Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 188 i Australian Mountain Bike

RIDER: RYAN DE LA RUE “Even with my riding and racing I never felt like I was happy where I was, I always wanted to get faster or go bigger. And it’s the same with trail building. We’re always trying to improve and learn – and I definitely don’t think I’ve learnt it all. That’s something I want to pass on to the team as well, we can always learn a bit more. “What’s pushing the trails, how the bikes are now, or what we’re building? It’s probably more what engineers are doing with bikes.”…

It’s a tough time out there. The big picture in Australia on the whole is faring well, but for those who own bike shops the recent bicycling boom may give way to a more sombre famine in which stores struggle to maintain stock levels and stay afloat. It’s a bit like the old adage “water water everywhere, nor any drop to drink”. If you’re not into Coleridge or sea shantys featuring Albatrosses and dehydration, basically it means: wow, so much potential however there is some wild barrier that’s prohibiting it’s realisation. The unpalatable, salty barrier in the bike industry at the moment is manufacturing in the COVID era. In a time where travel and exports are slowed down by quarantine and customs, manufacturing itself has been thwarted by the virus…

As part of my master plan to not give in to the sedentary life that plagues parents, riding with our son - starting perhaps a bit too early - was a way for us to keep getting out there. This article focuses on transitioning kids from a balance bike around the yard to a pedal bike on the trails. In writing this article, I consulted a ton of friends with kids of different ages, riding abilities and froth levels. Regardless of where their kids were at, the single most common thing I heard was “don’t force them”. I’ve struggled with this myself as it’s been hard to not feel frustrated when they’re just not keen. It’s never worked for me to insist and you may end up putting them off…

In the current age of sports science, we are in data overload. We can track movement with GPS, internal load with heart rate, training load, ‘stress level’ and sleep hours. On the bike we have an added metric of power; but is this technology all it’s cracked up to be? While data is plentiful right now, data for it’s own sake is relatively useless. For many people some of this technology isn’t necessarily useful, as even the best sports scientists on the world are still finding solid, reproducible ways to make meaningful performance increases with emerging wearable technology. Enter the power meter (PM): technology that just fifteen years ago was reserved for sports institutes, now available for everyday use at home. Power can be used by all level of riders…

Th e Pivot Trail 429 was first introduced into the Pivot line up with the inception of the company way back in 2007. The bike has come a phenomenal way since then (it’s worth a quick Google to see the original model). This Trail 429 ‘Enduro’ build is a short travel bike that fits in the aggressive, over-forked category similar to the Norco Optic we tested last year. The 429 Enduro features the same 120mm travel frame as the standard 429, however the Enduro build equips this frame set with a Fox DPX2 shock, and pairs it with a 140mm Fox 36 with the GRIP 2 cartridge. The 429 Enduro sits under the Mach 5.5 and Switchblade in Pivot’s line up in terms of travel, with the standard Trail 429…

When it comes to goggles, in my head 100 Percent sits in a duopoly with Oakley. There’s no doubt brands like Fox, Smith, Dragon, and others have some fantastic offerings, but if you tune into a Downhill World Cup a majority of riders are coming down in 100 Percent or Oakley. Whilst athletes are obliged to wear sponsor’s products, riders like Loic Bruni have enough sway in sponsor choice that inferior equipment simply won’t make the cut. While Bruni’s goggle of choice is the 100 Percent Armega, I received four other sets of goggles for this test. The first two pairs I received were the sub $100 Accuri, and the new Accuri 2. The second two sets I received were the $119.99 Racecrafts, and updated Racecraft 2s. All of the…

They say music can evoke positive emotional responses, and that even sad downbeat tunes can lift you up. I know for certain that listening to music can help pass the time, and on some long rides or hard rides I will often make sure I have a favourite playlist lined up. Heading out for a ride is normally a pretty good lift to my mood, but with some music on hand as well – it’s a winning move. Fiddling with headphones tied around helmet straps and interfering with eyewear is an all too recent memory, but with the explosion of wireless Bluetooth headphones on the market, taking your tunes on the trail (and anywhere else) has become much easier than ever before. Of course, there is a catch. Just how…

While the benefits of a pneumatic tyre are many, the downsides always remain: punctures and the need to inflate them. With brands like Michelin stepping up the tyre casing game in the war on punctures, there are endless opportunities around to make getting air into your tyres easier. From hand pumps, to track pumps, foot pumps, CO2 cartridges, big booster track pumps and of course – a compressor. A compressor is a little bit of luxury in a home workshop or shed. My lovely wife bought me one a few years ago as a birthday present, adding to the list of excellent gift ideas she has had, including a chainsaw, some nice DeWalt cordless tools, wood working tools, a Macbook and an Aeropress. But the downside with a compressor is…

