure your bicycle is working and is properly set up – you do not want to be making any last minute maintenance and set up changes. Take it to a bike shop if necessary, but be aware that many have a looong waiting list. Get your (tried & tested) kit out ready and packed; clothes, tools, GPS/map, bike computer, energy food, drink, etc. Check the route over: plan target times for certain points in the course, plan where you might want to aim for for lunch and make a note of water refill points. Print off the address and route to the start (if you don’t have a SatNav use RAC route planner), and plan to get there early.

TOP TIP: A couple of days before, check the weather forecast and pack bags and choose bike tyres accordingly.

EATING

One of, if not the most important thing, to performing well in a long distance event is fuelling your body correctly and keeping glycogen levels stocked up. This starts days before the big event, where you need to fill up your ‘tank’ by eating carbohydrates, e.g. pasta, potatoes, rice, cereal, etc. There isn’t any great need for you to get too scientific about it, just aim to eat carb rich foods, which should make up around 70% of your meal and cut down on fatty stuff.

On the big day you will probably have to make a very early start as you really should leave around 3hrs between your breakfast and the start line, because you want to have an emptyish stomach yet retain full glycogen levels and also be properly hydrated. Things like muesli, porridge, cereals, wholemeal toast and baked beans are all good.

During the ride keep topped up, eating & drinking every 30 minutes or so. Aim to consume about your weight in kg’s, in grams of carbohydrate every hour i.e. 80g of carbs for an 80kg rider. Have a look at energy values of energy bars, gels, etc before the ride to know what volume you should be looking to consume e.g. banana is 27g, (Clif) energy bar 30g, 60ml energy gel 22g, 500ml of energy drink 50g.

After the ride it is important to consume carbs and protein as soon as you can. Recovery bars and drinks are great, but ordinary milkshakes also work very well and it’s nice to have some proper food (just make sure it’s not too fatty).

If you can be well prepared then chances are you’ll have a much calmer day allowing you to enjoy your event! Have fun!

P.S. You may find our new, lightweight, budget map holder to be a great help on the ride.

OK, with various events being pimped at the moment and New Years resolutions waning it might be time to start thinking about getting some structure back into your cycling life, which is where the 3 month plan (3MP) comes in. There will probably even be some time to have one last push, to build on that base level of fitness before you start on the 3MP too.

The 3MP is designed to give you time to build on your base fitness and almost to the intensity level of the bike ride/event, then recover in time for the event itself. Ideally you should try and work to a 3 month (13week) training plan and get out for 3 rides a week if you can e.g. long ride (on Sunday!), recovery ride (on Tuesday!) and Interval training (on Thursday). See bottom for Interval Training.

Remember to do what is best for you though; if you need longer to recover, especially from illness, have it. Everyone is different, has different levels of fitness, backgrounds, demands on their time, etc.

Week 13 – Hard – Push yourself a bit harder than you do normally when riding.

Week 12 – Hard – as before, but try to improve slightly over the previous week.

Week 11 – Easy/Recovery – drop the interval workout

Week 10 – Hard - as week 12, but try to improve on the time or distance slightly again.

Week 9 – Very Hard – Noticeably increase the intensity of the interval training and increase the distance of the weekend ride. NOTE: You want to be around at least 75% of the events distance by week 2 i.e. after 2 more ‘Very Hard’ weeks of training like this one.

Week 8 – Easy/Recovery – drop the interval workout

Week 7 – Hard - as before, but nudge the intensity and distances up further still (see how you are improving)!

Week 6 – Very Hard – Increase the intensity of the interval training and increase the distance of the weekend ride even further still.

Week 5 – Easy/Recovery – drop the interval workout

Week 4 – Hard – as before and revel in the gains you’ve made so far.

Week 3 – Very Hard – Increase the intensity of the interval training and increase the distance of the weekend ride even further.

Week 2 – Very Very Hard. This should be your hardest week yet, getting in the longest training ride of so far, trying to do as close to the distance you will be doing in the event (aim for at least 75%). Learn from this ride; find the best pace for you, get into good refuelling (eating & drinking) habits, make sure your bike is set up & working properly and the clothing & equipment you use is comfortable.

