It’s been a fantastic year working with Jesse Yates and his Fifty-One Assassin. We’ve raced all over the globe and enjoyed tweaking the bike as we’ve gone. it’s been great to chat through tactics and it’s been mega to see Jesse’s hard work, rewarded. Here’s his debrief, with a few notes form me here and there...
Jesse - “Dirty Reiver was my first race of the year, in April and is a nice 200km gravel race in the Kielder Forest. I pushed the pace early on which led to five of us being away, but the aggressiveness continued and we splinted into ones-twos, after 2.5h solo I was caught at 140km by a larger group and came in with them for 9th overall - a good tough race in the legs before the big challenges.”
Glen - When we initially built the bike, there were a lot of new things which we wanted to test and a lot of options to pick from. We were lucky enough to get a range of chainring options, cassette options and mech options from SRAM, and the beauty of the SRAM AXS ecosystem is that all the various units are compatible with one another, meaning we could set the bike up totally differently for each race. The Fifty-One Assassin also features adjustable geometry which we were also tweaking and learning about.
Our tyres from Schwalbe are bigger than the ones we’d had the season before and there was a lot to learn about which pressures and options would work best. We just about had it nailed in time for Dirty Reiver and I made heaps of notes about everything we’d tried. As soon as Jesse got back from the Borders, we actually hit save and re-built the bike with a full road set-up ready for Majorca!
Jesse - “Majorca 312 was 5 days before my first main goal of the season and the 312km route was gruelling. I used it as prep for Traka by using my gravel bike with road tyres, a bigger chainring, a shortened wheelbase, my hydration pack and 750ml bidons. In total my setup was probably twice as heavy as the full spec race bikes that everyone else had! I made the front group of 20 for the first few hours, but I knew I had to be careful with my race coming up in five days, so I dropped back a little and ended up riding with Contador and David Millar. I rolled in, in 36th, comfortably under 10hours.”
Glen - I headed out to Spain for this one to look after both Sean and Jesse. It was one of the best trips of the year because we managed to spend some nice time, just hanging out and talking about all kinds of stuff, and occasionally bikes! I swapped the Assassin back from road set-up to it’s full fast gravel set-up. We pre-rode a couple of sections and recce’d the feed stations, before we sorted out Jesse’s strategy and race food plan.
Jesse - “Traka 360 was an epic edition this year due to the heavy rain fall in the days before. I made the front group of 20 and was out of the first feed at the head of the bunch, whilst some riders were still looking for their crew! It split apart at around 170km, and I found myself solo between two groups. Between the second and third feed all the groups exploded and I ended up riding with two riders - we worked well together but they just gapped me at the end. But I ended up 13th in Europe’s biggest one day gravel race, and we’d got a great deal of experience with the bike, the tactics, and nutrition. We finished this block of racing happy with the solid progress.”
Glen - Full Traka Report Here
Jesse - “The Gralloch UCI gravel race came at the wrong time for me really and I hadn’t recovered from illness I picked up after the mammoth Traka effort. I rolled home in 22nd place in the Elite/Pro. I then refocused for Unbound and my first trip to the US - Unbound is the biggest one day gravel race in the world, and I was racing in the Pro category.”
Glen - Kansas was awesome and included crashes, punctures, mud, bad guys, and a heap of riding. There’s too much to condense into a paragraph, but you can read the blog here!
Jesse - “The Pro category consisted of a field of 145 riders, setting out from Emporia, and covering 326 gruelling kms on the flinty gravel roads of the midwest. The start was fast, as expected and I punctured a tyre before the first aid station - luckily it sealed at about 15psi and at the aid, Glen was ready to gas it back up. Then between the two aid stations I crashed, but there wasn’t too much damage so I pushed on. A flawless AEIGHT BIKE CO pitstop resolved the issues I’d picked up and I managed to fight in the final section for position, ending up 33rd and taking home the title of the first British rider, only 22minutes behind the winner after 9.5 hours of racing.
