The Development Domination, The Sanctuary Bikes Penshaw Bike Fest, 14th April 2014

Hey guys and gals, I see that Zak's already broken his blogging virginity and now it's my turn!  I'm Ellen Tipple, one of The Development's glamourous new recruits getting to grips with downhill racing and all the thrills, spills and podiums that may come along the way, so "Hi There!".

The Sanctuary Bikes' Penshaw Bike Fest was my first race of the year, I was absolutely buzzing to be letting rip on my new FTW Industries bike and getting out there with my girlies alongside Zak and Coco-Bean.  The whole vibe of the event was dead chilled and friendly, just what I was after for my first race.  

(Photo copyright of Liam Moss, thankfully it was a National Trust sanctioned event!)

Unfortunately me breaking-in my FTW Industries animal this weekend wasn't to be as I was still waiting on a vital part to arrive and was absolutely gutted that I couldn't have a bounce on it yet, so for this race I got on it with my trusty enduro bike instead.

The Penshaw track was nice and dry, really fast all the way down, although maybe a little too fast for me when I had a sketchy moment nearly getting up, close and personal to a tree near the bottom of the course in practise!  Anyway I was straight back up to the top, soon sharing giggles with Angie and Jenny whilst admiring the view from the queue for the start gate, then ready to pick up the speed a little and learn the track a bit more. 

(Photo copyright of Jay Kellett)

My race run was at 12.30 and I decided to stay at the top by the start gate to cheer on Zak and the 'Bean for their race runs.  It felt like a lifetime for our own races to come around especially when the pre-race jitters kicked in, erk!  Finally, after what seemed like an age (but was probably just 5 minutes!) it was the women's turn to show the lads how to do it!  Our friend Jenny Campbell soon shot out of the gate and totally nailed the top section, especially admirable as she was on a hardtail, hardcore you know the score!  Not long afterwards it was my turn and I was very conscious that Angie would soon be following behind me, and of who is a much faster tree frog than me!  

(Photo copyright of Ron Angus)

I tried my hardest to get my lines and make the most out of the pedally sections hoping I didn't get overtaken... The top half was going really well, totally in the zone hitting all my lines, then near the end my back wheel kept washing out, it was a disaster, a bloody puncture!!  I made it across the line with lots of cheers from the spectators, thanks guys, and although disappointed at what had happened I was sitting in second place after Angie had crossed the line!  Hell yes!  Bring on the second race runs!  

After a big saving grace for the Coco-Bean with the new inner tube I went back up to the top for my second shot at the cherry.  This run went alright, not as fast on the top sections as before, I cross the line a second or two quicker than earlier, guess I lost my confidence a little.  All in all though I was pleased with my race times and the new experiences learned which will build my confidence for the coming races.

It was such a lovely venue and I saw so many good friends there, it was amazing to have my two girlies alongside me on the podium, Angie on the top step and Jenny in third place.  

Angie takes the win followed by Ellen and then Jenny in third, what an awesome weekend!

Zak roosted home to get first place in the junior men's as well, a total Development domination!  

(Photo copyright of Ron Angus)

Zak takes the top step in the junior men's, hell yes!

Absolutely buzzing, can't wait to get my purple downhill beasty built up and ragged down the hillside at my next race now!    

El x

The Development Racing Team can also be followed on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDevelopmentMTBRacing

Let's get the party started..... The Development have lift off!

..“If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you’re gonna see some serious shit!”….. Dr. Emmett Brown, Back To The Future.

The North-East England’s premier racing team The Development are pleased to introduce their 2014 line-up:

Angie Coates - Elite Female Enduro & Downhill

Nick Turner - Expert Downhill

Chris Foster - Expert Downhill

Steve Foster - Senior Enduro

Ellen Tipple - Senior Female Downhill

Zak Holmes - Junior Downhill

We are very proud to announce that Orange Mountain Bikes are on board with the team’s enduro duties.  Both Angie and Steve are 27.5” wheeled Orange Five RS mounted and ready to let the dust fly in their respective categories.  Exciting times are afoot.

That’s not all, since 2010 the team’s downhill riders have been working with Frank Wadelton, AKA Frank The Welder, giving feedback on what has become his FTW Industries ‘Odysseus’ downhill frame; a light weight, 230mm travel, 27.5” wheeled gravity assault vehicle!

