Singletrack Sleepless in the Saddle this weekend…

Yup, that time is upon us. Singletrack Sleepless in the Saddle will be heading to Catton Park in Derbyshire this weekend and the stage is set for a non-stop 24 hours of mountain bike racing, riding and relaxing in the beautiful surroundings.

If you haven’t already checked out Rob Dean’s tips to make the weekend pass more easily then take a look here, but your best chance now is to make sure you bring every last bit of riding kit you own, gorge yourself on pasta and start stockpiling Haribo and Jelly Babies – and if it’s your first time then remember to relax and enjoy it…

The site will be open from tomorrow morning with a full range of facilities available, including:

• On-site drinking water
• Experienced event caterers
• Free onsite camping
• Flushing toilets and hot showers
• Trackside parking, to get you right up close to where the action is.
• Extremely well marshalled and signed course.
• Light charging facilities (courtesy of Nite Rider Lights)
• Bike wash

Endura scrappage scheme

As well as the racing there’s going to plenty of other stuff going on. Clothing sponsor Endura will be offering some great deals on their 3/4 length Burner and Zyme shorts, although they do say that you’ll have to head to their stand and drop your shorts to get that deal. Today is also the last day you’ll be able to order the natty looking official Sleepless in the Saddle jersey if you want to collect it at the event. Head to the Endura website for more info.

Kenda prizes to be won

Kenda, the official tyre sponsor, will be dishing out prizes of Blue Groove and Nevegal tyres on the podium to the winners of each of the 15 categories, with the prize pool worth over £2,000.

As usual, Kenda will offer a free inner-tube replacement service for riders who are unlucky enough to get a puncture during the race. All you have to do is go to the Todays Cyclist tent with your race number and Kenda will replace the damaged tube for a brand new one. How very nice of them.

They’ll also be displaying the latest tyres available in the UK, including the eagerly awaited Slant Six and BBG. If rubber doesn’t float your boat then there will also be product from the likes of Lake, Limar, Jagwire, One23 and Knog on display in the Todays Cyclist tent.

Even if you’re not racing, there might have something for you with the Kenda Prize Plunge. For a single quid you can plunge your hand in and see what you get – if you’re lucky it could be a pair of tyres or one of their smaller Kenda prizes.

Good Mountain Biking Guide

The people over at the Good Mountain Biking Guide have offered up thirty of their comprehensive and detailed guides to all the good riding there is in England and Wales for the winners of each category. Once they’ve recovered from their racing efforts they’ve have access to thousands of route options across the country, each with plenty of information on local amenities. It’s been called the “ultimate mountain biking reference book” and we can see no way to argue with that…

Stuff you need to know:

Directions to Catton Park (DE12 8LN):

Approach from the A38 between Lichfield and Burton-on-Trent. Leave the A38 at the junction signposted Alrewas and take the A513 towards Tamworth. After 1.5miles you will go under a narrow railway bridge and take the immediate left turn. After 1 mile you will see the race arena on the right hand side.

Weather:

Currently Metcheck and the BBC are forecasting for there to be rain over the weekend, Metcheck being more optimistic with just a rainy Sunday and the BBC predicting rain all weekend. We’d suggest bringing your waterproofs and slinging some mud tyres in the back of the car if you haven’t already done so…

Race Manual:

You can download the race manual from ProVelo Support HERE, which contains everything you need to know…