On, off, on, off…..

The first round of the Alpine Bikes Winter Series at Innerleithen in the Scottish Borders was supposed to take place this weekend however the race had to be called off due to safety concerns.

Photo: Pinched from the faceache page of Mr Valentine of Phunkt.com

With snow still lying on the top fire road and temperatures not getting much above freezing all weekend it’s not too supprising really but this didn’t stop Mike and his team at Borderline Events trying their hardest to get the race running.

Things were already looking bad after just a couple of hours on Saturday morning. As practice went on the track turned into a completely slick ice sheet in a lot of places meaning not one rider was getting down without having an off or lie down at some point. By 10am the decision was made to move the start down to the fire road as the top of the hill had become a bobsleigh run. Come lunchtime the race had been called off and the rest of the day was spent uplifting the other tracks on the hill. Then at the end of the day it was hoped that enough could be done to make the course raceable for Sunday and it was on again.

This morning I was the second man down the hill and there wasn’t a patch of ice to be found but again as more riders came down the track turned back into a death trap. After less than 2 hours the race was called off again.

A massive thanks has to go to the guys who stayed late last night and got up before dawn this morning to clear the track of ice. It’s a real shame the race was cancelled but there’s still another two races to come yet. Lets just hope the weather picks up for round two in 3 weeks time.

So with racing off the agenda, me and the Cumbrian contingent spent the afternoon on the uplift ripping down some of the much less icey tracks Inners had to offer, while others did the same, rode the ice shoot or just went home.

The Alpine felt amazing on the hardpack trails this weekend and thanks to Continental UK helping the team out this year I had a fresh pair of Rain Kings keeping me stuck to the trails. So despite the lack of racing it felt good to be riding DH again and I had an amazing weekend none the less!

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The Wideopen Race Team is supported by the following awesome companies:

Steve News, team

What’s the story behind the shot?
It was a “get low” comp between Harry Molloy, Max Lenthall and Olly Burton on one of the sand berms at Rogate. Olly was the outright winner. Not only can he get lower than Harry and Max but Olly has also just been invited to race World Cups so he is super stoked at the moment.

nikon d70, f.2, 50mm f1.8 lens

http://www.tomgrundy.blogspot.com/

Jamie News

Our mate Wayne went along to put together this quick repo of the very first official uplift day at Nant Gwrththeyrn, all photos are by Ann James:

Sunday 17th of January saw the first official uplift day at Simply Downhill’s new venue Nant Gwrtheyrn in North west Wales.

Simply Downhill are the guys behind last years race at Wentwood in South Wales, the Wentwood trophy.

Long before downhilling came on the scene, Nant become home to the Welsh Language centre, you go there to learn welsh for a bit of an educational holiday thing. But… sat nicely behind the centre is one big hill! The hill, combined with the centre makes for one great venue!

Sunday’s uplift started bang on 9 o’clock and ran till 3.30, there was plenty of parking for the riders on a tarmac car park, tea and coffee all day at sign on, transport was in the form of two trailers for bikes and a 50 seater coach for riders. The uplift route itself is a smooth tarmac road all way to the top with good turnaround points and plenty of passing places and best of all it’s less than 10 minutes to the top and from drop off it’s 5 minutes to the top of the track with no hard pushes.

The track starts half way up the hill (the top half is SSSI land) but the track is still very long, I’d reckon 2.30 – 3mins. For the first minute the track traverses across the hill with steep corners while maintaining a good flow, then into some slippy rock sections that are really testing and change each run.

The next highlight of the track is “snooker balls” which is roughly a 40ft section of large and small rock which you can hear moving beneath you. Then it’s over a stream crossing and onto a fire road with a brilliant right hander for getting a drift out, foot out moto style! Back on the gas for a sprint then off to a slight uphill into one long rock section, back onto the fire road then off the other side with a choice of two step downs. Then it’s out into the open alongside the uplift road over two rock walls and finish.

For the race to held in August it will be about another 10 seconds further to the finish but due to some building works at the centre this can’t be added to the track at the moment.

Overall the day was a success, brilliant uplift, brilliant track. I have to say the day did bring out a lot of problem areas on the track which weren’t helped by the recent snow melt running off the moorland above the forest, but this is all the maturing of a race track and with a few dig days and plenty of graft it will be sorted. There was a good atmosphere, welcoming hosts, parents walking up and down the track taking photos, this is sure to be a great race venue!

Here’s a bit more info on the venue from SimplyDH’s Si Ward:

Nant Gwrtheyrn Welsh Language and Heritage Centre, is located in a former quarrying village on the northern coast of the Llŷn Peninsula, North Wales.

The Centre specialises in Welsh for Adults (as a second language) residential courses. Weddings and conferences are often held at the Centre and visitors are always welcome to come and enjoy the on-site Heritage Centre, shop, restaurant, beautiful surrounding countryside and beach. The centre has a cafe and toilets, a bar and function room aswell as B&B accomadation which are all right by the finish of the track.

