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This year we were joined at Easter by Jason. He was just becoming an accomplished Junior Cycle Speedway star when the sport folded in the North East and had been "lost" to the cause until the Grand Cycle Speedway Reunion/40th Birthday Bash in Newcastle in February this year. This rekindled a bit of biking enthusiasm, none more so in Jason who, after only two rides out on his 7 year old Specialized FSR promptly booked a place on the trip and took delivery of a spanking Kona Coiler Dee Lux from Rutland Cycling just two days before we left for the Borders!

Our other returnee from Cycle Speedway, John, also bought into the MTB scene early this year with a Saracen Awol from Halfords. If you haven't seen their new range, take a peep - they are greatly improved from previous years and this model was built to take plenty of stick with 5 inches of very reasonable and effective springing at both ends. It's a bit on the heavy side (almost all in the frame) but as it's John's first MTB he can't tell the difference. And anyway, he's first up the hills on the thing regardless of its weight penalty. Hope he never gets a lightweight!!! We've bashed this thing down Thrunton Woods' Black Crags three or four times now and just can't break it. Once we'd rerouted the horribly-set rear brake cable and filed the skin off the rear pads it was all systems go (and stop). For the price it's a great starter bike.