Mountain Bike Skills

Mountain bike mayhem

HUNDREDS of mountain bikers are putting in the last few days of training before the epic 24 hour mountain bike race that is Mountain Mayhem, sponsored by Giant.

The 11th event of its kind to date will be held on June 20 over an 8.5mile course at Ledbury, County of Herefordshire.
Teams or riders compete for the best distance in the time - and there are still a few places on teams if you want to take part. Check out Bikeradar for some ideas and contacts or desperate pleas such as here.

All the fun kicks of at 8pm on Friday night with the launch of the inaugural SRAM 'Drag' race. As the name suggests, riders will turn out in drag for the mad, winner takes it all dash.

Headline sponsor Giant will be running the world's biggest bike demo and, as well as a huge fleet of Giant's 2008 bikes for you to test, there'll be many bikes from other brands too.

A word of warning: avoid getting mixed up with www.mountainmayhem.com which is a relatively new company that specialise in setting up stag dos among other things!

Bolton cranks into National Bike Week

CYCLING enthusiasts have another reason to get onto two wheels this week as part of National Bike Week.

Bolton Bike Week has been organised to coincide with the national event aimed at encouraging more people into biking and mountain biking.

There are a series of events planned in and around the area which boasts Rivington trails among the gem in its crown.

Watch out for Horwich Carnival Races this weekend - June 22 - which is always a great day out. Hundreds of mountain bikers and road cyclists will descend on the North West town to compete in both serious and not-so serious events.

Bolton Bike Week cranked in to top gear last weekend with a display in Bolton town centre by a BMX stunt team.

Riders impressed the crowd with a range of gravity defying stunts.

Cyclists were also urged to join in a mass bike ride on Wednesday June 18. It starts out at Victoria Square at 6.30pm and then heads along the Middlebrook Valley trail.

The event was staged to celebrate National Bike Week.
A national celebration of freedom, Bike Week is an annual opportunity to promote cycling as a source of fitness and fun.

Up and down the UK, thousands of free cycling events are providing the opportunity for everyone from total novices to passionate cyclists to get on their bikes.

I flew from India to England to learn mountain biking

MOUNTAIN Bike Skills, a small mountain biking company operating in the North West of England, had an unusual client this week - straight off the plane from India.

IT consultant Parvinda Singh booked a one-to-one course to further his mountain biking skills - hoping to put what he learns to good test when he returns home.

It appears mountain bike groups are popping up around the south of the city, proving that the sport is growing in the most unlikely of geographic locations.

UCI World Champs

SOUTH African rider Greg Minnaar prevented a British clean sweep of the downhill titles at this weekend's Nissan UCI Fort William Mountain Bike World Cup.

After plenty of hype and activity, Gee Atherton was finally squeezed out of the hot spot after Tracy Moseley had earlier claimed the women's title.

Thousands turned out to see the biggest names in downhill biking.

Biker after biker – including Scotland's Ben Cathro from nearby Oban – threatened to steal the prize, as three of the final four riders – Steve Peat, Gee Atherton and finally Minnaar – enjoyed time at the top of the leader board.

Another young Scot, Chris Hutchens, also put in a strong ride to place 17th, but there was disappointment for junior world champion Ruaridh Cunningham, who crashed, reportedly dislocating his knee. He finished in 52nd.

Earlier, there had been a thrilling conclusion to the women's race: a home victory courtesy of Moseley – her fourth in Fort William.

Rachel Atherton, the sister of male downhillers Gee and Dan, set the early pace. She raced in at 5mins, 26 secs. Read the build up reports about the Athertons.

Atherton, who won last week's World Cup in Andorra, had only qualified eleventh fastest.

What is IMBA?

TIP of the day: who is the IMBA?

IMBA is the only national dedicated mountain bike organisation - and is celebrating its 20th birthday this year.

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (of which IMBA UK is the national branch) works to keep trails & public access open for mountain biking.

IMBA came about because mountain biking was coming under threat. A group of conservation minded advocates came together to establish a voice for mountain bikers.

The organization grew its membership and set out to demonstrate that sustainable mountain bike trails could be developed, with conservation in mind, and with respect and co-operation with other users and with land managers. It is this unique approach that sets IMBA apart from many others.

IMBA's mission has always been to protect, create, and enhance quality trail experiences for mountain bikers worldwide. In addition, IMBA actively promotes responsible mountain biking, support volunteer trailwork, assist land managers with trail management issues, and improve relations among trail user groups.

It has members in all 50 United States and 40 other countries. IMBA members annually contribute more than one million hours to trailwork projects on public land. To date, these volunteers have created more than 5,000 (8,000 km) miles of new trails worldwide.

They are the people to contact if you want support keeping trails open in your area.

Campaign for mountain bike trails in Rivington

THE campaign to save trails in Rivington to be open for use by all mountain bikers is gathering speed - with the support of a popular mountain biking club in Manchester.

Reddish Vale Mountain Bikers are supporting the appeal for more rides to be kept open - or even built - around Rivington and offered up valuable advice about their successful campaign near Stockport.

"I am upset over the plans or risks to close off Rivington. and it begs the question what can we do? said Brian Cook, who has raised more than £1million with help from an enthusiastic local community for a new development.

"There's plenty you can do."

Mountain bike instruction with discounts

IT'S always a little bit daunting to dust off your mountain bike if you haven't been riding for a while.
Or maybe you are tired of trying - and failing - to keep up with your mates, or have a trick you just never seem to be able to pull off.

Now Mountain Bike Skills is offering a two for one deal on skills courses for the month of June.

If you book for one person - which costs from £79 - you can take someone else along for free. Or think of it that you pay just £39.50 each.

The deal has been put on by the owner Mike Stafford to launch his Mountain Bike Skills website.

And seen as it shares our fab name, we thought it was worth a post.

Mike, who has been an instructor for more than a decade, said: "This is a really great chance for people who might otherwise be put off by the thought of forking out for some instruction to come along and make the most of it.

"We are offering the two for one deal on bookings made in June.

"So far the new site is really exciting and we are really interested to get feedback and find out what people think."

Mike, who works closely with a team of instructors including downhill junkie Mark Warren, has been working closely with Mountain Bike Instruction for the past five years.

Rivington trails face closure

THE threat of closure to trails around Rivington has never been greater as rangers from United Utilities sent out their clearest warning yet that they are planning action.

Fear is growing that the bridleways around the pike and Chinese Gardens - once used for the Commonwealth Games - will be demoted to footpaths.

The warning signs, which were erected at the end of May, sets out the risks if riders continue to erode trails and behave in a selfish manner.

The move comes as local campaigners are stepping up their fight to see more trails built around Healy Nab.

Brian Lopes rides at UCI World Cup

WE all knew he'd do it. The man who needs no cups of tea or chit-chat about the British weather has come good at the second heats at the UCI Wolrd Cup in Andorra.

Brian Lopes, who gave Mountain Bike Skills, a fab interview last week was back on form and back on the grid - skidding into second place.

Read his own take on the event and how things went.

But it's the Scots who took the lead and have received a personal congratulations from the big man.