Innholdsfortegnelse for August - September - October 2017 i Mountain Biking Australia

Eagle GX When SRAM launched their Eagle 1X12, they pretty much silenced anyone who said that 1X drivetrains don’t offer a wide enough gear range. The main issue lay with the price. With the release of Eagle GX, SRAM extends the same features down to a far more attainable price-point. It shares the same 12-speed 10-50 gear range, just with cheaper materials and simplified manufacturing techniques. Where an Eagle X01 cassette costs around $600, the GX equivalent will be $319. The derailleur is $179 versus $300 for X01. Buy it piece by piece and you’ll spend $850 for the whole GX group—that's less than half the price of Eagle X01. GX will also be offered in a complete groupset package for $799. It’s certainly going to make 1X12 a whole…

The turns were tighter than Michael Phelps’ budgie smugglers, the trail was pinned to a densely wooded slope and the drop off to the side was steeper than the post Brexit fall of the British Pound. Yes, I admit it; I was freaked and I did falter a few times. Naturally this was put that down to the unfamiliar rental bike that I was riding, even though it was a million technical miles ahead of my regular hardtail. It had been a long time since I’d willingly ridden anything quite so steep. I say willingly as usually I find myself committed blindly to such descents, without prior knowledge of what lay ahead—something that usually makes it a little easier on the nerves. We were just inland from the craggy Basque…

German brand SQ Lab might not be a big name in Australia but they’ve been making saddles (amongst other things) for over a decade. SQ Lab was one of the first brands to recommend measuring sitbone width to help determine the ideal saddle for your riding position and have always believed in perineal relief for their saddles. A number of their saddles have recently been given another new technology; the shell of their ‘active’ saddles is not fixed rigidly to the rails. Instead they use an elastomer system that allows the shell to rock sideways as you pedal. This movement follows the natural anatomical movement of your hips whilst pedalling; in theory it takes pressure away from both the hips and lower back. More sound Teutonic science, or simply a…

A doctor from Switzerland, a nutritionist from Japan, a counter terrorism expert from Cairns, a town planner from Copenhagen, a corporate lawyer from Belgium, a dog kennel operator from Oregon, a builder, a boilermaker and a candlestick maker… Okay, I made that last one up. Such a diverse bunch but all linked by one common interest; a desire to ride some of the best trails the South Island of New Zealand could serve up. And to do so, all had signed up with NZ based operator Haka Tours on their seven-day South Island Dirt Seeker—a trip that would take us from Christchurch to Queenstown. The previous year I’d flogged myself in the inaugural Pioneer seven-day stage race; an event that travelled between the same two spots. Now it was time…

In the MTB world, we’re used to seeing manufacturers updating, swapping and changing frame designs on an annual basis, but that’s certainly not the case with the Firebird. We last tested this long travel Pivot back in 2009, and right up until 2015 the bike had barely changed. Towards the end of its lifespan, Pivot converted the bike to run 27.5 wheels but that was just a running change on the same basic platform because the 26-inch ‘Bird’ just happened to clear the slightly bigger wheels. Now the bike has been fully brought up to speed with modern standards and current thinking in frame design. Catching up on six years worth of updates in one hit means the new Firebird is a radically different beast—it really highlights how much things…

Think of Polygon and I think of bikes that represent amazing value for money, at least in regards to the spec that you get at a given price-point. To achieve this, they follow an online sales model via the Bicycles Online site—order a Polygon and it'll land on your doorstep a day or two later. Not being able to sit on a bike before buying certainly presents a hurdle for some, however Bicycles Online has a number of strategies aimed at mitigating these concerns. First up, they offer a customer service line where you can discuss any buying quandaries. They also use live chat via their website and have staff on hand to promptly answer email queries. In lieu of the typical car park test ride, Bicycles Online offers a…

CRANK BROTHERS MALLET There have been some big changes at Crank Brothers in recent years and it’s really starting to show through in their products—read our review on the latest Candy pedal to find out more (page 36). While the Candy is a good compact trail pedal, some prefer to have a larger platform for riding unclipped and just to have a larger target to land on if your riding gets a little ragged from time to time. That’s where the Mallet series comes in. The Mallet E incorporates all of the features that we highlighted on the Candy, including the replaceable ‘traction pads’ to compensate for differing shoe tread depths. They have a much larger pedal body with six adjustable/replaceable pins on each platform. You can also choose between…

