Australian Mountain Bike #206

UPSKILL WITH ONE SIMPLE CARPARK DRILL

THE POLYGON COLLOSUS N8E

2 0 2 3

THE WINNERS #206 . AUS $11.99 . NZ $11.99

BRECK EPIC: MOUNTAIN BIKING, DISTILLED

WE TEST BIKES FROM POLYGON, TREK & PEDAL!

CHASING DOWN. If you spend your time chasing the most adrenaline inducing descents, the Chase KinetiCore is for you. The 5-star Virginia Tech rated full face helmet, built with KinetiCore technology to protect against direct and rotational impact, and gives you the confidence needed for optimal gravity fuelled excitement.

Packed with key features such as, a breakaway peak for enhanced neck protection, a flexible front grid to protect the face from splashes and thick padding for a snug and comfortable fit, make this a crucial companion for you next descent.

lazersport.com/kineticore

Rider: Tom Robbins Photos: Paul K Robbins/MONDE Photo

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NOTHING’S FOR FREE – THE HISTORY OF FREERIDE MOUNTAIN BIKING

HOSTED TOUR SCREENINGS SYDNEY HORNSBY CENTRAL COAST GOLD COAST BRISBANE CAIRNS ADELAIDE PERTH HOBART CANBERRA MELBOURNE

Event Cinemas, George Street Event Cinemas, Hornsby Event Cinemas, Tuggerah Event Cinemas, Pacific Fair Event Cinemas, Chermside Event Cinemas, Cairns Central Event Cinemas, Marion Event Cinemas, Innaloo The Peacock Dendy Cinemas Lido Cinemas, Hawthorn

24 Nov 26 Nov 28 Nov 29 Nov 30 Nov 1 Dec 3 Dec 5 Dec 7 Dec Check Site Check Site

ALSO SCREENING AT

Auckland | Blenheim | Bondi Junction | Cairns | Casuarina | Chartwell | Chermside | Dunedin | Havelock North | Indooroopilly | Innaloo | Kotara | Macquarie | Marion | Maroochydore | Maydena | Miranda | Mt Gravatt | New Plymouth | Palmerston North | Rockhampton | Shellharbour | Sydney | Tauranga | Toowoomba | Wanaka | Wellington | Whangarei

R IDER : SI AN A’HER N PHOTOGRAPHER: CAM MACKENZIE

For 2023 Sian A’Hern joined the YT Mob. She won back the Australian Downhill Champion’s sleeve at Thredbo and didn’t look back, returning to the World Cup after a few years absence. Sian went all in at the Downhill World Championships in Fort William, Scotland, coming away with 18th for her first year back on the world stage.

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RIDER: TROY BROSNAN PHOTOGRAPHER: CAM MACKENZIE

If there was an award for consistent performances at World Championships, surely it would go to Troy Brosnan? The speedy rider has been one of the fastest riders in the world for what feels like forever, and cemented that with 5th at the Downhill World Championships in Fort William, Scotland.

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RIDER : DOMENIC PAOLILLI PHOTOGRAPHER: PIPER ALBRECHT

Australia’s U23 National Champion came out swinging at the Cross-Country Olympic World Championships in Glentress, Scotland. In the bar-to-bar fight Dom came out in 51st, finishing on the lead lap at the biggest race of the year for U23 racers.

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Contents ISSUE #206

FAST TRACK 17 18 26 28 30 33 34 37 38 41

Editorial News New Products Subscriptions Calendar X-Factor Trail Talk Gravity Check Plugged In Mind Body Bike

FEATURES 42 BRECK EPIC  MOUNTAIN BIKING, DISTILLED Mountain biking was born in places like the high mountains of Colorado, and that is exactly where writer Imogen Smith travelled to, finding part of the beating soul of mountain biking alive and kicking at the Breck Epic.

49 AMB PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR  KRISTINA VACKOVA There can only be one AMB Photographer of the Year – and this year Kristina Vackova from Tasmania took out the top spot.

58 AMB PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS  CATEGORY WINNERS We feature the winners and placegetters of each category in the AMB Photography Awards presented

by Shimano Australia, hearing from the winners about how their photos came about.

TESTED 80 84 88

Polygon N8E Trek Slash 9.8 Pedal Bikes Titan II

94 Product reviews 106 Skills 108 Nutrition 110 Fitness 112 Workshop COVER: Rider: Ryan Gilchrist Photographer: Kristina Vackova THIS PAGE Rider: Bec Henderson at the XCO World Championships Photographer: Piper Albrecht

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Editorial enquiries mike@adventureentertainment.com Editor Mike Blewitt Art Director Allan Bender WORDSMITHS Anna Beck, Kath Bicknell, Mike Blewitt, Gracie Elvin, Craig Meinicke, Ben Morrison, Chris Panozzo, Jared Rando, Imogen Smith, Ryan Walsch, Zoe Wilson, Hayden Wright PHOTO GURUS Piper Albrecht, Tim Bardsley-Smith, Mike Blewitt, Dominic Blissett, Eddie Clark, Fletcher Crowley, Jasper Da Seymour, Joeb Dedman, Thomas Falconer, Jack Fletcher, Daniel Gangur, Matt Jones, Clancy Kelly, Gerard Lagana, Cam Mackenzie, Darren Mallard, Jordan Riddle, Andy Rogers, Matt Rousu, Sam Routledge, Kristina Vackova, Nick Waygood, Lane Williams ADVERTISING National Advertising Manager Damian Martin damien@adventureentertainment.com +61 417 168 663 Publisher Toby-Ryston Pratt Founder & CEO Adventure Entertainment.

ABN: 79 612 294 569 Subscriptions E: magazines@adventureentertainment.com P: +61 2 8227 6486 PO Box 161, Hornsby, NSW, 1630

AMB (AUSTRALIAN MOUNTAIN BIKE) is published by Adventure Entertainment Pty Ltd ABN: 79 612 294 © 2023. 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 IVE Group, Sydney, distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Are Direct.

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 Adventure Entertainment does not accept liability for loss or damage.

PRIVACY POLICY

We 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 Adventure Entertainment.

www.ambmag.com.au

NEW BIKES, NEW FACES, NEW BEGINNINGS WORDS MIKE BLEWITT / PHOTO GERARD LAGANA

Welcome to the 206th issue of Australian Mountain Bike. Spring is here and that typically heralds new bikes landing in stores, new trails being announced and opened, and sometimes a renewed vigour to get out and ride if you live somewhere that has a dark and wet winter.

We have three new bikes on test for this issue, from the overhaulled Trek Slash, to the big travel, big power Polygon Collosus N8E and the value-packed Pedal Titan II – a bike I am certain will introduce more riders to the fun of riding off-road, be it rail trails or fun flow trails.

Of course this is also our Photo Awards issue, and amongst those featured in this issue Kristina Vackova took out the top spot. What is really cool to see is that all

her photos were taken in Australia, and specifically all from Tasmania as well.

There are also some new faces amongst those who placed in different categories, plus I was stoked to see Sam Routledge win one category, after having such great entries in previous years.

The biggest change this spring is that AMB has a new home with Adventure Entertainment as our publisher. That’s no big change for where you are sitting, but it does mean there is a bright future including a release of a mountain bike film tour this summer, and for the coming years ahead as well.

In the mean time, enjoy the spring weather, get cracking on your summer holiday plans and enjoy our latest issue.

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THE OTWAY ODYSSEY AND GOGG RETURN IN 2024 Two of Australia’s finest off-road endurance events return to Forrest, Victoria across Febraury 25-26 2024. Next year the Otway Odyssey will celebrate its 18th iteration as one of the most demanding and rewarding marathon mountain bike events in the Oceania region.

Since 2017 the Great Otway Gravel Grind (GOGG) has offered two gravel events for riders to take on, making for a fantastic weekend off-road in Victoria’s Otway Ranges.

While the Otway Odyssey has been around for nearly two decades, that’s not to say things haven’t changed! Year in, year out the event pulls a top crop of Australian mountain bikers to the 100km elite event. Event organisers Rapid Ascent have created lots of other events over the years, with 50km and 30km events, a 10km kids’ race and even a tiny course at Forrest Football ground for those on balance bikes. In addition to all that, The Odyssey Angels event is a women’s only 30km event on the Sunday, taking out the potentially intimidating

THREDBO HEATS UP FOR SUMMER Australia’s home of gravity riding is back for summer 2023/2024, with the mountain bike park in the heart of Australia’s Snowy Mountains opening with a bang on November 18. While opening weekend for winter isn’t really about the action on the snow, you can be sure that as the lifts get loaded with bikes that Thredbo’s Mountain Bike opening weekend will be all about dirt action.

There’s over 40km of lift-assisted trails plus cross-country trails, two pump tracks and a skills park. Don’t be put off by the hero imagery, as last season Thredbo opened a new chairlift and new trails, including Easyrider and Grasshopper which are beginner and intermediate trails respectively. With a huge fleet of hire bikes, a mountain bike school and qualified instructors Thredbo can cater to riders looking for thrills on the Cannonball run orthose wanting to put some tyres on the dirt with professional guidance.

In February the ever-popular Cannonball MTB Festival returns.

At nearly a week long, this mountain bike festival mixes racing with mingling in an idyllic mountain setting. Go to race, go to ride, go to spectate – but if you love mountain biking just make sure you go! Thredbo have more events over summer, check our event calendar for more details.

Thredbo.com.au

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nature of a mass start.

With many of the trails in and around Forrest having received a huge rebuild and facelift, you may sign up for a classic mountain bike event, but you’ll get to ride some of the newest trails in Victoria. And with so many distances on offer just about any mountain biker will find a suitable challenge in the Otway Ranges.

And if one day isn’t enough, or your gravel-curious, then sign up for the GOGG. With 49km and 97km options, you really can approach this unique event as you choose. Whether you’re racing for an overall title for the weekend as King or Queen of the Otways, or stopping to enjoy a coffee and chat and the time out zones or a selfie on the gravel roads – that is up to you. Entries are open now and more details are on the Rapid Ascent website. rapidascent.com.au

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MERIDA’S NEW ONE-SIXTY FR IS READY TO SEND For the riders who live to send, Merida have released the new One-Sixty FR, which takes their latest award-winning enduro platform and turns it up a notch. There’s a longer travel fork, coil sprung suspension and burly build kits to put up with rough and tumble riding. The two alloy-framed models landing in Australia also hit a sweet spot of pricing, coming in at $3599 and $4799 for the FR 400 and FR 600 models respectively.

The One-Sixty FR has a mixed wheel setup with a 29” front wheel and 27.5” on the back. The alloy frame has a 5 year warranty and is rated for Category 5 use – the most extreme rating. The One-Sixty FR has been designed to optimise suspension kinematics, durability and suspension performance, which is why you’ll see quality 38mm legged suspension forks from DVO and Suntour as stock, delivering 180/171mm of travel front and rear. The rear suspension is handled by a DVO Jade coil spring with a pedal platform for improved pedalling performance.

The design is basically a different build on Merida’s One-Sixty that was released last year, however the parts changes make it a different bike to the One-Sixty LITE alloy models. Additionally, the One-Sixty FR come stock as a Mixed/mullet setup, although by using the geometry chip you can opt for a full 29” setup if you prefer that.

Plus on the Merida One-Sixty FR you’ll see quality tyres Continental Kryptotal tyres, 4-piston brakes with a 220mm front rotor, strong wheels and Merida’s adjustable dropper posts to allow upto 230mm of drop! This bike is designed for heavy days in the park, punishing downhill runs and steep freeride lines.

In Australia we will have the One-Sixty FR 400 that will sell for $3599, and the One-Sixty FR 600 for $4699. Contact your local Merida dealer for more details, or head to the Merida Bikes website. You can expect to see this hard-hitting bikes on shop floors in February. merida-bikes.com/en-au 19

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A WEEKEND IN CANBERRA: MERCURE STAY AND STROMLO PLAY Pulling up on a Friday afternoon we were warmly greeted by the staff at the Mercure Canberra, a heritage listed building and one of the city’s oldest hotels on the leafy streets of Braddon, only a short walk into the city centre. After an easy check-in we parked the car in the secure carpark at the far side of the hotel and wheeled our bikes into a locked bike storage unit equipped with Steadyracks. With an easy-to-use bike wash station outside it is clear that the hotel was serious about welcoming riders of all types into their property and providing the right facilities.

Our comfortable room was perfect to unwind in before our hungry tummies guided us downstairs to Olims Bar and Bistro where we could fuel up for a big weekend ahead. The menu had something for every taste and appetite, and we also learned that in the outside beer garden was Canberra’s largest meat smoker.

After a restful night the buffet breakfast earned itself plenty of points with a good range of options, and in my personal preference it passed the test of decent scrambled eggs with the bonus points added for hash browns, all washed down with a barista made coffee.

Only a 15-minute drive from the Mercure is the well-known gem for cycling enthusiasts: Stromlo Forest Park. For a long time, the park was split between several cross-country trails and a couple of downhill runs, but over the last few years there has been a lot more work done to include that sweet middle ground of enduro trails. With more of these trails comes the demand for shuttle runs and the local company Dynamic Motivation saw the opportunity and ran with it.

Mic and Chelle Longhurst run the popular shuttle service from the base of the trail park, conveniently neighbouring the The Handlebar café, the undercover pavilion with public restrooms, and the large carpark.

The Longhursts live and breathe mountain biking and are as passionate about Canberra as they are about their business. They also offer skills courses under the internationally recognised PMBI system, so you can 20

come and learn new skills to optimise your shuttle days all the way up to becoming a certified instructor yourself. They also run a program called Ride Like a Girl where young females can meet for weekly sessions and work their way through the skills development course which gets a big thumbs up from me.

We jump on the first shuttle of the day, loading the bikes is easily done with their custom trailer fitted out with racks that hold up to 24 bikes at a time safely and damage free. At the top we had to decide what way to fly down which is harder than many other destinations – there are over 15 unique ways to the bottom and back to the waiting bus and runs to cater for all skill levels.

On the weekend there are two buses running and there is a lift to the top every 20 minutes, so there is minimal waiting around if you want to make the most of your pass. When you need a rest and to refuel your body, The Handlebar café has a good range of food, snacks, and drinks to satisfy your needs. If you’ve pushed your bike a little too far there is also a servicing workshop under the same roof called Cycle City that can help fix most mechanical issues to make sure you can get back out there. They even do bike hire if you’re ever coming through town without your bike or have a mate you’re trying to coax into the sport. There is even a bike washstand around the corner of these businesses too if you want to do a quick hose down before using the Mercure wash station later.

You can book a weekend at the Mercure Canberra and make the most of one of Australia’s premier mountain bike destinations of Stromlo Forest Park.

The hotel even has pet friendly rooms if you wanted to bring your furry companion. Stromlo Forest Park offers an incredible array of mountain biking trails suitable for riders of all levels and The Dynamic Motivation shuttle service makes it easy to access the park.

Gracie Elvin dynamicmotivation.com.au | mercurecanberra.com.au

NEW SEASON RANGE AVAILABLE NOW

mondraker.com

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SHIMANO TURN GRX UP TO 12 Shimano released their second generation GRX drivetrain at the start of spring with three new 12-speed group sets that suit just about anything between road riding and mountain biking. They deliver a wider gear range and better ergonomics than ever before, and should suit all sorts of use.

For the new GRX 12-speed Shimano grabbed a lot of mountain bike technology, including XT 10-51t and 10-45t cassettes, Microspline freehubs and Hyperglide+ chains. The most exciting for us are the two 1x group sets. One works around the 10-45t cassette with a dedicated short cage derailleur, whereas another works around the 10-51t cassette with a longer cage derailleur.

You can swap the cages down the line if you end up with different needs. Shimano predict the 10-45t will be the choice of gravel racers, while the 10-51t will suit riders buidling drop bar adventure bikes.

Shimano also keep a 2x12 option with a 31/48t chain ring combination, designed to be used with an 11-34t 12-speed Hyperglide+ cassette and chain.

All three GRX group sets are mechanical, although Shimano told us we can expect Di2 GRX 12-speed group sets in the future – but they weren’t giving us any dates. Mechanical group sets have a lot going for them, with a lower cost of entry to a high quality group set designed for gravel and all-road use. It is easier to maintain when travelling, on multi-day trips or in crappy conditions.

Interestingly, Shimano are determined that GRX RX820 12-speed isn’t just for gravel bikes, so we reckon you’ll see it being used on a wide range of drop bar bikes. This would be why their three new group sets in the 800 series offer so many choices.

The shifters have a refined cable pull for faster actuation, and a new design that has been designed to work with flared drop bars to relieve hand pressure. Shimano went so far to refine the ribbed hoods to have just the right height (0.8mm) finding balance with grip and comfort. There’s an option for a left shifter to work with droppers, which also has more cable pull for better action.

Shimano have updated the brake calipers with a design that is more open to allow 10% greater clearance between the pads and rotors. This is great for drag free running and less than ideal conditions, to let much pass through a little more easily. Shimano’s new IceTech CL rotors have a new alloy carrier design that removes any slight warping at even the hottest temperatures.

Sizes go from 140mm upwards with Centrelock attachment - expect to see this new design all the way up to 203mm rotors.

NEW SHIMANO WHEELS Shimano have been renewing their wheel set range and their road wheels have lead the charge. The new RX-880 TL are an exciting addition to the range and a sign of more options for the dirt. They’re wide, light and low – making for the perfect partner on a gravel bike. With a 25mm internal rim they suit 32-50mm tyres, making them about spot on for what Australian gravel conditions present. The rims have a 32mm depth to aid the ride quality on rough terrain. The hubs use Shimano’s cup and cone bearings, however you can have the wheels fitted with Shimano’s Microspline freehub body to suit the 10t cassettes, or the new HG L2, which is a spline profile that Shimano introduced with Dura-Ace. Both options bring the wheels under 1400g, making them a very competitive weight for a wheel set with this profile. They sell for $2199.

FIRST RIDES ON GRX 12-SPEED Like any Shimano group set - it just works. While not full of pizzaz the new GRX is solid and reliable. The subtle updates to the shifters make a difference in ergonomics and shift action. I also really liked the setup of the GRX cockpit on flared bars, it was very comfortable.

While Hyperglide+ is easy to look over, this is the shift security that really makes Shimano’s 12-speed equipment shift so well. With guided shifting up and down the cassette, along with the Shadow Plus derailleurs it helps keep the chain shifting, and not slapping and that counts on a gravel bike as much as any other bike. We have a long term 1x12 group set and wheels on the way so stay tuned for a long-term review.

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PREVIOUS WINNERS 24

J. Obree was the lucky winner of our competition with the Mercure Canberra and Dynamic Motivation.

They have won a weekend stay at the Mercure and shuttles and skills work with Dynamic Motivation!

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You know what they say, new gear, new you. Here's a look at some fresh bits landing in Australia.

SHOKZ OPENFIT HEADPHONES Shokz are firm believers in open ear headphones, and this makes sense for safety in terms of spatial awareness – but also audio health as well. Their OpenRun models are popular for ease of use, comfort and battery life, but the OpenFit model bring the same concept to an earbud model.

Their direct-pitch design essentially makes a mini speaker that directs sounds towards your ear canal, without obstructing it. In use, the sounds quality is good, as is the microphone for taking calls. The units are comfortable and come with a charging/carry case that easily fits in a pocket.

