~To enjoy the light you have to know the dark….. A year ago this week I wrote this blog announcing to the world that I’d be offline for a while to have a real challenge. But, no matter how prepared you are to go into hell, it’s still hell. I’ve tried for months NOT […]
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 […]
2019 Plans : From slowly slowly to...
“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. […]
In memory of Johann Rissik. A rogu...
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 […]
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 […]
2018 plans : From slowly slowly to...
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 […]
Going long on Low Carb
Almost a year since letting the cat out the bag about my fancy pants Low Carb Healthy Fat diet (>Maybe read this first<) and with gradually more readers, friends and family asking questions I thought it time to do an update with more info and tips. Once again if low carb doesn’t fit your belief […]
Drenthe 200 : Chasing 16.7
A shot fired at 6am and the first wave of the Drenthe 200 was off. I stood shivering gently for another 20 minutes waiting for wave three to start. My guts churning, toes cold and anticipation rising. I had no idea this racing thing could be so nerve racking, I was apprehesive of my ability […]
Shane Cycles the Freedom Challenge...
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. […]
How a #LCHF lifestyle changed my l...
The merits of a Low Carb Healthy Fat diet for cycle touring. Note 1 : If you’re totally convinced that you need carbs for sport and blindly follow government guide lines on diet and ” Science” and have no intentions of entertaining a different theory, you may want to quickly leave and save yourself some […]
48 hour Ride eat sleep challenge
Ever sat in the office and ask yourself ” How far could I cycle this weekend and be home for dinner on Sunday?” Well I have, and often. I’m smack bang in the middle of a busy summer at work, sick of looking at smelly noisy planes, not cycling enough (mainly due to a recent […]
Dragons, bicycles and life
When I recently mentioned on a forum that I’d “rescued” the frame for my new bike someone wrote: ” I think most of us are still reeling from the fact such a thing of beauty could in any way be rescued… it’s like the start of a fairy story, we want to know more, were […]