Held Wearer Gaz Evans, Michelin Cup Front Runner, made his real roads debut last week on the Isle Of Man on the demanding Southern 100 Billown Course, In preparation for an assault on the TT in 2013.
Gaz at Joeys
Gaz joined 32 other newcomers to the circuit when he lined up for Monday evenings practice, despite early issues Gaz managed a trouble free opening night and looked forward to Tuesday night practice, qualifying and the following evening's races.
He and his P&P Racing BMW S1000RR were entered in Wednesday night’s 8 lap Senior race- unfortunately Gaz was a DNF due to rear shock failure, pulling out after three quarter distance whilst in a mid-field position of a class line which included old hands such as Michael Dunlop, Ryan Farquhar, Connor Cummins and Ian Lougher. Little consolation but Gaz was in good company as the only other retiree was Dungannon rider Farquhar.
The following morning he and Mechanic Craig were out and about early to get scrutinized ready for the final race on the main day of the week – The 6 Lap Senior Support Consolation Race. On the opening lap there was a whole gaggle of S100 newcomers taking up space in the top ten.
As the race progressed Gaz was in a tense battle for third with P3 to P10 separated by 1.8 seconds for 4 laps. The timing sheets showed that from second to tenth was covered by 10 seconds and ninth placed Gaz was sandwiched between experienced road racers, Scottish youngster Callam Laidlaw and Portuguese Man o' War Nuno Caetano who was just over a tenth of a second in Gaz’ shadow.
Fastest lap of the race for Gaz was at mid distance and was just shy of 100mph and with a 2.32 was a staggering 19 seconds a lap faster than his qualifying time from Monday evening.
We're proud to have Gaz wearing Held- for more information on Held please visit www.held-uk.co.uk
SUPERBIKES - Putting the woes of Knockhill firmly behind him, Nuneaton’s own ‘Track Ace’ Leon Jeacock, rode a blinding race to steal eighth place in Race 7 of the Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship at Oulton Park this afternoon.
Leon Jeacock: an excellent 8th at Oulton
Despite a fantastic result, Leon’s weekend was not all plain-sailing with both mechanical gremlins and the unpredictable British weather both playing their part. The Cheshire circuit didn’t escape the summer deluge and torrential rain hit the circuit on Friday resulting in racing being suspended to allow the circuit to drain. The weather inevitably took its toll on the timetable and resulted in Leon’s qualifying sessions being moved to Saturday.
“The rain on Friday was unbelievable” said Leon “the surface water sitting on the track made the racing conditions virtually impossible. Thankfully the Organisers recognised the danger and track activity was held up for a while which meant that my qualifying sessions were delayed until the next day”.
Thankfully the sun made an unprecedented appearance in Cheshire on Saturday and both of Leon’s qualifying sessions took place in the dry. However first qualifying did not go to plan; gearbox problems hampered his chances and finishing the session in 21st place left him bitterly disappointed:
“First qualifying was a nightmare” commented Leon “the gearbox went and I had no chance after that. I came off the track and the Team were absolutely amazing. A huge thank you to Mike Dorey of BMC Racing who basically changed the whole engine in just over an hour, otherwise my weekend would have been over!”.
Gearbox probs: BMC Racing came to Leon's rescue
With everything depending on the second qualifying session Leon dug deep and produced his best finish of the season, laying claim to fifth fastest in the session.
“The second qualifying session was great!” said a delighted Leon sporting a grin from ear-to-ear “the bike felt fantastic and it all fell into place when it counted and we produced the best result of the season so far, absolutely delighted with that!”.
Starting this afternoon’s 12 lap race from P5 Leon slipped just two places from the starting grid and at the halfway stage was holding seventh position and keeping up with the leading pack. An eventful second-half saw fellow competitors falling but battling hard Leon held his nerve and managed to cross the line in eighth place, bagging himself another 8 vital Championship points. “I’m absolutely delighted with today’s result” said Leon “After the problems we had at Knockhill and again in yesterday’s qualifying the whole Team have been amazing and we’ve managed to turn it round and finish the weekend on a high!”.
Today’s points haul takes Leon to a total of 28 and into fifteenth position on the Championship Leaderboard. The next round of the 2012 Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship takes place at the Brands Hatch Race Circuit in Kent from the 20 – 22 July 2012. You can follow Leon’s progress throughout the weekend at www.tsl-timing.com or at www.leonjeacock.co.uk, or leave him a good luck message on his Facebook fan page; Leon Jeacock- Road Racing (BSB Support Series).
Leon is actively seeking sponsorship to enable him to finish the 2012 race season and would love to hear from anyone who may be able to help in any way. If anyone would like to get involved or receive a sponsorship portfolio, please do not hesitate to contact Leon directly at leon@leonjeacock.co.uk or Richard Johnson at richard@leonjeacock.co.uk
Leon Jeacock wears Held. For more information on Held Rider Equipment please visit www.held-uk.co.uk
Must admit- I've been mainly an Arai man all my life, Arai shaped head and all that. Always liked the idea of a carbon lid though, and relished the chance to give the 100% carbon shell ST-6 a go. I've had it a month now, covering 100s of miles in it in all weathers- thanks to the awful summer we're having!
