Wideopenmag_Issue_12

wideopen 12 april 2010 uk bike magazine 1

wideopenIssue 12 April 2010

available free online at www.wideopenmag.co.uk

wideopen 12 april 2010 uk bike magazine 2con

3. Comment5. News8. Team Issue

12. Emulsion17. UK Talent The Lee Huskinson Interview23. They ride bikes in Poland29. Recession Busters Snow, shorts and Scotland37. Star stuck The Adi Gilbert Interview42. Made in the UK The Oscar Golding Interview46. Don’t be fooled The Chris Akrigg Interview54. A proper UK race team Dialled Bikes68. Smashing the zeitgeist The Faction Interview70. Designing the Summon The Cesar Rojo interview74. Report: Irish Winter Series Round 176. Irish Winter Series Round 280. Mini Downhill Forest of Dean84. Woodland Riders Tavi Woodlands87. Kustom Bikes Winter Round 3, Combe Sydenham90. Aston Hill Black Run93. AlpineBikes Winter Series Round 196. AlpineBikes Winter Series Round 298. AlpineBikes Winter Series Round 3

106. Longtermer: A little bit Tina Turner The Orange 5 Diva110. Longtermer: Green Eyed Monster The Orange MIII112. Gear126. Smallscreen127. Trailscene: Stainburn and the Wolfpack133. Contributors

Intro Issue 12 April 2010

COVER - Lee Huskinson at GawtonJacob Gibbins www.jacobgibbins.co.uk

HERE - Random rider.Dave Francoisy www.britishdownhillphotos.co.uk

wideopen 12 april 2010 uk bike magazine 3com

Wideopen Magazine13 UllswaterMacclesfieldCheshireSK11 7YNwww.wideopenmag.co.uk

DetailsThis online magazine has been produced using a 2GHz MacBook running OS X (10.5.8) and Adobe InDesign CS. Each issue there are a different list of contribu-tors (check the contributors section for more info).

Anyone can write or contribute, if you’d like to then email us at: info@wideopenmag.co.uk.

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.

Jacob Gibbins www.jacobgibbins.co.uk

Hungry?As I sit here and type this itʼs less than a month till the race season kicks off and the one word that keeps bursting into my head is HUNGRY. Itʼs that Christmas eve, day before your birthday, 3PM on a Friday, new bike ordered, just about to ask that fit girl out feel-ing – something amazing is on the way and youʼre starving hungry to get your teeth stuck into it and get on with it. Personally, Iʼve been layed up with a broken leg since October and been chained to the laptop all winter rather than out drifting in the mud. Iʼm hungry – no Iʼm starving - to get out there and tear up some trails, test some bikes, photo loads of rac-es, shoot video, meet new faces, see old ones, ride new spots, crash bikes, jump bikes, drift bikes and just put together a year of the best bloody Wideopen coverage weʼve done yet! I know our brand new race team is exactly the same – Two of ʻem in particular (Wayne and Dave) both fell down the ranks last season with crashes and injuries. 2010 is their chance to smash out a name for themselves or die trying. Theyʼve both been hammering the training all winter and are pulling at the leash to get into the gate and chomping their way through the season. First or last boys!

But then, I donʼt expect this is new to any of you – the nights are getting lighter, the trails are hinting at drying out, holidays are getting booked, race entries are in and the summer is on the horizon. Sure, most of you ride and even race through the winter but itʼs just no substitute for the hot, dry, long days of the sunny season is it? It aint long now till we can all get our teeth stuck right in!

Enjoy issue 12 – thanks again to everyone that made it happen. Iʼll buy you a burger track-side to say cheers yeah?

Jamie, James and Jim

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Descent Gear & Juice Lubes National ChampsThe 2010 Nat Champs is GO! for Ae Forest on 17th/18th July. The last two years have seen Gee and Peaty both crash in sight of the finish line and steal victory from the other – weʼll be there to see who takes the gold for 2010! Thereʼs still entries left so get signed up quick and fight for the title!

Juice Lubes OʼNeal Welsh SeriesWe reckon this one is a big contender for best series of the year and whilst it ʻaint got all the jazz of the Nationals it does have an amazing line up of venues… Get involved!

01st & 02nd May - Llangollen (Welsh Champs) - £65.0029th & 30th May – Gethin - £57.0018th - 19th September – Rheola - £57.0009th - 10th October - Moelfre - £55.00

www.borderline-events.co.uk for news on both

photo by Andy Nelson

NewsSome prime cuts from the Wideopen news desk. Stay tuned to Wideopenmag.co.uk for daily updates from the UK mountain bike scene!

Dirt Wars VS King of DirtDirt jump comps are looking so good this season – with King of Dirt and Dirt Wars both ready to launch. Look out for Wideopen team rider Charlie Watts tearing it up at both!

Dirt Wars is a 6 round series, with each event to be held alongside the NPS4X races. How good is that? Check out www.dirtwarsuk.com for info on the whole lot.

King of Dirt is back and looking great with loads of sponsors and a new team. Itʼs going to be a 4 round series, with one going down at NASS and one at Bike Radar Live – if you want to carve out a name on the dirt scene, this is the one to get to! www.kingofdirt.co.uk

MIJ DH Series 2010This Welsh MIJ lot are back for another year of great value racing – 5 rounds, 3 venues, BC points. www.freewebs.com/mijdownhillevents/

March 13/14 Taff Buggy April 17/18 Taff Buggy June 19/20 Moelfre Hall July 31/Aug 1 Taff Buggy September 4/5 Caersws

Ducktales 2010Look out for photographer Andy ʻThe Duckʼ Dunwoody at every national DH and 4X race this season. Heʼs snapping for British Cycling and will be armed with still cameras, helmet cams, video cameras and heaps of other toys to cover the action. If that aint enough, heʼs also got a Duck Junior on the way – gonna be a busy season mate! Check out our webterview with Andy right here: http://wideopenmag.co.uk/news/4607/andy-dunwoody-web-terview

Milkpro, Phunky Keith and Big Dave go Lowepro3 of our favourite photographers have been head hunted by Lowepro and will be representing them on the UK and World Cup scene this season. Jacob Gibbins, Keith Valentine and Dave Francoisy will all be rocking top quality Lowepro camera bags on their photo missions around the world. Look out for their snaps right here in Wideopen.

Places to ride…The UK seems to be literally exploding with new venues to ride this year. Expect a new trail, dirt jumps and a pump track up at Lee Quarry, an all new World Cup standard 4X trail right next to The Wall trail at Afan Argoed, an all new National 4X trail, jumps, north shore and loads more at Hale Superbole in Cheshire and also a new pump track at Esher. Stay tuned for news on all of ʻem right here…

Nant GwyrtheyrnNant is an all new DH venue up in North Wales – theyʼve got regular uplifts up and running and a race sorted out for August. Itʼs well worth a look if youʼre in the area. www.simplydownhill.co.uk

PrizesThereʼs an Everest sized mountain of prizes at this yearʼs Nationals – with thousands of pounds worth of cash, vouchers, product and goodies lined up. You donʼt even have to win to grab some of it – thereʼs going to be heaps of give aways and random prizes all season. Expect prizes from Warehouse Express, Rose Bikes, Regal Graphics, Fox, Swiss and Swallow, Kenda tyres, Ticket 2 Ride, Kali Protection and loads more. Hope will be back this year also to provide the trophies for podium stars!

The paparazzi Luckily for us journos itʼs not just the riders that are getting some new perks this season. Being a photographer himself, Big Dave has sorted the press out with loads of great little extras to make sure we bring you the best coverage of the series ever. The best one so far is that Warehouse Express are stumping up £100 worth of vouchers for the best photo from each round! Get snapping at Rd1 and you could be a winner…

Weʼll also have dedicated media zones to make sure we get the best angles, press accreditation to keep the whole thing nice nʼ pro, media bibs (keep an eye out for ʻem so you know when to turn on the style!)…. And a select few elite media bad asses will also get limited edition Alpine Stars money canʼt buy, rare as rocking horse dung photography vests!

Catch up the action here at WideopenWeʼre going to be all over the BritishDHSeries like fat kids to cake! Jacob Gibbins will be in charge of photos (with back up from a few other guys), Editor Jamie will be hunting out the stories and writing the race repos in the mag and video ace Paul Roberts will be videoing the action – with web edits up on our site straight after every round. Alongside all that, weʼve got Wideopen team rider Wayne Appleby signed up to every round. If you want coverage of the UKʼs premier race series, Wideopen is the place to go!

If thatʼs not enough… weʼve got something pretty special lined up for our race videos. Every video will contain a competition. You just watch the video and enter via the website. Trust us on this one, the prizes are amazing. Stay tuned!

photo by Ian Cross

NewsBritish Downhill Series Extra!

Bloody hell – where do you even start with the Nationals this year? Superfly Si Paton and Big Dave Francoisy are at the helm and have completely transformed the series. Whether youʼre a rider, a spectator, a retailer, a photographer… whatever… This is going to be an amazing series. Support the Nationals and make UK racing STRONG!

The line up:RHEOLA 10 – 11 April FORT WILLIAM 8 – 9 May LLANGOLLEN 26 – 27 June MOELFRE 7 – 8 August CAERSWS 25 -26 September

Broken records and a world cup start list:Watch out Roy Bloody Castle because the series has already smashed the records by selling out in under 34 days! Riders confirmed so far include Steve Peat, Gee/Dan/Rach Atherton, Brendawg, Josh Bryceland, Chris Kovarik, Matti Lehikoinen, Claire Buchar and heaps more. Itʼs been a long, long time since weʼve seen an all star line up like that at a National Series!

The Hot SeatGusset have stumped up for a hell of a hot seat this season – if you cross the finish line and youʼre fast enough to be in first place your arse gets to grace this beauty.

Watch videosWin stuff!Wideopen is gonna film the 2010 BritishDHSeries. Watch the videos, win awesome prizes. Easy!

Check out www.wideopenmag.co.uk

We love racing here at Wideopen so last year we pulled together a small 2 man team. The guys got some decent results and best of all we had a lot of fun at the races and got some awesome race reports from them.

For 2010 the team has grown – weʼve got more riders, more great companies behind us and weʼre taking on pretty much every major race series in the UK. If you can think of a better way to support UK racing than getting out there and getting stuck in let us know!

The Wideopen team are proudly supported by the following awesome companies:

Steve Larking – the hardtail nutterAge: 23Home: EdinburghRides: Dialled Alpine (WO test bike)/Orange FiveRacing: SDA downhill, BUCS, Hardtail Champs

TeAmiSSUe

photo by Keith Valentine www.phunkt.com

photo by Andy Nelson www.nelsonimages.co.uk

Wayne Appleby – the downhillerAge: 23Home: North WalesRides: 2Stage Elite 9Racing: British DH Series, Pearce Series, Maxxis Cup, National Champs

Charlie Watts – the dirt jumperAge: 15Home: ColchesterRides: Racing: King of Dirt, Dirtwars

photo by uberdogmagazine.co.uk

photo by Dave Francoisy www.britishdownhillphotos.com

Dave Thomason – the 4XʼerAge: 21Home: BristolRides: Orange Miii (WO test bike)/Iron Horse Sunday/Commencal Meta 4XRacing: NPS4X, BUCS, Varsity DH

Dan Sheridan – the irish downhillerAge: 16Home: Dublin, Northern IrelandRides: Tomac PrimerRacing: Irish Winter Series, Irish NPS, BritishDHSeries, Caersws Cup

wideopen 12 april 2010 uk bike magazine 10team

at Dialled bikes,

we’ll continue to

file riding under

The Alpine served its appren-ticeship by being thrash tested throughout the 07 season by the www.TrailAddiction.com guides out in Les Arcs and the surround-ing 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 Mountain Bike magazine on their prototype Alpine frames.

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

alpine mk2 out now!

wideopen 12 april 2010 uk bike magazine 12emu

Do you ever wonder just how close you can get to a photographer? This is too close. Wangos local Luc Harris and Dave Francoisy ended up getting a little closer than either of ʻem would have liked to bring you this one... Cheers boys!

Dave Francoisy www.britishdownhillphotos.com

Sam Needham www.samneedham.co.uk

Norcoʼs Bernard Kerr scrubs one out for the Milkpro during their ʻDay in the life of...ʼ Dirt shoot.

Jacob Gibbins www.jacobgibbins.co.uk

HERE - Ragley inverted. Punctures suck. Check out the Snow, shorts and Scotland in

Recession Busters in this issue...Dunc Conway www.duncanconway.net

n It was pretty hard to miss Jack Reading in 2009 on his bright pink Ellseworth. The bikeʼs colour scheme has been toned down a bit for 2010 but holy shit is his new bit bright! Here he is lighting it up at Fli Distributionʼs OʼNeal team launch day at Foel Gasnach.

Andy Nelson www.nelsonimages.co.uk

interview by Jamie Edwardsphotos by Jacob Gibbins (www.jacobgibbins.co.uk)

The Lee Huskinson InterviewUK Talent

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onI first saw Lee ride at a Pearce race up at Bala and was absolutely terrified. I’d heard about him before that but was blown away by the sight of him smashing his way down what everyone admits is a hell of a fast, rough, gnarly track - all on a hardtail, hammering his way through waves of full sussers and looking frighteningly smooth whilst he did it. When someone is riding faster on a hardtail than kids on 10” travel DH bikes youʼve got to wonder what exactly is going on in their heads! Anyway, things have moved on a bit for Lee since then. Heʼs broke his back and recovered, got himself a Turner DH bike and is taking on the full NPS season in 2010, riding for Middleburn, MMA and UK Bike Park. We sent Milkpro down to meet the man himself and find out what makes him tick...

Welcome to Wideopen mate – Tell us about yourself, who is Lee Huskinson? Iʼm a pretty easy going lad that loves to ride bmx, dh, moto and a bit of trials. I donʼt mind a bit of banter and up for a laugh. Iʼm not one for taking things too seriously unless its racing, I mean whatʼs the point in racing if you donʼt want to win?! Iʼll speak my mind and Iʼm not afraid to cause a bit of conflict. Iʼm generally a nice guy though I reckon, Iʼll let you decide! Youʼre probably most well known for being terrifyingly quick on a hardtail. Why did you race for so long on the hardtail? How do you think thatʼs shaped you as a racer?Ha yeah! It sort of came about through my friend Richard Dean at Upgrade bikes. I guess he saw some potential in me and thought I should get on it! We rode a lot of trials together and he helped me and my bro loads there. Eventually he saw I was fed up with trials and put DH in my head. Seeing as he worked at Upgrade and they import and run DMR bikes he helped hook me up with Matt Riley and Damian. I never really thought too much about it, just got hooked on it and got some good results. When I say ʻgoodʼ I mean that I won every race I entered for a year and a half, and thought ʻwhy stop a good thing?ʼ. I loved my years there and learnt how to ride and develop my own riding style on a DMR Exalt. Riding hardtail has definitely helped me choose lines and ride smooth and keep my feet up. Once you slip a pedal on a hardtail itʼs game over! It also helps with conserving your energy too, you get pretty beat up for sure!

So youʼre now on a Turner DH bike – what made you shift to a big bike? How are you finding it?It was mainly cos I had got as quick as I felt I could do on a hardtail and started to look at beating full suss riders -coming a right cropper a few times! My body got beat up and things came to an end with the support of DMR and I thought it was time to move on. As someone that started on a HT – do you have any weird bike set ups or anything like that?Well I used to run cut down moto springs in both legs of my forks on the hardtail so I could hit breaking bumps faster and ride more on the front wheel. I tend to run the front end hard and pretty fast on my Turner too. My back end is slow and soft though. I like my bike to be perfect for each track. Youʼre just back and riding after a savage injury, can you tell us a bit about it?It started at PORC of all places when I had a disc prolapse from going over the bars on one fucking root. I took some time out after that but got back on it only to hit a fence post at Moelfre NPS and do it all over again.

