Adventure Pedlars

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Adventure Pedlars

We inspire and facilitate adventures on bicycles.
(3)

18/11/2024

Inverness Winter gravel series was a hit!!
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So nice to get a lovely big group of folk together out on bikes this Sunday. Braving initial wintery showers we were rewarded with crisp sunshine and beautiful conditions for our exploration of the Black Isle.
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Thanks to everyone who made the effort & supported the !
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01/11/2024

- the art of moving very slowly (sometimes on bicycles) without much clue as to what will happen next...
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So we're just back from a family bikepacking trip along the wild coast of Northern Spain!
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This was to be our first overseas family 'cycle tour' with both Pip & Mae on their own bikes; we took the opertunity of a postponed ferry ticket (back from covid times) and the 2 week highland 'tattie break' (where everyone picks their potatoes obvs) to have a mini family adventure & catch some last rays of sunshine before winter sets in.
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Well we certainly learnt alot about kit choices, letting go of plans and expectations, being flexible with our goals and route choices (...and also an important difference between 'Portsmouth' and 'Plymouth' when catching a ferry!.. *thanks for your understanding* 😂)...
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However, the feeling of moving slowly between some truly beautiful Cantabrian beaches and getting back to our cycle touring routes as a family is one that will stay with us for a long time and inspire and inform many future trips.
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Our trusty Frontiers did the business of hauling us and all our kit along a route plucked off and we were also very impressed with the for keeping the kids moving.
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30/09/2024

Messing about in the woods yesterday with fellow riders and to round off a fantastic !
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Got us some good game faces on!!
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12/09/2024

Thoughts on L'esperit de Girona 2024 - Challenge was what attracted me to this notoriously difficult event... the impossibly small scattering of previous finishers and the 26000m of elevation in under 800km tells its own story. says he set out to create the hardest event he could think of on his doorstep & I guess he succeeded! On entering I knew there was a high possibility of a first scratch for me in a race but more than anything I was curious to see where my limits lay. I expected a scratch to come when I had nothing left to give. Unfortunately, work commitments forced me book a flight just under 5 days after the start and this, in the end, was the undoing of the race (and the experiment) for me.
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As was expected, the route was ridiculously tough & hilly and the first days, whilst not the highest in elevation were steep and relentless. Before the start a delayed flight, 2hrs sleep, a 15km time trial from the airport & an inexplicable tyre blowout on the startline all add to a less than ideal start & in the heat of the afternoon I thought my limits had already been met. Experience tho tells me that limits are elastic and my energy levels inexplicably do now follow a linear downward trajectory. A boost comes in the evening and carries me all the way through day 2. I'm flying high and my brain starts calculations to see if I could in fact finish in time. The night sees me bump into 2nd position but around 300km I know a decision point is coming...
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Day 3 starts with another tyre slash and there's no longer enough sealant to compleatly seal the hole. I decide a new tyre is essential before the high Pyrenees but to get it in time I'll have to leave the route... the thread is pulled and the unravel begins...
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I contemplate heading on but knowing now that I certainly do not have time to finish the route prompts the decision to scratch whilst it logistically easiest to make it back to Girona. Practicalities, in the end won out before finding my true limits. I'd like to think I'd have had a good crack at the rest of the route but this time it wasn't to be... put on a exceptional event. I've got no regrets.

02/09/2024

It's been very last minute for a number of unexpected reasons but massive thanks go out to and Inverness for getting me sorted with this just in time for the 's Le'spirit de Girona race starting next weekend! Anxious and excited to take on this infamously brutal challenge... can't say I wish wasn't better prepared but one way or another I'm going to find put where my limits are on this one...
Watch this space.
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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. 🙏

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http://adventurepedlars.com/

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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. - 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! - If anyone has any questions feel free to fire them towards me beforehand. - I look forward to hearing all about it! - #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... - #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. - 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. - 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. - 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. - 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. - 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. - This is an attempt to show why. - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJTS1kTlNsByzJtvyxdC1F2mhOTIlJ_fs - #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!! - 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... - So go and have a listen wherever you get your podcasts or click the link in the @calltoadventureofficial bio. - #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. . . . #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

Silk Road Mountain Race - ITV News

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Our Story

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.