Mountain Biking by miguel rabi

WIN!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND SCORE A TOPEAK DIGITAL GAUGE! See page 19 MAY-JUN-JUL 2018

REDEMPTION JOSH CARLSON’S 2018 EWS REBOOT

DOING DERBY IN STYLE THE MOST INCREDIBLE ON-TRAIL ACCOMMODATION EVER?

BC BOUND Real world training for one of the world’s toughest events

SUSPENSION CODE BUSTED Insider’s tips to getting your bike’s suspension tuned right – for you

RIDDEN+RATED: Intense Sniper | Norco Optic C9 | Santa Cruz Hightower

MAY-JUNE-JULY 2018

FEATURES 20

ESCAPE PODS Incredible accommodation alternative takes you right into the heart of Tasmania’s best trails.

REDEMPTION After a stellar 2016, the pressure is on factory EWS racer Josh Carlson to ind his mojo again. We chat in depth to the likable larrikin.

DESERT STORMING If you thought that there was no mountain biking to be found in Iran, prepare to be surprised.

BC BOUND We follow the tale of a rider just like us as he prepares for one of the world’s coolest – and toughest – bike races, the BC Bike Race.

LOGICAL PROGRESSION Tom Ritchey is one of the founding fathers of mountain biking... and he’s still got plenty to add and a lot to say.

32 50

REGULARS 8

DROP-OFF he ed’s near miss in Tathra.

LETTERS/ASK THE EXPERTS All your thoughts that are it to print.

SPECIAL – TATHRA’S DISASTER Some of NSW’s best loved trails are gone… and we want to help.

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READER’S RIDES

We raid the bike industry’s cupboards for the latest cool stuff!

Did you make the cut? 98

REAL WORLD Lotte Hougaard is doing it tough

RIDDEN+RATED: Pro bike check - Connor Fearon’s Kona Operator Pg67 | Santa Cruz Hightower Pg72 Intense Sniper Pg76 | Norco Optic C9 2 Pg80 | Rocky Mountain Instinct A70 Pg84 | N+1 Polygon Bend Pg86

TRAIL TESTS

HOW TO

TROY LEE DESIGNS A2

VORSPRUNG LUFTKAPPE

IXS CARVE KNEE PADS

SHIMANO SAINT SPD PEDALS

FIZIK LUNA, SCHWALBE HANS DAMPF ADDIX

BODY WEIGHT TRAINING We don’t need loads of weights to train effectively – we have our own!

WORKSHOP How to remove and post your shock.

ON THE COVER: James Hall takes on Skyfall on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Pic: Mark Watson/Incite Images 4

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DROP OFF

It’s become a regular thing for a few mates and I to try and ind one weekend a year where we can convene to do nothing else but ride bikes, and do all those other cool things that come with riding bikes with mates; dodgy barbeques, abandoning dodgy barbeques to go to the pub, waiting for your buddy to get their respective shizzle together (that would be me, usually), ixing bikes and relaxing post-ride. It stemmed from a few years of chasing our own tails into smokin’ last place in marathon races, when we realised that the most fun part of the event was the practice laps. Why? We were all together, having a ride and a laugh. “Why don’t we just go away for a weekend and ride?” opined one of our posse. Its simplicity was breathtaking in its audacity… and it turned out to be a great idea. Tathra, on the NSW south coast, was our choice this year for a number of reasons; great accommodation options, roughly equidistant between Sydney and Melbourne and, of course, great trails that cater for a wide range of fitness and ability levels, and that are literally a two-minute ride out of town.

After a couple of bluebell perfect days sessioning more than 50km of lovingly crafted singletrack – all built with volunteer labour, too… no government money here – Sunday in Tathra dawned warm and still. There was enough time for a last spin up Evil Tom’s and down Anchors Away in the early morning, and we were packed and on the road by around 12pm, vowing to come back again for the June long weekend’s Tathra Enduro. At just before 1pm, a small bushfire broke out in Tarraganda, about 20km inland of Tathra. Fanned by strong northerlies, it quickly grew and roared at speed towards the coast. In its way stood Tathra. The fire was big and it was merciless, raining embers throughout the town and destroying more than 70 buildings. It also claimed the bushland immediately behind Tathra, and with it, many of the legacy trails carved by hand over the course of the last fifteen years. As I write this, information is scarce, but there’s one thing I do know; while this is a big setback, I have little doubt that Tathra will be reborn. Look at Stromlo; all but

Justin Walker rides the top section of TNT the afternoon before the fires

destroyed in the fires of 2003, it’s bounced back to be as strong a mountain bike venue as ever. Different, sure, but just as strong. Tathra’s trails were born of love and were raised by the local community… and at least half of the network was spared on that terrible Sunday, so there’s already a place to launch from. If you want to help, stay tuned to mtbiking.com.au – we’re working on a plan to support the Tathra Enduro event which is traditionally held around the long weekend in June. We just got word as we were literally going to press that the race is on, which is

a terrific result. In the meantime, we’re thinking of our mates and their families as they get ready to rebuild houses and lives, and we’re already planning our next trip down there. It’s the least we can do to give back to a community that’s given mountain biking so much.

Tim Robson

ISSUE 65• MAY | JUNE| JULY | 2018 Editor: Tim Robson timrobson@yaffa.com.au Production Coordinator: Kristal Young (02) 9213 8301 kristalyoung@yaffa.com.au Group Advertising Manager: Tim Partridge (02) 9213 8290 timpartridge@yaffa.com.au Publisher: James Yaffa

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Graphic Designer: Amber Hardwick Photography: Ben Sykes, Brendan Batty, Justin Walker, Dylan Wolsky, Martin Bissig, 032media Contributors: Steve Hinchliffe, Steve Thomas, Sarah Hunter, Amber Hardwick, John Hardwick, Holger Meyer, Lotte Hougaard, Justin Walker.

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Mountain Biking Australia is published four times a year: February|March|April, May|June|July, August|September|October, November|December|January. Copyright © 2018 Yaffa Media Pty Ltd ISSN No 1446-750X Editorial contributions are welcome. Please include a stamped, self addressed envelope and address editorial correspondence to: GPO Box 606, Sydney NSW 200 Material in this publication may not be reproduced without permission. While the publishers have taken all reasonable precautions and made all reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of material contained in this publication, it is a condition of purchase of this magazine that the publisher does not assume any responsibility or liability for any loss or damage which may result from any inaccuracy or omission in this publication, or from the use of the information contained herein and the publishers make no warranties, express or implied, with respect to any of the material contained herein.

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MUD CLEARANCE

Keep the Rubber Side Down My name is Noel, and I am the worst mountain biker in the history of mountain biking! Sounds like a self help group. Much to my wife’s frustration, I am a 46-year-old man in a 76-year-old body who still thinks he is a 26-year-old. I never really gave the sport a crack until I moved to Cairns about eight years ago. Living right next to the Smithfield mountain bike tracks, I simply had to give it a go. Being a big unit I was fully aware that the higher through the air I sailed, the harder I would hit the ground. Luckily my eldest son was there to witness one of his father’s particularly big failed Evel Knievel attempts. Let’s just say that trying to ride back to the car with a broken collarbone was not fun. I have had a hundred other spills and scrapes but for some strange reason, I still love the sport. I am not so adventurous now after losing a kidney to cancer, but having moved to Canberra, I am now just getting back into things again. So if you see a big guy struggling along on his Specialized Crave in Majura, feel free to say hi… unless I am lying in a heap on the ground, in which case please call an ambulance. Noel Christoffel Lyneham, ACT

Flat Earth Although I have been riding a road bike most of my life I have only started riding a mountain bike less than a year ago. My road biking was mainly riding to work and the occasional fire trail. My road bike pedals were fitted with clips (yes clips in the original sense), so it seemed logical to fit clipless pedals to my MTB. I started with the Shimano dual release cleats first but found that when I was trying my bunny hops I was sometimes inadvertently releasing so I decided to fit the single release cleats. However, I found them also

WINNING LETTER

Grey is the New Black

more difficult to release, which reduced my confidence so much that I could no longer ride anything technical. I decided to try some flat pedals (if they worked for Sam Hill they should work for me!) and I purchased a pair of Shimano Saints from the local shop. My confidence returned and I found that I was able to ride much more technical terrain than before without concern. My bad habit of trying to lift the bike up with my feet (when clipped in) when initiating a bunny hop became immediately evident after riding with the flat pedals. To help with getting my front wheel off the ground, I decided to build myself a manual practice machine (above). This allows me to practice in my backyard whenever I have some spare time. I can recommend one of these machines, as you can achieve in days what would have taken weeks to achieve in the park. Hans Heck Email

So this is the current state of mountain biking? As a greying reader, (much like yourself, Tim), flipping the wrong side of forty, I am dipping my toes back in the water after a prolonged hiatus AKA having kids. When I was young, the mountain bike magazines of my youth were filled with technological advances: bar ends longer than the bar they attached to; suspension forks that were nothing more than rumour; CO2 cartridges that cost too much pocket money to ever dream of actually using. And now, nearly thirty years on, we have the rise of the (e-) machines; more wheel sizes to choose from than spokes on a wheel; and handlebars wider than the sky. So technology moves on and tempts us with its promises of a faster, longer, more comfortable and more enjoyable ride, but what's new? If you picked up the latest issue of MBA and shook out all the upgrades, advances and tantalising innovations, the glue that holds the whole thing together, the actual riding, would still be there. The adventures, the journeys, the scenery, the mad blasts; that's mountain biking and it always be. The rest is just progress, ticking along in the background. I'm glad to be back and I'm glad to find that nothing's really changed. Now, where did I put those Spokey-Dokeys... Jon Curtain Email

Speak out and win! Voice your opinions and you could win a Finish Line Care Bucket valued at $99.99. It contains a range of essential bike care products. There’s a one-litre spray bottle of Super Bike Wash, Multi-Degreaser and a Grunge Brush. Once your bike is sparkling, you can refresh the drivetrain with your choice of Finish Line lube; either Dry Lube to minimise dirt build-up or the long-lasting Wet Lube. The kit even includes a handy Finish Line maintenance guide and the container is perfect for bike washing. So write in and you could win this great bike-care prize! E-mail your letters to timrobson@yaffa.com.au

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Happy in the saddle (note: not Jon Curtain)

SPECIAL - TATHRA

TATHRA AFTER THE FIRES BUSHFIRE RIPPED THROUGH A SMALL COASTAL TOWN IN MARCH, CLAIMING PROPERTY AND BUSHLAND - AND SOME OF AUSTRALIA'S BEST TRAILS WORDS: TIM ROBSON

MAYORAL APPEAL FUND The best way is to donate money to the Mayoral Appeal Fund, which has been set up to assist families in need. It’s tax deductible and overseen by an independent advisory panel chaired by the mayor, Kristy McBain. Here’s the bank account they’ve set up to take donations: BSB: 012-525 Account number: 837535154

P I C S : TAT H R A M T B C L U B

On Sunday 18 March, a bushire – apparently started after wild winds blew trees onto electrical lines – swept over the NSW coastal town of Tathra after jumping the Bega River, destroying 65 houses, 35 vans and cabin and damaging 48 more residences. Mercifully, no one was injured or killed in the maelstrom… but the tiny village, home to less than 1600 people, has paid a heavy price. Tathra is best known to mountain bikers as home to a brace of trails that define the very essence of community spirit. More than 50km of world-level singletrack has been carved out of the hillsides behind the township over the last decade and a half, without a single dollar of state or federal government money assisting the cause. Half of it – including the legendary Bridges, Hatti Gatti and Nizentite, which make up part of the Bundadung network – have been

badly damaged, with infrastructure destroyed and trails covered in ash. Fortunately, the southernmost trail network, known as the Fire Shed trails, have survived. The local mountain bike club has inspected and cleaned all 21km of trails, which were opened only a week after the fire. Even more fortunate is the outpouring of help from clubs and riders who all want to give something to mates in need. "We are feeling very humbled at the Tathra MTB Club for the generous support that is being offered to our town and club by the Australian MTB community,” said the club on their Facebook page. “Everyone is still very shocked, but receiving your messages and those of hundreds of other riders, reassures us the wider mountain bike community is just as tight knit as those living here. The decision by clubs and organisations to stage events, organize clothing and

fundraise shows we are definitely involved with the right sport and right people. "Rest assured - the future of the Tathra mountain bike trails is guaranteed.” The town is also open for business, and community leaders are calling for tourists to come to the town. “Getting our community back on its feet involves rebuilding the things that make Tathra the town it is,” said Stacey Defina from the Tathra MTB Club. “We need to get back to normal, and mountain biking will play a part in the healing. The town, its residents and businesses need mountain bikers to come back and keep us rolling along.” As we went to press, Stacey confirmed with us that the 2018 Enduro event will go ahead as planned on the FireShed trails, so get your entry in and accommodation sorted… and we’ll be down there, not just to race but to spend our cash and lend a hand.

They're still smiling in Tathra, despite the damage to their amazing trail network

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ABSOLUTEBLACK SILICONE GRIPS AbsoluteBlack has come up with an interesting take on the lightweight silicone grip with this dual density number. The company claims that the 70g grips – yep, that’s for a pair – are grooved for extra grip, making it ideal for riders who ride gloveless. At 33mm in diameter and 130mm long, they also offer a good amount of chunk. They even ship with a pair of turned alloy bar end plugs that use rubber o-rings to keep them in place, and they even ship with spare o-rings so you can adjust the fit. Weight 70g Price $50 Website www.absoluteblack.com

CANE CREEK HELM FORKS

ONEUP AXLE ‘Lighter’ and ’stronger’ aren’t often heard in the same sentence when it comes to mountain bike bits, but that’s what OneUp is claiming for its new 15mm axle. Designed to replace the stock items in both regular and Boost 15mm equipped Fox and Rock forks (20mm axle owners need not apply, nor owners of DVO, Marzocchi, X Fusion, SunTour, Cane Creek et al forks). It claims a 98 per cent increase in both strength and stiffness, while dropping 20g over the stock item. Downside; you lose the quick release functionality of the front wheel, but we all carry 6mm hex keys these days. Don’t we? Weights vary between 58g and 63g depending on model, and you even get them in orange for your Fox or red for your Rock Shox. Or a black one for either. Weight 58-63g Price $53 From oneupcomponenets.com

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The status quo in suspension land is under heavy fire, and US shock maker Cane Creek’s Helm forks are the next to clamber out of the trenches to take on the incumbents. The Helm is a 27.5-inch Boost-width single crown fork with 35mm stanchions and internally adjustable travel between 140 and 170mm. Its biggest claim to fame is that it uses two air springs – a positive and a negative – to try and better balance the conflicting requirement between a supple ride and mid-travel stability. For example, a bit more air in the negative chamber will The Helm also offers the ability to change the positive spring’s air volume by way of an internal spacer rather than plastic tokens, while external adjustments are kept to a minimum. It’s also been designed to be stripped down with simple hand tools, and offers its own take on a 15mm quick-release through-axle. Weight for a pair with trimmed steerer and no axle is 2050g. We’ll bring you a review on mtbiking.com.au real soon. Weight 2050g Price $1500 Website www.dirtworks.com.au

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KRUSH ULTRA DRIVETRAIN CLEANER Aussie company Krush has launched its third product in three years, adding a citrus-based degreaser to its bike cleaning range. Formulated and concocted right here in Australia, Krush’s new Ultra Drivetrain Cleaner will is said to be safe for all surfaces on your bike, including carbon, rubber and faux leapord skin. Or is that just on my bike? Erm… anyway, it’s available in a large one-litre size, is completely biodegradable and comes with a handy applicator straw to get right into those tight spots. Best of all, it’s very reasonably priced at a nick under twenty five bucks. Quantity 1 litre Price $24.95 Website www.krushoz.com

ONE-RIDE REVIEW - AUSSIE GRIT FLINT SHORTS Former racing car ace - and mad keen mountain biker - Mark Webber comes from an environment where moving a steering wheel 1mm up or down to improve feel wasn’t considered out of the ordinary, and where maximising absolutely every element of performance was par for the course. His Aussie Grit Apparel company (so named after Mark’s social media handle) is not a relabelling exercise; rather, it’s an active attempt to produce the very best mountain biking clothing money can buy. The Flint baggies are one of the company’s first products, and the attention to detail is impressive. A soft waist is secured by a drawstring, its pockets are orientated so that items don’t affect pedalling and aren’t on your hips if you fall, the four-way stretch fabric is snag-proof, and the inbuilt Italian chamois is not overly bulky.

Such attention to detail doesn’t come cheap, though approximately $240 for an all-in-one isn’t way over the top, especially if they last you for a while. Even though Webber makes a whippet look chunky, the XL shorts fit my size 38 waist well. They’re quite a tight fit all over for a baggy, but the stretch fabric works well on the bike. The chamois is thinnish but well positioned, and even though it was a hot, muggy day, I didn’t find myself overheating. On the downside, the liner is integral to the short (so hopefully you like it) and a few mm more leg length wouldn’t hurt in the looks department. John will review the duds and the brand’s jersey more thoroughly next issue, but it’s a solid first effort for Aussie Grit. Price: $265 Website: aussiegritapparel.com

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VAN NICHOLAS REVELSTOKE Looking for a bike that’ll outlast both a zombie apocalypse AND a nuclear winter? Not a fan of running with the crowd? Got an eye for a heckin’ bargain? Van Nicholas’s Revelstoke offers the flexibility of 27.5+ or 29-inch wheel spec, a thruaxle rear end, long, low and quick geometry, some of the most artful dropout construction on the planet… and just for you, dear MBA reader, an astounding 30 per cent off rrp by using the code REV30 at their checkout! Get in quick – surely this offer can’t last long. Weight 2400g (L frame only) Price $3400 ($2380 after discount) Website blueglobe. com.au/revelstoke

2000 prototypes thrashed. 200 products conceived. 500,000 yards of fabric cut and stitched. FORTY editions of our catalogue produced. 800 races sponsored. $200,000 dispensed from our Slush Fund for local trails. A THOUSAND kilos of coffee beans ground, espressed and imbibed. MILLIONS of miles yet to ride. Pedal on

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UPDATE: SKODA OCTAVIA RS We're still rolling around in the excellent Skoda Octavia RS wagon, this month whipping it down to Tathra for a long weekend. And over a longer trip, the Skoda really stepped up to the plate. Its 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine has enough poke for safe passing, and it also returns impressively good fuel economy - we recorded 7.4 litres per 100km over 600-odd kilometres, against a claim of 6.6L/100km. Our trio of bike racks does spoil the ambience a bit, but while the wind noise was obvious, it never tipped over into 'argghh!' levels, thankfully. There's a stack of room aboard, as well, while the Apple CarPlay-equipped Canton stereo is worth the extra money. Price $42,890 (plus on-roads) Website skoda.com.au

Sasha Smith puts the hammer down on the Old Ghost Road, West Coast, New Zealand. Photo: Odin Woods

Made by us in New Zealand. Only available directly from

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FSA AFTERNBURNER WIDER WHEELS Alloy wheels ain’t done with yet. At 31mm wide (27mm inner bead) and 25mm deep, FSA’s new Afterburner Wider asymmetric aluminium wheelset is the widest pair of wheels that the Taiwanese company does. A simple black finish - right down to the black brass spokes - underplays the Afterburner’s hand-finished build, which features 24-hole straight-pull hubs, two-cross laced unbladed straight-pull spokes and a six-pawl freehub in either flavour. The hubs run on a double row of stainless steel bearings, and the rear can be used in Boost 148 x 12 or 135mm QR, thanks to included caps. The front, too, can run QR, and skewers, tubeless tape and valves are also included in the box. A quick blast around Derby and Tathra

SHOVEL EIGHTY8 ENDURO CHAIN GUIDE The Shovel Eighty8 Enduro chain guide is an affordable, practical guide that weighs in at 72g. The ISCG05 compatible guide runs a heatedtreated alloy plate, includes titanium mounting hardware and a PA plastic taco, and it will keep chains on round chainrings between 28 and 34 teeth, and on 28-32t oval rings. It even comes in all the colours of the ’bow. Weight 72g Price $109.95 Website mountainbikesdirect.com.au

