The Roost - Issue 3 by Robert Conroy

Roost the

Issue 3 October - November

RIDER : Jacob Parker Photographer : Sean Lee Location : Dwellingup WA State Championships

frame

Seconds OF

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contents Reports The Scott 24hr pg 4 - 11 Singletrack Mind Round 6 Lithgow A Flynny Report pg 12 - 15 Australian National All Mountain Cup From Perth pg 16-23 The Higland Fling pg 24 - 29 Ourimbah Club Super D pg 30 -35

Fresh Blood Josh Carlson Interview pg 36- 44

EDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTE Just a short issue this time guys as we were setting up the website. We will be back with another full edition at the end of January, possibly with a few extras?!?!. Until then stay tuned to theroostmag.com. au for all your racing needs as we jump head first into the nationals series. Sincerely Bob Copyright The Roost Mountain Bike Magazine 2011. All Rights Reserved. Nothing in this Magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without the express written permission from The Roost.

LosT For Time

23 59 At The Scott 24hr Words & Photos : Robert Conroy â&#x20AC;&#x153;What? So you ride a bike around for 24 hours. Thats crazy!â&#x20AC;? This is a phrase that came up when upon relaying to a non cyclist that my weekend plans were to attend the Scott 24hr. Yes, it is true some crazy mountainbikers do go in it for 24 of the hardest hours in the saddle. However, it is a little more common with the more sensible humanoids among us to suffer in the team categories (by choice of course). Be that a four man team, four team mixed, six man team, corporate team of ten, the variations are almost endless. In the end without a doubt it takes a certain amount of mettle to enter a race such as this, regardless of how you approach it.

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The already legendary Scott, is just one of those races that has the ability to put you up against the wall whilst keeping a grin on your face. Despite the oh so obvious racing side to the event and of course the competition that it entails, there is also another side to the Scott. This event is one of the very few on the calendar where the race is almost overshadowed by the festival atmosphere. With over two thousand entrants and a sprawling event centre mixed with one of the most chaotic tent cities you may have ever seen, this is a race that has it all. A full spectrum of mountain biking was on show here with Pro’s mixing it up with semi-pros, weekend warriors and 24 hr newbies alike. On October 8th and 9th the masses returned to Mt Stromlo and to the all too familiar “red” and “blue” loops. The weather leading into the Canberran long weekend had been less than reliable. Indeed the drive down from Sydney had been pierced by intermittent showers so it was with great relief, come midday saturday that the sun was out. The start of a 24hr tends to be a interesting experience, it is when the event centre is at its most active and equally intense. Over two thousand riders were in attendance on this particular weekend and about a quarter would be lining up on the start line. This makes the start a fairly strategic affair with great effort put in to divide riders up before they reach the single track. v The solo riders would get a rolling start on to the red loop whilst teams of 4 riders got to enjoy a lemans start. A le-mans is a mass start where one “special” team member is selected to run the four hundred meters, to where a team mate is holding their bike. It is then this riders responsibility to try and garner a good position for the team in the first lap mayhem. But how to find your bike? Each year it differs what sort of “thing” people bring to help their team mate locate their bike. Garages across australia must be raided, with Australian flags, old rims and clothes lines complete with the washing of the day (nice undies!) all on hand. Now it was time for the other categories to begin their race on the blue loop, where they also were able to look forward to a Le- mans start. For those brief moments after midday, chaos erupts in the transition area and then silence. The first lap saw a lot of position changing as the pack of riders thinned out and for that brief

time the transition area is almost free of bikes and riders. Thirty to Forty minutes later and the pros begin to charge in and the race really begins. So what are these blue and red loops I have been mentioning ? To help divide the racers but to also allow a greater diversity in terrain the track is divided into two loops. The red loop led almost out to cotter road passing along the flat before climbing on the left hand side of Mt. Stromlo. Strangely the climb isn’t so bad when you get to enjoy an outlook of canberra and its surrounds all the way up. Passing the observatory riders would then head down the right side of the mountain on the thrilling skyline trail before hitting up the luge (a almost continuous run of berms) on the way back to the transition area. The blue lap was much more like a competitive cross country racing circuit. It utilised the flat area around the right hand side of the mountain including the Willo loop. Pedalling over rocks and then up and down between ridge lines meant that riders

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tended to favour the red lap. Lucky there were rules, if you just completed a red lap you must then complete a blue straight after. If you were in a team, it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter if you specifically didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do the corresponding lap but one of your team mates must. Do you follow. Here is where strategies and team politics really came into play. Among other things the Scott is also the Australian 24hr Solo Championships. So of course this meant the presence of Jason English. Winner of the 2010 World 24hr championships at the same venue and twice Australian 24hr champion he was the man to beat in the mens. In the female solos Courtney Shinn and Liz Smith would be duping i it out for the top positions. In the teams the focus would be on three categories in particular. The male/female

teams of four, the (almost as crazy as the solos) male/female pairs and of course male/female teams of six. In the male team of fours there were such contenders as the GU team, Bernard Beer, KOM and the more interestingly named funky buddahs, Mickey and the ANUS and Baileys and Froth.There was going to be some interesting racing. Over in the female fours The Gu girls, Liv/Giant, two silent revolution crews, the carrots and more would be plotting for the podium. In sixes the shop war reigned supreme with Onya and Londsdale St Cyclery fighting it out with even more of the Gu boys and Nothing Specific. The show rolls on gently into dusk. The field has well and truly spread out now with little to

