Australian Mountain Bike 149

Australian XCO racers have been in Europe in big numbers, racing World Cups, national rounds, hill climb time trials and more. Many have now shifted to North America ahead of the next two World Cups, or gone home or to altitude to train before the World Championships. Harry Parsons is just one of a new breed of young and talented downhillers rising through the ranks. A natural on the bike, his fluid style is unmistakeable and I was able to capture it in a recent trip to his local trail in the NSW Southern Highlands.…

The influence of technology in mountain biking has changed a lot in the short life of our sport. We no longer bolt braces to our forks or frames to improve braking, or use stems with suspension for comfort. Instead we have power meters, GPS mapped routes shared around the globe, electronic shifting and suspension management, and near on instant sharing of our rides, achievements, photos and videos. It would be easy to think this might end up in a rant as how the internet and technology is ruining everything for everyone. But that’s not the case. All these advances in technology mean more people ride bikes, and share their excitement about it. It means the sport grows. When I first started mountain biking I had little idea where to go,…

News broke a couple of months ago that Cairns local, and master trail builder, Glen Jacobs had a vision for a new trail in Tropical North Queensland. Jacobs and his World Trail team have designed and built some of our favourite trails around the country. From the master plan for Atherton MTB Park, and the rainforest trails that test locals and the world's best at Smithfield, down to the Australian Alpine Epic trail in Mt Buller, and the ongoing development in Derby – World Trail have delivered some monumental trails for the general mountain biking public and the world's elite racers. But there's a strip of coast line close to home that has always caught Jacob's attention and imagination. “While going mountain biking, or driving, I've been looking at these…

One of the best things about going on holidays with your bike is finding new trails. One of the worst things is getting lost while looking for them, or heading home uncertain as to whether you've ridden the best on offer. RideCairns have had a lot of trail information for the key riding hubs in Tropical North Queensland on one handy website (ridecairns.com) and in handouts available in the bike shops up north for quite some time. But in mid-July they also launched an app. The app has 700km of trails in the area mapped out, which is no mean feat. GPS mapping the route means the trails need to be walked, not ridden, to get accurate data for the app. The app provides trail descriptions, condition updates, and will…

The past five years have seen many changes to the Crocodile Trophy, including a UCI S1 ranking, which really attracted a much deeper elite field in 2014, which was the race’s 25th anniversary. With some changes to the route, it is truly one of the most diverse mountain bike stage races in the world – and it’s here in our own country. The start list for 2015 could well get pretty intense, with recently crowned XCM World Champion Alban Lakata of Austria (pictured blewo right) expressing strong interest in racing this year. Previous world Champion Roel Paulissen has also shown interest in racing, and our own XCM Champion, Brendan Johnston is keen to race. “I have seen the Crocodile Trophy on TV since I was very young. Straight away I…

The Flinders Ranges in South Australia is the location for possibly the longest one day point-to-point Australian endurance mountain bike race – the Flinders Ranges Outback Epic. This year the race will be held on Saturday 24 October, and you can choose from three distances – 64km, 109km or the whole hog: 205km. The Flinders Ranges By Bike Route is used for the course, with tracks and trails easy enough for most riders with basic skills. There is a 16 hour cut-off for the longest distance and different categories for those wanting to ride unsupported and those wanting the help of private supporters. Riders can meet their support crew at many different locations on the course, so friends and family can get involved to help support you achieve your goal.…