Then in 09 I was feeling it after Llangollen, everything just wasnʼt quite right and I saw osteopaths and physio to try sort it but continued to ride anyway. I left early to head up to the Fort William NPS and get a few days practice in before hand. Looking back now I was trying too hard. I did too many runs, got tired, kept pushing for faster practise times and I eventually crashed hard into a metal post straight on my head. I rode on the Sunday but pretty much couldnʼt pedal and every stone hurt! On return home I had the dreaded trip to hospital where they confirmed my t3/t4 vertebraeʼs where badly crushed and that the t3 would have to be replaced with a plastic shim thing. A few weeks in hospital and 6 hours of surgery got me back on my feet. Many weeks of physio followed and the rest of the season was over for me! But all seems ok now, just a little stiffer nowadays but happy to be back on it again. The time out really sucked, and I distanced myself from bikes and just saw other people. I wasnʼt really that interested in riding at the time and thought Iʼd cross that bridge when I came to it. The time is now. What sort of stuff have you been riding since you came back from injury? Not a great deal really, just my local woods with a few corners. I did try a UKBikepark race but my result sucked! My mind wasnʼt in the right place and neither was my body, I just tried to ride flat out the moment I got my leg over the saddle and it wasnʼt to be. Iʼm just riding a little bit at a time, mainly Hindhead as itʼs soft and I know the place well so I can build my confidence. Now Iʼm getting about more Iʼm looking at hitting Wales and some fast stuff. Something gnarly would be good to see how I hold up and get the buzz again.

What gets you fired up on a bike? Watching good web edits and video footage of the World Cup guys, mainly Peaty and Hill. I get a kick from watching them two ride and comparing their styles and lines and trying my best to do the same. Also new, gnarly tracks with roots and rocks and riding with friends whether it be BMX or DH itʼs always a good session with your close mates. So what are your racing and riding plans for 2010? Iʼm going to hit up all the British DH Series and three Maxxis cups. Theyʼre my main focus. Iʼll also race localish races like UKBikepark and Kustom bikes too as and when I can make it. Last up, who do you need to thank?My mum/dad and brother for getting me into riding and supporting me when ever they can, Rich Dean/Glyn Ostler @ Blazing Saddles Cycles, Matt and Damian who are DMR BIKES for giving me the opportunity, JP of Questadventure, Des Betts at MMA SPORTS, all the guyʼs at UKBIKEPARK for keeping me on a bike with free entryʼs and race support, Matt at MIDDLEBURN, Ben Cox of 2026 distro, Carlo Griggs Owner of Properbikeco, my close friends and my local riding crew Mevans, Spank, Lambo, Jones and all the Hindhead ladʼs and lastly my Girl Rach.

Check out Huskyʼs Rootsandrain.co.uk profile here.

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words by David Piatekphotos by Bartek Jania, Lukasz Loson, Damian Knapik, Joanna Pajak and Krzysztof Frankiewicz

The 2009 Polish downhill race scene

Photo Dave Francoisy

HERE - Wizla by Krzysztof Frankiewicz

They race bikes in Poland?!

It is cold now in Poland. There’s lots of snow everywhere, there’s no sun at all and my bike sits here unused beside my PC. The weather should improve by March and in April the season will start again...The first race on the 2010 schedule is a great warm-up for the true downhill races. Why isnʼt it a ʻtrue downhill raceʼ? Because itʼs taking place in a salt mine. No, really, itʼs in a salt mine and it is an awesome event.

But I wanted to write about the 2009 season, so letʼs go back to April 2009, to the Salt Mine in a village named Bochnia. Outside it was still a bit cold, but the atmosphere inside was warm and friendly with about 100 riders packed in. The race was held on two levels at 212 and 250 metres underneath the surface. The track is a bit flat but it still has some tough sections. Riders had the biggest problems with the tight chicane which was set on the steep, straight section which connects two levels of the mine. That chicane plus a couple of jumps and berms made it a nice track to ride. That event was transmitted live online and so you can still watch the videos from it here. The opening of Polish Downhill season was held just 20 days later in Myslenice. Every Polish downhiller knows the place and call it the “downhill heartland of Poland” after all, theyʼre also home for the Zumbi Cycles. The “Chelm” mountain in Myslenice may not be the biggest one but somehow riding there is always a pleasure. Thereʼs big variety of tracks, some are long and some are a bit shorter but pretty steep. All of them are fun.

The track for 2009 was the most technical and the steepest one. It was hot month, so the track was completely dry and dusty and after few runs the riders looked like bedouins after a sandstorm! The track began with a few corners and a jump, then went straight into the woods where the fun started. Itʼs rough in the woods with lots of corners and a few big jumps. Steep all the time and when itʼs dry in Myslenice, tires have almost no grip at all.

TOP - Zar by Krzysztof FrankiewiczRIGHT - Myslenice by Lukasz Loson

In 2009 there were 450 racers there, including Neil Donoghue, Nathan Million, James Baker and Duncan McCann. Top five in the elite category: 1. Michal Sliwa 2. Maciej Jodko 3. Neil Donoghue 4. Grzegorz Wincenciak and 5. Jonasz Rozdzynski.If youʼd like to watch a video from that race, click here.

Second race, “Zar” mountain. There are two tracks on Zar, one of them is used for races, the second one is kinda “hidden track”. The race one is a bit... controversial. Some riders like it, some riders... donʼt. Itʼs not too steep and not too difficult, just an ordinary track – you ride there and than forget about it. But that place is still worth visiting – the second track is pure awesomeness – steep, difficult and tight. On some steepest sections thereʼs no way to stop, itʼs just too steep. Youtube has a video here.

Iʼll jump straight into the third venue, “Czarna Gora” meaning “Black Mountain”. Thatʼs what I call a DOWNHILL track! Itʼs probably the most difficult track in Poland and when you ride there, you feel like it ants to yell at you “yeah! whoʼs your daddy?!” all the time. And than it gives you a punch.

Rocks and roots are everywhere and some riders said that it was more like a mass suicide attempt, not a race. But itʼs not just difficult, it has something great in it, something that makes you want to ride on it over and over again. Everyone knew, that if rained, they were going to be in for a scary ride. And it did! Only the most skilled riders could ride down without any crashes and still get a good result. The video doesnʼt do it justice, but you can watch it here. Top three: Maciej Jodko, Grzegorz Wincenciak, Michal Sliwa.

BELOW and RIGHT - Black Mountain by Joanna Pajek

The Next race was held in Wierchomla. Itʼs a nice place, lots of nice tracks, lots of huge jumps. The track isnʼt difficult but is flowy and enjoyable which makes it a good place to relax after the pure madness on Black Mountain. Those tracks have everything they need – some rock gardens, plenty of roots, some nice jumps so itʼs pure fun to ride there, though it can be boring after a few days. But the race track wasnʼt too relaxing or boring on the race day, thunderstorm and huge rain made that place into one huge muddy puddle. Actually, after the race run, even the number plates were completely covered in mud and totally unreadable. Top three in elite category – Maciej Jodko, Michal Sliwa, Grzegorz Zielinski, but in the hardtail category there was a 16 year old guy who rode down that hill so fast and placed 5th in the Elite. Some say heʼs got a monobrow...

HERE - Wierchomia by Damian Knapik

And now weʼre in Wisla at Stozek Mountain - another great track in one of the Polish holiday resorts. Thereʼs just one track but itʼs one of my favourites. Itʼs steep, fast, thereʼs many different lines to take. 90% of the track is in the woods so, needless to say, there are plenty of roots. Thereʼs also one nice rockgarden and one big gap.

But some kind of curse is hanging over the races – yup, rain and mud, again. And that track isnʼt one of those that are fun in the mud. But downhillers are tough, so almost 200 guys (and gals) decided to race. Some of them rode fast but some had big problems on mud and sometimes riders crossed the finish line in small groups. But as always, only the best could win so top three wasnʼt a surprise – Michal Sliwa, Maciej Jodko and Arek Perin. Fancy a video? Click here.

Last race - Polish championships in Ustron (Czantoria mountain), very close to Wisla. Bikers were banned from there since 2004 so that race was the first since then. The track was steep and long but may be closed again for downhillers in 2010. On Saturday it started raining and it was obvious that weʼre going to have another muddy race. Because of the rain, many new rocks and roots showed up which made the already hard track even harder, and it seemed like tires would have more grip on grease! Everyone was trying not to crash, rather than to stay on their race lines. Local guy Arek Perin had enough talent to win, but it looks like he tried too hard and he crashed... twice. Another local guy, Jacek Cienciala, rode down in 4 minutes 17sec. which gave him the hot seat but then Michal Sliwa crossed the finish line in an amazing time of 4 minutes and 4 seconds and that gave him the title. Maciej Kucbora was third with a respectable 4 minutes and 19 seconds. Last video is here. HERE - Ustron by Damian Knapik

BELOW - Wierchomia by Damian KnapikRIGHT - Joy Ride Days by Bartek Jania

After all those races, thereʼs one more great event – the ʻJoy Ride Daysʼ. Basically itʼs a before-party and an after-party with a downhill race in between. Itʼs after the racing season so itʼs all about fun and partying together. By “together” I mean with skiers and snowboarders, so itʼs a total riot. The race at night so itʼs like the GP of Abu Dhabi – artificial lighting all the way!

So those were the highlights of the 2009 season in Poland, thereʼs much more races and events (4x, Slopestyle, DH...) but it would take ages to write about it all, so my suggestion would be that you come over here, enjoy the cheap beer and uplifts (and lovely girls) and check out all of those tracks. Also, itʼs pretty close to Czech Republic and Slovakia, those dudes have some serious DH tracks as well!

Lonely Planet has got a good basic guide to Poland here thatʼs worth a look if you fancy a trip. Rowan Sorrellʼs Mountain Biking Guide to Europe is also a great place for info, check that out here. Best times to go are between June and September – when it can get pretty good nʼ hot. Most flights land at Warsaw-Frédéric Chopin Airpor near Warsaw which you can pick up for pretty cheap.

words by James Hiltonphotos by Dunc Conway (www.duncanconway.net)

Snowy Scotland on hardtails

Recessionbusters

rsEveryone’s feeling the pinch, or so the media delight in telling us at every opportunity. Doom and gloom with the occasional glimmer of false hope, the only thing seemingly keeping us going is the passion of two wheels...But running a bike can be expensive and competing on a bike even more so! What are the options for a cash strapped rider, used to the good stuff who wants both performance and maintainability for a reasonable price? Well over the past 10 years hardcore hardtails have had a bit of a resurgence and as regular readers will know we love them here at Wideopen – so when the offers of a Cotic BFe and a Genesis Alpitude came in we hatched a cunning plan. Combined with the existing Wideopen Longtermer, the Ragley Blue Pig, we seemed to have the makings of our very own recession busting article.

Spending over £1500 on a hardtail would have seemed madness a few years ago but with full suspension bikes now well over £2000 it seems less frightening. These days it is hard to justify two bikes, so do these long travel hardcore hardtails really offer the ultimate all rounder capability?

The venue for the test was only ever going to be Scotland, and specifically the Tweed Valley. Glentress and Innerleithen combined are the biggest mountainbiking centre in Europe with a huge variety of hand and machine built tracks to suit all abilities – from family green runs to hardcore double black diamond downhill. Youʼll find it near the pleasant Scottish border town of Peebles where a selection of local B+Bs and specialist hotels cater for every mountainbikerʼs needs whatever your budget. More importantly there is a great curry house and a good selection of pubs!

So what of our noble steeds? All three bikes are steel framed long travel beasts, with sturdy build, compact frames, big brakes, short stems and double ʻnʼ bash up front. All boast between 120 and 160mm of travel and cost upwards of £1200 in their fully built state. Weʼve seen the Ragley in Issue 11 and have been impressed by the value for money aspect combined with lovely details and a quality finish. The Genesis is the 2010 version of the bike we tested in Issue 9 where we couldnʼt sing itʼs praises loudly enough. The Cotic is the pre-production sample of the 2010 BFe – due out by the time youʼre reading this, and we showed you sample photos from Cycle 2009.

Snow, shorts and Scotland. Out of the warm car into the cold Scottish wind with drizzle and sleet in the air. The long slow climb that greets you at Glentress was a welcome warm up for aching bones after a 4 hour long car journey. Tails of extreme weather condition riding and the trails ahead to excite and scare our virgin photographer and before long weʼd reached the Freeride park and the first signs of snow. For those that havenʼt ridden at the Freeride Park at Glentress – youʼre missing out on a lot of fun.

I only wish there was a park on my doorstep. Itʼs a gravity orientated park, a ʻskateparkʼ for big bikes and with tracks and obstacles for all abilities itʼs pleasantly refreshing to see XC lycra clad riders rubbing shoulders with dirt jumper kids. On an icy cold Friday morning the park was deserted and with snow on the top berms and jumps we had some sketchy moments. Absolutely buckets of fun and I canʼt get enough of the place!

rsWith tails of Spooky Woods being a complete white out we made the executive decision to miss out the top section and headed via fire roads for the upper red sections of singletrack. As we climbed the snow became heavier and before long we were riding through 2” of the soft stuff with more to climb. Where others had ridden the soft snow had turned to ice under a blanket of fresh stuff making even riding on the fire roads exciting but we were pleasantly surprised how clear the singletrack was – and started to make some serious downhill progress.

After pausing for a bit of photoshoot we swapped bikes for a few runs of some short, twisty fun sections with an easy push up. What became obvious was that despite similar numbers and angles on a piece of paper these three bikes had completely different characters. The Genesis is a light-weight yet hard hitting weapon. Fanstastic specification for the money, lovely quality finish and with enough beef to give you confidence when the going gets a little rougher than your average trail centre. The Ragley on the other hand felt heavier and more planted – like you could blast it through anything and it would laugh in your face. The Cotic, with itʼs extreme 160mm forks was a pleasure to ride, somewhere between the two whilst a short back end kept things flicky in the twisty stuff.

Itʼs worth mentioning the Hub bike shop at this point – we only suffered one mechanical failure all weekend, a cracked gear outer – big thanks to the mechanic at the Hub who helped us out with a replacement length.

The hotelʼs ʻsecure bike storageʼ turned out to be a rickety wooden shed – but it was dry and a good place to do some quick gear cable replacement – and the free bike wash facility was welcome as well. Probably not a huge issue in the area but make sure you take your own lock when using communal ʻsecure bike storageʼ.

We had a great curry and a few beers in a snowy Peebles that evening and the beer fuelled debate ensued as to what made the perfect do-it-all hardtail. What became clear is that it is a personal choice and any of these three bikes would make a superb all rounder in the right hands. Two top tips – avoid the Cobra in the Prince of India – very pricey, and the County Inn serves a decent pint (including Old Speckled Hen for the real beer drinkers!).

Back for last orders at the Glentress Hotel bar, and the snow starting to stick outside we went to bed with thoughts of a great days riding and how can we move here full time!

Day two and we woke to find a thin blanket of white stuff on the ground – not boding well for the dayʼs riding. A basket of clean washing (a great service from the hotel) greeted us at breakfast – a lovely ʻfull Scottishʼ – that set us up for the day.

With a biting cold wind coming down from the snow covered valley we thought we were probably mad! The long climb was snow covered despite being in the trees and when we reached the freeride area we found 4 inches of the lovely soft white stuff – virgin fresh without a track to be seen across the car park! Hilarity ensued with drifting attempts all over the show.

It seemed sensible to push on, and we used the blue route to scoot over to the other side of the forest, tough going with the singletrack deep in snow and fireroads difficult to ride with ice under the fresh dusting.

We found some unridden red sections of trail and made our way back down the mountain before playing around on the same sections as the day before making the most of grip when we found it!

A quick blast down the blue to the car and warmth – ending a cold and rather extreme two days riding in Scotland. Despite the poor weather we had tons of fun, great to get away from work and other stresses and just fool about like kids on two wheels…

And in this weather and this financial climate – what better tool for the job then a hardcore do-it-all hardtail? Cheap to maintain yet no compromise on performance. Light enough to go anywhere but tough enough to enjoy the rough stuff. Support our economy and buy British – these three bike companies really do know what the British rider needs!