Week 1 – Very Easy – Just do a couple of recovery rides. Stay relaxed mentally (you’ve done all you can now, so just enjoy the results, whatever they are you will have improved and be as ready as you can be). Get plenty of sleep and get your bike & kit all ready, keep yourself well hydrated & eat high carbohydrate meals, but don’t overeat!

The day before the event do a short bike ride with some short quick bursts and make sure you cool down afterwards properly. Check the bike is running smoothly one last time, then feed yourself up with a high carbohydrate meal and get an early night.

On the day get up in plenty of time, have good breakfast about 2-3hrs before the start, keep warm and relaxed (as much as you can) and keep drinking small amounts regularly (aim to drink 600ml/1 water bottle). Get in the queue for the toilet as the drinking and nerves will make you want to go (along with everyone else)!

On the ride, remember its not a race, you need to pace yourself. Go at your own speed and keep eating & drinking small amounts throughout the ride even if you don’t feel like it – if you feel hungry or thirsty its too late!

Interval training This is where you vary the effort you put in, and is a very effective way of pushing your limits, e.g.

• 10 mins: Warm up
• 10 mins: Ride at normal pace
• 10 mins: 30 seconds of hard flat out sprints, then 30 seconds of easy spinning x 10 times.
• 10 mins: Ride at normal pace
• 10 mins: Warm down

Over time mix it up, increasing the effort & spinning times, to say:

• 20 minutes of 10 x 1 minute intervals
• 20 minutes of 5 x 2 minute intervals
• 20 minutes of 2 x 5 minute intervals.

NOTE: If Interval Training sounds far too serious for you, go for mountain bike rides with friends, but make it competitive by racing sections. Also try to incorporate some hills into the ride/interval training.

TOP TIP: Entering some easier events in these weeks, before your ‘big’ event is a good way to get some hard rides in as well as some practice and experience of events (especially if you are new to it).

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You need to be made of tough stuff to keep on riding in the UK through the winter months. We all know that these cold, dark winter months will bring rain and turn our fast trails to slow, sticky mud. However, there are some locations that fare better than others, and although you won’t avoid the mud totally, you can get some good rides in with a few choice trips away.

Below we’ve recommended some good winter destinations, places to stay (some of which have special offers on especially for you), and provided some GPX files for recommended winter routes around the country, which you can download and have for FREE!

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.THE SOUTH WEST

‘The’ UK summer holiday destination also makes a great winter mtb’ing holiday destination. The Quantocks in Somerset, south of Bristol, just off the M5, has long been a favourite winter destination for mtb’ers. The stony trails drain superbly and provide some of the best singletrack trails in the UK, regardless of the weather.  Ride the Quantocks has kindly provided us with a route (see Quantocks file in the GPX download link). See their website for more social and beginner friendly rides and if the wet weather over here is just too much for you they do guided rides in Spain!

Exmoor, just a bit further along the coast also has some top winter riding if you stay on the steeper, rockier trails and avoid the moors (at all costs). This is one of our summer favourites, so to be able to ride it in the winter as well, is a real bonus. I recommend the Overstream hotel as a friendly place to stay, right in the middle of the village, (see the Porlock file in the GPX download link).

Dartmoor, like Exmoor, avoid the moors like the plague and aim for the steeper, rockier trails. The rock is surprisingly grippy and of course means there will be less mud. For a short, but very technical, fun rocky ride see the Dartmoor file in the GPX download link.

The Salisbury Plains have some surprisingly good (military) tracks that cross all over them, providing some good, fast winter routes, albeit, ones that produce a lot of spray from the wet surface. Call in at Stonehenge Cycles for more info. Also, the New Forest may not be hilly or technical in any way, but the big wide forest tracks are well surfaced, so work well in the wet, let you keep a steady (= warm) pace and gets you off the roads.

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.THE SOUTH EAST

The trails in the south east of England are known for suffering badly in the winter months, and the Chilterns is no exception. Being predominantly clay, it is likely to be waterlogged and very sticky however we’ve managed to sneak a good winter route in near Henley on Thames, starting at Stonor village (see Stonor file in the GPX download link)

Most of the North Downs and Kent suffer the same problem, but the guys at Surrey hills mountain bike guides know the area like the back of their hand, and offer guided rides and skills lessons around the Surrey Hills.

