Australian Mountain Biking 138

NEW RIDES LAPIERRE, NORCO, MERIDA & MORE! AUSTRALIAN

MOUNTAIN

BIKE

PAUL VAN DER PLOEG

OUR NEW WORLD CHAMPION! YouTube

facebook.com/AMBmag AMBmag Facebook

Twitter

From racing World Champs to the best trails Oz has to offer: we've got you covered!

of the Gravity Enduro: Why everyone is riding it and how you can too!

38

AUS $9.95 NZ $10.99 (Inc GST)

RIDDEN AND RATED Polygon Collosus, Whyte 29-C,

9 312796 000081

Giant Anthem, and latest gear!

THE ALE TRAIL Victoria's high-country brewers

and the MTB trails at their door!

WHAT AND WHEN TO EAT Eat for the week, not the weekend

CONQUER A MULTI-DAY How to prepare and finish MTB's most gruelling discipline

Fasttrack NEW STUFF

STABLE MAPLES A fatty and 27.5 AM from the Canadians

ABOVE: THE NORCO BIGFOOT THIS PIC: NORCO SIGHT 1 CARBON

FATBIKES have been around for quite a while, but complete bikes are relatively new to the Australian market, especially reasonably priced units like Norco’s Bigfoot, priced at $1899.

Remember, the correct number of bikes is always n+1, where n is the number of bikes you already have.

Remember: most Australians are wedged between the beach and the desert. Fill your tyres to 8psi and go find some sand.

Norco’s popular SiGHT range of 140mm travel, 27.5-inch machines, with clean cabling and 3–4 different price points, have long been popular for enduro riding. This year, the range goes upmarket with SiGHT 7.1 and 7.2, the first carbon versions released in Australia. The carbon SiGHTs are sleek, with a 25 percent weight reduction on the alloy frameset, complete internal cabling (even the telescopic seatpost), and 1x11 gearing.

The SiGHT 7.1 retails for $6399, the 7.2 $4599.

TOP: MERIDA BIG 7 CF 5000 BELOW: MERIDA ONE FORTY 1B

MERIDA MOVES IN-BETWEEN WEEN Merida stapumping out 27.5s in 2014!

THE biggest development for Merida’s top XC hardtail race bikes is the move to 27.5 inch wheels, as ridden by the pro Multivan Merida Biking Team.

The big Seven CF 5000, at $5399, is a full-carbon, XTRspecced race machine.

The new selections have left Jason English wondering which bike to choose. Jason already has two dual suspension Merida Ninety-Nines, which he runs with 27.5-inch wheels (although these 2013 bikes were designed for 26-inch wheels).

10

I

AMB

With no high-specced 27.5inch duallie yet available, he’ll be hanging onto these for his 24-hour racing, and keeping his Merida Big Nine (29 inch) bike for our sandy, fire-roady marathons.

The question is, with one more bike on his contract, what else to ride? “If I get permission”, says English, “I might look at riding a 140 or 150mm travel 27.5 bike in some local enduros.”

And wouldn’t we love to see that!

2014 LAPIERRE CARBON ZESTY AM 727

FRENCH TWIST IN 2013 LaPierre are building on the popularity of the e:1 shock, a computerised ‘intuitive suspension’ system that manages your shock settings according to ride conditions. This year the carbon Zesty is specced for smooth, efficient all-mountain riding, moving to 27.5-inch wheels and a 1x11 drivetrain. The Zesty AM 727, priced at $7299, has everything your mate’s bikes don’t have: it’s own on-board computer; beautifully designed decals you can feel; and slick internal cabling.

AMB I 11

Fasttrack YouTube

CALENDAR

facebook.com/AMBmag Facebook

Twitter

WHERE TO RIDE

Race or ride, what’s coming up this year and beyond! Got an event you want to list? Email amb@nextmedia.com.au and we will get it in next issue and post it up on our weekly ‘What’s On’ Facebook feed.

