Australian Mountain Bike - December 2014

AustrAliAn

MountAin

Bike

Worldmags.net

AMB ISSUE #145

XTR
YETI SB5 C
ZERMATT
HIMALAYAS
CROC TROPHY

THE
RISE OF DAN
MACMUNN

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Re medy | Tra cy Moseley | Tweed Valley, S cot lan d | tre kbike s.co m /re m e d y

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I T S T I M E TO R I D E S O M E T H I N G B E T T E R
Something proven through Enduro World Series wins.
Something with RE:aktiv suspension, designed by
the best F1 engineers, or Boost148, for a better 29er.
The all-new Remedy. Your choice- playful 27.5” or
confident 29”.

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PumPed
Rider : Jerome Clementz
Photographer : Jérémie Reullier
Mt Buller will host the first round of the RochShox
Enduro Challenge Powered by SRAM on 1st
February. Jerome Clementz has announced he will
be racing at Buller, as he prepares for his attack
on the 2015 EWS, which this year starts in Rotorua.
Five descending stages are planned for the races
at Buller and Toowoomba, linked with un-timed
transition stages.
More northern hemisphere racers are set to be
announced, but if you want to race with or watch
the world’s best compete on some of Australia’s
greatest terrain, come along to Mt Buller on 1st
February, or out to Toowoomba on March 8th.
There will be over $10 000 in prizes from SRAM
and RockShox, plus $5000 cash on the line.
Full event details are on emsaustralia.net.au

4 - AMB

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www.ambmag.com.au - 5

Mark 'Tupac' Tupalski leads a strong field
aboard his new Torq team-issue Merida at
the 10th Camelbak Highland Fling.
Photo: Gilbert Romane

6 - AMB

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CONTENTS

dECEMBER JAnUARy - ISSUE #145

FAST TRACK

48 – ThE hIgh lIFE

Editorial – 9
News – 10
Letters – 17
Subscriptions – 18
Calendar – 20
MTBA Update – 23
X – Factor – 25

European mountain huts share
little with those in the Australian
high country, but still offer
doorstep access to some of the
best mountain biking terrain.

FEATURES
26 – XTR goES To 11
Shimano launched their latest
group set in the picturesque
Margaret River area – XTR
mechanical vs XTR Di2, how do you
choose?

30 – MACMUnn InTERvIEw
Dan MacMunn was pretty quick to
adapt to enduro racing – and found
the challenges of racing the Enduro
World Series pushed his riding to
another level.

36 – ThE EvolUTIon oF
ThE CRoCodIlE TRophy
The Croc Trophy just celebrated it’s
20th year, and the best edition yet,
taking in amazing trails in Tropical
North Queensland.

44 – BElow ZERo
The Himalayas have long drawn
adventurers from around the world
– but to ride over frozen rivers in
winter?

54 – hAUS pRoUd In
AUSTRIA
KTM do more than motorbikes,
and we visited Austria to learn how
hard they are working to keep their
brand at home.

ThE hUB
Backpack Buyers Guide – 60
Product Evaluations – 62

TESTEd
Yeti SB5c – 72
GT Zaskar Carbon 9r Elite – 76
Trek Slash 8 – 80
Lapierre Zesty AM – 84
long TERM
Whyte M 109 C – 89
plACES ThAT RoCK
Old Man’s Valley, NSW – 90
SKIllS
Manualling at Speed
with Jared Rando – 92
Mastering the Wheelie Hop
with Aiden Lefmann – 94
New Products – 96
Nutrition – 98
Fitness – 102
Workshop – 104
Bike Checks – 109
Outback and Beyond - 113

www.ambmag.com.au - 7

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HANG TIME

Baggies, bibs, clipped in or flat.
There’s no trail judge here. No switchback jury.
A whoop, a scream, a yeeharr?
It’s your joy, at your volume.
Expressed in the now.
Get rowdy, get after it, get brave or get strong.
It doesn’t matter why—it just matters that you do.

YOUR RID E . YO UR RU LES.

Why, how, and where you ride—that’s personal. That’s why we focus on
designing everything you’ll need to ride your way, for whatever reason.
No matter if you’re just starting out or a seasoned rider, we make bikes
and equipment for women who write their own rules.
S PEC IAL IZE D.CO M

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Editorial EnquiriEs
[email protected]
Editor
MikeBlewitt
art dirEctor
RobertConroy

Wordsmiths
MikeBlewitt,ImogenSmith,RobertConroy,Adam
Macbeth,AnnaBeck,AidenLefmann,JaredRando,
ArranPearson,JenniKing,JodieWillett,Richie
Tyler,AdamFernyhough,MattNauthe,ZoeWilson,
MegGilmer,ClaudeBalsiger
Photo Gurus
RobertConroy,TimBardsley-Smith,Imogen
Smith,MikeBlewitt,RussBaker,RichieTyler,Felix
Traenkner,AidenLefmann,LachlanRyan,Jonathan
Renton,MartinBissig,ReginaStanger,Kenneth
Lorensten,MichaelKirkman,JérémieReuiller

advErtisinG
national advErtisinG manaGEr
DerekRecio
[email protected]



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sWEEt summEr
trails arE callinG





Level6,BuildingA,207PacificHighway,St
Leonards,NSW2065
LockedBag5555,StLeonards,NSW1590

WORDS : MIkE BlEWITT PHOTO : TBS

chiEf ExEcutivE officErDavidGardiner
commErcial dirEctorBruceDuncan

A summer holiday always comes after a
crescendo. Standing aside and watching, it is
clear that a lot of other Australians are working
to a similar goal, climbing to the top of a peak,
eager to get work completed and holidays booked
so they can relax over the holiday break. Everyone
reaches a point in early summer where they are
ready to switch off, sit back, and unwind.
And it is the same here at AMB! The tail end of
2014 has been really busy, with continual news
of new trail developments coming in, sweet new
bikes arriving into Australia, and unique events
being launched around the country. But as I am
writing this, the smell of the finish line is close.
We’re almost done for 2014, and 2015 is already
a selection of destinations and fresh bikes to test
lined up on the calendar.
We’re ready for some more time on our bikes
over summer, and our Travel Issue that went on
sale on November 24th should help give you some
ideas for time away with your bike, family, friends,

both – or just a break for some soul searching
by bike. It was one of the most enjoyable issues
I have helped put together, and I really hope it
inspires you to seek out some adventure some
time soon.
This issue has insights from our writers about
some of the newer products that have landed
on our sandy shores, along with articles from
three riding experiences that couldn’t be more
varied – racing the Crocodile Trophy in Far North
Queensland, breaking trail along frozen rivers in
the Himalayas, or using the comfort of high alpine
huts in Europe to make your altitude go further on
your next MTB adventure.
Hopefully this issue will accompany you on your
time away from the daily grind this summer
holiday, and you can get plenty of time in on the
bike and riding the great trails that twist through
our country. Have a safe summer.

