Saturday was belting sunshine out west and Hazel had rallied us up for her birthday to ride the Tour of Pembrokeshire. We couldn't have asked for better weather to take in 75 miles of Wales by bike.

The miles passed as the skin got pinker, taking in coastline out of St. Davids and up towards the towns closer to home, before turning back over the Preselis towards the finish.

Plenty of riders passed us by while we stopped for lunch or to high-5 santa; our faux Birthday Club t-shirts giving away that we probably weren't taking things all that seriously. In fact, by the end of the ride, we had picked up a few companions along the way, making the ride that bit more fun.

Sometimes with cycling to work and rides penned in the diary, I forget how great it is to ride without an agenda - not riding to train, abandoning the GPS and the ticking clock, no pace to keep or person to beat.

Note to self: Ride more. Train less.

Roll on summer.

Lunch.

The top of the climb. On top of the world.

Our May bank holiday was punctuated with a trip to the trails and fire roads in Machynlleth for some epic mountain biking. The weekend didn't start too well after a trip to A&E for stitches, but things only got better on Sunday.

The 11th Dyfi Enduro didn't disappoint, with rain from last week clearing a lot of the surface mud from the slate descents and leaving deep pools of surface water for the brave (and stupid) to ford. 40 miles off-road felt brutal compared to all the recent road riding, but the steep forest hills and crashing downhills left little time to distract yourself from the ride to worry about mileage.

Being my first time at the Enduro I had little idea of what to expect and riding on a borrowed bike, I tentatively span through the course amoung 800 other riders, cheered on by locals, cheer leaders, Welsh hardpists, star wars characters and past beer tents, tempting mugs of free beer 10km from the finish. It's a surreal and hard ride, with every punishing climb followed by teeth clattering descents only to climb higher - rinse and repeat.

If you rode, times are now online. Ruben, Ade and Hazel had a great ride, putting in some fast times. Hazel was even fastest in her category.

Now that my legs have stopped burning and the adrenaline has faded, I can say it truly is an excellent one-of-a-kind event. If you've never ridden the Dyfi, it's definitely something to try - but you'll have to be quick as this year sold out in a matter of minutes.

The Coed-y-Brenin enduro is just around the corner too - run by the same crew from Summit - which will promise another worthwhile trip up the coast.

We are heading back to London this week to do a howies sample sale and will be in here, opposite Rough Trade Records.

Chris has been downstairs boxing up some great Merino, one-offs, last-in-the-box, odds and ends, and never-to-be-made-agains. As usual, it's first come - first served, so don't wait too long...

The nearest station is Liverpool St, and there's plenty of room to bring your bike in too.

Doors are open:

Thursday 10th May: 4pm to 8pm
Friday 11th May: 10am to 7pm
Saturday 12th May: 11am to 6pm
Sunday 13th May: 11am to 4pm

And don't forget to bring a bag to take your purchases home in.

There's nothing quite like real food to keep you going when out doing something challenging. Especially at 3am, when your stomach's raw and another energy bar, shot, gel or gram of raw sugar could not be further from your mind.

That's why we asked Laura to make us a few things for the Rest Less ride. Nothing beats home made food to keep you fueled for adventure.

Packed full of Brazil nuts, Almonds and oats for natural energy,
this flap jack got tired bodies and minds across the country.

Chunky Chocolate Nut Flapjacks

200g Oats
30g Desiccated coconut
160g Butter
50g Light muscovado sugar
4 tbsp Golden syrup
100g Brazil nuts, cut into large chunks
50g Almonds, cut into large chunks
85g Good quality dark chocolate, cut into large chunks

* Grease and line tin.
* Mix together oats and coconut.
* Melt butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan, until sugar has dissolved.
* Stir mixture in with the oats and coconut.
* Spoon into tin and press down evenly.
* Scatter over the nuts and chocolate pieces.
* Bake at 180°C / Gas 4, for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown.

Unlike your usual energy food, we don't have a list of calories, grams of protein, carbs or how many GI's - but on a scale of edible to delicious, we'd say it's excellent.

Recipe: Laura Elsaesser

On the night of the Spring Equinox, Rob Penn and friends took off on an overnight cycle ride across Wales.

The Rest Less Ride took the peloton of 16 riders from the west coast, all the way to the east. They cycled unlit back-roads riddled with pot-holes, gravel and barrier-less hairpin bends. They passed through deep dark valleys, through forests and up mountains, in a race against the sunrise.

The Rest Less Ride celebrates the pleasure of cycling and the friendships it forges.

Isn’t that what we are told? You learn when you are small and, like an elephant, you never forget. What an amazing deal. Once mastered, you have a gift that lasts a lifetime, and even if you part ways for a period of time it waits patiently for you to return. Once bought, it is the gift that keeps giving – health, entertainment, and convenience. So why isn’t everyone riding a bike? Shouldn’t the streets in every village, town and city hum with the sound of rubber passing over tarmac? You only have to observe parts of cities like London, Bristol, and Cambridge at rush hour to see the potential. Hybrids, racers, fixies, bmx, mountain bikes, single speeds, choppers, Dutch bikes, and cruisers all spinning to and fro.

While cycling numbers have increased by around 20% across Britain over the last decade, we lag behind other European countries. The number of cyclists killed or injured sits around 27,000 for that period. This figure is unacceptable and concerns over safety are the main reason many bikes sit unloved in garden sheds up and down the country. This is a terrible shame since cycling represents the elixir to many of our problems. Regular riding can significantly improve fitness levels (goodbye beer belly) and increase life expectancy (hello happy retirement). By swapping an eight mile round trip commute from car to bike, you save 0.5 tonnes of carbon per year – that’s the equivalent of a short haul flight.

It stands to reason that if we want a country that is synonymous with cycling you need to ensure that it is safe. As a result of much hard work by sustainable transport charities and cycling campaign groups we have seen significant progress. Most recently, the Cycle Safe campaign from The Times – coupled with February’s Parliamentary cycling debate - has helped raise the profile of cycle safety. There is much that can be done to improve junctions, slow speeds in neighbourhoods, and provide better road user training. However, this all requires investment – even a small percentage of the road budget could make a huge difference across the country.

Ultimately, the goal is to get people – young, old, male, female – on bikes for their everyday journeys to places like school, work, and the shops. However, currently around 66% of journeys (two miles or less) are completed in a car. While the number of accidents involving cyclists are a concern, the perceived danger can sometimes outweigh the actual risks. It is important to emphasise that cycling is still a fun, exhilarating, and egalitarian means of getting around. You hear of schools not letting kid’s cycle and adults looking on in horror as you ride past on the way to work. It is important to remember that it’s cycling, not war. Going forward, we need more people on bikes and (much) improved cycle infrastructure to ensure that the fun isn’t taken out of cycling.

