Beginner racers and " Goobers "

Now..i get a lot of questions fired at me by people keen to go from Zero to Hero via an XC Full Suss or a 6" Freeride Monster..
Relax..
Most cheap sub €1000 bikes are way, way better than anything the early World Cup Elite Riders ever had..
So don't worry too much about your bike..I'd like a rule that says you have to be able to sell your bike for €500 at the end of the race to compete in sports..
We were riding the same trails as we do now on fully rigid bikes with Cantilever brakes..we were a bit slower and crashed a lot more..but seriously..the only difference is MTBs these days are more reliable..way more reliable as parts have gotten better engineered..
So to start racing..
regardless whether your " friends" tell you that your are deadly..you are not,  well not until I or Bob Seymour tells you you are.
Mountainbike racing is simply put " The Hell of Pain and misery and Euphoria "
But on a good course that throws it all at you, its like a man powered rollercoaster..most of the time you are out of control shouting for your mammy inside your head..but for those moments when you are at one with the bike, the mountain and Elvis ( they get longer and more frequent as you get better) its magical..
Come on for f*cks sake we are hoofing down trails even wil horses wouldn't walk down or eejits on Motorbikes !
So to start ,
Always go Sports..always..even if you are A cat Roadie but who has never ridden a MTB ..
Wear baggies or Lycra..baggies are more decent..Lycra only works if you are not carrying a tyre around your waist.
Do a few practice laps..
walk the tricky sections to see if you are missing something..
Watch the good lads..you'll know them theres only a few !!!
But if you can watch Robin at anytime..do it..hes still the best without a doubt..
Don't eat or drink anything an hour before..your a sports rider..not Ryan Sherlock monitoring your Blood Sugar levels and feeling guilty about eating a piece of Cake two years ago.
or the love of god no cotton t shirts or tracksuit bottoms !! and no 3 litre Camelbacks..
This stoopid magazines have a lot to answer for
A good breakfast made out of porridge..
Warm up properly..work up a bit of a sweat..be ready for the off..
Don't be afraid of the other Sports riders...
Especially the ones that are on fancy bikes and are trying to avoid eye contact with me !!
Mtb racing can be fun, scary but Ultimately you will be joining the ranks of a great bunch of people all doing the same thing and all shitting bricks on the start line.
Get there early..prepare yourself
study the bleedin course..
you wouldn't jump in to Shark infested waters unprepared !!
oh yeah..a Goober is not a bad word..or description..its what you are till you become one of us..a Savage !!
I'm sorry, but every sport has its Aristocracy and Hierachy..you just have to know how to join it !!
And in the race if i make up a dumbarse name for you as you go through..its your own fault for not printing your name on the Start sheet !!
oh yeah..use 3 bloody cable ties on your number plate..2 on the bars and one holding it to the cables or brake housings.
don't race on baldy tyres or old chains ( they rattle when theres no oil left on them )
And remember its way easier to lose 10lbs off your arse than off your bike !!

Handlebars McGann

Look at the state of this lad..like Rob Davis, he seems to have been around forever..
We call him Handlebars ever since he saw Sean Travers crash in The Phoenix park..when he saw Travers standing there with two halves of a set of handelbars..he started shouting " Handlebars..handlebars !!!" at Travers like some sort of special case..for ages we couldn't remember his name, so I christened him Handlebars

Name: Darren McGann

Club: West Coast Wheelers

Category: Eternal Sports Rider

Years racing: 19 years, give or take, a couple of races a year to a full seasons ;o) Over 20 years mtbing.

Best result - Not necessarily highest result: 1st in the Sports class  2002 National points series. A few 3 top places in Connacht MTB leagues over the years.
Finish 2nd in the Duo class in Gaelforce 24 hour race. Hoping to start and finish another Irish XC Champs.

Bike: Too many, I'll but probably be using my trusty 1997 Pace RC200.

Favourite Trail/ Race/ Biking Destination:
Trail: Ross Wood in Galway,
Race: Djouce Wood ( Awesome switchbacks),
Biking Destination : Austria/Canada.

last days digging before the XC Nationals

Well..
Saturday the 10th was a bit of a bust regards the digging..torrential rain slowed the chaingang down and dampened their enthusiasm..
But Sunday was a better day entirely..warm ,Sunny and no flies !!
I rearranged Sesame Street and went to work on the lower part of Gran Canaria..now know as Ballinakillian !!
Heres a few Photos of our work
Heres Sir Richard lynch with his spade 

Check out the Arm Guns on Luke as he handles the massive pebble in the wheelbarrow !!
What a legend..

