Innholdsfortegnelse for August - September - October 2 i Mountain Biking Australia

The European market may still favour the triple ring drivetrain – and I would too if faced with climbing the Alps – but many Aussie mountain bikers are choosing to run a single chainring up front. Eliminating the front derailleur creates a simpler, lighter and cleaner looking bike whilst leaving more free space on the handlebars for dropper post remotes and other gadgets. That’s all well and good, but you still need an appropriately wide spread of gears for your trails. Last year Shimano launched their first wide range 1X drivetrain as an option within the XTR group, delivering an 11-40 gear spread from the 11-speed cassette. Whilst this was an improvement over the stock 11-36 range of a 10-speed cassette, it favoured close-step gear ratios over all-out gearing range—a…

It’s taken a long time, but MTB helmet design is finally catching up with riding styles and bike design. Most of us don’t fit neatly into the boxes of XC racer or downhill enthusiast—we sit somewhere in that broad middle ground. We’ve seen the advent of ‘trail’ helmets in the last few seasons; open face helmets with a bit more coverage than a traditional racer’s lid, but until recently there was nothing like a de-tuned full face helmet; something that still protects your chin but with better ventilation and less weight than a classic DH helmet. That’s all changed with MET releasing a new version of their Parachute model, and Bell stepping up to the plate with the Super 2R. So we put them head-to-head (boom-tish!) to find out how…

www.ftptraining.com With so many endurance MTB races being held across Australia nearly every week, from 50km half marathons to a multi-day stage races and everything in between, it has never been easier to get involved in this style of racing. Of course there are many things that need be considered when planning for an endurance event, so here we will answer some of the questions that you may have. With a bit of guidance there’s no reason why you shouldn’t push the button on entering your first 50km marathon or stage race! With work and life commitments demanding more and more from us, it might seem impossible to train and prepare for an endurance event. However, with a little structure and planning, a great level of fitness can be achieved…

As mountain bikers, we love to obsess over our bikes. For some it could be a fixation on suspension performance while others may count the grams to make their XC rig as light as possible. Helmets however are often taken for granted—until you really need it in a crash that is. While buying a new helmet mightn’t seem as exciting as purchasing some carbon trinket, a lot of technology and testing goes into the creation of each and every helmet. Giovanni Caporali and Eric Cendral from Limar know all about the behind the scenes side of helmet development. Limar was one of the first brands to employ expanded polystyrene (EPS) in bicycle helmets. Giovanni is their managing director and has been involved in helmet design and manufacture since 1988. While…

Although not a household name in Australia, Spanish brand Orbea have a long and illustrious history in the world of road cycling as well as XC racing. They supplied bikes to Julien Absalon for five of his winningest years, and currently sponsor Elite athletes like Catharine Pendrel, amongst others. In Orbea’s own words the Occam 29 is, “Perfectly suited for trails and long distance XC riding.” It offers 105mm of travel at the back mated to a 120mm fork (a 140mm fork is optional). With three alloy and three carbon models to choose from, prices range from $3,399 up to a whopping $12,599. It’s a broad price spread but there’s no true ‘entry level’ model, but then Orbea pegs themselves as a premium brand, so budget-conscious shoppers are likely to…

It’s a relatively common tale of woe; “I took my fork in to be serviced as it was making a funny noise, now the shop wants to charge me $700 for the repair and it was only two years old!” Unfortunately many are unaware of the maintenance needs—it's only discovered when it is too late. Every brand will offer a recommended service schedule. Check the manufacturer’s website for the specifics as it will vary from one brand to the next and each model can have differing requirements. We’re using a 2013 Fox Float with the FIT cartridge but even if you don’t have this fork, it should provide some idea of what’s involved. With this fork Fox recommends that you replace the oil in the lowers after 30 hours of…

ADAPTABLE AIR CO2 cartridges will get you back on the trail fast after a puncture – a great option if you’re racing – but you can get stuck if you puncture more than once and run out of gas canisters. That’s where the BBB CO2Blaster comes in handy. It performs as a regular pump but also acts as a CO2 when required. The pump itself inflates up to 115psi (claimed) with either presta or schrader valves and features a handy locking handle that prevents the pump opening up when you’re riding. While it’s supplied with a 16g threaded cartridge, it will also accept 25g threaded cartridges—the bigger ones are definitely the go for fatter MTB tyres. This multipurpose pump sells for $60. Bike Sportz www.bikesportz.com.au Winter is well and truly…

