Mini Enduro Round 2 2015

The Mini Enduro Series is always a great race for experienced riders seeking a challenge and riders who are just getting into racing. The Mini Enduro Series is brilliant for people seeking a chilled out weekend racing, whilst having that competitive edge between mates. Another sell out event saw it return to the famous Forest of Dean, a haven for mountain bikers riding anything from easy family cycle routes to full on DH tracks which has seen DH legends such as Danny Hart and Manon Carpenter race on. 

Another stunning weekends racing in the sun with bone dry trails was a great antidote to the normal ankle deep bog which the Forest of Dean unleashes on the Mini Enduro Series. These conditions made the trails run super quick and tight races between the top guys and girls in every category.

The trails were a great mix of pedalling and tech which was a great fitness test for the top guys before heading off to the first round of the national series in a fortnights time. 

Stage 1 – Everyones favourite stage. The top section started off on one of the old DH trails before dropping into some really nice flowy jumps and onto a variation of Corkscrew. After dropping onto the middle fire road the trail then dropped into one of the newest DH tracks (bottle opener). Consisting of off camber roots and drifty corners, the trail flowed really nice before dropping into the bottom section with small drop offs and even more roots!!

Stage 2 – One of the most pedally stages, this took riders over to a side of the forest that I haven’t explored before. A new top section started with a short pedal before weaving in and out of trees which made it very difficult to carry your speed. The stage then dropped onto the new section of the free miners trail going around long berms before going into the older section with roots everywhere making it very hard to get on the pedals. 

Stage 3 – Used in the previous Mini Enduro this was my favourite stage of the whole loop. After a sprint out of the start gate, the trail dropped into switch backs which were so dry making it super fast and flowy. After a short uphill it then went into the same section used for the last race, a steep chute with a few line choices. The bottom section was super fast with small ruts that you had to try and keep up right on and carry your speed out of. 

After chilling for a little and chatting to a few mates it seemed like everyone had a really good day riding their bikes.

Stage 4 – Not everyones favourite stage but a great fitness test. Starting off with single track this traversed across the hill with a few climbs making it super physical. After the single track, the trail dropped onto an old fire road which scared me a little because of the speeds you could reach. A small climb and a sharp left hander saw you into the finish. 

Local Boy Joe Adsett narrowly missing out on a podium finish in his first year senior “It’s a great vibe at the mini’s and you almost forget you’re racing. The tracks were super fast and flowed all the way down which made for super close racing. All my runs were pretty decent apart from stage one when I had a crash which cost me a podium”

Racing went really well for me. I felt that I handled the technical sections really well and I felt that I coped on the pedalling. After getting to the bottom of stage 1, quite a few of the guys in my category had a crash so to come away with a clean run was an achievement and I felt that I could be on for a podium. 

Stage 2 also went really well, I stayed on the pedals the whole way down and had a clean run down to the bottom. As stage 3 was my favourite stage I wanted to do well on this stage. I nailed the top and the middle section but as I was coming into the bottom section I went a little quick into one of the corners which was blown out. Unfortunately I crashed here, and after picking my bike up I carried on into the finish. Stage 4 also went well, but being one of the most pedally stages it was never going to be my favourite stage but I felt that it went well. 

Bad Ass Bikes and Intense rider Jack Sowden was looking smooth all weekend and was rewarded with his first ever podium and win in the enduro scene. “Well the race was awesome, felt pinned, kept it smooth and rubber side down. I really enjoyed the trails, especially stages 1 and 3, dry, natural, rooty and with a fair bit of pedalling. To say I’m happy with the win is an understatement, its my first race of 2015 and the first with my new team so to come away with a win was the perfect start to the season for me!”

After chilling for a little and chatting to a few mates it seemed like everyone had a really good day riding their bikes. Once we had got the result I found that I was 6th closely followed by friend and racing buddy Harry Sowden. 6th place was exactly what I wanted but I wasn’t too far behind the winner Jack Sowden.

Round 2 of the Red Kite Mondraker Enduro series at Coed Trallwm

After being told about the Red Kite Gravity Enduro by a friend, I made the journey to Coed Trallwm Trail Centre to race the second round of the series. The weather over the weekend was amazing, this made the trails dry, loose and very dusty.

The format of racing for this race was very different to other races I have previously entered. On the Saturday you got to practice 3 stages and then in the afternoon you raced those 3 stages and another blind!

