Chris S
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E-Bikerafting Scotland’s Longest Loch
After days of rain the skies cleared to an autumnal chill so Phil (who’d invited me up here) and I planned a ride around Loch Awe. At 40-km end to end, it’s Scotland’s longest freshwater loch, just inland from Oban on the coast. To complete a full circumnavigation on roads and what few tracks there…
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Dartmoor: High Moor Link
Other West Country Rides A few days after our uncompleted Dartmoor ride on the way back from Cornwall, I was back to tie up the Eylesbarrow Loop taken from the Gravel Rides guidebook (right). That done, I’d follow another self-plotted loop to the east to fill out the day’s ride. Together they included most of…
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E-biking Dartmoor
West Country Rides While much of Dartmoor’s high moorland is accessible by foot, riders must stick to bridleways and byways, making opportunities for gravel riding somewhat limited.Katherine Moore, Gravel Rides South West England guidebook (right) After our unsatisfying north Dartmoor recce earlier in the year, within a couple of minutes of leaving the road, I…
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E-Biking the Lizard
West Country Rides Yesterday around Lands End was all sunshine, today the Lizard was overcast with rain forecast by the afternoon. So we drove to Helston start point to save time then set off, semi-unwittingly in reverse of the Gravel Rides South West guidebook’s 57km lap, following a trail around the east side of Loe…
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E-Biking Lands End
West Country Rides After reviewing the Gravel Rides South West guide book (right), we were inspired to nip down to Cornwall and Dartmoor to try out a couple of routes: Route 1; ‘A Lap of Land End’ looked like a good one, followed by Route 2; ‘The Lizard & the Loe’. They were rated 5/5…
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E-Biking Wales • Wye Valley & Forest Of Dean
See also: Wales Heatwave #5 of the 2026 summer was getting underway, a good day to be in the shady Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley, following another route from the Bikepacking Wales (BPW) guidebook. From Pembrokeshire it was a half-day drive towards Chepstow, made easier by the M4, aircon and podcasts.After yesterday’s short coastal…
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Book Review: GRAVEL RIDES SOUTH WEST ENGLAND
In a lineAnother tasty selection of mostly day rides doable on any all-terrain bike, with detailed descriptions, big maps and free tracklog downloads from the Forest of Dean all the way to Lands End. What they sayGravel Rides South West England features 24 cycling routes, ranging from 16 to 180 kilometres, showcasing the extensive gravel trails…
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E-Biking Wales • Kerry Ridgeway & PEMBROKE COAST
See also: Wales After the Ice Cap retreated around 10,666BC, the best way for a wayfarer to get around Britain was to follow the high ground above the tree line of the densely forested plains, the haunts of evil elves, brigands and giant sabre-toothed squirrels. The Ridgeway in England is a well known ancient trackway, but…
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Gravel Bikes: I don’t get It…
But I’m also into paddling but don’t get paddleboarding either. And everyone’s mad for them too. At least I tried SUP once. Here’s a list. Drop bars, hunched over, back-wrecking, neck-aching riding position; no droppers because of the high top tube; thin skittery tyres; rigid frames!; clip-on pedals. For off roading? Why suffer, it’s not…
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E-Biking Wales • Coast & Cadair Idris
See also: Wales Riding down from Llandundo Junction in June following the the Trans Eryri Trail across Snowdonia on my way to the Trans Cambrian Way, I reached a crossroads south of Arthog. Ahead of me, water was running down a stony trail which led around to the west flank of the Cadair Idris massif. It…
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E-biking Wales • Strata Florida
See also: Wales I t’s back to Wales to try out my new bike transporter, tick off the bits of the Trans Eryri and Trans Cambrian Trails I skipped in the June washout which damaged my Tero e-bike, and try some other biking routes from the Bikepacking Wales book I recently reviewed (right). I headed…
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Long term review: Merida Big Trail 500
When I got the Tero X5 I assumed I’d sell my Merida Big Trail 500 and got as far as taking pics and everything. I bought it little used in 2022 for just 800 quid (new was £1350 then), and it transpired I’d mistakenly bought myself a great MTB. It was bound to happen.At 15kg…