Around a year ago now, RockShox introduced the Debonair air sleeve for their Monarch line of rear shocks. It features a significantly larger negative spring, as evidenced by the bigger bulge at the shaft end of the air canister. Although many new bikes equipped with Rock Shox suspension are coming with this as standard, you can also retrofit a Debonair sleeve to a 2014 or 2015 Monarch or Monarch Plus shock, and it’ll cost you about $100 to do so. In the grand scheme of suspension upgrades that’s not a lot of cash, but does inexpensive still mean good value? Before going into details, let’s just quickly recount what a negative spring is and why you might want a bigger one. Taking the damping circuits out of the equation for…

It was looking grim; we weren’t going to make it. We were in Tassie for a family reunion and I’d slipped the mountain bikes into the luggage on the proviso that I’d actually get to all of the pre-arranged family engagements. Racing back to Launceston, I’d entered our hotel details into Google and we were just 6km away; time to wipe the mud off and get changed before a genial dinner with the in-laws. “You’ve punched in the wrong location!” Bangers, my faithful singletrack buddy (and wife) roared as she gunned the engine. It was hard to argue with her. We were less than 6km from the CBD and all I could see was rolling hills and the odd cow. Rounding another hill with 5km to go and all of…

Back in 2007/08 when Chris Cocalis launched the Pivot brand, the Mach 4 was their key model and it remained in the line-up until 2014. Sure it received some updates along the way but up until last year it still sported 26-inch wheels, an alloy frame and 100mm of travel from the DW-Link suspension. As an XC bike with 26-inch wheels, its popularity took a serious dive later in its career but now Pivot has injected new life into the Mach 4. The new Mach 4 features a carbon frame, 27.5-inch wheels and the travel has also grown with 115mm at the rear end, making it more of a Mach 4.5. While the travel is up, the bike is still pitched at the cross-country market with an emphasis on keeping…

The only thing that is constant is change. Mountain bikers in 2015 know this as well as anyone; we could still be happily rolling around on 26 inch wheels but 29ers came along, and now we have 27.5 and fatbikes as well as ‘plus’ sized tyres and so on. Sure, it took years for 29 to usurp the 26 inch wheel, but almost overnight 27.5 wheels have come charging through the berm and they seem to be accelerating towards the exit with vengeful ease. Avanti has heavily backed 27.5 wheels and currently the Competitor hardtail line is the only 29er in their performance MTB lineup—even the just released Competitor S dually rolls on 27.5 wheels. The Competitor hardtail range includes three 29er hardtails; the C1 ($2,400) and C2 ($3,600) both…

RICK & KERMIT While our other Readers’ Rides entry is heav y on the drool factor, we decided to give the prize to Rick. His Norco Fluid 9.1 may look relatively stock but it has a few well-considered modifications that have tuned the ride and make it far more capable in rougher technical terrain. First off, the standard 120mm fork was replaced with a 140mm travel RockShox Revelation RCT3. Aside from improving control due to the added travel, it has also slackened the head angle by around a degree. Now with a 68-degree head angle, the Fluid is a lit tle more stable on steeper descents and at speed. Also helping to add confidence when gravity calls, the standard 160mm disc rotors were swapped for 180mm Shimano Icetech units. Rick…

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WHEEL SIZE DILEMMAS I’m in Brisbane and have been shopping around for a new mountain bike. I’m thinking I will get a 29er dually but I’m hearing a lot of stuff from sales people that sounds like ‘BS’. They tell me that 29ers are better up hills but don’t accelerate as fast, then they say that 29ers have more surface contact with the terrain—this part in particular is first class BS. I ride GT at the moment and have been really happy with it. Is there any truth to what I’m being told? Adam Smith To keep it simple, let’s call it big wheels versus little. In the big camp are the 29ers while we tend to lump 26 and 27.5-inch together—they are very close in size and possess a…

