wideopenmag_issue_7

dirt bike magazine 1wideopen 7 august 2008available free online at www.wideopenmag.co.uk

wideopenIssue 7 August 2008

wideopen 7 august 2008 dirt bike magazine 2

Intro Issue 7 August 2008

3. Comment4. Competition time5. First Light Extra The Matt Simmonds Interview11. Emulsion16. Welcome to the Team by James Hilton20. An Unassuming Swede The Jens Kahlstrom Interview23. Emulsion Flashgun Roo - No Such Thing As Average32. Send it The Matt White Interview37. Young Guns by Mark Lee-Sing40. Branching Out by Ste Larking43. From Fort Bill to Bala Part1 Fort William UCI World Cup53, World Cup First Timer by Pat Campbell-Jenner55, Foot out skin tight by Jamie Edwards58. Worth The Wait The Scott Beaumont Interview62. Second Time Lucky Minibike Round 1 Report68. Ae Bog NPS Round 1 Report71. Don’t Believe the Rumours SDA Round 2 Report - Aberfeldy75. Incredible Hulk NPS Round 2 Report - Innerleithen79. Damp Not Out UK Bike Park Round 1 Report82. Don’t Blame it on the Weatherman Caersws Cup Round 2 Report85. Hit Fast Forward NPS Round 3 Report - Fort Bill89. Pearce Wrap Up 2+393. From Fort Bill to Bala Part2 Pearce Cycles Round 4 Report98. The World Championships by Alan Milway

101. A Picture Speaks 1000 Words National DH Champs Report107. Now This is Hardcore by Ian Morgan109. Pro-bike Identiti P66 and MDE Pusher113. Method - MTB Photography Part1 by Mike Deere117. Scotland’s Biking Heaven by Beth Frear119. The Las Vegas Institute of Sport by Nouveau122. Cider and Red Bull Empire of Dirt Report133. The King is Dead Long Live the

KingKing of Dirt Report

137. Method Part 3 - Race Day by Alan Milway140. First Look - 2 Stage Bikes by Jamie Edwards145. First Look - Canfield Can-diggle by Owen Pemberton150. Commencal 09 Preview152. Smallscreen161. Longtermers169. Bionicon Ironwood by Jamie Edwards173. Gear181. This Place Is Trying To Kill Me by Owen Pemberton184. Trailscene185. Contributors

coverBrendan at the Fort

hereSam Hill and Blackbox

BoxxersPhotos: Jacob Gibbins

(www.jacobgibbins.co.uk)

overleafDan Atherton

Photos: Mark Lee-Sing(www.evolimages.com)

dirt bike magazine 3wideopen 7 august 2008

Wideopen Magazine13 UllswaterMacclesfieldCheshireSK11 7YNwww.wideopenmag.co.uk

DetailsThis online magazine has been pro-duced using a 1.66GHz MacMini running OS X (10.4.11) and 867Mhz PowerBook G4 running OS X (10.2.8) and Adobe In-Design CS. Articles were written on both this machine and a variety of Wintel box-es, and finished efforts were sent using email and FTP. The production team is Jamie Edwards and James Hilton. Each issue there are a different list of contribu-tors (check the contributors section for more info). Anyone can write or contrib-ute, if you’d like to then email us at: [email protected]. This magazine is intended for free distri-bution and is only available through the Wideopen web portal. Check it out at www.wideopenmag.co.uk.August 2008.

Last MinuteWell it’s been a long time coming but we hope it’s worth it.This issue is packed full of UK and World coverage from our intrepid contributors. Thanks guys! We couldn’t do this without you. From Issue 8 there will be a few or-ganisational changes. We hope you see a change in the regularity of the magazine, and no drop in quality.

James H

Oh my god - I don’t know where to start. This issue is an absolute MONSTER! Seri-ously, it’s over 180 pages. It’s getting out of control!

We started gathering content for this one way back in the season when things were just warming up and the dark nights were looking set to sod off and give us a few months of dry trails and great riding. We’ve not been so lucky with the dry trails but the riding has been bloody amazing. Seriously, how good has this summer been for UK mountain biking?

We’ve seen Gee, Rach and Dan dominate the World Cups and Worlds Champs, Peaty and Tracey Moseley retake their UK Champs titles, Josh Bryceland take the Junior World Champs title. We’ve had the best part of the NPS, Dragons, King of Dirt, the amazing Pearce Midlands Series and loads more. There’s also been a heap of great one off events like the Nissan Qasqai or Empire of Dirt. There’s not a weekend that goes by without an event to go to and ride a bike or do some heckling.

I was going to finally get stuck into explaining why we’re spending our time making Wideopen... But with the amount you’ve got to read already I’ll save it for next time. Instead I’ll say another MONSTEROUSLY big thanks to everyone who has helped drag this issue together once again. You know and we know who you all are and we love ya! I’ll also say a big congratulations to Chris Mucklow who is now the official Wideopen team rider. He’ll be out on the race scene, tearing it up and hopefully bringing back some great stories for the mag. We’re also welcoming Pete Scullion to the team who will be bringing us some stories from North of the border. Well done to both of them.

Read on, enjoy and be sure to let us know what you think. Promise it won’t be so long until the next one. Honest... Jamie

comment3. Comment4. Competition time5. First Light Extra The Matt Simmonds Interview11. Emulsion16. Welcome to the Team by James Hilton20. An Unassuming Swede The Jens Kahlstrom Interview23. Emulsion Flashgun Roo - No Such Thing As Average32. Send it The Matt White Interview37. Young Guns by Mark Lee-Sing40. Branching Out by Ste Larking43. From Fort Bill to Bala Part1 Fort William UCI World Cup53, World Cup First Timer by Pat Campbell-Jenner55, Foot out skin tight by Jamie Edwards58. Worth The Wait The Scott Beaumont Interview62. Second Time Lucky Minibike Round 1 Report68. Ae Bog NPS Round 1 Report71. Don’t Believe the Rumours SDA Round 2 Report - Aberfeldy75. Incredible Hulk NPS Round 2 Report - Innerleithen79. Damp Not Out UK Bike Park Round 1 Report82. Don’t Blame it on the Weatherman Caersws Cup Round 2 Report85. Hit Fast Forward NPS Round 3 Report - Fort Bill89. Pearce Wrap Up 2+393. From Fort Bill to Bala Part2 Pearce Cycles Round 4 Report98. The World Championships by Alan Milway

101. A Picture Speaks 1000 Words National DH Champs Report107. Now This is Hardcore by Ian Morgan109. Pro-bike Identiti P66 and MDE Pusher113. Method - MTB Photography Part1 by Mike Deere117. Scotland’s Biking Heaven by Beth Frear119. The Las Vegas Institute of Sport by Nouveau122. Cider and Red Bull Empire of Dirt Report133. The King is Dead Long Live the

KingKing of Dirt Report

137. Method Part 3 - Race Day by Alan Milway140. First Look - 2 Stage Bikes by Jamie Edwards145. First Look - Canfield Can-diggle by Owen Pemberton150. Commencal 09 Preview152. Smallscreen161. Longtermers169. Bionicon Ironwood by Jamie Edwards173. Gear181. This Place Is Trying To Kill Me by Owen Pemberton184. Trailscene185. Contributors


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Deadline is 30/9/2008


Hi Matt, it’s been just over a year since we last interviewed you for the mag, how’s things going?Well things are going really good - I’m out in Morzine, France at the moment doing some training, filming and general have a laugh with the rest of the CRC/Intense team.

first lightEXTRA

Matt Sim-monds interview by James Hilton (www.fearingout.co.uk)photos by Jacob Gibbins (www.jacobgibbins.co.uk)

Well after a great season in 2007 Matt Simmonds was playing his cards close to his chest when I spoke to him earlier this year, and no wonder with the an-nouncement of the mega ‘Chain Re-action Cycles / Intense’ team to keep under his hat! After an interview way back in Issue 1 we catch up with Matt again to see how things are going...


Moving from Ancilotti to CRC Intense this season must have been pretty exciting, have you found yourself under any more pressure?Pressure on the CRC/Intense team?! No chance! Everyone’s so relaxed - we all know what needs to be done come race day.

Matt Sim-monds


What’s it like working with legends like Nigel and Chris?Working alongside Chris and Nigel is so much laughs - there the two comedians on the team. Chris is a great rider to watch and learn from; some of the things he can do on a bike are amazing.

I’m sure most people have seen the article in Dirt with you lot out in California, which looked amazing. What did you find most enjoyable out there, anyone you met blew you away?California was mint! We rode a pump track that Chris and his girlfriend Claire Buchar had built. Then we hit up some downhill in Elsinore along with a few days visiting intense and THE helmets.

first lightEXTRA

Matt Sim-monds


You’re consistency in 2007 was rewarded with a strong finish in the NPS, what are your plans for the rest of 2008 and beyond?Yeah I finished last year pretty high up in the British rankings. This year I shall not be doing many British races due to the team promoting the Chain Reaction Cycles brand worldwide.

The Intense is a completely different bike to your Ancilotti from 2007. Have you made any changes or are you riding a stock frame? Will you or the team be involved in developing the bike this year?My bike is like any ordinary one you can go and buy from Chain Reaction Cycles. As the team are riding Intense frames we’realways working close with them (Intense) trying to make any little changes that can make one of the best bikes even better!

first lightEXTRA

Matt Sim-monds


Matt Sim-monds

How’s the 4X going with the lovely Blk Mkt frame you have?I have been putting my Blk Mkt to good use as I have been racing world cup 4x for the first 3 rounds and will continue to do so for the rest of the season.

Thanks for taking the time out to talk to us, any special mentions or thankyous?Thanks to everyone at CRC that made the team possible, Nigel Page the main man and our mechanics that keep us rolling!

Matt Sim-monds


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emulsion This were taken at a jump track just outside Caerwys in North Wales a couple of weeks ago. The chap in the photos is called Arfon

who just pulled off everything he tried all afternoon - a very talented dirt jumper.

My gear is a Nikon D70 with Tokina 12-24,

SB600 remotely fired.

Jase Andrew


emulsion

Clare Buchar

Yorick Carrouxwww.carroux.com


emulsion I was arriving at the Ice Bike Show in Milton Keynes when I noticed Dan and Gee hitting it up. They were launching off a kicker made of palletts and wood and landing onto shipping container... so not much run out.

Gee was bashing out some no handers and Dan was trying for a tailwhip. After watching them for a while I couldn’t resist getting my camera out for a few ninja shots and managed to get the one that Dan landed. Here it is. Sketchy kicker to shipping container.

Mark Lee-Sing www.Evolimages.com


emulsionRachel Atherton

ISO 200f/5.6 @ 18mm1/160580 EXII on camera Flash with -1.0evCanon 400D and Sigma DC OS 18-200mm lensPost production: Unsharp mask in PS.

Shot at Innerleithen in May 2008, I’d just been standing on the opposite side to where this image was captured, around the middle of the course and had this type of shot in mind but my minds version of the shot wasn’t matching what I was seeing on the LCD.

I crossed over to the other side and balanced on a small log below the track in an uncomfortable position. The next rider happened to be Rachel who was, naturally, very rapid and so close she nearly took my face off. Just served as a lesson to me that if it hurts to get into a shooting position, you’re halfway to a decent image!

Andy Dunwoodywww.andydunwoody.com


emulsion Lance McDermott at the Qashqai Challenge Finals in London, on his was to winning the series and 40,000 Euros.

There were way too many photographers on the course and huge crowds. Trying to capture the London surroundings without having a

completely messy and washed out composition was a nightmare...

Luckily the second jump on the course was dead quiet later in the day so I managed to put that to good use!

Nikon D70 with Nikon 10.5mm fisheye, 1/320th sec @ F/8 and ISO200. One flash positioned under the jump to get rid of some of the shadows

caused by the glorious sunshine, a rarity for England.

Mike Deerewww.mikedeere.co.uk

www.MTBphotography.com


Name: Chris Mucklow Age: 23Hometown: Leamington SpaFirst Bike: Hawk TrakattackLast Bike: Solid NurseCurrent Bike: Identiti 666S Custom Build

How Long have you been riding?...I have been riding Since I was around 10, I started to really get into it when I was around 17 after racing schoolboy motocross.

...and racing? I have been racing Since 2005What is it about racing that you enjoy, I have always been competitve In everything so rac-ing is perfect, not only that you get to have a laugh with a great atmosphere at the events.

Where will we see you in 2008 and 2009?In the mag! I will be at all of the NPS4X rounds along with a few dirt jams, and the Leaming-ton tracks new club races.

Any thankyous?Thanks to the whole team at Wideopen Mag-azine

intro by James Hilton (www.fearingout.co.uk)photos by team riders, Joolze Dymond and Gary Williamson

Wel-come to the team

After a nationwide search for a team ride, launched in Issue 6, we’re pleased to introduce the new faces of Wideopen magazine...

Yes you read that right, faces! The standard of entries was very high, and Jamie and I had a tough job whit-tling down to the final few... in the end we gave up and said sod it, so here we have Chris joining to ride the Dialled Holeshot with full team deal and runner up Pete coming on board with some extra Scottish coverage and a flow parts deal.

Welcome to the team guys. You’ll hear more from them throughout the rest of the year and in 2009.


Name: Pete Scullion Age: 21Hometown: Aberystwyth, Wales.First bike: Raleigh JungleLast bike: Azonic RecoilCurrent bike: Commencal Supreme 6Been riding since: 2000Racing since: 2003

What do you enjoy about racing?The best thing about racing is the search for the perfect run. There’s nothing better than the feeling of hitting all the lines you planned to. Also, with the advent of timing systems like the DMC Moto Trainer, you can concentrate on beating your personal best rather than trying to keep up with all the fast boys. Which usually means you’re closer to the fast boys than you would be if you didnt have one. Confusing. Also, having someone who’s about the same level as you and trying to annihilate them. Fantastic stuff. Trying to get down a track as fast as possible is always a chal-lenge, as you don’t normally ride at 100% day-to-day. With regards to enduro racing, events like 10 Under, hunting peo-ple down is a feeling only bettered by the above. The thrill of the chase! I’m entered into the Innerleithen SDA, as is Steve-O. Will try and get enough BC points to race the NPSs next year on top of the SDAs and the Innerleithen Winter Series if SPS Events run it again.

Are you looking forward to racing for the mag?I am indeed. Always glad to fly the flag, especially for a grass-roots mag like yourself. I’m a big fan of how the mag is laid out and the features you run.

Any thankyous?Thanks to yourself for hooking me up with this sweet deal and the chance to be a part of your magazine. Thanks to my parents for taking me to all the races before I could drive, lord knows how they suffered with the 5am wake-ups and everything else. Thanks to my big brother Rob for verbally abusing me into becoming a better rider, for all the lifts, the two summers at Continental and the trip to the Worlds in Fort Bill. Thanks to all the guys at the EUCC for the assorted shenanigans and maybe some bicycling along the way. Thanks to Russ @ Madison for the Commencal (sweet ride!). Finally, thanks to all my friends who still fail to understand why I’d want to get up at 5am to stand in a muddy field or at the top of a cold hill instead of being in bed. You guys rule.

Wel-come to the team


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It wasn’t difficult to find Jens. Anyone who was anyone in Swedish BMX gave us the same name. Jesper Stern,a well established and well regarded Stockholm based rider was our main contact. He spoke of this six foot plus boney framed kid that really can ride, a hope for the future and truly grounded guy.

The meeting was set. A photo shoot was arranged and we flew in from the UK. It was all done by phone but super organised to make the most of our time out there.

We got a call from Jens and met up with him and his bro a few stations down the line from central Stockholm. Our first impressions were that he was somewhat of a shy guy but as the day progressed he started to relax and show us something of what he is all about. His bro Matts, an amazing photographer, was with him throughout the day and helped out on the shoot. I guess it was at that stage that we all began to see a little more of this unassuming swede.

An unassum-ing Swedewords by PumpUrbanWear’s Rick Davyphotos by Matts Kahlstrom

Jens KahlstromAn Unassuming Swede

An unassum-ing Swede


Evening Roo - Happy Birthday for last week mate. How did it go?Thanks. 22 now, hopefully still got a way to go. I don’t make a fuss about birthdays so I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. It was a nice day, so I went out on the bike.

I first met you at this year’s Fort William World Cup. What did you make of the weekend? I really enjoyed it; it’s the first time I’ve been up there for a dry race and it turned out to be a good one. I wasn’t sick of it after 4 days on the hill - that’s a first.

And what have you been up to since then? Any riding or any photo shoots?Always riding. There have been a few photo shoots so keep an eye on MBUK and MBR over the next few months and you’ll see some shots in there.

Let’s talk about your background taking photos. What got you into it in the first place? I’ve always been mildly interested following on from my dad. I first really started taking pictures when I started riding up Wisley trails. Evening summer sessions had such a good atmosphere in a photogenic environment, so I guess I tried to capture that in pictures.

What kit did you start out using when you were getting into it?A Nikon coolpix digital camera, just a cheap point and shoot and I soon realised its limitations. So the first proper camera was a 6 mega pixel Fuji S7000, £500 back then…

No such thing as average?interview by Jamie Edwards

photos by Roo

FLASHGUNemulsionhere Rupert Fowler - self portrait.

wideopen 7 august 2008 dirt bike magazine 24here Greg losing the front on some singletrack. Nikon D200, f6.7, 1/250, ISO200.

No such thing as average?

FLASHGUNemulsion


Can you give us some examples of places you’ve seen your work published? Is there one image you’re most proud of?The main ones are bike magazines, through one form or another you can see a photo of mine in MBUK, Dirt, MBR, Decline, Cycling Weekly, Health and Fitness for Cyclists and Cycling Plus. The image I’m most proud of is probably a shot of Digs at Wisley that appeared in the photo issue of Dirt. I had taken it on 100iso film pushed to 200 and scanned in on a decent scanner. It took a good year or two from taking it to getting it in a mag but it’s up there as one of my favourites.

How have you found the commercial photography game? Incredibly difficult, I’ve been at it for over 3 years and if I had to move out [Roo currently lives with his parents – J], I would have to quit it and get a 9-5 job. I’ve got to the point of job searching and sending off for application forms during periods of little work. It’s not easy and I’ve had to make a LOT of sacrifices.

Do you have any big aspirations for your photography? I just want to get to the point where I have a constant flow of work covering cycling so that I’m not laying in bed at night wondering whether I will have enough money to get by next week!

Right, I’d love to get some photography tips out of this interview. Talk us through what you would do to set up for a shoot at, for example, a downhill race… I try to just look for a while, leave the camera in the bag, watch what the light is doing, what the riders are doing and what the track is doing. Then if I find a spot I like, imagine what I’d want the photo to be like then get the camera out and try to achieve that.

left Sam Hill scrubbing the hip at Fort William World cup 2008. Nikon D3, f16, 1/1000, ISO1600.

And what kit have you got at the moment?My camera bag usually contains the following: Nikon D3 & D200, Nikon 14-24 f2.8, 50mm f1.8, 80-200mm f2.8, 2 Vivitar 285’s, 3 Pocket Wizards and the usual assorted adapters, batteries and memory cards.

For Fort William, I was wandering around with all that kit listed minus the D200 and including a laptop, laptop charger, waterproofs, midge repellent, brolly and a tripod.

You’re pretty much a full time photographer nowadays. What made you decide to take the plunge from amateur to professional?You missed out semi-professional… For a while I had a part time job, one day a week driving a van, but I quit that a few months back as I kept having to take that one day a week off because of photo work.

So what does your average week involve now then?No such thing as average, but a lot of the time I’ll be sitting around doing not a lot. I can never be too far from the computer because I need to check e-mails, but I tend to get at least 20 miles of riding in each day, usually xc/road. Chasing up unpaid invoices, maybe organising a photo shoot and if it’s a good week, actually taking photos somewhere.

Are there any of those photo shoots that really stand out?The best may actually be the World Cup this year in Scotland. The world’s best riders, good weather and using a really nice camera. I just had to put up with the midges and miles and miles of walking with a heavy bag. The worst was probably taking photos of the Haslemere area for a housing brochure. It’s fairly dull work in itself but I left in blue skies and got there in a thunderstorm/heavy rain. I had to just come back home with no pictures.




FLASHGUNemulsion



You seemed to know what you were doing at Fort Bill. What do you think it takes to cover an event like that really well as a photographer? I’ve had the lucky/unlucky position of shooting without being commissioned to be there, so I can shoot what I want, how I want. If I had been sent there for a magazine, it would be totally different, no doubt rushing around to get as many shots of as much different stuff as possible. To cover an event like that takes a lot of experience to know where to go, and getting the action in one shot etc… I’d certainly find that hard, Steve Behr has that sorted.

Would you say you have a particular ‘style’ to your shots? It depends on what the picture is for. If it’s not for anything and I’m just shooting for the hell of it, then it’s to show the rider at their best, showing the most amount of bike handling ability. I’d hope that those shots just scream “on the limit” whenever anyone saw them. The problem with that is I need a very good rider to do that.

And are there any riders that really stand out for you as a photographer? Olly Wilkins of DMR and Brendan [Fairclough] of Monster/Ironhorse are great to work with. Both are really into getting a good shot and very stylish whatever the discipline, get them together and you can’t come away with bad shots. The Aussies at races may not have the best style but their position on the bike usually shouts aggression, e.g. Hill, Rennie and Kovarik so those shots look pretty cool.

Hanging out with Brendan must throw out some great opportunities for photos?It does, and those opportunities are usually pretty funny, although I’ve not got a single downhill shot of him other than at races. It’s more often just messing around. I got to shoot some moto x stuff the other day which was a great experience, even if his roost did it’s best to injure my camera and me.

here Digs over the Jam Line berm jump at Wisley. Nikon F80, f5.6ish, 1/60ish, Jessops Pan100s pushed to ISO200.



FLASHGUNemulsion


here Ruaridh Cunningham after his winning run at the Fort William World Championships, 2007. Nikon D200, f4, 1/1000, ISO800.


FLASHGUNemulsion


You’ve obviously been along to a lot of events, either to shoot or ride. What’s your opinion of the UK riding scene at the moment? Does anything really stand out for you?That’s a hard one. Going to my first World Cup was an eye opener, hearing the crowd cheer when Steve Peat comes over the finish jump is something every downhiller should experience. Trail centres are definitely helping as well, it’s the kind of riding everyone wants to do. I’ve been to a couple in Wales and the Lakes and hopefully I can try some of the 7 Stanes later this year. Overall I’d say at international level it’s improved since I first got into riding, at a national/regional level I’m not so sure. The new NPS series seems to be a step in the right direction, but there are other races that have disappeared i.e. Pedalhounds, and the PORC races seem to be struggling along.

Ok finally, any thanks to anyone?To anyone who has helped me out in whatever way including: Steve Behr, Mike Rose, Grant Robinson, the MBUK and MBR lot, Digs and the Wisley riders, Olly, Brendan and virtually everyone I’ve ridden with and photographed.

Cheers to Roo for taking the time to talk to us!

If you want to check out more or get in touch log on to: rupertfowler.co.uk

here Brendan and Ollie doing some late digging in Brendans garden. Nikon D200, f4, 1/3, ISO200.

What do you think is the most important thing about a good riding photo?Easy: the riding within.

People definitely spend a lot of time debating whether mtb ‘looks good’ for the cameras and for TV. As someone who spends a lot of time behind the lense what do you think?I definitely think DH racing gets the best shots, the riders are trying their hardest come the race run, so hopefully photos can show that. As for making MTB look more stylish, I guess that comes down to skin suits and SPD’s? SPD’s I don’t mind, I would never use them for DH but riders like Nico Vink are amazing to watch and he uses them. Skin suits? I’m undecided. I think it should be the rider’s choice. They do look horrible but it is the very top of the sport where 1/10ths matter…

Let’s quickly talk about your riding. What bikes are you riding at the moment?A GT aggressor with some rigid and slicks for road/XC duty, a Trek 1200 for road, a DMR Transition for dirt jump/singletrack and I’ve just got a Yeti AS-X for downhill/singletrack stuff.

What riding have you been getting up to this year? Lots of XC and Singletrack, and some road/DH/dirt jump… I did a road race for the first time a few months ago, more for the experience than anything; I’ve raced downhill and cross country before but it’s definitely very different. I like to “know” what I’m often shooting.



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‘Send it’ The Matt White In-terviewinterview and photos by Oli Ward

Matt is someone who largely lets his riding do the talking but let’s see what he has to say in response to a few questions from Wideopen.

Hello Matt, give us a little run-down about yourself.Hello, my name is Matt. I am 21 years young and I like to cruuuuz on my 24” bicycle as much as possible. I have an open minded vision when it comes to tricks and stunts on these mechanical devices, although most of my influences are from the BMX world. I look at riding as my fun time with all my friends and the new ones that I make along the way.

How long have you been riding? And why did you start?I have been riding since the age of 16 so about 5 years and I can’t say there has been a dull moment. I can’t fully remember why I started other than all my friends having bikes, a few wooden kickers ramps, a small dirt hump in the local park and a slope!