Thanks to...CoticGenesisRagleyand.... Glentress 7-stanesThe HubGlentress HotelCounty InnPrince of India

I first met Adi a few years back in Bristol, in the garden of Bar Salt next to Dean Lane skatepark. He had been riding the fabled (UK’s only?!) downhill skatepark and was chilling with a beer and a few mates and was merrily slapping Twoand8 stickers on things. I was riding downhill at the time and remembered Twoand8 well, as some of the older readers may do. As you may know, Twoand8 is a BMX inspired clothing company, thatʼs been around for years. Theyʼre most well known in the MTB world for their sponsorship of riders like Nigel Page and because of their founder Chico Hooke who rode for Pashley and Barracuda. Those of you who donʼt remember Twoand8 will no doubt have seen Adiʼs work through the gothic logo and graphics on Dialled Bikes, countless Profile BMX adverts in Dig or Ride and even the intro titles to the Genex programme on the Extreme channel. Seeing Adi was a blast from the past, and I was actually a little star struck I suppose. Skip forward 18 months or so and Adi and I had started hanging out more, mainly at pubs and house parties, and it was around that time that the Digmore Woods started showing their potential. I extended invitations for riding and digging to Adi and a few other BMXers and I suppose that was the start of what it has become now, a great spot and a great bunch of mates. I feel very lucky to have got to know Adi as well as I have and I now count him as one of my closest friends. But beyond anything else, Adi is an incredibly talented illustrator and artist, he will hate me saying that but anyone would agree that his work is anything but ordinary. Just look at any of his designs for Twoand8, graphics and illustrations for Kensis-Decade or Lush Longboards, private work through 99seconds or mutiple adverts for various BMX companies including Profile Racing.

interview by George Ian Kingillustrations by Adi Gilbert (www.twoand8bmx.com)

Illustrator, rider and Twoand8 owner

Star struck:Adi Gilbert

I fired some sentences at him the other day and here are his answers, I hope they give an insight into an extraordinarily talented mind and soul.

I take inspiration from... all sorts but especially BMX, nature and music, particularly dark depressing stuff. Also art, especially drawing and painting, the city and the country and lots of books. Art will always... be something I am drawn to. The last stupid thing I did was… crap in a takeaway box cos Toby (Forte) was taking too long in the bathroom. My ideal night out would be... eating traditional English pub food with my girl and friends in a ye olde country pub. Followed by supping ale draughted by a lovely looking bar maid (think buxom wench type), sat around the fire telling tales and laughing about with everyone just like hobbits do. Then maybe go to see Joy Division (this is an ideal night out remember) in some dingy cellar. Somehow safely ride home on our bikes in a big pack, back to my house to watch a film and sink some more drinks, talk, laugh get emotional, do some wrestling. Cheer the boys on their way before climbing into bed with my girl and using my cat for a pillow. Ahhh.

My perfect day would include... drawing, riding BMX at our the trails, wildlife, my girlfriend, surf, motorcycles, ale, WWII documentary, wing chun, epic film, trip to the pub, an inspiring conversation, no sleep My favourite food is... steak and kidney pie, followed by vanilla ice-cream Colour blindness has... guided my path My friends... are idiots to be friends with me. I love them dearly and sometimes canʼt stand them. I have unusually unfair expectations of my friends, poor bastards. They never-the-less mean everything to me. My family... are Brummies and as such have massive hearts, silly accents and humour to match. Theyʼre incredibly supportive, which is good when your the black sheep. I hope Iʼll some day be as good at family stuff as they all are. BMX has...frustrated the hell out of me. Itʼs the hardest thing Iʼve ever done but I bloody well love it. Itʼs crafted my career and given me an amazing group of friends. Itʼs taken me to places Iʼd probably have never seen. Itʼs given me the strange ability to see landscape and architecture like only skateboarders and bmxʼers do. Itʼs given me scars and pain but its worth every drop. I guess I wouldnʼt have met my girl if it wasnʼt for riding either so thank goodness. BMX saves.

Twoand8 is... Immortal. Itʼs been a while since I did anything new but donʼt be surprised if the summer brings new life. For the last couple of years Iʼve been pretty distracted trying to get 99SECONDS (my design and illustration work) up to speed. Itʼs been worth the effort and itʼs beginning to pay off now but it needs to go up a level again. I had to put 2&8 on the back burner but itʼs never far from my mind. I have loads of ideas for new t-shirts and stuff, just need to set aside some time, hopefully soon. Thanks to everyone who asks me about it and keeps the fire stoked. It shall arise. The internet… is like crack. My top 3 favourite areoplanes are... Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker-Sidley Hurricane (the few), DC3, People will never know... what happens at the end

The last film I watched was... Rumble Fish The last book I read was... Bruce Lee “Fighting Spirit” The last album I listened to was... Bat For Lashes - Two Suns

Shadowplay or disorder... Shadowplay

My earliest memory is... my mum doing the hoovering and listening to Tie a Yellow Ribbon on the radio. I have hated radio ever since for some reason. (Except for the John Peel show of course) Not being able to join the RAF... sucked. I still dream of flying for a living. Iʼm gutted I didnʼt get the chance to know what it was like for my forefathers in the War. I know that sounds stupid. I just always wanted to. I am most happy... when I create something that didnʼt exist before (If its any good that is). Fatherhood will... be my greatest achievement I hope to be remembered by... a piece of work I have yet to do, my offspring, and for giving my friends and family someone to laugh at. I do some pretty stupid things

I would very much like to thank... My parents, my sister and family for their love, my girlfriend Claire and our child to be, all my close friends who should know who they are. Whatever force it was that made animals so rad, especially leopards. Mountains and oceans were a sweet idea too, oh and trees and fish. Everyone whoʼs inspired me in art and music. The inventor of the bicycle, paper and Indian ink. My cats Millie and TC (where ever he is right now). The BMX scene and industry. All those I ride, dig and work with. My life for the last 11yrs has pretty much been shaped by you. I salute you and drink to your health!

You can visit Adiʼs sites at 99seconds.com and twoand8bmx.co.uk.

“I’m a young man of sixteen.

I’m obsessed with bikes and

progressing as much as I can”.

interview by Jamie Edwardsphotos by David Franciosy (www.britishdhseries.com)

Oscar Golding

Made in the UK

“I love cups of tee, dirt jumps, late wake ups, rad sessions, photos, energy drinks and generally just having fun with my friends”.

“When I’m riding I try to have as much fun a possible but have

serious moods for when I am throwing down a new trick or

trying a new line”.

“I hate rubbish weather,

punctures, muddy

bikes, slippery grips,

snow, kids with ‘all the

gear and no idea”.

“In 2010 I’m going to travel and ride as much as possible and enter loads of comps including Dirt Wars and King of Dirt. I want to progress further and get a few new tricks to add to my book!”

“I’m sponsored by Spank bikes and KRK protection”.

interview and photos by Sam Needham (www.samneedham.co.uk)

The Chris Akrigg Interview Don’t be fooled

What comes to mind when someone says Chris Akrigg? Mad skills on anything with two wheels. BMX, trials, trails and downhill - he’s done it all - and is still here, still riding hard. Wideopen catches up with the all-rounder to find out what makes him tick these days...First things first, age?Always 21, actual age 32.

Whatʼs a standard day in the life of Chris Akrigg these days? Well Iʼve Just signed for Mongoose and left Aire Valley Cycles so at present Iʼm just getting into a new routine. I usually wake up, take the dog out, check my emails, work on some up and coming projects, go riding, film, get home, drink tea and capture footage. Maybe do a bit of editing. Something like that…

Youʼve made a big name for yourself in the mountain bike and trials world, how did it all start? To cut a very long story short Iʼve got trials in my blood. My dad was a great motorbike trials rider and from when I was young I used to emulate him on a push bike. From there on I went on to ride motorbike trials, all the while sharpening my skills on a push bike. I guess the real ignition point for me was the first push bike trial I rode as a laugh. I won. At that point I didnʼt even know it was a sport. I quickly got picked up by Monty to ride 20ʼʼ trials bikes. Things really started to get going when I signed for Pace Cycles. Thatʼs when I first got on to a proper 26” bike and things progressed from there.

What inspired you to start taking your riding seriously and realise that you could potentially make a living from it? Who said I take riding seriously? Ha! I never really aspired to make a living out of riding. I guess I was just happy doing what I was doing. I was riding against people who were full time pros and holding my own, but to get their sponsorships and money had to do trials demonstrations and at that point it just wasnʼt me. I was happy working at the shop and riding when I liked. As for taking it seriously, Iʼve never been one for taking my riding too seriously but donʼt be fooled , if Iʼm there and on a bike, Iʼm on it.

’t be

Youʼre based in Keighley in Yorkshire, has living here played a big part in the progression of your riding? Definitely. Growing up in Yorkshire has played a big part. The motorbike trials scene here in Yorkshire is big and at a high level, couple that with the terrain and youʼre on to a winner. When I was first starting out riding push bike trials I had people like the Martins (Hayes and Hawyes) coming to stay from the south and they couldnʼt believe how amazing the riding was around here. I have so many places to ride within a 10 mile radius and Iʼm still finding more. Itʼs how you see and use whatʼs around you thatʼs important.

Is trials still your main focus with your riding then? It a tricky one really. I donʼt have a single focus in my riding these days. I rode trials comps for pretty much ten years and I wouldnʼt say I was over it but things have just diversified. Now I enjoy pretty much any bike and just put my spin on whatever I ride. I guess the real focus this year is to make some interesting little videos but if Iʼm doing something Iʼll be giving my all.

’t be

You and Aire Valley Cycles of Keighley have been on very good terms for a good number of years now. How did it all start? I was at a comp and was noticed by the owner and he ended up lending me a bike. From then on I started working at Aire Valley on weekends until I left school and started to work there full time. The support and contacts I received in them early days, plus the constant backing and understanding that Iʼve been privileged to have from owners Bernie and Tina is basically the reason that Iʼve been able to do what Iʼve done for the last ten (and the rest) years.

Did you ever think about pursing another career away from bikes? Camel trading maybe? I was signed up to go to college to do engineering. It would have been the worst mistake of my life if Iʼd of missed out on my riding career. I also have a real love of photography so maybe one day Iʼll pursue that. Iʼve never seen a Camel, but Iʼve heard about their toes.

So what are your plans for this year then?Yeah Iʼve just signed for the Mongoose Global team, Iʼm so happy about that. Basically last year was a bust. The shop was busy, I was trying to train, shoot for vids, do photo shoots, race and all the usual life stuff. It was just too much. So at the end of last year I sat down with Mongoose and worked out a deal (with a lot of help from my friends) that meant for 2010 I would be able to leave the shop and have more time to concentrate on riding and so on.

You said you filmed and edited all of your podcasts with a little help from mates. Do you enjoy being very involved in the promotion of your riding? I love the whole process, from the initial idea to the finished vid. My normal set up is pretty chilled. Iʼll have the stuff I want to film or an idea in mind and ring round see whoʼs about. If no one can help itʼs down to Mr Tripod to do the camera work. After that I capture and edit everything myself which I think is a very inspiring thing to do. Iʼm not just working in a creative way but it also gives me ideas for the next session and makes me think about my riding in a must try harder type of way. This year things are a bit more organized so hopefully that will show in the end results. Iʼve been giving the great opportunity by Mongoose to be able to concentrate more on that that side of things and Iʼm aiming to put a new vid together every month, each of which will be as diverse as I can make ʻem. Got a couple of surprises up my sleeve too, ha!

’t be

Brakeless trials was something that you really set the standard for. Did you just wake up one day and think “screw my brakes”? Basically I was having problems finding motivation to ride my bike after a bad injury so I thought Iʼd make things a bit interesting by striping the brakes. People who know me understand why I love this. I like awkwardness, things that are a lot harder than they look. You really need to think, plan and be so aware of speed, surface and situation. When Iʼve had a session on that bike my head hurts. You have to ride smoothly and aggressively to get results, thatʼs my bag.

Travelling seems to be something you do a lot. What do you enjoy most about a road trip and where has been then best place you have ridden? Yeah Iʼm very lucky in the places I get to. The best feeling for me is riding in to a new place and seeking out things to ride. I think Iʼve got a pretty good eye for a line. As for a favourite place, impossible, I havenʼt been there yet!

Will we be seeing more of you on the race scene this year?Yes definitely, Iʼve just entered the Mega Avalanche for the 3rd time. Iʼll be at Fort Bill for the National Champs in July and will hit up some nationals on the way. Maybe a couple of endurance events as well like the Set to Rise 12hour race.

You seem to be really relaxed about your riding. Do you follow a strict training program hitting the gym and tearing away the miles on the road bike, or do you prefer to have a good hack around the woods hitting some new lines and pushing yourself?I donʼt have a set training program and Iʼve never been to a gym in my life, Iʼm more of a ride the bike type of lad. But that said Iʼm pretty active, I guess last year I put a bit more effort in because for events like DH and the Mega you need to be fit and I never want to be totally dicked on!

One last question. Marmite? Love it or hate it? Hate it, but I like Twiglets.

Any thanks?Thanks to Mongoose and all my sponsors, Mum and Dad, Nick Larsen, Russel Merry and all the lads at CSG, all my friends that have held a camera plus any one that supports the Akrigg podcasts.

Stay Tuned to http://www.chrisakrigg.com

’t be

What are you waiting for?Buy it.Then go ride!

FASTANDLOOSE

��2FOOT

OUTFLAT OUT

wideopendirt bike magazine

www.footoutflatout.co.uk

interview by Jamie Edwards photos by Steve Kavanagh www.englishbayphotography.co.uka proper uk raceteam: Dialled Bikes

There are very few UK 4X brands with the pedigree of Dialled Bikes. Go to any 4X race in the UK and you’re pretty much guaranteed to be lined up against a Holeshot frame and probably then see one on the podium at the end of the day.The Dialled ethos is firmly rider run, race proven, team tested. Less on the marketing schpeel and more on letting the team riders do the talking out on the track. With countless podiums, National Champs and British titles in 4X and BMX the Dialled team certainly set down a decent CV for the company.

I could rant on about why I think Dialled are an awesome company and why they have done so well on the UK race scene but I donʼt want to sound like Iʼm simply reeling off marketing schpeel and I donʼt think thatʼs Mike or the Dialled teamʼs style either. Instead – weʼll let the results speak for them self and then meet a couple of the faces behind one of the UKʼs most successful 4X race teams.

Dialled Mike – Founder, team manager, designer. The man behind it all.Welcome Mike – What made you decide to start the Dialled team then?Owning a bike company and a race team is something Iʼve wanted to do since I was about 13 years old. Twenty years passed by and I didnʼt give it much thought until one day I got the opportunity to do it. Every bike brand which makes a race frame needs to back their product up by having a team. Hyping up a frame on the company website means jack without the race results to back it up.

What are the best and worst points of having a team behind Dialled?Best parts are definitely hanging out with the team, seeing them do well, road trips and sharing good times. Worst parts stem from being a small company and having to run the team on a shoestring budget. I always wish I could do more for my team. If anyone out there wants to sponsor one of the highest profile BMX and 4X teams in the UK, get in touch!

What counts as a successful season for you for the Dialled team? Is it all about the podiums?As long as we all have fun, donʼt get any serious injuries and do the best we can, thatʼll be a successful season. Any podiums or titles will be the icing on the cake.

How important is the team in developing the bikes?Very. Nothing goes into production until itʼs been tested by the team for at least a full race season or calendar year. If the riders donʼt get on with the prototypes, they donʼt go into production. FEA and CEN have their place, but nothing compares to a big lad like Paddy clearing (or not clearing) a big set of dubs or Steveʼs bike flying off the back of his truck at 90mph on the motorway (the Holeshot frame was fine, by the way!).

So how did the ʼ09 season go for the team in your eyes? In many respects, 2009 was like a gap year for the 4X team as nobody raced a full season for numerous reasons. James Goodwin was recovering from injury and then had exams, Paddy Baker suffered an injury, Steve Taylor got married. Highlights were Keith Wilson and Jordan Gould coming on board mid-season and Keith winning the British title.

Whatʼs the teamʼs plans for 2010?To have as much fun as possible and try to win some races/titles along the way. I donʼt think weʼre contenders for No.1 team in 2010, but weʼll do the best we can.

Mike on the team:Paddy: Itʼs never dull when Paddyʼs around. Likes the social side of riding almost as much as racing (maybe more!). Steve: biketrack.org.uk – need a track (or a house) building? Contact SteveScott: King of practice. If he could ride in races like he rides in practice heʼd be a world beater.Jordan: Flash Gordon. Likes a night out. Not scared to go big!Keith: Old school BMXʼer who can still school the young guns in BMX, 4X and DH.James: Bloody student! Massive potential but unlucky with injuries.

