Join this exclusive event and be part of the first ever fundraising bike ride on the new Way of the Roses coast to coast route from 20 - 23 May, raising money for Sustrans. Organised by Saddle Skedaddle this exciting three day adventure is a trip not to miss!

The 170 mile route takes you from Morecambe in Lancashire to Bridlington in Yorkshire and is made up of traffic free paths, cycle lanes and quiet country lanes.

The scenery is stunning and varied as you make your way from the Irish Sea to the North Sea across this fascinating part of Northern England passing through the Lune Valley, the Forest of Bowland, the Yorkshire Dales, Nidderdale AONB, the attractive small towns of Settle and Grassington and the historic city of York.

Itinerary

• Day 1, Friday 20 May - Arrival in Morecambe with overnight stay and a chance to get to know the other riders and guides.
• Day 2, Saturday 21 May - Morecambe to Grassington, 50 miles. 
• Day 3, Sunday 22 May - Grassington to Dunnington, 68 miles.
• Day 4, Monday 23 May - Dunnington to Bridlington, 50 miles. 

What’s included

• Three nights Bed and Breakfast accommodation
• Breakfast, lunch and dinners plus en-route refreshments
• Luggage transfers between accommodation
• Full support including guides, qualified first aid and bike maintenance with support vehicle
• Exclusive Sustrans Way of the Roses T-shirt
• People and bike transfers from the finish point to Bridlington or York stations and the start of the ride from Morecambe

Costs and fundraising

The cost of this trip is £345. As it is a fundraising ride for Sustrans you are asked to make a minimum donation of £150 when booking. The Sustrans supporters team will then send you a fundraising pack with a sponsorship form and hints and tips for those that want to raise even more money for the charity. There will be some exciting prizes for our top fundraisers too.

This will be a challenging and rewarding trip and one which you will not want to miss out on. There are limited places on this exclusive event so book now to secure your place and be part of the memorable and first ever fundraising ride on the new Sustrans Way of the Roses route. 

An account of the Skedaddle road cycling trip in the Picose de Europa by the Mighty Gareth Quinn

This is my follow up to Life in the Fast Lane byabout the Dolomites holiday I took with Skedaddle and one that I am writing this under duress. It’s the only way, David, has told me that I can get one of the fabled Saddle jerseys. He is concerned that I will look prettier than him in the new catalogue which always seems to contain more photos of him than clients. So here goes…

The Picos de Europa in Northern Spain is famed for its mountain biking - in fact it was Skedaddle’s first European destination back in 1998 and they are still doing trips here. Road biking in the region is also big business, with many of Spain’s top professionals come from the region and it has one of the toughest climbs in Europe and probably the toughest climb that any professional would do racing.

I have done 5 Skedaddle trips and this was to be my 3rd new trip. Leaving London Stansted at 2pm the pilot informed us that the Spanish air traffic controllers had gone on strike. We had to sit in an isolated area of the airfield until they released us. The flight was uneventful. Ben, Michael and Wayel from the Pyrenees trip are on the flight. Arriving in Spain we were greeted with a very rugged coastline. There are 11 clients and 3 staff on this trip which I found out was the first time Skedaddle have ever run a Picos road trip. We had 2 surgeons, one radiologist, as well as a pharmacist so we were well covered in the event of a medical issue. The rest of the group were from a variety of professions including a history teacher and a hairy mountain bike guide.

An hour transfer followed the departure from the airport into the mountains. Everyone unpacked, had a few beers and then found out that the Spanish want to have dinner very late. This was a trend for the week and whilst unusual for me.

Day 1

Long hot climb to start the day. It was very beautiful, but it took its toll. Staying high we followed the contours and a high plateau around a lake and under a “well hung bridge” before starting the next winding climb. It was a grind for me but with plenty of encouragement and water from Felix we arrived at the top where a small tunnel provided shade and a cooling wind. The temperature was high but Phillip found a hay field with some shade to have lunch. We continued down the valley. Farming in this region is very traditional. There seems to be little mechanism. Stopping at a cafe we watched the professional peloton descend from the Port de Bales and A.Contador steal the tour from my mate Andy (we are riding buddies). The next 30km was a bit of a blur. We climbing up a valley into a strong headwind, so it was good to top out and descent to the hotel which was very steep in places. Wayel decided he wanted to get to know the tarmac and suffered some road rash. Luckily, this was the only accident all tour. 