Words: Ben Addy

Which is why all of our staple basics are being constantly improved over time. Stuff like t-shirts, sweats, polos and vests. A tweak here, a nip and a tuck there. Altered and refined until we are confident that they are as perfect as can be.

These are the easy to wear, 'go to' pieces that every wardrobe should have. The comfortable old familiar favourites that you reach for, without even thinking about it. Timeless stuff, that just never goes out of fashion.

So, this spring, we've introduced a few new basics into our range. Made from either organic or recycled cotton and fine-tuned to be just right, we're sure that in time these will become your new favourites.

Indeed, cotton is the world's most sprayed crop. It uses over a quarter of all insecticides used today (see list below). The way they grow it isn't good for the farmer's health, the water table's health, the factory worker's health, the river's health and eventually the sea's health.

That's why we use organic cotton. It costs us 30% more than normal cotton. It means our products cost a little more, but we think it's worth it. After all, you wear your T-shirt next to your skin for 10 hours a day. (Just think how Nicorettes work).

The average cotton crop is sprayed 8-10 times a season. Indeed, it takes 17 teaspoons of chemical fertilizers to raise the 9 ounces of cotton needed to make a T-shirt.

The most common pesticides used are: Chlorphynfos (causes brain and foetal damage, impotence and sterility), Cyanazine (causes birth defects and cancer), Dicofol (causes cancer, reproductive damage and tumours), Ethephon (causes mutations) Fluometuron (causes blood and spleen disorders), Metam Sodium (causes birth defects, foetal damage, mutation), Methyl Parathion (causes birth defects, foetal damage, reproductive damage and destroys immune system),MSMA (causes tumours), Nailed (causes cancer, reproductive damage and tumours), Profenofos (causes eye damage and skin irritation), Prometryn (causes bone morrow, kidney, liver and testicular damage), Propargite (causes cancer, foetal and eye damage, mutation and tumours), Sodium Chlorate (causes kidney damage), Tribufos (causes cancer and tumours), and Trifluralin (causes cancer, foetal damage and mutation).
In America last year, farmers applied 53 million pounds of toxic pesticides to cotton fields. Out of the world's total insecticide usage, 25% is used just to farm cotton.

And, if that isn't enough, once the cotton has been grown it is dyed using toxic dyes. Then, to prevent it from creasing, it is finished with formaldehyde. Common sense says that can't be right. Go organic.

The fibres are ultra smooth, which makes the fabric feel softer than cotton. Unlike cotton it remains soft, wash after wash, as the soap scum has nothing to cling on to. It also doesn’t lose its colour. Oh, and wood also has natural hygienic properties and is resistant to shrinkage.

We used a fine circular knitting process when we made this underwear to make sure that there are no annoying seams.

The Modal fibre is made by an Austrian company called Lenzing. The beech trees are sustainably grown and the wood pulp is turned into fibre in a closed loop process, which uses up to twenty times less water than cotton production. Any waste is used for by-products.

Pretty impressive, huh? It makes other underwear seem like ‘pants’.

The fibres are ultra smooth, which makes the fabric feel softer than cotton. Unlike cotton it remains soft, wash after wash, as the soap scum has nothing to cling on to. It also doesn’t lose its colour. Oh, and wood also has natural hygienic properties and is resistant to shrinkage.

We used a fine circular knitting process when we made this underwear to make sure that there are no annoying seams.

The Modal fibre is made by an Austrian company called Lenzing. The beech trees are sustainably grown and the wood pulp is turned into fibre in a closed loop process, which uses up to twenty times less water than cotton production. Any waste is used for by-products.

Pretty impressive, huh? It makes other underwear seem like ‘pants’.

We are heading back to Bristol this weekend to do a howies sample sale at the bottom of Park street. We will be in here, number 30 on the right as you are heading uphill. It's only a 15 minute walk from Temple Meads rail station too.

The space is not as big as usual, so you won't be able to get your bike in.  And if Thursday is it's usual busy self, you may be in the queue for a bit. But we are around for 4 days, and not everything will be out on the first night.

As before there will be some amazing bargains,  last-in-the-box pieces from seasons past, unique samples of items that were never put in to production, prototype samples and maybe things that need a button or a stitch.

The sale will run:

Thursday 19th April: 4pm to 8pm

Friday 20th April: 10.00am to 6pm

Saturday 21st April: 10.00am to 6pm

Sunday 22nd April: 11.00am to 4pm

But remember, as always, stock is limited so if you want the first stuff out the box, be the early bird.

Oh and bring a bag to take your purchases home in.

Tatsächlich ist Baumwolle die am meisten besprühte Anbaupflanze der Welt. Dafür werden mehr als ein Viertel aller aktuell verwendeten Insektizide eingesetzt (siehe die nachfolgende Liste). Wie Baumwolle angebaut wird, ist schlecht für die Gesundheit der Baumwollpflanzer. Es ist schlecht für den Grundwasserspiegel. Schlecht für die Gesundheit der Fabrikarbeiter. Schlecht für unsere Flüsse. Und schließlich auch schlecht für unsere Meere.

Deshalb verwenden wir Biobaumwolle. Sie kostet uns 30% mehr als herkömmliche Baumwolle. Das heißt auch, dass unsere Produkte etwas mehr kosten. Wir glauben aber, dass es das wert ist. Schließlich trägt man ein T-Shirt direkt auf der Haut, und das für etwa 10 Stunden am Tag. (Denk mal drüber nach, wie Nikotinpflaster wirken.)

Die durchschnittliche Baumwollpflanze wird in der Anbauzeit 8 - 10 mal besprüht. Tatsächlich sind 17 Teelöffel chemischer Dünger notwendig, um die 255 Gramm Baumwolle wachsen zu lassen, die in einem T-Shirt verarbeitet werden.

Die am häufigsten verwendeten Pestizide sind: Chlorpyrifos (verursacht Hirnschäden, fetale Schäden, Impotenz und Zeugungsunfähigkeit), Cyanazin (verursacht Geburtsschäden und Krebs), Dicofol (verursacht Krebs, Reproduktionsschäden und Tumore), Ethephon (verursacht Mutationen), Fluometuron (verursacht Blut- und Milzerkrankungen), Metam-Natrium(verursacht Geburtsschäden, fetale Schäden, Mutation), Methyl-Parathion (verursacht Geburtsschäden, fetale Schäden, Reproduktionsschäden und zerstört das Immunsystem), MSMA (verursacht Tumore).

