Bristol Oktoberfest Looms!

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We’ve just been contacted by the tireless folks that put on the Bristol Oktoberfest, which comes around again THIS WEEKEND! They’re keen to let y’all know that places are still available for all categories apart from the solo mentalists category.

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Originally set up as the autumn alternative to the summer Bikefest the Oktoberfest has caught up quickly over the last few years and is now just about to overtake the Bikefest in popularity. It even has new sponsors in the form of HALO Wheels and Heritage Volkswagen. With more than 1300 riders from all over the country at the Oktoberfest in 2014, the ‘Fest’ combines a unique ‘laid back’ atmosphere with some of the best riding you can find in the UK.

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As beautiful as a Constable painting, right?

So, here’s the blow-by-blow for you:
On the 10th October the HALO Oktoberfest will return to the all weather tracks of Ashton Court Bristol with the infamous 8 hour mountain bike endurance event as well as two 4 hour races (one has an AM start, the other a PM). All events can be ridden as solo riders, in pairs or in teams of 4. The 8 and the 4hour events are run entirely in daylight – so no lights needed.

As always the Oktoberfest offers a huge variety of categories – 25 all together so you should be able to find the most suitable for you with ease. And each category can win trophies, beer and German baked goods on a ribbon – ACE!

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The last thing the photographer ever saw…

The course and other stuff
The Bristol course offers an almost 10km long loop with the perfect mix of fast flowing single track, short sharp climbs and all that sprinkled with a bit of technical descending. Pretty much perfect for a relay type event. The course is long enough for you to get into it, super exciting to look forward to every extra lap and to top it all 100% weather proof.

Friday and Saturday night will see the Oktoberfest Bar (loaded with a broad variety of local beers and hopefully some quirky German brews again) ready for business accompanied by our long standing event DJ. Catering will also be on site provided by the Luff Bus and we are expecting once again a nice mix of trade and retail stands.

The Oktoberfest will be at the now proven Bristol Cathedral Choir School venue right next to the course with ample trackside camping to give your team mates plenty of encouragement, hot showers to get yourself freshened up for your next lap and/or the after party and lots of changing rooms so that you don’t have to strip down next to your car.

And finally, here’s a video to get you in the mood – get your finish line jump style ready…

Chipps Chippendale

Singletrackworld's Editor At Large

With 22 years as Editor of Singletrack World Magazine, Chipps is the longest-running mountain bike magazine editor in the world. He started in the bike trade in 1990 and became a full time mountain bike journalist at the start of 1994. Over the last 30 years as a bike writer and photographer, he has seen mountain bike culture flourish, strengthen and diversify and bike technology go from rigid steel frames to fully suspended carbon fibre (and sometimes back to rigid steel as well.)

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