If you’ve been paying attention at the back, then you’ll know that Chipps manned up, borrowed a big boys bike from those lovely folk at Orange, donned the necessary protection and headed to the Highlands in July to tackle the No Fuss Fort William Endurance Downhill. And you’ll also know that we promised you video, both of the big day itself, and the skills session Nigel Page bravely undertook when we asked him to make Chipps a star.
Here are two films which, we hope, adequately convey both just what a cracking event this one is, and just how brave it was of Nigel to agree to share the Ice Cream Run with Chipps one drizzly summer morning in the name of training…
This content is exclusive for Premier users.
If you are a Subscriber log in.
Subscriptions start from just £1.99
Thanks to Orange for the loan of the bike, Nigel Page for the loan of the skills, No Fuss for the loan of Ben Nevis and Sweet Protection for the loan of the sweet protection.
Thanks are probably also due to everyone who stayed safely out of Chipps’ way on the course, thus ensuring minimal Mountain Rescue involvement. You’re all winners!
Having read the article in #76, you must have remembered quite a bit of Nigel’s advice. Well done on surviving the day!
I did remember a fair amount yes. He taught me several key things to bear in mind, though I found I never remembered them all at once! 😉
It was good to be reminded just what a downhill bike can handle without breaking itself or you.
Really enjoyed that article and the vids. I´d love to have a go sometime. Did many people do it on 160mm (or thereabouts) bikes?
There were a few guys on hardtails! There were many people on full-on DH machines, but there were also people on Spesh Enduros and the like. The advantage of using a DH bike is that everything is over-built and you also know that if you did have to let go the brakes and pray, you’d probably still be OK, so the margin for error was more on your side.