Ride through to South Shields

Yet again it was a cracking day on Sunday so we decided to have an offroad ride through to South Shields for the day on the Fat Bikes. It was a steady 26 mile ride through mainly on cycle tracks and a couple of beaches as well. Once we got past Marsden we noticed they were getting ready for the Great North Run. We thought it was later in Sept but its this Sunday. Its the biggest set up yet i have ever seen for the event and the lads were very busy setting up the temporary buildings etc. We had a look down at the outdoor velodrome and even that was full of tents and a telecommunications mast had been erected. You will not get anywhere near Shields / Coast or Newcastle this weekend by car but ok by bike! When we got to Shields it was time for ice cream, crazy golf and you cannot got to Shields without having a loop around the lake on the steam train.

Sunny @ Whitby

It was time for some relaxing riding instead of organising and doing event paperwork for a change. The sun was out so it was time to head towards the coast. We had not been to Whitby during the school hols so the trip was well over due. Me and Angus took our Fat Bikes down for some beach riding. We set off from the West Cliff area down onto the beach and had a ride along to Sandsend. What a lovely little village Sandsend is, from there we went along a coastal track to a Lunar type location which is weird place and never seen nothing like it. We have never ridden a bike on this type of terrain and was great fun. After a play around is was time to head back to Whitby along the beach as the tide was coming in fast. Then it was time for some beach fun, slot machines, fish n chips then icecream !

No more Mtb racing in the NE for this season

It was the last Round of the NE XC Series on Saturday gone at a rather damp and muddy Hamsterley Forest. The day before it rained for nearly 24hrs and i mean rain. The course was longer than the normal Wednesday night event (apart from the U12's course). The day started off with the U12's and there was plenty of them as well. It was the same course as normal for them with the older ones lapping some before they even got one lap in. The little ones struggled on the climb and descent and were off and pushing in places. Arran had a good race and got 1st U10 on the day (5th in the race) and 1st overall in Series. Then it was onto the second race of the day for the U14's on the full course. There was massive gaps forming between riders and they ended up racing on their own for most of the two laps. Angus was 6th U14 and 7th on the day and come in 3rd overall in the series. The third race was the Sen, Vet, Lady, Jun @ U16's race. We didnt stop to watch this so no photos but there was a low turnout with 38 riders finishing the race. Here are some photos of the action inc Kids presentation. Its a shame that its only the top three from each age cat that get a mention at the Presentation as they have all worked very hard all season to finish the series.

Rd 4 Results, Photos etc

Results are done and in the results section. Best night racing this series and a fantastic turn out for the final with 79 riders taking on the Hetton Challenge. Photos are uploaded and in the Gallery and they are free to download to anybody that wants some.
Final League table is now complete and also uploaded all the League Age Cat finishers as well
Winners of the MBE Autumn 2013 Series are -
1st James Anderson
2nd Carl Donaldson
3rd Rob Smith
U16 Thomas Mein
U14 Aaron Preston
U12 Arran Brown
U10 Joseph Brown
U8 Joel Hurt
V50 Andy Moss. V40 James Anderson. Sen Carl Donaldson. Lady Sarah Murray. Jun Joe Mann.
Full series report to follow as well. Next up for MBE is the One Peak of Hetton on Saturday 28th September, loads of prizes on the day inc spot prizes. Full info in the One Peak Section top right of website.
All the best MBE

*** The Grand Finale Tonight @ Hetton ***

Yes its Round 4 the Grand Finale of the 2013 MBE Autumn Series @ Hetton Lyons Country Park. The weather is going to be hot & dry for the evenings racing. The Country Park is in perfect condition so lets go out with bang! Looking at the League table there is plenty of riders still fighting for points as its very close in all three races / age cats. This is your last chance to test out your bike & body before the Winter Season starts this Sunday. Full details on tonights event are below inc the course map etc. Dont forget that any rider who has or will complete the min 3 from 4 events will qualify for a League position and goodie bag tonight.  

Grand Final Rd4 News Update

This coming Wednesday is GRAND FINAL Round 4 - 4th Sept @ Hetton Lyons Country Park, Hetton Le Hole.

Its your last chance to get a practice race before the Winter Seasons starts this Sunday. Presentations will take place after each race and we have prepared 62 prize bags ready.

The refreshments are now fully restocked for all races. The Series will be similar set up to previous years with three races on the night, first U10's on a shorter course for 10mins - all get some goodies at the end. Second race is the U12/14/16 on the main course for approx 20+mins, again all get some goodies after. Main race is at 7pm on the main course for approx 45mins (depending upon weather). It will be your best three from four rounds to count for overall league position and the presentation will take place after the main race. All riders who complete the series will be presented with a goodie bag regardless of position. All i ask is that you turn up in plenty of time to get signed on and get ready for your start time. We hold a tight schedule on the night due to fading light each week. If you are a member dont forget to bring your current 2014 licence otherwise you will have to pay the day member fee. If you are a non member can you complete the Day membership form (see section to the top right of this web page) and bring along on the day, that will help reduce the waiting time at signing on. Please note that you only have to complete the form once for the whole season. The races are open to all ages and abilities from complete novice to expert, you dont have to be a member of any club either. You can enter on any type of bike suitable for offroad use inc mountain bikes etc, all you need is a helmet. Can you hand your numbers in when you help yourself to the free refreshments afterwards. Enjoy and have a good time. There will be a gallery of photos which are free to download, results and an updated league table. The course will be set of the hill side of the Country Park which has a great mix of all types of terrain from climbs, descents, singletrack, open sections.

Rd4 course of the season can be viewed here and is 1.40 miles long and climbing approx 180ft climbing per lap. The map on the Garmin link is best viwed in Satellite option - click on Map button and select this setting. This week you will be racing clockwise direction around the course which is very fast flowing & technical in places. There will be a shorter course for the U10/8/6 and will have a great mix of up, down, singletrack and corners.

RD3 Results, Photos etc

Great turn out of 69 riders to take on Rd3 of the Autumn Series. It was a fantastic evening for racing with perfect weather and ground conditions. Results are done and in the results section. Grand Final course is here and is the best yet, it will be very fast flowing with plenty of technical sections in @ Hetton Lyons Country Park Wed 4th September. Remeber that the Prize Presentation will follow after the main race next week and all riders who have completed the League (best 3 from 4) will get a goodie bag. Gallery of free photos are here  as well.
League table is done, more updates to follow asap, all the best MBE