Team rider Justin Morris recently completed the largest single day MTB race in the USA; The Iceman. He reflects on what draws 5000 riders and their supporters to the woods of Northern Michigan.
Alternative racing for the win: National Gravel Champs
Alternative races give you the opportunity to leave behind the normal pressures of the race season. It’s like how we first start cycling, zero pressure, pure fun, just how it should be. At these races you can just have fun laying down some big watts and not care about the end race result.
My year of amateur mistakes (that I hope I’ll never repeat)
Words: Amy Henchoz Half measures aren’t so much a thing in my book. Either it’s fun and relaxed, or I’m all in. Back when I was still fairly new on a bike (I first rode a trail centre in 2019) people used to ask me if I raced, I’d laugh and say that was for […]
Racing bikes in Finnmark Norway: Skaidi Xtreme
Bikes can take you to some magical places but Finnmark Norway looks like another bucket list location. Our European editor Ben Thomas recently flew north for Skaidi Xtreme 2022.
Racing Gravel in Belgium, the Heartland of Cycling
The new UCI Gravel Series comes as gravel cycling continues its rise in popularity, gravel is very much the buzz word this year. What better way to experience the growth of gravel than heading to the heartland of cycling, Belgium, for the seventh round of this new headline race series. After a long journey from […]
British National Marathon Championships
This would be the first National Marathon Championships I’ve done since 2013 or 2014 where I’ve not seen myself as the favourite to win. After winning in 2015, 2016, and 2019 a lot has changed. I’m married, dad to an amazing toddler, and the coaching business has gone from a small startup to a full […]
Reef to Reef Day Four – just tempo
Words: Imogen Smith Firstly, a clarification. The suggestion that Mike ride the last 17 kilometres to the finish of Stage 3 on our only back wheel after sitting at the feedzone for a couple of hours was mine – not the other mixed racers’, not the R2R people, and definitely, definitely not Mike’s. Also, we […]
Reef to Reef Stage 3 – another banger of a ride
By Imogen Smith Ahhhh good old stage race mass starts. I’ll never learn to love them. Today we rolled out in two big waves on super fast gravel roads around Wetherby Station, host of many Croc Trophy stages (oh the trauma). While I wouldn’t describe the start as hectic, strictly speaking, it was definitely intense. […]
Reef to Reef Stage 2 – mixed racing
Words: Imogen Smith | Photos: Tim Bardsley-Smith It was an early start today, getting up at five am so I had enough time to remove the ‘murder plastic’ from the hotel windows (my DIY blackout solution, which BTW is amazing) and pack two bikes, two bike bags, two gear bags, and somehow, about fourteen other […]
Reef to Reef Stage 1 – Good vibes only
By: Imogen SmithPhotos: Tim Bardsley-Smith Today’s Stage 1 of Reef to Reef in gorgeous Cairns was a 17 kilometre time trial through Smithfield’s world class XC trails. I’m racing with long time partner Mike (and long time husband) in a return to doing what we love together after three years off. So how did it go? […]