Nailed (verursacht Krebs, Reproduktionsschäden und Tumore), Profenofos (verursacht Augenschäden und Hautirritation), Prometryn (verursacht Schäden an Knochenmark, Nieren, Leber und Hoden), Propargit (verursacht Krebs, fetale Schäden, Augenschäden, Mutation und Tumore), Natriumchlorat (verursacht Nierenschäden), Tribufos (verursacht Krebs und Tumore) und Trifluralin (verursacht Krebs, fetale Schäden und Mutation).

Letztes Jahr haben Bauern in Amerika 53 Millionen Pfund toxischer Pestizide auf Baumwollfeldern verteilt. Von den Insektiziden, die insgesamt weltweit eingesetzt werden, kommen allein 25% im Baumwollanbau zur Anwendung.

Und als wäre das nicht genug, wird die Baumwolle nach der Ernte mit toxischen Farbstoffen gefärbt. Um ein Knittern des Stoffes zu verhindert, wird er anschließend mit Formaldehyd behandelt. Der gesunde Menschenverstand sagt uns, dass das alles nicht richtig sein kann. Also lieber Bio.

This weekend we run the Endurancelife coastal series at Heddon Valley on Exmoor. Sofia in the 10km, Hazel in the 1/2 marathon (both first time) and Ruben, Chris and unfortunately myself in the Ultra.

My first and last Ultra was in February. The 35 miles took a few weeks preparation 7 hours and all my will power to finish, and they I could not walk for 2 days. Then we had the Restless ride to prepare for so I switched to the bike training three times a day. Then I went away for work and the running has been a few quick 5 milers here and there. And I meant to downgrade to the marathon, but missed the deadline.

On a scale if 1 to 5, the course is rated 5 (Extreme) and thus the last 14 days and the next 39 hours will be trying to keep a lid on the self doubt.

I have all my mental race props prepared. Innov-8 shoes, smartwool socks, howies shorts boxers baselayers and Brenin jacket, my Salomon s-lab pack, Nuun rehydration tablets, Camelbak bottle, Clif bars, shots and luna bars, iPhone with 1000 running tracks, swiss army knife, chewing gum, foil blanket, first aid kit, ankle brace, £20 note and a merino beanie.  They have got me through hell and high water.

But when the gun goes, it all going to be down to keeping a lid on the pain and the doubt. And the hardest bit will be the last 6 miles of the marathon to the finish line, where they send you out again on the 10km course to do the Ultra.

That doubting bit of my mind will be nagging me stop. "Why go further? You're tired, you've already run the next bit, the car's just there and you could get changed and be home to see the family sooner. You won't be able to walk tomorrow. You just did a marathon, that's good enough. Will you even make the next bit? Just say your ankle is playing up."

If I am in genuine hell, I will just stop there. I will need to be able to depress the clutch to get home.

But I hope that the legs hold, that the music has me singing along, and the last 10km pass to a joyous finish.

Watch our twitterfeed @howies and instagram @howiesclothing for the latest.

Exercise makes me happy. If I run a couple of times a week I think clearer, I sleep sounder, I eat better, I work more productively. I am happier. And yet, I can go for months without going for a single run. What's with that?

It took a chance meeting with Olympic athlete Steve Cram to tell me what the problem is. It's the front door. It's there, and its shut. He told me, "it doesn't matter if you're a professional athlete or training for your first fun run, the hardest part is motivating yourself to get going. If you can pull your trainers on and get out the door, everything else is easy."

The good news is he also told me how to open the door. Its a 2 step process:

1. Set yourself a goal.
Enter a run / bike ride / triathlon / adventure race / bog snorkel.
Nothing too hard, just something you couldn't do today.

2. Tell EVERYONE.
Parents, children, postman, neighbours, doctor, God, Twitter followers,
ticket collectors etc. There's no turning back now.

It works. For example, I haven't been swimming for 5 years. Then yesterday I entered a 1.5 mile swim to the Isle of Wight. I now have exactly 94 days until I walk down the shingle beach and into the waters of the Solent. So today I found my old trunks at the back of my drawer and tomorrow morning I'll be in the local swimming pool.

David came to howies to show us a website he built with a couple of friends to help people with the difficult Step 1.

You can guess what it does. It gets you out the door.

Words: David Wearn

www.findarace.com

Challenge yourself to something new and when you've found a race, let us know where you're racing on facebook, or tweet us with the hashtag #foundarace. You might even find a friend or two to get out the door with you.

Made by our friend Gavin Strange.

More info here > boikzmoind.com

After a quick poll in the office, these were the top suggestions. We'd like to hear yours.

Have a great weekend. Whatever you do, we hope you enjoy it.

1. Run in the woods

Take the Charlotte tee or the Abigail dress, for example. Both are made from an organic cotton Melange: a cotton yarn with a myriad of previously dyed recycled polyester fibres woven into it. These fibres are from polyester offcuts that would have otherwise ended up in the landfill.

This mix of multicoloured slivers gives the yarn a unique slubby heather effect, with a kaleidoscope of subtle colour flecks all over. A really distinct look, from a smart process, which does something good.

And that makes us love them even more.

So, this Easter weekend we've decided to give a little something back and we're going to hold one of our almost-famous sample sales right here in our Cardigan shop. It's going to mean emptying all the present stock and fittings and replacing them with rails and rails of samples and then swapping it all over again afterwards. So there's lots to do, but it will be worth it.

There will be some amazing bargains, including last-in-the-box pieces from seasons past, unique samples of items that were never put in to production and, if you are very lucky, one or two prototype samples from upcoming seasons. But remember, as always, stock is limited so early birds stand the best chance of finding the best bargains.

We hope we can encourage a few of you from far and wide to head over and experience a little bit of the beauty of this place we call home, and who knows, if there is time maybe we can get out for a run or a ride in the sunshvine.

The sale will run:

Friday 6th April: 10.00 - 17.00

Saturday 7th: 10.00 - 1700

Sunday 8th: 10.00 - 16.00

Monday 9th: 10.00 - 17.00

And as it's Easter weekend we might even have some chocolates to go with the kettle which is always on. So even if you don't find something you like in the sale, you'll be able to pick up a brew - while stocks last.

This is where the shop is in Cardigan

And this is where Cardigan is in Wales

Last weekend the Rest Less Ride took riders across the whole of Wales from beach to border overnight. The roads were riddled with pot-holes, sheets of gravel and barrier-less hairpin bends, dropped into deep dark valleys, through forests and over 25% climbs in a race against the sun on the night the clocks went forwards.