Day 2

“The L’Angliru is very hard, said Contador. The Cuena des Cabres with its 23.5 percent together with another part with its 21 percent are the worst parts. I did not climb with the appropriate development. I used a 39×27, that was too hard.  I believe that the most appropriate will be 38×28 or somewhere around. When I compare with the Giro and the famous Mortirolo, I have to say that the Angliru is more difficult.” 
Per the Mighty Quinn, this is one brutal mountain. The first 6km are fairly average, you then hit a ramp of 20% and then it averages over 13% for the next 5.5km. At the top there is a sign saying it is 1/2km @ 6% to the summit. This section is 16% a long ramp before it tails off and actually goes downhill for a section. The climb has been used in the Tour of Spain (Vuelta) 4 times. It was introduced at a time when the big tour organisers were trying to find steeper and steeper climbs. The tour has the Alpe, the Giro the Mortirolo and the Vuelta has a horrible ex-goat track that goes nowhere. The Mountain goats own this mountain Jimenez in 1999, Simoni in 2000, Heras in 2002 and the one and only - El Pistolero (Alberto) in 2008

The apprehension in the group was noticeable; the weather was overcast and misty higher up. Before reaching the Angliru which was in the next valley, we had a 5km climb with some steep 14% sections. It was a shock to the system. Dropping down a very narrow sinuous descent with some very loose sections we arrived at Vega. My back wheel didn’t feel right and Dean checked. The 25m tires had enough clearance in the dry buy in the wet the grit was rubbing the carbon frame. Not something I really wanted to find out! A quick change to 23m tires was needed and a cup of very thick hot chocolate. The van would meet us at the 6km mark but that was as far as it could go. The ride up the valley was lovely. The gradient on the lower slopes was a gentle 7-8% for 5km. The road then flattened out onto a plateau. This is where we all stopped to get ready for the next 6km. immediately, the road steepened to 20% on very steep hair pinned bends before straightening out on 13-14% ramps. This was a struggle. The climb was too well signed posted but it did give an opportunity to take some photos and get my breath back. Why didn’t I do some more training miles? It was getting worse. The section that was sign posted 23.5% was scary. It was very hard. The front wheel kept lifting and the back wheel would slip as soon as you tried to stand on the pedals. I can’t remember how long it lasted but I was just hanging on! Getting to the top of this section was a major achievement. I stopped at the top of this ramp, nearly having a heart attack (181bpm – the highest of the week) as my heart was pumping so quickly. I had done it in a 30*29. Dan appeared from the top along with Kristy who was on her way down. The weather was clearing and I could see the wall of pain in front on me. The rest of the group, who had made it to the top, shouted something but they seemed a long way away. 3 more hairpins left before topping out on the hardest climb I have ever done. Riding out above the clouds reminded me of my days in San Francisco climbing Mount Tam. It was beautiful, must be similar to making it to the pearly gates with hell down below in the clouds.

Forget about the 12km climb stats you read online. The piece that really matters is the 5.5km wall. Challenge yourself to ride it without walking. In my opinion having a rest midway is ok… The current Olympic champion who can see this climb from his house has only ridden it once for a 50 euro bet that he wouldn’t stop. He has never done it again.  My time for the ride was 2 hours up and 25 minutes down.
Check out the following website http://cimacoppirides.wordpress.com/2010/02/18/i-got-my-mind-on-langliru/ to see the professionals doing their thing.

