The Challenge starts on 21 May 2012 and ends on 29 June 2012; slightly earlier in the year than previously to give teams in the education sector time to finish the challenge before the end of term rush (not that they really need any help….) The web site has also been spruced up in line with your feedback comments from last year.

We have the old favourite awards as well as one or two new ones; prizes for the oldest and youngest teams, the community team with the most trips and the whackiest / most inventive team name give everyone a chance to shine, even if they don’t have any lycra in the wardrobe. Awards for large and small organisations will be won by those in which the cycling culture extends across the workforce; prizes will go to the workplaces or organisations with the highest average of trips over the total number of employees or members.

As you all know by now, the Challenge is all about getting cyclists on their bikes, especially new cyclists, so during one week of the Challenge all the miles and trips done by new or returning cyclists will count double, so make sure you get at least one new cyclist in your team to take advantage of this boost to the totals.

So don’t delay – register your team as soon as possible at www.southlakes-cyclechallenge.co.uk

Let’s see if we can beat last year’s amazing 51,997 miles, 51 teams and 228 cyclists.

Click here for the Cycle Challenge 2012 leaflet

12th May 2012

Round 2 of the British Downhill Series took place at the UK’s only World Cup track at Fort William on 12th May. The field included 70 elite riders including many British and French World Cup riders and the current UCI World Champion Danny Hart, riding for the Giant Factory team, all of them looking to get some practise in before the World Cup round at Fort William in June.

The forecast was ominous for Sunday with high winds forecast making it unlikely that the gondola uplift would be operating. Some riders had taken the opportunity to arrive early and get some practise in during the week. With the forecast in mind the organisers had pre-warned riders that seeding runs would take place on Saturday afternoon and these could well turn out to be the final race runs.

Riders were up bright and early Saturday knowing that there would be limited time to practise the long and demanding track. The weather was dry and bright. The pits were rammed with international teams with Shimano and Hope providing free neutral service to all the riders.

Seeding (race) runs started at 3:00pm. Andy had a difficult run but still ended up 25th with a time of 5:51 beating two thirds of the Seniors in the process.

Dan was last down the hill in Youth as the current series leader was out with an injury. Dan put in a storming time of 5:25 which placed him third in category and would have put him into the top ten in Experts. Local rider Sam Herd, riding for Perth City Cycles, won the cateogry with a time of 5:22.

Danny Hart (Giant) won the Elite mens category with a time of 4:52 beating Mark Beaumont (GT Bikes/Atherton Racing) into second place by half a second and despite having to ride chainless on the pedally bottomn half of the course.

Maonon Carpenter (Madison Saracen) won the Womans Elite category in a time of 5:31 beating Rachel Atherton (GT Bikes/Atherton Racing) by 1.3 seconds.

Round three of the BDS is at Glencoe in July and Dan heads there as joint series leader. Andy will be looking to improve on a technical and steep course that should suit him. In the meantime the teamm are heading to Innerleithen for a round of the IXS European Cup at Innerleithen from 15th to 17th June.

Great to see WHEELBASE.co.uk riders Steve Clarke (6.11) and Ian Palmer (6.34) inside the Top 20 quickest times on a very challenging day.

Well done to all the finishers. You’re all superstars! And a big thanks to Lakes RC, all the organisers, volunteers and the people cheering on the roadside – what a brilliant event! Here’s to next year…

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL RESULTS

1445 Rob Jebb Wheelbase M 5:59
230 Alistair Robinson Keswick Bikes .co.uk M 6:01
341 Greig Brown Dooleys Cycles RT M 6:09
30 Andy Sudell Lakes Road Club M40 6:11
1050 Robert Glaister Keswick Mountain Bikes M 6:12
753 Steven Clarke Wheelbase M 6:13
44 Grant Law Honister 92 M 6:15
773 Paul Caswell Harrogate Nova C C M 6:17
1539 Greg Ketteringham Harrogate Nova C C M50 6:17
1571 Rob Waller Edinburgh M40 6:20
129 John Wager Felt Colbornes RT M 6:24
819 Glen Turnbull PATRON M 6:24
240 Scott Smith Barrow Central Wheelers M 6:26
410 Brian Muir Royal Albert CC M40 6:30
1195 Werner Otto Sky Velo M 6:31
87 Steve Archer Tillicoultry M 6:31
494 Tom MacDonald Lomonds Roads Cycling Club M40 6:34
1569 Tim Muir Milton Keynes M 6:34
1124 Andrew Blackwood Shipley M40 6:34
1341 Ian Palmer Wheelbase M40 6:34

The route 800 service will be run by Stagecoach Cumbria as part of the innovative GoLakes Travel sustainable transport programme, which aims to inspire visitors to the Lake District National Park to Drive Less, See More.