Matt is a ridiculously motivated rider. He works all day as a builder doing hard manual labour yet still has plenty of energy for riding the living daylights out of his bike and body. His nickname is ‘Send It’, partly because he goes so big and is prepared to give anything a go and partly because he wraps parcel tape around his ankles when doing whips. True story.


So you recently got back from Woodward. Wasn’t that your second time there?Yes this is correct, once to Woodward west ‘07 summer and I’m just back from Woodward camp ‘08 summer. The first time I went I travelled with just me and my bicycle, which was a scary but enjoyable experience. Scary as it was my first time to the States and I wasn’t sure what to expect. However it turned out to be an amazing experience and everybody was so welcoming and friendly.

At both camps I met some extraordinary people and made some great friends that I only wish I would be able to see more. It’s hard to compare the two different parks as they are some of the best facilities in the world, the only main difference is that its much hotter and more relaxing on the west coast, whereas east you can expect more parks/variety, and the best thunderstorms you will see in your life!

What craziness did you get up to?Oh too much, sandbox challenge instantly stands out. If you’ve been to camp before you will know what I’m talking about, if not it mainly involves running naked for approx 500 yards to a sand volleyball court grabbing a cup of sand and then returning to your cabin without getting caught by any of the camp directors! Good times. As for learning new tricks etc. a lot of awesome stuntage was learnt, so much I can’t remember most of it!

‘Send it’ The Matt White In-terview


You recently got picked up by Union Street Bikes for frame sponsorship, how did that come about?This mainly came about by making a small promotional video with help from some friends which was sent to Lee and Sean at Union Street. Fortunately they liked what they saw and with further talks, as they are based in Ohio USA, they managed to provide me with a sponsorship as their first international team rider. Their website is www.unionstreetbikes.com.



Any other sponsors?Revolutions Bikes, Dynamic Style clothing.

Give us a run down of the people you like to ride with and what makes them so great.My favourite people I like to ride with of course are my friends. We all have similar thoughts, the main one being having fun. Rob Ridge is a big inspiration with his Dave-Osato-shutdown tricks, always fun to ride with him as he often has quirky lines and steaming heap of style. Every one of these guys has a different way of looking at riding locations that can always excite you.

Anything else, shout outs etc?Give some “up dog” to all that have helped and supported me through. Pretty sure you know who you all are. Massive shout out to Bear the dog, truly awesome and lazy!



Name: Elliott Simmons Age: 16 How long have you been riding? Almost a year in September. Where do you ride? I try to ride as many different places that I can. But mainly Chicksands and Max Lenthal’s back yard. What do you ride and who do you ride for? I am currently building a Spank Puff for 4x racing and for dirt jumping I ride a specialized p1. I have just picked up parts sponsorship for the rest of the season with Spank Bikes. What are your favourite trails/track? I like all my local trails (Chicky etc) but I think Woburn is the best so far! Describe your riding style Smooth but aggressive What other riders float your boat? Brian Lopes for 4x and Gee Atherton for downhill. What are your goals for the rest of the season? Finish second overall in the NPS4X national series in youth and to win at least one overall this season. What trails/ tracks would you like to hit up? I would like to go Fort Bill and some other World Cup courses and some more trails like A1.

first light Young Gunsinterviews and photos Mark Lee-sing (www.evolimages.com)


Name: Liam Munn Age:21

How long have you been riding & racing? I’ve been riding all kinds of bikes for about 5 years or so, now in my second season of 4X racing. Where do you ride? Mainly race tracks now, I’m a local to Chicksands bike park and my good friend Max’s yard. What do you ride and who for? Current set up is a Flow Myth, Fox forks, Avid brakes and Sram gears, Shimano cranks and pedals, Thompson stem and Easton carbon bars, Hope hubs on Mavic tubeless rims. Past 2 seasons I’ve been riding for Marshalls Cycle’s. I’ve also got a bmx and a single speed road bike.

Whats your favorite track/trail? I loved the 4X track at Redhill this year! Also Hamsterley has some fun stuff to ride. Chicksands bike park 4X track is always good too. Describe your riding style? I think I’m fairly controlled but smooth. What other riders float your boat? I like watching Jared Graves and Will Longden on 4X and Chris Kovarik on downhill. I love to watch bmx racers too. What are your goals for the rest of the season? With only 2 rounds left I’d like to get away with a trophy or two and improve my overall position. What track/trails would you like to hit up? I’m looking forward to get out to the more gnarly tracks out in Europe, can’t wait to taste a bit of downhill racing next season too!

Young Gunsfirst light


Name: Max Lenthall Age: 17 How long have you been riding? Coming up to three years this christmas. Where do you ride? I ride all over the place... mainly Chicksands and my back yard. What do you ride and who do you ride for? I ride a Charge Blender for racing, a DMR drone for dirt jumping and I have just got a Giant Glory for downhill. At the moment I am not sponsored. What are your favourite trails/track? Favourite trails used to be Melbourne until they got ploughed now I really like Woburn and all my local trails (A1 etc). I have a pump track in my backyard so I guess that is my favourite as well. Describe your riding style. Aggressive What other riders float your boat? Jared Graves 4X, Greg Minnar DH. What are your goals for the rest of the season? Get a podium in the last round of the NPS and rip some new trails... and have a jam round my house. What trails/ track would you like to hit up? Fort Bill and as many DH tracks as possible.

first light

Young Guns


You want us to ride round that?! The Meadow Bank velodrome in Edinburgh like many others is 250m long, banked all the way around and reaches a slightly daunting 46degree camber at two end turns. Trying track cycling sounded like a good idea in the pub, but when you’re attached to a fixed gear bike pedalling straight towards turn one for the first time you start to think perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea.

So how and why did I find myself in this situation? Well being a bunch of students with nothing better to do it seemed like a good way to spend an evening after exams were over. I’m sure there were other motives, like getting an insight into another area of cycling, satisfying a curiosity, seeing how it might benefit mountain bikers/roadies or even just to say you’ve done it. Either way I don’t think any of us really knew what to expect.

I first started to question the idea when rolling round the car park on a fixed gear track bike with no brakes and tyres pumped up to 180psi. Once on track though, we were given a bit of encouragement by our coaches for the evening. “Yes it hurts if you fall”, “You may get splinters”, “When you do fall don’t stick your arm out, you’ll probably break your collar bone.” So with these words in mind we did a few laps on the flat to get warmed up and used to the bikes and then it was onto the track proper.

Branching outwords Ste Larking (www.fearingout.co.uk)photos by Ruth Harrison


Now I’m sat at the top of the home straight waiting to be pushed towards the first corner. Have to pedal, must hit 20mph by the first turn. Ok? Go! I don’t think I’ve pedalled that hard in quite a while. I hit the banking and…. oh this is just like riding a big smooth berm, its great! Alright, I’m sorry for building it up so much but it really was quite scary to start with, but as soon as I put in one lap I was loving it. The speeds you can achieve on these bikes is incredible and riding in a bunch is so much fun.What I wasn’t expecting was to be dropped by most of the others after having only done four laps. Now, I’d like to think I’m reasonably fit, but to be able to keep up the pace for more than a few laps takes some effort.

So are there any benefits? Well if you can get to a level where you can ride and race track to a reasonable standard, you’ll have massive amounts of power in your legs which you sound easily be able to convert into sprinting performance. Try it yourself, there are tracks dotted all over the UK and most will have beginners sessions with tuition at hand and bikes you can borrow. Get a few mates to go with you and it shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours to get you riding and racing just inches off each others wheels!

Branching out


at dialled bikes,

we’ll continue to file

riding under fun!

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The Alpine served its apprenticeship by being thrash tested throughout the 07 season by the www.trailAddiction.com guides out in Les Arcs and the surrounding Alpine areas.

trailAddiction also completed the “Everest in a Day” challenge (9300 vertical metres of descending in one day without riding the same trail twice) for What Moun-tain Bike magazine on their prototype Alpine frames.

So after what is probably the most gruelling and com-prehensive R&D/product testing ever undertaken for a hardtail frame, the Alpine is now available as a dialled bikes production frame...

From Fort Bill to Bala

part 1

www.dialledbikes.com


words by Jamie Edwards‘pro’ photos by Jacob Gibbins (www.jacobgibbins.co.uk)less ‘pro’ photos by Jamie

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The Nissan UCI World CupFort William From

Fort Bill to Bala

part 1


479 miles, 3 trains, 1 taxi and about ten hours later I rolled into Fort Bill and took in the buzz of my first World Cup. Having sat transfixed in front of the Grundigs on Eurosport back in the day and much more recently in front of MTBCUT it felt great to finally be there and checking out the action for myself. Friday was pretty mellow at the track and up on the hill riders were thick into practice but taking it pretty easy.

After a quick stop at the media tent for my first of a million cans of Monster I hopped on the gondola and hooked up with the other 2 members of the Fort Bill Wideopen Pro Media Team, Mono and Milki. Milki is the camera expert, Mono is the video pro. Both had taken a 19 hour bus trip up from Portsmouth and had been hard at it since Thursday getting some material down. Good work boys!

According to the interweb Fort Bill is 479 miles from my front door in Bristol. For a lot of the top names in DH and 4X the road to Scotland would have been a hell of a lot further. Rather than an uncomfortable over night trip on the sleeper from Euston their trip would have started out back in May with a first stop at Maribor in Slovenia. Reigning champ Sam Hill opened this season as he finished the last with a gold. Peaty came away with bronze and Rachel with silver. This was a familiar show from Hill and a strong opener for the UK. Next was Vallnord in Slovenia where the Athertons destroyed the field with 3 gold medals between them. With only 2 rounds down the World Cup was already getting fierce and there was no way I was going to miss out on witnessing the next round on home turf.



With the sun out and 2 days of practice still to go most of the riders were holding back and doing their best not to blow it too soon. I say most because there were a few guys just going hell for leather all weekend. I’m not sure but I don’t think Adam Brayton or Danny Hart have actually got off switches. Both were flat out and styling the jumps all weekend whether it was a race run or practice. As the track got drier and more beaten up bikes started taking the strain and the pits were busy with flat tyres and bust rims. It was a pretty familiar site all weekend to see kids heading home with tacod rims covered in signatures they’d blagged from their favourite riders. We got a healthy reality check as we headed out into the car park and spotted Rowan Sorrel working out of the back of his van to get a flat sorted out ready for another run. It was good to see it’s not all pro mechanics and butler service at the top of the game!

When timed DH practice kicked off it was Minnaar and Moseley clocking fastest times. No tactics or holding back for the final just flat out racing. A surprising second fastest came from Ben Cathro who was sporting the infamous Mojo Gimp Suit. Super powers or not, he was on the gas all weekend.



Friday night was 4X night and our eyes were fixed firmly on Dan Atherton to repeat his storming run a week before. We done a quick interview with him earlier in the day and he was playing it pretty cool and insisting he wasn’t letting the pressure of keeping up with the family get to him. We also sneaked a quick look at his one-off, custom Ti race hardtail that Commencal had hooked him up with. Madison’s press guy Albert told me they were waiting to see how Dan does over the series before they decide to make a run of them so wish him luck if you like the sound of the bike! If you want to hear a bit more on it, pop over to Freecaster where there’s a nice little video interview.

They’ve got funny names for semi and final runs at the World Cup. The ‘big’ final was an all hardtail line up of Dan Athy, Michal Prokop, Joost Wichman and Jared Graves. By this point the track had really filled up with cheering fans and the Friday night buzz was starting to kick in on the sidelines. If there’s one thing that makes visiting Fort Bill worth the trip it’s the buzz from the crowd. With the spectators screaming, flashing cameras, honking horns and rattling anything they

could get their hands on the final kicked off. Dan struggled out of the gate and sat in third place, Prokop went down in the second straight and Graves cruised to a win looking buttery smooth. The podium went Graves, Wichman, Athy and Prokop. Gutted for Athy but I’m sure he’ll be back.

The ladies 4X had Charlie Philips and Fionn Griffiths representing the UK. Both decided

to stick to the quarter finals and left the hassle of winning to Jana Horakova. She was followed down by Rachel Seydoux, Anneke Beerten and Melissa Buhl. Good job to Charlie and Ffion for repping the UK and I hope we can get some more girls up there and racing alongside them next year.



Saturday was more DH practice, sunshine and energy drinks. More sun meant more big holes in the track and in turn more punctures and broken bikes. This was bad news for riders but good news for the fans who got even more signed rims to take home for the mantle piece. Probably worst of the bunch was Matti Lehikoinen who was back from injury and riding hard, only to take a dive and cheese grate his knee on a metal boardwalk. That was the end of his weekend and no doubt a frustrating return to racing after months off.

Sunday rolled around with a light dusting of rain which brought back grip and swarms of killer midgies. The riders got a last crack at the track, the spectators found a decent spot and we got set up ready to capture the action. It’s not too nerve wracking shooting photos at a Midlands race but when you’ve got one chance to get a photo of the World’s fastest rider it doesn’t half gets the nerves going. Fortunately Milki was on hand to sort that out, leaving me to pap away for backup shots and soak up the atmosphere for the race report. Tough job I know. Seeding runs



started mid morning and Tracey Moseley and Minnaar followed up their top spots in practice with more winning times. Gee, Hill then Peaty followed Greg down whilst Sabrina, Emmeline Ragot and Floriane Pugin came down behind Tracey. Up at the deer fence Rach Atherton was storming and on for a hell of a time. Gutted for her, she ate shit somewhere further down and limped into last place looking pretty beaten up.

The finals. There was only one place to spectate for the final and that was down at the finish line, watching the riders sail through the Nissan arch and down into the arena. You often hear people say that the atmosphere at Fort Bill is the best on the World Circuit and I doubt they’re wrong. Big crowds, screaming fans, pro riders everywhere, the media guys fighting for a good shot. By Sunday afternoon Fort Bill felt like the centre of the bloody universe for mountain bike racing.



The next hour or so was probably the most exciting bit of bike racing I’ve ever had the pleasure to watch. It seemed like every rider that crossed the line kicked the previous one off the top spot and heaps of UK riders came down with good times. It was ladies first and everyone’s eye was on Rach Atherton. She crossed the line looking pissed off, shaking her head and nursing her shoulder. She sat head down in the hot seat obviously knowing it wouldn’t be enough. She was quickly kicked out by Sabrina Jonnier who fended off the competition until Tracey Moseley rolled out of the gate. At the split she was 3 seconds up on Sabrina, at the finish line it was 5 seconds. A storming practice run, storming seeding run and now storming final run. She went into the hot seat and took gold. 1st place Tracey, then Sabrina then Rachel. For the UK girls Ffion Griffiths took 8th and Katy Curd a disappointing 17th after a big crash.

The men’s race was anyone’s guess. Minnaar had been flying all weekend and like Moseley had taken the top time in practice and again in seeding. He certainly wasn’t a safe bet though with Hill, Atherton, Peat, Rennie, Kovarik, Barel and a heap more easily in with a shot. As the riders started crossing the finish line things got pretty exciting with constant hotseat changes and loads of UK riders getting their chance in the throne. Sam Dale crossed the line and took first place, fending off about 20 riders. Critchlow rolled down 9 riders later and slipped into the 2nd spot before Donny cruised in and kicked Dale out. Same story for Josh Bryceland who was racing in the junior category for the first time since his big crash in round 1. He crossed the line and took the hot seat but was knocked straight off the top spot by Marc Beaumont before he could even sit down. Josh left the hotseat but took the junior win so I doubt he was too gutted.



Sam Blenkinsop marked the start of the last 10 riders with only Cathro, Gee, Dan and Peaty still to come for the UK. Rennie took a stint in the hotseat and held it till Syndicate team mate Peaty kicked him out and down to 4th place. Hill crossed the split 4 seconds up on Steve but lost it in the bottom section and had to settle for 5th place. With only Gee and Minnaar left Steve must have been feeling the pressure. The screaming crowd and live video feed tracing Gee’s progress down the hill can’t have helped. At the split he was beating Hill’s time and well up on Steve. At the line he was a second up and into the top spot. Guaranteed 3rd at least for Steve. Minnaar was last man down. Every rider and hundreds of spectators were packed around the finish arena and going absolutely bonkers. The real tension at Fort Bill comes at the Nissan arch. You can’t see the riders from the finish until they sail through here. All eyes were on the arch watching for Greg to appear. Suddenly he blasted into view, down the final motorway section and across the line. 4:43:52. Gold medal. Greg first, Gee second, Steve third. Then Rennie, Hill, Dan Atherton. A Santa Cruz Syndicate white wash. For the UK there was an amazing 8th place for Ben Cathro, 14th for Marc Beaumont, junior gold and 16th overall for Bryceland and 17th for Hutchins. That’s 7 UK riders in the top 20. Good f-ckin work.

The dust settled, 16,000 spectators made their way to the pub and everyone got on with celebrating another great weekend of riding bikes. I’ve said it elsewhere in the mag already…. But I’ll say it again. UK racing f-ckin rules!



This year has seen a big step up in my riding. I’ve gone from being a Junior national 4x rider, to an elite World Cup rider in the space of a few months and its been a seriously big shock to the system to see how fast some people are out there!

2008 has seen me make the jump from Junior to elite in racing and I don’t think I could be any happier with my decision. At the end of 2007 I was in serious doubt whether my pace was going to be fast enough to rough it with the big boys up in elite. I wanted to make a good effort to ride World Cups so I thought the only way to race at a consistent speed with a challenge would be to bite the bullet and move to elite. It turns out the gamble was a good decision and I have been ok all season, even getting 4th at National Champs!

Applying early in the season, I wanted to make sure that I could get a place on the British team to ride all the European World Cups this season. I received an email and was off to Maribor in Slovenia, unknown as to what to expect and how fast the pace really was going to be. Arriving early in the morning on the Thursday, I had a whole day to suss out the 4x track, which was like something I’ve never seen! Loose surface, big jumps and large features all over. I definitely felt unprepared and the scale of the track compared to English tracks was insane. I was very nervous going into practice as I wasn’t sure what my speed was going to be like in comparison to everyone else’s. I decided thinking wasn’t going to help at all and that I would just have to back off the brakes and commit. I was enjoying the whole experience of being in the company of such big names in the sport that I have always idolised. I’m embarrassed to say that I was a little star struck to begin with, but I didn’t let that slow me down on the track. I managed to take a big crash in practice following Scott Beaumont and Lewis Lacey down the course. I hit a speed bump (I have no idea what the proper name is) and went straight over the bars to my chest, luckily I was wearing armour as I was

World cup first-timerwords by Pat Cambell-Jenner (www.patcj.co.uk)

photos by Jacob Gibbins (www.jacobgibbins.co.uk)


severely winded as Scott peeled me off the floor. This knocked my confidence a bit for Friday’s qualifying as I was nervous enough anyway and still had no idea how fast to go. I decided that flat out was the safest.

On Friday qualifying was late in the day after the downhill practice. There was yet more waiting around, so I thought I would soak in some rays and watch some of the downhillers coming down the course. I could not believe how fast some of these guys are! I felt like a little kid in a daze watching how fast they can go downhill. That sums

up how I felt in Maribor, I felt like a primary school kid going to high school, the little one, the lowest rung on the ladder, but I still wanted to prove that I could race well and open a few eyes. Qualifying was extremely stressful for me, I didn’t know what to do or how to think and being the penultimate man down I watched everyone go and had to wait about an hour and it was getting cold at the top. I must have gone for about 5 wee’s waiting for my turn and finally I was called into the gate, the bonus of going last was that I knew if I was in the cut or not as soon as I went over the line. I shut everything off

in the gate and just listened to the beeps and got a good snap. I pedalled my arse off and came over the line in 44th with a smooth run and I was so excited! Everything was a completely new feeling, everything was an achievement, I was just happy to be there!

Saturday entailed another full days racing and this gave me the opportunity to chill, eat some energy food and get sorted and prepped for the evenings racing. Rolling to the start I realised I don’t get 4 moto’s, but straight knock out, something else I wasn’t used to. I felt really intimidated waiting

knowing that there was the world’s best riders in front of me, and myself, a rookie World Cup racer. Luckily I had Lewis Lacey with me in my first heat so it was almost comfortable. I made a complete mess of my first heat and I crashed in the 2nd corner after hitting my front brake lever. After picking myself up off the floor I was in last and knew I hadn’t gone through, so I rolled down and found 3rd place on the floor and carried on until where I crashed on Thursday. I got over the first hump fine, then hit the off-camber-double-thing. I have no idea what it’s called but my front wheel hit the gravel and it slid out. I wasn’t happy, taking myself out twice in one run, but I made it over the finish line, albeit in last place. After an hour or so of being pissed off, I snapped out of it and looked at the bigger picture. I had just raced in my first world cup and come 44th! Not last! Bonus!

I have to say World Cups are a huge step up from nationals and I was duly shocked when I arrived to see all the team pits and the sheer amount of people there just to watch people ride bikes! Since writing this I have competed in two more rounds, at Vallnord in Andorra and Fort William, Scotland where I managed to get 39th and 28th respectively. So my rookie season has improved from round one’s nervous performance.

Check out more from Pat at www.patcj.co.uk – he riders for Crank Bros, Identiti, MRP, Halo, Shimano, Odi, TSG, Finish Line, Schwalbe, Diatech, Gusset, Thor, MTB-Bits.co.uk. Duffs and Marzocchi.

World cup first-timer

http://www.patcj.co.uk

http://www.patcj.co.uk


Bloody hell, the skin suit argument has been raging hard for years and I’m pretty sure everyone has thrown in their two pence worth at some point.

Obviously, the arguments against the skin suit are pretty valid. They look flipping rubbish, they offer zero protection and let’s face it… they don’t exactly make the sport look like something you’d want to get involved in. There’s also the potential of ‘unfair advantages’ for riders who can wear them. Are they cheating and getting an unfair advantage over the guys that can’t?

On the other hand, if you’re a pro and spend every day of the year busting your nuts to beat your rivals by micro-seconds why the hell wouldn’t you do everything that you possibly can to go faster? You can practice a track for days on end and still only shave a second off your best time. How about giving knocking another second off that just by changing your clothes? Tuning suspension or running Ti bolts is acceptable, shouldn’t skin suits be too? It’s not exactly going to matter to us guys out racing the Midland’s series but if you’re toe to toe with Sam Hill I’d imagine it starts to get a lot more important…

It was pretty refreshing at the recent Fort William World Cup to see the Mojo team throw trends to the wind and do something different. Much to everyone’s surprise they rolled out in some very odd looking and very tight black rubbery suits. Two fingers to the fashion debate and open arms to being the fastest guys on the hill.

Here’s a few facts straight from Mojo rider Dan Stanbridge who will be rocking one of these beauties all season.

Mojo - Flat out skin tight!

interview and photos by Jamie Edwards


Hey Dan, can you give me a little info on the suits?They were made by TheCycleJersey.com in conjunction with Chris Porter at Mojo. Apparently they were a trial design, made from… I don’t exactly know what. But it’s something that is very expensive, slippery and quite thick but er… of slightly controversial aesthetic taste.

What made Chris decide to roll these out for the team?I can’t speak for him on that one, but as I understand it, he is passionate about the sport and of the opinion that every means possible within the rules should be explored, to find the fastest way from the start line to the finish of a downhill race.

They looked quite hot and restrictive, what are they like to ride in?They are hot as you would imagine. They could also be more comfortable and are slightly restrictive in places. But none of these problems were particularly significant compared to the discomfort of being rattled to pieces whilst skimming over rocks at 30mph, before exhaling your insides as every last ounce of energy is used to propel you and bike towards the finish line…

How do you feel wearing them?Not quite sure what you are getting at here, but I definitely don’t start liking Graham Norton. Nor do I develop any strange Spiderman like superpowers.

They look quite thin, how safe do you feel when you’re wearing them?I don’t think it makes a significant difference as you can wear knee pads etc underneath.

Did you do much testing on the suits running up to the Fort Bill World Cup?No, Fort Bill was the first time I had seen or tried one on, but Mojo and most of the major teams have done testing in skin suits for the World Champs, so know the sorts of benefits and disadvantages they offer.



How did you feel when you were told they’d be introduced for this season?For me personally, the issue is not whether the sport should or shouldn’t use skin suits, because quite frankly I don’t think it is up to me. Nor whether they look stupid or not, because every one has their own opinion on that too.

The issue is quite simply that the reason I ride my bike, which is because I enjoy it and the reason I race is to compare my skill level with others and reach my full potential as a racer.

This principal is behind the main reservations that I may have about using a skin suit in a race where my main competitors are not.

However in terms of this season’s racing, the position I found myself in before this race was similar to that of all team riders from a major country at the World Championships. Riders are instructed by the countries cycling federation to race in skin suits. In the same way that Team Mojo riders were instructed by the team manager to race world cups in skin suits. I rely on the continued technical and financial backing of team Mojo throughout the year to race and if the manager makes a decision regarding the clothing we use, I voice my opinion but ultimately it is the manager’s decision. Simple as that.