The ride was born out of a story that writer - and friend of howies - Rob Penn, shared from a chance meeting on the road with a passing cyclist, reminiscing over night-long club rides in the late 1950's; the quieter roads, the lack of traffic, and the peloton pushing one another on through dawn.

The roads back in the 50’s aren’t too dissimilar to the country lanes in Wales, so only one question remained; "When shall we do it?"

On Saturday, 16 riders set off from howies HQ to Abergavenny, all that led the way were small road markings, the faith in the peloton and the promise that no-one would get left behind in the wilderness.

The pack was made up some of Rob's and our riding friends, who had come from across Britain, to take on this incredible adventure. A last supper gave time to go over the route, fettle bikes and exchange names with the riders who would help carry one another across the entire country in the dark.

Barely 10 minutes into the ride, a disturbed badger darted into the pack, causing a tumble. The sound of bikes hitting the ground and cries in the night halted riders in front. Once turned upright, we re-grouped and pressed on. What other dangers waited for us in the dark?

Winding out of the Teifi valley, the stronger legs set a steady pace along the undulating road to Lampeter. The hills began to get steeper, breathing deepened and gears simultaneously jumped in the dark to bigger cogs.

The descents made up for the climbs and soon everyone seemed settled, taking to the 40mph bends, down over humpback bridges, free wheeling to allow the legs to rest for the next inevitable climb.

At Lampeter we left the safety of the A roads and towns, heading into the wilderness. The quiet back roads were brown and green down the middle, with fractures to test skinny tyres and fords to test nerves; a surface barely ideal in daylight, let alone in the dark.

These country lanes were bound for the lake at Llyn Briane, up winding valley passes and through pitch-black, potholed hairpins. Chatter in the pack slowed as concentration increased to keep wheels in line over the rough surfaces and spotting markers to keep on course - we had not seen a house or car for miles and rumbling over cattle grids. There would be nowhere to go if you gave up here.

News of the coming halfway stop for hot soup refreshed tired minds. Eager stomachs wound up the pace and soon everyone was huddled around a 2-ring gas burner awaiting some real food. Passing round bread and stretching, we noticed the time, 3am. With darkness all around, we were halfway from nowhere and nowhere near somewhere with an handful of hours 'til dawn. The race against the sun had begun.

The climb past the lake, invisible in the dark, led to fantastically smooth tarmac lining the valley as it wound through the hills and over barrier-less summits with steep drops into the dark.

Approaching the pine forest, a broken chain tore apart Alex's derailleur, demanding some roadside repairs. Stopped in the silence, it was obvious the damage was irreparable. Cut down to a single speed, the best attempt to limp on, wasn't going to get the bike over the 25% climb of the Devil's Staircase and certainly not onto Abergavenny. It was game over for Alex.

The Devil's Staircase is famed for it's 25% walls levelling out briefly before the next step upwards. The set of short, sharp climbs marked the midway point through the wilderness. A series of sketchy but exhilarating hairpin descents to the valley floor followed. Mist collected between the hills as the road bounced along, mimicking the bed of the river until finally a junction and another short rest.

Signposts pointed through a dark forest to Builth, where the pack regrouped. The dawn chorus had begun, and the promise of daylight was in the air. The quiet A-roads were smooth and wide, with street lighting easing the dependence of lights which would surely be near the end of their battery life. These roads gave the pack their best chance yet to work together, forming a train of tired legs each taking turns out front to break the cold air.

Crossing the river, heading for Hay-on-Wye, the B-roads were foggy and felt chilly without the climbs to keep the body warm. Staying together for company and warmth, the pack pressed on in the mist.

Leaving Hay behind, daylight finally broke over the hills of the Black Mountains where the final - and hardest - climb of the ride came into view.

Every rider stopped to shed weight, jettisoning surplus layers and water bottles. Feeling sore and empty, the beauty of the scenery laid out in the early morning sun was enough to make the riders forget their tired legs. The end would soon be in sight, with a 15 mile whooping descent though the Llanthony Valley to breakfast. And it would be the best breakfast ever, in soft chairs with hot food.

The ride forged friendship through adversity; sharing the experience of digging deep when you’ve got nothing left, feeling sick, delirious and weary but pushing yourself and fellow riders further than you could possible ride on your own.

Despite the grueling climbs and rapid descents over tarmac laced with gravel and pot holes, 14 of the 16 riders completed the challenge - 124 miles, over 3000 meters of ascent with only one final question remaining; "When shall we do it again?"

A short video of the ride is here.

Made from recycled polyester rip-stop, it's the perfect outer layer for bike or run. Cut slim so it sits close to your body, eliminating the annoying drag or flap you can get when you're really motoring. And the dropped tail design means your lower back stays covered when you're in the riding position.

Stretch mesh panels on the arms and down the sides give the Brenin unrestricted movement, aswell as much needed ventilation, allowing heat and moisture out and avoiding 'Uncle Ben Syndrome' (boil in the bag).To top it off, printed reflective highlights on the cuff and lower back mean you are seen by motorists from the front and back, even with a backpack on.

All this in a simple, no nonsense-style design. The Brenin doesn't look too flash, until you put the car headlights on it.

Here’s your chance to win a weekend posh camping in the Brecon Beacons and ride the trails on your doorstep at Brechfa.

You and a friend could be off on an amazing weekend of mountainbiking and posh camping from the kind people at Canopy & Stars. We’ll join you to ride some of the most famed trails in the country and throw in some howies performance Merino baselayers for you both.

And the best part is you get to pick which weekend we go

To enter, simply submit your details below or over on the howies Facebook page to win a place for you and a friend.

Good luck.

Thanks for all your entries, this competition is now closed.

I rode Cwm-Carn on Saturday with a group of local shredders who made me push myself and laugh until my ribs hurt. We managed to get 10 solid runs in which was brilliant, but painful on the old fingers. I had permanent claw hands for the majority of the day. I felt pretty rusty riding the DH rig, but after a few runs down I soon got into the swing of things and was loving the rhythm section at the bottom of the course. With one particular hip jump that just felt awesome with the wheels off the ground.

After a long winter it was just what we all needed and has given us the motivation to start organizing more trips and begin digging our local trails.

Here’s a small edit by Jon Becket at Descent World of our Saturday Uplift session:-

Cwmdown Cwmcarn DWR from descent-world on Vimeo.

Indeed, cotton is the world's most sprayed crop. It uses over a quarter of all insecticides used today (see list below). The way they grow it isn't good for the farmer's health, the water table's health, the factory worker's health, the river's health and eventually the sea's health.

That's why we use organic cotton. It costs us 30% more than normal cotton. It means our products cost a little more, but we think it's worth it. After all, you wear your T-shirt next to your skin for 10 hours a day. (Just think how Nicorettes work).

