XC Racer Blog Post

Myths and Legends

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BY: Michelle Sanwell

Published: 21st October, 2013


No sane Brit would deny how amazing this summer has been; the smell of BBQ's, wet wetsuits hanging in the shower, sand in the beds and a dusty, dry bike.  No sane mountain biker would deny how incredible the trails have been - at events, races or just in your local woodland getaway.  At the posh penthouse offices of XCRacer.com, we have been inundated with event reports screaming how riders enjoyed fast dry tracks to then finish and bask in the glorious sunshine, beer in hand, burnt sausage in the other - if this hasn't been a year to boost the cycling industry then I may as well pack up my desk and leave!

Now the log burner is lit, stews are bubbling, and mud mud glorious mud - everywhere.  I must be a french fancy short of a party, because I am actually looking forward to crisp, cold wintry days out riding and cosy evenings snuggled up with some great wine and a blanket - sorry!  But, to celebrate the end of one season and the coming of the next, I decided to catch up with event organiser and mountain bike legend Maddie Horton.  I just hoped that Maddie would be able to keep up with me really...

The Plym Bridge woods - a truly amazing wonderland of tracks, trails, rocky climbs, steep descents and fast single track. It's also the gateway to Dartmoor and the perfect warm up.  

Being in the market to purchase a new toy, Maddie had arranged for me to borrow a Specialized Fate demo Bike from Certini.  I know I am very much in the dark ages when it comes to what bike is best for me at this present time, so I having um'ed and ah'ed about going 29er or not, finally I got the chance to decide!  

Having met Maddie, removed the bike from my little Fiesta, adjusted the seat post a billion times, I was now following her up a new track which had just opened.  It ticked every box, and felt so natural on the Fate, like snowboarding down a virgin powdered run.  Gone is the myth that the steering is heavy and takes extra care to adjust to the extra size.  Bollox to the stuff about having to be tall to ride a 29'er, this is an amazingly well thought out bike and perfectly fitting to a womans' frame.  Climbing felt like all my efforts were channelled into driving the bike onwards and upwards, taking the turns even at speed was light and almost effortless.  I felt so excited to find that my riding habits and how I enjoy spending my biking time; climbing, long endurance riding, not too fast, but a good pace, some rocky descents thrown in, was all taken care of and allowed for by the designers of this bike.  The Carbon which the Fate is constructed from, is a higher standard of Carbon than that found in the mens equivalent models - it's because 'we're worth it'!  

Well, I have diverged, back to the legend that is Maddie Horton!  Like catching up with a great girl friend or sister you've not seen for some time, Maddie has a gift of making you feel so welcome around her.  This is obviously why her and husband Jays events are such a success.  Her latest deployment took her and Jay off to design the course for the Tough Mudders event - if you haven't heard of this event, look up 'sadomasochist'.  All I can say is I think the sort of person who takes part in an event where you are electrocuted, pushed into blocked, muddy underwater tunnels, and then shouted at by SAS leaders should have been breast-fed or loved more as children.

She has spent one night in their Plymouth home in the past six weeks.








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Michelle
 

Michelle Sanwell

XCRacer Advertising Sales Managing Executive Director Chairperson.

Giving casual endurance events a go after a 10 year break from XC racing. Mother of 3.

www.xcracer.com

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This blog post was written by a third party and their views do not necessarily reflect the views of XCRacer.com

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