no traffic on course. Leaving riders to push their limits or soak up the atmosphere. As I wander around in the diminishing light it is good to hear the whoops and hollers, not quite plottable in the enroaching darkness. It is also good to see and hear the gentlemanly conduct on track . Lights begin to appear on bikes and heads as darkness truly descends. Night laps are planned out with most opting for the two lap strategy. Unless of course your going solo then its alllll nighhht long, with a possible short strategically planned sleep (unlikely). Between dusk and dawn a lot can happen, strategies fail, riders sleep in, crash, get sick anything is a possibility. Riders pass in the night with the leader boards changing back and forth as the race heads for dawn. Priorities change as riders emerge into the light

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of the coming day. The top ten continue to battle it out in their respective categories whilst other racers begin to simmer down. Saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;good morningâ&#x20AC;? as they pass by continuing to enjoy their laps or pushing to beat personal bests before the clock ticks over for the last time. As the end draws near riders finished with their duties in their team rush for the showers or surrender laps to team mates eager for one last lap (or mercilessly order them out oncemore). The countdown to midday begins and the feeling of relief is felt as the transition area begins to swell once again with riders. In the male solo category, Jason English once again has stolen the show with 31 laps. Edward McDonald came a close second just a lap behind. In the Female solo campaign Courtney Shinn took the win with 24 laps with Liz Smith in second with a time a little over a lap behind and lap count of 23. In male team of fours GU Sram showed some top shelf racing with 38 laps to firmly claim the top step whilst The Bernard Racers moved though the table overnight to slot into a tidy second with 35 laps (looks like those massages paid off) . KOM Podium Fitness pushed hard for third with a tidy 34 laps. The Gu Girls finished with 30 laps in female fours for first which would have placed them inside the top twenty of male fours. Liv/Giant were hot on their tails and only one lap down for a second place finish. Onya Belconnen took out the shop war title in a close chase between them and Lonsdale St Cyclery. Nothing Specific finished a close third all three teams were separated by just 30 mins. At midday, the call goes out the race has concluded. Riders mill about and trade war stories of the night past and morning of racing. Then its just a matter of time till the car is packed and everyone is joining the queue for the slow ebb back on to cotter road and home. r.

Racing IN A ONE PUB TOWN Singletrack Mind Series Round #6 A Flynny Report 230 riders across 117 teams converged on Rydal jut outside of Lithgow for round#6 of the SRAM Single Track Mind 8hr mountain bike series. Hosted by the Central Tablelands Mountain Bike and run by Chocolate Foot the event attracted riders from as far afield as Darwin and Perth. Once upon a time these types of events took place in remote forest locations with basic infrastructure to cater in. This series riders have been spoiled with high quality venues such as Mt Stromlo Forest park, Awaba Mountain bike park and Mt Annan Botanical gardens. For this round Rydal upped the ante even further by basing the event center out of the town showground with the Rydal A H & P Society cooking up a storm on the BBQ. Micheal Crummy of Team Enduro Pulse wrote â&#x20AC;&#x153;Loos, showers, running water, natural shade, BBQ, live timing, great atmosphere, great new trail. The best yet?â&#x20AC;? The trail was prime after much work leading up to the event in the hands of local club members. Utilising the same track used for club rounds Chocolate Foot riders were in for a treat. The course itself stayed mainly atop a ridge line dropping and climbing on either side. In its small area of aroudn 10km it manages to encompass a great many features including tight twisty turns, tricky off camber corners and jumps to keep riders on their toes at all times. The format for these events is soloists and teams compete to complete the most laps in the 8hr period. Those riding in teams take turns on the track while the soloists ride constantly for the entire 8hrs. In fact the winning solo rider, Andrew Hall completed 16 laps, just one short of the overall winning team of Stevens Bikes who, riding as a 3 man team,

completed 17 laps. At the pointy end of the field racing was close across most grades, none more so than the Mens pairs category, who after 6hrs of racing had the top 3 within 90 seconds of each other before Bike Culture Gu kicked on to win the category by 3 minutes. While those at the front were battling it out for placings, the rest were setting personal goal and just enjoying social aspect of the day while getting to ride a great trail in glorious weather. At the end of the day, as well as having a great prize pool for the category winners, the luck door prizes were drawn with all entrants in for a shot. After just picking up a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good Samaritanâ&#x20AC;? prize for stopping to help out a stuck rider through the race Dave Carter won himself a $2000 set of SRAM XX forks while the karma awards continued as our main trail builder, Richard Campbell walked away with a voucher for a new Merida Bike. As well as helping to set up and run the event a big contingent of Central Tablelands members also took part in the race. Our 3 soloist deserve a special mention: Craig Barnes 6th in the open with 14 laps to place 58th over all Darlene Cheney 1st in Masters womens with 12 laps to place 82nd overall and Garry Dukes 5th in Masters mens 13 laps, 76 overall