Their first product may have been a tyre lever but anyone who’s been around the MTB game for a while will know Crank Brothers for their pedals, and it all kicked off in 2001 with the Egg Beater. The four-sided retention mechanism made it truly unique and the Egg Beater really has stood the test of time. The simple four-sided mechanism now features on everything from entry-level commuter-style pedals through to World Cup winning DH pedals—even the skeleton like form of the Egg Beater remains for XC racers who are chasing the lightest possible setup (as light as 179g for a pair). It’s a long and impressive lineage but Crank Brothers has encountered more than a few hurdles along the way. Most of these hurdles have been self-inflicted too, with…

As far as tubeless tyre inserts go, the Huck Norris system is about as simple as it gets. They look like a strip of camping matt foam that has been cut into a fancy shape. My initial reaction was ‘wow, that’s a great idea if it works; I might try making my own.’ After looking at the real thing, I realised that it certainly isn’t camping mat foam; it is comparatively dense and firm. In any case, I decided to give them a go. At $55 each or $99 a pair, they sound expensive for a strip of foam but it’s half the price of other products offering a similar solution. So what exactly is the problem these strips aim to solve? As we’ve mentioned many times before, the use…

Back in 1998 Cadel won World Cup XC series. Almost a decade later he took out the season-long UCI Pro Tour—no other rider has ever come anywhere close to achieving such a thing. Throw in a few a couple more MTB World Cup victories, a huge Tour de France win, the 2009 World Road Championships title and Cadel stacks up as one of the most accomplished and versatile riders of all time. At the end of 2015 he called time on his lengthy career, but this year he rolled out into the South African bush alongside his former road racing teammate George Hincapie to take part in, and ultimately win, the masters category in the Cape Epic. As the dust settled we chatted to him about his experience and a…

Scott’s Spark was one of the first truly race-ready cross-country dual suspension bikes on the MTB scene. Its combination of light weight and efficient pedalling (thanks to a remotely activated travel adjust and lockout) helped to usher in the modern era of fully suspended XC race bikes. The Spark family has grown and matured over the last decade. Instead of having a single race-focused model, we’ve now got the Spark RC for the hardcore lycra bandits, the regular Spark for XC-type trails and the Spark Plus for more aggressive technical trail riders. Our 720 test bike is from the last category and as you’ve no doubt guessed, it uses a fatter 27.5 plus wheel and tyre combo. Like the standard Spark, it retains the standard 120mm of rear travel but…

Dezzy Brunt Love the greenery in our winning photo. Dezzy Brunt snapped this great shot of his mate Joel Poole riding his favourite trail in the Gippsland region of Victoria. Nice lenswork Dezzy! Keir McIlmoyle Keir 'The Flying Haggis' McIlmoyle returned home to Scotland for Christmas and went for a few chilly winter rides—this one comes from the Innerleithen trail. Tim Wesley About to head down High Voltage at Falls Creek in Victoria— Tim looks suitably excited! Liam Gaudio Getting a little creative here. Liam is an Adelaide local and took this shot whilst riding high above the mist on the Fox Creek trails. Clonny Hogan Ten year old Jak Hogan completed the entire Epic trail at Mt Buller; that's one hell of a challenging pedal for a young tacker.…

Adelaide has been steadily chipping out its place in the global cycling scene—it all started with the first Tour Down Under in 1999. The success of this road race, which joined the ranks of UCI ProTour in 2008, ensures that international attention is directed towards Adelaide at the start of each year. The fact that the race is held at the hottest time of the year is unfortunate but Adelaide is dry and averages 29 degrees in summer and 16 degrees in winter, making it better than most capital cities when it comes to year round riding. Every year thousands of cyclist come to watch this big road event (around 795,000 spectators in 2016) and we’re sure that more than a few wonder if there’s any mountain biking around. Well…

