We inspire and facilitate adventures on bicycles.
(3)
17/08/2024
A while back I took on the new 'XL' route on the brand new Cortex:
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"The first 200km went pretty swiftly on smooth trails and with a convenient tailwind. A surprise initial slog up the ‘Burma Road’ quickly identified that the new Cortex was very happy climbing. The lockout was super effective on smooth trails, but even with the suspension open, it made short work of technical climbs with little bob. Rolling into Aboyne at 8 am just in time for a snatched co-op picnic breakfast, I’d had a few hours kip sheltering from the rain under a bridge and felt a growing confidence about making it all the way around. Then the trail headed back West & into a building headwind, and the hard physical nature of the XL Loop began to be revealed...
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My plans for an early lunch in Ballater, or perhaps even Braemar, quickly evaporated with the realisation that the next four climbs would be monsters! Struggling to stay upright in the gusts whilst heading over Mount Keen did not help matters but, as is often the case on these rides, the ‘sweet’ reveals itself only in contrast to the ‘sour’ and some epic technical descents more than made up for the suffering to get there. ‘Heartbreak Ridge’ heading down into Ballater, in particular, blew my mind. The extra weight of my luggage quickly got forgotten, with the Cortex soaking up this supremely technical, slabby trail. Refuelling on a burger in Ballater and some quick calculations made, finishing the total 500km XL Loop before Saturday afternoon pizza begins to look unlikely. Still, the trails were sweet, and the sun was out, so all began to matter less and less than the joy of just moving on an unknown trail..."
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Head on over to 's 'Daring Deeds' (Link in bio) to read the full story.
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01/08/2024
Good to be back in the leader hotseat!!
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21/06/2024
Solstice wonderings.
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18/06/2024
Felt good to get out on the again after a few weeks out what with work commitments and an annoyingly long hand injury...
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appreciated the spin around our local Strathpeffer trails!!
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26/05/2024
Caught some riders after brekkie in Contin woods... they're all flying this year!! Check out all the action on .cc
24/05/2024
Out exploring Kenyan backroads... 🇰🇪
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10/04/2024
A quick run up the with and back for pizza with the kids at .. squeezing the most out of the Easter hols!
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31/03/2024
Well, today was a cracking (🐣) Higland tale of two half's...
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Whilst starting off with a blast around the mtb trails of Inverness in the morning with & the higland weather was just toooo good to miss so after lunch jumped over to Torridon for a trail run up Beinn Alligin in magic conditions!!
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East Coast & West Coast action all in one day!... & all with the little 'mountain badger' (🦡) along for company! Think we'll both sleep well tonight...
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15/03/2024
Head on over to to check out the big bad* route I've planned for Round 5 from Strathpeffer on Sunday! (*shorter, more gentle opions are available... everyone is welcome!!)
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I'm gutted not to be there in person but I did a full reccie of the long route last Friday and everything is running sweet! (check out the route preview reel in the previous post)
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Description:
- Long https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45802327
This is my take on a MTB version of the classic gravel 'Tour de Ben Wyvis', it's a big 'ol route (around 90km) (but the middle half is mostly on fast rolling gravel track so does eat up some kms). It's basically a mix of big mountain gravel day out and then messing about in the woods wherever possible. There's a fair bit of techy singletrack thrown in from some of my favourite local riding spots: Contin forest, Fyrish trails, Knockbain, The Cat's Back and Knock Mor. It's a big, committing, full day out that takes advantage of the longer daylight hours. A great test for anyone who's gearing up to some big rides this summer.
- Gravel https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45698204
's classic Tour de Ben Wyvis with all the tech of the long route taken out. For anyone who still fancies a big day out but without the bumpy bits or equally this route can provide some easier options in the back end of the long route for those who've found they've bitten off too much...
- Short https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45698108
The short route (45km) still holds plenty of singletrack and technical challenge but keeps to the near side of Ben Wyvis.
20/02/2024
Dunkeld... You beauty!...
