May Bank Hol means Richmond Grass Track Racing

Normally we all go down for the parade and activities in the Gardens but had jobs to do in the morning and Angus had to have a fixed track bike to race this year which hasent got so we did things alittle different. Angus & me got dropped off at Scotch Corner so we could ride to Richmond via the Stang. Whislt Arran went straight to the track meeting. We have done this route before but todays weather was not the best. We started with overcast cloudy skies and a cold wind. By the time we weaved our way through many singletrack country back lanes and onto the moor heading for the Stang it was blowing a gale straight into our faces. Temperature dropped to 8 degress and raining. It was a struggle to get over the top, quick stop to put our coats on, few quick pics then had to pedal down hill to Reeth. Called in past Dales Bike Centre shop for a quick look & warm up then it was a blast down the road to Richmond. My legs were gone by the time we hit the last climb going into Richmond Town Centre. Arrans race was just starting when we landed so timed it to perfection. There was a few good crashes on the track as it was getting greasy with the rain. Rest day tomorrow for my legs but taking the car for its MOT.

Route map from todays ride is here and some photos are here

Ride through to Raby Castle Run

The sun was out again so i decided to have a ride through to watch the Raby Castle 5 & 10k run. The ride through was ok but still a cool headwind in many places but the roads were very quiet at that time of morning. Just over 20 miles + 3or4 riding around Raby Estate. The 5k run started at 10am sharp and the set up was fantastic with loads more marshalls out this year and a pa system with pre warm events. Jane, Arran & Angus were all running and had pb's to try and beat. Arran is just a little whippet and never even broke sweat and did very well. Angus just loves the crack and had to beat 30mins which is not bad as its a very undulating course. Jane dosent enjoy the hills but was on full power. All three are sitting waiting for their official times. There was a big field in the 10k with some very fast runners. Great day out.  Below are some pics of the mornings action -

Over the top on the road bike

With no miles since last Sunday it was time to drag my arse out for a good kicking. The sun has finally come out again and the wind has dropped it was time to drag out the big speed gun Dale Supersix. Pumped the tyres up and she was ready to role up & over Weardale Dales. Had a few hours to get a ride in so headed to Nevilles Cross, turnerd right and straight upto Stanhope. A quick half energy bar break then turned right and up and over Crawleyside. Once on the top there wasnt much speed / freewheeling as I had a headwind. The one section after the pub on the top where you can get a good freewheel there was a sheep right in the middle of my side of road and a car coming the opposite direction at exactly the same time left me to lock up my rear brake and scrub some speed off my 39mph, it didnt give a monkeys just stood there and stared at me. By the time i got back down to Lanchester it was time for another quik half bar break before turning left after the church for a steady climb up the Peth, it dosent get any easier. Cracking views from the top of Burnhope but didnt have time to stop & enjoy them. All in i covered 50 miles of lovely sunny / clear sky riding. Forgot to take my camera so no pics of the ride but here is the route map .

Due to no photos i will do a quick follow up review of my Sram Red X Glide 1090 cassette that i have been using for approx five months now. I originally fitted to the cross bike but found out it was no good in the mud but perfect for the lines etc. I swapped it over onto my road bike and has performed with no problems what so ever. Crisp changes and quiet in operation. It was expensive but its light and lasting well. Im also using a Sram chain but Dura ace shifters etc.

A wet / muddy Hamsterley Forest

It was Rd3 of the NE XC Series last night at a rather wet & muddy Hamsterley Forest. The course was the same as last years event for the U12's race & the full course. Plenty big climbs and technical downhills. That makes both Angus & Arran happy and showed during their races as they were flying. Arran was in the U12's shorter course race and had a steady start but within a few laps he was pulling through well. At the end he came second U10 & overall 4th out of 22 covering 5 laps in 13.01 mins. In the second race Angus had a good start and was flying through the technical section on the downhill. At one point he nearly caught Rhianna who was in 3rd place. In the end he got 3rd U14 and overall 4th covering three laps in 31.23 mins. The killer of the night was the midges again who were trying to eat me alive. Had two bottles of the Avon lotion stuff but must have gone off in the van over winter as the lotion was solid!! lesson learnt, leave it in the house during the winter months. Here are some pics of the evenings goings on here The Gravity Endruo boys had a canny set up and some cracking fires going. Shame they were riding the same course during the kids race as they were putting pressure on some of them to get past when they were racing

