We’re giving away 2 x year memberships + 2 x BCC T shirts at tonights Fund Raising raffle. So go on, buy a strip….

Date: Thursday 17th June 2010

Time: 20:00

Place: Little Theatre, Bath

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW FROM THEIR BOX OFFICE (just click here)!

Whoever gives it the most this Sat at the TickerTape DH Jam gets to take home this Dakine Jersey. Simple really.

This months  Tickertape – ‘super-duper, down to earth, timed & taped downhill event‘ , is on Saturday 19th June.

Our old friend BBMS has had some new organic surgery to his/her lower half and we will be riding him/her all day after we’ve dressed him/her up in stylish shimano tape and stuck some freelap timing poles up the top and down the bottom of him/her.  Some help undressing him/her at the end,  leaving BBMS in peace to rest will be commended by the wood gods and will give you good luck in your future bicycle antics.

Last dig day - she's a beauty!

Riding at a Tickertape is limited to club members only, whom must wear a full face helmet, but anyone is welcome to come along and spectate.  There is no entry cost, however donations are very welcome to cover the costs of Tickertape events and to help reach our target of being able to purchase some more freelap watches for the club.  So, if you feel like ‘buying the tickertape a pint’………….. please do.

The weather looks good, but a word of advice is to bring insect repellent or some money to purchase some avon skin so soft (what the marines use in the jungle as insect repellent, apparently) for £3 from the club.

See you soon amigos.

Our good friends at southerndownhill.com have launched a DH Race team for the 2010-2011 season! With an awesome line up of riders, great equipment and a pretty funky custom kit they’ll be instantly recognisable at the races. BCC members (and TickerTape regulars) Rob Lewis and Neil Cousins are both in the team so we’re really proud and keen to see them do well this season.

Yesterday was a glorious day, the sun was shining and our little allotment was crawling with people raking, digging, clearing and collecting.

Russell Burton spent a couple of hours teaching Neil and I how to route XC trails with clinometers and some magic numbers. We learnt loads and are really looking forward to our next lesson in a few weeks time before restarting work on E-17.

18 people made it out and collectively managed to rake and remark every DH trail, clear and rebuild some tired drainage and add some new drainage in too.

Puppets saw an awesome effort that has left it looking more tech and difficult than ever before. The old berm at the bottom of ‘battery hill’ has been completely removed and the beginnings of the new are well underway. But time ran out as did the timber supply so the trail’s been closed until the next dig day where we’ll finish it off and move on to the lower section.

Thanks to everyone for all their hard work …and for eating all the doughnuts!

The first ever Tickertape Triple Crown event at the Allotment saw great success with the legendary BB King making a return to Wiltshire’s famous grounds to provide a performance that left many people in aw. There was no soothing blues to be heard, but the fluid sound of an orange Marin being ridden by one very chirpy chappy, my good friend Ben Batt (whom I now call BB King for becoming the King of the freelap TickerTape hill).

All hail the King, prostrate at his feet for where do thy conquered challengers compare to thy Tickertape King?

Well I’ll tell you, I used “maths” to work out peoples performances at the TickerTape triple Crown in terms of a percentage of the Kings speed over the 3 taped courses. Ben Batt’s time was 166.17 seconds, my time was 174.01 seconds. 166.17 / 174.01 gives a ratio of how fast I was against Ben Batt’s time, which is 0.9549, “multiplying” this by 100 gives a percentage of how fast I was against BB King (Ben Batt, we’ve covered that…);  95.5 %.

So, for all the people who completed all three legs of the Tickertape triple crown, these are you’re ratings in the order of the “alphabet”;

Bart – 98.8%

Ben Batt – 100%

Ben Irons – 95.5%

Ben Lovell – 82%

Burd – 90.7%

Burv – 90.8%

Charles – 64.8%

Charlie. E – 85.5%

Curtis – 79.6%

Denham – 95.4%

Keith – 83.3%

Nigel – 81.9%

[rob] – 99.9%

Robin – 89.5%

The Chedgy – 85.7%

Stacey – 45.9%

Take from it what you will, perhaps try to improve on your rating for the following TickerTape events, I know I will be…

Hello to all the gravity affected dudes.
This Sunday is the dig day at the woods. It starts at 10:00 then finishes before it gets dark and the wolves come out. It’s an excellent hangover cure and is cheaper than the gym.
We are going to be starting work on a few sections of Puppets, the new/old track that flanks 143. It’s going to be a lot of work and you may even get muddy! Don’t let that put you off because come summer it will be real fun to ride as ever. So while you are off your bikes, come and help make a track that you will be proud of when you are tearing it to pieces.
We also would love input into the start and end sections, so get those creative juices flowing!
I will hopefully see you there on Sunday. I will be present with my new wellies so please don’t laugh.
Cheers,
Neil

I have heard it said that the reason downhill is such a great sport is because it’s social and friendly – you’re only racing against the clock. This cannot be said of today’s Tickertape:

Firstly we were all battling against the rain, sloppy mud, and mechanicals. Bird was against Jim, Neil against Denham, Denham against a tree, Dave against himself, our shoes against traction, Sam (Wells) refusing to compete against anyone.

Sam and James were competing – to be muddier or crash better than the other while Will & Ben Batt were against full runs, preferring not to not finish each run rather than go any less than 168%.

Highlights of the day included very vocal support (or abuse), shouts of “PEDAL” to those with no chain, Ben’s MC Hammer trousers, everybody going on everyone else’s bikes, Will “sending” the biggest of the Spork drops and finally the Cobble Wobble King surprising himself by enjoying the wet – and snatching the fastest time of the day right at the death.

A few weeks ago Stacey organised a trip to Cwmcarn for a day on the DH uplifts.  It was an awesome day despite the weather, with all the newbies finding out (the hard way) what riding a bigger track is like….
Jim snapped his seat post flipping into some trees, Nige’s crashes gradually robbed him of clothes (though he did look very comfortable in those bottomless…..), Stace found out how hard rocks are and Bart managed to break his forks, discs and tear a pair of CK waterproof chaps. Burv…., well Burv was in a league of his own – wearing an all-in-one baby grow that was disturbingly tight around the crotch leaving most of us feeling dirty and very confused.
Dispite all the trauma (did they really need to be that tight!?!??) , everyone was buzzing by the end of the day, no one more than Chedge who was like a silent assassin – getting quicker with every run.

We finished the day with coffee and cake in the cafe, then I got punched by one of the canteen staff for offering to buy her a muffin.  Wales is a funny place.

We’ll be organising some more trips to uplifts soon so check out the club forum for more details…

(Click on the image above to view the photographers images)

I’ve just got confirmation from Keith at Transition Bikes that we’re going to be able to hold a special TickerTape event on Saturday 2nd January. Full details will be published soon, but we can say that it will be a Triple Crown (one timed run on each of the three trails) and will be made extra special by the addition of some pretty amazing Transition prizes.

What ever you do make sure you keep 02/01/10 free!