Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 197 i Australian Mountain Bike

RIDERS: DAN BOOKER (RIGHT) AND JACK MOIR PHOTOGRAPHER: SVEN MARTIN The Enduro World Series (EWS) came back with a bang in June, with the first round in the Tweed, United Kingdom. While all eyes were on Jack Moir, there were plenty of stand out results from the Australian riders. Dan Booker raced to 5th in Elite men, and Jack Moir was 26th. RIDERS: LUKE MEIER-SMITH (LEFT) AND JOSH CARLSON PHOTOGRAPHER: SVEN MARTIN Luke Meier-Smith has been belting it, and he won the U21 EWS round in the UK. Even better, Ryan Gilchrist was 3rd! Josh Carlson finished 16th and Mick Hannah was 5th in the EWS-E race.…

The Ignition mountain bike event doesn’t just kick off a green season of mountain biking at Falls Creek and surrounds, it’s a standout event for the whole summer calendar. Blue Dirt have created an event that is the best mix of riding, talking about bikes, learning about riding bikes, food and beverages and live music. And that’s just as a rough summary! Kicking off at midday on Friday 18th November, Ignition has so many options to ride, including 11km of new trails that should be open for summer. There are bike shuttles and beginner and intermediate guided rides, and of course demo bikes from the likes of Norco, Canyon, Rocky Mountain, Commencal, YT and Forestal. Oakley even have demo goggles! There’s plenty to enjoy at Ignition, with a beer hall…

Season two of Trail Towns hits SBS this July, and Paul and Dieter jumped over to the land of the long white cloud, traipsing from the North Island to the South Island, visiting some well-known trail towns in New Zealand. The dynamic duo visit Auckland, Rotorua, Taupo, the West Coast, Port Hills, Timaru, Queenstown and a few places that we should all add to our trail riding bucket list The new season promises to be a mix of must-ride destinations, along with essential intel for anyone planning a visit to New Zealand to ride their bikes and travel around. We’re looking forward to seeing exactly what the Trail Towns crew got up to over there. Catch the episodes on SBS from July 2 at 4pm.…

After your bike and essential riding gear, a bike rack can be the next most significant investment for any rider. Even if you mostly ride to the trails, with so many great riding areas around Australia you’re still likely to get away and take your bike with you. A good bike rack should last you for years, so it pays to make sure it suits your vehicle, bikes and use. Vertical bike racks have grown in popularity thanks to how easily they can carry lots of bikes. The past two years have seen a boom in people riding off road. Whether it’s families, colleagues, groups of mates or school groups, the need to easily transport more bikes has never been greater. With models that can carry up to 7 bikes…

RAAW Mountain Bikes was founded by Ruben Torenbeek, and he released RAAW’s first bike in 2017. Prior to starting RAAW, Ruben worked as an engineer for brands such as Ghost and Scott. He began RAAW to fill a section of the market he thought wasn’t being adequately catered for, which is robust longer travel bikes built for years of abuse. RAAW began with a single model (the Madonna V1), but now they offer two models - the 160mm travel Madonna V2.2, and the 135mm Jibb. There’s also a third on the way, a Downhill bike currently being ridden on the World Cup circuit by 555 RAAW Gravity Racing. As someone who’s fortunate enough to work in mountain biking media, I’m riding new products more frequently than your average rider. For…

Depending on where you sit on the spectrum (pun intended), your mountain bike saddle can be anything from something for a point of reference when riding, through to an item that is a deal maker as to whether you’ll ride or not. With such a wide variety of people riding mountain bikes, it’s no surprise that if you asked 50 riders what a comfortable saddle is, you’d probably get almost 50 different answers. Mountain bike saddles can be anything from the thin and flat Selle Italia SLR, to a vintage Tioga DH, or something from the new-school of saddles; something shorter, flat and pretty wide both at the nose through to the tail. ENTER, SPECIALIZED POWER SADDLES The new saddle shape from Specialized lopped upto 30mm off the length of…