Dialled stats:

Established: 2003.Frames sold: “around 1100 to date”.Holeshots sold: 100Frames failed: 2 x Prince Albert, 2 x Holeshot, 2 x Morning GloryUK podiums: “ dunno (not kept count) but Mick Ridgeway, James Goodwin, Keith Wilson and Dom Bent have all won national/British titles on Holeshots”

Paddy Baker – Old school Dialled, the big lad that makes sure the frames can take a kickingWelcome to Wideopen mate. Who is Paddy and how did he get hooked up with Dialled bikes?Iʼm a cyclist from sunny Sheffield. 36 years old and been racing for Dialled since 05/6

Me and Steve Taylor (Dialledʼs 4x elite rider) rode and travelled to the races together so Mike sorted me a good deal with a small Prince Albert which grew into me joining Steve on the team and the beginning of good friendships.

I know you guys have had a lot to do with the development of the PA and Holeshot bikes – what do those frames mean to you?The PA is one of my favourites and is most versatile bike that I have owned. My PA still rolls now in the hands of a buddy of mine; it did everything 4X, XC, BMX tracks, a bit of DH. The Holeshot was the next phase for Dialled. Mike worked his design magic and Steve and myself gave feedback on the prototypes leading to where we are know.

It always makes me proud when I see a Holeshot. Itʼs kind of surreal that Iʼve been a part of it.

Tell us about your 2009 season – how did it all go?2009 was a funny one as I was feeling good on the bike and was stoked to get 3rd at the first NPS4X which gave me some good mojo. But – unfortunately - an accident with a tree put me out of action for a while but made my chiropractor richer. I rode SW Extreme with caution and survived then went to Redhills for the champs and crashed in practice and broke my collarbone. Much fun and lasers followed.

And what did you think of the NPS4X series in 2009 As always Chris Roberts ran a good series. It annoys me when I read on the net people bitching him when they have no idea what it takes to run such an event. I try and see every track in a positive way and this season I found there was a good variety of tracks with more to come.

The riders are one of the other reasons I love racing, thereʼs always good banter and none of the elitism that Iʼve seen in other cycling sports.

What are you doing to get ready for 2010 season? Any hardcore training going down?Iʼve always been a believer in time on the bike but this winter Iʼm trying something different with fitness and doing some running and circuits to build some CV as well as trying to fit some sprints in. Weekends are for hitting up XC, BMX tracks etc and having fun with the family. Iʼm looking forward to 2010. Bigger team more points.

I was a big fan of the denim race pants back at UKBikepark – will you be rolling ʻem out in 2010? They are Dom Bentʼs denim lycras that he uses on his rode bike and heʼs donated them as podium pants. If you make the final you wear the pants. Rules are rules.

Give us a one-liner to describe each of your team mates:Mike: mad dog, get ready vets in 2010 Jordan: makes me a proud dadScott: bringing MX to the 4XKeith: been around longer than Joe Kid on his stingraySteve t; do or die, what 4X is all about.

Keith Wilson – A young gun trapped in a veteran’s body, 2009 4X champ and ex-national DH Champ. Who exactly is Keith Wilson? Keith Wilson is not really a 44 year old, he is two 22 year olds, one who digs the track in his garden and one who races! (and has been racing since 1980!!)

How did you get involved with Dialled bikes? I met Mike (Dialled owner) at BMX races. I loved the bikes he produces instantly and also the low-key team set up too, itʼs more like a group of friends that meet up at races. Riding on a team thatʼs owned/run by a friend and rival is a must, Iʼd recommend it to anyone.

Best and worse things about rolling with the Dialled team? The best things about being on Dialled are being on a team thatʼs based 20 mins from my house, riding with the chairman, being friends with all the team members and also riding an awesome - no gimmicks - get the job done - dependable bike. Keeping it real on steel! The worst is being called Jon (Moore) about 35 times a day at BMX races! Youʼre perhaps not the youngest rider on the 4X scene – what keeps you coming back and racing the young guns? Iʼm just about the oldest rider on the 4x scene I think (except Dave Herman) ha! But it combines the best aspects of both the sports Iʼve done before, Iʼm an ex-national DH champion and have won a fair few BMX races in my time so it suits me just fine. If I can keep doing well and enjoying it Iʼll keep coming back and hopefully show some of the younger guys that they have lots of time left in the sport.

You won 2009 40+ National 4X Champs in 2009 – tell us about the race. Was it a tough cat to win? How you feeling for 2010? The 2009 National Champs was just about the best 4x race Iʼve ever been to, the venue was really, really good and a credit to the guys that built it, every run I did on that track made me grin! Sadly my main rival at the champs got hurt in the first moto and spent the weekend in the hospital, the riders there in my group put up a good fight but with none of them having the experience of DH and BMX racing to the amount I have it wasnʼt very hard for me. All that and the fact that Iʼve never lost a 4x race in 40+ means that Iʼve

elected to race Elite in 2010, GULP!!! A 44 year old racing Elite has never been done before to my knowledge so it should be ʻinterestingʼ. Also, Iʼll get to watch my buddies in 40+ race now!!

And what did you think of the NPS4X series in 2009? Ie. Organisation, the tracks, the riders etc etc.I think Chris Roberts does an outstanding job with NPS4X series and runs it in a very professional way, in fact I donʼt think I could do it any better myself! I like the way the tracks are all very different with different inclines, surfaces, layouts etc, reminds me of my DH racing days having to get the track DIALLED before you race on it. I get a real kick watching the riders on the track and am a fan as well as a rider, notable talented riders for me are: Suzanne Lacey, scared the hell out of me at Redhill clearing the tabletop in the wind! Isaac Munday, just seems to have power and flow enough to keep on winning for a long time yet. Lee White, carries so much speed you see him ROLLING past riders that are pedaling like crazy, and he pushes a ridiculously big single speed gear to give the others a head start! Christian Hatcher, style for miles. Cameron Howard, has the BMX snap but will he be ahead at the finish when the tracks are rougher? Scott Beamont is Mr Consistency. And Iʼm sure there will be some new boys (and girls) along this year to entertain us.

You missed our photoshoot thanks to an injury – anything worth telling us about? Howʼs the recovery going? I got injured riding in a younger age group at a BMX race in November, I had a clear lead in the Main and just needed to ride to the finish to win and I decided the time was right to try and jump a triple that Iʼd never done before. Needless to say, It wasnʼt! I came up short and went over the bars to tarmac and ended up with stitches in my finger and a broken wrist and ribs. The worst thing about being older is that injuries take so long to get over but Iʼll be ok.

Keith on the team:

Mike is actually a fast rider - heʼs the only one that doesnʼt know it! Jordan likes a good punch up (according to facebook) haha! Only kidding! Scott pedals where everyone else would roll and sometimes pays the price! But he is as fast as anyone in the country if he gets it right on the day.

Steve Taylor – The prodigal son, track builder and elite rider Welcome to Wideopen mate. Who is Steve Taylor?Iʼm from Sheffield, Iʼm 28 and I think Iʼve been riding for Dialled for 5 years now, maybe longer. Whoʼs counting anyway? How did you get hooked up with Dialled in the first place?I rode for a shop called Urban Air run by a mate of mine for a year and he got me a Dialled frame cheap from Mike. It was only an XC frame as he didnʼt have any 4x specific frames by then but the angle measured up similar to what I was riding at the time so I went for it. Think I placed 5th in my first elite year then Mike ask me if I would ride on the factory team the year after and I said yeah. Best and worst things about rolling with the Dialled team?The best thing is being on the same team as some of the guys I ride and hang out with most of the year anyway, if they were on the team or not. Also seeing Mike (the boss) pull some moves on the dance floor every once in a while. That boyʼs got some spinʼs I tell ya! And the bikes of course. Theyʼre still the best frames I have ever rode, so nimble yet safe and predictable.The worst thing is having to share a room with Paddy and Jordan. Paddy burps and snores all the time and Jordan brushes his teeth every half an hour (weirdo)!

Tell us about your 2009 season – How was it?Not too good really. I started the year out riding quite a lot of BMX for gates and sprints. I was hoping to have a crack at that along side the 4X but had quite a lot of back pain just before the season started. This kept me off the bike and any kind of training for a couple of months leading up to the start of the season. I got it sorted just before the first NPS4X which I finished 6th in and didnʼt feel too far off the pace. At the next national I was again feeling good until the semi where Boom Boom (Scott Beaumont) was leading and I was fighting with Tom Dowie for second place going in to the second corner. We got too close and took off where we should have been compressing a roller. Tom spun off over the inside corner and I want straight up in the air and landed square on the top of my head. One smashed up Troy Lee later and I was off to the hospital for some X rays through my mouth. No damage but I think I got about an inch shorter that day, wasnʼt fun when the whiplash kicked in later in the week either. So I sat the rest of the season out, had a bit of hypnotherapy to get my head back on track before racing the final 4X National at Chicksands and finishing 5th which I was pleased with after such a bad season. Youʼve just just got back from your travels right? How was that? Was minta! I keep wondering why I bothered coming back. China, Japan, Aus, New Zealand, Thailand. Was a bit of a rush but worth every minute. Got to start saving to do it all again now. Any wild stories from your travels?!Not really wild. I rode an elephant on me own that was pretty dodgy, dam there high when your up there. The average size apartment on Tokyo in less than 40m2. I met an Ausi guy who can cut the edges of his lawn with a whip. Also, the Chinese like to eat chickens feet and sometimes scorpions. What are you doing to get ready for 2010 season? Any hardcore training going down? Not much, only been back 3 weeks. First ride back I fell off at Bolehills and broke my collar bone. So thatʼs put me out for the start of the season already. Bums! Steve on the team:

Mike: Sound bloke, good laugh. Used to ride with my bros in the Sheffield area long before I did! Jordan: Good lad, good to ride with we push each other all the time. Scott: Big southern pussy, fast bastard though. I canʼt touch him on a BMX. Keith: Fast for an old un. James: Good rider, hopefully do more racing this year. Paddy: Better rider than most think. Never underestimate his riding and watch out if heʼs just behind you going into a corner cause the likely hood is he will be in front of you coming out.

Dom Bent – The guest rider, new dad, 2009 masters champs and overall 4X winnerWho exactly is Dom Bent? I am a 34 year old cyclist living in Sheffield with my beautiful wife Kim and daughter Yvie. Mike tells me that you came along to our shoot as a guest rider – whatʼs the link with Dialled and how did you get hooked up? I always used to have a go on Paddyʼs prototypes when Mike used to send them up, and I really liked the Holeshot. When the production model came through I ended up getting one quite cheap. Then when I got on the Urban Air team (cheers Cammster) I thought a nice new one was in order (the one I raced in 2009). They are actually that good that my wife Kim had to get one too! Cheers Mike! It sounds like you had a pretty good 2009 season on a Dialled Holeshot. Want to tell us about it? Yeah it couldnʼt have been any better really; I ended up taking the Masters title after 4 rounds and then took the Champs stripes too. Throughout the full 4X season I raced a total of 42 individual races and walked away with 38 wins. The Holeshot definitely helped with that, itʼs sooo confidence inspiring. Saying that, my best result was finding out that I was going to be a dad again! Whatʼs the plan for 2010 then? Due to the arrival Yvie, me and Kim are going have to miss the 4X series but I may race the Champs and will be back in 2011. My main focus race wise this year is to defend my regional cruiser titles, so itʼs not a total loss. I will be staying on Urban Air and on my Holeshot, that is until Mike gets the new prototypes into production. Then I wouldnʼt mind one of those bad boys..... please hurry Mike!

Thatʼs just a small look at a couple of the faces behind Dialled bikes – weʼd love to interview the whole team but thereʼs literally hundres of ʻem! Why not pop down to the NPS4X this season and see a few of them in action first hand. Last but not least – be sure to check out dialledbikes.co.uk if you want more.

Cheers to Mike and the crew – gʼluck in 2010 boys and girls!

Big thanks to Mike and co at Dialled and Steve Kavanagh at Englishbay photography.co.uk for making this feature happen.

introduction and cover photo by Jamie Edwardsinterview and photos by Scott Cartwright (www.eggraphy.com)

Faction Bike Co. and the 22” BMX project

Smashingthe zeit-geist

Zeitgeist is a German term meaning ‘spirit of the age’. It’s the culture or climate in which we all exist. The trend, the norm, the accepted way of being.

When I first got an email from Keith at Faction bikes offering up a feature on his new 22” bike I was sceptical. BMXers have done fine with 20” wheels for years, why would a BMX with wheels 2” bigger than the norm be worth spending money on? I was pretty convinced that it was just another attempt by the industry to sell a new fad and (after a vague attempt at a test ride) forgot about it.

It wasnʼt until I actually met Keith at the Cycleshow that I took some serious interest. Rather than the smooth, silver tongued marketing man Iʼd expected – Keith was a quiet, amazingly layed back, almost shy, 40 going on 15 year old with a absolute burning passion for riding, racing and designing BMX products. Heʼd also just hammered the field by a country mile at a race on his new bike. It took a little while to loosen him up and get him talking about his plans for the 22” Faction but once he got burning, Keithʼs fire for BMX was completely infectious. They want to build a bike that goes fast, jumps high and wins races. Not a solution or a revolution just another option to whatʼs out there. The first Faction 22” is called the ʻZeitgeistʼ and they are challenging exactly that. Get it?

As luck would have it our mate and photographer Scott Cartwright and Keith are mates. Not long after our meet at the show, Scott got down to FactionHQ and got stuck into an interview. Here it is:

Scott: Who Are Faction Bike Co?Keith: My two brothers Kevin, Paul and I.

What about your background in actual riding? My brothers and I started skateboarding back in the mid 70ʼs when our Dad made us our first skateboards; he then made us a metal surfaced half pipe in the back garden out of scrap wood. When BMX came along in ʻ82 we got hooked on that as well. We ran freestyle and racing events in our town and then built the Shrewsbury skate park in ʻ88.It was a club charity set up and our Dad Ken Easom ran it for free till he passed away in 1997. I ran it up till 2002 until we built the new metal framed park thatʼs in its place and still there today. Thereʼs a plaque on the entrance of the new park in memory of Dad.

From ʻ89 till ʻ06 my brother Paul and I ran my Skate/Surf/Snow/BMX shop called Subculture.

My other brother Kevin and I were sponsored vert skaters and snowboarders and we nabbed a few top three UK results in both sports. I have surfed since ʻ91 and last year got 3rd in a National Vert skating comp in the Ams. Iʼve never stopped riding BMX and I love going street riding, dirt jumping, doing old school flatland, vert and now racing again. What are you guys personal experiences of the BMX industry. How did you get into it?Paul and I used to test frames for Rebel BMX back in 1984. After that we ran our own Skateboard and BMX shop from 1989 to 2006 and I used to import and distribute Christian Fletcher Snowboards back in 1995. I learned all about distribution from that and how to look after our dealers. We didnʼt ask advice from any other 20” brands we just did our own research and Kevin did a trip to China in 2003 and a trip to Taiwan in 2004 to get samples made to our design. Everything has worked out pretty good so far.

So why 22”?It was something that we had wanted to do for years. We were certain that a 22” would make a great race bike. Our theory was that a 22” would accelerate faster than a 24” out the gate and would out run a 20” on the straights. This could make it the best race bike ever and it would still be small enough for stunt riding and may even prove to be the perfect bike for jumping, who knows?

How long ago did this project start?We had the idea back in ʻ84 but couldnʼt do anything about as we were still kids at school. By 2003 the subject had still never been mentioned in any BMX magazines so we decided to give it a go and we got our first 22” tyre made in 2003. Was part of the 22” idea to give the BMX world a bit of a shake up?Yes but only in a good way. The 22” has to perform well in order for it to be seen as credible. In every situation you see it put through it goes beyond our expectations and everybody who is watching it.

There are a lot of riders out there riding 24” cruisers that are not really getting the most out of BMX because 24” bikes are not really agile enough for them. If the 22” still allows them to roll on a bigger looking bike that feels right for them and still allows agility then weʼve done some good there by giving them an alternative thatʼs more fun to ride.

If we make racing faster and more interesting then weʼve done some good there, if we get more MTB guys into BMX then weʼve done them some good and if the 22” goes where a 20” cant in the future with bigger jumps or higher airs then weʼve done BMX good by helping it to a new level of progression. So yes the potential is there to give BMX a shake up but only in a positive way. Have you found it difficult to be taken seriously in the BMX world?So far Iʼd say that less than 10% of the BMX world even knows 22” bikes exist but out of all the riders who do know about them itʼs been 50 / 50 fore and against.

Einstein said ʻthe idea that at first does not seem ridiculous has no future at allʼ. All the naysayers have never ridden a 22” bike or looked at our web site showing all the evidence that they do actually ride really well.

