The Pennine Mountain Bike Association (PMBA) has just opened entries for the 2015 series. No license required, and some great venues in England and Scotland promise some good racing. Have a look at the full press release below:

2015 PMBA ENDURO SERIES: ENTRIES OPEN

The PMBA series is back bigger and better while still maintaining a true grass roots appeal.  We’ll have the same emphasis on fun, riding round with your mates while still challenging the best riders’ skills, speed and stamina. Keeping it easy for you to come and race, all you’ll need is your normal trail centre capable bike and helmet along with your £39.50 entry fee. No license or any extra’s to worry about, although we do highly recommend a full face helmet, gloves and knee pads these are not compulsory. We are revisiting all the great venues from last year and also adding a new one we hoped to announce today but we still have a couple if i’s to dot and t’s to cross so please bear with us on that. We have also upgraded the timing system, and will be timing to 1/100th second with transponders which will also allow for a roll through start and fly through finish, no more dibbing. Borderline events superb & experienced team will be running everything so you can be sure of a smooth experience. We have moved the September round back a week so to allow an Welsh Enduro to take place at Penmachno on the 6th.

Entries are via the website at midday on Monday 19th January.

Round 1 – 08 March at Gisburn Forest, round sponsor Escape Bike Shop

Round 2 – 26 April at Grizedale Forest, round sponsor Grizedale MTB & Gill Cycles of Ulverston.

Round 3 & North West Champs – 13/14th June at Lee Quarry & Cockhill, round sponsor Ride-On Bike Shop

Round 4 – 05 July at Kirroughtree Forest, round sponsor Breakpad Bike Shop

Round 5 – 13th September at TBC – Round sponsor TBC

Round 6 – 11 October at Gisburn Forest, round sponsor Escape Bike Shop

We start in March at our spiritual home of Gisburn forest, although we have run a few event there now we’ll still find a fresh angle to keep you all guessing. Grizedale is set for round 2, our exploring should pay off on the day with more off piste trails being used for our April round.  

We love the 1-day format and will be using it for most races, with stage practice in the morning and the timed race runs in the afternoon. Feedback is that you love it too as its easier to fit into your busy lives packing maximum fun and bang for buck into a day. However the stages will be marked Saturday and a stage map will be sent with the full race information a few days before the event. Typically a 10 mile loop, 3 stages and around 10 minutes of racing is what we aim for, although this will vary.  The only 2-day event is Round 3, doubling as the North West Regional Championships.

Lee Quarry and Cockhill was the final event of the 2014 series but in 2015 returns on 13th and 14th June.  Close to the longest day this will also have the longest loop, very similar to last year but we do still have some improvements planned. All the rounds will count towards the series this year and this 2 day round will carry the same points as all the other rounds. This was our most technical round of last year and also home of the steepest stages, the Dirt-Trax guys will again be making big effort on a new stage too.

Before we break for summer we head north to Kirroughtree, last years stages were some of the most fun, which left many people disappointed they didn’t make the effort to get there. We’ll do our best again to finish promptly so you can get home at a reasonable time we appreciate this will be the biggest journey most people have to make. Well worth making a weekend of it if you can and camp over, although we cant promise 4th July fireworks we can promise the stages will be crackers.

The wait till September will be worth it, but please appreciate we don’t want to annouce it until everything is in place.

Gisburn will finish off the year and see the series champions crowned in early October. In with the series one lucky person will win a week’s holiday for 2 with Ride Slovenia, as this is raffled it could go to anybody. 2 more people will walk away with an amazing Empire MX6-Evo frameset each, this year these wont be going to the series champions they will be awarded to grassroots. Who knows who’ll be lucky enough to be drawn, but you’ll only be in the draw if you’re unsponsored!

Over the last few months we have been taking an active role in the Enduro working group, to which almost all UK Enduro organisers have representation. Eventually core rules for Enduro will be agreed, and we could have a British federation formed for 2016, we are proud to be influencing the future in such a positive manner.

It’s great that all the sponsors of last years series sponsors will again be supporting again in 2015, as well as our new sponsors.

Kev, Mike and the team