Held ST-6: full carbon shell for just £259.99
Out the box impressions
First thing I noticed when the helmet arrived was how much more stylish and sleeker it looked in 'the flesh' so to speak. Don't get me wrong, the catalogue pics were nice, but made the lid look more 'chunky' than it actually is. It's shaped nicely at the back and the lacquer over the carbon really sets the carbon weave off in the light. Lifting it out the box you immediately notice how light it is, just 1.3KG to be exact!
Inside the lid
The liner is made from 'Outlast' material- a phase change material that was originally developed to protect astronauts against extreme fluctuations in temperature. Millions of micrsocapsules absorb the heat generated through exertion or increased internal temperature to keep you cool, then the stored energy is released when you need to warm up.
Although I haven't yet matched the speeds of astronauts I have been out in very hot sun (remember those 2 hours of sun in June?) and dropping temperatures as I rode back from the coast in the dark. The head was actually comfortable throughout, and I was left feeling surprisingly fresh. The top and chin vents were left open to help. If we do get any more sun and days of sweating in the helmet start to take their toll on the freshness the ST-6 benefits from detachable, washable cheek pads.
The integral pump system on the interior capped it off nicely, ensuring the 'fit' was as good as I'd had in a helmet.
Chin mesh and ratchet quick release buckle
The exterior
100% carbon certainly got a few double takes at bike meets, and also resulted in a fellow Carbon helmet wearer (albeit it a HJC) tapping me on the shoulder to say hi. It was nice to be wearing something 'different'- the same feeling as I've had in the past wearing custom paint job lids.
Breath defector and integral sun visor add to that much coveted mysterious hidden identity look us bikers enjoy. The sun visor has sparked quite a bit of debate- why have the added weight of one in a lid that's designed for lightness? I say why not- is it really that important to reduce one's riding weight that you sacrifice the offer of a decent pair of 'shades' that drop down when required and the fact you don't have to stop to fanny around with a visor change when it gets dark?
Lovin' the carbon!
It also prevents the expense of having to immediately buy a dark visor to go with it- although Held visors, plain / dark tint or mirror are between £15 and £20- half the price of many others.
The visor- and visor change
Anti scratch, pinlock ready and tool free changing. Tool free? Gulp. Always break out in a cold sweat when changing certain helmet brand's visors. Busted side pods, knackered mechanisms, that feeling of uselessness when you've seen the tech guys change 'em in seconds at the TT- how was the Held ST-6 going to stand up?
Well check me out- videoed when I'd only practiced TWICE. Have to say I was very impressed- especially as I was convinced I was going to have to tell the Gaffer that I'd broken it! Very easy, and I'm even faster now.
The general experience of wearing it for 100s of miles
Wind noise:No different to what I've experienced with other leading brands
Comfort: Found it very comfortable, the integral cheek pump system meant I could get the fit just right, so no wobbles and not too tight
Maintenance: Has thus far been easy to clean with lint-free cloths, both damp and dry. The carbon has made me want to invest in some proper helmet cleaning polish and stuff- so I'm going to.
Safety: Not tested by me and no intentions to do so! but- carbon is strong, and the lid meets ECE 22.05 standards so that's good for me.
Style: Looks good, looks different, shouts out 'carbon!' to other bikers and I think it looks rather cool.
So, all in all a very good first experience with Held helmets, especially when you think this helmet is a top of the Held range job- and costs less than entry level lids on many brands- and is carbon!
You can browse all Held gear and find stockists on www.held-uk.co.uk, but if you're keen to know more about Held don't be afraid to pester your local dealer to contact Held UK main man Guy Mainwaring- Guy is more than happy to help, regardless of if they are a current Held dealer or not. Things can always be sorted!
SUPERBIKES – Stockingford’s Held wearing racer Leon Jeacock battled against the odds and the elements to finish just outside the points at Round 6 of the Metzeler National 600 Championship held at the Knockhill Racing Circuit over the weekend.
Making the 12 hour, 700 mile round trip the Team arrived to relentless rainfall at the Dunfermline Circuit, which lasted until Sunday morning making racing conditions extremely testing.
Held Racer Leon Jeacock in action at Knockhill
Finishing fifteenth fastest in Friday morning’s Free Practice session, Qualifying 1 didn’t all go to plan. Clocking a 53.696 seconds lap Jeacock crashed after having completed just 4 laps and was unable to rejoin the session, however his fastest lap was good enough to secure thirteenth position. ‘Monsoon-like’ conditions on Saturday forced Jeacock to preserve both himself and his bike, and deciding not to start in Qualifying 2 proved the right decision as the dreadful weather conditions meant Friday’s times couldn’t be bettered and Jeacock retained his thirteenth position on row 5 of the starting grid for Sunday’s race. The rain finally stopped for raceday on Sunday, and a bizarre set of events ensued resulting in a double red-flagged race being declared, the field having completed just 6 of the scheduled 22 circuit laps. Jeacock finished just outside the Championship points in 17th place. “Frustrated to come away with no points from this round” said a despondent Jeacock “but feeling pretty lucky to stay on it for the 6 laps though, as the steering damper bolt had
become detached following my crash in Q1 on Friday and was flaying around still attached to the fork leg. Thinking myself very lucky it didn’t jam my steering up completely”.