Big question then. Is there a noticeable benefit? Are you going faster on the straights and into the bends? Was Cathro’s great result at Fort William partly down to the suit?Yes they are faster and there is not really much doubt about that on a course like Fort William. But as for the ten and twenty second time saving rumors that were floating about, that was not what I found.

I was timing my practice with and without the skin suit, and found that on shorter sections of the course, I could get very close to the same time with or without it.

“The main difference for me was the energy saving. I had to pedal much more to get the same time without the skin suit. So obviously over a full run, when I was unable to keep up that level of pedal power, the skin suit made a measurable difference”. In terms of results, time wise, I have no doubt that they help. But there is a lot more to racing than just the advantages and disadvantages of your equipment. So in Cathro and Hutch’s case, both of whom had personal best results this year at Fort William, I think that they had great runs, under difficult circumstances and so deserve respect.


wideopen 7 august 2008 dirt bike magazine 58Worth the wait

Scott Beaumont Your 2008 NPS 4X

Champion

Scott Beaumont has been a regular on the UK and World 4X circuit for several years but somehow the National Champ title has until now eluded him. We catch up with the recently crowned UK Champion to get his lowdown on the race, bike setup, preparation and more!

Hi Scott. Nice work on the new National Champ title. Can you talk us through your final moto? The final was me, Will Longden, Lewis Lacey and Pat Campbell-Jenner. Before the final we [me and my team] talked about a game plan. We knew that Will Longden was going to take gate 2 as he had used it all day (Will qualified fastest with me 2nd, so he had 1st gate pick in every race through the day and the final was our only meeting of the day).

Worth the waitinterview by Jamie Edwards

photos by Jim Smith (www.fattyre.co.uk)


I decided to go for gate 1 outside of Will. Lewis went on 3 and Pat on the inside gate 4. I made a pretty good gate, but was level with Will. I went outside because I felt confident that I could get a better gate and move across on them into the first turn. Anyway, Will rode straight into the first turn and I had to back off before I hit the flag (I would have done exactly the same in Will’s shoes). This lost me loads of time and I went into the first turn in 3rd, quite a bit back from Will and Lewis who slipped through on the inside. I carried good speed around the outside and tried to pass Lewis on the inside of turn 2, but he closed me down as well. So I got my head down and went into turn 3 and did not brake.

All day I had braked in this turn but I just went for win or bust. At this point I was 5 bike lengths behind Lewis and couldn’t really see Will. My tires gripped like I was on rails and I shot into the 4th straight with so much speed it was crazy.

Over the tabletop I flew past Lewis and all of a sudden I was making up time on Will hand over fist! Luckily for me, Will looked over his right shoulder and saw me coming up the inside. He moved over to block the line and I swung outside. Then as Will drifted wide on the exit, I cut back up the inside of him and we drag raced to the finish line.

I got the win by half a wheel and then the celebration started! Dropped the bike, punched the air and threw my goggles straight up into the air. Stoked is an understatement. I had waited a long time for that moment and I enjoyed every second of it!

How about your day running up to the final? How were you feeling in your motos? Through the day I knew I was riding good. Just behind Will in seeding, then I won every race up to the final, so I was feeling confident that I could take the win. But, as the last few years have proved to me, never ever take anything for granted in 4X!! What was your bike set-up like on the day? You seem pretty happy with your tyres in your race repo… Honestly, I owe a lot to Maxxis!! I know it is the most blatant plug ever but I still can’t believe they didn’t slide when I didn’t brake in the third turn. It was like I was on a rail and I went round there at least 5 miles an hour faster than I had gone all day! As for the rest of the bike, the track was really smooth so I ran my hardtail with the Fox fork almost locked out. You’ve obviously done your fair share of racing, with 25 years and hundreds of motos behind you. What has it taken to be National Champion?Patience! I have always known that I have had the speed, just in the finals, either I have crashed, made a mistake or Dale Holmes has pulled me on the first straight! What have you been up to over the Winter to get ready for the season? Gym work, road rides and gates! Loads of gates! Bit of cross country thrown in for good measure. What’s your opinion on UK 4X at the moment? Is there anything you’d like to see happen to push 4X racing forward?I think that the NPS 4X series is great. Sure, there are a few things that could be changed, but if you want some good racing, good tracks, laid back atmosphere, £25 entry fees and a chance to ride your bike all day, then just turn up to a National! It is easy to forget but Britain has one of the few National 4X series in the world. Worth the wait


In terms of riders, I am really impressed with Pat Campbell-Jenner this year. He is quietly going about his business, making no song and dance about it and he is constantly getting better. It was good to see him making the National Champs final in his first year in Elite. It is a shame Tom Dowie hurt himself. Lewis Lacey is still improving but I am sure he will reach the top. So what have you got lined up for the rest of the season? How are you feeling going into the year now you’ve got a strong win out of the way? I have just got home from the World Championships, so it feels like I have a small break now before the World Cup fires up again at the end of July. Winning the National Championships and finishing 6th at World Championships so early in the

Worth the wait


season seems kind of strange really. Almost like the pressure is off a little now. I really want to make a couple of World Cup finals before the end of the year. Also I want to try and seal up the overall number 1 in the NPS 4X Series. Obviously there have been a few races now since you won the title, FortBill, Vall Nord etc. How is the rest of the season going?Vallnord was an absolute nightmare. I fell ill on Wednesday night and throwing up through the night. I sat out downhill and focused on 4X. 5 minutes before the first race, I had to run to the toilets because I had diarrhoea as well! I ended up with 12th for the night which was pretty amazing really. If you had told me Thursday morning I was going to race I wouldn’t have believed you!Then on to Fort William. I felt good and qualified 9th. In the first race I won, beating Cedric Gracia and moving into the quarter

finals. Then I had the outside gate in the quarter final and it just didn’t happen. I made a bad start and just rode down behind the others, ending up 14th for the night. The World Cups are not going to plan really, but like I say, just back from World Champs where I got 6th, so hopefully back on it now. You mentioned that you sat out the DH at Vallnord to focus on the 4X. How difficult are you finding it to race both disciplines at World Cup level?It is getting harder all the time. 4X is normally on Saturday night after 2 days of DH practice. Then after you have sprinted in the 4X all Saturday night, you have to get up and race DH Sunday. There is only really Cedric, Dan Ath, Filip Polc and myself who are left doing both, but it seems to be getting harder and harder. Next year I might look at doing 4X only at World Cups, but we’ll see. Gotta ask… just how pimp is your new camper van??Pretty pimp!!! I have known the guys at RDH Motorhomes for a while, bumping into

them at shows and stuff. Then at the end of last year, I got talking to them more about doing a deal. One thing led to another and the Burstner van landed on my drive! Between March and October I race every weekend - not a single weekend off, and the bill at the end of the season for hotels is enormous. This way I get to sleep in my own bed at the races, eat good food and enjoy the travel times instead of it being a hassle. Definitely won’t be going back to hotels!!! Finally, did you have a chance to celebrate or was you straight back into the training? Bridgnorth is close to my home, so we got back, had a nice meal and a bottle of champagne. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders by winning the National Champs! But yes, Monday morning it was straight back into training to get ready for World Champs. Any thanks or shout outs?Firstly my sponsors: Rocky Mountain, Fat

Face, Oakley, Fox suspension, Hayes, Sun Ringle, Fenwicks, USE and RDH Motorhomes. My girlfriend Holly and my parents for all their advice and support at every race. I owe everything to them. Chris Roberts for organising a great series. Anyone who shouted for me at Bridgnorth! Cheers.

Big well done again to Scott from everyone here at Wideopen. He’s one of the hardcore few who races at the very top of the sport and will still get his ass over to the UK regional races. Give him a shout next time you see him smokin’ the field!

For more from Scott, point yer mouse at: www.beaumontracing.com

Worth the wait


Secondtime lucky?

words Mini4GB.com photos by Kung (www.randombmx.com)

British Four Stroke Minibike Championship - Round 1

The opening round of the eagerly awaited 2008 British Four Stroke Minibike Championship took place in near perfect conditions at the Grand Prix like facility of Boneville in Essex. The packed one hundred and twenty-rider entry enjoyed a fantastic day’s racing and included a healthy French contingent to reinforce the international appeal of this series in only its second season.

New blood in the form of Joe Pyke, who was competing on home East Anglian soil, took his maiden win in the 50cc Pro Mini class on what was a series debut. Martin Gill and MBP’s new recruit Nick Cole completed the podium in this category respectively, with both riders showing some good early season pace. 2007 class champion Jonathan Groves put a dent in his campaign to retain his title, with a last race crash leaving him with a broken collarbone.

France’s Yoann Paccard made his trip across the channel very worthwhile as he inherited top spot in the 88cc Pro Mini division as winner elect Lewis Blackburn suffered an unfortunate DNF. Blackburn was by far the fastest rider on the track in this class and deserved the overall victory on his outright speed alone. Three consistent outings by MBPs Jamie McClaren


Secondtime lucky?

gave him the runners’ up spot at the end of the day, Andrew Lawton took third place despite lacking his usual pace.

In the Open Minibike class Paul Gipp from Cambridgeshire, who had previously competed in the 88cc Pro Mini category, made a successful transition with a maiden win in his new division. Elliot Gardiner, a regular Open Minibike campaigner, filled the second tier of the podium, leaving Adrian Williams to take third spot through a series of consistent outings.

Thankfully Jonathan Groves had managed to secure the overall win on his Superstock Midsize machine before he became a casualty in the 50cc Pro Mini final moto. If Groves can make a quick return to fitness, he will definitely be the man to beat in both classes. Rhys Davies, Groves MBP teammate, made it a 1 – 2 for the squad, as he kept Josh Bissonnette down in third place thanks to some stylish riding. Second

time lucky?


The Open Midsize clashes produced the hottest pace of the day, with Tommy Wright, Grant Dyer and Trevor Scott battling it out at blistering speeds. However both Dyer and Scott were to rule themselves out of overall top honours, as they each failed to finish in the top three of at least one of the counting motos. Wright was the eventual victor of this fight of the titans, with a race win and two other rostrum places giving him the best combined points tally.

The charge of the minibikes continues at the new CMX facility in Cardiff early next month. Full information and all the latest news about this exciting championship can be found at www.mini4gb.com. Second

time lucky? Secondtime lucky?


Limited entries in some classes remain available at the time of this release. Please contact [email protected] or call 0161 705 2284 to reserve your place in Europe’s premier minibike series.

Round 1 Results50cc Pro Mini Open Minibike1st Joe Pyke 1st Paul Gipp2nd Martin Gill 2nd Elliot Gardiner3rd Nick Cole 3rd Adrian Williams

88cc Pro Mini Open Midsize1st Yoann Paccard 1st Tommy Wright2nd Jamie McClaren 2nd Grant Dyer3rd Andrew Lawton 3rd Trevor Scott

Superstock Midsize 1st Jonathan Groves2nd Rhys Davies 3rd Josh Bissonnette

Secondtime lucky?


Secondtime lucky?


Remaining rounds 2008 British 4 Stroke Minibike Championship

Round 2 – 8th June – CMX Centre, Cardiff Round 3 – 12th July – Doncaster Moto Park Round 4 – 13th July – Doncaster Moto Park Round 5 – 10th August – Mildenhall Motoland Round 6 – 14 September – Bonneville, Essex

Issued by: G2F Media Ltd [MBP-

PR210508]T: + 44 (0) 161 763 6660 E: info@g2fmedia.

com

MBP-POWERSPORTS NATIONAL 4 STROKE MINIBIKE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Secondtime lucky?


Ae Bog

National Point Series DHRound 1 - Ae

words Chris Huthinsonphotos by Chris Frear (www.frearphoto.co.uk)

I started writing this report for Ae on the Saturday night of the race thinking it was going to be wet all weekend. Unfortunately for me, my forward planning and enthusiasm in doing this gave the strong winds on Saturday a reason to spite me and the clouds disbanded allowing the sun to dry the track out for Sunday.

This was the second year that SPS events were taking on the gruelling task of running the National Series and unfortunately it didn’t start off all that great. The gate halfway up the fire road was locked delaying practice by a couple of hours. This changed the whole schedule for the weekend with the single race run staying but the seeding run planned for Saturday being scrapped.

This year’s track at Ae was a little different to other years. Compliments to Tally for his efforts on this one. It was new at the top, unfortunately being a bit of a swamp all weekend and becoming claggier the more the sun baked it got on Sunday. This new section, which was a whole lot of fun, joined the original track at the pallet jump and then went into a new woods section a few hundred yards down. It was not easy to get through this section over the weekend and it laid claim to a lot of poor race runs. The rest of the track more or less followed the same route as last year’s NPS. I don’t know if it’s just me but I don’t feel all that comfortable anymore in buses. I was being bucked around in the uplift mini buses more than when I ride my girlfriends’ horse. One bus stalled about three times at one passing place. To add to my worries are bus drivers who are inexperienced off road drivers in C plate buses.


Finally, the most impressive run of the day was from Rachel Atherton who beat almost every man racing that day. Only 20 elite men, 6 expert men and 3 juniors managed to better her time. I’m predicting Rachel’s best ever season in 2008. I just hope she doesn’t beat me this year!

With 48 other experts, Rich Cunningham had a good ride on the day and took home gold. With 50 seconds splitting this huge number within the field I wonder why half the experts are experts. It seems that the overall standard within the category could be raised by reducing the number of riders that move into it. It would make for a more prestigious progress into this category.

Elites again saw the Atherton brothers’ flawless rides secure the top spots with Gee winning on a 2.23.6. Riders seemed to be scattered throughout the results in elite with a number of fast riders having very poor runs and being a lot further back in the field than usual. I myself had an abysmal run to ride to a disappointing 19th place.

There’s no point in getting too disheartened about my result from Ae though, there’s a whole summer of riding ahead and I can’t wait!More on the NPS at www.npsdh.com.

Another health and safety issue cracked down during the race on was undone helmets. With 5 people disqualified on Saturday for this reason it was clear that SPS wanted to get the message across. I do wonder why anyone managed to get a DQ with the fuss made about it on the run up to the event. Let’s hope everyone learns from this for the future and I value Si Paton’s view and strict conduct on this matter.

The racing started at 2.30 on Sunday afternoon after a morning of more practice as the track changed. I thought that the track needed to stay wet as the top section became slower and slower as the moisture was removed by the scorching rays which bless Scotland that day. The smallest mistake in the wrong direction saw you come to a complete halt, it was all about trying to let your bike follow the rut. Which was easier said than done. With a full turn out of racers and the result available online I’ll keep this bit brief. In Juveniles Fraser Mcglone continues his domination with another win. He said to me after the race, ‘I only won by 9 seconds this weekend’. This was following his win at Dunkeld of over twenty seconds. There just seems to be no one else challenging his times, or is he just another talented rider from Oban?

Other winners included Alistair MacLennan in the Vets; Joe Smith took the win away from Danny Hart in Junior; Sam Flockhart managed to stay on his bike to win while the other youth riders where boogying in the bogs for some time.

Monet Adams won the women’s non-elite by over half a minute, maybe a move up to elite is in order for her. In the Masters Russ Harland sneaked in front of Weightman to win with a 2.51. Scottish lad Ross Anderson had an impressive run in seniors and took a healthy win. Ae Bog

http://www.npsdh.com

wideopen 7 august 2008 dirt bike magazine 70Ae Bog


From the start line, you had about ten seconds to get into your run before coming face to face with a boulder the size of a van. Most of us mere mortals opted to ride round the side of said boulder. It was only the brave and the stupid that took on the drop from the top of the rock face. Landing this monster between the rocks and stumps on the off camber traverse was like threading a needle, so needless to say quite a few got it wrong. Next you dropped over a fallen tree, sticking as far right as possible before hauling on the brakes and throwing the bike left and over the rocky mass in front of you.

What followed was a traverse back across the hill with a few very dusty and drifty corners and a steep chute in the middle just to keep you on your toes. A couple more mellow corners, again with deep ruts forming in the dusty conditions, and then you found more rock. This time in the form of a few awkward slabs that, if you weren’t careful, spat you straight towards a tree at the bottom.Not long after this and you were faced with another little rocky chute. This one had a tree right where you wanted to be on the left hand side as well as a rock step which meant you couldn’t roll into it without giving you bash ring a quick test. Make it down and round the following corner, drop about six feet onto the fire road crossing and your almost half way down.

Don’t believethe rumours?

Scottish Downhill Association Round 2 - Aberfeldy

It’s not very often you get to ride and race a new track in one weekend. It’s even less often that the riders literally cut in the track and create the main lines the day before the race, but that’s exactly what we got at Aberfeldy.

With Pitfichie out of action due to logging, the Forestry Commission kindly provided the SDA with an alternate venue, but it was to be for one race only, and so no details or directions were released until the week before the race. Naturally with this mystery came all sorts of speculation. Many rumours were floating around, “it’ll be steep”, “it’s going to be loose and drifty”, “there’s some big rock slabs”….Imagine my surprise when most of them turned out to be true.Walking the track was interesting to say the least. The track was silly steep in places and I wasn’t going to bother going right up. I’m I glad I did though. I may well have soiled myself had I unknowingly hit that top boulder drop on my first run down. What made it interesting was the fact that there were no clear lines, the track was simply a clear path down the hill between the trees. It wasn’t until the first few uplifts had been round that the track started to emerge from the rocks and dust.

words Ste Larking (www.fearingout.co.uk)photos by Ian Linton (www.ianlinton.com)

here Stu Thomson



left Billy Campbellright Phillip Carters


No time to rest here, dropping off the other side of the road your into a long rocky chute. The best way to tackle this seemed to be to let the brakes off and just pinball your way over all the rocks. Skirt round the hill now, remembering there is a massive drop to your right and then throw the bike into the next corner. Two options here, either off or round the log drop. Which ever you took most people got it wrong and shot over the top of the rocky berm to take a lie down in the bushes.

The following hairpin to flat corner caused just as many problems with people not making round or simply coming to a stop on the flat.From here down the track made its way through some much younger and more densely planted trees. This section of the track was reasonably fast but over the course of the weekend more and more roots made their way to the surface. Stick left through the rock garden in the middle of this section, try somehow to make it through the ridiculously tight right left and then your almost home.

There was one last collection of rocks to catch you out down the bottom, with loads of people getting pitched over the bars just metres from the finish line.Not a very long track but this didn’t seem to matter. There were no long smooth traverses, fast open sections, or anything else that let you have a bit of a rest mid run. It was concentrate all the way down or find yourself on the floor.The uplift ran from the bottom to the top of the track with no push involved and ran smoothly and quickly all weekend. Racing was held up for a short while on Sunday when the


here Graeme Forrest


medics ran out of ambulances to take the injured to hospital. With red flags going up all over the place the medics were kept busy all weekend.

Thankfully the weather stayed dry all weekend apart from a few showers on Sunday. If it had been wet I’d hate to think what that track would get like in the steep sections. As for race times? Most people were aiming to get as close to the 2:30 mark as possible but the question was could anyone get 2 minutes on such a short course?

The answer to that question was clearly yes as Fraser McGlone took another win in Juveniles with a 2:04. That run saw him five seconds clear of his closest rival Joe Connell in second place, who in turn was thirteen seconds ahead of Greg Gilfillan in third.Next down the hill was the Youth category. Adam Burnside just managed to scrape his way into third spot behind Ronan Taylor in second. Top step of the podium went to Lewis Buchanan who was the first, and only one in youth, to go sub 2, with a 1:58. In the Women’s race the battle for first was between Naomi Williamson and Angela Coates. In the end it was Angela who took gold with her fist run time of 3:00 and completing the podium was Bex Reilly.Masters and there was another close battle for second place after Mark Weightman put six seconds into his closest rival. In the end Tim Wilcox beat Dale Mcmullan by just less than three tenths of a second to claim second.For the Vets Steve Felstead took third spot not too far behind Kem Avis in second. Stepping it up to take the win with a massive lead of eighteen seconds was Alastair Maclennan.


Juniors were up next, and once again these boys didn’t fail to impress. Being such a competitive category there is always some close racing. Third place went to Andrew Phillips after James Scott managed to just sneak ahead into second. Top spot on the podium went to Alastair Wilson who came down the hill fourth fastest overall with a time of 1:53.

In the Senior category Ross Anderson had to settle for third place while Adam Stanyer, who possibly spent the most time in the hot seat all weekend took second. Leading the way though, and being the only senior to go under two minutes was Callum Gault.Expert had quite a good turn out this weekend so they all had their work cut out if they wanted to finish somewhere near the top. Ben Cortis managed to bag third spot after improving on his first run time by a good five seconds. Ben Hall was forced to take second place after narrowly missing out on Iain Cooksons time by less than a second.Last down the hill as always, the Elites. Fergus Lamb managed another podium here, as did Dan Stanbridge, taking third and second respectively. The winner though, and by far the fastest man of the day was Joe Barnes with a winning time of 1:45.

So there you have it, another round gone and we’re over half way through the series. There’s a break next month as the Scottish Champs make the trip to Glencoe for another attempt at racing down the notoriously steep and rocky track. Fingers crossed its dry this year.

here Ryan Woods


The second round of the National Points Series rolled on up to Innerleithen in Scotland last month for a weekend of awesome racing and some pretty interesting results, as well as some great British weather... if you can call sunshine British!

The course at Innerleithen was pretty gnarly, having never been there before I would say that this course was HARD to say the least, obviously I was filming but being a rider myself I could tell that a lot were struggling, especially on the top section which was steep and rooty with a rather rocky surface, making it super sketchy. Towards the end of Sunday the course got really bumpy up top with some big holes and roots which almost floated!

After the steep and twisty top section there was a compression onto a fireroad and off down a chute into a right hander and down a straight, out into the open and over an old wall and then dive back down into the woods into some corners.

here Scotty LaughlandIncredible hulkNational Point SeriesRound 2 - Innerleithenwords Aaron Bartlett (www.fearingout.co.uk)photos by Ian Linton (www.ianlinton.com)

wideopen 7 august 2008 dirt bike magazine 76here Ali Wilson

After dropping back down onto the fireroad there was a set of bus stops and into a flat out section in the woods and drop down into a straight with a jump. After this was a tight section and drop down and then left into a sketchy chute with a tricky, loose and rocky S bend. Next was over another old wall and down into the woods flat out. Out of the woods and there was a set of jumps, finishing with a step down to hip and round a loose right hander and then into a dusty as f**k bus stop. Compress down and back into the final woods section with some turns and into the infamous bombhole jump. Ben Cathro gets prize for going biggest all weekend sending it to the left onto the bank and then round the right hand berm into the left. Next over the right hand bump thing and sprint like hell to the finish where you could get your free can of Monster Energy...

The track was around the 3 minute mark for the top boys (and girl) with the fastest time set by Cathro of Mojo Suspension with a 2:56, without the gimp suit luckily, hopefully the Mojo lot will keep them locked away at least for World Cups (or hopefully just get rid of them completely)!

Incredible hulk


above Andrew Kellyright Billy Wright-Mosely Si Paton pretended to have intercourse with a

Great Dane in front of everyone at the awards ceremony and got a little kid covered in slimy mud and made him cry... The MTBcut crew were out filming for a short video on the net and I was out filming for Foot Out Flat Out (see the article later on in the mag). Some awesome footage was captured, well done to Mr Whitecross for binning it big style right in front of me, “devestated” he was! Haha! Also congratulations to Rich Thomas of the Westcountry crew, beating the rest of the Scots in the Expert category on their home turf. That’s South West talent right there. You knows it.

Not a lot of big names to shout about this round, Cathro, Donoghue and Barnes as well as Hutchens and youngster Danny Hart seemed to be favourites. No Athertons (apart from Rachel), Peat, Reid, Fairclough, Bryceland, Dale, Joe Smith, Simmonds - all were elsewhere, what’s happened? It’s a shame none are here to support the NPS, after last year when we had the Honda team racing every round as well as names like Rennie it kinda sucks not to have the big guns back again this year. I suppose we can partly blame Sam Hill for that one?! On the other hand it was nice to see some new faces on the podium and cool to see Cathro get his first Elite win.

Incredible hulk


left Fraser McGloneright Stevie Boyd

Juv:1. Fraser McGlone 3:182. Billy Mathews 3:343. Mathew Downes 3:50

Youth:1. Arran Gannicott 3:082. Lewis Buchanan 3:123. Mark Scott 3:15

Junior:1. Alastair Wilson 3:062. Gareth Brewin 3:073. Bernard Kerr 3:08

Veteran:1. Alastair MacLennan 3:192. Rich Simpson 3:273. Jason Carpenter 3:27

Master:1. Andrew Buddin 3:162. Sion Jones 3:163. Mark Weightman 3:16

Women:1. Manon Carpenter 3:572. Sue Mahoney 4:103. Wendy Chambers 4:26

Elite Women:1. Rachel Atherton 3:092. Tracy Moseley 3:203. Katy Curd 3:34

Senior:1. Ross Anderson 3:132. Paul Goddard 3:143. Billy Campbell 3:14

Expert:1. Rich Thomas 3:062. Scott Mears 3:063. Richard Cunningham 3:07

Elite:1. Ben Cathro 2:562. Gary Forrest 2:563. Joe Barnes 2:58

Thanks to Si Paton and Steve Parr for another mint race and cheers to Gary Drake for being such an idiot that we could all laugh at... Hahaha! Also thanks to Si Aplin for giving me a lift!

