BUCS 2011 - Moelfre

BUCS 2011 - Moelfre Student Championships from Rob Rickman on Vimeo.

I was on camera duty for this years BUCS. It was a great weekend and really nice to be back out in the welsh hills. The weather was a mixed affair but that didnt dampen the mood and there was plenty of excitement both on and off the track. Swansea was well represented, we had 5 riders posting more than respectable times. It is fair to say that thanks to the shear genius of the vibe trolley swansea was also responsible for bringing the party. The XC on the sunday was fantastic, a straight up straight down track, the down being down one of the DH tracks the up being up the uplift track. Bike skills were required along with brutal fitness. The steep showdown section provided endless entertainment as rider after rider were sliding out or getting flicked over the bars. There is a strange beauty about that unavoidable moment when the front end digs in which when combined with an epically high saddle and an extended stem forces the rider into a slow but perfect arc over the bars, the bike following thanks to the carefully engineered clipless pedals. All of us who practice the statistically safer sport of DH had a great time cheering on the XC riders and providing helpful advice and support whilst sitting in the sunshine nursing a hangover. All this action has been crammed into the video above for all the non students out there who want to know what they are missing. Once again BUCS wins the prize for the best atmosphere and all round event, thanks to all the organisers for pulling it off again this year.

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Southern Downhill Interview

I was interviewed by Rob from SouthernDownhill this weekend about life and Four Cross racing. If you need some monday morning distraction then the full interview can be found here.

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BUCS 2010 - Ae Forest

The Student Champs should be the model for all other DH races. There is nothing quite like an event catering for 800 students. The DH track was really good this year, the level was suitable for all abilities with a few challenging sections to really mix up the results. Friday night saw a load of rain which lubricated the track and made the whole event a lot more interesting. In practice the final section of steep, freshly cut terrain was carnage. Riders were tumbling and crashing at every possibility through this section which lead to a massive alcohol fuelled crowd building through the day. By second runs the atmosphere was totally wired. From the top of the track the crowds could be heard showing their support for fellow riders, banter was flying, claxons and air horns were going off, the atmosphere really was nuts. As a rider it makes the event really something special and the party feeling makes spectating incredibly entertaining. Joe Bowman has put together this awesome video of the DH, check it out:

British Student Champs Downhill 2010 A.e Forest from Joe Bowman on Vimeo.

Swansea, although missing the podium for the first time in a few years posted some respectable results with Will Soffe finishing 4th and incredibly managing to finish first fun in 17th despite having smashed off his rear brake rotor right at the top of the track. Greg Hampton squeezed into the top 20 to finish in 19th place. Jack Malone made 39th after properly, and I mean properly snapping his front wheel in his first run. I got the BFe down in a 2:56 to finish in 81st place overall.



The XC followed an epic party on Saturday night and to be frank the track was a massive disappointment. The hillside had so much potential and yet they chose to route the track along fireroads and a man made tow path type thing. There was no tech climbs or descents and worst of all there was no comedy crash section to provide comedy for the DH boys. Despite this some really imaginative heckling was carried out on a couple of the switchbacks giving the XC a bit more fear factor for a lot of the riders. An impromptu rock/tyre/ravioli/pot noodle garden was also built on the start straight to keep the riders on their toes each lap. Swansea managed 3 riders in the top 30 but unfortunately that wasnt enough to secure the team podium.

Thanks to Joe Bowman to this great video of the event and James Holt for the pictures. For more info on the picture and fullsize images contact him at jceholt@gmail.com

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Out in the Valleys

It was great to get back out on the bike after a few weeks stuck in front of a computer. I headed out with Rob and James up into the hills to do a bit of exploring and find some new tracks. The sun was out and it was great to be back out in the woods and check out some new lines. The afternoon was finished off with a play on the bottom half of Cwmcarn. I know it has its critics but I love it. Sometimes a manmade track is just needed and it was loads of fun charging about and hitting some decent sized jumps. James left us early to enter an Aquathon; a swim across the lake at Tredegar followed by a big old run, I will happily admit I cant think of anything worse. He definately deserves some respect though its a pretty hardcore way of topping off a days riding and shows an offensive level of fitness!

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Northern Rocks

A great days riding with Cotic and Singletrack Mag up in the Peaks.

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UK Bike Park - BUCS 09

A bit of a change for the champs this year the weather was absolutely amazing! Loads of sunshine and a great venue with camping right next the track created a brilliant atmosphere. The champs is always one of the best races of the year. the racing is incredibly chilled out but at the same time a huge amount of pride is at stake as the University teams battle against each other for the top spot.

I missed friday practice after having broken down thursday night, the day was spent frustratingly under the van replacing the alternator and trying to get it all fixed up in time to rejoin the action. Hearing stories of grass slalom races friday night with mass start directed at a line of students who were marking the extents of the track, the weekend was clearly starting well and I had to get my act together.

