Been somewhere you rate? Why not share your experience in the comments below.

There is superb riding all across the Alps (this shot is from Les Arcs), but if you want to hit the epicentre of all things mountain bike then stay in Morzine.
Photo © Andy Lloyd.

The most common destination for British mountain bikers, and one of the best playgrounds in the world. Easy to get to from the UK, and plenty of choice of riding, from downhill in Morzine to all-mountain in Chamonix, there really is something for everyone. An extensive system of chairlifts makes it easy to explore the mountains with barely any uphill riding, so you can just enjoy the descents. The centre of all things mountain bike for the Alps is Morzine, where you will find dozens of chairlifts open, throngs of British riders all summer and plenty of bike-friendly accommodation. Careful, you won’t ever want to leave.

More about Morzine here.

Widely considered to be one of the best mountain bike destinations in the world, Whistler really needs no introduction. Located in the stunning coast mountains of British Columbia, Whistler offers over 120 miles of trails with many accessible by the chair lifts used during the ski season. Inside the Whistler Bike Park there’s over 50 way-marked runs which vary in difficulty and technicality. The trails cater for beginners through to experts and there are coaching courses for anyone wanting to brush up on their skills. There’s a lot more riding to explore than just the trails in the Bike Park though, so make sure you get exploring and/or book a guide when you visit.

More about Whistler here.

Nestling on the western edge of the fearsome Rocky Mountains, Park City not only offers the spectacular scenery you would expect of such a location but also some of the best trails in the world. It helps if you like a spot of high altitude riding; Park City sits at 2,100m and the trails go a further couple of thousand metres higher. On offer is some of the best technical singletrack anywhere in the world. There’s a large network of trails and they’re all well sign-posted so easy to find. There’s something for all ability levels.

More about Park City mountain biking here.

Rotorua New Zealand

Firmly put on the world map with the hosting of the 2006 world championships, New Zealand’s Rotorua has been described by many as one of the hottest places to ride. It has an impressive claim to the title of the ‘best trails in the world’, with a network of over 100km of trails built in the Whakarewarewa Forest, which are also some of the oldest in the country. A rich playground of trails in lush surroundings makes it a must-ride destination.

More about Rotorua mountain biking here.

The Mediterranean resort of Finale Ligure is one of the best known riding spots on this list, but it’s easily up there with the best. As easy to get to, relatively, as the French Alps, Finale Ligure has a fine network of trails resting on the rolling hills close to the coast. With the highest hills topping out at about 1,400 metres, it can’t boast the same sheer altitude as other places, but it more than makes up for that with stunning, flowy trails. There are no chairlifts here, but there are holiday companies running shuttle services. It suits bikes from 120-160mm, so the current crop of lightweight trail to all-mountain bikes makes the perfect choice. The trails are very natural, full of roots and rocks and can get very tight and twisty in places, meaning it fully tests your riding skills to their limit.

More about Finale mountain biking here.

Agree/disagree with my list? Let’s hear your favourite worldwide riding spots in the comments box below.

Winter is here. So too is the rain and mud we associate with it. Make sure you prepare your bike properly and you’ll find yourself much more inclined to get out riding. Photo: Billy Thackray

The trouble with riding through the winter, with all that mud, rain and potentially ice and snow, is the damage such conditions can do to your pride and joy. However, with a few precautions there’s nothing to stop you smiling right through the winter and enjoying every muddy mile of it.

Keep it clean!

An obvious one this, but it needs stating. Mechanical parts on a mountain bike don’t take too kindly to being caked in mud and still asked to work flawlessly. Metal and water don’t mix, but regular and thorough cleaning will prevent rapid deterioration.

Use the time cleaning your bike to carefully inspect it. There’s a lot more wear and tear on the many components of your bike in winter. In particular, pay attention chain, cassette and chainring teeth, cables, brake pads, bottom bracket and headset and pivot bearings. Spot any potential problems before they become a bigger issue during a ride.

Tyre choice

Lightly treaded tyres might be great in the summer but show them a bit of mud and they’ll hoist up a white flag and surrender. Now is the time to invest in some tyres better suited to the muddy conditions of the winter. We’re not going to start making tyre recommendations here, we just don’t have the space to get into this debate.

Onza Greina tyre – perfect for muddy trail riding. Click over to our tyres feature to find out more…

So have a look at our roundup of the 13 best mud tyres here.