The South Downs hills have the added challenge of extremely slippery chalk on the surfaces of the big rolling hills, so it pays to stick to the main ridgetop trail and the trails that drop down to the south/coast, not the northern ones.

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THE MIDLANDS

Much of the midlands is flat and muddy, but venture west to The Long Mynd in Shropshire and you will not only find some good trails, but also the superb MTB & Outdoor pursuit centre with toilets, showers, bike shop, café, pub and camping pods. Furthermore, the guys at Blazing Bikes have provided us with a great 2.5-3hr ‘Winter Warmer’ route, that takes in some great singletrack trails (and hills), which work well in the winter. See the Long Mynd gpx file.

Further north and inland is our (appropriately named) ‘Hope’ ride in the Dark peak (see Hope file in the GPX download link).  It may have some muddy sections in places (which does grind bike parts down very effectively), but largely it fares well and provides some superb, challenging, rocky trails, that make it all worth it. NOTE: Starting at the Fairholmes café also makes a good starting point, and if you like very technical trails, go straight ahead at Hope Cross, towards Hagg farm and then left on the road to Rowlee farm, to meet the other route which goes via Blackley Clough.

TOP TIP: The superb Woodbine café & B&B is very bike friendly, and is offering a midweek special; 2 nights, with breakfast, sun-thu inclusive, double/twin room for £99.

Another couple of spots, this time in the east midlands, that offer some well drained trails, thanks to their sandy base, include Woburn and Chicksands.

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THE NORTH

The Lake District is an obvious place to head, with its steep, rocky terrain draining well so it continues to provide superb technical riding through the winter months. The Grizedale trail centre is an option, as well as our Grizedale route using the natural trails (see Grizedale file in the GPX downloads).

Another destination worth visiting in winter (and the summer) is Swaledale, especially as the superb Dales Mountain Biking centre is based here. They offer a range of superb facilities for cyclists, such as comfy accommodation and superb cake at the café and have provided us with this winter route (see Long Apedale file in the GPX download link)

TOP TIP: The Dales MTB centre is also offering a 50% discount on accommodation in February, so there is no better time to get yourself down there.

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WALES

Wales was made for wet weather riding (well it has to be really). There are a good number of great trail centres all across Wales, which not only provide great routes for a range of abilities that also survive the wet weather, but many have purpose built trails centres with a café, bike wash and showers available. An absolute god-send in the winter, it really is worth making a trip to the likes of Coed Y Brenin, Llandegla or Afan. For more information see www.mbwales.com

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SCOTLAND

Like Wales, Scotland has lots of world class trail centres that are perfect for wet weather riding. The 7 Stanes (trail centres) in Southern Scotland are easier to get to than you might imagine and there won’t be any midges around now either.  We thoroughly recommend Kirroughtree, Mabie and Dalbeattie, which are all close to one another, and of course Glentress, which is a bit further north, near Edinburgh. If you live in London, get the sleeper train up, especially as it may be gone soon. For more information and inspiration see www.7stanesmountainbiking.com/Home

If you know of a good route or location to ride, please spread the joy and let us know (below).

Thanks and happy (winter) riding,

Max

To download the free GPX files, click on the icon below

For more ideas on trips away see our ‘UK Breaks with bikes’ book – which is on offer at the moment

and our local guidebooks, where you currently get nearly 40 routes, on OS maps, plus the GPX files for just over £10!!!

We’ve got a super lightweight map holder to save you lots of time on mountain bike rides, folding of maps.

It is simply some black correx board, slightly larger than A5 and 3 cable-ties. Just make 3 pairs of holes in the board, where required, and use the cable-ties to attch the board to your stem and handlebars (you can even re-use the cable-ties if you undo them carefully).

Now simply pick a couple of the elastic bands up of your drive that the postie leaves behind, to secure the map to the board and you have a very lightweight and cheap map board to take on your bike rides.

Buy your mapholder here

Having the right tyres for the conditions is probably always going to offer the cheapest, easiest and most effective way of improving your riding experience, and there is no more important time than in the winter, when it’s generally wet and muddy.

Winter tyres are generally narrower (to cut through the mud) with longer (to dig deep, looking for traction) and well spaced (to shed mud better) knobbles, but your exact requirements will depend on your local trails as in loose, wet, sloppy mud, a wider tyre with a low pressure is best, while in sticky mud, a narrow tyre with a high pressure is best.

