Saracen British Downhill Series – Round 2 – Fort William – Sunday 12th May 2013

For round 2 of the Saracen British Downhill Series the team headed north to the Scottish Highlands and the UK’s Outdoor Capital Fort William. Widely regarded as one of the toughest downhill courses on the World Cup Downhill circuit, this race was seen by many of the world’s top downhill racers, as the chance to get some time on track a month ahead of the opening round of the 2013 World Cup Series which takes place in Fort William over the weekend of the 8th and 9th June.

Fort William’s 3km downhill course winds its way down the slopes of Aonach Mòr and is punctuated by unforgiving rocks, jumps, drops and steep rooty tree lined sections. All of this before the riders are fired out of the woods and onto the final section of the track known affectionately as the motor way which see riders launching over a series of massive jumps before dropping down a steep shoot and jumping into the finish arena.

As with round one the weather was a big factor and the riders were in for another wet and windy weekend. However the Fort William Track is designed to handle the worst of the weather and aside from the short sections through the trees the track conditions were a lot better than round one.

However as the riders get to the top by cable car the wind was a major consideration and with this in mind seeding which normally takes place on Sunday morning was brought forward to Saturday afternoon. With only a morning’s practice on track Blockhead Downhill team rider Josh Lowe was still getting up to speed as he recorded a time of 5.27.24 in his seeding run which was still fast enough to seed him in 9th place.

With the racing starting at 11am it was an early start for the team on Sunday morning. Josh was the first rider down as practice got underway and he focussed on getting his lines dialled and the Fox Suspension on his Trek bike set up for his race run. By the end of the morning’s practice session Josh was feeling confident that the seconds he’d been looking for had been found and that he was ready to improve on his seeding run time.

Racing at National Level is never easy and at the top of the course you could cut the atmosphere with a knife as a heady mix of nerves and adrenaline filled the air. Not only were the racers against each other and the clock but they were against the course too and Fort William course is renowned for being unforgiving for those that don’t treat it with the respect it deserves.

Josh was more than up for the challenge though and made the perfect start to his race run launching out of the start house. Carrying speed is all important when it comes to making time through the challenging fast rocky top section of the track and Josh wasn’t hanging around.

However Josh’s chances of repeating his win at round one were soon gone along with the air in his front tyre as he rounded one of the many corners only around a minute into his race run.

Not the result the team had all hoped for but there were a number of positives to take away from what had been a very productive weekend. “Unfortunately punctures are an element of racing. We do all we can to prevent them and this was the first of the weekend. Josh had done 8 runs of the course over Saturday and Sunday with no problems. It’s unfortunate that this happened on his race run, especially as we had every chance of being on the podium again” said Team Manager and Performance Coach Ian Warby.

“I was feeling confident and riding well, so to puncture as high up on the course as I did was frustrating. The changes we’d made over night and this morning had made a big difference and I was feeling confident of putting in a good time.  There are lots of positives from the weekend and I’m looking forward to getting back on the podium at round three in Innerliethan in a few weeks’ time” said Team Rider Josh Lowe.

Blockhead Energy Chewing Gum launched on the 1st May 2013 – made from a brand new gum technology, Blockhead energy gum delivers an increase in cognitive and physical performance which is digested 5 times quicker than an energy drink. One pack of 10 gums is comparative to 4 energy drinks, so at £1.95 per pack they are great value for money. For more detail see www.block-head.com

Tesa Tape is the number one protective tape in the automotive industry. It’s perfect for protecting bikes too and preserving that show room look for longer.

Firecrest Mountain Biking provides skills and fitness consultancy providing a range of mountain bike skills courses on Aston Hill for riders of all ages and abilities along with fitness and performance coaching for keeping fit through to racing professionally.

To find out more about Blockhead Energy Downhill Team and Firecrest’s range of MTB Skills courses click over to the website www.firecrestmtb.com

The Blockhead Downhill Team is sponsored and supported by Blockhead Energy Chewing Gum, Firecrest Mountain Biking, Speedsport, IMB Magazine, Trek Bikes, Kali Protectives, Shoretrax Portable Mountain Bike Trails, Whackjob Clothing and Nomad Portable Power Washers.

Saracen British Downhill Series – Round 1 – Combe Sydenham – Sunday 14th April 2013

Blockhead Downhill Mountain Bike Racing Team

Saracen British Downhill Series – Round 1 – Combe Sydenham – Sunday 14th April 2013

It was the new kids on the block who took first place in the opening round of the British Downhill Series on Sunday 14th April

Josh Lowe - Blockhead DH

Josh Lowe drops into the the finish at the opening round of the British Downhill Series taking the win for Blockhead DH

Josh Lowe, riding for the brand new Blockhead Energy Gum DH Team scored his first win at national level, making it a dream debut for his delighted team who are now off to a flying start to their 2013 campaign.

Conditions at the Combe Sydenham course at Exmoor national park were challenging, following heavy rainfall the previous day, but newcomer Josh finished in the fastest time in the Expert Category, taking his place on the podium only four months after graduating from the Junior Category.

