BFe's flying Wideopen

Its all happening in this months issue of Wideopen magazine. Theres a nice interview with Britain's very own World Champ Danny Hart. A follow up review of their longterm Cotic BFe build and to top it off I somehow sneaked into its coveted pages as part of Alistair Keens writeup of our Scotland World Cup adventure.

Best of all its free to read over the Web so follow the link below to check it out.

...Read more!

NPS4x 2011 Rd1: Leamington Spa

This weekend saw the opening round of the national 4x series at Leamington Spa. It was a hell of a start to the season, these people spreading the quite frankly ridiculous rumours that 4X is dead need to get to an event and check one of these events out, the atmosphere was buzzing. There were 40 riders signed up in Senior, 20 Elite riders on top of the Youth, Juvenile and fun categories making 170 riders in total. Even the women were really well represented and battling hard. This year the series is looking very pro. The trackside was lined with big team stands and there were loads of spectators giving the event a real motocross feel and great atmosphere. The quality of the organisation from Naked Racing is top notch and very slick. Out on the track the it is obvious how competitive the team competition is going to be this year. There are now a number of really big teams displaying some trick looking bikes and striking race kit. The big players for this season are going to be team 44Racing who have last years victory to defend but that wont be an easy task when up against the formidable looking team Identiti and team Nukeproof. It was also great to see a load of the dirtjump scene signed up and charging hard, Glen Coe was on the gates and Ross Tricker was back giving 4X another go in the Elites.




The track has just been rebuilt and so it was super fresh for this event. The track has a clear BMX influence with lots of steep close set jumps and rollers. First straight was awkward right off the gate, first pedal stroke put you into a small double that required good timing and control to pedal over then there are 3 doubles that split into a small roller/double and a do or die double into the inside of the first corner. This line couldnt be rolled, it was the faster but slightly more risky option. On the ouside there was a triple to double. Again very closely spaced so you had to be really on the ball or else it got really ragged. The first corner was long and loose and tarmac on the second half. This saw some big crashes as people struggled to hold the inside flatout. Out of this corner was a large camel hump table, most people were stepping on to the hump but a few were storming the corner and clearing the lot. This lead into an S-turn and a few more BMX style roller doubles. A right hander lead into the final straight where the track split to form the pro line on the left and a load of small tight rollers and doubles on the right. The proline isnt the biggest out there but the run in out of the corner is more or less uphill so you really have to be on the cranks to have the speed. Not everyone was into the BMX feel of the track but I think we need to have a range of tracks that make a dynamic and interesting race series and which can test the full range of riders skills. It was definitely challenging to ride but good fun, its a track that I would love to have on my doorstep as there is so much there to play with and learn from.

The sky was threatening to produce a big storm but we managed to dodge the worst of it and we had a mixture of sun and big heavy clouds with some wind to keep people on their toes down the first straight. The track did produce some good racing and really showed which riders were still asleep from the winter break. Most of the action happened on the first straight but there were plenty of moves being made lower down the track. The best racing of the day was coming from Nathon Parsons. It was his first race in Elite and he was pushing to the limit and not giving any of the more experienced Elite riders an easy time on the track. In one of the motos he came from 4th at the end of the first straight and chased down the riders in front making up two places by the finish. Nate made it to the A finals but got tangled with Oggy to take 4th overall. Not a bad first outing! In Senior Alistair Keen was the shocker of the day. He is a Leamington local and has clearly been getting the practice in as he was storming every moto and held it all the way to a 3rd place finish overall. The big crash prizes went to Ross Tricker who was gunning for the inside on the first corner but caught the other riders wheel and lost it at full pace shoulder barging the upslope of the next jump which marked the end of his racing for the day due to a suspected collar bone injury. Tom Knight had a good one coming off one of the doubles half way along the first straight getting thrown impressively over the bars with bike still attached. He got away with it and was back up and sprinting back down the track. Lee Ferry went down sending the camel top table in what looked like a really heavy crash but luckily he was back up and able to race.



