australian mountain bike - december 2014

THE RISE OF DAN

MACMUNN

A u s t r A l i A n M o u n t A i n B i k e

XTR YETI SB5 C ZERMATT

HIMALAYAS CROC TROPHY

AMB ISSUE #145

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Remedy | Tracy Moseley | Tweed Val ley, Scot land | t rekbikes .com/remedy


ITS TIME TO RIDE SOMETHING BETTER

Something proven through Enduro World Series wins.

Something with RE:aktiv suspension, designed by

the best F1 engineers, or Boost148, for a better 29er.

The all-new Remedy. Your choice- playful 27.5” or

confident 29”.


4 - AMB

Mt Buller will host the first round of the RochShox Enduro Challenge Powered by SRAM on 1st February. Jerome Clementz has announced he will be racing at Buller, as he prepares for his attack on the 2015 EWS, which this year starts in Rotorua. Five descending stages are planned for the races at Buller and Toowoomba, linked with un-timed transition stages.

More northern hemisphere racers are set to be announced, but if you want to race with or watch the world’s best compete on some of Australia’s greatest terrain, come along to Mt Buller on 1st February, or out to Toowoomba on March 8th.

There will be over $10 000 in prizes from SRAM and RockShox, plus $5000 cash on the line.

Full event details are on emsaustralia.net.au

PumPedPumPedRider : Jerome ClementzPhotographer : Jérémie Reullier


www.ambmag.com.au - 5


6 - AMB

Mark 'Tupac' Tupalski leads a strong field aboard his new Torq team-issue Merida at the 10th Camelbak Highland Fling. Photo: Gilbert Romane



FAST TRACKEditorial – 9News – 10Letters – 17Subscriptions – 18Calendar – 20MTBA Update – 23X – Factor – 25 FEATURES26 – XTR goES To 11

Shimano launched their latest group set in the picturesque Margaret River area – XTR mechanical vs XTR Di2, how do you choose?

30 – MACMUnn InTERvIEw

Dan MacMunn was pretty quick to adapt to enduro racing – and found the challenges of racing the Enduro World Series pushed his riding to another level.

36 – ThE EvolUTIon oF ThE CRoCodIlE TRophy

The Croc Trophy just celebrated it’s 20th year, and the best edition yet, taking in amazing trails in Tropical North Queensland.

44 – BElow ZERo

The Himalayas have long drawn adventurers from around the world – but to ride over frozen rivers in winter?

48 – ThE hIgh lIFE

European mountain huts share little with those in the Australian high country, but still offer doorstep access to some of the best mountain biking terrain.

54 – hAUS pRoUd In AUSTRIA

KTM do more than motorbikes, and we visited Austria to learn how hard they are working to keep their brand at home. ThE hUBBackpack Buyers Guide – 60Product Evaluations – 62

TESTEd

Yeti SB5c – 72GT Zaskar Carbon 9r Elite – 76Trek Slash 8 – 80Lapierre Zesty AM – 84 long TERM Whyte M 109 C – 89

plACES ThAT RoCKOld Man’s Valley, NSW – 90

SKIllSManualling at Speed with Jared Rando – 92Mastering the Wheelie Hop with Aiden Lefmann – 94New Products – 96Nutrition – 98Fitness – 102Workshop – 104Bike Checks – 109Outback and Beyond - 113

CONTENTSdECEMBER JAnUARy - ISSUE #145


Baggies, bibs, clipped in or flat.

There’s no trail judge here. No switchback jury.

A whoop, a scream, a yeeharr?

It’s your joy, at your volume.

Expressed in the now.

Get rowdy, get after it, get brave or get strong.

It doesn’t matter why—it just matters that you do.

YOUR RID E . YOUR RULES.

Why, how, and where you ride—that’s personal. That’s why we focus on designing everything you’ll need to ride your way, for whatever reason.

No matter if you’re just starting out or a seasoned rider, we make bikes

and equipment for women who write their own rules.

SPECIALIZED.COM

HANG TIME


Editorial EnquiriEs� [email protected]� Mike�Blewittart dirEctor� �Robert�Conroy�Wordsmiths Mike�Blewitt,�Imogen�Smith,�Robert�Conroy,�Adam�Macbeth,�Anna�Beck,�Aiden�Lefmann,�Jared�Rando,�Arran�Pearson,�Jenni�King,�Jodie�Willett,�Richie�Tyler,�Adam�Fernyhough,�Matt�Nauthe,�Zoe�Wilson,�Meg�Gilmer,�Claude�Balsiger

Photo Gurus�Robert�Conroy,�Tim�Bardsley-Smith,�Imogen�Smith,�Mike�Blewitt,�Russ�Baker,�Richie�Tyler,�Felix�Traenkner,�Aiden�Lefmann,�Lachlan�Ryan,�Jonathan�Renton,�Martin�Bissig,�Regina�Stanger,�Kenneth�Lorensten,�Michael�Kirkman,�Jérémie�Reuiller��advErtisinGnational advErtisinG manaGEr��Derek�Recio� [email protected]�� 02�9901�6141�� qldJames�Secher� [email protected]� 07�3245�5049hEad of sPort salEs� Hamish�Bayliss�advErtisinG traffic� Alison�BeggProduction manaGEr� Peter�Rymancirculation dirEctor� Carole�JonessubscriPtions� www.mymagazines.com.au��Toll�free�1300�361�146�or�+61�2�9901�6111Locked�Bag�3355,�St�Leonards�NSW�1590�

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chiEf ExEcutivE officEr�David�Gardiner�commErcial dirEctor�Bruce�Duncan�

amb (australian mountain bikE)�is�published�by�nextmedia�Pty�Ltd�ACN:�128�805�970,�Level�6,�Building�A,�207�Pacific�Highway,�St�Leonards,�NSW�2065�©�2013.�All�rights�reserved.�No�part�of�this�magazine�may�be�reproduced,�in�whole�or�in�part,�without�the�prior�permission�of�the�publisher.�Printed�by�Webstar�Sydney,�distributed�in�Australia�by�Network�Services.��ISSN�1328-6854.�The�publisher�will�not�accept�responsibility�or�any�liability�for�the�correctness�of�information�or�opinions�expressed�in�the�publication.��All�material�submitted�is�at�the�owner’s�risk�and,�while�every�care�will�be�taken�nextmedia�does�not�accept�liability�for�loss�or�damage.�� Privacy PolicyWe�value�the�integrity�of�your�personal�information.�If�you�provide�personal�information�through�your�participation�in�any�competitions,�surveys�or�offers�featured�in�this�issue�of�AMB,�this�will�be�used�to�provide�the�products�or�services�that�you�have�requested�and�to�improve�the�content�of�our�magazines.�Your�details�may�be�provided�to�third�parties�who�assist�us�in�this�purpose.�In�the�event�of�organisations�providing�prizes�or�offers�to�our�readers,�we�may�pass�your�details�on�to�them.�From�time�to�time,�we�may�use�the�information�you�provide�us�to�inform�you�of�other�products,�services�and�events�our�company�has�to�offer.�We�may�also�give�your�information�to�other�organisations�which�may�use�it�to�inform�you�about�their�products,�services�and�events,�unless�you�tell�us�not�to�do�so.�You�are�welcome�to�access�the�information�that�we�hold�about�you�by�getting�in�touch�with�our�privacy�officer,�who�can�be�contacted�at�nextmedia,�Locked�Bag�5555,�St�Leonards,�NSW�1590.

A summer holiday always comes after a crescendo. Standing aside and watching, it is clear that a lot of other Australians are working to a similar goal, climbing to the top of a peak, eager to get work completed and holidays booked so they can relax over the holiday break. Everyone reaches a point in early summer where they are ready to switch off, sit back, and unwind.

And it is the same here at AMB! The tail end of 2014 has been really busy, with continual news of new trail developments coming in, sweet new bikes arriving into Australia, and unique events being launched around the country. But as I am writing this, the smell of the finish line is close. We’re almost done for 2014, and 2015 is already a selection of destinations and fresh bikes to test lined up on the calendar.

We’re ready for some more time on our bikes over summer, and our Travel Issue that went on sale on November 24th should help give you some ideas for time away with your bike, family, friends,

both – or just a break for some soul searching by bike. It was one of the most enjoyable issues I have helped put together, and I really hope it inspires you to seek out some adventure some time soon.

This issue has insights from our writers about some of the newer products that have landed on our sandy shores, along with articles from three riding experiences that couldn’t be more varied – racing the Crocodile Trophy in Far North Queensland, breaking trail along frozen rivers in the Himalayas, or using the comfort of high alpine huts in Europe to make your altitude go further on your next MTB adventure.

Hopefully this issue will accompany you on your time away from the daily grind this summer holiday, and you can get plenty of time in on the bike and riding the great trails that twist through our country. Have a safe summer.

sWEEt summEr trails arE callinGWORDS : MIkE BlEWITT PHOTO : TBS


10 - AMB

AMB 100 RetuRns to Mt stRoMloDon’t miss out on a spectacular show of endurance when riders take to Stromlo Forest Park for the Australian Mountain Bike 100 Marathon on 8th February 2015.The AMB 100 Marathon features the longest racing circuit possible at Stromlo Forest Park. The giant race circuit is about 30km long and links together most of the trails at Stromlo. The 100km race is 3 laps; there are one and two-lap options as well as the 5 lap 100miler. Racing on the Stromlo World Cup trails, word among the endurance racing crowd has it that this event is one of the hardest marathon races in Australia.

This is a family-friendly event with kids races and activities. Yummy food, coffee and drinks will be available all day and the riders are treated to fresh fruit, energy drinks and snacks at the Euro-style feed zone in the event centre after each lap.

rockytrailentertainment.com/events/100-overview

The 4th Duo Classic will take place on January 31st, and the 50km pairs mountain bike race will again be held on the trails of Sparrow Hill and Kowen Forest. Different to other pairs racing, you race with your team mate the whole time. The idea is with your partner, not against them, and it’s a fun concept out on some great trails.

the hAiRy MARy 3hR

Mountain-bikers have long identified the divide in numbers between genders at events, and a few groups have even begun to take charge and do something about it. Cue Tri Adventure’s Jan Leverton, who had been interested in a women’s only mountain bike event to flow on from coaching Cycling Australia’s “She Rides” program, in order to give women starting out in the sport a goal to aim for. Along with Venture Cycles and Gravity MTB club, the ‘Hairy Mary 3hr Enduro’ was born and they found a suitable venue in the Victory Heights trails at Gympie, recently created by the Cooloola Trail Care Alliance.

How did it go? On October the 5th, over 70 women lined up either in a team of two or as a solo rider, to tackle as many laps as possible of the 6.2km course in three hours. Considering Gympie is a regional area, it was a great turnout with strong numbers from Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, as well as local Gympie riders. Despite the course being predominantly flowing singletrack with very little fire-road or elevation, at the pointy end of the field it proved a very tough day indeed with the mercury popping over 30-degrees. Brisbane’s Sol Breads-Cyclinic team rider Kylie Maduna took the win in just over 3hrs with 9-laps of the course, in what ended up being a tight race.

The most inspiring ‘win’ of the day, however, was watching the smiles of newer riders conquering their first race and enjoying the post-race banter and tale-telling that we all love.

the Dingo Duo A DRy AnD Dusty DAy

Here in Queensland, ‘The Flight Centre Active Travel Cycle Epic”, or Epic, is big news. It’s the largest mountain bike marathon in the state. The event also features a shorter, 50km option that follows the first part of the full Epic course. The only problem with this is that hardcore mountain bikers that want a singletrack fix but don’t wish to be out in the sun all day have missed out on the final, infinitely more awesome, trails that Hidden Vale Adventure park, or HVAP have to offer.

Enter the Dingo Duo, a race promising to take you through 37km of some of the best, and toughest, trails at HVAP. Initially presented as a duathlon (5km run, 37km bike, 5km run) the Duo spawned other events like the Dingo Howl XC (Just 37km of trails) and the Dingo Dash 5km fun run.

In its inaugural year the event delivered as promised, 37km of singletrack that could tickle anyone’s fancy, from smooth and flowing to rough and ready. The race, held on Oct 25th, was hot and steamy with South East QLD’s heat wave seeing temperatures in the mid-30’s.

Mountain Biker Chris Firman took out the Duo overall with Yoko Okuda-Thomsen taking the women’s Duo event. The ladies dominated the XC event, Jodie Willett taking the win overall, and Anna Beck in a sprint finish for second, eventually finishing second female and third overall.

FAR out in the FlinDeRsThe Flinders Ranges Outback Epic is one of the most remote races and arguably the longest point-to-point race in Australia. It follows the 205km Flinders Ranges by Bike sign posted tourist ride, either as the whole route, or 64km or 109km versions. 100 riders entered the 2nd edition and were happy for a day of 24 degrees and 15-30 kph tailwinds for the more exposed sections. The singletrack is minimal and the climbing on the low side, but the distance is huge, the scenery spectacular and the personal challenge massive.

The premier race is the 205km unsupported option, with only water available on course, everything else must be carried. Ollie Klein won for the second year running, and Jodie Willett won the women’s event – placing 4th overall at the same time. “The variety of the riding conditions and the rawness of the natural trails kept me alert, constantly adjusting to the conditions. This “grass roots” biking, with not a groomed trail to be seen, was a nice change” said Willett, post race.

Such a long event is a challenge for all involved, especially the organisers. It wasn’t just the logistics of distance but also liaising with various landowners that included the South Australian Government, sheep stations, private enterprise and the local Aboriginal Communities. This certainly is an iconic event to put in your bucket list! www.eventstrategies.com.au

FAst tRACK

The race is organised by Canberra Off Road Cyclists (CORC) and Bec Henderson. Further details are on www.duoclassic.com

tAKe youR MAte to the Duo ClAssiC

WORDS : AnnA BECK


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These bars are packed full of goodness. I love using quinoa flakes in my baking and breakfast recipes - they’re full of nutrients and are an easy replacement for oats. Quinoa is a great source of fibre and is a complete protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles. It also has magnesium, which helps relax your muscles and blood vessels and effects blood pressure. The nuts and seeds provide enough fat, protein and carbohydrate to keep you fuelled for long rides. I find these bars a filling breakfast on the go or a handy snack after training.

IngredIents

dry IngredIents 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds1/2 cup sunflower seeds1/4 cup sesame seeds2/3 cup almonds, chopped1 cup dried cranberries or raisins1 tsp ground cinnamon or ginger1 cup quinoa flakes (or oats)1 cup of puffed quinoa or puffed brown rice

Wet IngredIents 4 tablespoons of honey, rice malt or maple syrup.3 over ripe bananas, mashed

Method- Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. - Stir in wet ingredients to combine. - Spread mixture into a lined slice tin or baking tray and bake for 12min at 180 degreesC - Pull tray out and carefully score the mixture using a knife, into the bar size you want. - Bake for a further 15min or until the bars are browned on top. - Allow bars to cool completely before cutting, wrapping

Banana nut granola BarsWordS And IMAgeS: Meg gIllMer

THE HUBrEcipE Worldmags.netWorldmags.net

102 - AMB

HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY SET GOALS AND EVALUATE EFFORTSPROCESS GOALS It can be all good and well, having determined your outcome goal, to dream of your victory a year down the track; however your dream goal is unlikely to eventuate unless you plan out the path you need to take in order to get there. This is where your short-term or 'process goals' become very important. Process goals, over which the athlete has complete control, act as stepping stones toward achieving that long-term goal. As a coach, I make sure to set weekly and monthly process goals with my athletes that will help steer them in the direction of their outcome goals. For example, an athlete aiming to complete a 100km marathon event in sub 6hrs in 12 months’ time, may firstly look at completing a 50km ride over similar terrain in under 3hrs and then, a few months later, look at completing 75km in under 4.5hrs.

Words: JennI KIng @PedAlAB

When setting your Process goals, most sports psychologists recommend using the SMART guidelines*. The letters stand for:

SPecIFIc -goals should be clear and exact

MeAsurABle -goals should be measurable so that you can check and make sure you are on track

ATTAInABle -goals should be challenging but also realistic and within your capabilities

RelevAnT -goals should be relevant to the ultimate outcome goal you are striving toward

TIMe PhAsed -goals should be given a time period to be achieved by

here are a few examples of some process goals that fulfill the SMART guidelines:

- My goal is to consume at least 1 litre of energy drink per hour in this weekend’s 70km marathon race

- My goal is to increase my best power to weight for 1min from 7 watts per kg to 7.5 watts per kg by the end of this month

- My goal is to produce a personal best time up the local 6km hill climb by the end of this month.

If you take the time to check through the SMART guidelines, you will see that each of these goals are specific, Measurable, Attainable, relevant and Time Phased.

GOAL SETTING

- determine your long-term or outcome goal (generally for around 12 months’ time)

- determine your short-term or process goals (generally monthly) that will act as steeping stones toward your outcome goal

- Make sure to use the sMArT guidelines when setting goals evaluate regularly and reassess your goals Just as it is important to set up your long and short term goals, it is also recommended that you take the time to sit down and evaluate how you went with such goals. This way you will learn from any mistakes made and also confirm what worked well for you. You may think that you have

evaluated sufficiently just by thinking it through, but it is always better to write your thoughts down on paper as you will then process these thoughts more clearly and you can go back and read through at a later date.

It is quite normal that not all goals will be achieved. It may be necessary to work at things for a while longer or set up some different process goals in order to tackle the ultimate outcome goal from a different angle. There are so many different factors that could affect achievement of outcome goals and it is important to go through your performance step by step, making a list of things you think you did well and things you would like to work on in the future.

Most of us thrive on working toward goals. It is a fantastic feeling when all the planning and hard work pays off and you do achieve your

goal. however it is quite often the process of working toward these goals that gives us so much satisfaction in life; enjoy the journey!

*The S.M.A.R.T guidelines was first published by george T. doran in ‘There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives’ in november 1981 issue of Management review

goals are what keep us motivated. It would be very hard to make sacrifices in life or put in those extra hard-yards, if we didn’t have a firm goal to work towards. If you cannot see any point to the training then you are far less likely to do it! Why would you get out of bed an hour earlier or throw on an extra few layers and face the rainy weather, if you have no goal acting as incentive?

It is important to set both long and short term goals. A good starting point is to look first at longer term goals and then work backward to the more immediate or short-term goals. long-term goals are quite often referred to as ‘outcome goals’ and generally focus on the end result; such as placing in an event or achieving a certain time for a race.

For those young junior mountain bikers out there, long-term goals could in fact be a number of years away and could include aspirations of making a career out of the sport or representing their country at a World championship. For most readers, who are perhaps a little older and have family or work commitments, such goals would be unrealistic. Instead, long-term goals could include; knocking 20min off your best marathon distance time to go sub 5.5hrs or it could be that you simply want to get through a 100km marathon event. Whatever your outcome goals may be, make sure to write them down somewhere, so that they become a little more fixed in your head and you can be reminded from time to time as to why you put yourself through the hardships of training!


THE HUBFITNESS GOAL SETTINGWorldmags.netWorldmags.net

104 - AMB

1) Bushing wear identification

On the Left you will see a brand new unused DU bushing. On the right is a bushing that is just eight months old, and you may notice it has much of it’s inner PTFE coating worn off.

3) removing a worn du Bushing

Above you can see a worn DU bushing in the eyelet of this Fox Shock.

Using the bushing tool and a bench mounted vice, remove the old bushing by squarely driving it out into the tool’s receiving end. You can see how the tool ‘pushes’ the DU bush into the ‘receiving’ end of the tool without damaging the shock eyelet inner surfaces.

WOrDS AnD PicTUrES : AiDEn LEFFMAn

Replacing Shock BuShingS

can you feel any play or movement in the pivots or ‘rear end’ of your mountain bike? More than likely, if there is any movement in the rear end it will be caused by worn shock bushings and/or reducers. Often made from steel with a nylon/PTFE coating, the bushings inside the eyelets of your rear shock are designed to wear over time, but they are an easily replaceable part with the right tools and a little care. See our steps below that identify some of the common types of bushings and reducers, and how you can replace them to eliminate that annoying, and performance affecting play.

1 2

2) Bushing service tools

Bushing installation and removal Tools - Both Fox and rockShox sell these great ‘push and receive’ style bushing tools that can be used to properly remove the DU bushings from the shock eyelets. Fox’s tool mounts into a vise, and the rockShox tool can be used with either a vice or shop wrenches.

FoX RockShoX

3

3.1 3.2

3.3 3.4



4) Removing a woRn nylon flanged bushing

You can use a small flat headed screwdriver to carefully lever the nylon bush out from the eyelet OR, use a small punch to drive them out from the centre. Hold the shock steady and use caution to avoid slipping with the tool and damaging the shock’s damper body.

installation

For installation of the new DU, the procedure is the same, however you can reverse the ‘receiving’ end of the tool so that when you drive the new DU bushing into the eyelet, it will sit snug and flush with the other end. When properly installed, the DU bushing should not protrude outside the shock eyelet.

4.1 The new DU bushing properly installed.

4.2 New Nylon flanged bushings are installed. Nylon bushings can be pressed into the empty shock eyelet with a soft jaw vice.

important note - Do not use any form of grease, locking compound or lubricant in your shock’s eyelets or bushings. This will attract dirt and or contaminate the PTFE coating and dramatically reduce the life of the bushings.

woRKshoP

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106 - AMB

5) ReduceR and shock haRdwaRe weaR IdentIfIcatIon

Reducers - Left (new), Right (8 months old). While reducers will sometimes last many sets of DU bushings before they need to be replaced, it is important to check that they sit tight inside the DU bushings, especially when the bushings are new. If they press into a newly inserted DU bush with little to no effort or force - your reducers are likely to be worn and will need replacing. Also, if the centre hole through the reducers is showing any sign of wear or ovalisation - they will require replacement.

Aiden Lefmann (above right) is the owner-director at Cyclinic MTB Suspension Service in Brisbane. He has been racing bikes at an Elite level for over 16 years, teaching mountain bike skills, and has become the go to guru for Cannondale suspension service, and many other unique Cannondale spares. Aiden worked at Cannondale for several years and developed a strong passion for their suspension systems before becoming Australia’s only formally accredited independent Lefty/Headshok suspension technician.

6) ReduceR / shock haRdwaRe types

Here are the three common styles of mounting hardware found on the majority of mountain bikes.

From Left to right - 2 Piece alloy, 5 piece with Nylon flanged DU, 3 piece alloy. All three will come in several overall widths, and in varying inner thru axle diameters for your shock mounting bolts.

When you have replaced the bushings, press the shock mounting hardware back into the DU bush or nylon-flanged bush for installation back onto the bike. Follow this simple maintenance procedure and eradicate those annoying clunks or knocks from that rear end.

At Cyclinic, Aiden spends his days in the clinical, contaminant free suspension-dedicated workshop working on Cannondale, Fox and RockShox forks and rear shocks for dealers and consumers, tuning and servicing them to a high degree ensuring the customer is getting the most out of their suspension. A self confessed suspension nerd, Aiden is genuinely passionate about what he does and has indisputably raised the bar for service of your suspension components www.cyclinic.com.au

At AMB we’re excited to call on Aiden’s experience, along with his mechanic Shaun Hughes (above left), over the next six issues for our Workshop section.

WORKSHOP BIOnaMe : Aiden Lefmann shop : Cyclinic web : www.cyclinic.com.au

woRkshop

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5Worldmags.netWorldmags.net

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Register your interest or pre-book a test drive today.For more information visit subaru.com.au

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10 speed set up. And with a 10-24 spread on the cassette, shifting to an easier gear is far quicker and easier with bigger jumps between the cogs. As a racer how important is weight in a build? At the moment my Banshee weighs roughly 16 kilograms, but I tend not to be overly worried with my bike’s weight. I think it is good to have a light bike, but there comes a point (depending on the track) where I think you lose stability as a result of the bike being too light.

