Bonus Posted January 27, 2019 Author Posted January 27, 2019 Up at the "Muro de Roda" a few days before the cold front arrived. There are several routes that pass through this castle and they are all worth the climb - the views are amazing. Albatross 1
Bonus Posted January 31, 2019 Author Posted January 31, 2019 This month saw the birth of Ainsas very own Cycling Club! The "Club Ciclista Zona Zero" was created and adopted its constitution at a meeting in mid January. The club will cater for Men & Women Road and MTB riders of all ages and as well as organising the usual rides, it will also arrange rides specifically for Ladies, rides for Children and Social/Family rides. We've joined the club and we're looking forward to an exciting year ahead!
Bonus Posted February 3, 2019 Author Posted February 3, 2019 Yesterday we spent the day in Binefar (a town nearby) attending a First Aid course presented by the Red Cross. It's a 20hr course spread over three Saturdays and covers all the usual stuff. We've both done first aid courses before, but some things have changed a bit and you need to have an up to date certificate for your MTB guiding license to be valid. It's all in Spanish but we speak enough Spanish (and remember enough from previous courses) to follow it without any problems. The course instructor speaks a bit of English too, so anything important or new that we don't get, we can check with him.
Bonus Posted February 5, 2019 Author Posted February 5, 2019 Some time ago I explained how "Zona Zero", the 1000 odd kilometre network of MTB Trails that we live in the middle of, came into being. . . . A group of local business owners, working in conjunction with local councillors & authorities, realised that they needed to do something pro-active if they were to prevent their towns and villages from following the existing downward trend of declining business and de-population. . . . Their ideas have worked. The town of Ainsa and its surrounding villages all benefit from the income generated by visitors to Zona Zero. Roads & services to remote long-abandoned villages are being installed/re-installed and properties are being renovated & repaired. It's a big job and it's going to take some time to finish, but it is happening and we are a part of it! This article is in Spanish, but the high-lights are that it addresses the problems faced by people who live in remote areas of Aragon (the region we live in), suggests some methods of making life easier for those people and gives Zona Zero as a good example of what can be achieved. Great news for us all - and a testament to the hard work and devotion of the people who had the vision to come up with this and make their ideas a reality. https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/aragon/2019/02/05/francisco-boya-los-pueblos-montana-hay-que-ponerles-las-cosas-mas-faciles-1290926-300.html?fbclid=IwAR1QLlRI3N6IpCzFEjp_aIyLXkYdnFVMIE_pP_l8tjrD7DUTrfWhoPyTB60 Sparky and the Warden 1
Bonus Posted February 7, 2019 Author Posted February 7, 2019 There are several Zona Zero routes out of Ainsa - this one heads south up a trail that passes the Vultures Dining Room, heads up to the Partara viewing point and then down the Partara Express!. People rarely stop and look over their shoulders when they climb this trail, so they miss this view. Part of my job as a guide is to tell people when to stop and look behind them :-) #lovemyjob! Duane_Bosch 1
Duane_Bosch Posted February 7, 2019 Posted February 7, 2019 My Fiance and I are looking at doing a trip out your way next year. Summer Time. We are looking at basing ourselves in Lourdes for 5 days. Tackle 4 TDF climbsHautacam, Tourmalet, Abisque and Luz Ardiden are currently on the list. Then make our way over to Girona and do so riding around there. Bonus 1
Bonus Posted February 7, 2019 Author Posted February 7, 2019 My Fiance and I are looking at doing a trip out your way next year. Summer Time. We are looking at basing ourselves in Lourdes for 5 days. Tackle 4 TDF climbsHautacam, Tourmalet, Abisque and Luz Ardiden are currently on the list. Then make our way over to Girona and do so riding around there. Luz-Saint-Sauveur is only about an hour and a half from us I think. Just tried to check with an on-line route planner but it won't let me select our normal route because the tunnel into France is currently closed due to snow! I'd have to use the SatNav in the car to be sure - it doesn't know what the weather is doing :-) Feel free to pop in if you pass this way! Duane_Bosch 1
Bonus Posted February 23, 2019 Author Posted February 23, 2019 In December I had the chance to ride with a young French rider who has some sponsorship and is turning Pro. He had arranged with Pedro, a local pro photographer in Ainsa, to do a photo-shoot for him and they asked me along. We used a bike shuttle to uplift to some nice locations and spent a couple of hours riding and "posing"! Arries87 1
Bonus Posted February 23, 2019 Author Posted February 23, 2019 Riding from the mountaintop village of Tella down to the village of Hospital . . . Arries87 and Albatross 2
Bonus Posted February 23, 2019 Author Posted February 23, 2019 Trying to keep the speed up . . . . RossW 1
Bonus Posted March 11, 2019 Author Posted March 11, 2019 After several weeks without my MTB, which is down in Madrid being looked at by "Specialized Spain" after Angel, my mate and LBS spotted a crack in the carbon frame, it sounds like I should be getting it back soon. Once it's back safe and sound I will post on what happened, what I had to do about it and how long it took. . . . . RossW 1
Slowbee Posted March 11, 2019 Posted March 11, 2019 You are posting all these pics and making us as envious as can be. But how is the guesthouse building coming along ? Bonus 1
Bonus Posted March 17, 2019 Author Posted March 17, 2019 I will be posting about the guest house project on our "Big Adventure" thread soon . . . :-)
Bonus Posted March 17, 2019 Author Posted March 17, 2019 My replacement bike frame has arrived . . . and it is beautiful! My original bike was a Specialized Epic Comp Carbon 2014 model in White and it had an Ali rear triangle. I loved it and we rode many many miles together. The replacement, which is a 2018 model complete with new shock and modern version of the "Brain" is Black and all carbon. It weighs in at 2kgs! I am going to have to buy a few new bits for it - I need a Boost rear wheel and the frame has no facility to take a front mech - so I'll be going 1x something with a new crankset . . . . but I am going to end up with what is essentially a brand new bike at the end of it. Will be happy to get it back . . .I've missed it :-( RossW 1
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