Absolute Black Oval Chainring and Guide Review
Testing the Absolute Black oval chainrings.
Hire Bikes: Old and New
Hire bike fleet, out with the old and in with the new.
Winter Enduro
Winter Enduro Mountain Bike Holidays 2017
basqueMTB in the Press
basqueMTB in the Press: 2016
Basque MTB Mountain Bike Tops Now Available
basqueMTB mountain bike tops are now for sale.
Backcountry Pyrenees in Video
Great youtube videos from our Backcountry Pyrenees mountain bike holiday.
Basque Coast Orbea Video - "Welcome Home"
Video: "Welcome Home", Doug Riding the Orbea Occam on the Basque Coast.
Basqueland Brewing Project - Beer Collaboration
basqueMTB team up with Basqueland Brewing Project to offer beer for our mountain bike holidays.
Soul Trips With Anka Martin | 16th-23rd July
Anka Martin´s Soul Trips comes to the Basque Coast. New mountain bike holiday.
Orbea Occam AM Mountain Bike Review
Orbea Occam AM M-LTD Mountain Bike review.
Winter Enduro
This January we tested our winter enduro mountain bike holiday based in Zona Zero, Ainsa in the Pyrenees. Read how these holidays worked.
2015 Holidays in Photos
Mountain bike holidays in Spain | 2015´s mountain bike holidays in photos. basqueMTB has had an amazing year guiding in the Pyrenees and Basque Coast.
Mavic Crossmax Kit Review
Mavic Crossmax Clothing review after a full season of mountain biking. Ridden and rated by basqueMTB.
Orbea Rallon 2016 Review
Review of the updated 2016 Orbea Rallon mountain bike.
High Pyrenees Mountain Bike Holiday | Trail Scouting
We are currently searching for trails for our High Pyrenees mountain bike holidays, as well as new trails for our Backcountry Pyrenees. We had a few very eventful days in the Spanish Pyrenees this week and among the madness we found some trails for both trips!
Backcountry Pyrenees Mountain Biking Holidays Spring 2015
This spring we showed 40 lucky guests around backcountry Pyrenees on our Pyrenees mountain biking holidays. Read on to find out what we have changed this year for our mountain bike holidays in the Pyrenees and how it all worked out. Plus lots of photos from the trips!
Osprey Packs Review: What´s In Our Backpacks?
What do the basqueMTB guides carry in their packs and what packs do they choose to use? Read on to see what we carry to keep our holiday guests rolling and safe.
basqueMTB Photo Exhibition and Video
Mountain bike photos and video which basqueMTB exhibited in San Sebastian this month at the largest mountaineering club in Spain. Also included is the video we used to showcase the trail here and why we think that the area is so special.
Trail Guide: Technotrocity
Hard Route Guide | Technotrocity
Backcountry Pyrenees Mountain Bike Holiday: New Trails for 2015
We have been out exploring, searching out new trails for our Backcountry Pyrenees mountain bike holidays this year. Have a look at what we have found.
Winter Enduro: Itinerary
The trails we ride during our Winter Enduro mountain bike holiday.
Orbea Rallon: Suspension Settings for BOS Kirk Shock
How to set up the BOS Kirk and Deville shock and fork on the Orbea Rallon.
Zona Zero Enduro World Series | Special EWS Holiday
Special Zona Zero EWS holiday to take part in what is going to be one of the highlights of the Enduro World series.
End of Year Round Up at BasqueMTB
Some news on the 2014 mountain bike holiday season and some changes for 2015.
Orbea Rallon V4 Review
Orbea Rallon V4 with BOS Kirk and Deville suspension review.
basqueMTB´s Mountain Bike Holidays in the Press
basqueMTB Mountain Bike holidays in the press
Scouting for Our 2015 Backcountry Pyrenees Mountain Bike Holidays
Some photos and stories from our trail finding expedition to the Pyrenees.
Rahox Mountain Bike Brake Pads
Rahox mountain bike brake pads reviewed and tested.
Holiday Rides | Mountain Biking in the Snow
Snowy mountain biking in Navarra. It´s not often in Spain that we get properly cold on a ride!
Basque Mountain Biking at Sunset and Sunrise
Finding Magic In The Margins Of The Day: Mountain biking in the Basque Country at sunrise and sunset.
2013 Mountain Bike Holidays in Pictures
A look back at our 2013 mountain bike holidays in Spain with photos and lots of comments from guests.
Backcountry Pyrenees Mountain Bike Holidays 2013
This autumn´s mountain bike holidays in the Pyrenees. Some great photos from these trips.
