Local here..

I’d go and park at Mabie, then combine the trail center (flow) with a loop into Shambellie woods (techy) near New Abbey. Easy to link the two using trailforks.

Do you know anything about the bike and run courses at XTERRA Costa Brava and the new location for XTERRA Suisse ?

I haven’t been on the ground in either location yet.

Course maps for Costa Brava –
I imagine it’ll be typical coastal mountain biking. Red rocks, punchy climbs.

Course Maps for Switzerland

Hey Guys,

*disclaimer* Frequent lurker and occasional poster on STW – but the day job is overseeing all XTERRA races in the EMEA region. Including the race director for the UK event based at Weston Park, Staffordshire. */disclaimer*

For the UK races (including XTERRA Weston park) the thread contributors are correct, the technicality sits somewhere between a cyclocross and a cross country event. There a whole host of reasons for this, but the main is finding good trails next to a body of water big enough to swim in. Like most mountain bike events, the logistics surrounding public liability and rights of way mean limited options. Scotland suffers less so.

If you prefer your events a little on the crazy side, there are dozens of options available in Europe. In particular the Italian races offer an extremely technical option that’ll make you wish for an enduro bike! Full calendar here – https://www.xterraplanet.com/tour/emea-tour

Happy to answer any off road tri questions on here or if you prefer – doug.hall@xterraplanet.com

Cheers,
Doug

Thanks all,

Gone with Pedal Cover. Super helpful on the phone.

I drop the 11t sprocket from a 11sp road cassette and add a spacer behind to take up the slack.

Crow Hill is used for a round of the Southern XC series.

littledoughall – how tall is your missus ? i’m thinking about one for mrsTLR

Mrs Doug is 5″7 but very long in the leg / short in the arms. She’s riding a 51cm frame, inline post and an 80mm positive stem. Fits like a dream.

https://www.strava.com/activities/232683050

Headed north from Ashbourne, then turned off just west of Monyash, down some haliarous rocky single track that is apparently a sustrans route and back down south. Cracking route, but seemingly a headwind everywhere.

Not a surprise, but she is well chuffed. First proper ride on the Tissington trail and the Manifold way in the peaks.

It is pretty pimped out. 51cm frame, reynolds assault, 105 11sp and PLT finishing kit.

Long time lurker on this thread…

Mrs Doug got a pretty sweet Xmas present.

Drop me an email (in profile) happy to send you a bunch of riding routes.

…well, nearly…

Whoops, I thought it was! Which bits aren’t? The climb up Barton Drive was the only bit I wasn’t sure about and was prepared to turn around, but it was double track the whole way up. Although we did walk the final bit through Hill Farm (coupled with a friendly wave from the assumed owner).

I’d also assumed that the stuff in Rowberrow was fair game as long as you didn’t build stuff. There were some glum looking DH boys looking at some destroyed jumps.

Whether it is or isn’t a ROW wouldn’t change whether I rode it or not, more the circumstances surrounding that path. I like the ‘don’t ride like a dick’ approach. If a farmer asks me to not to be somewhere, I’ll happily oblige.

By random coincidence, me and lads rode around the mendips today. We took a few different routes than mentioned above, but a nice way to link it all together. All perfectly legal too. http://app.strava.com/activities/58376486

One of my finest comebacks from a unwarranted barrage of abuse was to reply with. “I’m off duty, but i’ve called it in to my colleagues. They’ll pop around later”

White as a sheet.

First go at any form of gravity assisted racing for me. Loved it! Any pics of number 140, 141, 142 and 143 all wearing blue bath uni kit? Ta in advance!

Myself and a bunch from Bath Uni CC will be there. Racing the competitive team cat, should be a whole bunch of laughs!

*Pleeeeeease go down the chimney*

partyboy1101 – Seek out Simon Ward at the http://www.thetriathloncoach.com/

Onzadog – Have a search of triathlon clubs/coaches in the Loughborough area, its very much a hub of sporting activity. Bound to find something useful.

Good if you are starting from complete scratch, but if you’re aiming to swim fast/competitively (triathlon/xterra) then its worth seeking out a proper swim lesson.

Where are you based and i’ll try to recommend someone.

Doug (ex-competitive swimmer, triathlete, and swim coach!)

**Member of Bath Uni CC**

All types of cycling in Bath is a million times better than Luffbra.

We’ve got national standard riders across Track, XC, Road, TT and downhill. A few UCI world cup mountain bikers locally too. Plenty of people to give you an kicking on a daily basis.

The university has a Team Bath programme, athletes of a certain level get free gym membership, access to physio, medical and strength and condition services.

Join our facebook group Bath Uni CC facebook[/url] and fire over any specific questions there. We’ve got a couple of sport science students in the ranks who could help with course related questions.

*Update*

Landlord has been around this afternoon with a carpenter and sorted it!

If the belt popped off is it an AEG or hotpoint machine?
If it is the main drum bearing has failed and it’s about £300 in bits to put right.

We’ll find out tomorrow if it works!

I would add he’s happy to fix it, but still.

Thanks for the responses…

I blogged them out of a spares box, I’ve got another set of brakes to go on, but wondered if there was a quick/cheap fix.

Initial contact suggests £100+ for a replacement.

*Update*

Rode up this tonight, the recent spat of bad weather has completely destroyed the ‘improved surface’ and it is pretty much back to where is was 12months ago 😀

Clair Weller based above running Bath is good.

From chin wagging at previous western leagues*

The member of staff responsible for handling events in the parks didn’t know what cyclocross was. Googled it and watched some video of an utter mudbath in Belgium somewhere. Put them off a bit, hence the price hike in order to cover any damage (that would unlikely occur)

*More than likely true, but you know what car park chat is like.

Must have been something going round, one of the guys in our group did the same today. Managed to bend it back to fit back in the frame. Made for a funny ride back to Bath!

Don’t substitute too much cycling time with running though – different muscle groups & muscles used differently. I had a friend who did a lot of running – he was very fit, but put him on a bike and being ‘running fit’ doesn’t transfer to ‘cycle fit’ …

If you’re worried about the above happening, run on hilly routes, the more frequent and steeper the hills the better. Uphill running recruits the same muscle groups as cycling. Quads, Glutes, etc..

Bath, Sally in the woods

I’ve been bitten off the back of the university trails (running mind you) by a collie too. I reported it, but didn’t hear anything afterwards.

I have a love / hate relationship with Star Lane, when you get it right its ace. When you get sun in your eyes then stack it on a fallen log into freezing cold water running over fist sized rocks its not so fun. Some good cheeky suff in the woods just south of Star Lane / north of Lucknam Park…

All the best riding falls foul of the shooting season, nothing fun about having a shotgun waved in your face by a farmer and his mates… 😕

I’m in Marshfield, anywhere nearby?

New bearing arrived today. Fitted fine! website I used for replacements was

Nope, no jetwash/mucoff abuse. Just lots of riding. They are laced onto 29er wheels which I guess the extra leverage helps to wear them out faster.