dre

So it's been another great year with Rocky Mountain Bicycles, We have just wrapped up the year with a ride with Dre the former Olympic xc pro and trail shredder from BC mid week and then the 4th year of the Trailhead triple crown. Other updates.. We have been racing cross and were not that far off the pace the top guys in the south west so can't wait to do more over the winter. 

off season

I'm enjoying the off season while staying fit putting in some road miles and 1.5m biking, update on 2016 in the next blog,till then enjoy the winter

late update!

Hi all, sorry for the lack of blogs of late, it seems riding has been getting in the way! Since 24-12 we have been clocking up the road miles before taking on some cyclocross racing, Have to say I have done two so far and love it, sure keeping me fired up over the winter, last weekend was the 4th ever Trailhead triple crown! What better prep for it than a cross on the Sunday, ride with rocky mountain pro Dre while he was over doing media with MBUK,so we had a killer day in Wales mid week then on the Saturday we crushed the triple in somewhat nasty conditions, before the Years out we will race a few more cross events and smash the 500km week over Xmas before getting back on the Rocky Mountain again in the new year racing some xc before going out and about trail riding for Rocky and spreading the word. Keep a look on here as I will be bashing out some fresh blogs and some photos. Happy trails! #love

Crankworx Whip-Off Worlds featuring Dennis Langestam

Drake McElroy Real Moto 2015

thunderbolt trail ride

rocky mtn thunderbolt

no chain

24-12

Having never done a 24 hour event or a five man team we came in to the event not knowing how it was going to go. The race was dry at the start but having not done a lap of the track my first lap was solid but not over rapid as the main climb came early in the lap, not aware this was the only big climb i saved some energy for later on in the loop. Some three hours later we were back out and pushed on a bit harder and took some more time off the lap but some slower riders cut my speed on the dh and tech sections. Come night time and i was starting to get in the mood for racing, With more skill needed and a run with less traffic i started to put in some quicker times and i was still feeling fresh. My second nigh ride and the rain was coming down but the lap was still quick and the team was all doing great stuff every lap. I got the call to say i would be needed to do the last lap, This time it was like a river out on the trail and we pushed on to make sure we held down second spot.  3 bottles of eye wash later it was time to head home, The Rocky Mountain/ Greenover team had put in a great ride and going 24 hours with no sleep was not as bad as i thought it would be and the racing not as hard as 12 hours solo. Big thanks to Rocky mountain Bicycles UK  for the support and making the trails so fun on the Thunderbolt. Also big props to the rest of the team ( Grant,JC,Bovey,Mudge) we smashed it.

Beach Breaker fat bike race

 This was my first ever ride on a fat bike and i was keen to see how the Blizzard would go. Thanks to sponsor Rocky Mountain for bringing me a bike to the race i was able to give the first ever Beach Breaker event a crack. The track was rolling and rainy conditions made the race fun but hard.

We got a good start and hit the first single track section in the front group, But passing was hard going and i waited a bit longer than i should on some parts and near the end of lap 1 i had fellow Rocky rider Mudgey for company, I tore up the next tech section and got a gap of about 15 seconds and after that i paced my race and was happy to keep the gap, We rolled in 3rd overall and 1st vet. Great event and my first ever fat bike race done and with a win to add to 2 top 10 crit road races, first home in a 100+ mile sportive, 4th in bikefest 12 hour solo and 7th in the pro/am off camber xc series its been a fun year. Next up 24-12 next weekend in a team of 4 for rocky mountain.

Alberto Contador Interview – How Is Contador Feeling Before The Tour De ...

Bike Fest 2015 (my hardest race ever)

Bike Fest 12 solo was a wet day in June.. The race got going and i was passed by both Rocky Mtn A and B teams (4 men teams) and soon found a pace i was happy with and on the steep climb at the back of the loop i passed the B team and was getting round a lot of the 4 and paired rider teams, i was trying to not push that hard but at Ashton its hard to ride the track slow, 4 hours in and i had been putting in 29 min laps and i went pop, i had blown up and i could not see how i was going to finish the race.. i focused on trying to make the 6 hour mark and then see how i felt, I was on the cola and fueled up and pushed on, Its a real head game race when you spot a solo rider, Is he on your lap? have you lapped him.. then you end up in a race bar to bar yet you have 5 hours to go! Come the 8 hour mark and again i started to blow again and i shut the speed off and focused on how many more laps i needed to do and just get the job done, We rolled in for 4th place, Have to say i was gutted not to get on the box but at the same time i could of been 20th, i had know idea how i would do in a race like this with so many riders that just do this style of events. So having done the race been ill and spent two days in bed sleeping im happy with 4th and have no plans to race 12 hour solo ever again!, Big thanks to Greenover/ Rocky Mountain UK, not only did they give me a great bike in the Thunderbolt that worked perfect all day and was the most fun bike ever on the jumps ( anyone behind me seemed to love my whips every lap ) and made the 12 hours a lot more fun than it could of been, But also for the pit support, Now were feeling better we have been up the woods boosting road gaps and jumps on the very same bike! Next big event will be the 24 hour race for Rocky as a team of 4, Its going to be rad!