And yes, as you can see the team have moved across the dark side of the 27.5!

2014 welcomes two new riders to the fold: Ellen Tipple is hitting the slopes in the senior female downhill category whilst Zak Holmes aims to keep the junior downhill lot in check.

Like all of the other team members Ellen is very much an outdoor sports enthusiast, when not ripping down the trails on two wheels she can be found surfing in the rough and tumble realms of King Neptune’s washing machine!  Back on the almost dry land she’s up on the moors fell running competing in mountain marathons. 2014 will see Ellen’s first year of full on competitive downhill racing across the UK, she can’t wait to get out there on her new FTW.

Zak Holmes has been riding downhill for the last two and half years steadily working his way up to the podiums on the regional races notably the Northern Downhill and Scottish Downhill Series.  2014 will see him take the springboard up to the Nationals and is looking to achieve greater success on board his FTW flying The Development’s colours.

Angie Coates has been riding since 2007 when her brother gave her a shot on his downhill bike, despite wrapping it around a tree she was addicted!  She has since raced at regional, national and World Cup levels.  Taking heed of her friend Helen Gaskell’s sage advice; “If you’re not first, you’re last!” and from that day forward Angie’s competitive crown has never left her head!  “My favourite ever race had to be my first Word Cup at Fort William.  Hearing the crowd screaming for you the whole way down the track while flying the Team GB colours is one of the best feelings in the world”.

Nick Turner is the team’s long time rider and indeed one of the UK racing scene’s stalwarts having competed since he was 15 back in the days of the purple-dowsed NEMBA races.  Today he’s making the dust fly in the expert men’s category and will be competing at both regional and national levels with the odd jaunt into Europe.  He’s also soon to be a new dad.

Steve ‘Seagull’ Foster raced downhill for The Development back when we were known as Teesdale Development and then semi-retired to go travelling around the globe.  He has grown up around biking and has seen the sport develop as a result he is massively addicted to two wheels.  “The best thing about riding is hanging out with your buddies, and getting air, super flat out!”.  He’s back on the team again and itching to push his Orange Five to the limits on the UK’s enduro circuit, watch out!

Chris Foster is another long-term stalwart of the UK’s racing scene who also used to ride for Teesdale Development back in the day.  Like his brother Steve, Chris has been travelling around the globe, rock climbing, snowboarding, white water rafting, hiking and adventure biking. Simply put, he thrives in the great outdoors.  Now back with the rubber side down he’s out there showing the expert category guys a thing or two.

Alongside the awesome support from both Frank Wadelton and Orange Mountain Bikes, Berghaus outdoor clothing will be keeping the team warm and dry as we live for adventure in all that Mother Nature can throw at us.  Michelin are ensuring we have the best tyres under our riders; Angie and Steve will be gunning for it on their new enduro specific Wild Rock’R2 rubber while the downhill crew will be hitting the slopes on their Wild Rock’R Descent range.

Sun-Ringle continue to help keep the riders in motion via their hardcore A.D.D. Pro wheels with Hayes Components and Goodridge hydraulic hose keeping our braking under control.  Rider interface is via Oury’s superb lock-on grips while SDG saddles are keeping our posteriors comfy! Thomson supply the team’s stems and posts (their dropper posts are a technological marvel!) and we are gunning through the rock gardens with Burgtec’s Penthouse Flat pedals when the riders are not clipped in.  Mozartt chain guides will be keeping our chains in check and Urge helmets are protecting our noggins.  Rain, mud and debris issues will be being kept to a minimum courtesy of Ride 100 Percent goggles and Powa Products Dfender mud-guards. We are also very excited to be working with a small up and coming UK component manufacturer Rideworks, watch this space.

If you’d like to follow the team’s exploits we can also be found on The Development’s Facebook Page (<— Linky!) both Facebook and this here Tumblr social media platforms are regularly updated with our shenanigans.  We are also working hard with Peter ‘The Tea Lady’ Tiplady to get a load of videos put together for your viewing pleasure throughout the season.  A Vimeo channel is coming soon!