Technotrocity: For The Love of the Ride
New Basque MTB Video.
Technotrocity: Mountain Biking in the Basque Country.
Big Multi-Continental Group Visit Europe for a Bike Holiday
Mountain Bike Holiday Report: More guests from all over the world enjoy mountain biking with Basque MTB.
Simon and Katie from Nicolai UK´s Spanish Holiday
Simon and Katie from Nicolai UK take a mountain bike holiday with BasqueMTB
Very Varied Mountain Bike Holidays this Week!
Recent trail tales from our mountain bike holidays in Spain.
BasqueMTB: Ride, Eat, Drink, Relax, Repeat
BasqueMTB Mountain Bike Holiday: Ride, Eat, Drink, Relax, Repeat. A sample of our mountain bike holidays in video.
Great Rock Mountain Bike Skills Weeks 2013
Mountain Bike Skills training with Great Rock
Mavic Notch Apparel
Find out what I think of my new Mavic Notch Enduro Mountain Bike Clothing and Helmet.
Twisted Wheels Mountain Bike Holiday
Twisted wheel´s mountain bike holiday in Spain.
4 Return for 3rd BasqueMTB Mountain Bike Holiday
Third mountain bike holiday in Spain with basqueMTB in a row for this week's guest.
Rosie´s Group´s Mountain Bike Holiday with BasqueMTB
Rosie´s Group´s Mountain Bike Holiday Report from the Basque Coast.
Tony's Group's Spanish Mountain Bike Holiday
Mountain bike holiday photos from Tony´s group´s visit to Spain.
A Mountain Bike Holiday in Spain for 3 Canadians
Mountain bike holiday, JC, Kent and Chris join us in Spain for a Basque Coast trip.
Mountain Bike Holiday With IMB Mag
IMBikeMag Take A Mountain Bike Holiday with BasqueMTB
Basque Coast Mountain Biking
Tim and Rod´s mountain bike holiday on the Basque Coast of Spain.
Pyrenees Mountain Bike Holiday Easter 2013
Pyrenees mountain bike holiday with a great group from all around the world.
Pyrenees Mountain Biking With Skills by Great Rock
Pyrenees mountain bike holiday with Great Rock.
Basque Coast and Backcountry Pyrenees
Mountain Bike Holiday Report #1: Pyrenees and Basque Coast
Transfer Bus from Bilbao to San Sebastian
This is a very quick guide to taking the transfer bus from Bilbao airport to San Sebastian/Donostia and back. (note that San Sebastian and Donostia are different names for the same place).We no longer offer transfers from Bilbao, this is due to feedback from guests that the transfer busRead more...
Road Cycling Holidays in the Pyrenees
Road cycling holidays in the Pyrenees and on the Basque Coast.
SRAM Rise 60 29" Carbon Wheelset
A long term test of SRAM's Rise 60 29" Carbon Wheelset
Backcountry Pyrenees Mountain Bike Holiday: Zona Zero
A video from our Backcountry Pyrenees mountain bike holiday.
Mountain Bike Holiday: Backcountry Pyrenees
Some of the trails we use in our Backcountry Pyrenees Mountain Bike Holidays.
This Week's Trail Finding
Route finding for our 2013 mountain bike holidays in Spain.
New Trail for Our Pyrenees Mountain Bike Holiday
A short video of one of the trails we ride on our Backcountry Pyrenees Mountain Bike Holiday.
Exempt Clothing Review
Tested, mountain bike inspired t-shirts and hoodies from Exempt clothing.
Trail Guide: "The Rest Day"
Easy Route Guide | "The Rest Day" on the Backcountry Pyrenees
Trail Guide: Spanish Utah
Hard Route Guide | Spanish Utah on the Backcountry Pyrenees
Trail Guide: The Thorn
Hard Route Guide | The Thorn or The 2-Country Traverse
Orbea Occam 29er S10
I have been reviewing the Orbea Occam 29er mountain bike in Spain. Read my impressions so far.
Fulcrum Red Power XL 29er Wheelset
Fulcrum Red Power XL 29er wheels reviewed over a mountain bike holiday season with Basque MTB.
Commencal Meta AM 29 Review
Review of the Commencal Meta AM 29. Tested for 10 weeks biking in the Basque and Pyrenees mountains.
Mountain Bike Holiday and Pyrenees Trip
Tim and his group choose a Basque MTB mountain bike holiday for the second year running, including a trip to the South Pyrenees.
