The No Fuss Events team always put on a great event and although we couldn’t be there, big thanks go out to Hope for supporting the event and Orange Mountain Bikes for keeping us up to date with photos and twitter updates!

Looks like Champery is shaping up to be another legendary round of the World Cup series. Have we seen Brendawg at full throttle? Is Blenkinsop going to take it now he’s wearing gloves? Who knows.. Race day is ON!

Firstly the AKdrenaline socks, these are low cut, almost trainer socks made from the magical Coolmax fabric which keeps your feet dry and comfortable. They feature a cuff on the back of the sock which not only helps you put them on (in case you have trouble pulling your socks up normally) it also stops them slipping down when you’re wearing them. We’ve seen it on running socks but never mountain biking before.

Available in two colours and retailling at £10 for two pairs they are good value and feel robust – we’ll give them a good going over and see if they stand up to the abuse.

Secondly the Wedge self inflating sleeping mat, personally I think lightweight self inflating mats are one of the best camping innovations ever. Unless you’re a bit flush or have generous sponsors, many of us camp at some point during our riding careers. Despite what the scouts will have you believe, foam mats are the single most annoying and uncomfortable sleeping surface known to man and a nice comfy inflatable will earn you a good nights sleep. Obviously the thicker the mat, the better, but this carries a weight penalty so cleverly Alpkit have created the Wedge, it tapers from a comfy 5cm at your head to 2.5cm at your feet.

Retailing at £50 we’ll see whether they live up to expectations or let you down like a bad nights sleep. Check out Alpkit.com for more details..

Big thanks to Stu Leel for the edit!

Track Walk courtesy of DirtTV