wear your singletrack jersey and win

Photo: Joolze Dymond
www.singletrackworld.com
they are both small and tough
(but only one of them needs a lead)
Designed and made in GREAT BRITAIN by USE Ltd.
Distribution by: USE: 01798 344477 AMBA Marketing: 01392 829903 e.mail: [email protected]
For more information visit www.windwave.co.uk or call 02392 505320
www.exposurelights.com
design:shredpublishing.com
Photo: Chipps
A welcoming word from event organiser Patrick Adams
W
elcome, welcome, welcome! Once again it’s the middle of the year and time for
the biggest participant mountain bike event of the year; Giant Mountain Mayhem.
This year is the 11th running of the midsummer event and, as always, we’ve been
working behind the scenes and around the clock to make it the best event ever.
Once again we return to the beautiful surroundings of Eastnor Castle, who give us this
once-a-year chance to enjoy the hills and woodland of their Deer Park as we transform it into
mountain biking’s version of the Glastonbury Festival.
As always, I have a long list of sponsors and supporters to thank, as well as all of the
volunteers, marshals and support staff who make this event possible. I’d particularly like
to thank Giant Bicycles, who have always been a staunch supporter of the event and who
we happily welcome as our title sponsor. I would also like to welcome Original Source
shower products who come to the event from outside the bike industry. I think that you’ll
agree that once they see what they’ve let themselves in for – the scenery, the atmosphere,
the camaraderie of the riders and the sheer scale of our event, they’re going to be equally
excited and overawed.
There is one group of people without whom the event wouldn’t exist at all though, and
that is the riders. Without the riders and their supporters, we would just be sat here in an
empty field. It is the riders that create that tangible atmosphere out on the course and the
riders who let out the rousing cheer at the start – and the relieved one at the finish… I realise
that there are many other great events out there that you could be doing – 24 hour races, 12
hour events and big enduros – and I’m aware that we can’t rest on our laurels, which is why
we work hard every year to make sure that every year is better than the last.
If you’re an old hand at 24 hour racing, I know you’re going to find the same quality of
racing, the same great facilities for riders and supporters alike. And if you’re new to the event,
I hope you’ll find a warm welcome here and I look forward to inviting you back year after
year.
IT IS THE RIDERS
THAT CREATE
THAT TANGIBLE
ATMOSPHERE OUT
ON THE COURSE
AND THE RIDERS
WHO LET OUT THE
ROUSING CHEER AT
THE START – AND
THE RELIEVED ONE
AT THE FINISH…
All that remains now is to wish you the best of luck for your race and I’ll see you on the
start line…
Patrick Adams
Giant Mountain Mayhem Race Organiser
www.mayhemworld.co.uk
www.singletrackworld.com
www.singletrackworld.com
Photo: Chipps
Cris Bloomfield explains how to survive the first lap.
T
he dreaded opening lap. Why is it so
dreaded? Because of the Le Mans style
run-to-your-machine start, that’s why. This
involves something that is a complete anathema
to most mountain bikers – running. Our legs are
used to going round in little cycles not pounding
up and down on the ground.
Witnessing the mass of riders set off at the
start of Mountain Mayhem is like watching all the
people who were crap at P.E. in school trying to
do cross country running again. It’s not a pretty
sight.
As you watch the melee go past, keep an eye
out for the myriad of running ‘styles’ on offer:
the heels-out ‘1920’s flapper’, the arms-down
‘Riverdance’, the elbows-out ‘headless chicken’,
the gangly ‘Max Wall on speed’ (ask your Dad).
Maybe design your own version of Opening Lap
Bingo and tick off the styles as you spot them?
For those of you ‘lucky’ enough to be doing
the first lap, here’s some wise words from
someone who has been there…
‘Find place to stash bike in the start chute.
Make sure team mates are there ready to heckle
you, loosen your seatpost quick release or
throw beer at you as you finish the run. Try and
remember what they’re wearing so that you
recognise what they look like in the sea of faces.
Line up with everyone else. Know that
you’re not Linford Christie when it comes to
running and that starting near the front would
be pointless. Mid pack is just fine. Others push
forwards. Fiddle with helmet tension system.
Memories of watching Simon Pegg in ‘Run Fat
Boy Run’ flash through mind - how did I get
lumbered with the run? Tighten shoe Velcro. The
countdown is beginning, but I can’t even see
the front of the field, surrounded in all directions
by a mass of fellow first lappers. Push riding
glasses back onto head. The gun goes. Nothing
happens... Slowly there’s movement ahead.
Walking, then jogging, evolving slowly into a
run. Back to jogging and walking for the first
few corners. Camelbak feels heavy. Someone’s
taken a tumble to the left. The long grass at
the side of the track has ankle-bending ruts
hidden beneath it. Back on to the track. These
carbon soled race shoes hurt to run in. The
ground is hard and unforgiving. Are we nearly
there yet? The arena is in sight, but the course
takes us briefly away from it, steering a field of
running riders between race tape. Nearly there.
Through the timing tent, this is it! Where’s the
bike? Hidden somewhere amongst expectant
faces and shiny paintwork. At least it’s not the
Singlespeed Champs (where the organisers
switch everyone’s bike around), so it should be
roughly where I left it... Sure enough it is. Some
poor bugger’s already fixing a puncture. Push
bike over start line, swing leg over it and onto
the saddle cyclo cross style. Legs feel odd to be
turning circles, lungs are a bit out of breath, but
this is it. Less than 24 hours to go now...’
Cris Bloomfield
KNOW THAT
YOU’RE NOT
LINFORD CHRISTIE
WHEN IT COMES
TO RUNNING AND
THAT STARTING
NEAR THE FRONT
WOULD BE
POINTLESS.