Oopp's Hamsterley's biggest cycling event is on this weekend

Yes the UK Enduro Gravity 2013 Series hits the forest all weekend with many trail sections closed. I have never been or seen this type of racing but by all accounts it is very popular and some big names in the mtb world are competing. Fulls details are here http://www.ukgravityenduro.com/event/rd3-hamsterley-forest-england-25th-26th-may-2013/

Events coming up or not as the case may be

First off the www.richmondmeet.co.uk is this weekend. There is the Grass track racing @ the Cricket Club on Mon 27th which is orgainised by the Nutcracker team this year. I have been going every year since Richmond CC took it back life. Go down early and watch the parade, then have a walk around Friary Gardens just off the main roundabout for some entertainment & fun. There has been a real mixed bag or weather over the years from hail, wind, rain to brilliant sunshine. The local Cobble race is always a great laugh even though they take it very serious ! Here's the final event itinerary for the day:

Event 1: National 800m, Heats 1
Event 2: Ladies/Youth Omnium, Round 1, One lap time trial
Event 3: National 800m, 1st Reps
Event4: Ladies/Youth Omnium, Round 2, 3k Scratch Race
Event5: National 800m, Heats 2
Event 6: Ladies/Youth Omnium, Round 3, 10 Lap Points Race (sprint every other lap)
Event 7: National 800m, Consolation Final
Event 8: National 800m, Major Final
Event 9: Ladies/Youth Omnium, Devil Takes the Hindmost
Event 10: Richmond Cobble Team Sprint, Heats 1
Event 11: Open 8km Endurance Race, 22 Laps (National Endurance Series)
Event 12: Freewheel Kids’ Races
Event 13: Open 12 Lap Points Race (sprint every other lap)
Event 14: Richmond Cobble Team Sprint, Final
Event 15: Open Devil Takes the Hindmost
Event 1 will kick off at 1pm, sharp!

There is also another great local event on this weekend but running instead of cycling for a change - Raby Castle 10k & 5k race Sun 26th May. Again this is fantstic morning out and is set within the grounds of the beautiful estate grounds. The route is mainly tarmac with some offroad sections through the wood and has a good mix of terrain from climbs to steep descents. We have been attending this event for well over 10 years now. Info here http://www.teesdaleac.co.uk/page5.htm    

Now this is a real shame and there was always local riders attended but the York Cycle Show 2013 has been cancelled. Again we have been attending this event for many years and was a great weekend away - "This June’s CTC York Cycle Show has been cancelled due to bookings that are “well below expectations” and fears of a repeat of the poor weather that has often affected the event in recent years. It is hoped the event will return in 2014, when Yorkshire hosts the Grand Départ of the Tour de France, with York hosting the start of Stage 2 of the race. This year’s edition, the 69th, was due to have been held on the weekend of 22/23 June and as in previous years would have attracted thousands of cyclists, but unsettled weather and other factors including the effects of the economic climate have led organisers to decide to cancel it." More on the storey here

Finally gave in, no that should be i finally rolled in

Angus has been twisting on for years to get some rollers but he never hardly uses the turbo. There was a good offer on for a cheap set of begineer rollers so he chipped in half and the order was placed. They came straight away and took no setting up and he mounted them. Within five mins he was away without holding on to anything. After Angus had finished i had a go but with less success but i did have my slippers on, well that was my excuss. Lets just hope they dont gather too much dust !

 Nice evening so the second spin was on the patio - 42mins, didnt even need the chair to hold onto

Splashing about in the Dales

Well the rain finally stopped after 8hrs solid down pour in Co Durham with many roads closed due to flooding. Off we headed to Dales Bike Centre just outside Reeth. We were booked in for the 10am session and Angus had a Orange FIVE 29er on demo. He has tried an Orange Alpine 160 26" @ Glentress and it was fantastic fun. Stu took us out as a group for a guided ride around some local tracks. A nice tarmac climb to gain some height and warm the legs up to start with then onto the offroad. The route was wet to say the least but not too muddy. He showed us a fantastic mix off all types of terrain from technical stoney singletrack to downhills and a lovely singletrack following the river back to Fremington. It was very humid and overcast with the sun just shinning through near the end of a 2hr ride. We were soaked, covered in mud but had a big smile. Arran was too little to go on the ride so i took him for a blast back along the road to Richmond to strech his legs out and did 10 miles. Here are some pics of the action

ee is that how you pump up a tyre

just testing, some carpark riding going on

some fine tuning of the forks

and ready to go

nearly 2hrs later and happy as larry

the Orange fleet linned up for some pics

ready for a wash

the FAT held its own but got dropped on some the descents

The Orange rep was spot and knew his stuff, he had a cracking ride and was eyeing up my FAT Bike. I did ask if Orange were thinking of doing one but he said it would take them to long to get one onto the market. But as he said many offer manufacturers are adding them to their 2014 range. Here is more pics here