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really pulled this one out of the top drawer!!
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A challenging day out riding an amazing variety of trais through an almost springlike landscape whilst keeping up with the prowess of Mr
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What's not to like?
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Sets an increasingly high bar for the next round on 17th March out of Strathpeffer organised by yours truly 😬
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05/02/2024
New Atlas Mountain Race video up over on YouTube!
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With just around the corner I figured it was high time I got around to sharing the film I made of last year's event.
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This sound recording was made in the early hours of a beautiful morning in the latter stages of the race. Set against stunning clips collected from my ride, it attempts to capture the essence of what motivates and inspires me about bikepacking races (especially as for this one I'd decided beforehand not to be 'competitive').
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To anyone just heading out for the race or looking forward to following it, this inside account hopefully sheds some light on a rider's internal experience...
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This sound recording was made in the early hours of a morning in the latter stages of the 2023 Atlas Mountain Race (AMR) - a 1,300km unsupported, single stag...
29/01/2024
Another cracking day out!
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This is fast becoming a prioritised event in my winter diary!
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Big mtb days, top riding, good craic. On round 3 led us on a magical mystery tour weaving intricate trails through the forests around Aviemore. Top riding with and and thanks to for paying off the weather gods yet again! Same thing again next month...
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26/01/2024
done right...
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Ride to beach. Swim (for some). Fire. Merriment. Recitals(ish). Good company. Haggis. Neeps.
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Thanks to all of the Inverness loons who make this stuff happen. 🙏
16/01/2024
Strathpuffer 2024 - 19 laps - 3rd overall singlespeed solo!
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As the dust(/mud!) settles on another year it's time to reflect on that one-of-a-kind warm fuzzy feeling of being involved in such a tough, bonkers, friendly, inclusive & brutal event. Even more so now that this is all made possible by the community right on my own doorstep (the 10min drive home was a very welcome change!)
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A huge thanks to everyone from for making it all happen and to / for the epic pit crew duties.
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I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, for a start it was the longest ride I've done on a & my prep was minimal to say the least... I was curious to see if I could just keep going through the night and that's pretty much what I did. A big energy slump around lap 10 took some getting through but a well timed muller rice pot came and saved the day! Once again a reminder that no matter how dark things get, all things pass... Back pain turned out to be the limiting factor with regular muscle release becoming nessacary each lap or so towards the end. (...one of these days I'll get around to some proper conditioning for this sort of thing...)
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A huge well done to all the riders out there and for all the individual hurdles overcome. In particular podium finishes from teammates: and
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12/01/2024
It's !!!
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Tomorrow morning I'll be setting off on the iconic 24hr mountain bike race in the Scottish Highlands for the fourth time. (Be rude not to now that it's ride on my doorstep!)
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As part of team & I'll be riding the notoriously hard (and cold!) course continuously as a solo rider ...and if that wasn't nuts enough, I'm riding my singlespeed.
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As well as loving riding atm, I'm also hoping that the mechanical (& mental) simplicity will help me through the next 24hrs.🤞
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08/01/2024
View from the office this morning...
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07/01/2024
Highland winter days aint all bad...
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05/01/2024
Great to be out on the trails taday with this ragamuffin!
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15/12/2023
'Puffer' training + Daddy time = 2 birds, 1 stone!.... 🐦🐦🪨
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03/12/2023
For the love of riding bikes...
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Round 2 of the was soooo damn good that this was the only photo that I could drag myself off the sublime, sun drenched, snow crusted trail to take!!
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Massive thanks to for throwing down such a beautifully crafted, epic route through royal Deeside and cheers to for joining me for and not a little evangelism!
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Easily one of my best days out on two wheels this year! 👌
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19/11/2023
All muddy smiles on today's ride from Inverness!!
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09/11/2023
Inverness social gravel ride heading out from the store at on Sunday 19th Nov.
ALL ARE WELCOME!!
Great riding, good chat and refreshments to finish...
