Soggy Bottom Series, Newnham Park
The Soggy Bottom Series returns to Newnham Park for 2005/06.
Five races at one of the UK's top race venues, with live electronic timing, good prize package, a chilled out atmosphere, good courses and - new for this year - National Ranking Points.
The series offers five different courses drawn from the 25km of available trails at the private Newnham Park estate. Each course will be about 5km, some with river crossings and some without, some with mud and some without and as usual the great variety of singletrack, forest and moorland that Newnham offers.
New this year are the prizes for fastest and slowest laps, the Chain Gang trophy which will be awarded to the highest ranked team over the series (best three results count - big lemon drizzle cake at each round), plus there will be entry discounts for BC racing licence holders.
Dates are:
- 13 November 13
- Monday 2 January
- 12 February
- 12 March
- 9 April
Last year the Plymouth series attracted 200+ riders per round from across the South of England. Particularly encouraging was the attendance of younger riders with over 50 Juvenile/Youth riders per round last season. With the support of Trek, Certini, The Bike Cellar, Shred, XCracer.com, Torq energy and Southfork Cycles we hope for even more this season. -Martyn Salt
Salisbury Plain Challenge, Erlestoke - 8 January 2006
After an absence in the 2005 MTB Calendar, the Salisbury Plain Challenge will be making a welcome return in January 2006.
Two new routes will be available so all riders from the newcomers to the keenest enthusiasts should be challenged by their chosen course.
Salisbury Plain Challenge veterans may notice a slight difference in the format of this event from previous years. This is a non-competitive event, but all riders will have their time recorded and published on the SPAMbiking site.
Each route will have:
- a well marked course
- outriders and static marshals
- 4x4s to get you home if you break down
- first aid on standby
Available to all riders:
- Free bananas
- Energy Drink Station at the half way point
The start will be at Erlestoke (opposite the prison), five miles south of Devizes, Wiltshire. The 50km ride will start at 10am and the 30km at 10.15am - there'll be a rider briefing five minutes before each start. -SPAMBiking
NEMBOS/VC Nouveau MTB Orienteering, Guisborough - 30 October
NEMBOS is still in its infancy, as this is the second season for this series of Mountain Bike Orienteering (or Trailquest) events. However, its roots can be found within the Trail Cyclist's Association's previous Northern League, which had been an annual series of events for a number of years. Due to the MBO/Trailquest league in North Yorkshire (organised by Eborienteers), the one in Cumbria (organised by Cross Cumbria Cyclists) and the one in the Peak District (organised by Dark & White Challenge Events), I felt that there was a need for something similar for the North East of England.
The final event of the year is on Sunday 30 October. The event returns to a classic area on the Northern edge of the North Yorkshire Moors, with Guisborough being used as a base for this event being organised by CLOK. This event is also part of the TCA's National League. -Duncan Sellers