The average cotton crop is sprayed 8-10 times a season. Indeed, it takes 17 teaspoons of chemical fertilizers to raise the 9 ounces of cotton needed to make a T-shirt.

The most common pesticides used are: Chlorphynfos (causes brain and foetal damage, impotence and sterility), Cyanazine (causes birth defects and cancer), Dicofol (causes cancer, reproductive damage and tumours), Ethephon (causes mutations) Fluometuron (causes blood and spleen disorders), Metam Sodium (causes birth defects, foetal damage, mutation), Methyl Parathion (causes birth defects, foetal damage, reproductive damage and destroys immune system),MSMA (causes tumours), Nailed (causes cancer, reproductive damage and tumours), Profenofos (causes eye damage and skin irritation), Prometryn (causes bone morrow, kidney, liver and testicular damage), Propargite (causes cancer, foetal and eye damage, mutation and tumours), Sodium Chlorate (causes kidney damage), Tribufos (causes cancer and tumours), and Trifluralin (causes cancer, foetal damage and mutation).

In America last year, farmers applied 53 million pounds of toxic pesticides to cotton fields. Out of the world's total insecticide usage, 25% is used just to farm cotton.

And, if that isn't enough, once the cotton has been grown it is dyed using toxic dyes. Then, to prevent it from creasing, it is finished with formaldehyde. Common sense says that can't be right. Go organic.

Take the Charlotte tee or the Abigail dress, for example. Both are made from an organic cotton Melange: a cotton yarn with a myriad of previously dyed recycled polyester fibres woven into it. These fibres are from polyester offcuts that would have otherwise ended up in the landfill.

This mix of multicoloured slivers gives the yarn a unique slubby heather effect, with a kaleidoscope of subtle colour flecks all over. A really distinct look, from a smart process, which does something good.

And that makes us love them even more.

Built for riding, it is constructed from soft 100% Merino wool. It will keep you warm on a cold morning and regulate your body temperature to an even level, where you won't get too hot and overheat. While you're pedalling hard, the clever Merino wool fibres will be working hard too, transferring moisture vapour away from your skin, keeping you dry and comfortable.If it's really cold, sling the hood up and pull the adjuster cords to fit and you'll reduce vertical heat loss and stay warmer for longer.

Merino wool is naturally odour resistant and anti-bacterial – so you won't stink, even after extended use. So you can easily ride to work in this hoody then wear it all day, without the need to bring a change of clothes with you.

The Crank also has raglan cut sleeves for better movement, with double-layered forearms for extra comfort and durability.There's a zipped back pocket too, featuring a reflective strip so you are visible to motorists, aswell as two zipped front pockets to keep valuables secure.

Unbelievably comfortable, The Crank will travel from the streets to the office without forfeiting purpose or style.

Merino wool is naturally odour resistant and anti-bacterial, so you won't stink, even after extended use. So you can easily ride to work in this hoody then wear it all day,without the need to bring a change of clothes with you.

The Crank hoody also has raglan cut sleeves for better movement, with double-layered forearms for extra comfort and durability. There's a zipped back pocket too, featuring a reflective strip so you are visible to motorists, aswell as two zipped front pockets to keep valuables secure.

Unbelievably comfortable, the Crank hoody will travel from the streets to the office without forfeiting purpose or style.

There’s tonnes of the stuff – cotton off-cuts and scraps all over the factory floor. And you can probably hazard a guess as to what most of them do with it too... that’s right, they bin it and send it all to a landfill site. Good cotton going to waste for no reason.

We wondered what could be done with that old junk material. We figured we should try to make something new with it. So we worked with the factory to fix this.

Now we are able to take all the cotton waste from those other brands and we recycle it. Those scraps are mulched into something that resembles cotton wool, ready for re-spinning into a new recycled cotton yarn, which can be made into new garments.

And interestingly, because it’s a mix of all different grades of cotton, it gives our recycled cotton pieces an irregular and washed out look and a really cosy soft hand feel.

The irony is that most of the companies who are throwing their old cotton away actually have to use harsh chemicals and processes to achieve that look. All we do is sweep up and use what they throw away.

I joined howies after moving back home fresh from graduating from university in Cardiff, with the plan to ‘work for a little bit, to earn enough money to move back to the city’ ….. that was almost four years ago.

This weekend marks a big change with a permanent move to the dazzling lights of Bristol – so not too far away, but far enough away to feel a bit of a culture shock, that may sound strange to most people as it’s hardly New York, but when you’ve lived in a tiny little town with the same faces for most of your life it is. I’m not a town mouse by any standard.

The fact buses still run services past 6pm in some places still outstands me.

I’m leaving Cardigan on a reflective note, growing up in a small town you have a sense of “I can’t WAIT to move away to some civilisation!” - or even the fact that the nearest McDonalds was over an hour away always seemed so unfair - kids eh!

But now, whether it’s just a sign of growing older, or the fact that since graduating I’ve developed a passion for photography so appreciate the area’s beauty a little more, I look back on growing up here and remember the long summer holidays at the beach and everything else in between that makes me realise this place isn’t quite so bad after all.

I have quite a lot to thank howies for, as a student my main focus for buying anything tended to be money orientated - rather than where it was from and how it came to be, but working here has taught me the importance of provenance- whether it be food, clothing, fabrics, whatever – I’d like to think I’m a bit more clued up on how the world works so can make better consumer decisions as a result. Also I’ve been lucky enough to help out on the past few photoshoots which has been an amazing experience, working with talented buggers like James Bowden and Paul Calver , then seeing some of my work on the shiny new website, which felt like a pretty sweet moment, so thank you for that.

Of course the other main reason to thank howies is also the reason why I’m leaving howies – When the Bristol shop opened a couple of years ago, they employed a young man named Will.

The rest, as they say, is Gavin & Stacy-esque history.

So thanks howies – thanks to the office, to Lou & Hazel for sticking pins in me and drawing on me with biro to alter clothes for production, To Tomos for sharing my love of Karl Pilkington podcasts, to nathan and julia for double checking my sums, To Ruben & Alex for ANYTHING system, camera or computer related (and believe me there were a lot of questions) the caffitiere for making mornings and late night overtime shifts go a little easier, PG for lacing important emails with humour, to the warehouse for putting up with the all parcels I’ve flung at them, to Tidy for Bristol pep talks and massive laughs on staff outings, to the creative boys – Pete for his HILARIOUS on going joke & Aron for mutual family guy love and laughs, Ade for giving me the push I needed, and finally of course thanks to Emma & James, you guys are basically just donuts.

hollie x

Anyone who knows me may be glad to hear this, but I am about to embark on a plan to quit smoking cigarettes. Forever. I have to do it to be in with a chance of winning that £500 in our little 10K run bet, or to ever be able to run further than to my local Londis (you can read more about the bet here).