It'll be a 40km route out and back towards Abriachan. There's a good mix of forest track, smooth single-track and quiet roads with stunning highland views. The route is 'thin' so it allows folk to make easy shortcuts if they're not wanting to do the full distance.
Catching up with old friends and new at 's on some familiar territory.
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19/09/2023
"...This was not at all how I had expected my ride to go... Setting off on I'd figured it would be a 'faster than average tour' (and perhaps an efficient opportunity to ride LEJOG for the first time). My motivations for 'racing' ultra distance bikepacking events have certainly evolved over the years. 'Letting go' and an immersion in a wilder and more feral mindset have become top of my list. But on GBDURO I learned that letting go doesn't always have to mean easing off... Sometimes truly letting go is found in removing the barriers of what you think you could or should be capable of. It's about rewriting the script, living in the moment and losing focus of the destination. I know that perhaps sounds like an odd approach to 'racing' but for me it's exactly the kind of lessons I've come to expect from these experiences. It’s just sometimes you've got to go there to come back..."
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Some words from my recent experience are now up on 's 'daring deeds' blog. Check out the link in the bio ⬆️
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22/08/2023
Stage 4 Finish!! 379km - 20hrs 53mins... that's a wrap!
11/08/2023
All loaded up on the and excited to be heading down to Cornwall for the start of !!!
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I'm definitely embracing the 'scrappy rolling picnic' ethos of this one (...as inclusion of coffee, stove & flipflops would probably suggest!) and will be aiming for enjoyment over suffering wherever possible...
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I'm definately looking forward to entering the of the road as I journey along the 2000km off-road route between Land's End and John O'groats through some of the Land's wildest places and hope that, although closer to home, this journey will hold all of the mind-bending revaltions and uncertainty of previous big bike trips. In all the countries I've ridden across it seems mad that I've never completed a crossing of my home island!! So here goes...
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As usual I feel woefully under-prepared (possibly something to do with the two monkeys in the last photo?) But whatever might come to pass in the uncertainty of the adventure I feel that, as with all things, showing up and rolling the dice is all that really matters.
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Massive thanks as always to those who help me get to the start line: and last but certainly not least, the incredible
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If you're interested in following my progress you can dot-watch till your heart's content .cc or click the link in the bio.
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27/07/2023
So, which is the faster ' '??
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Drop bar Gravel Bike or hardtail Mountain Bike??
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In my (highly scientific) test on the Camino ti (gravel) and Broken Road (hardtail mtb) over 125km of Scottish Highland estate tracks and forest roads (and a wee bit of tarmac) we have a clear winner!... (drumroll... 🥁)
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The Broken Road has it!! The 29er mtb took the lead with a whopping 35 minutes off the time of the gravel bike! (Despite a couple of sloppy navigation errors adding to the overall distance and climbing)
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I'd expected to find the mtb setup more comfortable and had hoped that it wouldn't be too far off the gravel bike's overall time but was totally surprised when at the end of the off-road stuff it was closer to an hour ahead!... The camino did claw back a fair few minutes in the last 10km of tarmac but overall I felt far fresher and enjoyed almost all the off-road riding way more on the Broken Road, meaning that my overall stoppage time was less too.
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Conclusion: in my opinion 'Gravel Bikes' are in fact 'Gravel & Road bikes'... If you want a bike for traveling fast and far (& enjoyably) over 'UK gravel' adventures then I reckon the comfort of a hardtail mtb is still your best bet.
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Thoughts on a postcard?
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(All useful knowledge ahead of ... 🤫)
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23/07/2023
Same loop, different bike... 126km of premium Highland gravel but which bike was quicker overall??
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Mtb or Gravel bike??
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It's a question I'm often asked and so thought I'd put it to the test in real world conditions. Luckily the weather played ball and provided a pretty even playing field.
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The route can certainly be described as 'UK gravel' - a loop from the door that heads up the towards the Allerdale estate and then back down the .trail to the East Coast. Mostly estate tracks and forest road, minimal single-track or hike-a-bike.