I t was a clear cut case of nerves and unfamilia rity, compounded by my voluntary subscription to the ‘Self Preservation Society’. Whatever my excuse, I was floundering and I just couldn’t make it down this semi-vertical rock strewn bit of singletrack. I’d been exploring the trails of Livigno for a few days now but this was something entirely different. We’d left the main valley and were heading into a remote part of the Alta Rezia region, a short drive out of Livigno and just over the mountain from the famous Gavia Pass in the northernmost part of the Italian Alps—I was primed for real old-school MTB adventure. And who better for company than an absolute legend of old-school mountain bi king: Mr Hans Rey. For those too young to…

With a longstanding history in road cycling Catlike is renowned for creating distinctive helmets with outlandish styling—take a look at their Whisper helmet, for example. The Spanish brand is well known in road circles and a common sight in the European pro peloton, but they also have a full range of off-road models. We checked out the Leaf, which is pitched as their trail/all-mountain model—a very popular part of the market. It sells for $140, again a very competitive point where it will go head to head with models from better known brands such as Fox and Giro. Like its competitors the Leaf uses EPS foam moulded construction which is protected by a micro-shell on the outside. First impressions were good and the finish was as good or better than…

I can still remember when WTB released their Rocket saddle in the mid ’90s. It cut a distinctive profile and clearly wasn’t just another rehashed road model. The nose of the Rocket was wider than most road saddles with extra padding. This made it more forgiving on those super-steep climbs that force you to ride the front of the saddle to keep the front wheel grounded. It was also hooked, making it less likely to snag your shorts when moving around on the bike. The Rocket remains within their line and now the Volt splits the difference between the old school marque and the newer and more ‘racy’ Silverado. The Volt clearly echoes the curves of the older design whilst introducing a more sporty edge. For 2015 WTB has also…

From mixing it with Sinatra in Hollywood to performing at the Olympic Games closing ceremony, Hans has pretty much done it all. Despite the fame he comes across as a humble, intelligent and artistic man, with a great deal of integrity and passion bundled in. Some may find it hard to believe but Hans Rey is set to turn 50 soon, but he’s still doing his thing and still in the limelight—something few extreme athletes attest to at this stage of life. Where did it all begin? “I was born and raised in Germany and there was a motorcycle trials club where I lived in Emmendingen in the Black Forest. We just wanted to imitate them but were too young to ride motorcycles, so we started riding trials— bicycle trials…

The last time I reviewed a Norco Sight was around three years ago; it was just before Norco switched from 26 inch wheels to the current 27.5 ‘standard’. That bike signalled a turning point for Norco; it was one of the very best trail/all-mountain bikes on the market at the time, and the best bike to come from Norco for many years. Since then the Sight range has steadily evolved and there are currently five bikes in the series. Ranging in price from $2,699 up to $7,299, they all offer 140mm of travel with 27.5 inch wheels. The top three are made from the magic black plastic while the lower two sport full aluminium frames. Our alloy Sight A 7.1 retails for around $3,699 and the large alloy frame hit…

When it comes to improving your skillset on the bike, most think of learning a trick or a particular move; doing a bunny hop or a wheelie for example. While that’s undoubtedly the end goal, sometimes it’s better to break these skills down into the most basic elements. In this case we want to get you moving on the bike. Many people tend to get stuck in one spot, moving with the bike as they travel down the trail. Adopting independent movement lets your bike follow the trail while you float along smoothly above. The same concept can also assist with cornering technique, and that’s what we’re focusing on here. Leaning with the bike through a turn works well on a road bike where you’re dealing with a consistent high…

DARREN MCCALLUM Darren McCallum snapped this big-air action shot of his mate AJ Spath at the You Yangs in Victoria. A J was riding a Giant Reign demo bike. Sure looks like he’s getting the hang of it Darren—that’s a decent gap to be taking on an unfamiliar rig! MARK JOY Mark Joy sent in this cheeky photo to make us jealous. Here’s his explanation: “Could well have been the best Monday morning of my 53 year life. Rode the local Toowoomba trails from daylight on my 2009 Yeti AS-R. It was cool but not cold with enough moisture in the soil to rail the off-camber turns, then I was home by 9:00 for a fry up breakfast. “Traditionally your photo comp features actual bikes and people riding but I’m…