Stile Cop Downhill Headcam Footage

Ok it has been a fair while since I wacked up and good headcam footage, sorry about that! Not to worry though I now have a new memory card ( killed a cheap one at Moelfre Downhill Uplift ) and I even have a mount for my XC lid. So you should start to see a bit more from the Vholdr cam this year ( trying to currently work out how to mount it on the bike for some of those arty shots ).

For a quick test of the new memory card I got this footage from Stile Cop Downhill trails on a very hot evening this past week ( 27 degrees + no wind + body armour = nasty smells ). Just click here or the above image to check it out ( and for the music references you must have owned a PS1 with Gran Turismo in the 90's! ). For those of you who know the trails, you will notice I am taking the easier lines, but in my defence I am still fettling with the bike set-up and I was on my own! Anyway on the movie you will see the Red Route, Black Route and the Wonderland and Ridge Lines from 'The Dark Side'.

If you haven't ridden at Stile Cop, it is part of Cannock Chase in the sunny Midlands, easy to get to from the M6 and can be combined with a jaunt around 'Follow the Dog'.

Worth taking a bouncy bike and padding up though!

Full review/guide of the Vholdr and new Commencal MiniDH to come...

Marin Trail Headcam Movie

After 6 or so weeks out of the saddle and enjoying the early hours of most nights with little Immy, I was little nervous putting the biking kit together for this trip out with Wrennie.

A start before the sun came up gave Wrennie the opportunity to convince me to stop for the first time at a McDonalds drive-thru ( yes I may well have had a Maccy-D's a few times before, but I have never used one of this quick-fatty-hit windows ). An Egg McMuffin later and we were kitting up at Gwydyr Forest just outside Betws-Y-Coed in deepest darkest Snowdonia.

As seems to be the norm these days, there was a weather warning, with storms and gales lashing across the UK, ( well this is December, so it is allowed ), so we prepared ourselves for 25km of wet and windy trails.

Welsh Fireroad

After breaking in my legs and realising that my rear mech wasn't going to be my friend this day ( I really should learn how to adjust these things ). The fireroad hill climbs soon became sweet rolling descents.

A couple of hours later after 20 or so km of cracking trail, foggy views and blustery gales, we got to the top of the final three sections of downhill singletrack. By this time the legs were less than fresh, but there was enough left to fly through the woods in a true speederbike stylee.

Headcammed Up

I first rode the Marin Trail ( now called Gwydyr Forest as the sponsorship deal ended a while back ) before it 'officially' opened on my old hardtail bike. It hasn't changed too much in the years that have gone by. It has a nice old-skool varied flavour with most climbs on fireroad and nothing too cheeky to catch you out. However, unlike riding at the trail centres, you do feel like you are actually getting away from it on this ride. Dare I use the old cliche...it's a 'classic'?

If you are keen you can combine it with the trails at Penmachno ( which I haven't ridden, but they are supposed to be pretty good ), but we opted to combine it with a big basket of chips in Betws-Y-Coed which given my time of the bike and the inclement weather was a welcome choice.

Tim & Wrennie - Team Mud!

Click here for the headcam footage ( featuring the final 3 sections of downhill trail ).

Click here for the trail map.

Llandegla - The Dark Episode

Vholdr Test

Managed to get the Vholdr fitted to my Giro Remedy helmet with a little bit of clever sticky foam trickery ( all those years outfitting kayaks must have done me proud ).

Here is the first test: click here

Up a bit, round to the left a bit??

Vholdr - Headcam from Heaven?

Watch out trail monkeys, I've just got my grubby mitts on a Vholdr Headcam to play with for a little while.

Check out the killer spec and results you can get here

I'm going to be mounting this bad boy to my DH helmet this weekend, just in time for a trip next week to Cwm Carn and an Uplift day

And if you want to buy one, hit up the main crew at Madison here

As the cliché goes...'Watch this space!'