Enduro Magazine - Issue #28 Spring 2014

#28

$10.95 ENDURO MAG SPRING 2014

BC BIKE

RACE

Trek Fuel

EX 27.5

Launch

kowalski classic | LIGHT & MOTION FACTORY TOUR | LIV/GIANT DOMINATE THE ODYSSEY |

6 bikes tested

ED NOTE

Welcome to Enduro 28.

About 90 minutes into the last climb of the day and with a few kilometres to go to the summit, things started to get pretty weird. The gradient hadn’t changed, but my speed and heart rate were plummeting and my vision was getting a bit blurry.

“It’s ok”, I told myself, attributing a little cloudiness in my vision to the thick mist that was rolling in, adding a dimension to the atmosphere. Having momentarily comforted myself, I looked down and saw that I had four hands, two bars and two front wheels. I was in trouble. I gripped the two bars with my four hands and struggled onward.

A short while later, the gradient kicked up and my forward motion was momentarily arrested. For a split second, I wondered whether I would just topple over and lie

on the ground for a while (sweet relief, perhaps?), but I somehow managed to propel the bike forward again and stayed upright for the time being. With quite a few pinches ahead of me, I performed tens of unintentional trackstands on my way to the summit. Every momentary pause planted another seed of doubt about whether I would actually make it to the top and each one took all my will and remaining strength to overcome. My body was shutting down and my mind was all but willing to give in.

After an interminable struggle of mind and body against the mountain, I finally reached the top. I slumped over my bike, pausing to check again that I had actually made it. While trying to gather myself for the descent and waiting for my eyes

to uncross, it occurred to me that often the most memorable riding experiences are not the joyous ones, such as nailing a tricky descent or being at one with the singletrack, rather they are the experiences that we have when fatigue has set in and the mind and body are locked in battle. At these times, we can experience strange and new sensations and learn a lot about ourselves.

The great thing about these experiences though is that we can all have them in one form or another, from weekend warriors to those battling it out on the

international stage. It’s a unifying experience and one not often celebrated.

Enjoy Enduro 28 and enjoy pushing the boundaries.

Crew Issue 28 publisher Freewheel Media Adam Macleod editor Mikkeli Godfree mikk@freewheel.com.au Technical editor wil barrett mob: 0409 115 795 wil@freewheel.com.au DESIGNER ADAM MACLEOD ADAM@freewheel.com.au contributors Imogen Smith, Naomi Williams, Chris Humphries, Russell Nankervis, Andy Blair, Wil Barrett, Ash Hayat, Sarah Holmes, Michael Drofenik, Ross Wilkinson, Shane Taylor, Paul Bryant, Dean Clark

snaparazzi Tim Bardsley-Smith, Tim Arch, Giro Photo, Rapid Ascent, Kane Naraat, Shane Taylor, Adam MacLeod, Mandy Lamont, Russell Burton post correspondence to 29 loch st, kew, vic 3101 Articles printed in this publication are the opinion of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editors or publishers of enduro. advertising & editorial ph: +613 9853 0841 mob: 0438 292 006 email: Adam@freewheel.com.au Subscription enquiries (03) 9853 0841 email: info@freewheel.com.au www.freewheel.com.au www.enduromag.com.au print post approved PP320258/0114

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REGULARS ed note Gear Chat - IMOGEN SMITH NEW Gear 1st Look punter vs. pro CLUB PROFILE - REDHILL RIDERS Subscriptions thankyou

Contents

features 7 8 10 38 109 126 128

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Kowalski classic BC BIKE RACE SCOTT 24 HOUR RACE TREK FUEL EX LAUNCH LIV DOMINATION PORT 2 PORT CAIRNS WORLD CUP ACTION KONA DIRTY WEEKEND THE RED CENTRE’S SINGLETRACK DREAM MTB CLOTHING FEATURE LIGHT & MOTION FACTORY VISIT THE STRETCH

13 18 26 31 43 47 56 66 71 77 82 87

CAFFEINE USE IN ENDURANCE SPORTS

124

b-sides Bike testing LAPIERRE ZESTY 729 e:i NINER JET 9 ALLOY SCOTT GENIUS 710 WHYTE M109-C-TEAM product tests

94 98 102 105 108

long term testing COTIC SOLARIS 29ER PIVOT LES 27.5

90 92

Contents page : A constant stream of light as the procession of riders race through the dark hours at the Scott 24 Hour, September 2014 | Photo - Russ Baker

Trek Fuel EX 27.5 Launch As an Aussie, when you hear the word ‘Transylvania’, you’d be forgiven for thinking of Dracula rather than a place that boasts some of the most beautifully-built singletrack on earth. But that may soon change.