I have never raced a stage blind before so this was a new experience for me. I really enjoyed this format as not knowing what was coming up kept you on your toes and you had to ride really smart to get a decent time.

We rolled up on Saturday morning to take a look at the trails and see what the Red Kite Enduro had to offer. After practicing Stages 2,3 & 4 it was apparent that it was going to be an awesome weekend of racing. The trails were very natural with off camber roots, stump jumps and lush loamy steep corners.

The Red Kite Enduro is a great race if you wanted to get into Enduro racing. The trails have a great mix of different terrain but as the racing format is so relaxed you can take your time going up to the next stage.

Simon Nash a familiar face in 4X decided to give enduro a go:

“General opinion was its a good crack with a relaxed atmosphere. Bit strange not having times to follow but meant a lot less stress. Timing system worked well. Trails were mint and certainly more “downhill” than I expected.”

As well as seeing many new faces this event saw a lot of familiar faces including Peter Lloyd from the Whyte Enduro Team.

“I had a very mixed weekend of racing. Put in some fast times but in the end, too many stupid little crashes cost me a lot of time and any chance of a podium finish. The trails, weather and atmosphere all weekend were brilliant though. Steep, fresh cut loam; what’s not to like?”

After having some lunch we made our way up to 4 timed Stages. The event used a timing system that I haven’t used before. You could turn up at the top of any stage when ever you want and with who ever you want. This meant you could socialise with people from other categories! Also when you did get to the top you could go whenever you wanted and you didn’t need to leave a gap between the rider in front so you could ride down the stages in a train with your riding buddies.

So after completing the 4 timed stages we rode down to the cafe, scanned our timing chips in and instantly printed on a receipt were our times. Once we had compared times with fellow riders I found out that I was in 1st place after day one of racing. This was a huge boost but I had to keep my cool as closely followed behind me was Craig Perk.

On Sunday we had to complete the 4 stages that we raced the previous day, another 2 new stages and stage 4 twice. So in total we had to complete 7 stages over a 15 mile loop. Stage 1 was a completely new stage for everyone consisting of awkward tree stumps which were placed in direct line to you hitting your front wheel and going over the bars. Stage 1 was the shortest stage of the loop only lasting for 1 min 18 seconds.

As the day went on the trails got better and better, the stages got longer, steeper and much harder! Stage 4 was everyone’s favourite stage, a completely fresh cut top section was super steep with stupidly tight switch backs which you had to try and navigate yourself around. After completing the top section a short fire road sprint took you into another fresh cut section into the finish.

Stage 6 was also a highlight to me. A mix of trail centre and fire road which you could easily reach speeds up to 35mph! The fire roads led into super drifty corners which you had to take a handful of back brake, stick your foot out, slide into the corner and hope you come out the other side!

A familiar riding club, MB Swindon, were riding this race once again. I spoke to James Scott who I was riding the loop with on Sunday:

“After all the trail centre Enduros these days it’s great to have an antidote to them with the Mondraker/Red Kite series. Proper tracks – steep, fresh cut, tech, roots, drops, loam but still keeping a mid stage sprint or two. More please!”

After completing the loop, from the look on everyone’s face and comparing timing receipts, it seemed like everyone had a great days racing.

I was very happy to take the top spot after having a few spills throughout the day by a healthy 20 seconds. I am now looking forward to racing next weekend and catching up with a few old faces before the first national of the year.

The Red Kite is definitely an event that’s growing in numbers with over 30 more riders entering this round than the last. It’s defiantly getting more popular thanks to its chilled out format and great trails.

Welsh Enduro Round 1

Mike Marsden organised his first Enduro back in September 2013 (PMBA Enduro series) and since then it has gone from strength to strength, now being one of the most popular Enduro series in the country. Mike felt the next natural step for his events was to spread further and work with other local organisers. He then spoke with Bud at the Penmachno Enduro and he was all over the idea. They got a team together and that’s how the Welsh Enduro Series was born. 

Round 1 for this new series was set at one of the most well known trail centres in the UK…Coed-Y-Brenin. Coed-Y-Brenin has a vast 140km trail network including 3 black trails, 3 red trails, 1 blue trail and a family trail. The 10 mile loop took riders around the majority of the orange trail (Tarw) which included 3 timed stages. I have been to Coed-Y-Brenin before after racing at Dyfi last year but I didn't get a chance to explore the other side of the hill. The condition of the trails were prime, they were fast and flowy and for a trail centre some of the stages were very challenging. 