If you’re still unsure, a good place to start is to see what local riders are using, or ask a club or bike shop in your area. There’s nothing like local knowledge to find the best tyres suited to the particular demands of your nearest trails.

Tyre pressure

Along with tyre choice, tyre pressure is hugely important when tackling inhospitable terrain. Generally you want to go with a little less air pressure to provide you with more traction when it gets muddy. Like tyre choice though, it can be dependent on your local terrain. Do you ride somewhere rocky or rooty? And the tyres you choose will influence the pressure. Our advice is don’t be afraid to experiment until you find a good balance.

Lube your chain

Choose a lube designed for wet weather conditions, as any oil can quickly and easily be washed off the chain when riding through deep snow and slush. To ensure your bike runs smoothly, make sure to lube the chain before and after each ride. There’s a huge choice of lubes but generally a wet lube will be better suited to riding in mud. If it’s dry and frozen a dry lube will work well, but dry lubes need more regular application.

With all the mud and water getting at your drivetrain, it’s more important now than at any other time of the year to keep moving parts well lubed. Photo: Billy Thackray

Mudguards

There will undoubtedly be a lot of mud and crap being thrown up into the air and much of it will land on your body, which (as anyone who has experienced this will know) is very unpleasant. So stay warm and dry with a decent front mudguard. It’ll remove the need to scrape grit out of your eyes on a regular basis if nothing else.

Okay, so we know they’re unfashionable and all, but a rear mudguard can also provide a good first line of defense against the slop coating you from head to toe. We’d certainly always step out with some sort of front guard at the very least.

All that mud build up isn’t going to help matters. Wash your bike regularly to at least get the big chunks of mud off – it’ll save weight on the bike and make the ride more fun. Be careful though: viciously blasting at bearings with a jet-wash will flush all the grease out. Photo: Chris Jackson

Avoid rust

Treating those components likely to rust quickly with a corrosion preventative such as ACF50 will make sure your bike lasts the winter, and that under the encrusted dirt lies a gleaming, unsullied machine just waiting for the restorative flush of hot, water and a decent, bike-specific, cleaning agent.

Carry your essentials

Having a mechanical is bad enough at the best of times, but when it’s pouring with rain and your toes are frozen, it’s the last thing you want to deal with. Make sure to carry all the essential tools and spares you need to keep your bike rolling on a ride. At the very least carry a spare tube, decent pump, tyre levers if you need them, and a high quality multitool with a chain breaker. Other things to consider are spare brake pads, as all that grit and water will wear through quickly. A spare mech hanger and a few spare chain links can be a good move too; mud has a tendency to crunch drivetrains…

Feeling the cold? Check out our recent Essential Guide to base layers here.

What tyres for deepest mud? Image: Jason Rogers via Flickr

Tyres make a huge difference to how a bike rides. At this time of year, when the trails are permanently covered in a thick layer of gloop, tyre choice becomes even more crucial. To help out, here’s our pick of a baker’s dozen of the best tyres for mud.

As the wet weather takes a firm grip of the country, now is the time to remove those fast summer tyres, pack them away in the back of the shed for the winter months and invest in a set of new winter-specific treads.

Fortunately, there’s plenty of choice with nearly every manufacturer offering at least one tyre designed for use in the mud. What we’re looking at here are tyres designed specially to excel in the most extreme of conditions, with the sole purpose of finding traction where regular tyres will struggle and fail.

Mud tyres typically have tall pointy spikes that push through the top soft layer of mud to find something harder beneath to bite into. Lots of space between the blocks ensures they clear easily and don’t clag up, turning your previously knobbly tyre into a slick.

They style of the knobs, their shape, size, layout and spacing on the tyre’s carcass varies from brand to brand. Not all mud tyres are created equal, but they are pretty similar.

The nature of your local trails has an influence on the type of tyre you choose. Wet, loose, sloppy conditions might suit a slightly wider tyre run at a lower pressure, while claggyclay trails will suit a narrower pointer tyre run at a higher pressure.

Most tyres are offered in 26in and 29in sizes so whatever side of the fence you sit on, you’re well catered for. And if you’re riding 650b, your choices are limited, you trend-setter, you. The only one we know of is the Pacenti Cycles Quasi-Moto 650B. There’s rumours of Michelin 650b mud tyres, and we’ve heard other tyre brands are quickly developing new moulds.

