Skedaddle Twaddle - cycling holidays, mountain bike holidays, mountain biking holidays

Responsible Holiday travel - Proud to be Green and no greenwash-Skedaddle in the Guardian Green List 2010

Skedaddle — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:00:59 +0000

Saddle Skedaddle have been named as one of the outstanding green travel holiday companies around, as voted for by the Guardian’s team of experts in their Green List 2010, in association with www.greentraveller.co.uk & supported by Forum for the Future www.forumforthefuture.org

More than 200 travel and tourism providers were sent a questionnaire than asked for specific information about action being taken to reduce carbon impact and promote water conservation biodiversity conservation and waste management; and we made it into the top 75

A panel of travel and tourism experts, chaired by Graham Miller, director of International Studies at the University of Surrey read the completed questionnaires and decided on the final list. The aim was to identify companies that have introduced significant change to thie business, the products they offer and the way they perform.

Here’s what they said about us -” Voted as one of the top five small tour operators by Guardian and Observer readers in the 2009 Travel Awards, Saddle Skedaddle organises road cycling holidays and mountain bike holidays mainly in Europe plus a few long haul destinations. It also runs trips to developing countries, such as Peru, in collaboration with Traidcraft and Christian Aid where you get to stay with fair trade producers”

To vote for Saddle Skedaddle in the 2010 Guardian and Observer Travel Awards - click here

The Grand Tour - France, Italy and Corsica - a customer story about this classic road cycling holiday

Skedaddle — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:16:22 +0000

Hear about our Road Cycling Holiday The Grand Tour from Regular Skedaddler Dean Deltrame. You might notice that our pint-sized pocket rocket & Skedaddle resident road cycling guru, David “l’il Dave” Hall, bangs on about the Grand Tour of the Med holiday at every given possibility. What is about that tour that always gets him going? Why is it that he’s always so keen to get out there? Skedaddle addict Dean Beltrame was asking the same questions and signed up to see what all the fuss was about…………………………

After my previous Skedaddle road cycling holidays in Morocco, the French Alps and Pyrenees and Corsica, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do Skedaddle’s Grand Tour. The Grand Tour Itinerary takes you through 3 different regions in Italy, Corsica and the mountains behind Nice in France. It was a slightly longer tour than previous ones I had done but you needed everyday of it to take it all in.Arriving in Nice on the Thursday I met up with the group of 7 other riders and our 2 guides for the week, David and Anthony. David had explained to us prior to departure that tour was going to be taken in reverse on this occasion. It seems that some minor events, namely the Cannes Film Festival, the Monaco Grand Prix and the Giro D’Italia, were also scheduled during the same 2 weeks and logistically it would have been almost impossible to take the tour in the usual direction. It had meant that some minor adjustments to the route had been necesary and it was obvious that the Skedaddle team were as excited as we were to be trying something a little different.

We transferred to Gavi in Italy in the 2 support vehicles and arrived after compulsory authentic Italian pizza along the way. With David and Anthony’s help bikes were assembled Friday morning before we set out on a hand chosen route through the Italian countryside. With an impressive picnic lunch supplied on route we finished off the afternoon by transferring out to the infamous Cinque Terre on the Italian coastline.

We stayed in the Eastern most of the 5 fishing villages, Riomaggiore which was buzzing with tourists. Easy to see why when you see the villages timeless architecture and the location at the base of the coastal cliff. As it turned out the Giro d’Italia had just finished a Time Trial stage the day before we arrived so we were reminded with all the signage on the roads that this really was a special place and where the pro’s race.

Our Saturday was given to us as optional to ride each of the remaining 4 villages or simply ride 1 or 2 and transfer back by train to Riomaggiore. Optional because cycling out of these villages was no small feat, with gradients reaching up to 22%! But there is never any better way to motivate a group though than by telling them “…no other group has ever managed to do all 5 villages…” and the rest of the day was history with all 8 of us seeing each of those villages by bike.

The return cycling journey along the coast brought us along the exact same route that the Giro D’Italia had taken a couple of days before and it was a real thrill to be cycling on roads bearing the freshly painted names of some of cyclings biggest heros. Some sore legs ensued on Sunday from a little too much enthusuiasm and err……. testosterone the day before but with another ride taking in the mountainous ridge behind the Cinque Terre everyone was keen and made short work of the ride. Sunday afternoon and we transferred out to Vinci in Tuscany dining in an Italian (of course!) Restaurant getting our carbs for the next days ride.