As our web site grows and builds an increasingly credible argument for 22” bikes the naysayers argument deflates. Most of the resistance is from people who hear about 22” bikes and jump to the conclusion that we want to replace 20” bikes altogether as which we donʼt.

We just want to prove that 22” bikes are a near alternative for that task but they do have characteristics that can make them better for some riders such as greater stability in the air. Even the harshest critics all still say that the 22” will make for an awesome trails bike.

How can 22” bikes contribute to BMX?For the last quarter of a century BMX riders could only choose between the 20” or 24” bike which is a ʻbig bikeʼ or ʻsmall bikeʼ only option. So a third option with an ʻin-betweenʼ size choice that we have proven rides really well can only have the effect of making BMX seem more appealing to more riders outside the sport. Just to put it into perspective what we are doing in regards to BMX racing: The 22” can only make BMX racing more popular, in contrast when Freestyle bikes came out they only took riders away from racing so racers should shake my hand not sneer at us on forums as 22” bikes are good news for BMX racing.

What would you say are the effects of the bigger wheels to the ride of a BMX?Everyone who has ridden the bikes have said that they make great jump bikes and are great for doing high airs on. The 22” wheels create a slightly bigger gyroscopic effect on the bike making it feel a ʻtadʼ more stable in the air giving it a more ʻpositiveʼ controllable feel. If the wheels were any bigger like a 24” this feeling of stability would be too great and the bike would not be as agile for spins, plus the 24” is not designed for doing turn downs etc as they have small 5” rise bars and the front wheel also hits your foot.

A lot of MTB riders have said that 20” bikes are too small and twitchy for them for trails and they are into the idea of 22” bikes because they want that feeling of stability.

Joel Alamo rips on both his 20” BMX and a 24” MTB and he said all his MTB mates were really interested in how the 22” would feel to ride.

Obviously you guys donʼt always do things the ʻnormalʼ way – you wore jeans, a checked shirt and an old school helmet for the bikeʼs first race and youʼre obviously also making a bike thatʼs pretty against the grain. Where does that urge to go against the norm come from?Were not trying to be controversial or smart arsey but as we are heretics anyway I have to say clips are the worst thing to ever happen to BMX and if that is now the norm then too right Iʼm against it. I want our 22” bikes to set an example of true roots BMX, thatʼs why I wore jeans, a check shirt and Vans because that look pre-dates the uniform era and looks cooler than the horrible looking race uniforms and clips around today.

Carbon fibre forks may be lighter but they sure as heck donʼt look as good as chromo ones and skinny tyres may be faster but they donʼt look as good as an old fashioned fat front tyre ala Harry Leary style. Weʼre just doing things how we feel they should be done, Iʼm happy to fit in but only to things I agree with. Weʼre not the only ones going against the norm. All BMXʼers are going against the norm anyway, thatʼs why they do BMX rather than other boring traditional sports.

So how many models of the 22” Bikes will you be producing?I would say 8 to 10 bikes with about 6 signature design frames. 2 Park frames, 2 Street and 2 trails frames. We aim to develop several 22” rim and tyre designs and remain a 22” only bike company.

A lot of people are going to be put off by lack of spares will there be a distribution network for 22” specific parts?Well to start with 20” tubes fit in 22” rims no problem, all shops that sell our bikes also stock our 22” tyres. The dealer listing is on our web site, getting spare 22” tyres or wheels will never be a problem. There will always be high quality 22” bikes and components available indefinitely. Finally, where would you like to see Faction Bike Co in 5 years?All I hope to achieve with all this is to earn as much as a plumber or an electrician and just make a living out of something I enjoy, if we can achieve that then Iʼll be happy. If we can contribute to make BMX more popular and play a part in itʼs progression along the way then I think everybody will be happy.

Huge thanks to Keith, Kevin and Paul at Faction for their time and effort on putting this together and of course to Eggraphy.comʼs Scott Cartwright for actually making it happen. Weʼll be keeping an eye on the 22” project as it develops.

Check out the Faction site here.

interview by Jamie Edwards photos by Jirka Pařízek (race shot) and Sebas Romero

An interview with Cesar Rojo

Designing the Summun

According to the infinite wisdom of the internet ‘Summum’ means a religion or a philosophy and is often used to refer to the highest, greatest and bestest things people can try to achieve. I donʼt know if Mondraker designer Cesar Rojo necessarily worships his bikes like shiny metal gods but he certainly does seem to love riding, racing and bike design with a fiery passion. With the Summum bagging some bloody decent results on the World Cup circuit and showing off some pretty interesting design features we thought it was about time we caught up with Cesar to see how it came to life.

Welcome to Wideopen Cesar. Tell us a bit about yourself. Whereʼs home for you and what is it like?Iʼm from Barcelona! Iʼm living right now in middle of the city; Barcelona I believe is one of the most beautiful and inspiring cities of Europe. Living here is great, 15min from the sea, 15min from the mountain, what else can you ask fork? Great girls? Yes we have them as well!

Whatʼs your history in riding and racing?Thanks (got bit red here). I started in ʻ96 finishing last on my first race which didnʼt look too promising. But after that I got a podium on the next three races and won from then until ʻ99 except for two or three so things were pretty good.

In elite my best was on my last year racing as a pro, in 2002 I finished in 11th place on the world cup overall with my personal best being 6th in Les Gets.

I restarted last year on the Summum and things have been pretty good so far, I finished 2nd in the Spanish Cup and raced a few World Cups finishing 29th in Schladming. I could only train in my free time and it was hard, but winning the Maxxis cups international this year in front of Paskal was an amazing moment. It had been such a long time since I cried but I couldnʼt stop crying there. It was such a big effort to get there with so many things sacrificed but is worth everything just to feel what you feel up there (Iʼm getting goose bumps right now just thinking on it!).

How did the concept for the Summum come about and what brought it to life?After completing our first bike (the Dune) and trying the new suspension system, we had to start something new. Everyone in Mondraker loves gravity sports, so our next step was going to be a really powerful DH machine. It was one year of non-stop development; we tried different shock lengths and so many angles to finally end up on what the bike is now. We also focused a lot on the weight, we have one of the lightest frames on the market, but Iʼm sure it has the best weight strength ratio out there.

After testing the bike I realized that if you ride letʼs say Whistler (for example most of Garbo tracks) you have twice more confidence on 62-63º head angle, just because you donʼt need to ride on top of rear wheel. The slacker it is the more you can ride on top of your front wheel. On a steep track that means way more confidence.

I started last year on 65º and end up in Schladming on 60º and doing my personal best result on the most technical track of the year, so for sure geometry played big role there. For general riding I think our standard setting (the Summum has adjustable head angle) should be fine, if you tend to ride steep tracks I really suggest 62º and you will end up having so much more confidence when you get to that technical part of the track. We chose the steepest we think someone will ever go and then worked from there to find what the standard head angle had to be.

Is it the sort of bike a less experienced rider can hop on and do well on or is it a bike that is best suited to the top riders?As said before, the quality of this bike is that you jump on it and first run you probably do the last corners of the track at your max speed. Itʼs really an easy bike to ride and as you can get pretty much every geometry on the market on our bike youʼre always going to have always a bike with the geometry you want to start riding.

I know many people complain and say, those Mondraker guys are crazy with a standard 63º head angle… They want 66 or 65º. When Fabien told me he wanted 61º I thought he was joking and out of his mind, but we did it, and of course I believe Iʼm a open minded person, so I tried myself and yes there is no way Iʼm going to ride anymore in my life a steeper bike than 63º!

What a top rider and an average rider need is exactly the same. The only difference is rider skills, but the track has the same steepness for Fabien than for any of us. Most people probably donʼt ride that steep track so you donʼt need 61º, but Iʼm sure once you try slack bike youʼre never going to go back, because it gives you so much confidence on technical parts, so you feel way safer, that means you enjoy your riding so much more. So for me this bike is intended for every single rider, any age and any gender.

Tell us about the Zero suspension system… We wanted to have a virtual pivot system, so we worked on that. We had the complication of various patents on the industry so it wasnʼt an easy thing to get something working better than other similar systems whilst not infringing any patents. I always

What did you aim to achieve with the bike? Did you have any clear ideas in your head from the outset? Our main concept was to make a bike that any rider was able to jump on and go fast straight away, a bike that gives you confidence. Here is where the progression curve kicks in. Most bikes have a curve with many bumps in (changes in progression during the compression of the suspension) which lead to a nervous bike. Because of the aggressive changes in progression, the tire has to work too much leading you to lose grip. This is something I learnt developing road racing motorbikes, where the suspension has a very smooth progression curve and they never use the bottom out bumper (because that makes a jump in progression and causes the rider to high side). The same thing applies on a mountain bike; itʼs not quite that extreme but will feel the same.

We changed the look of the bike from prototype to production, but also the prototype Fabien rode on was a really light frame, Iʼm sure it was lightest DH frame ever built. What impressed to us the most was that it lasted a whole season and training under Fabien. That frame was 500gr lighter than production one.

Were there any particular challenges that you faced in designing the bike and linkeage to be how you wanted it to?For sure yes. With a floating shock it was quite complex to achieve the exact amount of stroke, progression and IC positioning to be able to obtain the kind of progression we wanted to. Also not infringing any patent was important issue. So to get exactly what we wanted without missing any of the points was not easy, but I think we achieved our goals and bike came really good. For sure there is always room for improvement, but I believe that we have one of the best DH bikes out there.

The long, low geometry of the Summum looks a lot like Barrellʼs old Kona geometry. What influence did he have in the design and testing of the bike?Fabien had big influence in the final geometry of the bike, thatʼs for sure. The first proto I rode had 65º head angle because I realized was probably best, cause you just jump on it and feels perfect in the parking lot, you can do those kind of turns people loves to do on asphalt, but on dirt you just end up with a scar.

liked the floating shock systems because it is really easy to control the forces, this was really important thing for the lightness and strength of the frame. Prior to that I designed the KTM RC8 suspension system that was floating and prior to that, in university I did an Orange prototype with floating shock (this was like 2002). Iʼm a fan of those floating shocks! I think it ended way better that we expected!

Tell us about testing of the Summum? What did you do make sure it all worked on the trail? We wanted a package that worked well. So we just make sure that all that we did on the computer worked as we wanted on the trail. Also different shocks and forks to be sure bike rides well with any component. But weʼve been really lucky that bike felt really good from first day.

Itʼs obviously a very good looking bike – was the look and styling of the frame important in the design process? How did that come about?Thanks! Yes for sure this was something that was really important. We had some goals to achieve and we tried to complete them all. That is probably one of the parts that took longest time to finish, as the tubes take the hydroforming process to the limit. We had a really hard time to find a provider that was able to manufacture the tubing.

Ok lastly, who are we going to see riding these in 2010?Fabien and his team mates, Sam Dale and some local Spanish riders, but I believe most of the bike weʼve sold are for racers, as we really made a race bike. It was really amazing how many people got interested on racing this bike this year, was really crazy the petitions weʼve had and weʼre really happy about that, but is difficult to give support to everyone, but we tried our best. We will try to give more and more support each year, but is complicated being not a huge brand at the moment.

Cheers for giving me the opportunity to write some words. See you out there riding!!!

Thanks to Cesar for answering these and to Pete Drew at Silverfish-UK for sorting it out. Check out www.mondraker.com for more information.

wideopen 12 april 2010 uk bike magazine 74Round 1 - January 2010

Irish Downhill Winter League

report by Dan Sheridanphotos by Paul Smyth

For 2010 we’re going to be reaching out across the water to cover the awesome racing over in Ireland. The Wideopen Irish team is going to be Tomac team rider Dan Sheridan and photographer Aidan Tarbett. Actually, Aidan was ill for round 1 so Paul Smyth got involved behind the lense. Here’s Dan and Paul’s first report, from Rd1 of the Irish Winter Series. The first race of the 2010 season got off to a flying start on the weekend on the 16th/17th of January at Bree Hill in Wexford, hosted by Bree Racing.

The Winter League is all about having the crack and getting back into racing after the winter lay off. Itʼs perfect for beginner racers as the tracks are always shorter and easier, which is needed as there are no uplifts! Its also a good indication of whoʼs been training over the winter.

Average times were just over 2 minutes and the track involved loads of twisty single track, tight turns and roots. Despite the huge amount of flooding near by, the track was suprisingly dry and only slightly muddy. The weather was kind to the organisers and stayed dry all weekend.

Saturday practise went well. In elites, Ewan Doherty, Jamie McCullough and Seanan OʼRiordan were all riding flat out and getting sideways over the jumps, it was going to be a tight race between them!

Other pinners in practise were Gavin Kelly and Christopher McGlinchey in the junior category, Dale McMullan in masters, Adam Tarbett was flying on his new bike in the under16 category and I was feeling good throughout practise aswell. In the young gun under 14 category, it was going to be between Luke Cornforth, Sean Green and Conn OʼSullivan.

Saturday came and went and soon it was ready for the race runs, which started just after 12 noon on Sunday. The under14s were off first, with Conn OʼSullivan taking the win, ahead of 021 Racingʼs Luke Cornforth and in 3rd place Leon Spencer.

Next off were the under16s, which is the category I race in, I managed to take the win for Tomac Bicycles despite my messy runs, 18 seconds ahead of Flow Racingʼs Adam Tarbett and 021 Racingʼs Cameron Cornforth.

In the Womens category it was Silvia Gallagher in 1st from Aoife OʼDonoghue and Orla Power.

The Supervets (Over 50!) battled it out and Karl Thomas came out in 1st, with Tom Sheridan (the father) 2nd and Victor McMinn 3rd .

In vets it was CRCʼs young Ian McIntyre taking top spot, with Brendan Masterson and Steven Graham in 2nd and 3rd.

In seniors it was a tight race, with 1.5 seconds separating 1st and 3rd. 021ʼs Bobby St Ledger took 1st place, with Colin OʼLeary and Ashley Hemmingway close behind!

In masters CRCʼs Dale McMullan took an impressive win from EpicMTBʼs Sean Herilhly in 2nd and Mark Tiernan in 3rd.

In Junior it was horribly close, with Christopher McGlinchey taking 1st place, only .03 ahead of Flow Racingʼs Gavin Kelly and Eoghan Priestly in 3rd spot.

In elites, Ewan Doherty (OC Tuning/Eze Fitness) took top spot with a time of 1.39.312, 3.5 seconds ahead of Balance Fitnessʼ Jamie McCullough, who got a time of 1.42.848. Flow Racingʼs Seanan OʼRiordan, who also took the Intervarities Cup, took 3rd place on the podium with a time of 1.44.264.

Overall it was a good weekend for me, winning my category and getting 3rd in Juniors A big thank you to the organisers and the medics for a great weekends racing and to OC Tuning who were on hand all weekend in case of any bike problems! Big thanks also to my dad and my sponsors Tomac bikes, OC Tuning, Chromag, Green-Oil & Juice Lubes.Up next was round 2, In Cloon woods, Wicklow on the 30/31st of January hosted by EpicMTB...

