A few days before the Red Bull Hillchasers, Nick from Charge Bikes got in touch to check whether I was going. I was meant to be, but I had a few questions as Edinburgh is so damn far away and I was facing an 18 hour round trip to attend.

Firstly, I asked, ‘will it be fun,’ and next I enquired whether there would be a women’s category.’ What I really wanted to know was whether I was going to do horribly, come last and look like a nobhead left miles behind whilst everyone else pegged it up the hill.

I didn’t ask the final question, instead deciding to keep my neuroses to myself, but pleased that the organiser were sensible enough to include a women’s race I booked a train from my lovely home in Devon to the beautiful city of Edinburgh.

The race took place on The Mound, a hill stretching up from the main shopping street to the castle perched above. The first part looked fairly straight forward but near the top there was a sharp bend before a  cobbled section to the finish line.

I’d decided to ride a fixed gear as I’m just so familiar with riding one, plus I liked the idea of just concentrating on pedalling rather than faffing around with gears and possibly getting it wrong. As for gear ratio, well, I just left it as I already had it.

Once the qualifications were over, the main races saw groups of ten riders set off at once and sprint their way to the top. I was pretty nervous about riding with Shanaze Reade in the final, as she’s not only brutally strong, but also rather intimidating  - she doesn’t think twice about cutting people up (and rightly so, it’s a race after all!). Oh, and she’s an Olympic/World Champ superstar BMXer.

We all lined up at the start gate and my main thoughts were ‘stay out of Shanaze’s way,’ and ‘am I going to totally suck at this?’ But when the start gates dropped I got away alright and with a few strong pedals, I actually seemed to be doing quite well. Shanaze sprinted off, off and away, and as I kept cranking, I began to wonder whether I could actually do alright!

I kept blasting away up the hill, surprised by the fact I wasn’t coming last, and I guess that gave me a little boost that helped speed me on. As we approached the tight bend at the top, I became aware of Anna Glowinski fairly close behind me, and felt absolutely sure that she’d overtake me before the line. I tried as hard as I could not to let her pass me, wanting to feel that whatever happened I’d given it my all. And to my great surprise, I clung onto my lead and came second. YAY!

I was absolutely delighted to share the podium with Shanaze and my pal Anna Glowinski. Woo hoo!!!

Click here for a video with me air punching as I cross the line, haha!

It still seems crazy to me that we’re actually going cycle touring in Japan – I’ve wanted to go ever since I was a teenager. I always thought I’d end up visiting there, either when I was working as a model, or on a snowboarding trip, but somehow it never quite happened.

Sometime last year, Dave and I decided to take the plunge and book flights to Tokyo, without any grand plan; I guess we were bored of just talking about it so decided to just go for it. The cycle touring bit, well what better way to see of much as the country as possible, whilst being fully immersed in an incredible landscape. Oh, and of course there’s the money side of it – cycling and camping are free, yay!

Anyway, after a very vague start with no particular plan, I’ve assembled a loose one. It’s been tweaked and changed a large number of times; sometimes I’ve gone back and looked at what I’d pencilled in and realised it’s stupid and unworkable, other times I’ve had a tip that the road I’ve chosen is chock-a-block full of lorries and tunnels. Other times, I’ve looked through my emails and noticed I’ve booked two hotels in Tokyo for the same nights. DUR.

So here’s the plan:

Fly into Tokyo, catch a train down the Izu Peninsular.

Fart about down there and go surfing, then ride up towards Mt. Fuji and Lake Yamanaka, probably staying at a Ryokan one night.

Once in Fuji Five Lakes, we’ll camp out some more, ride up and down the mountain.

Then we head down to Shizuoka before following the coastline to Irago where we’ll catch a boat.

From there, we’ll head up to Kyoto via Nara, then check into a hotel for a couple of days.

After seeing some of Kyoto, we’ll ride the Shiminami Kaido, camp out a bit more then get the bullet train back to Tokyo where we’ll spend our final few days.