Sprockids National Champs Event at the National XC Champs

Hey..so you're a kid between 2 and 16 and you want to race your bike, well you want to go real fast and do skids and wheelies and bunny hops and beat your mates, brothers, sisters,Mums Dads..well heres your chance to ride a MTB course at the biggest Bicycle Event in the World..the Irish Cross Country National Champs in Djouce..
 On Sunday 18th I will have a Course for the Sprockids , turn up, get Mum or Dad to sign on with Me or one of my Assistants and away you go..
Starting at 9.30 !! In the main car parking field !!
You'll get a cert just like this one and maybe even get a prize...
Mum and Dad can ride it too if they want..
You have to have a Helmet !!
Check this out

Heres Ben, one of the nice guys..I always think he has potential, but Journalism and  Fatherhood has kept him in the background..



Name - Ben Marchant






Club - IMBRC






Category - Masters






Years racing - Lots, disappeared for about 5 years but then came back to the sport 3 years ago. Never really trained properly but had my moments. Spend to much time working on Spoke and Outsider instead of riding.
Best result - Not necessarily highest result Part of 2nd place three man team at Relentless 24 hour race in Scotland, savage racing through the night! Watching the sun coming up while going flat out was pretty awesome too.






Bike - KTM Myroon hardtail / Giant Anthem X, both bought as framesets and blinged up.






Favourite Trail/ Race/ Biking Destination - So many but 3 rock is my spiritual home, been riding there for 17 years. Moab or Nelson (Canada) outside of Ireland.

Agata Tamulewicz

 Well i can't say much about Agata, as i don't know her that well , except to say she has certainly made her presence known since she began racing only this year..so hats off, hopefully she will go from strength to strength and do really well in Djouce

Name:

Agata Tamulewicz

Club:

Mountainbiking Association of Dublin

Category:

Women/Sport

Years racing:

Did the first race 2 months ago, started cycling a year ago.

Best result - Not necessarily highest result:

1^st in Slade Valley NPS, I was very happy with the way I was cycling that day.

Bike:

Specialized Era

Favourite Trail/ Race/ Biking Destination:

Slade Valley (really enjoyed the NPS course).

3 Rock (lots of great trail, and it’s so close).

Rudolf "The Flying Dutchman " Brinkman

Rudolf came from across the Netherlands looking for a pot of gold and a woman...he got a lady and is still hunting the Gold . Hes in the oversubscribed Masters category but hes getting there...a few more weeks and you just never know !!

name: Rudolf Brinkman
Club Racing 795
Category Masters

Years racing 3
Best result: probaly 3rd place in sports national champs in 2007 and 5th place masters in Leinster league rnd 2 Bellurgan Park 2010.

Bike: Giant xct/Specialized fsr xc

favourite trail. You cant beat djouce. generaly trails in the forest would be my favourite place to cycle. some favourite trails include Critical Mass, the Best Decent, Ewoks and the Goat Trail (spain).

was introduced to mtb in ireland in 2007. before that I just cycled up steep roads on a mountainbike. Joined Epicmtb

in 2007 and raced sports. 2008 i moved up to masters after joining the savage tuesday night spins.   now with racing 795 in wexford there is some great single track around mt Leinster.

Kevin " the Savage" Stanley

 Well, I knew he was going to be a fair savage when I first saw Kevin at a K Capital Cup race..he had that intense look about him and he definitely had " the power"..it was a shortlived bromance as he abandoned EPIC and joined IMBRC ..I'm not bitter though..no not one bit !!
Anyway...hes after shaking up the Continuity Elites this year , I mean Masters !!  the rest of you crusty old timers better up your game ..Number 1 in the Continuity Elites is no easy achievement..

Name Kevin Stanley

Club IMBRC

Category Masters

Years racing 1 year sports, 1 year experts, started in masters this year

Best result - Not necessarily highest result winning the K Capital cup in sports. The win was a massive encouragement to move up catagory and push harder
Bike KTM/Giant
Favourite Trail/ Race/ Biking Destination Djouce is probably a hot spot for me, it has a bit of everything

Oscar " Brad" Mcananey

 Hey girls and guys, Oz is an equal opportunities Sex symbol..as a rider hes one the tidiest, slick XCers out there , I'm expecting a great result from him in Djouce , its his crucible !!
Anyway hes so handsome he wouldn't give me a photo
so he only has himself to blame !

Name

 

Oscar Mac Ananey

 

Club

 

EPIC MTB

 

Category

 

Master(bater)s

 

Years racing

 

3 or 4

 

Best result - Not necessarily highest result

 

2008 XC Nationals in Kilruddeadlyery......caught Tim the monster

 

Bike

 

Essential

 

Favourite Trail

 

Anything off-camber in Djouce. Ticknock when its dry. Cathedral loop in Sedona Arziona and Amazabak in Moab Utah.