On to a local event for once! The SSX Mystery Tour, which was 250km this year, was more of a social event for me and I used it for training. We’d changed the setup on the Fifty-One considerably for Badlands and the SSX was the perfect way to test this. It was a good day out with nearly 12 hours of riding time around Sweet Sussex!
Onto Badlands, at the start of the September, which was a huge goal for me, I was aiming for the best possible ride for myself which I hoped would land me on the podium at Europe’s most prestigious ultra race. I was riding well, in/around 7th position, until at 240km I decided to pull out. You need to dig deep into your mental reserves during such events, and when I tried this time, I realised I had none. This year has been busy on and off the bike, with a full time job and personal commitments, and I had too much on my plate. I will return next year and look forward to the experience.
Onwards and upwards to the RANXO gravel race and my last of the year. I knew I wasn’t in top shape, but I was pleased to make the front group of 10 which was basically all pro and full time riders only. The pace continued relentlessly and I drifted a bit after the halfway point of the 160km route. I suffered to the line for 22nd, but importantly, really enjoyed my day, getting the love for racing back, after the Badlands disappointment.”
Glen - One of the really rewarding parts of working with Jesse is he’s 100% honest about what’s he’s doing - it’s totally genuine. He’s not afraid to say things are shit when they’re shit, and that makes the highs much more genuine and authentic. The mechanic/rider relationship is really important and it mirrors what I do with my workshop. I’m lucky enough to be able to work with a whole bunch of riders who will talk through options, develop opinions based on the facts and then make the best choices, knowing they have the support of the whole thing being a process. Jesse’s enthusiasm for what’s next is a good inspiration for me - along with his Dad as DS, we’re a good team.
Photos by Glen Whittington and Mark James
2024.RIDERS – JESSEYATES
Jesse started cycling in 2013, initially with TT’s and then with some local road races, while being supported by his Dad. In 2015 he got a taste for racing in Britany and this led to two seasons on a French team living abroad while on The Dave Rayner Fund. Then he joined Team Wiggins in 2018, racing across Europe. After a years break he continued road racing before making the switch to competing in off road events and Ultra races in 2022/2023 where the most notable result has been a Badlands Pairs win and a host of top ten places. Follow him on Instagram and YouTube.
2024.RIDERS - GLENWHITTINGTON
#aeightracer – Glen’s an ex-racer who still finds time to ride bikes as much as possible - follow his adventures on Instagram. He started racing in 1998, initially specialising in XCO, Marathon and Solo 24-Hour Mountain Bike. He became a mechanic in 2002, working in shops and also for professional race teams. During this time he spent more time racing ‘Cross and Road, and then also TT. In 2013 he built his first bespoke steel frame and then spent several years at Roberts learning the art. Since then he’s designed his own range of bikes, frames and wheels which he now offers to the public, alongside servicing and race support, as part of his ÆIGHT brand - you can find his business Instagram account here.
GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO RACE WITH US?
We’re always looking for riders to be part of our ÆIGHT CØLLECTIVE. The #aeightbikeco is about doing things a little differently - Rather than a jersey being the common theme, we kit our riders out with bespoke steel bikes and handbuilt wheels made in our Sussex workshops, the ÆIGHT WHEELWØRKS and the ÆIGHT MANUFACTØRY. We then support each other at events and races regionally, nationally and internationally - whether that’s for mountain bike, ‘cross, gravel, crit, road or TT - it’s what we call, the #aeightbikeco
The best part is that we’re not asking you to leave your team or club - that includes racing in your club/team kit. We’ve got certain brands that we work with, mostly so we can standardise shared equipment, but your own sponsors and clubs are almost always welcome. We have some strict qualifying criteria but don’t be put off by this – if you’re interested in being part of the #aeightbikeco then please get in touch by emailing your racing CV to eightbikeco@gmail.com
Really interesting.. impressed by Jesses’s versatility & drive. Sounds like a perfect bike builder/ mechanic/ mentor : rider pairing 👍