This month I was lucky enough to join the FulGaz crew in South Australia for a block of epic riding in the Adelaide Hills. It’s always a blast riding in Adelaide. Apart from when the mercury blows past 40 deg C (105F) I really do love riding there. It has got to be one of the best places in Australia to ride a bike. Put it on your bucket list!

Oh, and apparently there was a pro race (Tour Down Under). I didn’t ride out any of the stages or see a single minute of live racing from the roadside. I did spot Filippo Ganna of Team Ineos walking down the mall with a bag full of Australian souvenirs though! 😂

The FulGaz team booked an apartment right in the heart of Adelaide as a base. A perfect location for riding and networking around the Tour village. We were in agreement that we didn’t want to do the stage-watching thing like most visitors this time of year (why stand around in the heat wasting time) so instead we packed in a load of productive saddle time.

Early starts each morning saw us exploring the fantastic climbing Adelaide has to offer, and afternoons were spent viewing the Tour Down Under finish on TV, before getting work done during the hotter parts of the day. We did also film a few new rides for FulGaz, so those will hit the app in the coming months!

Mike and I weren’t there to set PR’s up the climbs (although I bagged a couple) but rather rack up quality endurance-paced riding and solid TSS numbers. Mike and I are similar in that we prefer to get the ride done with fewer stops, and save the coffee stop for afterwards rather than half-way.

This training block was about keeping the chain tight and the power steady. In other words, backing off slightly on the steeper climbs, while still pedalling consistently over the top and on the descents. Minimal coasting time! As a team we hit the road together each morning, with Aidan and Andy (both elite Pro Continental riders) splitting off part-way to stay out longer and hit their pre-season training targets.

I love riding with these guys. Mike has years of racing and time trialling in the legs, Aidan races for St George Continental (and is the Maltese National Champion) and Andy races for Ljubljana Gusto Santic in Europe. Not only are they incredibly strong riders, but they are far more skilled riders with experience that money can’t buy. You can learn a lot simply by riding with them each day.

This was by far the best trip to Adelaide I’ve had so far. The weather was ace, the company was on point, and the routes were perfect. It’s always a little sad come pack-up time, but after almost a week of solid training in the hills, I am now very much enjoying my recovery block!