Orange Demo Day down in the Dales

Orange Bikes - Demo Day Sunday 19th May

MBE will be attending the demo day down @ Dales Bike Centre. We will try and get a gallery of pics of the event. Full details for the event are below - get yourself down and enjoy some Orange fun


A fantastic opportunity to ride an Orange Mountain Bike on the trails you're looking to ride.
Be sure to book your ride! Guided Demo Rides. Three guided rides each day. There is no cost but you'll need to reserve the size/model of bike you want to ride and which time you'd like to ride. Ordering your new Orange mountain bike from Dales Bike Centre and recieve a free Riding Skills Course voucher*
Ride Times: 10am, 12 noon, 2pm Contact us on:01748 884908 or enquiries@dalesbikecentre.co.uk

Orange Bikes - available to ride -
Five Pro - 14", 16", 17", 18", 20" & 22"

Five Diva - 14"

Gyro - med, large, Xlarge

Clockwork S - med, large, Xlarge

Alpine 160 - 16", 18" & 20"

Patriot - medium & large

Five29 - medium & large

Notes
1. Please bring a helmet, suitable riding gear for all weathers and pedals/shoes if you have a preference
2. Please arrive 40 minutes before the ride starts to ensure you have plenty of time to register and have the bike set up for you
3. You will be required to read and sign a disclaimer and also leave a credit card as a deposit for each bike
4. You will be responsible for the safe return of the demo bike, which must be returned in full working order and original condition. In the event of damage you will be charged for repairs or replacement.
5. Riders aged 16 or under must be accompanied by a riding adult who will be responsible for their safety
*Free riding skills course voucher on bike over £1000

Tour Series hits Durhams streets

What a fantastic nights racing around Durham back streets. Lovely dry warmish weather made for very fast racing. The bloke on mc was the best yet and really had the crowd going. This was the quietest year yet for spectators by along way so you could walk around the full circuit alot easierr and get some pics. More crossing points and better barriered paths this year as well. As normal the cobbled streets / climb sorted out the riders and bikes but didnt see any crashes this year. There is normally quite a few get carted away. Its also a great evening to bump into many old friends / riders of our MBE events and a chance to get some chips from Stantons ! Here is a gallery of here

The Tour Series hit the streets of Durham City tonight. This round sorts the boys from the girls up the cobbled climb. Its normally a great evenings racing. We will post a gallery in a few days of the nights action. There has been no advertising or PR for this years event so might be quieter on the footpaths. All the info is here inc route map http://www.tourseries.co.uk/venues/durham/index.php

 

Alittle Breezy @ Aske Estate

Well thats Nutcacker Rd 3 2013 done @ Aske Estate. The course was in very good condition and very dry and fast under tyre. Several new singletrack sections have been added since 2012. The worst part i think was the long straight out the back in the monster headwind. As soon as you turned left into the woods it was a different world. Nutcracker team did a cracking job today and was a well organised event. Angus did the Juvenilles race covering one full lap and I did the so called Fun cat doing two laps. It was rather competitive at the front for a fun cat! Arran did the Sweat Monster race @ Midday and came 2nd U10. Here are some photos of the event https://picasaweb.google.com/scotbrown1/NutcrackerRd3AskeEstate

MTB XC Events Updates

Its Nutcracker Rd3 tomorrow @ Aske Estate just outside Richmond. We have been every year since they started orgainising events there. Its a cracking venue with a good mix of all types of terrain inc some technical stuff in the second set of woods. There is entry on the day @ £26 and free car parking as well. We will have a gallery up of pics asap after the race. Watch out the FAT BIKE will be racing again.

NE MTB XC Series Rd 2 @ Ferryhill . The course was bone dry and running very fast. Cold strong wind all evening with the old current bun only popping out a few times. Arran had a cracking race and got overall 2nd & 1st U10. Angus also had a good race doing the full course finishing overall 4th & 3rd U14. Here is a gallery of pics from the nights first two races https://picasaweb.google.com/scotbrown1/NEXCSeriesRd2Ferryhill