To the place farthest from

National RD 1 - Nov 18th -20th Perth Western Australia It has been almost four years since the national circuit visited Western Australia,so it is surely long overdue for a visit. With WA widely renown for its awesome tracks and scenery, riders were in for a treat. The Goat Farm was the track set for the first round situated just out of Perth (about a fifteen minute drive off the city centre). The farm is a small mountain bike park, with a little something for everyone including a cross country loop, two downhill tracks and a four cross track. For the purposes of the all mountain cup the focus would primarily be on the 5 km of cross country and, according to riders and spectators alike, it was a brutal course. At the end of the starting straught lay a demanding climb, shortly followed by another short incline that would really test the riders, especially in the later stages of the race. The middle of the course was filled with beautiful, flowy single track with vistas looking out over Perth. Technical sections in the latter part of the course tested riders with a rock garden, a huge roll down and a rocky drop/chute. The Goat Farm’s hills were covered in long grass, the perfect habitat for snakes with several sighted in previous days this just added a little anxiety on top of race nerves. The track was not to be underestimated and would fight against riders all weekend. Outside the main line, passing was a struggle in the pea gravel that lined the track in addition to the little thorns millimeters long that caused many punctures. With an expected forecast of 25 plus degree days, this was going to be a tough few days of racing.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;The usual suspects, Andy Blair, Josh Carlson, Sid Taberlay, Pete Hatton, Ben Henderson, Andrew Arthur and more are all in the line up.â&#x20AC;?

cROSS cOUNTRY Arriving at eight-thirty for the Womens racing, the heat had set in already. Not the nice, warm early morning sun from over east, it was toasty. Slowly the small line of tents indicating the start finish line was filling with some of Australia’s best female racers. Some were hitting up rego, others were waiting nervously but all were making final preparations for the race. Starting a little after schedule, the elite field was led out by strong front runners in Jenny Fay, Jenni King, Sarah Holmes, Rosemary Barnes and Jodie Willet. At the top of the first climb Fay, King and Willet were the first to gain entry into the single track. Fay using all the power those 29er wheels could provide. Soon after King and Willet made the pass and during the second lap gaps were already clearly beginning to develop amongst the trio. From here on in each rode their own race. Jenni King powered off the front and was in a league of her own, all that world cup experience and training had paid off. She looked incredibly fluid through some seriously technical sections, amassing a four minute gap on Willet and easily holding the win. Jodie Willet and Jenny Fay run a incident free race to claim second and third respectively. The male elite started in the very heart of the day under a cloudless sky. Double Points were on offer this round so more than a few had made the trek to Perth. The usual suspects, Andy Blair, Josh Carlson, Sid Taberlay, Pete Hatton, Ben Henderson, Andrew Arthur and more are all in the line up. Taberlay was the media favourite heading into the event. Taberlay himself was heard saying “obviously they have not been paying attention to my recent activities”. Pete Hatton was viewed by the riders as the biggest risk, recently moved to Western Australia it was deemed he had a little more local knowledge of the farm on his side than most. However it was Andy Blair who was the biggest risk, recent winner in the “Cape to Cape” and a very close second the previous weekend at the “Highland Fling”. He was either peaking or he had overcooked his lead into the event. With no gun in sight it was just a classic 3,2,1 go! and it was Taberley who led out the first lap with all the favourites in tow. It would be the two short and steep climbs here that would divide the field. The rest of the course had its technical aspects but no such other feature had the ability to change the course of the race and develop extended time gaps. This of course excluded any race ending crash or injury. Entering the second lap Carlson was dropped from the lead group when he was forced to change a wheel. Fortunately he was reasonably close to the feed zone and was quickly back in the chase. Pete Hatton (the riders favourite) managed almost simultaneously to blow up and dual flat. He was out of the race. This left Blair and Taberlay to battle it out on the front. Back in the U23’s, Mitch Codner had taken a early lead catching up and over taking the rear of the elite field. Missing a gu (energy supplement) and under the extreme heat of the day, by the third lap he had dropped back to fourth. Luke Fetch who had silently been moving up through the positions,

moved on up into first and retained the lead till the end of the race. The group behind of Kyle Ward, Codner and Jack Haig battled on for the remaining podium spots. Haig double punctured and was forced out of the race. It was now down to Codner in third and Ward in second both now almost guarenteed a podium position. Heading into the last lap Codner dug deep on the first climb to pass Ward and move into second. By race end Fetch had gained a two minute lead and with the overall for the All Mountain Cup based on time and not points, Fetch had practically sealed the overall in one race. Josh Carlson continued to push and chase but was stuck in no-mans-land unable to catch second or fall back to fourth. Andrew Arthur had held a steady fourth position for the first four laps yet soon after he was passed by Henderson and unfortunately on the penultimate lap a crash equaled a cracked frame. Due to the “one bike for all disciplines” rule he was out of the race and headed home. The crowd was absolutely buzzing in the rock garden, especially for the local lads for whom the volume arc’d up to a almighty crescendo whenever they rode through. So loud you could hear it on the other side of the hill. Heading into the final lap, Blair and Taberlay stride through the finish line, jerseys open the heat is really sucking the riders dry here. After dropping his chain towards the end of the fourth lap Taberlay re-catches Blair and, wheel to wheel, they head into the climbs for a final time. As they come into the second climb Blair attacks gaining a lead, Taberlay completely spent is unwilling to retaliate and rides out the lap for second. Controlling his descents and continually (frightfully so as he passes through the feed zone) checking over his shoulder, Andy Blair surges through the finish line, smiling ear to ear as he claims his first Australian National win.