 

Race

 

Kilruddery/Castlewellan

 

 

Biking Destination

 

Arizona.....Sedona & Flagstaff......Wicklow when its warm and dry is hard to beat

Darragh " Beast " Smith

Here we go..he could win Masters, if he stayed away from the large Bulmers, the 2kgs of Ben & Jerrys and the Nekkid sexy dancing ladies. Hes come along way since he was the big boned kid i used to see doing doughnuts on an AR80 in the middle of Walkinstown Roundabout

Daragh Smith

Epic MTB

Master

2^nd Year

3^rd in the Sports nationals 2009 or 15^th in the 2009 Blast

Specialized S-works HT, Giant XTC Advaced SL, Specialized Enduro Comp.

Wocca’s/ Roc d’zur/ Roc d’zur

Beth McCluskey

The undisputed Queen of the XC race Circuit its Beth McCluskey..savage international rider, Celebrity Chef and lovely girl !!
My money is on her to win this year ..its her home track sort of ish!!


Name Beth McCluskey

Club EPIC

Category Masters

Years racing 12

Best result - Not necessarily highest result  National medallist and champion a couple of time over the last few years, CLEC winner & runner up a few times, Irish mountain running champion, Rode the European & World champs and a few world cups back in the day! World Masters XC bronze medallist 2008 & 2009.
Bike 2008 Giant XTC Carbon

Favourite Trail/ Race/ Biking Destination anywhere in Ireland when the trails are dry and the sun is shining, the Alps in summer, or gran canaria in winter.

Joe " The living legend" McCall

well what can i say about Joe mcCall...apart from the fact that I hope he wins..i'll be honest..a battle royale between himself and Robin for the title in Djouce would be the ultimate gladiator contest. But Robin has quit to become a male model along with Jamie Popham and Craig Brady..so what can I expect now..Conor mcConvey told me no, maybe, no..but I might change his mind..you never know..

But Joe..i have known him since he was a spotty kid , reading science books and avoiding girls..but..on the singletrack...he was in the first Holy trinity of Seymour, Pennefather and McCall..3 giants and the guys who set the stage for singletrack mastery...because at the end of the day..to be able to flick yourself along off camber roots and slow down time and warp the laws of nature..thats what it s all about ! And Joe is the ultimate practitioner..

Before Joe came along..singletrack just waited to be discovered !!

 

Heres Joes Profile in his own words !

Name
Joe McCall
 

Club
Focus MTB
 

Category
Male
 

Years racing
386

Best result - Not necessarily highest result

Egg and spoon, 4th class. 53rd worlds 1997. 23rd Epic club race # 2, 2010.

Bike
Focus Raven Extreme.
Focus Super Bud Team

 

Favourite Trail/ Race/ Biking Destination

Gotta be Djouce & 3 rock for local trail riding. Gran Canaria cause its
amazing in the winter. Roc D'Azur cause of the end of season racing &
craic.

The First Lady of Mountainbiking !! Shona D'Arcy

Well I'm sorry Beth,Mel, Jenny, Ciara,Tarja..the first lady of XC racing has to be Shona...shes a Ginger like all legendary Celtic Mountainbikers !! though Beth could qualify as well ..feck it, i've dug the hole so i'll keep shovelling !
What can I say about Shona..shes the daughter I never had !!
The first time we met her, Cooper snapped her bike !!! Skippy had to go home to Roundwood and get her a loaner..but I knew straight away she was going to be supereydoopery !!! Her and Mel are the only females brave enough to tackle Byrners bastards and retain their beauty !!

Name; Shona D'Arcy

Club; Epic

Category;Elites

Years racing; 2

Best result - Not necessarily highest result; 10th experts, Slade Valley nps

Bike; Giant XTC

Favourite Trail/ Race/ Biking Destination; Djouce

James McCluskey

Heres James McCluskey..well now..I remember him from Kamikaze MTB Club..he even did a few early freeridey style spins with me, Murphy and Sean...he'll deny that for some reason, which is stupid , as people will never cop on that the greatest mountainbiker in ireland ever is Bruce Murphy !!! No joke..but this is Jimbos moment !!  What can I say about James..hes done it all, nearly since the beginning, XC, DH even Cyclobore !!

Name:James McCluskey

Club:IMBRC

Category:Masters

Years racing:17 Years (there was a few lean ones though)

Best result - Not necessarily highest result: 7th in the world masters in Praloup in 2007.  The course had my name on it long super steep climbs and fast flowy single track decents.  Such a buzz with my all the Irish cheering me on, sunshine and dusty trails the best days racing I’ve ever had.

Bike:Mmm I have few bikes:-), race bike is a Giant Anthem, 80mm travel front and rear.  Low down stretched out sticks to the trails like glue.  I also race my Orbea Alma a lot, it’s not as tricked out but it will go fast if you push it.  I reckon an Epic course in Djouce will need a full suss but who knows?