NOTE: Long knobble tyres provide good traction in mud, but will drag on harder ground and can be squirmy and unstable on rooty & rocky trails.

Here are some of the best mud tyres available:

Maxxis Minion DHF MaxxPro 6oa 2.35 – Don’t be put off by the downhill tag and more letters and numbers after it than an over qualified brain surgeon; this is a great tyre. Grippy yet still rolls well, and a super tacky version for up front is ideal for aggressive riders.

Maxxis Swamp Thing 2.35” – Low, wide spaced knobs, with a mix of sipes ( small cuts in the top of a tyre knob that can help increase grip) and stubs (raised bits on the knob) and super tacky rubber means these will grip really well on roots and rocks, but climbing on hard surfaces can drag. Available in a variety of prices too.

Bontrager Mud XR – the tall, widely spaced, square knobs finds traction in mud, while the siped tops help grip to rocks and roots. They also roll pretty well for a mud tyre, on hard surfaces too, which helps their overall versatility.

Specialized Storm – A thin tyre with square knobs, using a softer compound (55a) for side knobs and a harder (60a) for central knobs, for better traction in corners and a harder wearing centre. It cuts into the mud and grips well, they also roll ok on the hard surfaces, grip to rocks and roots, and shed mud effectively, but can be a tad ‘sketchy’ when on the edges. It’s a shame they went up in price this year.

Continental Mud King 1.8” (and 2.3” downhill version) – use the Black Chilli compound and flexy side knobs make sure they stick to roots and rocks well, even when cornering. Superb in bad conditions, but not so good in good (dry, harder) conditions. The Athertons have helped develop this tyre, but it is expensive.

Panaracer Trailraker – A seriously grippy tyre that is wonderful for sure footedness, but because of that it is probably best up front alone, with something less ‘draggy’ on the rear.

Our recommendations:

All rounder: Bontrager Mud XR

Continuous deep mud: Panaracer Trailrakers or Schwalbe Mud Sharks

Aggressive riding style: Maxxis Minion DHF MaxxPro 6oa 2.35

Technical rooty, rocky trails: Maxxis Swamp Thing 2.35” or Specialized Storm (at high pressure, for a faster tyre).

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WHY? Taking all but one of the gears off your bike, or even specially going out and buying a 1-speed machine may seem like an odd thing to do, but it has it’s advantages: low weight, less clutter, fewer mechanical problems, quieter, less affected by mud, cheaper way to build a hack bike, looks cool, no noisy chain slap, and your brain is less occupied with changing gears, and more focused on the actual riding.

For some people, nothing can beat the super-responsive & reliable feel of a single-speed, and while the one gear may lead to some frenzied pedal spinning when trying to keep up on flat tarmac, the inevitably aggressive climbing style required may make you first to the top of every hill.

IS IT FOR ME? Admittedly the strain of getting up those hills may not be suitable for people with problematic knees or backs, so think twice if you’ve had a problem here.  However, if you think the pros outweigh the cons and would like to give single-speeding a go, but don’t want to spend a lot of money, follow our D.I.Y. guide to going singlespeed.

CONVERTING TO SINGLESPEED

First, think about how you’re going to un-gear your bike. Read through all the steps, decide on your chain-tensioning method, and work out what gear to run – most riders go for a 2:1 ratio, e.g. 32 teeth chain-ring and 16 teeth rear sprocket. Remove those subversive shifters, derailleur, cables, cassette and other superfluous gear from your bike. Now follow the next 3 steps – either doing it properly, or if finances are tight (or you are) and you might want to change back to gears when your knees give out, use the bodge it (B) guide.

TOP TIP: Get a SS specific chain e.g. BMX chain which are also tougher and stretch less.

01A: Chainring (Proper)

A popular add on is a bash-guard to protect the chainring. It allows the use of regular chainring bolts and also attempts more ambitious log-crossings without tooth-loss misery.

NOTE: Many singlespeeds are set up with longer-than-normal crank arms (e.g. 180mm instead of usual 175mm) for improved leverage for climbing.

01B: Chainring (Bodge)

Remove the front chainrings, and replace with a single ring. Profiled teeth and shifting ramps aren’t really any good, so go for a chainring with plain teeth.