I arrived first thing in the morning on Sunday to be met by blue sky, which was a nice change than the usual rain that North Wales unleashes. Once I had signed on, I went for a ride around the loop to take a look at the trails and what Coed-Y-Brenin has to offer. From my practice loop it was apparent that it was going to be a test for the legs as there was so much pedalling! 

Stage 1 (R-74) - This was the first stage for a reason, easily the most demanding stage, it included numerous uphills which seemed to go on for an eternity. About 4-6 minutes long depending on how much training you have done. This stage started off really nice with fast flowy single track and a few small rocks which could easily throw you off the side of the trail. The trick for the rest of the trail was to try and get up to speed and maintain it but with some short technical uphills this was a hard job for even the best riders. 

Stage 2 (Heart of Darkness / Snap/Crackle/Pop) - Used for the 2012 UK Gravity Enduro, this was my favourite stage starting off with an open technical section with rocky hairpin turns which made it hard to carry your speed and keep your balance. The stage then went onto a short fire road sprint before dropping into a freshly cut section built by NRW. The stage then dropped into the second section (Snap/Crackle/Pop) which saw many people pushing their bikes down in the morning practice with a flat rear tyre, including myself. 

Stage 3 (Rocky Horror / Old School / Dual Descender) - The longest stage of the day lasting for about 7 minutes, the trail started at the highest point of the route. A flat out rocky single track with a few drops and one climb into a fire road which took you into the second section. The second section was more natural and technical compared to the rest of the stages….tight singletrack through the trees await, and then onto the old dual descender section and a bermfest to finish!

One thing that I really liked about this race was the timing used, it was much easier than having to wait for the beeps at other races, as it meant that you could go whenever you wanted at the top of the hill. One thing that caught many riders out was that you had to stop at the bottom to scan your chip, even though we were told many times by the marshals, riders still went past the finish and had to run back! At sign on you had to choose a time slot, this was nice because if you have friends in different age categories you could still ride with them. It also meant that you could socialise with people from other categories which was a nice change.

“We felt the day was a great success.  When a team works together for the first time it’s often difficult knowing who’s doing what and what’s expected of who and each other.” Mike Marsden (race organiser) 

The race went well for me, I felt that I could have pedalled a little harder on stage 1 but stage 2 and 3 were great and I got a good clean run down on each one. I came 2nd overall in the under 18’s narrowly missing out to Jim Topliss.

“I felt that I did better in race runs than I did in practice and felt quite confident after stage 1. Kept it smooth on the top of stage 2 ready for the fire road, dropped into the bottom section which was the best bit of the whole race just typical Welsh downhill track. Dropped into stage 3…nice tight techy single track, left a little bit of power in the legs ready for the last section. I think I am going to book onto the rest of the series now!” Jim Topliss (Santa Cruz Syndicate) 

Ed Roberts narrowly took the overall win by a close margin of 3 seconds followed by Hywel Silvester. It was also great to see a huge turn out of women racing, one of which was a familiar face in the mountain bike scene, Anna Walters, a key player in the success of Bike Park Wales. ‘I had a fab weekend, it was glorious weather and I got to ride with one of my best friends! The stages were hard, a mix of pedally and rocky, it certainly tested me for my fitness and technically.’ 

Another familiar face in the enduro scene is Joe Harrison, who has recently come back from fracturing his growth plate in his knee and tearing some ligaments. “I had a really good day, the stages were better to race than I thought! I thought I had a flat again on stage 2 but I think I was just paranoid from practice. All in all an awesome event and happy to be 10th in senior”
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With over 150 already booked onto the next round, you should not delay to get registered. The next round will be held at the Marin Trail on the 31st May. Bud is once again organising the stages and you can expect more gravity and epic stages with the stage 3 once again a 7 minute test of endurance!!!

