Thursday 12 April 2012

Hello and welcome to the MSG April Newsletter!

Tunstall – That’s a wrap!


Wow what a fantastic weekend!! It was great to see so many riders come and support the first round of the 2012 MSG series and it made all the work me, Graham and TROG’s put in over the winter more than worth it!!

Graham has written a great piece on MSG as a whole and where we are going – please read the attachment.

Results can be found here: www.timelaps.co.uk
Race Report can be found here: velouk.net
Race Photo’s can be found here: TROG MTB

Number Boards

If you raced at Tunstall you are now the proud owner of an MSG number board. Please retain your number board for all future MSG events as a replacement will cost you £10!

Should you have a number board and pre register for upcoming MSG events you still need to visit registration to receive your coloured sticker. This applies to everyone with a number board – no coloured sticker on the appropriate round box then as far as we’re concerned you either haven’t visited registration or worse haven’t paid!

Series Entrant Prize Winner

As many of you are aware we had a prize draw for all the people who entered the series before the 28th March. The lucky recipient of all the great prizes was Gary Byford!!

Evaluation for MSG round 1

If you competed in MSG round 1 then we want to hear from you! Please click on the link MSG Round 1 Survey to complete the online survey; it will only take a couple of minutes. We want to hear anything and everything both good and bad!
Hylands Park
We are only 3 weeks away from round 2 of MSG at Hylands Park and as we received such a large entry for Tunstall Forest I would suggest getting your entry in so to avoid disappointment!!!

Enter here: Hylands Park entry

Stay Connected

To keep up to date with everything Mud, Sweat and Gears visit the website and sign up to the newsletter.
To receive information on special offers from our sponsors and to keep up to date with all the news from the trails ‘like’ our Facebook page and visit the blog through the website. Stay in touch via Twitter @MSGEast.

Event Details

Round 1: 1st April – Tunstall Forest, Suffolk
Round 2: 29th April – Hylands House, Essex
Round 3: 13th May – Thetford Forest – Incorporating Regional Championships, Norfolk
Round 4: 3rd June – Codham Park, Essex
Round 5: 17th June – Ickworth House, Suffolk

Matt and Graham.

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Hello and welcome to the MSG March Newsletter – Part 2!

There’s so much going on in the world of MSG we’ve had to put together another newsletter just to keep you all updated as we approach the first round in 11 days time!!

1 Week to go!!!

 Pre online entries for Tunstall Forest are open for just 1 more week. Entries close at 11:59pm on Tuesday 27th March. All pre-entered riders will receive the pre-race information pack via email on Wednesday 28th March with race times, directions and event village details.

To enter online please visit: British Cycling - online entry.

Get your series entry (4 race entries) in before 11:59pm on the 27th March to be with a chance to win this fantastic prize!!! (Anybody entering 4 races after this date will still qualify for the overall series result but won’t be eligible to win the raffle prize).

Prize draw will take place Tunstall Forest during the podium presentation at 1pm.

The prize fund for one lucky series entrant to win is growing by the day, at present we have:

• The Mountain Bike Skills Manual by Clive Forth
• Hardnutz helmet – kindly donated by Hardnutz Helmets
• Tyres
• Tools
• Nutrition
• More to follow!!

New Sponsor

We are very please to announce that Intrepid Apparel has joined MSG as a co-title sponsor for the 2012 season. Intrepid Apparel will be present at every MSG round throughout the year giving you the opportunity to try and buy some of their excellent clothing and also providing expert advice on technical mtb clothing!

Intrepid Apparel is a British owned and operated mountain bike clothing company. Intrepid clothing is built with attention to detail, focus on quality and commitment to durability for the most discerning mountain bike rider. Intrepid strives to design items of clothing without compromise that blend style with optimum performance.

Intrepid was brought into being to develop a collection of clothing that would celebrate the adventure of mountain biking. Intrepid was originally envisioned by a group of riders who wanted to create the finest mountain bike clothing for people who shared their passion. Intrepid’s clothing collections are designed and developed by riders to be the best performing and most stylish for people who participate in one of the most challenging and rewarding sports in the world.

http://www.intrepidapparel.co.uk/ 

Round 1 Gridding

With the space available to us at Tunstall Forest we have decided to grid the starts (top 16 riders). Your grid position will be based on last year’s series standings. If you did not compete in lasts year’s series and feel you deserve to be gridded then please email me with you best 5 results from the 2011 season and a decision will be taken accordingly.

Weather Forecast

 Straight from BBC Weather for the week 26th March to 1st April.

The balance of probability currently favours a return to anticyclonic conditions, leading to yet another week of predominantly dry and settled weather across the bulk of the UK.

This will continue the run of above-average temperatures, the likes of which we would normally see during early summer. Again the daytime values will depend on amounts of cloud, and the persistence during the morning of any overnight fog. Under clear skies, night-time values could fall low enough for frost.

Stay Connected

To keep up to date with everything Mud, Sweat and Gears visit the website and sign up to the newsletter.

To receive information on special offers from our sponsors and to keep up to date with all the news from the trails ‘like’ our Facebook page and visit the blog through the website. Stay in touch via Twitter @MSGEast.

Event Details

 • Round 1: 1st April – Tunstall Forest, Suffolk
• Round 2: 29th April – Hylands House, Essex
• Round 3: 13th May – Thetford Forest – Incorporating Regional Championships, Norfolk
• Round 4: 3rd June – Codham Park, Essex
• Round 5: 17th June – Ickworth House, Suffolk

Matt and the MSG team.

