Sneak preview...

Full writeup in Issue 2 but we've got a couple of Fearingout bashguards on test at the moment... clean looking, and hopefully perfect for the hardcore hardtails out there still wanting to run a double up front. More details soon!

BUSA 07 aftermath

First day back in the real world today after the Student Mountain Bike Champs in Dunkeld. I'll give you a quick run down now rather than waiting a month for it to come out in issue#2.

Was yet again an amazing weekend of partying, riding, heckling and pissing about. Stanny and Sue M won the individual downhill and Adam Ross and Meggie Bichard won XC champs.... I'm not sure the 'sport' results are up yet due to "plonkers who raced with DH and other assorted numbers on"...i know Stanny won the mens (again) though. Uni wins went to Leeds(xc) and Cardiff(DH).

The track was bonkers and absolutely filled with rocks top to bottom...100% all the way down, even beginning with a steep little rock roll. If you've not ridden the Big D it's definately worth a trip, you'll come home feeling a damn site better on your bike!

Friday was DH practice and my first run on the new coaches and trucks uplift system. Things ran a little slowly but were generally ok. First walk down the track had a lot of people scratching their heads at how they were even going to ride down the rock sections. Was a bit of a relief to actually get on the bikes and get riding...loads of crashes and loads of unpretty riding followed but I think most people coped pretty well in the end.

Saturday was DH race day and a lot of people(me) still weren't sure what was going to happen when they started their run. Again, Stanny took the win with a storming fast 2.12.033 beating last years winner Phil Shucksmith by a good 7 seconds...some of his lines were reeediculous. Race pace runs claimed a few victims with one kid taking a brake lever to the thigh and another with a busted pelvis... I was 'lucky' enough to see the brake kid having his trousers cut off... did nothing for my confidence. Both are apparently still alive thanks to the Extreme Medics.

After the usual fire, Butane, beer, mud party of Saturday night it was XC time. I didn't get an entry but apparently the track was a bit of slog. Lots of fire road up, a dodgy traverse and then a savage rock section down the DH track to the finish... As usual, lots of 'encouragement' from the crowd and more crashes than you would ever imagine. Stanny won the piss about 'sport' cat riding a 66 in his camp orange Mojo xc kit... again by (literaly) a mile. Everyone else battered there way down the track, doing there best to negotiate and SDA downhill track section on completely innapropriate bikes. I don't care what people say, XC is f-cking gnarly. When you see a guy writhing on the floor after taking a stump to his lycra clad butt hole you KNOW your watching something pretty savage!

Anyway, you get the picture... Was another amazing weekend and a complete reminder of why I love riding my bike. Was a hell of a long drive but worth every minute (made all the more bareable by some hilarious/soul destroying 20 questions rounds). Cheers to Chris and Team Bath for getting me there. Your all beautiful.

A million and one thanks also to Paddy at BUSA who makes the event possible every year near single handed. We left him on Sunday jumping inside the skip to try and pack everyone's shit inside it...the guys a legend. Rally round him for '08 and help him out! Thanks also to everyone who made the event happen - check out Paddy's post here for the list.

My gallery of pics here.

Some quality images courtesy of Oke at KCHUK photography will be in Wideopen issue2.

Descent World 'Day On The Hill'

The weekend of 12th/13th May sees the Fort William Downhill Track reopen for the 2007 season.Over the past few years Descent-World has traditionally held a riders day at the Fort, a.k.a. The Descent-World "Day On The Hill".

This year however we are planning something a little bit more...we're hoping to get together a number of the best MTB Companies to come along a spread the love for this thing we call downhill, with demo bikes and advice for all you riders.

Already we have some top riders lined up to help with some coaching on how to tackle the infamous Off Beat Downhill course, with coaching and riding over 2 days it can't get any better.As the momentum grows for this event we hope you will be able to join us for a celebration or two...More Information will appear within this thread.

interested parties please contact jon AT descent-world.co.uk

www.descent-world.co.uk

BUSA time again...