XC – XCM – LAP BASED ENDURO 5-6 October Scott 24hr 6 October F N Epic 12-13 October WEMBO 24hr 13 October Double Cross 9-27 October Crocodile Trophy 20 October SRAM Singletrack Mind Round 4 20 October Rock Hop 6hr 26 October Surfcoast 100 24-27 October Cape to Cape 9-10 November Highland Fling 10 November Buxton Bootcamp 15-17 November Bright MTB Festival 16 November 4hr Summer Series Rnd 1 21-24 November Hellfire Cup 23 November Seasons of Pain – Spring 23 November Battle of the Beasts 24 November SRAM Singletrack Mind Round 5 30 November Dusk til Dawn 12hr 30 November JetBlack 24hr 1 December Forrest Festival 31 December Wicked Wombat 17-19 January National XC Round 1 19 January 4hr Summer Series Rnd 2 19 January Duo Classic 50km 25 January Seasons of Pain – Summer 22

I

AMB

Stromlo, ACT Mareeba, QLD Stromlo, ACT Bunyip State Park, VIC Cairns, QLD Welby, NSW Dallas Brooks Park Anglesea, VIC Margaret River, WA Bundanoon, NSW Buxton MTB Park, VIC Bright, VIC Yellowmundee, NSW Kellevie, TAS Mt Baw Baw, VIC Namadji National Park, ACT Kinross, NSW Jarrahdale, WA Mt Annan, NSW Forrest, VIC Jindabyne, NSW Eagle Park, SA Yellowmundee, NSW Kowen Forest, ACT Mt Baw Baw, VIC

corc24hr.com.au mareebamountaingoats.com wembo.com.au bighillevents.com.au crocodile-trophy.com chocolatefoot.com.au vicenduroseries.com.au surfcoast100.com.au capetocapemtb.com wildhorizons.com.au bighillevents.com.au alpinegravity.net wsmtb.com hellfirecup.com mountbawbaw.com.au Beast-worx.com chocolatefoot.com.au wa12hour.com.au rockytrailentertainment.com forrestfestival.com.au rollingground.com.au mtba.subara.com.au wsmtb.com DuoClassic.com mountbawbaw.com.au

25-28 January 26 January 7-8 February 9 February 21-23 February 21-23 February 6-9 March 6-9 March 8-10 March 30 March 5-6 April 6 April 6 April 13 April 12-21 April 27 April 3 May 19-23 May

Wildside MTB Mt Baw Baw 4hr Enduro National XC Round 2 AMB Marathon National XC Round 3 Real Insurance XCM Round 1 National XC Championships Real Insurance XCM Round 2 Bike Buller Real Insurance XCM Round 3 Mont 24hr National XCM Championships Real Insurance XCM Round 4 Wombat 100 (XCM Rnd 5) 2 Oceans MTB Race Kona Odyssey Convict 100 ICME

Tasmania Mt Baw Baw, VIC Mt Buller, VIC Mt Stromlo, ACT TBA TBA TBA TBA Mt Buller, VIC TBA Kowen, ACT Mt Joyce, QLD Mt Joyce, QLD Woodend, VIC Perth, WA Forrest, VIC St Albans, NSW Alice Springs, NT

Wildsidemtb.com mountbawbaw.com.au mtba.subaru.com.au rockytrailentertainment.com mtba.subaru.com.au mtba.subaru.com.au mtba.subaru.com.au mtba.subaru.com.au rapidascent.com.au/BikeBuller mtba.subaru.com.au selfpropelled.com.au mtba.subaru.com.au mtba.subaru.com.au maxadventure.com.au 2oceansmtb.com rapidascent.com.au/KonaOdyssey maxadventure.com.au rapidascent.com.au/icme

ALL MOUNTAIN/GRAVITY ENDURO 11-14 October Cairns Gravitate MTB Festival 19-20 October VGEMBS 15-17 November Bright MTB Festival 17 November QLD Gravity Enduro State Champs 7-8 December VGEMBS 22-23 February VGEMBS 10-11 May VGEMBS