BIKEFEST 2015

Quick snap of my Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt team bike pre bikefest 12 hour solo race looking fresh and steezy . full race blog coming next,

5 Minutes with Gordon Ramsay

HANNY - XGAMES to Colorado EP13

2016 Rocky Mountain Bicycle

The new DH bike has been in the works for some time, But now its almost here and it will be carbon!

Wiggins: Perfection

Torbay velo park action

A race spent mostly at the front and getting in some hard work as we head to bikefest in a few weeks time, 

#MYHOUR

Sugar...

So how much sugar did you have today? Not doing a big ride today? Eat and drink smart..If your not putting the energy out you sure as hell dont want to be putting the sugar based drinks in, save it for the hard long ride days and a treat and as a boost.

Eating on the move.. what do the pro riders in a grand tour eat for lunch??

So thats it?!, yep! Take note if your doing a sportive! Eat well and the right foods in the days before and you should not be looking at taking in much more than this! Maybe some extra fluids/bottles but dont over eat, I came first in my sportive this year by taking just the amount of food and drink needed but no gells every half hour or eating a full lunch and most of a sweet shop at the fuel stops, Eat and drink smart and try bars etc before your big event so you have products you will like and will work well for you. Now go smash a ride out!!

Update! thunderbolt and road racing..

 Another trip down to Torbay and another race with out any points, Still the race was a bunch from lap one till the end and i came up a few spots short of getting the job done.. Little gutted as Torbay seems easy over westpoint or ilton, I could head to Cornwall but points dont mean that much, At the end of the day its about getting in the mix having fun and i think im doing that rather than been off the back in a cat2/3 style race as i dont have the time or the energy to focus on road racing only as my main rolls to ride for Rocky Mountain Bicycles.

We have got some more seat time on the killer Thunderbolt! Get a demo bike and try one!! Its such a rapid yet fun bike to ride! Only a few weeks till BikeFest so we hope to ot get ill this year and keep putting in some solid rides over the coming weeks. Till next time!!

HANNY - Hard to Say Goodbye Ep.12

rapid up hill on the Thunderbolt

elbry xc shred on the Thunderbolt

Jens Voigt on retirement at Tour of California

Mark Cavendish's Worst Ever Pre-Race Mistake | Amgen Tour Of California ...

 Funny! check it!

Elbry joins Joystick and hookit

Stoked to say i will run Joystick bars and stems along with 35bikes.com brake pads and Sensus grips this year on my Thunderbolt. See you at a Rocky mtn ride day/night or at bikefest in the coming weeks.

Bike racing tips with Durianrider

Oakley 2015

The new Oakley cycle eye wear has landed and i have to say the mix on new tech and retro style looks cool as hell, Pic shows Greg Lemond sporting a very cool silver colourway. all the details on them here .

BIKE FEST NEWS!!!

The last two years i have entered BikeFest at Ashton Court in the paired event and we have landed on the box both times, So the plan was to give it one more go this year, Well my riding bro has a real bad back and can not ride for around 6 weeks! So we are changing our plans and will race BikeFest 12 hour solo next month! Its going to be a head and leg game, Lets hope for dry weather.

For this years event we will ride the Thunderbolt! having raced Ashton on a Rocky mountain element 26 and 29er it will be my first on 650b wheels. The Thunderbolts a super fun bike to ride so should make it a great 12 hours.

David Millar on life since retirement

Top dude, check it!!

Caroline Buchanan Documentary - World Champion Action Sport Athlete

torbay

A trip to the Torbay velo track, Almost got points!! lol, such a good race for me, in the mix at the front and driving the pack back up to any riders jumping off the front, sadly got a bit boxed in two turns from home to finish just outside the top 10, but a strong ride as we gear up for bikefest and a local race for Rocky Mtn UK distro Greenover so ran its colours and had some teammates for company. good times.

off the back at ilton

Road racing

After two Ilton races that have been hard work and not great i was keen to get racing proper and hit Westpoint, Im not that keen on the track but with my best result coming from my last race at Westpoint last year i was happy to get racing proper going for 2015, Right off the bat i was mid pack and felt ok, Just not as strong as i wanted to be, last year i could run at the front and off the front, so it ended in me staying with the main group that would shell riders out every lap, with 3 to go i was at the front for both laps going over the line but on the last lap i just lost the wheel of the attack and ended up coming in the rear of our group for about a 13th spot finish, I felt a little gutted not to do better, but were in a hole but its not all bad, Its been a solid month and with some speed work we hope we can have a strong summer of racing! we also have some big news coming about BikeFest!!