We’ll get a full review done for a coming issue. $289 FEsports.com.au

TUBOLIGHT DIAMANA TYRE LINERS Fresh out of Italy, Tubolight have released their range of Diamana tyre liners. Building on the success of their popular EVO HD and EVO SL liners, Tubolight’s new Diamana range has three models: SL, HD and HDR, to work for XC use through to aggressive gravity. The liners look completely different to the EVO models, but in a way still work to use the air inside the tyre. While the EVO models created a second chamber to modify airflow, the Diamana models use the airflow through tapered channels to increase the bump absorption of the tyre and liner system, while also having less contact with the rim and reducing drag. These will be sold in pairs and in different setups to allow heavier rear liners and lighter fronts, along with matched pairs. We’re keen to get some on test! $189.99 (pair) FEsports.com.au

THULE EPOS The new Thule Epos is a versatile and easy-to-use bike rack that fits on towballs, with integrated lights and number plate space so it’s just about plug and play. The 22.7kg rack comes in 2 and 3 bike models, with a total weight limit of 60kg at a maximum of 30kg per bike. Given the rack can take a wheelbase upto 1350mm, it’ll fit a wide variety of mountain bikes, plus gravel or road bikes. The tray style rack uses a telescopic arm to secure your bike, and you can move this around to fit it at just the right spot. While the cradles have a 3” tyre maximum, longer straps are available for those with fat bikes. The Epos tilts away for boot access and folds for storage, making it an easy to use, easy to store solution for a wide variety of users.

From $2199 thule.com

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SHIMANO GE900 AND GE700

DAKINE BUILDER PACK The Builder Pack is Dakine’s highly specific, full-function backpack to suit the needs and demanding work of trail builders. The pack was designed 15 years ago with one goal in mind: to help trail builders get their tools into the zones required. The pack has been constantly refined and the 40-litre model is new for 2023, including features to make it even easier to carry full-sized tools. There’s also internal storage for snacks, protective gear, extra clothing and a first aid kit.

The pack is designed to carry heavy tools around a low centre of gravity, and it even has a large, expandale chainsaw pocket. The chassis of the pack can even be converted to a flatbed so you can carry bulky items like a bucket. External straps aloow full-sized tools like rakes, McLeods and the like, and more pockets are on hand for water bottles, fuel bottler and other essentials. There’s even an integrated emergency whistle! $300 dakine.com.au

Shimano don’t rest on their laurels with their popular footwear, always looking to improve their ranges across road, touring, cross-country, trail and gravity. They’ve even breathed new life into their SPD sandals! The GE series replaces some out going ME and AM models.

The GE900 leads the charge with a Torbal 2.0 midsole for pedalling performance and ride feel, with an EVA midsole being reinforced with carbon to get the mix of comfort and support. A BOA dial is assisted with a strap from the instep to outer for a snug fit. A synthetic upper will dry fast and a neoprene cuff should keep most roost out of your shoe.

This is an SPD compatible shoe with Shimano’s Ultread rubber outer sole and deep cleat pocket.

Shimano’s GE700 brings many of the attributes of the GE900 in terms of fit and function, but it is more focused about trail performance than performane against the clock. That means you get a lace closure, the same Ultread outer sole and the Torbal 2.0 midsole for handling dynamics.

GE900 $329.95 GE700 $269.95 shimano.com

AMERICAN CLASSIC MAUKA DOWNCOUNTRY TYRE You may be more familiar with American Classic from their wheels and hubs, but they have entered the tyre market with a range that covers road, gravel, XC, downcountry, trail and enduro. The Mauka is a 29 x 2.4” tyre that has been designed for downcountry use. You can call that fast trail or aggressive XC if you like, but the outcome is the same in terms of the tyre. The Mauka is a full-bodied 2.4” tyre with aggressive edge and transition knobs, and reasonably open centre tread to dig into softer terrain. The centre tread isn’t as tall as a trail tyre so it still rolls fast but has plenty of edges to hook up with. The 60tpi tyre is tubeless ready and has a claimed weight of 840g, which a great weight when comparing it to the likes of a Maxxis Rekon or Forekaster – both direct competitors. $84.99 southsidedistribution.com.au 27

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XC/XCM AND THE REST

30

19-22 October

Cape to Cape

Margaret River, WA

capetocapemtb.com

20-22 October

Whaka 100

Rotorua, NZ

whaka100.co.nz

22 October

Effervelo Gravel

Canberra, ACT

rockytrailentertainment.com

27-28 October

Gravelista

Beechworth, VIC

gravelista.cc

28 October

Shimano MTB GP

Haunted Hills, VIC

rockytrailentertainment.com

4-5 November

24hr National Champs/WEMBO

Armidale, NSW

auscycling.org.au

10-12 November

The Black Pearl

Newcastle, NSW

quadcrownmtb.com.au

11 November

Dirty Warny

Warnambool, VIC

dirtywarny.com.au

12 November

Mitta Valley Gravel Unravel

Mitta Mitta, VIC

mittavalleygravel.com.au

12 November

SA XCO State Champs

Adelaide, SA

auscycling.org.au

25-26 November

JetBlack 24

Rydal, NSW

rockytrailentertainment.com

9-11 February

Snowies MTB Festival

Lake Crackenback, NSW

in2adventure.com.au

24-25 February

Otway Odyssey

Forrest, VIC

rapidascent.com.au

25 February

Great Otway Gravel Grind

Forrest, VIC

rapidascent.com.au

2 March

Motatapu

Arrowtown, NZ

motatapu.com

2 March

Karapoti Classic

Upper Hutt, NZ

karapoti.co.nz

4 May

Convict 100

St Albans, NSW

convict100.com.au

GRAVITY 21-22 October

VIC DH Series

Barjarg, VIC

vdhs.com.au

22 October

Gravity Enduro SA

Adelaide Hills, SA

gravityendurosa.com

28-29 October

QLD DH State Champs

Toowoomba, QLD

auscycling.org.au

17-19 November

Ignition MTB Festival

Falls Creek, VIC

ignitionmtb.com.au

18-19 November

Fox Superflow

Orange, NSW

rockytrailentertainment.com

19-19 November

Thredbo Opening Weekend

Thredbo, NSW

thredbo.com.au

2-3 December

VIC DH Series

Mt Taylor, VIC

vdhs.com.au

16 December

Thredbo Gravity Series #1 + #2

Thredbo, NSW

thredbo.com.au

20-21 January

VIC DH Series

Mt Beauty, VIC

vdhs.com.au

3 February

Thredbo Gravity Series #3

Thredbo, NSW

thredbo.com.au

3-4 Febraury

VIC DH Series

You Yangs, VIC

vdhs.com.au

12-17 February

Cannonball Festival

Thredbo, NSW

thredbo.com.au

24-25 February

VIC DH Series

Baw Baw, VIC

vdhs.com.au

4-8 March

Australian MTB Interschools

Thredbo, NSW

thredbo.com.au

9-10 March

VIC DH Series

Narbethong, VIC

vdhs.com.au

23 March

Thredbo Gravity Series #4

Thredbo, NSW

thredbo.com.au

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PEACE OF MIND W O R D S G R A C I E E LV I N

D

o the words meditation and mindfulness make you smile, or do you roll your eyes? Many of us are polarised by these now mainstream practices; the first camp embracing the benefits of intentional (non) thinking; the other camp putting up resistance to such a new-age waste of time. Well, if you are in the second camp and reading this magazine, let me tell you that you are already doing it every time you hit the trails. Mindfulness is a dirty word, in the best way possible.

Mountain biking is more than just a workout or adrenaline spike; it can also be a powerful form of therapy. Between taking in the natural landscapes and thrilling descents, riders can find solace, healing, and a renewed sense of purpose. The sport can give us profound therapeutic benefits and positively impact mental and emotional well-being.

MINDFUL SHREDDING

Imagine this: you’re on your mountain bike, navigating a narrow, winding trail through a dense forest. The only sounds you hear are the rustling leaves and the crunch of your tires on the dirt. In this moment, your mind is clear, and the stress of daily life fades into the background. This is the essence of mindful shredding, a practice where riders find a meditative state while on the trails. We also know this state as “flow”. Flow is that sweet spot of doing an activity that is not so hard that we want to give up, and not so easy that we are bored; where we sink into a challenge that demands our full attention. www.ambmag.com.au

P H OTO N I C K WAY G O O D

The combination of physical exertion, fresh air, and immersion in nature are the added bonuses to a formula with all the right ingredients to calm the mind, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and fill one with positive feelings that can have a profound impact on your mental state. Riders often describe the experience as a form of therapy, allowing them to escape the pressures of life and find mental clarity. The noise of your everyday life is pushed firmly to the back of your mind, providing much needed relief to get back into your goals and responsibilities with renewed freshness.

OK, I’M LISTENING…

So you’ve come this far into the article, you must be wondering what else you might be interested to know or do while you’re out zipping along the dirt. Once you’ve entered that happy state of flow after a few good rounds on the trails, how about taking a quick stop to listen and look around. Nature has an innate ability to heal, and mountain biking provides the perfect avenue for individuals to tap into this healing power. Spending time in natural settings has been linked to reduced stress levels, improved mood, and increased overall well-being. Mountain bikers have the unique opportunity to connect with nature on a deep level. If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed or unsure about what’s going on at work or home, take a moment to ground yourself, literally. Take off your shoes and socks and feel the ground with your feet. My favourite version of this is to put your feet in a

cool stream on a hot day. You can use the excuse of just having a cool-off snack break, but I promise you will feel something extra to just the rest stop.

(I CAN GET) SATISFACTION Conquering a tough trail or mastering a challenging feature can boost self-esteem and provide a sense of accomplishment that is especially meaningful to those facing personal difficulties. One of my favourite things about mountain biking is the endless list of things you can get better at. Every time you go out for a ride, there is an opportunity to be better, be it taking a faster corner, a technical feature you’re nervous about, a PB on a climb, or just feeling like you were floating along all day.

Feeling bored or thinking about other things too much while riding? Time to turn it up to the next challenge level so your mind can’t wander off. Set yourself a new task, a new goal, or even something simple such as a drill of not allowing yourself to stop pedalling throughout the trail. See what happens to your brain and your mood afterwards.

Mountain biking is more than just a sport; it’s an opportunity to boost your mental health in many ways. Whether you’re seeking mindfulness, connection with nature, or a way to overcome personal challenges, the trails offer a unique and therapeutic journey. It’s a reminder that the healing power of nature, combined with the physical and mental challenges of mountain biking, can lead to a renewed sense of purpose and well-being. So, grab your bike, hit the trails, and let it flow.

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LET’S HEAR IT FOR GREEN TRAILS WORDS CRAIG MEINICKE

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PHOTO GERARD LAGANA

he feeling of striking out on a new trail and discovering its rhythm, flow and technical nature is part of the essence that makes mountain biking so wonderful. Conquering a gnarly descent, or the satisfaction of clearing a technical feature is one of the things that keeps us coming back for more.

It can therefore be disappointing when a new trail is approved that isn’t going to appeal to that sense of awe and is actually something way below what many would think of as being fun or challenging.

So why is designing trails that cater to families important? These trails, often referred to as foundation level trails, play a vital role in the growth, sustainability and future of the mountain biking community and are the heart and soul of fostering a love for mountain biking among families.

Foundation level trails are designed to be inclusive, accommodating riders of all ages and skill levels. They provide a gateway to the world of mountain biking, nurturing the passion for two-wheeled adventures and an accessible way to easily engage with our natural environment.

While they may lack the imposing drop-offs and daunting jumps that experienced riders crave, these trails offer an experience that transcends heart-pounding descents. A family-friendly trail fosters connection, shared experiences, and the joy of discovering the outdoors together. It is a place where the family can bond, learn, and create lasting memories while simultaneously nurturing the next generation of mountain bikers.

Mountain biking should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their skill level or age. Foundation level trails create a welcoming environment for newcomers, families, and those who prefer a more relaxed riding experience. This inclusivity helps to diversify the riding community and ensures that mountain biking remains a sport for all.

Just as a house needs a strong foundation, riders need a solid base of skills before progressing to more advanced trails. Family-friendly trails act as a training ground, allowing riders to hone their first

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principal techniques such as using their vision, balance, cornering, and bike control. These skills are essential for tackling more challenging features safely and providing a pathway for progression onto more adventurous trails. AusCycling recently launched their AusBike program which talks specifically to building the confidence and competence of children on bicycles from 5 – 12 years “So they can enjoy a life of freedom and adventure on two wheels.” The decline in outdoor play has had a significant impact on the physical and emotional health and wellbeing of Australian children. Foundation trails are another positive step in addressing this and allowing kids to learn and experience the joy of riding bikes.

Every seasoned rider was once a beginner. By cultivating a love for mountain biking in young riders, family-friendly trails contribute to the future growth of the sport. Kids who experience the thrill of the trail early on are more likely to become lifelong riders, contributing to a vibrant and sustainable mountain biking community.

Designing well-rounded trail networks that cater to a diverse range of riders including family-friendly trails alongside more challenging options creates sustainable destinations. These are ones where more people feel welcome and can have fun. This also means they are more likely to re-visit which benefits the entire mountain biking community and the broader economic and tourist industries our recreation sits within.

In the world of mountain biking, the allure of heart-stopping drops and technical challenges will always have its place. However, the charm and importance of family-friendly trails cannot be underestimated. Foundation trails lay the groundwork for a vibrant Craig Meinicke works for and inclusive mountain biking Blue Sky Trails, managing community, welcoming riders of trail development, funding all ages and skill levels into our and governance. community. www.ambmag.com.au

SOMETHING SMELLS A BIT FISHY. THE SUPER-WORLDS EDITION. WORDS CHRIS PANOZZO

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PHOTO ANDY ROGERS

hat on earth was Super-Worlds? Was it a supercharged version of World Championships? No, just the regular World Championships, if you could ever call World Championships regular.

Perhaps we should have been calling them super all along just to be sure. The Super part has come from having all the cycling disciplines run together in one country, effectively turning them into the Olympics of cycling, held across various locations in Scotland.

While revisiting past events that have taken place more than 1 news cycle prior can smell more fishy than last night’s inspired takeaway, the benefit it provides in retrospect is worth the nose pinching trip out to the rubbish bin. From the post drinks euphoria that often trails any World Championships, to the clear eyed and sober reflective mood that only the passing of time can prelude, it’s worth taking a look back on what happened, and who pulled out one of those magical rides.

It is hard to capture the collective outlook across so many disciplines. Crowd numbers were high, as were the volumes of articles written if you went looking for them, mostly about the feats of individuals and the odd protest from riders and climate activists alike.

Admittedly the majority of the media was for publications based overseas, still the cross pollination from normally road focused media into the mountain bike world was great to see.

If the Super-Worlds could be served up like the best of Scottish fish and chips, wrapped up in yesterday’s newspaper ready to line our stomachs with grease, it might be an easier way to explain what the UCI had cooked up. The fish, chips, and the oil it was cooked in would be the road race, time trial and track events, while potato cakes might be all the BMX events combined. Where did the mountain biking fit in?

Possibly like a slice of lemon thrown in at the end. Not surprising, but for all the XCO racers, equally galling. The night before their main

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event, the UCI issued a communique allowing selected road riders who were also competing in the XCO to be moved up the start order, effectively ignoring all previous rules and the points system to help give them a better start position. For all those that put in the hard work throughout the year in the hope of a better start position, who cares? The UCI showed as much integrity in the matter as day-old soggy chips.

To the Downhill, against the backdrop of the iconic Scottish Highlands, where myths are as good as facts, and for years where drama has unfolded in a way that only sport can provide. Crowds here have been coming in their thousands, whether to watch Aussie Chris Kovarik win by 14 seconds, or to see Minnaar further his claim to official goat status by taking another win. The regular format of one run to rule them all returned, no half qualifying, just flat-out madness in a winner takes all gambit. It was a mixed bag, with rain playing havoc with three quarters of the field, working out for some, while crushing others. A deflated race that still had its moments of greatness, a better symbol for the sport than could be written here.

Which rider was the standout MVP across the entire event? No not Van der Poel, who’s mid-race poo got more media coverage than either of the Downhill Champions. I think just edging out the super reliable Troy Brosnan, who went 5th in the Men’s DH, was Matt Dinham. Dinham went 7th in the Men’s Elite Road Race as a neo-pro (first year). Normally I would be reluctant to offer praise to a roadie, but given Matt came through the sprawling mountain bike Aussie scene his result was massive. Anyone who can podium at a National Champs Downhill, which Dinham did back as a junior when the race was in Bright, a track known for being crazy, then go onto a professional roadie career is also crazy in itself.

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ALTERNATE FUTURES WORDS MIKE BLEWITT

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P H OTO M AT T J O N E S

hen I first started at AMB in late 2013, the quality of the eMTBs was not worthy of coverage in the title – but things changed fast. Brands like Bosch had been pushing hard in system design since 2009 and they were taking big steps in the off-road space as well. In just a few years e-bikes with better design and systems were bringing eMTBs to the fore and by 2020 the e-bike systems really hit their strides in terms of battery capacity, head units, pedal response and useable torque. Fresh bike designs with excellent integration became frequent sights on trails around the country.

While not linked to the boom in eMTBs, Australia has had huge amounts of investment to build mountain bike trails for us all to ride, for free. Some of these trails are best suited to access with a pedal-assist eMTB, others use shuttle services and of course, some experiences are just fine if you choose to climb high on your own supply. We have some incredible trail access in Australia, on incredible trails. But we shouldn’t take that for granted.

Having recently travelled to both the USA and to Europe, I was struck by how different the riding experience is in both areas. Both locations are very diverse, but their approach to bikes, getting outdoors and e-bikes is quite different. And it makes me realise that Australia really is the lucky country.

In the US, eMTBs are limited in access as the bikes are categorised as motorised vehicles in some states. Motorbikes have a lot of trail access so this doesn’t limit riding options much, but riding high alpine trails that have had whoops created by a throttle isn’t the most enjoyable singletrack. As a visitor to high places on the Colorado plateau, using an eMTB to overcome the effects of altitude over 3000m would be a huge benefit, but so many trails were off limits.

Similarly, further west in Oregon trail user attitudes were far from positive when needing to share the trails with eMTBs, with riders being shunned for their choice of bike, and not embraced for wanting to be in the outdoors. One hiker I spoke to was concerned by the speed two eMTB riders ahead of me were going, but didn’t seem 38

concerned with my speed on my XC bike, despite the fact I was going faster and had caught them. It really felt like an unfair bias between user groups and one based on assumptions.

This was all in stark contrast to a visit to Europe, specifically to Switzerland and Italy. Even 10 years ago just before I started this role, I was amazed by the e-bike infrastructure in Europe. From charging stations at mountain hotels in the Dolomites, through to huge hire fleets of eMTBs at almost any location that had trails and hills. Similarly, the uptake of eMTBs and e-bikes in general has been massive. And while there are always going to be a lot of Europeans out in the hills when the sun is shining, the rapid adoption of eMTBs has only served to increase that.

When riding high mountain passes I saw groups of friends doing the same on their eMTBs, riding point-to-point with their chargers packed in their backpacks along with a change of clothes. I rode through summer villages high in the Alps, with charging stations out the front of small buildings that sold coffee and nusstorte. I saw fast charging units in small valley towns, with suggested eMTB itineraries for visiting riders to take, and I saw all public buses with hydraulically assisted vertical bike racks on the back, to help get all riders higher into the mountains to explore.

The net result was obvious, I saw more people on bikes, and more people out on the trails. Nothing was overly crowded, with the high alpine singletrack still being a more demanding place to go. But the simpler valley trails and lakeside singletrack was buzzing (literally) with families, groups and couples on bikes. No one was stopping to give another user a piece of their mind and there were no signs to limit usage or direction on trails.

Here in Australia we have the access, we have the trails and we have some great bike options – I’m hoping that this recent visit to ride in Europe is a glimpse to our future, one with more people enjoying time on the dirt and spending time outdoors together, thanks to great e-bike infrastructure and acceptance. I think we are a long way there already, and can’t wait to see how things look in another decade.

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THERE WHEN YOU NEED THEM. STOWED WHEN YOU DON’T.

WHAT DOES ‘FEELING THE TRAIL’ MEAN? WO R D S D R K AT H B I C K N E L L

I

PHOTO JACK FLETCHER

t’s one thing to look at a trail and another to ride it. But what does it mean when riders talk about ‘feeling’ it?

Key to understanding the expression is thinking about riding as a series of incredible sensory processes that integrate in real time with our current observations, past experiences and future predictions. What?! Let me explain.

