Pumped Mountain Bike Magazine

pumped.

MOUNTAIN BIKE MAGAZINE

Snapshot: Photos From Barney Samuel

Keeping up with the Jones’ Catching up with Matt and Jono Jones

Local Life:

The Woburn Crew

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pumped.

(p큼mpt)

adj. Slang to be pumped is to be Emotionally excited; enthusiastic or eager. whilst pumped your best work is created.

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Whats it all about?

Pumped is a publication that gives an insight into the lifestyles and thoughts of mountain bikers and their worldwide community. Dirt jumping, downhill and Enduro have all evolved from BMX racing. The flair displayed by dirt jumper’s tricks, the speed demonstrated in the downhill racing and the fitness required for downhill are all relevant. The goal for all riders is to increase their capabilities and be the best they can be. Pushing limits is the bedrock of this sport and Pumped aims to bring this desire to the reader though the medium of exciting photography and discussion.

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C ONT ENT S Regulars

Features

Local Life

Day In The Life

Snapshot

Product Review

Woburn’s Finest and i’ts return. 14-19 Finest Photographs 6-9

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Keeping up with the Jones’s 10-13 Giant Reign Tried and Tested 20-21

rider: Dan bateson Photo: barney samuel

“Feeling good on the trails is the best feeling ever. I love being pumped.�

-Sam Reynolds

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snaPshot Relative to this issue... Matt Jones stomping his RedBull compound throwing a huge FLflipwhip.

PHOTO: BARNEY SAMUEL

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snaPshot Four cross at fort william, scotland earlier in 2014. A perfect setting for some racing.

PHOTO: BARNEY SAMUEL

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snaPshot

ANDREU LACONDEGUY IS A PRETTY SPECIAL GUY, ON AND OFF THE BIKE. CREATING SUCH UNIQUE SHAPES ON A BIKE WILL ALWAYS RESERVE A SPOT IN PUMPED... HIS TATTOOS DON’T HURT EITHER. PHOTO: BARNEY SAMUEL

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snaPshot andreu again with style for miles.

PHOTO: BARNEY SAMUEL

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Keeping Up With The Jones’s

Matt and Jono Jones have been two unstoppable competitors on the mountain bike scene for coming up eight years now; pretty impressive for two lads just turned twenty...

The competition between them both runs in the blood. Competing in two different disciplines has given the boys the ability to compete with success without being at each other’s throats on the track. How they live is another story.

Barney Samuel takes up the story...

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In a Greek mythology it is proclaimed that there once were two twins, Romulus and Remus whom were the sons of mars.

The legend has it that the two boys were deserted on a river bank and were left to fend for themselves. They were later picked up by a passing shepherd who raised the boys as they were his own. The boys grew and developed into two unstoppable warriors... These lads took no prisoners.

One august night in the year of ’94, Peter and Julia Jones were blessed with the birth of two identical twin boys. Matt was born at 3:51, followed by Jono only seven minutes later. For years these two have been crazy on their bikes. Think Ronnie and Reggie (Kray) but less violence and more mountain bikes. I’ve had the privilege of seeing these two racing/competing in their individual disciplines, but it hasn’t always been this way. Five years ago the boys’ mountain bike careers were only just being created and at the time they raced four cross (four riders riding down a technical jump filled track in a heated and exciting fashion) against one another. Within their first season they had already made a huge impact on the scene, partly because everyone loved watching two brothers trying to take each other out; competition was fierce to say the least.

The four cross carried on for a number of years, but during this time Matt found his true talent in Dirt Jumping, and Jono in Downhill racing. Although it could be seen to be a shame that the entertainment of twins competing against each other has been lost, it’s been massively beneficial for them both as they are now professional riders with massive sponsorship deals from companies such as Red Bull. From what I’ve seen, it’s clear that along with Romulus, Remus, Ronnie and Reggie, these two take no prisoners either.

So, I recently watched a documentary on twin telepathy. Do you two find you have it?

Matt: I haven’t noticed anything subliminal, but some people have said they notice similarities in what we do.

Jono: I really cannot think of anything worse than knowing what Matt is thinking about.

How is it having an identical twin?

I suppose you’re use to it by now, right?

Jono: I don’t mind it, but looking at Matt I can’t stand the idea that I look like that. That said, it’s really helped us gain a lot of attention while riding.