Orbea Occam 29er S10 Mountain Bike Review
Orbea Occam 29er S10 Mountain Bike Review.
Hydration Bladder Reviews: Camelbak, Dakine and Osprey
Review of several bladders for mountain bike hydration packs, from Osprey, Camelbak and Dakine
Great Rock Spanish Skills Weeks
Read about our 2012 mountain bike skills holiday in Spain with Ed Oxley from Great Rock.
Return Visitors to Spain from Aviemore
This weeks mountain bike holiday report from the Basque Country, Spain... big mountains, uplift and some great mountain biking!
Spain's Big Mountains and Long Days
This weeks mountain bike holiday report from the Basque Country, Spain... big mountains, uplift and some great mountain biking!
A Full Uplift Van for Basque MTB
The latest mountain bike holiday report from Spain with Basque MTB.
Three Biking Couples Visit Basque MTB
Mountain Bike Holidays: Three Biking Couples Visit Basque MTB in Spain
Stag (Bachelor) Party Activities in San Sebastian
Stag weekend, or bachelor party reports from San Sebastian, Spain.
A Dash of Pyrenees Road Biking!
The latest mountain bike holiday report: Mountain and Road biking holidays with luxury penthouse appartment accommodation!
Tres Chicas Visit Spain with Basque MTB
Lesley, David and John's mountain bike holiday in Spain, lots of photos included.
Pyrenees with Dirt Mountain Bike Magazine and Reset Films
Some great pictures from Dirt Magazine and ResetFilm's mountain bike trip with BasqueMTB.
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John, David and Lesley Join Basque MTB
Lesley, David and John's mountain bike holiday in Spain, lots of photos included.
Marzocchi 55 Ti RC3 Suspension Forks: Short Term
A short term review of my Marzocchi 55 RC3 Ti suspension forks.
Michael and Monika from Germany
Michael and Monika's mountain bike holiday in Spain, lots of photos included.
Osprey Escapist 25 Mountain Bike Pack Test
Osprey Escapist 25: Review of this great mountain bike pack.
Mountain Bike Holidays with Tom and Jenny
Tom and Jenny's mountain bike holiday with BasqueMTB. Have a look for some biking videos and photos.
Mountain Bike Holidays with John and Andy
John and Andy's mountain bike holiday with a GoPro video.
Mountain Bike Trip to "Spanish Utah"
Basque MTB take a mountain bike holiday to Spanish Utah!
Mountain Bike Holidays: 'Back Country' Epic
Epic mountain biking holidays! A video of one of the trails we will use on the Great Rock Skills Holiday this year.
South Pyrenees Mountain Bike Holiday Trail Finding
Trail finding for our South Pyrenees Mountain Bike Holidays.
Latest Mountain Bike Video: "Rocky Hell Road"
Our latest mountain biking video. Let us know if you want to ride here on your mountain bike holiday with Basque MTB.
Marzocchi 55 Ti RC3 Suspension Forks - First Look
An initial look at my Marzocchi 55 RC3 Ti Suspension Forks.
Some Recent Mountain Bike Photos
Some recent pictures from Spain.
Sun, Snow and Singletrack. Biking in the Pyrenees
An epic day mountain biking in the foothills of the Spanish Pyrenees, researching new areas for future mountain bike holidays.
Going Tubeless on Your Mountain Bike
There have been a few big advances in mountain biking over the last decade and a bit. Suspension is definitely one such advance. Disc brakes is another few people would argue about. Some people say adjustable seatposts are another. Personally, I think that tubeless tyres are another. Tubeless tyres, don’t seem to have takenRead more...
New BasqueMTB Mountain Bike Jerseys
New mountain bike tops being ordered. Should be available around March.
Plane Crashes and Mountain Biking in Spain
Mountain biking, plane crashes and war heroes.
Tuesday Holidays and Mountain Biking in Spain
Mountain bike in Navarra with big Pyrenees views.
Basque MTB: Mountain Bike Photos on Spain's Coast
Mountain biking on the coast.
Basque MTB: Mountain Bike Holidays in 2012
New Year Newsletter from BasqueMTB
Photos from the 2011 Guiding Season
Some of my favourite photos from 2011.
Shimano XT (M770)10-Speed Drivetrain Review
Long term review of my Shimano XT drivetrain.
Contour Singletrack in the Basque Mountains
Mountain biking and trail finding in the Basque Country.
Mountain Bike Tour on the Coast near Bilbao
Mountain biking on the coast near Bilbao.