SRAM has a strong influence here with all but suspension, can you explain this?I have had SRAM drivetrains on my bike for a fair few years now and I’ve just stuck with it as it’s what I’m used to and because it has worked so well for me. My suspension is all FOX, again it is what I’m used to and I have found that my 40 Float copes well with no flexing at higher speeds.

Suspension is crucial for any rider, how do you set yours up? Do you change anything from race to race or ride to ride?Yeah suspension plays a pretty big part in racing. Depending on the track, I will change it to suit, whether it needs to be stiffer, slower etc. But generally I have my bike fairly stiff with relatively slow rebound. What do you like most about the Legend?Having a really low centre of gravity, the bike is super stable at speed and really has the ability to hug tight into nearly any corner you want it to. The fluoro colour scheme must draw some eyes?Yeah I get heaps of comments on the colour, it’s pretty bright but I don’t mind it standing out.

Is there anything you would change in the build?Not really no, the bike does what I want it to do, and beyond that.

Tim Black is a young up and coming NSW junior downhiller with a near perfect steed beneath his heels. A smaller rider his physique enables him to float over lines and thread the needle unlike any other rider. Here’s how he does it.

The Banshee Legend. Can you tell us a little about it?It is a complete downhill race bike with everything targeted at speed, with the lowest centre of gravity of any downhill bike mainly due to its unique shock positioning. It is a super stiff, strong and low maintenance frame. Canberra has a huge mix of trails - where does the Banshee excel? It really excels on faster, rougher tracks, because it’s so stable at high speeds, which you can get at a few tracks near Uriarra in the ACT. You will usually find me at Tuggerangong Pines, Mt Stromlo or rider favourite Blue Range. How does the Legend handle out on course, how does the geometry come into play?It all comes down to its shorter rear triangle and longer front. Banshee focused on optimising weight distribution to maximise traction and to increase confidence and it works. You must be one of very few consumers on the new SRAM 7 Speed downhill group. How long have you had it and how has it performed so far?

Yeah, I’ve had the group for about a month or two now, it performs super well.There’s hardly any chain slap compared to my

FRAME - 2013 Banshee Legend, Medium.FORK - Fox Factory 40 FLOAT FIT RC2 REAR SHOCK - Fox DH4 with Ti SpringHEADSET - FSA OrbitSHIFTERS - SRAM X01 7 Speed.REAR DERAILLEUR - SRAM X01 7 Speed.CRANK - Sram X01 DHBOTTOM BRACKET - SRAM GXPCHAIN - SRAM 11 speedCASSETTE - SRAM X01 7 Speed.HUBS - Hope Pro 2SPOKES - DT SWISS competition raceRIMS - MAVIC 721TYRES - F- Schwalbe Magic mary, R- Schwalbe Magic maryPEDALS - Shimano DXBRAKES - Sram Avid X0 TrailSTEM - Renthal Integra stemHANDLEBARS - TruVativ Stevie Smith BlackBox 780mmGRIPS- ODI/TroyLee SignatureSEATPOST- Thompson EliteSADDLE- SDG Ti Fly Kevlar.

SPECIFICATIONSTIM BLACK’S BANSHEE LEGENDWORDS & PHOTOS : ROBERT CONROY



FAST TRACK

DReAm BiKe WinneRThe very lucky winner of the AMB Dream Bike has been drawn, and Mr Alain Lapelerie of Western Australia will be receiving the Pivot Mach 6 with a full SRAM X01 build provided by JetBlack Products. Upfront, the Mach 6 will use MRP suspension forks thanks to CTN Imports.

The competition asked entrants to tell us what their ultimate day out on the bike would be. Mr Lapelerie explained:

“It would smell of damp forest, sound of humming tyres, taste of excitement, feel of perfect flow and appear a timeless blur.”

We hope he will have plenty of those days with his new Pivot Mach 6.

Australian mountain bikers with a penchant for marathon racing were spoilt for choice in 2014, with two separate marathon series vying to lure riders to challenge themselves against their mates, the clock, the nation’s best – or just the terrain.

After the Real Insurance XCM Series visited some of the best trails and races early in 2014, the Maverick Marathon Series combined four highly popular events, the Capital Punishment MTB, Giant Odyssey, Kowalski Classic – plus one of the oldest – the Camelbak Highland Fling, which celebrated its 10th birthday on November 9th, 2014.

After the suitably Highland conditions in 2013, 2014 served hot and dry conditions, and took racers on a newer version of the traditional Fling course – one that all agreed was harder than usual, noted by many having longer times than in other years.

The men’s elite race was animated by Chris Hamilton, Mark Tupalski, Andy Blair and 2013 winner Brendan Johnston, who were ahead of the field by Wingello. Late in the piece it was Tupalski and Johnston leading back to Bundanoon, and Johnston rode clear and took his second Fling win, and second Maverick Series race win. Tupalski was 2nd, Blair 3rd – and Shaun Lewis maintained his Series lead.

In the women’s race, eternal favourite Jenny Fay lead, until the duo of Rebecca Locke and Peta Mullens clawed her back. Fay suffered a race ending mechanical, and Mullens rode solo to win ahead of Locke, with Lucy Bechtel 3rd. This also brought Locke the Maverick Series win.

Full race results are on wildhorizons.com.auFull Maverick Series results via maverickseries.com.au

CAmelBAK HigHlAnD Fling WRApS up THe mAveRiCK SeRieS


February 21 - 22, 2015

2 Days, 4 StagesSolos and Teams

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While you may not recognise the name you most certainly would recognise the face. This tall gentleman is a regular of the Marathon/Enduro scene both in Australia and abroad. We caught up with him midway through this years EPIC Crocodile Trophy, here is what he had to say on his superb new rig.

Garry, we see you at just about every endurance race in Australia – what’s your secret to recovery?My motto is “have bike, will race”. I basically train with the same intensity all year as I do about 25 major races a year. I have no secret recovery methods, I just enjoy training so much that I never get burnt out or tired

You have recently switched to Specialized – is this your only bike?I have been with Specialized now for almost a year thanks to the guys and girls at Batemans Bay Cycles and Specialized Australia. I also have a new S Works Stumpjumper Hardtail which is mostly for training. Both bikes are insanely light and fast - it’s almost like cheating.

Did you get a BG Fit when moving to Specialized? Were there any big changes to make for your position?I honestly have not required a BG fit so far. I’m lucky enough that the large sizes fit me so well! I just get the tape measure out for the seatpost height and flip the stem to lower the front end a little. Then it’s time to hit the trails.

What changes did you make to your bike for the Crocodile Trophy?I made virtually no changes for the Crocodile Trophy as the bike has 2 bottle cages, and I had already removed the very light weight S Works tyres and replaced them with Specialized Ground Control 2.1” 2Bliss tyres, which are setup tubeless of course. I had no flats in 9 days of the Croc, and many riders had multiple flats. I did carry two tubes anyway. I run ESI grips on all my bikes, so they were on before I left the shop – and I always run gripshift. The S Works handled all the Croc could throw at it.

Do you ever change chain ring size to suit different races?I don’t change my chain ring size ever really. I have run the 34t upfront all year including the Sudety MTB Challenge and Horal Tour in Europe this year. They were both extremely hilly, one stage having 3200 metres of climbing! But I found the 34 was still fine.

Specialized have a big range of tyres – what models do you normally use?I have used the Specialized Ground Control 2.1” 2bliss tyre with Stans sealant, as shown in these pictures, and have not had a flat in 25 races this year.

Suspension setup – do you run it as recommended or do you have a few personal tweaks?

FRAME- 2015 Specialized S Works Epic World Cup - LargeFORK- RockShox SID World Cup BrainSHIFTERS- SRAM XX1 Gripshift.REAR DERAILLEUR- SRAM XX1CRANK- S Works FACT Carbon 175mmCHAIN- SRAM 11 speedCASSETTE- SRAM XX1 10-42 11sp.WHEELS- Roval Control SL 29TYRES- 2.1 Specialized Ground Control 2Bliss PEDALS- Shimano XTRBRAKES- Magura MT8 w 180mm front rotorSTEM- Syntace F109HANDLEBARS- Specialized Carbon, 8 degree sweepGRIPS- ESI siliconeSEATPOST- S Works FACT Carbon, 20mm offsetSADDLE- Body Geometry Phenom Pro

GARRY JAMES’ SPECIALIzED EPICWordS & PHoToS : MIkE BlEWITT

The Specialized Brain fork and shock system is quite simple once you get used to it and it works very efficiently. I run about 110psi in the front with rebound not too fast. In the back I run the Brain fairly stiff, but still soft enough to get me through 8 hour races. I put about 160psi in the shock but I do play around with these settings a bit to suit different tracks.

The Epic seems to be the XCO and XCM race bike of choice – why do you think this is?The S Works Epic really is the perfect bike for marathons and stage racing due to its extremely low weight and ability to be run stiff or plush as the terrain requires. Also the Brain suspension system allows for hardtail like pedalling out of the seat and a great feel for the trails when driving hard in the seat.

SPECIFICATIONS



For me, the starting point is always how much time do I have? Time is what sets the boundaries for any prospective adventure – am I going away for a sneaky overnighter? Do I need to make sure I need to be home by 6pm to take out my partner for that that promised dinner? It sounds obvious but the first step in planning any adventure is

working out how long you’ve got to play – I have lost count of the number of trips I’ve done that have been less than successful because of a mismatch between what I planned to do and the time I had to do it in! The worst part is that being rushed for time means you make dumb decisions (hint, if that tempting shortcut was really quicker then it wouldn’t be a shortcut, it would simply be ‘the way’).

Once you’ve got the time part sorted then the easy bit is how you’re going to fill it! This usually starts with some sort of vague idea about what sort of riding I’d like to do – e.g. a weekend of mountain biking, heading out on the gravel bike, point to point sufferfest etc. By the end of the process you’ve usually arrived at a general overall plan something like ‘Lets go out on nice long gravel ride, leave Saturday morning, back by Sunday night’.

Now we’re at the good part, the route! The easy option is to head to one of the many bikepacking forums (http://www.bikepacking.net} or the Bikepacking Australia page on Facebook to name a couple). Generally a bit of searching or asking questions will find someone who is willing to point you in the right direction. A word of warning though… one person’s long day could be your weekender and then some! It pays to get a sense of who put the route together otherwise you could be in for quite a bit more than you bargained for.If you find yourself without a route to follow (or prefer to work it out for yourself) then it’s time to do things the old fashioned way… no not pouring over mouldy old maps, old fashioned - not ancient! I usually start with one of the various mapping tools – MapMyRide, Strava and RideWithGPS all have route planning functionality and start plotting points until I get to something that approximates what I want to do.

Once I have a basic idea of where I’m going then I start working through some of the logistics stuff like where I’m going to get water/food and sleep. Even if the basic plan is to head off and to see ‘what happens’ I usually like to have at least a basic idea about where I can get water – I usually carry a days worth of food but like to know that there are at least a couple of places a day that I can refill water.

Once you’ve done all of this then the only thing left is to ride. Well, almost. It’s often overlooked but have you asked yourself what’s plan B? Even if it’s only making sure that someone knows where you’re going, the route you’re taking and when you plan to be back.

Now, if you’ll excuse me I need to get back to spending time on google maps to work out some gravel riding in Malaysia.

SO yOu’vE READ A FEW ARTIcLES, SPOkEN TO A FEW MATES MAyBE EvEN GOT SOME GEAR TOGEThER BuT ThEN WhAT? ThIS hEADING OFF AND hAvING ADvENTuRES ON yOuR BIkE IS ALL WELL AND GOOD BuT WhERE DO yOu START? AS ThE DAy TO DAy REALITIES OF LIvING IN A DIFFERENT cOuNTRy AND BEING FAcED WITh A WhOLE NEW SET OF PLAcES TO GO BEGIN TO SINk IN I ThOuGhT IT WAS TIMELy TO hAvE A BIT OF A DIScuSSION ABOuT juST hOW yOu GO ABOuT PLANNING ThAT NExT TRIP.

YOU’VE GOT TO PLAN TO PLAY

OUTBACK & BEYOND

WORDS : ARRAN PEARSON PhOTOS : PhIL ROuTLEy


Don’t miss our next issue, out on 5th February 2015, just before the Subaru MTBA National Series XCO and AMB 100 marathon race at Mt Stromlo over the weekend of 7-8th of February.

- We put 5 trail bikes around $5k to the test in the Australian Alpine country.

- Our writers explore the new IMBA Epic Trail at Mt Buller. In our third Swiss installment we explore the ancient trails of Graubunden, in eastern Switzerland.

- The AMB Team profiles the best riding and best experiences in the NSW Snowy Mountains: Thredbo, Lake Crackenback, Bungarra, Tyrolean Village and more!

- We look at some of the latest riding shorts on the market, so you can choose the best for you. - Who should you be looking at next for big results on the Australian enduro scene?

Next Issue#146


FIND YOUR NE AREST DE ALER 130 0 938 469R O W N E Y S P O R T S . C O M

TH E S B6 C A R B O N WA S B U I LT A S A P U R E E N D U R O M A C H I N E A N D

P R O V E D I T ’ S M ETTL E B E F O R E I T W E NT I NTO P R O D U CT I O N , W I N N I N G

T W O C O N S E C UT I V E R O U N D S O F TH E E N D U R O W O R L D S E R I E S .

TH E S B6 C A R B O N D O E S W H AT I S S AYS O N TH E B O X .

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APPROVED BY: JARED GRAVES


12 - AMB

TODAY’S PLAN, TOMORROW’S RESULTSAn Australian based software company, Today’s Plan, has developed a range of powerful online training tools for cyclists that bring the benefi ts of tailored, structured, training plans based on scientifi cally proven methodology, to every rider. The company has fi ve founders, including well-known coach (and sports scientist), Mark Fenner and Andrew Hall, an elite endurance MTB racer who most recently won several categories at the Crocodile Trophy. Andrew’s knowledge of elite cycling and software development paired with Fenner’s training methodology has produced a spectacular product. The online Training Plan Generator allows riders to tailor their training to general fi tness, or a race of any type or duration, or even weight control. For their launch, Today’s Plan has even included some event specifi c training for events including the AMB 50/100, Wombat 50/100, Convict 50/100 and a range of Rocky Trail Entertainment events. The training plans are currently 6, 8 or 12 weeks, with longer plans and an Annual Plan also on the cards. Today’s Plan has made it really simple for any rider to track and understand their training progress, whether you’re an elite rider training with multiple power meters and lots of complex data, or a weekend enthusiast. The amount of data you can graph will satisfy every type of rider. Of course there is the obligatory ride mapping, although Today’s Plan has made that much more powerful and easier to use too. The best thing is you can try Today’s Plan for free. You can develop a sample two week training plan and see how the Training Plan Generator works, complete with videos explaining each training session, and then track your progress after each training session.

As they say “Today’s Plan, Tomorrow’s Results”!www.todaysplan.com.au

THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS MTB FESTIVALOn February 21st and 22nd, mountain bikers are being lured to the NSW Snowy Mountains, to take part in the 2 day, 4 stage race that has riders like Australian National Marathon Champion Andy Blair excited.

“The Snowies MTB Festival defi nitely managed to prick my interest. It is a 4 stage (2 day) race that is a showcase of the amazing trails and scenery of the Thedbo Valley. With the recent opening of the Thredbo Valley Trail (TVT) which has become an instant alpine icon, and some no doubt tricky negotiations with National Parks, we lucky riders have the opportunity to race it in the inaugural event.....both up and down! But that’s not all, combine that with a 5km prologue and a 75km marathon around the established and much loved Lake Crackenback Resort trails, you have a recipe for a fun weekend in a beautiful part of the world.”

The event promises to showcase the brilliant mountain biking in the area, and offers $10 000 in prizes. More details are available on www.tre-x.com.au/

FAST TRACK Worldmags.netWorldmags.net

ROCKSTEADY.

In developing the FOCUS SAM, our German Engineer’s with the FOCUS Trail Team put the bike to test on Europe’s toughest Enduro trails.27.5” wheels and 160mm suspension travel at both ends guarantee an assured ride, both uphill and down.With its New-school geometry the brand-new FOCUS SAM will be your weapon of choice for those epic rides.

FOCUS SAM

“Focus have managed to create an extremely potent enduro racing bike with the SAM – offered at a very fair price, with top-notch equipment and looks.” ENDURO MOUNTAINBIKE MAGAZINE // issue #006

Fabian Scholz | FOCUS TRAIL TEAMWinner Specialized SRAM Enduro Series

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The 2014-2015 Subaru Australian National Mountain Bike Series is kicking off December 12-14 at the You Yangs, in Victoria. For this season, the series has spread further around the country to five states or territories. “The growth of the Subaru Australian Mountain Bike Series

for 2014-15 and 2015-16 reflects the thriving nature of mountain biking across Australia” expressed Shane Coppin, Executive Officer of MTBA.

“We have worked hard with partner clubs and organisations to ensure that the series expands geographically,

with both seasons stretching across Australia and visiting both Western Australia and Queensland for the first time in a number of years. It is also important that we recognise the importance of our clubs who are valuable partners in delivery of our national events”.

The first round will see XCO, DHI and XCE taking place at the one venue, but subsequent rounds will be split until Toowoomba (also Oceania Championships) and the National Championships in Bright. See our calendar on p20 for further details, or visit mtb.subaru.com.au

The BallaraT CyCle ClassiC MTB Mini and Maxi Challenge has returned to the Cycle Classic Program, with a 25km and 50km MTB course. The rides will start at the Cycle Classic Headquarters in Windmill Drive, Lake Wendouree loop out through the forests of Brown Hill, Nerrina and Invermay on cycling paths, fire trails and roads before finishing back at Lake Wendouree where riders can enjoy the post event festivities. The 2015 Cycle Classic will take place on Sunday February 15 and has events that cater for all fitness levels and cycling abilities. It is expected that over 2,000 riders will participate in the event, which also includes a Family Fun Day for spectators and residents.

Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute Director, Professor George Kannourakis has been touched by the growth of the Cycle Classic “The Cycle Classic is a tremendous example of how the support of many individuals can create enormous impact. The funds raised by the Cycle Classic are integral to ensuring that our important research into cancer continues and I encourage everyone in the community to join us for this wonderful event” 100% of all entry fees support the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute Registrations are now open. Please visit website www.ballaratcycleclassic.com.au for further information.

MTBA have announced that they will host an Australian Gravity Enduro National Championship over the 15-16th October in 2015. While the exact location hasn't been released, the racing is stated to take place in either Toowoomba or Cairns. The racing will have a UCI category 3 listing, and run in accordance to European gravity races. MTBA CEO Shane Coppin was excited to be able to announce the news.

"Gravity Enduro events throughout the World are gaining significant momentum, interest and support from riders and organisers. With a highly successful Enduro World

FasT TraCK

2015 ausTralian GraviTy enduro naTional ChaMpionships To Queensland

naTionals are Go

Series developing and the recent World Series win by Australian Jared Graves, along with developments in this format locally across the country, it seems the time is now appropriate for MTBA to introduce an Australian National Championship for the discipline from 2015. It’s an extremely thrilling format that is growing in following and participation and provides riders with a wide variety of challenges when competing. MTBA are very excited to now be reaching out to this part of our fabulous sport and I am personally looking forward to a first National Championship, late next year"


[email protected]

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Hi AMB Team,

I really enjoyed the article by Mandy Lamont in Issue 144, about people leaving big cities to go and enjoy other things in life besides work. It really made me think about prioritizing my health, time with my family, and even spending enough time for myself! That article showed that others are brave enough to make big changes, and that it works. I found it really inspiring.

Adam BowlandKensington, NSW

Hi Adam,

You are exactly right. Those four people make a pretty good case for living outside of our major capitals. I’m sure quite a few readers have been thinking about making a mountain change!

G’day AMB,

I’m a long time reader of AMB, and I have to say I’ve really liked the content of the magazine, but really think it has lifted over the past year. Your new design is very refreshing, although I still fi nd some of the smaller print harder to read! With the changes in mountain bike trails, and bikes, I feel like the sport might be leaving me behind. There are bigger jumps, huge berms, and drops all starting to fi ll the trails I visit. I know I can’t just rollover everything – how should I go about building my confi dence and skills?

Thanks,Erica JonesRed Hill, QLD

Thanks for the letter Erica, and feedback. Just like when you start out riding, sometimes the best way to learn new things is with others – especially if they have greater skills than you. This might be as simple as going riding with friends who are happier lofting their bike off ledges, or clearing doubles on A-lines. But it might mean looking into a skills course in your local area. Both Cyclinic and MTB Skills operate in Brisbane, and are worth looking up if you want to progress your riding.

WINNING LETTERHey AMB,

As a twelve year old who enjoys mountain biking it has become a concern to me that other kids aren’t paying any attention to the endurance racing and XC side of the sport.This is a major disappointment because there is a great youth cross country racing scene in Australia. I just feel that while downhilling is fun and thrilling, XC is a great way to stay fi t.

Jack Tibby

Spot on Jack! There are always a fresh group of young and fast riders coming through the ranks in Australia – it sounds like you’re one of them. Hopefully this Camelbak keeps you hydrated through a long summer of riding.

WRITE TO US AND WIN !

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XC/XCM/LAP BASED ENDURO

6 December Keepit Real 100 Tamworth, NSW switchbackevents.com.au12-14 December Subaru MTBA National Rnd 1 You Yangs, VIC mtb.subaru.com.au13 December Husky 100 Callala, NSW iadventure.com.au24-25 January Subaru MTBA National Rnd 2 & 3 Pemberton, WA mtb.subaru.com.au31 January Beyond Bank Duo Classic Kowen, NSW duoclassic.com7 February Subaru MTBA National Rnd 4 Mt Stromlo, ACT mtb.subaru.com.au8 February AMB 100 Mt Stromlo, ACT rockytrailentertainment.com15 February Evocities Rnd 1 Orange, NSW evocitiesmtb.com26 February Oceania MTB Championships Toowoomba, QLD mtb.subaru.com.au7 March Capital Punishment MTB Canberra, ACT capitalpunishmentmtb.com12-15 March Australian MTB Championships Bright, VIC mtb.subaru.com.au14 March Evocities Rnd 2 Albury, VIC evocitiesmtb.com14 March Shimano MTB GP TBD rockytrailentertainment.com21 March Giant Odyssey Forrest, VIC rapidascent.com.au22 March James Williamson Memorial Wingello, NSW jameswilliamson.com.au28 March Alpine 24hr Barjarg, VIC alpinegravity.net

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Zane chases the golden ale at Wairoa Gorge, Nelson. Photo: Caleb Smith


Want to race? Don’t know what, don’t know where? Well we’ve got all the details for you right here

Got an event coming up that’s not listed here? Send it to [email protected] or log onto www.ambmag.com.au and using our new form add it in yourself. It’s that simple.