Schwalbe Dirty Dan

Shwalbe Dirty Dan is a classic deep-block mud tyre

The Dirty Dan has two weapons in its armoury to help it deal with the mud: tall blocks and a soft, tacky compound. Those angular knobs chew through the mud and the soft compound sticks to rocks and roots giving good grip. Generous spacing between the blocks ensures good clearance when it gets claggy. The only downside is the high 920g weight.

More information: Schwalbe Dirty Dan

Maxxis Beaver 2.0 x 29 £35.99

Maxxis Beaver. Titter ye not.

The Maxxis Beaver uses a tread pattern with well-spaced square knobs that has made it a hit with 29er riders seeking a good winter tyre. It’s one of the best 29er mud tyres out there at the moment, and their weight of around 470g each keeps the rolling weight to a minimum. A dual compound rubber improves grip and helps them deal with changeable terrain and conditions. Originally designed for 29ers, it’s no available in 26in size too.

More information: Maxxis Beaver

Bontrager XR-Mud £32.99

Bontrager XR Mud

Available for both 26in and 29in wheels (as the 29-Mud TLR for £36.99), with the former coming in either 1.8in or 2in widths, the Mud uses a classic and simple square shaped knob tread pattern. Generous spacing between the knobs encourages mud to shed easily, while the central section gives reasonable rolling performance with little drag.

Bontrager use a proprietary tread compound that’s mud-specific, so it’s a little softer than usual. Downhill World Cup racers are fans of customising their mud tyres with a sharp knife, and Bontrager even go as far as saying “trimmable knobs for custom performance” so there’s scope for personalizing the tread pattern for your particular style of riding or terrain.

More information: Bontrager XR-Mud

Geax Gato 29 x 2.3 £30.99

Geax Gato 29er

The Gato has been updated this year with a new 29er carcass and huge 2.3in width – the choice of wide 29er tyres is currently limited and this is one of the few. It’s described as being suitable for wet and loose conditions and has tall wide siped knobs with a paddle orientation along the central section. They’re well spaced out to do that tricky job of finding grip and not clogging all at the same time. A folding bead gives an all-up weight of 690g. A heavier (850g) non-folding version costs £18.99.

More information: Geax Gato 29 x 2.3

Michelin Country Mud £13.99

Michelin Country Mud: a grippy mud bargain, but quite surface-specific

Michelin simplified its range last year and the Country Mud is its sole mud-specific tyre. It’s more of an all-rounder tyre than many of the others here, with wide paddle central knobs surrounded by smaller angled blocks.

It’s a 2in width tyre and weighs a reasonable 590g for this wire bead tyre, which does keep the price down if the weight is a little higher than Kevlar beaded tyres.

More information: Michelin Country Mud

Specialized Storm Control 2Bliss Ready £29.99

Specialized Storm Control

Specialized’s offering uses a soft rubber compound do that it doesn’t come unstuck on wet roots and rocks, terrain on which mud tyres can traditionally prove hazardous unless treated with absolute caution.

The square knobs are well spaced to ensure mud clears quickly with a tighter packed outer edge knob pattern. The centre compound is 65a rubber while the shoulder section uses 55a compound for better corning grip. Tubeless ready, the tyre can be used with or without an inner tube.

More information: Specialized Storm Control 2Bliss Ready

Continental Mud King 1.8 £48.95

King of Mud, they say.

The Mud King has a lot going for it. It was developed by the Athertons, so it’s available in a 2.3in 1100g downhill version or a lighter 570g 1.8in option. It’s the latter we’re more interested in, but both share the same spiky tread pattern.

The 1.8in ProTection version uses Continental’s Black Chilli tread compound, which helps it stick to slippery obstacles like a limpet. The layout of the angular knobs give good traction in all conditions. The shoulder blocks are siped to allow them to flex a little and find more traction when cornering over slippery rocks and roots.

More information: Continental Mud King

Geax Gato Mud £30.99

Geax Gato Mud

Geax’s Gato Mud uses a tread pattern that features L-shaped blocks interspersed with rectangular blocks across the tyre, producing a design that’s distinct from all the other mud tyres available. Reinforcements at the base of the central ridge reduce rolling resistance while similar reinforcements on the side knobs ensure stiffness when cornering.

