Australian Mountain Bike 147

The news of a Gravity Enduro race at Mt Buller was music to the ears of many. The trail network seems to be custom built for enduro racing, and the first round of the MTBA Gravity Enduro series attracted some top level talent. Buller photo guru Andrew Railton captured winner Jared Graves at speed through the trees – the dead snow gums are unmistakably Buller, the turquoise is unmistakably a Yeti rider.…

The sport of mountain biking was built on racing. Many might argue over who actually invented our sport, but Fred Wolf and Charlie Kelly did run the first Repack race in California in October 1976. This is probably the first time riders were racing downhill against a stopwatch. Our sport has expanded, massively. Best of all, mountain biking isn’t just about competition anymore. It is about adventure, exploring, recreation, personal challenge… and maybe taking your mate’s Strava KOM. The competitiveness that underlines so much of human nature resides heavily in most mountain bikers. It’s the factor behind the extra push on the pedals when you get passed on the trail, or why a group ride somtimes becomes a race, and the elation that you get from being the fastest up,…

For the second year running, the Subaru MTBA National Mountain Bike Championships headed to Bright, in the Alpine Shire of Victoria. A quaint town with a long history of forestry and mining, Bright is nestled in the Ovens Valley. Not too far from anywhere else, and not too close either. Mining has left its mark on Bright and its surrounds, but thankfully that includes a complex tapestry of trails, dirt roads and 4WD tracks draped over the hills and mountains around the town. With forestry adding to that network, you end up with seemingly limitless options for exploring on a mountain bike – that’s before you even roll into Mystic MTB Park. The diverse flora in Bright creates a different feel to many other Australian event locations. As the Australian…

At the start of the year there was much excitement about the opening of Stage 1 of the Blue Derby trail system in north east Tasmania. Just over an hour out of Launceston, this is just the beginning of 100km of trails that are being built. Last year, Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA) announced that Derby would be hosting the 2015 and 2016 Australian Marathon MTB (XCM) Championships. The 2015 race is on the weekend of the 16/17 May, and the course is a mountain biker’s dream. Using a lap of approximately 30km, the course uses all the existing trails, and a dirt road climb for the first lap to avoid congestion. Just like all the past XCM championships, the trails are some of the best on the marathon calendar. Riders…

Set in the stunning scenery of Port Stephens, Newcastle and the Hunter Valley, Port to Port MTB offers riders unforgettable riding through the natural beauty of Australia’s iconic east coast. Riders will be treated to amazing singletrack, dirt roads, tough climbs and awesome descents through State Forest and dedicated mountain bike parks in the region, including the Awaba and Glenrock MTB parks. With something for everyone choose to ride 1, 2, 3 days or the full 4 days! Enter now: porttoportmtb.com…

Getting an event right in the first year is a big achievement, but it’s one that the Snowies MTB Festival managed in February this year. Based out of Lake Crackenback, the 2 day, 4 stage MTB race attracted many of the country’s best racers to the NSW Snowy Mountains and the brilliant trails. While Mark Tupalski took an early lead, Blair managed to claw it back after the 3rd stage. Blair was certainly not resting on his laurels with the jersey on his shoulders. “He is definitely the strongest guy I see out of the rivals,” said Blair. “He’s probably the guy I’m watching the most. Last year I took the jersey off him at Cape to Cape last year and he took it right back from me the very…