Cross Country Eliminator Saturday was a blinding success, the racing was heated (literally) and organisation was spot on. Sadly, this did not transfer so easily to Sunday. The XCE (Cross Country Eliminator) was introduced to the racing program to shake things up and bring a more crowd friendly atmosphere to the weekend. What is the XCE? Very similar to four cross, four riders take to the line to race over various obstacles and the first two riders across the line win that heat. Those two riders can then advance so on and so forth until the final where it comes down to a winner takes all. This event has been tried and tested at a World Cup level so the theory was it should develop some interesting racing. However at World Cups, the event is generally held in the host city streets with ample room for overtaking even in the narrowest of city streets. The Goat Farm eliminator was more akin to a jump track bracketed by single track and two fire roads, somehow it didn’t quite seem to meld into that structure. Awakening nice and early to a more traditional cross country bandit start time of 7am, the day was already heading towards a scorcher. Everyone was hitting the track practicing and dialing in lines, getting ready for seeding. Most of the track offered very little in terms of passing lines and any overtaking through the first section of jumps would be risky and dangerous. Towards the tail end of the course there was a two way split in which there was a smooth wide line and a inside line involving a drop to flat. Riders were testing both and bar a huck to flat off the drop at race speed there was little difference between the two. Certainly not one large enough to gain a advantage. In the end, the races would all come down to the hole-shot into the first corner and the two fire roads. After the previous day announcing anyone who did not finish/start the XCO would be disqualified from racing the XCE and Super D, Mountain Bike Australia decided to go and reverse their decision. This was great news for rider such as Pete Hatton and others who had flatted out of the race the previous day. However for riders such as Andrew Arthur who were told the previous day they could not race and had headed home. It was a little too late. Seeding went off without a hitch. Josh Carlson took out the mens on a track that clearly suited skills over endurance. Cameron Ivory took out the U23’s and Jenni King the elite womens. From here on in the organisation became pretty shaky. We were told from at the end of the day, that had we known what was going on behind the scenes we would have understood. Unfortunately not one of the riders was in the know, so empathy was a little low. As seeding ended riders retreated to find any shade they could find. After a hour riders were recalled to the start/finish line ready for racing but it was a false alarm and organisers weren’t ready. Riders couldn’t leave, if they did it would mean disqualification, we were all left waiting in the sun. An hour and forty five minutes later the first heat started. The racing was intense, seeding mattered little as many had the technical abilities but not the straight line speed to get the hole-shot at the first corner. All that mattered after that was holding the wheel of the rider in front. Holding it to the final corner where the track opened onto a uphill fire road but pea gravel littered off the main line making sprints hard. Quite often the racing field had spread out by the final leg

but when they hadn’t , bars rattled and came together as riders clammoured to be in the top two. Coming into the semi finals riders were getting serious. In a semi that had it all Sid Taberaly and Craig Cooke came together in a brave passing manouver from Taberlay in the jump section, blood was spilled. Ben Henderson managed to run to the finish after losing his chain leaving Carlson the only one to come across the line smoothly. Jenni King continued her winning streak and after her fifth in the XCO, Sarah Holmes pushed hard and laid it all on the line to take a comfy second. In the elite men final it was all about Josh Carlson he had the hole shot and led cleanly to the end crossing the line, manualing one handed making the number one signal with his index finger. Pete Hatton and Ben Henderson duked it out for third and second whilst Andy Blair came in fourth safe in the knowledge that his overall had not been affected. Winning the XCE gave the winning rider a (minus) thirty second bonus, a twenty five second bonus for second and so on back to fourth place. This made little difference to the overall classification as in most catagories the leaders were separated out by more than a minute gap. The only catagory lucky enough for this system to work was the U17’s where some jostlling of positions did take place.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The bike was off the rails as he took the win with the only sub four minute time of the day coming in at a impressive 3:56.21.â&#x20AC;?

Super D By the time the final elite rider past over the line in the XCE it was already past 5pm. With organisational slip ups the Super D was behind schedule. Riders frantically headed up the hill to get in a practice run and thats pretty much all most riders got. Including the extra time organisers provided. Riders were tired and only the strong would be able to persevere for the win here. The Super D used it all, including sections that transitioned between a upper downhill section of berms and jumps, down into the cross country track through the rock garden finishing with a flat fifty meter sprint and dusted in the final few metres with tight freshly mown single track. The locals were on hand to give everyone the boost they needed after long day of racing. Cow bells, car horns along with yelling and cheering came from the sides of the track. The rock garden refilled with spectators and the downhillers were sessioning the largest jump, the party was back on. There were a few near misses on the big jump but luckily no hospital trips and the following drift corner had more than a few riders off the rails. With only fifteen second gaps between riders at the start gate, this event was unfolding rapidly. Jenni King again proved she is a major threat taking out her third event for the weekend and the overall whilst Rosemary Barnes in second showed her technical skills were not to be tested. J Carlson was the elite favourite here and it was believed he would either take the win with ease or crash out trying. As Carlson came flying by, he was a man on a mission. The bike was off the rails as he took the win with the only sub four minute time of the day coming in at a impressive 3:56.21. Andy Blair finished off a top weekend with a result in the top five enabling him to retain the overall classification. The first round of the nationals was over, there were certainly a few bumps along the way but hopefully with ample time before the next all mountain cup these will have been ironed out. As the sun began to set, riders packed up bike boxes and prepared to head home, ready to begin training for the next round at Mount Buller in the new year. r.