It’s one of the narrowest here too at just 1.7in, so it’s best served for very extreme conditions or racing when absolute grip is right at the top of the list. The TNT casing means it can be used tubeless or with tubes, and weighs 490g.

More information: Geax Gato Mud

Panaracer TrailRaker £24.99-£34.99

Panaracer TrailRaker

It’s been around for a while but Panaracer’s TrailRaker is a solid performer when the conditions of your favourite trails dictate a change to an aggressive mud tyre.

Tall knobs dig through mud giving high levels of grip even in the wettest trail conditions. Angled shoulder knobs give good drive traction and cornering grip. A UST version is available, and in 1.95in or 2.1in widths.

More information: Panaracer TrailRaker

Maxxis Medusa £29.99

Maxxis Medusa

Using a very open profile tread pattern with sparsely placed knobs, the Medusa is a tyre for the mankiest of conditions when clogging is a real possibility. For trails formed of clay soil, the Medusa’s are a good option.

It’s available in loads of versions. The 2.1in Lust is our pick, weighing 675g. A lighter (640g) 1.8in Lust tyre is also available. We’d consider pairing the wider tyre on the front with a narrower rear for the best performance.

More information: Maxxis Medusa

Schwalbe Black Shark £33.94

Schwalbe Black Shark

It’s been around for a long time, and the Black Shark continues to prove it’s one of the best mud tyres. An aggressive tread pattern with extremely tall spiked knobs ensures that it finds traction in even the gloopiest and stickiest conditions.

It can be picked up in 2.1in or 2.25in widths and both feature Schwalbe’s own Puncture Protection design.

More information: Schwalbe Black Shark

Onza Greina £36.99

Onza Greina

Onza is a name from the past. The original Californian company made some lusted-over tyres like Porcupine and the mythical Octopus, but folded back in the 90s when the founders fell out. But now the name is back, and the Swiss owners are turning out some good tyre designs once more.

The Greina is pinned as a freeride/downhill tyre but at 2.25in we feel its still worthy for inclusion for those who want a bit more meat on their wheels. It uses an aggressive block tread pattern, with four rows of blocks and the sizes varying across the carcass. The outer knobs are siped for flexibility when banked over. At 670g, the 120tpi folding version is a decent weight for a tyre this meaty.

More information: Onza Greina

WTB VelociRaptor front and rear specific mud tyres £17.99

WTB Velociraptors

WTB’s VelociRaptors are a legendary name from the early days of mountain biking, and this front and rear pairing are the only direction-specific tyres in this list.

That’s a good thing. The rear tyre features a generous paddle design for hoofing you up the slippery trails, while the fronts forward pointing long knobs can focus on steering duties.

Available in 2.1in with a DNA rubber compound, it’s a proprietary 60a durometer rubber, gives good grip on loose trails. Weight is between 700g and 760g.

More information: WTB VelociRaptor

This video below shows Alastair MacLennan guiding us around some of the highlights. And it looks good.

He describes the area as “one giant playground.” One of the best trails he reckons is Blue Crane, one of the oldest trails in the area. Its “natural feel features big jagged rocks before moving onto softer loamy soil and finishes with rocky quarry stuff,” Alastair tells us.

Take a look below, and tell us you aren’t seriously tempted to plan your own road trip north…

Location Map:

View Larger Map

Enduro racing consists of multiple timed stages linked together with untimed transition stages. Your time from each stage, in this case there were eight, are added up and the lowest overall time wins the race. The timed stages are generally gravity assisted, or set on challenging trails to test bike handling skills.

The X-fusion Enduro1 (previously SuperEnduro) consists of three races dotted around the south of the UK, from the Forest of Dean to Salisbury Plain and Hampshire, each one having its own unique flavour. They’re pitched at all-mountain and trail riders, so in a way the event isn’t too dissimilar to the style of riding many people across the country are already doing at the weekends. Which sounds good to me.

Having read Mark’s report from the first round over at the Forest of Dean recently, I was keen to stick a toe in this new format. So, clearing the diary, I stuck an entry in and last weekend found myself on the start line of the second round of the series, held near Tidoworth on Salisbury Plain.

Preparing for the race was a little tricky. The website only gave brief descriptions of what each stage would consist of, and with ‘only’ 25km of riding and not a huge amount of vertical gain to worry about, it didn’t seem the event would be of the gravity style of enduro.