The new service started on Saturday 5th May and the buses will run at weekends and bank holidays until the summer holidays when it will run every day from 16th July until 31st August and weekends until 30th September.

The ‘bike & ride’ service will see specially converted buses, that are able to carry up to 12 bikes and riders, travel through the heart of the Lakes along the A591 from Windermere Railway Station to the Whinlatter Forest visitor Centre. The buses will stop at Ambleside, Rydal, Grasmere, Thirlspot, Keswick and Braithwaite on the way.

Many visitors to the area currently use their cars to carry their bikes to where they want to ride, and other visitors are put off cycling as an option to explore the area because they think it is too difficult to get around. The bike & ride bus has been created to make it easier for people to get around more sustainably by using a combination of bike and bus.

Alistair Kirkbride, sustainable transport adviser for the Lake District National Park, said: “We hope the bike bus will become a core service for cyclists and mountain bikers visiting the Lake District.”

“Visitors will use the bike bus to get to a new area to explore by bike, getting to the trails at Whinlatter Forest with mountain bikes or for families to access the trails around Thirlmere. It will also people to cycle further distances with the comfort of knowing they can hop on the bus to get back.”

“The bike bus will really make it easier for people to get out of their cars for a day of their visit and explore the area on two-wheels – and they will see a lot more and have a lot more fun by doing so.”

Nigel Winter, managing director of Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire, said: “We are keen supporters of partnerships and sustainable travel. Bike & Ride brings both together, with Stagecoach innovation and the local sustainable transport fund, delivering a new product for bike users in the lakes.”

“We have converted our buses by removing seating to allow more bikes to be carried. This service will make it easier for people to be able to leave their car at their accommodation and explore the area using the greener, and more fun, options of bike and bus.”

Stagecoach has also adapted the open top 599 route buses to carry two bikes, running between Windermere and Grasmere, creating further options for cyclists to use buses to get to where they want to ride.

The GoLakes Travel programme is a £6.9 million initiative being delivered in partnership by Cumbria County Council, the Lake District National Park Authority and Cumbria Tourism to influence people to make fewer car journeys while visiting the Lake District. It aims to reduce the area’s CO2 emissions by to 11,000 tonnes by 2015.

The programme, which has been funded primarily through the Department for Transport, along with some matched funding, is focussed on the Central and Southern Lake District, including the towns and villages of Grasmere, Ambleside, Windermere, Kendal, Hawkshead and Coniston. This area has been chosen because it receives the majority of visitors to the National Park.

The programme includes nine interlinking projects which will deliver multiple improvements to travel infrastructure, such as improved cycleways, more and better bus stops, more frequent bus services, a low emission car hire network, the expansion of an electric cycle network, improved and more flexible ticketing and better transport information.

For more information on sustainable travel options in the Lake District visit www.golakes.co.uk

Please Pre-Enter at www.bmbo.org.uk

Now in its 17th successful year! Do them just for fun or to try to win!!

6 Tuesday Evenings in June / July

2 hour bike orienteering events on country lanes. Suitable for all abilities and bikes.

Start times from from 5.30 – 7pm

Pre-marked, A4 colour OS map 1:50,000 provided

12th June Strickland Arms, Sizergh

Phil Morgan

Charity – Fred Whitton Charities

19th June The Bay Horse, Arkholme, LA6 1AS SD 583722

Dave Hewitt

Charity – Lancaster Animal Care

26th June Cycle Café, Greystoke , CA11 0UT 439313

Dave & Zoe Cowgill

Charity – SOBS (survivors of bereavement by suicide)

3rd July Jolly Anglers, Burneside SD 505957

Tim Goffe

Charity – Amnesty International

10th July Station Inn, Oxenholme LA97RF SD 535899

Dave Hollingham

Charity – Cumbria Cerebral Palsy

17th July ‘Winners Cut the Cake’ Wilf’s Café, Staveley.

(best 4/6) Awards for all generation pairs.

WHEELBASE.co.uk

Charity – Fix The Fells www.fixthefells.co.uk

WHEELBASE PRIZE VOUCHER DRAW FOR ENTRANTS WHO COMPLETE 4 OUT OF 6 EVENTS: THE SHOP IS OPEN DURING THE WHOLE EVENING

Classes and competitive league (4 from 6) for solos, pairs, juniors & generation

Look out for great value food at all events – pies & peas, pasta bake etc.

