Last weekend was the UKBikePark Summer DH Series Round 1 race in Dorset. After his win in the final round of the Winter Series here, Dan was hoping to do well again as they are now offering an Apple iPod Touch for the series winner!
Here’s how it went:
“Practice went well, the track was good, and I was really enjoying it. I rode with a group of other riders throughout the day, and we were pushing each other faster and faster, which was great for getting a feel on how fast everyone is, and where the fastest lines were. I had one small crash towards the end of the day from washing out in a very loose corner, but apart from that there were no incidents.
It rained overnight, and this made the track much grippier, and faster to ride. I got 4 practice runs in before race runs just to make sure I had all my lines dialled. First race run went well, I rode fast, but not flat out, to get a safe run down. I was placed 3rd after the 1st runs, but knew that everyone would step it up for the second runs, so after having some food and drink, I went over for my second run. I pushed hard for this run, pedalling everywhere I could and braking late, I got to the bottom and had to wait ’till all the riders had finished to find out where I had finished. I ended up going almost a second faster, which kept me in 3rd. There is some controversy over whether I actually got 3rd or not though, as the official timing results say that I was fourth, but I got the trophy for 3rd place!
Overall I am pleased with this as I got on the podium ( and if I was actually 4th, I was only .1sec off the podium ), which is what I wanted to achieve.
My next race is at Llangollen for the Welsh Championships, arguably the hardest track in the UK. I don’t really have an aim for this race, as last time I did shockingly badly and finished last. I would like to finish towards the top half of the field, but am really aiming to just use the race to see if all my skills training has payed off, and whether I can actually ride the track now!”
We’re off to Llangollen now for the Welsh Championships this weekend.
Tim (Dan’s Dad).
Pick up a copy from your local IBD or visit, http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/
The excellent Marin San Quentin dirt jump bike has won the MBUK Wrecked & Rated bike test.
They say “Single-handed proof that you can buy a do-everything fun bike on a budget”.
Visit your local newsagent to pick up the latest copy or click here to see what they say.
Marin’s San Anselmo Alfine city bike is a strong, well equipped, versatile piece of commuter fun. The high quality Shimano components, reassuring tyres and plush seatpost come together with a quality frame and fork package to provide a great pick me up on those morning rides to work.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is simply a short hop, get to work bike though, its equally at home on longer, casual rides on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Having ridden the San Anselmo on bridleways, riverside trails, old railway lines and tarmac I can confirm that the comfort levels make this bike a real pleasure to ride.
Marin have dipped their San Anselmo frame in Shimano Alfine componentry with the odd appearance from the Deore stable and the result is a reliable, quick shifting, relaxing ride. At the heart of this system is the internal 8 speed hub which offers wide-range gearing with an “everything inside” philosophy. The design of the hub and mounts gives the option of running disc brakes over the rim brakes on our test model. This level of flexibility sets the San Anselmo apart from some of its rivals.
This machine fits neatly into the limit for the Government’s cycle to work scheme which, since its introduction, has seen a glut of bikes released of all types and brands making the £800-£1000 price band one of the most competitive in the market. Marin are an American company with American heritage and design through all of their bikes and are most noted for their range of off road machines. Design in the States and manufacture in Taiwan makes for high quality and competitive pricing.
The San Anselmo has a smooth, bare Aluminium frame with chunky engineered welds, it does come with the luxury of a Carbon fork and this has the added benefit of mudguard eyelets. The practicalities have been extended to offering a good level of clearance, even with the 28mm Continental tyres that come as standard.
Given the quality of roads around at the moment (which have deteriorated rapidly since the frozen winter) the choice to spec a suspension seatpost was gratefully received. There is only an inch or so of damping but it did make a difference. Riding along the rutted and rough Avon riverside trail just out of Bristol toward Bath is something I’ve tried on a cross bike, a GT aggressor MTB, even my old Giant TCR roadie but by far the most relaxed was this Marin. The nimble frame, the smooth forks and suspension seatpost and the reliable Shimano kit all worked in harmony. The seatpost isn’t a high quality unit though and requires you to be in the right position to get the most out of it. The test bike was a 19” and given my 5ft 10” frame this should normally be just about right for me, but this frame felt small, I felt a bit cramped and as such I didn’t initially get the best performance out of the seatpost. This really does make me feel that you need to get down to your LBS to try before you buy unless you can find a mail order test facility as used by Wiggle on some of their ranges.