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reveals a promising set of just-right hoops with good rider feedback. The freehub engages a bit better than the stock SRAM hubs they replaced, while the adjustable bearings just run and run. At 1728g for the pair, they’re acquitting themselves well thus far, too, with less than 2mm of runout on the front wheel after a ferocious crash. The rear hub bearing pretensioner had to be reset as well, but has stayed put after a tweak. We’ll throw a full review up online soon, but this is a great set of wheels for someone not keen on splurging on carbon wheels, and who wants a properly good set of hubs. Weight 1728g/pr (XD driver) Price $1200 (aprox) Website www.fullspeedahead.com

ROCK SHOX LYRIK RC2 As the Pike did for the trail bike, the Lyrik is now doing for the enduro crew… or indeed someone looking for a fork that offers a little more meat on the bone than the Pike. The new Lyrik RC2 – available in a nod-to-the-July-DH red, or in plain old black – gets a new Charger 2 damper as seen on the Pike, which is said to reduce overall weight and increase bump sensitivity. As well, a new DebonAir air spring, with a claimed 42 per cent more negative spring volume, is designed to eliminate some of the stiction that’s inherent in production forks. Finally, Rock Shox will offer the Lyrik in a new range of fork offsets, including 37 or 46mm variants for 27.5 forks, and 42 or or 51mm models for 29er forks. This opens the playing field a bit for designers of ultra long, ultra slack rigs who need a shorter offset for agility. It’ll come in travel increments between 150 and 180mm in 10mm jumps, and will weigh no more than 2058g for the heaviest 29er version. Pricing was yet to be revealed, but the new forks are available for order from now. You can also order the new Charger 2 damping cartridge for your older model Lyrik, but best to check compatibility first – they won’t be cheap. Price $1100-1500 (est) Weight 2030-2058g Website www.sram.com

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DESTINATION BLUE DERBY PODS

ESCAPE PODS THIS INCREDIBLE THREE-DAY TASMANIAN NATURE ESCAPE IS TRULY ONE OF THE WORLD’S BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE EXPERIENCES… BAR NONE. WORDS: TIM ROBSON

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DESTINATION BLUE DERBY PODS

As we roll up behind two other riders on the winding dirt trail, my guide Tam slow down noticeably. Isn’t that nice, I think. She’s giving them some room so we can ride faster. Suddenly she slows, veering left onto a barely marked track in the Tasmanian rainforest and motioning for me to follow. “We can’t let anyone see us,” she loud-whispers, as we ride further into the bush. In 20 seconds we emerge into a clearing, where it looks as if a benevolent alien race has beamed down a brace of small, curvaceous dwellings for its exclusive use. We are virtually in the epicentre of a large mountain bike trail network that rivals anything currently in existence in the world… and nobody knows these buildings are even here. Welcome to the Blue Derby Pods Experience, the brainchild of young couple Steve and Tara Howell, who saw an opportunity to add a premium… no, scratch that, a completely unique accommodation experience in the midst of a reboot of Tasmanian tourism. Derby is perched to the south of Launceston, which is a spirited 90-minute drive away. Once a dilapidated, fading remnant of the long-gone era of tin mining, the town has been reborn, thanks to the addition of a mountain bike trail network that’s bringing riders from all over the world to sample its truly decadent delights. More than 250km of dedicated trails have been lovingly etched into a stunning variety of terrain around Derby and its surrounds, with trails like Blue Tier and Atlas immersing rookies and pros alike in surrounds that Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson would reject for being too lush and picturesque.

Above: The pods are hidden from view Left: Hiding not far from Berms and Ferns is an amazing accommodation option

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DESTINATION BLUE DERBY PODS

In the midst of this impossible beauty lie the pods, five prefabricated structures that were virtually walked onto the site over six months in early 2016 by Steve, Tara and their family. Their timing was fortuitous – the couple, who have a distinct environmental bent were deep into planning their premium eco retreat when plans were announced for $4 million of state and federal funding to build the first stage of the Blue Derby trail network. A second impetus was the impending arrival of the world’s mountain biking media for a round of the Enduro World Series in April. “We told our builders we needed to finish two weeks ahead of schedule… which they weren’t thrilled about,” laughs Steve. In fact, World Trails boss Glenn Jacobs played a large part in the pod’s gestation. “We had searched for a suitable spot for ages, but had come up blank,” explains Steve. “Tara and I only had a few days left to nominate a location, and we were feeling pretty despondant, so we thought ‘bugger it’ and went out for a curry. “As it happened, Glenn was there for dinner as well, and after we got though explaining where we were at, he pointed us in this direction… and it was perfect.” The pods are complemented by a large communal space known as the Hub, which houses a long dining table – recovered from a piece of timber stored at Steve’s parent’s house – a lounge area and two walls of sliding glass that brings the Tasmanian wilderness right inside the building. The area is large and sparsely furnished, but it’s warm, soft and relaxing, and allows the guests – the pods have a capacity of two people each, in either a single or twin configuration – room to chat or to find their own space. The pods themselves are quite unlike anything I’ve ever stayed in. The curved,

The pods themselves are quite unlike anything I’ve ever stayed in.

BLUE DERBY PODS

Above: The curved pods blend with nature Left: Your room has a bed. That's about it

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Cost $2150 for three days/two nights (meals, mountain bike shuttles and gear rental included) (high season) Best time of year – Tasmania has generally mild summers but cold winters, but the trails can be ridden all year. The pods offer bookings all year round. How to get there – fly direct to Launceston Airport from most Australian capitals and meet the tour in nearby Launceston.

DESTINATION BLUE DERBY PODS

bare pine-sheeted walls are frame a simply enormous window that makes up the facing wall of the pod, again bringing nature as close as it’s possible to be without a canvas flysheet. “We had to really fight to get those windows,” says Steve, adding that it took months to find a glazier to work with them. “Even the opening mechanisms are custom-made.” And there’s evidence of that attention to detail throughout the pods. They are almost confrontingly simple – there’s no air con, for example, and no power points – but the huge bed is the focus of the room, and it’s an amazing place to retreat to after a day of rough-and-tumble playing in the forest. And play you must; this is a ride retreat, and Steve and his team know every inch of the Blue Derby network. We’ve talked about Derby before; the trails are built around a difficulty grade system of green (easiest) to black (only pros need apply), and the team can cater to both ends of the spectrum on the same trip. As a lifelong mountain biker and a Derby virgin, I’ve simply never experienced ANYTHING like Blue Derby. In fact, riding the region’s blue riband 17km-long Blue Tier trail feels like it’s bringing my entire 30-year riding career full circle. I’m learning new skills, bringing old ones to the fore and revelling in a hand-built ribbon of dark, impossibly grippy dirt that feels like it’s custom-made for my skill set. It’s actually quite an emotional experience.

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A mountain stream running through Blue Tier is a great stopping point The pods welcome riders back with showers that – again – back onto nature, before the Hub lures us in with the promise of local gourmet produce that’s prepared by some the region’s best providores. Our baby potatoes in salsa verde come from nearby Scottsdale, while the organic greens hail from Yorktown. The confit duck is – or was – a local, and the Devil’s Corner Resolution pinot noir is a standout in a state famed for the light red. On the surface, it’s easy to be bemused by the seeming lack of facilities within the pods… but really, that’s not the point, and that sense of bemusement about the lack of window blinds and a mini-bar rapidly

disappears. The pods offers a rare chance to step away from the world, and the ability to focus inwards for a couple of days. You’re sharing time with like-minded people in an amazing environment with incredible food and wine, and you have access to the best mountain bike trails on earth. Riding a mountain bike around the Blue Derby trails is a money-cannot-buy experience – literally, as they are free for anyone to access. If you’ve ever ridden off road even halfseriously, this is simply a must-do experience from anywhere on the planet, and the Blue Derby Pods Ride is a truly unique way to experience them.

Worlds Finest Oval Chainrings Available from www.scvimports.com.au

RIDER PROFILE - JOSH CARLSON

Nah...go the stare.

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RIDER PROFILE - JOSH CARLSON

REDEMPTION 2017 WAS A TOUGH YEAR FOR ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S FASTEST ENDURO RACERS, SO JOSH CARLSON HAS RESET LITERALLY EVERYTHING FOR 2018. IS IT ENOUGH TO TAME THE TOUGHEST RACE SERIES IN THE WORLD?

WORDS: TIM ROBSON PICS: TIM ROBSON, DYLAN WOLSKY

There were rumoured sightings up in the hills around Wollongong, NSW, of a super fast bloke on a mountain bike… but no one could pin it down. He was dressed in all black, no team logos, said one guy. He saw me coming and literally dove into the bush to get away from me, said another. Could it be… Josh Carlson? “Yeah,” laughs Josh, as we settle into a café near his home trails not far from the centre of the coastal town. “There was quite a bit of secrecy surrounding it (my new 2018 bike), and I just had to disappear. I chose to get away from social media for a little bit just to focus on training, focus on my family, and just have a break, you know? Just get away from it for a little while, and it was nice. “But I enjoy doing social media, it's part of the job. I enjoy sharing my bikes, my travel, my life, the cool, weird things my kids do, and it seems like some people enjoy watching them. So I do feel like I should keep doing that, and I wanna to keep doing it. So that's why I had a break

there, to keep it fresh and make sure that I still long to do that. And to hide my bike. I couldn't be seen in public!” The gregarious 32-year-old is one of the new generation of Aussie racers making a career of professional mountain bike racing, competing in the brutally tough Enduro World Series as part of Giant Bicycle’s factory team. Born and bred on the south coast of NSW, Carlson upped sticks and moved to Canada in 2012 to further his career in mountain biking’s heartland, and in 2016, things really clicked. Aside from a poor round in the UK, he never finished outside the top 20, and even landed a podium spot in Whistler, his adopted town’s home race. But while 2017’s pre-season training went well, the season was destined to be his worst yet. “I went back to Vancouver with some of the best form I ever had,” he recalls. “Everything was rosy looking at (rounds one and two) Tasmania and New Zealand. But the day before my daughter was

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RIDER PROFILE - JOSH CARLSON

Josh had to keep a low profile with the new gear in the off-season... not so easy with a bright green fork!

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RIDER PROFILE - JOSH CARLSON

“Redemption's a big one,” he says quietly. “My expectations for 2018 are just to get back to where I want to be.” born… I was still changing flights to make the race, by the way… I hit a rock on our local trail and just yarded down the hill in a massive way. I didn’t break anything, but pushed my knee to the point of breaking, and even now, 14 months later, it’s only 90 or 95 per cent healed.” Josh’s daughter was born the next day, with both Lisa and Josh pushed into the hospital in wheelchairs… but the intense, focused racer in Josh stood up and pushed him to make a series decisions that would have a profound affect on his year. “Because I was running around the hospital with Lisa, and I wasn’t thinking about me at all, it got worse and worse… and that’s why it took ages and ages to heal,” he reveals, adding that it was kept under wraps from the media. He would miss the two Antipodean rounds, denting any chance of a decent overall result. To underline the bad luck, he hurt a shoulder at a team photo shoot, which also added to the woe.

“I was so stubborn,” he admits. “I was coming off such a good summer, I just wanted to push through it. Just tape it up, give me some painkillers and I’m good to go. My own overconfidence just overshadowed me, and it bit me, just like that. Twice. Once you’re off the back, it’s hard to get back on.” Josh, though, has the backing of his team… but he knows what he needs to do in 2018. “I'm not on a big team to get 32nd or 33rd or whatever I ended up,” he says. “I don't want those results. They don't expect those results, and as cool as Giant is, they don't deserve that kind of thing. They do everything for us to make us perform and supply us with the best equipment, the best team, mechanics, everything. Everything we want or need to perform is there, and I feel like I let them down last year.” Fast-forward to the end of a miserable 2017 season, and thoughts turned towards home. Arriving in 2012, Josh now has a wife and two small children, and the isolation from family

and friends is taking a toll. The EWS season, too, is scattered across the globe, so living in Vancouver wasn’t necessarily a requirement any more. Josh felt, too, that the time had come to make changes, which solidified in his mind after a horror run at the 2017 Whistler round, the scene of his 2016 podium, where he hurt his shoulder again. “Full mental re-set, yeah,” he says. “Once I recovered from (Whistler) I finally had three weeks of training before (the final event in) Italy that was proper training. I had four weeks of sitting on the couch recovering. My body had healed. My shoulder healed. My knee healed. My head healed. I hung out with my family. I went to Italy feeling refreshed and I got a top 15 results and had a couple of top 10 stages. It was like, ‘Ah, I can do this.’” The family then bade Vancouver farewell, resettling in the area where Josh grew up – and even worked on the local council before turning pro.

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RIDER PROFILE - JOSH CARLSON

“Everything changed. Our whole country changed, our home changed, everything was different,” says Josh. “At first, it was ‘get away from the weather, be back home with the family, good for training’. But it was like we needed to go home to reset my career. “The positive side to that is that we're home with family. In Vancouver, we were by ourselves so when I'd go away my wife, Lisa, was home with the kids by herself for weeks and weeks. I'd try and go away and just come straight back so she wasn't by herself. I'd come home and help. Now, when I go away I know that my family is close. Her parents are super close. My parents are super close to where we live and that makes life way easier.

“It's a huge weight off my mind and helps me focus on the job at hand and makes the travel more easy to deal with.” As well as a new family outlook, Josh – a technically minded bike racer with very specific ideas about bike set up – has had to completely revisit his bike set up for 2018. “The only we kept were the frames and the grips,” he laughs. Moving from SRAM to Shimano drivetrain and brakes doesn’t seem like a big deal, but to a guy who measures bar rolls in millimetres, it’s a big adjustment. “I just pay attention to how my bike reacts, and we spend four or five years riding the same tyres, the same drivetrains, brakes, bars, everything,” he says. “You're intimately

BIKE CHECK - JOSH'S 2018 GIANT REIGN ADVANCED

Frame Rear shock Fork Groupset Chainguide

DVO Jade remote coilover DVO Diamond, 160mm Shimano XTR Di2 MRP

Brakes

Shimano Saint, 200mm rotors

Wheels

Giant, alloy rims, 32h (development wheelset)

Tyres Bars, stem Dropper Pedals

Giant Reign Advanced, 160mm travel, large

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Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5 Shimano Pro components Giant HT

aware of how it feels in your finger, or where your grips are supposed to be, where your bars are supposed to be. So to have all that changed –the handlebars have a different back sweep, the brakes have a different contact point, a different feel in your finger. It's just all totally different.” US suspension minnow DVO will sponsor Giant in 2018, and Josh is positive about the wholesale switch. “Just in the last week I made some suspension setting changes that were worth five seconds a lap on a three minute track that I've been training on,” he reveals. “I didn't get that much better in one week! A couple of subtle changes of compression and highspeed, low-speed, this and that, bang. There's free time.” With the start of the season in April, Josh feels like he’s back to that place he was at the beginning of 2017 – confident, well trained and ready to go. I ask him what he’s thinking about going into 2018. “Redemption's a big one,” he says quietly. “My expectations for 2018 are just to get back to where I want to be. I want to get competitive. I want to be consistent and I want to reward the team and my wife for all the sacrifice, dedication, and all the hard work we've been putting in. It is a team effort from everyone in your corner. The expectation isn't necessarily on a number. I've been training well. “I'm fit. I'm strong. Bike’s grand. I'm gonna do this. Yeah, I'm killing it. No shit. My expectation is just to get back to where I want to be and perform and just do the best that I can do. “If I can do that, if I can perform well and ride how I think I can ride and perform, I think the rest will just fall into place.”

DESTINATION IRAN

PRINCES OF PERSIA SHREDDING THE MYSTERIOUS AND LITTLE-RIDDEN TRAILS OF IRAN WORDS: HOLGER MEYER | PICS: MARTIN BISSIG

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DESTINATION IRAN

Religious fanaticism, sable-rattling Mullahs and a seemingly sealed off society: Iran remains a largely cryptic country. The oriental magic of the past is nowhere to be found. A trip to Tehran and its backcountry has confronted Andrew Neethling and Holger Meyer with reality. Together with locals, the well-travelled pros explored the pearl of Persia’s single trails — and experienced not just the country’s top-notch trail network, but also the warmth of its inhabitants. Their perception of Iran was turned completely upside down. My head pounds as the taxi driver merges into the traffic while honking like a madman. The two bike bags in the back push against me from behind. It’s a miracle that they even made it into the yellow Saipa. We can’t believe Tehran’s rush-hour traffic with its 11 million inhabitants. Driving is a close call here. There are three lanes — but five seem to be in use. Having arrived at the hotel, we met Michel, our Swiss guide. He has planned our trip and created a very precise Swiss schedule for us. Andrew, Martin and I feel good about it. Michel’s plan sounds great: A few days in Tehran, then off to the mountains around Iran’s capital city, a detour into a skiing area, then up north to the Caspian Sea and finally into the desert. Sounds good! Relaxed, we finish the last sip of our tea with sugar while sitting cross-legged, as Michael reveals that he has to leave the next day. Hassan, our local guide, will be taking over for him. Alright! Different folks, different strokes — we’re can’t wait. It’s Friday. Or Sunday in Iran. Everyone has the day off. And it seems as if everyone is into cycling here. Well, at least all of those who own a bicycle. And I feel as if all of these mountain bikers can’t take their eyes off me and my tubeless tyres when they refuse to get back into their rims after our flight. I can’t really come up with anything when someone approaches me and asks: “Hello, how do you like Iran?” I feel the sweat dripping down my forehead as I pump air into the things like an idiot. Then our guide Hassan shows up. He’s an Iranian MTB national coach, and he tells us in halting English that he’s also a mechanic. He heads over to his Saipa – that’s an Iranian car – and returns with a 12V compressor. My saviour! Meanwhile, we’re surrounded by around 40 men and women. The women here ride wearing long clothes, as the state requires them to cover their heads and wear long dresses, while we tackle the summer temperatures with bike shorts. Unfortunately, Hassan’s compressor can’t help either. Freerider Taja has spotted the problem and offers me two CO2 cartridges. Immediately,

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DESTINATION IRAN

safe. The chief himself even turns them on for us. Weightlessly, we glide over the 3,000-metre mark. Here in the Alborz mountain range, there are several summits that almost make it up to 4,000 metres. I immediately think of the incredible powder snow opportunities that must exist up here during winter: Wide descents as far as the eye can see. But are there any trails up here? Nope. However, the word ‘road’ does not mean in Iran what we mean when we say it. Andrew and I connect to an old passage toward the valley, where rough gravel takes turns with skid-proof clay soil and makes us scream out in excitement in the fast curves. At this height, it’s starting to get really cold, and when the sun disappears behind the mountain, we’re in dire need of something warm; either down feathers, hot soup or a tea, and ideally all of them together. ‘Ash’ is the name of the national dish that is served at almost every corner, a large vegetarian pot of soup that cooks over an open flame. Hassan orders it for us. It tastes good and warms us up, too. I wake up on an incredibly beautiful Persian carpet. My back may hurt, but the down feather sleeping bag was a good choice. Our accommodation is a house without beds, merely equipped with carpets. That’s normal here; everyone simply sleeps on the floor. We fix ourselves tea and go on our way. At 1,000 metres of elevation, we have to start hiking instead of biking; we want to have breakfast up high under the sun. We carry and push our bikes through a mystical forest. Wafts of mist slowly give way to the incoming sun rays, and the trees are thin but are covered in thick, green moss. Many of the leaves have already assumed their golden autumn colours. The further we torment ourselves upwards, the brighter the forest becomes. Hassan cycles ahead, Andrew and I follow suit. With the increasing height, the vegetation also changes, as we pedal among large beech trees and through green leaves. Suddenly, it gets as green as we would never have expected it from Iran. Although the trail serpentines through the trees, we get to have a whole lot of fun fighting for the pole position, until suddenly two huge dogs block our way. We look up and see two shepherds having breakfast in the warm sun. The dogs are theirs. A whistle from above and the dogs are tame. The mountain herdsmen have pitched their quarters here, just like we were planning on doing. As if it’s the most normal thing in the world, they invite us to join them for food and tea. Hassan translates: “Very friendly people.” Indeed! There is flatbread, fresh cheese, homemade honey and some vegetables. “Very good!” Merci.