A well-established player in the bike rack market, Yakima have an array of racks from roof-mounted to vertical hitch-mounted. Their StageTwo rack competes in the tray category, an excellent choice for those wanting to lift their bikes as minimally as possible. There were so many features to explore and test with this rack, the hallmark of a product which has been well thought out and designed for everyday use. INSTALLATION In my opinion, installing bike racks is never a fun job. There are parts everywhere, pages of instructions, mountains of packaging, and usually one or two very tedious steps. Those who feel my pain will be pleased to know the StageTwo installation process is surprisingly simple. The instructions are clear and articulate, amounting to a total build and installation time…

Visiting Fox Creek Bike Park earlier this year we had the distinct pleasure of riding new and old trails with a couple local idols. The park has recently received a multi-million dollar overhaul to improve its trails and facilities after the devastating Black Summer Bushfires. After relentless hard work and backing from Forestry SA, the community bike park is now tipped to become one of Australia’s premier riding destinations. With a mix of trail and downhill riding, a skills park, full facilities hub and expansive views over the capital, it’s easy to see why the locals are raving about Fox Creek Bike Park. Situated approximately 30 minutes outside Adelaide along gorgeous roads adorned by vineyards, the park is home to over 50km of singletrack. From flowing jumps to raw and…

It is hard to replicate a trail experience from one ride to another. Even if we try to have the same ride, the same conditions, the same stoke – I don’t think it ever ends up the same. I reckon that is because our on trail experiences change every time. From interaction with other riders, or how we engage with the environment around us, or just the mood we head to the trails in and the mood when we leave. No one ride can ever be the same as the next. And I think that’s great. While I’m happy to come home with a different experience and memories from any ride, the past few months have been a reminder that some of the best rides, and best memories, are those…

Are you tired of cold winter rides? Could you use some time at the beach, and the chance to visit some World Heritage listed areas? Do you just want to get out and ride? It sounds like you need to sign up for Reef to Reef. This 4-day mountain bike event sits in the tropical playground of Cairns and beyond, offering one of the most diverse ranges of trails and experiences of any mountain bike event in Australia. Running from 18-21 August, Reef to Reef takes you through the world-class trails at Smithfield, before tackling the Davies Creek network in the Dry Tropics. After that, you’ll twist between rainforest trails, countryside singletrack and cattle country at Mt Molloy, before tackling the iconic Bump Track to finish right on the beach…

Mountain bikers in the east may have missed watching the sun go down over the Indian Ocean, but the trails around Margaret River have done nothing but improve since we could all go and ride them last. Cape to Cape lands in the south west in October, with 4 days of racing and fun from 20-23 October. The four days of riding cover Cape Leeuwin through to Margaret River, farm lands and Cape Naturaliste, marking a return of a true ‘cape to cape’ experience. With 2-4 hours on the bike each day, you’ve got plenty of time to enjoy the local breweries, stunning west coast views, gin distilleries, wineries – or just non-stop bike banter with your mates. Race in pairs, race solo – take it as it suits you.…

Let’s be real, we all know global manufacturing needs to shift from›,“a take-make-waste” model to more sustainable, longer lasting, repairable, recyclable product design. As it stands, most of the materials – roughly 80% – used when manufacturers make pretty much anything, including bikes, end up in landfill, incinerators, or (unfortunately) our natural environment. We take finite resources, use them for a small amount of time, throw them out, and buy the next, best, shiniest thing. While we do recycle some materials,it’s probably less than you think. Thankfully many manufacturers have decided that this is a missed opportunity to keep products, materials, and resources in circulation. There are a few trailblazers (pun intended?) in the bicycle industry that are unlocking a new frontier of creativity in product design to address some…

