Michael from Merida writes…
2nd round of the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series – Crickhowell on the 17th May 2009
Preparations are in full flow on the four mountain bike courses on offer on the 17th. As usual we will have the Mini Marathon (approx. 35km with 950m of climbing), Half Marathon (approx. 50km with 1400m of climbing), a Middle Marathon (approx. 70km with 2100m of climbing) and the Full Marathon (approx. 80km with 2400m of climbing) course option to choose from.
John Lloyd has been working hard on the four new courses and is rather pleased with the results. The four loops are a perfect mixture of swoopy double and single track which run primarily on mountain Mooreland and stony tracks. So besides being fast riding and fun packed they are also resistant to a little bit of bad weather and hard wear.
If you missed out on the 1st round in April and you are looking for a great mountain bike challenge than wait no longer and send your entry in now. You can find all the details on the Crickhowell round including profiles etc on the event page: http://www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/crickhowell.php.
Can I still get in?
There are still lots of places available for the Crickhowell round as well as the other remaining rounds of the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series 2009. You can still send your entry forms in but please make sure that they arrive at our registration office no later than Friday. Alternatively you can enter via the online entry up to Friday lunchtime. You can find our entry facilities on the entry page: http://www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/entry_forms/entry_forms.php.
If you can’t make up your mind then you can also enter on the day. But please be aware that we have a £ 5 day entry surcharge. So why not enter today – save yourself some money and the hassle!
The event / timetable
The event will be open from Friday afternoon onwards all the way till Monday morning. The event village and the registration will open at 12pm (noon) on Saturday. The registration will close at 8pm and reopen from 7 – 9am on Sunday morning. The rides start at 10am – all categories and courses start together. The pasta party will start around 6pm on Saturday.
The venue
The event is based at the Glanusk Estate just outside Crickhowell. Crickhowell is a thriving market town snuggling between the softly rounded Black Mountains and the dramatic Brecon Beacons, in arguably the most beautiful valley in the National Park. It is a lively, friendly place with excellent individual shops and many superb restaurants. Although in the heart of beautiful countryside, travel to and from Crickhowell is easy. London is 2 hours, Birmingham 1.5 hours, and Cardiff just 40 minutes. The nearest bus and railway station is Abergavenny, (6 miles). To find out more about the Glanusk Estate and for directions please go to: http://www.glanuskestate.com
Win one of five ‘50% off’ vouchers from Merida
Our title sponsor Merida Bikes will again draw 5 riders just before the start of the ride and ‘reward’ them with a ‘50% off any Merida Bike voucher’. The only thing you have to do to be included in the draw is fill in the questionnaire which you can find in your signing on bag and put it the collection box before the registration closes on Sunday morning. Good luck!!
Borrow, Test, Return – Some GORE BIKE WEAR™ for free
As the official clothing sponsor of the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series for the third consecutive year GORE BIKE WEAR™ is giving you the chance to test out some of their gear for free. GORE BIKE WEAR™ and its retail partner WHEELBASE will lend you a jacket, shirt, vest or gilet to test and give the once or twice over during your ride. GORE BIKE WEAR™ products are made from highly durable technical fabrics such as GORE-TEX® and WINSTOPPER® products and designed to enhance your cycling experience whilst allowing you to focus on the adventure ahead of you.
If you aren’t sure what to test out ask the on-site technical team for advice. You simply hand back what you’ve tested at the end of your ride (they will even wash it for you!) and if you like what you’ve tried you can purchase a new one from WHEELBASE in the event retail village. Take a look at the new stock for this season on http://www.gorebikewear.co.uk
Merida Marathons on Holiday 2009 – Bad Goisern event (18th July)
With the summer seems to be coming closer and closer – Merida Marathon on Holiday in Bad Goisern (Austria) is also coming closer. If you haven’t been to the ‘Merida Marathon on holiday’ in your ‘marathon career’ maybe this is the year for you to cross the channel and experience some big mountains, clean air and thousands of other likeminded bikers from all over Europe – what a great combination! Check out the details on the event and on the accommodation deal we have organised for you on the Bad Goisern page: http://www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/bad_goisern.php. There are some super cheap flights and a very interesting package deal to be had as well. Check the Bad Goisern page for details.
