Moving Forward...

Just a quick update concerning team kit and the ordering process, as over the last few weeks I've received a decent amount of emails enquiring 'what's going on?'. As I haven't been in the position to confirm anything up to this point, I didn't want to jump the gun so apologies for the radio silence.

So what is going on?

In a nutshell 3 things.

1. There's new jersey design based on the Belgian Champ colours.
2. We're shifting supplier... and our kit will be made in Belgium
3. Kit will be available all year... HCTB will be having an online store.

The jersey will be previewed in the next week or so and available for pre-order. If you want one I suggest you get an order in straight away as you may miss out on bagging one of the initial print run. The jerseys registered with BC so you can race in it too.

Our kit's coming home to roost in Belgium. It couldn't be more fitting.

Keep an eye out for the store tab to pop up on the right side of the page. It'll be up and running in the next week or so.

So there we are. I reckon that's enough revelations for one Sunday.

Dunc

Cross season Over?

If you've not wrapped your bike in it's summer protection, there is a race this weekend at Bethesda, North Wales
(http://map.gwynedd.gov.uk/DaearyddolMapGwefan/Map.aspx?iaith=en&canolfan_hamdden=Bethesda). It is the final of the Evolution Cycles North Wales League ( http://nwcycloxgroup.ning.com/). Usually a fun course with plenty of muddy off camber traversing. The course is set by the legendary Barry Davies. It all starts at noon on Sunday 19th February, with the kids race (my 5 year old will be lining up) with the adults starting around 12.20pm. Entry is £10 with no need for BC membership to bump up the entry cost. If you fancy a day out and a chance to race before the spring arrives, I'll see you there.

                                                           An ageing Belgian at Bethesda

Hit the North 2012

All pics: Jo Allen

Hit the North isn't any particular type of event, cross, mtb, enduro - it's just Hit the North. That's it.

It defies categorisation really. You can have an entertaining little 'which is faster - cx or mtb?' argument, though to be fair it is almost always won by cross bikes. Dave H set up a carefully calibrated scientific experiment between On One Dirty Disco crossbike and Planet X Dirty Harry 29er mtb to settle this score for once and all - read further if you wish to find out the results.

Either way it lumbers on, this entertaining off-the-wall, hors-categorie of an event. Mint balls, brass and samba bands,a  horizontally laidback atmosphere and a constantly entertaining course - it's got it all. Brant from On One even brought his inflatable Inbred man to stand and menace the brass band in the sub-zero temperatures.

The racing was fast and furious in the frozen conditions with a bigger than ever field of varied athletic types and not-so-athletic types. Favourite memory? Piling into the base of a particularly steep and hard run up, and having to navigate around a large group of fellow competitors, off their (mountain) bikes and having a right good natter. Mid race. But that's the point - whilst I was there to race, they were there to ride. Each getting exactly what they wanted from the occasion.

Of course, in true Hit the North tradition, we weren't going to get away with just minimal mud and fast conditions....  It started snowing on the last lap, slickening up the course a little prior to a mad mass scramble to exit as rapidly as possible from a by then fully snowed up car park and approach road. Which was a real shame, as half the fun of the event is the apres-race stuff - food, chat, eclectic prizegiving and tall story telling...