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We set forth for the summit, and the dogs remain on our side as our companions. We cover the last few metres by climbing up the mountain. Up here, there are no more trees, it’s barren. There are a few huts at the foot of the summit. Having arrived on top, there’s a spectacular view of the 5,600 -metrehigh Mount Damavand. It’s the tallest mountain in the Orient and glimmers snow white in the midday sun. We’re excited about the descent. The first part requires a bit of skill, as it is riddled with blocked rock passages and several sharp bends, but afterwards it begins to flow more and gets quite fast on the old sheep trails. There are countless opportunities to overtake. Andrew doesn’t try to hide his history as a downhill World Cup rider and hits jumps wherever possible. His rear wheel turns this thing into a video game for me, as I constantly have to react to the rocks that suddenly appear in front of me.

the two unruly rubber wheels jump back into the rims. We’re finally good to go. We make our way through Tehran’s city park at the city’s southern periphery. First on asphalt, then on gravel and then finally uphill on the single trail. Passing by the large military facilities, we slowly gain elevation, metre by metre. Hassan says: “Better no photos, please!” Otherwise, the military could arrest us on charges of espionage. We certainly wouldn’t want that. During our first rest, we start to enjoy the view. All around us we see plenty of barren hills with several trails and paths, and desert landscapes as far as the eye can see, with no green in sight. The route is a little irregular and unclear; now, it’s suddenly steep. We pant toward the summit and once we crest it, can’t produce a single word, being so out of breath. The view is absolutely spectacular. From up here, you can see all of Tehran. Extending all the way to the horizon, the city looks like a giant carpet of a settlement that was placed across the valley, framed by the high

DESTINATION IRAN

mountains. And thus, we leave the city of 14 million behind us. Normally the sky looks rather brown than blue, our guide reveals in his broken English. “Very, very luck”, says Hassan. Up here, our group separates for good. Most of the riders take the easier route into the valley. Hassan recommends the trail route, which is a great suggestion. It’s just the right way to enjoy the many panoramas as the narrow trail, riddled with rock passages, gets steeper. The ground is hard and dusty, but offers excellent traction. The curves provide a great grip, while a few climbs here and there work wonders on the cardiovascular system. We continue on our path for the next hour or so, before making our way back into the traffic chaos of the metropolis.

Clockwise from top opposite page: Local food is plentiful and cheap; Sessioning the city wall; Natural landscape features prominently; The purple gondolas worked. Kind of...

Shah nostalgia and purplecoloured ski gondolas Dizin is a ski resort that was built in the 1970s. Back then, the Shah was still in charge of Iran. The gondolas from the era look accordingly

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DESTINATION IRAN

GENERAL INFO

Iran largely consists of high mountains and dry, desert-like basins. The Muslim country borders the Caspian Sea to the north and the Persian Gulf to the south. Tehran is located 1,500 metres above sea level. Iran has around 81 million inhabitants and is two-thirds the size of Australia.

Visa Best to request one with the consulate in advance, or directly when entering in.

Currency Iranian rial, exchange rate: 100,000 rial is around $4. It’s best to exchange currency at the airport upon entry as you will find the best euro or dollar exchange rates there. Important: Bring your travel money in cash. As a result of the economic embargo you cannot withdraw cash in Iran, and credit cards do not work either.

The variety of landscape on offer is truly breathtaking

Journey 18 hours (Sydney, Melbourne) via Dubai. There’s even more fun later in the forest, where the leaves on the ground — having fallen victim to the autumn season – make track selection both difficult as well as slippery. Hassan had already announced it earlier: “Single track very beauty!” He didn’t oversell it. We enjoy the curves here in the forest, which we had to hike up earlier in the morning, for quite a while.

Tea and sea At night, we arrive at the Caspian Sea. By the campfire, we discuss the schedule for the next day. Since the consumption of alcohol is strictly prohibited in Iran, we drink tea instead of beer. The term ‘Caspian Sea’ is actually deceptive; independently of that, we feel we have to check whether the world’s largest inland lake actually contains any salt. It’s not even that cold, and considering the fact that the showering situation is not quite clear yet, it feels rather good. We dry ourselves by the fire. Our trail highlight is set to take place the next day. Sixteen kilometres of single downhill trail is on schedule, according to Hassan’s buddies Mohammed, Mehed, Tehali and Behzad, and that’s reason enough to get excited. The next morning, though, none of us can believe their eyes, because it’s raining buckets. For now, the dream trail will remain but a dream. Our schedule is tight, and so

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we decide to continue riding toward the desert to try our luck there. Hassan’s downhill team riders Taheli and Behzad join us. Full of motivation, they want to show us their country from its best side. On our way to the desert, we stop at a local downhill track. Wide, tree-free slopes make for a completely different mountain biking experience. Once again, we are as impressed by the trails as we are by the landscape. Hassan is extremely proud that we like it so much. To him, this strip of land is his personal Rampage track; “Like Utah — don’t you think?” Kashan is very historic, the palaces and old buildings are beautifully furnished, and everything is kept in beige and brown colours. The inner city reminds me of scenes from Star Wars, and Andrew emerges from around the corner on his bike like Luke Skywalker from his space glider. Together, we explore the bazaar, haggle, and still can’t come to terms with the money and all the zeros. The next few trails are once again near Tehran, where we do a few final rounds together with our new Iranian friends. Soon, it’s time to say goodbye to a country that couldn’t be more diverse and more contradictory. The people here are incredibly open and think in very Western terms; quite different from the picture we had of them and what one might expect based on media reports. One thing is certain; Iran, we will be back.

Capital city Tehran, population 14 million

Our route Tehran – Dizin – Alimestan – BosharKashan- Qazvin- Tehran

Our team: Hassan Sadoghi: Team Manager of the Iranian MTB team, guide, future bike shop owner Martin Bissig: Photographer and videographer from Switzerland Andrew Neethling: Former downhill World Cup pro from South Africa, shop owner and trail chaser Holger Meyer: Author from Garmisch (Germany), riding technique coach, guide and trail chaser

Hold your iPhone camera over the code (or your QR reader) to see the ride on mtbiking.com.au!

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FITNESS - BC BIKE RACE

MISSION POSSIBLE HOW DO YOU GET A LAZY, MIDDLE-AGED MTBER OFF THE LOUNGE AND FIT ENOUGH TO TACKLE THE SEVEN DAYS OF SWEET SINGLETRACK THAT IS THE FAMOUS BC BIKE RACE? WELL, IT AIN’T EASY, WE CAN TELL YOU THAT

WORDS: JUSTIN WALKER PICS: TIM ROBSON

It’s become a very old story. Way back in 2014, this writer was fortunate enough to spend a day riding the famous North Shore trails of Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada. Even more fortunate was doing so with MTB free-ride legend Wade Simmons and ex-Canadian MTB Olympian Andreas Hestler. And that’s where this story really started; Hestler is actually part of the brains trust behind the creation of the BC Bike Race (BCBR), one of the world’s most famous MTB stage races, now in its eleventh year. I barely survived that 2014 experience – the term ‘way in over your head’ didn’t even come close to covering the first 10 minutes of riding on some of Wade’s ‘special’ trails, much less what followed on that day. Somehow, Andreas got me excited (or I might have just been over-pumped on adrenalin after actually surviving what I thought was a serious attempt to kill me) about the prospect of riding the BCBR. The event itself is magical; seven days of BC’s winding, technical, and steep singletrack, with the race stages spread out over a number of BC communities’ trail networks, makes it look pretty speccy. So, rather incredibly considering my near-death experience of that same day, put my hand up for the following year’s event. And then the next excuse-laden three years rolled by. My riding during that time was intermittent at best - and yet so very unlike my appetite, which saw me physically balloon out to a near-cartoonish caricature of my former self, with only my voice recognisable by even family members. Feeling down, I rode even less, and often mentally struggled to even think about getting on the bike; the simple act of riding down to the shops was met with dread and a quickening of my already over-taxed heart rate. And then each February I would email Andreas with another pathetically long-winded excuse as to how I was ‘too busy’, or ‘our second child has arrived’ so I couldn’t get enough training time, etc., therefore – insert any year from 2015-2017 here – wasn’t to be for me and the BCBR.

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FITNESS - BC BIKE RACE

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FITNESS - BC BIKE RACE

And then, something happened – and it is something I think happens to many ‘old’ MTBers. By old, I mean those guys and girls who first jumped on a mountain bike back in the late 1980s, when the sport was just getting started; steel frames, fluoro-frame paint jobs, and all. Suddenly, in late 2017, I was looking down the barrel of the fact that those ‘glory days’ of riding seemed behind me and at the same time I was sliding everfaster down the path of middle age and increasingly poor health – both physical and mental. It ain’t uncommon for those of this certain age, and there are myriad answers in terms of how to help pull those in deep malaise out of their predicament. For me, it was finding a goal and making it happen. Of course, I knew exactly what goal. So that’s when, come January this year, rather than send off version 4 of my BCBR excuse, I instead sent Andreas confirmation: I wanted to ride the 2018 BC Bike Race.

This is the first time I have tackled a training program with a coach and, four weeks in, I am starting to get my head (and my legs) around it.

Mission possible? Saying ‘yes’ was the easy part. Decent MTB fitness and a strong mental focus don’t just magic themselves up – especially in a 46-year-old desk-bound journo who last felt ‘fit’ about five years previously and is carrying the equivalent of both his children in additional weight (read: 35kg). In short, even though mentally I was on the right track, I was realistic enough to see that, because it took me so long to click into focus, I now had only five months (I broke it down into days – 189 – and it sounded a lot less daunting) before I would be at the BCBR start line and that period of time would mean finding the right mix between training, my job and my family. This led to some fine-tuning of my goal: I wasn’t even going to consider being a front-runner during the race, I simply wanted to be fit enough to enjoy each day’s riding and finish (in one piece) the seven days with a sense of true accomplishment, reflecting something Andreas first mentioned when he spoke about the importance of training and preparation. “You really want to be physically fit,” he said, the afternoon of that fateful North Shore riding day. He was stating the obvious and without making a second obvious point that said journalist he was talking to most certainly wasn’t. “And I mean both upper body and cardiovascularly,” he continued. “This isn't so you can withstand the rigours of the event, but so you can enjoy the journey, keep your eyes off the two feet of trail in front of you and view the amazing surroundings you will be in.”

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Yeah, it all sounded so inspiring – and he’s offered plenty of encouragement since then – but it is those two words, from way back in 2015 – “physically fit” – that seem to have just hung around. And so it began…

The plan for today The BC Bike Race comprises a hefty dose of climbing – on average 1500 metres per stage – with a similar amount of descending, all mixed in with some decidedly technical terrain, primarily in the form of slippery tree roots and rocks. So it ain’t an event that is conducive to a lastminute spur-of-the-moment entry – it needs a cautious and calculated approach, both to actually sign on (knowing what you’ve got ahead of you) and get fit for. There are myriad training programs available for those keen on riding/racing a MTB event, but here in Australia us regular riders are also particularly lucky in having access to coaching from some of the best in the world. I had known Mark ‘Fenz’ Fenner in my previous career as a mountain bike and adventure mag editor, and knew Mark was one of the founder of the very successful online Today’s Plan training platform (now used by Team Sky), so I approached Fenz for

a program to get my sorry self into shape for seven days of BC singletrack riding. Today’s Plan allows you and your online coach (Nick Morgan was the oh-so-lucky one tasked to me) to tailor your training to your fitness level and skill, plus available time – this last, for me, very important. The plan takes the technical out of cycling training by making it relatively easy to track your progress; objective metrics are used to quantify training ‘loads’ and gauge your progress. Getting started with Today’s Plan is easy: you just log on, enter your personal details (fitness level, riding habits, weight, etc.), type in how many hours you can spare a week to ride (five, initially, for me), and then select whether you will be using a heart-rate monitor or power meter to record ride data (the software uses this to tweak your training to your goals). Armed with this info, Today’s Plan creates a calendar of training. You can opt to get daily emails with the workout of that day or – like me – you can have each week visible on your dedicated portal screen. The daily emails laid out in a calendar allow you to mentally prepare (okay, freak yourself out, especially when it comes to the Threshold and VO2 sessions) for

FITNESS - BC BIKE RACE

Opposite page: It's all about chasing the data Right: Technical skills can't be neglected, either

what is coming up over the next week. You then just click on each session in the calendar to see what type of training – Threshold, Endurance, Tempo, and VO2 – is there.

Passion, focus and plenty of feedback This is the first time I have tackled a training program with a coach and, four weeks in (minus only a couple of sessions owing to unexpected work and/or family commitments), I am starting to get my head (and my legs) around it in terms of the efforts involved and the amazing amount of data that is on hand to read after each session: everything from average heart rate and power output (split into percentages relating to endurance, threshold and tempo), through to whether you’ve met the presession T-Score (a reflection of overall effort). There’s even a load graph, which tracks the progressive lift in intensity over the plan’s length. Each session is then used by Today’s Plan to tweak your future sessions and Nick is always there for advice and to offer feedback. To date, most sessions have been completed on my BMC road bike, connected to a JetBlack Z1 Fluid Trainer. The reasons for this are that – especially when doing the VO2 or Tempo workouts – it is too difficult to replicate these short (and not-so-short) bursts on the road or my local trail; ramping up on the stationary trainer setup means you have to focus on that one thing: ensuring you push your heart rate into the allocated range. With a playlist of ’80s/’90s hard rock, it hasn’t been too bad… and dashing inside to check how each workout panned out on the Today’s Plan web page, once I have uploaded the data from my Garmin 510, helps keep the enthusiasm high. At this relatively early stage, the workouts’ effort requirement has increased slowly but steadily, and my body has adapted accordingly. I will, however, start tagging certain workouts for a trail location (or road), as the best way to get used to riding MTB is to do just that, especially when you’re also aboard a new rig.

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FITNESS - BC BIKE RACE

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BIKE For this rider, the fitness levels are the biggest focus, but to just concentrate on that is to ignore the particular requirements of tackling a seven-day stage race. Other factors to take into consideration obviously include bike selection, which should reflect the type of terrain (mainly) you’ll be tackling, as well as the time spent on a bike. As much as we all dream of riding the BC trails on a XC whippet, the reality is the average punter (me) should go for a bike that is comfortable for long hours in the saddle, and offers a decent amount of travel, as well as a wide gear range. When I asked Andreas re the bike selection for this rider, his answer was pretty much all of the above; the resulting search has led me to a Rocky Mountain Instinct A70 29er (tested this issue). I am a bit of a Luddite in terms of frame material, but this selection was more based around the fact the Instinct offered nearly everything I could want for the event; distance-gobbling 29er wheels, wide-ranging 1x12 GX Eagle (32T up front for now, might even drop that to 30T), Rocky’s Ride-9 adjustable geometry setup, decent brakes and – for this habitual crasher – plenty of suspension travel front and rear, at 140mm. It’s the ideal bike (and there are others, of course, such as the Santa Cruz Hightower, and Norco’s Sight, just to name two) that fills that all-rounder brief – ideal for the constant ascent/ descent and mixed terrain that the BCBR will throw at me over the seven days. I have set aside a few weeks of technical ride training, too, and am hoping to find a circuit (other than my local) that replicates (at least to some degree) both the terrain and the ascent/descent of a BCBR stage. Of course it won’t be the same, but ensuring my bike and I are working in synergy on techy terrain is a must.

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Justin understands how hard it's going to be, but he reckons the reward of getting to the finish will be worth it

More than just the bike Bike selection for this event is important (see sidebar), but equally important is how the rider’s apparel, hydration and nutrition (plus some mechanical skills) work together in the background to both keep you moving, but also free to concentrate on the trails (and those views). I am slowly whittling down the gear I will be riding in; with a week’s worth of riding, the last thing you want is chafing, blisters or the like, so I am close to finalising a set of ‘favourites’ in regards to shorts/nicks/shirts/shoes, and once I do, I will empty the wallet out and buy at least five sets of the same (minus the shoes, of course). Nutrition is something I am also aware of, mainly due to past stomach complaints, and this area is, again, slowly being tweaked so I can rely on the fuel sources I use during the race. The BCBR feeds competitors each morning and night and the team there has already posted up a sample of the menus that will be available during the event – it is just up to me to pick certain food types that don’t upset my stomach. Smaller things, such as whether to ride with a Camelbak or use bottles (thankfully the Instinct can fit a full-sizer in its frame) are still to be decided, and I also need to practice mechanical repairs – something I have always been ham-fisted with. The final prep work relates around mental strength. As you have probably figured out,

strength of mind – this one in particular – is a must; having lost the focus in years previous, it has taken a bit of a re-evaluation of both life and goals to keep on track for what is, really, a bucket-list, life-changing event. I haven’t delved into meditation at this point, but may well do so; pushing positive thoughts toward the end result come that first week of July and those epic BC trails, and not worrying about “will I get sick”, “am I going to be ready”, “have I done enough” is the focus here.

The end goal It is early March as I write this, and things are all still slightly new in terms of the bike (especially) but also the training, and I have already shored up a few fears around my timeline by converting the weeks left until the event into days left – it really does sound like I have more ‘time’ if I do this, and cancels out a bit of anxiety. Already – even after three weeks – I am noticing my legs bounce back quicker after each Today’s Plan session and that is encouraging, as is the fact my mindset is definitely in the right place. I am not ready for the challenge of the BC Bike Race at this stage, and I don’t want to peak too early (okay, okay, there’s probably not much chance of that) but I definitely feel that, come July 7 (Day 1), this rider will be lined up with the rest of the entrants, fully prepared and confident that a MTB dream is about to come true. It will hopefully be a memorable story to tell, so stay tuned!

WIDER, LIGHTER AND FASTER THAN EVER.

CREST MK3

ARCH MK3

FLOW MK3

THE FIRST NAME IN TUBELESS. jetblackproducts.com

TECH – SUSPENSION TWEAKING

SUSPENDED BELIEF

IF YOU WANT A CARBON HANDLEBAR OR FANCY NEW SADDLE, KEEP YOUR CASH IN YOUR POCKET – THIS IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO TO YOUR BIKE WORDS AND PICS: TIM ROBSON

MODERN manufacturing is a pretty amazing thing. Modern consumer products are made up of dozens of parts that have to work all the time, every time, no matter the conditions or the end user… and mountain bike shocks have to have one of the hardest lives of all. Repeated cycles under exposed conditions and in all types of weather are hard things to engineer for, and so generally speaking a typical mountain bike suspension piece will be slightly overbuilt in terms of manufacturing tolerances in order to have a better change of survival out in the wild. As well, a shock or fork is designed to work across a wide spectrum of end users. From young kids to old farts, from 55kg XC whippets to 120kg strappers, and from cold climes to searing summers, a piece has to work out of the box no matter what. And this is the key to making your bike feel better than you can believe. Tune your suspension to suit your riding style and weight, and it’ll work better everywhere, all the time. But that’s expensive, you say. And what do I know about tuning shocks? How can I tell

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them what I want? Well, it’s not anywhere near as expensive as you think, and it turns out you don’t have to know all that much, either. Ever since I rode the Norco Sight in the last issue, I’ve been looking sideways at my own personal Norco – a 2016 Optic with a Fox 34 Float Performance Elite fork and a Float DPS Performance Elite EVOL shock – with a touch of disdain; it just didn’t feel as supple and active as the Sight’s similar suspension tune. And it was front and rear, too. The fork felt like it fluttered or shimmied oddly deep in the stroke, almost as if the headset was loose, while I was also struggling to find the sweet spot between having a nice, active first part of travel without it collapsing on itself in the second part of the stroke. In the back, the rear shock seemed to lack the ability to ‘flow’ over a bump; it felt like it was sticking, or its stroke was a little bit jerky, when compared to the Sight. A buddy recommended I get in touch with the guys at Sydney Mountain Bike Suspension

TECH – SUSPENSION TWEAKING

Centre, based in the suburb of Stanmore, to see if they could help. Co-owner Simon Glanville was more than happy to see if he could fix things, and so I yanked the parts off my bike and headed in. I’ll note here that we’re looking more at generalities around suspension set-ups for bikes, and not especially at particular product lines. The principles we talk about here can apply to all suspension. Simon greets me in his small, tidy workshop, taking my suspension pieces and quickly measuring what he’s dealing with. He records air pressures and locations of dials, before setting to work… and straight away, I get the feeling he already knows a lot more about what I want and need from my stuff than I do, without me having said a word. We start on the fork and Simon – who’s worked with the Fox brand for almost a decade – says that a change in the newer generation products mean that spacers are now a thing.