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FAst tRACK

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AMB 100 RetuRns to Mt stRoMlo
Don’t miss out on a spectacular show of endurance when riders take to
Stromlo Forest Park for the Australian Mountain Bike 100 Marathon on 8th
February 2015.
The AMB 100 Marathon features the longest racing circuit possible at
Stromlo Forest Park. The giant race circuit is about 30km long and links
together most of the trails at Stromlo. The 100km race is 3 laps; there are
one and two-lap options as well as the 5 lap 100miler.
Racing on the Stromlo World Cup trails, word among the endurance
racing crowd has it that this event is one of the hardest marathon races in
Australia.
This is a family-friendly event with kids races and activities. Yummy food,
coffee and drinks will be available all day and the riders are treated to
fresh fruit, energy drinks and snacks at the Euro-style feed zone in the
event centre after each lap.
rockytrailentertainment.com/events/100-overview

the hAiRy MARy 3hR
Mountain-bikers have long identified
the divide in numbers between
genders at events, and a few groups
have even begun to take charge
and do something about it. Cue Tri
Adventure’s Jan Leverton, who had
been interested in a women’s only
mountain bike event to flow on from
coaching Cycling Australia’s “She
Rides” program, in order to give
women starting out in the sport a
goal to aim for. Along with Venture
Cycles and Gravity MTB club, the
‘Hairy Mary 3hr Enduro’ was born
and they found a suitable venue in
the Victory Heights trails at Gympie,
recently created by the Cooloola
Trail Care Alliance.

How did it go? On October the 5th,
over 70 women lined up either in
a team of two or as a solo rider, to
tackle as many laps as possible of
the 6.2km course in three hours.
Considering Gympie is a regional
area, it was a great turnout with
strong numbers from Brisbane
and the Sunshine Coast, as well as
local Gympie riders. Despite the
course being predominantly flowing
singletrack with very little fire-road
or elevation, at the pointy end of
the field it proved a very tough day
indeed with the mercury popping
over 30-degrees. Brisbane’s Sol
Breads-Cyclinic team rider Kylie
Maduna took the win in just over
3hrs with 9-laps of the course, in
what ended up being a tight race.
The most inspiring ‘win’ of the day,
however, was watching the smiles
of newer riders conquering their
first race and enjoying the post-race
banter and tale-telling that we all love.

the Dingo Duo
A DRy AnD Dusty DAy
Here in Queensland, ‘The Flight
Centre Active Travel Cycle Epic”,
or Epic, is big news. It’s the largest
mountain bike marathon in the
state. The event also features a
shorter, 50km option that follows
the first part of the full Epic course.
The only problem with this is that
hardcore mountain bikers that want
a singletrack fix but don’t wish to be
out in the sun all day have missed
out on the final, infinitely more
awesome, trails that Hidden Vale
Adventure park, or HVAP have to
offer.
Enter the Dingo Duo, a race
promising to take you through 37km
of some of the best, and toughest,
trails at HVAP. Initially presented
as a duathlon (5km run, 37km bike,
5km run) the Duo spawned other
events like the Dingo Howl XC (Just
37km of trails) and the Dingo Dash
5km fun run.
In its inaugural year the event
delivered as promised, 37km of
singletrack that could tickle anyone’s
fancy, from smooth and flowing to
rough and ready. The race, held on
Oct 25th, was hot and steamy with
South East QLD’s heat wave seeing
temperatures in the mid-30’s.
Mountain Biker Chris Firman took
out the Duo overall with Yoko OkudaThomsen taking the women’s Duo
event. The ladies dominated the XC
event, Jodie Willett taking the win
overall, and Anna Beck in a sprint
finish for second, eventually finishing
second female and third overall.
WORDS : AnnA BECK

FAR out in the FlinDeRs
The Flinders Ranges Outback Epic is one of the most remote races and
arguably the longest point-to-point race in Australia. It follows the 205km
Flinders Ranges by Bike sign posted tourist ride, either as the whole
route, or 64km or 109km versions. 100 riders entered the 2nd edition and
were happy for a day of 24 degrees and 15-30 kph tailwinds for the more
exposed sections. The singletrack is minimal and the climbing on the low
side, but the distance is huge, the scenery spectacular and the personal
challenge massive.
The premier race is the 205km unsupported option, with only water
available on course, everything else must be carried. Ollie Klein won
for the second year running, and Jodie Willett won the women’s event –
placing 4th overall at the same time. “The variety of the riding conditions
and the rawness of the natural trails kept me alert, constantly adjusting
to the conditions. This “grass roots” biking, with not a groomed trail to be
seen, was a nice change” said Willett, post race.
Such a long event is a challenge for all involved, especially the organisers.
It wasn’t just the logistics of distance but also liaising with various
landowners that included the South Australian Government, sheep
stations, private enterprise and the local Aboriginal Communities. This
certainly is an iconic event to put in your bucket list!
www.eventstrategies.com.au
10 - AMB

tAKe youR MAte to the
Duo ClAssiC
The 4th Duo Classic will take place
on January 31st, and the 50km pairs
mountain bike race will again be
held on the trails of Sparrow Hill and
Kowen Forest. Different to other pairs
racing, you race with your team mate
the whole time. The idea is with your
partner, not against them, and it’s a
fun concept out on some great trails.