Think of the Tektro brand and you may well picture the V-brakes or cable discs that came on you’re very first MTB. That’s what Tektro is best known for; producing brakes that serve as a budget priced alternative to the ‘big brands’ and they’re certainly a popular choice for entry-level bikes. While that’s where we’re used to seeing the Tektro name, they also offer more upmarket brakes and have done so for some time; they fall under the TRP badge, which stands for Tektro Racing Products. For some time they’ve offered a range of high-end models, brakes with carbon lever blades, four piston callipers forged alloy master cylinders and other quality features. While models like the Slate and Quadiem certainly look the goods, they’ve flown largely under the radar. That…

Prior to being handed these shoes to test, I’d never heard of the FLR brand. Apparently the company was founded in Italy and their range covers everything from high end full carbon soled road shoes to touring kicks and a couple of MTB models. The Bushmaster is their affordably priced all-rounder, a shoe that’s made to blend pedalling efficiency with sure-footedness when walking. They sell for $149, which puts them at an appealing but increasingly competitive price-point. With their all-black finish and the absence of complex click-lock buckle closures, the Bushmasters have a low-key appearance that sits well for general trail riding and they won’t look silly in a casual setting—a good thing if your weekend pedal sometimes concludes with a pub lunch! While the uppers don’t feature heavily reinforced…

PIC'S: WWW.JOSEPHKELLY.COM Wheel building is often presented as an art; a creative pursuit that reflects on the hands of the builder. Wheelworks in New Zealand takes a different approach; one that’s shaped heavily by company founder Tristan Thomas. Now 35, Tristan grew up in Vancouver (Canada) but also spent time in the UK and France before settling in New Zealand in 2001. Despite living in NZ for over a decade, he still considers himself to be Canadian, and that’s where he got into mountain biking. He started riding when he was 12 years old. Modern freeriding was just kicking off; Tristan describes it as “The ‘huck to flat’ and ladder-bridge era.” “Thankfully some of that stuff has now gone away but the mark that it left on mountain biking is…

Some may scoff and there’s not a single peer reviewed research paper offering conclusive evidence that it helps, but I feel that foam rolling has a positive influence on recovery and think that it holds a worthwhile place in any mountain biker’s bag of tricks. Here’s why: • When used correctly, it can be a great tool for improving quality of movement. • After a ride it can be used to enhance recovery; both targeting regeneration of the local muscles and the nervous system. • Foam rolling can aid in reducing post exercise DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) by boosting blood flow to the affected muscles. • Foam rollers can be used to self massage, releasing specific muscle tightness or trigger points. Before you Begin That may sound good but…

Over the last five or so years the Giant Anthem has been almost constantly evolving. We’ve seen several iterations and wheel sizes; from a 26-inch wheeled, 90mm travel race bike to the 110mm 27.5 inch model we see today. Our test bike, however, has yet another trick up it’s sleeve; this is the ‘SX’ version with a longer 130mm travel fork and kit that’s designed for trail riding rather than out-and-out racing. The aluminium SX1 will make your wallet lighter by $4,499 and your scales heavier by 12.75kg (without pedals), which is very respectable given the beefed up parts spec. With all the emphasis on carbon these days, you could easily believe that an alloy frame would be heavy but the 2,750g Anthem frame certainly isn’t big-boned. Of course you…

Picture this; you’ve spent a few days riding in some far-flung and exotic location but now it’s time to fly home. You’ll need to run the gauntlet with Aussie customs, so your bike needs to be super clean but hotel has no bike wash facilities—not even a hose out the back that you can use. A waterless bike wash is just the ticket—with a little care you could even do it in your hotel room. It may also be helpful if you live in an apartment and it certainly offers benefits over hitting your bike with high-pressure water. Spraying your bike with water can punish the bearings and seals, so taking the minimal-water approach is a good way to tackle all but the muddiest bike cleaning efforts. 1. It may…

An absolute beauty. My eye was caught immediately. Sporty-looking but not too aggressive or hard. Decked out in the latest gear but without being too blingy. Sleek and sexy; I had to edge closer and get acquainted. You thought I was talking about a bike, right? No, this was an actual human. One I didn’t know but knew I had to get to know. The year was 1997 and I found myself sitting next to her at a friend’s birthday dinner. We got to chatting; we got along. As the party was ending, she told me that she was going mountain biking the next weekend, and asked me if I’d like to join her. “Mountain biking?” I said, “I love mountain biking!”. “Great”, she said, “see you next weekend.” The…