WEAR YOUR SINGLETRACK JERSEY AND WIN
I
f you wear your Singletrack jersey during the opening lap of Mountain
Mayhem and present your sweaty self at the Singletrack stand upon
completion of said lap (don’t forget to pass the baton on to your team
mate beforehand) we will give you a Singletrack bottle stuffed with various
Torq energy products that will help you survive the rest of the event.
www.singletrackworld.com
Not only that but one lucky Singletrack jersey-wearing competitor
chosen entirely at random during the first lap will win themselves one
of our new ‘Atlas’ jerseys (worth £39) and a well-deserved and muchneeded beer (£priceless).
Mountain Mayhem isn’t just a race, it’s a festival of cycling so get involved!
GIANT DIRT DEMO
Starting Friday 20th June going right through to
Sunday 22nd, as the race is going on around
you, you’ll be able to come along to the world’s
biggest bike demo run by our headline sponsor
Giant and take for a spin some right fancy
machinery. If you ever wanted to know how a
Scott Spark rode or needed to check out a Spot,
this is the time and the place to get hot and dirty
with some of the UK’s best brands. Below are
just some of the brands that will be there. You
don’t have to pre-book a slot, just turn up and
if the bike of your dreams is there ride on some
really off road terrain... Enjoy!
Brands exhibiting at Mountain Mayhem’s
Giant Dirt Demo this year include:
GIANT, SCOTT, MARIN, WHYTE,
NORCO, GT, MONGOOSE, CHARGE,
COTIC, KINESIS, YETI, SANTA CRUZ, IBIS,
TOMAC, SWOBO, SPOT, IF, VOODOO,
TREK, SPECIALIZED, ROCKY MOUNTAIN,
COVE, GENESIS, COMMENCAL, INTENSE,
SARACEN, BIONICON, MAVERICK, NINER,
CANNONDALE, IRON HORSE, BMC, FUJI
BIKES
All bikes are subject to availability
SRAM DRAG RACING
If you fancy a bit of last minute training how
about taking part in the inaugural SRAM ‘DRAG
RACING’ event:
WHERE:
On the Mayhem start line.
WHEN:
Friday 7.30pm
WHAT:
A special 200yard sprint, complete with traffic
light start and electronic timing, winner takes it
all, knock out event! Men against men, women
against women, with ‘special’ prizes for those
that enter into the spirit of the ‘Drag’ event.
HOW:
It’s a quid to enter with all proceeds going to the
winner!
WHY:
Why not! Mayhem’s all about having fun and
if you can turn up and have a go at winning a
suitably tasteless Indianapolis style trophy just
for sprinting like a loon for 200 yards suitably
attired for fun and frolics then heck, come and
have a go!
NEILSON BEST DRESSED
CAMPSITE COMPETITION
GARMIN
THE RACE WITHIN A RACE
The very nice people at Garmin want to make
things a little bit more interesting during the
Mayhem race itself and have come up with the
idea of a ‘race within a race’. Basically they will
have 10 Garmin Edge GPS units available for
loan during the event, which are to be used
for one lap at a time. You pop over, pick up a
Garmin Edge, do your lap, return the product to
Garmin and they’ll upload your data, at which
point you’ll be able to see how you compare to
other riders out there.
Cunningly they’ll have a couple of Elite boys
and girls out there recording their lap data too so
you’ll also be able to compare how you’re doing
against the likes of riders such as, Nick Craig,
Ian Wilkinson, Sue Clarke or Kate Potter.
All you have to do is pop over to the Garmin
stand with your race number and some ID, pick
up a unit, do your one lap, return it to Garmin
where they will then upload the data. You’ll then
see how you compare to your peers and the
elites.
After the race Garmin will award some prizes
- Two products: one to the fastest rider and one
random spot prize to someone who took part
in the Garmin Race within a Race. Go on, you
know you’re curious!
MOST ‘ORIGINAL’ PHOTO COMPETITION
Get your cameras at the ready, get your creative juices flowing and
you may find yourself not only squeaky clean for a whole year but be
able to video stuff too...
Sounds too good a chance to miss?
Well our latest supporting sponsor to come on board really wants to
see what all the fuss is about with our fantastic event and how best to
show them? Well we reckon, in a really creative picture summing up
what Mayhem is all about. Whether it’s that shot of your team mates at
3am looking a bit tired and dishevelled but grinning ear to ear, or your
bike covered in a huge layer of mud. We want you to show us what
Mayhem means to you in picture form. Photos must be of this year’s
Mayhem experience.
For the winner, expect a load of Original Source goodies, enough
to help scrape off all that mud from behind your ears for the next
year plus a cracking helmet cam, which means you can record your
epic journeys for all to enjoy! Email your pics after the event to: info@
mayhemworld.co.uk
Just send us jpeg files 400x600 pixels at most, with your name/
email address and contact phone number and don’t forget a catchy
caption for your photo! We’ll have a little gallery of all the entrants and
Original Source will choose who they think has captured Mayhem for
them and we of course will let you know who that lucky winner is! Oh
and the closing date to get those entries in is the 4th July ‘08.
www.singletrackworld.com
One of the latest sponsors to come onboard
- NEILSON HOLIDAYS, has fully embraced
the Mayhem spirit and wants to spread a bit of
summer fun through out the campsite. With this
in mind, they want to see how creative our riders
and supporters can really be...
Up for grabs is a cool £1,000 worth of holiday
vouchers (don’t worry, you’ll be able to split them
between you).
What do you have to do to earn a chance of
grabbing a handful of vouchers? Well they’d
like you to get into the holiday spirit too, by
decorating your camp.
Get those fairy lights shining, sort out some
matching curtains to go with your Lycra... it’s
up to you how you decorate, whether it’s a
pink theme or an earthy, mother nature feel,
that’s all up to you! So get your thinking caps
on. Representatives of Neilson Holidays will
be tripping the light fantastic during Mayhem
weekend, looking for the one campsite that
stands out... it could be yours!