The race is organised by Canberra
Off Road Cyclists (CORC) and Bec
Henderson.
Further details are on
www.duoclassic.com

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THE HUB
rEcipE

IngredIents
dry IngredIents
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2/3 cup almonds, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1 tsp ground cinnamon or ginger
1 cup quinoa flakes (or oats)
1 cup of puffed quinoa or puffed brown rice

Wet IngredIents
4 tablespoons of honey, rice malt or maple
syrup.
3 over ripe bananas, mashed

Method

Banana nut
granola Bars
WordS And IMAgeS: Meg gIllMer

These bars are packed full of goodness.
I love using quinoa flakes in my baking
and breakfast recipes - they’re full of
nutrients and are an easy replacement
for oats. Quinoa is a great source of fibre
and is a complete protein, containing all 9
essential amino acids that are required by
the body as building blocks for muscles.
It also has magnesium, which helps
relax your muscles and blood vessels
and effects blood pressure. The nuts and
seeds provide enough fat, protein and
carbohydrate to keep you fuelled for long
rides. I find these bars a filling breakfast
on the go or a handy snack after training.

Shop 61 Alexander Street Collaroy 2097 NSW
t: 02 8095 9437

f: 02 8095 97 14

e: [email protected]
Follow us on:

- Mix together all the dry ingredients in a
large mixing bowl.
- Stir in wet ingredients to combine.
- Spread mixture into a lined slice tin or
baking tray and bake for 12min at 180
degreesC
- Pull tray out and carefully score the mixture
using a knife, into the bar size you want.
- Bake for a further 15min or until the bars
are browned on top.
- Allow bars to cool completely before
cutting, wrapping

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HOW TO
SUCCESSFULLY
SET GOALS
AND EVALUATE
EFFORTS

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Words: JennI KIng @PedAlAB

PROCESS GOALS
It can be all good and well, having determined
your outcome goal, to dream of your victory a
year down the track; however your dream goal
is unlikely to eventuate unless you plan out the
path you need to take in order to get there. This is
where your short-term or 'process goals' become
very important. Process goals, over which the
athlete has complete control, act as stepping
stones toward achieving that long-term goal. As
a coach, I make sure to set weekly and monthly
process goals with my athletes that will help steer
them in the direction of their outcome goals. For
example, an athlete aiming to complete a 100km
marathon event in sub 6hrs in 12 months’ time,
may firstly look at completing a 50km ride over
similar terrain in under 3hrs and then, a few
months later, look at completing 75km in under
4.5hrs.

GOAL SETTING
- determine your long-term or outcome goal
(generally for around 12 months’ time)
- determine your short-term or process goals
(generally monthly) that will act as steeping
stones toward your outcome goal
- Make sure to use the sMArT guidelines when
setting goals
evaluate regularly and reassess your goals
Just as it is important to set up your long and
short term goals, it is also recommended that
you take the time to sit down and evaluate how
you went with such goals. This way you will learn
from any mistakes made and also confirm what
worked well for you. You may think that you have
102 - AMB

goals are what keep us motivated.
It would be very hard to make
sacrifices in life or put in those extra
hard-yards, if we didn’t have a firm
goal to work towards. If you cannot
see any point to the training then you
are far less likely to do it! Why would
you get out of bed an hour earlier or
throw on an extra few layers and face
the rainy weather, if you have no goal
acting as incentive?
It is important to set both long and
short term goals. A good starting
point is to look first at longer term
goals and then work backward to
the more immediate or short-term
goals. long-term goals are quite
often referred to as ‘outcome goals’
and generally focus on the end
result; such as placing in an event or
achieving a certain time for a race.

When setting your Process goals, most sports
psychologists recommend using the SMART
guidelines*.
The letters stand for:

SPecIFIc -goals should be clear and exact
MeAsurABle -goals should be measurable

so that you can check and make sure you are on
track

ATTAInABle -goals should be challenging but
also realistic and within your capabilities

R

elevAnT -goals should be relevant to the
ultimate outcome goal you are striving toward

For those young junior mountain
bikers out there, long-term goals
could in fact be a number of years
away and could include aspirations
of making a career out of the sport
or representing their country at
a World championship. For most
readers, who are perhaps a little
older and have family or work
commitments, such goals would be
unrealistic. Instead, long-term goals
could include; knocking 20min off
your best marathon distance time to
go sub 5.5hrs or it could be that you
simply want to get through a 100km
marathon event. Whatever your
outcome goals may be, make sure to
write them down somewhere, so that
they become a little more fixed in
your head and you can be reminded
from time to time as to why you put
yourself through the hardships of
training!

here are a few examples of some process goals
that fulfill the SMART guidelines:
- My goal is to consume at least 1 litre of energy
drink per hour
in this weekend’s 70km marathon race
- My goal is to increase my best power to weight
for 1min from 7 watts per kg to 7.5 watts per kg by
the end of this month
- My goal is to produce a personal best time up
the local 6km hill climb by the end of this month.
If you take the time to check through the SMART
guidelines, you will see that each of these goals
are specific, Measurable, Attainable, relevant and
Time Phased.

TIMe PhAsed -goals should be given a time
period to be achieved by

evaluated sufficiently just by thinking it through,
but it is always better to write your thoughts down
on paper as you will then process these thoughts
more clearly and you can go back and read
through at a later date.
It is quite normal that not all goals will be
achieved. It may be necessary to work at things
for a while longer or set up some different
process goals in order to tackle the ultimate
outcome goal from a different angle. There
are so many different factors that could affect
achievement of outcome goals and it is important
to go through your performance step by step,
making a list of things you think you did well and
things you would like to work on in the future.
Most of us thrive on working toward goals. It
is a fantastic feeling when all the planning and
hard work pays off and you do achieve your

goal. however it is quite often the process of
working toward these goals that gives us so much
satisfaction in life; enjoy the journey!