Planning the route has been a lot of work, as has learning Japanese, but I think what’s fun about both those things is actually the blasé attitude we’ve had towards it, and how hilarious that is going to make things in Japan. We’re really looking forward to being really quite baffled and thrown in at the deep end; surely that’s part of the excitement of visiting somewhere new, feeling like a fish out of water?

We’ve plumped for a mixture of camping (wild camping and campsites) and hotels, just so we can have a proper wash and sleep in a bed from time to time. Ideally, we’d wash up and bathe in ‘onsen’ or Japanese baths en route, but I’ve heard they take a dim view of tattoos, and they’re banned in many places.

As for gear, well we’ll both be riding Charge Plugs – I’ll be on the stealth Plug 5, whilst Dave has got the luxuriously pearlescent Plug 4, and we’ve got some cracking Brooks panniers and saddles. Our accommodation comes chiefly courtesy of Decathlon, whose ‘QuickHiker Ultralight II Hiking tent’ we’ve yet to test.

But apart from that, we’re ready to rock. The photo above what I’m taking, which is not very much considering I’ll be wearing the helmet, shoes and one set of clothes…. But in my experience, the less stuff you have to carry, the more fun you can have. Now, what have I forgotten?

I’ve always really loved the look of Carradice Saddle bags, and as I’d heard nothing but good things about them, I decided to put one to the test. 

The Super C saddle bag is basically a giant saddle bag that’s perfect for really lightweight touring, say, the kind where you stay in Bed and Breakfasts instead of camping. It’s really roomy, looks awesome, and as long as you plump for the Bagman attachment, it’s really secure and doesn’t bounce around. Go have a look at my review for Coven Magazine for more info.

The Charge Plug 5, though not specifically designed for cycle touring makes a really top notch machine for ‘bikepacking.’ It’s made from strong and sturdy steel, has rack mounts and best of all, disc brakes. I know traditionally, touring bikes don’t have disc brakes, but when I’m loaded up with all manner of camping shizzle and tearing down a steep hill, I really appreciate the stopping power of these babies!

Sram had to recall the first batch of it’s Red 22 and S-700 road bike disc brakes, which was really annoying as that’s what I originally had on this bike. It must have been a real headache for Charge, who’d just released the Plug 5 and then had to fart about getting all the dodgy ones replaced. But mistakes happen I guess…

Anyway, after what seemed like an endless wait where I was unable to ride this bike, I finally got these replacements, and I took the chance to switch up a few other parts to make this bike suit me a little better.

First up, I shortened the stem and put on some 40cm wide Easton EA70 bars. With the new  90mm stem and these narrower bars, I’ve shortened the reach a little to make the bike more comfortable ahead of my trip to Japan. Easton were kind enough to chuck in seat post too; thanks very much guys!

The bike itself now has Sram Red levers, Sram Via hubs, Sram Avid mechanical disc brakes and a Sram Rival crankset and derailleur.

My saddle is the Brooks ‘Swift,’ and though I’ve not had as long as I anticipated to wear it in, it actually feels really good already, plus it looks superb.

The rack is a Tubus Classic Logo; expensive but worth it as it comes with a ten year guarantee. If you’re interested in why I like it, I wrote a few words about it for Total Women’s Cycling.

Panniers come courtesy of Brooks; they’re the ‘Lands End’ panniers and are light and spacious.

And finally, I’ve stuck with my favourite Time Atac pedals and I just love them.

Hopefully this machine and I will have a lot of fun exploring Japan and several other locations I have in mind. May this be the summer of fun… just like all the other ones!

Since I moved to Devon, one of the best things I’ve done has been to join Mid Devon CC. I’ve never been a member of a cycling club before, and like many of people, I wrongly assumed it wasn’t for me. But it was! Being located in one of the hilliest areas of the UK, Mid Devon CC is not without it’s share of seriously fast, incredibly strong riders, but they have a whole load of different ‘club runs’ operating every Sunday, so there’s something for most levels of rider.