Still tweaking the van saturday morning, swapping in a new fuel filter and giving her the last bit of love and persuasion she was after. We were finally on the road, rocking up at 10 to find Rob had also only just made it. I cant say I was a huge fan of the track to begin with, it was a short fiddly one, not too technical but most of the corners were over blown and roots hid in strange places and which swiped the wheels away from under you. This was a track that required care and control rather than ballsy off the brakes antics. With a huge range of ability on the track practice was a bit of a traffic jam so no chance to really get into the flow or manage a full run.

Come racing though it was a totally different game. The entire length of the track was lined with loud, excited students dealing out the encouragement and abuse. They were all there for one reason, to see some carnage. It was possible to tell standing at the top how a rider was getting on just from the pitch of the cheering that was making its way down the track. First run I got a little carried away and excited by the audience. Charging the top half of the track I was putting in a good run until some friendly spectators were shouting at me to get on the pedals right before this cheeky steep right hander. A good crowd had developed above this corner as it was the center of the action and I flew in totally forgetting it was coming and had no chance in hell of making the turn. Having smashed into a couple of trees I eventually ran out of momentum half way down the hill. The crowd were clearly well entertained by my cornering abilities. Will Soffe was the only rider on form for Swansea placing 3rd overall with his usual unhurried style that never seems to reflect the incredibly quick times he posts.

After the DH the flood lights were wheeled out (and some even lit up) illuminating the first 3 jumps off the 4X track. A straight knock out was arranged, a drag race with the top 2 going through to the next round. This was so much fun. The track has been changed since I was last there and there is now nothing to slow you down up until the table which consequently is very short for the speed. That combined with not being able to see the landing and flash photography smashing you in the eyes it was a really sketchy, fun, exciting event. First practice down the track and someone ran under my wheels as I was flying up the step-up totally scaring the sh*t out of me and getting the adrenaline pumping ready for the event. A few snaps later and I was knocked out by the french BMX champ who's name I should know and Steve Atkins who went on to take the event and earn himself some easy money.

Then the main event, the party started with Soffe and the torico boys laying down the moves with some break dancing and a few pirouettes. A heated battle of British bull dog, George instigated the coneing of a few unsuspecting characters who had to down large amounts of the contents of his bottle, enough said really.

The XC track was brilliant. A flat loop round the woods then up the 4x track down the dual track into one of the DH runs then up the uplift track to complete a lap. The climb was too steep to really pedal so it was a brisk push to the top, perfect! Me and Soffe went all out to get the holeshot, starting near the back of the pack we shouldered the bikes legged it over the grass leaving the start field we were up with the top 10. This was a lot of effort so I took my first break up in the woods! The DH was fun, some serious overbreaking meant the mega techniques were back out involving some crafty high lines and possibly dodgy overtaking maneuvers, which apparently resulted in a string of fallen riders in my wake. A can of WD40 sprayed at disk height up at the top would have really improved this race! After the climb I figured it was a good chance to sit in the van grab a drink and change my top ready for the next lap, this was a serious race and hydration is always important!! I ended up finishing just behind Rob, Soffe came in in 7th which is really good going, will be entering him for the Champs next year!

Representing Swansea in the champs was Sion the defending champion, Matt and James. James had been shredding the DH and Dual all weekend so big expectations for him despite being the underdog in XC this was a track that really suited his ability. Going for the cheeky start up the grass he made it from the second pack to the front half of the leading pack and was seriously flying the DH only to puncture. Legging it back to the car he was straight back on it and made up a serious number of positions on the descents, really good to see. One corner at the bottom of the descent surrounded by probably over a hundred rowdy downhillers. The look of terror as the less confident riders approached the section was brilliant. Loads of cheering, chants, overtaking, crashing, skidding, Mexican mooning. . . made for some great entertainment. Sion ended up finishing 4th just off the podium.

Another great weekend, a big thanks to everyone involved in organising the Champs, bring on next year!

Anyway Sod all this typing malarkey heres the real story, thanks to all riders involved:

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Wentwood - Simpy DH

This weekend was back to racing a serious track, Wentwood was certainly more challenging than last weekends antics. The track was fast, tons of corners, nice wide taping which offered some real options when it came to line choice. There was also plenty of sections ready to catch you out. In my opinion a great track to race both challenging and super fun at the same time. The bottom section was incredibly tight and deep greasy mud, off camber and roots meant it was a total minefield that could destroy a good run. Pushing was actually not too bad, there is less chance to build up the nervous energy and stress when you are slogging up a hill compared to sitting in a crowded bus. The sun was out and it was a good chance to have a natter on the way up. In terms or riding, I managed as many runs as I would have done on an uplift so cant really complain.

