Santa Cruz Syndicate - San Romolo Testing from santa cruz bikes on Vimeo.

Clubs are now invited to submit applications to host the cross country nationals to the Off Road Commission of Cycling Ireland at offroad.commission@gmail.com.

Whilst the disease has not yet actually affected Tollymore, the threat was too great to go ahead with the race.  The nearby downhill venue of Moneyscalp has had to be clear felled in an attempt to avoid the disease affecting Tollymore.  Riders are asked to keep away from both venues as they could help in the spread of the disease by riding there.  Hopefully the spread can be contained and won’t affect more forests.

The series is perfect for riders who are new to racing with its ‘Baggy Shorts’ category that is aimed at giving a taster of what the cut and thrust of racing is all about but in an environment that is a bit easier and less intimidating for the novice.

The first round sees riders tackle a full lap of the Ballinastoe trail centre with two for the experienced ‘Super Pro’ rider and one lap for the student inter-varsity champs.

Entry is €25 per rider with youth riders racing for free!  Click here to go to the online registration site or here for the Biking.ie site to see more info.

For the next two weeks we are running a really simple competition to win a team jersey from professional cycling team Garmin transitions (now known as Garmin-Cervelo) signed by the likes of Christian Vande Velde and David Millar.  This is a prize that any cycling fan would love on their wall and all you have to do is give us a like on our Facebook page (see the bar to the left or search for Spoke.ie in facebook) or follow us on Twitter at #spoketweets.  It really is that simple!

You get one entry to the competition for every like or follow so if you do both that is two chances to win.  Getting family and friends to sign up will increase your chances too, we don’t mind where they come from.  Of course if you already follow us then you are in with a shot too so don’t worry.  The winner will be drawn at random on Valentines day the 14th of February.

While you are at it why not give the nice folks at the Garmin Ireland Facebook page a like too for information on products, riders, training and routes!

The small print -

The prize is the jersey shown in the photo above.  It is new and unworn and is a size XL.  No other size is available.  The prize will be drawn at random from all the people who like or follow Spoke.ie and the winners name will be published on the site and on the Spoke.ie Facebook and Twitter sites.

Plans in the pipeline include a test track around the venue, demonstrations, shows and seminars throughout the weekend. Further details on the shows attractions will be announced in the coming weeks.

The show is a first on this scale for Ireland but following the success of shows in the UK and across Europe it was only a matter of time.  The growth in all cycling disciplines in this country has been nothing short of exceptional with the MTB, road and triathlon market booming.  Such is the popularity that there is rarely a weekend in the calendar when an event of some kind or other is not on, never mind multiple options.  For example on the weekend of the show there is a BMX race in Cherry Orchard and a cross country round of the Munster series and that is a light week.

“This is an event for every branch of cycling activity from road cycling, BMX, mountain biking, competition, urban street cycling and all points in between,” said event organiser Hugh Bonner of Mara Media.  “As well as cycle sales companies we’ll have exhibitors involved in coaching, cycling holidays, nutrition, health and cycle sport administration.

“This is a show to be embraced by everyone involved in Irish cycling whether as a consumer, retailer or administrator. We view it as an opportunity to create a focus for all the cycling activity on the island.”

Having visited a number of trade and consumer shows the test track is a crucial area as it gives unrivalled access to cross comparisons between brands and while a show is not the ideal venue for this it is better than nothing.  We are big fans of try before you buy but here you can back to back test areas such as 29er vs 26er and 100mm vs 120mm full suspension platforms.  See you on the show floor!

We will be bringing you updates as to who is exhibiting and activities at the event as we get them.

The 14″ seat tube opens this bike to not only a whole host of small adults but also most importantly kids. Much like the 29er myths that say they are slow and poor on technical trails (absolute rubbish incidentally) there are also myths that say that they are only for tall people.  Well someone forgot to tell Willow Koerber Rockwell.  The 5ft 2inch American rider has two bronze World Championship medals, finished second overall in the World Cup in 2010 and rides a 29er.

Niner’s XS bike should open up the wheel size to plenty of kids too, who are often difficult to size. The EMD9 was the very first Niner frame that we rode and we were converted ont he spot.  Niner designed their 29er geometry without being influenced by trends or what might work with 26″ wheeled bikes.  26″ and 29″ are different, and the only way to develop great 29er geometry is to discard preconceived notions. We recommend you check one of these out for that ultra custom build!

Niner bikes are available in Ireland from The Cycle Inn in Dublin and Revolution Cycles in Limerick.

Step by step from chris akrigg on Vimeo.

The race has beome something of a highlight of the calendar thanks in no small part to the great track which has been further augmented for this years race with yet more singletrack.  Online registration is mandatory for this event using the form here.  While you must register online, payment can be taken on the day.

Set your diaries for the 25th of March!

Below is the promo video for the 2010 edition of the race as a reminder of the epic technical singletrack that is a feature of the course.

Racing795 - Leinster League Rd1 Preview from Racing 795 on Vimeo.