TICKET TO RIDE/KRYPTONITE BIKE
LOCK-UP
Just leave your bike at the Ticket2Ride/
Kryptonite bike lock-up and you could win a
fantastic Ticket2Ride holiday for two! You’ll get
one free entry every time you leave your bike:
safe bike = chance of winning a free holiday.
You know it makes sense!
ONZA BIKE TRIALS DEMO
Photo: Joolze Dymond
The kings of the UK’s bike trials scene will
be on hand at Mountain Mayhem, demoing
what they do best! Top riders including, Wayne
Mohamet, Karl Donnerlly and Jack Carthy (who,
incidentally has been tipped by some to be
World Champion one day) will be performing an
array of impressive tricks and stunts all weekend
for Mayhem visitors. You will never see bikes
ridden quite so impressively as this, be prepared
to be stunned and amazed!
KENDA INNER TUBE AMNESTY
NiteRider will be providing charging for both
NiteRider light customers and other light brands.
The charging station will be manned during
the night so you just need to turn up with your
battery and charger.
As well as providing charging for competitors
they will also have a few lights for sale and a
limited number to rent for the duration of the
event. On top of all this they will have their expert
NiteRider guru Julie Browne (fresh back from
NiteRider land in the States) to help answer any
questions and carry out any emergency repairs
of Niterider lights that you may have.
There will also be the chance to pick
up a limited number of reconditioned and
discontinued lightsets at the event for a
reasonable price.
Due to popular demand, Kenda will once again
be returning to Mountain Mayhem with their
Inner Tube Amnesty, ready to rescue all those
unfortunate competitors who manage to get
themselves a puncture or two.
The free Kenda inner tube replacement
scheme will be open to all Mountain Mayhem
competitors with punctures that have occurred
in the race only. This is limited to a maximum of
two replacement inner tubes per person.
Kenda will also be proudly presenting their
Premium Signature tyre series at Mayhem. This
will enable you to see designs from legends
such as John Tomac, Hans Rey, Tinker Juarez
and Eric Carter.
So don’t forget to visit the Kenda team at to
get your bike back on track and you back in the
race and while you’re there you’ll undoubtedly
pick up some great ideas about what tyres to
use - at Mayhem and beyond!
MAYHEM VILLAGE
MAYHEM SPORTIVE
NITERIDER
FREE LIGHT CHARGING
Mayhem wouldn’t be Mayhem, firstly without
all the enthusiasm from the thousands of riders
who have made it one of the biggest and the
best loved mountain bike events in the world.
But also we wouldn’t be able to deliver such a
brilliant experience without all the support from
our sponsors. This year the Mayhem Village will
be buzzing with loads more exhibitors, keen to
show you the latest bling bikes for your bike, or
yourself. Have a browse and pick up a bargain
or two. Take a ride on the huge demo fleet and
get the kids stuck into Mini Mayhem. There’ll be
lots to see and do, oh and if you have a spare
few minutes perhaps you’ll remember to ride a
few laps of the race too!
ADIDAS EYEWEAR - BUFFWEAR - BACK ON
TRACK - BIONICON - BMC - CANONDALE
- CHARGE BIKES - CLIMB ON BIKES COLNAGO - COMMENCAL - COTIC - COVE
- CYCLEACTIVE - ENDURA - EASTON - FIBRAX
- FAT FACE - FIZIK - FUJI BIKES - FUSION GIANT - GARMIN - GENESIS - GIRLS RUN
TOO - GT - GROOVY SMOOTHIES - HILL &
VALLEY COFFEE - HOPE ENGINEERING IMPSPORT - INTENSE - KENDA - KAHUNA
- KINESIS - LOOK MOUNTAIN BIKES - LUCY
LOVELOCK’S - MAGURA - MUC-OFF - MET
HELMETS - MADISON/ULTIMATE PERSUITS MAGICALIA - MARZOCCHI - MBUK - MEMORY
MAP - MOJO SUSPENSION - MONGOOSE
- NEILSON - NITERIDER - ORIGINAL SOURCE
- ROCKSHOX - RED BULL - RIDGEBACK ROCKY MOUNTAIN - SIS - SHIMANO - SRAM
- SADDLESKEDADDLE - SALSA - SANTA CRUZ
- SARACEN - SCOTT SPORTS - SELE-ITALIA
- SINGLETRACK - SPECIALIZED - TOPEAK
- THAI KITCHEN - USE - WILF’S - WINDWAVE WHAT MOUNTAIN BIKE - YETI
When Mountain Mayhem was created back in
the late ‘90s, a festival evolved over the years
that was probably beyond the organisers’
expectations. A festival that now, has such a
following that the event is synonymous with
the words ‘mountain biking’. The energy and
excitement that Mayhem has come to represent,
turns this event into more than just a race, it’s an
experience. One which now the mountain bikers
feel ready to share with the road community and
so the Mayhem Classic sportive is born...
Get down to the entrance gate at 8am on
Sunday morning, to see the start of the inaugural
100km Mayhem Classic Sportive ride which will
take in the best of the surrounding countryside.
It’s not a race, just a get together of like-minded
souls who enjoy exploring new and challenging
routes.
The route will climb a total of 5,649ft but the
good news is the descent of a total of 5,798ft...
The Sportive is proudly supported by the
Hereford Times.
www.singletrackworld.com
This year we’ve thought long and hard about
sorting out some choice foodie companies that
we think will float your boat. First up of course
will be WILF’s providing all those carb-tastic
calories to keep you going night and day.
WILF’s will be awake all night providing those
essential hot and cold, food and drink options.
Also for all those fine coffee lovers, HILL &
VALLEY COFFEE will be on site, delivering all
manner of caffeine derived delights. Charlie
will be awake all night, ready to whip up
your favourite mocha chocca, skinny latte
frappuccino, or something... He has some mean
chocolate brownies too and if it’s hot, those iced
coffees of his are the business!