*The S.M.A.R.T guidelines was first published
by george T. doran in ‘There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way
to write management’s goals and objectives’ in
november 1981 issue of Management review

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THE HUB
FITNESS GOAL SETTING

Replacing
Shock
BuShingS

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1

WOrDS AnD PicTUrES : AiDEn LEFFMAn

can you feel any play or movement in the pivots or ‘rear end’ of
your mountain bike? More than likely, if there is any movement
in the rear end it will be caused by worn shock bushings and/
or reducers. Often made from steel with a nylon/PTFE coating,
the bushings inside the eyelets of your rear shock are designed
to wear over time, but they are an easily replaceable part
with the right tools and a little care. See our steps below that
identify some of the common types of bushings and reducers,
and how you can replace them to eliminate that annoying, and
performance affecting play.

2

FoX
1) Bushing wear identification

2) Bushing service tools

On the Left you will see a brand new unused DU
bushing. On the right is a bushing that is just eight
months old, and you may notice it has much of it’s
inner PTFE coating worn off.

Bushing installation and removal Tools - Both
Fox and rockShox sell these great ‘push and
receive’ style bushing tools that can be used to
properly remove the DU bushings from the shock
eyelets. Fox’s tool mounts into a vise, and the
rockShox tool can be used with either a vice or
shop wrenches.

RockShoX

3

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

3) removing a worn du Bushing
Above you can see a worn DU bushing in the eyelet
of this Fox Shock.
Using the bushing tool and a bench mounted vice,
remove the old bushing by squarely driving it out
into the tool’s receiving end. You can see how the
tool ‘pushes’ the DU bush into the ‘receiving’ end
of the tool without damaging the shock eyelet
inner surfaces.

104 - AMB

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woRKshoP

4

4) Removing a woRn nylon flanged bushing
You can use a small flat headed screwdriver to carefully lever
the nylon bush out from the eyelet OR, use a small punch to
drive them out from the centre. Hold the shock steady and use
caution to avoid slipping with the tool and damaging the shock’s
damper body.
installation
For installation of the new DU, the procedure is the same,
however you can reverse the ‘receiving’ end of the tool so that
when you drive the new DU bushing into the eyelet, it will sit
snug and flush with the other end. When properly installed, the
DU bushing should not protrude outside the shock eyelet.
4.1 The new DU bushing properly installed.
4.2 New Nylon flanged bushings are installed. Nylon bushings
can be pressed into the empty shock eyelet with a soft jaw vice.
important note - Do not use any form of grease, locking
compound or lubricant in your shock’s eyelets or bushings.
This will attract dirt and or contaminate the PTFE coating and
dramatically reduce the life of the bushings.

www.ambmag.com.au - 105

woRkshop

Worldmags.net

5

5) ReduceR and shock haRdwaRe
weaR IdentIfIcatIon
Reducers - Left (new), Right (8 months old). While
reducers will sometimes last many sets of DU
bushings before they need to be replaced, it is
important to check that they sit tight inside the DU
bushings, especially when the bushings are new. If
they press into a newly inserted DU bush with little
to no effort or force - your reducers are likely to be
worn and will need replacing. Also, if the centre hole
through the reducers is showing any sign of wear or
ovalisation - they will require replacement.

6

6) ReduceR / shock haRdwaRe
types
Here are the three common styles of mounting
hardware found on the majority of mountain
bikes.
From Left to right - 2 Piece alloy, 5 piece with
Nylon flanged DU, 3 piece alloy.
All three will come in several overall widths,
and in varying inner thru axle diameters for your
shock mounting bolts.
When you have replaced the bushings, press
the shock mounting hardware back into the DU
bush or nylon-flanged bush for installation back
onto the bike. Follow this simple maintenance
procedure and eradicate those annoying clunks or
knocks from that rear end.

WORKSHOP BIO
naMe : Aiden Lefmann
shop : Cyclinic
web : www.cyclinic.com.au
Aiden Lefmann (above right) is the owner-director
at Cyclinic MTB Suspension Service in Brisbane.
He has been racing bikes at an Elite level for
over 16 years, teaching mountain bike skills,
and has become the go to guru for Cannondale
suspension service, and many other unique
Cannondale spares. Aiden worked at Cannondale
for several years and developed a strong passion
for their suspension systems before becoming
Australia’s only formally accredited independent
Lefty/Headshok suspension technician.
106 - AMB

At Cyclinic, Aiden spends his days in the clinical,
contaminant free suspension-dedicated workshop
working on Cannondale, Fox and RockShox forks
and rear shocks for dealers and consumers,
tuning and servicing them to a high degree
ensuring the customer is getting the most out of
their suspension. A self confessed suspension
nerd, Aiden is genuinely passionate about what
he does and has indisputably raised the bar for
service of your suspension components www.
cyclinic.com.au

At AMB we’re excited to call on Aiden’s
experience, along with his mechanic Shaun
Hughes (above left), over the next six issues for
our Workshop section.

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For more information visit subaru.com.au

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NOTHING LOOKS LIKE IT. NOTHING DRIVES LIKE IT.

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TIM BLACK’S BANSHEE
LEGEND
WORDS & PHOTOS : ROBERT CONROY

Tim Black is a young up and coming NSW junior
downhiller with a near perfect steed beneath his
heels. A smaller rider his physique enables him to
float over lines and thread the needle unlike any
other rider. Here’s how he does it.
The Banshee Legend. Can you tell us a little
about it?
It is a complete downhill race bike with everything
targeted at speed, with the lowest centre of
gravity of any downhill bike mainly due to its
unique shock positioning. It is a super stiff, strong
and low maintenance frame.
Canberra has a huge mix of trails - where does
the Banshee excel?
It really excels on faster, rougher tracks, because
it’s so stable at high speeds, which you can get
at a few tracks near Uriarra in the ACT. You
will usually find me at Tuggerangong Pines, Mt
Stromlo or rider favourite Blue Range.
How does the Legend handle out on course, how
does the geometry come into play?
It all comes down to its shorter rear triangle and
longer front. Banshee focused on optimising
weight distribution to maximise traction and to
increase confidence and it works.
You must be one of very few consumers on the
new SRAM 7 Speed downhill group. How long
have you had it and how has it performed so far?
Yeah, I’ve had the group for about a month or two
now, it performs super well.
There’s hardly any chain slap compared to my