 
Favourite Trail:  I’ve loads, in Ireland it the secret trail which I can’t tell you about!  The best spin in the world could be the Col de la Lauze from Clavière on the French/Italian boarder. Amazing climb singletrack decent through Telly Tubbie Land, divine MTB.

Favourite Race: I used to love the old course in Ballinastoe, Castlewellan is great too, got to be in good shape to enjoy both. 

Favourite Biking Destination: France or Italy a question that as troubled mountain bikers for centuries!  I would say France purely because they know how to put on a good event.

Fergal " Guns" Kilkenny

Fergal Kilkenny, XC Co ordinator and the man single handedly responsible for reviving Cross Country Racing, who gave the Sports riders back their dignity by treating them like human beings. He also brought down the Soviet Union and is about to fix the recession by generating billions of Euros in Dublin by building ghetto Xc trails all over 3 Rock !!


Name
Fergal Kilkenny

 
   Club

MADMTB

Category
Vets, the old gits

Years racing
4 years

Best result - Not necessarily highest result

Nothing really to shout about, but I did the Carlingford XC marathon 1:15hrs faster in 2008 than I did in 2007 so I knew I was getting a bit handier on the bike, I finished the EPIC NPS in Djouce (2008 I think it was) in Elites without getting lapped so was happy with that, jaysus it was tough though - don't know how those lads do it....

Bike
A skinny-ass Rocky Mountain Vertex for the racing, she's the shcandium one

The hardtail Canyon is for the hacking, skids and general bayting around, and the Canyon Torque is the fat bike with the boingy springs for the freeridery nonsense and the odd DH race 

Favourite Trail/ Race/ Biking Destination

I must admit to being a big fan of the trails myself and the MAD doozers have built up 3Rock, 'specially The Schizzle, the Leadmines club course is a great rip on the Thursday night race, trails over in Sierra Nevadas in Spain were savage stuff - kinda like 50 Katty Gallaghers in a row but looser and steeper, the mecca of Djouce is a primo location for racing and spins too, there's never enough trails though....any mountainbiker who doesn't swing a mattock a few times a year is really just a cyclocrosser in drag...

Name: Adam "The Viking" Wojnar

Club: EPIC MTB

Years Racing: Well,I raced at Underage and Junior Level and have only returned to biking and racing in the last year or so.

Best Result: As someone once said...."If your not first, your last......" so with that, a runners up spot in Masters at this years NPS RD 3 is my highlight to date!!

Bike: Specialized Stumpjumper

Favorite Trail/Race/ Biking Destination: Favorite trail with out doubt is the Epic Club Course... it just gets faster and faster each week!!

Oisin " Bomber " Boydell

Oisin has been around for a while and hes one of those class riders you get once in a while, talented, slick and exceptional on the bike. This year in Masters hes one of the contenders for the top spot. Hes going to be hard to beat for the title of Masters XC Nationals Champ 2010.

Name: Oisin Boydell

Club: Mountainbike Association of Dublin

Category: Master

Years racing: About 5 now I think. 1 in sports, 2 in experts and this my second year in masters.

Best result - Not necessarily highest result: Winning the masters NPS series last year

Bike: Pronghorn Racing carbon hardtail (http://www.pronghornracing.dk), RockShox SID, XTR

Favourite Trail/ Race/ Biking Destination: We're spoiled here with Wicklow - some of the best all round riding anywhere. For something different the Sierra Nevada mountains in Spain are brilliant with dusty dry rocky trails (not to mention the great food and beer!)

The National Mountainbike Cross Country Championships 2010

This year sees The Mountainbike National Championships returning to its sacred Home..Djouce Woods, Co Wicklow. It was in these woods that Legendary Mountainbikers like Robin " Bob Benchcut" Seymour and Joe " Hanks " mcCall Sprang fully clad in Lycra from the Brow of the great God of the fantastic trees that Mr Coillte planted !! Hacked out of the gravelly hillsides and carved out of the river banks, trails like XTC, Toro, Gwangi,Gran Canaria and Fartknocker hang on the lips of every savage who throws their leg over a Mountainbike.
    Nestled on the Eastern Slope of the World famous Powerscourt Cirque , where the fabulous Cascade de Powerscourt tumbles 300 feet down in to a Picnic area for sweaty tourists, Djouce wood is home to many wild animals, including Wild Boar, Grey Vultures and the elusive Hedgehog..
This Year EPICmtb, with the help of Mark Kenny and K Capital Source brings you the Greatest Mountainbiking event ever to hit these shores.
Stay tuned for news as it comes in, if you want to be involved and would like to hand over vast amounts of prize Money, Bicycles and parts, or just about anything as prizes, then contact me at richie.byrne@gmail.com
Don't miss this..it will change your life !