Ahh the rolling hills of Tuscany! Staying in Vinci, à la Leonardi da Vinci, we rolled out on Monday morning to find ourselves in 40 degree temperatures. It was going to be a hot one alright but with plenty of fluids we set off keen to see the sights of Tuscany. This is a region where the pro cyclists live and we saw a few out doing loops with their team cars in pursuit. Even had the chance to catch up with a local Italian cyclist (walking with bike on shoulder) who was very grateful when we stopped to give him a tube and a pump, apparently other Italians wouldn’t stop, just us foreigners! We covered a couple of loops in the area allowing us some elevation to see the expanse of vineyards and agriculture that makes this region so special. With some time to spare some of the group ventured off take in the Leonardi museum while the rest of us took in some cold beers before going out for a great dinner to local cuisine.

Tuesday and the temperatures remained high but the spirits of the group were equally high and we set out again to get another look at the area this time taking in a different circuit and being spoilt with a hot lunch along the way. But all good things had to come to an end and we transferred out to Casciana Terme at the end of the day. I have no idea how our guides found this little town close to Livorno (where our transfer to Corsica would depart from) but between the hotel, pool and the restaurant with wine cellar to die for this was a dream for anyone looking for a treat! After much wine and more food than you can imagine, (they just get bringing it out to us!), we rolled out of the restaurant and had ourselves some great genuine gelati’s.

After the Wednesday morning ferry transfer we arrived in Bastia, Corsica and were soon out on the road and heading up over the top of the mountain ridge that separates Bastia to St Florent where we would stay for the night. Corsica is an extension of the Alps, where the Alps finish at Nice they start again on Corsica but with water surrounding Corsica you get the best of both worlds, mountains with ocean views, breathtaking. Thursday took us from St Florent inland through a dessert landscape before winding our way back to the coastal town of Calvi and straight to the restaurant strip on the local marina for a well deserved drink. Pietra (chestnut) beer is the local drink and well appreciated after a good days ride! Friday morning we rode out from Calvi in a loop along the coastal ridge via an inland climb.

After a great picnic lunch overlooking the ocean (and some jumping in for quick swim) we set off again and headed back to Calvi via different route. David did his best to catch up with a couple of us who made a break for it after lunch (to be fair we broke away before the picnic kit had been loaded back into the support vehicle!) but he had to settle for the cold beer we had waiting for him at Calvi, much to our amusement. We had our last night at Calvi at a great beach restaurant on the other side of the bay, overlooking the port, marina and citadelle. The wine and food flowed well and we toasted goodbye to Corsica as we were to transfer out by ferry to Nice.

Saturday morning and we were up, packed and ready to go across to Nice. We arrived fairly late in the afternoon and rode our bikes back to our hotel at Beaulieu sur Mer. We headed out for dinner as we needed our energy because Sundays ride was going to be 130km of mountains behind Nice. David explained that he doesn’t usually take Grand Tour riders around this entire route but because of our previous impressive performance he thought we could take it! Just as it had been in the Cinque Terre, the thought that this party would be the first to complete the route was like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey and before long everyone was puffing themselves up and ready to go.

This final ride was the longest cycling day of our trip but certainly one to remember as we climbed out of Nice via the Grand Corniche and up to La Turbie over the Col D’Eze. Later we took in further cols including some typical French switchbacks making an idyllic back drop to our picnic lunch high on the mountain. From lunch we climbed a little higher and then dropped down through to the coast and traversed Monaco taking in the sights of the beaches this expensive strip of French Riviera. It was the right way to finish of the day and we celebrated well that night by heading out on the town. Certainly was a Grand Tour!

Mountain biking in the Scottish Highlands by the Flying Vs. A story about their biking holiday in Scotland

Skedaddle — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:12:17 +0000

Having sampled a numerous Skedaddle weekends and mountain biking holidays in Europe, we decided it was time to try something a bit closer to home and setting aside all concerns about the Scottish weather, booked on the July Scottosh Highlands Coast to Coast moutain biking holiday.

After the customary enthusiastic welcome from the Skedaddle guides in the form of Steve, Tony and Charley, we were immediately put to work trying to reassemble our bikes with the added interest of turning it into a bike building time trial - successfully completed from our point of view with only a minor need for adjustments by Steve !! First place went to our token German but at least we didn’t come last (hey John !!).