BasqueMTB: Big Bike Days in November
Big mountain day with the bikes.
Scouting for our Spanish Pyrenees Holiday
Some photos from our south Pyrenees mountain bike trip.
Shimano XT M785 Disc Brakes
A short term review of the new Shimano M785 disc brakes.
Backcountry Pyrenees: Itinerary
A sample Itinerary
Cove G-Spot Review
A video of me riding my Cove G-Spot on the Basque coast.As Cove (www.covebike.com) say, “we found the G-Spot a long time ago. As one of the industry’s first Freeride bikes, the G-Spot’s been delivering world- wide pleasure for the past decade”. I first rode the original model of theRead more...
End of Season Newsletter
BasqueMTB: Newsletter from the end of our 2011 Holiday Season.
Photos from this Season's Mountain Bike Holidays
BasqueMTB: 2011 Season's Photos and Guestbook.
Review: Ragley Cheeky Mountain Bike Saddle
SUMMARY: The Ragley Cheeky is a hard, narrow saddle which I found uncomfortable, however the main issue is the shape of the back. I can only assume that this saddle was designed by rampant, militant feminists intent on creating a race of eunuch mountain bikers.
+ Lightweight.
+ Cheap-ish.
– Too narrow for me so uncomfortable.
–Read more...
Video: Cove GSpot Mountain Bike vs FPV Plane
Alistair Roberts and his family have spent their summer holiday mountain biking in in the Basque Country with BasqueMTB for the last 3 years. The first year Keith, his dad, and Alistair were just learning to mountain bike but after two more holidays to this part of Spain they are ridingRead more...
Extreme Mountain Bike Descent from Spain to France
BasqueMTB: Last day of Ben's holiday and we did a fairly extreme mountain bike route from Spain to France.
Long Term Review - POC Bone Leg Armour
Basque MTB: A long term review of the POC bone leg armour. Read on to see how this protection lasted up to a mountain bike holiday season in the Basque Country, Spain.
Mountain Bike Maintenance: Stuck Cassette
How to remove a siezed cassette from a Chris King / Hope Pro 2 hub. WIth lightweight hubs the cassette can dig into the carrier, follow these steps to remove your cassette.
Review: Shimano AM41 Mountain Bike Shoes
BasqueMTB short term review of the Shimano AM41 mountain bike shoes and Sockguy socks.
Long Term Review: Avid Elixir CR Disc Brakes
As many of you will remember I really hated my Avid Code disc brakes. I felt that they were unsuitable for serious mountain biking duties. I wrote to senior management in Avid several times before publishing my unfavourable review, however they declined to answer any of my (very polite) mails,Read more...
First Look: Nuke Proof Electron Pedals Review
A short term review of my Nukeproof Electron mountain bike pedals, comparing them with the Superstar Nano Thru Pins.
Stag Parties in the Basque Country
BasqueMTB offers stag parties in San Sebastian with mountain biking, surfing, paintballing, sidreria visits and lots more options.
Great Rock's Mountain Bike Skills Holiday in Spain
BasqueMTB and Great Rock: Videos from our mountain bike skills holiday in the Basque Country, Spain.
Review: SRAM X9 10-Speed and Matchmakers
How my problems with SRAM X9 10 Speed Shifters, Matchmakers and Deraileurs lead to a big crash and the purchase of some nice Shimano XT Dyna-Sys gearing!
BasqueMTB - Etch-a-Sketch Revisited
BasqueMTB - this weeks holiday makers revisit Etch-a-sketch and declare it "the best mountain bike tour" they have ever done, "by a long way"!
June Holidays - The Guiding Report
A summary of June's holiday news from BasqueMTB. Crashes, broken kit and lots of mountain biking tales from the Basque Country, Spain and the Pyrenees.
Overnight Mountain Bike Tour to Pamplona
BasqueMTB's first overnight mountain bike tour to Pamplona, using some fantastic singletrack descents and the Camino Santiago.
Skills Holiday with GreatRock
Great Rock and BasqueMTB's fantastic Spanish adventure, read about the details of our skills holiday on the Basque Coast.
May Holidays - The BasqueMTB Guiding Report
Well May went by quickly didn’t it. We have had people every week and have been fitting in extra days for people as well. Apart from one week we have been filled with returning customers, or customers who have already booked another biking holiday with us this year, which has beenRead more...
BasqueMTB Mountain Biking Holidays Featured in EiTB
A couple of weeks ago I met a very nice reporter from the Basque news website EiTB. She wanted to find out a bit more about BasqueMTB and what we were doing in the forests, up the mountains and on the coast of the Basque Country. I was actually guidingRead more...
