My name is Alan Wedesweiler. I am a 45-year-old married Dad of 4 living here in Hazelbrook in the amazingly beautiful Blue Mountains of NSW. I am a Primary School teacher by profession. Making a meaningful and positive difference to children’s education and their lives has been my driving aim for 23 years.

 As an avid and amateur cyclist, mixing it up between road and trail, I willingly accept the glorious title of being a M.A.M.I.L (middle-aged man in lycra).

I had ridden BMX and cruiser bikes as a child but hadn’t ridden a bike properly in many, many years.

In 2016, after competing in the Griffith edition of Dancing with the Stars, I really enjoyed the fitness aspect (among other things) of it and wanted to maintain it. A friend and I were watching our son’s playing soccer and he was talking about cycling. I’d always liked the idea of cycling and the Tour de France (not seriously competing in it). So, I went and bought a road bike from ALDI and it all started from there.

After almost literally (not really) dying from exhaustion after my first 7 km ride, I loved the endorphin rush the bike ride gave me. So, I kept at it. I joined in group rides and met excellent people who supported me and gave me great advice. Cycling alone is excellent fun but a cycling journey shared is doubly excellent fun.

So, what made you choose Reid and why the X Trail?

I chose Reid after winning a Reid voucher when my family and I were on the TV show “Family Feud”. I had a road bike and was living in the Blue Mountains where there were endless trails. Hence, I wanted something that I could go explore the backyard with. Thereby, a mountain bike seemed the obvious answer. I went to the Sydney store and had a great chat with Richie. He was super informative and super personable, wanting to know about my cycling journey and how we could make the Mountain Biking a happening thing. I knew that road and mountain biking were different disciplines and Richie’s knowledge and experience helped me out a lot. After I had some reading, the Reid X Trail came highly regarded. I took a demo for city street spin and it was a natural fit for me. Amazingly, it looks the goods and acts the goods, too.

Is this your first 27.5″ MTB?

This is my first 27.5″ MTB and I love it. Everything fits just exactly as I need it to. The bike is big enough to inspire confidence and nimble enough when the going gets serious for this first time mountain biker. It handles brilliantly, changes gears effortlessly and the suspension is fantastic. The build quality is excellent and takes the tough stuff with ease. Significantly, it is lightweight enough so that you can ride for longer, as you’re not fatiguing yourself hauling excess kilos up a hill.

So, how has the Reid X Trail treated you?

As I mentioned above, it has saved my over-confident self on a number of occasions from big stacks. It has developed my riding to a much higher level because you just feel positive and confident when you are riding it. 

What and where have you been with it?

I have been exploring the fire trails locally here. They vary from smooth gravel to ruts and ravines to water falls. Spectacular scenery and with the excellent X-Trail, I can explore more of it easily.

Do you have any other future adventures planned?

There is the legendary trail from Woodford to Glenbrook here in the Blue Mountains that I am eyeing off riding soon. It is a 25 km trail of undulating bushland that people go wide eyed and wistful when they talk about it. Therefore, I am definitely up for that. I want to try some of the more local and remote trails here in the mountains. And, ignoring TLC’s advice, go chasing waterfalls.

Finally, what advice would you give to those who have never been on a biking adventure or even a bike?

Just do it.  You’ll surprise yourself with how good it is for you.

Cycling is soul uplifiting, mentally nourishing, physically goodly for you. You don’t need the latest and greatest gear, either. I’ve had just a hootingly good time wearing a pair of footy shorts and old T-shirt on an old BMX bike as I’ve had on a rental bike in Berlin as on a $5000 pro bike. Go and see your local bike shop or your mates who ride a bike and they will fall over themselves to help you. Certainly, cyclists want others to experience the same endorphin rush they do. It’s wheely fun, simple and cheap.