To add my twopence worth, I went to the Fest yesterday with my partner our five year old and his friend. I can't comment on the "village", as the long walk up the hill and the searing heat proved too much for the kids. However the event seemed well organised and as an ex roadie now riding mtb, I salute everyone who took part. Twelve hours in that heat and everyone is a winner.
The problem with attracting punters and spectators to cycling events in this country is a hoary old chestnut.
Everyone can ride a bike, and Joe public has no appreciation of what it takes to actually "Ride a Bike". If I had a pound for every time someone has asked me if I have ridden the Tour de France, or The London to Brighton, or if I shave my legs, I would be rich. The trouble is we live in a society where football is king. Most people can kick a ball, but, most people cannot make that ball go where they want it to, and so appreciate the skill involved. Cycling is seen a sport for the lunatic fringe, and unfortunately the mainstream media gives it hardly any positive coverage. When I have raced in France, the whole town or village where a race is occurring shuts for the event, and races are all over the press. The South Bristol Observer had nothing about Bikefest last week, and thats the local paper. If the public don't know its on, they aren't going to come, and we will always be riding for the converted. Until the press come onside, this is going to be a perennial problem.
If I did have one grouse, it would be this. I know as a rider where the course is. Coming in from the Bower Ashton entrance, we didn't see one sign pointing to the event. Even if the families at the bottom of the hill wanted to watch a cycle race, they probably weren't aware there was one at the top. Publicity is everything.
Hope to meet some of you out on the trail.
David

O.K. Chris
we have never met but you have pissed me off.Up at 7am
home at 11pm - 2 days.
Commentate 12 hours - your ammo a list of teams - you will not know who is riding out of the four.
Day 2 - you will know riders names so at least you can mention them.Again off you go 12 hours.
Come on Chris you are bound to sound a plonker at times it is bloody hard work -all off the cuff chat.
BUT you hope that the majority of time you are doing O.K.I have been asked but unsure at present whether to do it next year but if I do I invite you to come over and introduce yourself and I will explain a few things and you try it - afterwards if you go away thinking what a plonker then fair enough.

i think all first chris wanted was a bit more for non cyclist to do .





















maybe stay home and watch footy

Hi Gerry,

Fair comment, and i'm sorry that throw away comment has offended you. I certainly didn't mean to criticise any individual, and as i wasn't there for 12hrs both days i had no idea that you were on the whole time, fair play to you.

I really had no gripe with your commentary, apart from a bit of yodelling on sunday just after the end of the 6hr event which nearly deafened me

I would love to see Bikefest be a massive success, which is why i found it so frustrating that many things had been missed out or poorly organised (i know some of you disagree on that point). So next year i will offer my support, i've never helped organise a mtb race, but i have plenty of experience in marketing, advertising and website design.

I will be at the monthly BMBC meeting, so feel free to come down and let rip and i'll buy you a pint and maybe we can chat about how to make next years something special.

To add to what David Collyer said.. There was a definate absense of advertising for the event, as a Clifton resident i get most of the free papers and magazines, but the only place i saw adverts for the bikefest was around the timberland trail. In fact on Sunday a man on a bike stopped me at the bridge gate to ask how to find the arena...

Chris

This is a tough one!! Me thinks Thursday drinks and a few dry roasted peanuts followed by a marked out arena and bare fisted pikey knuckle fights will sort things out!!! What you have said Chris B is not entirely inaccurate but has just been delivered incorrectly. What is important to remember is that this event is getting better year on year. Ultimately what improves events like this is cold hard cash upfront to lure big sponsors out ie: we dont pay the big sponsors to come and play but they will most certainly consider pitching up when event status is perceived to be large and rider entrants are over the 500 mark. Not a camper van and a grass field.As I know the organiser personally (Paul Newman) i am also aware of his continuing determiantion to make it bigger year on year.
However as this event gets proportionately bigger so does the capital commitment from Paul. I know when Paul first did this event, that had it not been for the XC Jeyers on Sunday (SAMS XC series), he would have had to explain to his partner (Sheridan) that they owe the bank £3000. Not a position any of us would want to be in had it not worked out. The organisers are still learning to walk, lets give it a couple of years.

Damon

Thankyou Chris I appreciate your comments and feel much better for telling you how I felt.
I only got into commentry because I organised a lot of races and nobody would do it and it fell on me - some like my style and some do not - that is why I have always said you need 2 commentators especially if they have different styles i.e. one jokey/one serious.
When ever I commentate - and I must be honest I hardly ever do it now the last events were the Merida series - I question whether Enduro,s really require one.I would only be to pleased to help somebody have a go.I wish you all the best Gerry

Last year I went to visit the Festival and thought NOW WAY!!!!
This year did the 12 hour solo and loved every minuit :-)
The comentary was more than adequate and to the point... well done you, and the course was FAB!!!!!
I do agree with the advertising and promoting, and some cards handed out to MTBers to put up at work places would not cost much, especially if riders themselves printed a few each and put them up, I am next year.
I thought the facilities were adiquate for the riders, and with teams and riders coming from Ireland (RAF), Surry (Evens), and other places around the country who I spoke to.... it's getting big.
The thing is, is the intention to become so big that the facilities can not cope with the venue, or for the average joe like me?
FANTASTIC DAY, CANNOT THANK EVERYONE & ALL ENOUGH, INCLUDING THE ATC LADS WHO ON MY LAST ROUND I THANKED AS I WENT BY.
It's all for fun and a good laugh!!!!!!!
Paul. (PS... No pictures of me published. Why??????)
:-(
No worries... I'll send in my own ;-)

Hi Paul,

Got your pix, I'll add them later :-)

What was your number so I can look through the other 300 or so pictures I did'nt use.