“So in the older days of Fox when you used to space your fork down the whole way position got shifted up, making the volume of the air changes smaller, which then changed how progressive the fork moves it,” he said. “It made a 140mm form that you spaced down to 120mm ride like a proper 120mm fork. But these days they use an air transfer port, which mean that you can't change the height of the piston; it has to stay the same. So the actual shaft gets shorter but the air chamber doesn't change in length, which means you then need to run more spacers the shorter you go.” His rule for the number of tokens - solid pieces of plastic also known as spacers - is pretty simple; “for every 10mm of travel you add a 10mm spacer. If you are bottoming out then we're adding a spacer. If you're not bottoming out and you're lightweight then we're probably taking the spacer away.” He quickly strips the forks, but gestures to me to grab the lower legs and try and move them up and down by hand – and it’s quite

Opposite page: Checking on shock settings via Fox's codes Above left: a broken shim in the rear shock is the result of flex in the shim stack Below left: a single green air volume spacer is added to my rear shock

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TECH – SUSPENSION TWEAKING

Top: Fork innards awaiting reassembly Bottom: Shims are incredibly thin but do a big job Top right: Simon pressurises the rear shock. Post-bluepriting pressures can actually be softer Opposite: Air volume spacers are an important part of modern tuning

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hard, especially when there’s a little deflection, or fore/aft movement, added to the mix. It’s something that I’ve been feeling – a kind of oscillating chatter that doesn’t feel like the fork is going up and down. “That’s the bushings,” he said. “The stock oil isn’t great, either.” He sets to work… and gets me to stop shooting for a moment. “A bit of what I do is proprietary,” he said apologetically. The first place I get myself in trouble with my own knowledge was with the high speed rebound knob on the bottom of the fork; I could have sworn blind that I had it dialled all the way out, making the fork ‘kick back’ faster. “That was three clicks in on rebound. But you said you were all the way out? That's extremely fast. Very fast,” muses Simon. “Speed-wise, the fork can be faster than the shock. It has less bad consequences; it’s not going to overrotate you. So you want to keep that calmer.

We want to make it as fast as possible that's still comfortable. “It's not a bad thing to run faster rebound, because you want the thing to react to real situations. But you do start to get to the midcorner mid weight and the rebound's really fast, you can actually feel the bike moving around underneath you, which is not a good thing. And you start unloading the tyre from the dirt. “What you're doing instead is you're weight shifting. Instead of you just coming through a corner and carving a nice beautiful line, you're going back and forward, back and forward and back because the rebound’s too quick. That's part of calming the bike down; but again, it's like a compromise. It's a balance.” He fiddles further – sorry! I can’t tell you! – before reseating the upper bushings in the fork, adding his own blend of oil and sealing the fork back up. He’s added a spacer to my set-up for a total of five, and he’s also changed the air shaft to give me a bit more travel on the front end. I ask him about the plethora of tuning options available for forks (like the Vorsprung unit we review this month) and whether they are a good thing. “I would say that it's hard to upgrade one thing and not have it affect the rest of the performance,” says Simon. “You need

TECH – SUSPENSION TWEAKING

I literally cannot get my head around what a difference the blueprinting process has made.

to know what you are doing to upgrade it. But even (swapping dampers for a more up to date model) is a good thing. You can buy a Performance series fork with the Grip damper and then upgrade to a FIT fork damper, for example. And you get a lighter fork and something that's going to last longer, because the cartridge oil and the lower leg oil is completely separate and more modes, more adjustability, and a much higher quality cartridge.” Simon then takes a four-digit code from the back of my rear shock and enters it on Fox’s website, which reveals to him the specifics of the build. “It's telling me the model of the shock, its adjustments, and the size of the air can,’ he explains. “Then it’s telling me the tune, which is the information we're really after.” Simon tells me there are three separate parts of the tune for this shock; compression, rebound and climb, all activated by the blue lever that’s a feature on most Fox shocks. “This particular one has an extra light compression tune, which is the lightest that Fox have available,” he says. “It's got a medium rebound tune; because you don't run much rebound, we've got some room to move to make that softer. Then it’s got a light climb tune. When you put it in the firmest mode it feels incredibly firm, very locked out, right? And that's actually the softest version that they do.” He says that the aim of most tunes is to

improve the shock’s most open mode. “We’re trying for two usable modes, versus one mode that you’re not that happy with.” While the fork is reasonably straightforward, the shock is more involved – and Simon’s knowledge is about to save me money and stress. He decides he is going to redo the compression stack, which is a two-staged stack from the factory. And it’s far from perfect… “Basically you have one very large shim covering the piston holes, then you have a really tiny spacer shim and then you have another large shim,” he explains. “What that allows is small amounts of oil to flow, but then when it has a large amount of oil flow, the first shim hits the second big shim then adds some compression. “But the way Fox had done it, the tiny shims that are backing onto the large shim create a really weak pivot point and they'll actually snap the shim. We're dealing with snapped shims every day now. All of our tunes hopefully stop the shims from snapping and we'll probably convert it back to a standard style shim stack.” Amazingly, he says I can probably run less pressure in the shock, despite being 110kg. “Run it at less air pressure, so the thing is more compliant around your sag point,” he says. “Then, as you go through the travel, it gets firmer and firmer and firmer. We're trying

to go for the best of both worlds; great grip so you have confidence, and support when you actually need it.” He tries to explain the notion of shim stacks further. “If you can imagine you have a doorway and a whole bunch of people have to go through it,” he says. “If the fork is going slowly, the shaft speed is slow, then you could have a small hole, and a small number of people can just go through it as they wish. But then imagine you had a really big fast hit and a small hole. It's like all the people are trying to rush through the door at the same time and it can't happen. Then you put a big hole in but then it’s a slower speed, and the oil can flow too freely. You get a larger hole and you put the shim behind it and that way it's flexible. If you get a big impact it opens a long way. If you have small impact it opens a small way. It’s a way of metering the oil so that it works." While Simon’s Blueprint tune on my fork seemed to take almost no time at all, he says that if we wanted to dive deeper, it’s a whole other ball game. “For a rear shock, we decide upon the tune on a combination of the weight of the bike and then the terrain it's riding,” he said. “With the fork, because it's one-to-one (in terms of travel), it’s got a wider range that the shim stack has to deal with. If we want more performance, we’re looking for that rider input. Is it diving too much? It is bottoming out Have

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TECH – SUSPENSION TWEAKING

SIMON’S TIPS FOR BETTER BOING • Initial setup is quite important. Don't be afraid to fiddle; more or less rebound one adjustment at a time is normally the way to go. Start in the middle with all your dials, then go either way, and just do one dial at a time. If you change everything, then you just don't know where you were at. • Keep notes. Just get that basic set-up down and then just pay attention to what the bike's doing. If you think it needs more, then refer back to the notes. • Sag is a guide, but it might not work for everybody. Rear shock sag is definitely super important. The fork is less important but still, it's less vital that you get it exactly bang on but it's still going to affect the ride. Sag is the tool. If 30 per cent sag doesn't work for you, then 25 per cent might. • Keep it clean; getting the mud off the stanchions after each ride is really helpful. • Turning it upside down 10 minutes before you go for a ride to make a noticeable difference. You want the oil in the lower legs up around the bushing and the seal at the top of the leg.

Top: Bushing fit is key! Right: the lads are busy!

mtbiking.com.au

you tried everything with air pressure and tokens and everything like that? Once we go through that, then maybe we'll make adjustments.” Simon again works his magic on my rear shock, at one point getting me to feel how much static friction, or stiction, is present when the shock’s shaft is sliding into the body. He then makes a simple adjustment… and it’s night and day. The shaft frees up and glides like oiled tofu. I’m stunned at how quickly it feels better. “It may have taken a minute, but it’s taken me ten years to learn to do that,’ he laughs. He reassembles the shock with a single spacer installed, places it in a simple leverage tester to make sure nothing goes pop, and we’re done. It’s a set of procedures executed

by a guy who has done this a million times before, and it’s obviously something that’s well outside the remit of most bike shops. As well, it’s a service that’s going to make your bike feel better, and probably last longer. “Once we've done a service, the fork, for example, can actually probably get longer than (recommended service interval of ) 120 hours,” he says. “It's all the attention to detail that we put into the fork means that it's going to last a really long time.” Once I reinstalled my gear, I headed back to the same set of trails where I first rode my bike. And while the trail conditions were a little different… oh my. What a transformation to my bike! I literally cannot get my head around what a difference the blueprinting process has made. The front end grip is supple and supportive, while rear grip now feels more predictable yet more lively, and the difference between damper settings is now night and day. And I'm running about 10psi less than I was previously front and rear! Sag has settled at about 30 per cent rear and 15-20 up front, and I actually have wound on a couple of clicks of rebound for the first time in a long time. The bike tracks over rough terrain in a far more predictable way, too, and my speed over rolling trails has also picked up markedly; a result of more confidence in the front end. I know that this all sounds very subjective, but I reckon you can’t put a stopwatch on a bike that feels like it’s made for you. I absolutely cannot think of a more beneficial way to spend money on a bike. Prices do vary, but if you budget around $300 an end for a service and a custome tune, you will do more for your big dollar rig that any other upgrade you can make. When a new dropper post costs $600 or $700, it starts to make a lot of sense.

IBEX

linksports.com.au/onza

The IBEX (or Capricorn) is known for fast, smooth and safe locomotion in all mountainous terrains, and the tyre named ater it is no diferent. Thanks to it's wide open tread, you don't need to compromise, whether on dirt, loose gravel or in wet conditions. No trail is too steep, no section too narrow and no root too slippery for this all-round performer.

TRAIL TEST

RATINGS VALUE 6 FUNCTION 8 LOOKS 9 OVERALL 7.7/10

TROY LEE DESIGNS A2 HELMET NEW TRAIL HELMET OFFERS EXTRA SAFETY FEATURES AND ADJUSTABILITY – FOR A PRICE WORDS: TIM ROBSON

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US company Troy Lee Designs – founded, unsurprisingly, by Troy Lee in the early 1980s - has been making mountain bike helmets for a long time now; in fact, TLD’s Edge from 1990, with its bolt-on visor, additional temple protection and deeper rear section, is uncannily close in design and execution to the modern trail helmet we know today. Fast forward 28 years, and TLD’s A1, which was released in 2014, and

the A2, which hit the market in early 2017, both serve similar roles to the Edge, though in much more modern ways. TLD’s updated A2 incorporates a host of additional safety features over the first generation version, and offers the ability to virtually custom-fit the helmet to your own noggin. The A2 – a smaller and lighter helmet than the well regarded A1 – not only offers a MIPS rotational liner, but

TRAIL TEST

it uses two different types of foam in the shell’s construction. EPP foam is bonded with dual-density EPS foam in key areas around the temple, for example, to improve the A2’s ability to absorb low speed impacts as well as higher speed ones, according to TLD. The visor, too, is fitted with breakaway alloy bolts to ensure it doesn’t affect the shell integrity – though to be honest, Velcro tabs would work as effectively (but wouldn’t look as cool). Another nice touch is full coverage of external plastic skin around the foam, which will increase the longevity of the A2, especially from day-to-day knocks and scrapes. Fit, too, is another vital component to get right in order for a helmet to do its job properly. The A2 – which weighed in at 388g in the M/L size – comes in two shell sizes, while its plastic head cradle system can be relocated thanks to a two sets of mount points for the rear cradle and side arms. A change for the 2018 A2 is the addition of adjustable strap dividers under the ears that allows for even further fine tuning of the fit. And I’m glad these additional fit options are included, because out of the box, the A2 didn’t suit my 58cm head all that well, despite it falling in the middle of its M/L fitting chart. It felt restrictive and as if it were perched on my head instead of cradling it. A repositioning of both sets of plastic cradle ends, though, an adjustment of the side straps and a quick tweak on the adjustable fit dial, and I’m a much happier camper. Adjusting the clips isn’t hard, though it takes a firm tug to extract them. The straps, too,

are firmly secured around the helmet buckle, and take a little persuasion to move, but once in place, they stay put. Comfort-wise, it’s a good report from me, especially after a trio of long, drippingly hot and humid days out in the field. The A2 has a narrower shell than the POC Trabec Race I usually wear, while the smallish padding – sewn with real silver threads to help prevent smelly helmet syndrome, apparently – feels more closely connected to my head, if that makes sense. Large through-vents fore and aft keep overheating at bay, while I had no issues with perspiration leaking into my eyes. Speaking of seeing, I also had no issue fitting my straightarmed sunnies around the helmet sides, though I didn’t try goggles. Sorry, not my thing with an open-face lid. I felt that it sat a little high over my ears, while its rear-of-head protection doesn’t run as low as other helmets – I would look at the A2 as more of a heavy duty cross country or light duty trail lid, and if you need more, you should look at something like the A1. So, the TLD A2 is a well built, good looking lid with clever touches. What’s the catch? As with a lot of its peers, the recommended retail price of around $299 for the A2 really gives me pause. I get that design and history and technology adds cost, but man… that’s a lot for an open face lid.

MBA says The TLD A2 looks awesome, is well built and very comfortable, and a lot of thought has gone into its design and safety features… and safety is really worth paying for.

SPECIFICATIONS

Weight

388g

Price

$299

Website

www.troyleedesigns.com www.lustyindustries.com.au

Top to Bottom: A2 now has adjustable chin straps; Dial tensioner is easy to access; head cradle strap can be moved

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TRAIL TEST

RATINGS

VORSPRUNG LUFTKAPPE PISTON HEAD CAP DESIGNED TO ENHANCE MID-STROKE FORK PERFORMANCE, THE LUFTKAPPE IS NOT FOR EVERYONE WORDS: JOHN HARDWICK

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Current generation air sprung suspension forks are pretty darn good. If your RockShox Lyrik or Fox 34 isn’t performing well, there’s every chance that you have set it up poorly, or you simply need to give it a service. Even so, this doesn’t stop suspension specialists attempting to improve on the status quo. While the company is relatively small, Vorsprung has made quite a name in the suspension tuning game. They first came to our attention a few years back with

VALUE 7 FUNCTION 8 (for the right candidate) LOOKS N.A (well, you can't see it once fitted) OVERALL – 7.5

the release of the Corset – an aftermarket air sleeve for Fox rear shocks – but Vorsprung’s founder Steve Mathews has been tinkering with mountain bike suspension for well over a decade now. Steve grew up in Melbourne and studied as an engineer. His passion for mountain biking eventually drew him to Whistler and it was there he decided to turn his suspension tuning knowledge into a business. The Luftkappe, a small CNC machined alloy cap that replaces

TRAIL TEST

The Luftkappe works... but the range of operation may mean it doesn't work as well for you.

the air piston head inside your fork, is the latest item to emerge from the Vorsprung workshop. In simple terms, it increases the volume of the negative air chamber and eliminates the rubber top-out bumper – it tops out pneumatically when the two air chambers balance out. Vorsprung offers the Luftkappe to suit the RockShox Pike, Lyrik and Yari, as well as the Fox 34 and 36. It’s the same theory that has been applied to most new generation air shocks; increasing the volume of the negative air chamber helps to reduce the spring rate in the very first part of the fork’s travel, with the goal of improving suppleness. Vorsprung claims the revised Luftkappe air spring can also provide better mid-stroke support without changing end-of-travel spring rate, too. That means you should gain better small-bump performance, less brake dive and still be able to use all the travel when you need it. The end result is designed to more closely mimic the linear rate spring of a coil shock. For 2018, RockShox gave the Pike a larger negative air volume in line with the Lyrik and Yari. The Luftkappe makes the negative volume even bigger, and – in theory at least – the modification should further improve the suspension feel. I fitted the Luftkappe to a 2017 Lyrik, a model that already features a relatively oversized negative air chamber. The part can be installed by a home mechanic but the stock piston head is tough to undo and the shaft is easily damaged, so you’ll need a specialist tool to grip the piston shaft. While the Luftappe adds to the negative air volume, it also takes away from the size of the positive air chamber. Voresprung

recommends you remove tokens (volume spacers) to compensate; this is a key part of gaining the claimed improvement in midstroke support. Making the positive air chamber larger allows you to increase the air pressure while still using all of the available travel, and the higher pressure is what helps to add the mid-stroke support. This is also a potential catch; it’ll work exactly as claimed if you have two or three tokens to remove from the stock set-up, but if you currently have one token or none at all, adding the Luftkappe may actually make the fork too progressive. It should still add suppleness early in the travel but you mightn’t use all the available travel, even on bigger hits. It’s a situation you’re more likely to encounter on longer travel setups, as they’re more progressive from the outset with fewer tokens in place. With my 160mm Lyrik 29er, I had one and a half tokens fitted; in terms of feel, I like a linear fork that uses all the available travel. With the Luftkappe installed, I removed the tokens and increased the positive air pressure from 60 to

70psi. Even with an extra 10psi inside, there was still a noticeable improvement in suppleness. It definitely takes less force to get the fork moving into its travel, and it would actually sag a few millimetres into the travel under the bike weight alone! The fork was also more supportive but I found the ride was harsh on rougher trails and I wasn’t using all of my travel. From there I gradually dropped the pressure back down and eventually wound up using the same air pressure as I had preLuftkappe. I’d now use most of my travel and the early-travel suppleness was a big step up from the stock Lyrik. The ride was smooth, plush and composed, but the softer early travel meant the fork sat a tad lower in its travel—I actually wound up lifting my handlebars by 5-10mm to compensate. So with my particular set-up, I didn’t find a noticeable gain in mid-stroke support. Sure I gained extra support once I upped the air

pressure, but at the expense of my usable travel. You could argue that less available travel with a more coil-like spring curve is an improvement overall, but it really didn’t do it for me. Of course, that’s just me and my individual set-up. From using the Luftkappe I can see it would pay dividends for someone who runs two or three tokens with their stock Pike or Lyrik. It definitely works as advertised, and Vorsprung itself states that the mod may not suit riders who run one token or less. In fact, you’ll find a great deal of honesty and good information on the Vorsprung website.

MBA says Remove two or three tokens, bump up the pressure and the Luftkappe will offer better midstroke support with less dive and wallow, all while improving the early-travel suppleness. For the right rider, this sneaky little modification has a lot to offer.

SPECIFICATIONS

Weight Price Website

30g $100 (plus installation/service) www.nsdynamics.com.au www.vorsprungsuspension.com

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TRAIL TEST

SCHWALBE HANS DAMPF ADDIX TYRES NEW RUBBER COMPOUNDS FOR SCHWALBE MEANS A STEP FORWARD… WELL, IN MOST AREAS WORDS: STEVE THOMAS

RATINGS VALUE 7 FUNCTION 7 LOOKS 7 OVERALL 7/10

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The Hans Dampf has been a staple in the Schwalbe range for quite a few years now; it’s designed as a great all-rounder tyre for when you need to expect the unexpected. Along with all of Schwalbe’s range, it got an update last year with the company’s new Addix rubber compound, as well as the option for a tougher Super Gravity casing in addition to the newer Tubeless Easy (TLE) casing. I’ve been testing both a TLE with the

TRAIL TEST

Addix Speedgrip rubber as well as a Super Gravity in Addix Soft rubber to see how they compare, both to the older version, and to each other. Firstly, what hasn’t changed is the tread pattern and casing profile. I’ve long been a fan of the mechanical grip of Schwalbe’s tyres including the Hans Dampf; give it soft ground and the nondirectional, mostly square block design gives very good traction for climbing and braking. The

profile is quite rounded, so it drifts predictably in corners, but doesn’t have as much outright edging grip as a more squared off tyre with bigger edge blocks. I reckon that makes it best suited to use as a rear tyre, although for less aggressive riders it’ll work fine on the front as well. There’s a very obvious difference in thickness between the two casings; the 850g TLE is classic light, soft and supple Schwalbe, whilst the 1135g Super Gravity is tough enough to stand up on its own against your garage wall. It’s not a dual ply DH casing, but it’s not far off. After several months on the back of my 29er hardtail, including some very rocky downhill trails and a few incidents of bottoming out on the rim, the SG casing is still going strong. Interestingly, the TLE tyre measured true to size, whilst the SG casing is about 10 per cent narrower than claimed. Chemical grip is where previous Schwalbe tyres suffered; put them on something slick, and they were just that. The new rubber is much better at finding traction on rocks and tree roots, but even the Addix Soft is still slipperier than claimed. An improvement, yes; top of the tree it isn’t. As for tread durability – always the bugbear of Schwalbe tyres – both versions of the Addix rubber are a big step in the right direction. There’s still evidence of small tears beginning at the base of some edge blocks but none have come loose yet; I’m sure the older rubber compound would be missing quite a few teeth by now. I still don’t think they hold up as well as some other brand’s rubber, but the gap has narrowed substantially.