Matt: Depending on mood, it can be ok, but other times I’m sure he’s adopted.

What are your views on your success in the last season?

Jono: I feel I’m on the right track (pun intended), but there’s so much progression which still needs to be done. At the end of this off season I

will decide if I’ve improved enough to warrant me doing another World Cup circuit.

Matt: For me last year was the best I have ever had and I’ve gained a lot of amazing sponsors which I have always dreamed of having. I know I did well last year and I know I’m developing my skills and honing in my tricks well so I’m really looking forward to next year.

When you think back to the days of fourcross where you used to compete against each other, do you miss it?

Jono: I sure do. Taking my anger out on this one in a controlled environment and trying to beat him will never get old.

Matt: Yeah I miss it. They were the golden days and the rose tinted glasses come out when everyone who used to be involved with that scene think about it. Great fun was had and I think those days have helped me out massively with where I am today.

As you two both compete in separate disciplines now, do you think that makes the competition between you both stronger of does it take the pressure of a bit?

Matt: I wouldn’t say we were competitive... actually I would, so I suppose there’s less tension between us now when we’re off doing our separate things. No awkward car journeys home after I’d beaten Jono...

Jono: The competition between us has always been pretty fierce but we’re definitely growing out of that now. When we were younger it really was blood sweat and gears.

Obviously you would both be aware if one of you was succeeding more than the other, does that and has that ever affected you?

Jono: At the minute Matt is definitely doing better than I am, there’s no two ways about that. I like to think we would never fall out about this sort of thing. We tend not to brush it under the carpet and keep things light hearted so it’s all good.

Matt: I don’t feel like there’s any tension between us at all. We’re both off doing our own thing so neither of us can really compare success.

Matt at his new compound.

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Depending on mood, it can be ok, but other times I’m sure he’s adopted.

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The boys in each of their elements...

Local riding is a huge part of all pro riders’ life. What’s it like round your way?

Jono: Our local places to ride are Chicksands and Woburn.

They are both such great places to learn to ride and to carry on riding. They never really get old. We’re more local to Woburn so that’s where we spend the majority of our time riding when we’re not away competing or riding more exotic landscapes around the country.

Matt: Yeah Woburn is my favourite place to ride as its local and we’ve put a lot of time and effort into the construction and development in recent years. We’ve met so many great people up there, including you Barney! I’ve just nearly finished building my compound which Red Bull funded for me so that’s another great place to ride and key to my future success.

Obviously you were affected by the destruction of Woburn last year, what are your opinions on that whole scenario?

Jono: Of course it was a massive shame to see all of our and everyone else’s hard work get smashed to bits for no good reason but staying optimistic we have began to utilise the blank canvas that have now and I’m sure we can rebuild it to its former glory.

Matt: It’s happened so there’s nothing all the diggers involved down there can do other than get back to work and restore the place to its former glory. I know the diggers down there well and they are all very dedicated.

I still love that these people dedicate so much time and hard work just for the benefits of other people’s leisure.

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Where are your favourite places to ride around the world?

Matt: Last year I got the chance to fly out to New Zealand to compete in an event called Farm Jam which I won, so that was sick. NZ is an amazing place as is it and they have some amazing riding down there, bit of a shame its a 24 hour flight away...

Jono: I’ve been to so many places around the world to the some of the most insane locations but for me Canada has the best riding for what I do. Mont Saint Anne is a personal favourite; super fast, huge jumps and a really challenging track. I’ve had my best World Cup result there too which was 9th.

Who’s your favourite rider to go out razzing with?

Matt: Recently I’ve been spending a fair bit of time riding with Sam Pilgrim (the number one freestyle rider in the world) so we’ve been having some sweet days riding but anyone who’s up for a laugh and shares my passion is welcome to come ride.

Jono: I don’t mind who it is, so long as we’re having a laugh I don’t mind “razzing” with anyone.

Downhill and Dirt Jumping are very different in terms of fitness requirements and training regimes, who out you both puts in the most work?

Matt: I know for a fact that downhill is really demanding physically and you have to be at the pinnacle of your health to be a top contender. Jono trains in the gym and exercises daily;

If either of you decide to pack in the biking for one reason or another, what do you reckon you might do?