Descending very steep road in the wet with cows plus all the very slippery cow dung needed to be done carefully. I grabbed a quick lunch at the van before a further descent to the coffee shop. The rest of the day was a blur. It was very hard as I had gone way into the red zone and my energy levels weren’t there. We stopped at a small bicycle shop which had loads of photos of the professionals that live in the area. Only 18km to go up a gradual ascent of 1%. The legs wouldn’t work. Thanks to the group for staying with me to finish one really tough day. The hotel we stayed seemed to be very new. The dinner started with a local soup/stew. Loads of portions finished the day.

Day 3

Left a little earlier than the rest of the group as we had a 20km climb. The weather was overcast again and it took 10km to get the legs moving again. The climb was very gradual apart from a steep 12% section near the top. The descent was the fastest of the week with long straights and sweeping bends. It was so smooth. No need to touch the brakes at nearly 80kpm. Dropping down into a small local village which served pizza slices, we prepared for the next smaller climb up a narrow wooded valley. Lunch was quick as it seemed that the weather was changing. It was getting cold and we continued down to eventually contour around a lake. The only problem was the wind. It started to really blow. The sun arrived just as we hit the next climb. It was hot but thankfully the climb wasn’t that long or steep. The kilometres ticked by slowly for the last 25km into the wind to the hotel. This was the most uncomfortable night of the week. I had the choice of 2 beds but high in the alcoves of the hotel, the heat was amazing.  When sleep arrived it was very restless.

Day 4

The first part of the ride was 54km around a number of amazing lakes. No traffic to speak of. We stopped for coffee at a small farm/cafe and everyone was in a happy mood as today was billed as the rest day. 112km later and 1154 metres of climbing we arrived in Potes for the night! The wind was horrible in the afternoon, especially on the Piedrasluenga. But once we crested this mountain we were greeted by the road dropping for 25km. We arrived just in time to see the tour come off the Soleur.  They were descending the same roads I had done 12 months earlier. Potes is a lovely village and one of the gateways to the Picos. It has a lot of tourists it didn’t seem busy.  The dinner was probably the best of the tour.  Dan just ordered a selection of dishes which were served family style. There was far too much food even to cram in a pudding.

Day 5

26km of climbing greeted me at the start of the day up the Puerto de san Glorio @ 1609 metres. The legs wouldn’t work for the first 10km but gradually as the gradient increased the climb opened up into a spectacular valley. On these climbs, I break the totals into portions, either the next 100 metres, next 5 minutes etc. It still took me nearly 2 hours but the effort was worth it. Dropping down the descent we were greeted with an open valley and empty roads. The next climb was up an even narrower road and I had the pleasure of riding with Dean and Maura who were usually up front. I was wondering if they were tired or I was getting stronger? I suspect they just wanted to chat. Over the top of this climb the Picos came into view. Dan knew many of these mountains as he is also a climber. The road was just like a farm track now. It was a very narrow single track road with loads of potholes and loose gravel. It turns out that they are building a new road that in my opinion will spoil this area. The 3^rd climb of the day before lunch wasn’t enjoyable. I was hungry. It was hot and I want to pack it in. Arriving at the top we had a working dog for company during lunch. These dogs follow the sheep herds all over the mountains in the spring/summer months. Dan warned us that the next climb was a killer, before we would have a wonderful descent down the mountain along a deep gorge before ending up at a bar were we told that cider was the local drink. The less I say about this killer climb the better. You need to see it to believe….
 On the descent, I topped out on my bike speed record of 308KPH! At the bar, Dan also demonstrated how to drink the cider. I think he has had a lot of practice.

Day 6

Final day. We had the option of an early morning out and back climb to Lagos de Covadonga. Lagos de Covadonga is the most important climb in the modern history of the Vuelta. It was featured for the first time in 1983 with the victory of Marino Lejarreta. The road that leads to the lakes starts at Covadonga. We had a 5 km warm up before hitting the 12.6 kilometres long climb at an average gradient of 7.3% (height gain: 1056 m). The most demanding section is La Huesera, 7 kilometres from the top of the climb, with an average gradient of 15% during 800 meters. There are many sections that are between 10-13%. The climb seems to top out but then goes downhill twice (one section at 13%) before finally topping out at the lakes. We were very lucky as the weather cleared and we were treated to wonderful views. Another challenge with this climb is that it is closed to all traffic apart from large tour buses. This makes the descent especially dangerous as together with sheep and cows the corners have to be taken extremely carefully. Maura saw this in real-time rounding a corner to meet a cow on one side of the road and a large 40 ton bus on the other. She came very close to serious injury – you have been warned. One member of the group decided that they would get on the bus and for 7 euros had a bus tour trip to the top along with their bike. No names but they should get a prize for quick thinking.