Addix comes in 27.5-inch (left) sizes as well; New compound wears better than before (below)

MBA says All up, anyone who liked the previous version of the Hans Dampf will like these even more; overall better tread grip and durability, and enough difference between the two casings to justify having to choose between them. For a lot of riders these are all the tyre you need for wherever your trails take you.

SPECIFICATIONS

Weight Price Website

1135g (Super Gravity) , 850g (Speedgrip) $119ea www.bikebox.com.au www.schwalbe.com

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TRAIL TEST

SHIMANO SAINT M820 SPD PEDALS NEW BIG-PLATFORM SPDS JUST MIGHT BE THE SHIMANO PEDALS YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR WORDS: TIM ROBSON

Shimano’s history of connecting you to your bike via small bits of metal stretches back to the 1990s, and for the most part it’s been the only game in town. A plethora of flat pedals have eroded some of its market share, but in the main, the majority of riders are still on SPDs. Lately, though, other companies like HT, Crank Bros and Funn have been releasing clipless pedals that have attracted a bit of attention. Broader platforms

and additional grip in the form of spikes have found favour not just with enduro and downhill types, but with riders looking for a bit more general foot support. It’s taken a little while, but Shimano has finally responded, using its Saint downhill group to issue a new big-platform SPD pedal that’s built for the long haul. It’s not the first time the big S has dabbled with platform SPDs; the mid 1990s saw the release of M636 (in red, you might

RATINGS VALUE 7 FUNCTION 9 LOOKS 7 OVERALL 7.7/10

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TRAIL TEST

remember), while the long-serving nylon-bodied DX is still on sale. The biggest difference between the new Saint and the old pedals is simplification. The DXs use a central clip-in section that rotates around a spring-loaded axle that keeps the nose of the clip-in section proud of the body. The new new Saint, meanwhile, does away with this set-up, instead relying on a stepped body shape to aid ingress into the clip. A brand new alloy body surrounds a familiar clip section complete with tension screws on each side of the body, while four threaded holes per side await insertion of included 5mm long pins. The insertion depth of the pins can be reduced via spacers, two sizes of which are also included in the box. It’s worth noting; only eight pins are supplied in the box, so don’t lose one under the workbench when you’re installing them, or you’ll be on the hook for a whole spare set. We did try a spare pin in our parts collection from another brand of flat pedal in the hole and it shared the same thread pitch, so it’s not a deal breaker if one goes AWOL. Another nicety on the Saints is the ability to pop the cromoly axle out and regrease the proper old-school ball bearing and race combo. Once installed on the bike, we paired the pedals with Shimano’s AM5 flat-soled SPD-compatible shoes… and it’s a match that’s made in mountain bike trail riding heaven. Engaging the cleat with the M820 is done almost by thought, and if for whatever reason you’re fumbling to click back in, the 80mm wide

and 92mm long alloy platform provides a surefooted surface to maintain control of the bike. I didn’t miss the spring-loaded entry system at all, and the flat-soled shoes feel completely engaged with the broad platform at all times. And those pins really are an optional fitment. We tried the Saints with and without them, and while traction was certainly better with – and if you’re using them for proper downhill work, we’d run them at full length - they still work perfectly well without when used with flat-soled shoes. They’re not as well suited to cross-country style shoes with raised sole profiles, though; they will work, but won’t engage as intuitively as a flatter-soled shoe. Shimano makes the point that the M820 was designed in conjunction with its range of flat-sole skate-esque style clip-in shoes like the AM range. They’re also about 150g heavier per pair than an XT Trail SPD, and the larger, more square-edged platform of the Saint – they're 20mm thick – will find rocks and tree roots that the XT Trails will skim over. That extra heft equals extra robustness, though, which is important in this era of low bottom-bracket bikes.

MBA says A contender for MBA's Favourite Product of 2018. The Saint’s broad platform and easypeasy engagement allows it to transcend its DH intentions and cross over to everyday trail use, where it does its job with aplomb. Not all shoes will work as well as others, though.

SPECIFICATIONS

Weight Price Website

552g/pr $199 www.shimano.com.au

The broad platform works really well with flatter-soled clip-in shoes

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24 - 27 MAY 2018

HUNTER VALLEY - LAKE MACQUARIE - NEWCASTLE

WWW.PORTTOPORTMTB.COM

@PORTTOPORTMTB

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TRAIL TEST

FIZIK LUNA X5 SADDLE PICKING A NEW SADDLE IS TOUGH, BUT FIZIK'S FEMALESPECIFIC LUNA LINE IS A GOOD PLACE TO START WORDS: AMBER HARDWICK

RATINGS VALUE 7 FUNCTION 7 LOOKS 8 OVERALL 7.5/10

Unlike other bike gear, I've never enjoyed purchasing a new saddle; when my old trusty inally wears out and I need to look for something new, I'm always illed with dread. There's potential for a whole world of pain before inally inding something that its. However, saddle designs are constantly evolving, and the options in the women’s specific saddle market are expanding. US saddle specialists Fizik released a new range of women's specific saddles in late 2017, and from this we’ve had the off-road specific Luna X5 on test. The Luna X5 is available in two widths; regular (141mm wide) and large (153mm wide), and they are claimed to weigh 255g and 260g respectively. It will set you back around $120, which is pretty reasonable for a brandnamed saddle. The shell is made from carbonreinforce nylon that’s been designed to provide some built-in flex. Up top, the Luna is covered in a durable Microtex fabric (a

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smooth synthetic leather), and it also features a rougher Microtex blended fabric on the rear edges to prevent scuffing. The rails are made from a material that Fizik calls S-Alloy, which is basically a high-strength steel. Our regular width sample tipped the scales at a respectable 263g. Appearance-wise the Luna has a fairly flat top with a cutout to relieve pressure on your lady bits. It's nose is reasonably long and quite narrow with angular rear edges, which is a real Fizik signature. I was really taken by the look of the Luna. Its angular shape and flat smooth appearance is a little different to most women's saddles, and I reckon it gave my bike a bit of bling. Bonus! Despite this, I was not expecting to ride the saddle for long. My plan was to take it for a quick spin over a couple of days and promptly return my old trusty saddle before anything nasty developed. After the initial few rides, however, I simply forgot

that it was on my bike. Three months later and I'm still cruising around on it. Saddles are really a personal item and what fits one rider will not necessarily work for another, however I was surprised to find the Luna to be a great fit for me. Despite its minimal seat area, my sit bones were comfortably supported and I didn't find myself looking for more room to perch my backside. The Luna felt reasonably stiff; it offered some flex but didn't give as much as my usual saddle. Despite this I didn't feel the comfort was compromised in anyway. The

most noticeable feature of the Luna for me was the narrow nose. I was able to move my legs freely while pedalling and I could really extend my leg on the downstroke.

MBA says While there's no guarantee that this saddle will be comfortable for everyone, it's certainly worth considering if you're in the market for a performanceoriented women's MTB saddle. It looks great, offers good support and freedom of movement, and for $120 the Luna could well be your next long-term mountain biking companion.

SPECIFICATIONS

Weight Price Website

263g $120 www.fizik.com www.monzaimports.com.au/cycling

INTERVIEW TOM RITCHEY

THE LOGIC OF TOM TOM RITCHEY IS SYNONYMOUS WITH THE SPORT OF MOUNTAIN BIKING – BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN HE’S A FAN OF WHERE THE SPORT IS HEADING. WORDS: STEVE THOMAS

With his rugged cowboy looks and his trademark handlebar moustache, Tom Ritchey is something of a romantic icon of mountain biking. As he hits 60, he can still smoke most riders half his age, and rides solo into the legendary mountains of California whenever he gets – or rather makes chance, which means most days. Tom and his Ritchey Logic brand have been around longer for than most mountain bike brands – since before mountain biking even existed, in fact. Tom was an original pioneer of off road riding, and his familiar red. white and blue-clad Ritchey Racing team of the 1990s ruled the XC roost for many years. All these years later, he’s still as passionate as ever about building and riding mountain bikes of every genre, and has steadfastly stood by his passion and belief in steel. We sat down with the legend himself to talk about his passions of bikes and steel, and to see where exactly the Logic comes into Ritchey. MBA: You were building and tinkering with bikes and bits since your pre-teens, what was behind that? TR: Well, I don’t think up until the late 1970s that anything had changed much in cycling. For most people, I think, they got into the sport because they were fascinated by the bike, and their parents probably forbid them from having a motorcycle – and I was one of those kids. Then, with living it the (San Francisco) Bay Area (Which is a wonderful cycling environment) and having a lot of cycling culture around me (other than perhaps living on the east coast) it was the number one location for cycling and training in the US. My dad was also an outdoor guy, and he was in to cycling, and I loved being involved in things he was in to. Whether is was the Sierra Club, hiking, sailing or cycling – it was a choice depending on time of year and what was going on with the local ride environment. The tinkering side was pretty well established early on. I think the first thing I built was a tree fort when I was 5 years old. It got up to 3 stories tall and my dad tore it down. I had a hammer in my hand when I was 2.

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Having a father that was somewhat inventive himself, who was an engineer, a cyclist with him having cycling friends that were similar engineers, it was a great environment for encouraging this. One of my best riding buddies (who was a friend of my father) was Jobst Brandt. Not a lot has been written about him, but he was very influential to a lot of people in cycling, and in cycling culture. Because his abilities didn’t come from racing, but from strong long distance riding and engineering he tested things and broke them. So, nowadays we’re all about testing (which was not often the case back then), and I was in an environment where I was looking at and testing things for failure. It was drilled into me from 15 years old. MBA: How about your passion for steel? TR: Everything was compared to steel then, just like everything is compared to carbon now. Back then steel was used for everything; it was the universal material of choice. It did everything, it held up and was repairable. If it was heat-treated right it lasted; if it wasn’t it failed. There was all sorts of knowledge that was based around steel – and steel still is that way; we just don’t celebrate it. We don’t celebrate the fact that your spokes are steel, your chains are steel, your axles are steel… even your cables are steel. All of the critical parts are made from steel – if you didn’t have steel you would not have the bike that you are riding now. I thought about aluminium, titanium, and carbon fibre (which was new at that time), and thought about it all relative to steel – in the manufacturing, joining, and characteristics. MBA: What were your first stand out self-conclusions you came to about bikes, and do you still stand by those findings? TR: Doing away with threads. To me, a thread was an important thing. A bottom bracket thread; I pressed my own bearings in and did away with it, made a sealed bracket. I didn’t record it for patent purposes. Also, I never

INTERVIEW TOM RITCHEY

Tom Ritchey at Eurobike last year (pic: Steve Thomas)

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INTERVIEW TOM RITCHEY

We’re at a fork in the road, and more and more people are taking the simple route. recorded (patent for) the thread-less headset that I made in 1974, either. I thought that doing away with threads would allow me to clamp a steel stem to the forks, which was much stiffer. It was an important thing for me, because I was racing and looking for ways to lighten and improve my bike. You can probably go online and find the bike I made for my dad (it’s the only one I still have – I don’t know where mine went); it had a 100g fillet brazed stem made out of chromoly tubing. Doing away with threads and replacing certain heavy aluminium (stems) with thin walled (lighter) steel parts that were fillet brazed was something that made sense to me. So, to me, if you could save half the weight by turning an aluminium part into a steel part – it was a no brainer, because steel was – again, the foundation of materials. It was easier to manufacture, more dependable in terms of failure and life span. I saw that it was a superior material. My first products (outside of the bicycle frame) were lightweight steel stems and a seatpost system with an aluminium structure, but it took a pound off the bike weight. My bikes were 1-1.5lbs lighter than anyone else just from this post-stem combo.

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MBA: How did this lead to a business? TR: I was 16-17 years old. I had a lathe and a mill and was just thinking about my ride and being lighter and faster. It wasn’t until I started showing up at races (and performing – as national junior team rider) that people started looking and wanting that (gain); and so I saw an early demand not just for a better frame, but also for components; components that were different from what were coming through from Italy. MBA: What do you think about the modern trend towards carbon? TR: It took a while for carbon to get to this point; at first carbon was a three-piece construction, then a two-piece, and then a one-piece. It really didn’t get truly safe until it got to that one piece monocoque construction, which evolved as people learned how to use it. But, the disadvantage is, which very few people understand, is the resilience of the product. I always say; steel you pay for, the racers are never given steel. If they want steel they pay for it (in modern terms). They are only given carbon, so the 20-30 year old racers are

(mostly) never going to truly appreciate what a good steel bike feels like. People celebrate carbon fibre for many reasons; its weight, its aerodynamics, and people are using it without realising how it got there. It had to be big, had to be large, it had to be harsh riding for it to stay together. It had to be built like the fuselage or wing of a plane. It’s a story that very few people in the industry will tell, because the industry is primarily telling the story of sex appeal; of light weight, aerodynamics. They are not telling the story of comfort, resilience or strength. It’s unfortunate that it takes someone who’s turning 60, but is still young, to go back and tell this. There are plenty of people of my age riding. But. Whether they’re not in the business, don’t come from a frame building background, or are not what I consider to be

INTERVIEW TOM RITCHEY

Tom's parts feature on World Cup champ Nino Schurter's Scott (opp page), and pictured at home in his garage

a true user of the material in a competitive environment (racing or shops) I don’t know (they don’t seem to recognise steel as a viable product), it’s an un-celebrated material in terms of what it can do. MBA: It’s not often that anybody manages to hold on to their passion for riding, make a commercial success out of things – and on top of that remain in charge of their own entity. How do you manage this? TR: It’s not the biggest company in the industry; we have our ups and downs. I do things and they work out, I do things and they don’t work out. It’s a story (for them), because, I’m probably the last guy that owns his brand in the bike industry (of this size and longevity). Being comfortable with, and knowing

what I know, and knowing that from personal experience and a racing background when I was young, and now being 60 – I know what I know (is what keeps me there). It’s not, hopefully, pride and high mindedness. It’s experience-based knowledge. I don’t need to follow; I’ve never needed to follow. I’ve felt very comfortable with the knowledge and the evolution of the industry, and to stay true to those things (I believe in). That has not given me big, monstrous opportunities, but it’s given me the opportunities I’ve had. To me, the most important thing is the ride; and that means a lot – the knowledge of the bike, of yourself, knowing what you’re capable of, how much you have in the tank. It’s not luck at all; it’s the opposite of luck. It’s being your own, individual; on your own, minimalist,

because you’ve decided that you can do it that way. MBA: This reliability string seems to run deep in you, and the brand? TR: It was one of the things that got hammered into me as a young rider, who was experimenting in stuff, out on dirt roads in the back country (in areas that would be difficult to get rescued from). Jobst (Brandt) would look at me and my bike; he was always most concerned, as everybody else had a tradition bike – but I had my one-off super-light race creation. He would be bang on me; “Ritchey, don’t do stupid stuff.” Those voices have always been in the back of my head – the concern of being a burden and how to solve problems when they

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INTERVIEW TOM RITCHEY

happened so as not to be. It was that voice (at 16-16 years old) that forged a very practical stance inside me. MBA: What do you think about the general evolution of mountain bikes – from your classic 1990s hardtails through to the current enduro trend? TR: There is an on-going transition of what I consider to be a very positive evolution of materials. With the use of carbon fibre, and in the development of suspension in particular, It has made it possible to approach the weight of a good (hardtail) steel bike and to have full suspension, and thus to have something that really gives you much more control. I ride a full suspension bike. I race full suspension; because I can get within pounds of a lightweight steel bike. The value is not that it’s a full suspension bike, it’s that I can turn off the suspension when I want. So I can turn off the suspension and race a bike that’s on/off when I need it. There is a tremendous value to being able to switch between modes, at a cost – but a very high cost, and at a complexity cost. As we go into electronics, with electronics replacing cables and even giving power assist; we’re transitioning into a bike that you have to be beyond the basic mechanic to ride, and to ride it where you want to ride it. To me, a good ride is being able to leave and not worry about things – not to think; “if this breaks I’m going to be stuck, or if this doesn’t work I’m not going to be able to fix it”.

RITCHEY LOGIC

Ritchey Logic, which is now based in Switzerland, is a small brand in the scheme of things, but the logo pops up in the most unlikely of places. Take, for example, the brand's sponsorship of multiple world XC champion Nino Schurter, whose penchant for high tech is matched only by his uncanny bike handling abilities. Where 95 per cent of riders use Shimano SPDs, Nino has run Ritchey clipless pedals for three years now. At 298g a set, they drop quite a few grams over the competition. Though he's switched to Syncros parts this year - partly in deference to bike sponsor Scott, we'd guess - the champ used 710mm wide Ritchey bars in 2017 with a unique 5mm drop in the centre to lower the stack height and a sub-200g Vector wing saddle, while his Ritchey grips weighed a mind-blowing 9g each./TR

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Tom's views come from a lifetime of riding - and he's not sure he likes what he sees

Your standard 10-12 or so attachments in your bike tool are not going to fix a lot of things that go wrong with this new stuff. Because of these (reliability and repair) concerns I am going to choose not to ride in these places, or not to do these rides alone (which is a big deal to me), and that’s a bad thing. If I have to worry about going where I want to ride and experiencing that ride, and maybe not getting back because of technology, that’s a very negative thing on the sport. I think very few people think in the way I do about this, or calculate it in. But, in little ways it is irrefutable to the thinking person. I’m not trying to bury my head in the sand; there are a lot of very positive things that have, and are happening, within the bike industry. But, there are very few people like me out there waving the red flag and saying; “Do you actually want this, do you really need this”. I would say that there are a lot of people out there like me, who want simple things. We’re at a fork in the road, and more and more people are taking the simple route. The road less travelled, and that’s where I’ve always been, and I feel really wonderful at being able to come back to that, and to still be able to make product that is out of steel (and is simple), and is celebrated as a great riding experience, and to be able to talk about this and write in stories like this – from somebody who knows about it MBA: What do you think about the new ride towards wider rims and tyres? TR: It’s definitely a combination of usage; as the enduro bike gets more and more to be considered as the cross-country bike, you end up emulating the practical things of motorsport and motorcycling. I think that when you’re going downhill

anything can be what it has to be. As soon as you start turning uphill without power assist you start appreciating other things. If you’re going downhill, go for it; why not make it a motorbike without a motor? If you’re going uphill, count your costs and chose carefully. The thing that mountain bikes have brought to the sport (cycling) is a much more experimental mind-set. I would say, also (it attracts), more of a casual minded rider; who is much more into the group experience. You start your ride off in a way that’s casual, and you have casual meeting points. It’s much more laid back. There is a sad thing about it; when full suspension bikes first came into use, I was riding in Moab (in the 90s), this was when things were really beginning to change (in bike design and fractioning of the sport). The amazing thing was that the local riders were the kind that came out on rigid bikes, some on single speeds, and put their own map together in their head, and had decided that they didn’t want the downside of all of that (new) mechanical experience. They wanted the true experience, and they were willing to develop the physical skills to attain it. Nowadays, take Nino (Schurter, current World Cup XC champion); he could ride a rigid bike faster than anybody around, and so he can also ride a full suspension bike faster than anybody, too. But the true rider who is looking at all the pluses and minuses now ends up tending to go in the direction of full suspension. If I were a younger rider, I would probably lean more towards developing my skills on a rigid bike and then put them to use on a full suspension bike. At my age, I don’t look that way at things any more. I’m good enough to stay with most groups – and the new technology helps me to do that.