Cairns, QLD Barjarg, VIC Bright, VIC Queensland Mt Buller, VIC Callignee South, VIC Myrtleford, VIC

cairnsmtb.com alpinegravity.net alpinegravity.net qldmtb.com.au alpinegravity.net alpinegravity.net alpinegravity.net

DOWNHILL 16-17 November 17-19 January 7-8 February 21-23 February 6-9 March

Awaba, NSW Eagle Park, SA Mt Buller, VIC TBA TBA

rockytrailentertainment.com mtba.subara.com.au mtba.subaru.com.au mtba.subaru.com.au mtba.subaru.com.au

Red Ass DH Round 4 National DH Round 1 National DH Round 2 National DH Round 3 National DH Championships

AMB I 23

Must Do GRAVITY ENDURO

Kings Kingsof of the theHill Hill STORY ADAM FREEMAN PHOTOGRAPHY VARIOUS

Gravity Enduro, AllMountain, Enduro – whatever you want to call it, has hit in a big way and has rapidly become the darling of MTB

44

I

AMB

WHERE CAN I RACE GE?

Rocky Trail Entertainment and Alpine Gravity have teamed up to create a GE series with dates being set in stone right now. Stay tuned to rockytrailentertainment.com and alpinegravity.net and check out their other Gravity Enduro events while you’re there. Also there’s emsaustralia.net.au/gravity-enduro for QLD, gravityendurosa.com.au for South Australia and wamba.org.au/ wagravityenduro for WA.

G

ravity Enduro is the goto fun racing event for mountainbikers from any discipline. It is comprised of several timed individual sections, linked together by untimed commutes or liaison sections to form an accumulated total time. Gravity Enduro has loose parameters that ensure it can be raced almost anywhere and on almost any type of mountainbike. Herein lies the beauty of it – ride what you’ve got!

You’ll never see such a wide variety of machines at any other single event: rigid single-speeds, 20kg downhill berm renovators, lightweight XC bikes and trailbikes all mixing it up on the same course without too much sniggering and laughing behind their backs.

The timed sections are predominately downhill, but not too gnarly. They have flat sections and climbs and are generally best attacked by a medium travel trailbike or an All-Mountain bike. Untimed sections can be ridden, chair-lifted or shuttled – depending on the course and how sadistic the race organiser is.

Downhill pros, weekend warriors, data hungry watt watchers, has-beens, never weres all integrate to ride, hangout, talk crap, exercise, soak in Vitamin D – you know, all the reasons we ride

mountainbikes anyway. However, it’s held in a slightly more relaxed competitive environment than most of us are accustomed to.

So, you wanna race? Firstly, your bike needs to be in excellent mechanical working order. Gravity Enduro racing puts your pride and joy under a higher than normal amount of pressure and you will be happy that you had everything checked or fixed for safety and performance. Go and visit your local MTB guru and get some advice to enhance your ride. Think about tyre choice also: more aggressive for steeper/gnarlier courses, something with low rolling resistance for flatter/more pedally courses.

If you’re riding regularly you should be ok fitness-wise to get through the day.

Bear in mind though – these can be really big days on the bike, particularly if it’s not shuttled or chair-lifted. Preparing your body for the intensity of the timed sections is another thing altogether. Consider doing some short power efforts to simulate the effort required for a race run. Make no mistake, it’s going to hurt!

Your clothing should be breathable, but durable. Full-face or open-face helmet is your call, but take into account the technical difficulty of the track and the fact that you will be riding as fast as you can. Invest in some lightweight and flexible knee guards as a bare minimum for armour. Remember, the whole spirit of Gravity Enduro is to be self-sufficient.

Bring plenty of food and at least a multitool and spare tube.