New Route - 15km of Beauty / 10.5km of Madness
Basque MTB, a route description for Slagg Valley. Recently described by some holiday visitors as one of the most extreme mountain bike descents in Spain.
The Breakage Report
The 2011 holiday season is well underway and I’ve been guiding for around 2 months now, pretty much constantly. Doing some very rough sums I think I’ve biked for 44 days out of the last 52, covering around 1100km and 44,000 meters of vertical. Not a bad tally for aRead more...
Spring in Spain and the Guiding Season Starts
Basque MTB: A report from our guided mountain bike holidays in Spain, France and the Pyrenees. Biking into San Sebastian on the coast and in the mountains.
Spring; Holidays Start and New Trails Tested
During the last few weeks our holiday season has started and we are pretty much fully busy and biking constantly. Which is great! We have had quite a lot of people through the doors, I will write another post to cover that, and we are also starting to test outRead more...
Great Rock Skills Week Preparation
Ed Oxley, and his family, are visiting us in Spain for a family holiday and, of course, a spot of mountain biking. Ed’s son Nial is a very good downhill racer so we have strapped a headcam on him and made him chase us down the Basque mountains all dayRead more...
2010 Equipment Review - Mountain Bike Gloves
I remember, as I was starting out as a guide, a friend and experienced guide telling me that a mountain bike guide could never have enough gloves. I remember thinking that assuming week long holidays, with five days biking, and washing my kit every couple of days that four pairsRead more...
This Week's Trail News
The latest trail news from the Basque country. This week I have been in the mountains most days, checking out some singletrack on the Spanish coast, and some mountains further inland before heading into the Spanish Pyrenees for some weekend skiing. Some of the local Basque riders had holidays this weekRead more...
New Bike: Cove GSpot
I have just built up my new bike for 2011, a new Cove Gspot. I have had a few rides on the bike now, and have got an initial feel for it, so I thought I’d share my build and some very early opinions on it. I will be updating thisRead more...
First Group of the 2011 Season
We had our first group of 2011 this weekend, 9 guys from Cambridge who were here on a stag party and fancied a guided day on the Spanish coast! We planned a reasonably late start to let the hangovers fade a bit so we picked the guys up at middayRead more...
New Video: The Crosses
I’ve been a bit slow getting this up on my site, it’s already been viewed over ten thousand times! It’s from a local mountain and is a big serious ride. This is from the very top section, which is definitely one of the toughest descents I’ve done, and from theRead more...
New Route: Canals, Mountans and 9km Descents
I’ve been exploring around a local mountain in Spain recently, looking for new bike trails for the 2011 holiday season. As is always the way I found a great descent but finding a decent route up has proved elusive. My first attempt resulted in me climbing about 700m in 4km upRead more...
2010 Season Kit Review: Superstar Nano Thru Pin Pedals
SUMMARY: A great performing budget pedal.+ Good platform.
+ It is lasting very well; still spinning true and free after almost a year of abuse.
+ Narrow profile.
– There are other lighter pedals out there.
– Grip is good enough but it’s not as grippy as the grippiest pedals.If you look carefullyRead more...
New Videos: Planning the Skills Week
Ed and I have been discussing our upcoming skills week via the medium of video. Ed will be coming to Spain in June to offer a skills week combined with a biking holiday. Ed will be seamlessly working his great skills training into a week of biking, to make sureRead more...
Amazing Surfing in Spain and France
The surf in this part of Spain and France has been incredible for the past two days. It looks like it should be Haiwai but that’s the Pyrenees in the background! The waves are crazy all along the Basque coast but many breaks aren’t able to hold such a hugeRead more...
Trail Finding and Building in Spain #5
More on the above picture at the end of this blog, suffice to say it’s been sunny in Spain this week! I’ve been a bit quiet on the trail finding front over the last week, I have been doing a bit, as always, but after three pretty hefty weeks onRead more...
2010 Season Kit Review: RaceFace FR Leg Armour
SUMMARY: Offers great protection, however the durability is poor.I have used RF armour for several years now, purely because I love the protection it offers. The armour is very robust, offering protection from the ankles up to above the knee, and wrapping around the side of the legs, offeringRead more...
Second BasqueMTB Newsletter
We have started sending out an infrequent newsletter. It will contain our most up to date news, special offers, competitions and anything else that we think might be of interest but it is going to be fairly infrequent. If you would like to recieve our newsletter then you can subscribeRead more...