NEW 35mm DIAMETER OPTION - ALL BARS AND STEMS

FATBAR LITE

WIDTH • 35 • 760MM

E OPTIONS

270g • 4 RIS

M WIDTH • RBON 35 • 760M

190g • 4 RISE

OPTIONS

FATBAR LITE CA

0MM WIDTH • FATBAR 35 - 80

TIONS

305g • 4 RISE OP

SE OPTIONS

TH • 225g • 4 RI

35 • 800MM WID FATBAR CARBON

APEX 35 - 4 lengths • from 112g Stem

INTEGRA 35 - 2 lengths • 2 Rise • from 133g

Diameter

Material

Length

Rise

Weight

Diameter

Material

Width

Backsweep

Upsweep

Rise

35mm

7075/6082 Aluminium

33/40/50/60mm

plus/minus 6°

From 112g

Handlebar

35mm

Carbon

800mm

7°

5°

10/20/30/40mm

225g

31.8mm

7075/6082 Aluminium

31/40/50/60/70/80/90mm

plus/minus 6°

From 106g

31.8mm

Carbon

780mm

7°

5°

10/20/30/40mm

225g

35mm

7075/2014 Aluminium

45/50mm

zero or +10mm

From 133g

Apex Fatbar

Integra 31.8mm

7075/2014 Aluminium

45/50mm

zero or +10mm

Weight

From 131g

35mm

Aluminium

800mm

7°

5°

10/20/30/40mm

305g

31.8

Aluminium

780mm

7°

5°

10/20/30/38mm

From 355g 190g

35mm

Carbon

760mm

7°

5°

10/20/30/40mm

31.8mm

Carbon

740mm

7°

5°

10/20/30/40mm

180g

35mm

Aluminium

760mm

7°

5°

10/20/30/40mm

270g

31.8mm

Aluminium

740mm

7°

5°

10/20/30/38mm

270g

Fatbar Lite

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PRO BIKE CHECK

CONNOR FEARON'S KONA OPERATOR

2018 is Connor's eighth year as a downhill pro

CHECKING OUT A PROPER DOWNHILL MACHINE FROM FACTORY ACE CONNOR FEARON WORDS AND PICS: TIM ROBSON

As the World Cup downhill circus (inally!) gets started for the 2018 season, we managed to snag Kona factory rider Connor Fearon’s brand new rig for a quick peek. Connor, from Adelaide in South Australia, is the only pro downhiller on Kona’s roster, and the 24-year-old is knocking on the door of a win, after an amazing second at Leogang in 2015, a seventh overall in 2017 and 12th (including a podium in Lourdes) overall last year, despite injury. His Operator has been updated for the 2018 season, and it looks like a simple, solid rig

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PRO BIKE CHECK

that's built to work hard. Aside from a carbon mainframe and seatpost, everything else is bombproof alloy, especially the Novatec wheels. "We can't kill these," confesses Connor, who we caught up with at Maydena earlier this year. While he has particular likes, he also doesn't muck about with his set-up too much, preferring his trusty Minion DHFs over all others,

for example. After a few runs on his new bike, he reckons it's a step up from last year's rig - he even managed eight at the Aussie Nationals with a flat! "I don't really focus on results or other people's times, just on having the best day I can," says Connor. "Last year I was injured for half the year, so I'm hoping for a better 2018."

Clockwise from Top Right: 50mm stem and 25mm rise bar; Connor doesn't spend a lot of time tweaking once his shocks are set up; 165mm X0 cranks are light but strong; Those 220mm rotors are HUGE; Finding these particular ODI grips is getting harder

SPECIFICATIONS

Frame

Rear Shock Fork Headset Stem Handlebars Grips

Rock Shox Boxxer World Cups, 200mm travel, coil spring Chris King Kore, 50mm Kore, 770mm wide, 25mm rise ODI waffle lock-on – “My absolute favourites. They’re getting hard to find.” Kore, cromo rails

Post

SRAM Noir T40, carbon, shortened – “It’s a nice light seat/post combo.”

Tyres Drivetrain

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Rock Shox Super Deluxe, SAR (Super Alloy Racing) 425lb spring

Seat

Wheels

Kona Operator (med), 27.5-inch wheels, carbon front end, alloy rear, 200mm – “It’s a new front end for 2018, lighter and stiffer, but standard sizing and angles.”

Novatec alloy rims, 32h, butted spokes, Novatec hubs, XD driver – “No carbon wheels for me. These are amazingly strong.” Maxxis Minion DHF 275 x 2.5 – “I’m a massive fan of the DHF. I might switch for muddy races, but most of the time I’ll stay with this.” SRAM XO 7spd downhill-specific group, 165mm XO crank

Pedals

HT flats, 10mm pins

Brakes

SRAM Code, 220mm rotors front/rear - "These big rotors are really good, and I've always like the power of the Codes."

DISTRIBUTED BY CASSONS PTY LTD AUSTRALIA P: +61(0)2 8882 1900 F: +61 (0)2 8882 1999 E: enquiries@cassons.com.au W: www.cassons.com.au Like us on Facebook Cassons Australia Bicycle

RIDDEN & RATED

SANTA CRUZ HIGHTOWER C SANTA CRUZ'S VERSATILE, VIRILE HIGHTOWER SHOWS THAT SOMETIMES ORIGINAL REALLY IS BEST

WORDS: JOHN HARDWICK

RATINGS IN THE STAND 8/10 ON THE TR AIL 7.5/10 OVER ALL 7.75

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RIDDEN & RATED

While the new Hightower LT is currently hogging the limelight, the regular version still holds its place within the Santa Cruz range. The standard Hightower was released in 2016, and aside from the colour and spec options, the 2018 version remains virtually unchanged. Our Hightower test bike offers 135mm of rear wheel travel and the one frame will take both 29-inch and 27.5 plus size wheels. All that's required for the wheel size swap a flip of the shock mounting chip and converting the fork from 140mm travel (29er) to 150mm for 27.5 plus. With its revised swingarm, shock and linkage, the newer LT sports 150mm of travel in the rear, but it lacks the wheel size interchangeability. The longer travel Hightower is 29er-only and its prime goal is to service the needs of the enduro racer. For the rest of us – trail riders and all-round mountain bikers – the original Hightower certainly appears to be the more versatile option. Both renditions of the bike sport the same front triangle and full carbon frame construction. The pricing and spec options are pretty close too, although the LT costs a few hundred dollars more as piggyback shocks are standard-issue on the bigger travel bike. If you know anything about Santa Cruz bikes, you'll know they

don't come cheap. The toplevel Hightower CC frame and shock goes for $4,699. With the frame alone costing almost $5K, complete CC-level bikes start at $10,399 with SRAM XO1 Eagle and Fox Performance Elite suspension, or you can go to Factory level suspension and XX1 for $11,749. It's expensive but it is in-line with the asking price for a top-end Yeti, Pivot or Intense. Where many brands offer an alloy framed equivalent to hit some lower price-points, Santa Cruz sticks with carbon-only on the Hightower. Our review bike was from the lower tier 'C' lineup, and it would appear that the compromise is very small. C-level frames employ a lower quality carbon and simply use more of the lesser-quality fibres to obtain the same strength and stiffness values. The penalty comes with a little extra weight – around 230g of it – which takes the combined frame-and-shock weight from 2670g for the CC version up to 2900g with the C. Santa Cruz only offers their value-oriented frame in complete bike packages, and they start at $6,949. That gets you a RockShox Revelation fork (the new version with 35mm legs), SRAM NX 1X11 and alloy RaceFace cranks. Our test rig is the next model up. It goes for $7,849 and comes with a SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain, Guide brakes, Fox

JUDGES NOTES

Name Age Weight Riding Style

John Hardwick 46 (47 by the time you read this) 65kg Likes to play around

Home Trail

Wollongong; anything steep, raw and tech

Size Tested

Large

Suspension Pressures

Front – 65psi with two tokens Rear – 160psi (25% sag)

Tyre Pressures

22/23psi (F/R)

Rock Shox Reverb dropper could be longer, but it does depend on rider height

Performance level suspension and RaceFace wheels. Up from there you'll find a Shimano XT 1X11 option with upgraded Performance Elite suspension. At $8,599, this sits at the top of the C lineup. Whatever you choose, all Hightower models come with a 150mm dropper and you can pick your primary wheel size—the option is yours!

In the Stand The underlying carbon may be of a slightly lower grade but the quality of finish on our C-level test bike was nothing short of exceptional. Aside from the added 230g, the paintwork, fittings and smaller details are identical to the CC models, and the weight difference is small enough that you're not going to notice on a complete bike. At the end of the day, the build kit will play a larger role in determining the total bike weight, and the higher-end models will be noticeably lighter as a result. To this end, our test bike tipped the scales at 13.6kg without pedals; healthy enough for a mid-to-long travel 29er. Claimed weights on the top CC models put it in the 12.5kg bracket, which is pretty impressive. It's the small details that set

the Hightower (and any Santa Cruz bike) apart from the more mainstream competition. Take the chainstay protector, for example; it's not a random stickon afterthought that'll come adrift after the first couple of rainy rides. Santa Cruz uses a moulded plastic protector that snaps tightly around the stay offering near 360-degree protection; it can be removed if required, but it looks like an integral part of the frame once fitted. You'll also find a built in downtube deflector; always a worthwhile addition, although in this case Santa Cruz should have been a little more generous with its proportions. Like most modern bikes, the Hightower comes with internal routing, but in this case Santa Cruz doesn't condemn you to fishing lost cables out of the deep. Every section of internal routing has a tube that guides the cable or hose through the frame—it's as easy to setup as old-school external routing. The rear brake hose is the exception; it's externally routed for easy maintenance. Damage a brake hose on the morning of an enduro race and swapping in a replacement is a quick and simple process, with no bleeding required.

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RIDDEN & RATED

Left to Right: Fox 36 forks suit the Hightower; Neat, underplayed linkage works well; 35mm diameter bars and stem stiffens things up

The only glitch here is that the routing of the brake hose down the left side of the down tube is optimised for US-style right-to-rear braking. When running a left-torear setup the hose tends to rub on the head tube and doesn't look as tidy—it's a common issue on US-centric bikes. Press-fit bottom bracket shells may be easier to manufacture but Santa Cruz takes the extra time and effort required to thread the BB—it's accurately faced, too, which should lead to a creak-free existence and easy maintenance. The grease nipple that’s tucked away on the lower suspension

link further assists this ease of maintenance. It's worth noting, too, that the more incarnations of the VPP design have proven to be far more reliable than those from a few generations ago. There's room for a water bottle inside the main triangle, although the shock placement means you'll only fit a small one in there; better than nothing I'd say, as I prefer to go backpack-free on shorter rides. All the finer details are well taken care of but the most striking aspect would have to be the bright gloss mango and orange paint—it makes the Hightower a real head turner! Want to fly under

TYRED AND EMOTIONAL

Choice is good, and the Hightower certainly offers it… but how do you decide between the 29er and 27.5 plus build? In simple terms, the wider plus tyres tend to deliver the edge in traction, especially in dry, loose and soft conditions. With wide rims, you can get away with really low pressures without excessive tyre squirm and most people are surprised by their weight and rolling speed. They're a good option for a good percentage of Aussie trails. On the flip side, you may find plus tyres a bit fragile in rocky terrain. Manufactures often run lightweight casing on their fattest tyres to keep

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the weight in check, and you may suffer more punctures as a result—you won't find too many plus tyres with dual-ply DH casing! Hard-charging riders may feel too much squirm when cornering on fat tyres, too. Sure you can increase the tyre pressure, but that defeats the purpose of running plus tyres. Finally, there's the rolling diameter; 29ers are slightly taller which delivers a slight roll-over advantage in rougher terrain. There's no winners or losers here; just differing strengths for you to consider when making the decision.

the radar a little more? Well there's also a more subdued light grey and blue colour option… but I reckon the mango option would be hard to pass up. Last but not least, there's a tonne of tyre clearance. Opt for 27.5 wheels and the rear triangle will swallow up to 3.0 inch wide tyres. In 29er format it'll comfortably swallow a 2.5-inch Maxxis DHF in the rear (we tried it). This really expands the versatility of the Hightower if you ride in varied conditions and encounter particularly sandy or loose trails from time to time.

On the Trail While the frame was released two years ago (a veritable eternity in the MTB world), the geometry remains very much up to speed with current thinking. At 435mm long, the chainstays are pretty tight for a mid-travel 29er. The 67-degree head angle isn't as relaxed as the longer travel enduro brigade, either, but it's slack enough for an all-rounder trail bike. Our large demo bike had a 450mm reach; that's not long by modern standards but you need to take into account that Santa Cruz sizing has always been a bit on the small side. Where I'd typically ride a medium frame with many

RIDDEN & RATED

brands, I've always opted for a large Santa Cruz. Up-sizing certainly isn't an issue here, as the seat tube is sufficiently short. With a 450mm seat tube, the large frame accepted a 150mm dropper with room to spare and I'm only 176cm tall. It's more of a M/L in my books, but the cockpit was super roomy with the stock 50mm stem—I'd probably opt for a 30-40mm version if ours were to be a long term relationship. Pedalling efficiency is usually a strongpoint with Santa Cruz bikes, and the Hightower is no exception. Suspension movement under pedalling is minimal, even when you're out of the saddle. It's the sort of bike that you can ride all day, both up and downhill, without ever needing to fiddle with the shock settings—ours lived in fully-open mode, even on the road climbs. This efficiency comes from a combination of strong anti-squat effect from the VPP suspension design and the leverage ratio that is close enough to linear as to make no difference. Where a progressive suspension action will be super supple off the top, linear designs tend to be a little firmer at the start of the travel, which helps with providing a sense of urgency when you stomp on the pedals. That's not to say the bump response is lacking when you're on the trail, though; the midtravel is certainly nice and plush. It's just not buttery-soft at the very start of the shock stroke when compared to a bike with a truly progressive leverage rate, which is a quality that some will favour and some won’t. With its moderate weight and high efficiency, you'll be left with lots of energy once the climbing is done, and that's great because there's a lot to enjoy about descending on the Hightower. The rear suspension irons out the mid-size hits beautifully and remains composed when pushed hard through rugged, rock-strewn sections of trail. It's not the sort of bike that holds its travel in reserve; rather, it eats the trail with all 135mm of Fox controlled travel just about all of the time.

While doing this you never really feel it bottom out – well, not with any harshness anyway. Off the rack, the Float shock is equipped with a 0.6mm volume reducer which lends it just enough progression at the very end of its stroke to prevent any calamitous bottoming on bigger hits and botched landings. Unfortunately, the fork didn't attain the same high level of composure. The 2018 Fox 36 is a killer fork, offering impressive suppleness and steering precision that matches the sturdy Hightower chassis. However, I didn't gel with the Grip damper that comes in the more affordable Performance level fork. When compared with the FIT 4 damper found in the Performance Elite and Factory level forks, the Grip system lacked support and tended to dive unnecessarily into its travel. It's not a total deal breaker, though, and with some faffing with air pressures and volume spacers, I was able to achieve some respectable performance… but I know the bike would be even better with a FIT damper fork. The rest of the parts did exactly what they're meant to and pretty much disappeared underneath me on the trail.

Verdict Mash it all together and you get a lively and versatile all-rounder. The Hightower eagerly gets up to speed and ducks and weaves between the trees with ease. It's not a smash-through-the-rocks kind of 29er; it's a playful bike that slices and dices singletrack in a manner that'll silence the 29er nay-sayers quick-smart. It sits comfortably in the middle ground, offering enough travel to take on some rugged terrain, while the suspension feel and geometry ensures that you aren't left desensitised. Easier trails remain fun on the Hightower, but it has the capability to go bigger when required. Add in the hot looks, wheel size versatility and the X-factor that comes with owning a boutique brand, and it's easy to see the appeal that the Hightower holds.

SPECIFICATIONS

Frame

C-Series Carbon VPP

Shock

Fox Float Performance 135mm Travel

Fork Headset Handlebars Stem

Fox 36 Performance Grip 140mm Travel Cane Creek 40 Race Face Aeffect R 35 780mm Race Face Aeffect 50mm

Shifters

SRAM GX Eagle

Rear Derailleur

SRAM GX Eagle

Cassette Chain

SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed, 10-50 SRAM Eagle

Cranks

SRAM GX Eagle

Bottom Bracket

SRAM threaded

Brakes

SRAM Guide R

Wheels

Race Face AR27

Tyres Saddle Seatpost Weight Wheel Size Available Sizes Price Website

Maxxis Minion DHF/DHR 2.3 WTB Volt RockShox Reverb with paddle remote, 150mm drop 13.6kg without pedals (frame/shock 2,900g) 29 (tested) or 27.5 Plus M, L (tested) & XL $7,849 www.santacruzbicycles.com

Pluses • Fun, agile and versatile • Efficient on the ups • She's a looker!

Minuses • Grip damper fork doesn't perform as well as read suspension • Cost of entry • US-centric rear brake hose routing mtbiking.com.au

RIDDEN & RATED

INTENSE SNIPER XC LIKE CR ANKING OUT ULTR A FAST LAPS? ENJOY THE FEEL OF SCREAMING QUADS? THE SNIPER MIGHT BE YOUR NEW RIDE WORDS: TIM ROBSON

RATINGS IN THE STAND 7/10 ON THE TR AIL 8/10 OVER ALL 7.5/10

mtbiking.com.au

RIDDEN & RATED

Intense is not the irst name when you think about bikes that are built to go uphill fast. The American brand is most famous for machinery that can bomb down faster than most others, and it's been instrumental in the development of many of the sport's fastest downhill race bikes. Its new Sniper, however, is aimed at the other extreme of mountain biking. At just on 11.1kg fully laden in a large size (with tubes, pedals and a cage!), just 100mm of travel front and rear, and not an upright angle to be seen, the Intense Sniper XC is built to do just one thing. But is it too limited in its appeal? We scored a few days on Intense's brand new Sniper before its worldwide release; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a full blown review, but we got a couple of decent rides in.

In the stand The Sniper is an all-new design for Intense, and is based around a full carbon frame with a four-bar linkage rear suspension system with 100mm of rear travel and a 12mm x 148mm rear axle. It comes in a 29-inch wheel size only, and is available in small through extra large sizes. This thing has been built from the ground up for speed. The SL chassis uses a magnesium upper link, titanium hardware and carbon lower link to save even more weight, while there is nothing on this frame that is

unnecessary. Even the internal cable routing does away with extra plastic fittings; rather, it just feeds through holes moulded directly into the frame. With a long history in gravity bikes, it comes as no surprise that the Sniper follows some of the geometric traits that are prevalent in today's trail bikes. It has a very long top tube and reach for a cross country designated bike, and our sample was supplied with a 50mm stem, which must be a first for a 100mm travel XC machine. The head angle of 67.5 degrees is combined with a Fox 32 fork with a shorter 44mm offset, while the 74-degree seat angle is quite vertical by comparison. A reasonably short rear end with 439mm stays means that the Intense should be quite lively out of the box, too. There's no linkage on the rear triangle, just a straight four-bar without any sort of Horst link on it. The relatively tiny 160mm brake rotors front and rear point to the bike's intended purpose of cross country or marathon weapon. Intense's own Recon Trail carbon wheelset features on this Elite build bike, with DT350 hubs laced with 28 spokes front and rear, on a reasonably deep but narrow rim. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no ability to put any sort of front derailleur or chain guide on the front, and its bottom bracket is a press-fit BB92. There's no metal plate or protection device for a drop

JUDGES NOTES

Name Age

Tim Robson 48

Weight

100kg. Okay, 110kg.