It seems we’re seeing a slight split in the enduro format already, with the downhill/gravity events like the Fetish series and the Enduro1 here pitching itself at the cross-country/trail end of the riding spectrum. Not a bad thing certainly and shows that the format is adaptable to the terrain and type of rider.

And nowhere was this split clearer than a look around the car park on Sunday morning. We spotted everything from an old school GT Zaskar (1997 vintage with v-brakes) to modern 140-160mm trail bikes, most with dropper posts and adjustable forks. There was a smattering of long forked hardtails too and even quite a few 29ers. But really the dominant choice was the typical trail centre fare, 120-140mm 26-27lb all-round trail bikes.

What did we go with? A Lapierre Zesty, which with its 140mm travel seemed the right choice then. It was modified for a spot of uplift action at the UK Bike Park the day before though, which saw a pair of 2.4in tyres (far from ideal as it would turn out, but not the end of the world), dropper post and 50mm stem/750mm bars going on in place of the stock items. And it proved just about perfect.

The enduro format is the perfect test for the new breed of light and long travel full suspension bikes that, after a good ten years of evolution, have reached a point where they are so capable and versatile they’ll go up, over, down and across any sort of terrain. And no where is this better tested than in an enduro event.

The course, well that was a mix of everything. The first and last stages were the longest, and included quite a lot of the lush green grass that is in plentiful supply on Salisbury Plain. This meant the linking stages from stage one to two and between seven and eight were the longest. There was no rush though; the time given to get to the start of the next section was generous enough that you needn’t race.

Two skill sections were included. The first required riding a tightly taped rooty trail in a figure of eight layout, without dabbing. Not as easy as it sounded, and I was forced into dabbing once on the last tricky left-hander. Some cleaned it, and some made a mess of it. It was a well judged bit of planning, in that it wasn’t impossible but sufficiently testing enough to challenge everybody.

The second was a hill climb. Ride as far up the hill as you could with the 50 board the successful completion of the challenge. A dab before that point saw the end of your attempt and the points from the board closest to your stop the points you’d gain. It wasn’t too hard, and could have easily been extended. I carried on riding to the top, where a bonus 50 point card could have easily been placed.

The fun came with stages five, six and seven. Tightly packed into the area resided over by the Tidworth Freeride crew, these three trails would prove to be the highlight of the race and the main talking point all day. A set of downhill tracks carved into the hillside crisscrossing with some massive berms, tight rooty corners and a shed load of drops, jumps and doubles proved a serious test for everyone.

Here the course was well taped, yet racing the track essentially blind proved tough. Trying to keep the speed up while scanning quickly ahead to see where the red tape directed the course, and making assessments on the many jumps and drops with barely any time to make a considered choice. This is the test of a good enduro racer it seems, being able to ride quickly on new trails and making nanosecond decisions on line choice.

This led to the topic of racing trails blind with no prior opportunity to ‘learn’ the track, by walking them, being the main talking point back at the event arena when everyone had crossed the finish line. It’s understandable: most other forms of racing – downhill, cross-country – allow you to check out the course so you know what to expect when you come to race it. Enduro doesn’t give you that opportunity and it led to many complaints.

But that is part of the unique challenge of the enduro format – it’s impossible to recce every section of the event in a 25km route, so riding them blind is necessary. When we chatted with Jerome Clementz recently, he touched on this very subject. “In France you don’t know the trail when you race,” he told us, continuing, “o a really important thing is to know your limits and find a good pace when you start, to not be too slow but no too fast, and to have a nice flowing run. That means you own your bike, you know where you’re going and you don’t make any mistakes.”

Well, we certainly made plenty of mistakes! Enduro really pushes you to scan the trail ahead, to make split second decisions based on very little information other than what is rushing towards you.

We felt that the organisers had done a good job with the available terrain and choice of trails, with a good variety that tested your all-round bike skills. Some of the stages could have been modified every so slightly to the better though, and some of the linking stages would have made fantastic timed sections, either as separate sections or extensions of the planned sections.

It was a fun day out, and we’ve ticked the box beside enduro that up until last weekend had been stubbornly empty. Perhaps the most appealing aspect is the social side of the event. It’s the mix of intense race efforts against the clock on the timed stages interspersed with the social and relaxed effort chat-with-your-mates linking stages that really makes the enduro format so much fun.

