UCI Mountain Bike World Cup 2010 in Fort William, Scotland

Downhill mountain biking’s most successful competitor and reigning World Champion Steve Peat rolled into Scotland today (Monday 22nd March) to mark the official launch of the UCI Fort William Mountain Bike World Cup 2010.

Sheffield-born Steve stopped off north of the border to show off the world-class skills that have led to him being crowned the most successful Downhill competitor ever, (with more than 50 podium results in World Cups and World Championships) and helped to kick-off ticket sales for the 9th annual World Cup.

He and hundreds of other professional mountain bikers will return to the scenic Scottish Highlands on 5 – 6th June 2010, for the multi award-winning event – an adrenaline-packed weekend of world-class Downhill and 4-Cross action which this year features a new Downhill Rock & Roll theme.

As he prepares to head off around the globe on the competitive mountain bike circuit, Steve said he can’t wait to get back to Fort William: “Scotland has some of the best biking terrain in the world, and there’s a real enthusiasm for the sport here which always makes for a brilliant atmosphere. It always helps to have a vocal UK crowd – especially when I’m going to be defending my title!”

Last year’s event attracted more than 18,500 fans to Fort William, and generated an estimated £2.5 million* for the local economy.

Mike Jardine of organisers Rare Management said the World Cup is much more than a sporting event: “Steve’s such a hero in the mountain biking community we’re sure the crowds will be even bigger as they come to cheer him on as reigning World Champion. It’s all shaping up for a really entertaining and exciting two days, both for fans of the sport and those who’re simply after an action-packed day out or weekend away.”

Tickets for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup are now on sale at the new look event website www.fortwilliamworldcup.co.uk where event-goers can also find out more about this year’s programme, tickets, the course and competitors as well as travelling to the event and accommodation in the local area.

Tony Haresign
Mountain Biking Scotland
"Get Out of the Woods!"

The Hardest Race In The World - The Strathpuffer - Part 3

And they are off.......
The real racers set off at and alarming pace with Dougie Vipond somewhere in the middle, with a cameraman following close by his side.
Ross was jogging happily at the near the back, smiling away.
Picking up this bike he set off up the steep fireroad climb, which was all covered in inch thick ice after the first 600 yards.
I headed to the catering, which was in one of the farmers sheds, hastily cleaned out due to the high winds and flooding. Grabbing a cup of tea I headed back to the tent to get the bike ready and stuff down half a bar of chocolate and a few chocolate digestives, obviously for energy reasons.
Trekking down the mud slide entrance to the start/finish to get a few shots of my partner coming home from his first lap.
Flying down the down the ice riddled fireroad about 45 ish minutes came the first load of riders, many of them just dibbing in and going straight out for another lap. There was a steady stream of competitors rolling in over the next 45 minutes with some of them looking ready for going straight to the 'recovery center' for a beer, other why they came but most were grinning ear to ear despite the course being 80% ice and 20% 4 inch mud.
Ross came around with the same grin on his face covered in mud (pictured here) and describing the first loop as ICE! ICE! MUD AND MORE ICE!...mmmmm very encouraging.
Handing him the camera to take a shot of me setting of I to wondered why I was here??..

Tony Haresign
Mountain Biking Scotland
"Get Out of the Woods!"

The Hardest Race In The World - The Strathpuffer - Part 2

Bleary eyed, and rubbing my head due to the 'few beers' from the night before Team MountainBikingScotland.com strolled down to the Square Wheels bike shop to hear the announcement, on whether the event would go ahead or not.
With hats, gloves and warm jackets up to the max we were promptly told that it would go ahead but must park where the organiser say and not to park in ' any random places' as it was likely we would get stuck in the ever softening ground.
After returning to the hotel and wolfing down as much 'Scottish Breakfast' as possible we set off to the site with Ross riding up. I took the Team Van with all the supplies and on reaching the turn off and slowly winding down a wide-ish footpath, realised that there may be trouble ahead.
Ross returned from the 'recce' to inform me that the organisers had said 'once you are on, you are on' (the camping field). What did they mean?? As I moved around the corner I saw to my amusement a 45K 4x4 Mercedes being dragged onto the field by a tractor!!! At this point I was looking/wishing/hoping for alternative parking.
Ross scooted off to sign on has he was up for the first lap (so I could take photos) and I was still stuck in the queue waiting to get parked.
Managing to find a space right at the bottom of there hard-pack road, I dumped loads of the gear at the top of the hill and cycled as fast as I could laden with equipment to the sign on, got my 'dibber' and numbers and rushed to the starting line, for the 100 meter sprint to the bikes, and the first lap....
Tony Haresign
Mountain Biking Scotland
"Get Out of the Woods!"