Over the last year, the club (and Michele Radant in particular) made a huge effort to recruit more female members, and to offer rides that will suit newcomers to the sport. The ‘social ride,’ runs in conjunction with Breeze every Sunday, and now actually often sees one of the biggest turn outs. It’s really nice to see a cycling club that’s making an effort to be inclusive and make people feel welcome.

Myself and Dave Noakes recently did the first part of our British Cycling coaching training, so I’m delighted to now be in a position to pass on some of the knowledge I’ve gained over my many years of cycling.  If you’ve read this blog before, or know anything at all about me, you’ll know that I’m passionate about getting women involved in sport and cycling, so the first course we’ll be offering is for the ladies only. As we’re both members of Mid Devon CC, this course will be run in conjunction with the club, thereby helping women transition from the Breeze rides onto the other club runs, or to simply gain confidence and get more out of cycling.

The series of six sessions will take place at Torbay’s new velopark and will present the perfect opportunity to improve your bike skills, build your confidence and refine your technique. The course is FREE to members of Mid Devon CC, or £18 to non-members.

• Perhaps you’ve come to cycling recently, been out on a few Breeze rides, or you’d just like to improve your riding. If so, this course is for you.

• Taking place on a closed road circuit away from traffic, our series of six sessions will focus on the core skills needed to get the most out of riding your bike. Develop great skills, perfect bike control and learn to cycle with confidence.

All our classes will be non-intimidating and enjoyable, so come along for a fun hour on your bike, meet fellow cyclists and learn how to get the most out of cycling.

• We’ll base our hour-long sessions on a variety of techniques including braking, cornering, gear selection and riding with other people; skills that will improve your efficiency and enjoyment of cycling.

• Accommodating all levels of fitness and competence, we will teach you all you need to know to, whether you’re interested in commuting, training, joining a cycle club, or simply taking a spin with your friends and family.

• By the end of the course, you’ll be cycling with greater confidence, ready for a summer of two-wheeled fun.

The six sessions will take place at Torbay Velopark from 6pm to 7pm on the following dates:

Wednesday June 4^th

Wednesday June 11^th

Wednesday June 18^th

Wednesday June 25^th

Wednesday July 2^nd

Wednesday July 9^th

To register for the course or for more details about joining Mid Devon Cycle Club and the benefits for female members, please contact Michelle Radant on michele3@btinternet.com

Australian brand Knog first came to everyone’s attention with their award-winning silicon ‘Frog’ lights, which at the time was a pretty revolutionary product. I remember a time when pretty much every single person I knew rode with these colourful little snap-on lights, and back when I lived in London I found them really useful.

But that was then, and not only do I now live in a place with virtually no street-lighting after dark, I’ve become a lot more demanding when it comes to bike products, as have many of the people who first became interested in cycling through riding fixed gear in the city.

Knog have moved with the times, and along with their incredibly modestly priced little ‘Frogs,’ they now offer what I would term ‘real lights,’ or rather something that actually lights up the road allowing you to see where you’re going. I’ve been riding with the Knog Blinder 3 over the winter, and been raving about them to anyone that’ll listen, such is their brightness.

But content though I am with the lights I already have, when Knog offered to send over a couple of the Blinder Arcs, I couldn’t resist giving them a go. Well, I’m hardly going to say no, am I, so I got my little mitts on the new Blinder Arc 5.5 and the Blinder Arc 1.7.

Both feature waterproof construction, tool-free silicone mounts, battery indicators and an integrated USB plug for recharging. They also don’t turn themselves on in your bag, as you need to press and hold the on/off button for several seconds.

First up, the 5.5 which delivers a whopping 550 lumens without looking like crap – some high power lights seem to ignore aesthetics entirely, but Knog have produced a refined shape and design that looks smart and wasn’t out of place on any of my bikes.

