After putting my endurance progress to the test out on the road, it was finally time to hit the rough stuff again last weekend, and spend a day biking and hiking through the stunning Welsh mountains.

As a very small part of the team putting together the Blaenau 600 ride for the Cross Cartel this summer, one of the events I will be undertaking on my way to the GBDuro start line, I had eagerly volunteered to recon sections of the route. This meant jumping in at the deep end for my return to off-road riding, with an all-day adventure through the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons.

My plan over the winter months had always been to stick to road riding, something I hadn’t done for years, to give my body a chance to adapt to being back in the saddle. The smoother, more consistent, and far less muddy obstacle to overcome, before adding off-road riding into the mix.

I wasn’t sure how my body would adapt to the change in riding style after such a long break. Navigating uneven surfaces, rocky climbs, and steep slippery descents, is a completely different experience, but it was like I’d never been away. The fun factor certainly helped ward off the fatigue, and the perfect weather we were blessed with definitely didn’t hurt either.

I was reminded once again why this particular corner of the cycling world has my heart. From the seemingly endless expanses of breath-taking views, shared only with the occasional hiker or fellow rider lucky enough to be out enjoying nature with you, to the constant challenge and enjoyment found in the ever changing terrain, and the repeated exposure to the fact that our bodies are capable of so much more than we think they are.

As is always the case with a ride like this, there are also lessons learned along the way.

I’m re-discovering the line between calculated risk and stupidity, and making sure I stay on the right side of it. Sometimes it is just as fast to get off and push your bike down the bouldery descent as it is to keep riding down and hope for the best, and it’s certainly less likely to end in a broken bike and body.

Challenging myself again has also revealed weaknesses that need work; from my feeble core, and my ongoing back injury that I have been successfully ignoring for the past couple of years, to the lack of hiking in my legs, and the niggling knee injury I’m now nursing.

All things that, once I’ve done some work to improve them, will make the next adventure an even better one.

This was also my first big ride on the Salsa Warbird, but I will save the full breakdown of the bike build, and the review, for a later blog. For now, I’ll just describe it in one word: incredible.