https://youtu.be/-glMJpliqV4 A destination trail, a single ribbon of singletrack sublime enough to make any amount of journey time worth while. Mastermind and the Ridge are to be found on opposite sides of the Dee next to Ballater. The Ridge is a long rugged natural trail that goes steep once it re-enters the treeline. Mastermind however,…Read more Riding Mastermind
Mountain Biking
Lochnagar
“Eye and foot acquire in rough walking a co-ordination that makes one distinctly aware of where the next step is to fall, even while watching sky and land.” Whilst I was grateful for how true this was, I was also acutely aware that this would be a mighty foul place to twist or break an…Read more Lochnagar
Standards, huh, What are They Good For?
Absolutely nothing!? maybe? I don't know, lets talk it out. So there is this perennial myth in mountain biking, that "big MTB" is creating new standards to devalue our existing bikes and force us into buying new product. 142X12, Boost, Super Boost, Plus tires, 29er Plus, BB30, PF30, 1.5 straight Steerer, Tapered Steerer, 20mm, 15mm,…Read more Standards, huh, What are They Good For?
Single Speedz
3x8, 2x8, 1x8, 1x1, 1x9, 1x1 The evolution of Sven the Spesh continues, this time returning to a single speed setup. The how is a fairly straight forward process, converting your MTB (or any geared bike) into a single speed wunder-hack bike requires a conversion kit and a selection of basic tools. Allen Keys Cable…Read more Single Speedz
Fungle to Keen
One of the wonders of living in Scotland is the landscape in which we live. https://www.facebook.com/Stavaiging/videos/1284539545008855/ Sometimes, you need to step out and journey into those hills. Riding with a former student I taught, (Callum Grant) we took in a 45km route that sampled flowing natural singletrack, warp speed loose fire roads and…Read more Fungle to Keen
In Search of Epic?
Mountain biking is a tribe with a vocabulary all of its own. Gnar, loam, brap, berm, lip, kicker, stoked, flow, table, gap, double, roost to name a few. Some of those words, like the vernacular of any facet of life, have a tendency to be overused, none more so than the word epic. Epic is a…Read more In Search of Epic?
ERC – (Every Ride Carry)
Short ride long ride, you always need to take some gear with you. Depending on how long I'm riding and where, I will tend to pack differently, usually risking a smaller carry for shorter rides. However, my hydration pack always has a set amount of gear in it. This has been refined and honed down…Read more ERC – (Every Ride Carry)
Fungle Road
Heading south from the Fungle singletrack is the Fungle Road itself. The old drovers road connects Deeside in the north with Tarfside in the south and is usually part of a larger loop. I have a favourite section, from Birse Castle up to the edge of the estate. It is a real leg burner of…Read more Fungle Road
Glenlivet
"How big is Big Red?" "Big Red's pretty big..." This was the paraphrasing of a conversation between myself and one of my riding buddies. Joe was selling the virtues of Bike Glenlivet and how it was worth the round trip, well aware that travel time eats into ride time. This would be the first proper…Read more Glenlivet
Gotta Learn to Lean
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8sxY8yvS5o&?showinfo=0&w=645&h=363 The winter mud is refusing to freeze, so another wet and mild winter to grind through. With the winter season being the time for base miles and building the foundations for the coming years riding, the skills side of things can be easily left behind. Base miles, as important as they are for fitness, can…Read more Gotta Learn to Lean