With the Skedaddle van and landrover being replaced by a comfortable bus we then headed northwards to the Highlands. After a stop off in Fort William to stock up on Avon Skin So Soft (Tony and Steve preferred to keep their body soufflé to themselves) as a first defence against the midges, we arrived at our first hotel in Glenshiels which set the tone for the holiday – great accommodation, good food and a wonderful setting. Our first days biking: woke up, brushed hair, showered, dressed and went downstairs for bacon and eggs ……During breakfast we were informed the day would comprise a sample of all the riding we would experience over the week. We weren’t disappointed – thrilling single track, rocky ascents/descents and the customary Skedaddle beer challenge – those impossible hills thrown in to perfect bike carrying techniques. After a great days introductory riding we arrived at Tomdoun. A beautiful hunting lodge hotel with great views and some nice Spanish bar maids to keep the boys happy.
Next up was an easier day with a beautiful ride along the Caledonian Canal ending the day at Fort Augustus, finishing early to prepare for day 3 and the Corrieyairack Pass – the start of the 3 best days of the trip.

Despite some apprehension about the prospects of climbing the Pass for hours (can’t remember the time taken or the height gain) it was a great ride – taken in easy chunks with plenty of jelly baby provision from Tony. With great encouragement from the guides, it was a challenging but doable climb leaving enough energy to enjoy the scenery. The descent was without doubt one of the best descents we have ever ridden (or not) and waiting at the bottom was Charley with lunch.

“The next 2 days provided great diversity in the terrain covering technical singletrack, woodland paths and rocky ascents/descents not to mention the odd river crossing and swim in the case of Charley. Supportive as always, Steve proved unplanned exits can happen to anyone with an over the handle bars into a peat bog. The guides had again arranged great accommodation and evening meals in Tomintoul and then in Ballater.Starting to feel overfed (although over generous measures of recovery drink may have had something to do with it), we needed a mountain to climb and conveniently found Mount Keane en route. There was no way we were going to ride all the way up this one – even with encouragement and jelly babies!! After a good effort riding ¾ of the route – on and off – we put our practiced bike carrying skills in to play and were rewarded at the top with panoramic views of the Cairngorms National Park, Glen Tanar and the Spittal of Glenmuick (we think according to our reference map). Again a fantastic descent and quite manageable despite Tony’s lecture on the drainage ditches !!

With only an easy 15 miles left for our last day - a distance for which apparently snacks are just plain greedy (although we know Steve was trying to prevent us from buying extra large shorts next time) we had a leisurely road ride to the sea and the end of our coast to coast trip.The organisation on the trip was excellent and the riding sensational. We just wanted to do it all over again. For more reviews of the trip click here Vicky A. (UK) and Victoria J. (Australia if they win the Ashes and UK if not)

Next year and we are heading to Sardinia to do the Transardata or maybe Portugal’s Roman Trails…here’s to 2010!!!

Morocco Memories - Atlas to Desert Mountain Bike Holiday Story from Sandy in South Africa

Skedaddle — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:25:54 +0000

Sandy’s holiday memories from her Morocco Atlas to Desert Mountain Bike Holiday with us

Back home in Cape Town one week on from the end of the tour I find I am missing my roommate! Jo was a jolly and lovely woman with whom I shared Callas, Single malt and much laughter. Such is the companionship of the road. Sorting the photographs and contemplating this report and to whom it would be sent called to mind the many special people I have met on many cycle tours over the past decade.

Both Fellow cyclists, some of whom remain friends, and the local people who will live on in my memory. Abdullah our jovial cook who delighted in splashing water in our faces during the hand washing ceremony prior to his wonderful lunches and the un-named boy whose face lit up with delight at learning to transfer string and love between our hands in the ritual of “cats cradle”. Arriving a few days ahead of the group I was able to explore Marakech quite thoroughly on foot. From my beautiful and comfortable Riad (family home/hotel) in the Medina (Medieval walled town) I set out along narrow cobbled ally-ways, through many arches to souks, local markets and secret squares. Somehow, at the end of each footsore day I was able to negotiate my way through this labyrinthine maze back to my cool and quiet sanctuary. The experience gave an interesting insight into the lives of the inhabitants. Behind the tall walls with their often elaborate and heavy doors lie cool, dark interiors, leafy courtyards alive with the sound of birdsong and tinkling water from cooling fountains and delicately perfumed with bowls of roses and living orange blossom. On the street all is noise, dust and bustle. The cry’s of vendors, smells of spices and sweat, colours of babouches (Moroccan slippers) and carpets; heat of sun, foundry and tajine (slow cooking ceramic pot) fire combine in a cacophony of the business of life. And a life of business unfolds as ancient tools, methods and skills are applied in hidden courtyards where tradesmen fashion lanterns and tea pots, turn wooden handles on foot lathes and weave elaborate patterns on hand looms. Fabrics are died, leather is tooled and hammered, wood is carved, pots are thrown and necklaces strung. The fruits of this creative crafting are piled high and plied to passing care-less tourists for crusts and crumbs. But venture out in the small hours and all the activity has ceased, the ally-ways are given over to skulking cats, peeling plaster and the dull brown metal of battened hatches. The trades-folk have retreated behind those tall walls to the quiet and sanctuary of their orange-blossomed courtyards or Zellij tiled mosques.

