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After the extreme trips in recent years where I’ve lived adventure to the bone and cycled/camped in all weather from -45 to +45, touring over 30,000km on 4 continents. Its time to take a step back towards “normal” life. For the coming years I plan to work on my career, new business and all those other boring things we’re supposed to do in life.

Hopefully with some short holidays in Europe (Brompton or Bikepacking), weekend escapes and 5,000km of cycle commuting per year I can still keep my sanity….

Feel free to have a sniff around my site at what I’ve been up to in recent years.
Or burn your modem with this photo journey >>>>CLICK<<<<

Update 2019, yeh ermm, forget all that, I’m now addicted to endurance racing.

The convenient puncture

“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” ~Hellen Keller Once upon a time during a weekend trip with a bike club I mentioned to Jim that I’d had an inconvenient puncture the previous day on the way to work. Jim laughed and said a puncture is never convenient. That made sense and [...]

Bikingman Oman race Pt 3

I was sleeping in the room next to Georgi so thought that a great tactic would be to lie on my back and snore for four hours keeping her awake then shoot off. “How long is too long?” was therefore 4 hours. Which would wake me at 1230, A relaxed breakfast then on the road by 1am, the perfect time to start day three, and a serious c [...]

Bikingman Oman race Pt 2

” I’d drastically over achieved my wildest expectations for day one. I felt proud and content, all that was needed now was to consolidate it all with four hours sleep then hang in for three more days.” To read pt 1 first click >>HERE<< I’d set my countdown timer for 4 hours while brushing my teeth, using [...]

Bikingman Oman race Pt 1

In an age when unsupported Ultra endurance events in all shapes and sizes are popping up all over the place Bikingman Oman is the package tour of Endurance cycling races which includes: Fixed published route with gps track and “survival map” showing food/water stops along the way. Mainly quiet main roads. Two manned [...]

2019 Plans : From slowly slowly to Ul...

“A man who has no imagination has no wings.” -Muhammad Ali In the weeks and months after last years Bikepacking Trans Germany race where I’d far out performed my own exceptions I found myself reflecting on the how and why of my transition from my beloved cycle touring to this non-sense of ultra endurance racing. Now 1 [...]

In memory of Johann Rissik. A rogue, ...

A few hours mountain climbing turns a rogue and a saint into two roughly equal creatures. Weariness is the shortest path to equality and fraternity—and liberty is finally added by sleep. —Nietzsche As a literary barbarian I first read these words in 2011. They are the intro to Johann’s blog which I checked out just before meeting [...]

Bikepacking Trans Germany (BTG): Pt 1

The pre race BBQ and briefing was a low key affair at a swimming pool just outside Basel. Riders dribbled in from around Europe and further afield. Trackers and race numbers were handed out and there was a short and simple briefing by Achim, he didn’t seem too comfortable talking to a crowd, but that is logical as the BTG has gone in 3 [...]

Digging up old memories

Warning: This post is not about cycling or travel, but was wrote as an introduction to an old boys club earlier this week and meant as an ironic recap of my short nine years in the British Army. Its heavy on words, and light on photo’s but, just maybe some of my regular readers will like it . This is a part of my life I’ve kept in [...]

2018 plans : From slowly slowly to le...

With Spring almost here its time to crawl back from under my blog free rock and share my plans for 2018. Well, the short version of my plans is simple. Don’t finish last in the Bikepacking Trans Germany this July. The long version: The Bikepacking Trans Germany (BTG) is a self supported race across Germany. From Basel to Cape Arkona (R [...]

Freedom Challenge-pt III

Day 4 : Masaka – Malegolonyane ————————————————- “Whilst you are on the spur look westwards towards the mountains. Below you you will see a floodplain. In the distance, on the far side of the flood plain (if your eyesight is good) you w [...]

Freedom Challenge-pt II

Day 2+3: Allendale-Ntsikeni-Masakala —————————————————————– At 4am we were gently woken by Xavier Rudd singing from my phone: This song would wake me daily and remind me that my mission was to chase the sun. Each [...]

My Freedom Challenge. A story about a...

The Race Across South Africa takes place in June/July each year. It is a 2300 km ( with a total cumulative ascent is over 37000 metres), non-stop, self-navigated mountain bike race starting in Pietermaritzburg KwaZulu-Natal and ending in Wellington near Cape Town. Riders are allowed a maximum of 26 days to complete the ride. Blistered sore f [...]