CALENDARALL MOUNTAIN/GRAVITY ENDURO

5-7 Dec Elevation Series Mansfi eld, VIC alpinegravity.net5-7 Dec Thredbo Cannonball Festival Thredbo, NSW thredbo.com.au24-26 January Victorian Enduro State Champs Falls Creek, VIC alpinegravity.net25 January Rollercoaster Round 1 TBD rockytrailentertainment.com1 February RockShox Enduro Challenge Mt Buller, VIC emseaustralia.net.au13-15 February Elevation Series Mt Taylor, VIC alpinegravity.net8 March RockShox Enduro Challenge Toowoomba, QLD emsaustralia.net.au20-22 March Elevation Series TBD alpinegravity.net

DOWNHILL

5-7 Dec Thredbo Cannonball Festival Thredbo, NSW thredbo.com.au12-14 December Subaru MTBA National Rnd 1 You Yangs, VIC mtb.subaru.com.au6-8 February Subaru MTBA National Rnd 2 Thredbo, NSW mtb.subaru.com.au26 February Oceania MTB Championships Toowoomba, QLD mtb.subaru.com.au12-15 March Australian MTB Championships Bright, VIC mtb.subaru.com.au

“The Sniper shorts were on the money for the hot days. The Sniper shorts were on the money for the hot days. The Sniperpocket was perfectly placed for scanning lift tickets in Chatel and Les Gets which was cool. The rest of my kit was awesome too. I wore it with pride pre, during and post race.” Ollie Whalley Trans Savoie Enduro 2013

“My older Juggernauts have always been my go-to shorts, but these are even better. I don’t even want to wash them, just so I can get a few more days’ wear out of them. The length is perfect and the durable stretch fabric is light enough to ride in for hours.” Caleb Smith spokemagazine.com


MTB RANGE LAUNCHING SUMMER 2014/15

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UCI EVENTS

The National Marathon Championships will be held in May in Derby, Tasmania. This event has been given a UCI Category 3 listing. UCI listed events are uncommon in Australia and are usually only seen at National XC and DH series and National and Oceania Championships. Some stage races such as the Crocodile Trophy are also occasionally listed with the UCI. What is the difference between UCI and non-UCI events? There are mandatory requirements regarding the amount of prize money paid, the entry of members of UCI MTB teams as well as specific rules regarding the format of races. Many of these rules deal with safety aspects and allow riders to be confident in knowing the event is run to a certain standard. This is also the case with MTBA accredited races who must follow certain procedures to ensure a consistent delivery of associated events.

UCI points are available for races listed on the UCI calendar and these contribute to end of season rankings for individual riders, teams and countries. They also can determine how many athletes a country is allowed to send to the Olympic Games and World Championships.

Scoring PointS in AuStrAliAWOrDS: JODIe WIlleTT PHOTO : rOBerT CONrOy

MTBA UPDATE

Anyone wanting to know more about UCI rules and race formats can find the information at www.uci.ch.

MTBA CAMPS AND MENTORS

The rollout of our junior development camps continued with an Australian Junior Camp being held at the AIS in October. Athletes received information regarding goal setting, sports nutrition and race tactics. We were also very fortunate to have Bec Henderson and Dan McConnell attend and share their tips on competing at the very top of the sport.

Skills instruction was the major focus of the camp and athletes worked personally with coaches Claire Whiteman, Ben Millar, Greg Meyland and myself to prepare them for national level competition. In a massive bonus for MTBA, downhill legend Mick Hannah worked as an athlete mentor for the weekend. Mick’s contribution was an invaluable insight into the precision and psychology required to be a master of such a technical discipline, as well as being a generally great guy and fantastic mentor.

We are hoping to provide athletes with opportunities to work with leading elite riders in various disciplines at future Australian camps.

RIDING IN THE COMMUNITY

While we continue to provide many opportunities for people to become level 1 MTB coaches, we realise that an appropriate education course was not available for those wishing to focus on community social rides, kids fun rides and basic skills. People taking community-based rides often do so on a volunteer basis and this is an integral role in encouraging new riders into the sport. Our aim is to provide a ride leader course which is cost effective and delivered online, making it unnecessary for participants to take time off work to get accredited. This course will cover safety, appropriate trail selection and teaching techniques and enable ride leaders to be covered by MTBA insurance. In future we anticipate delivery of a further course to accredit Skills Instructors, without the requirement for the sports science component of the current level 1 MTB coach course.

Keep an eye out for the date of the first Australian Schools MTB Cup. As part of encouraging schools to adopt mountain biking as an alternative to traditional sports we’re introducing a little friendly competition. This will be school team-based racing and emphasise participation and fun.



I was brought up being told I could do whatever I wanted to in life. I was encouraged to think big, find what I love and enjoy the fruits of modern gender equality (or thereabouts…);I was told that I could even be Prime Minister if I wanted to. In essence, as a modern woman I could have it all. Though I feel I may be morally incompatible with a Prime Ministerial position, as I actually have some.

So fast forward a decade or two and now I’m in a very real, front-line health job that takes up between 36 and 60 hours a week. There are no political coffers for me; my job revolves around shift-work and avoiding getting bodily fluid on my uniform.

I have a young daughter, a coaching business on the side, run a women’s mountain bike team (which to be fair is rather cruisey as all the ladies are determined, self-motivating types), engage in ‘freelance writing’, and then there is that little thing I like to do called ‘riding my bike’.

There you have it, a modern woman who has it all! I survive on minimal sleep, some weeks I do multiple rides where I feel like crying the entire time just due to fatigue, and my body being

thoroughly confused as to what time it is when returning home after a 14hour night shift…but I have it all.

I cram in writing training programs between high-acuity jobs, call and message athletes when I am not doing the driving at work, and jot down notes in my phone for freelance writing ideas and reminders (sometimes even things like ‘pick up daughter’, because you wouldn’t want to forget that).

Now, I realise that my life is a pretty extreme example of trying to have it all, but when you think about it, we all do it to varying degrees. We ferry the kids around to school and sports on the weekend, we commit to after work drinks, and I am assuming because you read this magazine that you try and ride the pushy at times as well.

Work and life are real, but the balance part of the equation is all too often a myth. How can anyone expect to be able to ‘train’ and ‘race’ with such full lives? Well it can be done, but it is a difficult task.

How can you optimise your time to fit it all in, and hold it all together, and not become unhinged in the process? I have put together a few tips I have used to ensure I am able to enjoy time on the bike, even if I can’t adhere to a rigid training program nowadays. At the very least I can use the time I do have to get out and riding and enjoy the heath and emotional benefits of exercise. Take stock of your timeUse a calendar and write your work and social commitments in. Identify places where you could train, remembering to schedule in recovery as well, after all ‘overtraining’ can be caused by trying to do too many life and bike hours simultaneously.

Riding may constitute your ‘down time’ but you may need down time from that down time, too.

Don’t feel like every single second of free time needs to be on the bike to become fitter, faster and stronger. As mentioned before, good mental and physical health includes periods of rest and recovery.

Work it out with your other half or other important people in your lifeYou need to get loved ones on board in order to get some ‘you’ time and ride your bike, but they will be equally miffed if you’re out all day every weekend chasing lofty goals on the bike. What’s more important to you?

Write notes, use your calendarI hate being a time micro-manager, but as I mention to people who know me, my time is managed in 15-minute increments. It can suck but it works.

Leave work at workAmen to that. No phone calls, work emails or baggage to come into the house!

Be present for important family timesEngage with your loved ones.

Listen to the body; no ride-crying!Ride-crying sucks, it indicates that you’re probably beyond any training benefit, and really you’re not doing yourself any favours.

Adjust your goalsIf you only have 6 hours a week to train, I hate to say it, but you’re probably not going to be in line for a national marathon champ jersey. Look at something realistic; XCO, Gravity and Team XCO enduro could all be great, achievable goals to smash, even with a jam-packed life.

Keep it all in perspective, we live in a great country, we have the ability to go and ride our bikes. The balance may get a little out at times but in reality, bike time is a privilege.

X FACTOR

WORDS : ANNA BECK

The myTh of The work-life balance


Bikes, Brews & All new XTr

Glimpses from the World Cup, sightings on pro rides and car park prototype visits... Shimano’s all new XTR range has had anticipation levels high but nothing comes close to a proper hands-on education. Shimano see things the same way, so a motley crew of fine media representatives headed to Western Australia’s beautiful Margaret River and the famed race, the Cape to Cape, to get a proper test on the new gear.

Arriving to a golden lit Perth we were met by Shimano’s Troy Glennan, then headed south and headlong into the dark. We awoke in Yallingup, a beachside suburb and our base for the coming two days. Picturesque, it lived up to the hype the beauty of the region is known for. But duty called at Shimano’s travelling container of wonder situated at the Colonial Brewery.

Bike bags in tow we all rushed to build our new XTR and Pro component equipped bikes. AMB in conjunction with Advance Traders had a brand new Lapierre e-i equipped Zesty AM and it was more than drool worthy. After a few snaps and a chance to look over others rides it was into the Shimano container classroom. Here’s what we learnt: WoRdS : RoBeRT ConRoY PHoToS : RoBeRT ConRoY & dAve RoMe



XTR M9000 Mechanical gRoup seT

Having ridden both recent editions of Shimano’s 10 speed XTR and XT mechanical group sets (on my personal ride and our long term Whyte M109 C), I was excited to see just how Shimano thought they could surpass the greatness of the last generation. Interest in the M9000 mechanical group has taken a back seat in recent months with the arrival of Di2. But Shimano stressed that when it comes to quality and performance there is no separating the two. The M9000 group set has received the full make over treatment. The biggest change being the leap from 10 speed to 11 and the introduction of Shimano’s own patented version of wide-narrow chain rings to tie it all together. A first for the company.

So why 11 speed? Shimano believe that 11 speed offers a smoother progression through the gears, with smaller steps through the range so that riders can maintain their cadence. It’s not something that was overly concerning with the previous 10 speed models, but after riding the newer version it does seem to match up to their goals.

Eleven speed means a wider range in your cassette, with the 11-40 tooth we are given a perfect range for almost any trail use. It also happens to be Shimano’s widest cassette produced. The smaller gearing steps provide some smoother changes in cadence than it’s SRAM 11-42 cousin.

The new cassette is near flawless in production, composed of aluminium, steel and titanium with a carbon fibre spider for the higher gears. The new cassette will even fit on the free hub body of your 10 speed free hub meaning you can upgrade without buying a new wheel set. A group set isn’t made by a cassette, so, to accompany the new 11 speed direction there are new components to sink your teeth into. Cranksets see a multitude of new options with Shimano sticking to their roots with triple and dual ring options as well as their first foray into the single ring market. Cranks are split into two different types, Trail and Race. The Trail is cold forged to take those heavy trail riding hits while the Race is hollow bonded with strength and lightness in mind. The Race crankset comes in only a single and dual ring setup whilst trail accommodates all three.

Both front and rear derailleurs have been redesigned for the move to 11 speed. The front derrailleur’s ‘side swing’ is designed for smoother shifts with an easier feel up at the lever. Out back the clutch mechanism has seen some fine tuning, now externally adjustable meaning you can adjust the tension and resistance on the chain. This easy access from beneath makes setup easy.The design of the rear derailleur is now much slimmer to reduce the chance of it being torn off by hits or moving up into the wheel.

Chain rings are probably the second most noticeable change in the move to 11 speed. Wide-Narrow has become a common term to describe new age chain retention but if we are to draw comparison to Shimano’s new chainring design we would describe it as wide or just narrow all the way around. Higher and wider, the teeth have the same profile all the way around and when


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complemented with the new CN-HG900-11 chain it’s a perfect combo for retention.The new chain is not back compatible with older group sets. Elsewhere in triple and double configurations Shimano have done their best to bring the weight down by including a “Hollowglide” chainring of carbon aluminium construction with titanium teeth. These are the middle ring on the triple and larger ring on the double set. Shimano have also developed a new locking nut to lock in chainrings, which should avoid lost nuts and loose rings that occurred with the previous model. We should mention that the pedals now have a wider foot platform and complete redesign that sees a lower profile to give better access to the the cleated area.

Shifting is revamped with a 20% reduction in pressure needed for a shift. Shimano have figured out how to retain the pull on the chain through shadow plus without the feel in the lever. The ergonomics have also seen some love through the i-spec system, now with more lateral and rotational adjustment – perfect for dialling your position.

Shimano’s XTR brakes have long been the envy of competitors, practically controlling the brake aftermarket and OEM specification and it’s for good reason. Power, modulation and lever feel that are spot on and that all continues in the generation with a few improvements. They have done away with ceramic pistons opting for a new glass fibre resin adding extra heat resistance and a steadfast seal around the piston. The Race brake has had some body work done shifting to a magnesium calliper and lever body with titanium insides to bring it down an extra few grams. The Trail brake remains the everyman’s brake with an aluminium calliper and lever body. The lever though is now a carbon aluminium creation and the easy trail side adjustments remain.

XTR Di2

The new electronic range is much simpler than originally perceived. There are seven main components to the XTR Di2 group set if bought in full: front and rear derailleurs, front and rear shifters, a junction box to route wires, a battery and a display attachment. The rest of the components such as cranks, cassette and chain are all the same as XTR mechanical. Di2 will work with single, double and triple rings but a single ring setup for now is probably not necessary with weight savings/losses minimal.

Di2 works much like mechanical only your gear cables have been replaced by wires and your shifts are made by small motors. For instance, a rider down shifts, a signal is sent to the junction box (which can either be mounted within your stem or bottom bracket), a signal is then sent to either the front or rear derailleur, the motor then activates and shifts the gear. This all happens just about instantly. Shifts are now forced through by the motor so those shifts with heavy load on the pedals should be easier.

No cables means you will get crisp shifts throughout the life of your Di2, the same shift, every shift with no chance for moisture or grit to get involved. You can shift underwater if you like! If shifting becomes an issue it is likely something else is out of whack, such as a bent or broken derailleur. In this instance the system will shut down into a safety setting until you tell

it otherwise mainly to avoid sending your new expensive derailleur into the wheel. Battery life has been measured by Shimano out to 300km with a triple ring setup but can be extended by culling back on components (no display or front shifter, operation from a sole shifter controlling both). The weight of Di2 compared to mechanical XTR is 12 grams heavier in its full incarnation, but stripped down it is likely to be lighter than it’s mechanical brethren.

Shifting customisation was the draw for most when Di2 was announced and to be honest it’s going to take a while to understand its full potential. This is called the “syncro” system, in built intelligence in the Di2 system. If you convert to a single shifter you can run both your front and rear shifting through the one piece, it will shift sequentially, up shift and downshift according to where you are in the cassette. Alternatively you can program the “syncro” system to shift map to your configuration. For example instead of shifting in the lowest gear into the bigger ring you can instruct it to break into the second lowest gear and shift up instead. There are multiple different options and it will take a little thinking especially if you want to automate through the one shifter. This is all accessed through a special program called ‘etube’‘ which unfortunately for the moment is only available on a Microsoft platform and will likely be done by your local bike shop.

Di2 also includes wiring ports for Fox Suspension’s iCTD system which allows riders to control the climb, trail and descend functions of the fork and rear suspension via the XTR Di2 display. This is just the first step in electronic componentry and there is plenty of scope for it to become even more involved in our rides… This is only the beginning.



THARSIS As part of our build for the XTR launch our bike was kitted out with all new Pro Tharsis components. This included handlebars, stem, seat and seatpost. Tharsis has been specially designed by Shimano to be compatible with Di2 with small holes in the handlebars for cables, a cavity within the stem for the junction box and through a special star nut replacement hex key just under the stem, a battery can be inserted in the headtube.

The Pro Tharsis stem comes in a variety of lengths from 50mm to 100mm all accommodate Di2. Tharsis is an excellent aftermarket series of components and it really shone in our build, bringing our rig back to something like the weight of a cross country bike. Check it out next time you’re in your local bike store.

THe RIde

One intense seminar over and it was finally time to get some riding in. As part of the launch we were invited to ride a stage of the Cape to Cape and have a crack at the ‘exclusive’ Red Bull shootout. Both were ample opportunity to get a sense of what our Lapierre and the new XTR mechanical group were really like.

Our first taste was at the Margaret River Pines. After spending a few minutes setting up it was not long before we were diving head first down the bermed course. The Lapierre launched into gear and my only worry of that afternoon was where to find time and stay out of the infamous WA pea gravel. The XTR performed flawlessly. This was the first time I had ridden 11 speed and a Shimano XTR wide-narrow ring but the feel was completely natural to me by the end of the ride.

The third stage of the Cape to Cape was a 60 km epic. It was the perfect stage for a one day test: it rained, there were river crossings, bermed pine forests, some of the best downhill and some of the pointiest uphills in the nation. A full gamut to test the 34 tooth to 11- 40 spread and throughout the day there wasn’t a section of trail I thought I couldn’t handle.

Our time on the Di2 was extremely limited, just a few runs at the Red Bull shootout, so we will reserve any serious judgement until we are able to lay down some serious kilometres. Initial impressions are that it all

feels quite normal, the more mechanical feel in the shift lever Shimano has gone for is much like any other shifter I’ve used before with a consistent feel to every shift. You won’t be accidentally shifting from a casual touch and not noticing.

The electronic sound definitely resonates when shifting and it will be up to the consumer if that bothers their riding memories, after all many of us ride to get away from such things.

The display is something I found you could easily find yourself dropping, most riders have a sense of what gear they are in and with three modes to cycle through (standard and two syncro) it’s unlikely you will get lost in the system. I didn’t.

Syncro is something that will interest most people, in fact it is probably the route most people will take. The ability to run all shifting apparatus from one shifter not only clears up your handlebar space, it lightens the bike and once a rider is used to the function it will simply become second nature.

AMB would like to thank Shimano as well as Cape to Cape for the hospitality and Colonial Brewery for the best XTR Pilsner we ever tried. We will now have the XTR M9000 mechanical under the microscope for a full long term review – AMB


Dan MacMunn has been riding bikes since he was a kid, but never really fit into the cross country or the downhill scene.

‘I didn’t have the fitness of the cross country guys and never felt fully comfortable on a downhill bike’ he says.

When enduro events started popping up in Australia, and the Enduro World Series (EWS) started in 2013, Dan knew he’d found the right combination.

‘I’ve always loved just getting out for big rides, exploring new places and going fast down the hills, which is really what enduro racing is all about.’

‘I followed all the racing really closely

and when the EWS started I studied it religiously and wondered how I would stack up. I was pretty keen to try and make it happen and see how I would go.’

Dan’s first trip to Europe was as much about reconnaissance as it was about racing. He scored an entry to the six-day enduro event, the Trans-Savoie, racing through the French Alps. The event provided Dan with the kind of education he needed, the kind that’s hard to get in Australia.

‘We were racing down 15 to 20-minute descents and using lifts to regain the altitude,’ he says.

‘That was completely blind racing, 350 kilometres over six days. No one can ever learn those trails, so it was just a matter of reading the daily track

notes then trying to ride everything as fast as you can. Then I had a few little adventures on the side, and watched one of the EWS races over there, and I decided to try and make it happen for 2014,’ says Dan.After winning the Victoria State Enduro Series and the Victoria State Enduro Champs (and the Australian Enduro Series since then), Dan set himself the goal of finishing inside the top 50 in two European rounds of the 2014 Enduro World Series. He travelled to France and Italy in the European summer this year, racing rounds 3 and 4 of the EWS.

TRAINING FOR THE BIG LEAGUE Despite working full-time as a firefighter, with a 1.5-hour commute from his home in Bendigo to his

DAN MAcMUNN TALks TO AMB ABOUT THE MAGIc AND ADvENTURE OF ENDURO RAcING, TAkING ON THE ENDURO WORLD sERIEs, MAkING IT As A pRIvATEER, AND THE DEMANDs OF THE NEWEsT MTB DIscIpLINE.

WorDS: IMogEN SMITH IMAgES: MICHAEl kIrkMAN & FElIx TrAENkNEr

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Dan MacMunn’s Yeti sB5 c

Supported by Rowney Sports, Shimano, and Fox, Dan’s new SB5 C has some interesting customisations.

‘The 5” SB is marketed as a trail bike but I’ve set it up as my race bike and it’s as fast as the 6” 26-inch wheel version,’ says Dan.

‘It’s a bit of a mongrel. I’ve got Saint brakes – a 4-piston downhill brake, which are really powerful but a little heavier than XTR.’

‘Yeti would usually sell the SB5 C with a stem of about 70mm, but I use a 50mm stem. With this set up it’s not particularly comfortable to climb, but it’s ideal for

station in Melbourne and back every shift, Dan trained 15 hours a week with coach Mark Fenner.

‘I wanted to give it the best crack I could,’ he says.

‘We had a couple of months to prepare and it was winter here, so in pretty ordinary weather we started with a bit of a build and in the last two weeks did a lot of intensity.’

There’s sometimes a bit of a misconception that enduro doesn’t require specific training, although that’s changing as the sport becomes more popular.

‘I put in a lot,’ says Dan.

‘Having to race three or four times a day, and then ride the transfer stages, racing for a couple of days. That requires a high level of fitness.’

As racing approached, Dan and Mark’s aim was to simulate the stresses of enduro racing as much as possible, and Dan moved from doing three-hour bunch rides with Bendigo’s healthy crew of NRS racers, to throwing himself up singletrack climbs on the mountain bike.‘It’s all about short, ultra-intense efforts and trying to recover while riding technical sections,’ says Dan.

‘We tried to emulate that on the home trails, doing a short two to three-minute effort up a hill, then turning into the most techy trails I could find and trying to recover while going down.

If it sounds like cross country, it’s not.‘Enduro’s hard to prepare for too because you have to have the endurance base underneath that, because you’re doing six-hour days,’ says Dan.

a BiG BaG OF tRicKs

EWS races can vary in format and logistics – and adaptability is definitely one of the big skills in the enduro racer’s toolbox. Sometimes riders have days to practice on any one course, sometimes they’re not allowed on it at all before race day. Sometimes climbs are lift-assisted, sometimes they’re pedalled, other times riders may need to push.At Valloire in France, Dan threw himself in the deep end at a race where practice was limited to one, uninterrupted run on the day of the race, although there was the option to walk the course the Friday before the event.‘I’m of the opinion that if you stress about something enough it’s not going to be as bad as you think,’ says Dan.

‘A few of us actually walked up one stage and down another one day. That eased my mind a bit, just to see what the forest was like and get the feel for what the trails are going to be like.’In spite of Dan’s experience and success on the domestic scene, our flat old country simply doesn’t have the same kind of riding as Europe and North America.

‘The courses in the EWS (at least the ones I raced) are just bigger in every way,’ he says.‘The stages themselves are brutal – really raw, fast and rough and a lot longer than anything we have over here. The altitude also plays a part in the Alps. In France I think we descended 11,000 vertical metres over two days: pretty hard on the arms and hands!’ he says.

‘Coming from Oz it is a pretty steep learning curve, but you just have to take it as it comes. There are plenty of places here to ride gnarly stuff on a trail bike, just maybe not for 15 minutes straight!’

Enduro racing is about using your rider’s instinct to respond to whatever the course,

descending, to get that position that’s really centred.’

‘I run Renthal Carbon bars cut down to 750mm. It’s not really really wide, a lot of guys run wider, but this width feels good for me.’‘I use the big Shimano downhill pedals. I like to have that big platform in case I unclip by accident, it feels safe to have that there, but it’s a compromise because they’re quite heavy.’

‘I run standard 34 Fox on the front and CTD on the back, although a lot of guys are running 36 as there’s no weight penalty. I really love this fork. It feels like the suspension is more receptive. You can sit up in the travel while still getting a whole lot of good small bump performance.’


the elements, and the organisers dish out. With so little opportunity to practise, Dan says he learned pretty quickly to strike a balance between getting in enough practice, and over-cooking his legs for race day.

‘One of the reasons I have so much passion for this form of mountain biking,’ says Dan, ‘is that there are so many elements to it, and balancing practice and race, the mental and physical balance between learning the trails and feeling comfortable, and not being absolutely stuffed – that was one of the biggest learning curves for me overseas.’

What’s more, with fickle mountain weather and thousands of tyres passing over it in a day, the track changed anyway.

‘By Friday afternoon the track you rode on Thursday morning is totally different,’ says Dan. Using a GoPro to help review the course off the bike, Dan learned to rely on instinct, rather than trying to memorise endless kilometres of trail.

‘I learned to just aim to get a good feeling for the track, and that mental headspace for me was as important as learning where exactly to go,’ he says. Dan found that flow in Italy, at round 4 of the EWS. It was his second race overseas, and terrible weather, with freezing rain and snow at the top of the track turning the trails to pulp. ‘I didn’t care,’ says Dan.

‘I had a lot of time thinking leading up to the race, just focusing on



the positives: I had done all the preparation well in advance, and I was feeling great about my gear. Then once I got going I just knew that I was riding close to the edge, but that I couldn’t crash. It was a pretty cool sensation.’