On one level, ‘feeling the trail’ means making sense of the bodily feedback we get as our bikes pass over different terrain. How harsh are those rocky steps? How much force is coming through my wrists?

What does a section of roots feel like at different speed? How does that change if I alter my tyre or suspension pressure? What does the feedback I’m getting through my body tell me about how to ride more smoothly or safely?

Beyond simply ‘feeling the trail’, where things get really interesting is when we use information from our sensory processes to fine tune how we ride in relation to a goal. This could be riding faster, not feeling overwhelmed by some technical features, or just having an excellent day out: these are the feelings of satisfaction, joy and excitement we hope a trail will deliver.

Our past experiences on similar terrain provide us with expectations on how things ‘should feel’ if we’re riding well. When our bodily sensations don’t match these expectations, we can use this information to adjust how we approach that same section of trail on repeat attempts.

Did that drop feel harsh on the wrists? Maybe push the bike forward more next time. Was that line around the corner hard to control at speed? Maybe try a wider line or this other entry point. No idea how to troubleshoot a particular problem? Ask other riders for their thoughts and marvel at the way someone else’s experiences help to shape and direct your own.

From a philosophical standpoint, feeling the trail is an incredibly sophisticated example of how we carry moments from our unique histories into the right now and the what next. It’s also a great example of how important our mental processes are when riding

skilfully, whether that’s through observing, reflecting and adjusting in a given moment, or trouble-shooting how to ride something better on the next attempt.

Related to feeling the trail is something riders often talk about as ‘getting a feel’ for a trail. This process is similar to the first, but points to how riders seek to learn the logic of a trail network, or a particular riding location. Getting a feel for a trail system more broadly allows us to make better predictions about how to ride as-yet-unseen sections at speed.

Getting a feel for a trail is something that’s especially relevant when riding a new trail network for the first time, say on holidays or before a race. It’s also an important process when riding a familiar trail for the first time in a while or after a big weather event.

These are times when information from one trail, or part of a trail, help with setting expectations for future sections: How damp is it?

How dusty? How rutted, grippy, or steep? How well maintained? How well signed? What level of technicality does two downward arrows refer to in this location? How far after the sign do the technical features usually arrive? In short, what can you trust? What should you stay more cautious about until you’ve had a better look?

Getting a feel for a trail doesn’t enable you to predict everything you might pass over next, but it is a fascinating process to unpack.

It reduces some of the variables we might scan for when riding in a new place, and leaves us with more capacity to notice and respond to others.

Take a moment to notice what you notice next time you ride. What information do you pick up from the feel and condition of one Learn more about using section of trail that shapes the way your mind to get more out you approach and enjoy the next? of your time on the bike Celebrate those brain-based from Kath Bicknell at efficiency gains and congratulate [web:] intelligentaction.cc yourself for how clever those [insta:] @Intelligent_Action processes really are.

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SIX DAYS O F AW E S O ME

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WORDS IMOGEN SMITH

PHOTOS EDDIE CLARK

he Breck Epic has deep roots in the mountain bike scene that evolved in the west of the USA, in its mountain origins, and its backcountry terrain. It’s high, wild, and rowdy. It’s hard as heck – and proud of it.

Central Colorado sits atop a huge, high plateau. Here you’ll find famous ski resorts like Aspen and Vail, as well as the biggest, bloodthirstiest mountain bike and gravel races in the world: Leadville and Steamboat. An hour or two up the road, the ski town of Breckenridge, or Breck for short, is one of the highest towns in the USA, at 2900 metres above sea level. That’s a full 1000 metres higher than Falls Creek, where Aussie athletes do their altitude training, and 700 metres higher than the summit of Mt Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest mountain.

The six-day Breck Epic is one of the world’s most notorious mountain bike stage races. It’s known for its elevation, for the quality of its trails and, as I found out first hand, for keeping the spirit of mountain bike alive in all its adventurous, unruly glory.

Driving up to Breckenridge doesn’t necessarily feel like driving into the high places of the world. Having travelled to Europe’s Alps to ride my mountain bike a few times over the years, I’d been expecting it to feel similar: a narrow winding road. Trains. Waterfalls. Snow-capped peaks with huge, rocky prominences. Instead, I cruise along one of Colorado’s broad highways with grassy plains and wooded hills on

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either side, being overtaken by big trucks driven by people in big hats towing big caravans. The only clue that I’m nearing 3000 metres elevation was a faint breathlessness, a slight giddiness. I stop at a Walmart for a few supplies. Nobody else seems to notice a lack of oxygen. It could all be in my head.

B A C K C OUNT R Y AT I TS B E ST Breckenridge lies deep in Colorado’s frontierlands. Places where gold and silver rushes brought enterprising new Americans into the wilderness. Trails in Breck and the surrounding areas were not built as we know trails in Australia. They were carved out by bullock, by mattock, by foot and by hoof. They stretch out over swathes of forest, where old mining machinery – team engines and riveted metal junk – emerges from the ground like bodies from a melting glacier. Rickety rail tracks survive deep in the woods, and giant spoil heaps ten stories high perch where they were abandoned a hundred or more years ago, when the gold, silver, and luck ran out.

The pioneers moved on, and now Breck Epic racers swarm the town with their own kind of crazy prospecting every brief summer for six full days, trying their luck out there in the backcountry.

I reach Breck in the afternoon, find my condo in a building all but empty in the summer low season, and unload a month’s worth of road-trip crap onto a luggage cart to shuttle to my tiny studio. Every Breck Epic stage is based right out of the centre of town, so I can set up

R IDING T H E B R E C K E P I C a base, hit the supermarket and cook my own food or hang out with a bunch of international racers without the frenetic daily transfer process common to many stage races. A bed and a bike is literally all I need – Breckenridge will provide the rest.

The Breck Epic is made up of the six best adventure rides in the trail-rich area, each of which is pretty darn special on its own, let alone strung together into a stage race. But it’s more than that, Breck manages to tap right into the spirit of mountain biking that was distilled at its genesis in the 1990s, close by in the western United States.

Before gravel came along, before dropper seatposts and machine-built flow trails, and way before e-bikes, mountain biking was simply about the courage to be different and one hell of a spirit of adventure. This, combined with the mountain-people’s principles of helping your friends and facing hardship with dignity makes Breck special.

Then there’s the altitude, which just makes you emotional.

R A CIN G AT ALTITUD E Breck is the highest mountain bike stage race in North America, and among the highest mountain bike events in the world. At Breck’s altitude, the relative oxygen you breathe is reduced by around 30%, which means that there’s 30% less to fuel your body’s energy production processes. The result is that you breathe heavily, your heart pumps fast, but not a lot happens in terms of power production. At this altitude, altitude sickness is a very real possibility, as are mild

symptoms like nausea, nosebleeds, sleeplessness, headspins… the list goes on.

There are a couple of schools of thought about racing at altitude: One is to show up as late as possible and just put up with what you feel on the day, the other is to arrive early and acclimatise. I get to Breckenridge a few days early and avoid getting altitude sickness but still have a few nosebleeds and a few headspins. Walking around town is one thing, but on the bike the difference is stark. I huff and puff and produce barely any power. For those who like numbers, I’m hitting my threshold at around 160 watts, a full 80 watts lower than at sea level .

It makes me worry about how long each stage is going to take me.

Breck Epic stages are short for a marathon stage race, but they’re tough. On average, there’s 55–65km of riding a day, and around 1500–2200m of climbing. The race never dips below 2800m elevation, but it climbs to nearly 3900m on the iconic Wheeler Pass stage. But more about that later.

If you’re Australian, even one who skis, the starting point of each stage is probably higher than you’ve been in your life. But the weird thing is that once you’re in Breck, it becomes a non-issue. Like it’s not even mentioned. Take a look at the Breck Epic website and you’ll see what I mean. The race isn’t about the elevation at all. Never has been.

And as the race goes on, I realise that the elevation just serves to simplify everything, because at that altitude there’s no way to game your body or your mind into doing better. You just can’t do any more than your body can do, and trying to go beyond is a sure-fire way to 43

PULL QUOTE ‘A thoroughly tough stage race, some awesome trails, and a truly hard route to master takes away complexities and white noise and brings one back to the essence of just… being.’

‘A THO ROU G HL Y TOUGH STAGE R AC E , SOM E AW E SOM E TR AI L S, AN D A TRUL Y HARD R OUTE T O M ASTE R TA K E S AWAY CO MPLE XITIES AND W HITE NOI SE A ND B R I NG S ONE B A C K TO THE ESSENCE O F JUST… B E I NG .’

get into trouble (once you blow up, you’re set for a very long, very bad day).

So over my six days at Breck, mountain biking is distilled to its essence: just me and my bike, the elements, the terrain, and not much else.

T H E BRE CK DIFFER ENCE Apart from the elevation, what sets the Breck Epic apart is its staff, headed by the charismatic, eloquent, and fascinating character of Mike McCormack. Mike’s daily race briefings are so entertaining that they’re worth the entry fee alone. Mike, himself a former bike racer, lives in the nearby town of Golden, Colorado, and has been running Breck Epic since he dreamt it up 15 years ago with a trusted team, all of whom are seasoned athletes and racers in their own right.

This means that Breck pays attention to the details that many other events overlook. For example, the fact that riders may want more than just bottles in any given feedzone, especially when taking part in a backcountry event where literally anything can happen. No worries, each racer is issued with three numbered and colour-coded canvas shopping bags, one for each feedzone, which are handed to you by a super-enthusiastic volunteer as you approach. You can fill it with bidons, a jacket, a spare tyre, beers, or Haribo gummies if you want – it 44

doesn’t matter – but it’ll be handed up to you by an army of volunteers, and you can drop whatever you want in it to pick up later, too.

The routes are carefully curated into the six-day narrative, designed to take you and your bike on an emotional and physical journey through Colorado’s backcountry. We ride old mining infrastructure, massive climbs, alpine passes and infamous crossings of the Continental Divide.

There are epic singletrack climbs and long, flowing descents over rocks, roots, and dusty gravel. But all that’s just building up to the nadir of the whole experience: The trip up Wheeler Pass on stage five.

Wheeler is the stage everyone looks out for and everyone is nervous about. It starts at about 3000m above sea level and immediately climbs 1000m more, where the oxygen is so scarce that almost nobody can ride the steep singletrack to the top. Here, things get rowdy, with a small but completely insane group of supporters who’ve made the early trek up to where the air is thin to hand up beer, donut holes, shots, and of course, bacon. There’s music, there’s cheers, there’s a party, and there are always plenty of tears too. At elevation, everyone gets emotional.

B R E C K DOS & D O N ’T S DO: • Get some elevation under your belt before you arrive if you’re a sea-level farer like me. A few days at 2000 or so metres, then a few days at 3000 in Breck worked well enough for me.

• Be prepared to feel different. Your performance is reduced about 30 per cent at that elevation. You’re going to huff and puff a lot. Your body will blow up easy if you push hard. Be patient.

• Take the handups: Skittles, beers, tequila, donut holes: whatever’s on offer is exactly what you need, whether you know it or not.

• Consider taking some trail shoes for the hike-a-bike on the Wheeler Pass stage – this is an insider’s tip used by seasoned Breck racers. You’ll be on your feet for a while and carbon-soled race shoes aren’t necessarily the best choice.

DON’ T: • Be dissuaded if you’re not as fast or coordinated as usual. It might seem like you’re the only one suffering from the elevation, but you’re not. Remember, this is what you signed up for!

• Bother with oxygen bottles or boosters.

Embrace the giddiness.

• Get dehydrated. This is a dry, alpine environment. Get yourself a roll of hydration tablets and down an extra bottle or two of fluid to help you recover.

• Miss a race meeting and briefing. Trust me, they’re hilarious – and necessary.

• Forget to look around and take a selfie when you get to those truly high passes – not many people make it up there on their own steam.

W HE E LE R On the big day, the nerves among the 400 or so racers are palpable.

Everyone’s been keeping something in the tank for this stage. Many have brought a second pair of trail shoes that they can walk in just for today. We set off in waves of about 10 riders to avoid clogging up the climbing singletrack. Right from the gun it’s a slog, over roots and rock gardens that are almost impossible to clean. I ride up to about 3500m then, like everyone around me, climb off my bike and start to push.

By the time we get to 3700m it takes me half an hour to get the GoPro out of the shoulder pocket of my hydration pack, and other 10 minutes to turn it on. I take wobbly, upside-down videos obscured by my glove, mostly of my bike seat or front tyre. Awesome. I think to myself. That’s going to make an awesome edit. (Hot tip, it didn’t.) By the time I’m at 3800m I can’t feel my arms. My head has detached and is bobbing somewhere a few metres above my body. I take one step for every four breaths. When I open my mouth to say something it comes out in a tremulous, weepy wail. I’m cryyyyy-iiiiing. Is all I can say.

At the top I start to stumble a lot. It’s unclear whether my bike is holding me up or vice versa. I take a shot of mezcal from an enthusiastic supporter who walks beside me with a speaker until I remount, shakily, and wobble on. The mezcal’s heat radiates through my chest. Predictably, I get tipsy, but my coordination is already so bad

it doesn’t matter. There’s a brief traverse on clinking, massive bits of landslide and chewed up rock where I tripod and stumble over stuff, not caring anymore if my expensive carbon-soled Shimano Sphyres survive, before another hike to the second peak.

I’m so high up that it hurts to look around. It takes effort, but I swivel my head and try to absorb what I’m seeing. The earth looks bowlshaped, like the sky, the sun flaring, is wrapped around my head. I’m surrounded by dozens of peaks, and towns far below look like tiny piles of sand, twinkling in the sun. I don’t look around for long, because stopping will hold up the queue behind me. And anyway, it’s time to go down, as the route descends 800m over endless natural, rocky, steep trails: Fridge-sized rocks, microwave-sized rocks, toaster size rocks.

Entire kitchens of rocks. A few flowy corners and I’m in babyhead chutes and rooty, bouldery flow, on and on, ears popping, before a final, heartbreaking climb on the way back to town.

T H E B E AUT Y OF H A R D Make no mistake, the Breck Epic is hard. That’s the point. I wonder whether a race like this could succeed in Australia. Purpose-built flow trails? About 1%. Hike-a-bike: LOTS. Beers and burgers at the finish?

You gotta ride into town and get them for yourself. Socialising, drinking, eating –all are part of the experience, sure, but they’re not the point of 45

this event. The point of Breck is to suffer, and in that suffering, find something special. The point is to ride your damn bike. Or at least take your bike with you on a ridiculous adventure.

Breck Epic brought me back in touch with why I race. Not to prove to myself that I’m tough or strong, Not to measure myself up against others, but because it makes everything simple. Because it brings me back in touch with my true self, with simply being. A single purpose that is hard to find in the high frequency of everyday life with its bills to pay and work politics and infinite personal challenges. A thoroughly tough stage race, some awesome trails, and a truly hard route to master takes away complexities and white noise and brings one back to the essence of just… being.

One of the beautiful things the Breck Epic does is take a professional portrait of each rider on the finish line of day one, then present you with a printed photograph at the final event celebration.

You walk past tables of photos of familiar faces until you come across a REALLY familiar one, and it just fills your heart. There’s no finisher medal here. Completers are presented with a beautifully etched belt buckle, whose design changes every year. Engraved on the back are the words ‘Bad Motherfucker’. You can wear it every day if you want.

Up in that dry alpine air of the Colorado plateau is a perfectly preserved relic of the spirit of mountain biking. Breck Epic wears its heart on its sleeve and reminds us why we ride, why we race, and what mountain biking is all about: A human, a machine, and a planet full of possibilities.

2023 BRECK EPIC RESULTS In 2023 the Breck Epic brought together some of the strongest Pro Women’s and Pro Men’s fields in its history:

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WOM E N’ S M TB SUM M I T Breck Epic’s focus on inclusiveness and widening participation in mountain biking over the years has paid off, and this year women made up 25% of entries, with the Pro Women’s field as deep as the Pro Men’s field, consisting of Olympians, former World and National Champions, top professionals, and hundreds of years of mountain bike experience, as well as a very special vibe.

This year, Breck Epic partnered with influential mountain biker, podcaster and mindset coach Sonya Looney to present the Women’s MTB Summit, the first of its kind, lining up top coaches, athletes and experts to inspire and support women who want to experience everything mountain biking has to offer.

Set to continue and grow in 2024, the Summit provides women, from beginner to pro, with opportunities to develop as mountain bikers. Presented by women, for women, there were discussions on nutrition, performance, community-building and motherhood, and bringing together yoga, skills clinics, social rides and tech clinics.

Check out Sonya Looney’s podcast for some recordings from the event. www.sonyalooney.com/podcasts www.womenscyclingsummit.com

PRO WOMEN

PRO MEN

1. Erin Huck 2. Kaysee Armstrong 3. Kait Boyle

1. Lachlan Morton 2. Cory Wallace 3. Tasman Nankervis

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2 0 2 3 P H O T O G R A P H E R O F T H E Y E A R : K R I S T I N A VA C K O VA For the 2023 AMB Photography Awards presented by Shimano, we matched the format from 2022, with four categories, an overall winner, a best young photographer, category winners and a winner of our Raw Reels contest. Once again we had a huge variety of entries, making a tough time of shortlisting and judging. But there was one standout winner.

You may have heard of Kristina Vackova before. She won our Local Photographer of the Year title in 2019, and has been instrumental in covering plenty of mountain biking and outdoors photography around Australia and beyond. Based in Hobart, Kristina has an amazing backyard to play in and the perfect studio for photography. Her journey with photography started in part due to work, but also due to a love of the outdoors and mountain biking.

‘When I was studying, I chose to study at a design school. But I was never sure that it was what I wanted to do. I actually wished I’d chosen photography school, but figured I could take some courses later.’

Although her first graphic design role when still living in the Czech Republic did involve photography and photo editing, it was moving to Australia and travelling more that really saw Kristina spend more time behind the lens. She started to do landscape photography as she was travelling with her mum, who got her started. Although her mum jokes that Kristina does the teaching these days.

Mountain biking has been a constant element in Kristina’s life, having started riding as a child. ‘I brought my mountain bike with me when I came to Australia. The photography came later, but with the travelling and riding it brought it together.’ With a new graphic design job in Sydney, Kristina had the opportunity to produce some product photography and edit images – and she was really enjoying it.

‘In Sydney I really started combining mountain biking and photography, going to some events. But it is really the travel and adventure photography that drives me the most.’ And that is telling when you see the images that Kristina captures. She has a knack for using light in her photos, and really showcasing the outdoor spaces we get to ride. Kristina’s winning images are the first time where all of the winning photos for the AMB Photographer of the Year have been taken in Australia, and they’re all from Tasmania as well.

‘Tasmania really inspires me a lot. Just going to the mountains every now and then you get to disconnect and get inspiration. We can’t ride in a lot of these places, but they really inspire me.’

‘Some of my friends really convinced me to enter this year, I wasn’t sure I had the right photos, so I submitted a few selections. I was so shocked to win though, as there are so many amazing, talented photographers in Australia. I’m really stoked to have won.’

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BETWEEN T H E TA P E Ryan Gilchrist at EDR Round 1, Maydena Bike Park Camera body: Nikon Z6ii Lens: Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S Focal length: 160mm F-stop: 2.8 ISO: 500 Shutter speed: 1/1600 This photo is from the opening round of the 2023 World Cup, the first time Enduro joined the World Cup. Maydena Bike Park was heaving, and Kristina was there on a last minute call up for a shoot.

For the Between the Tape category, we were looking for a photo that captured all the essence of racing.

The commitment, the crowds, the intensity. This image really shows that, as while the crowds are there, the clear lenses that Ryan is running shows how committed he is to his run. That’s the pure focus that racing demands.

‘I was following a few select riders at that World Cup, and Ryan was one of them. But the start order was quite mixed up, so sometimes I wouldn’t know which the next rider would be. So sometimes I’d spend a lot of time waiting for a rider in some spots.’

Event photography is time sensitive, and often very busy – getting a good position for the right rider isn’t always a given. And then there’s the matter of dealing with the elements.