Tut tut, I'm sure a lot of you dissapproving sporty-types will be quoffing into your mungbean salad about now. Well save it. Yes, smoking is stupid, trust me I know. I'm a smoker. My comedy lung capacity and the mahogany hue of my fingernails says so. But I'm not writing this for you (haven't you got some workout stats to go analyse, or something?) Not many of you howies fans do smoke, anyway. So I'm writing this for anyone that does, in the hope that it could nudge just one of them to get off their arse and do something, one day, soon.

We know smoking is disgusting, we know it's wrecking our health and we're all fully aware that if we carry on, it will probably be the death of us. But when you're addicted to nicotine, you go into ostrich-mode at the fear of never being able to smoke again – convincing yourself that you aren't slowly dieing on the inside and that your hacking cough is just a tiny tickley cough, caused by the ickle Marlboro pixies ballet dancing on your windpipe.

So, I've read the books and I've listened to the tapes and they can all be summed up in 100 words, rather than 100,000 – smoking is brainwashing. Remember your first cigarette and how utterly foul it tasted? Well, every single cigarette you ever smoked after that is exactly the same. They are clones, all made the same way, on a production line, using the same cocktail of rubbish and they all taste pretty much the same and are equally disgusting, should you happen to light them on fire. The pleasure you think you get from puffing on them and how you think you now enjoy the taste, is just your brain tricking you. It needs the nicotine that's in them and it will do all manner of Derren Brown-ery on your senses to get it. That includes habitually fooling you into thinking you like the taste of hot burning chemicals and that yellow teeth look cool. Knowing this, gives you an advantage over the bastard.

But you need some sort of emotional trigger, a wake-up call to pull your head out of the sand and realise that this drug owns you and you need to do something about it. My trigger was the bet and how my running has progressed so pathetically. It is also the fear of having to cough up £500 and possibly a lung in the process. You just need to find your trigger.

If you're like me, then it's probably fear stopping you from doing something. All I'll say is give it a go. Connect your brain back to your body, go for a long walk or something and just feel how unfit you are (probably). That alone could be your trigger to make some changes. Maybe then we could all be happy, healthy, lycra clad endorphine junkies, nodding at eachother across the park.

Or don't bother. Maybe you like smoking? Who am I to preach? My goodness, I've become one of those worthy plebs I dislike so much... Carry on.

Prof. Peter Davies

I ride a bicycle for many reasons. Perhaps the most powerful reason at this stage of my life is to share the physical and emotional fellowship of riding with friends. Happily, all my best friends ride. I’m not saying that we can’t be friends if you don’t ride – that would be absurd – nor am I suggesting that I’m friends with everyone I’ve ever ridden with. It’s just that all my best friends do ride. That’s the way things have turned out.

When I reflect upon the friends I have now, though, I realise the link between cycling and friendship is more profound than I’d previously thought. I see there is a direct correlation between how close my friends and I are, and how many miles we’ve put in together. I’m not talking about commuting miles or Sunday morning miles. I’m talking about the hard miles, the miles where you’re hanging and sore and need help, the miles where you’re far from home, shit’s gone wrong and your mettle is being tested. These are the miles that really count. Adversity puts friendship on the line. When things go awry, we subconsciously confide in each other. This leaves a lasting bond.

Twenty-five years ago, Bill and I rode rigid steel mountain bikes from Kashgar in China to Chitral in Pakistan. It was hard yakka all the way. Our friendship was young as we set off: we’d come together for the adventure. When my cheap aluminium luggage rack fell apart deep in the Hindu Kush, Bill offered to strap one of my panniers to his back. I knew then our friendship had distance. When I got married a decade later, he was my best man.

I have as many examples of hard miles with folk I’ve subsequently come to trust as I have good friends, so when my Dad died suddenly last autumn, old riding buddies were the first people I called.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: ‘A man’s growth is seen in the successive choirs of his friends.’ I believe in this. It’s why I’m still riding the hard miles, and why I’m still making new friends. It’s why I’ve hooked up with Ade and Alex and the howies team to organise a ride across Wales at night, in March. When I’m lost in a dark forest with a broken chain somewhere between Cardigan and Abergavenny, when the night seems dead, when hope is fading and the right road is gone, then new friendships will be forged.

Rob Penn
www.bikecation.co.uk

At the end of March the clocks go forward to mark the start of British Summer Time – losing us one hour in bed, but gaining us extra daylight to do more of the things we love.

So on the night of the 24th, a group from howies will be joined by writer and cyclist Rob Penn and friends for a night-long bike ride across Wales, from beach to border.

The 115 mile race against the sun begins in the early evening in Cardigan. Riding east through the night on dark back roads, over rolling hills and alongside lakes, the route will take us over some of the country's most infamous peaks, before descending into Rob's hometown of Abergavenny, in time for the sunrise.

Some of us will be fast, some of us will be slow, some of us may not even make it to the finish. There will be flat tyres and deflated souls, mud, blood, sweat and struggle – the stuff that makes strong hearts and legs.

But whatever happens, there'll be no time to rest.

The Brenin is our new lightweight biking jacket for Spring. Actually, it does a whole lot more than that. We've designed it to be windproof, breathable and packable. We've also added in stretch panels on the arms and torso – making it a perfect-fitting outer shell for either bike or run.

The tailored body panels are designed to stop wind and chill from getting in, while the stretch sections let body heat out and give you greater freedom of movement. The jacket's cuffs and drop-tail have subtle reflective detailing too, making you visible to motorists at night. And these flashes are located so they won't be covered up if you're wearing a backpack. It's even got a hydrophobic coating on the body, to help splashes roll off.

Not bad for a jacket weighing-in at only 200grams (that's about the same weight as a banana). In fact, it's so lightweight; you forget you're wearing it.

Beyond the bike, we've also taken this jacket over the hills on foot. We've run it over a hundred miles of trail, slogged out a few ultra-marathons, not to mention plenty of lunchbreaks. And it did the job every time... right to the finish.

Teamed up with one of our long-sleeved Merino base layers, the Brenin jacket has already become a howies staple for those staff members lucky enough to have snapped up one of the samples. For the rest of us, we'll just have to wait 'til we launch the finished product in March.

But don't just take our word for it:
"The new howies Brenin is a fantastically well designed lightweight jacket that packs as much style as it does performance out on the trails in the British weather." – BikeMagic

"It’s the first time we can really say… one style fits all! Star Buy - 96%" – CyclingShorts

The Brenin jacket is available to buy here

Last week, my workmates bet me (an unfit chump) the princely sum of £500 that I couldn't run a 10 kilometre race in under 70 minutes.

