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At last, our brand new mountain bike guidebook for Southern Spain is off to the printers.

On the 3rd of December 2007 we will be releasing the latest in the Bikefax series of European guidebooks with a selection of first rate rides around Malaga, Granada and the Sierra Nevada.

As with our Morzine and Portes du Soleil guidebook, this is very much a mixed combo for both downhillers and cross country riders. After spending a couple of years visiting the area, exploring the trails around El Chorro and the Alpujarras, we decided that this area really was too good to keep secret any longer. So this year we were out there with renewed vigour to put together a collection of the best trails possible in the region.

Despite the fact that the Spanish themselves, by and large havent cottoned on to the fact that they have got some of the best descents in the world, right on their doorsteps, this area is not unknown to us brits. The Southern Spanish province of Andalucia is mountain bike heaven. With low cost flights to Malaga and Granada, budget off-season accommodation, endless sunshine and flawless trails, there is no more perfect place for a winter riding trip.

The western section of the guidebook centres on the popular holiday destination of Malaga and the Costa del Sol and believe it or not there are an awful lot of mountains on the southern coast of Spain. This area delivers on both sunshine and trail quality, ranging from the flowing earthy singletrack of Mijas and El Chorro to the fledgling downhill scene at the Benalmadena cablecar. Weve teamed up with local operators SeasonallyUnadjusted.com to dig out the best routes in the area.

To the East are the mountains of the Alpujarras and the high Sierra Nevada. Here trails range from kick-ass rocky heaven to death by switchback. Take your pick. There are long XC loops everywhere and if you can sort out uplift, plenty of testing descents for DH riders to session. Weve literally been shown the light by local guiding outfits, Switchbacks.com and FreerideSpain, and just cant get enough of the tight technical riding that you find in this part of the world.

Mountain Bike Southern Spain is available on the 3rd December 2007

Take a peek inside our new guidebook

Get your free sample route for the Picos de Mijas

27 awesome trails in the Sierra Nevada, Las Alpujarras, El Chorro, Costa del Sol, Sierra de las Nieves.

Retail Price £17.50

Bikefax go solo at Dusk til Dawn

For the people who arent familiar with Dusk til Dawn or D2D as its otherwise known, this all night twelve hour endurance race is set in the Thetford forest, and although you may think Thetford, thats Norfolk, isnt it fairly flat?

Well, yes it is, compared to our local play ground of Snowdonia, but the D2D course is full of interesting, fast, flowing singletrack, and at over eleven miles a laps the course can really take its toll on your body. After a painful race last year at D2D, I was determined to make the most of this unique event this year and decided to go solo. Never having done a solo race before, I knew it was probably going to be more of a steep learning curve than a race but with improved fitness, and Heather as pit crew, I was ready for the challenge.

Darkness soon fell and that signalled the start of the 2007 D2D and at 8:00pm hundreds of riders stormed away from the line. After a short loop to break the pack up, we were into the woods, and riding the first of five bomb holes followed by some fantastic singletrack. I was fully aware that as this was my first solo and as such I didnt want to put the hammer down fully straight away, knowing that I could easily burn myself out after the first lap.

It was hard though not to ride the course fast and just like a kid on a BMX course, I was loving it. My only concern was not to run into the rider in front and to make sure I didnt slow up Jenn Hopkins, hot on my heels. Before I knew it, I had finished lap 1. Hearing over the commentary that I was in 8th place, I pushed even harder to maintain the position, knowing there was no way I could slow up now.

By the sixth lap, the mist had closed in and apart from not being able to feel my feet, I knew I didnt yet have enough solo riding behind me to hold on to a top ten finish, not a this stage away. So I had a quick sleep, donned some warmer clothes and ploughed on, MP3 blasting away in one ear and the wind whistling by in the other, and now hopeful for a top 50 finish.

A couple of hours later I was nearing the finish of the race. With 9 laps in the bag and over 180km covered, I was happy to see daylight and the finish line. Pleased to have finished 37th out of 127, and the pain already fading, lack of sleep was obviously impeding my ability to make rational decisions as I found myself already planning my return for more night time madness next year.

Big thanks to Heather for doing a fantastic job in the solo pits, Torq for the energy drinks especially the amazing Recovery Shake, Joolze Dymond for providing these awesome photos, Joe Burt for making the 2nd lap very entertaining and ThetfordMTBracing for organising a great event.

Report by Neil Halcrow, Team Bikefax

For results visit www.timelaps.co.uk, photos visit www.joolzedymond.com, energy drinks visit www.torqfitness.co.uk and for event information visit www.thetfordmtbracing.com

'Funny where you can get to with a mountain bike, little did we realise when we started up Bikefax that it would lead us straight into Buckingham Palace for tea with the Queen'

Earlier this week Sue and Jim Savege, founders of Bikefax, donned their poshest frocks and headed down to London to attend a Royal Garden Party. Summoned by the Welsh Assembly to champion the very finest mountain biking on the planet, Bikefax was nominated for the prestigious honour of attending a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.

In October 2005 Sue Savege at Bikefax was voted New Tourism Entrepreneur by the Welsh Tourist Board. Bikefax's glossy full colour guidebooks have captured the imagination of mountain bikers from far and wide and by all accounts have set the benchmark for all mtb guides from here onwards.

Bikefax now has two guidebooks that cover the whole of North Wales and have recently also ventured abroad with a selected ride guide for Morzine. And are hard at work at the moment over the border in Scotland, working on a guide to the finest riding in Southern Scotland.

The glamorous affair at the Palace meant that Sue had to go and buy herself some new headgear, not quite the kind of hat she is more used to wearing on a bike, and saw Jim having to iron his shirt.

'We had cucumber sandwiches and iced coffee on the Palace lawn whilst the Queen together with Prince Philip and Prince Andrew moseyed about shaking hands. It was an altogether surreal affair', said Sue.

Here at the Bikefax office, weve been trying to come up with some common ground between Sue and the Queen just in case her majesty tries to strike up a conversation.

• Both have lived on large estates in Scotland Ok so East Kilbride isnt quite as glamorous as Balmoral.
• Both like to go on long rides in the countryside accompanied by their favourite hound. We're sure Welly would  get on famously with the royal corgies.
• Both have a fondness for lurid spangly outfits and an endless supply of headware.
• Both have visited Caernarfon Castle.
• Both are a little on the vertically challenged side, though Im not sure youre allowed to mention this (to either of them).

That should give them plenty to talk about.