‘I know the trails quite well at Maydena Bike Park, and I know the places I’d like to shoot. But when I’m shooting I just look at the light, all the time. I look at where it goes, what it does, where it might catch the rider. If the light isn’t going to be good, I move away to find somewhere else.’

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WOMEN WHO RIDE Leyla Sharman in the fresh snow, Hobart.

Camera body: Nikon Z6ii Lens: Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S Focal length: 165mm F-stop: 2.8 ISO: 1250 Shutter speed: 1/1000 This category is all about showing some gender diversity in mountain biking, and this year one entire entry from Matt Rousu had women as the photo subject. We have been asked about why we have the category, but without it, very few photos end up being submitted where women are riding. This isn’t a challenge for Kristina though.

‘For me it’s easy to have photos of girls, perhaps because I’m one of them and have quite a few great women riders around me. I think it’s really growing a lot, more women getting into riding but showcasing females in this sport definitely helps to encourage them more. I was out shooting with Leyla, helping her get some photos to use. We did a few photo shoots together on Mt Wellington, Leyla is an incredible rider with an amazing skill set - I don't know how she rode without gloves in the cold!’

This photo stood out partly due to the composition, and also how unique it looks with the snow adding a completely different look to the usual brown and green of Australian bushland settings, while still having the brown dirt of the singletrack leading out from Leyla on the trail.

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IN PROFILE Jasper da Seymour post-race, Branxholm.

Camera body: Nikon Z8 Lens: Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S Focal length: 165mm F-stop: 4.5 ISO: 100 Shutter speed: 1/640 With this category we were expecting a profile photo of someone, or something, but it had to really capture the subject. In terms of a profile photo of a person, this meant it was probably going to be just a moment in time.

‘You know Jasper – I was just lucky to be at the right place at the right time,’ Kristina said of this image, taken at the end of the Devil’s Cardigan gravel race in June.

‘He had just finished his first gravel event at the Devil’s Cardigan. He said he had been cramping the last 15km. He suffered so badly, as doing 50km was a lot for Jasper. He was so excited to be there and finishing with friends, and getting the beer at the finish. I was just excited to be there at the right time. He didn’t do it for the camera, this is the sort of thing that Jasper would have done anyway.’

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ADVENTURE Late afternoon session on Mt Owen, Queenstown.

Camera body: Nikon Z6ii Lens: Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S Focal length: 24mm F-stop: 2.8 ISO: 640 Shutter speed: 1/1250 For the Adventure category we really wanted a photo to capture the size of the landscapes we get to ride in. The photo needed to be immersive, and really engage us to want to be in the place the riders are. This photo really does that by showing the skyline, and it’s shot from a position where it feels like you could easily be following the riders infront of you.

‘I wanted to use a photo of Queenstown for this category,’ Kristina said when asked about this image. ‘I was so lucky as the light was amazing and we were up shooting the afternoon before a race, so it was a super quick shoot, and the light was coming in and out behind the clouds. You don’t have much time to get the photos when a sunrise or a sunset is happening, but at least you can play with the light a bit more than during an event.’

‘I love the amazing views from Mt Owen, you can see all the way to the south west of Tasmania where we have some amazing mountains.’

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C AT E G O R Y WINNERS

BETWEEN T H E TA P E WINNER Photographer: Sam Routledge Location: Tamrookum, QLD Winter racing means early practice in tricky lighting conditions, often tricky for learning lines and keeping the bike upright. Alex Pink sending it large regardless with a turnbar for show.

‘I got out early on the course for morning practice at Tamrookum, looking for spots in the forest where it was darker. I was just looking for a good spot that had some decent light as well. This part is actually right after a flat section but it had great morning light rays, and with so many people doing practice there was dust hanging in the air.’

Camera Body: Canon 5D Mark iii Lens: Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Focal Length: 70mm F-Stop: f/2.8 ISO: 3200 Shutter Speed: 1/500

‘It’s actually a blind double into a corner, so it is a pretty committing section. I wanted to capture the intensity that racing demands. I shot about five different riders in this position, but this photo had the most commitement. Junior riders go pretty heavy early on in practice so it was great to catch that with the early morning light.’

‘I’m stoked to have won this category. It’s also nice to have local racing feature in the AMB Photo Awards competition, as it shows that any old location can work and look spectacular, you just have to move away from the typical race shot to see what you can create.’

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B E T W E E N T H E TA P E

Camera Body: Canon 90D

SECOND

Lens: Canon EF 70-300mm F4-5.6

Photographer: Clancy Kelly Location: Lenzerheide, Switzerland

Focal Length: 70mm F-Ftop: f25

Shutter Speed: 1/30

Brendan Fairclough staying true to his style in his final run before qualifying at the first Downhill World Cup stop of the season.

Camera: Nikon D850

THIRD

ISO: 200

Lens: Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 Focal Length: 200mm F-Stop: f4 ISO: 640 Shutter Speed: 1/1250

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Photographer: Matt Rousu Location: Mount Beauty, VIC Harriet Harnden blasting through the dust on one of Mount Beauty’s most notorious trails; Honeysuckle.

We were so stoked to see Harriet racing in our home town.

Camera Body: Fujifilm X-H2 Lens: Fujifilm XF 56mm F1.2 R Focal Length: 56mm (84mm @ 35mm equivalent) F-Stop: f2.2 ISO: 640 Shutter speed: 1/1000

IN PROFILE WINNER Photographer: Dominic Blissett Location: Nelson, New Zealand Katy Winton at the NZ Enduro Champs ‘I was still recovering from a proper concussion when the New Zealand Enduro National Championships rolled around. I’d caught a wayward downhill bike to the forehead a few weeks earlier. I didn’t really have much of a plan for practice, just a wee course recce to figure out how to get the most out of shooting the race day. Energy levels were fairly low to be honest.’

‘I caught up with Katy Winton who was still recovering from a cold and wondering whether to race. We soon agreed that with the state of the both of us, we should probably take it easy. Just cruise and shoot some pictures. Good yarns about head injuries and recovery (plus a bit of bike riding of course). An excellent way to fill an afternoon. We stopped on a brighter patch of trail to shoot some portraits. I managed to snap this one of Katy while she was distracted by some bellbirds singing up in the canopy.’

‘I chose this image partially because of the great contrast of the helmet on the foliage, but mostly because I like the natural expression on Katy’s face. It’s awesome to meet “big hitters” who are super friendly and down to earth. Mountain bikers are the best people.’

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IN PROFILE

SECOND

Camera Body: Sony A7iii

THIRD

Photographer: Darren Mallard Location: Derby, Tasmania

Lens: Sony 70-200mm f4

Photographer: Matt Rousu Location: Mont Sainte Anne, Canada

Jack Moir grimacing after a huge day of pedalling into fourth at the EWS Derby.

Focal Length: 200mm F-Stop: f4 ISO: 250 Shutter speed: 1/1250

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Elise Empey breathes calmly in the start hut at the Mont Sainte Anne World Cup DH, preparing to send it down one of the most famous race tracks in the world. Elise would go on to place 6th in the world just moments after this photo.

Camera: Nikon D850 Lens: Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 Focal Length: 200mm Aperture: f2.8 ISO: 800 Shutter Speed: 1/800

Raptor | Raven The Raptor/Raven Series is so comfortable and stable that you’ll forget it’s there, making it easier to focus on your line. So get off the couch, pack your gear and hit the trail — that’s how the good days are made.

Camera Body: Canon R5 Lens: Canon EF15mm F2.8 Fisheye Focal Length: 15mm F-Stop: f4.0 ISO: 800 Shutter speed: 1/1000

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WOMEN WHO RIDE WINNER Photographer: Cam Mackenzie Location: Maydena Bike Park, Tasmania Georgia Petrie making short work of the rock roll on Zen Garden, in Maydena Bike Park, Tasmania.

‘This photo was from a visit to Maydena Bike Park while on assignment for Freehub magazine, for a story on mountain biking in Tasmania. From an outsider’s perspective Tasmania is a foreign wonderland due to huge investment in mountain biking. So this story was all about explaining what was going on.’

‘We travelled all over Tasmania to show the diversity of the island. This part of Maydena Bike Park really stood out for photos as it wasn’t the traditional look of Australian bush, it is a unique grove of trees and by using a fish eye I could play with the impact of the tall trunks. This is my partner Georgia sending it down the rock roll in Zen Garden.’

‘This is a difficult category and quite subjective, and I can see that people would get stuck between submitting a photo that is pink and smiley, or just a rad photo with great composition where the rider is a woman. I’m surprised it won this category, I had limited time to work on a submission right after the World Championships in Scotland. But I’m glad it proved to be popular.’

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WOMEN WHO RIDE

SECOND

Camera Body: Sony A7 IV

Photographer: Thomas Falconer Location: Whistler, Canada

Lens: Tamron 70-180mm F2.8

Jordy Scott, feeding it the beans through the perfect patch of light!

Focal Length: 95mm F-stop: f3.5 ISO: 200 Shutter speed: 1/2500

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THIRD

Camera Body: Canon 90D

Photographer: Clancy Kelly Location: Thredbo, NSW

Lens: Canon EF 70-300mm F4-5.6

Sian A’Hern leaving a trail of dust behind on seeding day in front of a home crowd in Thredbo. Looking fast all week, Sian went on to take the National Sleeve, before heading off to Europe to race.

Focal Length: 70mm F-stop: f4 ISO: 200 Shutter Speed: 1/2500

ADVENTURE WINNER Photographer: Matt Rousu Location: Mt McKay, VIC My partner Leighann and I made the most of the final days of Autumn before these mountains were covered in snow. We enjoyed a hike-a-bike to one of the highest rideable peaks in Australia before an epic descent back into the valley below ‘For this category, I knew I wanted to submit a photo with hike-a-bike as the focus.. The idea was to do it at Ruined Castle above Falls Creek, but when we got there on this June weekend the light was all wrong, so we rode to Mt Mckay, which has 360 degree views. It had been raining that morning but that was clearing, leaving a really crisp sky with moody clouds and awesome light from sunset. This was probably the last weekend this photo was possible before snow was thick.’

‘Leighann and I have had some incredible adventures on bikes, and hike-a-bike has been a part of those, which is why that was crucial to the photo I wanted to submit. One of our biggest adventures was an event in Nepal, where you get up at 3am to hike up the Thorong La pass with your bike strapped to your back. When you get to the pass at 5500m the sun is rising, and you have a 3000m descent in front of you. That’s the best adventure I have ever done and so to me, hike-a-bike is integral to a photo that evokes adventure.’

‘I’d like to have every photo I submit as a planned shot for the Photo Awards, but it doesn’t always happen. When the categories are announced in May, lots of riders in my area have usually taken off overseas and then it rains for a month. But I always have ideas that I want to create, and I like how the Photo Awards lets me do that.’

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Camera: Nikon D850 Lens: Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 Focal Length: 95mm F-Stop: f5.6 ISO: 400 Shutter Speed: 1/400

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ADVENTURE

SECOND Photographer: Daniel Gangur Location: Old Ghost Road, New Zealand The light gods were being super nice to me on one of my bucket list adventure rides, The Old Ghost Road.

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Camera Body: Canon EOS R6 Lens: Canon 16mm f2.8 Focal Length: 16mm F-Stop: f5.6 ISO: 800 Shutter Speed: 1/125

THIRD

Camera Body: Canon 5d M3

Photographer: Jasper Da Seymour Location: West Coast, Tasmania

Lens: Canon 70-200mm F2.8

True adventure is found when you forge your own trail, thick mist held cover as we walked through the valleys of the west

F-Stop: f2.8

Focal Length: 200mm

ISO: 100 Shutter Speed: 1/200

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ACT

YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR WINNER Photographer: Lane Williams Location: Narrawallee, NSW Good things come in small packages so they say. Well Buttons the trail dog certainly proves this. Mountain biking is such a great sport, but even better with man’s best friend leading the way!

Camera Body: Sony A7III Lens: Sigma 24-70 F/2.8 Focal Length: 70mm F-Stop: f2.8 ISO: 150 Shutter Speed:1/1250

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SECOND Photographer: Fletcher Crowley Location: Green Valleys MTB Park, NSW This photo was captured at Greenvalleys mountain bike park. Leroy Leslie and I travelled down from Sydney’s Northern Beaches for the day to film an edit for our friend’s year 12 major work. I was mainly filming that day but once he did this huge superman seat grab I saw the opportunity for this photo, I made him do it a few more times and ended up with this shot! All in all, it was an epic day and I’m happy with the images and footage we came back with.

Camera Body: Sony A7III Lens: Sony 70-200 F/4 Focal Length: 75mm F-Stop: f4 ISO: 150 Shutter Speed: 1/1250

THIRD Photographer: Joel Dedman Location: Maydena Bike Park, TAS Taken during the National DH, this photo shows the dust and danger of Maydena’s DH track.

Camera Body: Sony A7 Lens: Sony 70-200mm f4 Focal Length: 200mm F-Stop: f5.6 ISO: 320 Shutter Speed: 1/125

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by Dirty Possum

RAW REELS WINNER Jasper da Seymour

GEAR Tripod Sony A7

The Raw Reels category returned for 2023 after a very popular first year in 2022. Overall we were looking for an entry that was fun, it was engaging and genuine. A winning entry would need to have high production values but it needed to be more than just that. Jasper da Seymour is a creative videographer and photographer working in mountain bike media and beyond, and his reel was fun, it was unique and it was really well produced.

Jasper takes to the trails on his son’s balance bike, and he even brought out his late father’s moto kit and sunglasses – as a tribute to both his Dad and his son.

1 half charged battery

‘‘I actually didn’t have much time to put anything together,’ said Jasper when I called him to let him know he had won. ‘I had a couple of hours between dadding and work, and then about 2 hours to edit and upload. I also had to role the tyre back onto the rear of the strider during one of the outtakes.'

WHERE AND HOW LONG

‘Shreddits aren’t really my style like so many of the other entries I saw. I feel for social media videos and Reels it's especially important to be versatile in what you can produce, engaging content is essential. If you can include any element of story telling or something people can relate to or connect with, then you should do it. That applies to anything from a 10 second clip through to a 25 minute feature.’

‘I didn’t enter with any expectation to win. I really enjoyed mucking around on my son’s bike and testing its limits. It’s a good example of what’s possible in a short space of time, both in terms of having fun on bikes and for creating a video. I also didn’t want it to be seem unachievable to produce, so I shot it all with a single camera and lens. That kept it challenging, fun and I managed to find my limits – like death gripping a 12” strider into a berm!”

24-105 Sony lens DJI wireless mic

1 X 12inch Commencal Ramones strider

Location Launceston Tasmania Shoot time 2 hours Production 2 hours Forgot to hit record 6 times Wheel rub Five Tens are now Four Tens Crashes 5 Strange looks 4 Fun 12/10

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TESTED

There’s a world of choice in bikes and bike parts out there. Our test team put bikes and products through the works.

THE HUB

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104 106 108 110 112

Polygon Collosus N8E Trek Slash 9.8 Pedal Bikes Titan II Pirelli Race M Scuvvers seat cover Leatt Neck Brace Leatt Enduro 3.0 NoTubes Flow Mk3 JB Racks 5 bike rack

The where, what, how and when of mountain biking, from industry professionals.

PTR Uki Skills Nutrition Fitness Workshop 79

POLYGON

COLLOSUS N8E

PHOTOGRAPHER NICK WAYGOOD

T

TESTER RYAN WALSCH

he all-new Polygon Collosus N8E is Polygon’s long travel top tier 29er e-bike equipped with 160mm of plush suspension travel front and rear. This is a big hitting eMTB that is sold direct via Bikes Online, sitting above of the trail oriented Polygon T6E and T7E models which have a 150/140mm travel setup. Bikes Online say the Poygon Collosus N8E is ‘built to shred’ and it can ‘tame the gnarly backcountry lines’. To do so, Polygon have enlisted Fox suspension and completely redesigned the suspension layout. A 6-bar independent floating suspension platform may look like an elaborate design, but the intent is exactly what a big travel eMTB should offer; creating the ability to eat square edged hits while remaining active under brakes, and when pushing hard on an e-bike you do plenty of braking!

Stabilty and high-speed poise is where Polygon have aimed the Collosus, it has drastically longer reach across the size range with a low bottom bracket adding to this new found stability. Add in the generally higher weight of a long-travel eMTB and you know this bike wants to charge (no pun intended). In terms of pedalling support, the Collosus is equipped with Shimano’s latest Gen2 EP801 motor and a generous 630Wh battery. This 80

motor at the core of the Collosus is only 2.7kgs for the motor, and the Shimano STEPS unit is reliable, durable and hugely powerful with 85Nm ot torque and plenty of customisation options via their app.

Despite the busy 6-bar linkage occupying some valuable real estate, there is just room for a 425ml bottle to wet the lips out on the trails. It is however a brutishly powerful E-bike capable of big days out, so a small bum bag can fit a few spares without too much trouble. We are seeing more and more eMTBs make the switch to a Mullet (mixed wheel size) setup but the Polygon Collosus is firmly committed to the fastest wheel size: 29 inch wheels front and rear. However it is possible to equipe the Collosus with a 27.5 + inch rear wheel and run a Mullet setup. Polygon does note that it will significantly drop the bottom bracket height and slacken the head angle. From my experience that will be between 8mm-13mm for the bottom bracket height , while slackening the head angle 0.5-1 degrees depending on tyre width used. This cannot be corrected given the absence on a flipchip.

Polygon Bikes come direct to your door via purchase from Bikes Online’s website. While you need to build the bike yourself, not much is

required and tools are provided, along with instructions. If in doubt, have your local mechanic build it. If they won’t – find another local mechanic. There are a few bikes we have reviewed that compete with the Collosus N8E, which sells for $7999. The Merida eOneSixty 9000 has a carbon mainframe and similar parts mix at $8999 and has a mixed wheel setup. The Trek Rail 7 is $9499 with the Bosch system and slightly simpler parts selection. So the Polygon Collosus does represent incredible value in the full-power, big-travel eMTB segment.

Range. So I was interested to see if the extra moving parts would live up to the claims.

Impressively Polygon has specced the N8E with a near full Shimano 12 speed Deore XT group set, including their popular 4 piston XT brakes with sintered metal pads. The wheels are wrapped with Schwable Magic Mary Super Gravity tyres in the Soft Addix compound. Most brands overlook appropriate brakes, brake pads and tyres for E-bike duty and its great to see at the extremely competitive price of $7999 that these items are specced from new as they almost always

need replacing after the first few weeks or months of ownership, well done Polygon!

The Collosus N8E built up very nicely out of the box and we had everything we needed to assemble it to hit the trails. From what I could see the packaging was all recyclable and no damage incurred to the bike whatsoever.

Bikes Online and Polygon have done a fantastic job at ensuring bikes make it to customers in great shape.

I did note that the battery cover or mount was not holding or sitting flush which could lead to the safety catch failing. I reached out

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS The Polygon Collosus N8E build quality looks great, all linkages and hardware are overbuilt, were correctly torqued and have clearly noted torque readings lazer etched on the bolt heads. This is a simple addition but makes ongoing maintenance a lot simpler in the workshop. The 6 bar independent floating suspension (IFS) sure does look to have a load of things going on but it is all tucked neatly away and behind the swingarms. The 6 bar IFS feels supple yet supportive with kinematics designed to move out of the way of sharper square edge impacts, pedal efficiently and retain active braking throughout the travel. Recently some brands look to achieve this with a high pivot suspension setup, but some designs really stiffen up under braking, like the Norco

Ryan Walsch RIDING EXPERIENCE: Loves life on two wheels, a master mechanic and proficient bike tester.

GENERALLY RIDES: Forbidden Druid HEIGHT: 178cm WEIGHT: 75kg BIKE TEST TRACK: Many local Canberra hangs

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to Bikes Online who looked into the matter further. They even double-checked all their processes at a factory level and it looks like this bike was a one-off human error.