Charging time is seven hours, and once fully topped up, the Blinder 5.5 delivers 1.8 hours on the brightest setting, 3.5 hours on medium, 7.9 hours on low and 17 hours flashing.

Knog’s Constant Current Drive Technology allows to light to operate to it’s full ability right up until the battery has run down, which means the light doesn’t become dimmer as you run out of power. I really like this feature, but it does mean you need to keep an eye on the battery indicator as otherwise you won’t notice you’re nearly out of juice.

The ease of mounting is one of my favourite things about Knog lights, as I find it a ball ache taking brackets on and off my bars (yes, I am that lazy). Two interchangeable silicon straps allow the bike to fit on regular or oversize bars, plus you have a strip of foam to stop the lights wiggling around on your bars. The strip of foam looks crap though, and ain’t going near my bike, even if I occasionally have to deal with the odd bit of slippage. The light also comes with a helmet mount, which is really, really good as it attaches easily without using any adhesive.

It’s totally pitch black at night here, and riding without adequate lighting is really sketchy. So thankfully, the 5.5 is really incredibly bright, lighting up the entire road with an even spread and no hotspots and it’s strong enough to shine out far ahead of you so that drivers around a corner can tell that you’re coming.

Overall, I’m a big fan, and my only complaint would be that the silicon seems to attract dust that’s really hard to remove. It’s a shame, as it detracts from the sharp look of the Arc lights.

The Arc 1.7 is a more compact version of the 5.5 and offers 170 lumens of light, which Knog claim can be seen by people up to 1km. I wasn’t able to verify the truth of that, as there aren’t many people out and about down the country lanes at night, but the 1.7 did a good job of helping me see where I was going. As it’s lighter, and more portable than it’s big brother, I’d probably chuck this in my bag if I was travelling, but if I’m heading out from the house at night, it would be the 5.5 every time, as it’s just so darn bright. And that’s the whole point of a light, right?

www.knog.com.au

Online bike mag Raw Cycling posted a lickle interview with yours truly recently. Head on over to their site to find out more about why I like bikes, and why I was worried about that Met Helmets ‘We are Italians’ video until I saw the final cut!

Thanks for the kind words, Raw Cycling Mag! Click here for the interview.

British Cycling, and some of the clubs down here in the South West are making a real effort to encourage cycle sport amongst women, which is is something I’m wholeheartedly behind. So often, women’s races are either an add on, or forgotten about all together, so I was really excited about today’s women’s road races at Westpoint.

The South West women’s stage race saw about 25 ladies riding throughout the morning and competing in a points race, scratch race, and erm… some other kind of race. Seeing as I don’t have a race license and have only done one road race in my life, I entered the novice’s Go-Ride category, which was designed as a taster for those interested in trying road racing.

Around twelve of us lined up at the start  whilst the commissaire and organiser talked us through the race. We were advised to ride as a group for around the first 15 minutes, the idea being that we’d all have the opportunity to try out riding as a pack, taking turns in the lead and getting used to cornering close to other riders.

I’ve raced before – I’ve done two track bike crits, two cyclocross races, a mountain bike race, and as I mentioned before, one road race, so even though I’m not really that fit, I kinda know how it works, and also, I’m fairly confident I guess. So it was nice to be able to help people out in the race, and encourage some of the less sure riders to have a go at the front, and get used to leading and changing etc.

I hope everyone enjoyed the race as much as I did, because I’d love a bigger pack of competitors to ride events with. There are usually enough newbie male racers for organisers to run separate races, whereas with few women racing, we all have to race together (elite and novice) and many (like myself!) aren’t exactly encouraged by that. So hopefully some of these women might want to make the switch to the other races now, and we can all ride in our own bunch.

After 15 minutes it was game on, and with ‘practising’ over we were all free to ride and race as we pleased. In the end, myself and Hannah battled it out for first place, and I was stoked to take the win. Although I guess that now means that I need to man up, get a license and get my arse kicked by the faster ladies in the point scoring races. I’d really love to, but I’m too lazy to train. Ho hum, we’ll see.