I was happy with my day. It was literally my first day back on a mountain bike since the cast came off. The ankle was giving me some grief in practice so I took it easy and got it strapped up ready for races. My first two motos werent that great. I was too fresh on the track and a little hesitant which gave me two 3rd place finishes. the last two went a lot better and I was feeling my racing form coming back and feeling like I was riding far more respectably. Third moto was a 2nd place finish. The last moto I had a decent start but got chopped at the end of the first straight and didnt have the speed for the inside line. Coming from the back I managed to get back with the pack and finished the moto in 3rd. This wasnt enough to get through to the quarters but I am super happy to be back on the bike and its great to know that even after hanging up a few jumps the leg is in one piece and good to go. Bring on the next round!



Thanks to Chris Roberts and the team at Naked Racing for putting on another great event. It was brilliant to see so many riders out, the scene looks really vibrant at the moment, the atmosphere was awesome, I am looking forward to seeing how this 4X buzz develops throughout the season. If any of you DHers realise you are missing out and want to give 4X a stab then next round is at PORC on the May the 8th.


Heres a nice video from Duncan Philpott covering the event.

...Read more!

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.

...Read more!

Snow Lines

Stunning weather, snow, bikes what more can be said. We hit the hills and had loads of fun sliding around in the white stuff. Jonathon Lloyd was on the camera and did a great job of catching the action to compact flash. Lets hope theres more of this great winter weather to come.

...Read more!

Brechfa Raven Trail

Its great having these light evenings, after a day of slacking and flying the kite I met Tam and Oli for an afterwork ride on the new trail up at Brechfa. It was really good other than swarms of pesky midgies and a stupid crash early on in the ride. The crash was a beauty involving some horrendously gnarly northshore skinnies which were nearly a foot wide and prob a foot and a half off the ground, totally full on stuff! Anyway it caught me off gaurd and sent me over the handle bars a few time with my leg wrapped round the bar, no idea what my feet were really doing up there. The crash managed to cause both my brake hoses to unscrew themselves dripping fluid everywhere. This is pretty miraculous I can only assume someone has a grudge on me and took a spanner to the brakes, how I had the dexterity in my feet to perform such an act to both hoses is just totally implausible. A bit of trailside bodging and the BFe was back on the trail and all in all a great ride. I am loving the last section down to the car park the trail has loads of large woops smashing up and down around trees. The mission is to ride it death grip and with no peddaling, it is a great challenge for keeping momentum going.

...Read more!

The Hemlock

Cy sent me a new Cotic Hemlock to play with for a few weeks. Unfortunately demo season is now on us and I have had to return the bike. It is now sat in my hall all boxed up ready to leave, today is a sad day. Having had exams cluttering up the last month I havent been able to give it as much of a thrashing as I would have liked. I have however had the Hemlock out around Afan and taken it to some local DH tracks to see how it handles when the riding gets tougher. Anyway heres how it got on.

Obviously riding for Cotic my opinion is a little biased, I ride for them though because I love riding their bikes, I think Cy has the right philosophy and at end of the day makes bikes that really do put a grin on your face. On this count the Hemlock really is no exception I had an absolute blast with this bike. The Hemlock is the first 'full susser' I have ridden with less than 7 inches of travel and it was an absolute revelation. DH bikes are slow, take a lot of effort to chuck about and suck too much fun out of the terrain, this is a totally different kettle of fish. The Hemlock shares the sharpness and nimble feeling of a hardtail, it pedals amazingly, very little energy is lost to the shock and it really drives forward when hammering on the pedals. I believe with good suspension you shouldnt really be aware of what it is doing and with the hemlock this is definately the case. I was hammering a section in the same way I would the hardtail and the Hemlock lets you carry a lot more speed and softens the blow on your body. It rewards good riding in the sense that soft legs and good line choice can let you absolutely fly down the trail.

