We’ve been participating in the Pan Celtic ultra endurance race series since its inauguration in 2019 as nourishment for the soul and more recently as an ideal opportunity to test and refine our prototypes prior to production.
So, it was with a mixture of elation and dread that Richard, Sam and I were successful in our entries for the 2023 edition, described by the wonderfully spirited organisers as “their most ambitious yet”. The route looks amazing, and testament to some serious hard work and dedication getting it all set up.
The Pan Celtic is well known and admired for its non-elitist embrace of all riders, no matter their pedigree or experience, into the ‘clan’. It’s all about participation, grit, enjoyment and most importantly looking out for one-another; an approach to cycling that we wholeheartedly concur with at Windover. We are all inspired by and learn from one another, and in that spirit we’ll be using this journal in the coming months to share our own preparations, ranging from the type of bikes we’ll ride (we’ve got some interesting ideas on new prototypes we’ll be building and testing), component and kit choices through to training and mental approaches. Watch this space!
Lastly a big thanks to Matt, Toby, Rebecca and their incredible support team (https://www.pancelticrace.com/about/our-team/) for creating and running this amazing event that has and continues to give so many of us such visceral experiences and lasting memories.