Tuesday 6 March 2012

Hello and welcome to the MSG March Newsletter!

This is our first newsletter for the 2012 season with this and future newsletters containing information on MSG activities, special offers from our sponsors and all things Eastern Region MTB!!

 
Top Story

 
We are very please to announce that Cycle Evolution has joined MSG as a co-title sponsor for the 2012 season. Cycle Evolution will be present at every MSG round throughout the year providing expert advice on all types of bikes and accessories.

 
Conceived from 25 years experience of riding, racing, upgrading and serving riders just like you, comes the next level of bicycle store. We’re creating an un-ashamedly serviced focussed experience where attention to detail is the mantra. In a new purpose built space let us work alongside you to personalise, fit and tune your riding experience – true value epitomised.

 
www.vivelaevolution.co.uk

 
Entries

 
Entries are coming in thick and fast and with only 4 weeks to go until out first round at Tunstall Forest I would get your entry in to save any disappointment!! Pre-enter online to save money as on the day entries are subject to a higher fee as explained in the FAQ’s on the website.

Series Entrants Prize Draw

The prize fund for one lucky series entrant to win is growing by the day, at present we have:

The Mountain Bike Skills Manual by Clive Forth

 
  • Hardnutz helmet – kindly donated by Hardnuts Helmets
  • Tyres
  • Tools
  • Nutrition
  • More to follow!!  

Get your series entry (4 race entries) in before the 27th March to be with a chance to win these fantastic prizes!!!

 
Prize draw will take place Tunstall Forest during the podium presentation at 1pm.

  
Codham Park Adult MTB Courses

 
I’ve received some exciting information from John Stockwell (BC Go-ride coach) for anyone interested in improving their MTB skills or maybe for anyone interested in trying MTBing for the first time. John has arranged for a number of coaching sessions to take place at Codham Park and should you want to either brush up on your riding or learn some new skills before the racing starts then please visit www.atbcoaching.co.uk for more information.

 
Update from the Trails

 
The guys and gals at TROG’s have done a great job and created a fantastic new course for the opening round of MSG 2012. Video of the course to be released shortly via Facebook and Twitter!! Tweeks to the Hylands Park route are underway to give us the possibility of running the course in reverse to previous years. I and G explored Ickworth House over the weekend and we were pleased with what we found!! It promises to be a course suitable for everyone to find a challenge on with the hills and the vast woodland!!

 
Women’s Race

 
Many of you will have noticed that the female start times have changed. The reasons for this are that when evaluating the 2011 season we saw that average female attendance across the series was very low. With the old format the women were spread throughout the day and always placed at the back of the male races, this led to sometimes only 2 or 3 women taking the start.

 
By placing the women all together (all be it still categorised separately) it is hoped that we can encourage more women to take part, increase the competition between them and to provide them with their own identity.

 

Stay Connected

  
To keep up to date with everything Mud, Sweat and Gears visit the website and sign up to the newsletter.

 
To receive information on special offers from our sponsors and to keep up to date with all the news from the trails ‘like’ our Facebook page and visit the blog through the website. Stay in touch via Twitter @MSGEast.

 
Event Details

  
Round 1: 1st April – Tunstall Forest, Suffolk

 
Round 2: 29th April – Hylands House, Essex

 
Round 3: 13th May – Thetford Forest – Incorporating Regional Championships, Norfolk

 
Round 4: 3rd June – Codham Park, Essex

 
Round 5: 17th June – Ickworth House, Suffolk

 
Matt and the MSG team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday 2 February 2012

Welcome to Mud, Sweat and Gears 2012!!

 I have the pleasure in announcing Mud Sweat and Gears 2012! We hope you are as excited as we are about what we have planned for this year and we look forward to seeing you on the start line at the first round in April. Our new Mud, Sweat and Gears website is live with all the information you require to enter online and compete in our races!

Eastern Region MTB Series

Eastern Region MTB Series offers riders of all abilities the chance to test their fitness, nerve and bike handling skills at five great courses throughout Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. The series brings together established venues such as Thetford Forest and Tunstall Forest alongside exciting newer courses, so whether you like free flowing trails or a tighter, more technical circuit, there is something for everyone.

Mud, Sweat and Gears 2012

• 1st April – Tunstall Forest, Suffolk

• 29th April – Hylands House, Essex

• 13th May – Thetford Forest – Incorporating Regional Championships, Norfolk

• 3rd June – Codham Park, Essex

• 17th June – Ickworth House, Suffolk

Please note that dates and venues are subject to change.

Changes

With the feedback we received on last years series we have made some changes to the categories and the start procedures.
For 2012 the Warrior category has be renamed as the Open category for both male and female riders. The Open category is aimed at those new to racing and those of us who have other commitments on a Sunday. The Open race will last approximately 1 hour with a race start of 10am.
We have added both a Junior (17 to 18 years) and a Master (30 to 39 years) categories, both male and female, after listening to feedback and the growing demand for these categories.

Sponsors

We are pleased to retain the support from Chelmer Cycles and Health Muscle and Fitness and welcome a new sponsor in Human Performance Unit (Essex University). We expect to announce new sponsors in the coming weeks and together we believe we can continue to improve and grow MSG into one of the best regional MTB series in the country!

Stay Connected

To keep up to date with everything Mud, Sweat and Gears visit the website and sign up to the newsletter.
To receive information on special offers from our sponsors and again lots of info on MSG ‘like’ our Facebook page and visit the blog through the website. Stay in touch via Twitter @MSGEast.
Look forward to seeing you all at a Mud, Sweat and Gears event soon!!


Matt and the MSG team.