http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/ Read all the latest blogs from the Cotswold Outdoor community en-uk Fri, 23 Nov 2012 05:00:43 GMT Fri, 23 Nov 2012 05:00:43 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Cotswold Outdoor community@cotswoldoutdoor.com 60 http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/images/common/rss-image.gif http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/jason_maunder/blogs/index.cfm/2012/11/22/riding-single-track-in-the-lakes/ My trip up to the Lakes earlier this month can be summarised into two words; cold and muddy. Arguably the most fun conditions to tear up some single track!  Also great conditions to test some of the kit that I have used many times for cross country and single track but never got round to putting into words.  To start with I need to point out that this wasn't a straight forward trip to the Lakes with a couple of mates; we had with us 8, very enthusiastic, year 7 and year 10s ... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/jason_maunder/blogs/index.cfm/2012/11/22/riding-single-track-in-the-lakes/ Thu, 22 Nov 2012 19:29:34 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/tom-hecht/blogs/index.cfm/2012/11/18/royal-oak-do-omm-2012/   Royal Oak staff Tom Livingstone & Tom Hecht enter Mountain Marathon: OMM 2012 - The Howgills   TRAINING & PREPARATION Tom L - spent the summer on an expedition to Denali and in the Alps, and finished off with a Welsh 3000ers attempt early October. Tom H - 2 weeks holiday around Skye/Cairngorms involved using legs! Dragon's Back race (Sept 2012) control setting helped lots too!   • Crucially, we met to discuss the merits o... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/tom-hecht/blogs/index.cfm/2012/11/18/royal-oak-do-omm-2012/ Sun, 18 Nov 2012 16:01:19 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/team-account/blogs/index.cfm/2012/11/6/do-you-want-to-be-slovenian/ Over the years Mount Triglav (2864m) has imbedded itself in Slovenian culture and identity. It is said that every true Slovenian has to stand on the top of Triglav at least once in their lifetime and for Triglav 'virgins' to be spanked on the summit. I recently had the opportunity to find out what this was all about! KE's 'Across the Julian Alps to Triglav' holiday takes a high level hut to hut journey around Lake Bonijh ending in a spectular but easy via ferrata t... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/team-account/blogs/index.cfm/2012/11/6/do-you-want-to-be-slovenian/ Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:54:39 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/team-account/blogs/index.cfm/2012/10/30/bolivia-climber-my-perfect-trip/ I may consider myself a hardened mountaineer, but the reality is I do rather like my creature comforts - hence this trip was probably just about perfect for me. It had three fantastic mountains, which should be enough to satisfy most lesser mortals (Illimani at 6438ish and the highly-entertaining Pequeno Alpamayo) but also had its share of luxury and relaxation. OK, it might not really be what you go on these trips for, but how often can you climb a 6000er (Huayna Potosi) and then still have ... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/team-account/blogs/index.cfm/2012/10/30/bolivia-climber-my-perfect-trip/ Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:01:33 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/rachel/blogs/index.cfm/2012/10/22/just-do-it/ Every year hundreds of thousands of people run a marathon and the quickest of the quick has done it in just over 2 hours. So why do we run marathons? A Marathon is 42 km or 26.2 miles, it's a long way to run continuously and just as many people will never attempt/contemplate or even entertain the idea of doing one. It's a test of human endurance that could, if you don't prepare, really hurt! The modern Athens Marathon commemorates the run of the soldier Pheidippi... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/rachel/blogs/index.cfm/2012/10/22/just-do-it/ Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:03:06 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/woodsy/blogs/index.cfm/2012/10/19/the-highs-and-lows-of-barre-des-ecrins/ Even with 6 months of planning things don't always go to plan. Hitting the ferry at Dover then rolling off at Calais at near 4am in the morning was not a great feeling ….. After trawling through the various toll roads of France we finally reached Briancon at around 3.30pm in the afternoon. Briancon is a typical ski town (minus the snow obviously!) After mooching around town we finally drove out to find a lovely little campsite for the night before heading out the next day. it was p... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/woodsy/blogs/index.cfm/2012/10/19/the-highs-and-lows-of-barre-des-ecrins/ Fri, 19 Oct 2012 15:17:09 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/Russ/blogs/index.cfm/2012/10/3/the-season-that-never-was/   Well this season started well, with good intentions to race through the summer and getting back to full fitness in time to do one of the races on my all time must do list – the 3 peak cyclocross. The first event of the year went well, although taking a few mechanicals I finished and well up the results table and the weekend was fine, dry with blue skies and bright sunshine. Event number 2 looked to be another fine weekend, blue skies and no rain forecast (although monsoon... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/Russ/blogs/index.cfm/2012/10/3/the-season-that-never-was/ Wed, 03 Oct 2012 14:38:24 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/matt-f/blogs/index.cfm/2012/10/3/behind-the-scenes-of-a-cotswold-outdoor-photoshoot/ Spring/Summer 2013 Catalogue Shoot I spent last week up in Scotland to shoot images for the SS13 Cotswold Outdoor Catalogue. Upon checking the weather forecast for the week before heading up to Scotland, it was clear it was going to be a challenging shoot!   The team stayed in Glen Coe at a lovely HF Holidays property called Alltshellach, which is set on the shores of the beautiful Loch Leven.   We spent day one shooting in Buchaillle, one of the most recog... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/matt-f/blogs/index.cfm/2012/10/3/behind-the-scenes-of-a-cotswold-outdoor-photoshoot/ Wed, 03 Oct 2012 13:31:26 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/team-account/blogs/index.cfm/2012/10/2/mountain-equipment-vega-jacket/ The Mountain Equipment Vega Jacket   If you’re going to buy a down jacket anytime soon then this is the one to get. Why? For instant warmth, comfort, fit and the usual knock quality from ME this jacket oozes pure class. I’ve owned a number of down/insulated jackets but this one knocks spots off the best of the rest. This will be a main stay for this and many winters going forward. My recent trip to the Ecrins National park convinced me that after the sun goes down and... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/team-account/blogs/index.cfm/2012/10/2/mountain-equipment-vega-jacket/ Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:44:50 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/wendyb/blogs/index.cfm/2012/8/2/mens-canoe-slalom/ After getting a call from my Line Manager to let me know I had been nominated as one of Cotswold Outdoor's "Rockstars" I was even more excited to learn that this time the prizes being awarded were tickets to the London 2012 Olympics. A number of Cotswold employees have been selected and on my day - Aug 1st - we were given tickets to watch the men's Canoe Slalom Semi-Finals and Finals. The course at Lee Valley in Hertfordshire looks fantastic and our seats ... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/wendyb/blogs/index.cfm/2012/8/2/mens-canoe-slalom/ Thu, 02 Aug 2012 10:30:26 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/rob_jackson/blogs/index.cfm/2012/6/29/llanellis-john-hartson-foundation-10k/ On June 17th at 11:30  I lined up with over 500 other people ready to run in Lanelli's John Hartson Foundation 10k road race. This was to be my second race of the year having competed in a 5k road race a few weeks earlier and only my second ever competitive 10k race. In December 2011 I signed up to run in the Aberystwyth 10k in a bid to lose some weight. The idea being that if I had signed myself up I would have to persevere with my training schedule so that I wouldn't e... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/rob_jackson/blogs/index.cfm/2012/6/29/llanellis-john-hartson-foundation-10k/ Fri, 29 Jun 2012 16:27:08 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/sam-crouch/blogs/index.cfm/2012/5/29/demon-run/ 5 Dirty Miles 5 Cotswold Head office Staff Members 5 minute Miles Five Cotswold staff members headed off to Brecon for a dirty muddy day of fun! An early start for a Saturday morning, 2 hours travelling to the hills , getting lost (Ash), falling asleep (Mr Wright), comfort stops (Jake), coffee, petrol, we made it! Late! But kindly the race waited for us! So we got to the tent to register, we were told we were all signed up for the 10 miler.....SHOCK!!! We kindly ... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/sam-crouch/blogs/index.cfm/2012/5/29/demon-run/ Tue, 29 May 2012 15:13:42 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/Stu/blogs/index.cfm/2012/5/25/the-cheshire-cat/ March is a strange time for weather, it only seemed like yesterday that i'd been biking with full waterproofs in the sleat and and rain, yet here i was, with three thousand other riders, in a jersey and shorts! I'm waiting in the starting pen for Graeme to roll in to the start of the 2012 cheshire cat road sportive, a "proper" century ride, none of this metric nonsence! 100 miles through the rolling hills of cheshire, it's one of my favourite early season events... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/Stu/blogs/index.cfm/2012/5/25/the-cheshire-cat/ Fri, 25 May 2012 10:23:48 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/bj/blogs/index.cfm/2012/5/24/its-fred-time-again/ 'It's Fred time again' I said......'Fred who?' she said.....quickly I thought of Dibnah, Flintoff, Bassett, Trueman and Flintstone........but for all UK road cyclists there can only ever be one 'Fred' . The Fred Whitton Challenge 2012 came knocking at my door once again thanks to my (former!) friend and colleague Graeme. 'We're in again' said the e-mail. Funny, I thought, I didn't even enter! A further exchange over the net revealed that once ag... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/bj/blogs/index.cfm/2012/5/24/its-fred-time-again/ Thu, 24 May 2012 22:25:11 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/mark_b/blogs/index.cfm/2012/4/12/hitting-the-river-hard/ Summer is nearly here, the evenings are lighter and the weather is far nicer...perfect to get some serious mileage in on the river in my single scull! The plan is to do at least 12km per day, and weekends double sessions...I know it sounds a lot, but this is still far less than i used to do...i'll break myself in gently! :-p  I had taken a year off from rowing and was getting itchy feet, so as soon as i moved up to Shrewsbury to open the new store I joined up my local club ea... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/mark_b/blogs/index.cfm/2012/4/12/hitting-the-river-hard/ Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:04:05 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/jo/blogs/index.cfm/2012/4/2/droit-watch/ Days in the life of the Droitwich team... It's been a busy couple of weeks with two of the team out and about on training courses - Asia learning the finer points of GPS and Rachael literally putting her foot in it! Now they're both back in store, they're itching to put their training into practice, but will hopefully find some time soon to blog about their experiences... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/jo/blogs/index.cfm/2012/4/2/droit-watch/ Mon, 02 Apr 2012 22:10:12 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/Russ/blogs/index.cfm/2012/3/29/not-the-best-start/   The start of my racing for the year kicked off at the weekend we as unusual surprise. After every event last year being a washout this year started with a scorcher – the hottest Scottish days in March since records began. Is this right! I’m not too sure……….dry and dusty trails, not a puddle in sight, this should turn out to be a cracking weekend. But as with all things open to many influences, but whilst the weather stayed perfect, my performance wa... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/Russ/blogs/index.cfm/2012/3/29/not-the-best-start/ Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:48:35 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/rachel/blogs/index.cfm/2012/3/26/cotswold-rocks-my-running-world/   As I strode along, enjoying the wind on my face, the sun on my skin and the rhythm of my breath I started to mentally undress myself! Not in an attempt to achieve a truly minimalist approach to running but in order to assess what I was wearing and why I felt so damn good! It was at this point I realised that 4 years of working for Cotswold I was now dressed head to toe by Cotswold. 'Cotswold Rocks my Running World' My t-shirt is a Rab MeCo 120, an awesome piece ... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/rachel/blogs/index.cfm/2012/3/26/cotswold-rocks-my-running-world/ Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:17:47 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/angiegee/blogs/index.cfm/2012/3/22/family-camping/ Family Camping. My 16 month old daughter loves camping her favourite 'bit of kit' is her Gelert Animal chair.  She has the green crocodile one.  It makes camping and picnics so much fun,  she also loves her pink baby spork.  The chair comes with a safety catch so the child can't get their fingers caught and also a handy bag with a shoulder strap so they can carry it, as its not heavy.   It is easily washable and there is the option to pitch i... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/angiegee/blogs/index.cfm/2012/3/22/family-camping/ Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:26:18 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2012/3/21/12010-how-to-lose-friends-and-alienate-people-belgian-style/ This week I’ve learnt three things, a. My bikes are the wrong size; b. CO2 is less good than a pump; c. I have absolutely no idea how to pace myself in a Road Race. I’m officially a freak – Tribeca Sport hooked me up to one of their Retul harnesses last week and tried to fit me onto one of their bikes. Apparently bikes, pretty much any bikes, do not fit me – I’m the wrong shape! The only thing that comes close is my trusty old ‘cross bike. This is worry... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2012/3/21/12010-how-to-lose-friends-and-alienate-people-belgian-style/ Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:20:04 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/Stu/blogs/index.cfm/2012/3/7/trail-running-and-mountainbiking-brilliant/ First event of the season and I have to pick an off road duathlon! Based at the Llandegla mountain bike trails (almost a second home for most of us) it consisted of a 7k trail run, 19k mountain bike ride, then a 7k trail run.   Simple enough, other than a lot of the off road duathlons feature running and riding on fairly flat terrain, and are later on in the year, when it's a bit warmer. This was neither! I had a good start to the run, as i wanted to make ground to get a g... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/Stu/blogs/index.cfm/2012/3/7/trail-running-and-mountainbiking-brilliant/ Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:51:56 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2012/3/1/83r007-to-hell-and-back-twice/ “Do you fancy doing the Hell?” For a few years now I’ve heard tales of monstrous beasts waiting to lure their prey into the deep valleys of Kent and Sussex. When the unsuspecting humans reach apparent safety in the icy gills of the Ashdown forest the devilish giants rear up in their faces mockingly. Tired legs struggle to provide the strength needed to overcome these leviathans of sandstone, clay and chalk. But our wiry heroes make use of the merest band of tarmac to tri... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2012/3/1/83r007-to-hell-and-back-twice/ Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:58:38 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/ben-c/blogs/index.cfm/2012/2/19/ian-thorpedo-thorpe-eat-your-heart-out/   Back in December, I was approached by the charity ‘Build Africa’, a local charity who was voted charity of the year 2011, to do a swimathon.  I’m not going to lie, I’m no athlete and the last time I went swimming in competition was about 12 years ago, so this was going to be a challenge! To get myself fitter, I tried riding to work, which was fine before it started getting colder, tried riding round Bedgebury Forest, which was also fine however the Mrs.... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/ben-c/blogs/index.cfm/2012/2/19/ian-thorpedo-thorpe-eat-your-heart-out/ Sun, 19 Feb 2012 11:57:02 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/thornback/blogs/index.cfm/2012/1/31/motorbike-diaries-dakar-dreams/   ‘Dakar Dreams’ motorbike challenge and TV series Starting on 15th March 2012, Danny John-Jules (the ‘Cat’ from Red Dwarf) and team-mate Graham Hoskins will attempt to follow one of the most iconic of motorbike routes, the 1996 Dakar Rally from Granada to Senegal.  Through the Atlas mountains of Morocco, the deserts of the Western Sahara and the chaos of Mauritania, they will be filming their adventure and raising money for Riders for Health. And jus... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/thornback/blogs/index.cfm/2012/1/31/motorbike-diaries-dakar-dreams/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:05:39 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2012/1/26/patience-is-a-virtue/     “Don’t shave on race day; you’ll lose all you power!” I was apprehensive about what was to come at the beginning of the weekend. Last year had been good to me and I’d achieved a lot of the things that I wanted, but with a fresh year, new challenges present themselves. You have to constantly push yourself to go that bit better, but you’re always worried that maybe one day it won’t happen. My first race of the year followed a b... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2012/1/26/patience-is-a-virtue/ Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:56:24 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/Sarah/blogs/index.cfm/2012/1/20/bagging-munros-with-andy-turner-and-stu-mcaleese/ Day One of Course One of the 2012 inaugural Cotswold Winter Skills Course at Plas y Brenin's Scottish base, Alltshellach near Glencoe.  Today saw 25 members of staff summit Stob Dubh on the Buachaille Etive Beag in perfect Scottish winter weather for testing gear - rain, snow and plenty of wind.  Our Mountain Equipment Gore-Tex shells did their job perfectly, keeping us warm and dry whilst learning an array of skills from some of the best mountain guides in the business from Pla... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/Sarah/blogs/index.cfm/2012/1/20/bagging-munros-with-andy-turner-and-stu-mcaleese/ Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:46:04 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/rachel/blogs/index.cfm/2012/1/8/the-12-days-of-crossmax/   The 12 days of Crossmax.. On the 1st day of Crossmax my new loves gave to me Kevlar quick laces with friction free eyelets and a lace pocket for quick trouble free lacing.   On the 2nd day of Crossmax my new loves gave to me  contragrip light and contragrip high abrasion outsoles for superior grip on wet surfaces.   On the 3rd day of Crossmax my new loves gave to me ortholite sock liners and neutral molded eva midsoles for superior comfort and a smoot... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/rachel/blogs/index.cfm/2012/1/8/the-12-days-of-crossmax/ Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:41:18 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/rachel/blogs/index.cfm/2011/12/9/the-human-ice-cube-live-breathesbut-only-just/   Undeterred by my poor time keeping effort the 1st time around (see from Hero to Zero blog) I squared up for my 2nd Solo Adventure Race in the South Pennines, Bacup (said Back Up) with a watch and some steely determination to do better!   Lessons learnt from the last race include the following; Stick to roads and pathways wherever possible, Wear a watch, Don’ t take so many photo’s Don’t stop and talk to people with nice dogs... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/rachel/blogs/index.cfm/2011/12/9/the-human-ice-cube-live-breathesbut-only-just/ Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:33:31 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/11/30/83025-onwards-and-upwards/ I haven’t kept count of all the hours and miles done in the dark over the years, but it’s safe to say that there have been lots. However it doesn’t seem to matter how many times you train in the same place, on the same lap and through the same sections – there will always be things to trick you and lessons waiting to be learnt. The dark can concentrate you – when you’re focusing on a single beam of light there is only one way forward, but it can also al... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/11/30/83025-onwards-and-upwards/ Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:49:48 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/rachel/blogs/index.cfm/2011/11/27/cotswold-dogs-we-get-out-there/ Up here in the Lake District dogs are a very important part of our lives. They run with us, walk with us, go to the pub with us and a few lucky ones get to work with us. Sky, Jazzy and Charlie have all been become unofficial Cotswold Staff members spending their work days in either the Keswick or Grasmere shops. Well behaved, great lunch time entertainment and part time shop security (if we let them!!) they work hard to earn their biccies. But as with their owners they all need a day ... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/rachel/blogs/index.cfm/2011/11/27/cotswold-dogs-we-get-out-there/ Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:54:14 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/Stu/blogs/index.cfm/2011/11/25/night-ride-time/ Now that the long dark evenings are upon us, it's time to break out the nightriding gear. We're fortunate in that we have the forest trails of http://www.coedllandegla.com/ within a short drive of the store, which is open till 9pm on wednesday evenings, so thats where you'll find the likes of myself, Rich, Andy K and Ally from the store, along with our friends from a local MTB skills company http://www.campbellcoaching.eu This season, i've invested in a new set of lig... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/Stu/blogs/index.cfm/2011/11/25/night-ride-time/ Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:34:15 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/thornback/blogs/index.cfm/2011/11/18/the-real-peru-and-on-to-countries-12-and-13/ Puno continues to excel.  One night we are all celebrating the founding of the city and the next night is Halloween and the town is out again en masse dressed as Devils, Angels, Witches, Warlocks and a host of other creatures.  As young as 2 or 3, as old as the Policemen who are on duty in full uniform but with a werewolf’s head every-one is joining in the party.   Even the dogs have little red horns on!   The people of Puno certainly know how to throw a pa... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/thornback/blogs/index.cfm/2011/11/18/the-real-peru-and-on-to-countries-12-and-13/ Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:04:35 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/11/16/83024-giant-killing/ Sometimes it’s not about who you beat, it’s how you beat them. Stanmer Park in Brighton was the arena that we did battle in for round eight of the London League! I listened out for my name as all the fast riders were called up to the grid, but once three rows were full I’d either missed my shout or it hadn’t been called. So stuck way back in the pack was where I found myself. I shook my team-mate’s hand and put my race face on. First objective would be the ra... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/11/16/83024-giant-killing/ Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:23:06 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/11/11/83002-83vlutionblg-bigrednocturn/ THURSDAY NIGHT saw the 1st 83VØLUTION Night ride, with four of us meeting (eventually) at various locations around Bedgebury for a night of muddy singletrack and even muddier bridleways!   Jonny and I met up just before Eight pm and hightailed it through Bedgebury on the main fire road to catch up Alaric and Emily, before we promptly lost Em on the first bridleway! So we doubled back, found her (or maybe she found us) and started again. The thick Wealden clay was proving ... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/11/11/83002-83vlutionblg-bigrednocturn/ Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:06:28 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/11/10/83001-83vlutionblg-littlered/ RIDE 83.001 LITTLERED SATURDAY saw the 2nd 83VØLUTION ride, with four of us once again meeting at Bedgebury for a morning of singletrack and mud!   November had brought with it some rain, but the trails were holding up very nicely and were still quite fast if you could find the grip. We met up and checked bikes over at ten am (I mentioned the lack of grip, before everyone hastily let some of the air out of their tyres!), and then headed off up Windmill hill, for our u... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/11/10/83001-83vlutionblg-littlered/ Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:47:40 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/rachel/blogs/index.cfm/2011/11/7/from-hero-to-zeroin-6-hours/ My first solo Adventure Race started at stupid o’clock in the morning (4am) and ended at 9pm. It was the Haglofs Open 5 series (note the 5 – it’s key to the story) I’ve done Adventure Racing before – as part of a mixed pairs or women’s pairs but never solo. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and felt like a true Hero as I strode off into the Shropshire Hills, clad in lycra, map in hand and clock ticking (forgot my watch so set my phone alarm ... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/rachel/blogs/index.cfm/2011/11/7/from-hero-to-zeroin-6-hours/ Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:49:24 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/thornback/blogs/index.cfm/2011/10/28/lord-of-sipan-museum-or-a-beer-at-the-pool-and-a-chinese/ Lord of Sipan Museum or a beer at the pool and a Chinese?   Our departure from Quito is a bit fragmented.   Alvares Barba BMW have two of our bikes and are working furiously on them.    Repairing one with some minor crash damage and also sorting a recurring flat battery problem on another.   So the rest of the group set off south while these riders hang back for a day to get the bikes finished.   However within a couple of hours another rider m... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/thornback/blogs/index.cfm/2011/10/28/lord-of-sipan-museum-or-a-beer-at-the-pool-and-a-chinese/ Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:22:38 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/10/26/11022-danger-is-the-spice-of-life/ 11.022 – “Danger is the spice of Life”[1]   Ten days ago I was lucky enough to spend some time with a few of old friends one of whom had suffered a nasty crash a while ago whilst out riding. After many months spent in rehabilitation he was left in a wheelchair and with limited speech, both of which continue to slowly recover. This prompted one of my other friends to ask me if I thought what I did was dangerous, a question I’ve been asked many times before.  ... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/10/26/11022-danger-is-the-spice-of-life/ Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:08:28 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/matt-f/blogs/index.cfm/2011/10/19/springsummer-2012-photoshoot-update-2/   Our second part of the shoot for SS12 catalogue takes us to Cornwall to shoot our sea cliff climbing shots, some buffs and a couple of scrambling cover options.   Day  1 Set out from our base in St Ives to bosigran to reccy the sea cliff climbing locations but far too much sea mist so went on to sennen cove near lands end, struggled with heavy mists and fog (this is a summer shoot?!) the locals call it damping and sure enough all the rocks a bit wet so the climbing mod... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/matt-f/blogs/index.cfm/2011/10/19/springsummer-2012-photoshoot-update-2/ Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:05:59 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/10/12/11021-dog-day/ This blog entry is dedicated to the dogs of our world, for no creature on earth seems to have such a strong affinity for the front wheel of a push bike as does man’s-best-friend.   Kent. The Garden of England. Autumn has finally brought her orange tones to the warm vineyards and patchwork fields of this busy corner of our island, but the late summer sun still held its firm grip. The ban on handing up drinks had once again been relaxed due to the balmy temperatures that settled upon ... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/10/12/11021-dog-day/ Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:36:05 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/thornback/blogs/index.cfm/2011/10/5/trans-americas-blog/ Country, Country, Country   The smaller states of Central America seem to come in a quick succession of borders and changing landscapes.     As we cross into Guatemala we are confronted with steep green clad cliffs and escarpments with trees hanging onto the rocks and onto life in the most precarious ways. We are running valleys from the border that for almost a hundred miles leave us awestruck with the sheerness of the sides of the mountains. This is underlined when we ... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/thornback/blogs/index.cfm/2011/10/5/trans-americas-blog/ Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:51:14 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/10/5/11020-if-you-cant-stand-the-heat/     Meeting up with friends on a Sunday night often means that sooner or later I’m asked how I’d faired in the race I’ve done earlier that day. I do my best to explain what racing in the scorching heat for an hour at full pace with no water feels like, but I always find it difficult to tell the story to my non-racing friends. There are always subtle intricacies that are impossible to explain. This week they looked at me trying to take it all in, before one asked, &l... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/10/5/11020-if-you-cant-stand-the-heat/ Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:50:56 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/matt-f/blogs/index.cfm/2011/9/30/photoshoot-update/   Just a quick review of what we’ve been up to up in the lakes shooting for our spring summer catalogue.   At the moment I’m standing on a jetty at Derwent Water.     We’re just shooting some of the lifestyle shots, in a small wooden rowing boat, which we have hired out from the marina down here. That’s been our day so far.   