You may be lucky.

===

Also, Bikefest2006 - Great event. Going from strength to strentgh

I won't express an opinion either way, because I wasn't there, but...... I was in Ash Ct on monday night and was very surprised how clean and tidy it was. So much better than after a bigger event like the Community Festival, when it's shitty for months after. I can see somebody has put in plenty of effort on that front which is greatly appreciated - well done geezers.I' glad the trails were dry for the event too, as they're still in good condition now. Also like the bridge over the bumhole - that's a nice idea too. You'v e all done very well!

86

I'm 16 I went up there and raced on saturday and without the 6 punctures our team got i recjkon we could have been in the top 10.
the event was great on the saturday although i understand there wern't many spectators on the sunday.

People need to know about it, bristol biggest bike ride attracts 1000s and thats on roads, its always a good laugh because GWR are there chatting random stuff, the council do there bit and at the end there are all different kinds of things for riders.

All the bike fest needs is a little bit of publicity from GWR, the brristol observer and maybe even points west news because if bristol biggest bike ride can get lots of people involved then i'm sure the bike fest can as it is infinatly more exciting.

Because at the moment it only appeals to the people who already cycle and a few little kids, i did that race when i was little and i never knew anything about it until i was there, lets get out there and promote tell your friends and tell them to tell theirs and the bike fest will become a real big festival.

I mean who can doubt a commenwealth silver medalist isn't cool?

Well done to the bike fest team and everybody who attempted the grueling course and the awesome trial builders who have rekindilled my love of ashton court.

Nyle

There isn't much point encouraging people to the bikefest if there is nothing to entertain them. If they are non cyclist then apart from a few bike stands with bikes and food there isn't a lot to do.

Bristols biggest bike ride is not a good example becasue it is a mass partipation event whereas the the bikefest is limited number of entrants.

I personally really enjoyed seeing friends and fellow bikers riding and realy enjoying themselves. The course was challenging and fun and far better than than say the cheddar challenge which requires you to walk miles to get to the best points of the course. At the bikefest you could visit walk to the farthest points in very little time which adds to the spectator experience.

But as someone has already pointed out it requires investment and unless a big sponsor can be bagged to add some publicity to the event it will remain a smaller event.

That's not to say that is bad as it is an event for the riders and they should be the ones that are important.

I think Paul and the rest of the organisers should be commended for using what little resource they had to put together a well organised and enjoable event for all.

Cheers

Hwe

Highjacking the thread as mike is more likly to see it, any more pics of Team 34 of myself, Alex, James and Jason.

Sadly out of all those pix I never got a "34" piccy.

I thought I had Alex as he shouted out but to now avail :-( However, Dave got Alex but the res is very low :-(

http://www.bristolmountainbikeclub.com/team34.jpg
Alex Team 24

However, I've seem Jim at www.photo-it.com.

Find your pix and elves may be able to remove the watermark

Team 34 were clearly moving so slowly that we were mistaken for spectators, and didn't have our photos taken. More Thursday night training is needed guys - I'll be down the pub around 19:30.

Still we didn't do too badly considering the four punctures, a front tyre that decided to part company with the rim, one siezed bottom bracket, a snapped front axle and buckled rear wheel. Respect to James for not being responible for any of the mechanicals!

Can't wait until next year.

I have an idea for the "mountain biker" Chris and his poorly researched opinions, why don't you actually try and DO the race next year. Then you would know that the commentary was brilliant - very uplifting for the bikers and spectators, that the organisation was excellent and atmosphere supportive and inclusive.

Hey Fi, i don't know what more "research" you could expect me to do than to go to the bike fest on both days. You also seemed to have completely missed my point, i'm not knocking the "race" at all.

Cheers, "Chris"

Nah what they need instead of the kicker is a huge half pipe or a massive dirt jump then it will make things intresting!

Anyways now i think we've established that the bikefest was good but may need a bit of tweaking to bring in the spectators.

Thanks to all the photographers who got a couple of pictures of me !!! (Team 44 on the blue bike with a red and white top) I even got air after coming of the scafolding bridge! (sort of) Stupid parents couldn't be arsed.

LOL at Nyle, who bought your bike for you then?

I just wanted to add that things like putting on dirt jumping demos all cost money, and I seem to remember that when they had jumping the other year, despite some great riders being involved it wasn't that spectacular, the top of Ashton Court is just too windy for that sort of thing.

The event did have a major sponsor this year but even big companies like Ritchey don't have bottomless reserves of cash, and I'd much rather the race's budget was spent on making sure the facilities are there for the riders. The event lives or dies on how many racers enter, not how many members of the general public attend. Word of mouth plays an important part in that, so people should think carefully before slagging events like this off on the basis of a first impression.

Sorry but RITCHEY is not a large sponsor in my book. How about Saab, Ford etc.. as they are household names or maybe get some goverment orgaisation involved as they like throwing money about.

or maybe, bristol bike fest could join forces with the naked bike protest people for the all new bristolnakedbikefest - wahey, count me in! Only joking (although.........)Seriously, there was sunshine bikes, food...what more could you want. If it can get even bigger, that'd be great - maybe encourage more families (start 'em young), and non cyclists, maybe more advertising, that'd be great - but i had a GERT LUSH day.

Thanks to everyone who posted a psitive comment, the event is about the riders and course, the rest is nice things there, if you ride then i hop you enjoyed it. Thanks again for all your support, Paul The Organiser ps I am going to bed now for a bit.