Get Flung!

The Briars Highland Fling

12th -13th NOVember

o I had already written something about the highland fling but it seemed to be taking a all too serious tone. So scrap that. Not that the highland fling doesn’t have its serious side but that really isn’t what the fling is about. Ultimately its about community, a kind of mates race and a certain type of survival instinct. The Highland Fling, the name is what gives it all away here, this race takes the rider and flings them into the Southern Highland countryside. Starting in Bundanoon the trail weaves its way through paddocks of farmland (past the curious onlooking cattle), the back roads of country towns, train crossings, fire roads all the way out to the single track networks of Wingello and Penrose. The return route was a completely

alternate trail set that made use of similar features to head back to Bundanoon. The fling is set up as a enduro so the categories are not broken up into pairs, teams, solo divisions, instead it is by distance with a few age/male/female brackets. The half fling, is aimed primarily at weekend warriors, first timers along with a few elites who are looking to push themselves. However a half fling is not to be taken lightly at a distance set at a little over fifty kilometres on a trying course. Then there is the Full Fling, for the little more hardcore. It takes in the full circumference of the course, with a distance of around one hundred kilometres. Also on the day, just to shake things up even more was the 100 “mile” Australian marathon

championship. Attracting primarily the states elite riders who apparently enjoy only the very purest forms of pain. Billed as a two day event with “the dash” on Saturday and “the fling” on Sunday many camped out at the Bundanoon event centre overnight. Unfortunately I was unable to make the dash but I was all ready for the fling. Rough and ready like many others who had opted for the fling only, it was a early start just to catch the start line. 7am the first racers of the day were ready to head off into the wilderness. First up were the Half Flingers and once the more than modest sized pack had disappeared the Full Flingers were off. Starting almost twenty minutes behind them, were the elite full flingers who were let fly, with a nice little prize purse up for grabs the pressure was all on them everyone else was enjoying the country side.

of town. Should a train come by a rider(s) could be stopped for several minutes. You could say timing was essential. As most roads into the single track areas and indeed fire roads were being used to transition riders between sections, it was hard to catch a glimpse of the racing. Travelling down a fire road near Wingello, rider trains seemed to be the order of the day under the midday heat. Back at the Bundanoon finish line, reports were coming in from spies out on course, on where riders were and what check point they had passed. So now all that could be done was to sit back and wait.

The race was on. All roads lead to the Wingello transition zone, where the race essentially reaches a crossroads. According to the rules everyone is allowed a 5 minute break, entering on the western side of town riders would break the beam at a timing pad situated at the towns playing oval. A small stand with food and drinks had been setup where riders could sit back, chill, take in the surroundings and chat with other riders. From here the Half Flingers would head back towards Bundanoon with Full Flingers heading on to the other side of Wingello and into the forest singletrack. There was one catch however, once the beam was broken the clock stopped and would not re start for 5 min. This was not to much of a problem with the half flingers. Unfortunately for the full flingers it required a little bit of discipline if a racer was at the oval they had to make sure they were across the other side of town and at the second gate ready to begin. As at the end of the five minutes the clock re started regardless of whether a racer was across the line or not. This was made a little difficult for another reason, the train crossing in the centre

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It was a interesting wait, especially since the MC kept coming back to a Marilyn Monroe questionnaire. Not a person I’ve spoken to since has been able to figure out how that fitted into the days events,. It also didn’t help that another announcer was walking around in a kilt. Although I suppose it was a little more appropriate for the day. At first the half flingers began to cross the line, in ones and twos then there was holding hands and fist pumping which fast became a common occurrence. Trenton Day was first across the line in male opens and Rowena Fry for the females (keeping in mind there was no elite half fling). Riders continued to pour over the line, fifteen year olds in boardies, two blokes on a tandem and one determined seventy year old. The first of the full flingers began to wander in and the line at the milkshake stand grew longer and longer. The first elites were spotted on the approach to the finish line. Spectators lined the barricades banging their open palms against the signage waiting for the first glimpse. Neck and neck Andy Blair and Dylan Cooper raced sprinting around the corner. Cooper got the edge and was across the line just in front of Blair. Cooper won Blair second, right? Sorry its not that simple, this is where the five minute enforced rest stop came into play.

With the five minutes deducted it was Cooper who indeed took the win but it was Ben Mather ( who wasn’t in sight of the finish line when Cooper crossed) who came in second just .01 of a second down with Andy Blair third at 0.05 of the pace. I know I said this race wasn’t about the serious racing but that HAS to be some of the closest racing NSW has seen in years. In the Elite Female Jenny Fay took the win by a clear margin, lofting the bike above her head in triumph as she did so. Congradulations also to Andre Slezak who took out the open males field just weeks after completing the arduous Croc Trophy. For a few hours more riders continued to come in from the country side but always a smile was present. This race will always be about making it to that beer or milkshake at the end sharing a day out racing with mates, happy to have beaten the kilometres. r.