JOIN THE FAST TRACK REGISTRATION & PRE-ENTER the series or separate events via www.bmbo.org.uk or ENTER ON THE NIGHT

Entry Fees:-£5 (discount for series pre-entry) £2 for 12 – 18yrs

BMBO membership is FREE online at www.bmbo.org.uk

Don’t forget your helmet

All profits to charity

For information & quick results: www.wheelbase.co.uk

Queries – email: carolmcneill@tiscali.co.uk

Tel: 01229 861507

Free Range Comedy Festival Advert

King of madcap comedy to lead a chaotic cycling trip around the Lake District and ending up at WHEELBASE, the UK’s largest cycle store for a one-off, unique gig.

Phil Kay is renowned as one of comedy’s most energetic acts and his combination of manic energy and surreal storytelling has seen him become a regular fixture at some of the world’s biggest festivals.

On May 26 Phil will be leading a special bike ride around the Grizedale Forest during which he will give fellow cyclists the benefit of his unique brand of humor through a loud hailer.

Later, that evening he will be heading to our Staveley cycling superstore for a very special comedy gig.

Phil’s love-affair with cycling has lasted more than 35 years and he is the proud owner of eight bikes, including road bikes and mountain bikes.

His eye for comedy has left him with a wealth of hilarious stories garnered on his two wheeled adventures, which includes numerous brushes with the law, his top three crashes and how his bike got stolen twice in 15 minutes.

Phil burst onto the comedy scene in 1989 and his unpredictable, freestyle style of performance won him the prize for best stand up at the 1994 British Comedy Awards and in 1997 Channel 4 gave Phil his own show, Phil Kay Feels.

Phil Kay will be appearing at Grizedale Forest at 5pm on Saturday 26 May and at WHEELBASE cycle super store at 8.00pm.

“We’re proud to be the UK’s largest store from our base in Staveley, just outside Windermere, and what better venue to host cycling mad comedian Phil Kay’s Freerange Festival gig! We’ll be busy turning our store in to a comedy club for the night, you make sure you get your tickets early for this unique and one-off venture – we may be big but seats are limited. Be quick!”

- Toby Dalton, Director and Co-Owner of WHEELBASE.co.uk

To book your tickets call The Brewery Box Office 01539 725133 or head to www.breweryarts.co.uk

He will cycle the length of Britain, from Land’s End to John O’Groats, with his piano trailing in a van, in aid of charity. At the end of each grueling leg of the ride he will give a recital either outdoors on the ‘BeethoVan’ or in a venue where he is invited to perform.

1,200 miles
320,000 Pedal Revolutions
27 Concerts
21 Days
One Big Challenge

The Bike

When we heard about this unique challenge from this extremely talented artist we were really keen to get involved. Anthony is as passionate about cycling as he is about his music and has set himself a big challenge here.

Anthony Hewitt (right) collects the Cannondale Synapse Carbon Apex ahead of the ‘Olympianist Challenge’ from Toby Dalton, Director, Wheelbase (left).

He has shown real humility with the large number of charities which will benefit from this tour with a difference and we wish him well. We have equipped him with the ideal bike for the challenge; the Cannondale Synapse Carbon Apex.’ – Chris Herd, Managing Director, Wheelbase

Wheelbase have supported Anthony with the perfect bike for the grueling event, the brand new Cannondale Synapse Carbon Apex.

The bike is designed to be light, agile and exciting to ride while providing a high level of comfort to cope with the distance. The geometry will allow Anthony to sit more upright, easing the pressure on his back; the all-new seatpost is designed to constantly flex helping to dampen the vibration of rough roads as he travels up the country. Finally, the Synapse features the new Sram Apex gear system which has a 32t lowest sprocket which will allow Anthony to spin a lower gear on the tough climbs, significantly reducing the strain on his muscles and allowing him to ride further with less energy.

The 2012 Cannondale Synapse Carbon Apex – £1799.99. Find out more information by clicking here.

The bike has been fully fitted to Anthony using the Wheelbase BikeFit system to provide him with the perfect riding position. Find out more about our Professional BikeFit by clicking here.