Set at the boundary of the Medina adjacent to the ramparts and the Avenue Mohammed V is an ultra modern concept embodied in the “Cyber Park” where touch screens mounted on shaded pedestals allow the public free access to high tech, cheek by jowl with one hundred old olive trees. A few steps further down this broad boulevard and through the Bab (gate) Nkob you are back in the present with high rise office and apartment blocks and the golden arches of “MacArab” as corporate America tries its hand at global integration.

Moving out of the Medina to a modern hotel in the Gueliz (French quarter from the era of the protectorate) it is time to meet the group and assemble the bike in readiness for the tour.
We headed off by vehicle up the Tizi-n Tichka pass, the highest paved road in the country, into the Atlas Mountains and the start of seven days of off road riding. The distances were 40 – 60k per day, which is nothing if doing road biking but quite a lot off road. The fifteen strong group was mostly in their late twenties and early thirties and very competent. Having said that, all except three were to take at least one tumble during the week. For the most part these resulted in nothing more than cuts and bruises and dented dignity! Martin was less fortunate with a broken hand on day one. Rather than throwing his toys and sulking, as I am sure I would have done, Martin became the legend of the tour as he walked huge distances over the mountains and desert every day always with a ready smile and a wave. About that wave! He had been instructed by the medic to keep the limb elevated and mobile as much as possible so one was never quite sure if the raised finger wiggling was a greeting or the fulfilment of physiotherapeutic exercise. Chris held the record for the greatest number of punctures, which was just about the only way to unseat this indomitable Kiwi. The route was mostly jeep track/4 x 4 trail with surfaces varying from rocky to loose sand and gravel, riverbeds and a couple of river crossings. There were plenty of climbs and descents and some opportunities for diversions onto single track. These were not the custom built single tracks that we experience in Jonkershoek, Tokai and Lebanon but were probably in fact, goat paths. A fair amount of this was undertaken at altitudes around 2000m. The weather was good cycling weather, no rain and not usually too hot or cold. We did experience some wind but nothing to compare with a good old Cape Town South-Easter. I think that the difference between this off road ride and the cycle tours that I have done up until now is that the emphasis was much more on the bike than on the touring aspect of the holiday. Although I found it quite tough the comfort of the back-up vehicles, Charlie and Karim’s supportive company and my determination to take it at my own pace made it doable.

If you think that an Englishman’s home is his castle you have obviously not visited Morocco. The Kasbahs (fortified houses) and Ksours (fortified villages), earth-toned edifices rising, castellated, two and three stories above their landscape, are Castilian indeed. Echoes of Southern Spain abound and not just from the minaret of Koutoubia, model for Seville’s Giralda. Telouet with its Andalucia style rooms, engraved stuccowork, colourful zellij tiles and intricately painted cedar ceilings and doors is palatial. Latterly home to Al-Thamil el-Glaoui, pasha of Marakech, it fell into disrepair after the Pasha’s family was exiled in 1956. The pasha had inadvisably switched his loyalty from the Sultan to France in 1912 thus incurring the Sultan’s wrath. However the decline of most of the other Kasbahs and Ksours has been for much more prosaic reasons of economy. The Ksour at Ait Benhaddou, which was at its prime when it straddled the salt route between Marakech and Timbuctu, is enjoying a bit of a renaissance as a film set. It was featured in “Gladiators” and there was a film crew active the day we visited the site. Others like Tamnougalte are living museums offering conducted tours and many have been converted into boutique hotels, we stayed in four of these. Constructed round a central courtyard from mud bricks or a mud and straw compound (pise), they feature cool high ceilinged interiors and a maze of interleading rooms, stairwells and towers. The external walls are often elaborately decorated and their earth tones glow spectacularly at dawn and dusk.