May I add a big ‘Thank You’ to all of the parties involved with the team, we are a fully self-supported outfit and without your continued support we would not be able to do what we do, go out there and compete.  Thank you so very much.

Lastly but by no means least, we also have a secret seventh member of the team, our four-legged mascot, Woof-Dog.

 See you all out there on the mountainsides.

It's almost time.........

It's almost time to launch The Development's 2014 team.......... keep your eyes peeled!

Sod the muddy tyres, let's get 'em built guys.......

They're heeeerrrreeeeeeeee..........

....The purple eagles have landed, I repeat, the purple eagles have landed.....

And some matching Boxxer fork decals....

Now to get them all built up...... 

(And yes, I agree, our Ellen is a complete nutter...!)

It's not all about biking.... The Allendale Challenge, 6th April 2013

The Development prides itself that it's not just about biking, as mentioned in earlier 'introducing' blogs the team participate in a broad cross section of outdoor sports, fell running, snowboarding, rock climbing, all sorts.  Angie, as those who read this blog regularly will know, is a very keen fell runner..... and here's the Allendale Challenge run down for you all.....

The Allendale Challenge amongst fell runners and walkers is infamous for the covering some of the finest peat bogs in the North Pennines.  2013 hosted the 24^th event, of which my Dad has raced 23 of them, this year was a bit sad with the fact that he’s decided to quit racing.  As you can imagine after 27 years fell running he could do with changing the bearings!

This year I did more training than before, getting involved with adventure races and running more often during the week over the last few months so was looking forward to it.  Ellen Tipple (Chris Foster of The Development Racing’s girlfriend) was competing again this year, I was approx. 20mins behind her last year.  Jenni Campbell from Berghaus was doing it for her first time.  Helen Gaskell, Sarah Newman and her sister Amy were planning on walking it.  My brother James was also having a crack at it having not walked that far for over 14 years.  It was quite exciting having a lot of people there. Steve was team support for the day cycling around to the checkpoints and keeping us going.  My mum, Aunty and cousins were also supporting us driving around to certain checkpoints to cheer us all on!

After the amount of snow that had fallen the week before the organisers had to change the original route and divert some of the 9ft Snow drifts across the moors by Black Hill, this reduced the route somewhat from 25 miles to 23 miles.  The event was full with 860 competitors, made up with probably 70% walkers and the rest runners.  Jenni, Ellen and I set off at 10am as runners after the walkers who went off at 8am.  

The day was so hot compared to the conditions lately, it was a proper bluebird day, not a cloud to be seen in the sky.  Straight off the start line, up a steep track onto the moors to checkpoint one at the chimneys, we were doing OK at 10-minute miles.  When you’re doing a long distance run it’s hard to try and hold yourself back a little to conserve your energy, it’s easy to just run fast at the start but then suffer later on. I usually find I get my breathing into a rhythm and like you would stick to the same cadence on your bike you do a similar thing whilst running. 

Jenni and I stuck together the whole way and tried to keep Ellen in view but she’s like a whippet and kept getting ahead.  It was good to have something to aim for though.  As we approached the halfway mark onto the top of Killhope Law at 673 metres we were knee high in snow making it real hard work and at the same time trying to pass walkers in snow gully’s.  It was a shame that I couldn’t stop to just take in the view at the top but I didn’t really want to stop at all so we just cracked on.

Sunk a few gels, juice and cashew nuts that Jenni, luckily for me, had with her as I started to get cramp in my legs.  Not great when you’ve still got 9 miles to go.  Finally Steve told us there was only 3 miles left so it was like a home-run time.  Me and Jenni just pumped up the volume on the iPod and got our heads down, I looked up at one point to see Jenni waist deep in a bog trying to clamber out!  Oops! – nice to have a test dummy infront, hehe!

Towards the finish was a mile of steep, steep singletrack road which is exactly what you don’t want when you’ve just run 22 miles.  Jenni was flying down the road and overtook some bloke, I didn’t want to finish with a guy inbetween us both so I sprinted the last 400 metres overtaking him!  Yussah!  We both finished with a time of 4hrs 32mins just 7mins behind Ellen so times were close!

It was a great event and I can’t wait to do it all again next year!!

Thanks to Steve, Mam and support team!

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