Dan detonated his goal of cracking the top 50 in Italy, finishing 37th out of 220 Elite racers.

MANAGING THE BIKE... AND THE REST

For Dan, managing all your equipment, food, and logistics makes enduro an experience that goes to the heart of what mountain biking is all about.

‘I really love that you have to look after your own gear. In enduro

you have to finish with the same wheelset, the same frame, the same rear triangle, and the same forks. They sticker your bike up before you start, and if you swap any of those out it’s a five-minute time penalty. If you get a flat you have to think: should I ride it to the end and save a bit of time, or save the rim and change it. The top guys are so calculating, they know that, for example, a tyre that’s 200 grams heavier will lose them 15–20 seconds on a particular climb – they juggle security and speed all the time.’

Securing an entry to the EWS is much easier than trying to accrue points to race a Downhill World Cup, and entry costs are around 75 Euros – about $100 bucks. Dan’s advice to aspiring Aussie racers is simple: ‘Just do it,’ he says

‘I linked two races together that ran three weeks apart in one trip to Europe – something like that is achievable. Do your research and give it a go and think about the consequences later. It’d be great to see more Aussies go and crack it, and get a place on a team and travel to events. Domestically too it would be great to see enduro

more established here so that people could have really healthy competition.

Dan’s recently become a Dad, but still plans to compete again next year.‘At this stage the best-case scenario would be race Rotorua in March and race the first round, then head over to Europe with the family in September and travel to the last two rounds in Spain and Italy, but we’ll have to see whether that’ll be achievable with work and family,’ he says.

The EWS results lists are stacked with the names of cross country stars and big downhill names. It’s easy to see why riders from diverse disciplines love enduro: It’s the essence of mountain biking – The route’s a bit of a mystery, the landscape awe-inspiring, and you’re guaranteed a big adventure. You ride up a hill chatting to your mates then ride down a technical descent as fast as you can. You take care of your equipment, yourself, your food and your spares, and you have a great time.

Dan agrees: ‘The EWS has been extremely successful, and has proven that a great series can thrive independent of cycling governing bodies. It is really well-organised, has amazing industry support and is still achievable for the average rider. The coverage is impressive and really showcases the places it visits. It will continue to grow for sure. Domestically the future looks good too, with the interest in enduro growing and more and more races being announced. It’s a great way for people to get into racing, meet new people and see really cool places.’

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The Nine 1 screams race ready; it’s the perfect balance of incredible ride quality and razor sharp handling that help put you on the podium. The premium UHC Advanced carbon �ber Nine frame matched with full SRAM X0 2 x 10 components and a World Cup winning Rockshox Sid 100mm fork—you just need to supply the legs!

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THE CROCODILE TROPHY IS PROMOTED AS ONE OF THE HARDEST MOUNTAIN BIKE STAGE RACES IN THE WORLD. MORE AUSTRALIANS ARE ATTENDING, AND LOVING IT. HAS THE CROC LOST ITS BITE – OR JUST CLEANED ITS TEETH?

THE EUROPEAN RACE IN AUSTRALIA

Crocodiles are prehistoric beasts, providing a link to our past that we otherwise don’t see – they are the closest things to dinosaurs that still roam the earth. Slow to change, dangerous, and quite possibly misunderstood. In a similar vein, Australian mountain bikers might view the Crocodile Trophy as a bit of a dinosaur. 20 years ago, the vision of Austrian ex-road professional Gerhard Schoenbacher was for a race across the country. The racing was on dirt roads, it attracted professional European road racers, and often had back-to-back days up to 200km. It has been through different iterations but has found its home in Tropical North Queensland.

This memory of the Crocodile Trophy as a European road race on dirt might still be what is conjured up for many mountain bikers. But the race has been evolving over the past years. It is far from tame, but you might be right in assuming that the Croc’s teeth are less sharp, and its bite not as strong.

The 20th Croc was run from October 18-26 on a route that started on the singletrack at Smithfi eld, and fi nished on the Bump Track descent and 4 mile Beach at Port Douglas, and was quite possibly the best race yet.

PUSHING FOR CHANGE

I fi rst battled the Croc in 2011 with Subaru-MarathonMTB.com teammates Justin Morris and Graeme Arnott. It was 10 days long and we covered about 1300km. We raced through wet season rain, baking heat, along corrugated roads and through sandy tracks in the outback scrub. The race was certainly an amazing experience, but more for the racing and the experience than the mountain biking. Most of the changes that make the race something that should attract more Australian riders have occurred in the editions since then.

In 2014, the Crocodile Trophy covered less than 750km in 9 days, and we raced over some of the best trails in Tropical North Queensland – or even

WORDS: MIKE BLEWITT PHOTOS: REGINA STANGER, KENNETH LORENSTENMIKE BLEWITT



Australia. The route was more compact, and more varied than perhaps any other stage race around the globe. But this evolution didn’t just happen – it took a catalyst.

“I’ve known the Crocodile Trophy since growing up in Austria - we used to see documentaries about it on TV every year and I sort of suspect that it is partly why I’ve always had this fascination about this continent” explains Juliane Wisata of Rocky Trail Entertainment. Along with her husband Martin, the Austrian-Australian race promoters consulted with organisers Gerhard Schoenbacher and Regina Stanger, and are almost wholly responsible for the evolution of the race.

“Martin started as a volunteer at the Crocodile Trophy in 2008,” remembers Juliane, “he went off on this 2-week trip about 2 weeks before our wedding. In “those days” they didn’t have any phone reception, no Internet... He called me once just to say he was still alive and would be back in time for the wedding.” But Martin caught the bug, went back in 2009, then went to race in

2010. The following year, Juliane attended, to help with translation for the media releases. With her own experiences running races via Rocky Trail Entertainment, Juliane knew she could help improve the race.“I couldn’t help but provide feedback to Gerhard and Regina, and they asked me to come on board as a marketing and media manager for Australia/NZ and to put together a strategy. Their main task was: get us more riders.”

PUTTING THE FUN IN THE CROC

The direction for Martin and Juliane was simple: “If you want more Aussies, you have to make the race track more fun” explains Juliane. Martin had experienced the Croc from the sidelines and the saddle, and knew they needed to “steer away from the “Euro-Hammer of the North” reputation and showcase the great trails that Tropical North Queensland has to offer.” Some of these changes took place in 2012, where the race started with an XC stage on the trails


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at Smithfield, and used much less road and dirt road than 2011. The fact is though, in some of the remote areas there’s not much buff singletrack. 2012 stands out as a very hard year as the days were still long, and the terrain very rough. The race still went well into the Australian outback, and chose the hard way. The real transition was in 2013 and 2014, with the use of Atherton Forest MTB Park,

“I think the first year I was there, we had 2-3 Australian riders. This year more than a third of the field was Australian and I am really proud of that,” explains Juliane. “I think a lot has been done in terms of communicating what the event is all about.”

EXPERIENCING AUSTRALIA

Both Martin and Juliane are passionate about the event, especially the experience.

“We might not have 190km stages through sand anymore, and lots of dirt road has turned into singletrack at Atherton – but the vibe of the race hasn’t changed. And that’s a good thing. There are always people from all over the world at the Crocodile Trophy, it’s a Croc community.” States Martin.

Outside of the racing, outside of the camp, and outside of the camaraderie, there’s also the draw of experiencing Tropical North Queensland. I love to see places by bike, as two wheeled transport takes you through places at just the right speed, and with full awareness of your surroundings. While still Australia, and quite often strikingly so, the Crocodile Trophy can offer lots of new experiences for Australian riders. I live in Sydney, thousands of kilometres from the trails of Smithfield or Atherton, and the old mining trails of Irvinebank or bullock tracks that lead to Port Douglas. There are plants in the rainforest that scare me, and animals that I know I want to steer clear of. But there are expansive views to see, amazing freshwater lakes to swim in, real characters to meet, and enough of a taste for the Australian outback without feeling like you could wander onto a Mad Max shoot.

Plans are already well underway for 2015, and Juliane assured me that the new compact Croc is here to stay, making the racing more enjoyable, and the experience even greater for riders into the future.

Greg Saw, now a resident of Norway, but hailing from Atherton, won the men’s Elite event, and Imogen Smith won the women’s Elite race in 2014 – full results are available, along with more details on croc.at.

MTBA AND THE CROC

For the 20th edition, the Crocodile Trophy gained a UCI S1 ranking. This is the highest ranking stage race category by the governing body, behind ‘HCS’ which only the Cape Epic and three week road tours receive. It also bring guaranteed prize money and ranking points for Elite riders with UCI licences.

MTBA were in attendance to make sure the race ran in accordance to UCI and MTBA rules. Shane Coppin, CEO of Mountain Bike Australia, was glad to have the Croc affiliated with MTBA.

“We need more stage races in Australia, there’s no question about that. And we need them with an international standing.” Coppin was supportive of the race being accredited, stating it’s a real bonus for Australian mountain bikers.

“The experience is fantastic, and the location very good. It gave us a great chance to have someone at the event, and to help with development in the future.”


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ANDREW HALL’s CROC TROPHY

Andrew Hall placed 10th overall, and took the ‘Best Australian’ and ‘Best Amateur’ jerseys at the same time.

I first heard about the race when Canberra locals Jason Chalker and Jeremy Ross went up for the 2012 race. What really caught my attention was when Chalker posted a bunch of photos from the hospital after he had literally baked himself in an exceptionally hard stage. When they both came back and talked about how hard the race was I knew this was one to add to the list.

I really did not know what to expect heading into this race. All I really had to go on was that there was going to be a lot of long, hot dusty stages. I’ve raced in the Flinders Ranges and Alice Springs, so that was what I was expecting.

GETTING AHEAD AT THE CROC

To do well at Croc you need to be an accomplished rider across multiple disciplines. Obviously you need good mountain bike skills, but equally you need to be comfortable riding in a bunch and hammering it out on the road.

To train for the race I’d be putting in a lot of long steep climbs, lots of road miles and training on any

unpredictable sketchy singletrack. Get away from the comfort of the purpose built MTB parks and get out into the less ventured areas.

EAT, sLEEP, REPEAT

Stage racing is all about eating and recovery. As soon as you finish the race it’s recovery time. Eat, put the feet up and then eat some more. Having a pristine clean bike might sound like a good idea, but if you have to choose between a quick clean up and more rest time or the clean bike - take the rest time.

THE RACING

The style of riding was very different than a normal Australian marathon race. There is a lot more road race tactics going on, and riders marking each other. After a few days of racing and time gaps forming it’s all about preserving time against other riders. So attacks and break aways are all very calculated.

You also quickly learn who is strong on the road vs MTB tracks. Rider position in the bunch is critical to ensure when you hit the dirt you are not following someone who is going to drop a wheel.

I’m definitely planning on heading back. I’ve started the conversation with team mates and support crews … this is a race which has to be done more then once!

A RACE OF DIVERsITY

As it turns out, the Croc Trophy is a really diverse race. I was blown away by the variety of terrain - and I think this really sets the race apart from others.

Cairns has rooty hardpacked singletrack - not too dissimilar to the pine forest riding of Majura, Armidale and Orange. Riding to the Atherton Tablelands is steep and loose. Think of the Convict 100 climb but for an hour plus!

The mountain climbs turn into lush forest, reminiscent of riding around Mogo and Larry’s mountain road.

Atherton is a world of its own - harsh, rocky single track - but really well built. The switchback climb is like three Stromlo red laps in one, and the descent is similar to the lower portion of the Stromlo downhill course - steep, rocky berms - and so much fun.The other stages around Atherton are varied. From dense jungle forest with moto ruts that make the Husky trails look like a crit track, to steep sandy descents akin to riding in snow.

Heading inland the trails change again. Dry, dusty, rocky roads. There really was not as many corrugations as I was expecting. What adds up though is all the dry river bed crossings. They are rocky and

unpredictable - real tyre eaters. This part of the course was much more like riding in the Flinders ranges.

What is unique to these stages is the mixture of road and mountain bike riding. Long stretches of dirt road allow for bunches to form, but then it’s into “outback singletrack” where you need every ounce of MTB skill to negotiate the unpredictable singletrack. Dry, dusty goat tracks with all sorts of unforeseen obstacles - sand, mars rocks, water crossings - you never know what is around the next bend.

The final stage into Port Douglas really wraps up all the terrain - starting in the dusty dry outback setting at Wetherby Station, the course moves into dense forest and finishes in humidity and a hardpacked sandy 4km finish.

The Croc offers a hard, international quality stage race just a few hours flight away. With the majority of riders and support staff coming from Europe, you also get an event which does not feel like just another Australian race. Australia has a bunch of stage races, but aside from Croc, none offer the demanding courses that compare to the big international stage races like TransAlp or Cape Epic


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0BELOW ZERO

There are just two ways to reach the snowbound Zanskar

valley in the Indian Himalayas in winter: over the frozen Zanskar river or the snow covered high passes. Claude Balsiger and

Martin Bissig took both routes on their expedition; across the ice to reach the valley and over

the passes to get back out.

WORDS : CLAUDE BALSIGER PHOTOS : MARTIN BISSIG

MOUNTAIN BIKING IN THE HIMALAYAS IN WINTER


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FROZEN TO THE COREHow bad can it feel to fulfill one’s dream? For me, it feels bitterly cold. Breathing heavily with my head hung down, I’m standing next to my bike. Mountain biking at minus twenty degrees works surprisingly well. But when a bitingly cold wind is added, then nothing works. My friend, Tundup, catches up with me, he has cared for me since day one. “You have to keep moving, or you’ll get too cold, my friend,” he says to me, pulls up his scarf and moves on. I mount the bike and start to pedal. The ice crunches under my wheels and I continue up the river. I was first here six years ago; I was looking for singletrack in the summer and met Tundup. Even in the early days of our friendship, he wanted to persuade me to do this winter adventure, ride a mountain bike down frozen rivers to the Zanskartal. This is how my dream to cross the Himalayas in winter with a bike and skis developed. Now I stand in the middle of this icy dream. We want to cross the Himalayan mountain range in four weeks, on a bike, on foot and on skis. We start in North India, in the town of Leh, then I cycle almost 300 miles on frozen rivers through a gorge to the end of the Zanskar valley. From there we ski southwards and hope to reach our goal, the Indian town of Manali, within four weeks.

CRuEl COmpaNiON It’s morning and it’s really cold, bitterly cold. The morning is not a pleasant companion in a Himalayan winter. It is, in fact, the most evil time of the day, I regularly hit a mental low point. I’m lying in my thick sleeping bag, my eyes squinting out of the small opening but my body lies motionless like frozen chicken in the feather down. I pull the zipper down and cold, minus 20 degree air streams into the interior - the day’s misery begins. Socks, pants and jacket, everything is with me in my sleeping bag overnight, here wet clothes freeze stiff in a very short time.

I share the icy sleeping space with Thomas, my expedition partner. The aspiring mountain guide is responsible for the demanding return journey on skis. With thick down gloves we force the tent into its sheath. Then our cook, Sonam, brings us some hot tea. I cling to the warm cup, press it against my cold nose and let the steam warm my cold face. It happens every morning.

When I mount my bike an hour later I’m looking forward to the warming movement - but the airstream makes things worse. My feet are in massive hiking boots, but they don’t help much. They burn with cold, my toes feel more like padding at the end of the shoe. My Rocky Mountain Altitude is perfect for the freezing temperatures thanks to plastic pedals, spikes, insulation and disc brakes, but I am not capable of handling this icy adventure.



Barren Trail For three days I’ve travelled along the ice covered Zanskar River. The surface is often so smooth it offers no support. The 400 spikes on my tyres sink like little claws into the crystal-clear surface and keep me on track. It’s a really fun track, with little curves and dips, that winds through the ice on the white surface of the river. After travelling three hours through the canyon we finally see the first rays of sun on the valley floor and that warms me up a bit. Now I’m euphoric. The

breathtaking scenery and a trail that couldn’t be better, the ground is very firm and the track full of variety. The track leads through a gorge with rock faces several hundred meters high, the river is just ten feet wide in places. Minutes later, the landscape is completely different. I now pass through a small plain; here the frozen river is nearly 100 feet wide.

For the Zanskari, the inhabitants of this Himalayan region, the route across the river in winter is their only link to the outside world. My friend Tundup has done the route dozens of times on foot and told me exactly how to behave on the ice. The biggest dangers are watery and crumbly ice: I must spot these before riding over them - otherwise I’ll fall through. Usually the ice is between one and three metres thick and could carry a tank.

Official recOgniTiOn After five days in the ice gorge the valley opens up and we reach Zanskar. The main town could be straight out of a Western movie: Padum, that’s the name of the dump, consists of a few houses standing at an intersection. When I reach it on my bike, people rush out of their houses onto the street, looking at me in disbelief and whispering among themselves. Suddenly a well-built man steps into my path. He comes up to me and his broad face under a thick fur hat grins at me: “Welcome to Zanskar, we’ve been waiting for you,” he says to me. How can this giant know me? “The rumours reached us a few days ago, but we did not believe them,” he continues. “Now we know that in fact the first man with a bike has crossed the frozen river. Please come with me,” he says. You don’t contradict a man like him. I climb off of my bike and follow him through a large gate into a courtyard where a small blue house with a tin roof stands. Above the entrance is a hand painted sign, “Sub-District Magistrate of Zanskar.” He is the head of government in the region. His office is small and stuffy, I sit between a stack of documents, half a pita bread and a Buddha statue. As soon as he sits down on his chair, his assistants come into the room and give him letters to sign; indifferently he scribbles something on the crumpled paper. Then he finally speaks to me. He wants to congratulate me on my success, the first man to travel up the frozen Zanskar with a bicycle. This is a remarkable achievement. He wants to congratulate me on behalf of the

UsUally The ice is BeTween One and Three meTres Thick and cOUld carry a Tank.


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Government of Zanskar. In the following hour, I am lectured on the chance of survival in the Chaddar. He releases me with an official Letter of Recognition from the government. Not everyone can boast of such a souvenir to take home!

On the Ridge Two weeks later my ski partner, Thomas, and I are lying in a small tent on the 5100m high Shingo Pass. I had to leave my bike behind because I could no longer carry it through the fresh snowfalls. There is a storm outside and visibility has been reduced to ten metres. Yesterday on the ascent we got stuck in darkness and fog and had to put up the tent on the spot. We made a tough decision in the evening, the risk in continuing the trip was too high. Poor visibility, the avalanche risk and depleted reserves speak for themselves. We have to turn around and re-trace the journey made over the last three weeks - just four days before reaching our destination.

The journey back is a race against the thaw in which the ice breaks up in the rivers. If we don’t get back across the river before the thaw, we will have to spend several weeks unable to leave Zanskar. So we press on as for long as our feet will carry us. We can’t use either bike or ski in this landscape of snow, ice and water. In just five days we cover 160 kilometers back through deep snow, ice and water. We take very few breaks and arrive completely exhausted at the lower end of the frozen Zanskar River as the final group for the winter,

I live these days with an intensity never before experienced. Just hours lie between the bitter misery of the morning cold and the euphoria on the ice trail. I no longer mind crawling out of my sleeping bag at minus 20 degrees or walking on bleeding feet. The only things I really need are my sleeping bag in the evening and a warm soup for dinner. This is pure life in its most extreme form, painful and euphoric at the same time. I look forward to a comfortable bed and lots of delicious food at home - but I don’t yet want to wake up from my expedition dream.


MEN

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A U S S I E M T B C L O T H I N G

T H E C Y C L E R YC A N B E R R A

C I T Y B I K E D E P O TS Y D N E Y

A L L T E R R A I N C Y C L E SM T B U L L E R

T H R E B D O M T BT H R E D B O

B I K E A H O L I CQ U E E N S T O W N

W W W . D H A R C O . C O M

S H O PD H A R C O . C O M

N O O R D I N A R Y L I F EN O O R D I N A R Y L I F E


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There’s usually a bit of a wait at Blauherd, 2571m, before you can jump on the telecabine to Rothorn, the end of the line for skiers in winter, and the start of some long and lonely adventures for mountaineers and climbers in summer. While most tourists wait outside and snap pictures of the Matterhorn in the day’s fading light, at this altitude, it’s cold even in August, so we wait indoors.

When the telecabine arrives, a close-knit bunch of four or five young Swiss get off, silently pushing an enormous trolley full of dirty linen, and each laden with sacks full of plastic and glass bottles, empty of their water, wine, and schnapps.

‘That’s the Fluhalp crew’, says the man at the kiosk where I’ve just bought a Toblerone. ‘Half of them stay up there and half come down to sleep with the washing and the recycling. Then they go back up tomorrow with fresh water and clean sheets.’

It’s the last telecabine of the day and it’s nearly empty. Not surprising. It’s too late to walk back down to Zermatt, the car-free town that feeds tourists and skiers into the mountains from 1,500 metres below. The Fluhalp hut is still a couple of kilometres from the last stop at Rothorn station (3100m), but it’s downhill, and we’re riding full-suspension Cube‘Fritzz’ mountain bikes, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

When we get off at Rothorn the sky is dark. The place is as deserted as a gulag and the wind bites our cheeks. By the time we’ve clipped in it’s snowing, and it needles our faces as we descend, somewhat shabbily, over trails carved out by centuries of hikers and alpine cows. The singletrack loops and splits, giving us any

RIDING HIGHCHeCk INto oNe of

SwItzeRlaND’S alpINe HutS aND keep GRavIty oN youR SIDe

number of lines to choose from over unstable scree and sharp rocks. But our hands are frozen and tomorrow’s still ahead of us. We pick our way down to the red-shuttered hut opposite the Matterhorn.

CHECKING INN If you’ve visited a mountain hut in Australia, like perhaps Schlink’s ‘Hilton’, or Cascade Hut in the Snowy Mountains, you’ll know that they’re little more than historic refuges – tin roof, timber walls, dirt floor. A rotting sleeping platform if you’re lucky. They’re for campers, people caught in bad weather, emergencies and photographs. Switzerland’s huts are much, much more. They’re high-altitude inns, offering refuge, warmth, gourmet food, chocolate, accommodation, and even live music. Although some are only reached on foot, many are staffed year-round, and many sit above 3,000metres. The Fluhalp hut is at 2,620 metres, propped on a giant field of rock.

Huts are a godsend to mountain bikers looking to make the most of gravity: It takes a long time to climb to this altitude – whether by cable or pedal power – and we want to take our time getting down. Riders can use huts to pass between valleys while maintaining precious altitude, ride long days, and experience the alpine wilderness (most wildlife like steinbock are only around in the evenings, when lifts are shut and tourists return to the valleys). They’re a genuine part of Swiss heritage and the perfect way to experience Switzerland.

PARK YOUR BIKE AND STAY A WHILE

We leave our bikes outside under a sheltered part of the restaurant terrace – not many thieves up

WoRdS : IMoGEN SMITH PHoToS : MIKE BLEWITT IMoGEN SMITH


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here – and go inside. Fluhalp is made entirely of timber – stairs, walls, doors, chairs, tables, beds and shelves. It’s warm and cosy. A few fellow travellers sit in the restaurant sharing beers. We’re told to take room 11, and head up the creaky stairs.

Dinner starts at 7:30, so we kill time with an overdue hot shower. At just 89CHF, our stay at the Fluhalp is the cheapest night we’ll spend in Switzerland, but once there we discover some hidden expenses. The hut is connected to an electricity grid (another marvel of Swiss engineering), but relies on rainwater – and there’s not much of that in summer. Showers cost a few Francs a minute, and by the time we’re both clean, we’ve spent 15CHF – about $20 Aussie dollars.

