Alpine Mountain Biking

No sooner was the Mountain Bike Mondial over than another even comes along at the ski resort of Les Deux Alps:

MOUNTAIN OF HELL EPISODE V, The Search for the Grail.

This event is is over the 22nd to 24th of July and is organized by Choucas bikers and unites a number of international ranked downhill experts along with amature riders. The star event is a downhill from the glacier at 3200 meters to the village of Venosc. That's 2,400 vertical meters over 25km. Last year William Ballaud won with a time of 40 minutes, the last person rolled in 2h30 later.

So if you fancy taking part, or just spectating, check out the Les Deux Alpes website. MOUNTAIN OF HELL EPISODE V

My old Avocet saddle had finally given up so I was in the market for a new model. Not too wide, not too heavy, leather cover and black. My local Decathlon had the XO Gel from Italian experts Selle Italia. They've been making bike saddles for more than a century. The XO Gel retails at 25 Euros and weight just 215 grams. Be careful, there are lots of heavier XO models and the Selle Italia website doesn't even show this one.

The XO Gel Saddle is suitable for both road and MTB bikes. It has a low profile and wider seating area. The saddle is finished in leather with Gel padding. Rails are manganese to reduce weight.