HERE Dan Sheridan

Round 2 - January 2010

Irish Downhill Winter Leaguewords by Dan Sheridanphotos by Aiden Tarbett

The second round of the famous Irish Winter League took place in Cloon Woods, County Wicklow on the last (and very cold!) weekend of January, Hosted by EpicMTB. The series started with round 1 being held in the ʻSunny south eastʼ at Bree hill. The muddy, fun filled track was a great start to the season, and round 2 was no different. So back to round 2, the weather was bitter all weekend and with thick ice covering the open sections of the track the organisers resorted to fighting the frozen conditions with salt! It sorted the ice but made the open section a bit muddy!

wideopen 12 april 2010 uk bike magazine 77HERE Ian Macintyre - 1st in Vet

The track started on a wooden start ramp into a long left hander over a wall. The rest of the top section consisted of bus stops riding up and down on the wall, with some riders opting to stay on top of the wall, was it the faster line? Who knows? Next you were over the fallen trees and into the quick open sec-tion - full of jumps and rock gardens. Back into the forest for the bottom section with some berms, wall jumps and then into the finish, which was a fast rooty/stumpy straight into the ʻwall-rideʼ. This section caused a lot of crashes! After the wall ride there was some boulders to dodge, huck the final drop and a few pedals into the finish. Average time was about 1.35. Saturday practice went well and as far as I know there werenʼt any major injuries. Noticeable pinners throughout the day were Jacob Dickson, Adam Tarbett, Gavin Kelly, Connor Duffy (scary to watch due to his sketchiness!) and lastly Seanan OʼRiordan who was on fire all weekend! I was feeling great on the track throughout practice with all my lines dialled and was looking forward to race day. I got caught out by the final run crash, slipping off the wooden wall ride due to the chicken wire falling off. After massive dead leg I was ready to head home.

wideopen 12 april 2010 uk bike magazine 78rep

TOP RIGHT Karl OʼSullivan - 4th in EliteBOTTOM RIGHT Seanon OʼRiordan - 1st in Elite

Sunday morning was again wintery, with snow falling in the morning. Some thought it might be cancelled but the sun soon came out and the track was riding better than before! Racing soon kicked off, with the Under14s starting first. This is how it went: First place in under14 was wee Jacob Dickson riding for Potato Bred, heʼs very young but a total pinner and has such a great style. Heʼs definitely one to watch! In 2nd place was Luke Cornforth for 021 racing and Ben Kennedy in 3rd for Flow Racing, who was racing my hardtail I lent him to get him racing! I took my second win of the year for Tomac/OC Tuning/Chromag with 2 pretty solid runs, although I still could have shaved off a second or 2. I was 11 seconds ahead of 021 Racings Cameron Cornforth and Flow Racings Adam Tarbett. In Women Nathalie Jedda took first, Ahead of Silvia Gallagher and Orla Power. In Vets it was Ian MacIntyre in 1st, with Steven Graham in 2nd, who must be training with ʻda mastaʼ! Karl Young took 3rd. Karl Thomas took his second win of the year in the Supervets category, ahead of Vicor McMinn and Peter Popham. In the sports category it was Brian OʼSullivan in top spot, ahead of Brian Conway and Michael Lee. For the Seniors it was Conor Duffy who took the win and was riding flat out all weekend. Kevin Coughlan and Mark Potts took 2nd and 3rd. The masters category was extremely tight, to say the least, with only 0.567 sepa-rating the top 5. David Lenehan took the top spot ahead of Bruce Murpy and Ea-monn OʼReilly. In Juniors Gavin Kelly took a well deserved win from Chris Murphy and Eoin Grant. In the big boy Elites, Seanan OʼRiordan (Flow Racing) kicked ass on his comeback and won from Gareth McKee from Banbridge and last yearʼs junior Irish Champion Greg Callaghan (EpicMTB) with Karl OʼSullivan (Flow Racing) not far away in 4th. I had a brilliant weekend overall – winning my category, winning Juniors and also getting 5th in Elites. The 3rd round of the winter series will be held in Moneyscalp, Co. Down on the 14th of February. Big thanks to my dad and also my sponsors:Tomac Bicycles, OC Tuning, Chromag, Green-Oil and FiveTen. Over and out!

HERE Jack Dickson - 1st in Junior (Under 14)

Mini-DH at the Forest of Dean, Feb 2010

report by Rachel Burridgephotos by Sam Davies

“Then for some reason I forgot I was racing and stopped half way to take my goggles off and faff about...”

Race day came and despite arriving with high hopes I ended up not actually practicing and decided I’d be better to just wing it in my race run. After some good lucks and chatting on the start line us girls sorted ourselves into order of who was fastest. I really didnʼt want Lianne Bartleman ploughing up behind me so decided I would go last and not screw up anybody elseʼs runs!

Chris had put the start line at a much better position than the December race so I didnʼt struggle for about 10 secs getting on the bike. I started well, got around the moto corner that was catching a lot of people out and heard my mates yelling “PEDAL!!” and cheering me on. I also didnʼt get stuck in the mud half as much as the Dec race and had a decent race speed… then for some reason I forgot I was racing and stopped half way to take my goggles off and faff about a bit before pedalling like crazy to the finish!

On my 2nd race run I went for the balls out method but binned it on the fast straight. I slid under the tape and seemed to keep sliding, my gears were screwed and I spent about 15 seconds messing about with them and had to wait for the girl behind me to go past! I also decided that I better leave a nice big 10 seconds so I didnʼt catch her up.

I again pedalled to the finish through the very muddy straight, pumped over the small jump, then onto the big table, took the 2 berms nice and heard the cheering from my friends as I crossed the line! I ended up last in my category but was really happy with my time, especially as I winged it and stopped on my first race run! Having not long recovered from a hospital trip I was just so happy to be back on the bike again and not feeling too slow! I was very proud of Lianne Bartleman for winning the ladies cat and Annie Matthews for her 2nd place, which I hear was her first trophy. I was also really proud to see Dan Bateson and his friend Luc Harris on their single speeds with only back brakes! Dan came 25th in Youth out of 52.

My friend Callum Havard won Juvenile so keep an eye on him in the future!

In youth, my friends pretty much filled the top 25 and Ollie Price took the win, followed by James Whitby in 2nd. Junior saws some a super quick time from Tom Cartigny followed by Brandon Love.

Seniors saw local Rich Lane taking the win with Redmistʼs Dan Haine putting in a good run for 2nd. Lianneʼs brother Carl Bartleman took 3rd and narrowly missed out again.

I was really pleased to see Ian Bray and Lars Jones get top 5 in vets, with Ian getting 2nd and Lars 5th. Finally, the Pro Am cat was really exciting for this race and the lovely Harry Malloy took first. I screamed at the lad all the way to the finish! It was very close between him and Bernard Kerr and I was really pleased to see Harry take the win, heʼs such a good lad and a talented rider. Local Ash Maller did a brilliant to get 4th and my friend Viv Jones got a 6th in his first time in Pro rather than his usual junior! Check out MiniDH.co.uk to see if you can do any better than Rachel. Sheʼll be back for the next one – so should you!

ort Winter Series - Tavistock, Devon

Woodland Riderswords and photos by Jacob Gibbins (www.jacobgibbins.co.uk)

The Woodlands Riders series is a brand new way to race bikes down south. At only £22 a race and a nice mix of tracks on the line up you can’t exactly go wrong. We sent Milkpro down to Rd1 to check out the action...Rd 1 went down on a cold Feb Sunday with Junior Ludovic Ojet smashing the field and putting much more seasoned dudes like Will Soffe, Ben Deakin or Adam Price to shame. Fastest for the ladies was Haby-Blu Cann.

Rd 2 went down early March with another Junior win, this time from Jay Williamson. Ben Deakin left the hardtail at home, got on the full suss and pulled off a second place. Fastest lady once again was Haby who beat a lot of guys and came 33rd overall.

Look out for more Woodlands racing on April 4th and May 9th. Get over to www.woodlandriders-racing.co.uk and get signed up.

The third round of the Kustom Bikes series went down at a cold, muddy and slick Come Sydenham. The top spots went to South West destroyers Ben Deakin and Haby-Blu Cann. No need for a massive race repo – just enjoy some photos from the Milkpro and look out for Rd4 on 28th March.

Round 3 - Combe Sydenham

Kustom Bikes Winter Series

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

Aston Hill’s Black Run was built many years ago by the well known track builder, Ian Warby. It is definitely the toughest track at Aston Hill and I would say definitely the best one there. As most of you may have seen in the recent helmet cam of the track, it has a fast sprint section at the beginning of the track with some high speed berms, this takes you over to where the hill starts to get steeper and has some of the most fun and well built corners I have ever ridden. It’s a short but tough track for sure.Aston Hill doesnʼt have an uplift but you can push up right next to the track which makes it really good for practising, making it easy to section and look at lines. Having done a couple of full runs I felt pretty confident with all my lines after Saturdayʼs practice. I made sure to see what the bottom section felt like after pinning the top section and was feeling pretty good and not too knackered. After practice we retreated to race organiser Richard Abbottʼs house for some of his finest home made Lasagne (best I have ever tasted) and some DVD action. We decided to hit the hay early and get a good nightʼs sleep ready for Sundayʼs race.

We woke to a fresh but sunny morning. Before practice, I still had to finishing dishing over a new prototype 120 point engagement Superstar wheel I am testing. I had a few other tweaks to do on the bike but we were soon ready to go. I spent a bit of time looking at the first section of the track to see if there was any sneaky lines that straightened out the track and also looked for a few smoother lines over some of the roots.

March 2010

Aston HillBlack Run

words by Oliver Burtonphotos by Derek Francoisy (www.britishdhseries.co.uk)

HERE Harry Moloy - winner!LEFT Scott Beaumont

I tried not to practice too much so as not to wear myself for my 2 race runs. My first run went ok, I had the top section good but missed some important lines further down. I noticed this in my time as I was 3 seconds back on Nathan and 2 on Harry. My second run was a lot better, I had a couple of hesitant moment but apart from that I didnʼt make any big mistakes. My run felt amazing and everybody shouting from behind the tape track made it awesome.

Final result was me 3rd with a 1.34.68, Nathan 2nd with a 1.34.50 and Mr Harry Molloy 1st with a 1.34.16. All within 0.6 of a second made for some close racing in the Expert/Elite category. This was cool and it is always a good race against those two.

All in all, a sweet weekend, great track and I hope to be back to Aston for the race in September.

Oliver is supported by: Funn, Superstar Components, Axo, Maxxis, 661 and Ti Bolts.

Alpine Bikes Winter Series Round 1This is not a race report...

words by Wideopenʼs Steve Larkingphotos by Keith Valentine (www.phunkt.com)

As you probably already know there’s not much to report. Way back in November/December when you’re wondering whether to sign up for the Winter Series in the new year you always knew it might get snowed off, and although that isn’t quite what happened, it was ultimately the weather that put an end to any hopes of a race going ahead last weekend.Practice started on Saturday with high hopes. The snow line had retreated to the top fire road and the track was looking dry and fast. Sadly, the ground probably hadnʼt thawed out for the last two months or so and once the riders had taken away the frosty crust of mud they were left with patches of slick ice that polished up into an almost mirror finish.

Needless to say in those conditions there was no debate about tyre choice, whether you ran spikes or semi-slicks the results were the same, you were going down! Then down again at the next corner, and again and again.

By midday it was clear that to try and hold a race would be asking for trouble so it was called off with the option for riders to stick around and use the uplift theyʼd paid for to ride the rest of the tracks on the hill.

Then it was on again. A lot of hard work on Saturday evening and before dawn on Sunday morning meant the track was riding safely again. However it only took a truck full of riders to bring the ice out again and after just 90 minutes of practice Mike Marsden, despite all of his and everyone elseʼs efforts, had to call the race off.

Never mind, thereʼs still another two rounds to go and the uplift continued for the rest of the day. So while some continued to slide down the race track I headed down some of the other trails on the hill, which were frozen solid and riding just as fast as a dry summer day.

www.sda-races.com

Steve rides for the Wideopenmag race team and is supported by the supreme awesomeness of Superstar components, Electric Visual, The Cycle Jersey and Conti Tyres. Boom!

This IS a race report...

words by Wideopenʼs Pete Scullionphotos by Ian Linton (www.ianlinton.com)

ort Alpine Bikes Winter Series Round 2 words by Wideopenʼs Steve Larking

photos by Keith Valentine (www.phunkt.com)

Three weeks on from the first failed round of the series at Innerleithen and there was still a light dusting of snow on the hill side. Temperatures had risen enough in the week to let everything thaw a little but by the time Friday night came around it was back to well below freezing and a rock hard track greeted riders as they reached the top of the hill.Lessons had been learned though and the track chosen for this race was much less steep than the first and had also been taped really wide to allow lots of line choice and room to manoeuvre when you slid off the main line.

The track felt much more open than your usual Inners affair. The top section was familiar to most. Right out the start hut towards the quarry, tentatively drop into the icy quarry wall before hitting the road gap and launching into the Tunnel. Turning immediately left the tape led you onto one long swoopy traverse that ended with a drop over a wall before you hit the bottom fire road. Some sections here got pretty bad with ice, causing me amongst many others Iʼm sure, to body check a tree at the end of the day on Saturday.

Over the bottom fire road things got steeper as the tape snaked its way down old and new sections of track. The final few switchbacks in the arena actually loosened up enough to become almost fun to ride, but this didnʼt stop the crashes! One last icy slick flat corner to contend with and you were on the home straight.

By the time Saturdayʼs practice came to a close the temperature had picked up enough to melt some sections of the track and riders were coming off the hill a little bit muddy. The uplift had ran well all day and there was a great atmosphere on the hill as everyone fought against the conditions to stay upright, and as we packed up to head home for the night there was a sense of optimism in the air.

Stepping out the van on Sunday morning it was clear that it wasnʼt to be. Stories of -6 degrees over night and the white frost that covered the hill made it obvious that the track would be frozen again. This time however racing went on regardless but half an hour later than scheduled to allow the track a chance to thaw out a bit more.

As race runs started it was clear that a lot of people had decided to head home or just not bother with their race runs, and a third of the entry list didnʼt appear on the start line.

First down the hill was the hardtail racers including myself. With two crashes down the bottom trying to pass the guy ahead of me I still managed a 4:18 which won me first place in the hardtails and 59th overall which I was pretty pleased with.

It wasnʼt long before the Juveniles and Youths came down and Joe Connell set the bench mark for the rest of the afternoon. He took the Youth win by a massive 17 seconds with a run of 3:46, a time that only five others would better the rest of the afternoon. Fastest time of the day went to Junior rider Lew Buchanan. His blisteringly quick run at 3:26 showed the boys got skilz and will be proving himself in a big way this year Iʼm sure.

Alasdair MacLennan will be more than happy with his performance. Just a few seconds down on Lew he took the Expert win and second fastest time of the day.

In the womenʼs categories it was Bex Reilly who took home the gold in the Senior Women catʼ while Harriet Latchem just had to stay on her bike to take the Elite win for Propain Bikes.

It was the same story in the Elite Menʼs catʼ. Adam Brayton took an easy win on his brand new Mythic Legend by just coasting down the hill after spending the previous night in hospital. The rest of the Elite field had decided that racing properly on that track would have been too much of a lottery when it came to injury.

The third and final round of this yearʼs series is in three weeks time. Fingers crossed the weather picks up so we can have some good old flat out racing in the mud!

Yep – you guessed it – Steve is supported by Electric Visual, Conti Tyres, The Cycle Jersey and Superstar components.

http://www.sda-races.com

wideopen 12 april 2010 uk bike magazine 100HERE Jack Reading

ort Innerleithen March 2010Alpine Bikes Winter Series Round 3

words by Wideopenʼs Pete Scullionphotos by Ian Linton (www.ianlinton.com)

HERE Joe Barnes

wideopen 12 april 2010 uk bike magazine 102HERE Ste Larking

What with the first two rounds of the Alpine Bikes Innerleithen Winter Series being somewhat similar to an event going on a few weeks previous on the western seaboard of Canada, Mike Marsden and his team from Borderline Events were seriously hoping the final round would make amends. And what a stormer it was.With a spell of warm weather rushing in off the Atlantic, the heavy snow had receded enough to get the uplift running to the top of the hill and the full complement of track choices available. Mike and his team did a sterling job of taping with ʻPistolʼ Pete Williams trackside with his trusty mattock to make any necessary changes.A rapidly drying track made up of the upper elements of Gold Run and the fast, jump-ridden Matador and ending in a slightly modified, but not unusual Arena section had smiles on everyoneʼs faces. The course was taped wide in many places and multiple lines appeared throughout the course of the weekend.

For many (myself included) this race was the first chance to blow off the cobwebs of the winter, or flex the guns amassed in the gym let it rip. Either way, it was a good feeling to be out on a reasonably dry track that held up well all weekend.

One rider that looked like heʼd been honing himself to pounce on the 2010 season was Sam Herd who managed to overtake someone in the air coming into the Arena and is aboard a new short travel Scott from the folks at Perth City Cycles and took the Juvenile win by a whopping 24 seconds. Fraser McGlone starts 2010 in the same way. He finished 2009 by destroying the Youth field and sat in first by 11 seconds. Juniors, seen by many as the stepping stone to Elite for those fast enough, was closer fought. Lewis Buchanan put in a stormer of a run for fastest time of the day of 3:23.477, but Mark Scott was less than second behind him and HighLine Racingʼs Ronan Taylor another 4 back after being badly held up. These guys are going to be pushing hard all year. David Young matched Fraser McGloneʼs margin in Seniors, Tally of Uplift Scotland snipped the win in Masters as did Crawford Carrick Anderson in Vets.