While at home during the off-season, you’ll typically find Bec McConnell grinding up a remote fireroad on the outskirts of the ACT. Accompanied by some Mars Bars and mismatching water bottles, she will be slogging out long, unglamorous hours in the Aussie bush. While many of us envy the hours professional riders spend on their bikes, it takes an extraordinary level of commitment to maintain this year after year – rain, hail, or shine. At her maiden World Cup, Bec finished around 60th place. At the time of my Zoom call with her, she had won her first World Cup, at the opening round of the 2022 XCO World Cup in Brazil. By the time I had finished this article, she had won three consecutive XCO World Cups and become…

Spanish brand Galfer specialise in one thing, making high quality braking components for motorcycles, mountain bikes, road and gravel bikes. As a company with over 70 years of industry experience, their products have proved to provide powerful and reliable stopping performance comparable and even better than OE equipment any time we have mounted them up to one of our bikes for testing. Their newest offering, The Disc Shark rotors, are claimed to exceed these expectations by providing increased braking performance, heat management and pad life over their previous designs. With recent experience on Galfer’s Fixed Disc Wave rotors and pads, along with the venerable Shimano XT Ice tech rotors I was keen to mount up the Disc Sharks and see if it their bite matched Galfer’s bark. THE DETAILS Developed…

Fizik have no signs of resting as they continue to improve and expand their range of equipment. Recently, they have created series to categorise their equipment. Gravita for gravity, Terra as all-terrain, Tempo for most road gear and then Vento – the range devoted to racing, be it on road or off. The new Vento Ferox Carbon is a race shoe for cross-country, gravel and cyclocross use, and it pulls features from a couple of Fizik shoes I have used in the past, with a few nice updates as well. A CLOSER LOOK The Vento Ferox Carbon pairs a synthetic upper to a stiff carbon midsole with moulded rubber lugs and instep. The outsole tread is quite open and aggressive, and there’s room for toe spikes to suit cyclocross racers.…

Nose wheelies are on the more advanced end of the skills spectrum but are a great skill to learn as it promotes great brake control and awareness of your front wheel balance point. I should note that this is more of a traditional nose wheelie where you are using the brakes the whole time to maintain your balance – not a nose “manual” which is done without brakes and very few people on this planet can pull off! While it’s not a hugely practical skill on the trail, it does help with knowing just how much you can front brake down really steep stuff, pulling off a nose wheelie turn if you ever need to or most importantly, looking awesome when you are the last to show up to go…

So through this column I frequently offer tidbits and advice about how best to train to increase your fitness. Whether it be about managing your training load, incorporating training into your life, specific efforts to make you faster uphill or produce more watts for a powerful gravity event, I always focus on the things to make you better, because that’s what you want, right? There is a flipside to this coin, the things that many people do that could mute or reduce the efficacy of your training and racing. While none of these tips are groundbreaking, it’s good to have a refresher and take a look at setting yourself up for success by limiting things you’re doing that can damage or reduce your progress. 1. GO PRETTY HARD EVERY DAY…

In 2014, the Southern Hemisphere received its first IMBA accredited Epic trail with the opening of the Buller Epic Trail. It met the coveted standards of 80% singletrack and a minimum length of 32km traversing wild and natural terrain. Other members of this elite club include Old Ghost Road in New Zealand and the famous Alps Epic in Switzerland. Since Buller, Australia had yet to see another attempt at an Epic trail despite the enormous size of our continent and growing mountain bike infrastructure. Until now. The Indigo Shire Council, nestled in the High Country of Victoria, is close to completing Australia’s second IMBA accredited Epic Trail. Construction began in 2021 and is set to finish near the end of summer 2022/2023. The trail will connect the historic towns of…

If blue skies, flowing singletrack, red dirt and warm days sounds like exactly what you need this August, then you have to take a closer look at The Redback. This popular 4-day mountain bike event in Alice Springs is not just an ideal winter warmer, but a rocking few days riding in central Australia as well. The event runs from 18-21 August. Alice is surrounded by mountain bike trails, and the proximity to town means you’re always just a short roll from your hotel to the trail head – and that’s something that makes a trip out to The Redback such a low-stress affair. With Rapid Ascent’s professional event organisation, you’ve got very little to think about save for turning up for event starts and bringing a bike that works.…

