Fat Tyres Mountainbiking

New base for Rivington mountain biking courses

2009-09-06T12:55:00.000-07:00

We are proud to announce our new working partnership with Rivington Park School.

Within the next few weeks we will be running all our our Rivington Pike beginners mountain biking courses out of the school premises allowing us to make full use of their infrastructure including plentiful free parking, conference facilities and cafeteria serving hot and cold food. Not only that but the school will be promoting our services as part of their range of weekend and holiday activities, allowing us to bring the pleasures of mountain biking and the local area to a wider audience.

For further information on Rivington Park School, visit their website at: www.rivingtonparkschool.co.uk

FREE CASH..? Simply follow my beginners guide to commuting by bike!

2009-09-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, its actually true, in 4 months I have 'made' the princely sum of £300. How might you ask did I raise this mighty sum?

Well, the good news is its painless, its easy and its good for you! I simply stopped driving to work and fighting for a parking space and started to commute to work on my old trail bike, 'Rocky'.

I started in May and in the 4 months to the end of August I have covered almost 1400 miles (my daily commute is a 20 mile round trip). To equip myself for this I bought some Kevlar city tyres instead of the heavy rolling 'mud eaters' Rocky was used to, a new set of lights and a bell. I then inflated my tyres nice and hard and started testing some routes to avoid the traffic as best I could. With very little effort I found route options that were between 50 and 95% off road, so depending on my mood I can breeze along the banks of the River Tyne or hammer it up the Scotswood Road. I normally take the river, unless I have an alarm clock disaster...

I then with little or no effort secured a bike locker at my place of work for the very reasonable sum of £0 thus slashing my parking bill by 100% for the price of one politely worded e-mail.

'But surely this takes longer I hear you shout, you must be getting up an hour earlier'... Not so!

To drive, park and then walk to work used to take about 40 minutes on average, a little less in the school holidays a lot more some days for no obvious reason. To bike it takes me between 30 and 35 minutes depending on the direction of the wind (which can be fierce to say the least). I then grab a quick shower at work and I am set for the day, alert and awake from my morning spin, sat at my desk 45 minutes after I left home.

My calculated financial savings are;
Cost of Petrol (@40mpg and 99.9p per litre) = £160
Cost of Parking (80 days @ £4.50 per day) = £360
Grand Total = £520

But I have spent;
2 x Kevlar Tyres (Specialised Nimbus Armadillo 26 x 1.5) = £50
1 x Bell (Specialized, of course!) = £10
1 x Set of lights (Cat Eye with big candlepower as some of my trip is unlit) = £100
2 x Inner Tubes £10
1 x New rear wheel £50
Grand Total = £210

The proof of the pudding is there for all to see, I am leaner, fitter, faster on trail, have kept a good few miles off my car (saving even more money longer term), and just as importantly, I arrive at work now in a good mood!

And you know what the best bit is - I can spend my £300 on something not dissimilar to a fine weekend in the company of http://www.fat-tyres-mountainbiking.co.uk/.

But Ladies and Gentleman it does not stop there! I don't know if you know but there's a very tidy scheme out there called the cycle to work scheme (for more information see http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/) which your employer can sign up for if they don't run it already. What this gives you is the option to buy a bike tax free and save up to 40% of the cost you'd pay over the counter. I am looking into buying a new commute specific bike through the scheme, something with hub gears and brakes to make the winter commute a lot easier to maintain. The fact that I can save even more money by doing this puts a big fat smile on my face. I will let you know how I get on.

Job's a good 'un! :)

We tackle the Nan Bield Pass - so you don't have to!

2009-08-31T08:28:00.000-07:00

Here at Fat Tyres we're always on the look-out for new, exciting trails to ride - trails that test the endurance of man and machine over some of the country's most extreme and demanding terrain. And in the fabled Nan Bield Pass route, we think we've found one and it's not for the faint hearted...