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So which do you think was faster overall? The Camino ti or Broken Road?.. and by how much?
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Answers on a postcard.
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17/07/2023
Just a little afternoon gravel loop from the door on the lovely Camino ti...
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Up the and down the .trail - 126kms
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07/07/2023
Just one gear (and one teammate) for the 2024 !!
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So I may have stitched up a bit with the choice of team name for our pairs entry but I have been loving my Broken Road setup lately so I thought I'd commit early to avoid any changes of heart...(& I'm sure he'll thank me in the long run!)😂
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It's so good to be heading back to one of my all time favourite mountain bike events and even better now that the journey is 10 minutes rather than 10 hours...
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Who else is going?
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Videos
For anyone who's heading to Strathpeffer this weekend for Round 5 of the @stravaiging_series here's a quick rundown of my route.
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Unfortunately, due to unforseen circumstances, I'm gutted to be unable to join you on Sunday but hopefully the weather stays looking good and you get a big memorable day out in the hills!
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If anyone has any questions feel free to fire them towards me beforehand.
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I look forward to hearing all about it!
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#stravaigingseries
In the lead up to this year's much anticipated #ht550 I thought it was high time that I got around to releasing some of the content I collected for the #bikepackingvoices project on last year's event...
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#bikepackingvoices is an ongoing audio project that aims to capture and record the thoughts, feelings and motivations of ultra-distance bikepacking racers in the moments and places that affect us most.
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In the spirit of self-supported rules, my approach is minimalistic and as unobtrusive as possible, conducting the voluntary interviews independently and whilst moving along with competitors to try and accurately unearth some of what makes our community so special.
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It's early days yet but if, like me you find a real value in this way of documenting and sharing and the stories and experiences of bikepackers please share it around and I welcome any offers of feedback or future collaboration.
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In the end, here I've opted for a four part youtube series (link below) despite the project being audio focused, this video format has worked well to transport you into the incredible settings that these moments take place in.
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It's been a moving and inspirational process going through the interviews and stories that I'd collected from that extraordinary group of riders and has served to remind me just how special the experience of this unique and powerful race can be.
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The Highland Trail 550 in Scotland is considered to be one of the hardest and purest of bikepacking races. It has captured the hearts and imaginations of many, myself included.
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This is an attempt to show why.
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https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJTS1kTlNsByzJtvyxdC1F2mhOTIlJ_fs
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#bikepackingvoices #bikepacking #endurance #selfsupported #dotwatcher #adventurepedlars #adventurebybike #cycletouring #adventurecycling #ht550 #highlandtrail #highlandtrail550 #ht5502022 #goniceplacesdogoodthings
Check this out!.. I've been chatting to George at the @calltoadventureofficial podcast about all things bikes/guiding/adventure and it's gone live today!!
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It's an honour to be featured on a #podcast that I've become a big fan of & alongside some absolute heroes in the world of #adventure and #sustainability who I've been inspired by like @nickhayesillustration @treadlighterlib @jennytough @lizzie_outside & @mygreenpod to name just a few...
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So go and have a listen wherever you get your podcasts or click the link in the @calltoadventureofficial bio.
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#Repost @calltoadventureofficial
• • • • • •
Pete McNeil of @adventurepedlars has been riding bikes for as long as he can remember. At the age of 12 he was racing and riding wherever he could, a habit that would lead him to some pretty incredible adventures, not least a 2 year ride to New Zealand with his wife Alice.
We chat to Pete about ways to get started as a mountain bike guide, the myth of needing the newest gear before you set off for an adventure, and the strange quiet that comes after a big adventure.