Height

187cm

Riding Style

Slow but stylish, loves a bit of tech

Home Trail

Northern Illawarra

Size Tested

Suspension Pressures

Front - 100PSI (full open rebound, Trail setting) Rear - 210PSI (full open rebound, Trail setting on Fox Evol)

Tyre Pressures

Top: SRAM XO mech hides a lot of GX bits

28psi/28psi (f/r, tubes) Above: No fancy port...holes are lighter

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RIDDEN & RATED

Left to Right: Ultra light magnesium upper link; No front deraulleur ability here; Tracer moniker follows family tradition of munitions names; The shortest stem you'll ever see on an XC bike

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING

As the market for longer travel trail bikes reaches saturation, the question needs to be asked… how many people are oversuspended for their home trails? Bikes are bought for a wide variety of reasons, but versatility is one of the biggest. But if you’re buying a 160mm trail bike for Lysterfield or Majura Forest, you might be overdoing it. Sure, the lure of a trip to Thredbo or even Maydena with your rig may sway your final decision, and most long-legged trail bikes pedal perfectly well. But for a surprisingly large number of riders, something in the 1001120mm range may well be the sweet spot. It’ll be lighter and less complex, usually, and it doesn’t give away all that much in terms of abilities… and if you get your rear end sorted and fit wider tyres, you may well be better off than someone on a big rig. To that end, I reckon the 120mm Sniper Trail may well upstage its XC brother; that little bit more travel, combined with a burlier Fox 34 with more offset, will make what is a fast rig even quicker. Stay tuned for a test./TR

mtbiking.com.au

chain down on those thick chainstays, either, though the stay itself is well protected. But the general look of the bike are low, lean, and mean. The spec notes on this top-spec model include a carbon KS LEV dropper post, which comes standard on all Sniper framesets. A big change for the American company is a recent move to consumer direct sales, although its existing Aussie dealer group is still in play. This is, the company says, "a move to bring the brand down from a perceived premium price point." While the example that we're testing today costs around $10,599, the exact same chassis - save for the magnesium upper link that's unique to the top spec SL frame - can be had in a Expert spec complete bike that costs around $7000. Our blingy Elite build includes a Fox 32 Factory Kashima fork, and a mashup drivetrain consisting of SRAM GX and X01 Eagle components mixed with Shimano XT brakes. There's also a 50mm stem and 760mm wide carbon handlebars, topped with ultra light foam grips. It's a relatively low-fuss, highefficiency build, which definitely errs on the side of race day rather than all day. On the scale with pedals and a bottle cage fitted, the Sniper comes in at an impressive 11.1kg in a large size. All Snipers, too, come with a

125mm drop carbon version of KS's excellent LEV post (though it misses out on a Southpaw trigger).

On the trail It's rare that we get to test such a dedicated type of machine. Most modern bikes can dabble in a little bit of everything, but it's pretty obvious straight out of the box that the Sniper is meant to go extremely quickly, literally feeling like it wants to bolt for the trail head. With a big boy 34-tooth cog on the front of the 12-speed set up, the Sniper is an efficient pedaler with a stable nature. Point the bike upwards, and despite the low-profile tread of the Maxxis Rekon 2.25 tyres, the Sniper simply motors up and over any obstacle in its path. Despite its short-travel nature, it can tackle steep, rutted, and slippery terrain with a balance and poise that is quite astonishing. Just a little bit of body English allows the bike to be moved up and over obstacles, allowing for speed to be maintained at all costs. Along flat, smooth terrain, the Sniper is a device that seems to shorten time. It is absolutely, blazingly fast, and you find yourself constantly clicking gears to keep up with the bike's relentless momentum On rolling single track, it's a similar feeling; with a sharper front end than most trail bikes, the Sniper is a joy to muscle

RIDDEN & RATED

SPECIFICATIONS through tighter, flowy terrain. It absolutely laps it up, especially through that front end; it almost steers by thought. With a wider handlebar and the longer front centre, there is front grip to burn, and it's faithfully backed up by the compliant, vertically rigid rear end. The kink in the Sniper's armour is when descents get rowdy. Despite a 67.5-degree head angle, its shorter travel numbers soon overwhelm the bike's ability to tackle truly massive terrain at speed, though its inherent stability and manoeuvrability does play into its favour. The lack of travel, too, requires a more precision set-up of the Fox DPS rear end and surprisingly capable Fox Factory 32 front. We'd guess that the Sniper is better suited to lighter riders who aren't taking up a lot of sag out of the box; at 110kg, I set it up for 20 per cent sag, and while it pedalled amazingly well, it lost the ability to deal with bigger stuff, becoming a bit wooden and non-responsive. Intense says the Sniper XC’s rear suspension is designed to ramp up much more quickly than a longer travel machine, which bears out my theory that it loses compliance and feel in favour of efficiency and speed with bigger pilots aboard. It would be my guess that the majority of riders of the Sniper would be in the 60 to 80kh range; our resident speedmeister John

wasn’t able to get hold of the Sniper this time around, and he’s right in that ballpark. I tried the bike with both fork and shock in both the middle and wide-open positions, and preferred it in the central setting for a better blend of pop and compliance. Of course with the rear lockout on, it will climb smoother trails even faster. Intense is also releasing a 120mm version of the Sniper called the Trail, and we reckon that may well be the sweet spot for all-day missions where the rough is mixed with the smooth. In terms of fit, the Sniper is the very definition of long and low, with a stretched-out 635mm top tube combining with a short 105mm head tube and a modest 778mm standover height. I didn't feel the need to dump the stem on the frame during our brief ride, which is unusual when testing 29ers.

Verdict Even after my relatively limited spin on the Sniper, it’s safe to say that it is an impressive device out of the box, especially if you're into long distance sufferfests. As a marathon bike, for example, it would be brilliant; not only would it be fast point to point, but its predictable trailbike traits will play into the hands of a tired rider much better than something that’s twitchy as a gelded colt in spring.

Frame

Carbon/carbon four-bar

Shock

FOX Factory DPS, Kashima

Fork Headset Handlebars Stem Shifters Rear Derailleur Cassette Chain Cranks Bottom Bracket

Fox Factory 32, 100mm travel Cane Creek tapered internal Intense carbon 0mm rise, 760mm wide Intense Recon, 50mm SRAM GX Eagle SRAM X01 Eagle SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed, 10-50 SRAM GX Eagle SRAM Stylo carbon, 175mm, 34t chainring SRAM

Brakes

Shimano XT, 160mm/160mm f/r rotor

Wheels

Intense Recon Trail carbon 28h/DT Swiss 350 hubs

Tyres Saddle Seatpost Weight Wheel Size Available Sizes Price Website

Maxxis Rekon 29x2.25in Fabric Line Elite KS LEV carbon, 125mm drop (31.6mm post) 11.1kg complete 29in XS, S, M, L (tested), XL $10,599 www.intensecycles.com.au

Pluses • Fast as a startled gazelle • Amazingly light • Super efficient

Minuses • Not a strong downhiller • Lots of GX bits for a $10k bike mtbiking.com.au

RIDDEN & RATED

NORCO OPTIC C2 SMALL BUT VITAL TWEAKS TO NORCO'S ALL-DAY SLAYER FOR 2018 MAKE IT EVEN SHARPER.

WORDS: JOHN HARDWICK

RATINGS IN THE STAND 7/10 ON THE TR AIL 7.5/10 OVER ALL 7/10

mtbiking.com.au

RIDDEN & RATED

Norco released the Optic in 2016, and it brought with it a host of new systems and design ideas. These features have since spread right through the Norco lineup, with bikes like the Sight and Range adopting a similar style; the Optic really did herald in the new generation of Norco bikes. For 2017 the Optic line-up remained relatively unchanged; the company added an XX1 Eagle equipped version at the top-end but the rest of the range looked the same. This year Norco has tweaked the platform a little, replacing the alloy seat stay with a carbon fibre unit on the top two models. Of course the specs have also been updated, with SRAM GX Eagle 1X12 drivetrains being offered at a number of price-points. The core of the Optic remains unchanged, however; same travel, same geometry and same target audience. Let’s take a close look at Norco’s XC/trail allrounder to see what impact these changes have had.

In the Stand Aside from the usual colour changes and tweaked specs, the alloy Optic is unchanged from 2016/17. We now have four alloy options for the Aussie market; they start at $3,199 for the Optic A3—it runs a SRAM NX 1X11 drivetrain, Suntour cranks, Tektro brakes and a RockShox Rekon fork. The $3,799 A2 steps it up d notch with a Fox 34 Rhythm fork, SRAM NX cranks and SRAM Level brakes. You’ll also find the A2 Women’s at the same price; the spec is identical bar the female-specific WTB Deva saddle and a reduced size range (they don’t bother with the large and extra-large options in the women’s version). The A1 is the top alloy bike; for $4,499 you get a Shimano XT/ SLX 1X drivetrain with Deore brakes, wider Race Face rims, matching Race Face cranks and a RockShox Pike fork. Look to the carbon Optic and the top-of-the-line model goes

for $8,999. It’s dripping with bling; 30mm wide carbon DT wheels, SRAM Eagle XX1 and a RockShox Pike fork. At the opposite end of the carbon line-up is the $4,949 C3; this model features a carbon front-end with all-alloy seat and chain stays. The parts consist of a SRAM GX 12-speed drivetrain, Level T brakes, a RockShox Revelation fork and 27mm inner width WTB rims with Novatec hubs. For this review we laid our hands on the mid-range carbon Optic, the $5,949 C2. Like the C3 it runs an Eagle GX drivetrain but it gets wider 27mm (internal) Race Face rims with DT 350 hubs and a full Race Face cockpit. While every single Optic (both carbon and alloy) comes with a dropper post, the C2 and C1 feature a RockShox Reverb with the brand new under-bar remote paddle (the lower models run a Trans-X dropper). At the core of the C2 you’ll find the same frame as the top-end model; it features the updated carbon seatstays rather than the alloy stays found on last years Optic. With this spec our Optic tipped the scales at 13.11kg without pedals. Where does the Optic sit in the scheme of things? Norco pitches it as a ‘fast-pedalling trail bike that combines the right mix of

JUDGES NOTES

Name Age Weight Riding Style

John Hardwick 46 65kg Likes to play around

Home Trail

Wollongong; anything steep, raw and tech

Size Tested

Medium

Suspension Pressures

Front - 70PSI (Stock as delivered from Scott with the rebound dialled to taste) Rear - 110PSI (30% sag)

Tyre Pressures

Around 20psi all-round

Above: Rock Shox Reverb trigger is a nice touch This pic: Got narrow trails? These bars are as wide as they come

mtbiking.com.au

RIDDEN & RATED

Left to Right: Eagle GX getting lots of spec in 2018 Trunnion mounted Fox works well

27. 5 O F O N E , 2 9 OF THE OTHER

You’ll find many people out there riding with 150 or 160mm of travel on trails that

With Norco offering both 27.5 and 29 inch wheels in the Optic with geometry that isn’t compromised in either case, the decision on which one suits best has become tougher than ever. I’ve been lucky enough to ride both back-to-back and despite the similarities in geometry, there’s still a noticeable difference in the ride feel. The smaller wheeled Optic may have an extra 10mm of travel but that doesn’t stop the 29er from feeling more steady and planted on the trail. If your trails are on the rough and rugged side, I’d be steering more towards the bigger wheeled Optic. Both felt agile through the corners and tight stuff – the 68-degree head angle and short stays help with this – but the 27.5 Optic was more agile. Whether the 27.5 version is too agile will depend on rider preference and the terrain that you frequent. Obviously the best way to decide is to ride both if you can and that could be an option if you go to a Norco ride day; Advance Traders (the Australian distributor) holds these from time to time.

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don’t really demand it. cross-country efficiency with allmountain playfulness.’ It’s offered in both 27.5 and 29-inch wheel options and the bike shares near identical geometry across both sizes; the chainstay lengths are identical, head angles are within half a degree and the reach figures are within a couple of millimetres. I’ve spent time on both wheel options and, while they do offer a slightly different feel, the overall handling is remarkably similar across the board. Travel-wise, the Optic is definitely at the shorter end of the scale; the 27.5 version offers 120mm with a 130mm fork and with 110/120mm, the 29er really is more at the XC end of things— at least on paper anyway. Of course there’s more to analysing suspension than just looking at the total amount of travel—how the travel is delivered is of equal or greater importance. In this case the Optic has a moderately progressive leverage rate. Progressive suspension is supple in the early travel but firmer towards the end to handle

bigger hits without bottoming out. Race-oriented XC bikes are more likely to be linear; that is, firmer initially with less bottom-out resistance for any big hits. Norco pairs its progressive leverage rate with a small volume air can on the rear shock. The combined effect makes the rear suspension very progressive indeed; it really gives the Optic the genes of a trail bike. The trail bike attitude is cemented by the geometry. While the 68.5-degree head angle isn’t super-slack by modern standards, it’s slack enough for XC applications. More importantly, the front centre and reach figures are reasonably long while the chainstays are short—a set-up that provides agility and playfulness in the tight stuff without pitching you over the front when the descents get steeper. Speaking of chainstays, Norco is one of the few manufacturers to vary this dimension with the frame size. Our large demo bike has 435mm stays while the medium runs even shorter 430mm stays (it’s the same as the 27.5 version).

When it comes to climbing, the steep 75-degree seat angle positions your weight forward on the bike to sure up the steering when scaling the steep stuff. Here the suspension also comes into play; the anti-squat offered by the system isn’t overly pronounced, so the bike remains active under strong pedal input. The effect of this is two-fold; first off the Optic isn’t the most efficient to climb on the smooth stuff and out-of-the-saddle efforts will produce noticeable bob. On the upside, the active suspension eagerly seeks out traction on rougher terrain, which keeps you powering on up the steep and technical climbs. While the changes aren’t huge for 2018, it’s worth looking at the updated seatstays that you’ll find on the top two models—the C1 and C2 that we tested. What’s actually gained with the move from alloy to carbon? As you’d expect the carbon stays are lighter but there’s only 40g in it. This takes the frame weight from 2,550g to 2,510g (medium frame

RIDDEN & RATED

and shock only). Either way the Optic is respectably light and 40g either way isn’t likely to bother anyone. Aside from that, the move to carbon has allowed for some re-sculpting to increase leg clearance on the rear end. Tyre clearance remains unchanged but the seatstays are around 8mm slimmer at the top where they mount to the rocker link, so you’ll gain approximately 4mm of added calf muscle clearance on each side. I have experienced a small amount of rub with the alloystay equipped Optic. It was never a huge issue for me but those with bigger legs may appreciate the tweak more than I did.

On the Trail Out on the dirt, little has changed with the carbon-stay equipped Optic, and that’s a good thing! It’s extremely capable for a 110/120mm travel rig. The progressive nature of the suspension means you can give it an absolute hiding without harsh bottoming—even when running around 30 per cent sag. With lots of sag and a supple initial stroke, it hugs the trail better than you’d expect. Suspensionwise, the Optic excels when set up soft and pushed hard. The flipside is that you may not get the most out of the bike if you run it XC-race style with minimal sag or ride in a tentative manner. Both scenarios are likely to lead to sub-optimal suspension performance as you’ll never use all of the travel. Pedal bob was apparent on smooth-surface climbs and when really powering uphill; lots of sag and a slight lack of anti-squat is the root cause. To combat this, I used the middle ‘Climb’ setting on the Fox Float rear shock. While this didn’t eliminate the bob, it muted the movement and still allowed the suspension to perform competently on the trail—an efficiency-focused rider could happily leave the shock in the middle mode as the default. Short stays and the not-tooslack angles provide a playful ride that’s ideal for the type of tracks that you encounter at many Aussie trail networks. While it can

punch way above its weight, it’s most comfortable on your typical intermediate/blue trails where its poppy and agile nature makes for an extremely engaging ride. Push it into hard-charging black trails or big-hit terrain and the Optic will still hold its head high, but you’ll just face a narrower margin for error than with a longer and slacker big-travel rig. The Optic is a well-rounded package for the trail riding enthusiast. Norco’s internal cable routing ran rattle-free, it fitted a full-size bottle within the frame, the Eagle 12-speed drivetrain offered plenty of gear range for tackling big hills and the new paddle-style lever on the dropper really brought the Reverb to life—it has a light action and the lever feel is perfectly matched to the right-side SRAM shifter. The Level brakes mightn’t have the oomph of the four-pot Guides but they provided predictable modulation and remained silent throughout the review period. With the wide 800mm Race Face bars (yes, you can trim them) and short 50mm stem, the cockpit is set up for hard charging and there’s very little in the spec that I’d want to change. It’s obviously trail-dependent but I’d probably choose a wider tyre than the 2.35 Forecaster— at 57mm across the casing they’re definitely undersized. Thankfully the Optic rear end will comfortably clear proper 2.6 rubber; that’s close to plus bike dimensions. Whatever tyre suit your needs, the Race Face rims made tubeless conversion a breeze—a near-essential move before hitting the trail.

Trail riding is what the Optic does best. It’s a near perfect ride for back-country epics and rides with your mates around the local trail network. The capable suspension and geometry ensures will have you punching well above your weight in the technical stuff too. Think of it as a bit of that North-Shore Canadian heritage shining through. In many ways this bike reaffirms the notion that many of us ride ‘over-biked’. With the rising popularity of enduro, you’ll

SPECIFICATIONS

Frame

Carbon with alloy chainstay

Shock

Fox Float EVOL Performance 110mm Travel

Fork Headset Handlebars Stem

Fox 34 Performance 120mm Travel FSA Race Face Turbine R Alloy 800mm Race Face Turbine Basic 50mm

Shifters

SRAM GX Eagle

Rear Derailleur

SRAM GX Eagle

Cassette

SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed, 10-50

Chain

SRAM GX Eagle

Cranks

SRAM GX Eagle

Bottom Bracket

SRAM Press-fit

Brakes

SRAM Level TL

Wheels

Race Face AR 27mm internal

Tyres Saddle Seatpost Weight Wheel Size Available Sizes Price

Verdict The Optic may have crosscountry bike travel but it’s clearly not aimed at the XC racing crew. The suspension is far more capable than the numbers suggest and both the geometry and component set-up serve to back this up. Whack the shock in the middle platform mode and the ride may be fairly efficient but the 13.11kg weight (without pedals) isn’t going to excite the lycra-racers.

find many people out there riding with 150 or 160mm of travel on trails that don’t really demand it. Many of these bikes pedal with surprising ease, so there’s no great handicap but the margin for error is so great that the ride tends to be less engaging. It’s here that the Optic brings the trail alive again. It has the right blend of agility and confidence for the terrain that most of us tackle and it’ll inject a whole bunch of fun into your riding.

Website

Maxxis Forecaster 2.35 SDG Duster RockShox Reverb with Lever 13.11kg without pedals (Frame/Shock 2,510g) 29 S, M, L (tested) & XL $5,949 www.norco.com

PLUSES • Well-tuned suspension that punches well above its weight • Handling that really brings the trail alive • Excellent component choice

MINUSES • Not the most efficient on smooth climbs • Frame is light but the overall spec makes it weighty for the travel and price. • Wider tyres would better complement the spec and capability mtbiking.com.au

RIDDEN & RATED

ROCKY MOUNTAIN INSTINCT A70 NORTH SHORE TALENTS IN A FLEXIBLE PACKAGE AT A RELATIVELY PALATABLE PRICE? SIGN US UP, EH?

