Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 195 i Australian Mountain Bike

THIS ONE IS FOR THE FANS! The Cannonball Festival at Thredbo was back for 2022, with riders from around the country making track to Australia’s home of gravity riding for 5 days of gravity-fed riding and racing. There was no escaping the fact that everyone wasn’t just stoked to be on the mountain, but also able to catch up with friends and find some rivalries between the tape, and banter when outside it. NATIONAL CHAMPS GROWTH The 2022 AusCycling Mountain Bike National Championships descended on Maydena Bike Park in late February, with Downhill, Cross-Country and Pump Track racing keeping the venue pumping for days. One of the best results was seeing the increase in the depth of the fields in women’s cross-country racing and downhill alike. The future is bright!…

All-new from Colorado bike brand Revel is their Rail 29. We tested the Rail back in 2020, and the 165mm travel 27.5” wheeled bike was popular due to the ride quality, handling, stunning suspension platform and high quality build and workmanship. Now a very similar bike is available but with 29” wheels. “The Rail 29 represents the best of what we have learned since launching the›Revel›brand just three short years ago,” Revel said at release. “We love our Rail 27.5, but 29” wheels, bigger bearings, beefier hardware, and an absurdly well-tuned CBF suspension platform make this bike something we are wildly proud of.” The Rail 29 is designed to excel at self-shuttled descents, with the Canfield Balance Formula (CBF) suspension platform being one of the most efficient we have ever…

Spend enough time mountain biking and you’re bound to either injure yourself, or be an unfortunate witness to someone else injuring themselves. Unfortunately, I need to use both hands to count the number of times I’ve been witness to a major rescue as a result of a bad crash, often in remote places where a chopper is the only real way to get the rider off the mountain and to hospital safely. Each crash makes such an impression, not only on the rider, but those who are close by to witness it as well. It’s not just mountain biking crashes that can be bad, I’ve been road side in ice cold rain holding up what’s left of shredded lycra in a frail attempt to keep injured riders warm. It was…

Cannonball Festival. If you know, you know. This week-long ode to gravity riding is undoubtedly the most prestigious standalone mountain bike event in the country. Pre-COVID, the event has attracted some of the biggest international names (cameos from Rae Morrison, Amaury Pierron, and Yoann Barelli spring to mind), and will surely pull them back once borders loosen. More importantly, it’s a proving ground on the national calendar for local heroes to test themselves against the best. From Sian A’Hern to Caroline Buchanan, Troy Brosnan to Connor Fearon – the ‘who’s who’ of Aussie gravity riding will always litter the start lists of Cannonball Festival. But this event is more than just a series of races. During Cannonball week, Thredbo hosts what is essentially the annual mountain bikers’ reunion. Thousands of…

From the outside, being part of a mountain bike team looks like a sweet deal. There’s factory bikes, probably someone there to work on your bike, new tyres every race, fresh kit for every event and oodles of support staff to do anything you want them to. The reality is quite different. The majority of Australian mountain bike teams are instead a group of riders who have been selected, or banded together, as they are highly motivated, hard working riders who want to achieve big goals. There is usually a team manager who may or may not be a team rider, and they will be the workhorse of the team. They will organise the equipment, manage relationships with sponsors, book the accommodation, organise transport and keep everything running. Of course…

Cannondale was one of the brands that helped create mountain bike culture. In the 90s, the riders who were on the infamous Volvo-Cannondale squad were not just world class. They had panache, they had flair – and most were down right kooky. Cadel Evans was probably the odd one out being so straight laced. But he did win a lot of stuff so that was ok. Actually he is pretty kooky. Cannondale’s cross-country bikes centred around the CAAD aluminium frame series and the iconic Headshok, and then the Lefty. These forks created a tall front end, and Cannondales stood out from the crowd with their unique forks, slammed negative stems, highly shaped aluminium frames and of course the SI cranks. To me, nothing screams XC in the late 1990s to…

In early summer I reviewed the ground-breaking Boost rack from Shingleback Off Road. Its gas-strut assisted loading mechanism vanquished any concerns about lifting heavy bikes onto vertical bike racks. In addition to this mechanism, it also introduced a host of new features which worked with a wider variety of bikes, secured them better and increased the vehicle compatability. Naturally, the Boost also came with a befitting price tag ($2450 for the 4-bike version). But what about those riders who are confident in loading their mid-weight bikes, who may not need the gas-strut? What about those who desire all the other ingenious new features without the Boost pricetag? Well, at $1990 for the 4-bike version, the Sport rack might be for you. The Sport rack provides all the upgrades from the…