Barlow Wins TransScotland

The final day of the Chain Reaction Cycles TransScotland (Powered by Merida Bikes) brought Britain’s toughest mountain bike challenge full circle and home to Selkirk after seven full days in the saddle and almost 498km (310 miles) and 14,100m of climbing (46,300ft). Course designer Pete Laing brought to bear the big singletrack guns together with more open country riding and vistas, to make the final linking stage from Glentress to Selkirk one to truly savour.

The riders clipped in by The Hub café and bike shop and got on with the business of climbing upwards on a mix of singletrack and fire roads into the heart of Glentress forest to 602m. The hard work and effort of forcing reluctant legs and depleted muscles into action for the final push was more than rewarded once the summit had been crested: the trail dropped down on curvaceous singletrack, broiling downwards with an unmitigated intent to deliver a turbo-charged, endorphin shot straight to the frontal lobes that, for the smooth singletrackeers in particular, was simply seventh heaven.

Then after 21km, the riders were eventually spat out to refuel at Cardrona from where they snaked down into the Cardrona Valley and upwards once more to 400m up Wallace’s Hill. The trail dropped via the Glen Estate and onto Innerleithen’s Traquair trail, where riders steeled themselves one final time for some serious gravity gains up to 500m on the singletrack climb up Minch Moor and out onto the Southern Upland Way. A descent and 230m climb back up Broomy Law to the Southern Upland Way had to be cut out at the last minute, so the riders were left with a final chance to savour Scotland’s scenery from the back bone of the Borders before a fast skittering descent swept them finally, gratefully, and for the last time back into Selkirk to complete the course and to receive their finishers’ jerseys.

With What Mountain Bike magazine hosting the finisher party, providing copious amounts of free drink and a choice selection of good time tunes for the well deserving and saddle sore riders, the final prize presentations were made: For some, the spoils of victory, for others the commiserations of coming so far and yet so close; yet all could lay claim to a share in the proud knowledge that they had completed and survived Britain’s toughest mountain bike challenge, the Chain Reaction Cycles TransScotland (Powered by Merida Bikes).

Meggie Bichard (Extreme Endurance) took the Scottish Tourism Women’s Solo Open Category competition, whilst her male counterpart was the popular Andy Barlow (Whyte Bikes), who had a winning time of 47:13:13.

The Scottish Borders Veteran Women’s race was claimed by Julie Dinsdale ahead of Tatjana Troll. In the men’s, Rob Waller (ERC One Week Younger) clinched the title and led the thanks and praise for the organisers and support teams from the podium. The High5 Mixed Category was a runaway win for the pairing of Maddie and Jay Horton (XC Racer.com/Trek) who finished almost 20 minutes up on second placed Alice Crook and Neil Hamblin (Cakemonsters).

Elsewhere, the Gore Veteran’s Category was sewn up by Bryan Singleton and Peter Strong (Global/Torq/Buff), whilst Robert Barker and Mark Langdon (Sportstest.co.uk) took second, with the charismatic and ever playful Police Team Italia pairing of Mario Brunello and Fulvio Damian rounding out the podium in third. The winners of the Buff Female Category were the strong and fearless pairing of Julie Cartner and Renel Brennan riding for the 7Stanes. And finally, Keith Bontrager finished the event himself to claim ninth overall in the Scottish Borders Veteran’s Men’s Solo race.

Thanks to Matt Skinner of TransScotland for the words and pictures.