HERE Ronan Taylor

At the sharp end Ali McLennan (Jnr.) made it two from two in Experts with a flying Tom Lamb onboard his new MSC hot on his heels and the omnipresent Gary Forrest a bawhair away.

Rhuaridh ʻAirtimeʼ Cunnignham wowed the crowd with his Cathro-esque huck out of the bombhole and kept the hotseat until the last man came down.

None of that matters though because Steve ʻHardtail Mentalistʼ Larking, flying the flag for Wideopen Magazine, slid and bounced his way down Plora Rig on his Dialled Alpine that would have placed him 21st in Senior and 9th in Expert. On a hardtail! Someone buy this man a full sus.

Welcome to the 2010 race season. Bring your game face because these kids are getting scary fast.

TOP Pete ScullionMIDDLE GumpBOTTOM MIDDLE Cameron KilgourBOTTOM RIGHT Tracy Moseley

HERE Martin Hodgson

wideopen 12 april 2010 uk bike magazine 106lon

The Orange 5 Diva

A little bit Tina Turner?review by Kayleigh Holdenphotos by Jim Smith

Whilst boys and girls aren’t necessarily as hugely different as the bike industry would have us believe, there are certainly a few differences that the fairer sex need to think about when choosing a bike. Thereʼs heaps of science behind it but basically girls tend to be a wee bit smaller than guys and have a bit less variation in their general body size than the chaps. Generally, they need slightly shorter, lower bikes and benefit most from slightly lighter bikes with seats that are kind to their ʻsensitiveʼ bits. To meet the needs of the ladies many manufacturers offer lady-specific ranges, Specialized call it ʻDesigns For Womenʼ whereas Orange Bikes choose the more Tina Turner-esque ʻDivaʼ label.

The Orange Five is a mountain bike classic, youʼd be hard pushed not to find one or twenty at a trail centre these days and it still is Orangeʼs best seller. The Diva Five is available in two sizes, short and long, both based around a standard 14” Five but with the short having just over 40mm less length in the top tube. The major difference between a standard ʻmenʼsʼ Five and a Diva is the build kit, 175mm cranks get swapped out for 165mm affairs for the shorter-legged amongst us and of course a womenʼs saddle from WTB.

The bike is still setup to be a hard hitter, air suspension front and back help bring the overall weight down and a custom lighter compression tune in the rear shock helps matters on the trails. A figure that should be considered is the maximum fork length at 160mm, with a Fox 36 fitted up front itʼd transform the bike into a full on downhill machine, ideal for the occasional jaunt or uplift day. Orange have chosen to spec a rear Maxle to stiffen things up and matched to a QR15 front axle there is plenty of stiffness for ploughing through rock gardens or holding your line in the roots.

Normally I ride a standard 14” menʼs Five with a womenʼs saddle and a pretty standard build kit. Getting on the Diva it was instantly different, despite being a little bit small for me to ride comfortably, there are definitely aspects Iʼll be taking on board and over to my own bike.

The shorter cranks, narrower handlebars and womenʼs saddle make a huge difference to the ride. The narrower handlebars are straight away more comfortable and the new Hope brakes have a great lever adjustment which allow you to move it right up to the bar, especially useful as I have tiny hands!

This Diva came in a purple glitter paint finish which was perfect! Orange are debating whether to offer this option in the future as the paint is normal, the glitter is in the laquer which is applied afterwards and transforms the look of the bike. Just imagine speccing your bike like you buy a car?! Unfortunately however itʼs not available in the neon colours which is a shame, neon yellow with pink glitter is certainly a colour in massive demand!

The bike came specced with Continental Mountain King tyres which in the current wet, snowy trail conditions were pretty useless, however on hardpacked summer tracks theyʼd be perfect! The Shimano gears were faultless and the Hope brakes were powerful, but could do with more modulation as the feel was slightly on or off. The Fox 32 forks and RP23 shock were brilliant and once the pressure was just right they handled the undulations well.

The kink in the top tube makes the standover height much more accommodating and the bike is easier to move around on when riding, even on a downhill track itʼs still forgiving on drops and the 5” of travel is just enough - not too much that the bike becomes unmanageable at speed. At the end of the day a thoroughly capable bike with all the adjustments to make life easier for us girls, if youʼre in the market for a girls trail bike then look no further!

A job for Orangeʼs ʻStrangeʼ prototype department would be to work out how to fit the Alpine 160ʼs chassis into a smaller, girl friendly package whilst still offering the full-on downhill experience, perhaps a perfect ladies downhill bike? We said it first!!

Check out the Orange Diva Five at www.orangebikes.co.uk and for a full list of dealers in your area, Orange have plenty of demo days across the country so if you still arenʼt sure, why not pop along and take one for a ride?

Orange Deva complete price £2549.99 frame kit £1299,99

The Orange MIII

Green eyedmonster

words and photos by Jamie Edwards

Unapologetically expensive: the Orange Miii first look...Thereʼs a lot of marketing hype in the bike industry and with everyone shouting that their bikes are the fastest, lightest and and mostest likely to destroy your mates we want to cut through the bullshit and see who lives up to their claims.

As claims go our mates at Orange certainly aint holding back with the Miii. They reckon that their all new flagship 4X racing frame is in fact the ʻstiffest, strongest and lightest dirt frame aroundʼ. Built for top level, World Cup racing and capable (they reckon) of absolutely anything you can throw at it. Big claims. And you should bloody hope so considering the hefty £500 price for a frame and a seat clamp.

The Miii comes as a complete bike or frame only – the frame is hand built in Halifax with quality 6061 alu and features Orangeʼs signature monocoque front end, same as youʼd see on the big hit 224. Recommended fork travel is 100 – 120mm which weʼll be providing via a set of Fox 831s. Thereʼs a bit of schpeel on the website about sliding drop outs for 24 or 26” wheels but that doesnʼt seem to have made it onto the final frame which is no great problem. The current CNCʼd drop outs and neat replaceable hanger look great regardless. Other fine little details include a front mech stop, ISCG tabs and zip-tie cable guides. A real highlight is the paint – which looks absolutely stunning in glowing bright glittery green. Orange reckon youʼve got to be fast to pull off the glitter so take a look at the custom paint options before you buy!

So whatʼs the best way for us to test a pedigree 4X race frame? Gotta be racing aint it? And thatʼs exactly what weʼre going to do. Wideopen team rider Dave will be thrashing the Miii all season at the NPS4X and reporting back on how he gets on.

www.orangebikes.co.ukFull bike clocks in at £1839.99 and frame kit is £499.99

wideopen 12 april 2010 uk bike magazine 112gear

E-Thirteen Guide Ring &Gamut Race RingChain rings arenʼt always the jazziest things to splash the cash on – but hereʼs two options from chain-guide experts Ethirteen and Gamut that we reckon will do the job pretty nicely.

Both rings are available in single tooth increments from 32 to 40 tooth, both RRP at a reasonable £34.99 and both are aimed to be run with a singlespeed or chain device setup.

EThirteen obviously take the win for good looks, with the Guide Ring available in tonnes of wild colours from Red Rocket to Delta Gold to the Grape Drink weʼve got here whilst the Gamut Race Ring wins on weight clocking in at **gʼs lighter at **gʼs.

Stay tuned for a long term update on both….

www.e13components.com – distributed by Silverfish-UKwww.gamutusa.com - distributed by Madison

Juice Lubes lubricationWinter is a real bitch to chains. Not only are they expected to cope with water but throw in mud or grit and youʼve got a fantastic recipe for sanding the surface off any surface. Itʼs no wonder chains wear so quickly in winter and itʼs impor-tant therefore that you not only regularly clean it but also keep it nicely lubricated. This should keep it free moving and pro-tect it from the worst of the abrasive ac-tion of any contamination. No one wants a chain snap on their hands miles from home and soaked to the skin!

We donʼt tend to get nice dry summers in the UK but on the off chance we do, or if youʼre jetting off to the sun in the sum-mer then Ceramic Juice might be worth a punt. Dry lubes offer increased shifting performance and because theyʼre not oily and greasy they attract less dust to the chain, reducing abrasion.

Juice Lubesʼ offerings come in nice twist top bottles. Juice Lubes claim they stay put but weʼd always recommend clean-ing and re-applying after every ride. The price is at the top end of the market and weʼve yet to run this lube against our usual brands (Fenwicks and Finish Line). However with free delivery and a money back guarantee itʼs definitely worth a try!

www.juicelubes.co.ukCeramic Juice (100ml) £10.99Chain Juice (100ml) £7.99

Giro Xen & HexThe Giro Xen is fast approaching itʼs 10th birthday and is still the daddy of all trail helmets. The Giro Hex is a baby Xen, perhaps not fully developed but with all the key features.

Both of these helmets take cues from ʻpiss potʼ style helmets with the fuller head coverage and the protection extending further down the back of the head.

The Xen feels surprisingly airy on your head, aided by several massive vents at the front and the extensive sections cutaway at the back (over 17 vents in total). The Hex doesnʼt have quite so many vents but still more than many other competitors helmets.

For 2010 Giro have pulled some amazing designs out of the bag, with this Titanium/Blue version being our favourite on the Xen and loads of awesome options on the Hex with the Pink/Yellow/Black version seen here getting a big thumbs up.

Both helmets get the RocLoc retention system which is easy to use and keeps your head centred in the lid. Both also have slimline padding to reduce the amount of sweat being stored up and improve comfort. Iʼve had a Xen since 2008 and my only niggle has ever been with the visor which always flapped about and was generally a nuisance. Iʼm happy to say this has been fixed with a much tidier and stronger mounting.

If youʼre in the market for a good, open face helmet which offers you some of the best protection around then consider the Hex at £59.99 RRP, but if you want all that and the super pimp styling and design then the Giro Xen is the one for you at £99.99.

Giro are distributed in the UK by Madison and should be available in most good bike shops.

Superstar Tech 2 Enduro Switch WheelsetThanks to the guys at Superstar weʼve got a set of their lovely Tech2 wheels for longterm test - to kit out the Cotic BFe when the production frames arrive in the UK.

So can a set of wheels for less than £200 really be any good? Well first impressions are excellent - A lovely finish, quality build, and well packaged too! The Enduro Switch wheelset is designed for all mountain use, but talking to Neil at Superstar these are probably strong enough for downhill if youʼre light on your bike! At 2344kg they are a little heavier than the Nuke Proof all mountain set up weʼre running on the Ragley, but significantly cheaper.

If youʼre in the market for a new set of wheels then Superstar are seriously worth considering. Perhaps a lit-tle less bling then the competition - but the price reflects this. Check in later in the year to see how we get on with them!

Specification:

Forged and CNC machined hubs with full cartridge bearingsFront Switch Hub adjusts between Qr, 9mm, 15mm and 20mm with adaptorsRear Switch hub adjusts between Qr, 10mm and 12mm with adaptorsDT Swiss SpokesBrass Nipples Superstar Voltage Rims - Made in France by one of the biggest rim manufacturers! 29mm External rim width 21mm internal width, suitable for tyres upto 2.5”Superstar Custom RimtapeBuilt and finished by hand in the UKPair Weight - 2344g

RRP £159www.superstarcomponents.com

SKS Mud ProtectionDespite the usual jibes of ʻmud guards are for girlsʼ etc etc there are oc-casions when theyʼre useful. Commuting to work springs to mind - and more recently, carrying a few grands worth of camera equipment on your back!

On our recent road trip to Scotland we fitted our interpid photographers bike with the guards - which did their job well as evidenced by his clean camera bag versus my filthy Camelbak. The guards stayed put and were easy to fit (and remove quickly when needed for photos). The rear one simply is strapped around the seatpost - nice and simple with just two small draw backs - 1) Iʼd be worried about leaving them attached to my bike outside the pub or work and 2) It is easily knocked out of position by your feet when getting on and off the bike.

So have they changed my opinion? They certainly have their uses and if youʼd like some well designed, light and sturdy examples then these will fit the bill. Expensive though.

Grand DAD (front) = RRP £24.99Grand MOM (rear) = RRP £18.99

Distributed by Raleighwww.sks-germany.comwww.raleigh.co.uk

O’Neal Sinner Knee PadsOʼNealʼs all new Sinner knee pad just landed here at Wideopen and the first impressions are great. The Sinner uses Sas-tec ʻmemory foamʼ rather than traditional hard-plastic which is designed to be soft and squishy until you bash it when it instantly hardens up to absorb impacts. The result is a light, comfy and unrestrictive knee-pad that will still provide heaps of protection when you inevitably eat shit.

As a right dirty sinner himself, Wideopen Team rider Wayne Appleby was spot on for testing these and has been using them on the DH bike and his new pitt bike. After one massive wrist busting, pedal snapping, crank bending crash he reckons these are more than up to the job! His bike is wrecked... but his knees are fine! The verdict is that the Sinners are comfortable, fit nicely and donʼt move or slide around when you get shunted over the bars. I think he actually mentioned that heʼs already considering using them instead of his knee/shin combos from now on. I reckon weʼll need to do some proper testing on the Sas-tec foam before we give a final verdict but so far Wayne seems pretty pleased. One big crash down and 2 happy knees. Not a bad start. Stay tuned for issue 13.

Distributed by flidistribution.co.uk

SKS Injex Zoom Pump Mini pumps and light, compact tools are a bloody good idea. The amount of times Iʼve motored off up the woods,

punctured and had to do the Walk of Shame home is rebloodydiculous. Just imagine being sat on the top of your favourite trail centre with a puncture, no pump and having to walk 10 miles back to your car and miss out on the action – not cool at

all. With a bit of thought and a wee bit of cash you can make sure stupid crap like that doesnʼt happen to you!

SKS have put together a couple of goodies that will save your ass on the trails without weighing you down. The pump is one of literally hundreds in their range and is packed with some really impressive features. First up itʼs got separate valves for

presta and schraeder tubes meaning no faffing around swapping tiny bits of rubber with cold fingers as you get with other pumps. The all important pumping bit is really decent and thanks to a nifty telescopic design, you get a nice long stroke

for such a small pump. The handle also folds out into a ʻTʼ shape making life a bit easier and a dual-rubber grip makes it nice and comfy. Our only grumble with the SKS was that the clamp that locks the pump onto the valve was pretty poor and it takes a lot of wiggling around to keep the whole thing in place and pumping air. Otherwise though, not a bad way at all

to pump up your tyres. Light weight, inexpensive at £19.99 and packed with nice little features.

www.sks-germany.comwww.raleigh.co.uk

Raceface RespondWe werenʼt hugely blown away by new Respond groupo until we took a closer look and were pleased to see loads of top performance features and great value for money. At £35 for the bars and £45 for the stem these two look like an awesome buy whether youʼre on a budget or not.

Raceface have designed the Respond groupo to offer light weight and decent strength, ca-tering to the DH and all mountain crowd. In reality that means they arenʼt super posh or high-spec… but still offer loads of great features. A great example is on the stem where theyʼve designed the stem body and faceplate to interlock which transfers more stress through the stem rather than into the bolts. Weʼre also big fans of the detailing on the bar which not only gives measurements for cutting down, but tells you how much weight youʼll save with each cut. Good attention to detail from the Canadians eh? Both are available in black or white.

Stem:SIZE: 45, 60mm STEERER: 1 1/8”, and 1 ½” RISE: 10º BAR DIAMETER: 31.8mm WEIGHT: 195g 45mm / 215g 60mm

Bar:DIMENSIONS: 27” or 685mm width, 9º rearward, 4º upward RISE: 1.5” or .5” BAR DIAMETER: 31.8mm WEIGHT: 370g (1.5” rise), 335g (.5” rise)

Weʼre going to give ʻem a blast on team rider Daveʼs 4X bike and trail centre bike to see how they stack up…

Raceface.com – distributed by Silverfish-UK

Smartwool socks and thermalsIʼve got a lot of love for thermal kit. Boring as it sounds, a really good thermal just makes the difference on a cold ride into work, a wintery session out on the trails or when you get back to the car and want to get warm quick. Taking it a step further, if youʼre out in the big country and the weather turns sour a good base layer can really keep your ass out of trouble.

The guys at Bigstone distro (who also do Five Ten and Dianese) sent us a mountain of Smartwool kit and Iʼve not taken it off since, itʼs awesome. Their bike specific Merino wool socks in particular are a real gem and are the end result (Smartwool say) of 15 years of research! Theyʼre super comfy, keep your feet at a great temperature, donʼt scrunch up or slip around, arenʼt itchy and amazingly keep smelly feet to a minimum (I wore mine for 3 days straight and they honestly didnʼt smell too bad!).

