A year in the woods

Its been a little quiet of late, so it's great timing that Ben 10 has released this latest edit of 'A year in the woods' to get us all fired up and ready to start a new year!

Sore legs and sore heads

Some collated images of this years Christmas Race. Thanks to Dom and Damo for most of them!

Full race results can be found here. The course definitely produced some surprises this year!

More images and post race banter is currently flooding our Facebook Group

	This picture is noteworthy not only as it features our winner, but also for the positioning of our very own club secretary post race.
A great mornings racing followed by a great evening out (which was followed inevitably by a very slow and not so energetic Sunday!) Thanks to all that turned out to support as well as race!

Christmas Race

This years Christmas Race will be held in Tiscott Woods.

Racing will start at 10:00. We will be getting the track ready from 07:30 so any help is greatly appreciated.

This years track has something for everyone, taking in two short climbs and a long downhill with as much pedalling as you are prepared to put in. It will be a figure of eight starting and finishing with the A39B climb with a nice downhill from the Dark Woods to Tiscott Bottom in the middle!.

As a reminder its not about winning, its all about the bragging rights of who you've beaten!

New Ben 10 edit October

No maps, no directions, no descriptions, no strava evidence, just dry jumping some local spots!

thanks to Ben 10

Long way round...

The post hurricane weather did not put anyone off from this weeks midweek night ride.

18 set off from Southfork for what turned out to be quite a long night in the saddle.

As with all rides with big numbers the chances of mechanicals and flats increase, and this weeks ride saw us with our fair share. A total of six flats in all (three from one individual!) slowed down the overall pace, but when we were going, we were going, with a fast pace, some good hills and a good deal of technical downs to keep everyone warm!

Thank you to all those that donated gear to those that weren't prepared to ensure that no one was left behind in the dark and wet!

See you all next week!... and don't forget to bring at least one tube!

Bike Park Wales edit #2

More Bike Park Wales action in this edit from Large

Border Crossing

Stripy Shirts @ Bike Park Wales

Credit Jon Hopper for the great edit.

Magnificent Seven

So it seems as if the the rain is a coming, and a warm bed was the better option for most this morning. 

But 6 dampened souls met up for this mornings ride, to face whatever could be thrown at them (including a snigger from our Club Secretary  as he drove by, nice and dry in his van!). It was wet, but still fast in through Suicide up to Tiscott, the 6 then became 7 as 1 other rider caught up after tracking us from the shop.

It wasn't a long ride, but it was still further than everyone else did from 07:30 on a wet Saturday morning.

Call that mud! Can't see what everyone was afraid of?

Good to see Tim our (pseudo) campanologist out again!

Remember "You're not made of tissue paper!"

Latest Ben 10 Tiscott edit

Amongst the other madness in Tiscott, Damon's TTF is conquered at 1:39!

October Sunset

Not the latest Indy band to hit the south west, but what we were treated to last night before we set off on this weeks midweek ride!

After the driest September since records began (according to the BBC) it was a little sticky under the tires after some rain earlier in the day, but it felt great!

A good mix of new old bikes and old new bikes took on Stowe, Millers, Pheasant pens (long way round) and a cheeky lap of Tiscott.

El Capitan seemed spurned on from watching the ladies road racing to get as many miles and hills in as possible, which wasn't to everyone's liking, but those that stuck with it all felt rewarded at the end.

We all know that all good things come to an end and its going to get muddier soon, so best get some miles in your legs to help cope with it when it gets here! 

Shoreline Awesome Foursome Quadrathlon

Well it wasn't ever going to be easy for anyone coming back into the competition as last years team winners of the Shoreline Awesome Foursome Quadrathlon.

But once again the Dept26 Quadrathlon Team of Tim Moyle, Lee Sampson, Brett Higham and Rob Shaw did it again!

Tim started the event strong for the team coming in third from the swim to transition, where Lee took over (on his 29er!) and grabbed back another place after 30km on the road. Brett then took to the water and gained the first spot within the first 2km of the 5km Kayak, this gave Rob the task of holding onto the lead through the 10km run.

It was commentated on as the closest finish of any Shoreline Quadrathlon, and the images of Rob sprinting in to finish really sum up the effort the whole team put in to keep Dept 26 at the top.

Well done team!, here's to next year and the possibility of Dept 26 also entering in a B team!