We are Macmillan Cancer Support

Bit of a step forward with my fundraising. The original page I created via Justgiving.com has been shuffled, pictures added and links managed. 

You can now donate online here:  Racing The Divide

Or you can make a speedy txt donation: 'RTGD87 £1' to 70070

TXT is completely free of charge!

You can also find out more about the fantastic work Macmillan Cancer Support tirelessly do by clicking the link to the right....

Power to the people!

I've always been pretty happy with my bike setup: No pains in the knees, back or neck and no pins and needles in my hands. 

So.... All good yes? Well, I thought that until I had a Wattbike Powerfit.

What you see above is a before (left) and after (right). My pedaling is pretty consistent on both legs but overall power (wattage) is low. 

After a few measurements of my Salsa Fargo and some adjustments here and there my output was increased by over 90%. 

Talk to your local bike dealer about Wattbikes, they're the future!


 

2014 Tour Divide

Well we're a few weeks past the 2014 Grand Depart of the Tour Divide. Some will still be out on the route, and closing fast on New Mexico, but for Jefe Branham the race is over....

(Photo Credits: Vicki Rystrom)

16 days, 2 hours & 37 minutes in the saddle. That's what it took to claim victory on this years TD race.

Great pedaling by all in some testing Wintry conditions. Take a look at Bikepackers Magazine 'Faces of the Tour Divide'.

Hungry for more!

So I've foolishly signed up for another event. 

Moving on from the rolling hills of the Mountain Mayhem, this latest venture will see me tackling 200km of Welsh wildcountry goodness....

A true bikepacking Independent Time Trial (ITT). The Bearbones 200 is well worth a look if you fancy an organised jaunt around the hills and valleys.

Entries have just opened! Get your place here: BB200
 

Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle!

The legs have made a smooth recovery after the immense Wiggle Mountain Mayhem 24hr Mtb Event. 

I entered the event as a team of 5 and we all had a great time getting in 5 consistent laps each giving us a great result of 16th of 70!

Highly recommended for everybody that rides a bike!  

Cooking on gas!

This years Tour Divide is in full flow! Follow the racers here;

http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide14 

In other news...

Awesome weekend watching the UCI MTB World Cup in Fort William, Scotland!

 

Atmosphere was unbelievable and I'd recommend a visit to anybody, no matter what your cycling discipline of choice might be! 

Be sure to check out the updates on the useful links page. I've added a provider of great value flights as well as a kit supplier. 

Blog & sponsor stickers are on the bike...

First big mileage day on a Single gear complete...

And the bike is looking swish...

My Twitter has also now been sorted out so I can provide updates on the move during training & events.  

Hope you're all getting the miles in this weekend! The weather forecast looks great!

 

Buff gear arrives!

Been pretty excited with the support from Buff. They have been kind enough to sort me out with Buff headwear for every condition you could think of as well as some cool shorts & baselayer apparel.

They're on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bufflife  

They're also on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BuffLife

See you on the trails! 

Buff join the party!

Fantastic news! The guys & gals at Buff have offered support for the many miles ahead. 

For those of you that haven't come across the awesome products before I'd urge you to visit them at www.buffwear.co.uk.

Multifunctional headwear of all sorts of varieties, there's something for everybody! 

Many thanks for your support guys!  
 

Who needs gears?!?!

So the bike is now a 29er.... And single-speed. And it's now blue. 

There's method behind the madness, I promise!

I was putting a lot of thought into the trip recently. Originally I wanted a trip about three/four weeks long: Fly out, push myself mentally and physically to the limit at approx 120+ miles a day, fly home. 

2 outcomes from that: 

- Massive success: See Canada and the USA in a bit of a sleep deprived blur & bragging rights when I get my sore body home.

- Utter failure: Bike fails early on, get eaten by bears, it rains (I'm talking Noah's Ark style...) and I quit having bitten off more than I can chew.

So. The thinking cap went on.

2745 miles through somewhere I've never set eyes on before? Too good to miss I say! Extend the trip to 6 weeks, shrink my daily mileage and enjoy what bikepacking is all about. 

I'm now planning on a tent rather than a bivi, I've gone single-speed to slow myself down and I'm going to enjoy every. single. second.