Day 1,    We travelled up to the lakes, and got straight into the shoot, because the light was so ama... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/matt-f/blogs/index.cfm/2011/9/30/photoshoot-update/ Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:28:57 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/9/28/11019-time-to-get-cross/ 11.019 – Time to get Cross   Cross. Maximum heart rate, basic rigid framed road bike, partly off road, partly hard pack gravel, throw in a load mud, some knobbly tyres, cantilever brakes and lots of mud and chill for one hour. You’re probably thinking that it sounds awful – you’re right.   What happened to the Summer? It feels like read more...   THE.ÆIGHT.BICYCLE.CØMPANY proudly use Kona™ Framesets, Fox™ Suspension, Rohloff&t... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/9/28/11019-time-to-get-cross/ Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:04:30 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/9/21/11018r-race-day/  ...Three of us were instantly in a cross country race up the first section of gravel that led to the singletrack as Mister Webb disappeared into the night. He was off to set a 39:29 which would be the fastest lap of the night – Mark Goodman (Weldtite) set the second fastest time with myself 19 seconds down in third place on the track (second in my category). The pace was amazingly high for an enduro and with hind sight it was interesting to see that Luke Morris (Salsa) set a 45:58 on... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/9/21/11018r-race-day/ Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:38:43 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/9/16/11018e-ight-days-a-week-gluttony/   If you’re going on a long car journey, you need enough fuel, so if you’re going to ride your bike a long way you’ll need a full tank too. Luckily, just like cars, you can store this fuel in your body until you need it rather than having to eat too much whilst you’re racing.   You should have a good base fitness from the summer season of racing and you should have been eating the right stuff for months now if you race a lot. Even if you don’t, you shou... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/9/16/11018e-ight-days-a-week-gluttony/ Fri, 16 Sep 2011 09:53:26 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/9/15/11018d-ight-days-a-week-time-to-stretch-those-legs/ Okay, so the plan is written, the bike is ready and your kit is packed – time for a day off right? Kind of!...   If you’re used to riding lots of miles each week you’re probably getting itchy feet by now, but fear not today is the day to go out and have some fun. It doesn’t really matter where you ride as long as you love it. The plan is to be out for as long or as short as you like, just don’t overdo it. The point of a good taper is to rest and recuperate so... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/9/15/11018d-ight-days-a-week-time-to-stretch-those-legs/ Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:21:11 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/9/14/11018c-ight-days-a-week-always-keep-your-shoes-clean/ Yesterday was all about the bike and how important it is to have it ready ahead of race day. The same goes for clothing, if it’s dirty or wet the evening before a race guess what, it won’t be ready for race day. So buy a separate duffle, just for racing and ideally have a set of clothes that stay in that bag waiting for the big day. If your budget won’t stretch to that, have a list of stuff that you use for racing and keep it in the bag that you’ll take with you. With a f... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/9/14/11018c-ight-days-a-week-always-keep-your-shoes-clean/ Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:13:13 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/Russ/blogs/index.cfm/2011/9/13/gravity-enduro-round-5-afan-valley/ Gravity Enduro round 5 Afan Forest   This is the final event in the 5 stage series, and as per the previous 3 rounds that I made it to this one is also looking like a wet and wild weekend.   Arriving a the event base on Friday afternoon I was greeted by a typical welsh valleys scene, heavy mist over the tress and wet sodden ground under foot.   Arriving early on the Friday the course was yet to be marked so I joined a couple of fellow riders (who had managed to track down... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/Russ/blogs/index.cfm/2011/9/13/gravity-enduro-round-5-afan-valley/ Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:57:43 GMT http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/9/13/11018b-ight-days-a-week-tuesday/   So the time for panic is over! The thing is, at this point, you can only make certain adjustments anyway. You should concern yourself with the set-up of the bike, eating the right food, preparing the right food and getting as much rest as possible.   A couple of short fast training sessions could be good, or maybe one longer slower paced one, but it’s far too late to make any big changes now so your normal routine has to go on the shelf. Pros call this the taper and although... http://community.cotswoldoutdoor.com/users/the8rac3r/blogs/index.cfm/2011/9/13/11018b-ight-days-a-week-tuesday/ Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:40:14 GMT