10Feb 2019 by The Mahojos No Comments
5 things NOT to do on a long distance bike ride

5 things NOT to do on a long distance bike ride

Cycling
Over two years (nearly three) have passed since finishing my long distance bike ride from Pontypridd (South Wales) to Chamonix (French Alps) and it already feels like a lifetime ago. Back in the hum drum of everyday life I'm wishing I was back on my bike but I've had a lot of time to reflect on what I would do differently if I were to do it again (yes, there will be a next time!). So, here are my top 5 things NOT to do if you're going on a long distance bike ride (not in any particular order). 1.Travel without a map In my wisdom, I thought I'd be able to ride from Pontypridd to Newhaven via Bristol, Bath, Salisbury, Southampton and Brighton without a map, and by relying on the…
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16May 2018 by The Mahojos No Comments
Two Wheels to Chamonix

Two Wheels to Chamonix

Latest posts
Hey! It's Ali here with some news...Two Wheels to Chamonix is a book that I've started which catalogues my journey from our home in South Wales to my sister's home in the French Alps by bike. Inspired by speakers at the first ever Women's Adventure Expo, I had the seed of an idea for a long distance bike ride. Within 7 months, I was doing it. Some might call it a midlife crisis, but for me, cycling over 700 miles to Chamonix was a way for me to deal with my impending retirement from competitive sport... “Think you can, think you can't? You're probably right. It's amazing what you can achieve if you approach a big scary goal with a positive mindset” - The MahoJos Writing a book about it…
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16Sep 2017 by The Mahojos No Comments
We’ve got a Mercedes Sprinter campervan!

We’ve got a Mercedes Sprinter campervan!

Campervan, Latest posts
After many happy years of ownership, we've just sold our beloved VW T4 campervan. Now we've got ourselves something slightly bigger. Welcome to the family, Sam the Mercedes Sprinter! The T4 served us well for many years, but it was time to upgrade on size and age. The Sprinter is a long wheel base and a high top which means we'll have plenty of room to play with. The van has been partially kitted out already but it's not quite the way we want it. Our first job is to strip it out, insulate it, then decide on our final layout. Here's to lots of happy future adventures in our new van!
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10May 2017 by The Mahojos No Comments
#JFDI – Just flipping do it!

#JFDI – Just flipping do it!

Latest posts
In March 2017 Amy and I completed a relay-bike-ride through all 22 Local Authorities of Wales. The year before that (May 2016) I cycled from our home in South Wales to Chamonix. Past adventures We've had lots of overland and water based mini adventures in the past. But for every single one, I can honestly say that we weren't completely ready. I definitely wasn’t physically fit to cycle to Chamonix! I struggled to stick to a training plan, so I did as much as I could which definitely wasn’t enough. I also didn’t have any of the ‘best’ equipment and kit. I made do with what I had (a 24-year-old mountain bike) and what I could borrow. Mental preparation was good and the logistics were planned well in advance. So these…
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10May 2017 by The Mahojos No Comments
The Beast – up the valleys

The Beast – up the valleys

Cycling
In an effort to re-motivate ourselves after the recent round-Wales adventure, I (stupidly) suggested that riding 100 miles a week would be a good way to get going again. New Challenge It might sound like a lot but some cyclists (err not us) do that in a day. Doing it over 7 days means that cycling becomes a regular part of our lives again, and is a decent enough mileage to have fitness benefits. Route Planning We thought about starting this new challenge on Tuesday once the bank holiday was over. But Amy was keen to start right away so we looked at a local route. We pored over Google maps and a South East Wales Sustrans map to get some inspiration. We settled on doing a north west loop…
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23Apr 2017 by The Mahojos No Comments
Swapping two wheels for two oars

Swapping two wheels for two oars

Events
We've just had an inspirational weekend in Bristol following a last-minute booking to go to the Women’s Adventure Expo. This Expo had a line up of INCREDIBLE women who’ve adventured on, or in water. Inspirational women The event kicked off with Della Parsons from the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. She shared a unique insight into the challenges on board the 70+ foot yacht. The Clipper race involves 12 identical boats with crews from all walks of life, many with no sailing experience until they enter into the Clipper training programme. Find out more. Next was Beth French. She is an open water swimmer who has crossed the English Channel and is midway through an epic 7 Oceans challenge. Only 6 people have completed it to date, and Beth is aiming…
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