Thanks to everyone who organised the race and helped out on the day, it was thoroughly enjoyable and I am looking forward to the next one! 


http://borderline-events.co.uk


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggBrvfmDUic&feature=youtu.be

Grand Veteran

1st - Dafydd Roberts (Old Skool MTB)
2nd - Tegid Humphreys (Beics Brenin/Summit Cycles)
3rd - Nick Wilkin (Twisted Automotive / Moonglu)

Under 18 

1st - Jim Topliss (Steve Peat Syndicate)
2nd - Ollie Hooper (Wideopenmag/Pedal Progession) 
3rd - Sam Hockenhull

Master

1st - Hywel Silvester
2nd - Simon Price
3rd - Mat Wright



Pro Men 

1st - Ed Roberts (Evolution Bikes Gravity Racing)
2nd - Chay Granby (Cotic)
3rd - James Metcalfe (Yorkshire Bike Guides/Muc-Off/Nuun Hydration)

Senior 

1st - Phil Roberts (1868 RACING/ANTUR STINIOG)
2nd - Matt Hockenhull
3rd - Ryan Dutton (oneplanet adventure Llandegla)

Veteran 

1st - Scott Stephenson 
2nd - Joe Hay

ward
3rd - Adrian Bradley

Women 

1st - Sian Roberts
2nd - Sarah Barnwell
3rd - Anna Walters (Bike Park Wales)

Mini Enduro Round 1 Bike Park Wales

The first race of the year is always a daunting one. Who’s done the most training? Have I done too much training and not enough riding? Have I sat around on my arse too much?!

Bike Park Wales gave me my first chance of the year to answer all of those and – of course – enjoy the first enduro race at Bike Park Wales. Yep, it was the One Industries Mini Enduro.

One thing that I like about the Mini Enduro series is that it has a really chilled vibe which makes for good racing. It always seems that the riders are there to have fun and that’s how racing should be! We started the day with a coffee at BPW’s Forest Cafe and got on with some practice.

The 10 mile route consisted of 3 stages and took in the best of the bike park – include technical rocky chutes, steep switch backs and some mean pedally sections. There wasn’t huge amounts of line choice and no off-piste sections … so it was all about getting the tracks dialed in and just going for it.

Dai Hard was used for Stage 1 and although it wasn’t my favourite stage I had a decent run and managed to get down the hill in one piece putting me into 5th place. It was the only black run used throughout the loop and kicked off with a fast pedally section before diving into the darkness of the trees.

Once you got into the trees the trail turned gnarlier with boulders and roots which you could easily catch your pedal on. The trail then went back out into the open and traversed down the hill onto a very boggy section which you had to nail to keep your momentum into the finish.

Stage 2 was easily the most physically demanding stage, starting with a sprint across the hill making it twice as much effort with the head wind that whipped up for race runs. Once you had the pedal out of the way the trail finally went into the trees and away from the freezing cold wind.

The top section was a mixture of tight single track weaving through the trees with polished roots that sat waiting to throw you off course. After getting out of the trees the trail went into the bottom section ‘Rim Dinger’ and it lived up to its name. Taking out some top Elite riders such as Vini Crighton-poli getting a puncture on this critical section putting him out of contention of a podium finish.

I felt really good on the top section of this one but just like Vini I got caught out by Rim Dinger – smashing my wheel on a rock, taking a trip OTB and into the medic’s tent. Bent bars, broken mud guard and a sick note from the docs telling me not to carry on.

Another victim of the rock garden was Mason Pritchard (Team Skene). Looking for the win, Mason was on a flyer. He took poll position on Stage 3 and second on Stage 1 but unfortunately puncturing on Stage 2. Even with a puncture Mason still managed to get a respectable 4th place in the Under 18 category. He told me:

“It was cold, windy and a bit of a wait to start the race after practice! But with three wicked stages marked, I had a great day having a laugh with all the boys! Yeah I’m happy to only be 17secs off the win after splitting my sidewall on the front tyre before even getting into Rim Dinger! Fair to say I felt every rock on that stage!“

Last but not least (for everyone that made it that far!) was Stage 3 and the longest of the trails. It started with flowy single track and some roots that could catch out riders of all abilities. Then a small up hill into a few rollers that you had to keep your speed over to transition to the second part of the stage. The second section was a great way to end the race consisting of steep switch backs and ending over a small drop and a sprint into the finish. It was great fun in practice … but thanks to my tumble I missed out on hitting it in race runs. Next time!

I got back down to the finish area to see everyone comparing times and seeing where they came with their fellow friends and racers. From the vibe around the finish area everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves having fun and racing with their buddies.

At the finish line I caught up with Team Keek rider Ruairi Phelan who took the win in the under 18 category.