Bare Creek Bike Park is a brand new, progression focused bike park on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. The result of over 10 years of lobbying from Northern Beaches’ riders alongside trail advocacy group Trailcare, Bare Creek caters to the airtime hungry crowd who’ve been sorely neglected in the harbour city. Finally, after a decade of hard work, this Dirt Art constructed masterpiece has trails to take you from your first time in the air to pro level jump lines. As Bare Creek sits in a valley that was formerly a waste management facility, upon arrival the various trails are spread around you within a natural amphitheatre. The location soaks in the sunshine, and on our late afternoon visit the whole park was bathed in gorgeous sunset light. The key aim of…

These super easy-to-make raw mini muffins (or whatever shape you choose) offer a sophisticated flavour and provide a delicious and nutritious snack whether you are looking for a snack, or wanting to supplement your nutrition on the bike. Related to the mulberry, figs are high in natural sugars and soluble fibre. They are also known to contain prebiotics and help promote good digestion and gut health. If you don’t love the flavour of figs on their own, don’t be put off by this recipe – the combination of figs, hemp and walnuts is next level. Hemp seeds (technically classified as a nut) are now “old news” and they can be easily found in your local grocery store. Like all seeds, they pack a punch – rich in healthy fats, especially…

Putting together a mountain bike magazine seven times a year creates a little bit of forward thinking. While I’m writing this editorial in early March, I know that once this magazine goes on sale, we’ll have new National Champions in eMTB, Pump Track, Trials, Downhill and Cross-Country. I hope you liked the coverage that I’ll be putting online next week, in my current time. On the topic of time, there is no denying that some elements of mountain biking are accelerating forward in leaps and bounds. Trail design and bike capability is a key area, and that’s driving a lot of the new trails that are being built around Australia right now. We’ve got the tiniest of summaries on that in Fast Track, and in talking with cover star Ryan…

In every riding group, local trail network or mountain bike club, there is an unsung hero. The riders could be doing all sorts of things that make mountain biking in your area better, and chances are they aren’t making a song and dance about it. They might be the club member who organises volunteer trail maintenance days. Or maybe they’re the staff member at the local shop who makes sure the shop ride goes ahead every Saturday, and who has spares to help out anyone on the ride – week in, week out. Or maybe they’re the rider who devotes weekends to running a kids’ mountain bike programme, to help young riders get into the sport with the right mix of foundation skills and fun. These local mountain bike heroes…

Making the transition from Junior to Elite is hard enough, but it isn’t good when your own governing body forgets you. Oh yeah, and a pandemic too. The sport of mountain biking is so young that we have yet to collectively go through a period of time like so many sports before us have travelled. Everything from the Olympics through to Formula 1 has had to deal with global events that shook society as we know it to the core. Wars and even pandemics preceding this one had forced sporting codes to suspend all competition for periods lasting years, and each time, I presume, they have learnt from it. That’s not to say, just because our sport is young, we can’t learn those lessons from other sporting codes which have…

Looking at the motor data of eMTBs often reveals that riders truly love Turbo mode. Despite this, the various assistance modes of an eMTB can all be useful in their own way. So let’s look at the different modes of assistance offered by three of the main motor players in Bosch, Shimano, and Specialized. Whilst there’s pros and cons to each system as a whole, all of these brands' assistance modes can be used cleverly to get the most out of your eMTB. All about Bosch Bosch have been making eBike systems for over ten years. Their premier mountain bike motor system is the Performance Line CX motor (Gen 4), which provides 85Nm of torque, and has four modes of assistance. Bosch have a supporting app called Bosch eBike Connect,…

For nearly fifty years Merida have been shouting something that most brands would rather not talk about: Merida are outly and proudly Asian-made, and in fact were founded by an entrepreneur called Ike Tseng on the principle that bikes made in a factory in Taiwan could be world-class, win races, and generally compete in what, fifty years ago at least, was a market dominated by US and European design and manufacture. Times sure have changed, and while it’s likely that any bike you buy that isn’t literally handmade is going to come from one of just a few factories in China, Merida are still proud of the quality of their Asian-made bikes. This emphasis on quality has led the brand to take a hybrid East-West approach that’s fairly standard these…

