Training Rides Unpacked — Ada Xinxó

Ada is our resident mountain bike aficionado, with a love of long distances. Full of energy, you can rely on Ada with the group selfies on any trip. Hailing from Sabadell, a city close to Barcelona, Ada started cycling at 21 as a dedicated mountain-biker, progressing to stage races, long distance and ultra distance races.

When you’re cycling mad, it’s always a benefit to have a partner who shares the passion. Fortunately that’s the case for Ada, which means holidays with her partner, Santi, always have a cycling theme. Travelling the world, taking part in MTB stage races and bike backing adventures on gravel, has been a shared obsession since 2009.

Ada has shared a MTB training ride with us, in the hilled area known as Galliners. A lover of singletrack, Ada craves hills and Galliners is ideal for that. Whilst there are no mountains locally, these hills offer a playground for practicing skills and enjoying the trails.

You can see from the profile of this wriggly route, that it’s a leg breaker. It’s either up or down and nothing in between! The ride is perfect training for all disciplines of cycling, requiring both skill and stamina in equal measure. It’s a great ride solo, but even better with friends who Ada delights in introducing to the infinite loops available in such a small area.

When time allows you can extend this route, going further to seek out longer climbs and thrilling descents. The freedom of a MTB can’t be over-estimated, with spectacular scenery and heart-racing thrills the reward for the hard work.

QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS

What do you enjoy most about being a ride leader?
Meeting people is one of the things I love most about cycling and that's why I love my job at Thomson Bike Tours. I'm excited to support people in making their dreams come true, to reach the long awaited summit, to ride the most mythical roads in cycling and to enjoy the most spectacular scenery.

Favourite trip so far
It's always difficult to choose a trip, so I'm going to choose two; one road and one gravel. Firstly, Scotland on Gravel — its landscapes absolutely captivated me (and I'm not saying this to suck up to the boss😜). Secondly, the Spring classics — I always say that I hate the flat, but this trip has something special, different, a mix between private rides with crowded Gran Fondo races and seeing the pros in action in a very authentic location. And last but not least, with good beer for the post ride 🍻