£500 I thought... "That's a lot of money, think of all the fags and booze you can buy with that".

Of course I naively said yes and took the bet, without really considering what I was letting myself in for. It wasn't until my first training run the other night that I realised exactly how pitifully out of shape I am. Or indeed exactly how far 10 kilometres is. And that I should probably start saving the £500 I'm going to have to cough up, when I fail.

The basis for my self-doubt is the fact that I've been a smoker for nearly half of my life. I'm also partial to a bit of beige food and I enjoy a drink. A lifestyle, I think you'll agree, not really conducive with a the sport of running.

Sure, I can skateboard for hours on end and I can do 20 miles on my bike without too much trouble, so I am active and I'm not overweight or anything. But I haven't run any kind of distance for a long time. Not since being made to do the dreaded cross-country in school. I hated it and I hated being forced into doing it. And that instilled a fear in me – a fear of running and a fear of failing at running, which lives with me to this day. So I never ran again.

But £500 is a good motivator. It's just the kick up the backside I needed to make some changes to my lifestyle. To quit smoking, eat healthier, to forget all the negative crap and just run.

So if you seen a thin, wheezy man trudging around the streets of West Wales, in what look like shoes of lead, don't be alarmed, It's just me... training for my 10K.

I'll be uploading my progress over the next few months, with stories, photos, disappointing stats and maybe a video or two. I welcome your comments, tips and mickey-taking. So please feel free to chip in. Thanks.

Over the winter we've watched record-breaking heros racing at the Manchester Velodrome in the Revolution track series.

And since my first visit to watch an event, a certain excitement surrounding track cycling has made me keen to give it a go.

The track at Newport is much the same as the one in Manchester, albeit crowd-less and silent when we turned up for our session yesterday. The silence drew my attention to the steep banks at either end of the track (45° banks, to be precise), which have been the only real niggle in my mind since first realising how steep they are. I have been reassured that if you can ride fast enough to get round on the lines, you're going quick enough to make it round at the boards.

Winding up the fixed gear approaching the first bend, I started to wonder; will my tyres grip at this (low) speed? Will I make it round? Or will I slide down it on my face?

But as the pace picked up all I could concentrate on was keeping on the back wheel of the bike in front, lap after lap, trying to pull into his slipstream and keep a good pace.

Before I knew it, I was flying. The rushing air lapping at my ears while shooting up the bank towards the advertising banners, then timing a descent to glide tidily to the back of the pack for a rest.

When your head is down and your speed is up, you don't worry about being clipped in, or remember you're on a fixed gear bike with no brakes and no freewheel. Fear vanishes and soon all that matters is going faster, catching the bike in front and absorbing every minute, while ignoring burning legs and lungs or anything else telling you to slow down.

We certainly weren't breaking any records, but track cycling is even more exciting to me, now that I've had a go.

Thank you Welsh Cycling - I'm sure we'll be heading back for another fix soon.

Our stretch denim jeans have enough give for some serious pedalling, yet they look just like our regular organic jeans. Our Merino wool tops wicks sweat away from your body so you stay dry and smell fresh, yet they don't look like a technical performance jersey. And the Roadsign bag has a giant reflective arrow that makes you instantly visible to motorists, with enough room to carry all the tools of your trade.

You could say this stuff is as much at home in the saddle as it is in an office chair.

Bundle offer:

The discount will be applied when you checkout.

Take our women's Mally Duffle coat, for example. Made from high quality British fabrics, hand made in the UK and due to sell for £250. When they came in they were not quite perfect and the stitching wasn't quite as neat as we'd expect from our factory.

These minor issues may be completely invisible to most, but to us they meant the difference between a 'great product' and an 'imperfect product'.

Despite their imperfections, they will still do what they were made to do.
The coat will keep you warm and the Merino in the Vail tees is the same Merino we all know and love, only with a slightly off-centre logo.

So rather than waste the energy that went into making them and sending perfectly good clothes

off to be recycled, we're giving you the chance to
use them for their intended purpose, at a greatly

reduced price.

And if you can live with those tiny imperfections, then you've just scored yourself some great product for silly money.

Take our men's British Millerain coat, for example. Made from high quality British fabrics, hand made in the UK and due to sell for £400. When they came in they were not quite perfect; the pockets were just a tiny bit off-centre and the stitching wasn't quite as neat as we'd expect from our factory.

These minor issues may be completely invisible to most, but to us they meant the difference between a 'great product' and an 'imperfect product'.

Despite their imperfections, they will still do what

they were made to do. The coat will keep you warm and we raced in these cycle jerseys all summer, despite their stretchy pockets.

So rather than waste the energy that went into making them and sending perfectly good clothes
off to be recycled, we're giving you the chance to
use them for their intended purpose, at a greatly
reduced price.

And if you can live with those tiny imperfections, then you've just scored yourself some great product for silly money.

Myself and Aron did a little freehand doodle on the Cardigan shop window today, using silky smooth glass pens. I say 'little', it's bloomin huge, actually. My wrist is killing me.

Can you tell what it is yet?

I finished almost last, but that's not the point. I finished an ultra. It was something I'd wanted to do since I first started running seriously a couple of years ago.

Back then, after a few 10k runs on local trails, I began to wonder what it would take to run a marathon. I thought I could do it, so with no training I set off to try. After 22 miles and 3 big hills, I collapsed completely, but the distance bug had taken a firm hold.

I went back to the drawing board, running shorter races and keeping the miles up between events. Less than a year after the first attempt, I ran my first marathon. Then another. I thought I was ready for longer distances, so I entered the Endurancelife CTS Anglesea ultra.

Work on the new howies website made training tough until the middle of November, but I managed to keep the miles up and by the time Christmas and New Year came round, I was feeling great. I thought I was in the best shape of my life.

Then, exactly a week before the run, I fell off my bike and landed heavily on my leg. A previous injury in my knee was reawakened and as the days passed with me limping around I began to worry. I thought about dropping out, but couldn't bring myself to do it.

On the trip up to the race with Chris (also running the ultra) and Alex (running his first trail half) I was subdued, and at dinner the night before I found myself massaging the damaged knee and mulling over what was to come. I knew this was bad, and that the doubts were probably more dangerous than the injury itself so I tried to put it all to the back of my mind.

Arriving at the start before daybreak we found the car park was a 10 minute walk from the event HQ at the Breakwater country park. And again, the pain from my knee started nagging at me. The howling wind and lashing rain didn't help, although thankfully both began to subside as the sun came up and we began to run.