When darkness comes and the trail beckons, you really do want a quality light at hand. Magicshine sell a variety of lights on the Australian market, and models like the creatively named RN 3000 are a modern update on the all-in-one Cateye you may have used a couple of decades ago. However, the differences are staggering. The RN 3000 can pack a huge amount of lumens to light your path when the sun goes down. How many? You guessed it, up to 3000! But far from being a gas to flat only light, you can run it on a single LED bulb or double on Eco, Low, Mid or High settings. This means you can put out anything from 150 lumens with a 62 hour burn time, right up to…

Time’s Speciale 8 is the little brother to the Speciale 12, offering a smaller and more compact pedalling platform while still being large enough of a platform to feel right at home under the feet of any enduro or trail bike rider. The Speciale 8’s are constructed with an aluminum body that’s stiff, strong, and light, with durable steel bearings in the spindle wrapping up a very robust product that’s ready to take on all the abuse an enduro rider would normally throw at their pedals. They weigh 396g before you add any of the supplied pins. As a loyal Shimano SPD user and abuser I’d always been skeptical of changing pedal brands. So the chance to test the Time Speciale 8 was well-received. Rated by Time as an enduro/trail…

‘Never lubricate a dirty chain’. You may or may not have that etched into your brain, but I know it plays over and over in my head each time I lube a dirty chain before going for a ride. The benefits of a clean drivetrain are immense, with savings in energy and costs. A dirty drivetrain works poorly and everything wears out faster as well. With high end chains and cassettes costing so much and being pretty hard to get hold of currently, keeping your drivetrain clean really does pay off. That doesn’t change the fact that thoroughly cleaning your drivetrain and bike can take time that we don’t always have. And it’s pretty messy as well. I tend to do a full wash on my bike with soapy water,…

The Noosa Enduro has a place in Australia’s mountain bike history as a long-running event in the beautiful Noosa Hinterland. While it slipped off the event calendar for a decade, the Noosa Enduro came back with a bang in 2021, and the event became a weekend of off-road cycling with gravel events on the Sunday after the mountain bike events on Saturday. With the return of the popular event in 2022, the event team have really gone full gas with more event distance options. They have even had the Sunday gravel race appointed the National Gravel Championships by AusCycling! It’s a huge weekend to be a part of. Whether you bring the family, your mates, your partner or just your bike and sense of adventure, there’s lots of options for…

On my local trails here in southeast Queensland we are starting to plan our trail care and upgrade program for the year. I would be confident in saying that every trail care group will have a jobs list and wish list that far exceeds the funds and resources available to deliver. We all want more trails to ride, and we also want to make sure that the existing trails continue to provide awesome riding experiences. The problem lies in prioritising what to do to get the best bang for our buck with the resources we have. Should we prioritise upgrading a jumps line to meet the insatiable appetite for more jumps, or should we build the relatively mundane cross-country connecting trail that provides better connectivity between trails and saves riders…

In August of 1990 Paul Turner released the first RockShox suspension component – the RS-1. Revolutionary at the time, it featured an air spring, two inches of travel and single handedly changed the way mountain bikes were ridden and developed for years to come. Some 32 years later, you can now purchase suspension right off the shelf that would outperform even the wildest dreams of any rider back in the early 90s. Adjustable spring curves, shaft speed specific rebound and compression adjustment, light weight, reliabality, lock-out levers, electronic management – these days we have it all. Among all the latest developements in suspension engineering and technology, the basics are still there hiding behind a curtain of buzz words and shiny stanchion coatings. Understanding and adhering to the key basics to…

Pivot are a leading mountain bike brand with a focus on high-performance bikes that lead in their category. Over the past few years we have seen Pivot update their range of mountain bikes, from the Mach 4 SL through to the Switchblade, Trail 429, Mach 6 and oh-so-popular Firebird. The time has come for the popular Mach 5.5 to be updated. The 27.5” wheeled trail bike keeps it’s traits with the small wheels and 160/140mm travel mix – but there’s plenty that’s changed. Including the name, as this model is now called – wait for it - the Shadowcat. Admittedly, this evoked some giggles amongst staff here at AMB; but the reasoning behind this name became more apparent as I delved deeper into the testing period. Visually, Pivot have updated…