Back to the hotel with 36km completed, we then had a long run along a fairly busy road, down a narrow gorge to lunch, naturally with a 400m ascent thrown in. After lunch there was a feeling in the group that we had only a couple of hours to go but this was fairly painful as Saddle wanted to make sure we did our 2000 metres of climbing so they seemed to have found as many short steep climbs as possible to get to the hotel, The run in was along the coast so we also had a side wind to deal with. The hotel was a certainly welcome sight except the beers that were served turned out  to be 3 years over their use-by date.

A last supper with too many drinks, prizes. The Mighty Quinn won the most aggressive rider (started earlier than the group so therefore got to the top of the first climb first), and fastest decent of the week - 308 kph. The Garmin wasn’t playing well with the satellites on the narrow gorge descent on day 5. Maura had a reading of 180kph so it wasn’t just my Garmin.

This was another brilliant trip by the Saddle crew. I am continually amazed with the guides. Dan, Felix and Phillip were great!!!!

My final stats are from the Garmin 705:

Total distance 686.12 km in 35.58 hours
34100 calories equals 162 pints of Guinness
Total ascent 12209 metres

Some Practical Issues:

In my opinion, this is a trip where you bring your own bike. You need the correct gearing for the Angliru but there are other climbs with 16% gradients. The reason for this is not the climbs but the descents. You need to know your own bike and how it performs under braking. There are lots of very steep hills with hairpins and longer straights. New tyres and brake blocks are a must.

You will also need to bring your own pumps, tyres levers, tubes etc as on the Angliru and Covadonga there will be no support. Two water bottle cages are also important as it can get hot inland.

Dinner/daily drinks were very cheap in the countryside/mountains. We sometimes only spent 10euros for dinner and wine. Closer to the coast and the tourist areas this became more expensive, however the most we paid was 28 euros each.

Day 1 - 126km - 2383m
Day 2 - 92.90km - 2232m
Day 3 - 109.5 - 1998m
Day 4 - 112km - 1154m
Day 5 - 123 km - 2285m
Day 6 - 121 - 2158 m
 
Gareth Quinn

We’ve just confirmed our new Cathar Trail mountain bike trip in the Pyrenees for the 22 May departure!!

The trip  is the easier of the two mountain biking holidays we do in the Pyrenees, with the other covering the higher reaches of the Pyrenees around Ax-les-Thermes and Chalabre.

We’ve also two fantastic Road Cycling holiday departures (both of which are now confirmed departures) during which you’ll cycle the entire length of the Pyrenees and climb such classics as the Tormalet, Aubisque, Aspin and Peyresourde.

So - if the Pyrenees is on your wish list for 2011 - you’d better get a wriggle on and snap up your place!!

Cathar Trail Details - Click Here - Full trip details - Click here

French Pyreness MTB - Click Here - Full trip details - Click here

Road Cycling Pyrenees Challenge - Click Here - Click here

Looking for the ultimate mountain biking trip in the Italian Lakes then look no further as we’ve got a cracker!!!

With the 07 August date now full with 12 very excited Skedaddlers we’ve just space on the 17 - 23 July departure. Below are a few more details and if you want to snap up your place on this holiday, you’d better hurry up!!

Trip Details : Click Here

Request the day by day itinerary - Click Here

Snapshot of the trip:

Italy - Italian Lakes Enduro

A new entry to our Skedaddle mountain biking offers, which will allow us to discover the eastern part of Trentino, bordering the Dolomites, with its breathtaking landscapes in an area hardly know by bikers other than the locals, where the trails flow, weaving in and out of forests and mountain passes. 