All built up the bike clocked in a little over 26kg, I fitted my pedals, made sure it was charged and got ready to hit the trails.

ON THE TRAIL The Polygon Collosus is an agile beast on the trail, especially on the climbs. It eats technical climbs up thanks to its not outlandishly slack 64.5 degree head tube angle, which stops the bars and steering flip flopping from side to side. Given an eMTB is designed to help you climb, traits like this should be applauded. The Collosus has a very short rear centre at 435mm making it possible to change direction with ease while retaining stability. The head tube is quite small at 110mm for the size large on review, with the lower front end and sensible head tube angle it makes the Collosus

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steer very precisely and makes tech climbs easier than many larger eMTBs I have reviewed. The linkage remains pretty active too, with pedalling forces and input from the terrain feeling somewhat separate and active.

The size large test bike measures in at 490mm reach on paper, which honestly sounds huge and puts it at the longest reach (size large) I have personally reviewed at my average Joe height of 178cm tall. The 490mm reach Collosus however does not feel that lengthy at all rather the contrary. The shorter 110mm head tube, 77 degree effective seat tube angle, in- house made Entity 35mm length stem and 25mm rise bars make the front of the bike feel more compact than it reads on paper and more manoeuvrable than its 1256.4mm wheelbase suggests.

On the descents the long reach and lower front end does result in heaps of front wheel traction and precise steering which is perfect for choppy and off camber turns. This is perfect for those who want a 160mm travel

bike to ride hard and fast. Swinging off the back is one thing, but keeping the front wheel loaded and the fork working is essential when you want to squeeze everything out of the bike and trail – which is what you get an eMTB for anyway! Pressing into turns the bike feels composed and stable, the rear brake remains active under power which is a pleasant surprise. The Collosus had minimal brake jack and felt neutral throughout the 160mm of travel.

In terms of agility, the short 435mm rear centre and low 345mm bottom bracket height make changing direction on the robust 26.20kgs a simple affair requiring less effort than some slacker powered rigs we have reviewed recently. Kudos to Polygon for speccing 160mm cranks as well, meaning there’s more ground clearance whether you’re pedalling or not.

Riders on the taller side of each size range may be required to run a handlebar with a higher rise to free up some room as the drop

to the bars feels a little more than what I am personally used too. This would be an easy enough change to make once you’ve determined if it is required.

After a lengthy amount of trail time I felt the Collosus excels on the climbs and is a very balanced full powered eMTB. Many bikes are so slack that the handlebars and steering flip flops from side to side on technical climbs, making the front wheel wander and wash out when trying to turn. This makes getting a bigger eMTB uphill harder than it should be, which is counter intuitive.

The Collosus N8E feels much better suited to a broad range of trail and enduro riding styles for those looking for a long-travel eMTB. It excels on climbs while still being very capable on the descents.

The new Shimano EP801 motor has some cool new adjustable parameters, most importantly being able to toggle between 7 assistance levels instead of 3 like its predecessor. There is also a little more fine tuning and the ability to see 10 bars of battery life on the display rather than 5. There is easy to access information at the rider’s fingertips, meaning you don’t need to stop to pull out your phone, connect to the bike and use the E-Tube app

to find the info you need. In terms of range, the 630Wh Battery was consistently getting me around 1600m of hard vertical climbing in either Trail or Boost mode without complaint, Shimano have done an amazing job at reducing the overall noise when under load or when coasting. Let's face it, the whole Di2 plug sytem, interface and display on all Shimano electrical components performs flawlessly to seal out the elements and will do for years of off-road riding.

I was really impressed with the in-house Entity rims and Schwalbe Magic Mary Super Gravity tyres. No eMTB is easy on wheels or tyres, and neither am I. Both items were impressively solid and have minimal signs of the abuse they have been put through. The Soft Addix compound on the tyres is certainly wearing but the casings have been trouble free with no signs of cutting or delamination.

OUR TAKE The Polygon Collosus N8E certainly is one of the best value and best equipped 160mm eMTBs that I have reviewed. Beyond coming with nearly a full Shimano Deore XT drivetrain and Fox Performance and Elite suspension, the bike is about more than just a good value spec sheet.

The Colossus is overall a very balanced bike that both climbs and descends well without a focus on one discipline – which can be a trap for some brands and some riders alike. It handles high speed descents and jumps well, and also remains active under brakes.

While it looked like the 6-bar suspension setup could be overly complex, it is actually key to delivering the ride quality that the Collosus provided, being so capable on the descents and efficient on the way up. I was thoroughly impressed at the whole package that Polygon have put together with the Collosus N8E, especially for $7999. While 26.2kg is getting pretty weighty, you may need to spend close to twice as much to make a significant reduction in that weight, and I don’t think you’d be having twice the fun I had while testing this bike.

RRP $7999 WEIGHT 26.20kgs AVAILABLE SIZES S, M, L (tested), XL FRAME MATERIAL ALX Alloy mainframe and swing arms FORK Fox 38 Performance 29, 160mm SHOCK Fox Float Performance X2 Elite, 160mm DRIVE UNIT Shimano EP801, 85Nm BATTERY Shimano E8036 630Wh HEAD UNIT Shimano SC-EN600-L SHIFTER Shimano Deore XT M8100 12sp DERAILLEUR Shimano Deore XT M8100 12sp CRANK Shimano FCRE80-12 160mm, 34t ring CHAIN KMC E12 CASSETTE Shimano Deore M6100 10-51t 12sp WHEEL SET Entity XL3 Tubeless Double wall 35mm rims, Shimano TC500 Boost hubs TYRES Schwalbe Magic Mary EVO Super Gravity Soft Addix 29in x 2.6” BRAKES Shimano XT M8120 STEM Entity 35mm x 35mm clamp HANDLEBARS Entity 780mm, 25mm rise, 35mm clamp SEATPOST Tranz X 170mm drop SADDLE Entity Extend bikesonline.com.au

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TREK

SLASH 9.8 GX AXS T-TYPE GEN 6

WORDS BEN (MOSHY) MORRISON

W

PHOTOS JORDAN RIDDLE

ell come on say it with me, “it looks like a Session”.

The latest Trek Slash (Gen 6) was released in early September, bringing a host of updates over the outgoing model. I was lucky enough to spend time on the new Slash before release, riding it off the beaten track and away from prying eyes. Having owned or ridden all versions of the Slash since it moved to 29” wheels, being able to jump on the Gen 6 Slash was a very comfortable affair. There has been a lot of change in what riders demand from a dedicated enduro or all-mountain bike since the last Trek Slash was released three years ago. Plenty of enduro bikes have become mini downhill bikes, with more travel, ever slacker geometry and major refinements to suspension kinematics for performance on big hits, small hits and for pedalling alike. Trek Slash bikes start at $6999 for the alloy Slash 8, and run up to the fancy pants Slash 9.9 XX AXS T-type model for $19499. I have the first carbon model in the range on test, the 9.8 GX AXS T-type, which sells for $10499. This means the Slash goes up against the likes of the Specialized Enduro Expert ($11500) which doesn’t currently have a T-type drivetrain, and only a ZEB Select fork. The Giant Reign Advanced Pro is $8999 but has less travel, and a mechanical SRAM GX drivetrain. A Mondraker Superfoxy or Commencal Meta are also in a similar price range. There is a lot of choice for a high quality enduro bike if you have around $10000 to spend – lucky you!

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WHAT’S NEW ON THE LATEST TREK SLASH Trek have totally overhauled the Slash, with more travel, new geometry, a high pivot setup and mixed wheel sizing, to make the Slash more capable than ever. The mixed wheel sizing (MX), or mullet, means the rear wheel in all sizes other than small is 27.5” with a 29” front. The small runs 27.5” front and rear. You also have the option of running full 29” wheels in all sizes (again, not small) if you wish to really bump up the speed factor or if you just like the way the bigger wheels ride. In order to do this, you will need to switch out the lower shock mount which Trek says keeps the geometry almost the same as stock with the Mullet setup. Note you will need to buy this 29er shock mount separately, as it is not included and sells for $69.99.

Trek have bumped up the travel from 160mm to 170mm, and while the fork has 170mm as well, you can run upto a 190mm single crown fork on the Slash! Unlike most Trek bikes there is no MinoLink, but you can move the flip chip at the lower shock mount to change progression from 20% to 25% and this impacts bottom bracket height as well.

The head set uses adjustable cups, with zero offset as stock. The top cup drops in for fore-aft adjustment, and same for the lower, although that needs to be pressed in. These allow you to adjust things from the stock 63.3° head angle, to either 62.6° or 64.1°.

KnockBlock is also gone with the new Slash, so there is no steering stop limiter, due to the changeable headset cups, which will set you back $63.99.

In addition to a larger and updated frame storage you get a tool mount under the top tube, which is pretty standard now. When

you look inside the frame you will see integrated hose/outer guides, which is a nice upgrade. Trek also have a jazzy rear mud guard that matches the one supplied on the RockShox ZEB fork, but if you want the racer look and go 29er out back you will need to remove this.

Trek have also made upgrades to the armouring for rock strikes and shuttle rash and increased insertion for longer dropper posts.

And of course the big change – the new Trek Slash is a high pivot. Trek’s Session downhill bike has a long history of using high pivots, in fact I am even old enough to have ridden and reviewed the original one they made, way back when UC Stromlo Forest Park had no trees. The Slash’s high pivot differs from the Session in many ways and that’s because the bike has more than one function; it has to go uphill, downhill and

Ben (Moshy) Morrison RIDING EXPERIENCE: 20+ years racing many forms Mountain Bikes around the globe.

GENERALLY, RIDES: Pivot Firebird HEIGHT: 176cm WEIGHT: 78kg BIKE TEST TRACKS: Majura Pines, Stromlo Forest Park, ANU Bike Park, Blue Range, Poo Pines

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everything in between. Because of this Trek designed the Slash differently and use what is a large high idler pulley that has 19 teeth, mixed with a specific low idler made by MRP (also used by Loris Vergier on his Session) to help the entire system be the best it can be and not just another high pivot band wagon bike. Lots of thought has gone into making this new Slash including the chain length which is a conventional 126 links on all sizes other than XL which uses 128 links, but if you are using SRAM’s Transmission that won’t be an issue as a stock chain will cover all sizes.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TREK SLASH 9.8 The 9.8 GX AXS T-Type Gen 6 Slash I am riding is the first carbon model, it comes with a hefty amount of wish list items. This includes Bontrager Carbon Line Elite 30 wheels that in my own experience are just crazy bomb proof and great to ride. Trek have a full GX Transmission group set, short 165mm cranks and SRAM’s new Code Bronze brakes supplied with

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metal pads to match the 200mm rotors.

Suspension is via the RockShox Select+ range with a ZEB fork and Vivid rear shock.

Both units are outstanding bits of kit with the ZEB only missing out on the Butter Cups that you get on the Ultimate, and the Vivid lacks high speed compression damping adjustment.

Both features you can totally live without but if you must have the top tier kit RockShox offer Butter Cups as an aftermarket upgrade along with one for the Vivid to gain that high speed compression adjustment.

ON THE TRAIL When looking at some of the changes from the outgoing Gen 5 Slash the increased climbing ability was perhaps the first thing that surprised me. In the past it was automatic for me to grab the lockout (even on a custom tuned shock) and grind away, yet the new Slash doesn’t see you doing this as it gets you to the top of a trail without too much effort not using the lockout at all. The rear suspension only bobs slightly and generates plenty of

traction on technical climbs, meaning that you can easily make your way to the top of the trail without reaching for the Vivid’s lockout. On steeper climbs, the front wheel remains planted on the ground, ensuring excellent position likely also thanks to the new steeper seating position. Sprinting out of the seat is also notably much more efficient for all the racers out there.

The new Trek Slash has incredibly direct handling and reacts to steering input quickly and precisely. However, this can lend to some trail feedback after long days as you start to relax more and not attack the trails. When you know a trail the Slash is an absolute rocket of a thing and is faster in a straight line over rocks than a dog when you ask it what’s in its mouth. The redesigned suspension absolutely gobbles everything up, and the straight line stability is class leading – which is impressive for how well it also reacts to steering input.

If I am honest, I expected the new Trek Slash to just have a few changes that the old one needed all wrapped up in high pivot marketing.

I have been so surprised at how different the

two bikes are, they are not cut from the same cloth at all. This Gen 6 Slash does pick up where the old one left off but it’s just such a vast improvement on a bike I already loved that it’s hard believe they are just one generation apart in bike development. At every point the Gen 6 Slash is better, even the price. I am not saying $10,499.99 is cheap by any means but the old Gen 5 in a GX AXS spec running many of the same parts hits you at $12,599.99.

My only pain point on what is a well thought out bike is the tyres. Bontrager’s in house SE6 and SE5 are flimsy, puncture-prone tyres, which force you to run higher air pressure to avoid burping and pinch flats. I had several crashes where the bike was out riding the tyres and I would recommend upgrading the standard Bontrager SE6 and SE5 tyres for a more robust and softer compound set before you start riding, especially if you truly want to ride to the capability of the bike.

OUR TAKE The latest Trek Slash is a huge improvement on what was already a great bike. The new Gen 6 Slash is really for any rider that likes a long travel bike even if it is simply because they want that extra bit of insurance that comes with more travel. Trek uses the phrase ‘Back Country Battle Axe’ to describe the Gen 6 Slash, changing it from ‘The Ultimate Race Bike’ for the last generation. What I think Trek is doing here is really saying you don’t need to race to want to ride this bike, it pedals amazingly and has plenty of storage and can in most sizes fit a very large water bottle in the included bottle cage. All things that are a big tick if you are going out riding all day. But the history of the Slash and it’s use by The Trek Factory Race Team means that if you are a racer these same features benefit you too, perhaps just for different reason. The latest Trek Slash is no quiver killer, but it really is a bike you can do a lot more on than other bikes that sit in this same part of the market.

RRP $ 10,499.99 WEIGHT 15.26kg AVAILABLE SIZES S, M, M/L, L, XL (M/L tested) FRAME OCLV Mountain Carbon FORK RockShox ZEB Select+, 170 mm SHOCK RockShox Vivid Select+, 170mm SHIFTER SRAM Eagle AXS POD DERAILLEUR SRAM GX Eagle AXS, T-Type CRANK SRAM GX Eagle, DUB 165mm, 30t BOTTOM BRACKET SRAM DUB Wide threaded CHAIN SRAM GX Eagle, T-Type, 12sp CASSETTE SRAM Eagle XS-1275, T-Type,10-52, 12sp BRAKES SRAM Code Bronze, 200/200mm WHEEL SET Bontrager Line Elite 30, OCLV Mountain Carbon TYRE, FRONT Bontrager SE 6 Team Issue 26 x 2.50” TYRE, REAR Bontrager SE 5 Team Issue 27.5 x 2.50” STEM Bontrager Line Pro 35mm HANDLEBARS Bontrager Line Pro Carbon, 820mm SEATPOST Bontrager Line Dropper, 170mm SADDLE Bridge Bontrager Arvada, austenite rails, 138 mm width trekbikes.com/au/en_au/

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PEDAL

TITAN II

WORDS MIKE BLEWITT

P

PHOTOS GERARD LAGANA

edal Bikes are a smaller brand in the Australian market, but one moving ahead in leaps and bounds thanks to the thorough range of entry level bikes and e-bikes available exclusively via 99 Bikes. The Pedal Titan was their first foray into the world of full-suspension eMTBs, and they have just released the second iteration of the popular entry level eMTB, bringing some useful updates while maintaining an excellent price of $3499 for Club 99 members ($5499 RRP).

Pedal Bikes have a range of other e-bikes from commuters to hardtails, but the Titan II is the only full-suspension bike in the range, and one clearly designed for off-road use. That said, Pedal Bikes aren’t pitching the Titan II as a bike to go up against a Norco Sight VLT or Merida eOneSixty – it is designed to meet the needs of riders who want a full-suspension eMTB for moderate trails and light trail use, not hard-hitting trail and all-mountain action.

There aren’t many other options to look at under $4000, save for the Reid Sphinx FS

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which sells for $3799.99, which uses the same Ananda M100 motor but has some notable differences in parts used and size options.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS I picked up the Pedal Titan II from 99 Bikes HQ in Brisbane, it was a sample ahead of the full production run and I was lucky that 99 Bikes were able to supply the bike from the Pedal Bikes team. Having worked on our 8-bike Budget Bike Group Test earlier this year, it did help shape the approach to this bike. Any bike that hits a value mark can be built in a couple of ways. One is to really cut back on production quality and wow potential purchasers with a fancy parts list. The other is to focus on the core needs of the intended purpose and build a bike that is reliable, providing value over a long time period. The latter is what Pedal Bikes have worked towards with the Titan II. ‘For Titan II we aimed to have a bike that would suit a variety of riders. We wanted a

Mike Blewitt RIDING EXPERIENCE: Enough to wear the boss pants.

GENERALLY RIDES: Factor Lando XC, Trek Fuel EX HEIGHT: 178cm WEIGHT: 72kg BIKE TEST TRACK: Iron Bark, Gap Creek, Samford trails

central rider position and modern mountain bike geometry to encourage riders to find confidence while finding their flow off-road on any number of the new generation of mountain bike trails being constructed around Australia. But we also wanted Titan II to be a bike that allowed riders to be comfortable enough to feel like they had an epic rail-trail rubble insulator or even a dual-purpose super-commuter,’ said Tom Sterling of Pedal Bikes.

The bike is a smart looking bike, with a very familiar frame layout for an eMTB as it uses a mid-drive Ananda M100 motor and a 540Wh battery at the down tube. Some entry level e-bikes will use a hub-drive and external battery, but mid-drive really is the expected norm for balance on the bike, keeping the extra weight low in the frame to maintain how the bike handles. There is a reason World Cup downhillers are putting weights near their bottom brackets – it helps stability! The geometry is spot on for a modern trail bike, with a 65.5 degree head angle and 76 degree seat angle. On the large test bike reach is a little over 480mm, and medium and XL sizes are also available. The chain stays are a long 476mm, given the Ananda motor is a little bigger than some of the top end support

systems. But that aids stability and climbing traction, which both suit the purpose of the Titan II. To deliver on Pedal’s goals of delivering a bike to suit a wide variety of riders, they designed the frame around 127mm of travel through a 4-bar linkage. It’s active, it works, and the air shock allows adjustment for spring rate, while also offering rebound adjustment and lockout. The fork is a Suntour XCM 34 with 130mm of coil sprung travel and Boost spacing. This is a similar fork to what was on a few of the budget hardtails we tested in early 2023, however Pedal opted for the Extra Firm spring as stock. This means the fork is sprung to handle the weight of the bike (27kg) without diving into its travel. But according to Sterling, they made a few more upgrades over the original Titan as well.

‘The number one thing we wanted to address with this second generation Titan was the dropper post compatibility, so we made sure we had nearly full seat tube insertion on all our frame sizes to give upgraders maximum choice with dropper post length - plus it can be internally routed. From there we re-worked the rear end keeping a 4 bar design, conventional boost spacing, a standard post mount for the brake as well as

a custom CNC rocker arm which connects to a standard metric eyelet shock. There’s cartridge bearings in all the frame pivots and steel hardware to hold it all together.’ All the pivot hardware is standard metric hex sizing with male-female bolts so it’s very easy for a home mechanic to service as well. Kudos to Pedal for that!

You may not have heard of the Ananda M100 motor before, but it cranks out a whopping 110Nm of torque. There are 5 main settings plus a walk mode, with a mode selector that sits neatly at your left grip, and a colour screen above the stem. The motor is heavier than a Bosch Performance CX or Shimano STEPS, coming in at 3.5kg. Pedal have Shimano two-piston brakes to haul the bike in, with Maxxis Rekon wirebead tyres on 29mm internal alloy rims providing the traction. The rims are pinned and not welded so likely not tubeless ready without a rubber rim strip – so I left tubes in for the test period.