Ouzazate is the Hollywood of Morocco. Driving into town along the main thoroughfare you pass a 1950’s American gas station and a set that could have been used for “Antony and Cleopatra”. While touring the Tamnougalte Kasbah we were introduced to a teenaged boy who, it was alleged, played a leading role in “Babel”. He was apparently rewarded with US$10,000 for his part! Cheap, skilled labour and reliable weather are key ingredients to success in the international movie making business, as Cape Town discovered to its cost when it priced itself out of this market.
Ignore the Mosques in the villages along the Draa Vally and the scene is positively Biblical. The building materials, irrigation and agricultural methods, the dress, the cooking utensils and the livestock could all have been plucked from an earlier millennium.

Beyond Zagora the desert begins. Vegetation thins, the surface water is that of mirages and large stone cairns mark the rout of the Paris – Dakar rally. Herds of dromedaries, single humped camels, gather at wells or are driven from place to place. Ships of the desert, sailing a mirage sea. The dunes rise soft and golden in the late afternoon haze. Ridge patterned sand rising to a pristine knife-edge awaiting the violation of eager adventurers, scaling the flanks to surmount the virgin crest. Tomorrow their ravages will be swept away by the desert wind, their virginity re-worked for new conquistadors. Who, like us, will follow their conquest astride the peak sighing satisfaction to a Saharan sunset.

Such is this tiny corner of this country of contrasts. From High Atlas to Sahara desert, from biblical times to the digital age and burka to blue jeans, it is all here.

C2C - Coast to Coast - Self Guided Cycling Holiday

Skedaddle — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:10:38 +0000

Here is a C2C story we received from Helen who recently came on a cycling holiday with us, the famous Coast to Coast!
I was talked in to cycling the Coast to Coast by some colleagues. I
heard tales of speeding down hills at silly speeds, and fabulous views, so I said ok. Thankfully there are companies that organise it all for you- take you to the start, ferry your kit between B&B’s, and are on hand if you need them. We went with Skedaddle and what a friendly bunch they are too. Choosing to go self guided we could pick our dates, and were driven over to Whitehaven. After a good nights sleep, and rather more than adequate breakfast we started off on our 140 mile adventure.There really is no better way to see the country than on a bike. You can go at your own speed, stop as much as you like, and enjoy it all at your own pace – so long as you get to the next B&B by bed time! The Lake District is beautiful, and we were blessed with the weather. However the head-winds were horrid, and made for some very challenging riding up some rather long climbs (1904ft up to the top of Hartside).

Cobbles however are not for the feint hearted, and I am very glad no one told me they were at the start of day three. However, at the end of day three I was very glad of the assistance from Skedaddle as I endured a rather amusing ‘off’, landing on my right knee and rendering me unable to cycle the final following day – that just happened to be downhill all the way to Newcastle – and was transported to the finish line with our luggage to greet my fellow cyclists. A magical four days of beautiful countryside, superb cycling and friendly people all along the way (cakes at Winlatter Pass café are superb, and the tea at the top of Hartside is very much needed).

If you would like to try this classic ride why not ride with us on one of our guided trips.Or if you would prefer to pedal at your own pace, have a look at these self guided options.For those of you who would prefer to take it easy, explore some Roman history and possibly bring the family whilst sampling the coast to coast experience, our Hadrian’s cycleway tour has what you need!

Japan - Cycling Holiday Story by Lakeside Wheelers

Skedaddle — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:22:16 +0000

I am just back from an 18 day cycling holiday to Japan, and what a blast the holiday turned out to be. The holiday was organised by Saddle Skedaddle, a cycling tour company based in Newcastle, England. (Check out www.skedaddle.co.uk – they have some fantastic holidays). I was going to post a blog of the trip on the Wheelers’ website, but Japan is surprisingly short of internet cafes and it was impossible to find the time or place to get any notes posted. But what a trip it was! Japan is a place that I’d always wanted to visit and it didn’t disappoint.

First off, we were blessed with the best cycling tour guides I’ve ever met. An Australian by the name of Vincent Flanagan (I wonder where his ancestors came from) and a local man named Maso Tanaka. Vincent is a retired professional cyclist who still works with Trek cycling in Japan. He has lived in Kyoto, Japan for over twenty years, speaks fluent Japanese, and was great at helping us to understand the nuances and subtleties of Japanese culture. The cycling itself was an absolute treat. Some road cycling, some off road and a few singletrack outings kept us busy. There were a couple of serious climbing days too, with one particularly memorable ascent to the rim of the active volcano, Mount Aso.