The Route

DEPART Land’s End – May 9th
Truro May 9th – Penair School
Calstock May 10th – The Old Chapel
Exeter May 11th – Exeter Cathedral
Poltimore May 11th – Poltimore House
Portland May 12th – Tour Quarry; Drill Hall (Easton)
Newbury May 13th – Market Sqaure for Newbury Spring Festival
Lechlade May 14th lunchtime – St. Lawrence Church
Gloucester May 14th evening – St Mary de Lode Church
Stafford May 15th – Staffordshire Performing Arts
Manchester May 16th – Anthony Burgess Foundation for Manchester Camerata
Manchester May 17th – Chetham’s School of Music
Clitheroe May 18th – The Grand
Swaledale May 19th – The Green, Reeth for Swaledale Festival
Bowness-on-Windermere May 20th lunchtime – The Glebe, Bowness-on-Windermere
Keswick May 20th evening – Crosthwaite Church
Dumfries May 21st – St. Paul’s Church, Lover’s Walk
Kelso May 22nd – Kelso Old Parish Church
Edinburgh May 23rd – Holyrood Park; Queen’s Hall
Dundee May 24th – Marryat Hall, City Square
Pitlochry May 25th – Pitlochry Festival Theatre
Boat of Garten May 26th – Boat of Garten Community Hall
Nairn May 27th – Nairn Community Centre
Dornoch May 28th – Dornoch Cathedral
ARRIVE John O’Groats May 29th – Lyth Arts Centre

Find out more at www.olympianist.com

SUPPORT ‘THE OLYMPIANIST’ AND DONATE HERE

Round 1

Combe Sydenham, Somerset

14+15 April 2012

The country’s top downhill riders headed to Combe Sydenham in Somerset for Round 1 of the British Downhill Series. The field was bolstered by a fine turn-out of pro-elite riders including Steve Peat, Josh Bryceland, Brendan Fariclough and Matti Lehikoinen. Local elite rider Adam Brayton made the long trip south together strong contingent from Scotland and Ireland. WHEELBASE.co.uk/Kona riders Dan and Andy Farley were looking to consolidate their solid start to the season.

The Combe Sydenahm track on the edge of Exmoor has last been used for a national Points Series race back in 2004 when Gee Atherton took the win. The track had been given an extensive makeover by Don Howe and his team from Kustom Bikes and most riders agreed that it was vastly improved; the mid section field now includes a series of tables, berms and doubles.

As riders arrived on Friday to set up pit areas, sign on and scope the track the rain started and continued into the night. Come Saturday morning the weather was overcast but dry; most riders opted for spikes as the track was pretty wet. The uplift ran smoothly with ten tractors and trailers working flat out all day to cope with the 323 riders. A few riders were caught out early on by the big step down into the mid point field. Callum Havard one of the leading Youth riders had a massive stack and broke his collarbone. The track dried out during the day and riders switched back to dry tyres.

Race morning dawned with a frost but clear sunny skies. Practice started at 08:00 as riders dialled in their lines for the race. The BDS follows the UCI World Cup format which means that each rider has a seeding run followed by one all or nothing race run.

Dan Farley, WHEELBASE/Kona Flying to a 2nd place at British Downhill Series RD1

Andy had a technical issue at the end of practice which meant he had to use Dans bike. Andy opted to cruise down for his seeding run so as not to cause any problems for Dan and seeded in 28th with a time of 2.53. Andy’s improved on his race run by five seconds to record a time of 2.48 in 17th place in a field of 63 Seniors and recording sixth fasted through the speed trap at 27.4mph.

Dan placed first in the seeding run with a time of 2.40 earning some invaluable series points in the process and the right to be last man down the hill for the race run. Dans race run was also a 2.40 with 27mph through the speed trap placing him in second beaten by 1.5 seconds by the improving Innes Graham from Scotland. Dan is currently placed second in the BCF national rankings (Youth cat), and Andy is 12th in Senior cat.

The elite categories were won by Marc Beaumont (GT Factory Racing), and currrent Junior World Champion Manon Carpenter (Madison Saracen) who narrowly beat Rachel Atherton (GT Factory Racing).

The team head to the fabled Fort William track for round 2 of the BDS in three weeks time.

The flying youth downhill racer Dan Farley, WHEELBASE/Kona from Burton won Round One of the North West MTB Downhill Series at Farmer Johns, Stockport on Sunday 11/3/12.

Dan Farley, WHEELBASE/Kona won the Youth category convincingly, beating his closest rival William Weston, Madison Saracen by 3.3sec. His impressive time placed him seventh overall in a field of 147 beating some Experts and Senior’s in the process. He currently leads the British Cycling Nationals rankings and looks forward to an important season for him. We wish him all the best – full gas!

CLICK HERE FOR THE RESULTS.

Dan Farley, WHEELBASE/KONA gets airborne to win the North West Downhill Series Round 1. Photographer: Iain McConnell

Dan Farley won Youth by nearly 11 seconds putting him into 9th overall in a field of 130. Older brother Andy Farley crashed on his first run but still finished 10th in his first race in Senior Mens and 27th overall.

Dan Farley, WHEELBASE.co.uk/Kona on the winning run at Round 1 of the Winter Downhill Series, Inerleithen. Photographer: Barry Primrose

Next race is at in the Winter Series is Moelfre on the last weekend of March.

Full results can be found by clicking here.