Training Around Work Or Study - How To Train With Limited Time

great little edit

BELL Moto-9 Flex Media Launch

My first pick for lids has to be Bell.

Road Bike Action Magazine's 2015 Sea Otter Classic Review

FreestyleXtreme Presents: 5 mins with Drake McElroy

Team Sky Diaries Episode 6 – Bradley Wiggins last race

Team Sky Diaries Episode 5 – 24 Hours to Paris-Roubaix

Ilton ~ Revo racing

 On the road this weekend racing for Revo, But a big week on the bike i just had very little in the legs and not on great form just staying in and battles for what ever i could get was all we could do.

New series coming up!

We are going to post some hint and tips on how to do well in grand fondos, races and training rides, EP1 will be next week!

road race, mtb race and a grand fondo win. all in one week!

We did our first ilton road event and that was a hard but fun event, The next day it was the last Off Camber bikes xc race, Then the following weekend it was the 100+ mile Grand Tours Grand Fondo.

I dont do many Grand Fondos so getting this one done early in the year i felt would be a good base training day,
We set off in the first wave and unlike any other i have done we had leaders from the event? They set a pace of about 20 mph and we all got in behind, About 5 miles out and a rider jumped off the front. We then hit the first small hill and we cut time in to the guy in front and a bunch of us went passed the lead riders and i got to the top the hill in second spot, once over the top i put the hammers down and jumped over to the guy out front and it felt like a road race, just we were only 10 miles in and in a break away of sorts, We then had two more riders join us but before long a group of about 8 more riders got on our wheels and the pace went up till we hit the first real proper climb up the side of cheddar, The group split all over the road and the first real test of egos and leg power was on show.. I got to the top third and then stopped to shed some clothing, A bunch of guys went past but i was sure we would all regroup. I pushed hard with 2 other riders on the way back down cheddar till i got stuck behind a car. Once on to the flat i did a lot work to bring back the guys in front and we hit the first feed zone as one group of about 8 riders. Off we go and a few flat miles, again i did a lot time near the front and then we were almost at bridgewater the pace went up as a guy in blue started to hammer along at 25 mph. Once out of town we hit the long climb and i was in 4th feeling the pace and thinking about backing off the gas a little till i looked back.. The rest had all gone we were now a lead group of 4 so i focused on staying with the guys in front and soon started to enjoy the pain and it turned in to a race to the top, i rolled over third and then kept the pace on with another rider on the fast dh, not till the flat did the other 2 cut the small gap down and join us. Second feed zone and a rider from behind our group of 4 did not stop and was out front, Just as we headed out the other riders from the early front group started to turn up, Our group of 4 rolled out but some of us stopped for a pee stop, So now i jumped on a guy in Giant kits wheel, he was trying to get on the guy in blues wheel who in turn was trying to catch the guy in the white club kit, Some miles later we all had got on each others wheels and the pace was hard and i was again feeling it, Then we spotted the guy out front, the rider in the Giant kit kicked off and jumped passed him and i followed with the others all racing after us, The next climb would be up triscombe and we were now a group of 5. We hit the bottom of the hill and the club kit rider was getting a run up and charged passed me with the giant guy on his wheel. As the hill kicked up i passed the club rider in to second and the giant guy was about 10 seconds up the road, By time we got to the top i had just got on his wheel and then went passed and he got in behind and we pushed on as the hill mellowed out a little. Once over the top we kept on the gas, the club and blue kit guys behind were strong on the flats and we felt they would hunt us down if we did not keep a good pace, down a dip i looked back and they were coming, we had about 1min on them, i went to the front and pushed on as i had this great idea that me and the giant guy could stay clear..I was doing about 70% of the work and want to get in the draft but i felt if the pace dropped the other 2 would catch us, as we got close to taunton the giant guy tells me his cooked and im not shocked, I was done as well, we hit the last big testing climb and now it was about just setting my own slow pace, what ever pace just to get to the top. Close to the top i looked back as i was blowing!?!the Giant guy was way down the hill, this was my time, i got over the top and my Garmin says 95 miles, can i go hard for 5 more miles.. I go full gas and the miles click off.. I hit few small hills and my front mechs now stuck and im in big ring only, i keep looking back but the roads clear, 100 miles pass and no finish.. It seems the grand fondos more than a 100 miles ( 106)! I dig deep all the way to the line and come home well cear of anyone, Never thought i would ever win a grand fondo. Happy days.

HANNY - We're Going Up EP11

offcamber xc end of series round : photo blog

First race on the Rocky Mountain Bicycles Thunderbolt was a blast.

inCycle Riders: Mark Cavendish - 2015

100 - Best of Josh Hansen

xc series finished

 Only one rider mans up and goes short sleeve jersey..

