05/08/2024 - Ard Rock MTB Festival 2024
Ard Rock 2024
Ard Rock 2024, where to even start?! What an incredible weekend, the festival everyone needed and deserved.
We always have fun at the UK's biggest and best MTB event, but this year felt extra special. The weather had a huge part to play in that, as the sun shone on beautiful Swaledale all weekend, a stark contrast to last year. Thousands of solar powered smiling riders descended on the picture postcard valley for brilliant weekend.
We had a really busy time on the demos, big thanks to everyone who came and test rode a bike, it never gets old seeing demo riders roll back to the stand grinning and amazed at the confidence and speed our bikes bring.
For the first time in a few years, all of us strapped a number board to our bikes at various points across the weekend and got between the tapes. Mat was entered into to the Sprint race, stages 1 – 3 on the Saturday afternoon. I've not ridden a huge amount in the last few months, with life generally getting in the way, so I'd opted not to enter anything. However when my mate Sam popped by the stand on the Friday afternoon to say hi, he mentioned he had a spare Sprint entry going due to a niggling injury, and offered it to me. Deep down I knew in that instant that this meant I'd be doing that race, but it took me a couple of hours to come to terms with that fact, and feel like I'd actually made the decision myself!
I was so glad I did. Mat and I pledged to have a chilled ride and just enjoy it, which of course went out the window as soon as we'd dropped into the first stage! Stages 1 and 2 are the more technical of the whole route, with some steep corners high up and the now infamous 'Heckler's Woods' at the bottom of the first stage. I followed Mat down the first one, and as we tipped into the trees the wall of noise was awesome, fans lining the steep, rooty and rocky section cheering for every rider like it was a downhill world cup. Such a cool feeling.
We swapped over for stage 2, which has some really tight and steep hairpins early on, and Mat took an inside line which was clearly much quicker than my outside line, as he almost T-Boned me on the exit! Coming into the next one I thought “Mat's inside line was good on the last one, I'll go inside on this one”, so I anchored up and tipped in, straight down the fall line with about a bike's length of trail at the bottom in which to make a 90 degree left. Terrifying! Glad I didn't need to use the catch netting!
The rest of the stage was brilliant, my favourite of the three. The dry conditions meant there was tonnes of grip for getting nice high lines in to corners and letting the bike trying not to touch the brakes too much! Swift medicinal pint and a bag of peanuts in the pub before the slog up to stage 3, which is a stage of two halves. The first part is great fun swooping down a gully dodging the rocks which Mat was kicking up, we both had some exciting moments on that one! The stage then exits the gully on a fast but pedally double track, where you have to dig deep and sprint. Mat spied a sneaky line to the side on the grass, which looked good, but a huge compression neither of us expected sapped a bunch of speed. We still managed an overtake before the line though.
We bombed down the road back to the stand for beers, just in time to hold the fort while the owners ride was out. I wasn't sure how I'd get on, easily the biggest ride I've done for 6 months but my legs just about got me round, and I even managed 17th from 50 in category. Pretty damn stoked on that!
Over to Cy:
"What a great weekend. After we had a good time last year despite the wash out, the sunshine this year was an absolute treat. We had a great position with the stand, and after setup Paul and Mat went for a spin in the sunshine. I was still nursing some grazes from a Tuesday night ride spill, so I went and had a beer in the sunshine. Not a rubbish option!
We were really busy with demo bikes and their being stoked on the bikes was infectious. It was also lovely to have owners old and new swinging by and say how much they loved the brand. Thanks so much for the kind words. Mat and Sam were stoked out of the minds off racing the Sprint on Saturday, and the CC Ride was lovely, with a 2010 Soda joining us #26aintdead!
Got out for the first time onto the race course on the Sunday doing the Intro. I think the weekend was catching up with me because I really struggled on the long ride out to the first stage. Had a proper chiller on the first stage (Stage 4 of the track) just playing myself in, and whilst Darren dealt with a puncture I set off up the steep climb to 5. At this point I have to say a massive thankyou to Tab, Holly and Erika who I chatted with. It properly cheered me up and screwed my head back on, so by the time Paul and I set off down Stage 5 I dropped in right behind him. This was great for me, as I've been riding with Paul for over 20 years and I trust him implicitly, so just being able to ride close and watch his body language got me through the stages way faster than I probably would have riding blind. Apart from maybe Stage 7 where he got excited trying to overtake someone and blew is feet off the pedals right in front of me! All was good and we cruised down to the finish.
All told, very nice. Same again next year, yes?”
Over to Darren:
"SUNSHINE! We finally had some good weather at And rock (verging on possibly too warm!) It was a great chance to meet new and old Cotic owners from across the country and catch up with familiar faces from the cycling industry.
Saturday I helped set up riders trying out bikes from our demo fleet followed by a Cotic CC ride in the afternoon on some local Swaledale trails, fun times and punctures were had!
Sunday morning I decided to enter the Intro race last minute, which I'm very glad I did as it helped me remind myself what it's all about, razzing down some unforgiving Yorkshire hillsides with a big grin on your face with your mates. Following the race it was another chance to chat to riders on the stand and drink endless bottles of water trying to rehydrate from the baking hot summer weather.
Already looking forward to next year!
Paul's story from the weekend:
"Ardock 2024, what can I say? We all looked forward to it each year and this year it really delivered.
Wiggling along the road and dropping into Swaledale the sky was grey and we were all comparing notes on how many waterproof clothes we'd brought, but once the stand was set up we hit the local trails and it started to brighten up.
Friday was busy with setting up demo bikes for new customers, catching up with old friends and generally chatting bikes. Suddenly 12 hours had passed in a blink.
Saturday saw us chatting to lots more demo riders and it was also bike faff day for Sam and Matt who had chosen to race in the Sprint Enduro covering 3 stages on Saturday afternoon. As soon as they arrived back Cy, Darren and myself headed out on a CC ride with a few Cotic customers who still had some energy left from racing on Friday and Saturday.
Sunday was the big one for me as I'd decided to have a go at the Intro Enduro, along with Cy and Darren, which required an 8am roll out! The Intro consists of a big transition to the far end of the valley then 4 stage working our way back to the main arena at about lunch time.
In keeping with my aims that my FlareMAX really does do everything no special changes, my race prep consisted of fitting a number board and pumping the rear tyre up a bit harder, and it absolutely flew!!! So much so that I managed to bag 3rd place in Vets category which was a bit of surprise considering that I'd ridden up all the climbs and had a spectacular both-feet-off moment on the final stage.
It's a great event and everyone needs to have a go at it at least once. What ever Cotic MTB you have it'll be great."
Between us we rode a pretty comprehensive variety of Cotics and all had a thoroughly good time both on and off the bikes. If you haven't made it to Ard Rock yet, even just for a look around, I can't recommend it enough. The vibe is great, the trails awesome and the people excellent.
We already can't wait for next year, see you there.
Sam.