Journal | Hunt Bike Wheels

Chris Hall recently cycled a Uk classic, the coast to coast. Read his report of the ride below:

Day One

We started our coast to coast adventure with the intention of tackling 4 National Parks and areas of outstanding beauty across Northern England, these being The Lake District, The North Pennines, The Yorkshire Dales and The North York Moors. There was always going to be plenty of stunning views and climbing to tackle along with some steep descents. 

8 days 15 hours 2 minutes. That is the winning time for the 2016 Trans Continental Race by returning 2 times winner Kristof Allegaert of Belgium. But what happened to the 2015 winner our Hunt Wheels Brand Manager Josh Ibbett? Read on to find out.

170 miles. Not quite the impressive trip across Europe that I had anticipated when I set out from Geraadsbergen 12hours earlier but my body still feels battered as a slouch against a grey wall in the small French town of Romilly-Sur- Sienne. Fatigue feels so much heavier when you know you are beaten. I’ve eaten all my food, drunk my rehydration drink, even drunk another recovery drink yet still the cramps are there.

The human body is a fickle thing. It can be pushed hard by the mind, beyond what even seems feasible yet sometimes it just says no, or non as they say in France. As I sit there weighing up my options my mind begins to run over the past few years. Suddenly the feats of the past 2 Transcontinental races seem ridiculous. How on earth did I push that hard? How did I force myself to carry on riding single speed when I was injured in 2014? How on earth did I force my self-awake and onto my bike every morning in 2015? It all seems so easy when you are on top of your game yet here I am unable to ride without cramping whilst the leaders ride off into the day, the first day at that!

The truth is I am not strong enough. I already knew deep down, but I’ve learnt to override body with mind. Just keep pedalling it will feel better soon, just eat some food and it’ll be fine, just have a quick nap and carry on. These are the things I normally tell myself to keep myself moving, however this time I know it just won’t work.

We are very pleased to be able to support  Chris hall and Chris Pressdee of the Ripcor cycling club with our Hunt 50 Carbon Wide wheels for their upcoming Richmond 24 Challenge.

There is nothing like a charity based challenge to motivate and inspire, but thinking of something which will make you get out there and put the miles in come rain or shine can be a battle in itself. So when Chris ‘Baloo’ Hall and Chris ‘Elvis’ Pressdee, two friends and avid cyclists who ride for Berkshire based cycling club Ripcor, decided to fund raise for the club’s chosen charity, The PACE Centre, they wanted to do something which would be a true test of their abilities and inspire people to donate to a truly amazing cause.

The Llyn Peninsula in the far reaches of North West Wales is wild, beautiful and a heck of a long way from anywhere. It might not be as remote as some parts of the highlands but this thin slip of land jutting out into the Irish sea certainly holds some history. From Smugglers coves that litter the northern coastline to the pilgrims trails that all point to the Island of Barsey on the Southern tip. The Llyn Peninsula is a last bastion of the Welsh language and Welsh culture as a whole. 

I’m very lucky to have family ties to the area, and have been visiting since before I remember.  Most school holidays and term time breaks included some time at the Cottage in Llangwnadl visiting our grandparents and exploring the narrow lanes, steep roads and coves dotted all around the peninsula.

The 2016 Bespoked Bristol Handmade Bicycle show took place on the weekend of the 14th-17th of April. The show is a fantastic showcase of hand built bikes and offers an opportunity for builders to showcase their work and meet their clients. As a small business ourselves we were pleased to be able to help out a number of builders exhibiting at the show with wheels. Below is a selection of images taken at the show: