Kali Protection

The guys at Bullet Distribution sent me some more of the Kali protective gear to test, so far no serious head to the ground testing has happened so will have to comment on the secondary features of the helmets such as comfort and style. The two helmets I have been trying are the Avita Carbon a more XC orientated lid shown above and the Raja 'piss pot.'

Not so much to say about the raja really as with all lids of this type it has a thick layer of foam encased in a hard outer shell with minimal venting to achieve maximum head protection. The fit is good, I like the graphics and the subtle styling features with the 'rail' over the top make it stand out from other equivalent helmets. It comes with a range of padding sizes as to be expected to fine tune the fit.

The Avita is something a bit more special. I guess it is targeted more at the trail rider who wants an all day lid with plenty of venting but also with a good level of protection. It mixes up carbon to keep the weight low, has lots of vents but still seems to be chunky enough to be of use in a decent crash. The helmet has a decent adjustable headband that is easy to use and feels secure and a visor to keep the sun out of the eyes. I think the styling is good with minimal graphics and a not too extreme shape.

i have also been testing some Kali Aazis soft knee pads. These have actually had some proper testing following a fair few crashes up at Harthill. They are similar in concept to the Troy Lee T-Bones which really are the classic when it comes to pads. The Kali pads are really comfortable as the bits in contact with your leg are nice and soft and stretchy and dont seem to get too hot or sweaty. I happily spent a weekend in them and forgot they were there really. Protection is good. The knee has both front and side protection and I can say it definitely works. The only downside to them is the fabric encasing the front of the knee pad isnt as hard wearing as other pads such as the T-Bones. After a weekend there were some noticable scuffs and snags in this outer fabric, they are still perfectly usable but they may be best suited under jeans to get the most life out of them.


More details on all these products can be found here.

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Harthill NPS 4X RD2 and Euro

Photo by Dave Thomason


Ace weekend of racing at the new 4X track up near Chester. The track itself was a mix of tight and awkward features that were a little rough and ready compared to the usual track standards. This however made for some really interesting racing and tonnes of overtaking due to the awkward flow. The terrain was loose sand on top of a hard packed under layer making grip a struggle to find and there was the odd random sandpit ready to catch people off guard. The weather played its own part in livening up the racing, we had it all. Rain to further lubricate the track and when that started making sense the sun was out to dry out patches allowing a formula one style dry racing line to form. The wind built throughout the weekend and by sunday it was seriously hauling literally blowing off the competition at the gate.

Saturday was an epically fun day of racing. Every moto turned into a real battle with moves being made left right and centre. I managed one win and 3 seconds, unfortunately this run of luck was lost in quarters leaving me out of the competition. With the Euro the following day and the imminent Fort Bill World Cup there were some big names entered and a full Elite class which was great to watch. There is a definite step up in intensity in the Elite class and the speed that the top riders were taking on the track and each other made for some top notch spectating. Check out this great video coverage by Corine Walders to really see what was going down.

British 4X National Rnd 2. Harthill May 2010 from Corinne Walder on Vimeo.

The big day was the Euro round on the sunday. We were all in one class mixing it up with the Elites. A timed qualifying run set the order for the motos which were a straight knockout. Qualifying went ok, a few mistakes up top left me in 40th place and put me on a gate alongside Will Evans, a large gust of wind right before the gate dropped put the other 3 off their balance and leaving me with a brief foray out front but the deep sand on the inside line on the second corner got me and from there it was chase to the finish and giving a final ranking of 43rd. The atmosphere trackside was really good and everyone was getting right behind the racing. The finals were hottly contested and the places the top guys were able to pedal and get those few extra cranks in is really impressive. Prokop ended up taking the win but I think Dan Atherton was my favourite to watch making a number of seriously impressive passes at the bottom of the track.

All in all a great weekend, the UK 4X scene feels really strong at the moment with great turn out and a number of fresh tracks popping up, bring on the next round!!

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Afan Dirt Park

South Wales mountain biking is seeing a great new development in the form of a new centre catering for the more extreme end of the sport. Last weekend saw some fine tuning of the new 4X track up at Bryn Bettws Lodge at the back of Afan. The track has been built with the aid of Phil Saxena who is better known for his work on the word cup 4X tracks. The place has big ambitions and looks set to be a really good venue for the UK scene. The pro line, christened by Duncan Ferris is quite literally massive and if that by itself isnt scary enough the run in is over a massive multiline rock garden. It was clear the track has been designed to make some tight close racing and will be a serious challenge for all levels of riders. If thats not enough there are also some comp level dirt jumps, a licensed bar and when we were there the guys had a barbeque going to keep us all well fueled. With any luck this is just the start, the guys have access to an array of diggers so we should see this being developed and built up over time, exciting stuff!

More details and updates can be found here: Afan MTB Afan Valley

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NPS 4X Rd1 - Easter washout

Easter weekend may not have been the best choice for the first round of this years national 4X series. Some serious rain had left the track in an exceptionally wet state. The track has recently seen some pretty big changes but unfortunately they couldn't be tested due to a very thick heavy layer of mud that left only one jump really jumpable. Riders were pedalling their nut off but only getting to speeds less than that seen in your average pump race. The event would be better described as XC 4X since the second half of the track felt more like an uphill climb. Riders were even having to get off and push the backside of one of the jumps since holding speed into it was such hard work. An S turn had been added to the first straight that introduced a new feature to 4X racing, the lake line. This opened up a nice little overtaking move where you could squeeze into the inside and push the rider in front out wide into the lake, hopefully track designers wont start applying this to future tracks! In fairness the Blandford track looks fun in the dry, it has a proper ruggedness to it that I think more 4X tracks should have.

Racing this track really made you work for your position, it was a slog and 7 motos in total was killer. I got two firsts and two seconds in the motos and managed to place 7th overall having been just sneaked on the line. Some one let Mop Head on the mic for some class commentary which livened up the quarters, Mop does like to be heard! Senior ended up being taken by Nathan Parsons and Will Longdon took the win in the Elite class. Full results and dates are up on Naked Racing.

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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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Snow on the Raven

We had a totally lush ride up at Brechfa a few weekends back. A snow shower over night left us waking up to a light dusting. Out in the hills the ground and trees were covered with white powder that produced some stunning scenery. The snow was really powdery and light enough to keep the tyres rolling quickly and still gripping in the corners.
The Icing on the cake was a near deserted trail and bright sunshine coming together to form a perfect winter ride.

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Keeping it Simple in Wideopen Issue 11

The story behind the Simple is in this months issue of Wideopen Magazine. Wideopen is a quality online magazine that is free to download over the web and great distraction when stuck in the office! Check it out here.

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