If you can stomach paying a tenner for a pair of these rather than the usual Asda specials youʼre going to be giving your size tens a real treat. Grab yourself a Smartwool base layer whilst youʼre at it, Iʼve found they work well under armour in the colder months and are a great layer to chuck on under a jersey for a spot of XC. All good stuff.

Pictured here are the menʼs ʻoutdoorʼ socks and womenʼs base layer.

Check out all the sock science at http://www.smartwool.com Distributed by Bigstone

Shimano M66WOne year on...words and photo by team rider Steve Larking

Overall these have been a great pair of shoes but there are just a couple of points that have let them down. The uppers are as tough and solid as you could ask for and whilst synthetic leather is scuffed and scarred the construction has proven itself to be both durable and weather resistant. The flappy lace cover is also great when it comes to taking them off at the end of a muddy ride. The laces however both snapped within a couple of months, which was annoying more than anything else.

On the bike they feel super supportive and stiff enough when things get pedally. The soles also have enough flex in them to be comfortable to walk around in although I found when pushing up all day the heel cup did leave me with some mean blisters to pop later that night.

The cut away around the cleat does a great job of helping guide your foot back over the pedal after a quick dab and there is enough grip on the sole to keep your foot in place if you donʼt get clipped in straight away. Somehow Iʼve managed to tear up the soles at the front of the shoes now to the point that most of the rubber is missing from one shoe. Now whether this is from pushing up rocky tracks or kicking into beat up pedals I donʼt know but they now leak worse than the Titanic so have been useless in the wet. Yes Iʼm a little disappointed with the soles but theyʼll see me through another summer before I think of replacing them Iʼm sure.

RRP £59.99 and distributed in the UK by Madison.

Steve races the SDA series in the hardtail category and is supported by Conti Tyres, the Cyclejersey.com, Superstar components and Electric Visual.

Bell SequenceJimbo Phillips editionBellʼs 2010 hook up with infamous skate/surf artist Jimbo Phillips has resulted in heaps of wild designs - mostly involving skulls, disembodied eyeballs and hands with screaming mouths in ʻem. Whilst they do look awesome Bell have obviously acknowledged that we donʼt all want a picture of a zombie spewing out his own eyes on our lids and produced this version of their Sequence XC/all mountain helmet. Itʼs still got the flashy Jimbo graphics, just in a subtler slightly more grown up form!

Underneath the jazzy graphics is a really comfortable, light and airy helmet. The Sequence features 20 massive vents, an adjustable visor, low profile pads that wonʼt gunk up with sweat and a really decent adjustment system that works really, really well on the move. The fit and weight of the sequence is awesome and you pretty much forget youʼre wearing it once itʼs on. If the fit isnʼt correct you can make quick and easy adjustments on the go via the little wheel at the back which tightens or loosens it all up. My only niggle with the Sequence is with the straps, which are designed to twist as they run past your ear and cheek… I found this rubbed a wee bit and whilst it wasnʼt the end of the world did make me aware that I had the lid on where I reckon I otherwise wouldnʼt. Except for that, Iʼm really impressed. Light, cool, incredibly easy to adjust, loads of head coverage and some genuine art work to top it all off.

Itʼs worth also mentioning that Bell offer a crash replacement scheme where theyʼll sell you a new helmet at reduced cost if you smash yours up. Good stuff.

RRP £79.99Distributed in the UK by Madison.

THE One 2010 Wideopen first-lookThere was a time when TLD lids were your only choice for top of the line, light weight, top spec carbon DH lids. Luckily, a few years back THE appeared and offered us all a bloody good alternative with their ʻONEʼ helmet.

Iʼm not going to pretend this lid is cheap by any stretch of the imagination or that there arenʼt heaps of awesome sub £100 helmets out there. But, as carbon lids go £229 isnʼt a bad price at all, especially considering how many awesome little features have been packed into the THE.

So what are you getting for your £229? Youʼve got something like 15 vents, fully removable and washable top quality padding, an adjustable visor (and a second spare one), a logoed up helmet bag, loads of sexy graphics options and tonnes of nice little details like chunky D loops and grab tabs on the chin strap.

Hidden away inside is a dual EPS shell which is apparently an all new bit of helmet techno magic that gives better protective coverage and (most importantly) the whole thing exceeds CE and CPSC safety standards meaning your head will be safe.

Most likely youʼll be looking at a carbon lid because of the weight – our medium THE clocks in at 1097grams which is about 160g heavier than a Troy Lee D2, but is a bloody tempting £170 cheaper! Personally, Iʼd take a trip to the portaloos before my race run, knock off the weight the old fashioned way and save myself the cost of a few race entries! Saying that, if itʼs all still silly money and you donʼt care about carbon or saving a few grams you can also get the THE One composite version thatʼs a very, very reasonable £150 and only 60gs heavier.

Thatʼs all weʼve got for now – this one only just landed so youʼll have to wait till next issue for some ride testing. Stay tuned!

RRP: £229 Distributed by Silverfish-UK.com

dynamic-style.com£18 tee (grey with skull)

rollwiththeflow.com£25 hoods (red roll with the flow)

hu-i.co.uk£15 tees (2 x with yellow letters)

thisisezo.com£19.99 tees (purple ʻEʼ with wing, and white ʻEʼ with paint splatter)£29.99 hoods (black hoody)cap £22.99

We love Tees

wesc.co.uk

orangebikes.co.uk

howies.co.uk

We love more Tees

wideopen 12 april 2010 uk bike magazine 126smal

Red Bull X Fighters International Freestyle Motocross 2009Yep ok so this one is Freestyle MX and not mountain bikes but I figured weʼre all spending so much time gushing over race vids at the moment It might be nice to try something a bit different. We all just want to be MX riders anyway right?! (joke…)

This oneʼs been put together by Red Bull to document their X-Fighters series which is apparently a big deal in FMX. Itʼs a 5 round series that involves Red Bull turning up, dumping a load of dirt on top of a load of famous landmarks (Battersea power station, the Plaza de Toros in Madrid etc etc) and inviting the worldʼs best FMX riders to duke it out.

I wasnʼt entirely sure Iʼd be any more interested in this than all the endless FMX footage you see on Extreme but itʼs actually not too bad. The competition venues are amazing, the commentary gives you a great idea of whatʼs going on across the series and there are actually some pretty decent interviews with the riders. Even in these post-Xgames, desensitised to anything ʻEXTREMEʼ times the riding is pretty amazing and sat here with a bust knee on a cold December afternoon itʼs definitely made me want to go jump my DH bike. I wonʼt list tricks cos itʼs dull but theyʼre pretty stunning.

Saying that, the commentary through the whole thing is outstandingly bad. Youʼd think with all of Red Bullʼs athletes and cash they could get some decent to do the voice-over rather than a guy that sounds like he does the trailers for Hollywood movies like Jurassic bloody Park. You know what I mean, far, far too deep and husky to be serious but taking it very seriously at the same time. Honestly, this video makes Clay Porterʼs commentary look awesome. Sorry, aside from that though, itʼs not too bad.

If youʼve already got this yearʼs must have mountainbike DVDʼs and you can put up with husky voice dude then give this one a look for sure.

Distributed by Duke video RRP £19.50

New World Disorder 10 Dust and BonesThatʼs right New World Disorder is 10 whole years old. I can remember nearly crapping myself as a young ʻun when I popped the VHS into the player on Christmas morning and witnessed guys like Bender smashing out endless lemming drops. I mean sure weʼre all a bit ʻoverʼ hucking nowadays and NWD is no doubt responsible for some terrible ideas in the name of freeride (wooden hamster wheels anyone?!) but back in the day that shit was just nuts. Remember Benderʼs Jaw Drop on NWD2? I canʼt think of another video since that Iʼve been so amazed at someone trying something so truly bloody stupid on a bike! Years later you can still stick that stuff in the video player and blow away anyone that says bikes are shit!

So itʼs ten years and probably not far off a million crashes, hucks, gibbs, stuntz, trannies, whatevers later and whatʼs looking like itʼs going to be the last NWD. Thankfully the hucking has died a death and much as it pains me to be so openly enthusiastic weʼre left with what is actually a pretty much perfect bit of bicycle cinema. Iʼm saying ʻcinemaʼ deliberately because this goes way beyond just being a DVD – itʼs truly bloody epic, amazingly well produced and must have cost an absolute fortune to create. Every section is gorgeous to look at, the locations are stunning, the music all works really well, the editing is pretty much perfect and the camera work is just phenomenal. Any bike film that uses a boat full of dirt jumps, sat under the Golden Gate Bridge, filmed from a helicopter has got to be worth a look right?!

So without the hucking are we left with anything worth getting excited about? I reckon so… Although Iʼll maintain nothing is going to make you shout ʻholy shitʼ at the TV like you did back the Bender days. Bearclaw gets the honour of opening the show with an amazing jump section and a gorgeous turn-down on a full suss. I remember grinning in the cinema at the premier at that one. Brandon Semenukʼs big mountain section is pretty impressive too, starting up on top of some huge, rocky, gnarly mountain and working his way down to single track, road gaps and huge jumps swapping bikes as he goes. Turn down three anyone? Another grinner in the cinema.. Kurt Voriesʼ section is also pretty original – filmed totally without music and using on board mics. Geeʼs section is the only proper ʻracerʼ bit and weirdly is pretty crappy compared to the other bangers in the film. Sorry Gee!

Anyway, say thanks to New World Disorder for 10 years of loyal service to hucks, gibs and stunts and for showing us how to really smash a bike up and buy their DVD.

www.nwdfilms.comDistributed by VAS EnterainmentRRP £23.99

wideopen 12 april 2010 uk bike magazine 127trai

and the Wolf Pack

Stainburn

words and photos by Sam Needham (www.samneedham.co.uk)

Britain has had far more than its usual dose of bad weather this last couple of months. I mean, its not often I sack of riding on my day off because of the weather, but with all the snow we’ve had riding has been a nightmare. The novelty of getting a drift on in the snow soon wore off for me, and I just wanted to go and ride some mud, dust, roots, rocks whatever - just not bloody snow. The snow eventually cleared and the weather slowly improved. Sure itʼs still cold, but thatʼs nothing a base layer and a cuppa canʼt sort out, itʼs the riding time that matters. The first weekend of February gave us a chance to hook up and go and shred our local trail centre at Stainburn. Itʼs a pretty low key little place, situated between Harrogate and Otley in Yorkshire. The trails are built on a relatively small section of Forestry Commission land with three small forests and a largish felled section. The whole trail network can be blasted around in about an hour.

There are not many people who know the ins and outs of Stainburn, or ʻNorwood Edgeʼ as we locals like to call it. But the group of riders who consider Stainburn as a second home know every little nut and cranny like the palm of their hand. Itʼs the little tracks made by slight of hand between the main trails that make this place what it is. Yeah, the main tracks are fun, but there is nothing like winding through the trees, on a track that you scraped together, getting loose on the roost and knowing that only you and a handful of others know about the track.

HERE The first of the gang is Rob ʻDoddyʼ Dodsworth, the comedian of the group, Robʼs cycling and comedic talents are inspired from his day job cutting ham on the Booths supermarket deli.

The first of the gang is Rob ʻDoddyʼ Dodsworth, the comedian of the group, Robʼs cycling and comedic talents are inspired from his day job cutting ham on the Booths supermarket deli. Doddy also has a great love of nature and often compares himself to the likes of Bill Oddie. He seemed to spend more time hugging trees than riding his bike on the weekend of the shoot.

Robʼs right-hand man, from over the hills in Keighley is ʻGinoir un Jambonʼ, or Adam Hodgson as most know him by. I first met Adam 3 years ago on our local moorlands, he was riding an Azonic DH rig of some sort and wearing jeans and a XC lid. Iʼm not one to judge but I thought he was just going to be a weekend warrior who decided to have a blast on a mateʼs bike. I was wrong! Ginoir is one rapid rider, he doesnʼt race much but his results have shown he is capable, with a first last year at Gethin and an eight at Aberfeldy and other top ten results over the years. But like any pro, there is always a con, and for Adam that is that he breaks bones like they are going out of fashion.

Next in the hierarchy is me… if this hierarchy is based on Stainburn trail knowledge. So a quick introduction, Iʼm a freelance photographer who rides bikes and analyses various grades of trail mulch and twig density to ensure the secret tracks are going to stay secret, well that last bit isnʼt true, but it looks good on the CV.

HERE Robʼs right-hand man, from over the hills in Keighley is ʻGinoir un Jambonʼ, or Adam Hodgson as most know him by.

So far we have Rob, Ginoir and myself. The same day I had arranged to meet and snap Rob Young and Jacob Ruddock of Team Crosstrax. Iʼve known Rob vaguely for a while through racing and he is rapid on the bike, and has bags of style to go with it. Expect to see him trackside at the NPS and Maxxis cups this year riding his shiny Lapierre. To make 5 to 7, Luke Bennett and another ripper came along and joined in the shoot. The more the better, and so commenced a sweet day of riding for them and snapping for me. So the majority of the group have been riding Stainburn for a good few years now, and like I said, we know the place like the back of our hands. Rob has a name for every tree, I could go into great depth about trail mulch variations and Adam could easily bore you to death with the Marmite, love it or hate it debate.

There is no point in boring you with every detail about each twist and turn at Stainburn but I will say that itʼs a great play area, hack ground or whatever you want to call it. Itʼs great for having a bit of fun at and polishing off your skills rather than getting the lungs working. Bring a hardtail or short travel bike to ride Stainburn, its much more fun…

If your around the area, and fancy hooking up for a ride then please get in touch with me at sam@samneedham.co.uk and Iʼd be more than happy to have a blast around the centre with you.

Enjoy the shots!

KBC goggles

EXCLUSIVE Wideopen offer!

K-SERIES-UV protection-Scratch resistant lens-Fleece lined Tri-Density foam-Flexible injection molded poly-urethane frame-posts for tear offs.

Carbon, Snow Camo, Matt Black, Red Fade and Blue Fade .

Replacement lenses & Tear Offs available!

Regular price: £29.99 plus postage

WIDEOPEN price: £28 and free postage

web : http://riderrunco.blogspot.com/contact : bsxworld@tiscali.co.uk

HERE Your illustrious producer. Snow, shorts and hardtails - on board the pre-production Cotic BFe in Glentress, late February climbing up to Buzzards Nest and the start of the red route.

Photo Dunc Conway www.duncanconway.net

rsstaff

Aaron Bartlett VIDEO EDITOR aaron@wideopenmag.co.uk

Jamie Edwards EDITOR jamie@wideopenmag.co.uk

Jacob Gibbins STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER jacob@wideopenmag.co.uk

Tessa Glover PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

James Hilton PRODUCER james@wideopenmag.co.uk

Pete Scullion STAFF WRITER

Jim Smith WEB EDITOR jim@wideopenmag.co.uk

contributorsRachel BurridgeOliver BurtonScott Cartwright www.eggraphy.comDuncan Conway www.duncanconway.netSam DaviesDavid Francoisy www.britishdownhillphotos.comKrzysztof FrankiewiczAdi Gilbert www.twoand8bmx.comKayleigh HoldenGeorge Ian KingBartek JaniaSteve Kavanagh www.englishbayphotography.co.ukDamian KnapikSteve LarkingIan Linton www.ianlinton.comLukasz Loson Sam Needham www.samneedham.co.ukAndy Nelson www.nelsonimages.co.ukJoanna PajekJirka ParizezDavid PiatekSebas RomeroDan SheridanPaul SmythAiden TarbettKeith Valentine www.phunkt.com

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Wideopenmag_Issue_12

Documents

Transcript of Wideopenmag_Issue_12

Venture Capital

Physical Modelling Synthesis Overview

Simple Functions in Haskell

Chapter 23

Daniel Zanella and Alexander Weygers

Steve Jobs' Commencement Speech at Stanford

Chapter 24

Tragic Heroes

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Basic Buffer Overflows Explained

Effective Parenting: Establishing Boundaries

Personality Development

Do you admire Leonardo da Vinci?

Bhagavad Gita

Chapter-01

Cakes Recipes

Aesops Fables

Barclays1

Rubik's cube solution

Heidegger Kritik