We settle into our room. It’s quite tiny, with two single beds (timber), some hooks on the walls, and a tiny table (timber). Like the entire hut, the walls are hung with drawings and paintings of the Matterhorn. Dinner’s a set menu, but vegetarian and other dietary needs are accommodated if you give the hut prior warning. The dining room is full – about 15 people, and there’s just one waitress, plus another couple of staff in the kitchen. Tonight there are a young Swiss couple, a table of three generations of Japanese tourists, a couple of grave-faced mountaineers, some British hikers, and us. The Fluhalp hut is part of Zermatt’s famous network of down-to-earth gourmet eateries and certainly one of the highest. We’re brought a basket of bread, fresh salad, then a delicious mushroom soup, followed by a simple spaghetti dish, and a crème caramel for dessert. The mountaineers, obviously in the know, order

from the menu, and eat steak and rösti, with wine from the decent list. Perhaps we should have opted to drink, too. The tank water that made showering so expensive isn’t approved for drinking, so we’ve got to buy it. A 750ml bottle of Evian sets us back 9CHF. At altitude you’re thirstier, so we buy a couple for the night.

Fluhalp is perhaps Zermatt’s most famous hut – and it’s known for the views. We open our little red shutters, letting in frozen air, and watch the sun set, The Matterhorn, melting from grey to blue, to pink, to gold, to purple. Once dark there’s not a lot left to do, and while the hikers sit down below us drinking Schnapps, we take a few precious sips of Evian, turn off the light and try to get some sleep.

This is a lot harder to do at altitude and while there’s nothing around us for miles – no street lights, no cars or roads, no pubs or houses, not even birds, there are still other people. It could be all the timber, but at night the Fluhalp hut is like an old ship, creaking and groaning. Especially when the Japanese group convene at 5am to watch the sun rise.

They can’t have seen much. We’re blanketed in frozen fog until the sun’s risen high above the glaciers.

Breakfast is simple – breads, cheese, ham, muesli, and coffee. We head out straight after, ready for a long day’s riding.

DOWNHILL FROM YOUR DOORSTEP

From the door of the hut, we’re into perfect gravity riding, although it was never built for bikes. There’s no nanny state in the high Alps. No guardrails or warning signs, no rangers. As



HUT CUSTOMS

It’s unlikely anybody will say a word, but it’s the height of rudeness to wear your shoes into the hut. All huts provide clogs and slippers in a vast range of sizes for you to change into at the door. Avoid the Swiss stare of disapproval by changing out of your bike shoes or hiking boots immediately!

Likewise you must leave all take mountain equipment including walking sticks, crampons, BIKES, axes etc. at the door. Rooms are small anyway. Always contact the hut in advance to make a booking and notify of any dietary needs and ask if bedding is provided, or you might end up cold and hungry.

Huts have a set time for the evening meal, so make sure you arrive before then, and because huts have few staff, it’s not unusual for guests to offer to help out clearing dishes or in the kitchen afterwards.

Because huts have people in close quarters, there are some practical customs around noise. It’s unofficial quiet time after 10pm. Many hut visitors leave early and it’s important to be organised enough to make a clean exit if you do. Hut users are also expected to keep mobile phone and MP3 player use to a minimum, and preferably not at all.

For a full list of alpine huts accessible from Zermatt, visit www.zermatt.ch/en/climbing/Mountain-huts


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Once you climb above about 2,000 metres, the saturation of oxygen in your blood starts to drop. This is caused not by a low concentration of oxygen in the air (it remains the same as it is at sea level), but because of lower atmospheric pressure. Basically, the higher you go, the further apart those oxygen molecules get, so each breath you take in fewer than you would if you’d just stayed on that yacht on Sydney Harbour.

At first you’ll notice your breathing rate increase, and maybe your heart rate as well, particularly when riding or walking. You’ll also need to pee more as your body adjusts its pH balance and loses more fluid from increased evaporation from your skin and lungs – you’ll need to drink more water. Some people also retain water and may experience a bit of oedema – perhaps noticing some swelling around the ankles and calves.

It’s really common to sleep quite poorly at altitude, and you might find you wake up frequently or sleep extremely lightly. This can be a result of Periodic Breathing, where your body finds it difficult to manage O2 and CO2 balance, and you alternate between taking big breaths and holding your breath in your sleep. It’s quite common and usually not dangerous, just annoying when there’s a full day’s riding coming up.

All these symptoms generally resolve as your body adapts over a few days.

Performance-minded readers might be interested to learn that once you’re above 1,500m, your VO2 max drops 3% for every 300m you climb. Don’t expect to set any PBs while you’re riding high.

long as there’s no signs that say ‘bikes verboten’ (and we see one in three days), we’re free to go wherever we choose.

The ground is made entirely of jagged chunks of grey granite, ranging from the size of a five-cent piece to the size of a school bus. Up here above the tree line the mountains are silent – there’s no leaves shaking in the breeze, few insects, and no pasture, so no bell-clanging cows. The rocks slide and clink like a xylophone as we roll over them, or loosen and tumble with a swoosh. We ride to the sound of the Alps changing shape around us.There are so many forking trails that we climb back up some to take different routes. The morning’s spent exploring in our very own playground, chatting to hikers, and taking photos – each and every one a perfect alpine postcard. We follow a good-looking piece of singletrack that winds down the side of the valley on steep switchbacks and rocky chutes, then climbs to the edge of a collapsing scree pile with a 100m drop on one side, crumbling under our tyres and giving us all a fright. There’s no way off but to ride to the end, and when we drop back down to stable ground we follow fast, hardpack singletrack to a little collection of timber shack’s where we’ve been told there’s a great restaurant. Lunchtime’s just about here.

Restaurant Findlerhof’s at 2050 metres above sea level, and serves the kind of fresh, healthy, and locally-sourced food we’re getting used to in Switzerland (www.findlerhof.ch). We sit on the sun terrace and stare up at the Matterhorn until we’re served crisp salads, bread, mineral water, beer, and pasta, followed by coffee and cake. The spot is so idyllic that it’s a bit hard to leave, but we do, following the trail that passes through the tiny hamlet and down to the treeline, where the valley comes to life with alpine flowers, bees, hikers, and sweet-scented pines. We follow the signs towards Zermatt, choosing to descend scores of steep, rooty switchbacks through the forest. Although some corners are too tight to ride, having been made for walkers, we make it down the majority and emerge below a waterfall, then follow bitumen back streets down into town. A thousand metres above us, the staff who served us dinner last night will be loading our sheets and empty Evian bottles into carts and dragging them up to the telecabine at Rothorn, while their colleagues prepare to feed hungry travellers come to watch the sun set over the Matterhorn.

Check out our Alpine Ride video on : www.ambmag.com.au

YOUR BODY AT ALTITUDE


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HAUS There is a very strong sense of national pride in Austria, as well there should be. Unlike Australia, most European countries share borders with a handful of other nations. It’s worth holding onto your identity. From flower boxes planted in the colours of the flag, traditional dress still in common use, to menu items that you will really only find when in Austria. It’s universally known that the majority of the bike industry is based in Asia, but it was interesting to learn what KTM are doing to keep their bikes “Made in Austria” via work efficiencies, but also what they’re doing to follow new trends and lead the market in some areas.

A FACTORY TOWN

When you hear of KTM, chances are you think of motorbikes, and the colour orange. We have tested a number of KTM mountain bikes in previous issues of AMB, and it’s worth noting that the KTM Bike brand is different from the KTM motorbike brand – they split in the mid-1990s, although both factories are still based in the town of Mattighofen. The bike factory employs 300 people, and the motorbike factory employs about 1000. With a town population of about 6000 people, Mattighofen is quite a factory town.

In 1997 KTM Bikes was close to bankruptcy. Despite producing bikes since 1964, the company faced troubles. It needed to be more efficient and innovative, and KTM were the first big brand to push E-bikes onto the market. Although slow to adapt, Europe is now buzzing silently with electrically-assisted hybrid bikes, and increasingly with E-mountain bikes too. Of course, their range is more than electronically assisted bikes, with disc-equipped road and cyclocross bikes mixing in with carbon fat bikes, downhill bikes, long travel 27.5” enduro bikes, and plenty of 27.5” and 29” hardtails and full suspension trail bikes on offer.Celebrating their 50th year in 2014, KTM are in a healthy position, and export to 50 countries all around the globe. Not bad for a company operating from a small town in Austria.

AUSTRIAN EFFICIENCIES

Arriving in Mattighofen was abrupt. One minute we were driving through pine forest, then some fields, and then we were on the edge of the small town, at a neat new building. No light industrial wasteland or commercial park. Just an orderly building opposite a field. Inside, the show room contained lines of 2015 bikes, ready to be photographed for the catalogue. Hardtrails, hybrids, cyclocross bikes, enduro bikes, road bikes, fat bikes... wall to wall, matched in depth only by the KTM accessory, shoe and clothing lines, which we are yet to receive into Australia. We were lead through the new KTM building by Marketing employee Martin Gaber, himself a retired (but still very young) racer. We have arrived in late July, when the factory is closed. The offices are still running of course, but it’s very quiet. Factory workers have two months of holiday through the summer.

Before arriving, we weren’t sure whether we would just be at a warehouse where bikes built in Asia were checked and distributed. This isn’t uncommon, as we all want better value bikes, manufacturers need to reduce their costs to get retail prices lower. The reality was far different. KTM have all their frames made in Asia to their designs and quality control standards. But they are shipped back to Mattighofen, where the process of painting, stickers, assembly, quality control and packing have been made as efficient as possible to keep the building of the bikes in Austria. To make the bikes Austrian.

In a large, open office Martin shows us where the design team are based, with countless prototype frames and bikes leaning against desks. Next door there is a 3D printer, so they can have a quick turn around on frame designs to get a feel for the product before refining moulds. They’re not ordering frames from a factory catalogue afterall, they are designing frames,

WOrDs: MIKE BlEWITT IMAGEs: MIKE BlEWITT, IMOGEN sMITH, KTM

DURINg OUR WINTER, ThE AMB TEAM vISITED MANY EUROpEAN MOUNTAIN BIkE hOTSpOTS, BUT WE SNUCk IN A vISIT TO ThE kTM FACTORY IN MATTIghOFEN, AUSTRIA, TO lEARN A BIT MORE ABOUT ThE BRAND, hOW ThEY OpERATE AND WhY ThEY ARE SO pROUDlY AUSTRIAN.

modifying the designs, and then finally sending the plans to Asia for a protoype model. We even spied a 3D printed balance bike parked on top of a cupboard? Perhaps a side project for one of the production team.

We’re lead down a hallway, with a line of plastic crates holding group sets, wheels and forks against the wall. Each box has a hand written note on it, marking what model and bike size the group is designated to. Each part has been picked from the warehouse of components, ready to be built up onto the designated frame.

“In that workshop, only our very best mechanics work. They build all the bikes that are higher value, like the carbon fibre bikes” explains Martin, pointing to an expansive and spotless workshop behind glass walls.

When the blank, unpainted frames are returned to Mattighofen, the process of building the bike begins. From paint, to stickers, to fitting every single part – the bike is built under the roof of the building we were in.

We go through the double doors into the factory itself. There are a row of hooks on a track that runs through a lot of the factory. Frames are transported to the paint area, where they are painted, the paint is set, and then they move on for stickers. It’s reminiscent of scenes from an abattoir, but the frames are carcasses that will instead be brought to life, not destroyed.

Martin leads us to the room where the stickers are placed on the frames. It’s clean, orderly – and of course empty and silent at the time, “Only women work here, they make fewer mistakes and work faster than men for this job. There are no wrinkles in the stickers when the women put them on.”


www.ambmag.com.au - 55PROUD

DT WHEELS

In a bid to prove the quality of their product, and maintain quality control, KTM have partnered with DT Swiss for the wheels of their bikes. KTM are passionate about the quality of their bikes, from the design, the frame, the build quality, and didn’t want to be let down by the wheels. With DT Swiss providing the materials, they now build all the wheels for their bikes in the Mattighofen factory. Wheels are machine-built and hand-finished to their standards, from wheels on custom RS1 specific hubs to fat bike wheels.


56 - AMB

We’re surprised, but it makes sense. The largest room has about 20 work stations, basically workbenches with compressors, tools, relevant small parts and a bike stand. “Each station has one man and one woman building the bike. We have found this is the most efficient,” Gaber explains, matter-of-factly. Far from an employment practice that would be tolerated in Australia, KTM have made this decision after trialling different teams and proving it to be more efficient. Maybe our workplaces could learn something from the Austrians at KTM?

This process has been refined to be highly efficient – as efficient as possible to justify the buidling of the bikes taking place back in Austria. The factory produces 700 bikes a day, with staff working shifts that start at 6am, finishing at 3pm, with structured breaks. Again, they have shown this is the most efficient time to work, with breaks managed to maximise productivity.

MADE IN AUSTRIA

The small changes and moves for efficient production intrigue us, but Martin is still very matter-of-fact, “Ja, but we have to. If we can’t be so efficient our production moves to Asia.” And with it lots of jobs for this small town. The whole company strives for the efficiencies in production and workplace practices, and not without reason. KTM have been approved by the Austrian Government to label their bikes “Made in Austria”, something that the whole company is very proud of. Austrian people like to support Austrian products, and although Germany is the largest customer for KTM bikes buying about 60 000 bikes a year, Austria is only just behind, buying about 50 000 a year, despite a much smaller population, barely 10% of their northern neighbour.

This reward is a fantastic result for the company, being able to come back from the verge of bankruptcy in 1997, to keeping their bike building in Austria, to earn the title “Made in Austria” and keeping final production out of Asia, something that the Taiwanese born (but Salzburg based) owner Ms. Carol Chen-Urkauf worked hard to achieve.

We left amazed that a company working so hard to keep their production line out of Asia, is operated by a Taiwanese born owner. But she lives in Austria, and that’s where she wants her bikes built, so they can be labelled “Made in Austria”. It seems like the division of the original company was the divorce settlement for the owner, with Mrs KTM taking bikes, and Mr KTM taking motorbikes. And Ms Chen-Urkauf has done a brilliant job. - ( AMB )

E-BIKES

Perhaps more divisive than the wheel size debate is the introduction of E-bikes to the mountain bike world. KTM delivered the first E-Downhill bike in 2011, and their range of dual suspension and hardtail E-MTBs is quite impressive. While we don’t receive them on the Australian market, the factory has a whole separate wing for E-bike building and testing, as staff specialise in their role, and keep the efficiency of the work place very high. E-bikes are big business for KTM, 15% of the bikes they sell are electronically assisted, and they make up 30% of their annual turnover.


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WELCOME TO THE

hubHELLO 2015 !



60 - AMB

Camelbak Rogue What: A small sized hydration bag that will carry 2L of fluid and all your trail essentials via two pockets and a stash area. Sternum strap only, so it sits high not low. Easy external access to the reservoir for mid-ride or mid-race top ups.

Fluid: 2L Price: $99.95

Camelbak m.u.l.e. NV What: The hydration system which all trail bags aspire to. The NV back system promotes air flow and adds comfort when this is loaded up. And with a large main compartment, stuff panel, and compart-ments for all spares, tools and even a raincover, this bag should cover trail rides to all day epics

Fluid: 3LPrice: $179.95

ShimaNo u6

What: A close fitting, stable backpack that hugs your body. Side access for left or right handed riders, with two smaller pockets for valuables and tools. The harness crosses the body and can be adjusted for back length, which is why it’s so stable. A great one to try before you buy.


Camelbak luXe

What: A women’s specific bag with a shorter torso, curved straps and softer padding and materials so it’s still comfortable with a sleeveless top. One huge compartment with a large stash panel and compartmentalized front pocket for spares and essentials.


Camelbak kudu 18

What: Camelbak’s answer to the need for inbuilt protection, the Kudu 18 has a removable (and replaceable) three layer back protection board. Mated with a secure harness with a broad hipbelt, the pack should stay in place to add some more spine protection in a big touch down. With room for pads, spares, a helmet holder, tools, a media pocket and a rain cover, the Kudu is an ideal gravity-riding companion.

Fluid: BYO reservoirPrice: $249.95

Buyer’s Guide : Backpacks

There’s only so far you can get on pockets and bottles, and with summer and longer daylight hours here, it’s worth looking at some of the new or updated backpacks. From something for a quick jaunt, to rides from dawn to dusk, and even ones to help keep you in one piece, here’s a selection from what is currently on the Australian market.



Osprey rev 12L What: A lightweight offering that bridges the space between a trail bag and a daypack. With one large pocket for a days worth of supplies or extra clothing, it adds storage on the hip belt and even a phone holder on the shoulder strap. Super light at 470g, this could be enough for a very lightweight overnight trip if you know what you’re doing.

Fluid: 2.5L bladder includedSize: 12L (1.5L – 24L models available)Price: $129.95

BLiss ArG verticAL LD

What: Using the ARG protection system that Bliss use in their body armour, the Vertical LD has a secure harness to hold the protection in place. It’s quite long, ensuring great coverage but shorter riders will want to try it on. Straps for pads, a large pocket for gear, room for a bladder, and plenty of smaller pockets for storing your spares and essentials

Fluid: BYO reservoir Price: $220

Deuter crOss Air 20 What: If the Race Exp Air doesn’t fit your day’s needs, the Cross Air 20 will. With a larger main pocket and broader profile, it will easily do double duty for those who need a bag off the bike too. Using the same Air Comfort system, the straps are also more padded for bigger loads. The helmet carrier acts as a stash panel, and it still comes with side pockets and small pockets for your tools. Compressions straps keep smaller loads stable

Fluid: BYO reservoirSize: 20LPrice: $149.99

shimAnO r12

What: Sticking with the need for comfort, the R12 has a wide profile with broad straps, plus a sternum strap and hip belt. The large compartment has pockets for spares and tools, supplemented by a valuables pocket and padded media pockeyt

Fluid: BYO reservoirPrice: $49.95

Deuter rAce exp Air

What: The cycle commuting stalwart, it also makes for a great all day riding bag. With room for a large bladder, an off the back system to keep sweat patches smaller, and a main compartment that expands, it’s very versatile. There’s a small pocket for tools, keys and spares, plus side pock-ets. With a helmet holder and rain cover, you’re covered for a whole lot of exploring.

Fluid: BYO reservoirSize: 12+3 LPrice: $139.99


62 - AMB

The promo video for the Hero4 begins with a voi-ceover: “Life is either an incredible adventure, or it’s nothing at all.” It sets the tone for the inevita-bly astonishing montage that is to follow, but also serves to echo the approach GoPro appear to have taken with their latest top-of-the-line camera.

It seems GoPro have thrown everything at the Hero4 Black edition, in terms of setting the standard for action cameras, a market they have rapidly come to dominate.

Doubling up

The Hero4’s predecessor was one of the first action cameras to shoot in 4K resolution. At the time it appeared to be overkill given the already impressive quality of 1080p HD footage. But now, with mediums like YouTube and an increasing number of super-high resolution devices making their way to market, GoPro appear to have again set themselves up with a handy head start over rivals.

The Hero4’s 4K resolution is impressive, and the introduction of 24fps, 25fps and 30fps shooting modes at the highest resolution - up from 15fps - will allow professional and amateur producers to do a lot more with those extra pixels (24fps and up being industry standard frame rates).

For those of us happy to stick to 1080p for the time being, the Hero4 delivers a treat. That mode now offers a 120fps option (up from 60fps), so expect to see a lot more very clear, slow motion sequences on YouTube soon.

While a lot of us are happy to just grab our camera and go, the significance of this raft of higher numbers will do a lot to push the standard and consistency of footage gathered by these cameras. GoPro deserves credit for leading from the front.

let there be light

Low-light performance has always been action cameras’ Achilles heel. When the sun goes down, the fixed aperture of action cameras means they have less flexibility in absorbing available light. The promo video features extensive clips of night time scenes, aided by light sources such as fire-works and street lights.

Helping to achieve this is a new Auto Low Light mode that automatically adjusts the camera’s frame rate according to light conditions. And for the more experienced, GoPro have introduced ProTune, which will allow users to tune settings such as ISO, white balance and colour.

In practice, the Hero4 certainly delivers a massive improvement in low-light performance over my much loved, but comparatively antiquated Hero 2. Improvements in overall picture quality and a faster image processor help provide this boost alongside the built-in automatic mode.

the neeD for speeD

In addition to faster processing and frame rates, the Hero4 also speeds up the interface with the GoPro app. With built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, the app has always been a handy tool for lining up shots, and any improvement in the delay between the two is a welcome addition.

Altering settings has also been sped up by virtue of a button on the side of the camera which allows you to quickly change things such as frame rates or resolution.

over-the-top?

An article in The New York Times recently suggested that GoPro’s imposing (or impressive, depending on your point of view) feature list would be a threat to less-featured but perhaps more user-friendly rivals. The introduction of features like ProTune indeed marks a move away from traditional simplicity, but it’s a reasonable progression given the ubiquity of their use by both amateurs and professionals alike.

At $639, the Hero4 Black marks an increase in the price of GoPro’s flagship. For some, that might be a little too much to justify, particularly given the glut of options available, however if you’re after the best, the Hero4 remains in a class of its own.

hits - Market-leading resolution - 1080p HD 120fps mode - Low light performance

Misses

- Price might be a bit high for some to swallow

rrp $639 vsport.com.au

WOrDS AND PHOTOS: rIcHIe TYLer

GoPro Hero 4 Black edition

testeD

essentiAls



In a busy marketplace, Contour deserve their reputation as one of the pioneering action camera brands. The release of the company’s entry-level Roam 3 comes amid an almost weekly release of new rivals, but their new offering is proof that playing to your strengths can often pack a bigger punch than a long list of options.

Shaping up

Before they became must-have consumer products, minute cameras were the bastion of high-octane sports broadcasters. Lipstick cam-eras spread throughout the bodies of racing cars and motorcycles delivered a point of view that although commonplace now, was revolutionary then.

The Contour form has always harked back to these predecessors. And while others have followed rectangular design queues, the Roam 3 maintains the stem-length shape, which minimis-es the frontal area exposed to the wind.

Aero considerations may be down the list for those of us simply trying to capture our first hit out on that new trail, but the low profile is perfect for helmets or tucked beneath saddles and stems. The camera is larger and heavier than some of its rectangular rivals, though depending on how many brackets you need to use to align the latter, this difference could be minimal.

hitS - Easy to use - Rotating lens provides plenty of mounting options - Inclusion of a Micro SD card makes it plug-and-play

MiSSeS

- Not as waterproof as some rivals - Professional users may miss some features - Long battery charge cycle

RRp $299.95Moto National Accessories www.motonational.com.au

The camera can be fixed on almost any angle by virtue of a lens that can be rotated through 270º to ensure the proper aspect ratio is maintained with a simple twist. It’s a standout feature that marks it out from rivals. A built in laser level helps you make sure things are lined up correctly.

Keep it SiMple

The Roam 3 eschews the trend for myriad set-tings. A sliding record/stop button mounted on top of the camera takes care of activating the 1080p HD video recording at 30fps (or 720p at 60fps), which is saved to a Micro SD card. The camera comes supplied with an 8GB card, so you can get started straight away - a considerate inclusion when most other manufacturers having you forking out for a card before you can shoot your first frame.

The aforementioned record slide fires up with minimal lag, so you stand a good chance of grabbing the moment your buddy doesn’t quite stick his landing. A dedicated button on the rear of the camera takes care of capturing still images, including a burst mode.

Quality of footage produced by the Roam 3 is excellent.

The battery is one aspect of the Roam 3 that is a little disappointing. A full charge will deliver up to 3.5 hours of recording, however its 3-hour charge cycle means you have a long wait before getting back out there. This wasn’t an issue during our test, but you’ll have to ration power on long days out.

At first glance the apparent dearth of features may be seen as a disadvantage in their frenzied marketplace, however it’s hard to fault a product

eSSentialS

Contour roam 3

that can be used by anyone straight out of the box and deliver incredible quality results.

The camera’s case-free body is waterproof to 10 metres. This rules it out for deep sea diving but should see it handle almost anything else with respect to rain, mud or snow.

Other cameras can be used without their cases though in the time it takes to tuck them inside their protective cocoon the Contour has already been rolling for 15 seconds. Certainly not a deal breaker, but yet another easily overlooked exam-ple of the considered approach taken in marrying form and function.

