At the risk of alienating the 72,000 or so of you who aren’t going to be at Saab Salomon Mountain Mayhem this weekend, allow us to briefly mention how splendid it’s going to be. Eastnor Park is a whole new venue for the big 24-hour race but riders of the old school will remember it as the home of the Malvern Hills Classic. It’s a lovely scenic spot, that’s for sure.

As for the course, well, there’s a sizable hill so that’s a change from Sandwell. Course designer Chipps Chippendale says, “…it’s got a fair amount of climbing compared to Sandwell and some longer climbs compared to Trentham. The terrain is similar to Sandwell, though, with some grassy climbs, some fast gravel tracks, tree-lined singletrack and some Land Rover tracks too. Singlespeeders running a 2:1 ratio will have a tough job completing the whole lap.” He’s aiming for around a 10 mile lap with an hour being a respectable time. Our spies on the ground tell us that despite the recent rain, the going is still firm. It’s due to rain a bit on Saturday, though, so bring a jacket…

If you’re there today you’re, er, probably not reading this for a start. But anyway, Friday is Dirt Demo Day, with test bikes on offer from 25 or so manufacturers for you to take for a spin on a slightly shortened version of the Mayhem course. They’ll all still be there showing bikes off on Saturday, so when you’re done tent pitching and all that stuff, have a wander and a prod.

Then at 2pm they’re off, with the traditional running start that’s claimed to be 800yards but always feels like a mile and a half. Watch out for the unique gangly spider-like running action of Team Bikemagic nominated runner Mike…

On the subject of Team Bikemagic, we’d like to meet as many BM members as possible over the weekend. Eschewing the trade village for the cosy environs of the camping field, we’ll be in an EZ-Up and a bunch of tents – look for the banners. The tea urn will be on and if you’re lucky we won’t have run out of teabags or plastic cups. You can always bring your own to be on the safe side, of course. Come and say hi and witter about bikes for a bit, although we can’t guarantee that there’ll be all that many people about at 3am.

That’s it, really. Good luck to everyone taking part and we’ll see you there…