Trail Building and Finding News #4
The trail news is coming quick and fast at the moment, I’m on fire for trail finding just now and am riding 6 days a week so there’s lots to share. The last few days have been interesting; the weather has turned very cold, with temperatures hovering a couple of degreesRead more...
2011 Trail Building and Finding News #3
This is the third installment in my trail finding and building news, covering this week. I have spend a few days searching out trails along the coast and have a new route along there pretty much ready. This will all be part of our coastal tour weeks. I have also continued searchingRead more...
Initial Impressions: POC Bone Leg Armour
Swedish company POC might be a relative newcommer to the mountain biking market but their products are building a strong reputation for well thought out design and exceptional quality. I have used a POC pisspot lid this season and was very impressed with the quality, so I wanted to see if theRead more...
2011 Trail Finding and Building News #2
This is the second installment in my trail finding and building news. I have decided that I will break this down into smaller chunks and put them up at the same time. So this post covers Friday the 15th of January and Saturday the 16th of January.Friday was building anRead more...
2011 Trail Finding and Building News
I still haven’t decided how I’m going to organise this, however I plan to keep a record of all the new trails I have been checking out. I will either continually update this page or will add new pages. The idea is that everyone can see the new trails thatRead more...
Trail Fixes: How to Fix Your Mountain Bike With Sticks
Any mountain bike guide worth their salt will carry a heavy pack, full of tools and a variety of bolts, nuts and washers. Next time you are on a holiday ask your guide if you can feel the weight of their pack and you will get an idea of whatRead more...
2010 Season Kit Review: Charge Spoon Saddle
SUMMARY: Great in every way.Last Christmas I was given a Charge Spoon saddle in my stocking. I spend half my life in the saddle and I would normally spend a lot of time, (and money), choosing something nice, so to be honest, my expectations were fairly low for the £20 Spoon. How wrongRead more...
Travel: Taking the Train to the Basque Country
When I returned to visit my parents this Christmas, with my mountain bike of course, I decided that I would take the train. The plan was to take travel from Hendaye to Paris, Paris to London and then hop onto the sleeper for the final leg to Inverness. Although the journey wouldRead more...
2010 Season Kit Review: Shimano M970 XTR Cranks
SUMMARY: A great looking, lightweight crank that might not quite be up to ‘All Mountain’ abuse.When I bought my Cove Hustler I found XTR cranks very cheap on ChainReactionCycles, I have always thought that the cranks looked amazing so thought “why not?” and bought a set. That was pretty muchRead more...
BasqueMTB: December Newsletter
We have started sending out an infrequent newsletter. It will contain our most up to date news, special offers, competitions and anything else that we think might be of interest but it is going to be fairly infrequent. If you would like to recieve our newsletter then you can subscribeRead more...
Great Rock Skills Weekend With Nigel Page
After a summer of riding my bike most days and an autumn of filming, road trips and more bikes, I returned to the UK briefly this winter and what did I do? Relax? Nope! I organised a visit to see Ed Oxley and take part in his skills weekend inRead more...
2010 Season Kit Review: POC Flow Helmet
SUMMARY: A fantastic helmet although the fit may be a bit on the small side for big heads.I bought this helmet while waiting for a crash replacement on a Giro Xen. The idea was to have something for playing in the jump park or those days when we makeRead more...
2010 Season Kit Review: Avid Code Disc Brakes
SUMMARY: I have found the Avid Codes to be a frustrating brake, they perform fantastically when they work but several failures, including one dangerously sudden one have meant I have lost confidence in these brakes and won’t be purchasing further Avid brakes. I just wish I hadn’t just bought aRead more...
2010 Season Kit Review: Shimano AM40 Mountain Bike Shoes
SUMMARY: Perfect mountain biking shoes for flat pedals?I have been using two pairs of Shimano AM40’s for about a year now, through weather conditions ranging from the depths of Scottish winter to the heights of Spanish summer. I bought them after my 5:10 Impact boots gave up, after 6 monthsRead more...
Maxxis Tyre Review - Tyres from 2010
For 2010 I have settled on a couple of tyre choices which have worked well over the course of the season and will be keeping this combination for the foreseeable future. I am running without tubes on 819 or 823 rims with non-tubeless Maxxis tyres. As with all tyre reviews it needsRead more...
Tubeless Tyres - Set-Up Tips
For most of 2010 I have been running a tyre set up that I find perfect, using standard Maxxis tyres but running them tubeless. The advantage of this set-up is that you don’t have to pay the weight penalty for tubeless tyres and you increase your choice of tyres. TheRead more...