Pedal have done well using the MicroShifrt Advent X components to deliver a wide range (11-48) 10-speed gear range. The shifter has a fantastic lever feel and actuation, and the rear derailleur has a clutch for chain security. The bars, stem and saddle all have a comfortable shape, and there are even lock on grips

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included. At 27.7kg this is one of the heaviest bikes I have tested for AMB, up there with the Norco Fluid VLT A1. I wanted to get it onto the trail before passing judgement, but overall my first impressions were positive.

ON THE TRAIL When we did our budget bike test in early 2023, one of the things we paid attention to was fit and ergonomics. Without a doubt, the design team at Pedal Bikes have done the same with with the Titan II. I found the fit and ergonomics to be spot on. Sure, the lever blades were a little longer than I would like, but the MT200 levers are a very common spec across a big range of mountain bikes, so this is nitpicking. I found the position on the bike to be well-balanced, with the rider position sitting right between the wheels.

What I really wanted to know was how the Ananda motor worked on the trail. With a claimed 110Nm of torque it should be really punchy, but how would that actually translate?

What I found was it performed in a different way to something like a Bosch Performance CX

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Smart System bike, which I consider to be a current class-leader in full-power eMTB systems – bearing in mind you would be hard-pressed to find this system on a bike under $8k! Systems like Bosch, Shimano, Brose/Specialized, TQ and others tend to reward higher cadences with more support, as opposed to higher torque giving you more torque. This is based around the sensors, with cadence and torque sensors being programmed to deliver the right response depending on the mode being used. Programming what software delivers from sensor response deserves its own full feature. For the Ananda motor, it acts more like you may expect an eMTB to ride if you haven’t ridden one before. While the motor gets a whir going with the support being applied as you pedal, it does taper off at higher cadences (around 110rpm), but shifting to a higher gear will net a boost in torque and assistance. It’s a tonne of fun, grab a gear, spin it out, and grab another. This is a surefire way to burn up fire trails and on mellow trails where you can motor along upto the 25km/h assistance limit. I even found it was a reasonable taper off from there, but

again not quite the same as a top tier system.

On the descents, the Titan II offered no major surprises. The handling of the bike is great, thanks to smart geometry and a nice shape to the wide handlebar. I did find the suspension was limiting comapred to a higher end bike.

The rear shock is basic but functional, and you can tune the air spring with a shock pump and of course get the rebound right. But I had trouble with the fork, in terms of performance.

Realistically this isn’t a major blot on the report for the Titan II, as there are very few choices for value forks on the market. I’ve had terrible experiences with forks like the RockShox 35 series on bikes worth twice as much as the Titan II, and the Suntour XCM 34 was chosen for the strength (steel 34mm legs) and the ability to have an extra firm spring as stock. At 72kg, I just couldn’t get much use from the fork, getting about 70mm travel. That aided comfort and helped control, but not in the same way that a fork like a Marzocchi Z2, or Fox 34 Rhythm may. Here’s the thing though; Pedal could spec those forks but the bike price would be well north of $4000.

I found the fork to be more than adequate on

OUR TAKE

flow trails with single hits, where it was less useful was repeated hits. For a Brisbane local, that meant I could ride flowing trails like Kombi and have a blast, but some of the longer rockier sections on Whipsnake meant I had to be pretty sure about my line and entry speed. But given the remit of the Pedal Titan II, I think that is fine. The reality is, I could still take the Titan II on some steeper trails, but I had to approach things a little slower. You could change this by getting a different spring if it is too firm for you – but if you’re over 90kg you’ll likely find it spot on. Add a dropper and potentially a tubeless ready set of tyres and rim strips and start pushing the capability of the Titan!

The torque-based response on the Ananda system and the overall weight of the Pedal Titan II meant that it was less at home on more demanding singletrack climbs than any of the high end eMTBs I have tested recently – and that should be no surprise. You really want a fast response from an eMTB system, for direct input for power moves up step ups and over logs on steep and tight terrain. This would be a long way from what the bike was designed for, During my time on the Pedal Titan II the drivetrain and brakes gave me no cause for concern. It may seem like a lot of bike to control with not much brake, but on the generally mellow trails of south east Queensland and within the design parameters of the bike, I had no issue. If you want brakes to run fall-line enduro trails then you’re looking at the wrong bike anyway.

Mountain biking is a fantastic way to enjoy the outdoors, but fitness has always been a hurdle to get the most out of it. In a way, shuttling and the rise and rise of eMTBs has reduced that barrier to entry, helping to get more people on the dirt with a smile on their face, without high end aerobic fitness being a prerequisite for enjoyment. So what Pedal have done with the Titan II is to reduce the financial barrier of eMTBs, bringing a well-designed eMTB to market at a price that is exceptional value for what is offered. It is important to realise that Pedal Bikes aren’t just pulling the the covers off ‘The Great E-Bike Scam’ where the bike industry charge us more for bikes. Top end eMTBs cost a lot due to the research and development that goes into the frame design, materials and support systems to make them quite exceptional to ride. What Pedal have done is design a bike with the key features needed; fit, ergonomics, support, reliability, gear range... without the bells and whistles. I don’t believe this is the bike for someone to buy with major upgrades to fancy wheel sets, top-shelf suspension and a wireless drivetrain over time. The Ananda system won’t have the response of a top-end eMTB for technical ascents, despite having excellent support.

Where it fits is exactly what Pedal aimed for; a bike that is fun on local purpose built trails, flow trails, rail trails and general riding. It’s a well-designed and built bike, and I think the Pedal Titan II will play a big role in getting more people on bikes, with a smile on their face.

RRP $5499 | $3499 (Club 99) WEIGHT 27.7kg AVAILABLE SIZES M, L (tested), XL FRAME Material Aluminium FORK Suntour XCM 34 NLO, 130mm, Boost, Extra firm spring SHOCK DNM AO38C 190x45mm, lockout, 127mm MOTOR Ananda M100 BATTERY 540Wh HEAD unit Ananda D16 CONTROLLER D10 remote SHIFTERS MicroShift Advent X, 10sp DERAILLEUR MicroShift Advent X eMTB, 10sp CHAIN KMC E10, eMTB CASSETTE MicroShift Advent X, 11-48t, 10sp HUBS Shimano MT200, Boost RIMS Alloy, pinned, 29” 30mm internal TYRES Maxxis Rekon 29 x 2.4” wirebead BRAKES Shimano MT200, 180/180mm STEM Alloy, 45mm HANDLEBARS Alloy 25mm rise, 760mm wide SEATPOST Alloy, 30.9mm SADDLE MTB Sport, steel rails 99bikes.com.au

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PIRELLI Consistent traction at lean angles

Predictable transition across the profile

Minimal rolling resistance given other factors

Durable and supportive casings

Faster wear life compared to the Enduro range

SCORPION RACE M: EN AND DH CASING Pirelli is a brand synonymous with performance in the motorsports world. From Formula 1 to the World Rally Championship, they strive to deliver nothing less than market leading tyres capable of winning above all else.

Following the development and release of their Scorpion Enduro and Trail tyres, which prioritised wear life as much as grip, the decision was made to dive in and develop a range of tyres with the sole purpose of delivering World Cup wins at all costs. Unashamedly wearing the word Race on their sidewall, there is no second guessing what these tyres are designed to do. While the tread pattern on the Mixed terrain (M) tyres we have on test here does look quite similar to those previously tested, there are a host of changes to rubber compound, siping, casings and tread pattern to ensure this new tyre is ready for the podium.

Slated as their most versatile tread pattern, I was curious to see if the new Race M line in both DH (downhill) and EN (enduro) casings offered increased traction and support over the Pirelli Enduro tyres I’ve previously tested.

CASINGS

RRP: EN $135, DH $130 Fesports.com.au

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Serving as the foundation for the Race range of tyres are the all new DualWALL and DualWALL+ casing types.

Designated to the EN and DH tyre variant respectively, both are comprised of a double ply carcass. A rubber insert has been sandwiched between these two layers to protect against pinch flats. The casings vary in materials, as the DualWALL is made up of 120tpi (threads per inch) canvas while the DualWALL+ is made up of a 60tpi casing. Typically, as the TPI increases, material becomes more supple and sensitive to pressure changes. Conversely,

as TPI decreases a tyre will become stiffer, more supportive and durable. To further increase sidewall stability, the DualWALL+ carcass also features an additional textile sidewall reinforcement which spans from the bead to the beginning of the tread pattern itself. The 2.5” wide EN and DH casing tyres I had on test measured in at 2.55” when mounted up to a 29mm wide rim, which is well within acceptable tolerance. In the EN Casing 29” a tyre weighed 1308g, and in the DH Casing 1555g. The EN casing tyres run $135, or $130 for DH casings.

TREAD PATTERN

While many tread features have been carried across from the Enduro M to the Race M, there are some small but notable differences. Primarily, the corner knobs now have one deep sipe through the centre of the knob. This should encourage increased knob deflection in all directions, aiding in braking traction while at lean angle. Second, this corner knob is now one repeated pattern, rather than the alternating large-small pattern used on the Enduro M. Other minor changes can be seen in the siping and spacing of the centre knobs, which are now spaced further apart and have a slightly squarer, more aggressive profile in the pursuit of traction over a wider variety of terrain types.

RUBBER COMPOUND

A common complaint with the Enduro range of tyres from Pirelli is their firm rubber compound. While it is very long lasting and durable, the Smart Grip Gravity compound is harder than some of the competition and can leave you wanting a little more traction particularly during aggressive riding. To remedy this, Pirelli have developed their new Smart Evo DH Compound which is present on the entire line of Race tyres. Some quick rubber hardness measurements between the two compounds had the new Smart Evo DH Compound coming in around 15% softer

than the Smart Grip Gravity compound on my pocket durometer. The measured value was very similar to that from a MaxxGrip tyre from Maxxis, what many in Australia consider to be the gold standard for rubber softness on gravity tyres.

SETUP Over winter I rode the Scorpion Race M tyres in both EN and DH compounds across multiple wheel sets, and in multiple configurations as listed below: Setup 01: Setup 02: Setup 03: Setup 04:

Scorpion Race DH M (Rear), Scorpion Race EN M (Front) Mounted to 29” We Are One Union Rims Scorpion Race EN T (Rear), Scorpion Race EN M (Front) Mounted to 27.5/29” Stans Flow EX3 Rims Scorpion Race DH T (Rear), Scorpion Race DH M (Front) Mounted to 27.5/29” Stans Flow EX3 Rims Scorpion Race EN T (Rear), Scorpion Enduro HardWALL M (Front) Mounted to 27.5/29” Stans Flow EX3 Rims

Mounting up the Scorpion Race M tyres required no more than a track pump and a single tyre lever, excluding the DH M when mounted to a 29 ‘’ We Are One Union Rim. In this case, I had to remove the valve core and use a compressor to get enough oomph to bead the tyre. Once mounted, I noticed very little drift in tyre pressures showing the bead/ rim interface was sufficiently secure. Pressures varied from 18-23 psi in the front, and 22-26 psi in the rear with no burps, although I did start to get some noticeable sidewall folding on the rear with both casings when I went under 24psi.

Photos: Gerard Lagana

ON THE TRAIL

As with my previous testing, I instantly took to having the M tyres mounted both front and rear on my enduro bike.

Having matching tread patterns makes for a very predictable riding experience, with no nasty surprises when adding lean angle on braking on steep sections. If both tyres are weighted evenly and you’re dialled in with your braking bias, what you get is a bike that performs in a manner that is calm

and confidence inspiring. I typically ride hardpack and loose-over-hard, and found the performance of the tyre to be fairly consistent across dirt, rock and roots.

On soft loam and on off cambers I would prefer more bite from the corner knobs, particularly on the rear tyre something offered by the Scorpion Race T I am reviewing in the next issue. As advertised the DH casing is extremely supportive, shrugging off anything I threw at it. This does come at a cost, with the 1550g weight being very noticeable when pedalling around on my enduro bike. As such, I did tend to prefer running the EN casing as I found there to be sufficient support and protection from the 120tpi DualWALL casing. This casing is also marginally more supple on the bike, helping to absorb trail chatter rather than transmitting it through the bike and into your hands and feet. I would only run the DH casing front and rear if you are exactly that; a DH racer riding against the clock.

A direct comparison of a Race EN M (front) to the Enduro HardWALL M (front) revealed an increase in traction, particularly on hardpack trails where the softer rubber compound bit into the dirt much more effectively. I also noticed a decrease in small bump feedback through my hands, which can be attributed to the thicker but more supple sidewalls. In some back to back timed runs, the stopwatch told a similar story. Across a number of laps I was consistently around 2 seconds faster on the Race M in comparison to an Enduro M mounted up as a front tyre.

These faster lap times do however come at a cost, with wear life being noticeably faster on the softer compound tyres then any other Pirelli tyre I have used previously. As the old saying goes, if they grip - they rip! The Pirelli Scorpion Race range are designed for racing, if you want a little more tread life, the Enduro range may serve you better.

VERDICT By delivering consistent grip in a variety of trail conditions, supportive and durable casing offerings and a predictable tread pattern and profile Pirelli have created a tyre in the Race M which outperforms its predecessors and has a peer in the likes of a Maxxis Assegai. Riders looking for an all out performance tyre for Enduro or Downhill racing should consider Pirelli Race M if you live in an area with a wide variety of terrain and trail types.

Hayden Wright 95

SCUVVERS

SEAT COVERS

Easy to fit, easy to use, easy to remove

Faster clean up after muddy rides

We get to review a range of products at AMB, from bike equipment to items that work to improve the riding experience, or to just make things a little easier. When I first heard about Scuvvers seat covers, I wasn’t sure it was a direct fit for mountain bikers. Until I actually took a closer look. This is when I realised that Scuvvers are a very specific solution to an issue that all sorts of people and families playing in the outdoors have. While most people will use a seat cover on nice seats in their car, they aren’t typically removable. We’ll put a towel or other porous layer down if we’re muddy after a ride, and deal with the clean up later. Scuvvers can change all that.

A CLOSER LOOK

A versatile item

Looks after your car

Not an essential item

RRP: $98.95

From: scuvvers.com

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Scuvvers were developed by Steve and Joan Prasse from the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. The idea was to have an easily removable, waterproof (and therefore mud-proof) seat cover that wasn’t a permanent addition to your car. It could sit aside until needed, meaning you can have your comfortable seats in your car, but not trash them after a ride, trip to the beach, or other activity where you’re not that clean anymore. They would be easy to remove afterwards, and you could clean them up quickly and easily for the next time.

Scuvvers come in a variety of neutral tones to match most car interiors. From black to grey, cream and latte.

You can buy them as single items or for 2, 4, 5 or 7 seater bundles, suiting anything from a ute, van, small, midsize or large family car. The bundles are a 30% saving on single items, which sell for $98.95, As you’d expect, they’re just as useful at protecting seats from paws and fur as they are from muddy backsides.

The 600D material is soft enough to not feel like you’re sitting on a tarp, with a non-slip silicone backing so

you’re not sliding around while trying to control a vehicle.

It’s made from 90% recycled materials – in fact each seat cover saves over 30 plastic bottles from landfill. The packaging is easily recycled, using soy based inks. We’ve seen lots of brands adopt these sorts of materials options and hope to see more do the same.

FITTING AND REMOVAL

Scuvvers come in two sizes, but this relates to the harness that loops around the headrest. They will work with any seat that has an adjustable height head rest, or at least a gap between the base of the head rest and the top of the seat. A hook and loop harness wraps around the head rest and there is a quick release buckle so the wrapped up seat covers sits on the back of the head rest – or somewhere else to be attached when needed. You could just attach the harness when needed if you like, it only takes a few seconds.

Then you just flip it over to the front, and roll out the seat cover, then plant your dirty bum in the seat and head home.

At this point, it is easy to remove the cover, picking it up in a manner where you cold it corner to corner, and none of the trail detritus falls back into your car. You can shake it out, put it through the wash, hose it off – that is up to you. But it’s simple to use and keeps your car far cleaner and expediates clean up at home.

As someone who owns a a vehicle that is about function above form, I wasn’t sure I would really see the benefit of a product like Scuvvers. I’m not too fussed about my van getting dirty, which is why it’s the same vehicle I use for tip runs, going to mountain bike rides, taking the dog somewhere or just about anything. I can just clean it out later.

But over the past few months I used the Scuvvers seat cover far more often than I thought. I guess I never really needed it, but I know I have used a towel after filthy rides plenty of times, or even a plastic bag. The former doesn’t do a whole lot as it is porous, and the latter has barely any coverage and slides around, which isn’t a great sensation and it feels quite unsafe when driving.

My previous vehicle had seat covers as it was a bit nicer, but the only time I removed them was when I was selling the car. So through their life they did get pretty gross, and I likely used a towel or plastic bag in that one too.

So with the Scuvvers harness fitted up, I did find it easy to roll out the seat cover more often than I thought I would. There is just about no discernible difference in comfort compared to the stock seats in my Citroen Berlingo, it just made for an easier and faster clean up.

Scuvvers suggest putting the seat cover in on a gentle cycle in your washing machine. I put it in with dirty trail kit and it has been just fine.

OUR TAKE

It would be easy to file the Scuvvers seat cover under in ‘nice to have but not needed’ column. And you could have it there along with tyre liners, dropper posts, wireless drivetrains, carbon wheels and the like. They really aren’t a necessary item at all. But they do make cleaning up your car after a dirty ride (or run, or hike) a whole lot easier, and you may be surprised how versatile they are.

It’s probably not endorsed by Scuvvers, but the seat cover can be put down on the ground as a change mat while getting kitted up at the trail if you have nothing else to stand on. I did this a couple of times, as it has more surface area than my floor mat which is the other go to.

Compared to a regular seat cover, they’re a cinch to remove and don’t drop any of the crud when you do. So whether you’re saving time on post-ride clean ups or looking after a fancy car, I think a lot of riders will find the Scuvvers seat covers worthwhile. And I’d say active families might wonder how they got by without them.

Mike Blewitt

Photos: Gerard Lagana

IN USE

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Photos: Jordan Riddle

LEATT

NECK BRACE 3.5

Increased protection, including for collarbones

Size range for different riders

Easy to use

May not match up with your current helmet

RRP: $379

bikecorp.com.au

Neck braces are not a new thing to the mountain bike world, given riders and athletes are pushing limits more than ever before. Trails are becoming feature filled and often able to be ridden at higher speeds on bikes more capable than in the past. When we crash, sometimes we have a chance to get our arms out to protect or slow our fall and sometimes we are unable to react quick enough and land on our heads. There are many brilliant helmets which have all forms of inserts and aids to help decelerate the rotation of the head like Leatt’s own 360 turbine or MIPS which have saved me before. But unfortunately the cervical section of your spine, more commonly referred to as your neck, is vulnerable in these over the bar or high speed impacts.

Recently I underwent spinal surgery on my cervical spine due to a moderate speed impact to my head in which my head tucked under and my chin bottomed out on my chest breaking C6 and C7 and rupturing the disc between. These 7 cervical vertebrae(C1 – C7) are exactly the area of the spine that a neck brace is designed to protect and they can reduce damage in the thoracic spine which is the next 12 thoracic vertebrae.

While I was extremely fortunate to walk away from this crash and I received the best care possible I do wonder how different my experience would have been wearing a neck brace in conjunction with a full face helmet - unfortunately something I could have easily done.

HOW DOES IT WORK? The Leatt 3.5 neck brace is an optimised rim striking platform that sits just far enough away from a full face helmets underside to provide freedom of movement while riding but close enough that it will limit the hyperextension of the cervical spine by redistributing and

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transferring forces away from the fragile bones in the neck. It sits on the shoulders with AirFlow ribbed support pads on the chest and two adjustable CoreFlex Thoracic struts that run further down the back to about T8 and are designed to support the neck and helmet in the event of impact or hyperextension but break away if the force exceeds limits to the Thoracic spine. An independent study showed a reduction of up to 89% to the cervical spine and even a reduction to the chances of breaking your collar bone, riders are 45% more likely to injure their collar bone without one!