There’s a lot packed into the Roam 3, and with a AU$299.95 asking price, worthy of a place near the top of options out there in the entry-level market.

WORDS AND PHOTOS: RICHIE TyLER

teSteDWorldmags.netWorldmags.net

64 - AMB

I was pretty excited to get my hands on some Dakine kit, and wasn’t disappointed.

Boundary ShortS

Featuring no stitching whatsoever via fully welded seams, the Boundary shorts are nothing short of unbelievably comfortable. The Comp liner short they come with as standard is pretty good as far as liners go, but it is removable and with bib shorts underneath, the Boundarys have become one of my go-to shorts for all day trail rides. They ought to be a solid choice for summer too with inner thigh ventilation letting plenty of breeze in where you need it.

Vectra Short SleeVe JerSey

Light weight and with a very relaxed fit the Vectra is cut really well, allowing for a full range of on-bike movement without any bunching up, even when wearing a pack. It’s also available in a range of colours that are a little more subtle than some of the other trail inspired jerseys on the market and there’s plenty of room in the arms if you want to run elbow pads. Take care with sizing

WorDs: ADAM MACBeTh PhoTos: TBs

though, as it is very American and will fit a little larger than expected. There is a little sunglasses wipe inside the hem that’s separated from the main fabric of the jersey so you shouldn’t end up with sweat smears all over your eyewear.

traVerSe GloVeS

Gloves are a very personal thing, but I loved the minimal nature of the Traverse glove, with it’s unpadded palm and moisture wicking, four way stretch upper. The heavy ridges along the back of the hand and knuckle fend of branches nicely without adding unnecessary rigidity to the glove. once secured the wrist band is barely noticeable and allows for a wide range of adjustment. Being able to wipe your nose and use your smart phone are nice features too.

Dakine Clothing

hitS - hugely comfortable - Great colourways

MiSSeS

- Unusual size on jersey

rrP - Taverse Gloves $39.90 - Bounday shorts $169.99 - Vectra Jersey $59.99 KWT Nominees Ph : 07 5445 1991

eSSentialS

teSted Worldmags.netWorldmags.net

66 - AMB

What’s the use of going somewhere awesome on your bike if you can’t share it? Even with the cameras on our phones getting better, nothing can capture the depth of scenery, colours, or fast action quite like a quality camera. While few of us can afford to invest in the sort of equipment used by professional MTB photographers like Tim Bardsley-Smith, there are a range of ‘hybrid’ cameras that mix the ease-of-use of a compact point and shoot camera, with Digital SLR features like larger image sensors and the ability to swap lenses.

The Nikon 1 AW1 is one such camera. Built as an action camera, it is waterproof to 15m, shockproof for a drop of up to 2m onto a hard surface, and can operate to well below freezing. The body has a rugged build, employing a combination of alloy, stainless steel and a tough polycarbonate.

The back of the camera has a 75mm wide screen, and it shows the true colour of what you’re shoot-ing, which is handy for getting settings right if you take it off automatic. The camera captures 14 megapixels stills, and can shoot HD video at 60fps in 1080p format.

The AW1 became familiar after a short period of playing around with the camera. The body almost felt too slim where the handgrip is, but this is a minor gripe. The back of the camera is easy to use for standard shooting. You’ll have to dive into an on screen menu for changing modes, which can slow things down a little if you have mates waiting for you so you can keep on riding. Thankfully, exposure compensation settings are easy to access, which is really good for mountain biking, as we always seem to be in high or low

light situations. It resets each time you switch the camera off, which saves bodging a shot after quickly turning it on.

Right near the thumb rest there’s a button to move to an action control mode, which allows you to change the shooting mode by simply tilting the angle of the camera. Given the position of the button I found myself using the mode by accident rather than by intent, though once used to the camera it’s a useful function.

The video button is set on top of the camera, alongside the shutter button. This is fantastic for capturing video right away, and so you don’t need to fumble taking your gloves off. It’s probably even more useful under water or with ski gloves on. It did mean that I occasionally started to shoot video instead of a photo. “Um, do you mind riding that section again?”

I must confess I did accidentally test the shock proof rating, dropping the camera on the floor, and also crashing onto it while it was in a light backpack. The camera didn’t miss a beat.

The video quality is top notch, as are the burst photo rates. The latter allows to shoot at up to 60 photos per second, but 15fps was a better rate for capturing riders at speed, without having too many images to review. There’s also a handy time lapse option, but the results of trying to ride a section of trail on a set 10 second time lapse weren’t amazing, so that’s probably best dedicat-ed to family shots and selfies.

Taking the camera off automatic gives you access to settings such as creative mode, so you can play with shutter speed and aperture priority, use a miniature effect, or run selective colours. These

are some great features to grow into, but I found the automatic function while playing with the ex-posure compensation yielded some great results for quick photo stops on a ride. And it was indeed fast, taking just under 2 seconds from the camera being off to capturing a still.

The stock lens (30-74mm of zoom) can be changed for another waterproof 27mm lens, which is a little faster. Any other Nikon 1 lenses will fit, but won’t be waterproof. The length of these lenses means it’s not really a pocket camera unless you remove the lens each time you stow it. However, it seems a fair compromise for the quality of image the lenses deliver.

I was really happy with the quality of the images this camera could capture. Due to it’s size it isn’t as easy to stash into a bag for a ride, but if you’re interested in getting some higher quality images while mountain biking or other sports, this is a great model to look at. Check out the Nikon web-site for full technical specifications.

NikoN 1 AW1 CAmerAWoRDS AND PHoToS : MIkE BLEWITT

Hits - Waterproof and shockproof - simple menu system - image quality

Misses

- limited range of lenses - not compact

RRP $999nikon.com.au

esseNtiALs

testeD Worldmags.netWorldmags.net

presented by


68 - AMB

The newest addition to Shimano’s shoe range, the M200, has been designed for the more aggressive trail rider or enduro racer, offering versatile performance in a variety of situations.

Engineered to maintain comfort and flexibility through all ranges of rider motion, the M200 is the upper echelon of Shimano’s new shoes featuring TORBAL (Torsional Balance) technology. TORBAL allows the outsole of the shoe to twist, providing unrestricted movement during aggressive, technical riding or ‘getting loose.’ Unlike many of Shimano’s previous trail shoes like the AM range, the forefoot is much more secure and remains aligned with the pedal.

The first thing I noticed was the significantly reduced weight over shoes like the AM45 despite having many similar features. The laces cover remains but gone are traditional laces replaced with a system reminiscent of light weight trail running shoes. Above that a traditional ratchet buckle holds the instep securely. At first the M200s felt a lot tighter than previous Shimano shoes I tried, and I was concerned that I might need to go to the wider E-Fit shoe. Wearing them around the office for a day without cleats proved

Shimano m200

I was wrong though and it seems the TORBAL upper just takes a little more time to shape to your foot. My advice – really take your time deciding on size with these.

On the trail the M200s are some of the best shoes I have ridden in. Seriously. More comfort and protection than a more cross country styled shoe but without much of a weight penalty and much better ventilated than the AM shoes. The sole is stiff enough for racing, especially when teamed with a slightly bigger platformed pedal (such as Shimano XT Trail or Crank Brothers Mallets) but is soft enough that hike-a-bike on wet sandstone is no problem at all. They might still be a little warm in the middle of summer but really, what isn’t?

The M200s are a great choice if you’re after an extremely versatile shoe capable of trail riding, enduro or downhill racing and even some recreational cross country or bikepacking.

Hits - Protection - comfort - weight

Misses

- Green is not for everyone, matched our Dakine kit though

RRP $229Shimano Australia

esseNtiALs

WORDS: ADAM MACBETh PhOTOS: TBS, ShIMAnO



Lululemon’s corporate Statement of Intent is: Elevating the world from mediocrity to greatness. While I’m not sure I was elevated to greatness, at least one of the bras I tested was perfect for proper mountain biking and, depending on your size, others will be as well.

Lululemon’s yoga-inspired sportswear brand was founded in Canada in the 1990s, and they’ve made their presence felt in Australia in the last few years, opening several stores in our major cities. In the cycling world, they’re naming-rights sponsors of Team Specialized Lululemon pro women’s road team. Known for making the kind of bras you want to wear out, their focus is on technical fabrics and colourful designs.

I’ve tested three crops, so they may not be suitable for women who need support beyond what this style can offer. The Lululemon range does feature some more supportive bras, too, however.

Mountain biking places demands on your girls that are pretty similar to

those of running, and more. While it goes without saying that it’s bumpy, the fact that your position has you leaning forward and down also makes it tough for bras that support you from below to do the job adequately. Look for a crop with good coverage, and that’s firm and stretchy enough to help with this.

All three bras came with removable padding that I immediately discarded for weight-saving purposes.

All Sport BrA$65

The best bra I tested of the three, by far, is the All Sport Bra. I wore it for intense and technical cross country racing and some marathon races, and it was infallibly comfortable and supportive. This comes down to smooth flat seams, wide, flat straps, cross-over back, and cool, smooth fabric: Lululemon’s ‘Luxtreme’, which has four-way stretch. I’d whole-heartedly recommend this as a very supportive crop that’s also comfortable to wear with heart rate monitor straps. It would probably suit riders up to a C size.

HitS - My new favourite braMiSSeS - Not everyone will like the wide straps

Flow Y BrA iV$49 This is a really cute crop and I wore it on and off the bike, although I didn’t feel it offered quite enough support for hard-core XC or gravity-type riding. It’d be great for a training ride on fire road and trails that aren’t too rocky or bumpy, especially if you’re smaller than a B, and it’s really attractive under singlets or layered so it peeks through. The Flow Y is very comfortable, with a sweat-wicking liner and is very soft and pliable and the back mesh panel designed for breathability look almost like lace. Wearing a heart-rate monitor is a little tricky with this one, as I had to drag the band beneath the bust down further to fit it in, which left me more exposed at the top.

HitS - Breathable, attractive, and comfyMiSSeS - Quite low support and a bit tough to fit the heart rate monitor strap in

Free to Be BrA$59

While I loved the style of this crop, it really didn’t offer enough support for anything more than a road ride for me. It’s cut quite low at the front, which looks great, but doesn’t offer the right support for mountain biking, and not much room for a heart-rate monitor strap, either... The Lululemon website says it’s designed for ‘small-busted hot yoga enthusiasts’, so I’m not surprised. That said, a lot of us are involved in a few sports, so if you were going from a spin class to yoga, or to the gym then a quick ride to work, it’s a great bra to take you from one to another, and is smooth and comfy, with beautiful, flexy, colourful straps worth showing off.

HitS - Extremely pretty designMiSSeS - Very low support and coverage, probably not great for any ride requiring a suspension fork

From: www.lululemon.com.au

teSteD

WordS : IMogEN SMITh

LuLuLemon Bras

All Sport BrA

Flow Y BrA iV Free to Be BrA

◀◀

◀ ◀


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Ascending in a shuttle bus from less than 100 meters to 2000 metres above sea level every morning means that you and your equipment is going to get a workout. In 7 days I rode the DT’s about 200 km’s, with about 6000 metres of climbing and over 10,000 metres of descending, often battling the meanest of hangovers! And the DT’s performed flawlessly both on punishing climbs and killer descents. Following Garda the DT’s were taken on a UK tour of Welsh trail centers, locals only trails, the ‘Tour de Barnsley’, including Peaty’s Wharncliffe trails (special thanks to Paddy). All in all another 250kms and another 6000 metres of climbing and descending. No flats, no dings, no pinches, no burps, just perfect spinning and rolling wheels that do exactly what they were designed to do.

In a market where you can spend $3000 on a set of wheels the EX1501’s come in at far less than half that and while still not cheap they are a high quality item, which should see many seasons of use and abuse, and have the advantage of being rebuildable and serviceable as you go.

It seems like picking a new set of wheels is just as complicated as deciding on a new bike nowadays. After running the perfectly adequate DT/WTB set that came on my Bronson, I set out looking for a new set of hoops. The choice is endless: custom build? Carbon rims? How wide? Number of spokes? The list goes on. I’m not 100% convinced of carbon rims yet and certainly don’t have the budget for the brand name items nor the confidence in some of the online direct buy wheels that are currently on offer.

I was looking for a set of wheels that would be reliable, robust, reasonably light and serviceable for an upcoming trip to Europe. I didn’t like the idea of being unable to buy a specific spoke if the need arose and wanted something that could be trued up, trail side, with a regular spoke key. With that in mind I had a mental checklist of what I wanted: alloy rim, ready to ride off the shelf, DT Swiss spokes and a durable hub. I’ve had good success with DT Swiss wheels and hubs before and always use their spokes. When I found the EX 1501 Spline wheels I was immediately interested.

DT Swiss have built on their success of the 240 hub with their new Spline hub, which features a two piece casing which has brought the weight down, with upgraded internals from the 240 hub. The hub engagement is handled by their patented Ratchet System, colloquially described as a fish scale engagement. The Spline One hub uses 36 tooth ratchet plates which gives engagement every 10 degrees, for a very quick and noticeable pick up particularly in technical sections were quick crank adjustments are required.

The hub takes easily available butted spokes, straight pull at the hub with DT’s patented Pro Head Reinforcement System at the rim interface. The join is spherical with the spoke nipple making up the ball and socket pivot. DT claim advantages such as improved load transfer, ease of maintenance and reduced spoke breakage as some of the advantages. The EX1501 wheel set uses a completely new rim to the DT line up. The 1501 rim has a 25mm inner and 29mm external width, is seamlessly welded and comes tubeless ready with DT rim tape. The whole package, set up in 27.5” with 142x12 rear and 15mm front comes in at just over 1700grams for the pair.

Setting up my tyres tubeless was simple, with no leaks from the join, spokes or bead. The 29mm profile increased the profile of a 2.3 Maxxis High Roller compared to the WTB rims, with a broader footprint.

I was off to Italy for some proper ‘euro enduro’ riding. After a few flights, a night in Monaco, and borrowing a mates van I was driving to Lake Garda for a week of riding. For those who don’t know, Lake Garda is in northern Italy at the base of the Dolomites and is a haven for riders looking to avoid the busier resort towns of Les Gets, Morzine and Chatel – yet it still offers mile after mile of big mountain riding.

WORDS: ADAM FERNyHOUGH PHOTOS : TBS

TESTED

HiTS - Quality Parts - Tubeless out of the box - value

MiSSES

- straight pull spokes not as common as J- bend

RRP $1699www.apollobikes.com.au

ESSENTiALS

DT SwiSS EX1501 whEEl SET


Mt BullerBike Park

– Over 120km of quality XC trails

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bike.mtbuller.com.au

Experience world class biking at Mt Buller:

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Boundary BreakerPhotogrAPher: tBS teSter: MAtt NAuthe

the Yeti SB6C

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

there is something unmistakably cool about Yetis and the SB5C is no exception. the new shape is sleek, curvy and carries the unmistakable air of Yeti cool and class. Continuing with Yeti’s gravity orientated tradition the SB5C sports a low bottom bracket and slack geometry. And it just looks plain fast!

the grey decals on the matte black frame is quite understated, and allows the eye to wander slowly over the entire package to appreciate all the subtleties. turquoise highlights add a splash of colour with Yeti stamped composite frame protectors and pivot bolts adding to the cohesiveness. it must be mentioned that for those who are not afraid of colour it is also available in straight turquoise.

the main talking point though is the new Switch infinity, a system that has been created in collaboration with Fox racing Suspension and has been over 3 years in the making. the new design takes key features and results from Yeti’s 303 Dh and Switch technologies to create the hybrid Switch infinity. the heart of the new system is the “translating Pivot”, a dual rail system that uses Fox seals, bushings & Kashima coated shafts. in a nutshell this pivot initially moves up on the rails giving

the bike a rearward axle path for improved pedalling and small bump absorption. Deeper in the travel the pivot moves downwards, reducing the amount of chain tension allowing the suspension to absorb the bigger hits. the shock itself is a Fox Float CtD.

the bike is built with a SrAM Xo1 drivetrain 1x11 setup with an 11-42 tooth rear block with a 32t chain-ring. the brakes are the new Sram guides, and suspension duties are left to a rockShox Pike Charge up front with 140mm travel & 15mm Maxle. other notables include routing for a stealth dropper post, 142x12mm rear axle, bolt on iSCg mounts for a chain device and direct front mech mount for those who are that way inclined.

Yeti oz offer multiple options with their build kits allowing for the rider to customize the bike to their specifications prior to being shipped. For this bike test, a more enduro build was chosen with options like a 50mm thomson stem and rockShox reverb dropper post to increase confidence descending in steeper terrain. the Maxxis Ardent 2.4/ ikon 2.2 tyres move more toward the ‘trail’ end of the spectrum but with plenty of test time and highroller 2.4’s on hand multiple tyre combinations would be tested. they’re setup on Dt wheels with 350 hubs and XM 401 rims.

Yeti’s long & reputable history in the mountain bike scene has long been associated with pushing the boundaries of mountain bike design and innovation. The Colorado based company’s latest offering, the SB5c looks to be no different with the introduction of a new suspension system and redefining what is considered necessary for a killer trail bike.

the SB5c straddles the gravity and trail section of the range. With 127mm travel on 650B wheels, the bike is half way between their XC dually ASr C (100mm/29er or 650B) & the enduro SB6C (157mm/650B). this is their go anywhere, do anything bike.

the marketing claims it to be “What a trail bike should be — lightweight, great pedalling uphill and a screamer going down. this bike will make you smile.” Also, this bike has been ridden to multiple eWS (enduro World Series) wins. Further pushing its case for being a confident descender.

TESTED Worldmags.netWorldmags.net


MATT NAUTHE RIDER BIORiding Experience: Over 15 years on mountain bikes, riding worldwideGenerally Rides: Yeti SB66C, Yeti ASR5C, Salsa El MariachiHeight: 183cmWeight: 78gBike Test Track: Upper, Lower Blue Mountains and Northern Beaches


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Three Things you liked abouT The bike

- Descends like a bike with more travel.- Efficient climber & zippy in the rough terrain.- Routing for stealth dropper post

Three Things you would change abouT The bike

- More aggressive tyres- Internal cable routing- Smaller price tag?

Suspension pressures were setup to manufacturers specification for rider weight & trail tuning backed right off. The Pikes were setup with a preload spacer to increase the progressiveness of the travel and to reduce harsh bottoming out on the bigger blows encountered in the rougher conditions.

With all inclusions the SB5C weighed in at a very impressive 11.6kg. This puts it at the lighter end of the scale for a trail bike. The kicker to this though is that as setup it is aimed at the “enduro” racer, with considerably heavier parts than needed for an everyday trail bike. So, in this manifestation we have an extremely light enduro racer. A straight trail bike could be closer to 11kg!

on The Trail

Straight off the shelf this bike felt comfortable, the large size was spot on for my 183cms. The longer top tube made longer rides more pleasant, being able to stretch out on the climbs. Stand-over height is generous due to the sweeping top tube. Sizing has changed slightly from previous years so if you are on the line between sizes it will pay to sit on both.

Out in flowing singletrack the SB5c is balanced, zippy and loves nothing more than popping off that root or gapping that rock section. Its small bump and square edge compliancy is improved from the previous generation of SB’s (66/95) with the ride smoother than before in chattery terrain. But it’s when the terrain becomes steep and loose that it shows its true colours. The bike revels in the rough, diabolical climbs of old washed out trail, locking the wheels to the ground allowing the rider to stomp away to their hearts content. The efficiency is top notch, the power transfer through the pedals feeling very direct and with only minimal suspension bob even in ‘descend’ mode.

On the downhills the low, long and slack geometry coupled with the balanced suspension makes for a predictable and confidence inspiring ride. The lateral stiffness of the frame begs the rider to tell it what to do. The bike will obediently hold a precise line without the rear wandering off into oblivion. The SB5c rails through berms and drifts flat corners with aplomb. This is a bike that handles the bigger, faster lines but it must be noted that there is a smaller margin in the equation with less suspension to bail you out of trouble should it arise. I can lay testament to that!

“in a nuTshell This pivoT iniTially moves up on The rails

giving The bike a rearward axle paTh for improved pedalling and small bump absorpTion.

deeper in The Travel The pivoT moves downwards, reducing The amounT of chain Tension allowing The suspension To

absorb The bigger hiTs.”

The only changes made to the bike during testing were the tyres. The Maxxis Ardent/Ikon combo was good in general conditions, being light and fast rolling. But I wanted more in steeper, looser conditions. Trialling different combos I found the Maxxis Highroller/Ardent was killer, the bigger bagged tyres allowing slightly less pressure to be run, oodles more grip and increased braking performance whilst not sacrificing too much additional weight or rolling resistance.

our Take

It’s hard to nail down one aspect of this bike as its key feature, doing everything well is its best attribute. This is a bike that excels in all areas required to make an outstanding trail bike. It climbs efficiently, is zippy out of the blocks & descends confidently.

This is a bike that holds appeal for a wide range of riders. First and foremost it is a brilliant trail bike, a light and nimble climber and a confident descender. It’s a bike that you can ride all day and hit all the big lines confidently. The gravity focused enduro racer should certainly take a look; as it is proven on the world stage. It is however more suited to experienced riders, with the SB6c more applicable and forgiving for those starting out in the enduro discipline.

The marketing claims of “What a trail bike should be — lightweight, great pedalling uphill and a screamer going down. This bike will make you smile” are on the money. This is one outrageously fun bike!



EssEntials Brand YetiModel SB 5CrrP $8520 Weight 11.6kg (as tested)diStriButor rowney Sports ContaCt 1300 938 469 www.rowneysports.com spEcs

availaBle SizeS XS, S, M, l (tested), XlFraMe Material CarbonFork rockShox Pike Charger 140mmShoCk Fox Float Ctd adjust BvShiFterS SraM X01derailleur SraM X01Crank SraM X1 1400 32tChain SraM X01CaSSette SraM X01 10-42t 11-speedhuBS dt 350 riMS XM 401 riMtYreS Maxxis ikon 2.2 /ardent 2.4BrakeS avid guideSteM thomson elite 50MM handleBarS easton haven Carbon 740MMSeatPoSt rockShox reverb StealthSaddle Yeti WtB volt Custom

tEstEDWorldmags.netWorldmags.net

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GT has been around a long time, since Gary Turner welded his own bullet proof BMX frame together in 1972. And once a brand has started in BMX, it’s hard for them to move away from a racing heritage and a ‘ride it like you stole it’ mentality. Bike brands have whole departments set up to deliver a message about their bikes – but how do you beat the founder welding his own frames to race on?

The Zaskar range is available in both 29 and 27.’5” wheel size. GT haven’t taken a firm stand on one wheel size to rule them all, letting riders decide what suits them better. But it’s clear they have moved on from 26” for all but their most entry level bikes. GT have very aggressive pricing, but their range does top out fairly quickly. There is just one Zaskar model above this one.

InItIal ImpressIons

The carbon frame is made with a monocoque construction, which GT claim to be the strongest method for producing their frames. From a tapered head tube, to the bulk of the top tube and the similarly large down tube – this isn’t a bike that says ‘subtle’. Especially not with the bright blue and fluoro yellow graphics. But replaceable threads for the direct mount disc brakes and a standard BSA bottom bracket for easier servicing are some nods towards longterm thinking. Cables run internally for a neat look, although a right to left cable routing during the build at the factory would really neaten up the birds nest at the front of the bike. Your shop should be able to sort this out.

