Video: A Day in the Nog

I always look forward to going back to Revolution Bike Park and on the 12th October I found myself heading back there along the winding Welsh back roads. It had the recipe of being a good day since it was Aled’s birthday uplift meaning I’d know quite a few of the riders there. Riding with friends is the best part of Downhill for me. Despite doing various sports growing up, Downhill definitely has the best social scene.


Arriving at Revolution Bike Park looking around the car park I thought I would be the only girl riding. Not that I mind that much, as long as I’m riding my Downhill bike I’m normally quite happy regardless of who I am with. But then a friend, Suzy, who I met on the Campbell Coaching weekend at Llangollen last September, turned up! I’d not seen her for months and it was great to ride with her again.



It had been a year since I first set the tred of my tyres on the tracks at Revolution Bike Park, after my friends James and Anna thought I would cope fine with it after only having my Downhill bike a month. The big drop at the bottom of the tracks there loomed on me then, something I definitely wanted to do. But after looking at it I thought maybe it was a tiny bit ambitious considering how new I was to Downhill. It was a bit more extreme than riding round Llandegla on my hardtail! The various other visits to Revolution this year (one ending up in A&E…oops!) that feeling of grit determination was certainly there to do the infamous drop. And on this visit I was successful. After asking James if I could follow him into it on my first run I managed to do the drop that had been bugging me for months! You might think I’m mad doing it on my first run but firstly it gave me no time to look or think about it. When my wheels were approaching it I must admit it was a bit scary, in my head I was saying ‘just don’t brake now whatever you do.’ By that point I knew I just had to hold on and hope! With a safe landing I was buzzing for the days riding ahead!


Unfortunately Anna couldn’t come, as she’d hurt her knee, so heel up soon Anna! After a few more runs with James and the guys he was riding with, I managed to get on an uplift with Suzy. From then on we were making our way down the Freeride track all morning slowly building up confidence on the jumps. As our speed increased with confidence we were clearing a few of the jumps and nothing could wipe the smiles on our faces!

After lunch we decided to try the Main Line. I was a bit hesitant at first since I’d only did this previously in the dry, but it was great fun being back on a track that was technical from top to bottom. I’ve not ridden another track (apart from the Ffar Side) where it feels like I’m using my bike to its full potential. You’re constantly looking around the next corner and looking for the next one with roots to look out for too. O and don’t forget how tight the main line is. That’s definitely why I go back there again and again, you can improve you skills in one day riding there!

All of this was made miles more fun with Suzy to go down the tracks with. If there are no female riders about, I normally end up riding on my own due to not being able to keep up with the lads (yet!). Suzy rides at a similar speed to me so it was different having someone right behind me all the way down or being able to follow someone and keep up! Pushing each other to ride faster and look at bigger features. Just generally miles more fun than going it alone, there’s someone to laugh about the crashes with and make you ride faster than you normally would.

So that’s another trip to Revolution done and dusted and what an awesome day it was! The tracks were running amazingly, quick uplifts and hopefully Aled had a good birthday! I felt more like bambi on a bike at Revolution a year ago but this visit not so much!

Photo Credit: Phil Bulkeley Photography (and a few off my GoPro)