The Combe Sydenham course presents the racers with a number of challenges from the tight and twisty wooded sections that punctuate the hillside through to big jumps and high speeds that are a fans favourite through the open middle section of the track.

“I’d felt great coming into the weekend, my training (with Firecrest MTB) over the winter has gone really well and my new Trek bike performed brilliantly in the tough conditions,” said Josh. “With the weather making things so difficult so I am even more thrilled to take the win today.”

For team manager and performance coach Ian Warby, the result was a dream start to the season. “When we sat down and talked about setting the team up at the start of the year this was a dream. For Josh to be on top of the podium is a fantastic result and it’s great to get the season off to such a good start. I can’t thank our sponsors enough for working so hard to get the team here for round one and their support for our 2013 race programme.

Now The Blockhead team are looking forward to more wins as their riders compete at events across the UK and Europe over the summer.

Results

1 Josh LOWE Blockhead Energy DH Team 2:57.969 (1)  
2 George BELK Maxim Bikes 2:59.944 (2) 1.975s
3 Nikki WHILES Team Skene 3:01.290 (3) 3.321s
4 James STOCK   3:01.836 (4) 3.867s
5 Josh LEWIS StevePeatSyndicate 3:02.592 (5) 4.623s

Blockhead Energy Chewing Gum launches in May 1st 2013 – made from a brand new gum technology, Blockhead energy gum delivers an increase in cognitive and physical performance which is digested 5 times quicker than an energy drink. One pack of 10 gums is comparative to 4 energy drinks, so at £1.95 per pack they are great value for money. For more detail see www.block-head.com

Tesa Tape is the number one protective tape in the automotive industry. It’s perfect for protecting bikes too and preserving that show room look for longer.

Firecrest Mountain Biking provides skills and fitness consultancy providing a range of mountain bike skills courses on Aston Hill for riders of all ages and abilities.

To find out more about Blockhead Energy Downhill Team and Firecrest’s range of MTB Skills courses click over to the website www.firecrestmtb.com

The Blockhead Downhill Team is sponsored and supported by Blockhead Energy Chewing Gum, Firecrest Mountain Biking, Speedsport, IMB Magazine, Trek Bikes, Kali Protectives, Shoretrax Portable Mountain Bike Trails, Whackjob Clothing and Nomad Portable Power Washers.

The Cycle Show – Birmingham NEC

28th – 30th September 2012
Show highlights

NEW! – Take part in the last Tour Ride Sportive of the season, which will run alongside the show on Sunday 30th September

NEW! – Meet pro riders, medallists and celebs including Joanna Rowsell, Ed Clancy and Steve Peat in our new  VIP Lounge

NEW! – Round off a great day at the show on Saturday 29th September and watch an elite line up of international riders race around a custom built track in the Super crit

NEW! – Watch pro riders from MTB and BMX fight to win a daily cash prize on the Pump Track Challenge

Test ride the latest bikes from Specialized, Diamondback, Trek, Saracen, Rose and Pivot to name a few on the Dare 2b Outdoor MTB Demo Track

Watch the best freestyle BMX riders in the country battle it out for a £5k prize in the BMX Park Contest in the dedicated arena

Test out the latest road, electric and commuter bikes on the WASP Outdoor Road Bike Demo Track

Let the kids run loose on the Kids Test Tracks in cycling sessions run by fully qualified coaches

Try the latest specialist bikes for the elderly and disabled children and adults in the Inclusive Cycling Hub

Grab a coffee whilst watching interviews with cycling experts and celebs on The Stage

Top brands  – Here’s a snapshot of some of the top brands you’ll be able to see at the show:

Trek * Specialized Concept Stores * Colnago * BBB * Continental * Raleigh * Diamondback * Garmin * Condor * Ribble * Rose * Split Second * Rudy Project * Assos * Pinarello * Campagnolo * Kiddimoto * Cinelli * DMR * Kenesis * Dahon * Adidas * Hope * Rotor * Mavic * FSA plus many more

For more information about the show, visit www.cycleshow.co.uk

Stolen – Trek EX8 and Norco A-Line

Two of my clients Darren Carter and girlfriend Jo had their mountain bikes stolen from the Reading area over the weekend. Please keep and eye out folks.

If you have any news please contact your local Police Station or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Trek fuel EX6 black and gold large
Shimano drive train and Bontrager wheels.

Norco A-line 2005 Black Small/medium. 
Hope Tech v2 brakes hubs bbs and headset all in gunsmoke
Goodridge hoses and cable  
Mavic ex729 rims 
Sram x9 short cage, 
Crank Brother 5050xx 
888rc2x wc forks in white 
Shimano Saint cranks 
E13 chain device and white bashring 
Sram pg970dh cassette pg991 chain
Pushed fox dhx3 rear shock
Sunline stem and bars
Pro atherton saddle and grips
 
Both bikes had Maxxis Swampthings front and rear