“Disappointing result but now it’s time to regroup and look towards the next round at Oulton Park in a couple of weeks. There are still 6 more rounds to go and plenty of points on offer”. Round 7 of the 2012 Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship takes place at the Oulton Park Circuit in Cheshire over the weekend of 6th – 8th July. You can follow Leon’s progress throughout the weekend at www.tsl-timing.com or at www.leonjeacock.co.uk, or leave him a good luck message on his Facebook fan page; Leon Jeacock- Road Racing (BSB Support Series). Leon is actively seeking sponsorship to enable him to finish the 2012 race season and would love to hear from anyone who may be able to help in any way. If anyone would like to get involved or receive a sponsorship portfolio, please do not hesitate to contact Leon directly at Leon@leonjeacock.co.uk or Richard Johnson at richard@leonjeacock.co.uk. Leon Jeacock is kindly supported by Nuffield Health & Wellbeing Centre Nuneaton, BMC Racing, Held Rider Equipment, LJR Race Products, Manbat Ltd, Arbury Gates & Railings, DP Brakes, Nexx Helmets, Moto-Central, Advance Bike Shipping and The “#55” Club.
Stockingford’s speed demon and Held wearer Leon Jeacock makes the long journey to Dunfermline in Scotland this weekend for Round 6 of the Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship.
Currently holding 14th place on the Championship leaderboard, having scored points at four previous rounds, Jeacock is looking forward to adding more points to his tally at the Knockhill racing circuit;
“Really looking forward to getting back to racing this weekend” said Jeacock “It seems a long time since we were battling in the heat at Snetterton, lets hope the weather is kind to us in Scotland!”
“Since Snetterton I’ve been away working at the Isle of Man TT Races for two weeks so have struggled to get in any track time. I got back at 4am last Sunday morning and drove straight to my local track Mallory Park for testing. I was tired from all the travelling but managed some valuable laps and it was great to get back on the bike!”.
“The whole Team are now focussed on Knockhill, it is a long way from home but I hope that I can do everyone proud and finish in the points in Sunday’s race and make it all worth-while”.
Leon will take part in free practice and first qualifying sessions on Friday 22nd June, second qualifying session on Saturday 23rd June and Race Day is Sunday 24th June. You can follow Leon’s progress throughout the weekend at www.tsl-timing.com and daily live updates will be posted on his Facebook fan page; Leon Jeacock- Road Racing (BSB Support Series).
Leon is actively seeking sponsorship to enable him to finish the 2012 race season and would love to hear from anyone who may be able to help in any way. If anyone would like to get involved orreceive a sponsorship portfolio, please do not hesitate to contact Leon directly at leon@leonjeacock.co.uk or Richard Johnson at richard@leonjeacock.co.uk. Leon Jeacock is kindly supported by Nuffield Health & Wellbeing Centre Nuneaton, BMC Racing, Held Rider Equipment, LJR Race Products, Manbat Ltd, Arbury Gates & Railings, DP Brakes, Nexx Helmets, Moto-Central, Advance Bike Shipping and The “#55” Club.ENDS Images: www.bikesportpics.com
Always fancied a pair of Made to Measure summer / race gloves? Made personally for your hands? With a choice of colours? And your name embroidered on the side?
Well now we can do that for you!
Check out racer Scott Smart's:
Held wearing racer Scott Smart's personalised gloves
Or racer Gary Mason's:
Racer Gary Mason's personalised Held gloves
How much?
The Made to Measures are available in the Held Titan and the Held Phantom Glove. The service is charged at the price of the glove + 30%, meaning you could have a pair of Made to Measure Phantoms, with your name on the side, and a choice of colours (any combo of Black, Blue, Green, White, Grey or Red) for just £54 extra!!
How do I go about it?
We can liaise with a Held Dealer to sort it out for you, and it's a real simple process to get a Bespoke, one-off pair of gloves: * Contact us at social@held-uk.co.uk including your name and phone number, and we'll help you through the process. Then it'll be:
* Choose your gloves: Titan (RRP £229.99) or Phantom (RRP £179.99)
* Choose your lettering / numbers (Bear in mind the space available on the glove- 10 characters max - so if your name is Sokratis Papastathopoulos you'll have to abbreviate!)
* Draw neatly round your hand on a sheet of A4 (like you did when you were a nipper) to just below the wrist joint
Re-live a childhood moment- the hand drawing!
Just what we need!
* Photo-copy your palm and the back of your hand (tip: put a tea-towel over your hand so as not to allow the light in as the copier lid won't close properly on your hand!)
Photocopier!
How long does it take?
Around 6 weeks from the day we receive your information and measurements! So why not treat yourself! Drop us a line at social@held-uk.co.uk
For more information on Held in the UK please visit www.held-uk.co.uk