“The tracks they put together where sweet, they had a good mix of pedally stuff and typical Welsh steep rocky stuff. The first stage went well for me and I was buzzing after … maybe a bit too much!

The 2nd stage did not go so well with a crash at the top, I had twisted bars for the rest of the stage to be met with a puncture at the bottom (the same fate as every other person to come down!). Stage Three I had to pedal my lungs out – breathing out of every orifice to make up for time lost from the second stage and in doing so got the fastest junior time but only by the skin of my teeth. I totally loved it, it was  such a sweet weekend!”

The overall win went to Sam Shucksmith who beat second place Leon Rosser’s local knowledge by 5 seconds. It was also great to see a strong 10 women deep field with Robyn Walton taking the win. An honorable mention goes to Anna Walters who scored 3rd place – as one of the key players at Bike Park Wales it was great to see her on the podium!

For me it was an annoying end to the day but you win some and you lose some. However I still thoroughly enjoyed myself, racing with all the lads and had a great time. Hopefully I will do a better job next weekend at the first round the of Welsh Enduro Series!

Big thanks to Chris Roberts, Bike Park Wales and the rest of the One Industries Mini Enduro team for a cracking race!

UK Gravity Enduro 2014 Final Round

The 5th and final round of the 2014 UK Gravity Enduro Series was set in the spectacular surroundings of the Lake District. Before this race I had never ridden in the south Lakes before so I wasn't sure what to expect. But what I didn't know is that some the best trails that I have ever ridden were just around the corner.

I arrived on Thursday morning in a campsite near the finish area which was luxury a for us as there were showers and toilets that didn't smell and flushed! Myself and Joe Adsett soon made our way up to do some exploring and to see some of the trails.

We soon found our way to the top of stage 5 and rolled down into the dark and gloomy wood not really expecting much but as we exited the wood we were both buzzin from riding such and technical but flowy top section. We soon made our way down to the second half of the stage where we were hit by some flowy corners and small senders. As we dropped off the second fire road some small ruts caught you nicely and shot you from corner to corner which made it really easy to carry speed.

As we left we hoped the four other stages were as good as stage 5.

We woke up on Friday morning raring to go and soon made our way back up the first fire road climb which took us up to stage 1. Stage 1 consisted of loose ruts and corners which made it a constant struggle to stay clipped in and on the track. After the loose corner it dropped into a more freshly cut section with lots of different line choice going tight or wide into a few tight switch backs. The bottom of stage 1 was one of the hardest parts of the whole race for me as it was a trail sprint then up a grass field and down into the finish arena, so this was a part that I had to try and master for race day.

Stage 2 for me was one of the best trails that I have ever ridden and my favourite stage of the whole race. The whole stage consisted of flowy corners and off camber roots which threw you off line and into exposed stumps. The whole trail for me flowed really well and it seemed that you didn't need to put a pedal stroke in the whole way down.

We then made our way back up to stage 4 as stage 3 wasn't open till Saturday as it's a walkers' path. The climb was quite long from stage 2 back up the hill but it took in some of the most spectacular views I have seen in a long time. After cycling around for about 30 mins trying to find stage 4 we finally found the start and made our way down into the tight twisty woods then down onto a short fire road sprint and back into some freshly cut grass corners which held you really well and made it easy to carry speed.



After a very nice burger and sitting around the fire in the evening I was ready for another day of riding and racing.

Saturday came along and seeding was the main focus of the day. We slowly made our way back up for seeding and I wanted to get down without making any mistakes, which would mean that I would finish lower down the ranking. One decision which I wish I didn't make was wearing googles. Going into the first wooded section I could hardly see a thing but some how I managed to get out of the wooded section in one piece. I kept it clean and managed to come down to finish in 7th place which is my best seeding place so far this year so I was hoping to carry this into the next day of racing.



Racing quickly came along and we set off at 9:20 with a long days of racing awaited us. I was really happy with my racing as I some how managed to keep it clean and only made some small mistakes which cost me a few seconds on stage 4 where I had a OTB on the top section.





After a hards days racing I was really happy to get 5th place and taking my best result of the year. I would like to say thank you to all the UK Gravity Enduro team who put on an amazing series and i'm looking forward to next season of racing all ready.