New for 2008 is the THAI KITCHEN, offering
up a tasty menu of freshly cooked and delicious
Thai food...yum! They pride themselves on all
their ingredients being ethically sourced as well
as being GM free. All of the cooking and most
of the preparation is done on site, in the kitchen,
right in front of the customers. For a healthy
and authentic flavour they only use fresh herbs
and spices and never any artificial colourings,
flavourings or preservatives.
Also new for this year will be GROOVY
SMOOTHIES. They believe in the simple
pleasures in life: sunshine, funky music, and the
pure and natural goodness of real fruit, so they
should fit in really well with all things Mayhem!
All their smoothies are made only from fruit,
ice and a splash of water (to help it up the
straw!), with tasty additions such as fresh mint,
real chocolate, ginger, honey and muesli; and
their lassis are made from fruit, ice, and natural
yoghurt. They are at this moment beavering
away in the kitchen working on a special
Mayhem Smoothie designed to tantalise your
taste buds whilst delivering you just hit the spot
type sensation, revitalising and re energising you
along the way!
Last but not least we’ll also have the pleasure
of the lovely LUCY LOVELOCKS, a small
family run business who will be providing all
weekend, quality fresh fruit, vegetable, salads
and other produce all sourced from local farms.
They will have a wonderful assortment of fresh
local strawberries, juicy vine tomatoes, tender
fresh lettuce, raspberries, apples, pears and
blueberries (subject of course to availability).
There will also be some more exotic fruits, such
as bananas, grapes and sliced melons, as they
are very popular as a healthy snack, these will
be either Fair-Trade and/or organic. Oh and if
you fancy a full English breakfast in the morning
Lucy Lovelocks will have a bountiful selection
of fresh free-range eggs, local juices, fresh
baked breads, and Phipps the butchers’ award
winning sausages and three-time award winning
handmade pork pies - all at very competitive
prices. Plus they are offering a fantastic next
day delivery service on any essentials you may
have run out of or forgotten, this includes milk,
cheese, tea, coffee, sugar and basic sundries.
What a great service!
www.singletrackworld.com
No this isn’t about flavoured vodka drinks, or even the resident castle ghost
who sometimes likes to wander around the estate at night (keep an eye out
for him in Spooky Woods...). This is about all the things that make Mayhem
such a fantastic event, the camaraderie, the fun, success over adversity that
sort of thing. We see it every year at Mayhem in some form or another, the
rider who punctures out on the course and other riders will stop and help,
the rider who has a mechanical mid-section and has to walk the remainder
of the lap and does so with a smile, keen to get back so as to not let their
team mates down, the solo rider who keeps pushing on against all the
odds...
The Spirit of Mayhem should be:
* about getting stuck in
* grinning come what may
* Revelling in the challenge
* about spitting in the face of adversity
* Enjoying the event to the full
GO-RIDE SESSION TIMES:
Saturday 21st June 10am-1pm & 2.30pm -5pm
Sunday 22nd June 10am - 1pm
STOP PRESS - £500 worth of holiday vouchers
up for grabs!
Any child taking part in Mini Mayhem could
have the chance to win £500 worth of holiday
vouchers, thanks to the very nice people at
Neilson Holidays.
There’s no pressure, just get junior over to
have a bit of fun and he/she may be the lucky
recipient of a spot prize. Can’t say better than
that really, thank you Neilson!
So now we’d like to award a person/a team who most sums up the
whole Mayhem experience and your vote will count! Future Publishing
staffers will be keeping an eye out for possible nominees, for this special
award. At the end of Mayhem we’ll have a short list of contenders and then
it’ll be up to you to choose... using your vocals chords. Then the winner will
be presented with a Spirit of Mayhem Award plus a free subscription to one
of Future publishing’s cycling titles, What Mountain Bike or MBUK.
Photo: Mark Alker
MAYHEM WORLD
Now we’re pleased to announce that Mountain Mayhem is not just for a weekend, it can be for life!
With the introduction of Mayhem World, the 24/7 - 365, website offering you news, views, tips and
advice on all things Mayhem. Mayhem World will be formally launched at Mountain Mayhem, where
you can come along and join our merry band of Mayhem enthusiasts. And all for free!
The Mayhem World Club has been created in association with Magicalia’s new quarterly title,
‘Shift’ and with Bike Magic. It costs nothing to join, but can save you heaps in essential must-have
goodies over the year, plus, as a club member you can also enter monthly competitions, with some
brilliant prizes in the offing. Also as an ongoing promotion, Mayhem World Club will carefully hand
pick partners who offer you as a member great discounts on holidays, skills, parts and accessories
etc that will help you get the most out of your chosen experience.
If you’ve already signed up to Mayhem World Club your card will be available to pick up at the
Shift/ Mayhem World/BikeMagic marquee in the main arena. If you haven’t joined yet and want to
take advantage of the many offers available year round, and at Mayhem itself then go and say ‘hi’
and fill out the form.
It costs nothing and saves loads.
Go on - you know you want to!
Photo: Joolze Dymond
MAYHEM FOOD
SPIRIT OF MAYHEM AWARD
Young Mayhem riders will be able to pit their
newly acquired skills against the clock, after a
short skills based sessions with coaching input
from British Cycling Go-Ride coaches. The skills
test will tests skills such as riding slowly, riding
under a limbo pole, bottle pick up and put
down, slalom, mini ramp etc.
Don’t worry if your first go isn’t as fast as you
want it to be! There will be lots of opportunity
to have repeat goes. The main aims for Mini
Mayhem is to have fun, be safe and be
accessible for all.
Photo: Joolze Dymond
Photo: Joolze Dymond
MINI MAYHEM
Sascha Wells - 24 hr Solo Novice...