By Wil Barrett | Photos Dan Milner

Located within spitting-distance of the border with South Carolina (where the ‘cars’ are actually ‘trucks’, and everyone talks a little slower than usual), Brevard is a small country town located just outside Asheville, where both Cane Creek and Industry Nine call home.

Sandwiched between the DuPont State Forest and the expansive Pisgah Forest, Brevard is a town that is currently undergoing a tourism renaissance off the back of its growing mountain bike trail network and its close proximity to the Appalachian Hiking Trail. There’s currently some 200 miles worth of singletrack within the county, but development is rapidly progressing and is turning Brevard into a true mountain biking Mecca.

Although North Carolina had never been on my US-riding radar, Trek had chosen the area to showcase the talents of their all-new trail bike, the Fuel EX 27.5. The leafy green forest surrounding Brevard is home to a mixture of tall pine trees, low-lying ferns, lots of exposed granite slab rock, stunning waterfalls, glassy lakes, and most importantly, lots of earthy red dirt – an idyllic setting to show off the new Trek.

Along with 30 or so other journalists from around the globe, I arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina for the start of the four-day Trek Launch. Our itinerary was a mystery, but what followed was a journey that took us across automotive racing technology, three new bike platforms, new shock technology, a new rear hub standard, some mind-blowingly good trails, and my first foray into the local delicacy known as ‘Moonshine’. This is my hazy recollection of those 4 days.

A weekend of

MTB action Thursday 4th – Friday 5th December Australian MTB Summit Friday 5th December Radical Reels Film Festival Saturday 6th December Australian Alpine Epic Trail Launch Epic Party – pump track party under lights,live music and more Sunday 7th December Bike Buller Poker Ride

Australian Alpine

Epic Trail

Launch · · 6 December 2014

Be part of history as Mt Buller launches the Southern Hemisphere’s first and only IMBA Epic Trail – the Australian Alpine Epic.

Be one of the first to ride Mt Buller’s newest and most spectacular trail!

bike.mtbuller.com.au

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THE 2015 MTB Calendar Features photography from the 2014 race season; Enduro World Series, Australian national series and UCI world cups.

Shot by some of the world’s best MTB photographers; Sven Martin, Tim Bardsley-Smith and Jason Stevens.

Riders featured: Paul van der Ploeg, Troy Brosnan, Sam Hill, Caroline Buchanan, Andy Blair, Jenni King, Connor Fearon and a whole schwag of top international riders.

Available in newsagents across Australia mid-November or order via our website

www.enduromag.com.au

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As many cyclists will know, riding at night is one of the most exhilarating ways to enjoy mountain biking. The thrill that comes from following a piercing tunnel of light through dense overhanging scrub is truly like no other. The light provides a focus point and everything else falls away. Trails that you ride on a regular basis can take on a whole new dimension at night. Because of that intense focus, there’s a certain purity about riding at night.

Unlike any other component or accessory, a bike light truly opens up a whole new array of riding opportunities. As far as upgrades go, it’s a pretty cheap way to access more trails over more parts of the day and to maximise your riding opportunities.

In the 1990s, light technology was pretty ghetto. Heavy batteries, short run times and pretty poor light output. In the early 2000s light technology improved markedly with the proliferation of HID technology, but prices were high and batteries still pretty heavy.

In recent years, there has been a substantial progression in lighting technology. In particular, LED light technology has meant that high quality night lights have become more accessible to more riders. This is largely due to LED manufacturing giant, CREE, having established a manufacturing plant in China. As a result, budget Chinese-made lights have flooded both the Internet and local bike stores, forcing existing brands to lift their game in the wake of falling prices.

It’s an exciting time for consumers, but a tumultuous one for the industry, as the pace of technical improvements continues to accelerate rapidly year-to-year.

5 x BMX & MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CHAMPION

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