SO HOW DOES IT FEEL TO WEAR ON THE TRAIL? Honestly it is pretty comfortable, it is super easy to put on as it is split and locks at the front and the whole 3.5 MTB brace is 497g. The brace has two unobtrusive clear straps that clip easily under the arms and in my slightly stiffer than I am normally state didn’t inhibit my movement on the bike drastically. The brace conforms to the shoulder nicely and I hope to never know how it feels when rag dolling along the ground.

The 3.5 is Leatt’s starting point for cervical protection, offered for juniors, Small/Medium Large/XLarge and XXLarge but that one only has a thoracic strut adjustment (the two rear pads). Leatt does have a huge range of more adjustable braces which the Australian distributor Bikecorp will be offering very soon on our Australia shores.

OUR TAKE If you’re into jumps, steeps, getting rowdy with your pals, pushing boundaries or just know how easily mistakes can be made when you’re tired or riding beyond your limits then we can highly recommend investing in a Leatt neck brace!

I will note that not all full-face helmet’s rims line up with the strike platform, full-face helmets with a removable chin bar or drop frame helmets sit higher at the rear of the helmet and thus will not offer the same limited movement as a traditional full-face helmet. I tried the 3.5 with Leatt’s 3.0 Enduro helmet initially but then with 3 other full-face helmets and found this is the correct pairing, something like the Leatt Gravity 4.0 would be a perfect match.

Ryan Walsch

Photos: Jordan Riddle

LEATT

MTB ENDURO 3.0 HELMET

precision fit via 3 sizes and pad options

3 helmets in 1

Easy to use helmet changes

4 colour options

None

RRP: $329

bikecorp.com.au

Improving on Leatt’s 2.0 or 2 in 1 helmet, the 3.0 expands upon it and becomes even more versatile making it a staple for riders on the move who are looking for added protection. The new Enduro 3.0 is essentially three helmets in one – perfect for the changing needs of many keen mountain bikers.

FIT AND SAFETY Rather than being offered in the normal Small/Medium and Large/Extra Large Leatt are offering the Enduro 3.0 in three sizes and include the addition of pads of varying thickness to further adjust the fit. To reduce the chance of concussion and rotational acceleration of your head Leatt have equipped the Enduro 3.0 with their own 360 degree Turbine technology made up of small blue discs that can squish and move in all directions yet remaining anchored to the helmet’s shell. Developed and tested by Dr Chris Leatt in house, his white paper is on Leatt’s website and makes for an interesting read at these reductions.

The Enduro 3.0 utilises a micro adjuster dial at the rear which tightens the helmet snuggly onto your head without adding unwanted pressure points, a great feature for a full-face helmet and one we do not always see. I think this is a perfect example of bringing the convenient fit and use of open-face trail helmets to a full-face setting. And when you consider the helmet’s design, that makes sense.

At a glance, it does resemble an ordinary full-face helmet; the chin bar is sturdy in appearance and it casts a robust silhouette. Unlike most helmets that convert from a half shell trail helmet into a downhill approved full-face, the Enduro 3.0 has another option in its bag; a trail helmet with increased coverage to the ears and temples with clip-on over-ear protection.

ON THE TRAIL

The Enduro 3.0 is comfortable, secured easily with the magnetic Fidlock clasp, stays fresh with a removable and washable anti-odour liner and is easily switched between the 3 modes. It is very easy to get along with.

Switching between the 3 modes is super easy by pushing the two spring loaded buttons in to unhook the bar. It took a few goes the get the hang of lining up the metal hook and snapping the lobes into place to fit the bar and ear pieces but after a few tries it’s a piece of cake.

I can see the Enduro 3.0 being a great option for riders on the move, travelling with multiple helmets is a pain and can take up a huge amount of space, the size small weighs in at a scant 700g with chin bar (360g removed) and takes up a lot less room than a standard full-face when collapsed down into its individual components.

Anyone travelling to ride or race will love this.

The real benefit to me is being able to swap out to what I need for a given ride, even depending on conditions or even who I am riding with. I can remove the bar and ear covers for a ride with my young daughters, but at the same time I can have it all fitted up for a session on the jump lines, or scoping out some new janky trails in slippery conditions. All with the one helmet, with the level of safety I feel suits.

The Leatt Enduro 3.0 proved to be well-ventilated in use, and stable on my head throughout testing, seamlessly moving to the background of my thoughts when riding.

OUR TAKE

All in all, I have enjoyed my time in the Enduro 3.0 and its various forms. It is light weight, with a premium magnetic clasp and fixtures, comes in 3 highly adjustable sizes and it hits a competitive price point. All this makes the Leatt Enduro 3.0 an attractive option for the rider whom likes to get a bit sendy, requires added protection or is on the move – and it would be great for that upcoming trip to Derby!

Ryan Walsch 99

STANS

FLOW EX3 WHEEL SET

Smooth, fast, reliable hubs

Quick and problem free tubeless setup

Rims are dent free after multiple impacts

Stan’s is a name synonymous with one thing - tubeless wheel technology. Similar to brands like Hoover, Kleenex or Jacuzzi, their likeness is so tightly bound to their flagship offering that many of us refer to the name in reference to the product, not the other way around. I would not hazard to guess that most readers of this very publication have poured a glug of Stan’s sealant into their wheels at one point at another. Latex based fluid aside, Stan’s also produce a wide array of rim tapes, valves, and wheels such as the mid-priced alloy Flow EX3 wheel set I have on test.

THE HUB

Matched spoke length across a wheel size

None so far

RRP: $650 (REAR), $400 (FRONT)

THE RIM With a claimed weight of 618g (29”) / 580g (27.5”), 32 spoke holes, and an inner width of 29mm the aluminium Flow EX3 Rim is in direct competition with familiar faces such as the venerable EX511 from DT Swiss and Hope’s Fortus 30. Where this rim stands out from the crowd is hidden in the details, with Stan’s putting a concerted effort into the design of the rim profile to ensure durability through dent prevention. This has been realised primarily through the reinforcing of the sidewalls, with an additional ‘tiebeam’ section of alloy added from the sidewall to the belly of the rim to help decrease the likelihood of damage from impact. When combined with Stan’s patented bead lock technology (BLT) which guarantees the best possible seal of the tyre to the rim, and the low wall height, you have a welded rim which in theory should

Photos: Gerard Lagana

jetblackproducts.com

At the foundation of this wheel set is Stan’s own E Sync Hub. Developed with a primary focus on reliability, this hub combines a 6066 aluminium body with a chromoly axle and heat-treated 44t steel ratchet. Rolling on enduro bearings, these hubs are available to all common freehub types, spacings, and rotor standards. What really caught my eye was the E Bike compatibility and claimed 47% increase in their maximum torque ratings over their Neo hubs, on which I have previously put hundreds of hours of problem free use. To further the user-friendly nature of these hubs,

Stan’s have designed the flange profile to allow for equal length spokes on both sides of the wheel when laced with compatible rims. A performance benefit? No. But having to carry, or find less variations of a J-bend spoke in case of an emergency is a fantastic feature and drastically decreases the odds of a snapped spoke in some obscure length or shape ruining your weekend - trust me, I’ve been there.

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be ready to take hits for hours upon hours of use without as much as a burp or wobble.

THE BUILD The EX3 Rim and E Sync hub are laced together with Sapim D-Light spokes and brass nipples to form the complete EX3 wheel set. For my specific testing purposes I requested a set of mixed wheels (29”/27.5”), with a Microspline freehub, 6 bolt rotor interface and boost spacing. With Stan’s rim tape and valves installed, they weighed in at 1036g (F, 29”) and 1135g (R, 27.5”). As I had anticipated, mounting up a set of tubeless tyres on this wheel set was one of, if not the easiest instals I’ve ever completed. With tape and valves installed from the factory, I proceeded to pair the EX3 wheels with a set of Pirelli Scorpion Race EN tyres. These were easily mounted by hand and inflated with my track pump. No sweat, frustration, snapped tyre levers or spilled sealant here - just the satisfying crack of each tyre beading onto the rim with ease. Over the course of testing I noticed very little drift in pressures both during and between rides, proving that both the bead/tyre interface and factory tape were doing their job superbly as promised by the aforementioned BLT. ON THE TRAIL Initial impressions when I spun these wheels up in my workstand for the first time was just how easily they rotated.

A little test I like to do is turn the front wheel by hand and just watch to see how much drag the hub has. The gold standard

for me is a wheel which will slowly rock back and forth until the valve is resting at the 6 o’clock position - which the EX3 front wheel achieved.

Similarly, I like to see if the rear wheel will take a minor rotation clockwise as it slows to a stop, resting on the most recently engaged pawl position. Another gold star here for the E Sync hubs. While bearings do wear in and get faster over time as the grease settles into the balls and the seals find their final home, I find it a good indicator of how freely everything is working out of the box. The 4 freehub pawls provide a nice whir, but are well greased out of the box which keeps the sound muted without being entirely silent.

My first ride on these wheels was at a local spot which is fairly flat and full of hard rocky impacts and stout sprinting sections. It was on these sprinting sections that I noticed the firm engagement of the hub, never slipping or skipping a beat. No matter how hard I got on the gas the E Sync steel ratchet took it in its stride, coming back for more. Similarly, I enjoyed the positive engagement from the hub on some short technical climbs. To me, the minimum engagement you need on a hub before I start to notice lag when pedalling is around 10° or 36t, which these hubs satisfy at 8.18° / 44t.

It was on this first ride that I also heard a handful of audible rim impacts from the front wheel. A sound that would once make me shiver up my spine, I waited for the seemingly inevitable hiss which typically accompanies an alloy rim ding.

However there was no issue, the Flow EX3 rims seemed to take any impact I could throw at them in their stride. While testing these wheels I was also playing around with some pressures on the Pirelli Scorpion Race tyres I had mounted, going down to 22 psi on the rear and 18 psi on the front what I consider to be dangerous territory on an alloy wheel with no inserts. I am no hack, but we all make mistakes and I was pleased to see these rims still running true after more than one bad line choice. At these low pressures there were some noticeable fold lines on the sidewalls of the tyres, but fortunately no noticeable sealant loss or burping. Spoke tension on the rear wheel did require a quick adjustment after around 10 hours use, but I would consider this typical for an alloy wheel set after its bedding in phase.

Ride character of these wheels was very similar to that of other DT Swiss wheels I have had in the past, and had no discernable traits either positive or negative which I can speak to. In comparison to the WAO Union wheels which I typically ride, trail chatter and subsequent vibrations were more prevalent through my hands and feet as speeds increased. I did miss the dampening characteristics of those wheels at times, but did enjoy the increase in lateral flex which these alloy wheels have. This was particularly noticeable on high speed off camber sections, where square edged chattery impacts would be sucked up by the wheels through the compliant nature of both the rim and overall wheel build.

At the time of writing I am yet to need to perform any maintenance on the wheel set at all, but it is worth noting that Stan’s offers comprehensive service catalogues and individual part numbers on every component when the time does arise. This is also backed up by a 3 year manufacturing and 1 year crash replacement warranty.

VERDICT With the Flow EX3, Stan’s have delivered a wheel set that should be at the top of the list for any gravity focused rider who prioritises reliability and serviceability just as highly as performance. Through testing they have eaten up everything I have thrown their way, showing that the slight penalty on the scales compared to some of the competition is worth every gram. While there are louder, brighter and lighter wheels available the value on offer here is hard to beat for a budget conscious enduro or downhill rider.

Hayden Wright 101

JB RACKS

VERTICAL HANGING BIKE RACK

Most affordable VBR on the market

Multiple configurations and accessories available

To your door shipping

Durability and strength concerns

No frills approach will require some further spending to dial in the setup

RRP: $849.99 (5 BIKE) jbracks.com.au

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In July 2022 we conducted a comprehensive group test of 8 vertical bike racks (VBRs). The feedback from that article and accompanying video was consistent, with many readers expressing their admiration for the functionality this style of rack offers to those without a ute. Conversely there was also one recurring comment which also popped up, the purchase price. An unavoidable barrier of entry to some, the racks we tested varied from $1,200 to $2,000 + which is a significant investment, especially for families already burdened with the cost of purchasing and maintaining their bikes. Since then, a few more value oriented racks have popped up offering a more ‘no frills’ approach to the VBR. JB Racks is one company offering such a product, with their 5-bike rack coming in at a highly competitive $849.99. While it lacks many additional features we came to appreciate in the racks we reviewed last year, the basics are covered - and I was keen to mount it up and see what the sub $1k VBR market has to offer.

OUT OF THE BOX JB Racks are a South Australian based company, founded and run by Jameson Broadbent. What began as a high school engineering project in 2020 has blossomed into a fully-fledged business, with JB offering racks in 3 through to 6 bike capacities, shipped directly to your door. A quick look at their web page reveals bold claims such as “The world’s best bike rack” and “The easiest rack to load bikes”, along with information pertaining to their 3 year warranty and links to a simple yet informative instructional video on how to bolt together your own

VBR. All JB racks come flat packed and partially assembled, with the rest of the build being easily managed by any wrench wielding mountain biker. Assembly took me around 30 minutes, including the time spent discarding the plastic waste from the packaging of this Chinese made VBR. Constructed of SHS steel throughout, all the primary components are bolted together excluding the wheel hoops, which are welded to a mounting plate which then bolts to the top bar. The bolts themselves vary in size and all use nyloc nuts, which is nice to see at this price point. However, I encountered an issue while tightening two of these nuts to the central mast - the mast itself was crushing under the compressive forces of the bolts. A quick email to JB racks instructed me that the provided split lock washers have been deemed too small of a diameter, and will be replaced with larger diameter washers to help spread the forces across the face of the SHS in their next shipment of product. JB Racks publish engineering compliance on their design specification and confidently back it with a 3 year warranty, so my experience is likely an unfortunate outlier.

ON THE CAR I mounted the rack up to the 50mm hitch mount on my ute in the closer of the two provided pin locations and tightened up the in-built anti rattle bolt. This provided some stability to the VBR itself, but there was still excess instability which made me uncomfortable. JB racks do offer their own anti-wobble plates as an accessory, an additional $50 cost worth considering if you don’t already

Photos: Gerard Lagana

have your own. At 25kg, the rack is 13kg lighter than the Rola VBR5 I tested last year, making mounting and removing it from the car significantly easier.

LOADING AND UNLOADING Loading bikes in the upright position can be challenging for some. As a general rule, if you can’t lift your bike up vertically and get your rear wheel close to a metre off the ground, you will likely need a hand loading it on a VBR on a 4WD ute. Fortunately, I am tall and have a bike with a generous wheelbase, so getting my bike up on the JB 5 rack was as simple as ever. Both the front and rear wheels are secured using an elastic bungee, which are quick and easy to fit but do not provide the confidence inspiring “tied-down” feel you get from using nylon straps, which I personally prefer. The top wheel hoops are compatible with 26’-29’ wheels and are rated to 25kg each, with adapters available for smaller diameter wheels available directly through JB. Wheelbase compatibility was no issue for me, with bikes measuring from 1080mm to 1325mm having sufficient contact on the bottom bar when in its lowest setting. When bolting the rack together, you have +/- 170mm of height adjustment in the bottom bar, giving a total dimensional range between the top and bottom bars of 630mm to 800mm and a total stack height of 1200mm - a nice touch allowing users to dial in their VBR to suit their preferred wheelbase. While there is no mechanism allowing for tool-free rack tilting out of the box, JB Racks do have the provision for it in the hitch elbow. By replacing the provided bolts with their aftermarket pins, you can raise and lower it manually, a nice feature when the VBR is empty and you need to get in the back of the car.

ON THE ROAD A friendly reminder to all of those who have or are

considering getting their own VBR - don’t forget your accessory plate! On my first road trip with this unit I neglected to fit mine, meaning I was driving around with an obstructed number plate in the dark hours of the morning. Fortunately I received only a warning from the authorities, serving as a reminder to always have the accessory plate in the car. During the subsequent 320km drive with the fully loaded rack, I noticed that two of the rear wheel bungees had snapped. These straps are designed to fail in the case of an impact, which should help save your bike from damage, however I was a little concerned to see two broken from what I would consider pretty regular driving both on and off-road on the way to a trail head. As stated previously it is always my preference to avoid elastic straps when tying anything down in transit and much prefer to use nylon straps to avoid such issues.

They have no bounce and while they don’t let your bike ‘release’ from the rack in case of an impact, they’re much less likely to snap. Thankfully, Jameson of JB racks acknowledges this and is currently developing a variation to their rack which includes this update.

VERDICT Following up on the bold claims of “The Best Bike Rack Ever” was always going to be difficult with a value based offering. The issues with strength and bike security experienced during testing left me feeling nervous while driving, prompting constant mirror checks. It will be interesting to see how JB Racks develops over the coming months and years, with many design improvements said to be on the horizon. For light use this would be worth looking at, but for larger bikes, longer trips, rougher use and full loads I’d also look at the models we tested previously and see what is the best fit for your requirements and budget.

Hayden Wright 103

UKI MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK

GETTING THERE

Uki is located west of Pottsville, around 20km south of the NSW/QLD border. From Brisbane, it’s a fairly straightforward 2 hour drive down the M1, past the 104

Gold Coast and then inland through Murwillumbah.

If you’re looking to fly from further afield, the Gold Coast airport is only 40 minutes away.

TECHNICAL NATURE

Characterised by the rich volcanic soil of the area, the trails weave their way in and out of the native forest which skirts the open field. Trailworx have delivered a network at Uki which caters for a wide variety of riders and technical abilities, founded upon green and blue flow trails. Beginner to intermediate riders will be able to test their skills in a safe and repeatable manner thanks to the open sight lines and lack of narrow technical sections. More advanced riders will be able to test their metal on the black diamond jump trail, which has some larger features that took our crew a few attempts to get smooth and also provided an opportunity to (attempt to) throw some style.

There is also a full adaptive loop, and a pump track to boot.

FACILITIES Adaptive Cycling Yes Toilets Yes Drinking Water Yes Parking Yes Trails Signposted Yes Mobile Reception Telstra Shelter No BBQ Facilities No Accommodation Lots nearby

YOU’LL NEED

A 120-140mm trail bike will be the perfect steed for the smooth, flowing terrain at Uki. This will allow you to get the most out of the machine built trails while still providing some cushion over the larger jump lines. During our time sampling the virgin dirt I was aboard my big, long enduro bike which was still great fun - it just took a little more work to keep rolling speed on the flatter trails.The XC bandits among us will revel in the green and

Photos: Gerard Lagana

Not far from the glitz and glamour of the Gold Coast or the influencers of Byron Bay lies a quiet little country town, nestled at the foothills of Mt Warning.

Almost entirely encapsulated by National Parks, Uki offers all the charm of the hinterland with a hint of coastal chill, and is also home to the first purpose-built mountain biking destination in the Tweed Shire. What was once a mere pipedream to locals has been realised through a collaboration between Tweed Valley Mountain Bike Riders (TVMTBR) and Tweed Shire Council, with funding being provided through a $430,000 grant from the NSW Office of Sport. Now, what was previously a disused piece of land has been transformed into heaven on Earth for local riders and travellers alike. Master planned by Dirt Art and executed by Trailworx, the Uki Mountain Bike Park delivers the first purpose built mountain bike facility in the area.

With 9 machine built trails on offer with ratings from green to black, there is something for just about everyone here on what is the Tweed Shire’s first foray into this kind of development.

What was formerly a disused paddock has made for the idyllic blank canvas on which Trailworx have carved a network of smooth, flowing trails which culminate in a riding experience that is entirely unique to the Northern Rivers, and unlike anything else we have ridden in recent times.

blue loops, which are reminiscent of an XCC world cup course and can be linked together into some fun loops which could be the basis of a great training ride.

DISTANCES

The entire Uki network is draped across one hill which has 80 metres of elevation. Through linking the entire network together, cumulative ride time is around 2 hours with a total elevation of 720m, all using the main climbing trail. You’re never more than around a kilometre from the car, so no need to pack the kitchen sink.

