Oktoberfest!

No, not that one.

While our counterparts in Deutschland like to congregate in huge beer gardens, drinking huge amounts of beer from huge glasses (and staring with huge eyes at the scantily clad Frauleins) for their traditional Oktoberfest, here in the UK we have something a little different.

There's still beer involved, but for most people it is secondary to the main event: an eight hour mountain bike race around the trails at Bristol's Ashton Court Estate.  The Ritchey Oktoberfest is in its second year now, and is the autumnal companion of the summer's Bikefest event, held at the same venue.  Lots of people on bikes having a not-too-serious race around some great trails, and it looks like there's even going to be good weather on this occasion!

British MTB legend and all round good bloke Steve Peat has tweeted that he will be there, so there's even a chance to meet some downhill royalty.

I've had a good few blasts around the trails which the event will be using.  Opened earlier this year and funded by the goverment (the previous one, not the current, horrible one) as part of Bristol's designation as a "Cycling City" the trails were built by Architrail.  The trail building company is run by Phil Saxena, who did the design work on many international 4X courses, so the trails have some pedigree.

For anyone familiar with Ashton Court before Architrail carried out the work, the first visit is a bit of a shock. Gone are the rooty, rocky, cut up trails of the last few years; replaced by smoother, swoopy, bermy, jumpy affairs which are great fun but have a completely different feel to them.  Personally, I love them, though there are voices of discontent audible through the trees on occasion while riding.  Generally though, the reviews seem to have been positive, and they're certainly proving popular and helping to get new riders into the sport.  They are also designed to be weatherproof, which anyone who has slogged through some Bristol trails in previous winters will probably tell you is a Good Thing.  Gone are the days when a brief cycle in the woods meant budgeting for a replacement washing machine...

I'm hoping to get up there this Saturday and have a wander around, watch some people having a good time and maybe indulge in the German influenced aspect of the event.  Show me the beer tent!