You get to race against your mates, you get variety of challenges to test yourself against through the day and you get a bloody good workout. If you’ve bored of regular mountain bike events like cross-country races, marathons or multi-lap timed events like 24-hour races, then give an enduro a whirl. You might just enjoy it.

More info about round 3 at www.enduro1.co.uk

Forestry Commission Wales is today warning mountain biker that they are risking serious injury by ignoring signs urging them to stay clear of trail sections while forestry operations are taking place.

Here’s the official press release from the FC:

Some bikers are even removing tape and barriers from trails leading into areas where forestry machines are working and trees are being felled – endangering not only themselves but others following behind them who may be unaware of the danger.

An increasing number of incidents involving mountain bikers entering prohibited harvesting areas in Welsh Government woodlands in the Afan Valley have been recorded over the past few months.

The area is home to some of Wales’s most popular trails – including the Whites Level, Wall and Skyline – and Forestry Commission Wales, which manages the woodlands, fears that it could be only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt.

Wales Harvesting Team Leader Darroch Lyon said, “I am increasingly concerned for mountain bikers’ safety if this casual disregard for trail diversions and closures by a selfish and irresponsible minority continues.”

The hundreds of miles of mountain bike trails designed and built in Wales’s woodlands are among the best in the world and attract thousands of people, who are the lifeblood for many rural economies.

But this environment is also a working forest, where a multi-million pound industry exists side by side with outstanding recreation facilities.

In order to manage these different interests so that everyone can use the forests safely, FC Wales sometimes has to exclude the public from active operational areas.

When this happens, diversions are put in place so that mountain bikers can still enjoy the forest despite the forestry operations.

FC Wales Mountain Bike Ranger Howard Sims said, “I invest a significant amount of time and effort in planning, establishing and checking and maintaining diversions and closures.

“All the time and resources I spend replacing damaged signs, barriers and tape is time I am not spending on maintaining the open sections of trails so that everybody can enjoy them.”

The forestry industry is a major source of employment in South Wales and these foolhardy actions cause unnecessary and costly delays, which is also becoming a major problem for these firms.

FC Wales Mountain Bike Manager David M Williams said, “If this selfish minority of mountain bikers continue with their irresponsible behaviour, it will result in the closure of entire trails for the duration of the necessary works.

“This is not something we would enter into lightly but if this wilful disregard for their own safety and the safety of others continues, we will have no other option.”

For the latest updates on temporary trail closures, take a look at this webpage www.forestry.gov.uk/recreation

Inside the packaging there’s still the same great energy products that has seen them become a common at sight at races and marathon events.

The Go Energy Gel comes in Tropical, Orange and Blackcurrant flavours, each hitting the palette with little complaint. The flavour isn’t too strong, and the fact you don’t need to wash them down with water makes them easy to get down your throat in a race.

They don’t have that stickiness that many gels have, which makes handling them far less messy. Gels aren’t to everyone’s tastes but there’s no denying that for racing, they’re an easy and quick way to give your body an energy boost.

We tried the Go Energy in orange flavour (original, lemon and blackcurrant also available). It mixes well with about 500ml of water, so you may need a couple if you’re planning to top a 2- or 3-litre hydration bladder (unless you want to dilute the mixture a little), and it proved pleasingly pleasant.

Both stack up well in energy delivery. The gel packs 22g of isotonic carbohydrate (which SIS reckons is enough energy for 20 to 30 minutes of demanding exercise). Single gels cost £1.29 which is about par for the course. They’re available in boxes of 30 for £38.70.

The Go Energy sachets cost £1.10 or £19.80 for a pack of 18, though the 500g and 1.6kg bottles are a more cost effective method if you’re planning to use a fair amount for your riding/racing.

While we’re fans of proper food when riding, there are times when gels and energy drinks are a very convenient way of getting energy into your body, especially if you’re racing. And SIS are one of the best choices out there.

www.scienceinsport.com

The organisers had done a great job – big smiles greeted us on arrival, pink water bottles were doled out, local mechanics were on hand to check over bikes pre-race, there was tea and cake, what could be more welcoming?