The hardtails were getting competitive this week. Last weekends warm up fired up the competitive streaks leading to a lot of light hearted banter. Stuart stormed the first run setting the target of 2.26 for the second run. This clearly ignited the beast in Alex who I believe has never been beaten by Stu and he set a blinder of a time in his second run of 2.22. My first run was well off the pace, somehow I avoided ending up off the track after getting pitched up into the bars coming off the road where the track drops into a steep rooted section, hairy to say the least. Second run was on pace with a 2.26 but Stu managed to clear a second off his time putting him deservedly on the second step of the podium and leaving me back in 3rd.

Hardtail Podium.

Will Soffe was on it once more representing the Swansea boys and 2-Step bikes. He posted second fastest time of the day and took the win in Expert. Rob Hinds was looking good all day, lining it up to the max, finishing in 16th place in the senior category. It looks like Swansea still stand a good chance of domination once again in the forthcoming student champs!

Soffe flying

The drive back was totally Maxxed up with the van taking its go at rally driving. Suspension damping was clearly not high on Mitsubishis priorities when designing the beast making it really quite an exciting experience blasting down the forest road out of the venue. Ha anyway for a proper report check out Si Patons write up at Pink Bike

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Forest of Dean - MiniDH

I was a bit sceptical about this event before hand, £20 to push your bike up the hill and a couple of hundred riders on a short track just seemed like a bit of a raw deal to be honest. It turned out to be seriously good fun. The event reminded me a lot of the old Cheddar Challenge races, really chilled out and lots of new younger faces about which is exactly what the sport needs at the moment. The atmosphere was far more social than a Dragon and the short track was littered with spectators the whole way, loads of banter, cheering, jeering, Rob even coercing a cheeky smile from a few of the ladies coming down!

Short track racing is a totally different concept to your standard DH. I reckon its actually really good training. To do well you need to nail the perfect run as messing up a corner will knock you down a good 10 places in the standings. There is no cruising or having a rest its all about being flat out to the finish.

From the Swansea boys Will Soffe was on it taking 3rd in the Pro-Am. Rob Hinds made one hell of an impression in his first DH race on a proper bike coming in 7th in the Seniors. Manon Carpenter was seriously impressive in the ladies Pro-Am category coming in quicker than Fion Griffiths to take the win.

My weekend was less impressive, a comfortable 1st run came in at just over 57s, got my race head back in gear for the 2nd run which was proper hairy up until a crash halfway down leaving me in 50th overall but importantly a 100th of a second faster than FoD local Leeroy, a real character on the hill and not at all impressed that I sneaked in front of him!

It was a really good weekend, I recommend it especially to those new to DH, its a great way of getting a taster for what racings about. Chris Roberts is running a series as well as the 4x and Caersws Cup. Check out future events here MiniDH

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One BFe, One day, Four disciplines

This post got lost in all of the end of term fun. However the pictures are too good to let sit unseen and are definitely a bit of a reminder of what our summer weather should look like!!

The plan was to hit the road early with the guys for a lap of Afan, then on to Tredegar BMX track for a few motos. This was followed up by some DH, valley style, ready for an evening of Dirt Jumping at Caerphilly to use up all the remaining light. Finally our activities were chased down by the compulsory sweet and sour chicken-balls and chips outside the castle!!

Rd1 Afan - The Wall

Eventually having made it out of Swansea, late thanks to jack ripping the handle off his garage door locking his bike in and some overly officious car park attendants up at uni. We were on the road with the prospect of The Walls long fireroad climb as a warm up and a painful wake up call. This, my first ride of the wall and as far as Mega training goes it really is one of the best. The trail is seriously Alpine feeling, the hot summer air and smell of pine trees makes for the start of an amazing ride. The views from the sides of the hill look down the near deserted valley down towards the welsh coast, stunning. Likewise the riding is top notch. Another full on descent fast, narrow, rocky that for an xc route really tests the nerve of us DH boys.


Rd2 Tredegar BMX

The track looked in great condition after having been groomed for the national up there the previous week. Jason's new pump/play track is now up and running and really finishes off the place. The view across from the start hill is now an unbroken mass of jumps and berms. The play track is also great for less experienced riders providing them an opportunity to get the feel of what a BMX track is about with out having to face a full sized track straight off. It is however incredibly tight so small wheels recommended.


Rd3 Valley Dh

Valley loom is so much fun!! This trail is loose drifty but even in a week since we were last there the ferns had grown. They were poised ready to grab you leaving no room for error. This is the perfect afternoon track with nice easy push, lots of sun and a cool breeze.



Rd4 Caerfilly DJ

This is still one of my favourite places to spend an evening. The sun goes down behind the trails and the orange hue of the dirt blends into the sunset. The jumps are big challenging and a lot of fun. More trails need to be this way they are built with corners and hips in mind so you do lots of changing of direction and makes it really lively and fun to ride. Rob was seriously on form. Not having much dirtjumping experience and on his 'sx trail' he was making it smoothly half way down the main line. He was more than proving our philosophy that one bike can be all thats needed to have fun in any type/style of riding.

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