Incredible hulk


UKbikepark Rd1 in April, and we had ideas of a warm evening of camping with a fire and laughs with mates. This was dampened a little when we realised the camping was actually at the top of the windiest valley known to man with no fires allowed! That’s ok we would just have to make do!

The practice day started off a little wet and windy but it seemed to be good fun and the well thought out track was riding nicely.

After Saturday nights torrential showers and howling winds Sunday was looking rather muddy. The day started out with blue skies and happy faces but as the day progressed the rain set in and a very wet rooty course was sludged up and made into the muddiest mud bath going!

The racing went ahead but the bottom section with the road gap and big table were scrapped as it was too wet. However, the course still featured a fairly harsh rock garden as well as a drop onto some nice big braking bumps.

UK Bike ParkRound 1

words and photos by Alex Jackson Damp not out


Damp not out


The rain turned torrential and I tried myself to keep moral up “spin to win buddy! oh yeah you got that line dialled!” The final race runs were better for some and worse for others with the more experienced riders able to carry their speed through the slower muddier sections.

Thoroughbred hardtailer Lee Huskinson pulled through to take the overall win on the day with Youth Winner Charlie “dribbler” Collins closely following him to take second overall and first in his category and just about managing to get onto the podium after a trip!

UK Bike Park is near Blandford in Dorset. You can check out their website here: www.ukbikepark.moonfruit.com

Damp not out


words by Tim Morganphotos by Oke (www.kchuk.co.uk) Caersws Cup Round 2

Don’t blame it on the weather-man

I don’t want to sound like a weather man, but Mother Nature played a big part in this race weekend. The first round was soaking wet and hellishly muddy (along with most of the other races up to that point in the season) so I was pretty chuffed to roll up at a dry and dusty Caersws for round 2. I must have warded off the rain by leaving the Wet Screams on.

Chris Roberts had taken full advantage of the different tracks available at Ian Jones’ superb DH venue and taped a combination of the old Midlands course with sections of the old National track mixed to create a bit of variety. There was quite a lot of line choice on offer too especially in the tight upper wooded section with good potential for pro straight lining! The middle, steeper woods and rooty end section were riding pretty fast and I think everyone was glad it was dry for a change. As practice went on we had a laugh with Will’s head cam checking out lines and capturing some pretty good crashes too.


During the night there was a massive thunderstorm which somehow managed to cover everywhere in the surrounding area but missed Caersws. Awesome, still a dry race then! With first runs out of the way we could see the weather brewing over to the west and the racers with good times were hoping the storm would break before second runs to keep their placing. Others looking to improve (myself included after swapping ends on the last grassy corner and eating turf) were hoping they’d get down before the heavens opened.

Halfway through seniors and luckily just as I crossed the line, happy with a quick but tidy run, we were hit with the sort of downpour Wales is famous for. I sheltered in the Descent-World tent watching the rest of the boys go flying on the soaking off camber grass corners in the finish field. With some spectacular slides and crashes providing the assembled crowd with great entertainment things only got more exciting as the experts and elites came down.



The first corner in the finish field was the place to be with every rider washing out or barrelling through the tapes, some with more style than others. Special mention should go to Caersws local Jason ‘Fester’ Davies who gets the prize for best slide of the day with a wild one footed power slide which he held for about 40 foot before going into a mega spin still with hands on the bars but upside down! Mint. Stick Caersws Cup round 2 into that ‘you tube’ and you’ll see what I mean. All in all another great weekend at one of the best venues in the country.

Results on the website:http://www.caerswscup.co.uk/home



words and photos by Jim Smith (www.fattyre.co.uk)

NPS Round 3Fort William

Hit fast for-ward


Fort William is one of those tracks that doesn’t even need a description, its reputation as one of the toughest tracks on the World Cup circuit was upheld pretty well at the World Cup round just a few weeks before this round. Hit fast forward and we’ve rocked up at the Nevis Range for the third round of the NPS, the track still pretty rutted and rough from the World Cup.

Saturday 8.30am and practise began, plenty of time to get the lines right and to get associated with the track. The main trouble with this track is that it’s so rough. Too much practise and come race day your arms are aching and your practise ends up faster than your run and this caught a lot of the younger riders out with a few crashes late in the day. Having said that, given the fact that the track had a week of abuse just a month before, track builders Bob and co had really put in the effort to get it into a rideable state.

All eyes were on Greg Minnaar who had turned up to race again after winning here at the WC four weeks ago. There was plenty of competition for him though and local guy Ben Cathro was putting in fast training runs throughout practise. Come race run Cathro put in a 4.55, only 5 seconds behind seasoned World Cup racer Minnaar, big things to come from the tall Scot?

Orange 224s made a pretty solid appearance, appearing on nearly every podium, including 2 on the Elite podium with MTBCut.tv’s Joe Barnes spinning to 3rd place with 5.02 and BikeRadar riders Marc Beaumont and Donny back in 4th and 5th.

Elite Women was a hotly fought title and in the end Katy Curd crossed the line 5 seconds up on Helen Gaskell, despite Helen suffering a mechanical on the track. It showed just how rough the track had got, with Katy being the only girl to go under the 6 minute barrier, but still not getting near her qualifying run of 5.55!

Hit fast for-ward


Hit fast for-ward


It was the usual tactics for Fraser McGlone in Juvenile, once again taking the win with a 5.36 way ahead of the competition. Youth is the real indicator for future success stories and fortunately we’ve got plenty. Arran Gannicott crossed the timing beam 5.09 seconds after he left the start gate to stunned looks in the finish arena. 5.09 was fast enough to put him 12th in Elite, with plenty of practise and training years left. These kids are fast!

Despite brilliant performances by so many grassroots riders, this is ultimately the NPS, the UK’s premier race series. With the Athertons on the start list it looked like we’d see plenty of World Cup standard racing in the Elite category… but when they didn’t turn up on practise day it was clear we were down to the NPS regulars. Not that that’s a bad thing, don’t get me wrong. But it’d be nice to see the World Cup riders on the National scene, especially when Great Britain is dominating most of the races across the world. It’s a bit odd to see more pros at a regional race than the NPS. Bad timing or just a case of too far to travel?

Results at: http://www.mikrotime.com/mtb/nps2008/fortw308.html

Hit fast for-ward


photos by Jim Smith (www.fattyre.co.uk)

Pearce wrap up 2& 3

Round

2


Round

2Pearce wrap up 2& 3

Master 1 618 LIST David Stourport Specialist Cycles 2:44.503 2 612 LEWIS Alun AW Cycles.co.uk 2:48.806 4.303 3 633 WILLIAMS Colin Solid Bikes 2:50.107 5.604

Senior 1 244 CONERON James NORCO 2:46.008 2 225 SMITH Damon MTB Direct 2:48.575 2.567 3 221 RADCLIFF Sean Merlin Commencal 2:49.298 3.290

Elite 1 1 BEAUMONT Marc Team Bike Radar 2:27.294 2 3 BRAITHWAITE Tom Factory Orange 2:33.899 6.605 3 5 JONES Ralph Dirt Magazine 2:35.114 7.820

ROUND 2 – HOPTON 20th April 2008

Hardtail 1 1408 GLEAVE Tom 3:11.966 2 1411 PETFORD Lee Pearce Cycles Race Team 3:38.611 26.645 3 1407 WILLIS Rob 3:39.287 27.321

Juvenile 1 1311 DOWNES Matthew Dave Rayner Cycles 3:13.807 2 1313 MAPSTONE Will 3:21.979 8.172 3 1302 BRADLEY Rupert 3:28.831 15.024

Youth 1 1103 MALLER Jamie Knox 2:47.502 2 1104 MATHER Brad 2:51.788 4.286 3 1101 HODGETTS Josh Bad Ass Bikes/Ram Bikes 22:54.098 6.596

Junior 1 942 DALE Sam Cannondale Factory Racing 2:32.556 2 956 DAVIES Emyr Santa Cruz/Reverse 2:36.420 3.864 3 904 VIALS Nathan Yeti-Reverse 2:36.999 4.443

Veteran 1 803 HARVEY Trevor Harveyboysracing.com :59.737 2 820 SIMPSON Jono Pearce Cycles Race Team 3:04.496 4.759 3 812 EDGAR Neil Rave Racing 3:08.417 8.680

Youth Women 1 1561 ADAMS Monet Solid/Quad/Cwmdown 3:17.781 2 1560 CARR Mary Forestfreeride 5:56.966 2:39.185

Junior Women 1 1550 STONE Jessica High Peak Cycles 3:28.538 2 1551 WRIGGLESWORTH Kerry MTB Bitz 3:53.364 24.826 Veteran Women 1 1541 DAVIES Lynda Ticket2ridebc.com/Descent-Gear.com 3:40.725 2 1540 BELTON Nicky H2OMUDnSNOW 4:11.421 30.696 Master Women 1 1532 WEBB Rebecca Justridingalong 3:59.482 2 1530 RADNOR Sarah Bike Junkies 4:06.050 6.568 3 1531 HUMPHREYS Lisa High Peak Cycles 4:10.558 11.076 Senior Women 1 1514 WAREHAM Emma 3:29.759 2 1513 LEWIS Rachel A W Cycles 4:02.142 32.383 3 1515 BARTLEMAN Lianne 4:11.261 41.502


Round


ROUND 3 – BRINGEWOOD 18th May 2008

Hardtail 1 1416 HUSKINSON Lee DMR Bikes/Nike 6/Marzocchi/Mace 2:46.935 2 1408 GLEAVE Tom 3:01.315 14.380 3 1406 SWINDEN William No Cycling.com 3:08.514 21.579

Juvenile 1 1304 EMMETT Zac Tudors Building Supplies Hereford 3:07.923 2 1313 MAPSTONE Will 3:09.950 2.027 3 1315 LOVELL Ben 3:13.013 5.090

Youth 1 1104 MATHER Brad 2:42.741 2 1103 MALLER Jamie Knox 2:45.656 2.915 3 1101 HODGETTS Josh Bad Ass Bikes/Ram Bikes 2:55.106 12.365

Junior 1 956 DAVIES Emyr Santa Cruz/Reverse 22:35.138 2 920 HEATH Harry Derry Air Cycles/Morewood 2:38.409 3.271 3 903 MALLER Ashley Knox 2:40.144 5.006

Veteran 1 803 HARVEY Trevor Harveyboysracing.com 2:55.053 2 822 COBB John 2:57.386 2.333 3 804 KING Richard Primary Water 2:58.439 3.386

Junior Women 1 1550 STONE Jessica Trek/Extreme Medics 3:24.842 Veteran Women 1 1541 DAVIES Lynda Ticket2ridebc.com/descent-gear.com 3:30.376 2 1540 BELTON Nicky H2OMUDnSNOW 3:45.894 15.518 Master Women 1 1532 WEBB Rebecca Justridingalong 3:40.066 2 1531 HUMPHREYS Lisa High Peak Cycles 3:47.373 7.307 3 1530 RADNOR Sarah Bike Junkies 4:06.303 26.237 Senior Women 1 1514 WAREHAM Emma Trek/Extreme Medics 3:23.798 2 1511 MAHONY Sue Psyclewerx 3:32.034 8.236 3 1510 LATCHEM Harriet High Peak Cycles 3:35.740 11.942 Elite Women 1 1501 HORRIDGE Emily Yeti/Sombrio 3:02.757 2 1500 DIX Aimee Mojo Orange 3:10.183 3:07.933 5.176



part 2

Master 1 612 LEWIS Alun AW Cycles.co.uk 2:40.715 2 618 LIST David Stourport Specialist Cycles 2:40.729 0.014 3 633 WILLIAMS Colin Solid Bikes 2:42.255 1.540

Senior 1 225 SMITH Damon MTB Direct 2:38.428 2 244 CONERON James NORCO 2:41.391 2.963 3 269 SMITH Nick 2:41.868 3.440

Expert 1 127 UPTON Darrell Electric Visual 2:31.565 2 115 MORGAN Ben Pearce Cycles Race Team 2:35.418 3.853 3 110 MORGAN Adam Pearce Cycles Race Team 2:36.081 4.516

Elite 1 10 DEACON Tom Ancillotti UK 2:29.229 2 14 CRITCHLOW Dan CRC Intense 2:35.128 5.899 3 6 BAKER Ben Astrix Europe 2:36.098 6.869

Round



words by Jamie Edwardsphotos by Jim Smith (www.fattyre.co.uk)

Pearce Cycles Summer DH SeriesRound 4 - Rhyd Y Felin


part 2

Round

4


Barely recovered from an epic trip up to the Fort William World Cup I hit the road for round 4 of the amazing Pearce Summer Series at Rhyd Y Felin. A track that (just like the Big Bill) is flat out, loose, rough and a real test of staying off the bloody brakes! There aren’t too many opportunities to race here so it would have been rude to miss it!

We rolled into the race village late Friday night to find loads of people already pitched up, having a beer round camp fires and buzzing for a great weekend of racing. The Pearce races always have a great vibe to ‘em, with lots of families turning up for the weekend and lots of familiar faces. It was great to see that this was in full swing before the riding had even kicked off.

Saturday am rolled around with clear skies and sun. I hooked up with the guys from Foel Gasnach and we did a quick lap of the pits to say hi to a few familiar faces. We spotted a couple of interesting bits and bobs including Steve Parr and the MSC boys, who were camped up next to the sign on tent, showing off the fleet of bikes and a brand new MSC full face lid. Definitely a must have for the MSC owners. Pete from 2Stage Bikes was camped up with Paton and the Descent-Gear truck and was also still recovering from Fort Bill. He was showing off the 2Stage Elite9 DH bike. They’re just getting to work on the UK so keep an eye out for ‘em and their riders.

More familiar faces in the uplift queue and plenty of time to catch up as an hour wait for the uplift lay ahead… something that was a bit of a ball ache all weekend. I’m sure there’s no easy way to run uplifts and there will never be enough trucks to keep everyone happy, but it was a hell of a wait and a lot of riders were getting a grump on. The trucks were also all running in convoy, meaning that everyone was on the track at the same time and it was a bit of a struggle to get full runs in. On the plus side, it was warm n’sunny and there are worse things than sunbathing in the countryside! Whisking us to the top were of course the excellent Pearce Uplift trucks which are safe, better on the bikes, pretty comfy and a welcome change to squashing on the back of a trailer.

Finally we reach the top of the hill and onto the track. It was my first time at Rhyd and I was completely blown away by just how bloody fast it is. I think we take tight, wooded tracks for granted in the UK and it’s such a different feeling to hit wide, drifty, open stuff! Rhyd is flat out from the very start, cannon balling you over shale and rocks, round loose, drifty turns and over floaty bus stops. The brave few were hitting a pretty decent looking stump gap down onto the first fire road, before railing it down into the famous S-bends. Through the top section it’s all about keeping off the bloody brakes and squeezing every bit of speed out of the track that you can.

Mid way there’s a tough loose left hander that drops you into some flowing and technical woods, just in case you’re feeling homesick for some traditional UK style. There are loads of lines, tight tree gaps, stumps, roots and tight berms all over the place. Thanks to a weekend of sunshine things were getting super loose and dusty meaning drifts aplenty and loads of Sam Hill impressions. Or maybe attempts at them…. The hardtail kids were looking on real good form in here, throwing their bikes


part 2

Round

4 Round

4


Round

4From

Fort Bill to Bala

part 2


through the tight bends and gapping roots all over the place.

Out of the woods and you’re back into the open again for a sprint across the fields, over (or around) a pair of doubles and over the finish line. Thanks to the tasty weather this section stayed grippy and there were no repeats of the ice skating at Caersws a couple of weeks before. There were a few grumbles about the final doubles being a bit short but otherwise an amazing track that had everyone raving all weekend.

The day ended after about five runs, which seemed just enough to start having a ridiculous amount of fun but also leave us gagging for more. The hardcore spent the evening walking the track and scoping out lines whilst the rest of us drank cider and wondered why the farmer had charged some riders 2 quid for camping and others a tenner. Late to bed and lots of dreams of going sideways really, really, really fast.

Race day kicked off with a bit of last minute practice and more sitting about in the uplift field waiting for trucks to appear. It’s hard to say much about the race runs except that everyone was going absolutely flat out whether they liked it or not. Possibly a bit too much for someone as the air ambulance was sighted making a visit. The Morgans were killing the track as ever, same goes for James Hughes who was tearing the steep woods section apart and gapping everything in site. One of the best sights all weekend was hardtail rider Lee Huskinson chasing a full suss rider tyre to tyre through the woods. The boy is flat out, hard tail or not. Needless to say he was looking quick in his race runs!

Fastest time of the day went to James Hughes, followed up by Tom Deacon and Rob Smith. Emily Horridge took the top spot for the girls, followed up by Monet Adams then Emma Wareham.

Massive thanks to Pearce Cycles and everyone else who puts a shit load of time, effort and cash into helping us ride our pushbikes. Cheers!

Ok I admit it… This article originally appeared on Jim’s site at fattyre.co.uk

www.Pearcecycles.co.uk for more.

Round

4


part 2

http://www.Pearcecycles.co.uk


Val Di Sole. A mellow valley winding up through the Italian Alps, just north of Lake Garda and back to back with Switzerland and France. Near in location but a world away from Swiss exactness or French cheese. Italy holds something special within its borders. Style, charm, a beautiful accent and more flair than any of its bordering neighbours.

The venue was situated three quarters of the way up this valley. Essentially the longest dead-end road you’d ever find and one that finally finishes at a waterfall. Hotels littered the sides of the road with teams, riders and spectators scattered throughout.

International riders are used to riding and racing abroad. They travel, practice, eat with their teams and represent them. However at this event the riders don the lycra colours of their nation and are taken under the wing of their country’s federation. In theory this is logical, but in practice it causes a few problems and to be honest, for the biggest event of the year, changing everyone’s routine around is not ideal. Lots of little issues were brought up, but surprisingly not the skin suit issue. After Mojo’s recent slippery suit, riders lubed up and wore the national suits with no questions. My take on it? This is a RACE from top to bottom. Why would you not want to go the fastest?

The track was something to behold. Last year Fort William gave us a man made motorway of manliness. Here, the Italians took a forest and marked out a route that was fairly direct from top to bottom. Where was the hardcore? Where were the man-made jumps littering it? This was very much ‘au naturel’ and a fantastic track. I wanted to ride it, you will want to ride it. Hard, difficult to flow, and for us, well over 5 minutes, but to give us the Worlds best rider? It was an ideal challenge. words and photos by Alan Milway

The World

Cham

ps 200

8


Practise started early in the week and lines were created, berms developed and tongues wagged at who was hot, and who was not. Rain fell early in the week but cleared and gave sun, sun and more sun. So hot, so sweaty and so tiring. And that was just me watching!

Seeding was held on Thursday and with only a smattering of spectators it was a world away from Fort William. It lacked atmosphere and it felt like a trade show before the doors opened to the public. The staff were all there but had no one to share their wares with.

World seeding is a funny thing. Some sand bag, some want to go full guns blazing, some try different lines. It all happens. However the result will show Remi Thirion took Junior fastest from Josh Bryceland and a brace of UK Junior rippers (Dale, Hart and Smith). Rachel Atherton had the girls’ pants down by 11 seconds or so and was still not happy with a “rubbish” run. Gee was fastest by a good few seconds with Peaty in the mix. Peaty in the mix? At 34. What a legend. Would this be his year?

Friday was another day of sunny practice, a thunderstorm and a good night rest before the climax of Saturday’s racing.

Spectators started to arrive but were a real disappointment and still only a smattering. If you went to Fort William you would have been disappointed. No real noise, no screaming and empty seats in the grandstands. Where does the Scottish passion come from?

The Junior event was first and Junior Men were the British interest. 4 of the favourites were from this little island and all were in with a shot. Danny Hart, 16, riding a brand spanking new bike from Lapierre was off early after a tumble in seeding. His time came through and was a clear 10 seconds

up on the nearest so far! In the hot seat and knowing it was good, but good enough? Juniors are getting fast and as a result, the crashes are getting big. The final ski jump was huge and riders flew 60 feet down onto a rough landing. Tired riders launched off this and one had a very UGLY crash. Knocked out and limp he lay on the floor. This was scary but what was more scary was that he wore no real protection. This is racing and for under 18s I’d have made protection compulsory. Also, neck braces should be considered as they are easy to wear and might save a serious injury.

Sam Dale broke Danny’s time and then Bryceland took a big chunk of time out of this. Very fast. Very, very fast. Only Remi Thirion was left and we watched the big screen as he fumbled and bounced down the hill after a horrible run. He crossed in 3rd place which was incredible for such a poor run. This meant Bryceland and Dale had taken gold and silver for GB!

Elite Women was a foregone conclusion and this is said with no disrespect. On big tracks that require power and force Jonnier and Moseley are very hard to match. But on a track that is raw technical ability I am pretty sure I saw ‘Rachel Atherton’ weaved into roots. It had her name all over it. She broke 5 minutes, took the field apart and is now World Champion.

Elite Men saw some interest, a packed house of spectators! Maybe they are out of bed late here in Italy, but it was only during this final that you felt the full force of the fans. With the various games and happenings of seeding, Fabien Pedemanaud set the bench mark high very early with a 3.22. A second faster than Bryceland but much faster than anyone else so far. Riders failed to break this until Barel, a World Champs specialist and French team mate stormed over in 3.17. Would this be good enough? He looked nervous and as he clutched at his

The World

Cham

ps 200

8


crucifix he may as well have been clutching at straws as he watched Peaty roar down the hill. The lion in him roaring for this world title. 3.14 and the hot seat to the delight of the GB supporters!

And now, a lesson… Sam Hill took to the hill and only a minute into his run there was a GASP from the crowd. We had seen the split time. Peat had not. Helen Mortimer leaned over to answer his query and broke it to him that Hill had taken 5 seconds out of him already. The look on his face said more than anything could have done. Disbelief, depression, surprise. He clearly could not believe anyone could go so quickly. As we watched in awe we agreed. The final drop brought him into view and we all went nuts. 7 seconds or so up and we were looking for the final finish time, as I turned to see the time I looked back at a cloud of dust. Hill down and out. Off the bike and scrambling. He got on, tried to get back up to speed and crossed the time dejected. But only 0.5secs down on Peat. Woah.

Minnaar could not break the time and it left only Gee. He rode an incredible race, very fast and a little loose. Pushing hard from top to bottom would he take gold from Peat? He crossed with victory and a hug from the ever present Rachel. A fantastic win and a GB 1-2 again with Hill 3rd. Peat looked downtrodden again and upset. Will he ever win a Worlds? I fear not.

For the riders this had been a great event and a great venue. If only we could import 30,000 screaming fans we’d have some deafening noise to greet them and an atmosphere that would justify their efforts.

Rule Brittania.

The World

Cham

ps 200

8


words and photos by Jamie Edwards

British National DH Championships

A picture paints 1000 words

Steve Peat. Second to last man down. Stomping out a line in the steep, technical woods. I don’t think there was a single person on that hill that wasn’t

happy to see Steve take the top spot and show us all yet again why he’s the top dog in UK downhill. Gold

medal for Steve and another National Champs jersey.


How good is the track at Bala? It’s bloody good. So bloody good it wasn’t just used for a round of the Pearce Midlands Series but for the number 1, the big dog… The British National Champs. Barely had the car been parked on the drive from one trip to Bala before it was ragged back up the A5, into deepest darkest Wales and ready for another week of top class UK racing. You all know the score by now and who took home some silver wear, so here are a few photos I snapped over the weekend…


Danny Hart is pure talent but couldn’t quite

stand up to the World Champ Miami Bryce.

5th for Danny (far right). 1st and another jersey

for Josh. (right)


Out of the gate Bala is fast and open. Midway however, you drop into the tight, technical and rooty stuff and things get a lot tougher. Richie Cunningham built this track back in the day but still took a kicking on the minefield of wet, steep roots. With punctures in practice and this crash in his race run it didn’t add up to a great weekend. Unlucky mate.

How many sports let you brush shoulders with 3 World Champions, let

along enter and compete alongside them? Josh

Bryceland, Gee Atherton and Rachel Atherton ladies

and gents. UK racing fucking rules.


Another UK race icon is Scotty Beaumont. He’s a real deal, factory pro but still finds time for race duties in muddy fields back home. Not long after his 4X Nat Champs victory and he’s here trying to make to the top spot in DH too…


Marc Beaumont was the defending champ and must have been feeling the pressure. He was quick through the dusty, rooty corners but not quick enough. He got a step on the all Santa Cruz podium but had to settle for Silver.