Sascha Wells is one gutsy lady, this will be her first taste of 24 hr riding
solo and not only has she little experience at the whole enduro thing but
also to make matters more complicated she’s doing the event on her trusty
singlespeed. Not one to back down from a challenge she has literally put
her money where her mouth is after a bit of banter on a popular forum and
is now using her own personal challenge as a means not only to prove
all the soothsayers wrong but to also raise some money for two worthy
charities: Marie Curie and Normal Birth Fund.
If she fails her goal of achieving at least 12 laps she herself will pay
up £50, if she does succeed hopefully all you lovely people will have
contributed to a great cause, oh and she’ll get her partner Rich to cough
up £50 as to be honest he has a lot to do with Sascha doing this ride.
If you’d like to help Sascha reach her target and support her worthy
cause pop over to: www.justgiving.com/saschawells and please give
generously.
We’ll update you after the event on www.mayhemworld.co.uk and let
you know how she got on! Meanwhile Good luck Sascha we’ll be cheering
for you out there!
www.singletrackworld.com
55
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3
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1
23
13
6
20 19
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64
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First Aid
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
29 28 27 26 25 24
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5
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Map may be subject to slight alterations
1 Giant
2 Endura
3 Science in Sport
4 Adidas
5 Niterider
6 Saddleskedaddle
7 Original Source
8 Garmin
9 Fibrax
10 Climb On Bikes
11 Shimano
12 Magura
13 ExtraUK
14 Hope
15 Windwave
16 T.B.C
17 Hill and Valley Coffee
18 Fat Face
19 USE
20 Back On Track
21 Shred
22 T.B.C
23 Specialized
24 Bionicon
25 Rocky Mountain
26 Upgrade
27 Sideways Cycles
28 Singletrack
29 Onza
30 Moore & Large
31 Dodgy Gear
32 R.J.C
33 ProVision
34 Fuki
35 Saracen
36 Superstar Components
37 Trek
38 Cotic
39 Chicken & Sons
40 Mojo
41 Retrobike
42 Propel
43 Cambrian Tyres
44 Embers Merino
45 Cannondale
46 2Pure
47 Ironhorse
48 GT Mongoose
49 Salsa
50 Marin
51 Yeti
52 Stif
53 Santa Cruz
54 Pedros
55 Girls Run Too
56 Kryptonite / Ticket 2 Ride
57 Charge Bikes
58 Fisher Outdoor
59 SRAM
60 Memory Map
61 Scott
62 Buffera
63 Everyday Cycling
64 Army Adventure
1 Original Source Stretch
2 Evil Eye Point
3 Neilson Adventure
74
4 What Mountain Bike
Fun
Ordnance Survey mapping © Crown copyright. AM57/08
37
NOTES
75
5 Garmin Edge
6 Endura Corkscrew
7 Kenda Klimb
8 Gerber Descent
39
39
8
38
Start/ Finish
38
7
2
1
5
4
3
6
www.singletrackworld.com
37
As usual we happy few from Singletrack Magazine
will be having a stand in the Exhibitors Arena.
Staffed on a strictly random rotation basis by
whoever isn’t out racing the course, taking rider
photos or heckling competitors. Please do pop by
and say hello.
New Singletrack “Atlas” Jersey
A new jersey for a new race season. Hope you like it.
Only £39
Friday Night Party
From 7pm onwards at the Singletrack stand we’ll be throwing a little soiree.
Free buffet to scoff, wicked tunes to jig about to and screenings of the
latest mountain bike DVD’s to gawk at (if we can remember how to work
our new projector).
Everyone is invited – even those of you with shaved legs.
Saturday Jersey Offer
Singletrack First Lap Offer
To celebrate the launch of our latest cycling jersey design, we’ll give away
one FREE to a rider wearing any previous Singletrack jersey design on the
first lap. We’ll pick this rider at random (something like the 24th rider past
our secret observation point) so remember to wear your Singletrack jersey
proudly on your first lap. We hear they’re great to run in…
Singletrack ‘Olive’ T-Shirt
Our most popular T-Shirt design ever is back by popular demand.
Only £10.99
Plus, from 2pm onwards on Saturday, the first 50 riders who turn up at our
stand wearing a Singletrack jersey will win a Singletrack bottle stuffed with
various Torq energy products.
You never know when you might need that extra kick of energy of the
course of the weekend – even if it’s during the drive home when your
eyelids start to feel heavy!
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I
t’s takes a special kind of person to enter
Mountain Mayhem as a Soloist. And an even
more special kind of person to keep on going
for the full 24hours and not quit. Here’s the full
list of Solo Riders at this year’s event.
Number Team Name
To help you spot them, all Solo Riders’ number
boards have a “fluorescent cerise” triangle on
them and they also have a special sticker around
their seat posts.
Please do your bit to help keep these brave/
stupid people going by giving them words of
encouragement as they go by.