NOTE: You’ll usually need shorter (BMX) chainring bolts or you could file down the ‘female’ side (shown on the right hand side of the picture) of a set of regular bolts.

02A: HUB / FREEWHEEL (Proper)

Use a screw-on hub that will accept a singlespeed BMX style freewheel. There are many hubs designed for singlespeed MTBs available.

Alternatively, use an old BMX or road hub, rebuilding it with a MTB axle and spacing it to be compatible with the 135mm dropout spacing of a MTB. Some manufacturers offer singlespeed cassette hubs, which have superior seals and freewheel mechanisms (but at a price).

02B: HUB / FREEWHEEL (Bodge)

The most popular option for hubs (usually involving the least investment) is to use a Shimano style cassette hub and a single sprocket with spacers. This can be obtained in a kit from single-speed friendly manufacturers – use a cassette lockring to hold it in place.

Alternatively use the spacers from old cassettes, file the heads off the rivets on the back and pull apart, or try using some plastic piping e.g. a drain pipe of the right diameter. Now line up the rear sprocket with the front chainring – this gives a good chainline to keep things running smoothly and quietly.

03A: CHAIN TENSIONING (Proper)

Horizontal BMX-style track ends / drop-outs allow the wheel to be slid back to tighten the chain, and so do some old frames with forward-facing dropouts. If wheel slippage is a problem, try using chain tugs or tapping a thread into the axle and using bolts instead of a quick release.

Elliptical bottom brackets do away with the ‘faff’ of moving the wheel in the drop-outs.

03B: CHAIN TENSIONING (Bodge)

If you have a regular bike with vertical drop-outs you cannot tension the chain by moving the wheel forwards of backwards. If you’re lucky, you may be able to get the chain to the right length, otherwise, use a chain tensioner or an old rear mech – use the ‘H’ screw or put a small bit of cable in the mech and adjust with the barrel adjuster to adjust the jockey wheels.

TOP TIP: The key to riding in mud (and other terrain where the traction is poor) is to make smooth pedal strokes, so the rear wheel doesn’t lose traction and spin.

Mud:

Something that you will be very familiar with, living in the UK. It sticks to the tyres, is slippery and causes loss of control, makes you dirty and cold, and clogs the rear derailleur, V-brakes and clipless pedals. It will also take a lot more effort to pedal than normal.

Sloppy mud can make changing direction difficult so approach on a line that avoids having to steer whilst in it – if steering is necessary try not to turn the bars, instead use your upper body to lean the bike.

Approach as fast as is safe, so your momentum carries you through the mud; aim for existing tracks as these will be slightly compacted, and firmer to ride.

Change down a couple of gears in anticipation; the gears are less likely to slip on a larger cog as the chain is in contact with more teeth and load on the drivetrain is reduced. Also being in too high a gear may lead you to stall and get a muddy foot.

Keep your weight back, de-weight or lift the front wheel slightly to avoid front wheel drag (which would slow it down more than the rear and could send you over the bars).

Be ready to pedal in smooth, powerful strokes once in the mud. Slow down, move your weight back and ease up on the front end, then push the pedals down firmly and smoothly, while pushing forwards (not down) on the handlebars, and before the next pedal stroke, gently move back again ready for the next surge.

Sand:

This is similar to riding in mud, but even worse for the moving parts on bikes; sand is incredibly abrasive. It is therefore not advisable to ride in sand on a regular basis, as it will soon make metal dust of the expensive moving parts of a bike.

Adopt the same tactics as mud riding i.e. straight line, aim for a shallow looking section, keep your momentum, keep the front end light, don’t steer or use your body to do so and make wide turns as the wheel will tend to dig in. If you are stalling or digging-in on a turn, sit back and turn the wheel the other way.

Moving between standing and sitting will give you a balance between power and traction; when wheels grip, put on the power by standing slightly, but keep weight low to keep traction. Also keep your upper body loose and ready, as sand is unpredictable.

Ice and snow:

These conditions will provide some tricky riding conditions, so be aware of what to do and consider the fact that snow can be hiding an obstacle, so keep your weight back off the front wheel. Braking should be forgotten about or done very lightly. Never lock the brakes, as you will lose traction and find it difficult or impossible to get back again. Steer with your body, keep your weight back, and stay on the saddle to keep some of that elusive traction.

