Here’s everything you need to know about the
2019 FENWICK’s Bristol Bikefest
How do I enter FENWICK’s Bikefest?
Entries for Bikefest will open on the 1st March 2019 at 9:00 am. Here the direct link to the online entry page.
How do I get to FENWICK’s Bikefest?
The 2019 Bikefest is returning to the 2018 event village location on the edge of the deer park just a little bit down the trail from the bottom of the ‘Zig Zags’.
The 2019 Bristol Bikefest event postcode is BS41 9JN.
Access to the venue is via the gatehouse on Clarken Combe (further details TBC nearer the time).
When is FENWICK’s Bikefest?
The event will be held on 29th June 2019 from 8:00 am till late.
To enter Bristol Bikefest, please visit our entry page here.
What is FENWICK’s Bikefest?
Bristol Bikefest is a mountain bike race held at Ashton Court Mountain Bike Trails, Bristol.
The event was first held 16 years ago as a mate’s race and has grown into one of the most popular XC mountain bike races in the UK.
After a year off in 2017 the race returned in 2018 with another sell-out event. The riders loved the updated course, the back-to-its-roots format, the new event village, and the famous Bikefest atmosphere.
What won’t change for 2019 is the fun, friendly vibe that’s all about tired legs and fully bellies, friendly competition, and good beer.
Who can enter FENWICK’s Bikefest?
Racing is open to riders of any experience from age 11 years upwards.
Timings for FENWICK’s Bikefest
- Registration opens at 8:00 am on Saturday (29th June)
- Kids racing will start at 9:00 am and will finish at approx. 10:00 am
- The new E-bike race (solo only) will start at 10:00 and will finish at approx. 11:30 am
- Adult racing will start at 12:00 noon for the ‘main’ categories and 12:07 pm for the Steve Worland Cup. Racing will finish now by 8:00 pm – so we are turning last year’s 6 hour into an 8 hour event!!
The evening’s festivities will finish when the Bristol Beer Factory beers run dry and the DJ is all out of tunes!
Kids racing will run for 60 minutes.
Adults will race for 8 hours with solo, pairs and team categories available.
The Steve Worland Ride Singletrack Hard & Drink A Swig of Cider Per Lap Memorial Cup
The much-loved Steve Worland Ride Singletrack Hard & Drink A Swig of Cider Per Lap Memorial Cup will also return.
The SWRSH&DASoDPLMC is a tribute to our friend, Bristol local and cycling journalist Steve Worland who sadly died in March 2014. All profits from the event will go to the Psoriasis Association Charity.
Where is FENWICK’s Bikefest?
The venue is just outside of Bristol City Centre with easy motorway access from the M5 motorway.
The nearest train station is Parson Street, Bristol and Bristol Temple Meads is the nearest main station.
The nearest airport is Bristol Airport.
The nearest hospital with A&E is the Bristol Royal Infirmary.
Our race village will be back in the 2018 location featuring last year’s start line finish descent. We’ll have a well-stocked bar thanks to Bristol Beer Factory, top quality food and plenty of brands exhibiting bikes and products.
The course will make use of Bristol brilliant, purpose-built, all-weather mountain bike trails. It will be around 10km long with the much loved 2018 route that sees a climb out of the start then a fun, flowy racing back to the finish. Fans of the ‘Zig Zag’ bridge will be pleased to see it as part of our 2018 course.
The 2019 Bristol Bikefest is a one-day event and camping is very limited. We will have further details about that at a later date. Alternative please email paul@bike-fest.com for details.
Bristol City Centre is within walking distance of the race venue and the following campsites are located within a few miles.
Want to see the FENWICK’s Bikefest course?
The course starts and finishes in a new location and we have a bridge at the top of the ‘Zig Zags’ as the course ‘crosses’ there. The overall length is just under 10km.
Where can I find results for FENWICK’s Bikefest?
Results for Bikefest will be available on this website after the event.
When will entries open?
Entries will be open on the 1st March 2019 at 9 am. The entry is limited to 300 riders.
Can I enter on the day?
We are still taking day entries on selected events, like the ‘Steve Worland Ride Singletrack Hard & Drink A Swig of Cider Per Lap Memorial Cup’ and the kids’ races.
What accommodation is available?
There might be limited camping, and we are awaiting the final details from the Council. We will update everybody through our Bikefest Facebook page….so if you want to stay up to date on the camping front, then make sure you follow the Bristol Bikefest page.
What food and drink are provided?
Great news – we’re co-sponsored by Bristol Beer Factory, so we’ll have great local beer on tap all day.
We’ll also have top quality food through our catering supplier. Bring some cash and you won’t go hungry or thirsty!
What is the racing format?
Bikefest is an XC style event.