The last descent on the wall is an epic section of trail. It is very Alpine feeling traversing a steep hill side, littered with rocks and trees, it is the kind of trail that can get very nasty if you get off line or catch a rock wrong. The Hemlock gave me a lot of confidence to stay off the brakes and chuck it into the corners, the back end keeps the rear wheel under control and in check despite taking some really decent hits. Unlike a Dh bike I felt very aware of the terrain and it makes you really ride the bike to get the most out of it rather than get lazy and let the suspension do all the work for you. It responds really well to pumping through sections and picking up the front wheel and rewards an active riding style.

On the super steep DH tracks I dont think the bars were helping it out. To me they were too high and the sweep slightly wrong in that holding onto them didnt give me that planted feel I have with the BFe. The brake levers (Magura Julies) also sat a long way from the handlebars so that when you were hanging off the back of the bike it was a struggle not to drag the brakes, being maguras though I am sure there is a way to adjust this with a bit of fiddling, stopping wise they were ace. The Hemlock really didnt feel that out of place and was able to handle some pretty lairy descents. I did get pitched over the bars once where perhaps a lower bottom bracket and super slack head angle could have saved me. Considering this isnt the Hemlocks natural home it did a very admirable job and gave me a lot of extra control than I wouldnt have had on the hardtail.

At the end of the day the proof is in the riding. Cy has a load of Demo days coming up and I would really recommend giving the Hemlock a go. I think the way UK riding is heading a bike like this is near on the perfect bike, having ridden this I dont think I would ever go for a pure DH bike again. For the new stage races and even grass roots, short course DH where you can pedal efficiently to the top and have an absolute blast on the way down, a bike like the Hemlock has to be the future. Oh and not to mention the mega! For trail centers I just dont think you can really beat a short travel bike, it does everything you need it to and keeps a grin thoroughly planted on your face.

...Read more!

Heading deep into Wales with Howies

This weekend was spent in Cardigan Bay shooting some pictures for Howies on the Cotic. They took us to a beautiful wood lodge in the middle of a nature reserve. It was a really interesting experience. I have always really liked Howies style, their catalogues really capture the very free, easy, down to earth lifestyle that their clothing promotes. Being there the atmosphere shooting reflected this attitude and in many ways it really felt like living the brochure. If you have never heard of Howies I would check it out, I think they are very unique in their approach, placing as much importance on the philosophy and ethics behind the brand as the quality and style of their clothes.

www.howies.co.uk

...Read more!

Brechfa - Gorlech trail - one word, Mint!

I just had my first experience of a welsh trail centre and can honestly say it was the best days riding I have had in a longtime. If you haven't been to Brechfa it is a bit over half an hour west of Swansea but it feels deep in the heart of wales with its tiny rural villages, plenty of tractors parked up in driveways and deep green valleys, the feeling is far removed from the industrial character of the 'valleys,' where most of the riding happens.

The trail itself has some good climbs and despite being a religious 'non pedaler' I was starting to (well almost!) understand that satisfaction that comes from pedaling to the top of some proper singletrack. It gives it an edge as you have to respect the effort taken to get there and hit the downhills full on. The singletrack is definitely first class and as a downhiller even scary in places when hit it at pace. The last descent is awesome all the guys got to the bottom buzzing, loads of good hearted banter and a few cuts earnt on the way down, but so good that we pushed back up the fireroad to hit it again. Well it would have been rude not to. It was really good to get out in the sun and chill with mates. This kind of riding is so relaxed and built around fun, man-made tracks definitely have their place and are well worth the effort to go check out.

Being as organised as ever I managed to leave my camelback at home with the camera in it so no pics this time, best place to get more info about Brechfa is www.mbwales.com.

...Read more!

Cotic shoot - Cwm Carn Wales

Photography by Niall Flinn and Kelvin Owers

...Read more!

Some Philosophical Rambling!

