Basque MTB: Enjoying mountain biking in sunny Spain after a cold holiday in Scotland.

Here are some photos from the last couple of mountain bike rides on the coast here in the Basque Country. Spain’s weather has been very kind to us this week, despite it being the depths of winter, and I have been enjoying biking in the sun after my holiday in Scotland. I’ve been out on my mountain bike three times this week, and have ridden the same mountain, on the coast, each time. With a twist though. I’ve not ridden my ‘usual route’ any of these times. I’ve tried new combinations, found new trails and used old trails that I hardly ever use any more. It’s been really great for me to try out some new options. Like they say, a change is as good as a rest! Hit ‘more’ to see the rest of the photos. Read the post »

Happy New Year from BasqueMTB We wanted to wish everyone the very best for 2012. We hope that it holds lots of good stuff, not least biking, for everyone. Hogmanay is also a good time to take stock of the previous year and plan for the new year. At BasqueMTB we have been doing exactly that. 2011 was a great year for us, it was the first year that we were properly busy and it was important to us that everything went well and we enjoyed it. Some of you will have played a part and for that we thank you sincerely. We have been very lucky to spend our time with so many nice and interesting people since we opened.Some things will change for 2012 and other things will stay the same. Read on to see what we are planning. You can also sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.   Read the post »

I have sorted through some of my favourite mountain biking photos from 2011 in Spain. I have organised them into a set on flickr.  The photos can be viewed below on the slideshow below or you can go directly to the set on flickr. Read the post »

In Spring 2012 I received my new Cove G-Spot (read the review) and built it up with a 10 speed, SRAM X9 drivetrain (read the review). Although I found the SRAM shifters worked well, the X9 rear derailleur caused me problems. I went through 2 mechs in the first two months and ended up giving up and replacing the derailleurs and shifters with Shimano XT (M770). The XT drivetrain has been put through a full holiday season in Spain and has come out the other side. Read on for the full review and a comparison of my 10-speed drivetrain to my old 9-speed system.

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More sillouttes at sunset.

Another week and more new trails! On Tuesday I had a short holiday near Pamplona and was shown around by Javito, a local rider. We rode on old smugglers trails crossing the mountains between Spain and France. The day was all about tough climbs and stunning contour singletrack with big views over the Basque mountains and the snow covered Pyrenees. We were treated to clear blue skies but there was a strong wind and, at over 1000m, the temperatures were on the cold side. The other “new trail” was one I have actually done once before but not used enough to guide on. It is a stunning trail, around 35km in length but with about 32km of singletrack. That singletrack winds round the mountains on ancient, and now lost, canals and paths through 17th century iron works and charcoal trails. For hours we didn’t see anything that was less than a couple of hundred years old. The soundtrack of the day was dry leaves crackling as we flew through them. Perfect. So, more pictures and less words today, I hope you enjoy… Read the post »