While the all-female event meant a less testosterone fuelled affair, the 12-hours of rain preceding the race was the greater cause for concern. Slippy slidey riding is my least favourite so mud and wet grass didn‘t bode well. I had brought my new bike to the race for its first competitive outing, a Santa Cruz Superlight 29er. The bike, beautiful in black and green (ride pimped by Rob Dean), is so fast I almost feel it has a life of its own when I’m riding it, a bit like an unruly colt. Except, instead of me trying to tame the colt and slow it down, I’m trying to pluck up my own courage to keep up with its speed! Anyway, the bike is light, fast and awesome to ride. Love it.

Rob changed my tyres to mud specific ones when we arrived at the venue – it was the first time I had ridden them and I was pleasantly surprised what a difference it made. Karen and I were competing in the 4-hour pairs category and, with plenty of time before the start we decided to head out on a practice lap to see what the course had in store for us.

Mud, glorious mud. We squelched our way up the big grassy climb at the start of the course, and then squelched through a massive puddle of mud on the way into the singletrack, and then…ok, then it got better. Rooty singletrack through the woods, up and over some logs, a beautiful carpet of bluebells in the next woodland section, easier and harder signs (easier every time, shame on me for not trying harder…next time, I promise), some fun descents (rode two, ran two, I am chicken), and then a nice easy track straight to the finish line.

It was a great course and I was impressed and inspired by the way I saw other girls ride bits I was too nervous to attempt – need to keep that in mind the next time I am at the top of something scary (in my defense, I was more nervous than usual on the descents having gone ass over handlebars down Jacob’s Ladder just two days before).

So, back to the race. It turned out that with so many friendly faces to chat to on the way to our pre-ride and so much mud to squelch through, Karen and I didn’t really have that long for our practice lap. We whirled back to the car park just as the organisers were calling riders to the start line! One quick wee, a mad dash to the car to get my race timing chip and I was lined up, ready to go. And as the clock turned 12:00, the race was on (well, there is a reason he calls me competitive Grace).

The start was a bit of a scramble as we all tried to get out of the pack and away up the first climb, but the hill soon spread riders out and there was plenty of room for all to go at their own pace. I’m a good climber so was happy to be passing people up the hill, but the slippy roots of the singletrack soon slowed me down and my friend Emma, who I raced with at last year’s Mountain Mayhem 24-hour race, caught me up.

We rode along chatting for a bit and then she pushed on while I chickened out of the first descent of the lap… ah well; biking in these muddy conditions requires too much concentration from me for chatting anyway. More singletrack, through the lovely bluebell wood, and then two descents linked together… I considered it but the crowd of supporters all waiting with cameras at the ready felt like too much pressure so I hopped off and ran down to a flatter section.

Fortunately for my teammate, I am a fast runner, and, having done a triathlon last year, not bad at jumping between biking and running and running and biking. Unfortunately for me, I bruised my ribs falling off my bike earlier in the week and the biking and running was proving pretty painful. Through the trees, out and back in again, and then finally heading for the finish line. And painkillers. Ibuprofen you are my NBFF. First lap done in 26 minutes and it was Karen’s turn to race, go team awesome go.

The lovely race timing people were publishing the times live online so all eyes were on the smart phones in between laps, we were in third position, cue great excitement from pit bitches Rob and Paul. Less than half an hour in to a four hour race is too early for popping the champagne corks though, anything could happen.

Without mud tyres Karen found the course a bit of a slog but fortunately she’s super fit and super determined so, despite falling off and landing in a patch of nettles, she was soon back in the transition area, in need of a well-deserved rest. My second lap was faster, round in 24 minutes – I’m sure my competitive spirit pushing me to overtake a couple of girls ahead of me was the reason for the faster time. I knew competition was a good thing.

Karen was off on her second lap, and the boys were back on their smart phones. We were up to second place now, we’re definitely (maybe) going to podium woohoo! Karen was the absolute best teammate, although this was her first mtb race and she reports that she fell off on every single lap, including the pit stop into the nettles, she really gave it everything and put out an amazing performance. Good job competitive Karen!

Another lap each and it was down to the final hour of the race. Karen and I had both been consistent with our lap times throughout the race so I knew I had to get back before 15:20 to allow Karen time for another lap but as I panted back to the finish line, the clocked ticked past 15:26…The third place girls did not have time for another lap so our second place was confirmed, but there were still 34 minutes until the end of the race. A handful of dolly mixture and a swig of energy drink and off for one last lap to give us a total of eight laps in four hours, does it have to end so soon?