Went up to Tredegar today with Sion and Jack, the van was absolutely rammed full of bikes and we were all stoked for a quality days riding. We ended up ditching the DH idea and heading back via Caerphilly trails. Filly is riding mint at the moment, we had an awesome impromptu session. The bikes have been a bit neglected recently, getting out today reminded me just how good it is to be out having a laugh with your mates. I have just caught the surf bug again and have been out 3 or 4 times a week. A good session is immense, chilling out the back with mates and then all charging for the same waves, sun going down and that really calm feeling that comes from lying out on the sea. It still doesn't stand up to biking though, biking has so much buzz, one run down the hill and you have a stupid grin on your face, that doesn't depend on weather conditions! A hill will always be a hill. I think it is important to keep it mixed up and try other things, when you pick the bike back up it gives you so much appreciation for the sport. Nothing makes more sense than two wheels and a hill!

I have been back in Swansea for getting on a month now. The start of term is mental so much getting crammed in, partying mainly! It has been absolutely awesome fun and great to catch up with old mates as well as meeting some new ones. I am running the DH/DJ side of the bike club this year which is really exciting. I think we have more than 60 riders signed up which rocks. Took the DH lot up Clyne on Wednesday and theres definitely a few guys showing some serious talent which should give some of us old boys a bit of a kick to sort our act out! This year looks stacked already with a load of trips and races planned, should be off the hook!

...Read more!

Megavalanche 07

Dave, Kenny Andy and Me above Alpe d'Huez

This was the big trip of the year, heading down to Alpe d'Huez for the second time to compete in the Mega. I know for James and Kenny this has been a long time coming, James didn't even make it to the end of qualifying last year after breaking his arm about 10 meters from the finish and kenny got air lifted off the mountain two thirds of the way down the mountain on the main race. We were definately looking for a bit more success this time round! With us were the 5 of us from last year plus some Mega newbies all psyched by the stories and vids they had seen. Last year I had qualified at the front of the 2nd group and was hoping to make it into the first group this time round.

The Group missing me John and Eamon,
from left to right: Dave, Mike, James, Joe, Tom, Kenny, Andy.

The trails at Alpe d'Huez are amazing. The riding is all very natural lots of tight winding singletrack loads of switchbacks and not much in the way of fire roads. First day in and I was regretting having done Rheola the previous weekend, the lower bushings in my 888's had become seriously worn causing the forks to lock out on sharp hits. I only discovered this after being sent over the bars twice on the first run tweaking my ankle badly in the process. The next day was possibly more painful though with my bank account being emptied to fund a new pair of forks! This was not the end of the bad luck, James twisted his knee which put him out for the rest of the week and John came off on the switchback trail down to Oz that then became known as "Bast@#d Track!" resulting in a badly swollen hand. Even the weather wasn't going all our way the first few days were wet and cold, not the dry hot dusty conditions we were expecting, John was moaning a bit as I had made him leave his mud tyres back in England!

Waiting at the start of the Sprint race in Oz

With the Mega you get three races the sprint race that is a 5 minute long downhill race, the qualifying and the main event. The sprint track is amazing, I would go back straight away to ride that track. The track changed from last year with a rock section being removed and being replaced by a steep roll into a flat out bermed set of turns that felt like were taken straight from a motocross track and which I was absolutely loving. The track itself is steep and fast, the top section was a bit pedaly for my liking but once you dropped down the first lot of rocks it was full on. It sends you flying into big loose turns, rock wall rides before becoming really dusty and drifty. Then it tightens up a bit into a wooded section where there is a steep narrow rooty chute that spits you straight at a 90 degree corner with a tree on the other side to stop you, this got challenging as I was experiencing serious brake fade by this point and having to slam the bike around to get through. This lead into a long fast fire road before dropping into more steep rougher turns that were hitting hard on the hands. The finished emerged following a series of flat out off camber grass corners. First race run I managed to run one of the Aberystwyth boys off the track, he pulled out of the way and then slipped off the edge, probably not the best move as they were all staying in our hotel! I came in with a time of 5:15, Aim for next run was a sub 5 min run. Didn't quite get it though ending up with 5:06 which was enough to sneak me into the top 100 with 99th place! I later discovered my chain had decided to re-route itself over the top of my chain device, hence lack of pedaling, or at least a good excuse for it! The Finals turned out to be a good show, Si Paton was on the commentary drumming up the English-French rivalry, the top times were coming in around the 4 and a half minute mark. The riders were charging into the finish section. Ben Cathro was flying and got a huge wobble on on the last corner just holding it to take 5th and top Brit.

