24Tom

My blogs

Gender	Male
Location	Leeds, United Kingdom
Introduction	I have always been immersed in the outdoors. Some of the earliest photos of me are sitting in a papoose, on my dad's back, up a Lakeland fell. Started mountain biking when I was 13, again with my Dad, exploring the fells above Halifax. I started running and climbing while at uni, and the mountain bike was forgotten for a few years. My sister then started dating a guy who was a mountain biker. I went out with him for a couple of rides and was hooked. Wow. Mountain biking has given me some of the most memorable experiences of my life, created new friendships and strengthened old ones. I've "raced" the Megavalanche, (I didn't do very well), raced for 24 hours solo (and did much better). I've spent days not going more than 20 miles and had the best fun, with my best mates. I've ridden 100s of miles on the road. Every pedal stroke generally makes me a happier man. I need biking more than ever at the moment. I was diagnosed with depression in September 2010, and my life feels like it has been turned upside down. I'm working my way through and trying to deal with it as best I can. Sometimes it feels like riding is the only thing that keeps me sane.
Interests	Mountain biking, road cycling, cyclo-cross, fell running, mountain marathons, road running, climbing, anything in the mountains.