BEST TIME OF YEAR

While the beautifully sculpted ribbons of orange dirt trails truly are a sight to behold, the lower half of the climb trail and most of the green loop has very little tree cover. As such, I would avoid riding here in the height of summer unless it was first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Temperatures from March through November should be mild enough to allow all day riding, just be sure to pack some sunblock. Also of note is that the park does have a gated entry, so be sure to check with the local club in the case of any extreme weather events before making your trip to Uki. Typically, entry to the trails via the car park is open 6am to 6pm 7 days a week.

Photos: Matt Rousu

WHILE IN THE AREA

The Uki Mountain Bike Park is just one of a long list of things to tick off while visiting the Tweed shire. First and foremost, be sure to stop into the Uki town centre and check out some of the goods

on offer, skillfully crafted by locally based artisans. The Mount Warning Hotel is also a must do, providing unobstructed balcony views of its namesake and an ice-cold beer to boot.

If you fancy making a riding weekend of your trip to Uki, there are multiple options for accommodation ranging from the camping and eco lodges at Mt Warning Rainforest Park right through to the Gymea Eco Retreat & Spa. What better way to unwind after a morning ride than a massage and soak in your very own private sauna! Should you want to check out some other riding in the area, both Duck Creek and Kyogle are within an hours drive and each have a days worth of riding on offer. Gravel and road riders will also relish in the opportunity to explore the huge range of routes in the Tweed, including the recently opened Northern Rivers Rail Trail. This and many other routes are listed out on the council’s web page for those interested in knowing more.

LOCAL BIKE SHOPS

If you’re looking for some parts, service or maybe some fresh gear you’ll need to drive north east to Murwillumbah. There you will find locally owned shop Murwillumbah Cycles who also offer bike rentals, shuttles and local guidance on top of the regular offerings you would expect.

LOCAL CLUB CONTACTS & EVENTS

The local club Tweed Valley Mountain Bike Riders have a fantastic website which includes links to their social media pages, information on upcoming events, club news and more. Check out tvmtbr. com.au to read more.

Hayden Wright

TECHNICALITY

•••••

FITNESS LEVEL

••••• XCOUNTRY

••••• TRAIL

••••• ALL/MTN

••••• DOWNHILL

••••• JUMP

••••• 105

T

here are a set of skills I like to refer to as “car park skills”. Put simply these are skills which you can practice just about anywhere and at any time but I always seem to find myself playing around in the car park while waiting to get going on a ride (usually waiting for my mate Chad).

HOW TO DO ROLLBACKS WORDS JARED RANDO

PHOTOS NICK WAYGOOD

While they aren’t necessarily hugely practical while out on the trail, car park skills are a great way to learn balance for low speed stuff, get neurologically warmed up for a ride and generally a great way just to have a bit of fun. In fact, before any World Cup race during my racing days, I would do a bunch of this stuff to get warmed up and ready to roll for my race run.

One of my favourite skills in this space is the “rollback” which is in effect an attempt to ride backwards for as long as you can. It’s a great skill as it promotes weight transfer over the bike and also really gets you thinking about balance and steering all at the same time. The other great thing about it is that from beginner to pro, it’s very safe and there’s no end in sight for progression. So next time you find yourself waiting for your mates (or Chad) give it a go and have some fun. Here’s what to do.

IT STARTS WITH AN ENDO Ride forward at a low speed and use the front brake to do a small endo. For a bit of fun I also like to ride into a wall and try to do the endo without using my front brake to make the exercise a little more advanced.

From here the aim is to come down with enough momentum to start rolling backwards and simply see how far you can go. Gear wise you actually want to be in a relatively high gear for how fast you are going as this means you won’t have to pedal backwards as fast when you roll backwards.

WEIGHT THE FRONT OF THE BIKE AND PEDAL BACKWARDS As you begin to roll backwards you’ll need to do two things; weight the front of the bike and pedal backwards. Weighting the front of the bike will help get your weight of the cranks so you can pedal backwards. You’ll need to pedal backwards faster than the gear you are in so your freewheel doesn’t catch and this is what makes it quite challenging. If you are having trouble getting started, you can also try it seated with your seat a little higher. This makes balancing a bit easier with your weight on your seat but I always like to do it unseated for a bit more of a challenge.

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FOCUS ON YOUR FRONT WHEEL Looking up and ahead is the golden rule of riding – except when you are riding backwards! To keep the momentum going and rolling back, look down at your front wheel. This does two things; first, it gives you a focus point to help keep your balance and second, it helps you understand which way you need to steer to stay upright because when you ride backwards everything is in reverse meaning you need to steer the opposite way of what you normally would to stay upright. At this stage you can basically keep trying over and over to see how far you can get.

Keep your weight forward and focus on your steering. Look for a gentle slope also to help keep you going. Play around and have some fun with it and don’t give up. After 40 years of riding a bike I’m still getting better! Or, for a more advanced take, move on to step 4….

THE PIVOT OUT BMXers would call this a “half cab” and you’ll see it done all the time on any BMX street edit. But for the purpose of mountain bike skills I’d say it’s more of a pivot as it involves using your rear brake. As you exit the rollback or run out of speed, turn sharply in one direction (usually the direction you’re falling to!) to spin the bike around.

WEIGHT BACK

PEDAL OUT

As the bike comes around shift your weight back and over the rear wheel. With the momentum from your weight going back and around, the aim is to grab some rear brake to get the front wheel off the ground and move into a rear wheel pivot to get going forward again. You also need to pull into the pivot with your arms to literally pull the front wheel around.

As soon as you touch down, you want to pedal out. Pedalling out helps you get your balance back on track and also gives you the momentum to get going again. Rollout and keep practicing! As you get better, look to roll back further and faster and aim to complete a full 180 out of the pivot out for maximum steeze.

107

F MANAGING PERFORMANCE WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES WORDS ZOE WILSON

108

or athletes living with type 1 diabetes, managing blood sugar levels is a balancing act. Read on to learn about some of the key principles for maximising performance on the bike while competing with type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when beta-cells in the pancreas are destroyed meaning no insulin is being made to regulate blood sugar levels. This lack of insulin leads to a build-up of glucose (sugar) in the blood which can be life-threatening if left untreated.

People living with type 1 diabetes require daily injections of insulin to help manage blood sugar levels and prevent any complications. A healthy diet with good food variety matched with insulin and regular exercise is important for diabetes management. This means regular meals should be low GI with protein, healthy fats, and colourful non-starchy vegetables in appropriate portions.

But training hard changes the game a little.

For athletes, the careful management of blood sugar levels is essential for health and performance. There are also a few more considerations to be made when thinking about applying sports nutrition principles to maximise performance on the bike.

Athletes with type 1 diabetes need to have a good understanding of how exercise impacts their blood sugar levels so it can be managed and kept within an ideal range. Endurance sports tend to reduce blood sugar levels whereas anaerobic/power sports tend to increase blood sugar levels. Mixed sports (such as team sports) tend to stabilise blood sugar levels during exercise but drop them afterwards. The duration and intensity of the exercise session as well as the timing of insulin injections also need to be considered.

To find out what this looks like in practice, we spoke with Justin Morris, an ex-professional cyclist and current ambassador for Team Novo-Nordisk (www. teamnovonordisk.com), the world’s first all-diabetes professional cycling team who ride with the goal of showing what is possible with diabetes.

Morris was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 10 years old. He fell in love with mountain bike riding to and from school and was inspired to pursue a career as a professional rider after watching the 1999 XC World Cup. He raced in Australia on road and mountain bikes with his local club and NSW-based NRS team, GPM, from 1999-2009, before racing on the USA-based professional road team, Team Novo Nordisk for 5 years. He has also raced in mountain bike events around the world for the past 10 years with the MarathonMTB.com team.

Morris explains, “Nutrition and insulin dosages are crucial for me with type 1 diabetes. Endurance exercise and insulin both put downward pressure on the sugar in my blood, so it is a delicate balancing act to ensure you do not have too much insulin on board before a ride.”

Measuring blood sugar levels is key. “Nowadays, thanks to government support in Australia, I am very grateful to be able to use Continuous Glucose Monitoring technology which sends an alarm to my phone to alert me when the sugar level in my blood is getting too low or high.” You might have heard of continuous glucose monitoring as it is becoming more and more popular with professional and amateur endurance athletes without diabetes to track and monitor blood sugar levels and their impact on athletic performance.

“Previously I was solely reliant on my own sensations which was mostly reliable… or a fingerprick device which measures the level of sugar in the blood through a strip in a device

about the size of a phone”.

Knowing what to eat and drink during a ride is also part of the equation. “Mid-ride nutrition is the main strategy I have to consider to balance the effects of insulin and exercise,” says Morris. “You will never see me riding without food. I carry all different kinds of carbohydrates so I can avert my blood sugar from going too low with some fast-acting carbohydrates, and keep it at an appropriate level with some longer-acting carbohydrates.” This is, in fact, not too dissimilar to what non-diabetic athletes do, especially with more recent research showing the benefits of high carbohydrate consumption for performance.

Race nutrition is another story again! Morris explains that nerves or stress put upward pressure on his blood sugar levels, making him feel lethargic and as though his legs are full of cement. He says though that he needs to be very conscious of not overcorrecting as once the race gets going, the effect of endurance exercise reduces blood sugar levels.

“It is another balancing act I have come to negotiate better with experience, but no 2 days are ever the same with T1D, I still make mistakes”.

And if he does make a mistake and his blood sugar levels drop too low? “I need to get high GI carbs in ASAP. This is where being prepared is crucial. Generally, I find liquid carbs like soft drink, or lollies such as jellybeans, work quickest for me in arresting low blood sugar levels”.

As you can see, managing a health condition such as type 1 diabetes does take work, but with experience, and professional advice from a diabetes healthcare team, doesn’t have to stop you from being active or pursuing a career as a professional athlete. If you need help with managing sport and blood sugar levels, speak to you Diabetes Educator and a Sports Dietitian for tailored advice.

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BEYOND SMART: DIVING DEEPER INTO EFFECTIVE GOAL SETTING WORDS ANNA BECK

G

oal setting is a key skill to develop in many aspects of your life in order to increase productivity, focus and motivation. But what sort of goals are best to develop and refine for increased performance?

A recent study published in the International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology conducted a systematic review and metaanalysis of goal setting and performance in a sporting context. For those with less science backgrounds, this type of study design features a critically-appraised, high level of evidence from pooling all available and relevant studies on a particular issue. This study was broad and deep, and found that there were specific goals that resulted in better outcomes in both sporting and psychological performance in high pressure situations.

WHAT IS A GOAL? The broad definition of a goal is ‘what an individual is trying to achieve; the object or aim of an action’ (Locke et.al) there are many different ways to skin a cat… or set a goal, and some are more effective than others. While most people in the corporate, education or

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P H OTO S M AT T R O U S U

business world have heard of SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound), understanding the type of goal you set could significantly impact the effectiveness of your goal.

Take for example a Mastery goal, this goal is aimed at attaining a standard of competence defined by self improvement or by developing a skill. An example of a mastery goal in cycling is “I want to be the best gravity enduro rider I can be”. While a worthy goal, mastering something, it omits the steps required to get there.

Performance goals are linked to mastery goals, but differ in their application; performance goals are usually more shortterm focused, and have a measured and tangible endpoint ie: “I would like to be able to manual 10 metres down this fireroad to look really sick for my friends by the end of the holidays”. Here you can see that the goal type itself contains some of the SMART attributes, and a performance goal. When directly related to achieving something to better your sporting ability, performance goals can be useful as a goal setting tool.

Process goals are like small steps on the way to that performance: they constitute the requisite behaviours and actions to get to that

mad manualling video that is going to get you so much kudos. An example of this could be “I will practice my manuals for 10min at the end of every mountain bike ride” or “I will add in specific skill sessions X times a week in order to increase my ability to manual”. These goals break down aspects of performance into manageable chunks, and focuses heavily on actions that you, the athlete, can undertake to perform at your best.

Outcome goals are the final type I will discuss here, and focus on the endpoint or desired results of an action. For example an outcome goal would be ‘I want to win national champs’ or ‘I want to be top three in my category at the Superflow event’. While these goals are aspirational, they focus heavily on things that are outside our control. After all, who hasn’t been to a race and some of the fastest guys turned up on the day?

SO WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY? The meta analysis found some conflicting results and some strong trends, which is all part of completing a rigorous assessment of the information available. Key findings to takeaway for use in sports and performance,

however were: • Using process and performance goals produced significant increase in performance, with process goals being the most influential in eliciting performance.

• There were no performance outcomes based on mastery or outcome goals.

• Timing is important: short-term and a mixture of short and long-term goals increased performance, while long-term goals alone didn’t correlate to higher levels of performance.

• Goal setting was effective for both novice and professional athletes.

• In order for goals to be effective they need to be set by self or in cooperation (ie with a coach!) to be significant and impactful.

• Effective goal setting cab increase effort mobilisation (ie: motivate you to take action, or train more!)

SO HOW CAN WE SET BETTER GOALS? If we can focus on the goals that best impact performance—process and performance—we can increase satisfaction in our sport, decrease our anxiety and increase our self-efficacy and confidence on the bike. Often I have athletes come to me with goals like ‘move to Europe and go pro within 12 months’ and while that’s a noble (and usually very lofty) goal, it is very outcome focused and completely ignores context, individual factors and steps required between club racing and the World Cup. Instead, I would argue that while having a professional contract is a good long term outcome dream (or goal) that this will be very unlikely to get an athlete there if used exclusively. Instead, identifying a series of process goals that strive to increase their strengths, and address their discipline specific limiters that cover a broad range of areas.

Here are a range of example goals set with my athletes (of varying ages, genders, disciplines and range of other ‘life responsibilities’).

1. Skill based: increase competency and

efficiency on technical climbs and step ups, progressing from clearing features on X trail, to clearing features on X trail by beginning of race season (mastery, performance) 2. Skill based: contribute 10-15min of every session spent on the mountain bike to specific skill development in the next block of training program (4 weeks) (process) 3. Psychology: develop a pre-race routine that enables automated action in order to reduce excessive anxiety and stress before races to implement this week. Reassess this approach with coach debrief after next race and refine prior to race season (process, mastery).

4. Nutrition: Support training by fuelling well with adequate carbohydrate before sessions, having a minimum carbohydrate target throughout specific sessions (ie: Xg/hour), and developing and executing recovery nutrition after each session (process) 5. Recovery: consistently engage in recovery nutrition and recovery/yoga/stretch sessions X per week, and aim for average of 8hours sleep a night across the week (with a focus on consistency) (process).

6. Physiology: Reduce late-race fade by developing aerobic ability and strength over the base/pre season, by executing X amounts of endurance rides/week and doing efforts that specifically target these adaptations X per week, reassessing with aerobic based testing every 6 weeks (performance) 7. Physiology: Reduce time on my local Strava PB (replicating the demands of target event) by 5% by December 2024, by focusing training on a series of race specific efforts that target the physiology required to do this (performance) 8. Race goals XCO: Go with the start, monitoring output throughout the race and settling into maximal sustainable effort for climbs, drinking at X point of the course, eating at X point of the course, flowing through technical sections efficiently (process) 9. Race goals Gravity/DH: Execute pre-race

plan including using mental strategies to start run at optimal level of arousal, execute sprinting/efforts at X points on the course, focusing on maintaining trail speed and reducing braking at X points of the course (process).

Here you can see a range of process and performance goals that when worked on, can lead to optimised performance, as a result of optimising the many different factors that contribute to successful training and racing.

The goals above are of course specific to the athletes that have set them, but once you understand the types of goals that are most effective in addition to your own strengths and weaknesses, you can set about addressing your limiting factors for performance and strengthening the parts of your performance that come more naturally to you. The example goals above also adhere to the SMART guideline of goal-setting, making them appropriate and actionable in a context that serves you. A great way to start is to look at the factors for performance, and think about small actionable behaviours you can do to improve in training consistency/physiology, nutrition, skills, mental/psychology, recovery and race execution.

By understanding ourselves and the critical parts of goal-setting that actually improve performance outcomes, you can set yourself up to perform at your best when it matters and value the effort and outcome of your own performance, whether that be coming first or ninth. Whether you need to work on managing your anxiety, increasing training consistency, more even race pacing, gross motor skills when fatigued or even getting more Anna Beck rest, there are so Anna Beck is a many aspects of Level 2 cycling performance that coach and 2018 XCM can be improved by National Champion, setting better goals. and coaches a range of athletes.

Williamson, O. et al. (2022) ‘The performance and psychological effects of goal setting in sport: A systematic review and meta-analysis’, International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, pp. 1–29. doi:10.1080/1750984x.2022.2116723.

gritcoaching.com.au

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HOW TO SERVICE YOUR FOX DPS SEALS WORDS RYAN WALSCH

PHOTOS JORDAN RIDDLE

While your rear shock may have longer service intervals than your fork, they are under a higher leverage ratio, higher pressure and can generate quite a lot of heat on longer runs. A simple service on the air sleeve (or air spring) can reduce friction, heat, fatigue on the trail, increase grip and control and just prolong the life of the unit.

Wiping the dust seal after each ride and cleaning the body of the shock (the externally visible shaft) will keep the shock running smooth for longer. However periodically opening the air can, cleaning, lubricating and even replacing the seals will remove a surprising amount of debris and friction from the shock. Think of the dust seal as your eyelid, one little granule under it and it will scratch away at the surface.

Before working on any suspension item, always do a thorough wash of the unit so you don’tcontaminate the internals with any debris, and ALWAYS wear eye and or ear protection when depressurising the air can.

1

Record the shock pressure and damping settings, and then remove all the air from the shock.

NOTE: If the shock body (visible shaft) sucks down and into the can we recommend not proceeding to the next step and get that shock to a trained professional as it has huge amounts of pressure stuck in the negative chamber and could cause serious harm when removing the can.

Clamp the shock eyelet or Trunnion mount in your vice using soft jaws. Loosen and remove air can anticlockwise using your hands, strap wrench or even an old tube for additional purchase being carful to not damage the stickers.

Once the can is loose, if the thread feels really tight or like it’s binding, double check the shock has all the pressure removed, an empty air can should turn smoothly (snug but smooth).

2

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Remove all seals using fingers or plastic/composite picks only, metal picks should be avoided or used with extreme care as any scratches made to the internals of the can or shock will cause air to leak. We unfortunately see this often!

Inspect for wear to the damper shaft, air can and surfaces the seals will be touching.

3

5

Gently slide the air can back onto the shock and tighten the can with a strap or tube, the sticker's writing will line up when its tightened up correctly.

Install new seals, a light smear of Slickoleum or the manufacturer’s recommended lubricant on the seals is best. Grease all seals and contact points with Slickoleum or the manufacturer’s recommended lubricant. Install the manufacturer’s recommended air can fluid type and volume. A few millilitres of Fox Float Fluid or 5-10wt suspension fluid works best.

4

Repressurise the shock and refit it to your bike. Equalise the positive and negative chambers and check pressure again. This can take some time, resting your weight onto the bike and sagging the rear suspension past the point of sag and back again will help both chambers equalise. You will likely hear AND feel this happen, sometimes a light squealch and or hiss when it does so and the shock will become instantly more supple as the air enters the negative chamber. Cycling back and forth past this point will ensure the same pressure is on both sides of the air piston, when this occurs re check the pressure and repeat the process if topping up was required.

6

7

Check damper settings are correct as per your notes.

Double check the shock’s mounting bolts are torqued correctly to the appropriate specifications – and you’re set to go!

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GRAVITY ENDURO GE9

Shimano’s flagship high-end SPD-compatible gravity shoe, the ideal choice for aggressive enduro, downhill racing & riding.

SYNTHETIC

GF6

Stylish and durable, Shimano’s benchmark flat pedal shoe that’s built to deliver total control on technical trails.

SYNTHETIC

shimano.com.au

shimanoMTB

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CARBON

MID-FOOT CLEAT RANGE