SUPER D To be a little cliche. Super D has arrived on the scene with not a whimper but a bang. Already with A regular series and events thriving in America also with similar style enduro events in Europe. Such as Trans Provence and the recently past Super Enduro in Finale Ligure, all now pretty much commonplace. It is a wonder only now that Enduro events are beginning to emerge in Australia. However, With the recent inclusion in the Australian National Series calendar as part of the All Mountain Cup, enduro racing is certainly here to shake things up.

On a sunday in early November the Central Coast Mountain Bike Club scheduled a Super D race. Chatter on the web through forums and facebook was high. What would the track be like? Both the locals and regular club attendees were familiar with either the downhill track or the cross country track but with the Super D a mix of the two trail networks, all were uncertain as to what route would be chosen. Many were leaning towards a cross country dominant track as this was the very first super d event at the club. However by the eve of the race no one was any wiser to the track layout. Everyone would be blind. Sunday arrived bright hot and sunny, a true summers day. Organisers were a little overwhelmed by the response as club members and riders from sydney to newcastle converged on Ourimbah. The beauty of a race such as this is that it brings together factions of riders that would usually stand apart. There were the hardcore downhillers, cross country bandits and weekend warriors all ready and keen to battle it out. Over one hundred riders divided themselves into three categories of A,B and C the field was ready for practice. Shuttles began at 8:30 for anyone who did not wish to pedal or were too unfit to climb the fireroad. Initial issues with a broken down bus were quickly rectified and many runs ensued. Varying types of bikes were spotted beneath riders, from downhill stallions to the humble hardtail but most seemed to have opted for the dually cross country bike. Perhaps this was owing to the uncertainty of the track. The Track. Starting from the communications tower, the course headed down through the rhythm section of the downhill track through the berms (slippery under a cross country tyres tread) and down onto the fireroad. The course then headed into the rock garden, rattling the bones before heading into BK Express down the pallet bridge and into a sprint. The next section was what defined the race, it found that middle ground between cross country and downhill. Ticking all the boxes of what a Super D is all about. Sweeping flat and bermed corners mixed with mini rock gardens and a rock roll down. With ample line selection to choose from this particular section had riders concentration levels peaking as they were forced to master the technicality of the descent. Thrust down through a chute and into a small climb, the course ended in a 3 to 4 min cross country run. Alternating between the flat and the slowly descending singletrack, racers would confront one last rocky section before being spat out into the finish line. Runs were averaging around the ten minute mark with some faster riders coming in around seven minutes. The physicality of the track was taking a toll on wheel setups across the board. On almost every run I witnessed about three to four people with punters. Racing was to begin at one oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock with the A graders heading off first separated by fifteen second intervals. The rest of the grades followed all though were under a two run system where the fastest of those two would win. Josh Carlson led the charge with a 7:15 on his first run, followed by Nash Kent and Dylan Wolsky both around the 7:30â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

he was unable to move up the podium, finishing in third. In A Grade Women Belinda Green laid down a smoking 9:09 on her first run that Emily May and Juliane Wisata just couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t better. In B grade it all came down to four seconds with Max Richardson just edging out David Maggs for first. Maggs moving from a run third placing into second. Jamie Green unable to complete his first run moved straight into equal third with Chris Rapaport on his second (first complete) run. Genevieve McKew and Clair Ly sole survivors took out B grade and C grade women. Lincoln Smith smashed through with a 8:33 after a DNF first run whilst Scott Mills jumped half the field in his second run for second after missing his start time in his first. Reid Finney

mark. In B and C grade some riders missed their start times underestimating how fast procedures would run but it was Max Richardson and Reid Finney who were atop the leaders board after their initial runs. Puntures were still wreaking havoc and left a few riders finishing short on their first run. A brief break, where racers were able to refuel as the race past through the hottest part of the day was a welcome relief before second runs. It seems racers could not get enough of the track as almost all of the riders returned for their second runs. Carlson was unable to better his time in his second run but still had the fastest time of the day securing the A grade win with his first run. Kent was able to retain second with his first run time of 7:33 and although Dylan Wolsky bettered his time

RESULTS A Grade 1. Josh Carlson 2. Nash Kent 3. Dylan Wolsky

managed to hold on to his podium finish with a third. The Under 15â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s came home strong with Bryan Dunkin finishing in a time that would have given him second in C grade but a definite first in U15â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. It was a great days racing, rarely is there such a turnout at club events. The feedback has been so positive that CCOMTB have promised to look into a full series in 2012. Thank you to all the supporters and sponsors. I hope to see you all at the next Super D because its here to stay! r.

