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Adventure is only a state of mind

  • Posted by ruben
  • 23 May 2013

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Two years ago our friend Alastair Humphreys visited us at howies HQ on the West coast of Wales as part of his year of Microadventure.

Al came up with the Microadventure idea to encourage people to get outside, get out of their comfort zone and go somewhere they’ve never been. A Microadventure is an adventure that is close to home, cheap, simple, short, and yet very effective.

Next week we're planning to get our feet wet in another Microadventure with Al and we're hoping some of you will get involved over the summer as well. We're joining forces with Trek bikes, Osprey packs and Mountain Equipment this time, too. There will be some great prizes. More on that later.

To find out more about Microadventures you can join the Facebook page here, use the #microadventure tag on Twitter, Instagram and Vine. There are videos of past adventures, tips and tricks for those planning their own adventures and lots of like minded adventurers to talk to.

We'll be updating the Facebook page (and our blog, of course) with all our upcoming adventures and more details about how you can get involved.

Remember, you do not need to fly to the other side of the planet to go somewhere you've never been.
You do not need to be an elite athlete, expertly trained, or rich to have an adventure.

Adventure is only a state of mind.
Adventure is stretching yourself; mentally, physically or culturally. It is about doing what you do not normally do, pushing yourself hard and doing it to the best of your ability.

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howies in Privateer

  • Posted by alex
  • 21 May 2013

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howies in Privateer
  • howies Privateer Subs Tee

Andy from Privateer mag came down to see us last month.

We talked about mountain bikes, Wales and howies; the full history, from start, through Timberland and on to independence again. All 14 pages of it.

So if you fancy a good read packed full of imagery to whet your riding appetite, pick up a copy.

If you subscribe, Privateer will even send you a copy of issue 15 (with the howies story in it) free, along with a Privateer tee, hand printed by Mike in our Printshop.

Simply head over to Privateer's website.

howies - Privateer issue 15

howies - Privateer issue 15

howies - Privateer issue 15

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They're Back - Wallpapers

  • Posted by alex
  • 15 May 2013

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We have been getting a few requests for wallpapers lately, so have put together a few that you can download.

We have been getting a few requests for wallpapers lately, so have put together a few that you can download.

There will be more on the way too, so let us know if there are any you'd like.






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Spring Photoshoot Slideshow

  • Posted by alex
  • 13 May 2013

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When we needed pictures of the new bike and run range in action, Hazel, Ade
and Alex booked into the Pwll Deri YHA in the untouched corner of Cardigan
Bay on Strumble Head.

We arrived in the dark, so it wasn't until sunrise that the full beauty of
our location unfolded.

To model the kit we recruited some active local friends. Sam and Phil who
are runners, riders and Lifeguards on our beaches, Josh who we ride mountain
bikes with and Laura who cooked all the food for our Rest Less ride.

5am starts, creaky bunk beds, breakfast overlooking the sea, beautiful
light, dusty coast paths, rocky headlands, a lighthouse, burning gorse, the
Presili mountains, winding back roads, 150 year old woods, wheelies, good
food eaten together and photo's showing the beauty of where we work.
Our photo shoots are work, but they really don't feel like work.

This slideshow is a selection of shots from the photo shoot.

Photgraphed and compiled by Ricky Adam
Music by The Redneck Manifesto

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The Dyfi Jacket - Simple Works

  • Posted by alex
  • 10 May 2013

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The Dyfi Jacket - our lightweight, windproof active shell for cycling or running.

howies-Dyfi-Jacket-MTB-Push-Main

Complicated isn’t clever.
Complicated is just trickery... Smoke and mirrors to fool your eyes.
Bells and whistles to distract you.
Good design isn't about adding more.
Good design is about simplicity.
Every feature has a reason for being.
If it doesn’t need to be there, take it off.

This is our new Dyfi Jacket. It's a lightweight, windproof active shell for cycling or running.
With recycled polyester ripstop body and breathable, four-way stretch arm panels.
Reflective accents on the cuffs and tail keep you visible when it gets dark and a fleece
lined collar keeps out draughts. It's adjustable at the waist and has a zipped chest pocket
that the jacket packs away into.

And it's £39.

Like we always say, simple works.

howies-Dyfi-Fire-MTB-2

Hazel and Josh chasing each other at 6am on our photoshoot at Strumble Head.

howies-Dyfi-Jacket-MTB-Lighthouse

howies-Dyfi-Jacket-MTB-Push-Uphill

howies-Dyfi-Jacket-Cliffs-Sea

howies-Dyfi-Blue-Run-2

Local marathon runners (and lifeguards on our local beaches) Sam and Phil raced up this headland opposite our Youth Hostel at 5.30am over and over again.

howies-Dyfi-Jacket-Clifftop-Runners

howies-Dyfi-Jacket-Headland

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Free Porridge

  • Posted by alex
  • 10 May 2013

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Free Porridge
  • Dorset Cereals Porridge

Our Porridge tees have been making a bit of a stir (sorry) amongst breakfast enthusiasts. In fact it's our best-selling tee of the year.

Our friends at Dorset Cereals love it too and have given us a few boxes of their porridge to give away for you oat lovers.

So, for a lucky few who order a Porridge tee this weekend, we'll be putting a box of their tasty porridge in with your t-shirt.

As always, first come, first served.

Update: We're all out of Porridge now.

Men's Porridge T-Shirt >
Women's Porridge T-Shirt >

howies Porridge organi cotton t-shirts

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Dyfi 2013 - Cramp or Glory

  • Posted by ruben
  • 9 May 2013

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Dyfi 2013 - Cramp or Glory
  • Dyfi_1
  • Dyfi_2
  • Dyfi_3

On Sunday, we made our annual pilgrimage to Machynlleth for the 12th annual Dyfi Enduro. A mountain bike event like no other. The course is tough, but rewards hard work with some of the best (if occasionally terrifying) descents and singletrack sections around.