Pics by Dave Noakes. Thank you xx

Yeah, yeah, I know boasting is not really on, but I just can’t help myself! Remember earlier in the year I was begging everyone to vote for my design in the Road CC x Trek Bikes Project One competition?

Well thanks to everyone that voted, I won the dream machine that I designed, and earlier this week it was delivered. What a beauty! You should hear the beautiful whirring sound that the wheels make! Thanks again to everyone that voted, and sorry again for all the pestering! And a big thanks to Road CC and Trek. More pics to come!

I met Stef Gustova at the Rad Race in Hamburg a few months ago, where she was racing, legging it about with a camera, jumping with joy every time her boyfriend qualified for the next race and just making everyone smile with her energetic and full on fun personality.

Stef’s been working on personal project documenting female cyclists, so go check it out, it’s super rad. Here are a few of ‘em. For more, head over to Stef’s Tumblr.

I recently got back from cycle touring in Japan and I’m intending on writing heaps about it, but after several weeks enjoying myself I’ve had to knuckle down and get some work done before sitting down to pen any articles about my trip! I’ll definitely be writing more about cycle touring in Japan, so check back soon for tips, recommendations and general gloating about what a fab time I had.

In the meantime, I thought I’d put together a small list of gear I recommend, as with it being summer I’ve had many people ask me what kind of stuff they should invest in for bike based adventuring. So from racks to tents, sleeping bags to stoves, here’s what I took cycle touring.

We rode Charge Plugs which come fitted with disc brakes – kinda essential when you’re bombing down a hill with fully loaded panniers. The sturdy steel machines did us proud, and would you believe, we didn’t get a puncture the whole trip! It was also the most perfect way to break in our Brooks saddles – I’m sure this isn’t how you’re supposed to do it, but leave your bike out all night till it’s covered in dew, then hop on and ride a 120km eh voila – your saddle has perfectly moulded itself to your bum!

Woohoo, cycle touring rules!

Decathlon came up trumps with the QuickHiker tent

I love our tent

First up, the tent. We plumped for Decathlon’s QuickHiker Ultralight II Hiking Tent, and I can’t recommend it enough. Not only is this tent an absolute bargain considering how pricey backpacking tents can be, it packs down smaller than many of it’s competitors and it’s really lightweight – 1.96kg to be precise. It’s the ideal size for fastening on top of your pannier rack with an inner tube and it takes 2 minutes to put up and down as it only has one pole.

There’s plenty of room inside for two people (unlike many tents marketed for two!), though it’s not the kind of tent you’d want to hang out in as you can’t sit up. There’s room on one side to put your pannier bags between the inner tent and the fly sheet and it’s totally waterproof. The only problem we had was there was a fair bit of moisture from condensation on the inside of the fly sheet, so we had to dry it off before putting it away. But that’s just because it was pretty hot in Japan so we gave off a lot of heat I suppose.

Packing down takes two minutes too – just remove the pole and fold it up, then fold the tent in half, then in thirds and roll. It’s £109 and bloody brilliant.

Thermarests rule. But why is mine so small?

My next recommendation is a Thermarest inflatable sleeping mat. These are pretty much the best sleeping mats you can buy; they’re really small and light, blow up quickly and feel brilliant to sleep on – like sleeping on the breath of an angel in fact. They also insulate you from the cold ground beneath.

Having said that, beware the Women’s NeoAir XLite – for some unfathomable reason it’s only the length of my head to my hips, which meant my legs were on the floor. Why, oh why? I was so jealous of Dave’s full length Thermarest and snuck onto it’s blissful surface whenever I could.