Our holiday represents the true essence of an Enduro / All Mountain trip,  dedicated to those bikers who are looking for real climbs, who are  not afraid to carry the bikes on their shoulders, knowing that once you reach the top, you will enjoy great downhill and technical single trail on the way down!

We called this trip tour of the lakes because almost every day, starting from the foot of  Lagorai, we cycle close to some of the most beautiful alpine lakes Trentino has to offer, arriving on the last day to the mother of Italian lakes: Lake Garda. 

Forming the dramatic border between the Alps and the Dolomites, this mind blowing landscape offers great mountain biking. Weaving our way up mountain tops, we embark on descents that will test your downhill biking skills. 

If you require any further information call: 0191 265 1110 

You may also contact us by email on: info@skedaddle.co.uk

DEPARTURES

GAE11/01       17-Jul-11  to  23-Jul-11         £995 - Limited Space

GAE11/02       07-Aug-11  to  13-Aug-11      £995 - Full - Sorry!!

Grade: 5     Flight Prices: £150 - £200 (approx.) 

Optional Costs.  Single room option: £140     Bike Hire: £140     Insurance: £26

Single room option: £140     Bike Hire: £140     Insurance: £26

Our latest photos for the Skedaddle Chile - Patagonia and the Altiplano holiday are now online at Skedaddle Flickr so if you want to check out how sunny it was whilst the group hiked in Torres del Paine National Park and what it is like to bike in the High Andes and just how starkly beautiful the Altiplano is - then have a peak …what better way to spend your tea-break !!

Thanks to the lovely Carl G. for taking such great photos!!!!

Chile - Biking in the Altiplano - Click Here

Chile - Hiking in Torres del Paine - Click Here

Download the full trip dossier - Click here

This is a one a year trip to Chile over Christmas and New Year, which has been running for as long as we can remember and that’s quite a while.

Below is a snapshot of the the holiday :

An incredible South American adventure to Chile’s most spectacular areas. From the sublime scenery of the high Andes, with its volcanoes and ancient culture, to hiking in the mountains, lakes and glaciers of Patagonia, this is a fantastic way to spend Christmas and welcome in the New Year.Our adventure begins in a region few people experience, spending time amongst the Aymaran Indian communities, a civilisation dating back over 10,000 years.

Our route provides fantastic biking in the dramatic Altiplano and includes visits to the region’s premier National Parks of Isluga and Lauca - home of the highest lake in the world - Lago Chungara (4600m) and the impressive Salar de Surire salt lake (4200m ). Following time on the pacific coast at Arica we fly south to Punta Arenas and then connect to Puerto Natales. The tour then departs for the ‘Jewel of Patagonia’, the spectacular Torres del Paine National Park.

Here we spend time hiking in its wild and spectacular scenery, visiting its lakes, glaciers and the majestic granite peaks of the Torres.Highlights are numerous, including the hikes to Torres Viewpoint and Glacier Grey with its floating icebergs, Saltos del Paine waterfall and the Lakes of Nordenskjold and Pehoe.

We conclude the tour with a visit to the penguin colony at Otway Sound, before our final night of festivities in Chile’s most southerly city, Punta Arenas. Wildlife abounds in both north and south areas of the trip and includes llama, guanaco, alpaca, flamingo and the ever impressive condor.

With the trip connecting through Santiago at the mid-point, there is also the option for those short of time to join us for either the northern biking section or the southern hiking section.

PAT11/01           14 December 2011 to 03 January 2012         £2650

Estimated Flight Cost (from UK) (inc. internals): £1300            Grade: 3

Optional Costs:
Bike Hire: £120               Insurance: £72          Single Room Option: £150  

The Skedaddle Early Booking 5% Discount has just been extended until Valentines Day

So if you are looking to save some money off your next holiday you’ll need to get a wriggle on - just like the people below!!

Below is the write-up of the event and congratulations to Grand Veteran rider Kim Burrows who won the Skedaddle UK Weekend
Well done!!! You too can be in with a chance of winning just by entering the race and turning up (over 18’s only).