We all heard the rumours and they ended up true – Crankworx is coming to Cairns! The world famous mountain bike festival and competition heads to the tropics between October 5-9, and you can expect the best riders from around Australia and the world to be on the red dirt showcasing their talent. But away from the big names and big moves, Crankworx still delivers all the great events and activities that makes it such a good festival of mountain biking. From the event expo, through to the Kidsworx events for groms and of course events for amateurs – there’s lots on. Head to the website for more details – this is another great reason to visit Tropical North Queensland and explore the huge playground between the reef and rainforest.…

In the last few years there’s been a significant increase in Australian apparel brands. Rubber Side Down is one of these companies. Founded by Monica Jones and Paul Barker in February last year, this Adelaide based brand offers a range of products, including some made in Australia. I spoke to Paul and Monica to learn more about what motivated them to begin Rubber Side Down, the journey so far, and what’s next. AMB: What are your backgrounds and what motivated you to start Rubber Side Down? Monica: I got back into riding about 7 or 8 years ago after a solid break. Experiencing the market and seeing the gaps sparked an interest in what we could do. I’ve had a few businesses over the years involving manufacturing, sourcing, and importation,…

Pearl iZUMi has recently burst into the mountain bike scene with refreshingly minimalist designs and an eco-conscious agenda. The Colarado-based brand has its historic roots in Japan where it began with high-performance road cycling apparel. In the current mountain biking market, Pearl iZUMi are contending with loud and established moto brands. So they’ve decided to distinguish themselves by providing a down-tempo aesthetic for riders wanting to perform – without being noticed. Much of Pearl iZUMi’s new product line could easily transition from trail to pub; this should successfully tap into a growing demographic of ‘lifestyle’ riders who tackle daily adventures, but don’t identify as your typical, rowdy dirt -surfer. MATERIALS AND CUT Like a growing number of Pearl iZUMi’s products, the Summit Women’s jersey is made of 100% recycled materials.…

For close to two years the Pirelli Scorpion range of tyres has been a staple on our test bikes and wheel sets with their predictability, quality casings and tread durability a standout. With Cross Country Lite ProWall, Trail ProWall, Enduro HardWall and E-MTB HyperWall casings riders can easily choose a casing to fit their riding preference followed by a tread pattern appropriate for the terrain and conditions they ride. Pirelli offer a Rear specific tread pattern with slightly more robust casing along with Scorpion S (Soft Terrain), Scorpion M (Mixed Terrain) and a Scorpion H (Hard Terrain). With tread design experience from 150 years of motorsport, the simplified approach makes choice a breeze but did potentially leave a gap in the gravity space particularly around the Soft and Mixed terrain…

There are many tools that can be used for or are built specifically for trail building; rakes, pruning saws, McCleod’s - the list goes on. Volunteer trail gurus the Kowalski Brothers once gifted us a list containing their favourite and most treasured trail tools of all time, which when loaded into a wheel barrow or carried by the brothers themselves could be ferried to the trail with relative ease. As brilliant as all these tools are, they have long handles. Let’s say you need to take the tools further, need to take two or three tools, navigate steep terrain or you just need to quickly make some adjustments to an alignment or dig out some drainage? A trail tool that has a segmented handle allows for a trail tool system…

Travel is becoming a regular part of our lives again and so are destination races and mountain bike trips. Travelling to ride or race requires careful planning as it brings a range of challenges for athletes. Try these tips for managing nutrition whilst on the road to maximise success on the bike and minimise fuss. All the training is done. The race nutrition plan is dialled in. The bike is serviced, and the kit laid out. But on arrival at race base, there are no decent food options, and the bed is awful. Come race day lethargy has well and truly kicked in and performance is less than optimal, despite all the hard work. This story is all too common when travel for races is thrown in the performance mix.…