Tony Haresign
Mountain Biking Scotland
"Get Out of the Woods!"

Mountain Bikes To Invade Ski Resort

Scotland’s Newest Mountain Bike Resort

In a desperate bid to stay in business, Scotland's largest ski resort is being turned into a mountain bike centre, after the worst winter season in living memory.
The Glenshee Ski Centre, Britain's greatest ski field, with 21 lifts, is being forced to consider the future of the company as global warming decimates snow levels.
Milder winters have meant lower snow fall and and has now signalled the end of the once lucrative business.
One of the directors of Glenshee Ski Centre, Stewart Davidson, said that they are now planning to carve a mountain bike track into the barren and rocky hillside in a bid to diversify and offer thrill seekers an alternative to snow sports.
In continental Europe, ski lifts are already used , especially France, Switzerland, and Italy during the summer months to save people pedalling uphill so they can complete more routes in a day.
Mountain bikers can hook their heavy downhill bikes to the underside of the chair lift and sit back and relax as they are whisked up the steep slopes.
Proposals are currently underway for the track, which will stretch from the car park to the top of the 3,100ft Cairnwell mountain.
"There will be a large track winding across the hill that will take them all the way down to behind the main buildings at the bottom. "It is based on the model from Europe, where some of the big resorts have turned their ski fields into mountain bike tracks. It's been extremely popular and we think it would be a great thing for Scotland.
"We will approach Scottish Enterprise and VisitScotland in the hope of securing funding to make sure this goes ahead. We are hoping to get the plans finalised very soon and get them approved by the council.
"We also need permission from Invercauld estate as the lease we have only relates to winter sports." said Mr Davidson.
IMBA (International Mountain Bike Association) rates Scotland as a "global superstar" and is fast becoming a hotspot for mountain biking enthusiasts from across the Globe.
Cycle tourism, which is largely made up by mountain biking, represents eight per cent of all trips to Scotland. In 2003, revenue from cycle tourism was calculated at £219 million.
Every year, more than 40,000 spectators flock to Fort William for the World Mountain Biking Championships, contributing £2 million to the local economy.
Mr Davidson, who was part of a management buyout of the ski centre in September 2003, added: "We hope to have it up and running for next summer. The sooner the better, from our point of view.
"We need to diversify, there's no way we can rely on our winters. The future of skiing in Scotland, not just at Glenshee, is in very grave danger of being wiped out altogether."
Glenshee currently only employs seven staff during the summer months, but with a fully-operative mountain bike trail, that figure could treble.
VisitScotland welcomed the proposals, with adventure spokesman Steve Duncan describing Scotland's mountain bike industry as "thriving".
He said: "Mountain biking is an important part of our adventure tourism offering, attracting visitors from far and wide.>.
"It is great to hear that Glenshee will be providing even more facilities for mountain bikers in Scotland."
Mr Duncan added: "We aim to promote Scotland as Europe's number one mountain biking destination underpinning the overall adventure campaign aim of being Europe's adventure capital."
Skiers, and latterly, snowboarders from across Britain once flocked to Glenshee to enjoy immaculate powder conditions for around 90 days during the season, which peaked during the Easter break, and often lasted well into late spring.
But this year, after only 30 "decidedly average" days skiing and recording the mildest conditions in recent history, Glenshee officials were forced to close the season on March 25.
David Stewart, chairman of the local tourism association, admitted: "The winters have been diabolical for skiing, especially this last season. It certainly was the worst that we've seen in a long while and we can't continue to rely on it. "The snow just isn't there, simply as that."
The Glenshee Tourism Association is re-branding itself, and plans to attract a new breed of tourist to the 'The Glen of the Fairies', including ramblers, cyclists, and sightseers.
One of the glen's best-known hotels has already been abandoned and another turned into housing as the skiing season vanishes.

Tony Haresign
Mountain Biking Scotland
"Get Out of the Woods!"