We tried our hand at Japanese cooking, calligraphy and the inevitable karaoke bar. All of these were great fun, but the things I liked best were the Japanese food and, oddly enough, a chance to travel on the Shinkansen, the famous bullet train. I love Japanese food anyway, and it is so beautifully presented that it almost seems a shame to eat it. It’s not often that I photograph my dinner before I tuck in, but I felt compelled to do just that on several occasions. (The only previous time I photographed my food, it had been prepared by my present wife (The War Office) and I just thought it might be a good idea to have a photo for use at any subsequent inquest). I tried almost everything that was put in front of me, but I just couldn’t bring myself to eat raw horsemeat or a plateful of sea snails. Other than that, I gave it a go and it was fantastic.

Travelling on the bullet train was an experience in itself. (So is travelling by British Rail, but for different reasons). The train pulled into Kyoto at 30 seconds before the scheduled departure time, and took off precisely on the minute of departure. We rocketed towards Tokyo at over 300Kph, but without any sense of speed or drama. I read somewhere that the Shinkansen have operated in Japan since 1964 without a single accident – an incredible statistic!

I haven’t even mentioned the scenery yet (beautiful and ever changing, especially on the southern volcanic island of Kyushu where we cycled for a week), the temples and Geishas of Kyoto, the politeness and grace of the Japanese people, the cleanliness, the complete absence of litter, the beautifully furnished accommodation, the fact that vandalism and street crime are unknown in Japan, the staggering experience that is a weekend in Tokyo (female Wheelers would kill for a shopping trip to Ginza), and, best of all, the Onsen.

The Onsen are traditional public baths (cleanliness is a national obsession in Japan) where you go to unwind after a busy day. You have a shower before entering, and than relax in naturally heated water from local hot springs. The water usually contains sulphur and other minerals and it was just blissful to climb off the bike after a hard 80km and luxuriate for an hour or so in a hot communal bath. Therapy just doesn’t come any better than that.

Downsides? Well, it takes about twelve hours to get there, and it was expensive. But think of it this way. You could go on this holiday or spend the money on smoking twenty cigarettes a day for a year. I know which I’d rather do.

Gorrick / Saddle Skedaddle Spring Series mountain biking event - Valentine Special

Skedaddle — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 09:10:23 +0000

Once again Skedaddle mountain biking holidays are sponsoring the Gorrick Spring Series and giving away some fab prizes for the lucky category winners and random spot prizes too. The series kicked of on 14th February and here’s the news of all that occured…

“Well dear I thought for this Valentines Day we could pop over to the woods for a few hours and get a bit dirty….” and so the first Gorrick Skedaddle Spring Series finally got underway at last and now with Tunnel Hill temporarily renamed The Tunnel of Love, riders were again in for a singletrack love fest as a perfectly crafted 5 mile circuit complete with a romantic interlude, plus plenty of the famous ‘Gorrick’ swoops and descents, balanced with a couple of killer stings in the tail lay in wait. Another perfect day out for well over 550 riders was in store that not even a quick smattering of snow could deter!

On the dot of 9am it was soon time to get the XC racing under way and pride of place to cutting up the trails went to the Youth riders followed by the juveniles, while the uber keen under 12’s & under 10’s waited patiently to get stuck into a shortened version of the big course. Matthew Lewis made short work of his two laps in the snow taking the first win of the day in the Youth class, whilst Gretel Warner romped away with the win in the Juvenile girls race.

Then it was a steady conveyor belt of perfectly timed races, as one category after another were unleashed. As one batch finished another was already underway painting the trails with brightly coloured garb that fleetingly looked as if spring had arrived early and certainly cheered up the drab winter colours! Just in case proceedings weren’t colourful enough and the sprinkling of unforecast snow not delivering the right amount of romance, the thoughtful Gorrick crew had kindly set out a plethora of red balloons and heart festooned ribbons and a canoe…. All as a homage to Valentines Day, and so ‘Canoe – darling Corner’ was born!

As each race unfolded it was soon clear that along with plenty of old faces there was a considerable showing of new faces along with a new tempo. After a winter of enduro races these riders were keen to quicken the pace and shorten the distance ready for the new season of XC racing. Many of the categories were taken to the line with everything to play for as competitors dug deep looking for their racing legs that for some had been well buried over the winter!