THE TSAR OF ZASKAR

PhoToGrAPhEr: TBS TESTEr: MIKE BLEWITT

ThE GT ZASKAr

mIKe BleWItt rIDer BIo

riding Experience: half my life preferring time on two wheelsGenerally rides: Bianchi Methanol 29 hT and FS, Scott CX Teamheight: 180cmWeight: 72kgBike Test Track: Trails North of the Bridge



And what about the Triple Triangle frame? This was first developed to increase the strength of the back end of a hardtail. The chain stays are shorter, but do continue through to in front of the seat tube on the top tube. While this makes sense for steel, aluminium and titanium, carrying the same design into carbon does change things a little. When most brands look to make the rear end of a hardtail more compliant, GT are producing a frame that looks stiffer. But, the design is said to move force from the seat stays through to the top tube, making a bike that’s stiff for agile handling, but still providing some rider comfort by taking the force up the seat stays away from the seat tube and seatpost. The numbers on the bike are steep, with a 72 degree head angle and 73.5 degree seat angle. The longer top tube and significant bottom bracket drop help with stability.

The group set on the bike is primarily the tried and tested Shimano SLX, in a 2x10 setup. The brakes, cranks, front derailleur and cassette scale back to Deore – but that doesn’t impact on the performance. A lot of these parts carry some extra weight compared to their pricier

siblings, but they’re highly functional and strong. An oversized front rotor adds some more beef to the braking. The RockShox Recon fork provides 100mm of travel with rebound adjustment and a handlebar mounted PopLoc lever.

A mountain bike needs a great wheel and tyre setup to get the most out of it, and the Zaskar has tubeless ready WTB rims laced to a Shimano rear hub and oversized Taiwanese front hub. The wheels come with WTB tubeless tape inside and


- Fast and agile handling- Trail friendly cockpit setup- Tubeless ready out of the box


- A wider rear tyre – as manageable- More aggressive tyres if you ride trail- Lighter wheels if you want to race

the bike came with valves, so the Continental Race King tyres inflated with some Stan’s sealant and a trackpump. This is a great feature for a bike at this price point. With a 2.2” tyre on the front, the 2.0” on the rear looks tiny. But when sighting it through the frame the reasoning is obvious. It’s unlikely the same 2.2” on the front would fit through the seat stays if you did so much as knock your wheel out of true, or broke a spoke.

on The Trail

Once on the bike, the position and general setup felt good. The RaceFace handlebars are spot on for a modern hardtail, at 710mm. They have good sweep and this is one of the few test bikes where I haven’t felt the desire to change the handlebars. I did find the stem a little short for me, but I erred between medium and large, so that’s not too surprising. Your GT dealer should make sure you’re comfortable before you roll out of the shop. Getting the controls setup was straight forward, as although non-iSpec Shimano mounts take up more room, they do allow for more individual positioning of shifters and brake levers. But getting the RockShox PopLoc switch into an easy

TesTedWorldmags.netWorldmags.net

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to reach place took some fine tuning, and I never felt the straight push of the lever was ergonomic.The Zaskar is a sharp shooter, with tight angles being used to keep the 29” wheels feeling fast. I didn’t find it made things too nervous, but the geometry is a little steeper than my own bike, and a lot steeper than some on the market. It’s offset by the wide handlebars and short stem, but it’s worth noting if you plan to get a hardtail for some steeper trails. A steep head can angle get a little bit useless in super steep trails.

But that’s just one element of the ride – the other is the fun factor. The Zaskar was a blast on my local trails, with fairly predictable slide from the Conti tyres in the dry, sand over hardpack conditions. I ran the tyre pressures pretty low, in part to aid comfort from the back end. The 2.0” tyre should be changed to something suitable when you roll out of the shop, for more ‘float’ in sandy trail conditions – something common in Australia. The Triple Triangle design has kept it a little tight up top, so check clearance before riding away.

Climbing on the Zaskar was nippy, and it was easy to change line on a tech climb – although the front end did wander with the short stem. It helps to really get your weight forward. So like on the descents, the fast handling bike needs a firm hand. It needs to be ridden like you stole it – fast. And that’s not a bad thing.

Our Take

If I needed to sum up the Zaskar in one word, I’d ask for two: fast and fun. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, with some trail leanings mixed with race pedigree. The handling says ‘race me’ but the cockpit setup and some of the parts specification is a bit more for general trail riding. Right out of the box, it’s a great racey hardtail, and one of the best value carbon hardtails with this kit. This bike would suit someone looking for a bike for the odd XC race, something they can slice up singletrack with, and riding with a sense of purpose. It’s not really built for dawdling. But for the rider who loves to get the most out of every pedal stroke, and every corner – this is a bike you could fall in love with.

essenTials BRAND GTMODEL Zaskar 9r Carbon EliteRRP $2599WEIGHT 11.6kg (as tested)DISTRIBUTOR Monza Bicycle specs

AVAILABLE SIZES S, M, L, XLFRAME MATERIAL Carbon FiberFORK RockShox Recon Gold RL, 100mmSHIFTERS Shimano SLX 2x10DERAILLEUR Shimano Deore front, SLX Shadow Plus RearCRANK Shimano Deore 24/38BOTTOM BRACKET Shimano CHAIN KMC X10CASSETTE Shimano HG50, 11-36 10speedHUBS Shimano SLX Centre Lock SPOKES DT Swiss CompetitionRIMS WTB i19 TCS, 32HTYRES Continental Race King, 2.2” FoldingBRAKES Shimano DeoreSTEM RaceFace RideHANDLEBARS RaceFace Ride flat, 710SEATPOST RaceFace RideSADDLE Fizik Tundra 2

TesTeD Worldmags.netWorldmags.net

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Riding Experience: Riding biketrials for 15 years. Spent a LOT of time working out how to ride bikes over stuff you generally shouldn’t ride bikes over. Recreational endurance racer and bikepacker. Has a beard.

Generally rides: Niner Jet 9 RDO, Salsa Mukluk Fatbike, GT Power Series 24 BMXHeight: 179cmWeight: 74kgBike Test Track: Royal National Park

ADAM MACBETH RIDER BIO



INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The first thing that you’ll notice when viewing the Slash in the flesh is the long, low nature of it. With a 1205mm wheelbase, 110mm head tube and a su-per slack 65.6 degree head angle out of the box the Slash screams out ‘I wanna go down hill!’ While a lot of manufac-turers have opted for the very 2014-15 neon look-at-me paint schemes the Slash is understated in full matte black and silver highlights and should still look good in a few years when the current colourways are about as cool as riding recumbent bicycles with reflec-tors and zip ties in your helmet.

Getting up close and personal there are a bunch of details that reveal the amount of thought that has gone into the final production Slash 8. Internal cable routing for shifting and RockShox Reverb Stealth seatpost are almost a given for an enduro bike but Trek have

ImaGeS : TBS TeSTeR: adam macBeTh

SLASH AND BURNThe TRek SlaSh 8

added mounts for an externally routed dropper as well, so custom-ers that already own a dropper don’t need to use cable ties to make it work. Nice.

The connection between the seat-stay and the suspension linkage feature Trek’s patented mino link pivot. It’s a system designed to allow the rider to further slacken the head angle to 65 degrees and lower the bottom bracket by almost ten milli-metres. adding to the adjustability of the rear end is the RockShox Pike Rc 2-position fork which runs at 160mm of travel wide open but can be dropped quite easily on the fly to 130mm. On paper these feature tell a story of versatility that we were ea-ger to explore on the trail. One of the big enemies of full suspension bikes in general but especially those of longer travel like the Slash, is brake induced suspension inactivity. Trek designed their anti Braking Pivot as the ultimate counter to the brake-jack demons. many similar looking frame designs feature a pivot either just in front of or just above the rear axle. The aBP system pivots around the rear axle limiting changes in chain length as the rear wheel moves. again, we were curious to feel this on the trail.

Parts-wise the Slash 8 features Shi-mano SlX shifters and XT rear de-railleur with a SRam X7 front mech.

as a producer of quality bicycles, Trek needs no introduction. From their early days competing with the Japanese for a share of the touring market, to the design and technology frontier of the 1990s and beyond Trek have always been there with the front runners endeavouring to push some boundaries. If you don’t know what a Trek Y-22 is, Google it right now and render yourself speechless. Proof that Trek have always been willing to take a new genre within mountain biking and explore it to its fullest.

The emergence of the enduro category within our sport over the last couple of years has seen most manufacturers working on an ‘enduro specific’ bike, each with their individual take on the versatility and functionality that the genre requires. enter the stealthy 2015 Trek Slash 8, a 160mm travel bike packed with features designed to enable the modern mountain biker to explore the world of ‘enduro’.

“GETTING A LITTLE Off yOuR LINE, ScARING yOuRSELf

ANd ENdING uP IN ThE ROuGh STuff NEvER GOT AS bAd AS wE ThOuGhT IT wAS GOING TO, ThE SuPER PLuSh

160MM fRONT ANd REAR ENd EATING EvERyThING wE

ThREw AT IT.”

TESTEdWorldmags.netWorldmags.net

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EssEntials

BrAnd TrekModel Slash8rrP $4899WeighT 14.7kg(astested)diSTriBuTor TrekAustraliaspEcs

AvAilABleSizeS 15.5,17.5,18.5,19.5,21.5FrAMeMATeriAl AlphaPlatinumAluminiumFork rockShoxPike rC2-PositionSoloAirShoCk rockShoxMonarch PlusrdebonAirShiFTerS ShimanoSlXderAilleur ShimanoXTrear, SrAMX7frontCrAnk racefaceride,36-22BoTToMBrACkeT PressfitChAin kMCX10CASSeTTe Shimanohg50 11-3610sphuBS BontragerdustereliteriMS Bontragerduster elitetubelessreadyTyreS BontragerX4Tr27.5x2.35BrAkeS ShimanoSlXw/200mmF 180mmrrotorsSTeM BontragerrhythmComp zerodegreehAndleBArS Bontragerrhythmelite 690mm,15mmriseSeATPoST rockShoxreverbStealthSAddle Bontragerevoke2



RaceFace Ride crankset with 22/36 rings let you get the power down and Shimano SLX brakes make sure you can slow down. With 200mm front and 180mm rear rotors you can be pretty sure there’s some power there. The aforementioned RockShox Pike RC is paired with their Monarch Plus rear shock. Trek’s in-house parts and accessories brand Bontrager takes care of handlebar, stem, grips, saddle, tyres and 27.5 inch wheels, both with thru axles. A few years ago a 690mm handlebar would have been considered wide but it’s 2014 and the standard bar on the Slash is noticeably narrow looking now that we’re so used to seeing handle-bars in the seven hundreds.

We raised a slight eyebrow at our 19.5 inch test Slash’s 14.6kg weight, especially when combined with it’s $4899 price tag – a number that will get you a similarly specced carbon bike from a few of Trek’s biggest competitors. But there were a lot of details that sparked our interest and it was with excitement that we headed to the trails.

ON THE TRAIL

Rolling from the car park through some flat, smooth singletrack it was instantly obvious that ‘bar width was going to be an issue. In Trek’s defence manufacturers are only really supposed to spec ‘bars under 700mm on bikes in this country but it’s a rule few adhere to and riding the 690s definitely took some adjusting to.

Climbing to the top of the first real descent the efficiency of the ABP rear end was obvious and seated climbing in an easy gear was pretty light work. I’m a big fan of one-by-eleven group sets but on a bike at this weight having a twenty two tooth inner chainring is a beautiful thing. Even with the Mino Link in the more upright position we noticed

the front end having a serious tendency to lift off the ground slightly and wander around on steeper seated climbs. This is where the adjustable travel Pike really shines. Without stopping, a quick flick of the dial on the left fork leg and a small push on the bars drops the fork to 130mm and front wheel traction and steering precision is instantly improved. Out of the saddle we certainly noticed some rear wheel movement that seemed to lessen the harder we were on the gas. Gritting your teeth and sprinting up pinch climbs instead of dumping a bunch of gears was a whole lot more fun, if a little taxing. Lesson learned, this bike wants to be ridden hard and will reward for your effort!

The RaceFace cranks have a very pronounced centre around the spline reminiscent of their older cranksets and we clipped ankles on this on more than one occasion.

A little breather at the top of longer climbs and it was time to do what this bike had been begging to do all ride. Fork out to 160, dropper down and it was game on. Even with the Slash set up ‘steep’ it felt more natural descending than many other enduro styled bikes we’ve tested. Again the weight and ‘bar width of the Slash meant that a lot of rid-er input was required but after a couple of rides we switched out to a 780mm ‘bar and the dynamic of the bike changed dramatically and a lot less effort was needed to throw the bike around and negotiate technical sections. Getting a little off your line, scaring yourself and ending up in the rough stuff never got as bad as we thought it was going to, the super plush 160mm front and rear end eating everything we threw at it. Floating off drops, and negotiating step ups was easy thanks to the relatively short top tube.

THREE THINgs yOu LIkEd AbOuT THE bIkE

- Adjustable geometry and travel- Stealthy, timeless aesthetic- Confidence inspiring descending

THREE THINgs yOu wOuLd cHANgE AbOuT THE bIkE

- Wider handlebars please!- Needs a tyre change to suit your trails- Could drop some weight for the price

The Bontager XR4 tyres that come standard with the Slash might be good for loamier, more moist trails but they really let the Slash down on the sandier, loose over hardpack trails we tend to have in Australia. Viewed from above there is a definite line just outboard of the centre tread where no knobs overlap each other. Upright or leaned over all the way they are great but the transition was unpredictable and at times off-putting with the front wheel especially letting go and then finding itself again suddenly. Just like with the handlebars, your Trek dealer will get you sorted with what you need for your fit and trails before you roll out the door.

OuR TAkE

If you are looking for a bike to actually race some Gravity Enduro events, or you want your next bike to be able to handle some recreational down-hilling while still being trail friendly, the Slash 8 is definitely a bike you should consider. A tyre change and some wider bars would make it a fantastic bike for trails where descending speed is your priority and the climbs are short and sharp. Looking further up the Slash tree to the full carbon 9.8 would probably be the better option for those seeking a little more all-day riding fun in a lighter weight package.


84 - AMB

ADD A LITTLE ZEST TO YOUR LIFE

PhotogrAPher: tBS teSter: MIKe BLeWItt

the LAPIerre zeSty AM e:i

As we move into 2015 it’s time to get a new AMB long term test bike. So with the launch of Shimano’s new flagship group set – Xtr M9000, and the revision of the e:i electronic suspension management by Lapierre, it seemed like a good marriage of exciting technologies. the zesty is a 150mm travel all mountain bike, but with the e:i system and a 1x11 Shimano group set, Xtr trail wheels and carbon parts from Pro to finish it off, we’ve ended up with a very capable all mountain bike at trail bike weight.

this is obviously a custom build, but the same frame, fork and shock are available on the zesty AM 827 and 527. the 327 uses the same suspension design, but a standard Fox rear shock, and on a full aluminium frame. there are also three ‘tr’ or trail variants that have 29” wheels and 120mm of travel.

the biggest claim of the e:i suspension system is that it will automatically react to your terrain, and how you are riding it, allowing you to get the most out of your suspension, your bike, and your legs – all the time. As we live in a country with plenty of rock, short and steep descents, long but not epic climbs – this starts to sound like a very useful thing. especially with the amount, and range, of gravity enduro racing developing, and enduro style trails being built in mountain bike parks.

InItIal ImpressIons

While you might not be as familiar with Lapierre as other big brands in Australia, the construction skills and build quality of the highly popular French bike company means that you soon will be. Looking over the zesty, the attention to detail from front to back is astounding. the carbon main frame has internal and external routing options for the shifting and brake hoses, stealth dropper post routing, ISCg mounts an inbuilt bash guard on the down tube, and of course the e:i cabling. the zesty isn’t a new model, and has seen recent refinements, mostly in the full aluminium swing arm. While oversized and reminiscent of its burlier sibling the Spicy, it has been reshaped for greater heel clearance when pedalling.



cadence sensor now reacts to 30rpm not 45rpm, to be inline with the lower cadences that gravity riding, 1x11 group sets and 27.5” or 29” wheels have created.

The three settings are High Sensitivity (Green), Mid Sensitivity (Orange) or Low Sensitivity (Red). However, as we are freedom loving mountain bikers, each of these modes can be run in an Automatic or Manual setting. In the manual setting, you can adjust how sensitive the shock

The OST+ rear suspension is based on a virtual pivot point design, to eliminate pedal bob, and help increase traction when climbing. Every pivot, including at the shock mount, is on a sealed bearing for long life and supple movement. The design allows for short chain stays at just 430mm – pretty snug for a long travel mid-wheeler. Efficiency comes with a precise set up with shock pressure – but the e:i really helps blur this.

The first generation e:i included a head unit interface that acted as a bike computer, with a switch to toggle between 5 different modes. A speed sensor and accelerometer on the fork combined with a cadence sensor in the frame, to decide what the speed of the bike was, the size of the hit the fork was experiencing, and whether the rider was on the gas or not – and then set the rear suspension accordingly. All in about 0.1 of a second.

The new generation, called e:i Auto, has been refined, done away with the need for a speed sensor, and the control unit is discreetly on the side of your stem, with 3 settings and two modes LED lights to indicate which you’re in. The


- Light weight for lots of travel- Very adaptable suspension- Internal and external routing options


- Ability to change the fork travel on the fly- Put a dropper seatpost in- Boost the braking power

will be, bypassing the feedback from the sensors on the bike. In Auto, it does it depending on the sensitivity you have selected. As this only takes 0.1 of a second, this is how we ran the bike almost the whole time. It reacts to the size and speed of the impacts at the fork, and the rate you are pedalling at. The ‘green’ setting is perfect for shooting down hill, and the ‘orange’ is great for trail riding. We imagine the ‘red’ setting would be perfect for marathon and cross country racing aboard the e:I equipped XR range too. It’s great to have the choice of running manual, but the automatic setting is such a winner!We have a full XTR M9000 group set on board, save for the XTR Trail wheels and Trail pedals. Shimano’s component arm, Pro, provide the Tharsis low riser handlebars at 740mm, seatpost and Turnix seat, along with a Koryak Stem.

on The Trail

The Zesty is the all mountain/trail bike in the line, with the Spicy the ‘enduro’ bigger brother, and XR aimed at cross country riding. All have the e:i suspension management as an option. As a French company, Lapierre and their riders, like

TesTedThe neXT long TerMer


86 - AMB

10 time World downhill champion Nico Vouilloz, have some big hills to play in. It’s fair to say the Zesty AM would be more than capable as a gravity enduro racer in Australia, without leaping to the Spicy model above. But in our current build, we have a trail friendly bike with enduro capabilities.This is my first ride on the XTR M9000 mechanical group, but I’ve owned the past four versions of Shimano’s top tier group. It took little time to get used to the shifting and braking. The jumps between teeth on the 11 speed 11-40t cassette were smooth, but best of all the load at the shifter with the clutch on is noticeably better. With the clutch, and the chain ring design, I’m yet to have dropped a chain on the Zesty. In all honesty, this was my first extended ride on a 1x setup too. Save for spinning out on the road when riding to trails, I didn’t even think about it when riding trails.

The XTR Race brakes have had a little bit of work, but are mostly over worked on the Zesty. With more bike, more travel, more grip and more speed coming into most corners and chutes – the brakes are underpowered for a bike like the Zesty. We aim to get some XTR Trail brakes and a 180mm rotor on the front when they are available. The Race units feel great, and have great modulation – but they just lack the power when you need to shut it down on a bigger bike in steeper terrain.

The best impression so far with the Zesty has been setting the e:i to ‘Auto’ in the medium setting and just riding my regular trails. Full of rocks, ledges, small drops, steep climbs, fire roads and just about every trail surface you can imagine – being able to ride this on a 150mm travel bike comfortably, and certainly fast on the rough stuff, is a dream. Having ridden many dual suspension bikes with remote (or otherwise) adjustments to the shock, it’s refreshing to leave it up to a microcomputer to make the decisions for you. The bike still has an upright position but the adaptability of the rear end makes climbing a cinch and descending is smooth.

With suspension at the back virtually taking care of itself, upfront the RockShox Pike fork is well featured, and impressively supple in small and large bumps alike. But having a model with travel adjust would suit the versatility of the e:i rear shock, to help drop the front end when climbing switchbacks or on longer climbs. A small request, but one that might increase the breadth of performance of the bike even more.

Shimano make brilliant wheels, and the carbon wrapped XTR Trail wheel set is a joy. Stiff enough for heavy trail work, brilliant Shimano bearings and engagement, and best of all – easy to setup tubeless. The Maxxis Ardent/Ikon combination has proven to be a great trail combination in the wider volumes, but I have a feeling some wider rims and tyres might make it on here soon.

The battery and inclusion of electronics causes concern for some, but the new e:i system uses stronger couplings than before, and we are yet to experience any problems with it. The battery connection is well sealed and has take dust, clay mud, sand, and a thorough washing all in its stride. It needs a charge about every 20hrs of riding. So less often than your GPS, and probably less than your phone too.

ESSENTIALS Brand LapierreModel Zesty 827 AMWeIGHT 11.9kg (as tested)dISTRIBuToR Advance TradersCoNTACT 1300 361 686 SpEcS AVAIlABle SIZeS S, M, l, XlFRAMe MATeRIAl Carbon Front, Alloy rearFoRk RockShox Pike RC Fast Solo Air 150mmSHoCk RockShox Monarch e:I RT3 FastSHIFTeRS Shimano XTR M9000deRAIlleuR Shimano XTR M9000CRANk Shimano XTR M9000 175mmBoTToM BRACkeT Shimano PressFitCHAIN Shimano XTR M9000CASSeTTe Shimano XTR M9000 (11-40) 11speedWHeelS XTR Trail 27.5”TyReS Maxxis Ardent Front, Ikon 27.5 x 2.3” RearBRAkeS Shimano XTR M9000STeM PRo koryakHANdleBARS PRo Tharsis 740MM ud CARBoNSeATPoST PRo Tharsis 31.6MMSAddle PRo Turnix

Our TAkE

With a trail friendly long travel bike to play with, it’s hard not to have fun out on the trails. I have ridden lots of my local trails, trying to catch the e:i system out, without any real luck doing so. Robert Conroy completed two stages of the Cape to Cape on the bike. It really is versatile! Next up we need to line up at a gravity enduro race, to put the handling and suspension to the test. The performance is there to move this long travel trail bike to something a bit more gravity focused, so we’ll be moving some parts over in the coming months to see how well both the lapierre Zesty and Shimano M9000 group adapt. Follow our updates on AMBmag.com.au.


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CONTROL YOUR CHAOSIntroducing MLink TM

Revolutionary new full-suspension technology from the world’s first mountain bike brand.

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Breezer is proudly distributed by Oceania Bicycles.AU www.ocbicycles.com.auNZ www.ocbicycles.co.nz



Our final two months with the Whyte M109 C were spent pushing it into the ultimate race machine, a strong shift away from our previous months trail search. A longer stem, wide and flat bars, new wheels, tyres and crankset were all a part of a long list of component changes we made to bring this steed back to race winning optimum weight. Barely any of which was carbon.

Up front the FRM bar and stem return, a beautiful scandium (extremely light and strong alloy) 70mm piece and carbon 710mm flat bars. For a little more fun this time I even switched the stem and dumped it, a decision that brought me fully over the front for an aggressive racing position. In addition we were supplied with some FRM foam grips which were much softer than your regularly seen ESI grips. Ideal for long days in the saddle, however we can not attest for their lifespan yet having only had them on half the time.

The main alteration for this issue is that the XT single ring combination has been replaced by a pair of FRM cranks, bottom bracket and chainring. By my own reckoning not the prettiest of cranksets instead they have a beautiful industrial appearance, an appearance that matches their well thought out build. At 175mm long they are spot on for long days of putting down the power and their slim Q factor helping to bring your pedals in perfect arcs. They use an oversized axle compared to the Shimano XT cranks, which is why they have their own bottom bracket. It’s all a very light setup, with ti hardware for the cinch bolts too.The downsize to a 30 tooth ring did take a little

getting used to for this rider who was much more used to riding 34-36tooth configurations. However it was ideal for the long days of riding this bike is setup for, even if it did feel like completing a bunch of spin classes back to back. What’s worth noting with the FRM cranks is their adaptability via removable spiders. You can run a 104 BCD, or an XX1 spider, or their own 2x setup where the big ring is the spider for the little ring.I was able to take temporary ownership of the Bontrager XXX TLR Disc wheels before they headed back to Trek. At near $1300 dollars they are one of the lightest (about 1380g) non-carbon 29er wheels on the market, and a personal favourite of Dan McConnell. The Shimano MT 66 were excellent wheels but they just couldn’t compare in this area. The XXX set had DT bladed spokes and Alpina locking nipples on the 28 spokes each end. The hubs use Bontrager’s own alloy hub shells that add some silver bling, but house DT Swiss internals. 64 points of engagement is quite crisp when getting on the gas, which these wheels do well thanks to their very low rotating weight.

