Midges and Maniacs (Part 1)

Heading off to Wales for a week of mountain biking, it began to get a bit disconcerting after the 11^th text message which said

“Have fun, don’t hurt yourself too much”.

I don’t know if these concerned messages were indicative of my (lack of) skill or just the perception my nearest and dearest have of the sport.

However as it turned out, the very real danger was to come from somewhere wholly unexpected.

Unplanned dismounts (or How to fall off a mountain bike)

Mountain biking, as it turns out, is quite a technical thing! After having spent most of the winter bruised and battered, falling off in prickly bushes or muddy ditches, I decided it was high time to have some tuition.

To learn the art of tearing effortlessly downhill, the tricks and skills of the trail, and of course, how to fall off properly.