DT Swiss has long been at the forefront of quality hubs and spokes, more recently their rims have become a staple among weekend warriors, privateers, professional racers and world champions. The EX 1700 Spline is based around two of the best wheel products going around, the DT Swiss 350 hub and the EX511 rim. Lace those together with another favourite, the double butted Competition spoke and you have yourself the EX1700 Spline wheel set. A CLOSER LOOK The updated EX 1700 Spline is aimed directly at the Enduro market, big hitters and lovers of reliable simplicity comprising of three industry staples. The DT Swiss 350 hub has the 36 point Star Ratchet SL system and tool free serviceability. The welded EX511 rim uses Prolock nipples and PHR stainless steel washers.…

The Magicshine Monteer 8000 has global recognition for pumping out a lot of lumens – 8000 to be precise. But there’s more to this light than just a huge output. We’ve actually tested this light before, but the V2 is all about functionality with a new wireless remote. Given the light has the toggle switch atop the 5 LED head unit, being able to attach the wireless remote to your bars to toggle with your thumb is a big deal for ease of use. The battery pack can be attached to your bike with the included straps, and the cord is long enough to even put it on your seat tube, to keep the weight low. Mostly though I think you’ll run it in a backpack and use the light…

We Are One Composites are a carbon fiber design and manufacturing company based in Kamloops BC, Canada. Their primary goal is to produce no compromise composite mountain bike frames and components locally in Canada with a drive towards ensuring their environmental impact is minimised while their quality, design, and production techniques are all industry leading. Their flagship products are their carbon fibre rims which are available in a variety of widths, diameters and hole counts to suit any rider. With a RRP of $*** per rim, The Coup has a claimed weight of 425g and is available in 28h, 32h and 36h configurations with a 28mm internal width. We Are One designed this rim in conjunction with Brett Rheeder, one of the leaders of dirt jumping (DJ) and slopestyle riding…

Manufactured wall rides are a trail feature which isn’t all that common these days, but when you do come across one they are a super fun feature to have a play on and build some valuable skills. The skills which carry across from wall rides are really valuable at times on technical and tight trails where you might have to take a high line to get a good entry into a corner over some banked up terrain, or a rock face. There are a lot of natural wall rides out there. It’s certainly something that’s far from common but knowing how to ride a wall ride will give you a good understanding of entry angles, traction, approach and exit on specific terrain. That and it’s also great fun to have…

If you haven’t already met an organic dried apricot, let me introduce you now. Organic dried apricots are very different to conventionally dried apricots – they may take some getting used to. Because they don’t contain sulphur dioxide, they are darker in colour and don’t have the tangy sour flavour that conventionally dried apricots do. While they are different, they are delicious and help to reduce toxic load (by unnecessary ingestion of chemicals into your body). This is another small step to improving your overall health and longer-term quality of life particularly as the full effects of sulphur dioxide (used as a preservative in a lot of products on the market) are still not completely understood. Anyway… dried apricots are known for their antioxidant properties, high fibre and substantial amounts…

The Otway Odyssey is a stalwart of the Australian mountain bike event scene, and on February 26-27 the Odyssey weekend delivered the 16th edition of the classic Otway Odyssey. With the 30km and women’s only Odyssey Angels event on Sunday, the mountain bike fun crosses the whole weekend. A few years ago race organisers Rapid Ascent created the Great Otway Gravel Grind on the Sunday following the iconic marathon race, making a fantastic weekend of off-road events based out of Forrest, Victoria. The result is there are mountain bike and gravel events with varying differences, for new riders, young riders and the nation’s elite – all based in the beautiful Otways. Saturday saw riders tackle the 50km and 100km Otway Odyssey in near perfect conditions. Dry trails were also met…

If you’re all about riding fast and light, but need a backpack that lets you take everything you need, then you’ll love the Thule Vital 3L. It’s designed for riders who want no fuss storage, with easy access on the bike. The harness sits close and low, keeping the bag’s weight centred to work with you on the bike. There are stash pockets that make getting snacks and essentials easy, while the real masterpiece is Thule’s ReTrakt magnetic hose keeper. This ingenious addition lets the hose snap back into place after even the briefest of sips, keeping the hose and mouth piece out of your way. No more flailing hose, and no more wet patch on your knee. The 1.75L reservoir packs enough to keep you on the trails longer,…