I slept in the Rab Quantum 250 sleeping bag, which is soft, light, cozy and full of down. It packs down super small and felt luxurious every night. The only time I’ve ever had a ‘fancy’ sleeping bag is when I’ve borrowed one of my Dad’s, so yeah, this is one of his again. Dad likes trekking in places such as Morocco, Nepal and the Alps and has the finest selection of sleeping bags known to man, and whatever he has will have been thoroughly researched in advance of purchase.

kitted up and ready to go

Charge Plugs with Tubus racks & Brooks saddles and panniers

We travelled with the Tubus Classic racks, which I reviewed for Total Women’s Cycling, and they’re pricey but perfect. I really like the way the bars you attach your panniers to is lower than the top section, as it means your bags are lower and you’re better balanced. The top rack is also the ideal place for your tent. More on why I like it here:

When it came to cooking, we stuck with my favourite stove (yes, I’ve a few!), which is the MSR micro rocket. It’s a teeny weeny little thing, about a finger length when folded, and you just pop it onto your gas canister when you want to cook. It takes about 2 minutes to boil enough water for cups of tea. It’s lightening fast and only weighs 73g (without the gas).

Gotta love the MSR micro rocket. And noodles. And beer

Yep, we took tea bags to Japan.

What else was useful? Zip ties and CTC bike bags as you have to dismantle your bike and put it in a bag if you wish to take the train in Japan. It’s quite annoying really, and makes you realise how lucky we are in the UK, just being able to wheel a bike on. We turned our bikes upside down, took both wheels off and zip-tied them to the frame before putting the whole thing in the bag. Then you could (if you got it right) carry the bike by holding the chain stay, or whichever bit of tube you can reach.

Word of warning though – Virgin Airlines very, very, very nearly didn’t let us fly home with our bikes in these bags, saying that we needed ‘proper’ bags. The problem wasn’t that they were made of plastic, apparently it was that they were see-through? Doesn’t make sense really.

L’Eroica in Italy was one of the highlights of last year for team Coven, and for it to stand out amongst so many exceptional trips, it had to be pretty damn amazing. Set in the rolling hills of Tuscany, the event sees hundreds, nay, thousands of cyclists descent on the small village of Gaoile In Chianti for a weekend of vintage cycle love. Saturday is dedicated to feasting, pottering around the vintage bike market and drinking plenty of wine, and the ride on Sunday means dressing up in woollen cycle kits and clambering astride a vintage clunker for a jaunt along Tuscany’s ‘strade blanche,’ or gravel roads. The atmosphere, the food, the landscape, the company, the castle we were staying in – everything was S U P E R B !

Whilst I was over there, I met a couple of Sheffield locals, who enthusiastically told me they wanted to recreate this fantastic event in the UK, launching Eroica Britannia in the Peak District in 2014. I was excited, but being British and naturally sceptical, I did wonder whether the event could possibly be as good as the original. But having just got back from the inaugural Eroica Britannia, I can happily report that they got it spot on, and yep, it was as good as the Italian version. Well done guys, you should be very proud!

Once again, we were guests of Brooks, so I was really excited to see what outfits we’d be wearing this year. When we arrived we were given these rad maroon and yellow numbers which I was really stoked on. The bikes came courtesy of Glory Days, and thankfully were less death-trappy than the ones we’d ridden in Tuscany the year before, though mine had pretty insane gearing for hill-climbing. Vintage people must have been really tough.

Eroica Britannia expanded on the vintage theme, so the start and finish of the ride was in a kind of ‘festival village,’ with music, heaps of food and drink stalls, bike and clothing retailers and the obligatory bike jumble. The atmosphere was great, and I’d say there were probably at least as many non-cyclists and there were participants in the ride itself, with children dancing around to the band, people lounging on haybales and more than the odd sunburnt chap merrily twiddling his moustache.

We were joined in a bunting strewn Bakewell by the two winners of the Coven Magazine competition and we set off on the 55 mile course. The route itself was a genius bit of planning and really very similar to the route we rode in Italy. We rode along a lot of ‘Strade Bianche,’ that cut right across the hillside, as well the traffic free Monsal and Tissington Trails. There were hills aplenty, and thanks to our woollen garments and the unexpectedly glorious weather, we sweated just as much as we had in Italy!

