If you’ve successfully got an entry for Saab Salomon Mountain Mayhem, then you’ll be all too aware that the race is this very weekend. But if you’re one of the many who didn’t get an entry, you may well want to go along anyway – there’s a lot more than just the legendary 24 hour race going on…

The main non-race attraction is the Giant Dirt Demo. It’s the third year that this has run, and it’ll have its own separate course so you’ll be able to test out bikes from a host of manufacturers all weekend. There’s a booking system at www.ssmm.co.uk.

Then there’s an arenaload of trade stands. And we’re not just talking about a couple of bike shop EZ-Ups here – the SSMM arena is pretty much a bike show in its own right.

If you’ve got nippers in tow, there’s plenty to keep them amused too. If they want to ride bikes, there’s the Mini Mayhem obstacle track. Cycle Active will be running skills sessions on the track, and once your little’un has completed one they get a Mini Mayhem number board and can keep going back to ride. Plus they’ll get a medal and certificate and be entered into a prize draw to win a Giant bike.

If they don’t want to ride bikes (and it’s always a possibility), there will be more traditional kids’ attractions – bouncy castle, climbing wall, reverse bungee thing and we dare say there’ll be an ice cream van somewhere too.

With all that going on you could almost forget that there’s a race on. But there is. The course has, we’re told, been considerably revised in line with rider feedback from last year. We expect that most people will be happy with just something different – when you’re riding around the same course for 24 hours it’s good not to have the same course that you began to get a bit bored of a year ago…

In traditional Bikemagic style, we’ve assembled a team at approximately the last possible moment. Give ’em a cheer if you see them, and come and say hello at the BM encampment…