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“What is unique about Mayhem is the huge skill span of the riders taking part combined with the atmosphere created by the size of the event. It’s a wonderful mix of hard racing, fun festival, family weekend and personal challenge. This produces a culture of co-support amongst those participating which is particularly evident during the lonely night riding or when the course conditions get really tough due to rain and mud!

It’s at these times that each rider is pitting themselves against the course. It’s a highly personal journey shared by all no matter what level of skills they bring to the show and, in the end, what emerges is a common bond in adversity and a determination to finish.

This focus on a personal challenge shared with others at the same time is what makes Mayhem what it is – a mountain bike experience where there are simply no losers only winners. It’s an annual reaffirmation of what our sport is really about! Long may it continue."

Anton Florek

WELCOME TO THE MOUNTAIN MAYHEM PLAYGROUND!

The grounds of Eastnor Castle, or the Deer park as we like to know it... at the moment it’s lush green fields, but come June it’ll be transformed into a huge tented village with mountain bikers congregating from all corners of the UK and occasionally abroad, all with one aim in mind, to ride hard and fast for 24 hrs and have a jolly good time doing it.

Our legendary course designer Ickle Paul is stomping around the grounds of Eastnor Castle, looking for the best bits to make Mountain Mayhem ’08 one of the best yet.

Using a combination of local knowledge (he’s not known as ‘Ickle’ Paul, old man of the hills for nowt you know...) and a keen mountain biking habit, he’s out there nearly 24/7 sniffing out new trails and tracks.... Keep checking back and you’ll see him in action, he’s so good you’ll notice the local wildlife asking him for directions..

To start with we’ve had to retire a few familiar sections, firstly Christina's Woods which has been used for all 4 years at Eastnor. Plus you’ll be pleased to hear the famous Kenda Killer Klimb bows out too, along with the stream crossing, and due to weather damage from last years event, the final descent into the arena .

However don’t be alarmed, ‘Ickle’ Paul armed with his trusty shovel and scythe has been busy looking for and creating lots more stuff for you to glide, slide and ride to your hearts contents...

Coming to a Mayhem event near you, (well okay there’s only one and it’ll only be near you if you live in the Malvern's or Ledbury...) is the return of the gravel climb, but luckily not all of it. You’ll also find an extension to the ferns section and a whole new never been used before Crazy Castle Coppice. After a two year absence the infamous ‘Mole Hill’ returns and there’ll be loads of new sections including one we’ve christened, ‘Vietnam’, a crafty piece of off camber singletrack that’ll be a whole lot of fun.

The old climb through the campsite will now be two way so you get to see the now famous road Marshall's twice, wahoo! Oh and the very original climb opposite the arena returns as well , with each lap finishing with a run along the ridgeway singletrack, dropping down into the arena from the lodge house.

We reckon it’s gonna be a slightly tougher course than last year, but with a whole load more fun, weather permitting.

See you there!

Just a quick reminder... please don’t go and try to find all this lovely stuff, firstly it’ll spoil the surprise when you turn up for Mayhem, secondly Mayhem is held on private land and the lovely people of Eastnor Deer Park would be very grateful if you didn’t ride there outside of the Mayhem weekend. Ta!

Okay,

Ickle Paul, has just returned with an ariel view of the actual course and a nice description. Hopefully shortly we’ll have a elevation profile and perhaps a Garmin download too...

Anyhow, this year the Mayhem course will start going up the old Powerbar climb through the campsite, up over the road climb to take you to the old bomb holes. From here you’ll turn onto the stone climb for a short while, then turn left to climb up through the ferns to reach the top. Yes that's about 1.5miles of climbing he! he! After this lung buster, leg snapper there’ll be a bit of twisty fun and fast descent down to the new Castle Coppice section, where you’ll pop out at the duck pond then climb back up to the top.

Then we start some new singletrack sections called The Bottleneck and Vietnam ending with Dymond's Ditch, followed by a short climb back to the top, after which you’ll descend the Corkscrew down to the campsite (the old Kenda climb- yep were going down it). This time there’ll be no piper but undoubtedly we’ll have some lovely surprises tucked away on the course somewhere. Next it’s back towards arena, over the bridge and up the original climb opposite the arena, along the top before descending down to Stitch Valley. There then follows a nice 1 mile flat section to the far end of the ridgeway, which takes you through the Spooky Woods section back towards the duck pond. Finally you’ll descend down the old Cateye climb back up the finish straight to finish yipeee. Which all in all is about 8.5 miles of Mayhem fun!

Oh and if you want a ‘virtual’ ride of the course check out this link which will give you a blow by blow look at every inch and ensuing gradient! Enjoy!