The first foodstop at Hartington was great – plenty to eat and people clustered around the duckpond on the village green. In keeping with the ethos of the original event, there was booze too – though it was local beer rather than local wine (thank god!).

I grew up close to Bakewell, and without being biased, I’d say the scenery was just as good as in Tuscany. But on the other hand, as I grew up nearby, I did get more of a thrill from riding in Italy, just because I truly adore love the place!

When it came to food, the organiser did a good job of tying the event in with local producers and celebrating regionally – the specially brewed Thornbridge Ale was great.  My only little gripe would be that just like in the Italian ride, one of the food stops had no vegetarian food, which is a bit of a bummer when you’re starving, so I resorted to my usual trick of drinking too much instead, this time, Pimms!

Picture © John Prolly / The Radavist

Picture © John Prolly / The Radavist

I’m waiting on getting some photos sorted as Dave and I had a bit of a problem with our camera (don’t ask…) so here are a few iPhone quickies. But as luck was have it, Mr John Prolly Watson was there, and he has some really dope pics up on the Radavist - go check ‘em!

A big thanks to Eroica Britannia and Brooks England for having myself and Dave along – we had such a blast – you guys rule.

Patrick Seabase, mega-mountain-rider and all rode stylish dude, has hooked up with Swiss bag manufacturer FREITAG to produce a rather lovely tool roll, the F154 GRANGER. Made out of recycled tarp, this handy little number is ideal for wrapping all your tools, and then you strap the lot to the rails of your saddle.

FREITAG products are made from original recycled materials – used truck tarps, used car seat belts, air bags and bicycle inner tubes. Because the materials are tough, the products are too, and every single FREITAG product has its own individual design, thanks to the raw materials they work with.

I’m not a big fan of saddle bags, even though I use them sometimes, so this is a pretty rad alternative to bunging all your bits and pieces in your jersey pocket. A simple design that’s well executed, it even has a zip pocket so you can stow a few pennies for your coffee stop.

Go grab your own F154 Granger from today.

www.freitag.ch

I recently penned a few words on my cycle touring trip to Japan for Total Women’s Cycling. Actually, I tell a lie – I typed a few words, but anyway…

Head over to their site for a brief rundown of what Dave Noakes and I got up to over there, and stay tuned for some more in depth articles on bikepacking Japan. I’m intending to write a few pieces that should help anyone who’s planning a similar trip, with tips, maps and info on how we did it.

Dave and I have quite a good thing going – seeing as he’s a photographer and I’m a writer, we often team up to produce features for magazines and websites, and as such get to visit some rad places. When we first started doing this, I felt a little awkward when whichever PR team/Editor I was dealing with was booking our accommodation – how would they know that Dave is my fiancé, they might just think I’m ‘doing’ my photographer, either that, or just trying to blag a free trip for my boyfriend!

Luckily we’ve now established ourselves as a reliable, professional team (most of the time..) and often get to work together, which is bloody ace.

So, earlier this year, we both went up to the Brooks factory in Smethwick to capture the essence of the gaff for Urban Cyclist Magazine. What follows is an excerpt – go grab a copy for the full shebang.

“Winding our way past canals and boozers, it’s easy to spot traces of Smethwick’s industrial past, the cobbled streets and warehouses settled with an air of resignation, ghosts of a noisy, dirty and profitable history; a different age with different values.

We’re on the outskirts of Birmingham in the Black Country, once at the heart of large-scale development during the Industrial Revolution. It’s an area that’s moved with the times without shrugging off it’s past, it’s heritage an asset and a tribute to what it does well. So it’s fitting that this is where we find Brooks, one of the oldest manufacturers of bicycle saddles in the UK, themselves adept at balancing tradition and the needs of our modern society, and a triumph of pared down design and British engineering…”

http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/cycling/

Charge Bikes have just announced their new competition, and the prize is really rather a good one – a place on the team and a team titanium bike. Hopefully not my one, if they ask for it back, they ain’t getting it.. You’ll also get a pair of Vans shoes every month, and a load of clothes. WIN!