 The heat is on! after a let down 13th last time out it was a battle with the head and the track to do better.

 A new dh section of trail was super good fun even if it did feel like a fully would save you time and energy, After a real strong start we put in a bunch of PB times around the track

 Catching and passing a off camber team rider early on lap 1.

So last time i was pissed to finish 13th, this time i was real happy to end 15th? Just a strong line of riders this time, my times show i was as fast as when i got a 5th a few months ago so we feel were back on track and my 5 rounds to get points are done, Happy with 7th in the series.

Chad Reed On Training and Early Career Path

offcamber xc race

Full race blog coming later in the week, but results are in and it was 14th today in the 19+ cat.

Fxck Cancer | TransWorld Motocross

Fxck Cancer | TransWorld Motocross

McDonald's 5 Year Old Cheeseburger

Still want one?? make a simple choice, if it has a drive through, don't buy you food from it!

San Diego Supercross 2015 - 450 Main Event Rd6

San Diego Supercross 2015 - 250 Main Event Rd6

Team Cannondale Paceline Insights

love this, old but still good, glad to see that someone on the other side of the world has the same out look, Man the f*ck up! lol thats my line!

Should I Increase Protein To Slim Down?

good stuff! lol

#XGames Most Dominant: Shaun Palmer

GT GTS ELITE review

On paper this bike looks a real winner if your looking for a bike in the £800 range, be it a bike to train on or as your main bike if thats your budget, With mostly 105 parts, fsa cranks,shimano wheels and some tidy GT finishing kit it all looks good, The weak link might be the frame? its been around for a number of years and so maybe not as cutting edge even if it was designed off the blue print of GT's old carbon race frame that they have only just stopped making? Only one way to find out and the trigger was pulled and the bike was ordered (online price £599!!).

Out the box the bike looks cool in its matt colour and cool graphics, The seat tube/post do look a little chunky in todays skiny era, but other than that the welds were tidy and the low slung seat stays look on point. Sadly the straight bladed forks from the last few years have been switched to a new carbon legged fork. The bike built up its a low weight bike for this price point but we we were a little gutted to find the shimano rear wheel some way out of true.. It was time to spin some miles and after the first ride we started to like vibe or lack of on this bike, GT do a great job and spec 25mm tyres and all the thoughts on the fork were gone along with the big seat post what we thought would rattle us about as we click the miles off.. This bike has a very smooth ride for a alloy frame and i dont think its down to the big tyres but more the new high mod forks what feel almost Roubaix zertz like in how smooth they made the front of the bike feel as we hit some badly maintained lanes and the low slung (very bmc/giant like) stays in the rear seem to put the road chatter in to the frame rather than up the post and in to the rider. It was clear that maybe the Sportive logo on the top tube has its place after all, This might not be the long/slack and tall diesel mile muncher that most grand fondo bikes are made to look and feel like in the last five years but its more a grand fondo than a low end race rig after all, think of it as not a F1 or a diesel but more of a Golf GTI, It can do the long miles and its a fun and sporty feel that makes you want to go on the attack. Compact FSA crackset will get you up just about any hill and the 105 gearing at this price will out shine almost any bike in its price point  and a few £100 above. The GT's a great bike to train on as a second bike if your a racer or as a sportive bike if your limited to how much you can spend. So we will run this as a long term test and report back, right now all we can think of has to be if this is this good.... GT has just spent the last three years developing the new Grade range! How good are those bikes! Gt may no longer focus on World tour race bikes but don't be fooled, The GTS alloy frame might be the sleeper in its class and get less press as its not a new model, But it still kicks ass bike and well worth adding to your wish list.

photos from the first race of the year

 At the top of the first climb.. time to make some ground up

 photo from mid pack, load riders ahead of these.. bad times when i was 4th coming in to the climb..back of the pack up the first climb less than a mile in to the race.. would end up in 13th

Justin Barcia | Making Progress - Transworld Motocross

Justin Barcia | Making Progress - Transworld Motocross

off camber xc 2015

Here we go again and it seems every man and his dog turned up for this round (111 riders!)! Im not sure whats going on with me, I got a good start and  hit the first hill about 5th, but then just got smoked! lol, Then trying to pass riders around the singletrack made life hard and slow, my times all day were slow but i think that was more down to my legs, got couple nice lines that i ran on the dh section each lap and felt like the bike was riding well and i was loving being back on the mtb even if my legs were not. The track was not that muddy and we had fun all the way round as we switched my lines up each lap and just had a blast, last lap i had an Off Camber team rider in front and one behind, Plan was to drop one and pass the other, turns out both got to the line first as i picked up a slow front flat in the last few miles of the race and finished 13th, Still working hard and the results might not show, But it was a fun race as we head in to the spring events.

no new photos, so have this one from last time out.