The hype running up to the race was that the Pearce clan were rolling out a monster bridge to carry riders over Farmer Jack’s road and into the finish area. Here she is in all her glory. Who said DH races aren’t enough of a spectacle?



There doesn’t seem much point saying that the Athertons were pinning all weekend. World

Champs Gee and Rach both qualified fastest on Saturday and were absolutely hauling. Sadly for the Animal Commencal superteam neither of them could add UK champ to the trophy cabinet. Rachel took a savage crash in practice knocking

her out of the running with severe bruising to the leg and a trip in the air ambulance. Gee was last man on the mountain and on a mission. He was terrifyingly fast through the tech woods and

2 seconds up on Steve at the split. Seconds before the line and with a win almost guaranteed

he was bucked off the bike and far down the ranks. That’s racing.


Tracey Moseley is getting some tough competition

from Rachel Atherton but sure as hell isn’t showing

any sign of slowing down. She took gold at Fort

William and she took gold here. Your elite female

National Champ ladies and gents.


Last time we visited Bala, Tom Braithwaite was stuck on the sidelines and looking sorry for himself with a wrist injury. He said he’d be back and sure enough he was on track and pinning all weekend. Check out his interview on MTBcut.tv, the boy is focused.

The race village sets the vibe for the whole event and the Pearce guys did a hell of a job of setting something up

that was straight out of the World Cup scene. Spectators could brush shoulders with the Syndicate, Silverfish, TF

Tuned, Animal Commencal, Rocky Mountain and a heap more. The racing dropped into the final fields and into full

view of the race village. From the pits you could check out the riders drifting turns and boosting the doubles before dropping off the bridge and over line. Add live

timing, split times on the hill and Paton on the mic and you had a great spot to watch the racing.



This year’s Covert Underground Unofficial UK Hardtail Champs was of course a hijack on the dragons Welsh Champs at Mynydd Du. One important thing I forgot to mention in the run up to the race was just how hard/technical/brutal/steep/fast/savage this track is, so some of the newbies got a shock and one hell of a race! Getting down with your ride intact was a major issue.

Richard who is DMR rider Lee Huskinson’s mechanic had to work on the bike nearly every run. This is down to Lee pushing what is doable on a hardtail, and if you have seen him ride you will know what I mean. I think we went through 1 or 2 chainrings, 1 chain, 2 rear mechs, 3 mech hangers, 1 front brake, 2 rear brakes,1 rearbrake lever, Billy Trailstar got the only flat tyre.

So a proper hard race on a fast changing track, with rubble blowing out on every run, some scary big rocks poking out of berms (if you think Cwm Carn is rough then The Du is too much for you ). Tyre choice was a biggy with half running spikes and the others on Rollers or Minions. I went with spikes and got through the mud at the top OK but kept twatting trees at the bottom as the track was so solid in places and I couldn’t hold a line on the spikes through the rocks. I couldn’t bring myself to chop up tyres (Intense spikes) but I’m thinking about it now...

I came 5th In seeding and 8th in racing and had beer. Seeding saw Lee Huskinson roll off chainless and do something mad like 3.52 ( how? ). No major offs and no DNFs and that was seeding done. No bikes to fix, time to chill and think about Sunday’s Race runs.

Sunday’s race run 1 saw the damage rate shoot up as every one went a bit mad. It is a race after all! Lee ripped out the back brake lever and Lewis Warrington ripped

words and photos by Ian ‘Ace’ Woodley (www.hardtailnation.co.uk)

The Covert Underground Unofficial UK Hardtail Championships

Now this is

hardcore


out his back wheel and mech and hanger (I said it was savage up there) and was the first to DNF. We had just over an hour to get him rolling and him ready to rock in time for run 2. All we had to do was put on a front brake for Oliver and make a 180mm caliper fit a 185mm disc. Hey we don’t leave people behind and between us we had a spare bike in case any frames or forks got snapped. This is what hardtail racing is all about. It’s looked on as the bastard lovechild of gravity sports but we all know each other and we look after ourselves.

Race Run 2 normally involves trees. You know how much time you have to knock off, start pushing it, then twat a tree or two. The track was really chopped up by now with lots of braking bumps which took out Derek and Lewis Bateman who both lost rear brakes. Lee Hamer was on one and overtook Billy then caught me in the root section. I heard him shout, pulled over and watched him crash. Me and the marshal took the piss while he got going again.

Then it was all over and time for a beer and to sort out prize giving. I managed to score some prizes from some very nice people, which meant everyone in Hardtail walked off with a goodie bag. BIG thank you to Cy from cotic.co.uk for the tee shirts, Matt, Lee and Richard from dmrbikes.com for the shirts, stem, hats, stickers and grips, Billy from dirtmag.co.uk for getting the Earthed Box sets and my secret sponsor Caroline for the shirts and hats. Thanks also to the hardtail riders. You know who you are and thank you very much.

To keep things random we played “race plate Russian roulette” for them with Manon picking the race plates. I had a special award “who dares bins “ which went to Jake Mckenna as last man down and his first ever race.

1st went to Lee Huskinson Dmrbikes/Marzocchi/Mace/Nike 6.0/Blazingsaddlescycles. Lee is now the Unofficial UK Hardtail Champion, and took the jersey from last years Champ Nathan Ball. 2nd was Lee Hamer from Extreme Culture and 3rd was Ryan Lewis also from Extreme Culture.

Dragon main man Jason asked if we want a harder track for next year. YES PLEASE.

www.hardtailnation.co.ukwww.dragondownhill.co.uk

Now this is

hardcore

http://www.hardtailnation.co.uk


words and photos by Pat Cambell-Jenner

www.patcj.co.ukHeavenly P66Identity P66 frame in Deep Red

2008 Marzocchi DJ1’s, running soft to medium

Halo Freedom wheels

custom rear wheel with DJD cassette hub with 11t driver

Schwalbe tabletop front tyre, 60psi

Halo Twin Rail rear, 70psi

Gusset Pigmy 2 cranks

27t Gusset 4x chain ring

Gusset Slim Jim pedals in new red colour,

Gusset Git stem with 2 inch rise bar

Gusset 4 Poster seat post

Gusset Lil seat

Single speed all the way!

pro-bike


“It’s set up rammed in at the back end and runs as short as my old 24in wheels, its great. No personal touches really as the whole thing just bolts together.”

“It rides really short, tight and stiff. The first time I flipped it I almost landed on my arse as I had no idea how short it was!”

“Favourite things? Definitely the colour, the clean lines and tidiness.”

Check out www.patcj.co.uk

Heavenly P66

pro-bike

MDE Pusher


words and photos by Elbrywww.riderruncompany.co.ukMDE Pusher

Wideopen freeride correspondent Elbry is constantly telling us how great he thinks his MDE bikes are… He likes them so much in fact, that he has taken on the tough job of importing them into the UK! This month we thought we’d put the poor boy out of his misery and let him tell you all about his very own ‘Pusher’. Enjoy!

pro-bike


FRAME: MDE PUSHER (short stroke 165)SHOCK: MARZOCCHI ROCO RC WCFORKS: MARZOCCHI ATA 66 AIRBAR: AZONIC B52STEM: THOMSON X4GRIPS: THE BAR CAPS: X-LITESPACER: CARBON BONTRAGERSEAT: THE JUNIOR MTN-XPOST: THE CARBON WRAPCRANKS: SAINTPEDALS: 50/50 CRANKBROTHERS (SOON TO BE MDE)MECH: X7SHIFTER: X7BRAKES: FORMULA THE ONEWHEELS: INDUSTRY 9TYRES: INTENSES 909

pro-bike


With the explosion of digital photography over the last decade, it’s never been easier to get out and take photos of your mates riding. All you need is a camera, a rider and some light. And while it’s as easy as that to get started, it can be a little trickier trying to develop your skills. Mike Deere points you in the right direction and releases you into the world of shutters.

As with all areas of photography, there are 2 sides to creating a visually appealing riding photograph, the creative side and the technical side.

On the technical side there is a lot to remember, and over the next few months you’ll be taken on a journey through a world of f/stops, guide numbers, focal lengths, metering, ISO speeds, pre-focusing and all sorts of jargon-based wizardry that when combined will let you put the creative ideas that are in your head into a fully fledged photograph.

words and photos by Mike Deere

method

Mountain-bike pho-tography (Part 1)

here While it may have been a very sunny day for this photo at Brixton Skatepark, the use of the camera’s in built flash has softened some of the harsh dark shadows that the

sun can create. The result is a much brighter, more colourful photo. Panning was also used in this shot to help achieve the super accurate framing.

But on the creative side there are no rules, no boundaries and unfortunately noone telling you what makes a good picture. This new series can help you take better photographs, but you’ll still have to exercise the ol’ grey matter and get the creative juices flowing to really make the most of it. You’ll have the ideas, we’ll just help you make the most of them.

Where do we begin then? Well, one thing that you might have noticed as a bit different when taking photos of people riding bikes is that bikes tend to move rather a lot more than dear old Uncle Jeff who was fast asleep when you first tried out your camera on Christmas afternoon.

There are several ways to freeze the action though. You can either use the ‘panning’ technique or, if you have a nice composition already thought out, there are several steps you can take to make sure the rider stays sharp when you’re keeping the camera still.

Panning is a great technique for shooting races, or any discipline where speed is of the essence such as DH, XC or 4X. It keeps the rider sharp whilst allowing a little motion blur in the background. By moving the camera with the rider and tracking them as they approach and then ride past you, you are making sure that they’ll be kept sharper in the photo than if they were zooming past you leaving a big colourful blur across the middle of the picture.



As the rider approaches keep the camera pointed at them all the time. Keep your razor-sharp reflexes at the ready for the shot you want and remember (this is the important part) to keep the camera moving with the rider even while you take the photo. Yes this includes while the screen/viewfinder goes blank for a second while the photo is taken. You’d be surprised how many people forget to do this. Using flash, particularly slow-sync flash, whilst panning is a sure fire way to keep that sharpness high once again. In fact I’d almost recommend using flash for 90 plus percent of riding photos!

This brings us nicely to the use of flash. If you’re shooting something where the rider needs to be in an exact position such as a trick or jump then you may want to keep the camera in the ready position before taking the photo. The trouble then is making sure they’re sharp. In bright daylight this isn’t a problem, but in a dark forest or a skatepark then you may have some trouble.

Your camera’s built-in flash can do a great job of freezing the action, but in some of those darker situations the results might not come out quite how you’d like. Most cameras have several flash modes including red-eye and slow-sync flash modes. Whilst we can ignore red-eye flash for riding photos, slow sync mode is in fact very useful for what we’re aiming to achieve. The principal behind it is that while the shutter speed of the camera remains quite low (to allow a longer time for more background light to enter the camera, giving a bright image in dark situations) which would normally result in the rider being blurry, the flash freezes the action whilst retaining a little bit of motion blur for that really speedy look.

The photo on the right is an extreme example of this, where the conditions are far darker than anything you are likely to shoot even in the deepest, darkest forest. It’s a combination of slow-sync flash and the panning technique to keep the rider sharp.

Normally without the slow-sync flash, the rider would have been as blurred as the light trails in the background – very bad! But as you can see the flash has kept a lot of him sharp, and while you do get that little bit of blurring behind the rider this certainly doesn’t ruin the image. It gives it that fast feel that we’re after. When you consider how blurry the image would have been without flash, in some situations it’s either this or no useable photos at all.

Right, so far we’ve done pretty well. There have been a few techniques which are very useful for taking biking photos and which cover some of the technical start to improving your photos. Now it’s time for

some creativity.

“What? But you said that you can’t teach creativity?”

Well, yes, that is technically true, but we can help you to start thinking in the right kind of sense. There has been one fundamental thing that we so far haven’t covered in kickstarting your photography and that’s

composition.

here Tom Dowie - extreme pan fill-in flash.

method



top While you can clearly see this drop in all its glory, the surroundings leave a lot to the imagina-

tion...

right ...after a short walk up the hill you can

see the drop and its sur-roundings. While this

may not be the greatest of examples due to fading light, it shows how differ-ently you could shoot the same subject. Pat CJ at Woodward West, incase

you were wondering.

As mentioned at the start, there are no rules for creating a good photograph. You could spend days and days trawling through some of the biggest archives of the world’s best photographs covering all kinds of subjects and come across literally thousands of unique compositions. And while they may be unique depending on the location, subject and situation you may notice some subtle similarities across the board.

Hence, there are a couple of aspects to consider when composing your new

masterpieces. Firstly, it helps to have the rider somewhere in the frame, which means the area of your actual photograph. No, that’s not sarcasm, it really does. Where most people go wrong is that they tend to put the rider smack bang in the middle of the frame. While this may work for some of the tighter crops, if you want a composition that keeps people looking at it then you’re going to need to think a little more about how you position the rider in the shot.

method


• Read the manual that came with your camera. As obvious as it may sound, it’s a great reference point if there’s ever something that you’re trying to figure out how to achieve with your camera. A lot of modern camera manuals not only explain what the camera can do but what difference it makes to your photographs.

Bear in mind that while you want to show the very best of what the rider is doing, you also want to show how they’re doing it i.e. their surroundings.

Putting a little something extra into the image adds a whole extra dimension to your photographs and the way people look at it. Whether you include a little more of the trail or terrain that’s being ridden, some bystanders or mates watching the rider or even a foreground subject while the riding goes on in the background it all adds up to a photo that people will look at for longer while they absorb more of it. While it may sound pretentious, people will certainly start to look at your images with more interest.

An easy way of doing this is by using your legs. Crouch down, climb a tree, cower in a corner, sit between dirt jumps, get to the same level as the rider, go near to rider, go far from the rider, the top of a ramp, the bottom of a ramp, press your nose against a tree or the coping of a vert. Anything! You never know until you try it. It’s how I learnt and it’s how everyone can learn and keep learning. Sure, you can get some funny looks and embarrassing moments in the positions you put yourself in, but if you pull it off then look who’s laughing afterwards.

Of course, the only way to really get to grips with this kind of creative exercise is to actually get out and try it for yourself. It’s all very well reading this trying to extract every ounce of information to help you take that perfect photo, but the only way to truly understand it is to try it. Be daring with your photos, don’t be afraid of trying out any ideas you have. Like I said, there is no right and wrong when it comes to taking a good photograph. If it doesn’t come out exactly how you figured it out in your head then it doesn’t matter. It’s all part of the three stages to mastering photography.

Practice, practice and practice.

• Experiment. The great thing about the modern age of digital photography is that you don’t have to worry about wasting time, money and film on experimenting with your camera. You can try out any idea you want to and instantly see how it turns out. If you don’t like it you can delete the results and there’s no harm done, but if the results are great then the success is that much sweeter.

• Flash photography is your friend. A lot of people are afraid to use flash when they first start taking riding photos due to that “flat black” look, but it can really make a great photograph if you learn to use it well in different situations. Keeping riders sharp can sometimes be very difficult especially in low light conditions such as forests and skateparks, flash can help freeze the action and keep your photos bright and even. Just try it. And don’t forget to experiment with it!

Get started...

here Despite this photo originally being taken on a commercial shoot, it uses the very basic techniques outlined in this article. Using the panning technique coupled with on camera flash mean that this photo just feels fast whilst still keeping the rider sharp enough to see the details. With a little practice you’ll be even more popular in no time, making your mates look great!




Mountain bikers travelling to the Seven Stanes course at Ae Forest in Dumfriesshire are in for some exciting changes this year. Rob Gray, working in conjunction with the Forestry Commission Scotland, has just opened new and vastly improved facilities for mountain bike enthusiasts of all levels of ability. In an interview with Colin Williamson who manages the Seven Stanes Complex for the Forestry Commission we learnt of new plans to upgrade the excellent facilities even further. The Ae Forest course already has a wide variety of trails at every level of difficulty and Ae Forest itself is just a part of 400km of woodland trails in the Seven Stanes complex in south west Scotland.

Rob and his wife Mary have already taken their two young daughters all through the 9km long Green Route which is specifically designed for safe family biking. Winding through the forests it’s alive with rare birds and animals such as deer, red kites and the even rarer red squirrel. For those wanting a slightly tougher challenge there is a well signed 13 ½ km Blue Route that is officially graded as “moderate“. You might think that

words by Beth Frearphotos by Chris Frear

the 24km Red Ae Line would satisfy the more accomplished riders with obstacles like “Nil Desperandum”,“The Face”and “The Edge”, but that’s not all Ae has to offer.

For the very accomplished and highly competitive riders there are two even more demanding routes to challenge even the bravest. In August it is the eastern most of these, a 1.6km precipitous track that will be the focus of the action in the Scottish Downhill Association Race. Officially designated an Orange Route, its hoped that a new uplift service (www.upliftscotland.com) of buses and lorries will be in place to ferry competitors to the 1,000 feet summit and set them on their way hurtling downward over some of the most demanding mountain biking in the country.

Scotland’s Biking Heaven

http://www.upliftscotland.com/

http://www.upliftscotland.com/


The Forestry Commission has even more improvements planned at Ae. They are revisiting the design of the Red and Orange Routes and planning more features to encourage elite and experienced riders. North shore and wall obstacles are already in the design stage. It’s also planned to hold more international events starting with next year’s World Mountain Bike Conference. Details of this event can be found at www.7stanes.gov.uk To support family mountain bikers with children there will be a safe ride and play area close to the new shop and restaurant facility where children can practice riding over minor obstacles while the adults take a well-earned break. And finally Ae plans to capitalise on its year round accessibility to attract more visitors from abroad. With mild winters and cool summers it’s rarely too hot or too cold to bike in Ae at any season of the year.

Oh .... and did we mention this immense forest is spectacularly unspoilt and beautiful?

Down at the trail head Rob and Mary have just opened an impressive facility that could be the envy of mountain bikers around the world. With good food and an affordable restaurant also comes a complete bike shop. Here a family of visitors can hire bikes and equipment for a day’s safe riding in Ae Forest. More competitive riders can buy new bikes, clothing and safety equipment and even book their bikes into the workshop for repair. At the end of a long day the centre is equipped with hot tiled showers and toilets. It’s all part of a plan by Forestry Commission Scotland to make this a world class facility. It certainly impressed the Mayor of Vancouver, Canada who performed the ceremonial opening of the facilities just last June.

In an interview with Colin Williamson we learnt of even more changes to come. Last year over 400,000 mountain bikers visited all the Seven Stanes sites spread across the South West of Scotland and the Borders. Looking forward to 2012 the Forestry Commission are hoping the sport’s organisers will use three of the sites at Glentress, Mabie and Ae as Olympic training facilities for the competing teams, and beyond that perhaps they can play a similar role in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. It’s already a place to measure up to international riders. Last year over 20,000 mountain bikers visited the Seven Stanes Complex from abroad travelling mainly from Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and even North America and the numbers are rising rapidly year on year.

Scotland’s Biking Heaven

http://www.forestry.gov/


It was looking bad. One week to go before the 2008 Bristol Bikefest and it seemed like for the first time we were going to get the Glastonbury treatment. I went out to join the heroic Bristol Trails Group on their pre Bikefest trail building day (I was late of course) and found scenes from the Somme. Tired looking men, covered in mud from head to toe were foraging for rocks and logs to repair the trails which in some cases were like bomb craters filled with chocolate milk. It looked desperate.

The Las Ve-gas Institute of Sport words and photos by Nouveau (www.lvis.org.uk)

Bristol Bike Festival 2008


But then people out doing practice laps of the course mid week started coming back with tales of dry trails. “No mud tyres needed” they said. The dry spell and the magic worked by the Trails Group was working.

The Bristol Bikefest is now in it’s 6th year and it’s gotta be one of the hottest events on the MTB calendar. Despite the World Cup being on the same weekend at Fort Bill, there were teams choosing the Bikefest in preference, I guess because of the course and the location but maybe it’s because of the local cider. Those of you who’ve done some XC will agree that many courses are lacking in radness, jah? The Bikefest is a world away. There are miles of tight sinewy singletrack, blazing fast descents and climbs that although not long are steep and varied punctuated with log obstacles and a scaffold bridge where the course figure of eights Skaletrix style. It’s also a relay. The majority of riders are in teams of 4, but there are pair and solo categories to cater for masochists. This means that most people get to spend three quarters of their time hanging out, eating, chatting and wondering when in their race schedule would be most prudent to crack open a beer.

The Las Ve-gas Institute of Sport

The race started at 9 am on Saturday. This is horribly early considering all the faff that goes into a race. Somehow we made it up there in time helped by excitement and sleeping pretty lightly. Just before the race the powers that be found some protected creatures of some kind on the top field at Ashton Court, so the race HQ had been relocated to a smaller area from previous years. This got some abuse across the tannoy but I think the race actually looked better than ever. There were loads of people camping over and the timing tent and stalls lined up along the transition area looked super smart (notably Taylored Cycles and Merida showing off their 19lb 7 and a half grand XC bike). For maximum race chaos, there was a Le-Mans style start. The first riders from each team had to run 200 metres or so up a hill to where their bikes were scattered on the grass. I was pit-bitching for my team mate Andy and managed to get him off to a good start and then was so pleased with myself that I stood in the middle of the trail being crashed into by the other riders. Sorry guys.

We strolled back up the grass to the race start/finish area and waited for the first riders to get back to the start. I was among the more anxious of the riders as I had to go out for the second lap. After 27 minutes or so, we saw the first rider romping up to the start. To everyone’s disbelief, he carried on for his second lap. It was one of the solo riders. Everyone secretly hoped that he wouldn’t be able to keep up that kind of effort for the full 12 hours, it was impressive to say the least. My team mate came along soon after and off I went on my lap.


As the day went on, the weather just improved and the remaining puddles on the course dried out. There was an amazingly friendly buzz about the whole race. It has become the closest thing to a mountain bike festival I’ve seen. In a team of 4 you only spend a quarter of your time riding. The rest is spent eating, checking out the merchandise at stalls, lazing around and bumping into old and new friends. Out on the laps there are riders of all abilities getting their shred on. Sometimes there are queues on the singletrack, but people have finally worked out that it’s better for everyone to be clear and polite about overtaking, a rider enjoying their first race is more important than a guy in a team jersey’s 20th of the season. Happy trails.

9 pm approached and the last riders went out for their final laps. I went out for an ambitious final lap but managed to miss my start and then found out that my legs really had no more climb left in them. Despite missing the bell, I was greeted with a cocktail and then a beer on the finish line sliding me in to the post race spirit nicely. Apologies to the bloke who got hit with my discarded glass, it was only a plastic one from Asda, so no harm done. The race turned in to a party and BBQ into the night with live bands and cold Stellas. I’d love to have stayed all night, but it got a bit cold and dark, so after a couple of hours, I got back on the singlespeed and rolled down the hill home to Bel Air. I mean Bedminster. Another brilliant year at the Bikefest!

The Las Ve-gas Institute of Sport

I sorta hope that I never stop getting pre race nerves. I always feel terrible before a first lap, weak as a kitten and with an overriding desire to hide in the loo, but I always seem to respond well to it. Going out second after such a quick start from Andy meant that there were hardly any riders in front of me and I had the course to myself. The nerves made it feel slow, but as usual my first lap was my quickest on the beautiful dry track. Singletrack, climb, bomb-hole, woods, descent, climb, climb, scaffold bridge, climb, quarry trail singletrack, scratchy up then twisty woodland and finally out on to the field and in to the finish. Then on to the next team mate.

I race for the Las Vegas Institute of Sport. We’re a Bristol based cycling club with the winning combination of global ambitions and a laid back approach to the world we want to take over. We fielded 6 teams this year, meaning that the purple and gold kit was representing in greater numbers than any other. “Go VEGAS” banners mysteriously appeared in the woods as the day went on. At any one time there was a Vegas rider in the transition area, nonchalantly sipping cocktails as they waited for their team mate. The army cadets marshalling the course soon got it and were yelling encouragement as Vegas riders went past. 2008 meant the return of Las Vegas Institute of Sport women’s team, my Singlespeed Superstars team and a last minute recruit in the form of Singletrack mag editor Chipps. The VEGAS paddock of gazebos was just behind the control tent and offered the perfect combination of shade, quiet and company.


Cider and RedBull?words by Gareth Howell (www.digitalbmx.com)photos by Jacob Gibbins (www.jacobgibbins.co.uk)

Red Bull Empire of Dirt 2


There were two announcers at Empire of Dirt this year, Catfish, who obviously knows his shit and is a pretty sound bloke to boot, and some dude that works for Red Bull who quite clearly didn’t know what he was talking about and insisted on chatting absolute bollocks whenever there was a lull in proceedings. Pretty much everyone there was ripping the piss out of him whenever he opened his mouth. However, there was one thing he said that stuck in my mind – ‘This is the most eagerly anticipated BMX event in the world’.

It seems hard to believe that a contest held on a remote hillside in deepest darkest Devon could possibly be that big of a deal, but he was right. After last years disappointment due to mother nature being a c**t and pissing all over the proceedings it was a massive risk for Red Bull to give it another go, but they must have known they had something special on their hands as give it another go they did, and seemingly even bigger and better than the previous year. In the few weeks prior to the event it felt like there was a great sense of anticipation throughout the BMX world, hardly surprising I guess, big guns like Foster, Doyle and Bohan don’t make the trip to our little island unless they think it’s going to be worth it.

