It was actually a Saturday not Friday, but that doesn’t matter, what matter’s is what sort of folk are using the nations uplift facilities? In today’s feature we take a random sample of riders using the Pearce Cycles uplift at Bucknell the other Saturday and ask them important questions like “what did you have for lunch?” and “Have you crashed yet?”.

Photo: Sarah Barrett

Name: Tim Abbiss

Age: physically 34 mentally 12

Job: Full time Technical Manager at a precision engineering firm – part time rider for Sea Devil’s world team

Where do you live: Dudley West Mids (it’s not as bad as you think)

Tell me about your bike then, any good is it? It sure is – Intense 951 with Boxxers slammed in the front, renthal cockpit Elixir Cr brakes ex 721s on Hope hubs. Nice and low it gets the drift on like a dog on wet lino.

What types of riding do you do? Mainly DH but I have been known to do some xc and road if I absolutely have to. Trail centres are a no go I’m afraid.

Where do you usually ride and who with? Local tracks really such as Ribbesford and Stile Cop and just get out with a load of lads I met on Pinkbike and even some from work.

What’s Bucknell like then? Short but awesome flat out top section with an insane ski jump then into the woods for some technical action before ripping loose on the rocks to finish…love it here mate.

How many runs have you done today? I have done 10 (I think) and am now absolutely knackered.

Any spills then? Hit a tree on the last run, I’m not as fit as I once was

What did you have for lunch? Sainsbury’s sandwich swilled down with a can of monster and banoffee tart chaser.

What tyres are you running? Kenda Nevegals (nevergrips) – they are ok actually

Do you race or just have a laugh doing uplifts and stuff? Mainly uplifts and stuff but I am planning to do my bit for the Team and race next year.

How was your week, anything exciting happen? Yeah, it was my 34th birthday, so Beer festival last Friday and then uplift today, life don’t get better dude.

What’s on your Christmas wish list? A scantly clad Scarlett Johansson knocking my door with a new Evil undead frame. In all honesty though that isn’t going to happen is it? I mean those frames are really quite rare.

Anything else we should know? I got a 7 month old daughter named Hope and a border terrier called Dudley. Big up to the Sea Devil World Team.

Photo: Sarah Barrett

Name: Ol Renison

Age: 39

Job: Instructor/Technician in Furniture making

Where do you live: ‘Royal’ Leamington Spa

Tell me about your bike then, do you like it?
Nukeproof Mega, 160mm Lyriks, DHX4 coil shock. The bike is alright, it does what it does and it does it ok. For the good of my finances I had to downsize from owning several fancy bikes to this and my Dialled hardtail. Turns out I probably spend just as much as I did, but on fewer bikes…
This bike is good for any kind of riding and has taken me through everything from European bikepark road trips to Sunday pootles around the Warwickshire bridleways. It’s spot on for a place like Bucknell.

What types of riding do you do?
I do anything and everything but love it when it points downhill and gets a bit jumpy, swoopy and rooty. I love riding downhill tracks but can’t afford to race often so have taken more to riding back up the hills again, hence the Mega. I’m also into riding my fixie and bmx. It’s all just bikes innit?

Where do you usually ride and who with?
Living in the Midlands, riding anywhere usually involves a bit of driving, though being dead central does have its advantages. I get easily bored of the same places so like to move about a bit. Ride a fair bit at Woburn, Chicky, Aston Hill, Ribbesford, Cannock, the Pearce tracks and the odd trip West into Wales or Devon. Love Revolution bikepark and Antur Stiniog recently. I ride with a great bunch of people which usually changes depending on the type of riding involved.

What’s Bucknell like then?
Bucknell is awesome. It’s a really short course but such fun and so flowy all the way down. It’s a proper sprinting track with a few nice jumps and some rooty sections to keep you on your toes (or on your face). This is only my second time riding here. The last time I had a bike-tree interface within sight of the start hill and smashed my brake off. Kind of embarrassing. Luckily a mate lent me his bike after my crash. Looking forward to perhaps a new Pearce track nearby after overhearing some gossip on the uplift…

How many runs have you got in today?
The turnaround is so quick and constant, I lost count early on but we reckoned at least 3 an hour, around 10am until 3pm so 15 sounds about right, I reckon a few more though.