Tree Roots:

Roots (especially when wet) are the slipperiest obstacles regularly encountered on the trail. They should be approached square-on (90 degrees) if possible, and every effort should be made to keep weight off the wheel in contact with the root.

To get over large logs, you will probably need to stop and lift the bike, so as not to damage the chainrings. If you feel confident enough however, you can lift the front over as usual, then using your pedals, lift the rear wheel up and surge forwards with your upper body, so that the chainrings clear the log.

NOTE: Don’t try jumping roots if you are not sure you can clear them; if the wheel lands on them, they make for a very tricky (and painful) landing.

Grass:

On a fine dry day, grass will do little more than slow you down, but when it is wet it becomes extremely slippery, making going up and downhill difficult. Stay seated and pedal smoothly and consistently to keep rear wheel traction, and make only small movements when steering (keeping your weight off the front end).

NOTE: Cut grass can invade every part of the drive train, quickly smothering sprockets and seizing jockey wheels, which will stop the bike from shifting or freewheeling. It can be a nightmare to remove, so every effort should be made to avoid it.

Rocks & Gravel:

Rocks usually become pretty slippery when they get wet, and can go from a welcome challenge to an outright menace. Their irregular shape and size requires more body movement than other surfaces, especially downhill – keep your weight back and poise yourself over the bike to soak up any bumps the suspension doesn’t. Brake carefully to avoid locking / skidding the tyres on loose rocks.

NOTE: Speed and momentum will help you over rocky sections, but too much and you risk wiping out onto a hard surface.

Cycling over small stones should not cause too much difficulty, although deep gravel is much like sand in that steering is difficult, as the front wheel likes to dig in, so maintain a straight line and light front wheel. Also, gravel on hard surfaces is like riding on ice or ball bearings, as the stones will slip and slide over the surface giving you little control. Stay off the brakes and keep your weight over the rear wheel, and keep your weight upright – avoid leaning over and hard cornering.

TOP  TIP: Off-camber sections can cause the tyres to lose traction, so try pre-loading/compressing the suspension just beforehand and springing up as you ride over the rocks or roots, to  lighten the weight and hopefully avoid slipping.

Think smooth, steady, round pedal strokes (not stomping up and down) to improve your riding, muscle efficiency, and power. Practice at a slow cadence (revolutions of the pedals per minute), at moderate pressure, in smooth circles, using a relaxed cycling style to avoid any jerkiness. If you have clipless (spd) pedals try cycling one legged; it will feel jerky at first until you smooth it out (advance to a slight uphill slope to perfect it).

The (theoretical) average person achieves peak performance and most efficient use of energy at a steady cadence of 80-90rpm on the flat, and 70-80 on climbs. This may feel like you aren’t pushing hard (that’s the idea) and you aren’t going anywhere, but persist, and you should feel the benefits. Between these speeds you will be exercising aerobically and making the best use of your energy – above 100rpm wastes energy and is unproductive, while below 60rpm uses more muscle strength (an-aerobically) and tires you out more quickly.

Don’t become obsessed with hitting the right cadence, just try and keep a comfortable and steady rate, using your gears to shift down when you are pushing hard or up when your legs start spinning too fast.

Calculate cadence (rpm) by counting the number of times a foot reaches the 6 o’clock position in 15 seconds then multiplying it by 4.

TOP TIP: When riding full suspension bikes standing up, keep your weight forwards and the pedalling action smooth to minimise ‘bob’.

The Pedal Stroke…..

1 – Through the 12 o’clock position, drop the heel and push forward.

2 – Push downward on the pedal with the ball of the foot (foot flat).

3 – At the 6 o’clock position, pull your heel backwards as if you scraping mud off the bottom of your shoe.

4 – At the 9 o’clock position start pulling upwards and forward (as if trying to touch your knees on the handlebars) to even the stroke power. (now go back to step 1 and repeat about 5,000 times per hour).

TOP TIP: Use flat pedals to learn and improve your riding skills. SPD’s can disguise or lead to poor technique. The same goes for the bicycle, as suspension can disguise poor riding technique. Riding a rigid bike (with flat pedals) is a great way to improve your general riding technique – as proved by Steve Peat (downhill champ).