Cider and RedBull?

wideopen 7 august 2008 dirt bike magazine 124Cider and RedBull?

dirt bike magazine 125wideopen 7 august 2008Cider and RedBull?

The course itself was something to behold, Ross and his crew of green-shirted elf people had done an ace job with the shovels in the 3 months or so leading up to the event. I’m sure you’ll have all seen the course diagrams before and since Milky barely put his camera down for the entire four days I’m even more sure there’s plenty of photo’s accompanying this (boy that kid can get his geek on!), so I won’t spend ages describing it. Few things I will mention though: the turf on the top sets and white picket fence were a treat, top marks boys. The second big wallride was waaaaaay bigger than you think, standing at the bottom of the landing looking up at it felt like looking up at a skyscraper. Also the bottom section of the course looked like really hard work, I think they’d tried to keep it smallish and trickable, but this kind of backfired, meaning that everyone was on the brakes trying not to overshoot, so major props to anyone stunting down there.

Cider and RedBull?


As with last year, in the days running up to the comp there were a number of other events going down. On the Wednesday evening there was a session at the barn. For those that don’t know, this is basically an indoor park built by locals, located in a barn on a farm that is near impossible to find if you don’t know where you’re going. We (myself, Milky and Joe) spent a good hour and a half driving down little country lanes with 7ft hedges either side trying to find the place, until eventually we bumped into some Red Bull official types, who despite also

being lost, were a little less lost than us. On arrival it seemed that the van carrying most of the bikes had also got lost, and as such most of the riders had just started drinking instead, which is fair play really. Seeing as I was driving I couldn’t join in with that, so it was nice to have a nice quiet session in the barn with a Scottish dude that it turns out was down in the area picking grapes or some other variety of fruit, strawberries possibly.

Cider and RedBull?


Cider and RedBull?Cider and RedBull?


Thursday evening was the Decoy session, which I’ve heard was pretty much the highlight of last year, and didn’t disappoint this year either. Standouts for me would be Foster’s classic table 3’s, Doyle’s invert 3’s to wheel stopping shoulder buzz, and Tony Cardona generally being loose as fuck but looking like he was having more fun than anyone else. Dude is rad as, smiling all the time! Petersfield crew were there in full cider fuelled effect, those boys sure know how to get their rowdy on, if you see any photo’s featuring the chicken suit, that’s their doing. Thursday night back in the campsite bar so Milky could geek out on my laptop and who should turn up but the Shrewsbury crew. A fun night ensued, much beer and whisky was drunk and the campsites adventure playground was well and truly sessioned. Zip lines are scary in pitch black.

Friday was a surprisingly un-hungover start to the day, then up to the course to check out qualifying. I realised I’d done something extremely stupid and left my camera batteries at home, so I spent the day chilling out, eating free food and smoking way too much. It seemed like a lot of people were really struggling with the course and a few of those expected didn’t make it through to the finals, Taj and Ruben for a start. The cut off point was top 15 which out of a field of 40 or so riders means just qualifying for Saturday was a pretty big deal. Annoyingly Arrash was just the wrong side of the cut-off point in 16th, a shame since the dudes ‘sound as’, a right ripper and had some big plans if he made the final.

Cider and RedBull?


On getting back to the camp site we discovered that everyone down for Empire had been kicked off the campsite. I don’t know the story exactly, but whatever, it meant we had to go elsewhere. This turned out to be a pretty good thing in the end, as we ended up at a site closer to town, in a pitch next to a group of pretty hot Red Bull girls. Dialled. Jimmy, Matt and Tom turned up a bit later (with my batteries) and we proceeded to play drinking games with the Red Bull girls and smoke a fair bit of weed until we were all well and truly battered.

Saturday was yet another surprisingly un-hungover morning, followed by a nice early trip up to the course to see what was going on.

There’s pretty much no point me describing the finals here, it’s going to be so much easier for you to go check it out on Freecaster or channel 4, so I’ll just mention a few of what I consider to be the highlights....

Cider and RedBull?


Ben Hennon - jumping the big hip straight. He no-handered it in practice, but obviously it didn’t quite feel right in his run.

Ali Whittton – only person to ride the hop to rail lip thing, to superman off. Also the only person to don the chicken suit for they’re second run. Rad.

Gary Young – mach 10 down the whole course, massive smile all the time! Should get a prize for having the most fun.

Clint Reynolds – x-up nac nac to turndown, WTF? Lawnmower fufanus on the ¼, no one rides quite like Clint.

Saturday nights party had potential to be amazing, but was let down by the fact it took about 30mins to get a drink, meaning getting pissed was real hard work. Tom managed admirably though and was completely off his tits for most of the night.

Right I’m pretty bored of typing now so I think I’ll round it off here. Here’s to hoping it all happens again next year! See you there.

Cider and RedBull?


King of Dirt 2008photos by Nicol Caplin and Ben Mark

The King is dead, long live the King


Way back at the start of the year Ben Mark and Ian Harris took over the King of Dirt. Ben’s mission was very simply to show that the UK trails scene and its riders were some of the best in the world. 3 rounds later and the comp has been to Chicksands, Wisley and the mighty National Adventure Sports Show. The future of UK trails is in good hands.

Check out www.kingofdirt08.com

Results:

Chicksands RD 1 Wisley RD 2 NASS RD 3

PROSam PilgrimSam ReynoldsRaymond Samson

Sam ReynoldsBlake SamsonMike Smith

Chris Smith Danny Cass

Rory Backshell

OPENRyan NangleBen LyonStinky Pete

Phil AuckLandRyan NangleClint Johns

Pros only!

Nike 6.0Killing it

Ricky CromptonStinky Pete

Sam Reynolds



In part 3 of Method our resident fitness pro Alan tells us how to turn up at the start line feeling fit and ready to win. Read on and remember well at your next race. Good luck!

If you’re into racing you want to do well. There is no point sugar coating it really, no point fronting. This is why we go to the gym, this is why we practice and why we spend money on the bikes.

Summer is here and the racing season is in full swing. Long winter nights, wet Sundays and thick mud are put to the back of the mind and eeking out every second is what we want now. The bikes are ready and you have trained hard so how do you get the best from the race weekend?

BEFORE THE RACE:

You will no doubt be staying away from home, so eating good food is sometimes an issue. It is important to get a lot of good carbohydrate in before a race weekend. This is often termed ‘Carbo Loading’ and means big pasta meals such as spaghetti, lasagne, penne and sauce. Eat whatever you like but eat lots of it. Just go easy on the spice if you are travelling the next day…

Don’t train the day before a race. You need to be rested and hydrated. Still muscles, tired legs or general fatigue from training should not be brought into a race weekend. You might want the ‘psychological feeling’ of being prepared so a spin on a turbo or a hard session earlier in the week is best.

method

Part 3 - Race Day

words by Alan Milway (www.mxfitness.co.uk)photos by Jamie Edwards


PRACTICE DAY:

There’s lots of time for runs so make sure you not only get your lines down but also your water down! I am as bad as anyone for going straight back to the uplift queue after every run and not eating or drinking all morning. You won’t feel it until afterwards but the recovery will be much longer. A person to help you with this is ideal or leaving food and drink by the lift queue is a very good idea. Carbohydrate snacks such as bananas, malt loaf, sandwich, jaffa cakes and anything easy to eat and small enough to digest quickly is ideal.

After you’ve finished riding you should go for a gentle spin around to loosen the legs. This can be on a turbo or just around the race site. Either way it will help you get up the next day with fresher legs.

Carbohydrate and protein rich food will help you recover from practice and also prepare for another days riding. Stay away from rubbish foods, overly rich or spicy foods and don’t eat too late.

RACE DAY:

If you stay in a Bed and Breakfast a wee Scottish lady is likely to bring a huge plate of greasy food. It looks good but it’s really not the one for race day! Avoid that and have cereal, toast, fruit or porridge.

At the track, remember that although you know the course you are not warmed up before first runs. Don’t pin it. Injuries or accidents often happen in these runs when you are cold.

Food wise throughout the day, it is not vital to eat a lot, or drink a lot. Just be aware you have eaten something with substance and are sipping on some water.

You will know when your runs are, and make sure you warm up before this. Heart rate should be up, legs should be ready to give some power off the line, and head should be ready to go!

Part 3 - Race Daymethod


Part 3 - Race DayAFTER THE RACE:

Make sure the race top is clean, goggles are on, Redbull hat is on straight and can is in hand with logo to camera.

Smile, talk about how good your suspension was working and then hit Stringfellows with the spoils of the race win…

In all seriousness though, making the most of a race weekend will not only give the best result, but also the most fun, best value for your money and a desire to go and do it all over again with your mates.

After all, that is why we race isn’t it?

Alan runs MXfitness.co.uk, dedicated to helping athletes reach their true potential on the track. He’s also got a BSC in sports and material science and years of experience riding and training the world’s best MTB and MX riders, including young gun Danny Hart. If you need to know about fitness training on two wheels then he’s your man. Give his site a look for more info and loads of free advice on getting up to speed. If you’re serious about your fitness give him a shout and he’ll set you up with a unique training plan that’s completely geared around you.

Part 3 - Race Day

method


If you’ve been to a few of the races this season you may well have noticed the Descent-Gear van, weighed down with a million tyres, chain guides, goggles, inner tubes, Troy Lee lids and everything else the loveable Brummy Paton can cram into a van and tout trackside. If you’ve looked a bit closer, you might also have noticed Pete Evans and a couple of pretty special looking bikes borrowing a corner of the Descent-Gear pit. Pete is 2Stage bike’s man in the UK and has made it his mission to tell absolutely everyone in the UK how great he thinks his bikes are. He’s spent the season hitching along with Paton to the NPS, National Champs and Pearce Cycles races to meet the riders and show off the bikes.

Since I clapped eyes on the bikes back at Earl’s Court I’ve done a fair bit of chatting with Pete and got my head around what they’re setting out to do. Whilst I’m waiting for a test bike to land at Wideopen HQ and give it a proper test here’s a quick first look at what I’ve found…

2Stage are a new face to the UK, making their debut back at the Cycleshow in Earl’s court last year. They’re a small New Zealand setup, based in somewhere called the Bay of Plenty which they reckon is one of the best places for mountain biking in the world. They’ve been going since 2003 and employ a mighty 6 people world wide and all the research and design work is done back home in NZ. Head of 2stage is Pete’s dad Dave Evans, whilst his mum Shellie manages the offices and keeps everything running. To say these guys are a family run business is spot on!

gear

words and photos by Jamie EdwardsFirst Look 2Stage Bikes


The complete history of 2Stage is available for all to see on their website, but essentially they set out to achieve a suspension platform that would be ‘rider activated rather than terrain activated’. That means suspension that performs according to how the bike is ridden rather than the terrain it happens to be ridden on.

To make this happen, the guys at 2Stage have revisited the idea of using not 1 but 2 rear shocks. Something that was played with in the late 90’s, most notably by Cannondale but was never really taken any further.

The system uses 2 custom tuned Manitou air shocks. Each shock deals with its own portion of the bike’s travel and is set up with its own rebound settings. Rather than one shock dealing with the top, middle and bottom of the bikes travel the load is spread between two.

The first shock is mounted highest up on the bike and deals with the small bumps. It’s tuned to deal with little, fast, repetitive hits like stutter bumps, rock gardens, steps. I’m sure you get the idea. The second shock is mounted lowest in the frame and only kicks in later on into the bike’s travel. This one deals with the big, hard hits like jumps, drops or square edges.

Whilst both shocks are 2 very separate units, their strokes do actually overlap, with the second ‘big hit’ shock, kicking in before the first reaches the end of its stroke. This is designed to stop shock number 1 bottoming out and to ensure a nice, smooth transition from one to the other.

A lot of work has gone into making the 2Stage bikes pedal and in particular sprint very well. Very simply, when you turn the cranks, the ‘big bump’ shock fully locks out and the ‘small bump’ shock stays active all the time and keeps you spinning away. On

2STAGE ELITE 9The Elite9 is the flagship 9” race bike. It’s got a heap of titles behind it already and is the bike you’ll see UK 2Stage team racer Richard Robertshaw pinning this season.

FORK Rock Shox Boxxer World Cup Air1ST STAGE SHOCK Manitou Evolver ISX-42ND STAGE SHOCK Manitou Radium RBARS & STEM Gravity LightTYRES Maxxis Hi Roller 2.5 Super TackyRIMS Alex Supra DHUBS Ringle ABBAH DH/LAWMILL w/ 20mm & 12mm bold thru axleCRANKSET Gravity Light MegaExo 38tBRAKES Avid Juicy 7 203mm w/floating arm brakeREAR DERAILLEUR Sram XO Short CageSHIFTER Sram XO TriggerCASSETTE Sram PG-990 11-32SADDLE SDG I-Fly SaddlePOST SDG Micro Post

COMPLETE £3880FRAME SET £1900

First Look 2Stage Bikes


paper it means you’ve got a big hitting bike that pedals like an XC rig. How it works on the hill I’m very keen to check out…

The 2 shocks also work alongside 2Stage’s own linkeage setup, something they claim really sets the bikes apart from all of the failed dual shock attempts of the past. Again, very simply, the bikes run 2 main pivots, each controlling the movement of the bike’s travel and the path that the back wheel takes when it hits a bump. There is one path for small hits and one path for big hits. The result is that you are potentially getting the best movement of the back end of the bike for the terrain you are riding over. It all sounds a bit complicated but after a bit of time browsing their website I’ve got my head around it and it’s making a lot of sense. If you get 5 minutes take a look at the site and have a look at the very simple Flash video that shows how the bikes work.

If you’re scratching your head and wondering ‘what’s the bloody point?’ then you’re onto a good point. 2Stage’s answer is that we’re asking too much of 1 shock by making it deal with everything we put a mountain bike through. You split the strain of the work between 2 shocks and you allow for more accurate and more robust set up by allowing each shock to concentrate on its own job.

There’s obviously a lot of science in all this and it doesn’t matter a damn compared to performance on the mountain. I’m going to save my judgements for Wideopen issue 8 after I’ve got my hands on a bike and given it a good thrashing down some of South Wales’ finest DH tracks. For what it’s worth, there’s a whole string of very respectable race results already behind these bikes and a lot of converts out there who’ve met Pete and got the buzz for 2Stage. Stay tuned, I’m expecting big things from these guys.

Check out www.2stagebikes.com

2STAGE ZED8The Zed8 is the Elite9’s baby brother and looks pretty perfect for tight, twisty UK tracks. It’s 8” and built around twin chain rings and a single crown fork.

FORK Rock Shox Totem Solo Air 1.5 Steerer1ST STAGE SHOCK Manitou Evolver ISX-12ND STAGE SHOCK Manitou Radium RBARS & STEM FSA Gravity LightTYRES Maxxis Hi Roller 2.5 Super TackyRIMS Alex Supra D HUBS Chosen w/ 20mm and 12mm bolt thru axleCRANKSET FSA Gravity Light MegaExo 38tBRAKES Avid Juicy 7 203mm w/floating arm brakeREAR DERAILLEUR Sram XO Short CageSHIFTER Sram XO TriggerCASSETTE Sram PG-980 11-34SADDLE SDG Bell Air SL SaddlePOST SDG Micro Post

COMPLETE £3200 FRAME SET £1490

First Look 2Stage Bikes

gear

http://www.2stagebikes.com


Hi Richard, can you give us a bit of info about yourself? (Name, age, where you live, local trails etc)Sure. I’m Rich Robertshaw, 16, from Shropshire, West Mids. It’s a pretty awesome place to live because it’s sort of central to most of the race venues.Local trails are Bringewood, Hopton Castle, and Caersws is pretty close, too, so lots of variety for training. How’s your season going so far? Any highlights up to now?Season is going ok at the moment. It’s taken me a while to exploit the full potential of the bike.I was pretty happy with 10th at the Pearce Round 4 at Bala, even after flipping over the bars in both runs. That course is mint! How did the hook up with 2Stage bikes happen?Met the guys completely randomly at the World Champs up in Fort Bill in 2007. I tested Glenn’s Elite9 out and fell in love with it. It just went from there... What did you think of the idea of the 2stage suspension/racing on air suspension before you tried the bike?I thought that as there were 2 shocks, air was the best option to go for to save weight on the bike. But I had heard that air shocks were a little unresponsive on DH bikes, so I didn’t know what to think about owning one myself...But after test riding it, and having the tech explained, it seemed perfect. The way the shocks are set up different to each other to handle different parts of a course is brilliant - there is no need to compromise performance.

What 2Stage bike(s) are you racing at the moment? How have you got the bike built up?I’m riding the Elite9 DH frame. The set-up I have at the moment is 888RC3 forks, mavic/hope/ringle wheels, raceface diabolous kit, SRAM x9 and hayes brakes. It’s a really good, solid set-up as the wheels are tough and pretty light, and the forks and raceface kit can really take a beating. Do you do any of the suspension set up yourself? How complicated would you say it is to dial the two shocks in for a track?The set up for the suspension is dead simple. I set the shocks up myself, but followed the advice of Rhys Henderson from 2Stage on how Glenn Haden has his bike set up, as I really got on with it up at Fort Bill. And as for setting the shocks up for different courses, there is really no need. The first stage handles the small stuff and the second stage handles the big stuff. The set up remains the same for all courses, and will handle any track, and perform brilliantly.

Richard Robertshaw

2Stage Bikes/PureRiders-

Co/Bike Tape


What bike did you ride before the 2Stage? Are there any real obvious differences between the two? Did the 2Stage take much getting used to?Before the 2Stage, I was on a 2004 Kona Stab Garbanzo for two and a half years. This was the first full sus DH bike that I ever had, so I got pretty used to it. The biggest differences between the two are cornering, pedalling and jumping. Because the 2Stage gets longer in the turns as both shocks compress, it feels incredibly stable in the turn.Also, because of the idler cog on the 2Stage Boss Link ™ during pedalling the second stage shock locks out, so it feels like a really short travel bike, so putting the power down out of turns is really effective. And because of the rebound settings on the second stage shock, the bike is really easy to pop off jumps or roots, so jumping is amazing. So how does the 2Stage system feel on the trails? Does it have a particularly distinctive ride compared to other bikes? Do you notice the system working more on a particular type of terrain?Because of the unique design, the 2Stage feels unlike any other bike on the tracks. And because the second stage shock locks out during pedalling, it feels like you’re pedalling a short travel XC bike, but as soon as you need it, you get through the first stage shock and into the second, and the travel feels bottomless. So big drops are handled just as smoothly as small braking bumps. Another thing is that because the bike feels so stable at high speed as well as slower speeds, it gives you so much more confidence that you feel yourself going faster all the time, and because of the amazing cornering, you can still keep control in the turns.

What sort of tracks do you think the air suspension/2stage suspension system work really well on?The 2Stage is such a versatile bike that it works amazingly on all terrain. I guess it’s really noticeable on tracks that are fast with long pedally sections and sharp, flat turns as the suspension design makes pedalling the bike really easy, and makes it corner like it’s on rails. Is there anything you can do on the 2Stage that you couldn’t do before?Pedal more and corner faster! Any advice for people that are giving a 2Stage some thought?Buy one, damn it! They’re AMAZING...But yeah, it’s so different to anything else out there that you WILL need to test ride the bike and experience it. It’s so worth it, it inspires so much confidence for the rider. Last but not least, where will you be riding and racing for the rest of the year?All over the place... Pearce Summer Series, NPS DH Series and I’m doing a wee bit of 4X this year as well.

Richard Robertshaw

2Stage Bikes/PureRiders-

Co/Bike Tape

left Pete Evan’s setting up the 2stage for some interested rider.


So I was sat on the chairlift the other day (as you do when you live in the mountain bike playground of the world), and I got talking to the guy sat next to me. I think the conversation went something along these lines; “great weather isn’t it” “yeah I’m so glad I put my waterproof socks on” “waterproof socks, woah cool”. Anyway, I digress. As we stepped off the lift I noticed he had one of the new Canfield Brothers F1 Jedi frames, “dude, that is nice..” It only turns out that the guy I had been casually discussing weather and socks with was Lance Canfield, one half of the infamous Canfield Brothers. After I followed him, watching him effortlessly boosting every jump and railing every braking-bump-riddled berm on dirt merchant I got the pleasure to do a couple of laps of the hill on the new F1 Jedi and the equally new Can-Diggle. Here is a quick run down of what I thought of the bikes.

gear

words and photos by Owen Pemberton

First Look Can-

field Can-diggle


The Can-Diggle and a run down Dirt Merchant and A Line...

The Can-Diggle is a freeride/downhill frame offering up 7-8inches of dual-link travel and weighing in at only 8.95lbs for the frame and shock. The bike is designed around Canfield Brothers “ONE” rear suspension design; essentially one rear end design used for four different applications, The One, Sauce, Can Can and of course the Can-Diggle. The Can-Diggle is the beefiest of the four bikes with a 1.5inch head tube and a 135mm X 12mm maxle rear end. The first thing you notice when riding this bike is how light and lively it is, you can hop and flick it around as much as you dare. It begs you to be playful, but if all your playfulness leads to it going a bit pear shaped it will step back in line with very little effort indeed, leaving you with a racing pulse and a grin like a teenager who’s just popped his cherry. As well as offering such a light, flickable ride the bike pedals extremely well, making it a very plausable option for some xc-esque jaunts when you know the way down would be best handled with a little more squish than your average xc rig.

Bottom line for the Can-Diggle is that it is a seriously fun bike that can handle pretty much anything you throw at it. I would be more than happy to pedal it around some of the UK’s new-school mountain bike centres. If you’re looking for a do anything sort of rig I would seriously consider the Can-Diggle.

First Look Can-

field Can-diggle

gear


Can-Diggle Frame Features:* 7005 Aluminum* 135 x 12mm Maxle rear* 8.95 lbs with shock* 73mm bottom bracket shell* Fits up to a 2.5 tire* 20mm and 8mm max bearings* Replaceable rear derailleur hanger* Internally ribbed tubing in chain and seat stays and upper link* Colour: XTR gray anodize or powder coat white with 12 link color options* Laser etched logos* “ONE” Suspension* Adjustable 7”-8” Rear Travel

Can-Diggle build specs:* Recommended fork lengths - 7”-8”* Shock Specs - 8.75” x 2.75” (222mm x 70mm) with 22mm x 8mm hardware* Front derailleur - top clamp universal pull* Bottom bracket - 73mm x 118mm* Seatpost - 31.6mm* Seat clamp - 35mm* Rear dropout spacing - 135 x 12 through axle Maxle* International standard disk brake mount* Standard ISCG tabs* Headtube - 1.5”

First Look Can-

field Can-diggle


The F1 Jedi, taking in Shleyer and Lower Whistler Downhill (no “the force is strong in this one” puns I promise!)

Now this was the bike I really wanted to get my hands on. The F1 Jedi is an evolution of its predecessor the Formula 1. It is based on the same principles of a rearward axle path but in a lighter more refined package. The rearward axle path makes a lot of sense to me, after all we are trying to go forward as fast as possible while hitting all kinds of nasty obstacles, which results in the rear wheel wanting to move backwards in relation to the bikes motion. By letting the rear wheel travel in a more natural direction the bike is slowed much less by severe rocky or rooty trails. Simple physics I reckon. The F1 Jedi couples a 2.5inch rearward action with a 7.75inch vertical travel. The frame ways in at a quite sprightly 10.5lbs including shock, couple this with the super short chainstays and you are left with a very nimble, big travel bike. On the rough stuff is where this bike really makes itself known and the rear end action really is something else. At first it just doesn’t seem right, everything feels too smooth, but once you realise what’s going on back there and let her rip boy does it get fun! This is without doubt a bike that inspires confidence and eggs you on to push your limits. It is definitely a bike that would suit the UK race scene, so if you’re after something that little bit different and you really like to hit stuff fast then take a look at the Jedi.

First Look Can-

field Can-diggle


F1 Jedi Frame Features:* 7005 Aluminum* 10.5 lbs with Fox DHX 5.0* 83mm bottom bracket shell* Fit up to a 2.5 tire* 20mm max bearings* Replaceable rear derailleur hanger* Internally ribbed tubing in chain and seatstays.* Colour: Black anodize with 5 link color options* Laser etched logos* “Formula 1” Suspension* 7.75” vertical rear wheel travel plus 2.5” rearward travel (feels like 10”)

F1 Jedi Build Specs:* Recommended Fork Lengths - 7-8”* Shock specs - 8.75 x 2.75” (222mm x 70mm) with 22mm x 8mm hardware* Bottom bracket- 83mm x 128mm* Seatpost - 27.2mm* Seat clamp - 35mm* Rear dropout spacing - 150x12mm through axle* International standard disk brake mount* 05 ISCG tabs* Headtube - 1 1/8”

www.canfieldbrothers.com Canfield are distributed in the UK by www.ridinghighuk.com

First Look Can-

field Can-diggle

gear

http://www.canfieldbrothers.com

www.ridinghighuk.com


Last issue we took a good look at the brand new Commencal Supreme DH. Since then the bike has carried both Gee and Rach Atherton to World Champs titles and a series of World Cup wins. Whilst the guys back at Commencal HQ must be very pleased with their handiwork they certainly aren’t wresting on their laurels and have got a whole new range of bikes ready to hit the shops. Here’s a quick look at a couple of the bikes in the new range and what you’ll finally be able to get your hands on from September 2008.

