WoAcA Division - Piddling with Poddling while sometimes Pedalling WoAcA Division

 It's been pretty full on recently with us being bundled headfirst into the world of event organising!

We chat about how we wrote the theme tune, sang the theme tune and forgot most of the lyrics to the theme tune along the way, whilst learning hands on course building for the UK's National XC Points Series, along with course marker, checking, raking, blowing as well as a bit of commentary... I say a bit, it ended up as two full weekends! 

It was hard graft, but so much fun and exciting to be part of an important step up for so much talent in the mountain bike community. 

Seems we may be getting involved next year too.... Yikes!

After the success of the Pennine Bridleway guidebook Han has been commissioned by Vertebrate Publishing to revamp the Trail centre guidebook. So episode 10 explores the forth coming 'difficult second album'... 

Trail centre design has changed immeasurable  since the first one was opened in 1996. Their popularity along with privately owned bike parks has exploded. This is not going to be an easy 'second album' but I'm pretty sure we'll have fun along the way. Research includes visiting all said trail centres and bike park currently operating in the UK. In episode 10 we chat about some of the trails we rode in the South West as well discussing a feature about what can be considered the grandaddy of mountain bike venues we've just completed for CRANKED Magazine.

It's been a while. Joolze has been away working in France for nearly a month following 18 amatuer cyclists tackle the full Tour de France route one week ahead of the pros and Han has a new project she's started. Have a listen as we chat about how Joolze and her trusty camera and drone helped in a small way to raise over a million pounds for an amazing cause whilst Han embraced her inner gnaar, got her rear end out and headed off to play on some trail centres, both near and far...

For more information about the Cure Leukaemia One week Ahead Tour check out:

 The Tour 21

You'll find a selection of my images and links to the episodes the film crew produced.

Please feel free to make a donation to help Cure Leukaemia make even more inroads into curing blood cancers.

For fantastic attention to detail, organisational skills and pulling together an amazing crew at the last minute:

Andy Cook Cycling

For keeping everyone rolling along and patching up those of us that started falling to pieces, thanks to Rhia:

The Body Mechanic

And for commissioning books and generally keeping us out of mischief:

Vertebrate Publishing

As we start our journey around the many trail centres in the UK for Han's next Vertebrate Publishing guide book, we popped in to have a chat with Matt Williams owner of Run & Ride, in Milford, Staffs just a stones throw away from Cannock Chase. 

Matt is also a prolific event organiser for both the MTB and running community, his biggest and most looked forward to event has to be Exposure Twentyfour12, 4 days of a running and riding festival culminating in 24 hours of racing around the historic Newnham Estate near Plymouth. 

We wanted to know what it's like trying to organise events like this during a pandemic. How 2021 is shaping up, the trials and tribulations of refunds, cancellations, lack of entries and why he does it when usually he ends up out of pocket.... 

Oh and also listen out for a guest appearance from Millie.... the resident shop cat....

We celebrate International Trail day on June 5th by heading out to Standedge a section of the Pennines, where the Pennine Way and Bridleway briefly interact before heading off on their respective routes. The Pennines are littered with history and we chat about how man has traversed the Pennines over the millenium and how many of the routes we use today were shaped by our ancestors. So take a moment, slow down, breathe in the air, listen to the bird song and maybe you'll hear the faint whisper of the thousands of footsteps that have passed by this way and continue.

*There maybe a tiny amount of swearing....

In episode 6 we chat to Emma Kingston author of the new 'Bikepacking England' book - jam packed with 20 detailed off road adventures that will inspire and delight.

We chat about how Emma became a convert to bikepacking and how this pastime has transformed her apprecition of riding off road and how it inpired her to share this passion in the new guidebook.

There's also mention of pies and cakes....