Run 1

Run 2

Best

0:07:15 0:07:33 0:07:36

0:07:17 DNS 0:07:35

0:07:15 0:07:33 0:07:35

A Grade Women 1. Belinda Green 2. Emily May 3. Juliane Wisata

0:09:09 0:10:28 0:10:42

0:09:21 0:10:07 0:10:56

0:09:09 0:10:07 0:10:42

B Grade 1. Max Richardson 2. David Maggs 3. Jamie Green

0:08:15 0:08:22 DNS

0:08:11 0:08:15 0:08:22

0:08:11 0:08:15 0:08:21

B Grade Women 1. Genevieve Mc Kew

0:26:29

0:27:00

0:26:29

C Grade 1. Lincoln Smith 2. Scott Mills 3. Reid Finney

DNS 0:17:07 0:09:09

0:08:33 0:08:54 0:09:04

C Grade Women 1. Clair Ly

0:12:50

0:10:01

Under 15 Men 1. Bryan Dunkin 2. Tom Green 3. Chris Clark

0:16:46 DNF 0:15:33

0:08:35 0:09:12 0:09:22

0:08:35 0:09:12 0:90:22

THE

Josh carlson INTERVIEW Words & Photos : Robert Conroy

Coming late to Mountain Biking, this lovable “ranga” as he is affectionately known by mates, has quickly risen through the ranks. With a distinctive flow and a riding style that separates him from your average cross country racer, he has attacked the local and international racing scenes with much success. So what makes Josh Carlson tick we thought we’d find out.

Let’s start off simple,Name ? : Josh Carlson Age ? : 25 When Did you first start riding? I started riding mountain bikes in 2006 What was your first bike ? A diamondback outlook sport 500 buck jobbbie flat pedals board shorts. and your first race? Penrose state forest was a Wollongong MTB clubby and ended up winning What do you love most about mountain biking? Shredding haha cornering speed everything! Just going super fast and being super fit. What do you like least about Mountainbiking? Diet haha having to watch what you eat and err be really super disciplined during the race season. It would be good just to eat what you want and not worry about being skinny and fit all the time. What is your favourite track in Australia? Probably the Stonefly track down in alpine Victoria Outside of Australia? North Umpqua in Oregon . I had the chance to shred that this year a little bit after the Ashland Super D. It was just myself and adam craig for four and a half hours just going full piss, on blind trails, in these massive old growth forests. For sometime you’ve been with Rockstar Racing but recently we’ve seen you in the Giant Factory kit. Can you tell us whats going on there? It was just a personal decision with the direction I ‘m aiming for next year. I want to focus mainly on Super D and enduro next year in America whereas Rockstar are a predominately cross

country race and endurance based team. So I made a personal decision I’d like to wear the giant factory kit for my benefit to gain a bit of support from the global factory time. So I went back to Giant Australia who were keen to support me and Rockstar were happy for me to make that decision. So now I’m back under the Australian Giant racing banner. In mid 2011 you headed for America to do some racing. Can you tell us why you opted for a more American based season over a European season? That was decided on the way home from the stonefly launch weekend with Johnny Hardwick. I had a trip planned to head to Belgium, race a few world cups and race cross country races in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany staying in Gent. It was pretty much all done and dusted and booked. Anyway so I was talking with John and he was mentioning a few things about the States and it sort of sparked my interest. So when I got home the next day, I rang a few buddies Amiel Cavalier, Rando, Paul Rowney, Sid Taberlay and all these other guys who had raced in the states before. It seemed a decision that was more suited to my riding and what I wanted as a racer, more so than europe. Do you think the cross country scene in America is thriving more so than the Downhill scene is at the moment? As far as racing culture is concerned? I didn’t really see the downhill scene but the All Mountain Super D scene is thriving at the moment. I mean Downieville has a thousands spots and it sells out in minutes. Same thing with the Ashland 12 mile Super D. Next year there are quite a few series that poping up in the Super D Enduro scene. So I think thats the latest one thats about to go boom and over take possibly both the Cross country and downhill. When you were in America you were able to mix World

Cups with a few of the classics such as Downieville and Ashland? Well Downieville and Ashland were the best things I’ve ever done. I rocked up to Ashland and it was the first Super D I had ever done. You go up 8000ft and drive up the hill for 20-30 mins and your ears pop. Then your descending down the hill so fast for something like 45 min before your back in the truck heading for the top again and your ears haven’t even had time to equalise yet. It was just some of the most amazing riding I have ever done that just triggered my interest in Super D really. I ended up in 4th place about thirty seconds off adam craig. Then Downieville that was just on another level. The cross country race on the Saturday was just a 50-55 minute fire road climb around this epic valley. So steep in sections that it was genuine granny ring climbing in parts. Then you get to the top and its flat stick and a quick pinch climb and straight into the downhill. They had to change it a little because of

Soon after Downieville you actually injured yourself didn’t you? It was about 4 days after Downieville and i was all set to head to Crankworx and race the enduro. So I was doing a little training in Boulder CA in a mountain bike park there with my girlfriend. She finished riding and I went to do one or two more laps and I came into this table top jump a little too hard. I over cleared and over rotated and landed straight on my head and wrist. Smashed my right wrist into pieces and broke my collarbone in half. Problem was I thought the wrist was dislocated so I tried to pull it and put it back into place. It was a lot like the sound of gravel in a pvc pipe. Four days later I was headed home. The Recovery? It happened at the end of July and I only recently returned to the race circuit first with a Super D clubby at Ourimbah in November. Unfortunately I have to have a quick operation mid December to get the plates and pins removed. So expect to see you back ? I will be back for Buller and then of course as many races after that. Although you planned to race Belgium etc have you raced in Europe before?

so much snow this year and your coming down this hill and there is about 15 ft of snow either side. Then when you clear that your bombing into knarly rock gardens, downhill sections and real technical sections. So to put it together over two days was really hard. So got second in the cross country and was feeling really confident for the Sunday Super D. I think I was about 3 mins down. Woke up Sunday morning felt great and took off had the perfect run for the first section. Then my heart was ripped out when I got a flat and I busted the rim and tore a hole in the tyre. So tried a tube that busted and another tube and it busted too. So gutted. Biggest rollercoaster of emotions for two days. haha.