SupremeDH

The bike that carried Gee and Rach to World Cup DH titles. The new Supreme has been completely reworked to give the bike:

An extra inch of travel (8”)Longer shock length (9.5”)Lower centre of gravityBetter compatibility with chain devicesLower top tube

The Supreme is available in two complete build options. The SupremeDH Team and the lower spec SupremeDH. The Team is the top end model and comes decked out with some very posh kit including Marzocchi Roco RC w/piggyback shock, Marzocchi 888RC3 WC 200mm forks, Race Face Diabolus Low Riser 0.5’’ bar, Formula The One 203/203 brakes, Sram XO groupo, E13 LG1R chain device. All finished in hot neon green. It’ll cost you a whopping £4499.

The SupremeDH is a bit more down to earth and a bit less harsh on the wallet. For your cash you’ll get a slightly refined build with Roco R rear shock, 888RCV forks, Avid Code 5 brakes, Boomerang guide, Sram X7 group, Truvativ crankset. That’s for a much more affordable £2699.

The frame kit which includes Thompson seat post and E13 LG1 will set you back £1899.

top Supreme Teambottom SupremeDH

Commencal

09 Preview


Supreme

This is the one we’re really excited about getting our hands on. It’s another new bike for 09 and is built around the same platform as the big hit SupremeDH. You’ve got a nice low centre of gravity, 6” travel, short wheel base, loads of adjustability and it looks perfect for the kind of stuff we have here in the UK. There are three build options available, including a 24” version. As with all the ’09 Commencals you can also get frame kits.

The Supreme no1 is the high spec version and the build includes a Fox DH3 shock, Marzocchi 66RCV forks, Formula Oro brakes, Sram X7. That’ll cost you £2399. The Supreme no2 build includes a RocoR, Marzocchi 55R’s, Sram X7, Code 5’s. This one will cost you a very reasonable £1699. Both the 24” complete build and the frame only kit with Thompson post and E13 will cost you £1499.

Hardtails

Finally, there’s a mountain of hardtails in the ’09 Commencal range, available in pretty much every build you’d ever need from rigid single speed, to geared with suspension. Prices vary between the builds but you’re looking at anything £349 to £869.

If you’re after any of these bikes have a word with your local bike shop and log on to:www.ultimatepursuits.co.ukwww.commencal.com

top left Supremetop right Absolute 26bottom left Absolut 1

bottom Absolut CG

Commencal

09 Preview

http://www.ultimatepursuits.co.uk

www.commencal.com


interview by Ste Larking (www.fearingout.co.uk) photos by The Uprising

Last month you may have seen the trailer for The Uprising on the Wideopen home page. I came across the website for the film at the start of the year after an online exchange with the films creator, Callum Swift. Since then Callum has put together a short trailer for the film, and you may have seen his work on the Dirt website after he was up filming the first round of the NPS at Ae. I managed to catch up with Callum at round two in Innerleithen, and later managed to extract some information from him, in between trips to go film the World Cup and Champs.

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Okay lets kick things off. Who is Callum Swift and what’s he all about?

I’m a 19 year old downhill/surfing/snowboard loving van inhabiting soon to be student!

And I’m guessing you ride a bike?

Not very fast but yes I love riding! I think that’s the most important part of being a filmmaker, without a passion for bikes and racing you can’t make a good film I think.

Do you still do much riding or are you spending most of your time behind the camera?

Recently it has been a lot of filming unfortunately, its very depressing going to some of the best riding spots in the world and not being able to get on your bike! But from now on I will be riding loads, I’m going to Pila for two weeks with Baltic (Ben Reid) and the Playbiker lot and there are two Italian nationals in a row, then the Sprint / Megavalanche, and then Morzine for a few months. I can’t complain!

The Uprising


And where’s your favourite spot to ride/film?

Filming the Worlds has been insane, everyone is on the edge and on such a hard track that means either awesome displays of skill or big crashes, both of which I like to film. As for riding, my favourite track is the Sprint Avalanche track in Oz or the track at Montgeneve, both really dusty rocky long tracks. Or a bit of good old uplifting on Welsh secret tracks!

So what came first, the bike or the camera? How did the whole filming thing start off?

The bike definitely, I only got into riding about a year and a half ago but I just love it so much it’s become pretty much my life. I spent a few months in Morzine last year after I finished A levels and it was insane, just riding and partying all day every day! That’s actually when I thought about making the film, I met the Parkin brothers who make Focus and thought ‘I can do a better job than that’! Ha they will kill me for saying that! When I started I didn’t really think I would be able to film with any big riders or go to many world cups or anything, but I Facebooked a load of riders and was so surprised how up for filming they all were and how much they went out of their way to do it. Everything has kind of grown from there, and I keep getting new shoots organised and deciding to rinse a bit more of my ever shrinking savings to go to a race or something.

What inspired you to put together your own film then, and what was the idea behind The Uprising?

Well all the older riders have been filmed so much I thought it would be cool to film all the young guns, they are less refined and professional than the older guys, just raw speed, crashes and having a laugh, which I find more fun to watch. Also it’s cool to film with guys like Danny who haven’t been filmed before but who will be huge in a few years, and it will be awesome if some of the lesser known riders go big-time as well.

Is this your first film?

Yea my first shoot was pretty much the first time I picked up a decent video camera. I had done a lot of photography before, and all the principles of composition, lighting, focus etc. are the same so it wasn’t hard to learn.

It seems to me that there are quite a few folk making there own films now. What is it that you hope will make The Uprising stand out?

I have some rad footage, and I’m just going to keep it relaxed and basically really fun to watch, with loads of funny bits and a good soundtrack. I hope you can watch it over and over without getting bored. It wont have a story line or anything just loads of amazing riding, not just from the pro’s, and should make you want to go out and build some tracks and get on your bike and ride as fast as them (or more likely die trying!)

The Uprising


Has your style taken influences from other films/directors or is it your own creative genius?

I think anyone would be lying if they said they weren’t influenced by other films, but I obviously try to inject a large amount of my creativity into it. I would say it’s more influenced by Snowboard and Surfing films than any riding ones, and I am using loads of programs to edit it, with motion graphics and stuff, so it should have a very distinctive feel to it.

So whose idea was the rather shady looking zip line you set up at Inners NPS? Have you managed to use it successfully?

It just looked Damn fun to do one! I have been having fun on zip lines since I was a kid, the only difference now being that I’m more afraid of death, and it has proved bloody difficult to get it right, but I learn all the time and I think I have it dialled now so I should get some mint shots. But yea it is very sketchy but nothing about me is high tech and safe so it’s no surprise!

Have there been any highlights for you in the filming you’ve done so far?

There have been so many moments when a rider has done something that has literally blown me away, it’s pretty insane watching them ride and imagining doing it yourself, you do realise why they are pro and your not! At the races the Atherton triple in Andorra was pretty special, and the Worlds have been amazing as well. Otherwise just pissing about with the riders is fun.

What sections of the film have you still got left to shoot?

I am organising shoots as I go really but at the moment I have lined up:

Chain Reaction Intense in Morzine, Ben Reid in Pila, Playbiker (Rankin Skinner and Brayton) in Pila, Brendan in Alpe de Huez, more with Danny Hart, then a load with locals in and around Morzine, Dirt Jumping in Geneva, BMX in London with some Nike riders, minibiking at the Faircloughs then some more with Josh and Sam back in England to wrap things up.

When can we expect to see this fine film then?

I have to go to Uni on the first of October so it has to be out by then!

Anything else you’d like to add?

There is a teaser on Mpora and I will be releasing a trailer later on in the year, have a look at them and I hope you all enjoy the film!

The Uprising

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review by Jamie Edwards photos by Sterling Lawrence

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‘Seasons’ is the third epic from film makers The Collective. They kicked off back in ‘04 with ‘The Collective’, followed on with ‘Roam’ in ‘06 and dropped their latest banger this year. They celebrated with heaps of launch parties and cinema showings all over the world, not least here in dear old Blighty. I headed over to the Cube Cinema in Bristol to check it out, where it was showing back to back with ‘Roam’ and was washed down with a few pints of the local brew.

Sitting through ‘Roam’ I remembered why I’d never been that inspired by the Collective’s film. The riding was great, the scenery was stunning and the film making was obviously unbeatable but the voiceovers were so god damn sugary sweet they made me want to hurl my bike at the TV. Everyone was so bloody happy to be “sending her”, “feeding off each other” or “hanging with their bros” it made me want to throw up. The riding also seemed to be a weird mix of single track stuff and hucks/stunts that left me busting to just throw ‘Earthed 5’ in and watch some bloody racing.

It might have had something to do with the cinema allowing boozing during the film, but by the time I’d watched all 60 minutes of ‘Seasons’ I was completely converted and screaming to go out riding. Just to get it out of the way now so we’re absolutely clear, I really like this movie.

Changing with the Seasons


The movie follows 7 of the world’s best riders through the 4 seasons of the year. We start in wet, wintery Yorkshire with none other than Steve Peat before flying hell for leather around the world towards summer and winding down into the fall (that’s autumn for us Brits). There’s Kamloops with Matt Hunter, the Shore with Andrew Shandro, Crankworx with Cam McCaul and heaps more. To keep the race heads happy there’s an amazing Sam Hill vs Steve Peat section, shot at the 2007 World Cup at Mt St Anne. It follows Sam’s run down before cutting to some amazing footage of Peaty tearing the track apart to ‘Bulls on Parade’ by Rage. There are a few slightly dull mini interviews but if you ignore them the mix of riders is really good. You’ve got balls out racers like Peaty and Steve Smith, big air riders like Matt Hunter and loads of guys who just seem to specialise in looking amazing tearing down trails. There’s a low key documentary style running through the whole thing as the riding footage is cut with commentary from the riders.

The final section is a real treat, shot at the very end of the season in a wet and atmospheric Whistler. It features all 7 of the film’s riders tearing down the trails and showing off their own individual styles. You’ve got the racers pinning it at the front keeping low over the jumps, Cam McCaul throwing down whips straight behind them and Thomas Vanderham scrubbing like hell. I can’t think of many other movies with so many heavy weight riders all packed into one section and it works really well.


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Like ‘The Collective’ and ‘Roam’, ‘Seasons’ is absolutely gorgeous on screen. The Collective have spared nothing in finding stunning locations and building everything around epic locations and beautiful trails. You get the impression that they haven’t just found some jumps and filmed them, they’ve built the jumps around the movie and made sure everything their cameras point at look stunning. Stevie Smith’s Cassidy section is a great example of this attention to detail, with carefully matched colours making sure Steve stands out against the murky Canadian terrain. It all sounds a bit poncey but Stevie ragging the absolute crap out of the trail more than sorts that out! Arty farty stuff aside, the camera work really does a great job of showing off the riding in super sharp detail and zooming in on every inch of the riders’ style.

It’s fair to say that the film has still got its fair share of ‘Canadianisms’ with more ‘stoking’, ‘shredding’ and ‘ripping’ than every UK vid put together. The good news is that the riders seem to do their voice overs a bit less like robots and sound a bit more natural. You also get the impression they’re taking all the lingo a bit less seriously, especially with Matt Hunter’s quote “I really hope noone says... ‘Feeding off each other’”, which they cut straight into an interview of Bearclaw ‘feeding off his bros’. Funny stuff!

If 60 minutes of amazing riding, camera work and locations aren’t enough, there’s another heap of extra features including extra ‘air’ and ‘trail’ sections, a ‘making of the Whistler’ section feature and a few more.

Since my DVD copy of Seasons dropped the letter box I’ve had it pretty much on repeat and forced everyone to sit through it. Either I’m a permanent drunk or it wasn’t just the beer talking when I left the cinema STOKED on seeing this movie. You need it on your shelf!

RRP £19.99

For more on The Collective visit www.thecollectivefilm.comYou can order the movie from The Collective website or from your local bike shop.


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www.thecollectivefilm.com


review by Jamie Edwards photos by Marosana Never Dies 2

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Marosana Never Dies 2

Casting my mind back to when I was about 15, me and my mates got hold of a mini8 video camera and the school editing machine and set about making a bike vid in our lunch breaks. My idea of a video was pretty simple: loud, heavy music, preferably metal. Lots of ‘lifestyle’ clips chopped in and as many different locations, riding styles and stupid jumps as we could cram into the duration.

Luckily my friends were a bit more restrained with the video. ‘Harakari and Suicidal Productions’, the makers of this video, were not. It’s the best part of an hour of slope style, metaaal and random clips of things they’ve accidentally pointed their camera at (dogs, cars, photographers, cops, homeless folks, girls etc). There’s even a section which breaks up the action with what appears to be a Maxim lingerie show. I’m not averse to girls in their smalls by any means but I’m not really sure what it adds to a bike vid. I’d probably have quite liked it back when I was attempting to craft a movie of my own. But sadly in these days of high production values I’m not so sure.

I suppose I’m being a bit of a miserable bastard, it is only a bike video and they’re not trying to solve world poverty or rewrite the Bible or anything so I’ll try and be a bit less negative. As far as I can tell this video is a semi-documentary about Czech rider Michal Marosi who, alongside being voted 9th BMX personality of all time by Cesky Bikros magazine, is a bit of a dab hand at dirt jumps, slope style, DH and 4X.


Again, as far as I can tell, the movie chronicles his adventures round the world doing what appears to just be ragging about on a variety of bikes riding skate parks, dirt jumps, bike parks, the North Shore, slope style comps and hanging out at saucy Maxim shows. He also seems to do a lot of wearing wife beaters and racing 4X, though not at the same time. If I didn’t make it clear already, it’s cut to lots of mmeetttaall with lots of snippets of sexy ladies and random nonsense in between. I say ‘as far as I can tell’ because I’m not 100 percent sure exactly what’s going on as there aren’t actually any titles edited over the footage, the whole thing is in Czech and the back of the box has got a comic strip on it that makes absolutely no sense.

In these days of people taking their bike movies very bloody seriously I suppose it’s actually a bit of light relief and in the context of it all even the Maxim bit is just about excusable. I’m sure it’ll make something pretty decent to heckle at when you’re drunk and your mates pop round. Let’s face it, we all liked Mud Cows.

So, to conclude, if you aren’t that arsed about knowing who is in a movie or where they’re riding but you do like seeing lots of hucks, ladder drops, 26” tail whips and people ragging around bike parks all cut to meettaall then this might just be for you. Though I’m not sure where or how you’d get it. We found our copy in the press tent at Fort Bill.

Try here - www.marosi.cz

Marosana Never Dies 2

smallscreen

www.marosi.cz


dialled-bikesholeshot

longtermer

words and photos by Ste Larkingwww.fearingout.co.uk

Fearingout team rider Ste Larking gives another update on the Wideopen Longtermer, the Dialled Holeshot.

I did it, I jumped ship, sold my full bouncer, and joined that band of strange individuals who ride a hard tail for everything. I’m not going to go on about the whys but just say that the money gained from selling the downhill bike allowed me to throw a bit of cash at the test rig...

http://www.fearingout.co.uk


Pretty much everything on there has changed (see list for breakdown if you’re interested), but most notably is the forks, wheels, guide and bar/stem combo. The new build weighs in at a respectable 32lbs, so you can see with a few choice components the Holeshot can easily be built up into a sub 30lb rig.

Now in all honesty I’ve not noticed going back to 26” wheels making a massive amount of change to the handling of the bike. It still feels short and snappy, and with the forks wound down to 95mm the steering is super fast and responsive, making you really want to throw it around. With 26” tyres, you can happily squeeze 2.35” of rubber between the chainstays, although this doesn’t leave and awful lot of room for mud clearance.

The new build has been thoroughly abused down the local tracks as well as Aberfeldy and Fort William and the frame is still standing up to the knocks. The paint round the mech hanger is starting to flake, after I had to tweak it straight again the other day. Not bad so far hey.

longtermer

Frame …Dialled Bikes HoleshotForks …Rock Shox Pike 454 coilBars …Easton EA70Stem …Funn Serial KillaHubs …Hope Pro IIRims …Mavic EX823Cranks …Shimano SaintGuide …E13 LG-1Mech …Sram X9Shifter …Sram X7Seat & Post …SDG I-Beam BelairBrakes …Hayes Mags & Goodridge hoses

dialled-bikesholeshot


longtermer

words and photos by Ste Larkingwww.fearingout.co.ukE.thirteen LG1


longtermer The guide was originally made to do away with a bash guard to save weight but now with the direct mount bash or ‘taco’ guard, you get full protection while keeping things light weight. Speaking of weight, the LG-1 has a claimed weight of 195g making it a touch lighter than the G2. Like the G2 it has a wrap around top guide for complete security, an idler pulley on the bottom guide and is designed to work with 36T-40T rings (however the LG-1 will take up to a 44T ring but there isn’t a bash guard that big as yet).

We’ll be running the LG-1 on our long-term test rig and will be reporting back after a summers of riding and racing.

Why not compliment your light guide with an E.thirteen guide ring, our 36T ring comes in at just over 37g, and they are now available in 33T through to 40T.

Don’t forget e13’s race support program. If you’re running any of there kit pay them a visit at the races and they’ll happily give you’re bike a quick service.

How many companies offer that sort of freeby with their kit?!?!

www.e13components.comwww.silverfish-uk.com

E.thirteen is now a household name when it comes to chain guides these days. Used by the fastest guys on the world circuit and being equipped as standard on so many bikes it’d be hard not to know their products. The LG-1 first caught most people’s attention when it appeared on Fabien Barels bike some time ago now, and has since become one of the guides of choice.

When rival company MRP released their G2 guide (reviewed in issue 6) it was clear they wanted a bit of the LG-1s fortune. To look at the two guides side by side you’d struggle to list the differences, so we thought we’d take a look at the LG-1 again and see what, if anything is going to keep it ahead of the game.

One thing that helps the E.thirteen kit stand out from the crowd is the limited colourways program, producing their guides in various colours to suit you bike tarts out there. As you can see, thanks to the guys at Silverfish, we managed to get our hands on one of the first of the next batch of orange guides. Our guide also came fully assembled and with some of the clearest installation instructions I’ve ever used, meaning even the simplest of folk should be able to fit this to their ride without too much fuss. If you do have issues E.thirteen also has a comprehensive list of bikes and guide fittings on their website.

E.thirteen LG1

www.e13components.com

www.silverfish-uk.com


Lizard Skins Lock-On Peaty Grips

These Peaty grips are World Cup and UK National champ Steve Peat’s signature grip, featuring a Peaty logo and Union Jack colours. The narrow profile grip makes for a solid, comfy grip on the bars and the ‘chocolate block’ pattern is really nice and tacky meaning they work well in all conditions. Obviously, the Lock-On system needs no intro, it works end of story. Give ‘em a look if you’re in need of some World Cup winning grips.

Grab a pair from your local bike shop, RRP £14.99www.2pure.co.ukwww.lizardskins.comwww.stevepeat.com

longtermer

http://www.2pure.co.uk

http://www.lizardskins.com

http://www.stevepeat.com


longtermerTroy Lee Designs Air glove

These are Troy Lee’s gloves for people who don’t like wearing gloves. I picked these up from Si Paton at Descent-Gear and have been doing my best to cover them in mud and oil and give them very little in the way of love ever since. They’re pretty well ventilated and don’t feature much padding meaning that they’re light, unrestrictive and don’t make you feel like you’re wearing oven gloves. They’ve also done away with any Velcro around the wrist, opting for a ‘slip on’ style to make them even less intrusive. They’re looking a little bit tatty in places and I reckon they could do a bit more with the ventilation but there’s nothing too much to worry about. They’re holding up well, protecting my hands and keeping themselves out of the way whilst they do it. Great gloves, great price.

Grab a pair trackside direct from Mr Paton or online from Descent-gear.com. RRP £15.99

www.descent-gear.com


PRO tools

Having the right tools for the job can obviously make a world of difference to your bikes performance. It can also save you the pain of handing over a heap of cash to the local bike shop for a two minute job that you’re perfectly capable of doing yourself. Shimano’s Pro brand does just that with a really decent range of tools at really decent prices. There’s everything you’ll ever need from lock ring removers, to pedal spanners to spoke keys to chain whips, all designed to be tough and comfy to use. The chunkier tools like the chain whip pictured all feature solid rubber handles and are nicely angled so that your knuckles don’t take a beating when you’re putting a bit of pressure down. You can pick up individual tools from about a tenner but a really great option is the hundred quid Pro 16 piece tool kit, which contains tonnes of useful tools in a really trick presentation case. Some of the items such as the multi-tool or chain device could be a bit sturdier but generally it’s a really bloody good investment and will sort you out with a very decent selection of tools.

www.ultimatepursuits.comhttp://pro-bikegear.com

longtermer

http://www.ultimatepursuits.com

www.pro-bikegear.com


DMC Moto trainer

I’ve had this little gizmo for ages now and I’m still getting bags of fun out of it. If you’ve somehow missed the Mototrainer it’s a tiny stop-watch style gadget that straps on to your handlebars between your grip and your brake lever. Push the button to start, push it again for a split time and then push and hold when you cross the finish line. The little screen then displays total run time, split times, fastest split, slowest split and averages. It’s simple to use, weighs piss all and really can do wonders for your riding. Get one for yourself and then get all your mates to get one too!

RRP £34.99www.mtb-direct.co.uk

longtermer

http://www.mtb-direct.co.uk


Point your mouse back to Issue 4 and you’ll see our First Look article on Bionicon bikes. It is a small company based out in the Bavarian Alps that sets out to make bikes that can be ridden all day long and will be adjustable to suit every sort of terrain they’ll come across.

Bionicon has engineered a clever ‘on the fly’ adjustment system that allows you to alter the geometry and travel of the bikes at the touch of a button. The rear shock and forks are connected to one another by pneumatic air lines which are in turn connected to a button on the handlebars. By holding the button down and shifting your weight forwards or backwards on the bike you can transfer air between the rear shock and the forks.

Hold down the button and lean back and the whole bike slackens out into ‘downhill’ mode. Hold it again and lean forward and the seat height rises, the forks reduce in travel and the front end drops down into ‘uphill’ mode. Hold it again, lean anywhere you like and the bike moves with you, allowing you to infinitely adjust the head angle, fork travel and seat height as you ride along. It all sounds a bit bonkers but stick with me, it’s not actually that bad at all.

gear

words and photos by Jamie Edwardsphotos by Jamie and Rhodri Jones-Morris

Bioni-con Iron-wood


Our bike was the big hit Ironwood which is a sub 40lb, 8 inch travel bike. Off the peg the build includes 2.4 Schwalbe Big Betty tyres, Formula Oro 180mm brakes, 2 rings/ bash guard chain. The suspension is taken care of by Bionicon’s own rear shock and Special Agent coil and air forks. The complete bike will cost you £2,790, and a frame kit (including forks and rear shock) will cost £2,110. Using the adjustment system the head angle goes from a slack 64.5º to a steep 71.5º which is basically the difference

gear

Bioni-con Iron-wood

between an Intense M6 and something very tight and whippy like a Kinesis XC racer. On paper it sounds a strange mix and I was curious to see how a bike with more travel than my DH bike, enough gears to race XC and very in between/do everything tyres would actually ride.

As I got the Ironwood set up I was immediately struck by how convenient everything was. The bike is easy to adjust, easy to set up, easy to dismantle and even easy to pack up and lug on a plane. Some of this is great but there are a few odd features on the bike that seem to put convenience ahead of performance. For example, a standard quick release back wheel on an 8” bike. Call me picky but I’d rather have a stiff, tough, reliable back end to my bike than be able to dismantle it without tools.


I was suspicious that the suspension adjustment system would be a bit of a gimmick but it actually worked really well on the trail. I found myself constantly making adjustments to the bike as I approached a section, dialling it into the right position for a bit of extra confidence on the downhills or to get comfy on the climbs. The process of getting the bike to adjust is pretty natural and after a bit of practice I found myself making adjustments at full speed without a second thought.

The real beauty of the Ironwood is the suspension, which genuinely felt great throughout the test. You’ve got Bionicon’s own 8” rear air shock and Special Agent upside 8” forks, both made by Xfusion. The forks are an air/oil combo and tie into the suspension adjustment system allowing them to be dialled from 8” down to 4” and anywhere in between. On the trail they were great fun to ride and more than capable of battering through absolutely anything I could throw them at. They ploughed through rock gardens, roots and drops and were nimble on tight, twisty north shore thanks to a nice big turning circle. They also feature the ‘infinitely’ adjustable integrated bar/stem combo that we’ve already mentioned and a really nice 35mm axle system. Basically, the oversized axle stays attached to the forks and you screw everything into the fork leg. It sounds a bit odd but it worked well and made for a stiff, twist-free and reliable way to bolt everything together.