Any crashes today?
Quite a few as it goes, but all comedy crashes thankfully. There is a tight and rooty left-hander up the top which had me on my very first run, then just before the stepdown near the bottom I ended up offline, the wrong side of the tree and dived down the bank into the bracken. I was having a sketchy day today (I blame lack of practise) which my mate Niall would agree with. I think he was quite impressed how offline I got on one run when following me but still managed to get back on track!

What did you have for lunch?
I had some homemade sandwiches, proper lush they were. Wholemeal bread, humus, smoked cheese, tomato and rocket, and a flask of black coffee. Oh yes…

What tyres are you running?
Swampthings. I was told they’ve been discontinued now. Don’t know why, great tyre and seem spot on for the conditions today. I might get them on Antiques Roadshow and see if they’re worth anything.

Do you race or just have a laugh doing uplifts and stuff?
I race once in a blue moon but realistically just cannot afford it, the entries, travel and what-not, so tend to ride more push-up places and places where you can ride to the top. To be honest, the waiting around and time off the bike in DH racing was never that appealing, although the atmosphere and sense of community was. Gravity Enduro is much better in the time on your bike sense.

How was your week, anything exciting happen?
My week was alright thanks for asking. I stuck some furniture (a cork and acrylic screen) I made at Uni on a Design degree plus some work an international student had made and left at the college I now teach at into a local shop/gallery to see if it’ll sell. I’m trying to raise some funds for our course and for a biking trip I’m doing to Peru/Bolivia next year to distract myself from turning 40…Becoming 40 shouldn’t be allowed…

What do you want from Santa Claus?
I’m hoping to get my hands on one of those Nexus 7 tablets. Totally unnecessary really what with having a decent phone/laptop, but you know, who doesn’t like a shiny gadget?

Anything else we should know?
Half of my little finger is missing just above the knuckle on my right hand from a motorbike accident. This makes holding handfuls of M&M’s a real nightmare. Fact.

Photo: Sarah Barrett

Name: Jack Graham

Age: 24

Job: Personal Trainer / Nutritionist

Where do you live: Essex

Tell me about your bike then, any good is it? Yes it is sweet I’m running the new 2013 Giant Glory.

What types of riding do you do? Competition Downhill

Where do you usually ride and who with? Essex hasn’t got much of a hill so I have to travel some distance to get to anywhere worth riding. I do prefer to travel that bit further if it means I can take advantage of an uplift service, especially if it is one as good as the Pearce. The race team I race for is called ‘RAD Racing’ which consists of two other riders Micky Boswell and Ant Jones so we try and get out as much as possible and ride together.

What’s Bucknell like then? Bucknell is a great tract to ride has a great flow from top to bottom with a mixture of terrain and obstacles. The top has a great section of jumps and berms, then into the woods the track becomes more technical and make you think about where you are going and what you are doing finishing with several switch back before you send a big step down and enter the bottom section which opens up and flows through a few more open switch backs. By the end you arrive at the fire road where the next Landy is waiting for you to take you back up to the top to hit the trail again. In the summer getting 20+ runs in is not unlikely!!!

How many runs have you done? During the uplift which run from 10:30-3:30pm I managed to get 14 runs in during the day but wasn’t going crazy I missed a few uplifts to stop and grab a drink and food but went and jumped onto the next one.

Any spills today? No spills plenty of slips and dabs it was pretty icy and the ground was solid.

What was on the menu for lunch? Chicken and Noodles and a few Protein bars between runs, as well as sport drinks to keep me going.

What tyres are you running? Schwalbe Dirty Dans cut down.

Do you race or just have a laugh doing uplifts and stuff? I race and compete in a full UK race series. BDS, Pearce and Championships races.

How was your week, anything exciting happen? WHAT??????????????????????????

What’s on your Christmas wish list? Me two front teeth 😉

Anything else we should know? Follow and Like R.A.D Racing on Facebook, and keep an eye out for our promotion video coming very soon. R.A.D Racing/Archive Media.

Hit up www.pearcecycles.co.uk to find out more about their uplift days.