Australian Mountain Bike 150

AMB celebrates its 150th issue by looking back at how some key brands launched parts that changed the sport, and by looking forward with bike tests on fresh 2016 bikes, and adventures to the North Island of New Zealand and the remote trails of the Yukon.

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IN THIS ISSUE

PUMPED

The first Australian Gravity Enduro National Championships head to Tropical North Queensland, and the trails of Smithfield Mountain Bike Park. The locals have put plenty of time into reworking the classic trails, including Jacobs Ladder. This place tests the world’s best XCO racers, and our best enduro racers. Many picked Connor Fearon to have a cracker of a ride at the World Championships in Andorra, and the Kona rider didn’t disappoint, coming 8th in Vallnord. Expect to see even bigger things in 2016.…

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MILESTONES REACHED

Hitting 150 of anything is quite a milestone. 150 runs in cricket, a 150 kilometre ride, 150 KOMs on Strava if that’s your thing... but here at Australian Mountain Bike, we have hit 150 issues, and the one you’re holding right now is therefore something special. Launching in 1991, Australian Mountain Bike magazine has been a mainstay in the Australian mountain bike media. It’s been under the guidance of many different people. Some passionate about the sport, others more into cycling or just the outdoors lifestyle. But looking back, it’s clear to see that the editorial input has always been about making something useful, insightful and fun for you – the readers. I can remember the first issue I bought in 1996, with reviews of new products like Shimano’s XT…

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THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

This year’s Mountain Bike World Championships were held in the principality of Andorra, wedged between Spain and France in the Pyrenees. Such a location meant that there was added difficulty for the Australian team, beyond the huge distance to travel – it was the altitude. With the town of Vallnord at about 1800m elevation, racers would not only have to tackle the world’s best on a demanding course, but they would have to deal with lower oxygen saturation in the alpine air. But racing in alpine conditions can also bring fickle weather, and the XCO Junior’s race started in a hailstorm, turning the already technical course into a supreme technical challenge. Conditions barely improved for the U23 races, but were marginally better the next day for the Elite women’s race.…

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RESULTS

DOWNHILL ELITE MEN 1. Loic Bruni (FRA) 2. Greg Minnaar (RSA) 3. Josh Bryceland (GBR) ELITE WOMEN 1. Rachel Atherton (GBR) 2. Manon Carpenter (GBR) 3. Tracey Hannah (AUS) JUNIOR MEN 1. Laurie Greenland (GBR) 2. Martin Maes (BEL) 3. Jackson Frew (AUS) JUNIOR WOMEN 1. Marine Cabirou (FRA) 2. Viktoria Giminez (FRA) 3. Lilla Megyaszai (HUN) CROSS-COUNTRY JUNIOR MEN 1. Simon Andreassen (DEN) 2. Max Brandl (GER) 3. Egan Bernal (COL) JUNIOR WOMEN 1. Martina Berta (ITA) 2. Evie Richards (GBR) 3. Nicole Koller (SUI) U23 MEN 1. Anton Cooper (NZL) 2. Victor Koretzky (FRA) 3. Grant Ferguson (GBR) U23 WOMEN 1. Ramona Forchini (SUI) 2. Olga Terentyeva (RUS) 3.Jenny Rissveds (SWE) ELITE MEN 1. Nino Schurter (SUI) 2.Julien Absalon (FRA) 3.Ondrej Cink (CZE) ELITE WOMEN 1.Pauline Ferran Prevot…

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CHICKS IN THE STICKS

With around 200 entrants, the first ever ‘Chicks in the Sticks’ (CITS) three-hour endurance event attracted numbers that would rival Australia’s big stage races, and even our national-level marathon or XCO events. The difference was, every single one of those entrants was female. The idea started small, when a group of women very new to mountain biking met at an event near Brisbane nearly a year ago, and thought that it would have been even better if it had just been the girls – a bit more fun; a bit less intimidating. These ladies got together and approached their local club – Brisbane South Mountain Bike Club (BSMC), who jumped at the chance to support them. So how was it that the organising committee – a bunch of everyday women…

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JUSTIN MORRIS RAISES FUNDS FOR LIFELINE

On 29th August, ex-Pro road racer, and keen mountain biker, Justin Morris set himself a goal – to climb Mt Kaputar in north-west NSW enough times that he would climb a greater height than Mount Everest. That means he had to climb over 8848m – in one period of time on the bike. Morris has type 1 diabetes, and as a prominent public speaker he advocates that people with diabetes can still achieve anything .In the past, he’s finished the Crocodile Trophy and numerous UCI professional races, showing that anything is possible. His attack on Mt Kaputar would not just be further proof that diabetes isn’t a hinderance to achievement, but to raise money for Lifeline, a service that helps people with anxiety and depression, when they have no one…

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