With the announcement of the Australian Gravity Enduro Series for 2014, there’s never been a better time to get involved and try Gravity Enduro. AMB

MB II 45 45 AAMB

03 THIS BIKE THIS TEST BIKE NEEDS TEST NEEDS TO LOSE TO PAGE LOSE PAGE 76 - IT76 SHOULD - IT SHOULD BE ANBE ADAN AD

SCORESHEET

TESTBIKE Polygon Collosus TX3.0 SCORE 8.4 (*Score is average of ratings given to all aspects of bike’s performance. Scoring is not a comparative measure between testers but a way of highlighting a bike’s strengths and weaknesses according to each tester.)

Tested BIKES & GEAR

TESTER BIO

Nigel Crowley

BIKE TEST POLYGON COLLOSUS TX3.0

COLOSSAL VALUE With more bling hanging off it than Mr. T does this 140mm-travel trail bike perform as well as the spec sheet suggests?

TEST NIGEL CROWLEY PHOTOGRAPHY JULIE CROWLEY

P

74

olygon Bicycles may not be that well known in Australia, but the company has been around since 1989, manufacturing in excess of 700,000 units per year, servicing a booming home market in Indonesia as well as producing bikes for many of the world’s best-known brands.

The bikes are sold in Australia through Bicycles Online, whose business model allows them to cut out the middle man by dealing directly with the manufacturer, and passing on the savings associated with that to the buyer.

This bike is such a bargain it’s almost too good to be true. The list of quality inclusions is extensive; pretty much everything, apart from the SLX shifters and cranks, is XT, including the tubeless wheels. There’s Fox Float Evolution CTD suspension front and rear and a Crank Brothers Kronolog dropper post, all remoted to the ’bar. It even comes with quality pedals (Shimano PD-M530). Oh, and the price? An incredible $2998.

You might think for that money corners must have been cut elsewhere. Well, actually not. In fact, there are some really nice details, such as the moveable I

AMB

rubber frame protectors to limit cable-rub, the carbon mudguard between the rear wheel and shock, lock-on grips and thick protectors on the stays (which, together with the clutched XT rear derailleur, just about eliminate chain slap). There’s also a five-year frame and two-year parts warranty. You can get a free 14-day test ride, although to be clear, you have to buy the thing first and return it if you don’t want it.

Changes to this year’s model are, most significantly, the addition of a large-size frame to the range; filling an obvious product gap, and revised Fox bushings.

The two remotes are a welcome change; the CTD knob on the rear shock would be unworkable on the fly without one, given how tucked away the shock body is.

Regarding weight: officially, a medium model comes in at 13.5kg without pedals, which is slightly portly for a sub 6-inch travel bike, but not miles out, and in any case this isn’t an all-out race bike. What matters most is how it carries that weight, and looks ain’t deceiving in this case. All that metal crowded around the BB is where the majority of the bike’s mass lives, and it handles like that too. It’s very flickable left-to-

right; those wide bars and short stem can even be accused of being slightly twitchy at the front. I had a couple of attention-getting frontend washouts when I put in too much steering input. A longer stem sorted it out, without compromising downhill stability.

Despite all those controls on the bars, the cockpit is roomy and easy to use once you’ve adjusted everything to your liking. Just don’t look too closely at the bird’s nest of seven cables hanging out in front of you. However, the level of control they afford the rider is so good, it’s easy to forgive this cosmetic blemish.

If this was a sweary magazine I’d be dropping the F-bomb about how good the brakes are, with bucket-loads of power, brilliant feel and the finned pads meaning you’re unlikely to cook them no matter how ham-fisted you get. The rear gear-change was accurate and fast and the ratios well suited to the bike. However, even though the front would jump up to the big ring with just a flick of the lever, it became increasingly reluctant to drop back down again. Unfortunately, the way the derailleur is tucked in tight under the linkage-end of the seat-stay

“You can even get a free 14-day test ride, although to be clear, you do have to buy the thing first”

Riding experience Been riding mountain bikes for over 15 years in Australia and overseas. Competes regularly. Came 8th in class at Capital Punishment 2013. 5th in pairs at JB12Hr 2013. Rides every day of the week.