Rider Name
2500
Team 13
Rebecca Ezard
2548
Why Do I Do This Every Year
Marcus Mitchinson
2595 Gingerflash
2501
Bad Brains Caz
Carolyn Binns
2549
Rammy Raiders
Andrew Burges
2596 Graig Dolwin
Richard Starkie
Craig Dolwin
2502
Sally Bigham/Exposure Maxx
Sally Bigham
2550
Ellsworth/Freeborn
Ray Perry
2597 Brighton Mitre
Rupert Robin
2503
Element Racing
Melanie Alexander
2551
Stopadoodledoo
Jon Powell
2598 Mick Glancy
Mick Glancy
2504
Kate Cheesewright
Kate Cheesewright
2552
Henry Butterfield
Henry Butterfield
2599 Cycle Worx
Kevin Gaunt
2505
Kate McCoy
Kate McCoy
2553
Brian Harrison
Brian Harrison
2600 Bellys Gonna Get Ya
John Gallacher
2506
A Quick Release.com
Tracy Miles
2554
IronHorse Extreme
Anthony White
2601 Simon Fairbrother
Simon Fairbrother
2507
Grimey Limie – IronMaiden
Louise Clowes
2555
Al Gregory
Al Gregory
2602 Endurosolo
Andy Champion
2508
IronHorse Extreme
Fi Spotswood
2556
One of Twat Racing
Matt Beighton
2603 Worcester Red
Lee Brighton
2509
Mrs Flash
Clare Starkie
2557
Moonglu
Neil Dunkley
2604
Rough Riders/ Velocity Bikes CC
Stephen Walkling
Rough Riders/ Velocity Bikes CC
Mike Wickham
2510
Torq
Emma Bradley
2558
James Braid
James Braid
2605
2511
Sascha Wells
Sascha Wells
2559
Cympo Yn Cernyw
Rhys Ellis-Davies
2606 USE Lone Trekker
2512
UNO
Charlotte Blau
2560
Cant Stop Now
Rod Towart
2607 Ian Leitch / IF Racing
Ian Leitch
2513
MountainTrax
Lorraine Staley
2561
Nick Frendo
Nick Frendo
2608 Graham Dutton
Graham Dutton
2514
Torq / Kona
Lydia Gould
2562
Lonely Ed
Ed Napier
2609 Nik Pullen
Nik Pullen
2515
Phillip Davies
Phillip Davies
2563
Total Fitness Bath
Ian Gait
2610 Wife in a B & B
Roly Lambert
2516
The Muffin Man
Andrew Sheppard
2564
On One
David Powell
2611 Alf Jones Cycles
Alvin Jones
John Pitchers
2517
Ashton MTB Burger Van Lover
Dave Griffiths
2565
Graeme Dawson
Graeme Dawson
2612 Seamons CC ‘B’
Paul Aldridge
2518
Shredtopia
Paul Whittaker
2566
Rod Mason / On One
Rod Mason
2613 Rivette
N/A
2519
Shredtopia
Alan Motyer-Lowndes
2567
Spud On A Bike
Steve Wood
2614 Rivette
N/A
2520
Peak Midweek
Richard Naylar
2568
Rowenta Dave
Paul Roberts
2615 Andy Green
Andy Green
2521
Team 13
Richard Ezard
2569
Lee Walker
Lee Walker
2616 Sideshow Bob
Rob Bowering
2522
TSW Cycles
Dave Saunders
2570
Matthew Harris
Matthew Harris
2617 12 Stone
Tony Wilson
2523
Angus Bike Chain
Terry Davidson
2571
Martin Howles
Martin Howles
2618 Big Al
Alan Wheatland
2524
On-one.co.uk
Richard Seipp
2572
Moo
Moray Cooke
2619 Forbidden Domain
Gordon Wright
2525
James Lyon
James Lyon
2573
Luigi Squeegy
Simon Discoll
2620 Robin Ovenden
Robin Ovenden
2526
Ross Fryer
Ross Fryer
2574
Asthmatic Donkey
Carl Bartlam
2621 MTB Wales.co.uk
Colin Mytton
2527
Simon Goldrick
Simon Goldrick
2575
Mark Winter
Mark Winter
2622 Wiggle / Focus
Matthew Page
2528
Iron-horse Extreme
Richard Rothwell
2576
David Yapp
David Yapp
2623 Army CU
N/A
2529
Not a speeding bullet
James Davenport
2577
Bilko Boyo
Jim House
2624 Mark Richmond
Mark Richmond
2530
De Faff Meister
Andy Shaw
2578
Bob The Builder
Robert Haswell
2625 Kieron Mills
Kieron Mills
2531
Crammy Raider
Andy Watson
2579
Jason Miles
Jason Miles
2626 The Mighty Saurass
William Rollo
2532
Steve Beard
Steve Beard
2580
Dog Bike Enduro
Matthew Bennett
2627 The Mighty Saurass
Stephen Slade
2533
Bikefax
Neil Halcrow
2581
Mike Plucinski
Mike Plucinski
2628 Mammoth Lifestyle
Gary Ffoord
2534
Torq Bar
Richard Mills
2582
Veggimite
Sheldon Kilroe
2629 Back on Track Bikes
Keith Jones
2535
Retrobike.co.uk
Augustus Farmer
2583
Mantastic
Callum Swift
2630 Flossolo
Roy Barton
2536
Retrobike.co.uk
Ed Edwards
2584
Psyclepathe
Tam Weld
2631 Crosstrax
Stefan Macina
2537
Retrobike.co.uk
James Freeborough
2585
Team Pootle
Peter Worsfold
2632 Carlos Hernandez
Carlos Hernandez
2538
Stephen Day
Stephen Day
2586
Mountain Bike Challenge Fund Joe Whitaker
2633 Endurosolo
James Leavesley
2539
Avon & Somerset Police CC
Andy Davies
2587
Red Rooster
Stuart Staples
2634 Glenn Campbell
Glenn Campbell
2540
Mark Curling
Mark Curling
2588
Vacant 1
Steve Young
2635 Factory Earth
Gary Bridgeman
2541
Big Al
Alistair Dewar
2589
Sockpuppet
Danny Williams
2636 IronHorse Extreme
Leavesley
2542
Nick Welsh
Nick Welsh
2590
Andrew Smith
Andrew Smith
2637 Mike Cotty
Mike Cotty
2543
Phil Wright
Phil Wright
2591
Stig
Dan Clowes
2638 Torq / Kona
James Lister
2544
On–One
Andy Cathcart
2592
Stuart Brown
Stuart Brown
2639 Torq / Kona
Charles Newton-Mason
2545
Mark Condliffe
Mark Condlliffe
2593
Skyline Cycles
Gareth Esplin
2640 Jezz Scarrett
Jezz Scarrett
2547
Ians Cycle Centre
Ian Musgrove
2594
Crouching Tiger
Chris Milford
2641 Fat Face
James Heraty
www.singletrackworld.com
www.singletrackworld.com
After cleaning the bike as best as I could I tried again to sleep, I couldn’t
force any food down which was a worry but I did manage to grab a little
sleep. I have no idea how long, I was soon awake panicking that I was late
but still had at least one and a half hours before my next lap. I tried to force
a bacon bun down but really struggled. The day seemed to soon pass, the
final lap I did was blighted by rain again and everyone’s lap times reflected
this. I did feel a little disappointed that it was my last lap really, despite my
fatigue I felt strong enough to carry on some more. Maybe I hadn’t pushed
myself quite hard enough… Chris had a real slog on his final lap, the
course was a real sufferfest now but he commendably plodded on getting
back in time to ensure that Mark who started for us with a run he didn’t
want to do suffered at the end too
It was a real eye opener of a weekend, riding our first (for Chris, Dave and
myself) 24 hour Marathon with a team organised on a forum from across
the UK and even Colorado, we managed to enjoy ourselves in the sick way
that must be par for the course. Soon the suffering will be forgotten and the
happy memories will lead to talks of the next one. Mark has suggested the
24 Hours of Moab next…
Phil Chaplow
Photo: Joolze Dymond
A few stories from 24 hour races gone by to get you in the mood.
