Almost 1800 riders made it to the 9th helping of the infamous Kona Bristol Bikefest powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport.

After last year’s challenging conditions riders as well as the organising team were hoping for another typical sun spoiled weekend – and it didn’t disappoint. The days leading up the event were hot and sunny preparing the single track loaded course once more into one of the most loved relay courses in the country.

With the promising weather forecast and the relaxed event atmosphere lots of riders took the opportunity to arrive on Friday to enjoy the DJ and bar as well as prepare themselves for the 12 hour lying ahead. 9am the next morning more than 350 teams, pairs and solo riders set of to fight out the fastest riders in the various categories on offer.

As in years gone by the open male category was heavily fought over and with a few changes in rankings it took up to the last couple of hours for the consistently strong riding Bad Ass Bike Team to take the win ahead of Torq in 2nd position and Team in the Hurt Business coming in 3rd.  The other results from the 12 hour event were:

Saturday results

Solo Open Male

1. James Lister (Torq Perfromace)
2. Steve Webb
3. Szabolcs Bandli (Team Bicycle)

Solo Open Female

1. Gemma Frier (Team Teacake)
2. Kath Bushnell (Bristol Workshop)
3. Iona Evans

Solo Old Gits Male

1. Craig Dolwin
2. Daryl Cavill
3. Dave Buchanan

Solo Single Speed Male

1. Dan Treby (Buff Feel the Ride)
2. Jon Meredith (Velo Club Moulin)
3. Matt Carr (Trek)

Pairs Open Male

1. Mode Cycles UK/Swinnerton
2. Raf CC
3. Team Lumicycle

Pairs Open Female

1. Minx
2. Progressive Fitness
3. Tea Capers

Pairs Open Mixed

1. Team WXC
2. Big Foot
3. Revolution Bikes

Pairs SingleSpeed

1. Merida / Shred
2. Gump and the Shovel
3. Bike Mechanics Mucky Nutz Racing

Team Open Male

1. Bad Ass Bikes
2. Torq Performance
3. In the Hurt Business

Team Open Female

1. Muddy Minkies
2. Beyond 925
3. Dreaming Tyres Oxford MTB

Team Open Mixed

1. Team Certini McCauleys
2. RAF Cycling Mixed A
3. Torq Development

Team Old Gits Male

1. Dream Zero G
2. Team Black Rat
3. Tuesday’s Old Gits

Team SingeSpeed Male

1. Progression Fitness Co Uk
2. The Single Nuggets
3. SingleSpeed Moo’s

The racing action was followed in typical Bristol Bikefest style with a massive party, live music and DJ tunes early into the morning – ideal preparation for Sundays’ 6 hour event.

Sunday

Sunday greeted the riders with a similar picture of blue skies and warm almost summer like temperatures. The trails were still in great conditions even with thousands of laps being ridden the previous day. Some of the turns turned almost a little slippy from the dust on the ground.

Sunday features the 6 hour team, pairs and solo events as well as the 3 hour novice race. At 10am the almost teams started in the usual Les Mans on the far side of the course to hit the first single track in a more stretched out manner. After a short worry that rain might move in (which did hit other parts of Bristol – must be down to those good weather flip flops) the sunny weather returned and stayed with the event and with the many riders out on course.

After 3 hours of dipping their toe into the endurance event water the Novice event came to the event will the following results:

Novice Male

1. Chris Deverson
2. Nathan Anscombe
3. Stuart Selwood

Novice Female

1. Helen Cockcroft

Novice Teams

1. Waterley Botton Wobblers
2. Son of Anarchy
3. Last but One!

The 6 hour event carried on into the later hours of the afternoon. By then the sun was getting stronger and stronger adding an extra challenge to the demanding course.

Solo Open Male

1. Rob Lee (Team Syncros Endurance)
2. Graeame Forbes
3. Adrian Scott (Phill Corley)

Solo Open Female

1. Sarah Forbes
2. Julie Greengrass
3. Lorraine Staley

Solo Old Gits Male

1. Ian Jabobs
2. Tony Davis
3. Kev Watts

Pairs Open Male

1. Abergavenny RC
2. Mud Dock
3. Rock and Road Cycles

Pairs Open Female

1. Castle Bikes & Lodge Cycles
2. Dartmoor Dare-Belles

Pairs Old Gits Male

1. One F Gear (with gears)
2. The Biddulph Old Boys
3. Ill Buy That

Piats Open Mixed

1. Torq Development
2. 2 Wheelers
3. M&D Cycles Specialized

Teams Open Male

1. Granny Ring
2. Small Torq
3. Cretty Swax Mercer

Team Old Gits Male

1. Fixed Foxes
2. Lumberjacks
3. The Bone Shakers

Team Open Mixed

1. Activ Plus…
2. Team Rob Abrey
3. Credo

The event village was filled with the latest the industry had to offer giving lots of interested riders the chance to test ride a new machine while still racing the event.

Full results at www.timelaps.co.uk and photos are available from www.photo-it.com.

The next event will be the Kona Bristol Oktoberfest powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport on the 16 October – see www.bike-fest.com for details.