At Skedaddle we’re pretty lucky to have an incredible bunch of guides who bring our cycling holidays to life. We love sharing their stories and passion for life on two wheels with you, and this time we’re catching up with Dave Shuttle – one of the many Dave’s at Skedaddle! Read on to get to know our guide and UK Product Lead a little better as we catch up for a Q&A…
Tell us a little bit about where you’re from…
I was born in Newcastle, and after living down in Yorkshire, then over in Italy for a few years, I moved back to Geordieland a few years ago. It’s a really vibrant city and a great base to get out into the countryside and to the stunning Northumberland Coast. I love where I live – and coming from someone who’s lived in Tuscany and the Dolomites, that’s really saying something!
What got you passionate about cycling?
I’ve been cycling as long as I can remember – I can’t think of a time I didn’t ride a bike to school or to work, and every family holiday as a child involved some kind of hiking or cycling, so I guess I don’t know any different to life on two wheels! What really got me hooked on cycling though was when I moved to Bolzano in the Italian Dolomites for work about 10 years ago; there were epic road climbs, and great mountain biking literally from my doorstep, and the incredible scenery and the thrill of riding out there really started my passion for it. I still love all types of cycling, from road to mountain biking, and I have recently got into doing long distance bike-packing trips on my gravel bike.
What’s your history with Skedaddle?
I’ve been guiding for Skedaddle since 2021, following some guided tours I’d done in Italy before then. After a few years of being self-employed and doing back-to-back trips for Skedaddle, I then worked for a charity full-time and had to squeeze in as many Skedaddle trips as possible in my annual leave. I started my role as UK Product Lead early last year, and since then I have split my time between planning new cycling holidays while in the office, and getting out on recces and guided holidays on the bike, a combination which suits me really well!
I really enjoy doing the research and recces for new UK holidays, and this year I helped develop the new Wales Traws Eryri and the North York Moors, Coast & Abbeys holidays. It’s a rewarding feeling seeing the holidays progress from an idea to a holiday live on our site, and I’m hoping to get out and guide the new Traws Eryri holiday next year.
I remember my first trip guiding for Skedaddle was Hadrian’s Cycleway leisure holiday, which was a great first trip, as I knew
the route and was supervised by a very experienced guide, but the most stressful thing was the pressure of setting up that first picnic, not knowing what the customers would think of it! After mastering my Skedaddle picnic skills, I was soon on other trips. In my two years at Skedaddle I think I did the C2C five or six times, so that’s the holiday I’m definitely most familiar with!
Now I do all kinds of trips, from leisure to road to MTB, mostly in the UK, but I also still try to get out on a trip to France or Italy at least once a year – last year I guided the Giro della Toscana which was an incredible cycling holiday I’d thoroughly recommend!
What is your favourite trip?
It’s difficult to pick one trip, but the Tour d’Ecosse road cycling holiday is definitely one of my favourites, because of the incredible scenery on the west coast of Scotland; if the weather’s on your side, I can’t think of many places where the riding is better than the Applecross peninsula. I also love guiding the Caledonia Way leisure trip from Campbeltown to Inverness, as it feels like you get to explore a real hidden part of the country that isn’t easy to get to and few other people experience.
What’s your favourite Skedaddle memory? 
My standout memory on a trip was on the first Land’s End to John O’Groats that I guided back in my first year of guiding for Skedaddle. We had good weather and a fantastic bunch of riders, and though it wasn’t the easiest trip to guide, I felt a real sense of adventure and achievement when everyone completed it, which is something I’ll never forget!
What’s your favourite power snack and why?
For me, you can’t go wrong with a good old fashioned trail mix – there’s something about savoury high energy nuts mixed with sweet sultanas, dried fruit and chocolatey bits that tastes so good. And best of all, it can’t get squished in your pockets!
What’s your top packing essentials for a cycling holiday?
Arm-warmers! I hate being too warm when riding, so I don’t wear a jacket unless I absolutely have to. So on a chilly morning, I like to start in arm warmers, then take them off as it warms up – they fit easily into a cycling jersey or pocket. As a guide, I should also probably mention the power of a good reliable multi-tool and pump should never be underestimated!
Tell us something about you we might not know…
I once bumped into cycling legend, and my childhood idol, Danny Mackaskill, on a sunny, snowy New Year’s Day at the top of a mountain on the Isle of Skye! He was of course, riding the ridgeline on his Santa Cruz MTB, but was happy to stop and chat and was one of the most humble guys I’ve ever met.
Want to know more about our amazing guides? Check out our meet the team section on the blog to get to know our team a little bit better and for more expert advice on all things cycling!