My only real gripe with the forks would be that they’re a bit heavy for the sort of all day riding you might be doing on this bike. Weighing a good couple of hundred grams more than a Boxxer fork you start to think maybe they could cut off a little fat. It would also be nice to see some external compression adjustment. There is a rebound dial on the top of the fork leg but any compression has to be done internally with shims-stacks. Neither of those things are

You can also whip out the rear shock, roll the swing arm forward and fit the whole thing into a suit case for easy transport. It’s a nifty idea but again why design the bike around convenience of transport rather than performance on the trail?

However there are some really great features including the Bionicon designed direct mount stem which allows you to easily adjust stem reach, stem height and rotation of the bars. There are also 3 BB height positions that simply need a twiddle of a couple of Allen keys to adjust. Both make a big difference to how comfortable you feel on the bike and can be done trackside in 2 minutes.

On the trail I was surprised at how much fun the bike was and found myself chucking it into berms, off drops and through rock gardens with easily as much confidence as my familiar DH bike. I was even more surprised at how nicely the bike jumped and it felt really happy in the air, giving me loads of confidence to push it further. A couple of downsides however were the high BB and the fairly long wheelbase. These give you a lot of stability on most trails but did leave me feeling a bit wobbly on the really tight, twisty, technical stuff.

Climbing was surprisingly doable for an 8” travel bike and really opened my eyes to what you can do on a big hit bike. In uphill mode the forks lock down to 4” and the saddle rises up to give you more leg extension and put the bike into a great position for sitting down and spinning up the hills. Standing up and mashing the pedals doesn’t really work and you just end up bobbing the suspension around so you really do need to be patient and stay in the saddle. I’m no XC whippet but by knocking the bike into climbing mode and using the 22T granny ring I managed to very comfortably climb absolutely everything on Afan’s White’s Level and Pen Hyd trails.

gear

Bioni-con Iron-wood


Chances are though, if you’re living in the UK and considering this bike you’ll ride trails centres alongside riders on Meta’s, Enduro’s or Sub 5’s. You’ll ride tight steep stuff, lots of climbing and lots of twisty single track. By all means give the bike a test ride but I’m not sure this will be the ideal choice for you. I do however, think that Bionicon is on to a winner with its travel adjustment system and that its shorter travel, nimbler bikes like the Supershuttle, Edison and Golden Willow are bikes you should take a serious look at. Whether or not the Ironwood fits your riding you should definitely take a Bionicon out for a test ride.

Phew… That’s a lot of words. Can you tell the bike got me thinking?

Drop Bionicon’s UK guy an email for more info on [email protected] website: www.bionicon.com

gear

Bioni-con Iron-wood

the end of the world though by any means. The rear shock and single pivot setup also worked really well. It coped with big hits, rock gardens and jumps. I had none of the problems with over heating, blown shocks or loss of feeling that people tend to panic about when they see an air shock.

Reliability and servicing is obviously going to be a question. We had the bike for 3 weeks and did plenty of chucking it in and out of cars, crashing it into trees and of course put plenty of miles onto it. Again, there were no problems to report. We didn’t manage to tear out any air lines and there was no loss of pressure from the system that we could see. If you ever were to brake a hose, you can repair them at home in exactly the same way you’d repair a hydraulic brake hose and just refill the system with a shock pump.

Are there any big draw backs then? Well…yes and no. It climbed well thanks to a small chain ring and travel adjustment. It also pinned downhills thanks to 8” of plush suspension. Sadly, none of those things were really that helpful on the flatter and twistier single track. The bike just felt like overkill for riding smooth, flowing trails and I often found myself struggling to keep the bike up to speed.

Whether this is a problem depends what you want from the bike. My hunch is that the bike is aimed at someone who wants to ride all day, taking their time on the uphills and then ride the biggest, fastest, roughest descents they can find. It’s a bike that will allow you to get lots of travel to the top of the mountain without relying on chair lifts or uplift trucks. It would be a great bike to have out in France or up in Scotland. Maybe even a good choice for the Mega Avalanche or some of the Enduro races we’re seeing pop up over here. If there are any riders out there living at the top of the Pyrenees then you’d do a lot worse than the Ironwood.

mailto:[email protected]

www.bionicon.com


Another bashguard, so what?! That’s what I thought when Jon suggested it to me early last year but the next day when he plonked a prototype (now fitted to Ross’s Coiler) on my desk I was impressed.

We’re not talking rocket science here either are we, there are no new ideas really when it comes to bikes so the Fearingout bashguard uses a tried and trusted ‘round’ design with a central ‘hole’ to enable fitment to virtually any crankset via those ‘little silver chain-ring bolts’! (sarcasm intended). A thicker rim meant it should take the knocks, and a clean step into a thin centre section looked functional.

Nylon too is not rocket science, but it is light, it is slightly shock resistant and it is slippy. It is also in plentiful supply (as odd shaped off-cuts) through work so a couple more prototypes were knocked up with a different profile to the prototype, removing the stepped rim (a likely stress point) and adding a crank arm cut-out. 3 of these were made and the 4 prototypes have been fitted to Deore, Saint, Raceface Evolve XC and Raceface Ride chainsets without problems.

Nearly 12 months on and there are the odd bump and scratch, but the nylon’s stood up well to some pretty hefty impacts from baby sized rocks on Peak District bridleway descents, to pretty hefty impacts from throwing the bikes in the back of the car for a trip to Scotland!

gear

dirt bike magazine 117wideopen 6 april 2008

The initial specification was intended for those running stock triple chainsets wanting a bit of protection, and hence covered a 32-tooth centre ring nicely and looked really compact. A more recent prototype has been made to run with a 36-tooth ring, and Jon is testing this at present, but early signs are it is just as strong if not quite so sexy.

So, where can you buy one? No where yet – but if there is enough interest (via [email protected]) their may well be a limited production run later in the year…

Keep an eye on Fearingout.co.uk for developments. (and some new t-shirts soon!)

And Jamie, you’ll have to wait a bit longer for yours!

FearingoutBashguard

review and photos by James Hilton

mailto:[email protected]



The P40 is Gamut USA’s offering which they’re pitching as light, tough and simple to install. These are obviously all things you want associated with a part of your bike that has to keep your chain in place and get thrashed off rocks at the same time.

Straight out the box it lived up to the hype and I was impressed at just how light and simple it was. Everything on the P40 is slim-line and neatly engineered with no excess fat anywhere. On the kitchen scales the whole thing came out at a weight-watching 265g. That’s pretty much the same as the G2 and 70g more than the LG1. Not bad considering the P40 uses a full bash ring

gear where the other two use ‘skid plate’ setups. If you’re looking to keep your build light, this is definitely one to consider.

The P40 is made up of a 10mm thick polycarbonate (plasticy) bash ring to keep your ring safe (122g) and a 5mm thick alu back plate with poly top and bottom guides to keep your chain in place (132g). It’s designed for 36 - 40 tooth chain rings and is available in pretty much every option of colour, mounting and crank arm you’ll ever need. If it doesn’t quite fit the bill there’s another 4 guides in Gamut’s range. The polycarbonate bash ring works on the idea that it’s better for the ring to take the energy of a blow than for it to be transferred through into your frame which is obviously more expensive. Having bashed it off a few rocks already it seems to be doing the job hassle free.

Fitting the P40 was only as difficult as finding the right tool to get my bottom bracket out (damn isis...). I fitted mine after a trip to the pub at 2am with no ill effects what so ever. You simply pop out your BB and fit the guide behind your BB cup, making any adjustments to the spacing with the plastic washers provided. A nice feature was actually the instruction sheet, which was super easy to follow and was even written by the famous Lee of Leelikesbikes.com!

I’m still putting the P40 through its paces but after several beatings down the DH tracks at Bala, Cwm Carn and Gethin it’s performing faultlessly. No dropped chains, no rubbing on my frame and no hassle. Exactly how a chain device should be. I’ll give you the full repo in Wideopen issue 8 when it’s had a decent longterm test.

http://www.gamutusa.comhttp://www.ultimatepursuits.co.uk

Gamut P40Chainguide review and photo by Jamie Edwards

It seems like the industry is going mad for chain devices at the moment with heaps of the bloomin’ things appearing all over the place. The big players this season have without a doubt been the E13 LG1 and the MRP G2, both of which we’ve already been super impressed with here at Wideopen.

www.gamutusa.com

www.ultimatepursuits.co.uk


Ladies and gents, introducing Shimano’s 2009 Saint crank set. They’re designed for heavy duty DH and freeride and are set to be lighter, stiffer and tougher than ever before. We took a quick look at the new Saint range back in Issue 6 and we’ve finally got our hands on some product for a decent test.

Our set arrived looking pretty ‘all mountain’ with 22T/36T chain rings and Shimano’s own ‘honeycomb’ bash guard. They’re available in this setup, as ‘cranks-only’ or (for slightly more cash) with a single 34T/36T/38T/40T or 42T ring. As with all Shimano’s decent mtbcranks they’re held together with the tough and stiff Hollowtech 2 system.

Straight out of the box they’re looking set to live up to Shimano’s promises and we’ve heard some good things from our friends over in Canada that have been running them for a while now. Whilst these babies are very unlikely to be a bust we’ll let a few months of mud, rocks and shady

maintenance work their magic before we make a final decision!

The new Saint will be hitting the shops on the 10th September

RRP as pictured £179.99.

www.ultimatepursuits.co.ukhttp://cycle.shimano-eu.com

gear

Shimano Saint

09 Crankset


cycle.shimano-eu.com


Super-starcompo-nents.co.uk

gear gear


Superstarcomponents.co.uk is two guys from Lincoln who are doing they’re best to source decent quality parts direct from the factories and sell them straight to you. They cut out a few people in the supply chain which means lower prices and they deal directly with the UK market so they can source parts they know will be in demand. When things go wrong or parts don’t perform as well as they should they can put customer feedback and their own experience out on the trails straight into their hunt for new products. Example, they found people were killing ISIS bottom brackets like nobodies business so they sourced an ISIS BB that integrated the bearings into the axle meaning bigger bearings and a longer lifespan. Basically, it all adds up to decent quality parts, decent prices and decent service direct from the suppliers.

We’ve seen the Superstar name banded about and had some great feedback from our mates that are already running their kit. We got chatting to Superstar’s Neil and after he’d impressed us with his encyclopaedic knowledge of bottom brackets, headsets and brake pads we hooked up a deal for our new team rider to test some of his kit. Here’s a few examples of what Superstar offer and what our new guy will be rocking on his Dialled frame. We’ll report back next issue and let you know how it’s all holding up.

Nano Tech Flat pedalsA super low profile, flat pedal that features fully sealed cartridge bearings, 10 grub screws per side, decent seals and a sensibly shaped body. They weight a slim line 440g which is neck and neck with a DMR Mag V12. I’ve had them fitted to the DH bike for a few weeks now and enjoyed loads of grip and zero problems. My only request would for pins that screw into either side of the pedal body making them easier to remove once they are mashed up. Basically, a no fuss and ultra slim pedal that’s going to set you back a measly £36.99.

Bottom BracketsThey’ve got a range of BB’s to fit just about every frame or crank you’ll need. Unless it’s ISIS 83mm but I’m working on Neil to sort that out! They’ve got heaps of different versions available including Ti or ceramic and a heap of colour schemes to match your bike. We’ve had our mate Owen running one of their basic Hollowtech II BBs for the best part of a year and he’s still super happy with it. Prices vary from £20 to £80.

Uno headsetThis is Superstar’s standard headset that sports decent seals and replaceable high quality, angular cartridge bearings. Just like the BBs they’re also available in loads of colours. A simple, no bullshit headset with an impressive £15 price tag.

Sintered brake padsReplacing pads can be a pain in the arse, especially if you’re shelling our £15 per brake. Superstar reckon they’ve managed to source the exact same pads as other big brands and sell ‘em at just £8 a pop. Bargain. My test set went in before a trip to the local trails and were bedded in and stopping my fat arse within a couple of runs I’ll let you know how they hold up over time but give ‘em a look if you’re after some new pads.

Titanium goodies.Ti bolts. You either get them or you think they’re a bit over the top. If you get ‘em you’re going to know that they’ll save your bike weight and add a bucket of posh factor whilst you’re at it. Susperstar’s sister company Tibolts.co.uk will sort you out with any and every Ti bolt you might need from rotor bolts to a complete ‘rear mech makeover’ kit to shave a whopping 70% off the weight of your rear mech… Sure you could probably take a crap before you ride and save more weight but that’s nowhere near as posh. Like I said, you either get ‘em or you don’t. 12 anodized torx rotor bolts will cost you £20. I’ll let you know if they shave a few seconds off!

Check out Wideopen Issue 8 for a full run down on how all this stuff is holding up and log on to www.superstarcomponents.co.uk to buy online.

gear

Super-starcompo-nents.co.uk

http://www.superstarcomponents.co.uk


Wheels Manufacturing are a US based engineering company that manufacture all sorts of really top quality bits of kit to tart up your bike. There are replaceable jockey wheels, high quality cartridge bearings, loose bearings, ceramic bearings, replacement bolts of every size you’d ever need, shims, spacers, barrel adjusters, pedal spares, stay protectors…. Even rulers to measure your bearings (left of the photo). If it’s made out of metal, carbon fibre or ceramics then these guys got it sorted.

They’ve also got a massive range of mech hangers and should have something to fit just about every bike you’ll ever need. The good news is that UK distributor Madison have just started importing this stuff into the country. As Madison deal to just about every bike shop in the UK you’re never going to have much trouble getting hold of a new hanger.

Another cool little bit of kit from Wheels Manufacturing is this ‘Gimp hanger’ (middle one in the photo). When your mech hanger snaps out on the trail, you whip this little gizmo out, use it as an emergency replacement and it’ll give a few gears to get you home and out of trouble. An absolute must if you’re out riding in the middle of nowhere. If you want a bit more for your money they also do a multi-tool with the Gimp hanger built in.

www.wheelsmfg.comwww.ultimatepursuits.co.uk

gear

WheelsManufacturing

http://www.wheelsmfg.com



Hot for ‘08 is Shimano’s Alfine groupset. It’s an off road groupset using Shimano’s internal geared hub technology (so no derailleurs to bend). Despite aiming this groupset at geared bikes, the chain tensioner might actually be a winner for single speeders. If you want to single speed your bike to keep it light, mud proof or just generally working every day, you have to keep the chain tensioned. Up to now most tensioners have been dead expensive and pretty awful- slipping all the time and requiring stupid thin spanners from history to adjust. Many have been worse than the classic “Crapulator”- bodged out of discarded rear mechs.

The new Alfine chain tensioner is Shimano’s answer to the chain tension challenge, using a beefy spring and two jockey wheels. Unlike most tensionsers, it springs from the P-knuckle (the bit the jockey wheel cage attaches to) rather than from the hanger pivot. It’s also nice and simple with sleek looks and two colour options, shiny silver or Johnny Cash black.

There isn’t a huge range of chain-line adjustment, but we’ll have to see if that’s a problem over time. They look smart and should work at least as well as anything else we’ve tried. The only thing that seems to be a problem is that they’re not very adjustable chainline-wise. If you’re running a nine-speed hub with spacers, this should be OK, but there isn’t enough adjustment for some dedicated single speed hubs by Nouveau

RRP £9.99 retail and available from your local bikes shopDistributer is Madison www.ultimatepursuits.co.uk

ShimanoAlfine Tensioner

www.ultimatepursuits.co.uk


If you’re looking for quality pedals that aren’t going to bust the bank you’d do a lot worse than these babies. They’re a straight up, no hassle design with a quality Easton axle, sealed bearings and a tough cage. They come fitted with grub screws as standard but also come complete with a set of socket type pins if that’s your thing. The guys at MTB-Direct were looking for a decent pedal and worked directly with Lickety Split to come up with the design. The amount of racing those fellas do it’s bound to be a winner. We’ll let you know how they get on. I’ll let you work it out for yourselves what Lickety Split means…

RRP £34.99 grab ‘em direct from the big red Solid van at the races or online from www.mtb-direct.co.uk

LickitysplitFlat Pedals

gear

www.mtb-direct.co.uk


LickitysplitFlat Pedals

words by Owen Pemberton

I think this place

is trying to kill

me...

trailscene


A lot of people said I was crazy jacking in a job as an engineer with one of the most successful aerospace companies in the world. A job I had held down for ten years, and then heading off to another country with only a small amount of money in the bank and no idea what I was going to do for work. All because I wanted to ride my bike. Were they right? Was I crazy? Not in my mind, it made perfect sense to me. Choosing a hobby over job security is a concept alien to most average people back in the UK, but most average people haven’t been bitten buy the bug that we have. You see, to me anyway, mountain biking is more than just a hobby it’s my life; it’s an addiction and I need to get my fixes to keep my sanity. Every week I would sit at my desk planning how the weekend was going to give me my next hit, but it was never enough! So when an opportunity came along for me to take redundancy, pay off my debts and go off in search of a bigger and better fix I took it with barely a second thought.

We’ve all heard of Whistler right? We’ve seen the glossy pictures in the magazines and the awe inspiring sections in the bike movies, some of us have even been lucky enough to ride there, but what would it be like to live there? That is what I wanted to find out.

Just over a month later I was on a plane somewhere over Greenland when it hit me. “I’m actually doing this!” I think it was looking at the two entwined R’s on that engine that did it, that was my old life, and it was taking me to a new one. Exactly what that new life would involve I wasn’t quite sure but I knew there would be me, my bike and a big mountain. At that point in time that was all I cared about. I was just buzzing on the excitement of the whole thing. The remainder of the flight became a bit of a blur of rubbish movies, worse food and everyone’s favourite in-flight entertainment; beer. The same, however, can not be said about the drive up highway 99, the ‘Sea to Sky Highway’. You leave the sprawling urban mass of Vancouver out through Stanley Park, head along the coast for a while before snaking your way into the beautiful coastal mountain range where you find Whistler. It really is a spectacular journey, obviously it’s not a patch on the usual Sunday M5/M50 excursion from the Midlands heading into South Wales, but it is pretty impressive non the less (yeah right). This was my third time making the trip up that road and the scenery still sends shivers down my spine.

I think this place

is trying to kill

me...


I think this place

is trying to kill

me...

That journey was two months ago. Quite a lot has happened since and to be honest I do not know where that time has gone. It’s been a bit of roller coaster to be fair. I landed a job as a bike mechanic after only three days of being here, which was a massive weight off my shoulders. I’ve got a really cool group of house mates and have already met some truly amazing people. The riding is awesome and the partying is non-stop. The lifestyle here can take its toll though, working 11 hour days, riding when you’re not working and drinking when you’re not doing either of those all adds up. The other week I found myself getting pretty sick and with no NHS and the prospect of my wallet taking a beating I was reluctant to seek any medical attention. By the time I did I was told I was only a day or so away from being admitted to hospital with full blown pneumonia! I can tell you being that ill on the other side of the world, away from all your family and friends pretty much sucks. It’s all good now though, so it’s back to living the dream; ride-drink-work-drink-ride-drink etc only now I’m trying to get a bit more sleep too.

We’ve been having some awesome weather of late and the riding in the bike park is really good right now, just when the trails start to get too dusty it seems the trail gods know and send us a day of rain to dampen them down again, nice and tacky, perfect! Garbanzo opened the other week meaning every trail in the park is now open and apparently there are a few new additions on their way in the near future. Personally, riding wise, I’ve been managing to (mostly) keep her rubber side down (those of you that know me may find that a little hard to believe) and I can feel my riding progressing every time I get out on the bike. Progression is what this place is so good for, I mean in only a few hours I get to ride more than I would in a week back home, and not only do you just physically ride more, you ride more varied terrain. A common preconception people from the UK seem to make about Whistler is that the riding here is all North Shore style wood work or jumpy motorway type trails like A-Line. That is just not true. Whistler really does have every type of riding you could wish for and more. The riding doesn’t just begin and end with the bike park either, there is whole network of fully maintained trails all over the valley to be explored.

Anyway, I’m sure my ramblings have bored you all enough already, but hopefully if nothing else it will inspire a couple of you to consider going in search of your own fix, whatever or wherever that may be. Next time I’ll try to let you guys know a little more detail about the riding here, probably go on about the happenings at Crankworx and, well, any other general shenanigans I get up to between now and then.

I think this place

is trying to kill

me...


trailsceneSo this is your part, in part.

Whats going on at your trails?

If you’re one of the few riders out there

sacrificing hours to pour blood and

sweat into building trails then Wideopen

wants to hear from you.

Send us the stories from your

trails, adverts for your dig days or

simply some news on what’s going

down. Everything and anything to

[email protected]

FreeRide News….from ElbryFreshly squeezed juicey news for you from life in the Free Valley

The Fise slopestyle event in France was won by the UK’s very own Sam Pilgrim. Google this event! The track was sick! The Diamondback rider also took the win at the last round of the Nissan Qashqai event here in the UK showing that Sam is the real deal.

Props to the man of the year right now Lance McDermott (Scott/Monster Energy) who got the big pay day by taking the overall title for the Qashqai series and a payout of 40,000 Euros! Lance will also be riding the new Scott hardtail very soon with an integrated seat post and low stack frontend. He will also have his own O’Neal glove for 2009.

Look out for the results from the Red Bull Bike Night 2008 by time you read this. The event pairs up some of the world’s best bmx and mtb riders over a custom built skate park. Lance, Sam and Chopper from the UK will be in action at this event. Kudos to Gee for his win at the Worlds…Now can he win the rampage in the same year! Look for the return of the Rampage event to be in every magazine and all over the web in the latter half of this year, it’s back and the sport needs and wants it!

Sponsorship movers and shakersSteve Romaniuk joins Jordie Lunn and Cam McCaul on RockStar Energy Drinks. Mike Smith jumped from DMR toCharge bumping Garry Penman off charge and on to...? Vandal clothing shows its support for the sport with the biggest freeride squad in the UK (Martin Bullock , Dud hooper, Andrew Robinson, Dez mtb, Tom Mcque).

On other Vandal news poor dirt jump team captain Jamie Taylor will be out for 12 months with a blown knee. Get well soon buddy. Former Devinci rider Mike Kinrade has been slaying the big mountain lines for new sponsor Transition this year and hopes to get a big result at the rampage.

Dakine have backed the UK Bike Park and with it has come some new sweet trails, UK Bike Park has put on a jam to open the new trails with over 250 riders rolling in making it the biggest freeride jam in the UK ever! http://www.ukbikepark.moonfruit.com/

Esher’s Fun park area has opened to the public, look for this area to change and grow all the time over the coming year.

THE TRACK in Cornwall is now open for the summer and its bmx and slopestyle tracks will be open any day now. http://www.the-track.co.uk/

North Devon could soon have a freeride/slopestyle track, the Torrington guys have a new club and word on the hill is that they may team up with the mtn board area just outside of Bideford and build a mtb freeride pay to ride area.

Also mtn board area “Out To Grass” is opening its doors to mtb’s and has added some shore and jumps for us to shred. The new design ideas have come straight from Ricky Crompton who has switched things up and is now riding Kona...

Stop press! The all new Deviant2 will be out next month, check 24sevenbikes.com/ for details of this new freeride/all mtn hardtail. Look out for me for me (Elbry Sandland) slaying the big lines on one this summer!

http://www.24sevenbikes.com/


Next Issuestaff

Aaron Bartlett VIDEO EDITOR [email protected]

Jamie Edwards EDITOR [email protected]

Tessa Glover PRODUCTIION ASSISTANT

James Hilton PRODUCER [email protected]

contributorsEvery month the contributors to Wideopen change. This month we’d like to thank the following people for their contribution to the latest issue.

Jase AndrewAaron Bartlett (www.footoutflatout.co.uk)Andrew Browning (www.randombmx.co.uk)Pat Cambell-Jenner (www.patcj.co.uk)Nicol CaplinYorick Carroux (www.carroux.com)Rick Davy (www.pumpurbanwear.co.uk)Mike Deere (www.mikedeere.co.uk)Andy Dunwoody (www.andydunwoody.co.uk)Elbry (www.riderruncompany.co.uk)Rupert FowlerBeth FrearChris Frear (www.frearphoto.co.uk)Jacob Gibbins (www.jacobgibbins.co.uk)Gareth Howell (www.digitalbmx.com)Alex JacksonSte Larking (www.fearingout.co.uk)Mark Lee-sing (www.evolimages.com)Ian Linton (www.ianlinton.com)Ben MarkAlan Milway (www.mxfitness.co.uk)Tim MorganNouveau (www.lvis.org.uk)Owen PembertonJames Smith (www.fattyre.co.uk)Oke (www.kchuk.co.uk)

Issue 8 October 2008

Out end of September. [submission deadline 1/9/2008]

wideopenmag_issue_7

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