(Above, the Nan Bield Pass. Knackered mountainbikers not pictured)

Starting from Wheelbase Cycles in Staveley on a fine, summer's morning it began somewhat innoculously enough, with a spin down the cyclepath alongside the main Kendal-Windermere road before a right turn kicked us up into the hills, firstly on tarmac and then a rocky bridleway which became grassy before a tumultuous descent into Kentmere. So far, then, so good. Next, we traversed Green Quarter Fell and plummeted into Sadgill down another corking, if a little hairy in places, descent with a few massive drop-offs and switchbacks into the bargain.

(Above: Steve descends into oblivion, er I mean Kentmere)

Lovely, so what's next?

Erm, hell on wheels. That's what. We hung a left up Longsleddale and there we saw it. Stretching miles into the distance was the veritable monster that is the Gatesgarth Pass. However even so, we weren't worried. The previous month's issue of MBR even had a feature on Lakeland passes and stated quite confidently 'only the best will make it to the top without dabbing'. OK, so we knew we weren't exactly Nick Craig but we're both experienced cyclists with over 40 years riding between us. It's fine, we thought, it's not a race we'll just spin up to the top then when it gets really tough, hop off and walk. No sweat. Within a mile the trail kicked up and we were scrabbling for traction and gasping for air. No go, we were off and pushing. And pushing and then pushing some more. The gradient was relentless and the surface loose and greasy offering no respite as we struggled manfully onwards, only the thought of a cracking descent keeping us going. And then just when we reached a gate, and the trail flattened out did we spot the next section of the pass, curving round the hillside and up into the clouds, getting steeper every stride. It was clearly going to be a long day.

(Above: your correspondant carbo-loads on a Ginsters steak and mushroom slice halfway up the Gatesgarth)

Several weeks later, we crested the summit, dropped our saddles and prepared to be blown away by a long, sinuous descent to Haweswater. Sadly I appeared to have missed it as all I could find was a steep, rocky singletrack which had to be ridden at 1mph to allow us to pick the best line and then we were at the bottom. Oh well, at least there's the Nan Bield Pass descent to look forward to. The only problem was we had to get up there first and the famous Lakeland weather was starting to turn. The mountains over our left shoulder above Haweswater were shrouded in mist and looking menacing so guess where we were going?

I'll keep the next part mercifully brief as was the riding. For almost three hours we pushed, carried and generally manhandled our bikes across rock gardens, scree slopes and up a corrie that didn't even look manageable with crampons on let alone disco slipper racing shoes before we finally made it to the stone shelter at the summit, passing more than a few incredulous walkers in the process. "Have you carried those up there then?" was the general greeting. "No mate, we were dropped in by helicopter." I thank you.

And so we began the descent which under perfect conditions would have probably been rideable but the howling wind and sleet pelting our by now battered bodies meant that no chances were taken and the switchbacks at the top negotiated with maximum care. From there we skidded, squealed and generally hobbled the six miles back to the valley floor and the relative safety of a marked bridleway.

However, we'd done it. It had taken three hours longer than my initial foolish estimate of 5 hours but with the exception of one of Steve's carbon bar ends, which to this day remains halfway down the Gatesgarth pass, we'd come through it relatively unscathed.

Same time next week then.

Rivington Beginners Course: 2nd August

2009-08-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

Another glorious day in Lancashire, more fine weather for our latest mountain biking beginners course. Not to be outdone by the international triathlon taking place across the road, our very own Ironmen (and woman!) scaled the heights of Rivington Pike bathed in warm sunshine before tackling the rough and ready descents like true naturals and coming through unscathed, the only injury being yours truly today sporting some quite unique sunburn.

Pictured above: Niket, Alex and James share a moment at the summit.

More information on our Rivington mountain biking beginners courses.

New dates for Llangollen Weekender

2009-07-28T00:02:00.000-07:00

We've just announced an additional date for our Llangollen weekend mountain biking holiday.

October 3rd-4th
£150.00 per person

Click here for further information and to book online now.

We've also a few places left for the same weekender on 17th-18th October so get your skates on to avoid disappointment!

