Innholdsfortegnelse for Feb-Mar-Apr 2021 i Mountain Biking Australia

2020 truly was a year like no other. When I sat down to write the corresponding message in December 2019 the country was in the grip of the worst bushfire season in living memory. From a mountain biking perspective, we all held grave fears for trailheads and clubs around the country. Those fears proved to be well founded with years’ worth of hard work vanishing in an instant. Little did we know what 2020 had in store for us and with a global pandemic altering life as we know it, I’m sure we are all in a similar headspace to last year as we ponder what the future holds. Unfortunately, Mountain Biking Australia won’t be a part of that future. Yaffa Media have made the difficult decision to cease publishing…

In a year that has pushed many events to the limit, the organisers of the Otway Odyssey are returning to their roots in 2021 with the famous race pencilled in for 20-21 February. The original 100km Odyssey course will head back to its traditional format, last seen in 2011, in which riders will start in Apollo Bay, cross the Otway Ranges and finish at Forrest. This original route was infamous for the size of the climbs and unforgiving terrain riders had to traverse to get to the finish line. The cash prize pool for the 100km event has also changed, rising to $9600, in order to attract riders from all over the country, border restrictions permitting. “It’s still my favourite course, in my favourite setting, at the best time of…

‘Wipe that smirk off your face Mr Niven.’ This was not the first time I’d spoken such words to Jeff, when we pulled up for a breather. The same to Emma. The same to Craig. Grins as wide as Bass Strait stretched across their faces, this time as we plummeted down toward the Bay of Fires on Tasmania’s east coast. Perfectly crafted berms shimmied us this way and that, dropper posts keeping us low. The Bay of Fires ride was our link to sea level. 42 kilometres of trail, from the near 900 metre top of the Blue Tier, it dropped us first through rainforest, similar in style to the goodness (greatness?) we had ridden in Derby the previous days. Then the landscape changed: the soils more granular, the forest…

Shred it, send it and then make a sick edit - that’ll be dope. At times I feel like I’ve stepped into a parody of Wayne’s World dubbed by the Clangers when listening to younger mountain bikers, and even when listening to certain older riders too, those who really should know better than aspiring to be dancing dads rather than gnarly old dudes. Yes, at times the seemingly media and bike industry enforced image of mountain biking is so very far from my own personal take on it, which has some clues in the name, especially they bits labelled mountain and biking. It’s a strange thing, trend and fashion that it; I mean, 10 years ago who would have ever considered that bike touring and beards would become de rigeur,…

Summer is here; after months of uncertainty, and the froth to get back on the trails is mounting. However, it is hot out there. The Australian summers can be unrelenting in their heat and even though many of us think we are used to riding in it, we still need to take care out there and be respectful of the weather. Our bodies are quite amazing in terms of the adaptations that take place in response to environment stressors. But take note that these adaptations take time, normally about two weeks. Humidity vs dry heat? Dry heat can be sneaky, we have had some days in Perth where it’s so hot that the sweat evaporates before you even feel like you’ve sweated – if you are not aware this is…

Australians have been waiting for a robust MTB e-bike rack – Shingleback has the solution CORE VALUES: Perfectly designed for the MTB e-bike and more, Shingleback, once again, leads in vertical bike rack innovation. The 2B90 vertical bike rack is rated to carry up to two 30kg bikes, the rack tilts down to allow easy and simple bike loading and unloading, perfect for e-bikers and lifestyle riders. The new sleek design means very little rear overhang – perfect for smaller vehicles and easy parking in tight spots. QUOTES: Andrew Taylor, Founder and Chief Innovator explained “…I love looking for innovative, simple and valued rack solutions that address the gaps in the market. In my design I have responded to the needs of e-bike riders and lifestyle riders. The tilt-down loading…

After introducing Impala & Coyote in 2019, we are proud to announce that we have gone one step further in developing our MTB helmet range, take a look at our new top-end feature packed helmet: the Lazer Jackal. Speed, thrill & style are the best friends of any hardcore mountain biker. At Lazer, we truly believe that the best a brand can do is create the perfect match between a rider and their gear, and that is exactly what we aimed to do with Jackal. When building this helmet, we always kept in mind that we wanted to enable any mountain biker to maximize their comfort, enjoyment & freedom while riding on the trails. Here is the result. Comfort has been optimized on all angles to give riders the ultimate…

Swiss cross-country ace and current Olympic XCO Champion Nino Schurter has been the standout male mountain bike racer of the last decade, not just for his amazing results but also for his clear-cut and uncompromising passion for the sport. Nino simply loves to ride and to have fun whilst doing it, which makes watching him in action a real treat. We caught up with him at the end of the short and bizarre 2020 season, in which he should have been defending his Olympic title. Instead, much like the rest of us, he found himself re-aligning his goals and life to deal with a rapidly changing new world. Steve Thomas: Roughly how many hours a week do you train? Nino Schurter: Between 12 hours for a really easy recovery week…

RATINGS VALUE: 7/10 FUNCTION: 9/10 LOOKS: 8/10 OVERALL: 8/10 In the last issue we got our hands on the Amp Multi Pack from Kiwi brand Macpac. Marketed as a bit of an all-rounder we looked at almost exclusively in a mountain bike context and concluded that while it did the job it was unlikely to satisfy most serious riders, especially on race days. Fast forward a couple of months and we have stumbled across another piece of Macpac gear. This time it’s the Tempo Pertex rain jacket. Just like the Amp Multi Pack it’s targeted at adventure all-rounders, going so far as to not mention mountain biking specifically rather bike riding in general. Macpac’s website describes the Tempo Pertex rain jacket as ‘Designed for wet weather trail running, cycling or…

Sutro Lite combines increased field-of-view and improved ventilation in a lightweight frame for a variety of cycling terrains Inspired by the daily life of urban cyclists, Sutro Lite is a semi-rimless version of the Sutro frame shape, featuring a high-wrap shield. The lightweight design results in a bold, versatile look that protects from the elements and enhances vision with Prizm™ Lens Technology. An Unobtainium® temple featuring ridged texture provides improved retention so the frame never loses grip, even during the most intense rides. Available in six colorways across standard fit and four colorways across Asia fit, Sutro Lite provides riders greater field-of-view, whether their rides lead them to urban roads or wooded trails. With Sutro Lite, Oakley® builds off the success of its Sutro frame, now in a pared-down version…

“The Bay of Fires Trail experience from the top of the tier to the Bay of Fires could arguably described as otherworldly.” When to follow up with a sequel? This is may seem like a simple question, but it is in reality a complicated decision and one not taken lightly. A sequel can be an important progression of a story or design, or a hopeless attempt to cash in on what a great once off piece that should have stood alone as a point in time and moved on from. Do they, the designers, have a better way to build it? As the writer, do I have an idea of what will happen next? Can it build on what came before? Should I write about it? Do you the reader,…

SCORE IN THE STAND 8/10 ON THE TRAIL 8/10 OVERALL 8/10 Spanish brand Orbea is a small-player compared to your mainstream brands (Trek, Giant, Specialized, Merida etc.) but they’ve managed to gain broad global recognition across all facets of cycling—from the road to the dirt. ‘Punching above their weight’ is the phrase that comes to mind. Originating from the Basque region, they’ve been designing bikes since the 1930s and first ventured into mountain biking in 1989. It’s a longstanding history and while they make some killer all-mountain/enduro bikes, they’re probably best-known in cross-country circles—largely thanks to Julien Absalon who rode an Orbea to win gold at the Bejing Olympics. The Oiz is Orbea’s XC dually; it complements their Alma hardtail to provide options for different rider preferences and terrains. Where…