Long ago when downhill bikes had 100mm of travel, terrible brakes and upwards of 44 teeth on their front chain rings, flat tyres were pretty common place. I tried IRC’, Hutchinsons and had some good success with Tioga tyres. I finally got my hands on some Michelin Comp 16s and 24s, which looked to be a Wildgripper Hot S with a tougher construction. It was the early 2000s and this burly tyre felt more like a motorcycle tyre. Not only was the tyre’s construction more rigid, the rubber was much softer, almost sticky when compared to that of the rest of the market. With the rise of the Enduro World Series (EWS), enduro style riding, more technical trails and more capable bikes there is no hiding that wheels and tyres…

Tannus may not be a house hold name in Australia, but globally Tannus have been producing airless tyres for many years. In Japan alone, commuter bikes are fitted with hundreds of thousands of Tannus’ airless tyres made from Aither 1.1 closed cell foam. More recently, Tannus Armour became available downunder (for tubed setups) and while many of us may not use tubes much anymore, the transformation in ride quality and reduction in punctures makes it an extremely popular product. Tannus have now released Tannus Armour Tubeless inserts made from their proprietary Aither foam. It boasts some big benefits such as being quite light at only 150g for 27.5 inch and 165g for 29inch, while also being easier to install than others and faster rolling. Rather than being a strip or…

Unparallel are a Californian footwear company founded in 2017 by Sang Lee, a former Five Ten employee prior to their Adidas takeover. Visiting their website reveals that the only products they do are mountain biking and climbing shoes, a good indication they’re sticking to what they do best. The Dust Up shoes I was sent are an All-Mountain shoe, and as such aim to be a jack of all trades when it comes to grip, comfort, and protection. At first glance they might remind you of the Teva shoes that were on the market during their brief flirtation with mountain biking. This is because Unparallel bought Teva’s tooling when they established themselves. Having owned and loved a set of Teva shoes back in the day, I had high expectations for…

OK first up, I need to say that this is definitely leaning towards a more advanced technique. Clearing jumps is one thing but taking on jumps with just enough speed to make the distance is something which should only be attempted by riders who are comfortable at jumping and are able to control the pitch of your bike when you land (that means you can land nose down or nose up at will). Learning to control the pitch of your bike when you land is a great learning exercise and is best done on a small jump with an open, flat and ideally soft landing so you can practice over and over again until you can land comfortably, in control and any which way you choose; so before you attempt…

There are many more facets to elite performance than merely getting on your bike and riding, and while ‘just riding’ can form the basis of fitness and performance, there comes a point when structuring your training is required to progress. In part one of these articles we discussed the multitude of acronyms regarding training sessions. If you haven’t read it, it will give you a better insight into this article and I urge you to do so before plowing forward here. In this article, we will discuss the significance of training metrics in planning a season. USING TRAINING METRICS IN ORDER TO PLAN A SEASON First things first: training metrics are a tool but they’re not the be all and end all. While there are guidelines for effectively using these…

We’ve said it before, but let’s repeat it again anyway – when have mountain bikers ever had it so good? We can start by looking at how capable modern mountain bikes are, along with their reliability. But what really makes mountain biking so great currently is the variety and lengths of new mountain bike trails being developed around the country. We talked about this through winter last year, and progress isn’t slowing down. Here’s a look at a few places that are opening now, or later this year. We've got plans afoot to visit a couple of these locations in the coming months, to see if they're going to be everything we expect. WILD MERSEY, TASMANIA This one is exciting, especially for anyone in Melbourne. With trails just a short…

After a year with very few mountain bike events in the southern half of Australia, many riders have been cautiously entering events in the first part of 2021. Those who booked in for the Snowies MTB Festival at Lake Crackenback in the NSW Snowy Mountains were rewarded with three days of great trails and friendly, competitive racing. The overall format for the Wild Brumby and Brumby stage race at the Snowies MTB Festival changes a little from year to year, but they remain really diverse offerings. On the cards was a race up the Thredbo Valley Trail, a time trial, marathon stage and a time trail style stage down the whole Thredbo Valley Trail – from Friday Flat through to Gaden Trout Hatchery. The Brumby had some slightly shorter courses,…

How does one become a trail builder anyway? Building trails, at an employable level, is more involved than dragging your brake down a fall line, moving some rocks or raking up some leaf litter. Australia’s level of trail building is probably more professional than anywhere else in the world, but what’s it like in this type of job? Ryan De La Rue has been working for World Trail for over 10 years. He has been involved in major projects at Mt Buller, Falls Creek, Cairns, Atherton, and of course in the north-east of Tasmania. And it all began over 15 years ago after a chance encounter with Glen Jacobs from World Trail – a leader in making trail building an industry, and Australia’s only member of the MTB Hall of…