With MTB Nationals on my mind, I am reminded how it feels in the week leading into a major event. The hard work has been done, you are resting up or “tapering” as many like to call it, but you have a few key sessions to get through before the race. It’s easy to want to test yourself, but often this leads to disappointment or self-doubt when the outcome isn’t what you’d hoped, and confidence in ourselves can decrease. The question is: when is a good time to test yourself? Softly softly When we are training for a goal, we must start somewhere, and the start is usually a long way from where we want to be. It’s important to trust yourself or your coach and “trust the process”. This…

Once exclusively the domain of gravity-oriented riders, pants are increasing in popularity for riders of all disciplines. Gone are the days of pants being adapted straight from a brand’s motocross offerings, and nowadays trail pants feature the same materials and technologies that make modern shorts so good. They’re comfortable to pedal in, breathable, and often feature clever construction to accommodate knee pads. The right pair of trail trousers or pants are all about fit, comfort and protection. In late 2020 I received a set of Pearl Izumi Launch Trail Pants. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but these pants were my favourite piece of riding apparel in 2021. Prior to receiving the Launch Pants I’d done lots of trail and gravity riding in pants, but the trousers…

Unlike many brands in the mountain bike apparel space, Royal exclusively focus on mountain biking. There’s no snow or lifestyle range, and this allows them to concentrate on performance-oriented mountain bike apparel. They were also co-founded by Steve Peat over 20 years ago and are based in the mountain biking hotspot of South Wales, so they’re about as ‘core’ brand as you’ll find. If you’ve read the trail pants mega feature, you’ll already know I was a big fan of Royal’s Apex Race Pants. For me they struck the best balance between all-day wearability, durability, gravity capability, and getting the little details right. Having ridden the Apex Pants a couple of times prior to getting out in the Apex Jersey, I had high hopes. The Apex is Royal’s top of…

In 2020 I was sent a pair of Earshots Bluetooth Wireless Headphones to test. The New Zealand based company had produced a set of headphones that could be used as a single ear or both, with good sound, easy controls, good battery life and a real boon for mountain bikers, runners and anyone in active sport – a design that just wouldn’t budge. The master stroke in headphone security was via a magnetic clasp that held onto itself once place around your ear. Not only did this mean that the ear speaker stayed in place for audio quality, but it also meant the chance of losing one was just about zero. Riders using Earshots even had creative ways to store them when not in use, such as around their handlebars,…

In the past 18 months one riding area has risen from obscurity to become what is arguably the most popular trail centre in south east Queensland. The Eastern Escarpment Conservation Area, or ‘Westys’ as it is currently called by locals of the area, offers riders trails from green to black and cater for both regular and adaptive mountain bikers alike. Whether you ride two wheels or more, this well thought out and executed trail area has you covered. The design and delivery of Westys is the brainchild of Pete Wilson and his team at Trailworx, who were involved in the project from inception through delivery. Through the succinct developement of the concept and the support from the Redlands City Council what has been delivered is a true godsend for local…

WHY IS FUELLING IMPORTANT? Carbohydrates are for the body like the fuel for a car. The body performs best when it starts a ride with a full tank, and is topped up en route to ensure you don’t find yourself sitting on the side of the road unable to continue. Carbohydrates are found in a variety of food and drink, from sugary treats (cake, pastry, sweets, chocolate), to grains (bread, rice pasta), fruit and starchy vegetables. Sports food and drink are also a good source of carbohydrates as they are specifically designed for performance. Choosing how to take carbohydrates on during a ride is a personal thing and requires a little practice to get the best results. The first thing is to understand what the options are in terms of…

Mountain biking is a growth sport, and it’s never more apparent than when you look at the littlest groms out there. While many of us had a wayward youth cycling on paths to be back by lunchtime, kids now have scheduled mountain bike skills coaching, camps, events and races. All the mountain bikers that slummed it on 26” wheels and V-brakes are putting their own kids in the sport, and the entry point is at a much higher level. So your kid has a bike, and some skills and wants to race… what now? What is appropriate vs excessive in regards to training through the age groups? If it’s one thing I see again and again is parents looking for intensive coaching through the pre-adolescent years, which almost exclusively leads…