WORDS: JUSTIN WALKER

RATINGS IN THE STAND 7/10 ON THE TR AIL 8/10 OVER ALL 7.5/10

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RIDDEN & RATED

Left: Beautiful welds on the Instinct Below: Guide brakes got the thumbs up

Canadian brand Rocky Mountain is synonymous with free-riding MTB, thanks both to its home base, right next door to the trails of Vancouver’s famous North Shore, and its sponsored athletes, namely a certain Wade Simmons and, more recently Tomas Vanderham. This has seen all Rocky Mountain bikes spiced with vary varying amounts of that North Shore DNA in their geometry and spec over the brand’s 30-plus years. This past two years has seen Rocky Mountain release a flood of heavily revised (read: pretty much all-new) updates across its model range, including the Element, Altitude and – after a few years out of the model lineup – an allnew Slayer. The latest Rocky rig to receive this treatment is its popular trail-focused 29er, the Instinct. The Instinct first hit showrooms back in 2013 in alloy form, followed by carbon models in 2014. With the bike industry’s obsession with all things long, slack and low these past couple of years, an update to this mid-travel trail rig was definitely overdue. Rocky Mountain responded by releasing this new incarnation of the Instinct late 2017, with only a few carry-over features, such as

a tweaked version of its Ride-9 adjustable geometry, and – hallelujah – both alloy (two) and carbon-fibre (four) models, all sharing 140mm front and rear travel. The only – and notable – exception in the six-model line-up is the big-bopper Instinct BC Edition, which boasts 160mm of travel up front, and 155mm at the rear – and does this without Ride-9 adjustability. In the carbon-fibre-flooded MTB world of today world, it’s heartening to see Rocky Mountain hasn’t forgotten the mountain biking ‘everyman’, with the Alloy 50 and its high-end sibling, the Alloy 70 (as tested here), offering decent spec levels at (relatively) achievable price points.

In the stand The Instinct A70 offers a quite decent spec level for the $5800 asking price, along with a wellbuilt frame (all welds are nicely finished, internal cable routing neat and easy to access/use, and the paint job is excellent). The Instinct frame is low, long, beefy and slack (geo is dependent on the Ride-9 setting; more on that later), with shortened chainstays (19mm less than previous) and significantly increased reach;

JUDGES NOTES

Name Age

Justin Walker 47

Weight

113kg

Height

182cm

Riding Style Home Trail

Trail Manly Dam

Size Tested

Large

Suspension Pressures

Front - 125PSI (Open setting) Rear - 280PSI (full open rebound)

Tyre Pressures

31psi/31psi (f/r)

this Large size tester has 454mm465mm, up 40-45mm from the old model. Rocky has also steepened the seat angle a tad and added more anti-squat, ensuring the new geo doesn’t impact climbing and there’s less ‘bogging down’ during ascents. Rocky Mountain has done away with the previous model’s bushing pivots, instead opting for bearings, along with some schmick single-sided blind pivots (in the rear triangle). As you’d expect in 2018, the Instinct features Boost axles front and rear, along with a metric shock. The Instinct can run up to

29x2.6 rubber, and it can also run 27.5-plus wheels and tyres. And before anyone shakes their head and mumbles about having to purchase a separate fork; the Instinct comes with an additional lower headset spacer so you can swap between the two wheel sizes if you so desire. Sadly, Rocky Mountain doesn’t throw in a spare set of 27.5-plus wheels, so you will have to stump up for those... The A70’s 140mm of travel is supplied via a Fox 34 Performance Elite fork up front, and a Fox DPS Evol Performance Elite out back. The drivetrain is

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RIDDEN & RATED

SPECIFICATIONS

Frame

FORM Alloy, Smoothlink (four-bar), Ride-9 adjustable geo

Shock

Fox DPS Evol Performance Elite 140mm Travel

Fork Headset Handlebars Stem

FSA Orbit Extend-o-matic Race Face Turbine R 780mm, 20mm rise Rocky Mountain 50mm

Shifters

SRAM GX Eagle

Rear Derailleur

SRAM GX Eagle

Cassette Chain Cranks Bottom Bracket

SRAM GX 12-speed, 10-50T SRAM GX Eagle SRAM Stylo 7k Eagle 32T SRAM GXP BB92

Brakes

SRAM Guide R

Wheels

Sun Duroc 30mm internal width TR

Tyres Saddle Seatpost Weight Wheel Size Available Sizes Price Website

Fox 34 Performance Elite 140mm Travel

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Maxxis Minion DHR EXO TR 29x2.3/Maxxis Forekaster EXO TR 29x2.35 WTB Silverado Fox Transfer Performance Elite 30.9, 150mm drop 13.8kg without pedals 29/27.5-plus S, M, L(tested) & XL $5800 www.bikes.com www.adventurebrands.com.au

SRAM GX 1x12 and, continuing the SRAM trend, the Instinct’s stoppers are SRAM’s Guide Rs. The rest of the spec list includes a Fox Transfer Performance Elite (30.9) with a 150mm drop, Race Face bars (35mm; 780mm wide and attached to a 50mm stem) take care of steering duties, while rolling stock is based on Sun Duroc aluminium rims with a 30mm inside diameter, wrapped in a chunky Maxxis Minion up front and less gnarly Forekaster down the rear. Surprisingly, allowing for how much space there is, Rocky opted for ‘just’ a 29x2.3/29x2.35 combo. For the 2018 Instinct (as for its other updated models) Rocky Mountain has also tweaked its highly regarded Ride-9 adjustment system. This setup allows riders to adjust the geometry and suspension performance of the Instinct via the two interlocking chips that are now mounted on the rocker link (as opposed to the shock’s forward mount on the previous model). The Instinct has a head-angle range of between 66 degrees at the slackest setting, through to 67 at the steepest, while seat angle runs from 74.5 to a supersteep 75.5. These chips are

removed and rotated using a pair of Allen key and offer up to nine different geometry tweaks plus alterations to suspension performance (ramp-up, etc.), meaning riders can adjust for their weight, riding style and the different trails they ride. It sounds complicated, but Rocky Mountain supplies a guide for each model bike and the process is relatively straightforward – and it’s well worth spending time getting it right. This spec list makes the A70 very good value, especially when you consider the nearest equivalent carbon Instinct – the C50 – asks a $200 premium over the A70 and drops down a grade for the fork/ shock combo. For similar specs to the A70, buyers would have to move up to the C70 (at $7299).

On the trail As mentioned, Rocky Mountain’s Ride-9 allows for pretty much full customisation of the Instinct, to suit the rider and the trails they frequent, making it ideal for the rider after that ‘one bike’ that can occasionally tackle an endurance event, but also be home on the bigger, rowdier stuff. During testing, I stuck to

RIDDEN & RATED

Left: Even though it's an alloy frame, Rocky Mountain still fits the Instinct with down tube protection. Note the removable through-cable routing hatch, too

a couple of local trails I use frequently; rocky ascents and descents, short and sharp climbs and numerous drops off short and tall rock shelves saw me keep the Ride-9 in the slackest position (for heavy riders) to gain as much advantage out of the resultant 66-degree head angle. The bike itself is lengthy (1203mm wheelbase) and this setting definitely made that wheelbase obvious, but it also allowed me to plough over stuff I would usually try and work around. The low standover allows the rider to get down and shift the bike around aggressively but, as with most trail-oriented 29ers these days, point-and-shoot riding still offers the most fun and effective way down a trail. Tight trails are reduced to less of an effort than the previous-gen

model; that shorter chainstay feels nice and tucked in behind the rider and, for a big long bike, the Instinct is reasonably flickable, albeit with a bit of muscle applied to ensure those Maxxis tyres hook up. This thing is seriously fast on open trails… scarily so, in fact. It’s just a matter of how brave the rider is as to how fast it cranks along. Reining in all this speed is a doddle, though; the Guide R brakes do a sterling job, with no hint of fade after repeated braking efforts – even more impressive when the combined weight of this tester and the bike is considered. The SRAM GX drivetrain didn’t miss a beat; changes were direct and that spread of ratios are very welcome, too. Climbing, even in the slackest Ride-9 setting, is straightforward;

the increase in suspension antisquat means this big alloy bruiser rolls up and over anything as long as the rider can keep the gas on. Rocky’s Smoothlink suspension has always been well aligned to climbing technical rock- and root-strewn ascents (North Shore, anyone?) and this new iteration improves this even more; there’s no catching on sharp edges and traction and momentum are always there, thanks to the Maxxis rubber. Going up was, however, where the bike’s weight was most noticeable (even allowing for the fact this tester could, ahem, drop a fair chunk of lard). The beefy alloy tubing, the SRAM GX drivetrain and those heavy wheels and tyres mean climbing on the Instinct A70 is a more leisurely affair. The Sun Duroc wheelset is the overall weak point, both in terms of the weight and how easily they get knocked off-line in rocky terrain. A lighter, stifffer set of hoops, a tubeless set-up and swapping in a few Eagle components (cranks and cassette would be my choices) for the GX equivalent would see this alloy rig far more sprightly on the climbs and more stable in the really rough stuff.

Verdict The Rocky Mountain Instinct A70 is just one bike in the incredibly crowded mid-travel 29er market, making standing out difficult. Having said that, the Instinct A70 is more than the usual one-trick pony in terms of what it can offer a rider. The spec list on this thing is very impressive, for one; copping Fox’s excellent Performance Elite suspension, SRAM’s GX 1x12, Guide R brakes, and the ability to (relatively) easily swap between wheel sizes, ain’t a bad thing at all. Add in Rocky’s well-proved Ride-9 adjustment system and you get pretty close to that ‘one bike’ scenario that so many brands claim to offer. The asking price is a bit steep – even allowing for it being a boutique brand - but as mentioned previously, the spec list does reflect that, heavy wheels aside. The riding performance reflects the Instinct’s North Shore DNA – and that’s certainly not a bad thing. And for those riders who tackle anything from XC through to enduro (most of us, in other words) the Rocky Mountain Instinct’s versatility through geo/ suspension adjustment and wheel-size compatibility make it an exciting addition to the midtravel 29er market.

PLUSES • All-rounder • SRAM Guide R brakes • Ride-9 adjustability

MINUSES • Frame is tough, but no lightweight • Wheelset is heavy • Cranks are low-rent mtbiking.com.au

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IN THE SHED

POLYGON BEND RV NEW DROP BAR BIKE JOINS THE MBA FLEET

WORDS: TIM ROBSON

Now… I’m not sure I buy the entire gravel bike thing. New category? Cyclocross has been around for a while now… To my way of thinking, what this new generation of gravel bikes actually represents is a new era of utility bikes. Think about it for a second. Our new trail duallies are getting far too expensive to pop down the shops on, while their mountain goat gearing and tractor tyres also render them pretty impractical when it comes to tackling anything but singletrack. And if you want to carry anything, take a backpack… Gravel bikes bobbed up a couple of seasons ago, and are now widely represented across the industry at multiple price

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points. However, it’s the more affordable end of town that offers some truly impressive rigs that – marketing hype aside – are an incredible versatile device to rack up next to your all mountain rig. Take, for example, the $1699 Polygon Bend RV. For not a lot of money, you can pick up a machine that ticks a lot of new school boxes when it comes to a modern pushy. For example, the Bend’s alloy frame is hydroformed, with a heavily tapered rear end and oversized front end as well as a through-axle set-up and flat-mount rear disc. The fork is tapered carbon, too, and set up for a 12mm through axle. Running gear is 1 x 11 SRAM Apex, running 11-42 out back and 38t on the front, while SRAM also

takes care of the braking with hydraulic Apex brakes clamping 140mm rotors front and rear. Polygon provides the rest of the finishing gear, which is actually pretty good; cromo seat rails are a nice touch, for example, and the flared bars grow in width if you pick a larger sized rig. We've added Shimano's XT single-sided touring SPDs - though we note they now come with screw-in pins, which would have been a nice addition, given the small size and relative slipperiness of the platform side. Wheels are 28h alloy items, with Schwalbe’s 700c x 38mm G-One tyres not even going close to filling the frame or fork. A tubeless conversion is on our must-do list, too. Fit on our Large is generous, with a 392mm reach allowing the right amount of stretch. A tall headtube and lots of fork spacers allow for either an upright or more racy stretched-out stance – we’ve gone somewhere in the middle. The Bend is available online, and it's worth paying attention to the sizing. If you're struggling, Polygon will take your bike back and swap it within 14 days, which is a good thing. Originally we picked one up to serve as a pseudo city bike, one that could be ridden to the shops

easily to grab basic groceries and the like… but it actually felt like the bike was underutilised with a rack and mudguards on it. The Apex gearing is fast enough for decent speed on the road, but we’re going to bump the rear up to an 11-46, and upgrade the front to a 40t, just for a bit more top end. The G-Ones should be considered a light-duty off road tyre; it doesn’t take much dust on the top of a gravel road for them to become skatey, but dropping a little pressure helps here. On road, though, they sizzle. Tyre spec is something that will play to your advantage here – if you do mostly gravel, changing to a bigger bagged tyre will pay dividends in comfort and grip, but the stockers are a great all-rounder. Weaknesses? I’m not a fan of the external rear derailleur routing, which makes the downtube look a bit scrappy. It can be rerouted, so that’s a job for a rainy day. In fact, all the cabling will be tidied up to streamline the looks. The saddle wasn’t awesome, so I’ve subbed in my own, and I’ve added thicker bar tape for more comfort. For the money, though, it’s a very impressive rig that will do a number of jobs… and keep the inner mountain bike in me very happy.

QUICK SPECS

Frame

Hydroformed alloy

Shock

Fox DPS Evol Performance Elite 140mm Travel

Fork Drivetrain

Carbon, 12mm through-axle, internal brake cabling SRAM Apex 11-speed

Brakes

SRAM Apex

Wheels

Entity 28h, alloy rims, sealed bearing hubs

Price Website

$1699 www.bicyclesonline.com.au

FITNESS

BODY ROCKING

SINGLE LEG BALANCE

USING BODY WEIGHT STRENGTH TO MAKE YOU FASTER ON YOUR MTB WORDS AND PICS: SARAH HUNTER

As a strength coach and cycling coach for FTP Training I often get asked ‘do I need to do any strength training?’. My reply is always unequivocally ‘yes’. Whether you are a weekend warrior or professional cyclist, dedicating some time to strength will help in a multitude of ways, not just making your legs stronger so you can smash your mates and get PBs up the hill climbs, but in many other more subtle ways: • Helping reverse the curse of weak glutes from sitting at your desk all day. This is my number one observation that I see in all my athletes. These muscles are by far and away the strongest set of muscles in the body, so why not make them work? • Improving bone density. After we reach about 40 years old we start to lose bone density. However, this can be reversed, and bone density increased by doing weight bearing exercise. the best of these being strength training. • Becoming more injury resilient. Lower back pain is pretty common amongst mountain bikers and can be the result of a weak core fatiguing during longer rides. Building a strong core will help you ride longer and hopefully with less pain. The following set of exercises are super easy to do, and require zero equipment, so you can do them at home, in the office, on holiday... well, actually anywhere! I would recommend doing these exercises in minimalist shoes, or even bare feet. Regular running shoes give the foot exaggerated foot and ankle support, which is actually not needed in this situation. Strength training with minimal foot support will actually help build foot and ankle strength.

The single leg balance has another upside in that training the feet and ankles to fire can help to improve knee and hip function. Keeping your body fully aligned from head to toe, lift one leg off the floor. The front leg should be roughly in line with the standing leg, and the foot dorsiflexed (flex the foot so that the toes are brought closer towards the shins). Hold this position for 20 seconds, then repeat on the other leg. As you become more proficient, progress to holding the balance for 1 minute. The version of the balance shown here is on a double foam mat to make the exercise harder. If this is too difficult, then start on the floor then progress to a softer surface as you improve.

ECCENTRIC ISOMETRIC LUNGE

Start standing with your feet next to each other and maintaining this semi inline position step one foot back. Key pointers for this exercise: 1. Keep the rear heel up and pointing towards the ceiling 2. Keep a forward torso lean, which helps push the hips back and helps engage the glutes. 3. Maintain this torso lean during the entire up down lunge movement. Once in the correct position, slowly (for a count of 3) drop the rear knee straight down towards the floor (but do not touch the floor). Hold this position for a count of 5 before powerfully pushing through the front heel to come back up to the top of the lunge. Repeat 5 lunges on one side before switching to the other side.

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FITNESS

Sarah Hunter is a performance cycle coach for FTP Training and a personal trainer based in Perth. She loves mountain biking and has finished in the top three at the Cape to Cape MTB race. When she isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t coaching others to achieve their goals, you may find her out on the trails or mixing it up with some surfing, running and lifting heavy weights! www.ftptraining.com, www.hunterpt.com.au

MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS

Better form can be kept when doing these with your hands raised on a box or step. Position your hands shoulder width apart on a box or step. Keep your shoulders back and down (ie stop them from rounding or hunching forwards), keep a flat back and strong engaged core. Slowly and purposefully move one knee in towards your chest, and do not let the foot of that leg touch the floor during the movement. Move the leg back to the starting position and repeat on the other side. This exercise is about precise, slow and controlled movements, not high speed. Aim to complete 10 reps, with a left and right leg movement counting as 1 rep.

SINGLE LEG GLUTE BRIDGE

Glute bridges are one of the easiest and best exercises to target the largest muscle group in your body. Elevate one leg and keep the foot of the elevated leg dorsiflexed. Now push through the heel of the supporting leg and drive the hips up towards the ceiling. Be careful to not drive the hips overly high at the top of the glute bridge as this can put too much pressure on the lower back. Hold the top position of the glute bridge for a count of 3. Complete 5 reps on one side before repeating on the other leg. If you find your hips dropping to one side, or this version too difficult, then start with both feet are on the floor.

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FITNESS

ISOMETRIC TOWEL ROW

Grab hold of a big towel and loop it over the soles of your feet. The correct position for the row involves keeping the shoulders back and down, an open chest and a strong, tight core. The first position to hold is the bottom of the row, your arms should be almost straight without locking out the elbows. Hold this position and pull against the towel like crazy; your core should be braced and your legs should be actively pushing your feet into the towel.

Hold this position for 5 seconds, take a small rest then pull the towel so your arms are at the top of the row. Your elbows should not row past level with your body. If your towel is too short to get your arms in this position, then bend your legs at the knees. Now hold the top of the row position for another count of 5, again pulling like crazy against the towel. If you are doing this correctly then your muscles should really feel it after holding for 5 seconds. Repeat both holds 5 times.

PRONE YT

This exercise targets the lower back, upper back and shoulders. Begin this exercise by lying face down on the floor. The letters Y and T refer to the position your arms form with your body. The Y â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Raise your arms to a 45 degree angle with your body and hold this position for 2 seconds before moving into the T position â&#x20AC;&#x201C; extend your arms straight out to the side and hold this position for a count of 2 seconds. To target the lower back, the chest and shoulder can be raised off the ground as shown here. This area will typically be the first to fatigue, so feel free to complete a couple of reps in this position before lowering your forehead to the floor and finishing the rest of the set in this position. Aim to complete 10 Y and Ts. (1 Y and 1 T equals one rep.)

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4 DAYS | 6 STAGES | ALICE SPRINGS, NT 23 - 26 AUGUST 2018 Experience the Red Centre on your dream MTB holiday amidst jaw dropping outback landscapes.

Easy race logistics by staying in the one location Ideal climate - blue skies, average high of 23 Endless kms of hand built single track Race one stage or race them all Friendly social atmosphere

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ALICE SPRINGS RESORT

PIT STOP

REMOVING YOUR REAR SHOCK IT SOUNDS STRAIGHTFORWARD ENOUGH, BUT HERE ARE A COUPLE OF PRO TIPS TO MAKE THE JOB EASIER WORDS AND PICS: TIM ROBSON

IF you want to send your shock away for a service or an update – like we did back on page 44 – then you’ll need to drop it out of your bike irst. If you can wield a hex key, you’re most of the way there… but as with everything, there’s always a right way and a better way to do it. Be aware that the air shaft of your shock is a crucial element, and if you mark the surface with an inadvertent hex key move, it’ll score the seals in your shock and shorten its life, so be a bit careful. We also used a handy piece of bike packing Styrofoam that you can get in metric bulk at any bike shop – rags will suffice as well.

You’ll only need a pair of hex keys – usually 5mm – and sometimes a 10mm socket or spanner, along with the foam and/or rags. Let’s go!

Place a piece of packing foam (or some rags) on the downtube of your bike. All shocks are slightly different, and some may fall straight out of the mounts when unbolted. This will give the downtube a good whack, so be prepared.

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The shock on our Intense is bolted on with a threaded 5mm hex bolt, so there’s no need for a second tool. Remove the front end (nearest the head tube) of the shock first; this will stop the bike from collapsing inwards before you’re ready.

Unbolt the rear bolt. You might need an extra hand here, or you can lay the bike on its side, to prevent it from collapsing in the middle.

PIT STOP