Photo wise - Joolze and Mr.Joolze clicked away with their box brownies and here are the shots.

Here’s the write up from Paul…..So here we are back at Crowthorne in such a short space of time, but on an oh so different course to that in January. Thank you for bearing with us and understanding that the move from Heath Warren was forced upon us due to the landowners admin errors. We’ve had a manic four days prepping Crowthorne to ensure that you would still get a quality race. All credit to Peter Radband who has worked tirelessly this week, having already spent countless hours at Heath Warren preparing that great course. Hopefully the motorbike enduro hasn’t wrecked his work and we can visit there again soon.

Thank you for all your feedback today such as this from Maxine Filby: “That was fab! Fast, furious and great fun. Such a shame not to ride at Heath Warren but this more than made up for the disappointment.” And from Scott Forbes: “It was just the right lap length for this time of year. Plus we finished before dark, bonus.”

This season all the race categories are going from strength to strength with both the quality and quantity of riders taking part, which is encouraging. If you are new to racing and still learning the craft you may have found some trail sections at Crowthorne a bit on the technical side. Fear not as every venue has its own challenges and riding such trails soon brings on your skills. Which introduces us nicely to our MTB Skills Training Courses held in Swinley Forest and Crowthorne. Gorrick has qualified skills instructors who can teach a wide variety of cycling skills and fitness tips. The course dates are currently being finalised and will be published soon, in the meantime read about the various courses here.

The Series Points will be updated toward the end of this week to allow for timing mishaps to be resolved. The first 15 finishers are awarded points on a sliding scale from 30 down to 1. Don’t forget that to be in with a chance of a Series position you must score points in a minimum of three rounds, so consistent finishers are rewarded. We have great support again from your local independent bike shops who supply prize vouchers, plus Saddle Skedaddle holidays for some winners. Long term supporter Mountain Trax of Barkham near Wokingham pay for all the race number boards where you can get a discount on products by taking in your number board when you shop there.

Looking ahead to Round 3 on the 6th March which is due to be at Windmill Hill, Deepcut. Riders not familiar with this venue will more likely know it as Porridgepot Hill. But the arena is on the playing field also used for the Brass Monkeys Round 1 race this year and the Army Are You Tough Enduro so expect to use similar trails to those races. We look forward to seeing you there.

Thanks to Marie who was on a recent Cuban Revolutions biking holiday for the Cuba video she uploaded click here

For more information about our then see below for the outline of the trip as well as some nice links to stories and photos of this vibrant country.Photos / feedback /customer quotes - click here

Cuban Revolutions Holiday 2011

A lovely easy paced cycling / low level mountain bike holiday to Cuba - two weeks of salsa and cycling, old cars and cigars, on the Caribbean’s most vibrant island. Our Cuban cycling holiday offers an unrivalled insight into fascinating Cuban life as during two weeks of cycling we explore the lesser-visited eastern side of the island, cycle through the heart of the island and the far west before returning to Havana.

then see below for the outline of the trip as well as some nice links to stories and photos of this vibrant country.A lovely easy paced cycling / low level mountain bike holiday to Cuba - two weeks of salsa and cycling, old cars and cigars, on the Caribbean’s most vibrant island. Our Cuban cycling holiday offers an unrivalled insight into fascinating Cuban life as during two weeks of cycling we explore the lesser-visited eastern side of the island, cycle through the heart of the island and the far west before returning to Havana.Our ’revolutionary’ cycling journey through Cuba, begins in the historic city of Santiago the birthplace of the revolution and Cuban music. From here we cycle the dramatic and stunning southern coastline as we head west to Marea de Portillo and Niquero. Turning east again we pedal towards the Sierra Maestre Mountains. We’ll be cycling along deserted backroads, through remote villages and past endless sugar cane fields before arriving in Santa Domingo. Here we trek into the jungle to visit Castro’s  hideout’ at La Plata.

Heading north we visit Camaguey before the most picturesque city in Cuba - Trinidad. Here we spend time with local families before the mountains to Santa Clara, and the Che mausoleum. We then head north to Saroa and Pinar del Rio, to round off our holiday in and around Vinales before returning to Havana.