10 speed set up. And with a 10-24 spread on the
cassette, shifting to an easier gear is far quicker
and easier with bigger jumps between the cogs.
As a racer how important is weight in a build?
At the moment my Banshee weighs roughly 16
kilograms, but I tend not to be overly worried with
my bike’s weight. I think it is good to have a light
bike, but there comes a point (depending on the
track) where I think you lose stability as a result of
the bike being too light.
SRAM has a strong influence here with all but
suspension, can you explain this?
I have had SRAM drivetrains on my bike for a fair
few years now and I’ve just stuck with it as it’s
what I’m used to and because it has worked so
well for me. My suspension is all FOX, again it is
what I’m used to and I have found that my 40 Float
copes well with no flexing at higher speeds.
Suspension is crucial for any rider, how do you
set yours up? Do you change anything from race
to race or ride to ride?
Yeah suspension plays a pretty big part in racing.
Depending on the track, I will change it to suit,
whether it needs to be stiffer, slower etc. But
generally I have my bike fairly stiff with relatively
slow rebound.

SPECIFICATIONS
FRAME - 2013 Banshee Legend, Medium.
FORK - Fox Factory 40 FLOAT FIT RC2
REAR SHOCK - Fox DH4 with Ti Spring
HEADSET - FSA Orbit
SHIFTERS - SRAM X01 7 Speed.
REAR DERAILLEUR - SRAM X01 7 Speed.
CRANK - Sram X01 DH
BOTTOM BRACKET - SRAM GXP
CHAIN - SRAM 11 speed
CASSETTE - SRAM X01 7 Speed.
HUBS - Hope Pro 2
SPOKES - DT SWISS competition race
RIMS - MAVIC 721
TYRES - F- Schwalbe Magic mary,
R- Schwalbe Magic mary
PEDALS - Shimano DX
BRAKES - Sram Avid X0 Trail
STEM - Renthal Integra stem
HANDLEBARS - TruVativ Stevie Smith
BlackBox 780mm
GRIPS- ODI/TroyLee Signature
SEATPOST- Thompson Elite
SADDLE- SDG Ti Fly Kevlar.

What do you like most about the Legend?
Having a really low centre of gravity, the bike is
super stable at speed and really has the ability to
hug tight into nearly any corner you want it to.
The fluoro colour scheme must draw some eyes?
Yeah I get heaps of comments on the colour, it’s
pretty bright but I don’t mind it standing out.
Is there anything you would change in the build?
Not really no, the bike does what I want it to do,
and beyond that.
www.ambmag.com.au - 109

Worldmags.net

CAmelBAK HigHlAnD Fling
WRApS up THe mAveRiCK SeRieS
Australian mountain bikers with a
penchant for marathon racing were
spoilt for choice in 2014, with two
separate marathon series vying to
lure riders to challenge themselves
against their mates, the clock, the
nation’s best – or just the terrain.
After the Real Insurance XCM Series
visited some of the best trails and
races early in 2014, the Maverick
Marathon Series combined four
highly popular events, the Capital
Punishment MTB, Giant Odyssey,
Kowalski Classic – plus one of the
oldest – the Camelbak Highland
Fling, which celebrated its 10th
birthday on November 9th, 2014.
After the suitably Highland
conditions in 2013, 2014 served hot
and dry conditions, and took racers
on a newer version of the traditional
Fling course – one that all agreed
was harder than usual, noted by
many having longer times than in
other years.

FAST TRACK

The men’s elite race was animated
by Chris Hamilton, Mark Tupalski,
Andy Blair and 2013 winner Brendan
Johnston, who were ahead of the
field by Wingello. Late in the piece it
was Tupalski and Johnston leading
back to Bundanoon, and Johnston
rode clear and took his second Fling
win, and second Maverick Series
race win. Tupalski was 2nd, Blair 3rd
– and Shaun Lewis maintained his
Series lead.
In the women’s race, eternal
favourite Jenny Fay lead, until the
duo of Rebecca Locke and Peta
Mullens clawed her back. Fay
suffered a race ending mechanical,
and Mullens rode solo to win ahead
of Locke, with Lucy Bechtel 3rd. This
also brought Locke the Maverick
Series win.
Full race results are on
wildhorizons.com.au
Full Maverick Series results via
maverickseries.com.au

DReAm BiKe
WinneR
The very lucky winner of the AMB Dream Bike
has been drawn, and Mr Alain Lapelerie of
Western Australia will be receiving the Pivot
Mach 6 with a full SRAM X01 build provided by
JetBlack Products. Upfront, the Mach 6 will use
MRP suspension forks thanks to CTN Imports.
The competition asked entrants to tell us what
their ultimate day out on the bike would be. Mr
Lapelerie explained:
“It would smell of damp forest, sound of
humming tyres, taste of excitement, feel of
perfect flow and appear a timeless blur.”
We hope he will have plenty of those days with
his new Pivot Mach 6.

www.ambmag.com.au - 11

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February 21 - 22, 2015

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GARRY JAMES’
SPECIALIzED EPIC
WordS & PHoToS : MIkE BlEWITT

While you may not recognise the name you most
certainly would recognise the face. This tall
gentleman is a regular of the Marathon/Enduro
scene both in Australia and abroad. We caught
up with him midway through this years EPIC
Crocodile Trophy, here is what he had to say on
his superb new rig.
Garry, we see you at just about every endurance
race in Australia – what’s your secret to
recovery?
My motto is “have bike, will race”. I basically train
with the same intensity all year as I do about
25 major races a year. I have no secret recovery
methods, I just enjoy training so much that I never
get burnt out or tired
You have recently switched to Specialized – is this
your only bike?
I have been with Specialized now for almost a
year thanks to the guys and girls at Batemans
Bay Cycles and Specialized Australia. I also have
a new S Works Stumpjumper Hardtail which is
mostly for training. Both bikes are insanely light
and fast - it’s almost like cheating.

