Evolution Bikes Gravity Racing Team Launch
The Evolution Bikes Gravity Racing Team is the latest addition to the ever growing UK Enduro Scene. With a race pedigree and a down to earth, fun loving style, these are guys to watch.
Evolution Bikes Gravity Racing has been a nugget of an idea for a couple of years, but this year they have taken their Team status from “local shop for local people” to a coordinated team who love to race and ride together. The core of the team is two gentlemen and one lady, a classic recipe.
Ed Roberts – @shreddieroberts
2014 was Ed’s first full year of racing Enduro, having dabbled with a couple of races in previous years. As a youth he competed in motorcycle trials, achieving several British Series podiums and some European Success. Then while at university he turned his focus to cross country MTB racing and had some success at National level.
However XC racing was interrupted by several trips around the world where he spent his time snowboarding, biking, mountaineering and partying. After returning from a year in New Zealand to his home in North Wales, he found a natural attraction to Enduro racing; it suits his riding style of full-gas all of the time, no matters what’s ahead.
“Enduro is a format that lets you put all the best parts of MTB’ing together: Gnar trails, riding with your mates, you can drink the odd ale and not worry about it and oh you can race it. Racing is what really makes me tick, I set high goals and I accept no excuses for not reaching them. Every race I enter, I enter with the ultimate goal of winning. So far this season the many hours of training on and off the bike were rewarded; as more often than not I have achieved my goals.”
Claire Bennett – @CBennetthead
Originally from Staffordshire Claire graduated with a sports science degree from Bangor University in 2004 and North Wales has been home ever since. She’s been riding since the age of 11 thanks to her active parents but only dipped her feet into the racing world at the end of 2013.
My first Gravity Enduro was round four at Dyfi forest Mid Wales, I loved it, and I was hooked. I entered the last round at Eastridge, Shropshire and achieved a surprising podium finish. Excited by my new found love for racing I went into the winter of 2013/14 with a positive and determined mindset.
She has just completed her first complete year of racing Enduro, the winter training paid off as she became UK Ladies Gravity Enduro 2014 series winner. With the support of the team, she’s traveled the country racing this year and had such a great time. The atmosphere and level of competition among the women is fantastic and something she’s keen to continue to push.
Mat Pritchard – @mathewpritchard
Mat has always been involved with bikes, racing XC as a junior as well as working in the bike industry after university. My focus was always XC racing, where he enjoyed success at national level. In 2007 my business partner and I started Evolution Bikes in Bangor, North Wales.
Business commitments pretty much put a stop to any kind of serious racing, only having time to compete in a few races here and there. Over the last few years, with the business well established he has had a little more time to compete.
In 2014 I raced for Team Continental Saracen and had a great time racing all over the Uk and Europe. I enjoyed had several encouraging results in multi day European enduro stage races and also bagged some podium finishes in a highly competitive masters field in the UK gravity enduro series in 2014.
Support
The team have put together a powerful collection of companies to keep them racing all season long.
The inventors of Enduro yellow will be keeping the team bang on point this season with some of the finest riding apparel on the market. The team will be using the Mavic Crossmax jerseys and shorts, the super comfortable Crossmax XL Pro MTB shoes and Stratos gloves.
For some of the longer events the team will also be using the Crossmax hydro pack LTD 8.5 to keep them hydrated and fuelled up with snacks. For rolling the team will be using the tried and tested Enduro wheel of choice the Crossmax XL PRO.
The boys used these hoops of wonder all last season and even with Shreddie’s agricultural style they kept making perfect circles all season long. Ed and Claire will also be using a combination of the super tacky Crossmax Charge and Crossmax Quest tyres.
Gamut are new to the team this year and are sorting out all things drive chain related as well as pimping out the cockpits of the bikes. The whole team will be using the new super lightweight Trail SXC HDM chain guide in combination with the TTR narrow wide chain rings.
Up front for the steering, the team will be using the team will be using the Cillos Trail handlebars in combination with the featherweight, but still super stiff Cillos stem. Gamut is a relatively new brand to the UK shores and the team will be helping to develop some of the amazing products in the proving grounds of North Wales.
Contrary to belief the team are not entirely fuelled by bullsh1t. Instead this season the team will be using the super tasty products from Torq. As Enduro is still a developing sport getting the fuelling just right is still a work in progress, but alongside the nutrition boffins over at Torq HQ the team have been working on a fuelling strategy, including a mixture of Energy Gels, Bars and Drinks to ensure optimum performance throughout a race weekend.
Also as the team have picked up their training this winter and with many multi day events Torq recovery products will be making sure that the team are ready to go the next day.
German innovation combined with a splash of Enduro spirit. Ergon are producing some top quality products and this season the team will be using their GE1 grips and SME3 PRO saddles.
The team have now used the seats and grips for a couple of months and they absolutely love them. Both the grips and seats come in a variety of sizes and maybe more importantly come in a variety of Enduro specific colours.
Who doesn’t love a beer sponsor? Purple Moose Brewery is a North Wales based, independent specialty brewer and their specialty is creating thirst quenching golden nectar.
Like the team they set high goals for themselves and they have been producing award winning beer for a long time. Purple Moose will be hooking up the team for all social events and the team may just be carrying a few samples to some of the races, so come say hi and you might be lucky enough to be treated to some of the finest ale in the land.
Evolution Bikes is North Wales’ premier bike shop. It is as a shop built around a passion for all things bike and that passion carriers through to their race team. The Team this season will consist of three riders: Claire Bennett, Ed Roberts and shop owner, team boss and chief driver Mathew Prichard. There will also be some guest team riders making appearances at select events thorough out the season. As a team we would just like to take this opportunity to thank all the great sponsors who have helped us put the team together for this year. Let’s ENDURO!!!!!!
Words by the team, photos by Tom Laws