Life In The Saddle

On my recent trip to the Italian Dolomites , I rode more elevation gain than I have in any other week previously. I rode longer climbs than I have ever encountered before. I raced, in two Italian mountain bike marathons; the X-Bionic Cup and the Südtirol Sellaronda HERO Dolomites , the latter of which is officially the hardest MTB marathon in the world! I learnt a lot; both about myself, but also about my bike and kit choices. With that in mind, I thought I would share a few of my kit insights; from a week of 'proper' marathon mountain biking! Lesson 1: Take a 'proper' waterproof jacket When it rains in the mountains, it properly rains. Thunderstorms were a frequent feature of my trip; and when one takes you by surprise, you can be left both uncomfortable, and potentially very unsafe. On my first day riding out from Val Gardena, I climbed straight up to the peak of Stevia; above the snow line, at 2,312 metres. On reaching the summit, the heavens opened. I ha...

​If you ride one mountain bike race in your life, make it the HERO Südtirol Dolomites. I've never been part of anything quite so spectacular... The scale. The challenge. The passion, performance and pain. The celebration. This is a special event. It begins at sunrise. The hotel breakfast room is filled with riders, from all over the globe; a nervous silence hangs in the air. As the light rises over the peaks of Sella group, the streets of Val Gardena fill with the noise of clicking freewheels, and the sound of last minute chatter. 4000 riders, from Elites to amateurs, take up their places on the starting grid. Everyone hoping to be a HERO. With a roar of music, smoke and cheering, the race starts. The frantic scramble to find position on the first climb. The racing heartbeat. The little voice in the back of your head; which tells you this is only the first of four major climbs today; don't burn all of your matches... Summit. Descent; first on gravel access roads, t...

The Dolomites has always had a special place in my heart. The Italian mountain range has played host to some of my best holidays; from family camping under Mt. Marmolada, to riding the road passes during last year's  Giro Delle Dolomiti . The jagged peaks and steep sided valleys, are instantly recognisable to me. Having ridden many of the great road passes last year, as well as run up a few of the peaks in my October cross-training break; I decided it was about time to #RideMoreOffroad in The Dolomites. So, between the X-Bionic Cup last weekend, and the coming HERO Südtirol Dolomites, I've taken to the Dolomite trails. Here are my rides from a week of mountain biking in the iconic mountains... Ride 4: Val Duron Recon 4hrs 45mins - 57km - 2,275m ascent ​The aim of today's ride was to fill in the final piece of the jigsaw; taking in the final loop of tomorrow's 86km HERO route, up and over the Val Duron climb. My route started out with a climb up to the ...