After a quick change we all gathered back in the arena to await the prize-giving, all finishers got a beautiful bespoke sprocket medal, designed by metal and leatherworker (and mtb rider). Kate Bebbington, and there were plenty of spot prizes too so no-one left empty-handed. Karen and I could barely contain our excitement as we stepped up to the makeshift podium to claim our fantastic leather second place medals and goody bags, stuffed with great prizes from sponsors Ana Nichoola, Torq and Mt Zoom. Well done to Teresa and Sheila who scooped first prize with a very impressive 10 laps and to Georgie and Natalie who completed seven laps to come third.

Thank you very much to Irene, Emma and the rest of the Stilettos on Wheels team for putting on a brilliant event, it was well organised, super friendly, and lots and lots of fun. Looking forward to the Brighton round already.

stilettosonwheels.com

As riding areas go, the Forest of Dean has always been a destination for those in the know.

In more recent years the areas profile has been rising considerably. Investment in a proper trail centre setup with all the usual paraphernalia they require; marked trials, large car park, café serving generous portions of yummy hot food and lattes and cappuccino, and close proximity to some major arterial rods, has seen the number of people riding there rising massively.

Hoping to tap into this popularity, but show that there is a lot more on offer than the waymarked routes that start from the Pedalabikeaway bike shop, is the brand new Wild Boar Chase marathon. An event with a choice of distances, with the longest a chunky 42 miles, provided the ideal opportunity for us to see just what the area has to offer.

And what an area is it. Lush green meadows give way to idyllic woodland, trails ranging from bridleways to byways, forest tracks to singletrack, and a few stretches o of linking road sections. This is old school mountain biking, making the most of what is around you, and being imaginative in linking the many trails up together.

The 42 mile Full Boar is the route I opted for, deciding I needed some miles in my legs to prepare them for the upcoming 12-hour solo ride in the Erlestoke Twelve tomorrow, started just down the road from Coleford, bang centre in the middle of the Forest of Dean.

The organsiers had picked a fantastic route that fully exploited just how much good riding there is in the area, in the Forest itself and the nearby Wye Valley, a particular highlight of the ride.

Starting with some steady climbing right from the car park, the 370 riders soon strung out along the route, and before too long my riding partner and I found ourselves riding alone. Opting for a steady pace, we left the fast racers to contend with lactic acid up front, while clearing the slower riders in the early miles, settling into the middle of the pack.

Away from the Forest of Dean we wiggled into the Wye Valley loop, the most spectacular and beautiful part of the ride. Streams gurgling through lush green valleys opened out in front of us like an all enveloping post card, allowing a distraction from the sore legs the many long draggy climbs and short yet savagely steep inclines were creating.

It was far from an easy ride. Conditions made for some boggy sections and elsewhere surfaces akin to riding through clay keep the effort level high throughout, while the high ratio of climbing ensured full usage of the lower gears on the cassette.

We rolled back into the car park, to be served freshly baked cup cakes upon crossing the finish line. A burger and can of coke to replenish tired legs, from a ride that was rather more taxing than I had predicted from reading the course profile the day before.

As event debuts go, the Wild Boar Chase ticked all the boxes. Yes, there were a couple of issues with apparently locals removing arrows towards the end of the route, but that didn’t impact negatively on the enjoyment we had riding such lovely trails in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.

The Forest of Dean is a small pocket of old school trails mixing with the investment of the trail centre at the heart, combing to make it a must-ride area. Based upon this ride, it’s an area worthy of exploration. So next time you’re looking for somewhere to ride, make sure to consider the Forest of Dean. Just don’t think the trail centre is all the area has to offer though, there’s loads more high quality riding available.

www.fodmbe.org.uk/wild_boar_chase.php

Photo by Mountain Bike Photos of Chepstow

Everyone has their favourite type of trail.

For some it’s loamy tree-lined singletrack, the ground soft and roots the main obstacle of challenge. Others prefer rocky boulder fields, littered with steep drops and savage short climbs.

Some steer towards manicured trails with consistent surfaces (like those found at many trail centres), and others prefer the unpredictably of riding new trails all the time and never knowing what is around the corner.

What constitutes the ideal mountain bike trail is different from person to person, and depends so much on riding style, bike choice, fitness and many other factors. But what makes a trail great in your books, and gets you out riding again and again?

Tell us what makes a great trail in the comments box below: