Less than two weeks to go before we return to Builth Wells (5-6th July) for the 3rd instalment of the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon series and the 2nd round of the Gore Bike wear Road Sportive series. There is again an action packed weekend waiting for everybody who is into riding bikes – road or off-road.

The event in Builth Wells will bring us back to familiar territory yet will surprise even the hardened Builth Wells lovers with a new and exciting course. John has been spending again pretty much the whole year riding his home trails with only one thought – keeping Builth fresh and exciting. And according to himself he has managed exactly that.

The route starts by heading west out of Builth Wells up on to the Epynt Military Range, using parts of the Epynt Way. The route then enters the Crychan Forest where we will be using the best of the old with some new interesting sections added. From here the route heads back across the Epynt Range and onto Pantllyn Hill, where there is great descending all the way to Builth Wells. The distances at this event are 90K, 75K, 50K and 30K, providing distances for all. We will add the profiles to the website in the next couple of days – so please keep an eye on the news section (left hand column).

As in April the summer marathon will also pitch up at the White House Campsite which is just a couple of minutes from the centre of Builth Wells. The event village will be signposted from Friday lunchtime onwards and will be open from Friday to Monday morning.

Enter now at www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/builth_wells.php

Chariot Racing – the sequel

At the April round in Builth Wells we got out winter toys out and had the 1st ever MTB chariot race. The upcoming Builth event will see the return of the MTB chariots on Saturday afternoon and hopefully this time round a few more of you will be brave enough to tackle the challenging course around the White House Campsite. Simply come up to the registration and put your name on the list. We will provide the chariots and you can either use your own bike or we can provide a bike for you.

Gore Bike Wear – Try B4 U Buy

Besides being title sponsor to the road event the guys from Gore Bike Wear will be on site again with their popular ‘Try B4 U Buy’ concept. The guys giving everyone the chance to try the latest gear before you buy. Everyone can test ride their products when you ride the event.

Course and weather

The courses are currently in great conditions – super fast and bone dry. The weather forecast for the weekend is looking good with sun throughout the weekend with the odd drizzle to settle the dust. The temperatures are should be ideal for a day’s riding.