Shifts are smooth and quiet from the Alfine system, and the 32-97 inch gear range should be suitable for virtually all but the hilliest cities (of which Bristol is one!), nevertheless, out of the saddle efforts saw me up Park street and Whiteladies road with ease. Don’t attempt something daft and you wont be troubled.
And for more casual, less hardcore bike riders it makes a great deal of sense. Using an internal hub is not only neater than a derailleur but you can also change gear while you’re standing still, which is handy in slow moving, traffic light controlled city traffic. Given the British weather the enclosed design should help your gearing system last more miles between services than a regular derailleur layout.
Verdict
A very well equipped city bike with a few strokes of luxury that help it stand out from the crowd, just be sure to get the correct size.
Read more and see pictures at……………
http://road.cc/content/review/16968-marin-san-anselmo-alfine
Check out the latest review of the Rocky Ridge including a video on www.imbikemag.com
Marin Support of Trail Break Events hits the More Dirt website.
http://www.moredirt.co.uk/article/Marin-and-Whyte-to-back-Trail-Break-Events-in-2010/1462/
As part of the UCI Dalby XC organisation team I took some time out this afternoon for a sneaky loop around the red trail at Dalby. The dry trails really hammered my body, but the Attack Trail kept going through everything and brought me back for more, with a massive smile on my face. Riding on my own, the Attack Trail feels like a trusted old friend; despite only having the bike for a short time it feels like I have ridden it for years. When going into the Wilds it’s my weapon of choice, relaxed geometry, intuitive suspension and great build kit. Massively assured on the descents and sprightly enough for technical rock garden ascents, of which there are plenty at Dalby. Super dry trails, great singletrack, two deers and a peaceful 2 hours.
Come along to Dalby and see the latest 2010 bikes from our sister brand Whyte at the expo.
Seaford-based IBD Mr Cycles raised more than £500 for charity with a ride to nowhereon Marins in the shop window!
More »
Marin and Whyte to back Trail Break Events in 2010
New Bike Partners for Independent Event Organiser
Marin and Whyte bikes have been announced as the new bike partners of event organisers Trail Break, ahead of their forthcoming summer events season.
ATB Sales, the distributor for both brands, will be presenting the bikes at Trail Break’s Southern Trail Ride and Southern 100 Enduro events, and Whyte are being lined up as the bike partner for Septembers epic MaXx Exposure South Downs night enduro. ‘This is a partnership of established, independent brands”, says Trail Break’s Phil Harrison.
“The boom in cycling has inevitably seen the industry more and more controlled by investment capital and conglomerates, but the heart and soul of mountain biking comes from it’s independent pioneers. Marin, Whyte and Trail Break all fall into that bracket, all three are well established founder owned businesses and fully connected to their roots.”
“We will be working closely with both brands, ATB Sales and their independent dealer network to bring the best bikes and the best events to the market. As well as just presenting and demoing bikes, we are working on a range of special incentives and features to make sure the real value in this relationship is passed on to the riders.”
Ross Patterson, Sales and Marketing Director for ATB Sales, adds “We are delighted to be working with Trail Break. It’s a perfect synergy as like us, they are committed to innovating and delivering quality, and have been for the last 18 years”. The Trail Break Summer Season gets under way on April 24th. Check trailbreak.co.uk for news of Marin and Whyte at the following events:
24th April: Princes Risborough (Southern Trail Ride and Summit 65 Enduro)
8th May: Duncton, West Sussex (Southern Trail Ride and Southern 100 Enduro)
19th June: The Great Swindon Bike Ride (Southern Trail Ride and Southern 100 Enduro)
3rd July: Reigate, Surrey (Southern Trail Ride)
14th August: Woodcote, near Reading (Southern Trail Ride and Southern 100 Enduro)
3-4th September: South Downs Way Lemming Trail (100 mile end to end)
25-26th September: MaXx Exposure (80 mile South Downs night enduro)
16th October: North Downs (Southern Trail Ride)
Event details can be found at trailbreak.co.uk, and you can see the bikes at whytebikes.com and marin.co.uk.
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