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Alpine Bikes Winter Series - Innerleithen

Published Nov 11, 2009 at 16:10
Now that the season’s over, it’s time to chill out and take a break from racing for a few months whilst trying to fit some training in to come back better and faster next year.

And what better way to see how all that training has paid off (or how much that Christmas stuffing has slowed you down) than a friendly winter series?
Read | 15 Comments

Crank Brothers - Mallet One

Published Oct 28, 2009 at 17:06
Clips, SPD's, Devil Pedals; call them what you will. Here we have the Crank Brothers Mallet 1's which have been on long term test since the start of the year.

Read on to find out how they did:
Read | 86 Comments

Hope Tech Brakes - Long Term Review

Published Oct 28, 2009 at 16:55
On the face of it, brakes are pretty simple things; comprising a couple of pistons pushing some friction material against a disc. But that is to overlook the amount of development work that has gone into getting them from the humble cantilevers being raced in the early nineties to the high power, light weight disc based systems we see today.

Hope was an early innovator of the breed and continues to be in the same position to this day – so here we take a look at their latest offerings.
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Empire AP1 Group test - Part 3

Published Oct 27, 2009 at 16:14
The missing file: part three of the Empire Group Test.

This has been a little longer in the wait than intended so first of all apologies there! To recap, this is a test between three bikes; the Empire AP-1, the Santa Cruz V10 and the Iron Horse Sunday.

Read on for the final installment:
Read | 92 Comments

Descent-Gear Unclipped | Moelfre

Published Oct 15, 2009 at 10:52
Each year there is always an event that acts as the swan song for the season. Having had a long year of racing, it's usually a pretty chilled affair, involving drinking and chatting long into the Saturday night. This year, despite a lack of top riders in attendance, Descent-Gear Unclipped proved a very fitting end to what has been a stellar year of racing in the UK.
Read | 15 Comments

Descent-Gear/MSC Bikes NPS Round 5 - Rheola

Published Oct 3, 2009 at 12:43
So with the season now in it's last ebb and many regionals having already had their final rounds, this past weekend saw the conclusion of the 2009 British NPS in the Rheola forest made famous by the World Rally Championship stage of Resolven.

Read on for the report:
Read | 18 Comments

2009 SDA Finals | Innerleithen

Published Sep 23, 2009 at 16:58
Another race, another series, another year done and dusted on the Scottish scene.

The dust has settled (yes, there really was dust) so read on to hear what happened this past weekend:
Read | 13 Comments

Nukeproof Generator All Mountain II Wheelset Review

Published Sep 10, 2009 at 11:44
Many years ago, back in the haze of purple anodizing, 20" handlebars and custom lightweight parts courtesy of your Black and Decker, Nukeproof were a company well known for their high end trickery such as carbon bodied hubs. It's doubtful that many would remember those products but Nukeproof over the last few years have been reborn (thankfully less the purple) and are back in the fold with some very neat kit, including the wheels we have on test here. These are their factory offerings which are made up with several parts from the collective Nukeproof stable to produce a capable, light, and all importantly well priced set of hoops. We've had this pair on test for over six months now, opting to give them a good pounding before coming to any conclusions. After all, it's easy to get something feeling good out of the factory but far harder to have it feeling the same after a season of abuse.

Extensively tested over the course of the 2009 British race season, read on to see how we thought they coped:
Read | 39 Comments

Borderline Events - Kill The Bill 2009

Published Sep 9, 2009 at 7:01
It has to be said, Fort William in September has never had a history of bringing glorious sunshine and record temperatures. But that didn’t dampen the spirit of Mike at Borderline events who, in an effort to bring a slightly different feel to racing down the slopes of Aonoch Mhor, chose to run an end of season race on the first weekend of September. And it is an event that many of the entrants won’t forget in a hurry.

Read on for what happened over the course of the weekend.
Read | 19 Comments

Descent-Gear/MSC Bikes NPS Round 4 - Caersws

Published Aug 17, 2009 at 16:15
Blink and you'd miss it. Yes, this weekend saw a short and fast track in use for round 4 of the Descent-Gear/MSC NPS series near the Welsh village of Caersws. With just one round to go, the total series points are increasing and we're getting closer to seeing who's in best contention for taking home the series titles.

Read on for what happened over the course of the weekend.
Read | 11 Comments

Descent-Gear/MSC Bikes National Champs 2009

Published Jul 27, 2009 at 6:19
Despite many of the top names being absent from the National Points Series, the National Champs still has a place in their hearts. A one off race held each July, the National Champion's jersey is still coveted by the top riders of each category. Last year it was Bala, this year it's Innerleithen, having last held the big one back in the summer of 2000. Then it was Warner who took the win, whilst Steve was out of action with a separated shoulder.

Read on for the whole story,
Read | 8 Comments

Pearce Cycles Series 2009 | Bala

Published Jul 6, 2009 at 1:52
The Pearce races are always good events with good and tight racing on tap, a good atmosphere and sharp organization from the Pearce team. This year the races filled up sharpish, none more so than the flat out but already legendary venue of Bala or, more accurately, Rhyd-y-Felin. The chosen hill for the 2008 National Championships, the track is not necessarily the most technical but what it lacks here, it more than makes up for it in other ways; here’s a reason that virtually all who have raced here rave about the place.

If you have seen some of the Earthed films you will no doubt have seen the Athertons filmed on track and in the nearby quarry which sit in North Wales.
Read | 17 Comments

NPS 2009 | Fort William

Published Jul 2, 2009 at 16:32
After a fun round 1, technical, steep and challenging round 2, it all moved on for round 3 to Fort William, famed for its speed, brutality and unforgiving nature. The sun was out, the mountains in the background glistened and, if you looked quickly, you could even catch a glimpse of ‘The Ben’, not something which usually goes hand in hand with downhill racing on this famous track.

Read the whole race report inside,
Read | 16 Comments

SDA 2009 | Dunkeld

Published Jun 19, 2009 at 5:20
Just a month ago rumors were abound of Dunkeld being flattened and us not being able to race there this year. Whilst it’s not to say that there won’t be issues in the future, riders were certainly thankful that the SDA had managed to circumvent them on this occasion to keep it all running smoothly in the style to which we’ve become accustomed over the years.

Read on for more on the weekends happenings:
Read | 22 Comments

World Cup | Fort William – Sunday

Published Jun 7, 2009 at 17:16
Sunday dawns and, if you’re a downhiller, the day you’ve been waiting for with all else that went on over the weekend merely a prelude. Looking across this morning to the mountain range that Ben Nevis and Aonach Mhor are a part of, we were treated with fantastic blue skies, a snow capped skyline and the beginnings of a fantastic day.

Read on for action from the final day of World Cup round 4 at Fort William in the Scottish Highlands.
Read | 36 Comments

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