CUB11/03         06-Mar-11 to 20-Mar-11             £1545
CUB11/04         03-Apr-11 to 17-Apr-11              £1545
CUB11/05         06-Nov-11 to 20-Nov-11             £1545
CUB11/06         27-Nov-11 to 11-Dec-11             £1545

For full trip details, availability and dates - click here

Last month we organised a photo shoot for Evans Cycles in the South of Spain where we run our Southern Spain trips. Here’s the write up from Gareth at Evans.

A few of us went out to Tarifa, Spain for a flat out four day photo shoot. Organised through Saddle Skedaddle, we were met by our guide Dan at the airport and taken back to our accommodation where we got straight on to building up the bikes. Once all set-up we took a few mountain bikes out hoping to catch the last light of the afternoon and captured some great dusk shots.

On the second day we loaded up the van and hit the road early, finding a nice quiet road which stretched up a hillside leading to various rural villas off the beaten track. With the sun rising this was looking like the perfect spot for some road shots so we kitted up and pulled the Fuji Team 1.0 and Finest 2.0, BMC Racemachine RM01, and two Jamis’s (Xenith Comp and Ventura Sport) off of the trailer.    

    

Keith & Mark enjoying the rocky hillside

    

Keith on the edge

After a productive morning we grabbed some lunch and then decided to crack on with the mtb shots, shooting in the forest at the back of our hotel which sprawled along the coastline. However, it was day three that had us buzzing as our guide took us up to a huge limestone rock face. Sceptical at first, once we had climbed up we could see the potential, (not to mention the amazing views!) so it was out with the 2 full-suspension bikes (BMC Trailfox and Lapierre Zesty 514) for some breath-taking shots. Check out the behind the scenes sneak-peeks of Mark and Keith riding the ridge.

    

Mark & Keith admire the vista with our guide Dan

The focus for Thursday afternoon was the mountain bike images, and with the Vulture’s soaring high above the cliffs we discovered some great tracks weaving through the trees in the National Park region. The Trek Paragon’s large 29” wheels soaked up everything in its way, rolling down the rugged terrain with ease.

To close out the day we found a winding road that was perfect for a few last road shots and parked up at a small café which proved to be the ideal location for some stylish lifestyle shots, showing off brands such as Castelli, Gore, and Maloja. After his caffeine fix our photographer Geoff was back on it, snapping the guys (and Debs) riding up and down the scenic road, and myself winding down the twisty descents on the precise BMC.

    

Afternoon Siesta

After a long day we decided to ride the few miles back to the hotel which gave us chance to put the bikes to the test, with the Jamis Xenith Comp certainly impressing! Back at the hotel Keith and Mark pulled on the Maloja casual wear that we took out, grabbed a bottle of Cruzcampo and chilled out on the terrace for the all important après ride sunset images.

I travelled home Friday morning leaving the guys to get the product images and pictures for the GPS feature which we are running in the spring catalogue. After this all of the bikes had to be packed back in the boxes which they came out in with as much kit as possible strategically stuffed in around them.

    

Geoff & Stu get gnarly

Grabbing a slight lie in on Saturday the team headed home and in little under three hours were back in the UK, reflecting on an enjoyable and productive trip, and eager to see the final pictures. You can see these and the product features in our spring catalogue which is out on March 30th, or pay a visit yourself and contact Saddle Skedaddle at www.skedaddle.co.uk for great cycling at one of their magnificent destinations.

If you would like to receive a copy of the Evans catalogue click here to sign up.

This superb desert biking adventure focuses on the deep south of Morocco, a land of big skies and stark mountain ranges where mud-brick kasbahs appear to rise up out of the desert, sitting in tranquil palm oases and framed by dramatic backdrops of snowcapped mountains. We ride along Morocco’s dirt roads, taking us from Marrakech to the Tichka Pass, the highest in the High Atlas, and then southward, descending along the Draa Valley to the fringes of the Sahara Desert.