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#adventurepedlars #outdooractivities #natureadventure #joinnow #digin #improvewellbeing #improvehealth #careforplanet #callofnature #natureactivities #podcast #getlistening #newhobby #feelthenature #explorenature #calltoadventure #cyclingadventures #hike-a-bike #bikepacking #mountainbiking #bikeshop #bikeracing #bikepackingguide #biking #mountaineering
At the helm of Adventure Pedlars are Pete & Alice McNeil. Back in 2012, Pete & Alice set out from the Peak District on a ‘honeymoon bike ride’. Two years, 22 countries and 20,000km later they showed up in New Zealand with a fresh perspective on love, life, riding bikes, sleeping outside, talking to strangers and pretty much everything that happens in The Places in Between destinations.
On returning home in 2015, convinced that the simple pleasures of a bicycle adventure can provide anyone with the perfect antidote to modern living, ‘Adventure Pedlars’ was born as a way of inspiring and helping others to get out on their own two wheeled adventures and, by doing so, re-engage in the most basic of ways with the world around us and our own minds within. On top of their extensive adventure cycling experience, Pete and Alice also bring their own highly unique personal and professional backgrounds into making Adventure Pedlars what it is today:
Pete is a Bike Adventurer, Racer, qualified Guide and Expedition Leader of unparalleled experience…
With over16 years of working in the Outdoors, beginning with a degree in Outdoor Studies in the Lake District (where he and Alice met), Pete has held an SMBLA Mountain Bike Leader Award since 2008 and has worked as a full-time bike guide & mechanic in the UK, Spain, Nepal and NZ . As an expedition leader he has worked with youth groups all over the world and since being inspired to get out on his own cycling adventures at the tender age of twelve (way before ‘bikepacking’ was ever a thing..) he has embarked on countless ambitious personal challenges and expeditions in a vast array of environments; from Scotland to Nepal, Lesotho to Patagonia. In recent years he has also been one of the UK’s most successful self-supported racers, finishing at the pointy end of some of the world’s toughest off-road bike races; including both the HT550 and Silk Road Mountain Race.
Pete has an infectious enthusiasm for getting out and having adventures, whether big or small, and even more so for inspiring and facilitating others to do the same. He achieves this through public speaking events, facilitating workshops, writing, film-making, guiding and coaching courses. Pete’s approach couples his extensive experience, knowledge and skill-set with a down-to-earth pragmatism and humility; firmly believing that the best way to inspire others through adventure (and perhaps in doing so helping to address some of the world’s more fundamental problems) is not in over-dramatising tales of ‘daring do’ but in presenting challenges, achievable to all, that inspire a first step into a lifetime of adventure.
Alice is a Registered Yoga Teacher, Chartered Physiotherapist and Mindfulness Teacher with a background in Outdoor Learning and a love of adventure…
After sustaining a serious back injury in the remote Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan and then rehabilitating herself to continue with her bike ride on towards NZ she realised that physical health cannot exist without psychological health along with the help of the natural environment. Always curious and always exploring she realised that in-fact none of these areas stand alone and (not being content to just stick to her own hunches and experience) she formally achieved an array of academic qualifications to support her work.
With an MSc in both Psychology and Physiotherapy and a BA Hons in Outdoor Studies, she combines all of these highly complementary disciplines as she invites you to explore your physical and psychological capabilities both on and off the bike and the yoga mat through our Breathe Escapes; unpacking the profound sense of wellbeing that we all gain through adventure, physical exercise and the outdoors.
Alice has a natural propensity to combine disciplines in both 'eastern knowledge' and 'western evidence'. She wrote her Psychology thesis on the Restorative Effects of the Natural Environment, and her Physiotherapy thesis on the effectiveness of Mindfulness on Chronic Pain. Under her own company Hope Yoga Physio she runs various yoga classes including ‘Yoga for Adventure Sports' at Alpkit Hathersage, designs bespoke yoga programmes for people as part of their injury prevention/rehabilitation and is guest yoga teacher at a number of Adventure and Cycling festivals around the UK.
Helping to provide the theoretical and spiritual underpinning of what Adventure Pedlars aims to achieve, Alice adds a rare and unique depth of knowledge and experience to what we do.