Thursday we headed over to Les Deux Alpes. The scene was a lot more lively this side of the hill, more touristy and more going on. Getting on the lifts was more of a fashion show with all the snowboarders about, am glad DH still isn't trendy! The riding at Deux Alpes is again switchback after switchback. One track we named scallextric was quality. It had every type of corner in it and wound down for ages through a valley, definately helping push everyones cornering skills. The black run was the first thing I have ever ridden that really deserves the title. It was super steep with big chutes and gullies that had the back wheel being dragged the whole way, it was like having an engine release the brake and get silly acceleration. There were even a few stupid drops into even sillier landings, not even Ken was tempted. Final run of the day was on a trail that finished down by the river. this was one of the most fun trails Ive ever ridden. It was made up of berm after berm the ground was loose and the speed flat out. Each corner the drift was getting pushed a bit further foot out moto style, awesome!

Tom, Kenny, Andy, Joe, Mike and Me resting halfway down the qualifying track.

The Mega qualifying is probably one of the best bits of the hole week. The track is mint long enough to be a challenge but short enough that you don't have to worry about pacing yourself too much and can absolutely rag it from the start. The start line is at the top of a set of fireroad switchbacks leading to a wide open rocky area with patches of snow loads of lines and some pretty hairy drops and gaps if you take the wrong path. Down from here a fireroad takes you to the top of track 2, one of my favourite tracks at the resort. This is a proper downhill track narrow, rocky lots of sketchy inside lines on the corners. Then theres a bit of an xc loop to a climb over the other side of d'Huez into some scary fast singletrack with huge exposure on one side, the views are awesome but you are oblivious as you are fully focused on trying to stick to the narrow single track. This leads into hundreds of switchbacks, I was having serious problems on this section, I was loving it too much getting a bit excited and flying way to hot into the corners, I think the guys had to fish me out of the hedge several times the first day we did it. second time we hit this section it was still wet and all the turns were super greasy. It was like being back in wales sliding about everywhere, load of fun! Following this is some mega fast fireroad which is good for picking up a few positions and then into more singletrack with a big rockgarden and some bus stops to finish.

Dave, John, Andy and Me at the start of the qualifying race.

Qualifying didn't exactly go my way. I was at the back of the grid (incentive to get your entries in early) and had to make some ground up. In front of me in the grid was one of the ancillotti boys in yellow, knowing they are quick riders I set myself the challenge of keeping on his tail. As the helicopters circled and the tapes were lifted, the chaos began. Most people seem pretty intimidated by that number of riders around them, bmx racing is good training so with elbows out I found a line on the outside charging past loads of people, cutting in in the corners, t-boning the odd person. through the rock section the helicopter was about 5m off the ground chasing us down. Absolutely buzzing, pedaled all the way to track 2 here managed to get past a few people on inside lines in the corners, there was a about 6 riders in a chain in front of me being held up by a slower rider determined to get passed I cut across a load of rocks that cut off a big ox bend only to come smashing over the top into a jagged rock which gave me a flat. By the time id got the rear axle off and wrestled with the tyre everyone in the group was long gone. The aim now was to make it to the bottom without getting overtaken by anyone from the next qualifying group. after the climb (which i stayed on and pedaled up to the cattle grid!) I had caught a few of the back markers then heard 2 irate Frenchmen on my tail that were absolutely hauling down the singletrack. I thought off the brakes was fast these guys were fully on the pedals! The next rider from their group didn't catch me until half way through the switchbacks so they must have had a considerable lead. Andy had a stormer of a qualifying run, after I dumped the bike and sat down I looked round to see Andy come through in 18th putting him ahead of Nico on the grid. I was disappointed with qualifying but at the same time felt an achievement as I had put a huge amount more effort into pedaling than last year, it made me realise i do have the fitness but am just usually too scared of using it!

