The future's bright.....

.... the future's purple....

Bigging up the mighty guys at Orange Mountain Bikes for their amazing support with Steve and Angie this year, Five RS abounds.... they've just gone live with a write on their website, go and have a look: Orange Support The Development Enduro Team

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!