Anyhoo, if you’d like to join me on the Charge team all you have to do is film a two minute clip showcasing your bike skills and your personality, letting us know why we should pick you! It doesn’t have to be a work on art, but it does need to show your riding, your enthusiasm and character. It can even be filmed on your iPhone.

Up for it? You should be, we are a nice bunch! Watch the video, and follow the link for more info:

www.chargebikes.com/new-ambassador

It feels like ages since I wrote a blog post, and that’s because it’s been a fair while. In general, it’s because I have to prioritise paid work over updating this site, and the other reason is quite simply that I’m out living rather than writing. Sometimes the last thing you want to do is write some more, when you’ve been doing it all damn day.

So here’s what happened – the sun showed her lovely face, I got hitched and I sodded off on honeymoon. So whilst I may not have been blogging, I’ve certainly been riding, not least on my honeymoon where I took two bikes, my skateboard and my surfboard. FUN with a capital ‘F.’ Whatever the hell that means.

Other than that, well I finished off my six week course down at Torbay Velopark, and they ladies were so happy with what Dave and I had taught them that they gave us wine and chocolates to thank us. What a lovely bunch. And I’ve been busy putting together Issue 8 of Coven Magazine, which is nearly (but not quite) ready. Whoot!

Since moving to Devon, I just can’t get enough of riding mountain bikes – unsurprising given my location! As a bike tester for various mags and sites, I get to try out some of the best, and my current beau is the brilliant Juliana Bicycles Furtado Primeiro. Stay tuned for a review in the new Coven Magazine, but for now, here are a few quick pics from Dartmoor and Gawton Gravity Hub.

Photos by Dave Noakes

So in case you don’t know, I’m an ever so mini publishing machine, in that I independently produce and publish Coven Magazine. It’s sometimes a pain in the ass, but I find myself unable to stop working on it, even when it’s driving me a bit (a lot) insane. The thing is, there are so many cool things going on in the world, and I want to draw attention to them, and share things I’ve found with other people. But the main issue is this: there are TONS of cool women doing cool stuff, but hardly anyone ever hears about it, as ‘women’s mags’ just write about inane bullshit that’s a total waste of brain space. And from an early age, young girls are basically brainwashed into valuing the wrong things thanks to the sheer proliferation of crap that’s thrown at them.

Anyway, I’ll stop myself now before launching into full frenzied monologue on what annoys me, and allow Coven Magazine to speak for itself. And hopefully redress the balance in some very small way.

Inside the magazine you’ll find the following, and then some other stuff too:

Artist – Bryn Perrott, Artist – Bohie Palecek, Snowboarder – Kimmy Fasani, Letterer – Jessica Hische, Ultra-runner – Samanatha Gash, Mountain Biker – Tahnee Seagrave, Photographers Alison Palmer and Olivia Mann, Surfer – Rosy Hodge, Skater – Elissa Steamer, plus Cycle Touring in Japan, Books, Camping, Art, Design, Travel, Skateboarding, Photography, Running and more.

A big thanks to Brooks England for supporting this issue; love you guys.

Read issue 8 here, or click on the image above to be redirected.

My job rules! Yes, I spend lots of time sat on my arse at a computer, but when I’m not here I’m out testing bikes and clothes and gear, mapping routes to share in magazines and visiting brilliant places and seriously fun events. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a gloat post; I just think it’s really important to be grateful in life and take the time to realise what’s good about being you. I prefer to focus on the awesome, rather than the fact I make very little money and that 90% of the world wants you to work for free. Ahem.

But I digress – where was I again? Oh yes, the Juliana Bicycles ‘Furtado Primeiro’ review! I’ve been giving this absolute beaut of a bike a thorough testing, and my review appears in the new issue of Coven Magazine. Go have a gander if it takes your fancy.

Photos by Dave Noakes