For Ade and I it's become a bit of a yearly battle for the title of "fastest howies rider." In 2011 I beat him for the first time but the result was questionable as he'd dragged himself round suffering from some kind of manflu. I was left hungry for a more honest win. In 2012 we battled it out within sight of each other the whole way around but I wasn't able to close the gap and finished 10 minutes slower.

This year, with us both feeling equally unprepared, we rolled out from the start line through town and into the hills. With 800 riders jostling for position, I soon lost track of where Ade was in the pack, but knew he was ahead. I kept my head down and pushed on at a steady pace.

The miles passed. The uphill ones slowly, the downhill ones fast. I was losing hope of catching up until 2/3rds in, I rounded a bend and reached the feed station. Ade was there. My spirits lifted out of my tired feet. Maybe it's possible after all! I hurried to fill my bottle and grab a banana before heading off. Just ahead.

Now the mood of ride changed. For one thing, I had Somewhere Over The Rainbow stuck in my head after Ade had let me know it had been on his iPod. I pushed a little harder up the hill, trying to get a feel for how his legs were holding up. The gap opened a little but now cramp began to rise it's ugly head, snapping at our legs each time we slipped a wheel or dabbed a foot down. .

On the climb before last, I looked back and couldn't see Ade. I thought this was it. Turning into the last descent I was faced with a mire of rutted muddy tracks, I lost my wheels more than once and had to fight building cramps to keep things going in the right direction.

Dropping out of the descent onto the last bit of fire track, my chain came off. As I was trying to get it back on, I was passed by Ade. Laughing. I jumped back on the bike as quick as I could but with only 800 meters to go I knew there was little chance of closing the gap again. I finished 30 seconds after Ade. The closest honest gap yet.

Elsewhere in team howies, Chris had a great first time at Dyfi - finishing 7th of the short course riders and 4th in his category while Hazel rode an anonymous ride after forgetting to attach her race number before setting off.

At the end of the day, we all got what we really came for. The event mug to add to the collection. Post race brews never taste better than in those Dyfi mugs.

And what do I have to say about Ade's mirth while passing me with my chain woes?
Not much. I'll just let this video do the talking.

And here's a lovely little edit of the weekend from Will Sanders.

2013 Howies Dyfi Enduro on Pinkbike

A big thanks to Jon Brooke from rightplacerighttime for the photos of the weekend.
If you rode the Enduro, he's probably got some snaps of you too on his website.

howies Dyfi Enduro 2013

Ade-and-Ruben

howies Dyfi Enduro 2013

howies Dyfi Enduro 2013

howies Dyfi Enduro 2013

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It's Dyfi Enduro Time

  • Posted by ruben
  • 26 April 2013

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howies Dyfi Enduro - photo rightplacerighttime

Next weekend hundreds of mountainbikers from all across the UK will descend on the town of Machynlleth, nestled in the beautiful Dyfi valley, to participate in one of the highlights of the Welsh MTB calendar - The howies Dyfi Enduro, which after more than a decade has become the fastest selling and arguably most loved MTB event in the country.

Come rain or shine the course promises 60km of the best trails around and a fantastic atmosphere the whole weekend. Some long, long climbs are more than made up for by the stunning views and fast, whooping, white knuckle descents, mixed up with miles of fantastic singletrack and entertaining trailside shenanigans to take your mind off your tired legs.

In previous years the course has featured a brass band, a group of cheerleaders, a Welsh rock band, Darth Vader and a Star Wars ensemble reenacting battles from the movies, a wizard, a man playing a banjo and a wind and hailswept mountaintop rugby match. And every year there's a bar serving pints of beer just before the finish.

All in all, this adds up to our very favourite mountain bike event of the year and the excitement is starting to build in the office.

Ade, Hazel and I are starting to fine-tune our bikes. Bleeding brakes, oiling chains, choosing tyres. This year we're joined by our resident trail runner Chris, who manages the shop in Cardigan. He has borrowed a bike from a friend to see what all the fuss is about, although with a couple of 100 mile trail running races on his calendar we're half expecting him to shoulder the bike at the start and run the course.

This year the howies Dyfi Enduro is proud to be raising money for Aberdyfi Search & Rescue Team who will also be fundraising at the event on the day.

Follow the news on the Dyfi MTB events Facebook page.

We hope to see you there.

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CLUNK-PING-PLUNK-CLANG

  • Posted by alex
  • 18 April 2013

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CLUNK-PING-PLUNK-CLANG
It might be a slow, messy affair... but all that hard work is worth it in the end. It’s what gives a howies tee its soul.

One thing you can be sure of when you buy one of our printed organic cotton t-shirts, is that it was screenprinted by hand in our own little printshop, right here in Cardigan.

There’s no modern, automated print process here. And we don’t just push a button on a machine to print our t-shirts. Mass-production, it ain’t.

In fact, it’s safe to say, that just about the only thing that is automated in our printshop is the kettle.

Instead, we use an old-fashioned carousel, silk mesh screens and a bit of elbow grease. Tidy Mike prints each and everyone of them by hand, with the same level of skill, craftmanship and respect for the end product that they deserve.

It might be a slow, messy affair... but all that hard work is worth it in the end. It’s what gives a howies tee its soul.

Now, someone make Mike a cuppa.

New men's organic cotton T-shirts >
New women's organic cotton T-shirts >

Printshop howies silk screen

Printshop howies 8mm

Printshop howies inks

Printshop howies Yellow ink

Printshop howies big bird

Printshop howies #teamhowies posi

Printshop howies cowboys silkscreen

Printshop howies UHT screen

Printshop howies Tattoos

Printshop howies dryer sign

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