O
verheard in the campsite, coming from
one of the tents around 3am: “I’ll do ALL
of your laps tomorrow if you’ll let me
sleep for 20 more minutes...”
“I was passed by a friend of mine on a night
lap one year. I’d blown, but he seemed cheery
and perky and rode off into the night without
seeming to need any lights. He must have
been using the Force. It didn’t last long though
because he finished his lap and then downed a
pint of coleslaw out of the tub because he was
so spent.”
“I came back from a lap and found that my
handover man was missing. I stormed off to the
campsite, but no one had seen him, so I did
another lap. When I returned, he STILL wasn’t
back, so we searched around and found him,
unconscious under a duvet, dribbling onto an
inflatable chair. We still made him ride his next
lap despite him not really knowing where he
was…
Here’s one rider’s view of his first ever 24 hour
race:
“What a weekend! I discovered new heights of
emotion on the roller coaster 24 hour racing
scene and survived to tell the tale I doubt very
much everything will come back to me as I write
this, by early evening on the first day I was losing
my marbles so it may take a few days yet before
my brain makes sense of it all.
… after the week’s rain the course was in fairly
good condition with the majority solid underfoot.
Who knows what would happen if it rained some
more with thousands of bikes passing over it
though. The Kenda climb didn’t seem as bad as
I expected but this was to prove much tougher
www.singletrackworld.com
as the race progressed. The second half of the
course did have the majority of the climbing and
the worst of the mud sections. Paul summed it
up well by saying it was all “climb, climb, climb,
crash, crash, climb”. I did have my first off of
the weekend on this side, cutting and bruising
my troublesome left knee after falling on an
off-camber rutted corner. At least it was my only
scrape of the weekend...
On return to camp our team spent a few
seconds on tactics and race organisation,
picked straws for the starter who would have
to do the run (tough luck Mark) and wondered
just what the hell we had let ourselves in for. The
start time soon came round, there was some real
quick runners and some slow walkers. I didn’t
see Mark who claimed to have a distinctive
run but he did well, once on his bike he put in
a good lap time to get us on the way. And so
we had started, Dave was next up followed by
me. Nerves set in as Dave set off and I made
myself ready, we were looking at lap times of
around an hour so in due course I made my way
up to make myself familiar with the swap over
procedure. In no time Dave appeared, passed
over the baton and I was away!
I had no idea of what pace to run but knew the
climbing would take its toll if I pushed too hard
so kept some in the tank. I was passing quite a
few riders so obviously wasn’t going too badly,
the majority that passed me were well out of my
league making me look motionless as they flew
past. The fitness levels of these riders is amazing
with handling skills to match, very impressive. I
completed my lap without incident, passing the
baton on to Chris. Back at the camp the bike
was cleaned and made ready before fuelling up
and relaxing as best as I could for a little while. I
was feeling very drained and tired after my first
lap, not a good sign of things to come but I was
determined to give it my best shot.
From this point onwards my brain shut down to
idle for some time, I couldn’t make much sense
of anything and struggled to work out when I
was next up. My early evening ride started just
before eight so I got away without fitting lights,
my next lap was after 12 and the most surreal. A
DJ in the woods provided a nice beat, a Guerilla
jumping out in the woods providing a laugh.
Drunken encouragement through the camp site
sections sometimes helped and the marshals
were commendable throughout. The only
downside was spluttering through the smoke of
fires.
I tried to grab a little nap before my next lap
but as soon as I lay down my mind was racing
trying to work out how long I had and how big
a sunflower could grow, I was a mess. I sat up
to check the time again and my legs cramped
badly and then it started to rain.
Confused and in pain I did think the whole idea
was sheer madness, with no sleep I got up and
checked my lights for the sixth time and had a
little talk with Julie who was up waiting for her
next lap. I made my way to the start and around
4.30am Dave came in, covered in mud he told
me the course was in a real state and it was
really tough going. It was, but I really enjoyed it.
The rain did stop but the gloopy mud sections
were a real chore, many people were stopping
to constantly clear the mud from their bikes
to make them work again. Julie was back at
a similar time to me and we had to attempt to
clean the bikes, it was amazing the worked at
all given the amount of mud on the drive train, it
really was sticky stuff. Julies rear wheel was very
impressive, you couldn’t see the spokes at all as
it was a solid mass of mud and grass.
Off you go, it’ll be fine…
I remember sending an inexperienced team-member out for a lap of
Sandwell with a set of tools he didn’t know how to use and learning later
that he’d found out the hard way what happens if you empty a CO2
cartridge while holding it in your bare hand... twice. (It frosts up and your
hand sticks to it0.