Along with the wheel change came a tyre change, the race idea still firmly in our heads we opted for a Maxxis Ardent Race on the front slimmed down to a 2.2 and an Ikon on the rear, also 2.2”, but both with the supreme EXO reinforced casing. The tyres inflated easily with the strip fitted in the Bontrager wheels. Not being one to push for the more classic cross country tyre on my general adventures it took a little getting used to. Pushing the psi down to about 21 helped.

Ride wise this was an altogether different bike, one perhaps the Whyte factory originally intended.

In a straight-line the bike now excels. The extended and much lower riding position allowing me to put the power down also helped on the climbs, between this and the 30tooth virtually any hill was rideable. Twenty millimetres longer and flat bars, that little extra extension can make such a difference in cornering, however it was harder still to find the “trust point” in the tyres. Both led me to take entirely different approaches to corners.As we now close on this long termer we can’t

forget some of the other fine pieces in the build that have been going strong for over six months. First off the scandium FRM seat post, much like how everyone was unsure of carbon in the beginning I was unsure if pushing an alloy to its ultimate thinness was going to backfire on me, literally. Thankfully it didn’t even after a couple of crashes. Another thing that is easy to miss but is definitely worth thinking of on a long term bike such is this are the seals on the pivots. Whyte build their bikes for extreme British winters, not Australian ones so it was no surprise that we had no issue there, although it’s always good to run it through a few puddles to check…

The Shimano XT gear we reviewed last issue has now been through three different configurations, the cassette, rear derailleur and chain through three different drivetrains. This is not something we would recommend undertaking on your own steed, but it is a testament to Shimano’s build quality that those components have managed to adapt to each without issue. Shift wise we’ve only changed one cable and as yet our XT brakes have not required a bleed. Up front our five hundred dollar beaters, the X-Fusion continue to amaze and we wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t become a contending force with the ‘big two’ in the coming years.

Time on the Whyte M109 C has been mixed in with regular review bikes at times, it has been the one bike we truly come home to. We’ve taken it through the dirt, grime and sandy muck of winter (Whyte’s ideal situation), throughout spring and we may even get a few summer rides in before we sadly have to hand this steed back. So why should you consider this for your next ride? If you’re considering the popular trail bike option but you like to enter marathons and other long form lap based events, make sure you consider this bike. With such simple changes as having an alternate stem and bars you can have a completely different bike. In the days of the ‘a bike for every event’ it’s nice to have a bike that comfortably transfers between the two, being light and aggressive enough to make you perform. I will be sad to say goodbye to it.

TESTEDLONG TERMER

A RETURN TO FORMSTRIPPINg BACk AND gOINg LIgHT IN OUR FINAL RIDE ON THE WHYTE M-109

WORDS : ROBERT CONROY PHOTOS : TBS


90 - AMB

HORNSBY MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK

Hornsby Shire Council have made their fair share of mistakes, spending over $1 million on a giant kinetic water clock that’s been broken for several years, and plonking ‘traffic calming’ road furniture, lethal to road cyclists, on the Pacific Highway not least among them. So it’s nice to know that they’ve got one thing very, very right.

After community consultation in 2010 revealed a strong demand for mountain bike facilities, Council rebuilt the Old Mans Valley trails, until then illegal, to IMBA standards and opened in February 2013, and the second stage in June 2014. Although short, just over six kilometres, the very talented team from Synergy Trails and volunteers, have made ingenious and creative use of the space, packing just about every feature, natural and man-made, that mountain bikers love into this tiny space.

The project took four years to get off the ground, and it was largely thanks to the folks at SNORC (Sydney North Off Road Cyclists), so say a little thank you for them as you ride around. Even though it’s moment’s ride from the Pacific Highway and a behemoth Westfield’s mall, you’ll see plenty of nature – lyre birds, wallabies, bush turkeys, echidnas and more – and lots of beautiful tree ferns and mossy bush rock – making this the perfect oasis in a major commercial centre of Australia’s biggest city.

In the first months from opening, a hidden counter recorded 33,000 laps of the course, and it could be one of the busiest trails in Sydney – All this makes Hornsby MBT worthy of the PTR treatment! GETTING THERE It’s easy to reach Hornsby Mountain Bike Trails by rail – but beware, Sydney Train’s dreaded trackwork goes on most weekends and you probably won’t want to find yourself on a bus with your bike. Trains come to Hornsby via the North Shore and Northern, and Western lines, as well as from the Central Coast, with some express services available. If you’re driving, Hornsby is about a 40-minute drive from the centre of Sydney in quiet traffic. More in peak hour. From Hornsby Station, it’s just a few hundred metres to the trails. Head to Dural St then Quarry Road and follow the signs. TECHNICAL NATURE You’ll never race a marathon at Old Man’s Valley, but there’s still a lot of trail packed in to a small space. Think timber bridges, north shore, rocky descents and roll-downs, pump track and jump elements, and big berms. It’s a testament to the trail builders, who’ve integrated natural and built features with creative flair and a sense of adventure. The older sections of trail are technical cross country, with plenty of challenging climbs and some tough descents, although

WORDS: IMOgEN SMITH PHOTOS: TBS AND MIkE BlEWITT

YOU WILL WANT TO DISTURB THIS HORNET’S NEST !



Ratings Technical

FiTness cross counTry Trail all-MTn Downhill JuMp

all rideable on a hardtail. Some of the newer sections of the trail are pump and flow, and experienced riders will have no problems getting big air. All trails are rated and signposted, from easy green to badass black. The green trails are perfect for kids and riders just getting into the sport. YOU’LL nEED You’re not far from anywhere, but always take your spares, food, and drink with you, and carry any rubbish out. DistanCE Not far, about 6 kilometres, but most riders will find plenty to keep them amused here for about an hour-and-a-half (more if you have kids). With a bit of local knowledge (see below) you can integrate Hornsby Mountain Bike Trails into a bigger ride taking in a lot of Sydney’s best fire-roads. LOCaL KnOWLEDgE If you’re riding before 9am or after 4:30pm, use your phone to guide you to the end of Stewart Avenue nearby and head up Quarry Track at the back of the Rifle Range. If you go the whole way you’ll end up in Dural, and can easily make a 55-kilometre loop through Arcadia and back through Berowra Waters, if you don’t mind quite a bit of bitumen. Take care though, the trail is closed while the rifle range is operating. Call 0417 201 606 if you’re riding during the day to check. Nobody wants to get shot on their ride. BEst tiME OF YEaR Pretty much year-round, unless it’s been raining, in which case the trails could be closed. Check the trail’s website at http://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/my-lifestyle/sports-and-recreation/cycling/hornsby-mountain-bike-trail or follow @

FaCiLitiEs

ToIleTS - No but easy to find nearby

DRINkINg WATeR - No

PARkINg - YeS limited

TRAIlS SIgNPoSTeD - YeS

MoBIle ReCePTIoN -YeS

SHelTeR - lIMITeD

BBQ FACIlITIeS - No

ACCoMMoDATIoN YeS

êêêêêêêêêêêêêêêêê

HornsbyMBT on Twitter to find out the latest – and don’t get caught there if it’s closed. Bear in mind that these trails get a lot of use and need a lot of care, so stick to the trail, don’t cut corners, and please, no skids. WHiLE in tHE aREa Custom-roasted and bike-friendly coffee, plus some very tasty cinnamon scrolls are on at The Refinery, just up the road at Hornsby Central. Steer clear of Westfield’s and check out some of the authentic korean and Japanese restaurants in the little shopping strip near the trails, too. If you’re out with the bike for a day and want to tour North Sydney’s finest, check out the trails around St Ives Showground, and Jubilee Mountain Bike Park in Wahroonga. All small but packed with lots of technical challenges – and connected by firetrail. LOCaL BiKE sHOPs There’s kuringai Cycles just around the corner on the Pacific Highway (www.kuringaicycles.com), and Turramurra Cyclery (www.turramurracyclery.com.au) a bit further south. LOCaL CLUB COntaCts SNoRC have been instrumental in getting these trails running and their website contains more info about riding in the area, on Facebook and Twitter, as well as online: www.snorc.org.au. Also check out Northern Beaches MTB: www.nobmob.com REgULaR EVEnts None, but the facility is used recreationally at all hours of every day by riders from beginner to expert. In school holidays it’s a popular spot with families and young adults unwinding from hours and hours of study.

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tRaiL EssEntiaLs

PLaCEs tHat ROCKWorldmags.netWorldmags.net

92 - AMB

Words : JAred rAndo IMAges : JonAthAn renton

Manualling Tricky rollers

Manualling anything is definitely an advanced technique on any kind of bike. the more suspension you have and the bigger the bike - the harder it gets. With mountain bikes generally becoming squishier and longer, manualling the average trail bike will definitely take any rider a good amount of time to master.

As with anything, start small and work your way up. Manualling smaller rollers is much more achievable than larger rollers such as these. don’t be disappointed if you aren’t making progress in a day, a week or even a month in your conquest to manual. It takes a whole lot of time and a whole lot of practice. hereís some tips which should help beginners and masters alike progress in one of the trickiest skills to learn on a bike.

Step 1

the approach is key- the straighter you approach the roller, the easier it will be. here, with a loose, flat turn before the roller, I’m looking to straighten up as soon as possible whilst spotting the landing area on top of the 2nd roller and the take-off point from the 1st roller.

Step 2

Let the momentum of the 1st roller take your front wheel up and follow the motion by beginning to get your weight back and locking out your arms to help keep the front wheel up. It takes a hell of a lot of effort to loop out on a bike but when you hit that point, it happens really quickly so cover the back brake just in case - a quick tap on the rear brake will bring your front wheel down.

Step 3

As you progress into the manual, youíll need to keep your arms locked and get right back behind the seat until you find a ìbalance pointî which is basically just on the edge of looping out. Brake control is key at this point and using the rear brake is a key part of controlling where the bike sits.



Step 4

As you get to the low point of the rollers, bring your weight forward and push the rear wheel into the dip. At the same time you need to ensure your front wheel is high enough to clear the 2nd roller and land in the sweet spot just over the backside.

Step 5

As you reach the end of the manual, shift your weight forward to bring the front wheel down. Hav-ing your weight forward will also help you pump the backside of the roller when you touch down. Here with such a large roller, I’m really stretching out as far as I can to get the distance to clear the roller while pumping through the dip with my legs.

Step 6

As you touch down, you will know how successful you were by how much speed you have carried through the rollers. Being smooth and timing is key- if you are off by even a little bit you’ll know about it as you touch down. Once you are done, look to get another good pump off the backside of the 2nd roller to gain a little extra speed. As I mentioned at the start, remember that manualling is an extremely hard skill to learn and just as hard to master. Practice makes perfect and keep trying until you get it!

SKILLShow to manuaL roLLerSWorldmags.netWorldmags.net

94 - AMB

NO TWO TRAILS ARE THE SAME, THUS WE NEED TO ADOPT DIFFERENT STYLES OF LIFTS AND HOPS TO TACKLE THOSE TRAIL FEATURES THANKS TO MOTHER NATURE.

In Issue 142, Aiden talked us through the mono-hop, a skill that most of us will attempt to do in some way shape or form on every ride we go on. It’s a key fundamental skill of mountain biking where we use mostly our body suspension to get over common trail obstacles such as logs and ledges. During a mono-hop we are usually standing, and more often than not our feet/cranks will remain fl at (or parallel to the ground) to avoid impact with the obstacle. In this issue - we’re tweaking it just slightly and showing you how to get over those tricky obstacles using the power of a quarter pedal stroke.

MASTERING THEWHEELIE HOP

WORDS: AIDEN LEFMANN IMAGES: LACHLAN RYAN

FUNDAMENTAL SKILLSHOW TO WHEELIE HOP Worldmags.netWorldmags.net


WHEELIES

Starting out on the grass, and remaining seated let’s try some little pedal assisted wheelies! Bend your arms and compress slightly forwards and down towards the front of the bike. With your leading foot approaching the seat tube of your frame (or most perpendicular point to the ground), put down the power whilst remaining seated and lift up on the bars, in time with your suspension’s rebound if you have it.

Tip 1: Keep a fi nger on both brakes, especially the rear one and just ‘dab’ it slightly if you get the feeling of going over the back. A quick dab of the brake will bring you back down to earth.

Tip 2: Try it at walking pace. The faster you try to do a wheelie, the harder it becomes.

POWER LIFT

We want to try and refrain from using a full revolution pedal stroke (Think - cranks pointing to the ground = Bad outcome), so focusing on the leading foot, try the front wheel pedal assisted lift with the power of your pedals from when your crank passes your frame’s seat-tube, to where it meets roughly parallel to the ground. This is roughly only a quarter of our full pedal stroke but it is all that is required in the fi rst part of the wheelie hop. You will feel the ease of the front wheel wheelie-lift in no time by following these basic steps. Next up, let’s prepare for the rear wheel lift.

JUMP UP - LET’S HOP

Jump up out of the saddle relatively tall to allow the bike to move upwards towards us when we lift the back wheel off the ground. When our front wheel is at it’s highest point It›s then time to ‹claw› the pedals with your feet and lift up on the pedals, imagining you could curl your toes around them. Lift the rear wheel up off the ground Try and ensure your rear wheel lift doesn’t exceed the front - It’s not overly likely in this case but it could open a can of worms if you do get a little excited with it!

BODY SUSPENSION:

The landing of a wheelie hop will often be a safe and soft two-wheel landing. Use your ‘free’ body suspension to absorb the landing - Don’t rely on that measly 100, 120 or 140mm you may have on your bike, your body has far more and you can make or break your riding style by using it or not.

Now you can hopefully see the difference between this style of hop, and the regular mono hop. Try it out at low speed on something like a small gutter onto a quiet street, or a stair or two in your local park and before you know it, you’ll be hopping over obstacles that were designed to slow you down!

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4

1. 2.

3.

3.1 4.


96 - AMB

DHaRCO TeCH Tee

It’s summer time, and just about wherever you live that means hot temperatures and avoiding the midday sun for your ride. Australian clothing company, DHaRCO, have re-thought the basic t-shirt to come up with their Tech Tee – something that won’t stick against you like your fa-vourite cotton t-shirt, and won’t have you stand out uncomfortably in a regular riding jersey when your ride lands you at a café or pub. We’ve had a few in use for months on end, and

JeTBlaCk ligHT WeigHT Bike Bag

Just because you need to travel with a bike, it doesn’t mean you need to book excess baggage. The JetBlack Light Weight bike bag is cavernous, capable of taking any mountain bike safely from A to B and back again. It’s a simple design with dividers for your wheels and a carry strap.

new productsThe latest dream product to hit Australian shores, get your first glimpse here as we give the rundown on the latest gear.

isOWHey spORTs Refuel anD ReBuilD

Summer can mean a lot more time on the bike, but you might also be training for a target event. There are plenty of formulated supplements out there to help you on and off the bike, and we’ve had this recovery formula from Isowhey Sports land on the AMB desk.Aimed at post-ride recovery, it supplies essential nutrients to rebuild and repair your muscles tissues. Each serve has more than 25g of protein, glutamine, branch chain amino acids, magnesium and antioxidants. There’s no added fructose, artificial colours and sweeteners, but it does contain milk and soy products.

RRP: $54.95 for 500gFrom: www.isowheysports.com.au

found them perfect for trail riding, travel, everyday use and just about any time you’d like to put on some-thing that fits well, is comfortable, dries fast, and looks good. They’re available in men’s and women’s fit, come in lots of colours, and you could easily order some online as a gift, or drop into one of their dealers so you can try them on.

From RRP: $55.00From: www.dharco.com

The trick is to pack your bike in the bag properly. Whether you use foam padding, old bedrolls, or the sides of cardboard boxes is up to you, but this bag will keep it all in place, making sure your bike is set to ride at the other end.

RRP: About $70From: www.jetblackproducts.com



JetBlack Whisper Drive trainer

We’re not exactly in the depths of winter, but time constraints or specific training goals might mean you need to get your bike on an indoor trainer. JetBlack have long produced very popular and affordable trainers, and the new Whisper Drive will be no different. It’s a direct drive magnetic trainer, that you sit your bike onto without the rear wheel. This style of trainer offers a very realistic feel to how your bike actually rides, and prevents clamping the frame, so it’s great for all out efforts.

The resistance unit is whisper quiet (hence the name…) and can offer from 0 -1200 watts of resistance.JetBlack have also launched a free iOS and Android APP to use with

Maxxis treaD lite

Just in time for the Subaru Australian National Series, Maxxis have launched their new Tread Lite tyre. A race-ready semi-slick tyre that has been designed for hardpack and loose over hardpack terrain, the Tread Lite should suit racers in dry XCM and XCO events around the country. Tyres will be available in 26”, 27.5” and 29” sizes in 2.1” width. Both the Tubeless Ready casing and the EXO reinforced Tubeless Ready casing in 120tpi will be available. Weights range from 530-630g. If you’re after something fast and strong for your summer racing, get into your local Maxxis dealer to get some on order.

RRP: From $69.95From: www.KWT.net.au

neW prODUct

praxis tUrn tO cranks

US chain ring and bottom bracket manufacturer Praxis have moved their attention to cranks, and launched the Turn brand into the busy road and mountain bike market.

Their MTB model, the Girder M30, is a hollow forged crank aimed broadly at the trail bike market – not unlike a Shimano XT crank, it’s aimed at being able to do just about anything. Without being too over built for DH, or a weight weenie item, it will suit everything in-between.

The crank uses an alloy 30mm axle, but also relies on the wider bearing stance more familiar with Shimano or GXP bottom brackets. As Praxis make some brilliant bottom brackets, you need to buy the correct one to suit your frame, so PF30, BB30, BB92 or 73mm BSA threaded units are all available. One crank set, four bottom bracket options to suit almost any frame. Makes sense, right?

We have a set on the way, and a full review will be in Issue 146. RRP: $279 for the Cranks and ringsFrom: dawsonsports.com.au

the trainer, giving you real time data straight to your phone. You can record speed, heart rate, cadence, time and power output – to make sure your sessions are repeatable. Optional accessories will be required for full functionality between the App and trainer.

RRP: $599From: www.jetblackproducts.com


98 - AMB

Unlike during the Moto-GP you can’t rely on petrol to get you through a mountain bike race, it’s all self-propelled pedal power. To get through a race and perform at your peak your body needs a ready and ample supply of glucose (stored as glycogen in your muscles). Without enough you’ll ‘hit the wall’.

What you eat on race day will affect how well you perform and shouldn’t be ignored. Cross country and downhill require a very different race plan due to the differing demands of the races. There are, however, a few general rules to stick by no matter the race you’re competing in:

Your race daY nutrition plan Digging Deep into the coMpetitive worlD of MountAin Biking? here’s your rAce DAy nutrition plAn to MAke the Most of your trAining AnD help you get to the poDiuM.

worDs: Zoe wilson photos : roBert conroy

EaT WEll ThE niGhT bEforE.

pre-event pasta parties were started for a reason. to ensure your muscles are fully stocked with glycogen, make sure you load your evening meal on carbohydrates like pasta, bread, rice or potatoes.

bE PrEParEd. it may sound simple, but make sure you’ve got what you need for race-day prepped and ready to go when you pack your bag the day before.

PraCTiCE, PraCTiCE, PraCTiCE.

you wouldn’t start a big race riding a bike you’ve never ridden before – you’d use it in training so you felt comfortable. same goes for your nutrition plan. practice your race

day nutrition in training so you know what works and what doesn’t – the last thing you want is to be stopped in the porta-loo while everyone else is crossing the line!

YoUr raCE daY nUTriTion Plan the 24 hours Before

focus on eating a carbohydrate-rich meal in the lead up to your event. Aiming for 7-12g carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight and tapering your activity should be enough to fully stock your muscle’s glycogen stores. it’s also a good idea to go for foods that are lower in fibre to avoid any gut trouble during the race – white bread, low-fibre cereals, fruit juice and sports drinks are good examples. Also



Each of these options are carbohydrate-rich and are good choices before and between races, depending on the amount of time you have to spare.

3-4 hours before. Crumpets with jam and flavoured milk, baked beans on toast, cereal with milk or fruit salad with fruit-flavoured yoghurt. Have a drink, too.

1-2 hours before. Top up with a light snack. Choose a milk shake or fruit smoothie, a muesli bar, banana or liquid meal replacement like Up & Go.

30-60 minutes before. Your final chance to top up your hydration and blood glucose levels. Have 300-400ml sports drink, a gel, some cordial or some jelly lollies.

Before the celeBrations Begin

It was a great day out, but before you hit to town to celebrate, make sure you think about your recovery plan so you can be back on the bike sooner and training hard for the next race. It’s important to try to get in a mix of carbohydrate and protein within 30-60 minutes of finishing for the day so your body can begin repairing damaged muscles, replenishing fuel stores and rehydrating. If you’re lacking appetite after racing, go for something light or a drink with a mix of carbs and protein like a flavoured milk. Again, try to aim to eat something that gives you 0.8g carbohydrate and 0.2-0.4g protein per kilogram of body weight within the first hour of finishing. For a 70kg athlete the following options contain the correct amount of carbs and protein:

- One serve whey-derived protein shake + 300ml low fat milk and 600ml sports drink- 2 tubs of yoghurt and 2 cups of fruit salad- A salad roll with 60g lean sandwich meat and a banana

the hUBnUtrition

drink a little more than usual to optimise hydration. Make sure you have a drink with every meal and sip throughout the day.

THE MOrnInG OF THE bIG dAY

The idea on the morning of the race is to further top up carbohydrate stores and hydration levels so you are fully fuelled and rearing to go. This goes for both XC and dH racing. If you can, have breakfast 2-3 hours beforehand for a morning race and a small snack to top up 1-2 hours before your race. In the case of a very early start, another option is to have a larger supper the night before and a lighter snack or fluids only 1-2 hours before the start. If your race is later, eating your normal meals in the earlier part of the day and then having a light snack 1-2 hours prior to the event works for most people. See the table across for examples of foods to try.

dUrInG YOUr rACE

This only applies to XC where you’ll be racing for longer than 60 minutes. Obviously, as dH races are short and sharp, it’s impractical and unnecessary to refuel during a down hill race. but you might consider this between practice runs.

Aim to take on board 30-60g of carbohydrate per hour during your XC race, starting the refuelling process around the 30 minute mark. Make the most of aid stations so you don’t need to carry too much with you, but find out what you can about lap length and who might feed you a few weeks before so you can practice your nutrition plan in training. As racing is during the summer months, the best way to get your carbs in is in fluid form, so you keep dehydration to a minimum as well. Sports drinks or flat coke are great options. Gels and even lollies are also useful as they are light and easy to carry, but be sure to continue drinking throughout the race.

bETwEEn rACES

If you’re racing downhill you need to be refuelling quickly and efficiently between races to perform at your best - think pit stops in the MotoGP. If the breaks between your races aren’t long enough for you to feel comfortable eating a full meal, try ‘grazing’ throughout the day instead with regular small carb-rich snacks. After each race, aim to take on board approximately 1-1.2g carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight every hour if possible (e.g. 85g carbohydrate for a 70kg athlete). See the table below for examples of foods to try between races.


australian mountain bike - december 2014

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