Mountain biking gift vouchers launched!

2009-07-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

Stuck for present for your other half, relative or buddy? Our mountain biking gift vouchers make ideal presents for birthdays, Christmas or Father's Day or simply as a gift for someone special.

Vouchers can be purchased for the following activities:

Beginners mountain biking courses (£70)
Rivington Pike or Delamere Forest locations
Our easy-going rides offer advice and instruction on riding techniques across a wide variety of carefully chosen trails. This is combined with straightforward advice and guidance on basic bike maintenance in a relaxed and informative atmosphere.

Click here for more information.

Rivington Beginners Course: 3rd May

2009-05-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

Under fine skies and a light breeze the latest beginners group of Emma, James and Martin scaled the summit of Rivington Pike before taking in a spot of lunch and embarked on a mammoth tour of Anglezarke and Rivington Moors. All cleaned the final ascent of the tower and barrelled down the final Wilderwoods descent, giving huge smiles all round before indulging in coffee and cake at the visitor centre. 'Knackered but fun' was the quote of the day - just the way we like it!

Pictured above: James, Emma and Martin on the summit.

Free mountain bike demo rides at Grizedale this weekend

2009-04-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

From BikeRadar

The final mountain bike Demo Day of the season - before the mother of all demo days at BikeRadar Live - takes place at Grizedale Forest in the Lake District this Sunday (19 April).

You’ll be able to test ride bikes from Norco, Yeti, Lapierre, Diamondback, Trek, KHS, Pronghorn, Gary Fisher and Santa Cruz for absolutely nothing.

Read the full article.

Pump it up

2009-03-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

From BikeRadar.

A valuable but often overlooked technique, pumping can vastly improve your riding technique and overall speed on the trail. Here are five reasons why you should get pumping.

Simply put, pumping is the act of pushing the bike into the trail in some way as you ride to tap into its latent energy. Whether you’re pushing the bike down, forwards or into the side of a turn – it’s all pump. The action of pushing your bike can be done through hands, feet or both.

Read the full article here.

Want some mountain bike instruction?
Book one of our mountain biking beginner's courses now.

Mountain biking t-shirt range launched

2009-03-22T06:10:00.001-07:00

Ever keen to shamelessly promote the brand whereever and whenever possible, today sees the launch of our first line of mountain biking t-shirts. There's only a couple of designs available so far but they're fashioned in a cool choice of colours and whether your a Trail God or Dirt Diva, we''ll have a size and shape for you. We'll be designing more as the season goes on, plus adding mountain biking hoodies and mountain biking sweatshirts to the stocklist for those cafe-chilling sessions, but in the meantime you can check them out here... http://fat-tyres-mountainbiking.spreadshirt.net
Everything is printed by our partner Spreadshirt individually for you and is ready to dispatch within 24-48 hours of ordering.

Afan Lodge opens in South Wales mountain bike mecca

2009-03-20T03:15:00.000-07:00

From The Guardian

A new lodge modelled on a ski chalet has opened in Wales - except this one is for mountain bikers keen to try out the country's world-class trails.

A mere 10 minutes from Glyncorrwg in the village of Duffryn, the Lodge was opened three weeks ago by keen riders Louise and Richard Davis specifically for mountain bikers, and it makes a nice change from the bunkhouse or traditional B&B options usually on offer.

Huge and spacious, it was originally a Miners' Institute housing a large dance hall, skittles alley and library. Today, it feels more like an Alpine ski chalet, its wooden floors capable of dealing with mud and grubby riders and its power hose more than adept at blowing chunks of dirt off derailleurs and chainrings. Probably even more importantly for the mountain bike community, or indeed anyone who enjoys an ale at the end of a day in the fresh air, it has a bar and restaurant on site, both of which look out on to The Wall, one of Afan's five trails.

Read the full article
http://www.afanlodge.com/

Mountain bikers go Dutch in the North East

2009-03-19T06:41:00.000-07:00

From BikeRadar

Olympic mountain biker Bart Brentjens led a party of nearly 50 Dutch cyclists on a package holiday to North East England.