It wasn’t just the winners of each category that went home delighted with a days work, plenty of riders were buzzing with enthusiasm over the fantastically fun course as they laid siege to the catering van drinking them out of hot beverages and eating them out of bacon butties. A few other riders had more reasons than most to be happy with their day in the woods, especially Sport rider Adam Westhead who took home the Saddle Skedaddle Mountain Biking Holiday break and Howard Dale in the Fun race who won a 1:1 Skills session courtesy of Gorrick, Purple Bike Shed and InsideOut Fitness.

Round three will be with us on 7th March at Crowthorne and with Mothers Day just round the corner will we find homage to daffodils and bunnies? I know for certain we’ll find some amazing trails and a whole lot of XC fun!

Chief Skedaddle mountain biking guide Steve Woods will be at this event, ready to have a chat and share his thoughts on the merits of brown sauce as opposed to red on his sausage butties, so look out for the Skedaddle landy and he’ll be knocking around.

For more details of the Saddle Skedaddle Spring Series please visit: www.gorrick.com

Full results can be found at: www.timelaps.co.uk while you can relive the whole race through pictures at www.joolzedymond.com

Mountain bikers battle the elements (not elephants) and have a fun day out in Kielder

Skedaddle — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:14:16 +0000

Congratulations to all the hardy mountain bikers who completed or attempted the initial 2010 Kielder Marathon of 2010.

A well wrapped up bunch braved the elements and enjoy the odd ray of sunshine along the way, with the winners coming away with Saddle Skedaddle Holiday vouchers, which can be used on any of our cycling holidays, road cycling holiday or mountain biking holidays or UK mountain bike or road weekends.

The next Kielder event is the classic Border Raid (yep heads from England to Scotland) over some of the country’s most dramatic scenery and is scheduled in for 08 May 2010

For more information about the event contact the guys at Kielder Trail Reavers - click here or email Skedaddle’s own Reaver Andy Scott at the office on andy@skedaddle.co.uk and don’t forget that if you don’t want to ride the event, but just fancy coming along for a chat with Skedaddle or to help out at the Border Raid, then an extra pair of hands goes are always appreciated.

For the full race Kielder Marathon race / event report click here

Road Cycling In Corscia - Read the Sunday Times Article about our road cycling holiday in Corsica

Skedaddle — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:53:12 +0000

Cycling enthusiast Richard Caseby from Sunday Times joined our recent Corsica Road Cycling holiday and below is his write-up. For the full itinerary of this trip - click here

Flying down a hill through the chestnut groves of the Castagniccia, I glanced up to see a herd of pigs truffling about in the middle of the road. The lead sow lifted her sullen black head, and stopped chewing. It was hard to say who was more surprised, her or me. It was too late to brake, so I picked a line through the hogs. They scrambled out of my path, squealing into ditches or tossing themselves headlong over the edge of the road into a crevasse. As the yelps faded behind me, so did the pang of guilt. These were not the famous Corsican wild boar - you’d be lucky to spot one in daylight - but rather a handful of the 45,000 feral pigs that graze the interior forests and eventually end up as the island’s charcuterie, making guest appearances in lonzu (a smoked pork fillet), prisuttu (cured ham) and panzetta (like streaky bacon). They’re certainly much safer on the plate.Such is the unexpected charm of Corsica. A beautifully rugged destination for road cycling, it guarantees a surprise round every corner. Usually that’s a splash of wild flowers or a coastal panorama, but it can just as easily be a local delicacy staring you down or, worst of all, a scattering of foot-deep potholes on a fast descent. And that really is scary.Such is the unexpected charm of Corsica. A beautifully rugged destination for road cycling, it guarantees a surprise round every corner. Usually that’s a splash of wild flowers or a coastal panorama, but it can just as easily be a local delicacy staring you down or, worst of all, a scattering of foot-deep potholes on a fast descent. And that really is scary.Corsica might not initially be an obvious destination for road cyclists who are more likely to prefer the classic cols of the French mainland. But more than two thirds of the island is mountainous (20 peaks over 2,000 metres) and it has some of the most drop-dead beautiful coastal routes in Europe.

Such is the unexpected charm of Corsica. A beautifully rugged destination for road cycling, it guarantees a surprise round every corner. Usually that’s a splash of wild flowers or a coastal panorama, but it can just as easily be a local delicacy staring you down or, worst of all, a scattering of foot-deep potholes on a fast descent. And that really is scary.Corsica might not initially be an obvious destination for road cyclists who are more likely to prefer the classic cols of the French mainland. But more than two thirds of the island is mountainous (20 peaks over 2,000 metres) and it has some of the most drop-dead beautiful coastal routes in Europe.I guess this is the nearest you can get to a glimpse of what coastal Provence was like before the second world war: empty, largely undeveloped and lush. It certainly fills the senses. The spring surge is so powerful, wild flowers burst through cracks in the tarmac; and the maquis, the dense undergrowth, is thick with rosemary that sprouts everywhere, erupting with scent whenever you grasp a handful. No wonder Napoleon said he could smell it even in exile.