Generally rides GT Force Carbon Height 180cm Weight 76kg Bike test track Manly Dam, OMV Hornsby, Ourimbah

Scoring {all out of ten} GEO/HANDLING Ergos and comfort Ascending Descending Cornering Manoeuvrability Low-speed stability High-speed stability Braking performance Acceleration

8 8 8 8 9 10 9 10 8

SUSPENSION Fork lateral stiffness Fork big-hit performance Fork small bump performance Fork adjustment effectiveness Fork pedaling performance Rear big-hit performance Rear small bump performance Rear adjustment effectiveness Rear pedaling performance

9 8 8 9 7 9 8 9 9

BUILD Overall weight Weight position Durability assessment Cable routing Frame stiffness Finishing quality Sizing Ease of maintenance/adjustment

8 9 8 6 9 7 9 7

SPEC Suitability of Spec Durability Ease of set-up

10 9 8

NOTES Specification is absolutely top-notch and the whole package is astounding value for money. Brilliant fun to ride and very effective on-the-fly suspension adjustment. Don’t let brand snobbery stop you from giving this a go.

RIDING WITH GUY’S LIKE THOMAS FRISCHKNECT IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL!

AMB I 75

04

TheHub WHAT, WHERE & HOW TO

STORY TRAVIS DEANE PHOTOGRAPHY KIM VAN AMERONGEN

FACILITIES Toilets

PLACES THAT ROCK

Drinking Water Parking Trails Signposted

MOBILE RECEPTION Telstra Good Optus Just ok Vodaphone Fair to poor Shelter Yes Accommodation Yes www.pembertonvisitor.com.au BBQ Yes Swiiming Pool Yes

Pemberton,Western Australia

RATINGS (OUT OF 5) Technical Fitness Cross Country Trail All-Mtn Downhill Jump

M PEMBERTON TRAILS

88

I

AMB

Yes Yes Yes Yes

ost guidebooks, such as the popular Lonely Planet guides, put Pemberton down as one of Western Australia’s highlights. It’s easy to see why with its stunning Karri forests that include a sphincterclenching climb straight up a 61m-high Gloucester Tree: this area gives a unique experience in a very different Australian bush.

In 1929 the town’s woodmill workers dammed the creek at the bottom of the town to turn it into a swimming pool and it’s always been a great destination for visitors and locals alike. In 2008 there became another reason to visit the pool with work starting on a 6.5km crosscountry circuit and skills loop.

Building on the success of the

initial trails the network has now been expanded to 16km of trail including multiple descent options including a jump track, a pump track, technical trail features and 4km of green trail, which are all at the bottom of the hill.

The top of the hill is the best access for the rest of the trails and it is hard work especially considering most Western Australians aren’t used to steep climbs. Thankfully there are a couple of options via singletrack or fire road. Once at the top you have the choice of flowy trails in Cool Runnings or the original descent, Relentless Blue, featuring some iconic wooden berms. The Munda Biddi offroad trail also passes through Pemberton on its 1000km journey from Perth to Albany.

Throw in a side trip to Northcliffe for some more great trails and a climb up a fire lookout tree or two, explore the sand dunes by 4WD and you have an adventure-filled weekend.

GETTING THERE

Pemberton is approximately four hours south of Perth. The road into Pemberton is pretty, so travelling during the day to see the trees and the kangaroos is advised.

TECHNICAL NATURE

The original loop was quite technical suiting the fit, aggressive, mountain biker.

Subsequent trails have widened the appeal and now Pemberton has a spread from double jumps and wooden berms to play areas for all levels.

BIKE

You’ll need a bike that is in good running order. With the amount of big trees in the area there is potential for sticks on the trails and ruined derailleur hangers.

Considering the long distances to bike shops in WA, the smart rider should pack a spare hangar.

DISTANCES

Relentless Blue XC 8km, Cool Running XC 3km, Skills Loop XC 1.5km, Railway Run XC 2km.