The riders checked out the trails at Kielder Water & Forest Park in Northumberland and Hamsterley Forest in County Durham.

They also had a masterclass from Brentjens, gold medallist for Holland at the 1996 Atlanta games.

They were visiting on the the first ever – and oversubscribed – tailor-made biking holiday to the region.

The trip was organised by ferry company DFDS and regional development agency One North East, and supported by Newcastle-based cycle tour organisers Saddle Skedaddle.

Helen McLoughlin, international marketing manager at One North East, said: “Mountain biking is an increasingly popular sport and as Bart’s visit shows, North East England is attracting riders from across Europe.

"The region’s routes, including the challenging Deadwater Fell at Kielder Water & Forest Park, will put even the best bikers to the test and it goes without saying that the views across Northumberland are some of the most attractive in the country."

With further off-road routes set to open this summer, scores more European bikers are expected to cross the North Sea to hit the region's trails between now and October.

Read the full article here
BikeRadar website

How to clear step-ups on climbs

2009-03-19T06:13:00.000-07:00

Ahh yes, we've all been there. Nicely in the rhythm on that super-steep technical climb and along comes that pesky rock step or root that you have to get over without losing your balance or momentum. Good of Chris from CycleActive to give us all the low-down on the classic technique for not ending up flat on your backside. Check it out here.

The PR offensive continues!

2009-03-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

Not content with the write-up we received from the Sunday Times last year, today saw the second mention of us in the national press - that home of things green, eco-friendly and sandal-wearing, The Guardian...

"Renowned mountain biking guides Fat Tyres run beginners' courses around the summit, but those wanting to DIY it can follow trails that begin seconds from the railway station."

Not bad, eh? Check out the full article here.

New downhill course for the North East

2009-03-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

A new downhill track has been created at Kidland Forest in the Cheviot Hills, and it's set to host its first race next month.

The black-rated run is the result of two years' work by riders' group Northern Downhill in partnership with the Forestry Commission and the Northumberland National Park Authority.

Packed with twists, turns and technical features, and described as "steep and fast", the sub-three-minute track will be used solely for competitions.

The first race at the venue will be the opening round of the new Northern Downhill Series, on 4-5 April. It is expected to attract up to 150 riders.

Check out the full article on BikeRadar.
Northern Downhill official website.

Saturday morning spin

2009-03-14T11:07:00.000-07:00

What better start to the weekend than a blast up Rivington Pike on the first decent sunny morning we've had for ages?

ROUTE DETAILS
Kicking off from the Lower Barn car park, track up to the Great Barn (either on the road or along the rocky path that runs to the left of it. Head through the carpark and follow the bridleway sign to the left through the gate and up the stony path runnung parallel to the dry stone wall. At the top head round the field then where the track splits, kick left up and through the farmer's field to bring you out just below the Upper Car Park.

From there I usually head up to the right (not up the left - you come DOWN that way!) and follow the track snaking uphill through the Oriental Gardens untill you come out at the gate just above the Pigeon Tower. From there it's a right along the hillside past the public toilets on the wide stony track until you arrive at the gate that leads upto the Pike. At the base of the Pike it's a bit knarly with some huge paved switchbacks but if you get a decent head of steam up that should carry you over and round to the final push up to the top. Mind out for the step-up halfway and that's the summit!

All downhill from here then... roll off the summit via the deeply rutted trail (heading approximately towards Horwich) then pick up the bridleway that tracks around the Pike and go through the gate at the bottom. Turn right here to retrace your steps to the Pigeon Tower and head past it and down the "Ice Cream" run, so-called as in the summer there's an ice-cream van at the bottom! This is pretty technical and not-for the faint-hearted; you either have to opt for the thin singletrack that runs along either side of the trail or the central section with it's huge drop-offs. You pays your money and takes your choice!!! If you get to the bottom in one piece you can either follow your route back to the car park or head out to the main road for a high speed descent off the hillside.