Did you get a BG Fit when moving to Specialized?
Were there any big changes to make for your
position?
I honestly have not required a BG fit so far. I’m
lucky enough that the large sizes fit me so well!
I just get the tape measure out for the seatpost
height and flip the stem to lower the front end a
little. Then it’s time to hit the trails.

The Specialized Brain fork and shock system is
quite simple once you get used to it and it works
very efficiently. I run about 110psi in the front with
rebound not too fast. In the back I run the Brain
fairly stiff, but still soft enough to get me through
8 hour races. I put about 160psi in the shock but
I do play around with these settings a bit to suit
different tracks.

What changes did you make to your bike for the
Crocodile Trophy?
I made virtually no changes for the Crocodile
Trophy as the bike has 2 bottle cages, and I had
already removed the very light weight S Works
tyres and replaced them with Specialized Ground
Control 2.1” 2Bliss tyres, which are setup tubeless
of course. I had no flats in 9 days of the Croc, and
many riders had multiple flats. I did carry two
tubes anyway. I run ESI grips on all my bikes, so
they were on before I left the shop – and I always
run gripshift. The S Works handled all the Croc
could throw at it.

The Epic seems to be the XCO and XCM race bike
of choice – why do you think this is?
The S Works Epic really is the perfect bike for
marathons and stage racing due to its extremely
low weight and ability to be run stiff or plush as
the terrain requires. Also the Brain suspension
system allows for hardtail like pedalling out of the
seat and a great feel for the trails when driving
hard in the seat.

Do you ever change chain ring size to suit
different races?
I don’t change my chain ring size ever really. I
have run the 34t upfront all year including the
Sudety MTB Challenge and Horal Tour in Europe
this year. They were both extremely hilly, one
stage having 3200 metres of climbing! But I found
the 34 was still fine.
Specialized have a big range of tyres – what
models do you normally use?
I have used the Specialized Ground Control 2.1”
2bliss tyre with Stans sealant, as shown in these
pictures, and have not had a flat in 25 races this
year.
Suspension setup – do you run it as
recommended or do you have a few personal
tweaks?

SPECIFICATIONS
FRAME- 2015 Specialized S Works Epic World
Cup - Large
FORK- RockShox SID World Cup Brain
SHIFTERS- SRAM XX1 Gripshift.
REAR DERAILLEUR- SRAM XX1
CRANK- S Works FACT Carbon 175mm
CHAIN- SRAM 11 speed
CASSETTE- SRAM XX1 10-42 11sp.
WHEELS- Roval Control SL 29
TYRES- 2.1 Specialized Ground Control 2Bliss
PEDALS- Shimano XTR
BRAKES- Magura MT8 w 180mm front rotor
STEM- Syntace F109
HANDLEBARS- Specialized Carbon, 8 degree
sweep
GRIPS- ESI silicone
SEATPOST- S Works FACT Carbon, 20mm offset
SADDLE- Body Geometry Phenom Pro
www.ambmag.com.au - 111

Worldmags.net

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working out how long you’ve got to play – I have
lost count of the number of trips I’ve done that
have been less than successful because of a

YOU’VE GOT TO
PLAN
TO PLAY
WORDS : ARRAN PEARSON PhOTOS : PhIL ROuTLEy

SO yOu’vE READ A FEW ARTIcLES,
SPOkEN TO A FEW MATES MAyBE EvEN
GOT SOME GEAR TOGEThER BuT ThEN
WhAT? ThIS hEADING OFF AND hAvING
ADvENTuRES ON yOuR BIkE IS ALL WELL
AND GOOD BuT WhERE DO yOu START? AS
ThE DAy TO DAy REALITIES OF LIvING IN A
DIFFERENT cOuNTRy AND BEING FAcED
WITh A WhOLE NEW SET OF PLAcES TO
GO BEGIN TO SINk IN I ThOuGhT IT WAS
TIMELy TO hAvE A BIT OF A DIScuSSION
ABOuT juST hOW yOu GO ABOuT
PLANNING ThAT NExT TRIP.
For me, the starting point is always how much
time do I have? Time is what sets the boundaries
for any prospective adventure – am I going away
for a sneaky overnighter? Do I need to make sure
I need to be home by 6pm to take out my partner
for that that promised dinner? It sounds obvious
but the first step in planning any adventure is

mismatch between what I planned to do and the
time I had to do it in! The worst part is that being
rushed for time means you make dumb decisions
(hint, if that tempting shortcut was really quicker
then it wouldn’t be a shortcut, it would simply be
‘the way’).
Once you’ve got the time part sorted then the easy
bit is how you’re going to fill it! This usually starts
with some sort of vague idea about what sort of
riding I’d like to do – e.g. a weekend of mountain
biking, heading out on the gravel bike, point to
point sufferfest etc. By the end of the process
you’ve usually arrived at a general overall plan
something like ‘Lets go out on nice long gravel
ride, leave Saturday morning, back by Sunday
night’.

OUTBACK &
BEYOND

Once I have a basic idea of where I’m going then I
start working through some of the logistics stuff
like where I’m going to get water/food and sleep.
Even if the basic plan is to head off and to see
‘what happens’ I usually like to have at least a
basic idea about where I can get water – I usually
carry a days worth of food but like to know that
there are at least a couple of places a day that I
can refill water.
Once you’ve done all of this then the only thing left
is to ride. Well, almost. It’s often overlooked but
have you asked yourself what’s plan B? Even if
it’s only making sure that someone knows where
you’re going, the route you’re taking and when you
plan to be back.
Now, if you’ll excuse me I need to get back to
spending time on google maps to work out some
gravel riding in Malaysia.