The island has always been popular with the French and Italians in peak season, and elderly British hikers in spring. But with EasyJet www.easyjet.com operating direct flights from London Gatwick (LGW) to Bastia - though you can fly via Paris with Air France or to Nice and the catch the ferry to Bastia, it’s opening up to the lazier end of the market.

I spent a week touring the island with Saddle Skedaddle, a cycle-holiday specialist. The organisers grade each trip from easy (beginners covering 60km a day on rolling roads) through to moderate (70km-90km with a climb or two most days) and demanding (80km-120km a day on mountainous terrain).

The Corsica trip - (7 days) includes five days of cycling that explore the northern region, with bags delivered to the hotel each night by support van - was described as moderate and well within the capabilities of any reasonably fit weekend road cyclist.

My group of a dozen or so, aged 30-50, included a Scottish postman, a facial surgeon, the owner of a soft-drinks firm and a forensic accountant on a year out. As soon as I arrived, I tossed our tour leader, David, a curve ball - a tiny grub screw had fallen out of my rear brake, rendering the bike unrideable.

He was immediately on the case, providing me with a replacement bike (a perfect fit) for the first day and ensuring my own was fully repaired and delivered to the hotel for the second day.

On the first day, we kicked off from our hotel in Bastia to ride round the Cap Corse, the northern peninsula. It’s an easy loop and a great introduction to what the island has to offer - row upon row of rocky bays, washed with a lava of yellow-studded broom and pink rockrose. The scent was overwhelming and rolled towards us in waves.

We pitied the folk trapped in the air-conditioned tour buses that overtook us on the few straight stretches. Oh, the self-righteous delight - it’s almost as invigorating as the scenery. Anthony laid out a roadside picnic on a cliff, and later we made a muzzy descent to our next hotel in St Florent, a chic little marina fringed with restaurants.

The route from St Florent to Calvi took us over the Désert des Agriates, a 100km block of rocky moonscape that was once a breadbasket of the island. Soil erosion and fires have left a blasted landscape and now the only signs of fertility are tree nets, slung like bras under the olive groves to catch the falling crop. After an ice-cold Coke at the village of Cateri, three of us threw together an untidy paceline, taking turns at the front as we hurtled down to Calvi, a garrison town still populated by the French Foreign Legion. Never pick a fight with anyone in a bar who looks like a hard, tanned whippet. You’ll lose.

Still to come was the route to Porto from Calvi — one of the most beautiful coastal rides in Europe, weaving gently in and out of coves as your head grows dozy with the smell of wild fennel, blooming all around. By the time we dropped down into Galeria, a little off course, I felt slightly drunk. When we turned inland, east towards Corte, we were set up for our first day of proper climbing, up through the Spelunca Gorge. While the main group slogged up the main road, David led a party of us off on a detour on the opposite side of the valley to break us in a little.

When we reached the Col de Vergio (1,477 metres), with a backdrop of the snowcaps of Mount Renoso (2,352 metres), we pulled on extra layers and ate as much as we could as we waited for the stragglers. Then off to a glorious 35km descent, chasing each other down.

Our final day riding was a 110km hike up from Corte, through the Castagniccia and back to Bastia. Pigs and potholes are the prime memories of a long, sweltering session. Whenever we stopped, the landscape seemed to vibrate with heat. It was cooler to keep moving.

Once back at Bastia, we dined like ravenous lords. In the evening bustle of the town, the magic of those shimmering hours toiling up the hillsides was already fading.

Richard Caseby - 2009

Skedaddle Win a Best Tour Operator Award at the Guardian / Observer Travel Awards 2009

Skedaddle — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:51:50 +0000

We are extremely proud to say that we have won a Best Small Tour Operator award in the Guardian / Observer Travel Awards 2009

It’s the first time that we’ve ever entered and as the first cycling / biking holiday tour operator to win we’re chuffed to bits.

A massive Skedaddle thank you to all our customers who voted for us and it just goes to show what a loyal customer following we have!!

Thanks again and here’s to seeing you all Skedaddlin’ soon

Andrew, Paul and all at Saddle Skedaddle