Happy Mondays: Sprint Into The Week With A Whoop

News

by Hannah Dobson March 24, 2025 2

Zippity doo dah, it’s Monday! The last Monday of winter. It’s a final sprint into (technical) summertime, which means that (actual) summertime must be in there somewhere. Check your shorts still fit and your suncream supplies are ready – we’re on the final leg. Honest.

New Tyre Pressure Calculator From Vittoria

Not sure if you’re riding the right pressure? Vittoria has launched a new tyre pressure calculator aimed at all disciplines of cycling, and taking into account factors like tyre inserts, tubeless, types of terrain and riding style.

It’s all been developed with the help of their testing facility in Italy, where they have a purpose built bike park as well as lab testing facilities. Just outside Bergamo, Italy, you can go and ride the park yourself for €14 – the big draw for many may be the air bag! There’s also some serious and not so series jump lines, a mock up of Flanders and Arenberg cobbles, a road circuit, and a Velosolutions pumptrack.

No photos are allowed inside the labs. But fun fact: the test machines that they have invented are all given names. For example, ‘Mary’ is the ‘Vibration Transmission Tester’. All the names are inspired by famous scientists. The labs have allowed them to put numbers to what was previously a sense of feel or judgement, and have informed the tyre pressures they recommend. The calculator should work for all brands of tyres, and help you find that sweet spot of speed, comfort, and traction. Give it a go and see what you think?

Not Over The Hill – 71 miles for 71st Birthdays

Not a new video, but just brought to our attention via the folks at the BC Bike Race. Quit saying you’re old…

Scotland Gets A New Gondola – In Dunoon

The Nevis Range has joined forces with Project Dunoon to hopefully replicate the success of Fort William and bring adventure tourism to Dunoon. Only 1.5 hours from Glasgow – including a short ferry ride – Dunoon was once home to a large US Navy base. The Dunoon Project was initially by the local community with a focus on turning the struggling town’s fortunes around. At the heart of this multi-million-pound development will be a mountain gondola to the top of the 396m Kilbride Hill. From there, you’ll be able to tackle a series of trails, which will be designed by Fort William’s Nevis Range team.

This project will feature a full-service base station with a hotel, bike shop, bike hire, retail outlets, and multiple restaurants, along with a top-station café with panoramic views. It’s hoped that this collaboration between the Nevis Range and the Dunoon Project will establish Dunoon on the adventure tourism map.

“Dunoon has always had the potential to be a world-class adventure tourism destination. With the construction of the gondola, we’re unlocking that potential and creating something truly extraordinary. We’ve seen first-hand how infrastructure like this can transform an area, and Dunoon will now be at the forefront of adventure tourism in Scotland.”

Chris O’Brien, Managing Director of Nevis Range

“This is more than just a gondola—it’s the foundation of an entire adventure resort. The trails, the infrastructure, and the visitor experience will all be world-class, and this will put Scotland on the map as a global leader in adventure tourism.”

John Sutherland, Activities and Technical Director at Nevis Range

“We’re thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Nevis Range that will catapult Dunoon into the upper echelon of global adventure resorts. By harnessing decades of Nevis Range’s expertise, we’re not just aiming to compete with the best—we’re set to become one of the best! This monumental collaboration will turbocharge local businesses, spark a wave of job creation, and firmly establish Dunoon as a premier outdoor tourism destination in Scotland. The ripple effects will be felt throughout the area, driving significant investment and igniting an entrepreneurial spirit that will transform the town and the wider Argyll region. Get ready for a vibrant, exciting and prosperous future!”

Brendon Wallace, Chairman of The Dunoon Project

Absa Cape Epic 2025 Concludes With Rain Disruption

After a week of racing, the winners of the Cape Epic were crowned. Thanks to heavy rain overnight, the final stage was shortened to 40km and 1.050m in climbing, which resulted in the shortest marathon stage in the history of the race. The wearers of the yellow leaders’ jersey Nino Schurter (SUI) and Filippo Colombo (SUI) of team SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing went into the last day with a gap of just 32 seconds while Annika Langvad (DEN) and Sofia Gomez Villafane (ARG) of Toyota | Specialized had a lead of more than 23 minutes. Annika Langvad (DEN) wrote history as the only rider with six UCI Cape Epic titles to her name. 

Full replays and highlights of every day’s racing are available on the Epic Series YouTube channel:

Pick Up Litter, Get Picked For Pump Track Worlds?

Velosolutions UK and Trash Free Trails have teamed up to run clean up sessions at 8 pump tracks around the UK, while also scouting for future talent:

The unique ‘Spring Clean’ Tour is supported by Velosolutions UK, world-leading experts in pump track and mountain bike trail building. Members of the Velosolutions team will join Trash Free Trails along the Tour, visiting their tracks and connecting with local communities to share a message of environmental stewardship.

‘At Velosolutions UK, we’re passionate about creating high quality riding space spaces for people to come together, stay active and build strong communities,’ says Alisha Carrigan, a Designer at Velosolutions UK.. ‘That’s why we’re proud to support Trash Free Trails on their Spring Clean tour, helping inspire the next generation of riders to take ownership of their local pump tracks and protect the places they love.’

Velosolutions will also be scouting young talent and offering free entry and a supported trip to the UK round of the UCI Pump Track World Championships Qualifier.

‘We’re looking forward to meeting young talent along the way,’ continues Carrigan, ‘and giving them the opportunity to take their riding to the next level.’

Sign up for one of their Spring Clean days here. The pumptrack dates are:

• Thu, 10th April – Cheddar Pumptrack
• Fri, 11th April – Bristol, Hartcliffe Pumptrack
• Sun, 13th April – Gloucester, Churchdon Pumptrack
• Mon, 14th April – Leicester, Rothley Bike Track
• Tue 15th April – Sheffield, Hillsborough Park Pumptrack
• Wed, 16th April – Preston, Longridge Pumptrack
• Fri, 18th April – Glasgow, Bellshill Pumptrack
• Sat, 19th April – Fort William Pumptrack

See Bluebells, Save Rhinos

Pippingford Park, in Ashdown Forest, Sussex TN22 3HW, is usually off limits to bikes, but is being opened up for a bike orienteering event in aid of rhino conservation at what should be peak bluebell season. There are three course options to choose from from 4 to 20+ miles, and the checkpoints will have ‘Eccentric team building challenges await at each checkpoint with prizes for the winners.’ Pictures show Nerf guns, water pistols, and welly throwing. Count us intrigued.

Happy Monday everyone! It’s a late edition today. An evening gathering, perhaps. Something which is becoming progressively more pleasant to do on mountain bikes. Yay! Have yourself something heard on Radio 6 yesterday. Headphones recommended.

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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