SXC Mountain Bike Race Series - Round 1 - Laggan

After a long drive up to Kingussie late on the Friday night I managed to get a good sleep in the Tipsy Laird Bothy.
After turning up on the Saturday, checking out the superbly stocked cafe and the bike shop, I took two loops around the course, which had a few small puddles but all the rocks seemed fairly dry.
Somehow I managed to miss the 'natural' section, which came as a great suprise when I hit it on the first lap. Total mudfest!! See the videos.

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The Saturday night was a little different. There was a live band playing in the Tipsy Laird Pub (right next to the Tipsy Laird Bothy) which finished at about 12.30 and a group of women arguing and shouting until about 1.15am. Eventually got to sleep at about 1.30am!!
As the sun came up and started to melt the frost on Sunday morning I loaded up my Orange Sub 3 mountain bike onto the car and put on my 'bonnett' and headed from my bunk house down to the first Scottish Cross Counry (XC) Race at Laggan.
There was a great turn out. New model of 'this' and improved versions of 'that', new cycling tops, shorter racing carbon bars and squeaky clean mountain bikes. As a seasoned entrant in the 'fun' section I was well prepared to take on the all comers... by making sure I had loaded with carbs by having a Chinese take away the night before and was ready for some FUN!!
The sun warmer everyone in time for the start of the races at 11 am. The Juniors race was well attended as was the Fun with 20+ entrants. Then it wa time for the 'serious' mountain bikers of the XC world to come out to play, after the Vets and Grad Vets had done their blinding segment of trail. The Elite men stepped up to the line.........

Tony Haresign
Mountain Biking Scotland
"Get Out of the Woods!"

What do you think about Giant Mountain Bikes??

As Specialized rider I am biased (probably) but this article expakins that in the quest to buy a good 'steed' (mountain bike)it is not a one horse race!!

Giant Mountain Bikes: You Want It, They've Got It by Trevor Mulholland

Many of the world's best professional cyclists profess Giant mountain bikes to be their ride of choice. This might have to do with the durability of the materials used to make these bicycles. In any case, they stand the test in global competition.

Riders can be seen enjoying the bikes on seven continents, in more than fifty countries. The company has been building quality bikes -- at affordable prices -- for over thirty years. Deeply involved in the mountain bike community, the company produces bikes that are suitable for both recreation and competition.

Over the years, they have worked to ensure that the latest technology is used in their bikes. They have kept up with more advanced technology in manufacturing, as well as in mountain bike designs. A quality control process is used, and their customer service is something from which all other companies could learn a lesson or two. The company was established in 1972, when they opened their very first factory. It was called Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd. By 1998, the company had grown by leaps and bounds, with divisions and operations in countries like the Netherlands, the United States, Japan, Canada, and China.

Giant sponsors many professional and amateur cycling teams, including international teams and regional teams. The company sponsors two race teams as well -- the Global Giant Mountain Bike Team and the ONCE Level 1 Road Team. National teams in Taiwan, Japan, and China are beneficiaries of Giant's sponsorship. In addition, Giant also supports both professional and amateur teams in the US, Australia, Canada, Belgium, New Zealand, and South East Asia. Individual racers in these countries are also sponsored by the company.

Along with top of the line bikes, Giant also has an apparel line, a line of bike care products, accessories, and a line of bags and racks. No matter what riders need, Giant finds a way to get it to them. Giant Mountain bikes are made with the highest quality materials and components, and the manufacturing process used by the company is one of the best in the world. Giant is reputed to be the world leader in mountain bike production; this means that the bikes cost less to produce, and consumers realize that lower cost in retail stores as well.

If you are new to mountain biking, you should definitely visit a Giant Mountain Bike dealer to see what they have in store. If you're an old pro and you've never ridden one of these quality bikes, take a test ride soon -- you just might find yourself pleasantly surprised! Great bikes don't need to cost a fortune when they are produced in ways that are designed for quality manufacturing -- but to save the end user some money as well.
About the Author

Mt-bikes.com provides you with information on mountain bike reviews, trek mountain bikes, giant mountain bikes, mountain bike holidays and specialized mountain bikes. http://www.mt-bikes.com/

Tony Haresign
Mountain Biking Scotland
"Get Out of the Woods!"