Just a quick reminder that it's BUSA time again. This years Student Mountain Bike Champs is set for this weekend, waaaay up North at Dunkeld. It's always a brilliant weekend with a fine blend of racing, boozing and heckling. Hopefully the long trip for most unis will mean everyone parties twice as hard!

Look out for the repo and drunken pictures in Wideopen issue2!

Little update so far...

Well things are going well - just over 10 days after the release of Issue 1 and we're perilously close to 1000 downloads!! A BIG thankyou to everyone who's read it and commented, or just enjoyed reading.

We've got some international readers too - Google Analytics is a handy tool - all thanks to the guys at Littermag who've linked us at the moment! Quality.

Haldon Aid This Sunday...

A day of Bike Trail Maintenance, Trail Building, Food and Social Shenannigans.

Food, shelter and tools will all be provided, you just need to turn up with some decent footwear, appropriate clothing that you don't mind getting dirty, waterproofs in case of the inevitable and a good sprinkling of enthusiasm.

You must register for the day, as we need to get an an idea of how many people are going to turn up. Numbers are limited to 50, as this is all we have resources for at this time.

To register send an email to info AT haldonfreeride DOT org with the subject 'Haldon Aid' including your Name, age, and time of arrival (9.30am or 1pm). For further information contact a ranger on: 01392 834251. MEETING 9.30am HALDON HUB CAR PARK. BRIEFING 10am. LATE STARTERS MEET 1pm. BRIEFING 1.30pm. Finishing at 4pm, unless you're really keen...For more information visit http://www.haldonfreeride.org/

Twoand8 Correction!

I bumped into Adi from Twoand8 last weekend whilst he was out riding some Bristol street. He mentioned another correction for issue#1. The web address for his site is now http://www.twoand8bmx.com/. Apparently the old one got hijacked by interweb pirates....the scoundrels.

Give it a visit and buy some threads! Also look out for more Twoand8 in the next issue of Wideopen.

Edge Winter Online Now...

The new look, new format Edge Mag is online now at www.edgemtbmag.co.uk.
If you've not seen it before Edge is a free, rider produced pdf-zine that focuses on photography and design. The new issues got plenty of nice pics, a TF Tuned feature and an Ian Linton interview. Give it a look.

Two corrections...

1) Photo in the First Light article should have been credited to James Marriott
2) Date on last page should read 2007 not 2005!

Thanks for all the feedback so far guys. We're all looking forward to Issue 2!

More Crimson...

The Crimson team (Justin and the bike) dropped in to Bristol last night following a trip to TF Tuned. Tim had been working his magic on the forks, sorting them out with a World Cup compression damping kit and a service. The rear shock is going back later this month for some PUSH goodies.

I finaly got a spin on the bike and was impressed! It's plush as hell, manuals nicely and its geometry just makes you want to throw it at things. We'll keep you informed how things work out.

If you've got no idea what any of this is about... check out our launch issue and feature on Crimson Bikes.

We're here!!!

Yes the long wait is now over and you can download Issue 1 of Wideopen.

Please leave us feedback on the Comment section, or send us some via the Contact page.
We've a bumper issue lined up next as well, so expect that out in early May...

You will see Wideopen advertised all over the online and paper press over the next few weeks... and do us a favour by asking about it in your local bike shop too!

Cheers!

Charge bikes right to ride...

Press release from Charge Bikes... Jim says:

Right 2 Ride, You could be riding at...

The upcoming Battle of Radstock to be held later this year will feature one rider who will be given the chance to fight it out with the pro’s! A wild card entry to the competition (plus 2 spectator passes) will be granted to the rider who submits the best video of their skills, best of all it’s judged by you! The rider that has the best rating at the time the competition closes will win. Log on HERE to enter,
closing date for submissions is 30th April. Get filming, get those videos in and you could be in with a chance of not only riding with the biggest names in dirt riding but beating them at their own game.

The Battle of Radstock is an exclusive annual dirt invitational based at the famed test facility Radstock Recreation Ground. Last year saw Timo Pritzel take the crown, this years event will be even more fiercely contested with riders coming from all over the world to compete.