2010 Season Kit Review: Dakine Apex Hydration Pack
SUMMARY: A great mountain biking pack, huge and well designed with a great bladder system.As a mountain bike guide I need to carry a lot of kit with me. First aid, tools, spares, emergency gear, spare tops and of course food and drink! My search for a backpack thatRead more...
2010 Season Kit Review: Straitline Pedals
SUMMARY: Great looking pedals, with superb performance but not for big miles.I’m in two minds while I am writing this review. The pedals have been great to use; grippy with a good sized platform. In addition they are still in pretty good shape despite some pretty hard pedal strikes. TheyRead more...
Trail Guide: The Coast
Moderate Route Guide | Hondarribia to San Sebastian, a typical route
BasqueMTB - The Coastal Video
So, at the end of October this year I spend a few hours making a video of me biking on one of our coastal trails. It’s not the most professional production, but here it is! Such a great time of year to film, it’s dark around 7:30pm so you get beautifulRead more...
South Pyrenees in the Autumn
Last week I headed off to explore some areas that I have heard people talking about ever since I arrived in Spain. The idea was to start investigating with the aim of putting together an Autumn road trip package through the southern Pyrenees. At this time of year the areaRead more...
September and the Last Guide of the 2010 Holiday Season
Our last holiday makers left on the 1st of October and (barring any last minute bookings) we have officially ended our second Spanish (and occasionally French) mountain biking season, meaning no more guiding until 2011. What a season it has been! I wanted to take the time to write aRead more...
New Mountain Bikes (and old ones too!)
Back in 2001 I bought a black Specialized Stumpjumper. It felt like a lot of money back then, hell it was a lot of money back then, but I have had it ever since. Things have changed on it over the years; disc brakes, lighter wheels, wider bars, shorter stem,Read more...
August Exploring - Coast and Pyrenees
As I said in my last post we have been a bit quieter in August than we expected. We had enquiries for last minute holidays but that is very hard in August because people from all over Spain and France come here for their holidays so it is difficult toRead more...
July´s Guiding and Riding and Surfing
It´s been ages since I´ve written anything. Sorry about that but we have been incredibly busy; in a good way! We have been guiding flat out in July which has been fantastic and not as tiring as I was worried about; all those miles over winter have obviously paid off.Read more...
Holidays in June, Spanish Storms and Sunshine
It’s been a while since my last update… we’ve been busy riding and guiding over the past 3 weeks so I’ve not had a chance. Last month I got the chance to visit Andorra, courtesy of Commencal, to check out their new bikes and have a play on some ofRead more...
Falling Off
It’s been a while. In fact I can’t remember the last time I fell without knowing I was pushing it, and being padded up and out with friends. Today I was exploring a local area and had followed a faint piece of singletrack along a river. The trail wasn’t allRead more...
New Route - Contours, Crestas and Canals
This week I was lucky enough to have the Navurros, a group of hardy Spanish bikers from around Pamplona, show me some seminal mountain biking on one of their secret trails. They reckon this is one of the best trails in their part of Spain and I knew that IRead more...
Five Things About Trail Finding
I’ve been out trail finding a lot recently. On Friday I found a lot of new singletrack but as often happens, I ended up riding down some fantastic climbs and sweating up some fantastic descents. I was generally feeling a bit grumpy about it all and it started meRead more...
Freeride and Downhill Kit Now Available
We have just recieved the designs for the new freeride or downhill tops. Long sleeved and with a baggy fit these are the tops I’ll be wearing over my armour on our uplift days! Ready for shredding, ripping or whatever else the kids are doing these days…
Local Guide for Endless Singletrack
Phew! What a few days mountain biking. I’ve been tearing it up on the coast but other than that it’s been all about the big mountain ridges for me. I don’t know what it is that’s so cool about biking along (or preferably down) a great ridge line but forRead more...
Spring
I love this time of year, there’s that expectant feeling in the air that we get with spring; a combination of the knowledge of sunny days to come and the combined sexual tension of the animal kingdom.Every sunny day seems to be the first footfall of summer, only for theRead more...
Spring Holidays, On the Bike, In the Mountains
The mountain bike season has kicked off and I’ve been guiding for the last couple of weeks. It’s been great to have people on holiday and get some new bikers on our trails. We’ve been riding on a lot of new mountains for 2010 but , of course, the oldRead more...
New Mountain Bike Kit
At BasqueMTB we’re pretty excited to get some new cycling kit. We are getting a racing kit with tops and shorts made up and also a freeride style jersey.All tops are available in a baggy or tight fit and with long or short sleeves. The price will be aboutRead more...
More New Trails
I seem to have been blogging a lot about new trails, so sorry if anyone is bored! It’s just the time of year. Spring is springing in Spain and the mountain bike holiday season will start in under a month, which means it’s the time to get our existing trailsRead more...
New Mountain Bike Trail - The Hives
Last October I checked out a new descent which was very overgrown but looked like it was be an awesome technical challenge once it had been cleared. I christened it “The Hives” because it ends at a set of bee hives in the middle of nowhere. I had pointedRead more...
This Weeks Mountain Biking
It’s been a great weeks mountain biking for me and I’m loving being back in Spain after a month away. I’ve been biking on Aiako Harriak, a local mountain, clearing some new trails deep in the forest, which has been a great way to spend some time. I’ve also beenRead more...
Back in Basque: Biking in the Sun!
Back in sunny Spain! What a difference from 5 days ago when I was cycling in Scotland, in the ice and snow! Don’t get me wrong, I loved Scotland and it was stupendously beautiful; it is always a real privilege to ride in conditions like that. Today, though, IRead more...
2009 In Photos
2009 has been a great year for biking but it’s also been a great year for taking photos! There’s something about the contrast of colours in this area of Spain, with the blue skies, turquoise seas and lush, green vegetation that means photos tend to turn out well. It’sRead more...
Equipment Review from 2009
It’s funny but very often one of the first questions that people ask me is about how my bike’s lasted up over the season. I guess it’s a good way to get a real world view of what kit is going to be reliable and what’s not. So withRead more...
Tyre Review and Tubeless Set-Up
For the end of the season I’ve been using Maxxis Highrollers, the 2.5 UST 42a ones front and back. I wrote about them in a previous review but I have done a lot more miles on them including some miles in Scotland so I have some updated information. I’ve alsoRead more...
Repair Leaking Pike Motion Control
It’s a problem I’ve had for some time but couldn’t find a definitive answer on the web for. The adjuster at the top of the motion control leg on my Rockshox Pikes has been leaking whenever the fork is turned upside down. Following some advice from the mighty hive mindRead more...
Putting Cheaper Chainrings on XTR Cranks
When I was replacing the chainrings on my XTR cranks I didn’t want to pay the price of XTR rings. I got conflicting advice on the internet and from friends using Deore chainrings but armed with some spacers I got them to work. Here’s how I did it.Firstly, I runRead more...
Trails and Incredible Hospitality in Riglos
This weekend I was lucky enough to be invited, by my friend Carlos, to a gathering of a group of Spanish bikers called La Vieja Tronca; “The Old Trunk”. The first stop was a canteen in a gym, on the outskirts of Pamplona, for a screening ofRead more...
What a Difference a Week Makes
The Basque Country has been buffetted by storms this week that have dusted the Pyrenees with snow and swamped San Sebastian’s front streets with waves. It’s fantastic! This is expected in winter and is the reason we close mid-October until March. I normally love cycling our cliff-top singletrack whenRead more...
Holiday Bike Packing
I get asked a lot about how to pack a bike. I always totally over pack my bike. People laugh but I’ve never had a scratch on it. It takes a bit longer and you end up carrying a bit more weight but this is how I do it, youRead more...
NEWS: New Route On The Penas
The Penas is probably the mountain that I’ve spent most of the time on. In Basque it’s called Aiako Harria and it’s rocky head reaches only 826 meters. What this doesn’t tell you is the nature of the mountain, it’s sides are heavily corrugated and folded with deep valleys andRead more...
VIEWS: Big Spills and New Thrills
Sometimes speed isn’t your friend and you can look too far ahead! I was trail finding again and had drived inland in search of a trail with my friend Carlos. We had an amazing days riding on some of the best descents I’ve done in ages, rocky scalectrix singletrackRead more...
NEWS: New Trails
[singlepic id=586 w=240 h=150 float=right]A lot of people have been asking me what I'm up to now that the season is over here.
NEWS: Coastal Tour Weeks
[singlepic id=581 w=240 h=180 float=right] Next year we hope to offer a long distance Coastal Tour starting in Hondarribia and leaving the views of the Pyrenees behind wind our way down the coastal hills and mountains towards Bilbao.
VIEWS: This Years Tyres
[singlepic id=577 w=240 h=180 float=right]
This year I've gone through a few pairs of tyres and I thought I'd share my thoughts on them.