Me and John representing for Swansea

Main race was a bit of an anti-climax. Qualifying at the back put me in the "Mega Affinity" This meant no mass start just riders being trickled off. One of the most memorable bits of the event last year was the start. 400 riders charging down a glacier is absolute carnage. Riders are falling down all around you whilst you have very little control over your speed or the direction your 'riding' in! I was giggling the whole way the experience was pure comedy. This year I was faced with about 20 riders strewn over the snow definitely not the same. Snow still caused us some laughs though, John was trailing Eamon with his headcam , Eamon's snow technique 'starfishing' consists of placing his belly on the saddle and dragging both legs out wide behind him, an interesting technique to say the least! The race was a bit of a slalom, I had made the decision not to do any dirty overtaking, its quite easy to pressurise people into making mistakes and crashing but this seemed unfair seeing as I missed the race. Because of the lack of mass start there were hundreds of slow riders regularly spaced down the track which meant plenty of overtaking to be had. This did however turn singletrack into traffic jams the pace was more leisurely than practice and a lot of it was able to be ridden on the saddle, definitely a different pace than last year. Most of the easy overtaking is on the climbs so i made a concerted effort to charge the climbs as much as possible fighting my usual instinct to walk. Being in the affinity removed all sense of a race and competition that goes with the mega it was only by the second half where there was a much greater density of riders that I really felt the buzz of racing. The mega is definitely a physical challenge, getting to the finish gives you an amazing sense of achievement. Looking around at the finish everyone has got huge grins on there face and stories to tell. The race itself is full of conflicts and friendly competition especially when it comes to Dh and the xc riders. To do well you have to be strong on both fronts at the bottom there were a few brits getting worked up on the descents but weren't prepared to put the efforts in on the flat sections where the overtaking was available. Likewise it gets frustrating when a light bike gets pedaled past you and then brakes get slammed on when the riding gets challenging. This lead to a few interesting moments at the top of a drop or rocky chute where theres a bit of a lemming moment as everyone gets pushed over the edge. Memorable moments for me were ragging past the guy from Aber again! cutting him up as we came into the big fast grass field on the bottom half. The lower section in the trees where it got really tight and fast. there was probably at least 10 riders in front of me and a load behind all riding wheel to wheel down some really fun bits of trail. I was sticking to the guy in front of me who was going all out on the overtaking, at one point there was a shortcut into a chute wide enough for one bike yet there were four of us side by side piling in somehow squeezing back into formation without too much carnage.

Finishing at the bottom of the valley there was a bus back to Oz then the lift back up over the sprint track to d'Huez, seeing it winding below I couldn't resist one last chance at riding the Sprint track, this kept repeating until i had done 7 runs and could hardly hold on to the bars and my brakes were barely working. I was such an awesome session, working on my cornering and drifting I was confident had knocked those 6 seconds off my time. on the penultimate run I drifted way too much through one of the sandy turns jack knifing into a rock and putting a huge gash down the side of my new forks, gutted! Still I will definitely be heading back down to France to ride that track again!

Overall the trip was a success everyone finished! Andy managing to take 80th overall and more or less top unsponsored rider. v. impressive, especially seeing as this was on an ironhorse sunday with an inch of play in the back end! Me and Andy share a huge amount of friendly rivalry, trouble is it means I definitely need to come back now the bar has been set! My final result was 108th out of the 600 riders in the promo and affinity, with a time of 1:23. This is definitely a success as it was a slightly quicker time than last year despite some incredibly slow sections of single track. My biggest achievement though was pedaling up near on all the climbs, it is possible! This is still by far one of the best weeks you can have on a bike. The place is buzzing, you have the chance to ride some of the best trails in the world with your mates and head to head with hundreds of other riders. I am hooked, plans have already started for next year!

...Read more!