Now we’re at the good part, the route! The easy
option is to head to one of the many bikepacking
forums (http://www.bikepacking.net} or the
Bikepacking Australia page on Facebook to name
a couple). Generally a bit of searching or asking
questions will find someone who is willing to
point you in the right direction. A word of warning
though… one person’s long day could be your
weekender and then some! It pays to get a sense
of who put the route together otherwise you could
be in for quite a bit more than you bargained for.
If you find yourself without a route to follow (or
prefer to work it out for yourself) then it’s time
to do things the old fashioned way… no not
pouring over mouldy old maps, old fashioned
- not ancient! I usually start with one of the
various mapping tools – MapMyRide, Strava and
RideWithGPS all have route planning functionality
and start plotting points until I get to something
that approximates what I want to do.
www.ambmag.com.au - 113

Worldmags.net

Next
Issue
#146
Don’t miss our next issue, out on 5th February 2015,
just before the Subaru MTBA National Series XCO
and AMB 100 marathon race at Mt Stromlo over the
weekend of 7-8th of February.
- We put 5 trail bikes around $5k to the test in the Australian
Alpine country.
- Our writers explore the new IMBA Epic Trail at Mt Buller.
In our third Swiss installment we explore the ancient trails of
Graubunden, in eastern Switzerland.
- The AMB Team profiles the best riding and best experiences
in the NSW Snowy Mountains: Thredbo, Lake Crackenback,
Bungarra, Tyrolean Village and more!
- We look at some of the latest riding shorts on the market, so
you can choose the best for you.
- Who should you be looking at next for big results on the
Australian enduro scene?

Worldmags.net

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PLAN,
Worldmags.netTODAY’S
TOMORROW’S RESULTS
An Australian based software company, Today’s Plan, has
developed a range of powerful online training tools for cyclists
that bring the benefits of tailored, structured, training plans
based on scientifically proven methodology, to every rider.
The company has five founders, including well-known coach
(and sports scientist), Mark Fenner and Andrew Hall, an
elite endurance MTB racer who most recently won several
categories at the Crocodile Trophy. Andrew’s knowledge of elite
cycling and software development paired with Fenner’s training
methodology has produced a spectacular product. The online
Training Plan Generator allows riders to tailor their training
to general fitness, or a race of any type or duration, or even
weight control. For their launch, Today’s Plan has even included
some event specific training for events including the AMB
50/100, Wombat 50/100, Convict 50/100 and a range of Rocky
Trail Entertainment events. The training plans are currently 6, 8
or 12 weeks, with longer plans and an Annual Plan also on the
cards.
Today’s Plan has made it really simple for any rider to track
and understand their training progress, whether you’re an elite
rider training with multiple power meters and lots of complex
data, or a weekend enthusiast. The amount of data you can
graph will satisfy every type of rider. Of course there is the
obligatory ride mapping, although Today’s Plan has made that
much more powerful and easier to use too.
The best thing is you can try Today’s Plan for free. You can
develop a sample two week training plan and see how the
Training Plan Generator works, complete with videos explaining
each training session, and then track your progress after each
training session.
As they say “Today’s Plan, Tomorrow’s Results”!
www.todaysplan.com.au

THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS
MTB FESTIVAL
On February 21st and 22nd, mountain bikers are being lured
to the NSW Snowy Mountains, to take part in the 2 day, 4
stage race that has riders like Australian National Marathon
Champion Andy Blair excited.
“The Snowies MTB Festival definitely managed to prick my
interest. It is a 4 stage (2 day) race that is a showcase of the
amazing trails and scenery of the Thedbo Valley. With the
recent opening of the Thredbo Valley Trail (TVT) which has
become an instant alpine icon, and some no doubt tricky
negotiations with National Parks, we lucky riders have the
opportunity to race it in the inaugural event.....both up and
down! But that’s not all, combine that with a 5km prologue and
a 75km marathon around the established and much loved Lake
Crackenback Resort trails, you have a recipe for a fun weekend
in a beautiful part of the world.”
The event promises to showcase the brilliant mountain biking
in the area, and offers $10 000 in prizes. More details are
available on www.tre-x.com.au/

12 - AMB

Worldmags.net

ROCK
STEADY.
In developing the FOCUS SAM, our
German Engineer’s with the FOCUS
Trail Team put the bike to test on
Europe’s toughest Enduro trails.
27.5” wheels and 160mm suspension
travel at both ends guarantee an
assured ride, both uphill and down.
With its New-school geometry the
brand-new FOCUS SAM will be
your weapon of choice for those
epic rides.

FOCUS SAM

Fabian Scholz | FOCUS TRAIL TEAM
Winner Specialized SRAM Enduro Series

“Focus have managed to create an extremely
potent enduro racing bike with the SAM –
offered at a very fair price, with top-notch
equipment and looks.”
ENDURO MOUNTAINBIKE MAGAZINE // issue #006

www.focus-bikes.com PASSION.
/focus.bikes

PERFORMANCE.
PERFECTION.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS
SINCE 1964

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naTionals are Go
The 2014-2015 Subaru
Australian National
Mountain Bike Series
is kicking off December
12-14 at the You Yangs,
in Victoria. For this
season, the series has
spread further around
the country to five
states or territories.
“The growth of the
Subaru Australian
Mountain Bike Series

for 2014-15 and
2015-16 reflects the
thriving nature of
mountain biking across
Australia” expressed
Shane Coppin,
Executive Officer of
MTBA.
“We have worked hard
with partner clubs and
organisations to ensure
that the series expands
geographically,

with both seasons
stretching across
Australia and visiting
both Western Australia
and Queensland for
the first time in a
number of years. It is
also important that
we recognise the
importance of our
clubs who are valuable
partners in delivery of
our national events”.