There are also several forest loop rides ranging from 16 to 22km.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

Bring bathers for a post-ride cool off. Pemberton is a small town, so it is best to be sorted with your equipment before you arrive.

There are some sensational sections of singletrack on the

newly finished Munda Biddi Trail (Gloucester Tree section) www. mundabiddi.org.au.

TRAIL GUIDES

www.everytrail.com/guide/ pemberton-mountain-bike-park.

BEST TIME OF YEAR

By WA standards, winter here is cold. The bonus is summer is also cool by WA standards.

Spring is glorious in any part of the Western Australian bush. We would ride here most of the year as the lack of pea gravel keeps the trail grippy even over the dry summer. Over summer the march flies can be problematic and it is best to check with the locals before heading down as they vary from year to year (and maybe pack a mosquito net for your face just in case).

LOCAL CONTACTS

Mark Hudson manages the Pemberton Camp School at the base of the trails and is a fountain of knowledge on all things mountainbiking in the area (Pemberton.CS@education. wa.edu.au). Pemberton has a wide range of accommodation making it a logical base for mountainbikers to explore the region. For general enquiries the Pemberton Visitor Centre is well-equipped on the main street and can be reached on pemtour@ westnet.com.au or 08 9776 1133.

Bike spares, bike hire and Munda Biddi drop-offs available at Pemberton Discovery Tours Shop 08 9776 0484.

Try Sports Power Manjimup 36 Rose Street, Manjimup, for a big range of bike parts (30 km away). AMB

AMB I 89

TheHub RIDING COACH STORY JARED RANDO PHOTOGRAPHY JONATHAN RENTON

CREEK CROSSINGS For those of us with a bit of time in the saddle, the idea of a water crossing isn’t daunting at all, but for those new to the sport, it can be a huge hurdle to overcome

After 10 years as a professional DH racer, you’ll now find Jared working for Stromlo Forest Park, coaching Australia’s junior DH team on behalf of MTBA and representing Giant Bicycles as a brand ambassador at various Australian MTB events.

STEP 3

STEP 4

2

STEP 5

Always slow up and have a good look at your line. If you are unsure about how deep the water is or what lurks beneath, jump off and have a look. As you roll-up, slow down early, pick your line and commit – you’ll need the momentum to make it through. By now you should already be in the right gear to exit. Just remember not to choose too easy a gear.

STEP 2

I

As you get closer, aim to increase your speed to give you momentum to make it through.

When you hit the water, it will slow you down and the deeper it is, the more it will slow you down. Stay cantered on the bike in a neutral position and get ready to shift your weight back. By this stage you should already be spotting your exit.

AMB

3

As you hit the water, you should be off the brakes – much like when you hit the bottom of any dip. Keep your weight back so you don’t get flung forward and look up and continue to focus on what’s ahead.

1 STEP 1

96

C

rossing creeks on our bikes brings out the kid in all of us.

It’s just rad to hit water at full speed… Doing it wont phase seasoned riders, but newer riders may find it a bit more intimidating. Not only is there the unknown of what’s going to happen when the bike hits the water, creeks are usually at the bottom of a pretty decent-sized dip. The bigger the dip and the deeper the water, the harder it gets. Once you can overcome the initial fear and anxiety of doing it, it’s all fun from there. So if you’re worried about crossing creeks, read on and hopefully this will help you make it to the other side.

RIDING COACH JARED RANDO

4

As you reapply power to exit the creek, make sure you do it in a smooth and steady fashion.

You never know if your chain has bounced off and that first pedal stroke is going to send you over the ’bars. Remember to select the right gear – too easy a gear at this stage and you’ll just slow down as you try to catch-up with your speed.

5

Once you are comfortably balanced and/or pedalling again, look up, keep calm and carry on. If you do it right, you should lose very little speed through the process and remember the golden rule: it’s not how fast you enter, but how fast you exit that determines how well you just rode that dip, corner or rock garden.

AMB I 97