Remember front derailleurs? It wasn’t all that long ago the general consensus was multiple chainrings on the front was the way to go, and we needed these weird-looking cages to wrangle the chain up and down them. Then in 2012, SRAM debuted their XX1 drivetrain, and now everything bar a select few entry-level mountain bikes have a single narrow-wide chainring, clutched rear derailleur and wide range cassette. The same can be said for hub spacing, metric shocks, handlebar diametre, the list goes on. Considering the very first Specialized Stumpjumper rolled off the factory floor in 1981, in the scheme of things mountain bikes haven’t been around for all that long, and have evolved at a lightning pace. The frames and everything that is bolted onto them are totally unrecognisable when…

If you headed to an XC or enduro race a few short years ago, hydration packs reigned supreme. Nowadays there are more bare backed riders than ever before. These riders use clever on-bike and on-body storage to eliminate the need for a backpack to store spares and nutrition. A popular on-bike storage solution of the last few years has been the emergence of multi-tools hidden inside your steerer tube. Whilst the original exponent of this is undoubtedly the One Up EDC (Every Day Carry), newer options on the market mean you don’t have to thread your steerer, making installation easier for the home mechanic. Here’s a look at some of the more popular options for storage on the bike and on the rider. I’ll look into the performance, pros and…

Canyon are a brand that’s continually expanding in the Australian market, and this expansion continues with their launch of a full eMTB range. The Spectral:ON CF 8.0 sits in the middle of Canyon’s full suspension eMTBs. Featuring 150mm of travel front and rear, the Spectral:ON is neatly sandwiched between the 130/130mm Neuron:ON, and 180/175mm Torque:ON. As such, the Spectral:ON is aimed at the jack of all trades category, straddling the line between technical terrain performance and more general trail riding. This eMTB category is a hotly contested one, featuring bikes such as the Specialized Levo (160/150mm), Trek’s Rail (160/150mm), Merida’s eOne Sixty (160/150mm), and the Scott Genius eRIDE (160/150mm). As the Spectral features both less fork travel and less aggressive geometry than these four bikes, I was keen to see…

TAG Metals might be a company you’ve never heard of, but if you’re into dirt bikes then that’s unlikely. Established in 1999 and currently sponsoring big names like Travis Pastrana and Ryan Villopoto, TAG has a fantastic reputation in the throttle twisting world. Similar to Renthal, who also started in moto, TAG is making the jump into mountain bike componentry with over 20 years of manufacturing experience. They’re not mucking around either, as they’ve already picked up 10-time world champion Nico Vouilloz, as well as the rest of the Lapierre enduro team. I was sent a full cockpit setup by the Australian distributors of TAG, Echelon Sports, and I was keen to put their initial offerings to the test. For testing, I mounted the cockpit to my 170mm enduro bike.…

When it comes to carbon wheels for everything from trail riding to Enduro racing, there are new options popping up all the time. The latest brand that’s jumped into the wheel set market is Revel. I was impressed with their Ranger trail bike I reviewed in issue #187, so I was excited to hop on their RW30 wheels to see if they performed to the same standard. I received the RW30 wheels fitted on the Revel Ranger. When you purchase the wheels outright there’s a choice of XD or Microspline freehubs, and rim tape and valves are installed as standard. The RW30s are the only wheels Revel do, demonstrating Revel’s confidence in their versatility from trail riding all the way up to Enduro racing. I tested the top-of-the-line build offering,…

YOU wouldn’t start a road trip with the petrol light on, so make sure you don’t start a long day in the saddle without the correct fuel either. Forgetting about nutrition will make you more likely to hit the wall and ultimately a not-so-fun day out. Instead, use these tips to guide your nutrition choices before, during and after your ride. BEFORE YOU RIDE Preparation for a big day out starts much sooner than when you set out. Thinking about nutrition in the days prior to the ride will make sure you start with a full tank. If a ride is longer than 1-2 hours, carbohydrates will be the main source of fuel. The longer the ride, the more carbohydrates required to stave off fatigue in the saddle. So, be…

If your shifting has quickly gone south, chances are your derailleur hanger might be bent. It’s easy enough to do when riding (or crashing!) and can also occur when loading bikes into the back of a car. Thankfully, the hangers are not just replaceable, but often can be aligned with the appropriate tools. This does require a specific tool. If you’ve got more than one bike to look after then chances are the investment will pay for itself a few times over for the life of the tool. The goal is to align the derailleur hanger parallel both vertically and horizontally to the rear sprockets – this isn’t just creating a bar for leverage! Tools required: Allen key or Torx key for your derailleur, derailleur hanger alignment tool, torque wrench.…