Riding trip 2012
The annual riding trip is fast approaching for 2012. It’s something that has taken many forms over the years since its first inception in 2004. It started as a regular trip to Les Arcs in France and has since been trips around the UK and occasionally skipped a year but thankfully it’s still going strong for 2012.
The only two original members are myself and my good friend Gavin. Gav made the first trip happen by driving us all the way to France on his own with four bikes on the roof – due to me not being able to drive. Things were a bit different back then in terms of skills as well as bikes.
And I had much less hair.
After that trip I was kind of addicted to riding. Others have joined and departed the group since, but in recent years there’s been a fairly steady crew of people who are keen to get their kicks on some trails for one week of a year and forget about all the other shit that’s going on. Those people started as people I’ve known online such as Vaughan, Matt and Graham and now are considered solid friends after spending many a trip riding somewhere decent.
This year it’s all about the UK and reconnecting with the trails that are overlooked by that trip to France with all its amazing ski lifts and sunshine. It’s about riding what’s on your doorstep (relatively) and making the most of whats there and earning the descents. So the five of us are doing a UK road trip with two vans and mixing it up in terms of trail centres and natural stuff. Personally I can’t bloody wait to get away from a desk and back in the saddle and ride some great singletrack as well as the usual banter. Sometimes the chatting is just as good as the riding.
