THE OFFICE
TOPFIVE EMILY MILLS SHARES HER FAVOURITE PLACES TO BE WITH A BIKE
STAFF COLU M N
DANIEL’S MTB ADVENTURES
1. MALLORCA Mountains, coastline, pristine tarmac, sunshine… perfection.
THE BUG HAS WELL AND TRULY BEEN CAUGHT
I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’d never been mountain biking until last month. I’d ridden exclusively road and CX for the last couple of years, and in that time I’ve taken the ’cross bike down some MTB trails, but I’d never been ‘proper’ mountain biking. I decided enough was enough, so I grabbed one of our Intense Cycles demo bikes for the weekend and headed out to Leigh Woods and Ashton Court for my first taste of some real trail riding. Having watched things like the DH World Champs, I was a little nervous of what to expect – but once I got going I realised that not only could I tackle everything the trails threw at me, it was stupidly good fun! It’s safe to say that the Intense Tracer 275C was far more bike than someone with my (lack of) skill deserved to be riding, but it looked awesome and felt even better. It was like the bike knew exactly what to do: attacking every berm, rock garden, drop-off and jump in its path, I was just along for the ride. After a good few loops of each trail, the heavens opened, which signalled the end of my day – but it would have taken more than torrential rain to shift the huge smile from my face. It’s safe to say my time that evening was split between two things: half-ogling the Tracer which I absolutely didn’t want to hand back, and the other half on the internet looking for an MTB to add to my stable! Daniel Oakshott
STAFF COLU M N
RACE MACHINE
SCOTT IS A MAN ON A MISSION
The mountain biking season has come to an end and, after a small gap… the cyclocross season is here! A positive end to a summer of dirt-track racing took in a couple of fourth-place finishes (*so* close to podium) in the Southern XC races and then the last round of the National Points series, where I managed my best result so far since coming back to the XC scene with a thirteenth place at Cannock Chase. There was a late summer road trip to Glasgow for the National Championships too, which was a good, though full-on experience. With the race being held on the Commonwealth Games course it was pretty gnarly but great fun, and I finished just outside the top 20 in the Elite race. A trip out to Mallorca for a holiday/mini training camp (in my head) was perfect leading up to the ‘cross season. I managed to hit the ground running and won first time out in Bradford on Avon. The following week, I made it two out of two with a win in Gloucester, marking a perfect start to the season. Then, week three: The Three Peaks Cyclocross. A hard day in the saddle, with very changeable weather conditions made for a tough race, but after a good start I was in a decent position until, descending the second climb of Whernside, I came down pretty hard. Not quite the result I wanted, but a case of ‘one of those races’ and all good fun nonetheless. So, now for the rest of the season: National Trophy, Belgium… it’s going to be fun! Scott Chalmers
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2. NORTH YORKSHIRE Not only a very beautiful county, but some of the hardest road riding I’ve ever done. Plus they make a proper brew. 3. SOUTH WALES Just over the bridge, but a great choice of trails and tarmac. 4. ANNECY (PICTURED) A bit of a triathlon geek’s paradise – superb mountain roads, a beautiful lake and some epic running climbs. 5. MENDOZA, ARGENTINA Where else can you ride empty, high altitude trails and then indulge in steak and red wine for the same price as a slice of cake? The dream is real…