2017 round up (a triplet)

Ella

January

Started the year with an over-nighter out to my favourite youth hostel in Arnside with some of my favourite non-GUTM people. (I’ll get you lot out there sooner or later!)

View over Lythe Fell Road in the Forest of Bowland

February - April

My first ever multi-month cycle tour in the USA and Canada… Although it was really a bunch of multi-day/week tours broken up with long train journeys or blagged lifts. I cycled in Texas, New Mexico, California, Washington, Oregon and British Columbia.

Fully loaded in the Olympic Peninsula, Washington

Read more about bits of the tour:

May

Just after returning from the US, Evans Cycles invited me to help launch a Limited Edition of the popular Pinnacle Arkose.

We headed up to Fort William on the Caledonian Sleeper - a treat in itself - and cycled around in the highlands for three days. The going was tough - especially with a knee injury I was refusing to acknowledge - but the company excellent, the riding exciting and scenery utterly stunning.

Have a nosey at a video and mini-write up on my tumbler.

Pinnacle Arkose in some sexy bit of the highlands

June

Before getting my life back together (e.g. getting a job), I took myself (and the swanky Pinnacle Arkose) on a mini-tour around some of my favourite spots in the Lakes.

July - December

Nothing that exciting, I’m afraid. Some sweet pootles with the GUTM gang and generally enjoying riding my Surly Straggler about with lots of shite in the new basket.

All Straggler, All the time. Surly till nap time.

Words and pictures - Ella Wredenfors

Will

Home renovation and cycling don’t mix very well…

I said to Heather I’d have the garden finished by March – the lawn still isn’t laid now, December. That kind of sums up how things have gone this year! Moving to the edge of the Peaks, in to a house which needs a decent amount of work has taken a large chunk of my leisure time, but I don’t begrudge it at all – the work I have done is all contributing to a long term base where I can enjoy my riding and time at home tinkering in my workshops.

2017 Has seen me embrace what riding I could. A longer commute to work has been welcome, with a joyous jaunt down the canal path most evenings. I have been a poor attender to any weekend rides, only nipping out for a quick spin up by the reservoirs by myself when I could to stretch the legs – I am hoping the GUTM Crew don’t think too badly of me!

Looking forward to 2018 I now have a workshop ready to build a few more frames. I also have some fantastic lanes, trails and byways to explore, as well as hopefully leading some rides in unfamiliar areas for the GUTM crew in the coming year. That said, I don’t think 650b x 42 is going to cut the mustard for everything in my locality!

Now where did I put that 80-Grit…

Words and pictures - Will House

Andy

There’s been minimal cycling this year but I’m ok with that…

Pictures - Andrew Kirsfelds