We’d like to give Revolution Bikes in Bangor a special mention also for all their help.

Here’s a chest cam vid of the track:

Wideopenmag.co.uk: Nant Gwrtheyrn first helmet cam (new UK DH race track) from Jamie Edwards on Vimeo.

More info at www.simplydownhill.co.uk

Jamie News, team

WO Irish team rider Dan just uploaded this video of the Irish Winter Series Rd2 track at Cloon.

Jamie News, team

Jamie News

I moved to Bristol 3 years ago and the minute I arrived I was blown away by the amazing BMX talent down here. I dunno if it’s the cider or what but the scene is just too good.

Ex-Bristol local Johann Chung just posted this great series of local vids – including an edit of WO interview victim Colum Walsh.

Check ‘em out for some West Country style!

Colum Walshe, Bristol City Rollers from emer bmx on Vimeo.

Young Guns 1, Mike and Scott, Bristol City Rollers from emer bmx on Vimeo.

Marlboro Pete, Bristol City Rollers from emer bmx on Vimeo.

Here’s our boy Colum from the first vid in Wideopen issue 11:

Jamie News

So back in July last year I got a teaser email from a ‘Will Notsay’ with what he claimed to be a super light new street frame, crafted out of a fancy new tubing that he had just patented.

Our boy Will was from the ‘Severed Alliance’ and  reckoned he was working hard to bang out some top quality, well engineered MTB products.

Roll on forward to today and SA aren’t shedding off the veil of mystery – but are getting some interesting looking kit rolling out the door. Here’s Will’s latest gift to Widopen… an exclusive first look at Severed Alliance’s all new LT hardtail frame.

It’s a kind of do-it-all hardtail that can run longish travel forks (140mmish), tackle the XC loops and have a bit of fun wherever it goes.

All SA frames are made out of  SA’s patented ‘Helix’ tubing, which looks like this:

The deal is that it’s the tubes are apparently 30% stronger and 20% lighter than conventional tubes. The criss-cross pattern isn’t pressed on or cut out… It’s actually two layers bonded together. The outer tubing ends up slightly thinner and is therefore lighter… and the criss crosses increase strength by spreading load across the tube.  SA have got the patent on this stuff so don’t expect to see it anywhere else!

There’s going to be 12 prototype frames made for testing and development – of which we’ll have 1 here at Wideopen. Here’s Will’s very first build, straight off the boat from Taiwan:

We’ve also got some spy shots of the SA bars, again made from the Helix tubing. They’ll be available in:
- cromo:  710mm wide, 3.25″ rise, 490g
- alloy: 740mm wide, 0.5″ rise, 278g

More from the Alliance on their site here.

… and if all that aint enough… Here’s a look at the SA team riders ramp testing the new BMX frame, forks and bars:

matt gillespie severed alliance edit at unit13 skatepark from matt gillespie on Vimeo.

My web-marketing guru says it’s all about getting the comments. So tell us what you think!

Jamie News

The first round of the 2010 Irish winter league was on the 16th/17th of February in Bree, Co. Wexford. It was a 2 day event but with no uplifts.

We arrived saturday morning and despite the flooding near by the track wasnt too bad. I signed on and got the no. 1 number plate! Practise went well and I called it a day.

We arrived early sunday morning and I sectioned a few bits until i felt good, I rested up until my race run then pushed to the top. My first run went OK, but I was dead at the end and had no power to pedal , I came in with a 1.51 and 18 seconds ahead of second place who was the pinner himself adam tarbett so I was happy with that.

2nd run went terrible, I was pushing hard to get under the 1.50s but i pushed her a wee bit to much and blew off my pedals 3 times which was going to be a problem on such a pedaly track, I got to the bottom and knew it wouldnt be faster….But as it turned out I went 3 secs. quicker to put me on a 1.48!!

I was well happy to improve my time and take the win, My time put me 3rd in Juniors only a second off the win.

It was good to have my team mate Adam ‘turtle bert’ tarbett on the podium with me and im sure he will be up there for the rest of the year!

Bike went sweet all weekend!

Braaaap.

Check out Dan’s home page here: http://www.dansheridan.ie/

Jamie News, team

Catalogue 2009/10 sessions from Seventies Distribution on Vimeo.

No reason for posting this other than it’s rad and made me want to go ride my BMX.

Jamie News

Just got word that our Scottish correspondent and team rider Pete ‘wee man’ Scullion has taken a hit.

Wee Pete was riding through the mean streets of Edinburgh and was cruelly cut down in his prime by some ned in a white van.  The police are on the scene and Pete is off to hospital for an op on his finger which is currently Z shaped. Get well soon buddy!

Here’s a wee montage of photos I’ve found of Pete when he wasn’t bust up…

Jamie News, team