Matt: I really don’t know. I’m sure I’ll always be involved with mountain biking in some way. Let’s just hope that day doesn’t come for a while yet!

Jono: Well I’ve got my A-Levels so depending on how far down the line the end may come, uni is a possibility. We’ll see.

What do you think you’ve done differently to other riders who haven’t had as much success as you two?

Matt: Our parents have been really, really supportive throughout our whole biking careers so I’ve got them to thank for a lot of things. Other than that all I can say I’ve done is concentrate on what I wanted to achieve and put in the hard work and perseverance to get where I am now.

Jono: Yeah Madre and Padre have really had a huge all I need to do is practice my tricks and get them sorted. influence on us. For two oldies who know nothing about Physically I need to be strong enough to do what I want to do biking they sure have been great with letting us explore our but I never really need to train specifically for anything. interests and let us do what we want to do.

Jono: I definitely have it harder... It’s not only the physical Speaking of which, a couple of questions for your Mum demands that I need to meet due to the extended amount (Julia); raising these two feisty thoroughbred teenagers of time I’m on track for, I have to develop my technical riding surely wasn’t full of good behaviour, which one plays up skills to my highest ability too. Most of my race runs are over the most? five minutes long and that’s a long time to sprinting as hard Julia: now you must remember that being the mother of as you can down a hill and avoiding crashes. None of this twins it’s so important to be fair and not compare them poncing about in the air business... against each other. It just wouldn’t be fair to name names...

You both seem to enjoy giving each other a bit of stick, are would it Jono? you consistently like this? Or does it calm down at home?

The boys are clearly very grateful for the help you’ve Jono: Nah, it’s pretty nonstop haha. We enjoy it though. given them over the years, are they good at returning the Matt: The banter keeps us both in check. I think we both know favour? who the boss is though... Right Jono?

Julia: Well I think maybe I’ve been made about three cups of tea in the last two decades, but I’ll be old soon so I’m saving these favours for when I really need them.

Oops, not always plain sailing..

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Matt: The banter keeps us both in check. I think we both know who the boss is though...

Right Jono?

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Woburn sands Bike park and trails A story of Local Life..

I first heard of Woburn Sands about eight years ago.

Hidden deep in the Bedfordshire countryside , yet just a few miles from

the concrete jungle ‘Milton Keynes’.

I heard about through two school mates who had stumbled across it on a walk with their parents. Needless to say, exploration was on the horizon..

After Woburn’s recent DESTRUCTION a group of diggers dedicating all their spare time are doing their damndest to rebuild the place they once loved and cherished.

Now they are on the road to a place where BIG BALLS and BIG JUMPS can collaborate once more. Here’s the locals, in their natural habitat...

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Featuring: Matt ‘Ronson’ Robinson Welsh Luc Harris Dan Bateson Sam Anslow Matt Jones Tom Geard-Beney Pippa (Trail Dog)

n r u b o W sands

Brendan Fairclugh showing what he’s made of.

Dan Bateson arrives with the tools

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n the flattest of counties (Bedfordshire) lays this haven of ferns, pine trees, blood sweat and gears. Dirt jumps and downhill runs in a piece of woodland just miles from a bustling modern city.

Half way through 2013, the land owner decided he wanted to fell some trees and in the process destroyed all of the jumps and tracks that had been carefully sculpted by the locals. It was a disheartening day for everyone that knew Woburn, but from the ashes of this destruction has spawned yet another golden phoenix once more thanks to the dedicated local boys who give up their evenings after work and their weekends to recreate their second homes. There are more berms and jumps than you can shake a broken bone at and the locals create new features almost every day. You could find yourself quite surprised at the changes if you have had a week off the hills...

Pushing to the top is a popular activity.

Woburn was big on the scene in the 90’s when Sam Johnson and his crew were the head honchos of the place and this is why Woburn’s name is so prolific. It has undergone a bit of a renaissance since then with this small band of diggers that have reshaped the trails from ruins. It’s a way from fully functioning as it stands but as the lads were only given permission to start digging again in November dug a new line in and it’s better than ever. These diggers aren’t just diggers you must remember, Woburn is home to some of the UK’s top dirt jumpers. The dirt jumps aren’t the only attraction here; the mini downhill runs on offer are the perfect training ground for riders to hone in their skills and techniques in preparation for the racing season. The sheer abundance of tracks weaving down the hills is mind boggling and you can ride for days without riding the same line once.