The course started off with a short flat run to the foot of Holyhead mountain, before the first long climb began taking us around to the South Stack lighthouse. I was more than happy to walk the steep rock stairs, near vertical in some places. I knew we were coming back here later.

For the first few miles I was running with Chris, who had kept me company during my first trail marathon a couple of months before. I don't think I was great company this time as I was still struggling to control my negativity and I was actually quite relieved to see Chris head off up the road, running his own race. I was now alone, and I knew that was how it had to be.

I was soon beginning to feel much better and was enjoying the scenery as we passed Trearddur Bay. My thoughts were a lot more positive, although my knee was still giving me trouble. Shortly after the half way turn around on Rhoscolyn beach, it flared up and my leg cramped causing me to fall against a low wall. To my relief I was able to recover quickly and get back on my feet, although cramp (and the fear of cramp) plagued the rest of my run. Especially over the numerous stiles, which I now negotiated ver gingerly for fear of triggering another leg failure.

Heading back toward the finish line, I saw Holyhead mountain again in the distance. Knowing I would be having to climb the rock stairs around the mountain again before the finish and already approaching the furthest I had ever run I wasn't in a hurry to get there. I ran a steady pace, but making sure I could make the cut off point in time to be allowed back onto the mountain.

As we joined the half marathon course, I was quite glad to have the company of other runners again, as I had be plugging out the miles alone, save for odd fragments of conversation as I traded places with a couple of the other ultra runners. By chance I met up with Alex, who seemed to be having a great run in his half. He left me with one of his spare gels and carried on.

The miles all began to blur together and my mind wandered until I reached the foot of the mountain and the sharp ascent brought things back into focus. The sun was out, the views were amazing, and passing half marathon runners with their fresh legs on the climb gave me a massive boost. I passed nearly everyone I saw on the first climb, although my legs screamed at me to stop. Eventually I reached the summit and took a moment to enjoy the view before turning back down the mountain toward the marathon finish line.

I made the cut off more than 20 minutes before it closed. I knew this wasn't fast, but it meant I would now get to finish the ultra. I set off toward the mountain again, looking over my shoulder to check I wasn't last. Ray who runs the whole food shop in Cardigan and his friend were the next through the gate, about 500 yards behind me.

Seeing someone I knew behind me gave me another boost and I was determined to keep up a good pace as the climb began again. I was impressed that my legs seemed to have recovered from their earlier cramps and I was able to power my way back to the South Stack lighthouse checkpoint without stopping.

I ran into the checkpoint and headed straight back out again, not wanting to loose any more places before the finish. The course now took me back inland and I knew that another trip to the summit was coming. My legs were beginning to feel hollow and my mind was wandering. I was interested by the sensation, but refused to slow down.

Reaching the summit for the second time, I almost cried. I knew that gravity would do the rest. All I had to do was point my weary body int he right direction and not fall over. I plodded out the descent, drinking whatever was left in my bag and eating a bar. I realised I had too much food left, and should have been eating more. I was already planning my next ultra by the time I finished.

Chris and Alex were waiting for me at the finish line. I had to wait a few minutes to get my time. They'd turned the power off and had to restart the computer. As I waited, Ray and his friend came running home. I would later find out they were the only finishers behind me, although 9 runners dropped out.

I followed the others back to the car and was more than happy to let Chris drive home. I was done. I had run my first ultra.

We stopped at a little climbing cafe called Pete's Eats that Chris knew on the way back to Cardigan. The good coffee and baked potatoes seemed to serve as a fitting full stop to the run, and the reality of the achievement began to sink in.

There's such a difference between believing you can do something and knowing you can.

On Sunday, myself and two friends Josh and Rune turned up at the brilliant trail center Brechfa at 7:45 am with bleary eyes and a feeling of excitement that the day ahead would be filled with riding our bikes, and generally having a good time.

This year’s enduro had a slightly different format because it would be the three timed stages that counted towards the final positioning, rather than trying to get round the whole course as quick as poss. I really like this, as it meant you could take it easier on the in-between bits and then give it the beans on each stage.

With a staggered start it meant less congestion at the beginning, and gave people time to get sorted. Us three being keen as custard got going straight away and set out to conquer the 30 km course with big smiles on our faces!

The first timed section was the 3 minute downhill which was super fast and flowing with some tight corners that made you squeal. I love riding downhill quick so I gave it some welly and managed to get down to the bottom in one piece with only a couple of near misses. Our smiles were even bigger now!

The second time section was the undulating stage, this consisted of a horrible switch back climb that makes your legs and arms burn, followed by a swooping downhill that required concentration and momentum. For me this was the hardest part because after the  climb, my body felt like jelly but my bike was accelerating downwards at a rate of knots, so I just hung on and flowed through all the twists and turns!

Three quarters of the way round was a feed station with banana’s galore. We loaded up on these and stood around speculating about where the final stage could be. The general vibe was great too and everyone looked like they were having fun. Fueled up, we continued onwards to the final leg.

Who ever planned the course must have been having a chuckle to them self because the last part just seemed to go up hill. I can only imagine the amount of colorful words being spoken from tired mountain bikers! The final timed checkpoint was an 8 minute climb!

I maintained a comfortable pace and reached the top with a time that I was pleased with. That’s the hard part done, now just got to reach the finish…

The final section back to the finish was a fire road decent, which if you let off the brakes you could really cut loose. I followed a guy called Paul who drives trains; he was a great person to be behind because he just had no fear! Ace fun indeed!

Through the finish line I got off my bike and stood there with the same smile that I started with. I’ve been riding mountains bikes for 16 years and it just doesn’t get boring, I still get that great feeling!! Buzzing.

And to top off an already top day, I managed to take the overall win in the women’s category. It was Tracey Mosley who presented the prizes which was amazing! She’s awesome, definitely a rider I look up to!

I’ve rattled on for long enough now sorry, but what can I say MTB’s are just rad!!

Thank you to Bike Brechfa and Brechfa bike club for putting on such an ace event. To Josh and Rune for being top riding companions, and to all the marshal who stood out in the freezing conditions.  Roll on next year!!

Hazel
howies Clothing Designer & Technician

Me versus darker mornings
Me versus my duvet
Me versus damp running shorts (forgot to put the dryer on)
Me versus the front door
Me versus the slanting rain
Me versus those mulchy leaves (the jogger's nemesis)
Me versus cowpats
Me versus that man on a bike
Me versus the ruts in the farm track
Me versus the barbed wire fence
Me versus the hill back into the village
Me versus my PB
Me versus all of you
And I'm home

By Dan Germain