Make the most of any excuse you can to get out on your mountain bike- organise a work do on bikes, hit the trails in fancy dress and even consider planning a trip away- having something to look forward to is often just the ticket to surviving as a mountain biker!
I’ve got my fingers crossed for a super cold spell of weather, as it turns my local trails in to high speed roller coasters once more- but they feel even better than belting through in summer.
However, like me, you might also find it a good idea to plan a trip away in early 2012. Weather permitting, the bigger trail centres like Afan in South Wales, Coed Y’brenin in North wales and Glentress in Scotland are well worthy of hitting for a long weekend- or longer if you fancy really exploring the trails. There are plenty of great places to stay nearby, and good opportunities for food and drink- the simple things a mountain biker loves after a hard ride.
Don’t discount the many foreign options for relatively cheap- or luxuriously expensive winter mountain biking trips. Southern Spain in particular is warm enough to hit the trails in shorts, t-shirts and sunglasses, and there is an incredible variety of riding that keeps riders coming back year after year.
Of course there are many options- basic flowing XC stuff, aggressive all mountain riding with killer climbs and longer descents than you thought possible, and shuttle based options. One favourite even offers chair lift accessed trails, at a location that’s under 2 hours to get to by plane- amazing.
Check out the following links and get yourself some ideas for winter mountain biking this year- it might be the spark you need to relight your riding fire….
www.mountain-bike-accommodation.com
http://mbwales.com/en/content/cms/Centres/Coed_y_Brenin/Coed_y_Brenin.aspx
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