Last year (2010) I raced the Champery and Val di Sole World Cups which were my first attempts at World Cup racing. It was Brutal. We’re talking starting fields of a hundred and fifty riders and you’re rider one hundred and twenty. Then the course is just insane on top of that. So that was Champery. Then in Italy in Val di sole there were two hundred starters, I mean there is a whole lot more to contend with over there. I understand you’ve had a long running interest in motocross. So why choose a life in cross country? I raced motocross up until about 2005 from when I was about ten years old. Then I had a few big crashes and

but the formats were cool because they give the rider overall a chance. I mean the cross country olympic format is the focus but its so much fun to race a Super D and Eliminator. Maybe I’m bias because I love the short sharp fast technical races such as Super D are what I want to focus on. The all mountain format over the three days does offer a different aspect to the weekend makes the weekend a little different. Still you have to pick your poison and choose where you want to be the best. Be that best at everything or purely cross country and sacrifice the other ones. It just depends where your focus is but I think overall its a good format. It ads a bit more excitement to the weekend.

my sponsorship fell through. My main personal sponsor his son slipped into a coma, so I bit the bullet, and took the on the debt myself. Which kinda wiped me out so I just cancelled my bikes for 2006. I went along to my first race just for the fun of it , I ended up winning and I loved it. I didn’t lose another until 2008 which is when I started training and taking my racing more seriously. That was it really. Do you still race any motocross or do any cross training with motos? No. I haven’t in a long time not since 2005 but I do think I will go back at some point. Not necessarily seriously but I do hope to ride again.

You were third in the overall coming out of Perth. Were you happy with the result? What do you think of the timing in regards to your result?

Do you think any of your moto style has transferred over to your cross country riding? I think so yeh hahaha I think I ride a little different to most because of that background I mean its only a 10kg vs a 95kg Honda 450.

I was definitely happy the result especially coming back from injury I wasn’t expecting to be up there again so fast. At the same time with the timing, I found it a little frustrating because you have a cross country race for two hours but six minutes of racing to make up all that time on Sunday. Again I would be biased because I won both the races on Sunday and I still couldn’t make up the time. However a race such as buller where the Super D will be longer timing will probably work out better. I would prefer points but timing is ohk.

Whats a average week of training involve for you? A lot of road riding, some gym, some core with a few mountain bike rides thrown in. Most days twice, sometimes three times a day of training. Which riders do you look up to and why? Well I don’t really look up to any mountain bikers really but coming from motocross as a kid, I looked up to riders like Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael, Ricky Johnson and Damon Bradshaw. There killer styles and attitude. Guys like local Jay Marmont his determination and guts. The commitment thats what I look up to.

You’ve already mentioned this briefly but what are your plans heading into the remaining nationals? Try and get back on form as quickly as possible. A lot of people are going to be on form heading towards Australian Championships especially heading into a Olympic year. I want to be getting on the podium and hopefully winning races. It be great to head to America next year full of confidence even better if its with a Australian champions jersey.

Up until 2006 were you doing any mountain biking? Up until 2006 I didn’t really know mountain bikes existed. So i’m a little of a late bloomer. My dad said why don’t you give it a go so I took my girlfriend, a box of shapes the bike had at the time and raced. That was it .

Thats all we have time for anyone you would like to thank?

The first round of the national series is over. What did you think of the new formats, the Super D and XC Eliminator?

Giant Bicycles Australia, my coach Mark Fenner from FTPtraining.com, Ronde gloves and socks and Spearmans Cycles Wollongong.

I liked it obviously because I won ahaha

Bike Check

SPEC frame - Large GIANT Anthem 20” carbon 2012 shock - Fox Factory RP23 Adaptive Logic w/ Kashima Coat fork - Fox FLOAT Terralogic w/15QR axle, OverDrive 2 Steerer, 4”/100mm Travel w/ Kashima Coat stem - 100mm GIANT Contact SLR carbon bars - Giant Contact SLR composite 670mm x 15mm rise head set - standard?? grips - White skinny ESI foamies shifters/deraileurs - SHIMANO XTR 10spd seatpost - GIANT Contact SLR carbon seat - SHIMANO PRO Turnix Ti railed brakes/rotors - SHIMANO XTR ICE Tech- race crank - SHIMANO XTR 28/40 chain - SHIMANO XTR 10spd cassette - SHIMANO XTR 36-11 pedals - SHIMANO XTR Race wheelset - SHIMANO XTR Race tyres - Tubeless tubes - Never! special mods - Nothing special. this bike is striaght from the GIANT Factory to the race track.