Riders or teams must complete as many laps as possible within the given time. The riders or teams that complete the most laps in the least time win.
Kids races will be held on a shortened course and will see them race once or twice round, depending on their age category.
- We have solo, pairs and teams of 3-4 available
- We’ll have open (18-30 years old) and a masters / vets category (30+ years)
- There’s also kids races with an under 11’s category and an under 14’s category
- There’s also the Steve Worland Cup
- And new for 2019, we will have an E-bike race (one category only and only solo riders)
E-bike race:
Only regulated e-bikes (maximum assisted speed of 25km/h / motor limited to a max. of 250 Watts) can participate in the event. We will check every bike and will disqualify every bike/rider who is not riding within the aforementioned limits.
What are the available categories and how much is it?
KIDS under 11 years – entry is free
KIDS under 14 years – entry £5
E-BIKE (solo only – no age categories) – entry £15
8 hour event (SOLO – open {18-30 years} or master/vets {30+ years}) – entry £35
8 hour event (PAIRS – open {18-30 years} or master/vets {30+ years}) – entry £60
8 hour event (TEAM of 3-4 – open {18-30 years} or master/vets {30+ years}) – entry £100
SWMC event (SOLO – no age categories) – entry £35
SWMC event (PAIRS – no age categories) – entry £60
SWMC event (TEAM of 3-4 – no age categories) – entry £100
Note: Teams can be up to a maximum of four riders. Mixed teams must have at least one female rider. If you struggle to make up the numbers in your team the number of riders will be rounded up and you will be placed into the appropriate category. If a category gets less than 5 entries it will be integrated into another category. Prizes will be split across the top riders in the various categories.
What will the riding be like?
The course will offer approx 10km of flowy and fun singletrack.
Ashton Court Mountain Biking trails are surfaced, purpose-built and suitable for all weathers.
The updated event location gives us a long downhill section into the finish and a steady climb out of the event venue to the highest point on the course.
We’ll also have the much-loved wooden bridge at the top of the Zig Zag climb to add a fun and unique feature.
The trails are suitable for all abilities beyond total beginners. You’ll need some basic mountain biking skills but the event is perfect for experienced racers and newbies alike.
How fit do I need to be?
Bikefest is as hard as you make it. You can ride one lap or you can ride as many as you can. Go solo or mix it up with a team.
There’s a long-ish climb out of the event village and laps are approximately 10km of up and down singletrack.
That said, you’re never far from the event village and you can easily bail-out and return to camp if you’ve had enough.
If you’re worried about fitness, why not share the event with a team of 4 so you can take breaks between laps?
What bike should I ride?
Any well-maintained mountain bike will make it round Bikefest. We’ve had hardtails, full suspension bikes and every combination of travel, geometry and tyre shape you can think of. We think a fast, fun-to-ride hardtail is the best bet but, what do we know?
We’d recommend something that fast, nimble and light that you’re comfortable riding on. The course is great fun but there are no very rough or technical sections that need lots of travel and big tyres!
And new for 2019, we will have a dedicated e-bike race. Please note that only e-bikes that are regulated (maximum assisted speed of 25km/h / motor limited to a max. of 250 Watts) can participate in the event. We will check every bike and will disqualify every bike/rider who is not riding within the aforementioned limits.
What clothes should I wear?
Wear the clothes that you would normally wear for a lap of your local surfaced trails.
We’d recommend a comfy padded short with some lightweight shorts and a jersey. Gloves are a very good idea.
When you’re on course you’ll be riding hard so you won’t need to carry much more than water and an inner tube/pump. If the weather turns, you’re never far from camp to get dry, eat and throw on a jacket.
Helmets are compulsory.
What kit should I ride with?
Bikefest is all about having a laugh and getting your laps done as quick as you can. Any kit you carry on course should be light, easy to carry and only the essentials.
We’d recommend racing with a spare inner tube and a pump, enough water for a 10km lap and a multitool.
We’d recommend bringing food, drink, warm clothes, tools and all the other basics to the race and leaving them back at the event-village to use between laps.
Powerbars and gels are recommended but please, take your litter home.
First aid staff will be on site all weekend but we’d recommend riders bring a First Aid kit.
A fully charged mobile phone is recommended but signal can be unpredictable.
Are eBikes welcome?
For the first time in our event history, they are. We have a dedicated e-bike race from 10 to 11:30 am. The race is open only to e-bikes that are regulated to a maximum assisted speed of 25km/h / motor limited to a max. of 250 Watts. (We will check every bike and will disqualify every bike/rider who is not riding within the aforementioned limits.)
The e-bike race is a solo-only event and we are just running one category.
Can I exhibit or promote my brand at FENWICK’s Bikefest?
We’re happy to hear from any brands looking for promotion.
Please contact us on news@bike-fest.com.