Blazing Saddles

Latest from the Blog

• PMBA Enduro Series Round 5 Race Blog

  

  Here’s Ben Clayton’s latest race report from Round 5 of the PMBA Series.

  Last weekend it was time for the 5th round of the PMBA Enduro Series held at Kirroughtree trail centre in Galloway, Scotland. This is rapidly becoming a popular event and I was really looking forward to racing here as the previous year was brilliant.

  We headed up there on the Saturday morning hoping to get some decent practice in but it lashed it down for most of the journey and I was glad I’d put a new grippier back tyre on and had a full wet tyre at the ready if needed. But as we got closer the clouds parted and we were met with some sunshine at last. After wolfing down a bite to eat we got our gear sorted and headed out for a practice loop. The condition of the trails, considering the weather we had driven through were surprisingly dry so I was glad I had no need for the wet weather tyre. The different stages were really fast and loads of fun with a few slippy rocks and roots to catch me out. After we got back to the van, we all agreed that the guys at the PMBA had come up with the goods again. A couple of pints of Guinness and some good food at the local pub and we were ready to hit the hay.

  Sunday and race day! The weather was on our side again and we headed out for morning practice. A bit of dew on the ground and a couple of hundred riders through the stages had changed the trails, unearthing the dreaded sniper root, ready to take down anyone not paying full attention. This was unfortunately me on the final stage! No harm was done and it made me change my game plan for the race run, from go as fast as you can everywhere to back off a little and don’t crash! I headed out for my race loop with a plan, stuck to it and although I felt I could have gone much faster in places my loop was without a major incident. I ended up in 7th place, earning me some decent points and keeping me in 6th overall for the series.

  There’s a two month break before the next PMBA Enduro! The next event is the ‘Ard Rock Enduro in which is very different to what I have raced so far this year with lots of fast, rocky moorland. Something I don’t ride a lot, but the race last year was a lot of fun so I’m really looking forward to the test once again!

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• New Staff – Meet Pete!

  

  Hi, I’m Pete and have been living in the Calder Valley for the last eighteen months. I’ve mainly ridden mountain bikes in the past but am a recent convert to road riding and loving it! I have a passion for all things steel. My mountain bike and road bike are both steel framed and I don’t see that changing with future purchases; except maybe something in titanium for my 40th birthday.

  Having visited and ridden around Hebden Bridge in the past I made it my mission to meet a local girl, and I did! Mary is a very lucky lady and has inherited a refurbished mid-90’s steel framed mountain bike from me to begin her riding career. I’m having loads of fun exploring the local trails and roads but feel free to pop in and share your ideas with me!

   

   

   

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• Built in Britain

  

  Mountain Bike Specialists

  At Blazing Saddles, we’re all mountain bikers at heart, and we’re proud to to be premier dealers for local mountain bike specialists Orange, who hail from just down the road in Halifax. We’ve got all the latest 2016 models in our showroom, including the new Orange 4, Factory Editions of the Five, the Segment, and the Alpine 160. In hardtails, we have the Crush, the Clockwork and the new P7. We have 2016 Orange Demo Bikes available for you to put through their paces, and if there is one of their awesome bikes you would like to demo that we don’t have in our fleet then give us a call or come into the shop, and we will do our best to get one direct from Orange for you to try.

  

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• Our newest recruit

  

  Meet our new recruit

  Gareth is our newest recruit and will be working at Blazing Saddles 3 days a week. 

  Hi, my name is Gareth and I live in Mytholmroyd and can be found on occasions riding around the roads of Calderdale. That’s right I’m a roadie!  I have worked in the bike trade now for 4 years on sales and as a mechanic, but now I’m back behind the counter and can’t wait to become a nerdy tech head again. As I’ve said, I ride road bikes , but in the past I have had my fair share of fun touring. Not any old touring, but backcountry touring in Oz, New Zealand and South America. The later being 6 months in the saddle and rough camping for the majority.

  All these trips and bike rides are done with my wife, Sarah. We met 11 years ago and since then have moved around the world and up the country, to settle here in Calder. She can be found working hard at West Mount Vets, doing all things vettie. 12 months ago we became parents for the first time and we are have great fun with Isla our little daughter. She loves our little running outings, tramping up dodgy gullies in the Lake District and in the future I’m sure she will love cycling too.

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