Then discovering that he’d decided to sneak back to the pits for some
mechanical help... through a field of waist-high nettles.
And feeling slightly guilty for not being more supportive when we found
him, purple legs and all... but being unable to stand up for pissing
ourselves.
I don’t think he raced with us the year after.
James T
Our (Ashtonmtb) MM always starts on a Wednesday evening when gang
of us pop over to Eastnor to errect our mini village. Once on site and found
a suitable place to camp/ache/heckle from we start off by cracking open
a couple of beers:-) Then work gets underway with a lawn mower and
strimmer:-)
We also bang in some fence posts and a bike rack big enough to hold in
excess of 40 bikes. Theres a marquee that gets put up for our own 24hr
chef and also a small tent for our masuse (sp??) Its all about a social fun
packed weekend for us and we wouldn’t miss it for anything.
Sheldon Attwood
Photo: Joolze Dymond
www.singletrackworld.com
Altitude 20
REYNOLDS 853 FRAME.
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SHIMANO XT/LX TRANSMISSION AND BRAKES.
£999.99
Photo: Joolze Dymond
CHIPPS’ GUIDE TO 24 HOUR RACES
As bizarre as it may seem, our very own Chipps is one of the UK’s most experienced 24 hour mountain
bike racers. We didn’t say he was any good, just experienced…
What to bring
There are two things to bear in mind for a 24
hour race. Firstly, you’re going to be camping in
a field for three days and should pack for that.
And secondly you’re going to be racing bikes
for around six hours over the weekend, plus
practice laps and trying bikes over the weekend
at the Giant Dirt Demo.
Camping: You’ll need a tent that’s big enough
for you, your exploding kitbag and you. If with a
non-racing partner, bear in mind they might not
want to have you getting up at 2am and coming
to bed at 4am so you might even want a tent
each. A tent that’s big enough to stand up in
is well worth it – and don’t underestimate how
much ‘breathing’ space you need to give dirty
tops and shorts – they’ll soon pile up.
Clothes: Bring enough clothes for hanging out
in for three days in ALL weathers. We’ve had
weather that’s varied from scorchio to cold and
www.singletrackworld.com
windy, clear and cold to sideways squally rain.
Bring enough gear to keep you happy and
assume that if it rains, some of it will get wet,
so bring spares too. The more rain gear you
bring to Mountain Mayhem, the less chance
there is of it actually raining, and that’s got to
be a good thing. If you’re not pushed for space,
bring some home comforts – if you’re only going
to be sleeping for a couple of hours, why not
bring pillows and a duvet from home and do
it in some comfort? Bring a big coat, whatever
the weather. You’ll need to keep warm while you
wait at the changeover corral and you’ll need
something big enough to go over your hydration
pack.
Racing Clothes: If you’re part of a four or five
person team, you’re going to be racing for five
or six hours – you’ll need enough gear to last
you for riding that long, which for most riders
means bringing ALL of your riding tops and
ALL of your shorts. Bring all of your socks too,
spare shoes, gloves and helmets if you have
them too. Better to bring too much than have to
pull wet socks on at 6am… ALL of your socks –
remember that.
Food
Real Food: There are plenty of good places to
get food at Mountain Mayhem, and they serve
throughout the night, throughout the event, but
if you want to cook at your campsite too, then
remember to bring food, utensils, stoves and all
those things you’re bound to forget. There are
a few places in nearby Ledbury that’ll be open
during the weekend if you want to volunteer
someone to go shopping for you. Remember it
can be hard to get your car out once you’re all
camped around it, so it’s an idea to leave a car
parked near the entrance for easy access.
Racing Food: In terms of racing food – the best
tip we can give you sounds counter-intuitive
but I guarantee it makes sense. And that is
‘Go shopping when you’re hungry’ – normally
an expensive no-no, but essential in this case.
At 4am, you’re simply not going to want to
spend the time and effort knocking together
a perfect Caesar Salad. To your addled brain,
cooking even fresh pasta will take too long
and your healthy muesli and fruit might seem
unappetising. I’ve seen racers, fresh off a lap,
insisting on eating whole salamis or an entire tub
of coleslaw. Or you’ll get an idea in your head
that you NEED a peanut butter and banana
sarnie on brown bread and nothing else will do.
The thing here is to remember that all food is
good if you’re going to eat it. You may have a
carefully balanced meal of carbs and proteins
lined up, but if you can’t stomach it, then it’ll do
you no good at all.
As long as you steer away from processed
sugars, you should be fine. The tip is to keep
your energy levels brimming and to just eat
lots of whatever you fancy. You’re riding a lot
so don’t worry about treating yourself to your
favourite snacks – it’s going to be far better than
running out of energy at the back end of the
course. Just remember to drink lots of water,
whatever you’re doing (and whatever else you’re
drinking) and you should be fine.
THE BIKE: 2008 BLUR LT
H
aving ridden Mayhem ten times (this’ll
be his 11th) and every Sleepless in the
Saddle, he’s also raced 24 hours in
Finale Italy, Moab Utah, Temecula California
and the one that started it all: The 24 hours of
Canaan in West Virginia.
In none of these races has his team
bothered the top 30 in the Sports class, so you
don’t have anything to worry about. But he has
amassed a great experience as to what to pack,
what to shop for and just how many socks to
bring. Here are some of his tips for a successful
race.
A4AdGnssAltitude20V1.indd 1
demo a bike in
the peak…
t 01433 621 111 E [email protected]
W www.18bikes.co.uk
11/6/08 16:18:10
SOMETIMES SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY LAND YOU
IN A PLACE WHERE NONE
OF IT MATTERS.
HiFi means high fidelity. Choosing a line and sticking with it. Thanks to our G2 Geometry, HiFi
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THE 1ST
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