Mini Downhill

On Sunday I had my first race of 2014 and unsurprisingly it was a wash out to say the least. I travelled to The Forest of Dean to race the second round of the Mini Downhill. On Thursday morning I was very please that Sheepskull had been chosen for this epic race. Me and Sheepskull have some past vengeance that I needed to change. Sheepskull was my first ever track I raced on back in 2011 and to say the least it wasn't my best result, crashing and bending my crank wasn't what I was hoping for.

I decided to mix it up a bit and enter the hardtail category, hoping to do quite well. I turned up on Sunday morning with the rain poring down and I had to drag myself out of the car to sign on. I pedalled up to the start (which some people thought wasn't right) and begun sessioning the top section and making my way down. Over the years sheepskull has grown in excessive breaking bumps which made it a lot harder of my 120mm cotic soul! The top section consisted of roots and a few small burms. This section was hard as it was basically flat and made it a lot harder to carry speed.

 The second section was much easier as there was minimal braking bums and a few jumps which I am quite good at. As you dropped onto the second fire road there was a rooted section that lots of people were standing and watching and many people sliding out over the wet roots. This was a section I knew I had to do well and not slide out on as on my small hardtail would make it much harder. Surprisingly it went much better than I thought it would and made it down onto the fire road. The next section was a flat out section down to the finish line. After dropping down from the fire road you are hit with breaking bump after braking bump until you hit a small drop and a small uphill climb. The final section consisted of two small jumps and a switch back that lend onto breaking bump hell and a final jump into more breaking bumps then you have reached the finish line!

I was ready for my race run freezing cold at the start line trying to stay warm. I heard the beeps and went for it. I tried to put as many pedal stokes in as possible at the start line and went into the first section. I nailed the first section and dropped into the jumpy section. I hit the first jump well managed to cut the second corner well and made my way to the rooty section. Lots of people were spectating on this section so I didn't want to bail here! I went at it a little slow as I didn't want to wash out and that would be the end of my race run. I managed it well and dropped into breaking bump hell! I could feel my forks bottoming out as I hit every breaking bump but I stayed strong and rode through it all. I then came up to the little drop and decided to take the high line which didn't go well as it sent me off line and down the bank. I managed to ride it out but not sure how I did it though! I came into the finish straight and could feel myself ride though the line but NO my hand decided to come off of the bar and sent my OTB and landed next to the line! I picked my bike up and ran across the line! My first race run went ok but I knew I could go faster I went into second place knowing that I wanted to take the win.

I geared up for my second run ready to do much better and beat my last run at the least! I nailed all the sections up the to second fire rode where I dropped in went over the drop and realised I got a flat! The worst thing that could of happened! I took the walk of shame down the hill and joined my fellow hardtail racers!

Overall it was a great day and to top that as I was walking down and I heard 'could Ollie Hooper come here as we need to tell him to stick around for the best crash of the day!'. I managed to get on the podium twice and got given lots of freebies including some nice goggles with roll offs which I could of done with in my race run. 

Thanks to everyone involved with the race and making it such a great day despite of the weather. 

Winter Months

The summer days riding are feel like year ago now. Those days where it felt like day light was never ending and the dusty trails meant you never had to wash your bike. Winter is not come and the trails are getting muddy and nackered from a long summers riding.

Those dry trails are a dream!

Don't worry they will be back before you know it!

Winter is a key time for mountain bikers but only if you want to do well. You need something that keeps you going through the winter. That for me is to do well. Last year went ok for me exams meant I couldn't do as many races as I wanted to but the races I did I pushed too much and either crashed or made too many mistakes. That was a huge learning curve for me but I am going to take that into next year and improve upon it. My last race (mini enduro) I came 4th place which was a huge achievement for me and I felt I could have done better. This shows that I could do well just need to have more confidence in myself. 

A trip to FOD in the snow left me very very muddy! 

I hate cleaning me bike!

Through this winter I want to balance skill and fitness. At the moment I am on my road bike quite a lot in the week and on weekends I ride my mtb most days. I am now finding new riders to ride with such as Taylor Williams and Brooke Foster who are much quicker than me and this improves my skills and makes me want to go faster. Over the Christmas period I have bought myself a Contic soul. A hardtail xc bike which I am hopefully going to have built up by the end or Christmas. I hope riding a hardtail will teach me things that a full sus can't. 

We need to keep riding through the winter and face that those summer days will come back. If we keep riding through the winter the summer months will come quicker. They will be here sooner than you can imagine. Keep on riding!