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Left: The woods is a very scenic place. Spending an evening here with your mates would not get old quick.

Centre top: Padding up Essential.

Centre below: World famous Brendan Fairclough pays a visit to Woburn and demonstrates his world class capabilities.

Right: Dan Bateson shreds the downhill runs on a wet winters evening.

Talking to the any of the locals gave me a really good feel for how passionate they are about getting their riding spot back up and running and not only getting it back to how it used to be, but improve it. This is what one of the riders (Matt Robinson Welsh) who has been heading up there for six years had to say about its demolition and rebirth...

When Woburn was flattened by machines in a single morning, the whole community was in shock, cycling and local. There had been threats in the past about the demolition but we had heard nothing from the landowner or his minions for well over a year. The reason they gave for the destruction was ‘dangerous trees’ that needed felling, so destroying every jump, berm and all things people had put work into was definitely necessary... I feel everyone who was involved with Woburn thought that this would be the end for the bike park; luckily we’ve been blessed with a second shot! There’s going to be talks more regularly between the forestry commission and the riders to hopefully ensure a solid future for the park!

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Riders from all over the country congregate at Woburn. This is not entirely to do with the standard of riding that one can achieve at this facility in particular as the hills are not the largest and the jumps are not perfectly formed; the riders still come though. I think this is down to the community that has formed there. It’s very unusual nowadays to walk into a wooded area (or anywhere for that matter) and find loads of people who are willing to chat and who are generally friendly toward one another.

When all the jumps and tracks were destroyed it was all very harrowing for the frequent users of Woburn; however the material nature of this facility was not the only loss. Along with the wasted hard work the meetings, friendships and bonds this place has the capability of creating were also at risk. I love the fact that riding though some jumps made of sand can bring so many people together, all with a common interest.

The fact that Woburn has begun its regeneration for the sake of riding bikes is very pleasing to everyone within the mountain biking community and the reaction to the new start has been insane. Woburn is back! And hopefully with a very promising future.

Pippa the trail dog

Matt Jones pays a visit

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for me, it doesn’t get any better than riding with my mates.

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The riders I’ve met up at Woburn while investigating their lives away from home have all been genuine, intelligent males and females. I think the generalized idea of these riders being adrenaline junkies isn’t true at all. Sure they enjoy themselves and maybe adrenaline is a part of the thrill these riders experience but that’s only because they “get a cool feeling when [they] land cool stuff”. I think the type of bikers found up at Woburn are bright and fully aware of the necessary calculations they need to rapidly process in order to ride their bikes in the desired way; evidence to prove an active lifestyle is beneficial for cognitive development?

The rider and the bike are one when they are out together; stresses disappear and their entire lives are forgotten because if their focus is on anything else then their fate could be in their hands. Riding is a challenge and that is why it’s a popular activity for millions all over the globe. The varying disciplines are all just different challenges. Having somewhere like Woburn available for literally anybody and their bike to pitch up at is a great thing. The social elements and the physical benefits the people I’ve met up at Woburn are just like that you would find in any other sport. Although I personally think that being in the woods, getting dirty and shovelling mud to make things that you and your mates want to ride is a better experience than you may find elsewhere...

Words: Barney Samuel Photos: Barney Samuel

Mandatory spade throwing competition. Get it to stick in and glory is yours.

Take off... What its all about

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Tried and Tested

giant

Words..... Barney Samuel Photos.....Barney Samuel

REIGN

Giant laid it on pretty thick with the naming of their mid range all mountain frames a few years ago. For Giant it’s been a pretty fruitful decade since Myles Rockwell earned the company peak position on the mountain bike market. The dusty world championships in Sierra Nevada were the beginning for Giant and they have developed before the times year after year.

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Hydroforming has enabled Giant to slim down in places over the previous model allowing the Reign room to breathe on muddier days out

Giant has been a popular brand for years as long as I’ve been riding bikes and well before my time also. They cater to the world cup winning riders to the average Joe who likes to pootle about at the weekend. They have a pretty specific selection of ranges when it comes to choosing which model will suit you and your riding style. The Reign sits at the top of the all mountain frames so it has taken inspiration from their world class cross country bikes and beefed it up with a few bits from the top of the range downhill model, the Glory.

PERFORMANCE

SHAPE AND FORM

Giant have been using the Maestro system for several years now, they claim it offers “fully active suspension under braking”. In relation to everything else out there at the minute it produces a great performance using the Fox RC2 rear shock. Up front the RockShox Reba fork is equally as good, but could possibly benefit from being a little longer. The Shimano Saint gearing has a lot to live up to from its predecessor, the XTR’s, and it was a bit of a letdown if I’m honest. The changes in gear were a tad slack and just didn’t perform as well as it should have done considering it was upgrade. Apart from the gearing, the performance was good and I would give it a score of 8 out of 10.

COMPONENTS

An out of the box Reign is built very low up front, which need bringing up. A lot of rider will also be looking for a Raceface handlebar to coincide with the stem which comes as standard. The Schwalbe tyres are good but the bike could benefit from some Maxxis or Hutchison tyres as Schwalbe’s are not what they once were. The Saint groupset does work but not as well as its predecessor (the XTR’s).

Cranks shifters and derailleur are all solid and can withstand the punishments they will be taking and they all take care of one another by staying sturdy. The Spank wheels with the Hope Pro 2 hubs are a sure buy; solid and reliable with no reports of malfunctions or weaknesses.

The E-Thirteen chain device keeps the chain on well and the cable routing for the rear brake and gearing runs though the specially made cable holders well.

It’s the shape and form of the Reign that most people have been talking about. The hydroforming that they’ve used to build the frame means the joins are smooth and flush and it all comes together to create a great looking bike. Also the ability to slim the bike down compared to the last model has created loads of benefits such as weight saving and wheel clearance so the tyres will avoid clogging up on those muddy days. The bike weighs 28lbs and this lightweight machine is easy to manoeuvre and to stay in control. No real complaints about the frame itself, 46.5” is just the right size for one of these all mountain bikes and makes it user 9 out of 10. friendly for all types of riders. In comparison to its rivals by Trek or Specialised

CONCLUSION

it is easily on par with their standards and for the price of £1200 that is a good buy as the competition will exceed £1500. The changes that could be made lye with the gearing and if I’m honest, the cockpit (handlebars, stem and grips) could be slightly more lavish. The grips are cheap and Giant’s own and the bars seem to have been an afterthought, but these are all easily changed and are inexpensive to do so. Overall I give this bike a rating of 9 out of 10.

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Business rationale: Pumped is a new publication which has been designed to fill a gap in the market of mountain bike magazines.

From the initial research we carried out we soon noticed that there was a distinct lack of interesting and artistic photography. We have created a solution to that problem and improved upon what is already on the market today. The head of this innovation is Barney Samuel, an experienced photographic journalist and passionate mountain bike rider with all the necessary skills to create a publication which will be tailored to the target market. As it stands, Mr Samuel has been the only contributor to its content but we hope to expand very soon.

Pumped has been created from an extensive basis of research that has been done into the target market. Mr Samuel has recently spent a lot of time following a large amount of professional mountain bike riders around the country on their various escapades in an attempt to find out what these people’s lives are like, what things they like about biking and working out how to manipulate all of these preferences into a magazine. Pumped can be enjoyed by bike riders, people who don’t know anything about biking or people who are interested in getting into it. The magazine explores the lifestyles the riders lead and investigates why their passion for what they do is strong. The magazine has a range USP’s including its unusual landscape layout which will stand out on the shelves of newsagents and alike.

During the next year funding from advertisements featured within the magazine will fund the distribution to a maximum of 1000 issues per month. Subscriptions will be available for a discounted price for the year and before the year is over the magazine will have generated enough profit to ensure distribution will go up to 2000 issues per month at least. The magazine will sell for £3.45 per issue. The advertising rates will be as follows...

Back Cover £3500 Front Spread £12000 Inside Back Cover £5000 Spread £9350 Full Page £4750 Half Page £2220 Quarter Page £1450 Our client base has the potential to triple within the first eight months of production and the price of the advertising makes the risk of loss far lower.

To start the project we already have a beneficiary who is investing the start up costs and the amount needed to print the first two issues.

The proposed release date of our first issue is the 1st of August 2015.

Thank you for your time Barney Samuel 22

Barnaby Samuel Leeds Beckett University Student number: 3382789 Photographic Journalism Creative Media practice

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