The first round will
see XCO, DHI and XCE
taking place at the one
venue, but subsequent
rounds will be split
until Toowoomba
(also Oceania
Championships)
and the National
Championships
in Bright. See our
calendar on p20 for
further details, or visit
mtb.subaru.com.au

2015 ausTralian GraviTy enduro
naTional ChaMpionships To
Queensland
MTBA have announced that they will
host an Australian Gravity Enduro
National Championship over the
15-16th October in 2015. While the
exact location hasn't been released,
the racing is stated to take place in
either Toowoomba or Cairns. The
racing will have a UCI category 3
listing, and run in accordance to
European gravity races. MTBA CEO
Shane Coppin was excited to be able
to announce the news.
"Gravity Enduro events throughout
the World are gaining significant
momentum, interest and support
from riders and organisers. With
a highly successful Enduro World

Series developing and the recent
World Series win by Australian Jared
Graves, along with developments
in this format locally across the
country, it seems the time is
now appropriate for MTBA to
introduce an Australian National
Championship for the discipline
from 2015. It’s an extremely thrilling
format that is growing in following
and participation and provides riders
with a wide variety of challenges
when competing. MTBA are very
excited to now be reaching out to
this part of our fabulous sport and
I am personally looking forward to
a first National Championship, late
next year"

The BallaraT
CyCle
ClassiC MTB
Mini and Maxi Challenge has
returned to the Cycle Classic
Program, with a 25km and 50km
MTB course.
The rides will start at the Cycle
Classic Headquarters in Windmill
Drive, Lake Wendouree loop out
through the forests of Brown Hill,
Nerrina and Invermay on cycling
paths, fire trails and roads before
finishing back at Lake Wendouree
where riders can enjoy the post
event festivities.
The 2015 Cycle Classic will take
place on Sunday February 15 and
has events that cater for all fitness
levels and cycling abilities.
It is expected that over 2,000 riders
will participate in the event, which
also includes a Family Fun Day for
spectators and residents.

Fiona Elsey Cancer Research
Institute Director, Professor
George Kannourakis has been
touched by the growth of the Cycle
Classic “The Cycle Classic is a
tremendous example of how the
support of many individuals can
create enormous impact. The
funds raised by the Cycle Classic
are integral to ensuring that our
important research into cancer
continues and I encourage everyone
in the community to join us for this
wonderful event”
100% of all entry fees support
the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research
Institute
Registrations are now open.
Please visit website www.
ballaratcycleclassic.com.au for
further information.

www.ambmag.com.au - 15

01318BBO

Worldmags.net
schwalbe.com

Steve Smith
Worldcup winner
Hafjell 2012
on Magic Mary SG

DIRTY DAN

MAGIC MARY

HANS DAMPF

MY FOUR ACES
Four tyres, a revolutionary technology: SUPER GRAVITY. Saves
a total of 700 g of the rotating mass. Extremely resistant to
punctures. Protected allround against cuts. A tyre to meet all
requirements – from Enduro to Downhill!

ROCK RAZOR

[email protected]

LETTERS

Worldmags.net

WRITE TO US
AND WIN !
Go on, send us a cool letter and you could score a
Camelbak backpack!!
WRITE TO :
[email protected] or message us via facebook.
com/AMBmag

Hi AMB Team,
I really enjoyed the article by Mandy Lamont
in Issue 144, about people leaving big
cities to go and enjoy other things in life
besides work. It really made me think about
prioritizing my health, time with my family,
and even spending enough time for myself!
That article showed that others are brave
enough to make big changes, and that it
works. I found it really inspiring.

Thanks for the letter Erica, and feedback. Just
like when you start out riding, sometimes the
best way to learn new things is with others –
especially if they have greater skills than you.
This might be as simple as going riding with
friends who are happier lofting their bike off
ledges, or clearing doubles on A-lines. But
it might mean looking into a skills course in
your local area. Both Cyclinic and MTB Skills
operate in Brisbane, and are worth looking up
if you want to progress your riding.

Adam Bowland
Kensington, NSW

WINNING LETTER

Hi Adam,

Hey AMB,

You are exactly right. Those four people make
a pretty good case for living outside of our
major capitals. I’m sure quite a few readers
have been thinking about making a mountain
change!

As a twelve year old who enjoys mountain
biking it has become a concern to me that
other kids aren’t paying any attention to the
endurance racing and XC side of the sport.
This is a major disappointment because
there is a great youth cross country racing
scene in Australia. I just feel that while
downhilling is fun and thrilling, XC is a great
way to stay fit.

G’day AMB,
I’m a long time reader of AMB, and I have
to say I’ve really liked the content of the
magazine, but really think it has lifted
over the past year. Your new design is
very refreshing, although I still find some
of the smaller print harder to read! With
the changes in mountain bike trails, and
bikes, I feel like the sport might be leaving
me behind. There are bigger jumps, huge
berms, and drops all starting to fill the
trails I visit. I know I can’t just rollover
everything – how should I go about building
my confidence and skills?

www.jetblackproductions.com

Jack Tibby
Spot on Jack! There are always a fresh group
of young and fast riders coming through the
ranks in Australia – it sounds like you’re one
of them. Hopefully this Camelbak keeps you
hydrated through a long summer of riding.

Thanks,
Erica Jones
Red Hill, QLD
www.ambmag.com.au - 17

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XC/XCM/LAP BASED ENDURO
6 December
12-14 December
13 December
24-25 January
31 January
7 February
8 February
15 February
26 February
7 March
12-15 March
14 March
14 March
21 March
22 March
28 March

Keepit Real 100
Subaru MTBA National Rnd 1
Husky 100
Subaru MTBA National Rnd 2 & 3
Beyond Bank Duo Classic
Subaru MTBA National Rnd 4
AMB 100
Evocities Rnd 1
Oceania MTB Championships
Capital Punishment MTB
Australian MTB Championships
Evocities Rnd 2
Shimano MTB GP
Giant Odyssey
James Williamson Memorial
Alpine 24hr

Tamworth, NSW
You Yangs, VIC
Callala, NSW
Pemberton, WA
Kowen, NSW
Mt Stromlo, ACT
Mt Stromlo, ACT
Orange, NSW
Toowoomba, QLD
Canberra, ACT
Bright, VIC
Albury, VIC
TBD
Forrest, VIC
Wingello, NSW
Barjarg, VIC

switchbackevents.com.au
mtb.subaru.com.au
iadventure.com.au
mtb.subaru.com.au
duoclassic.com
mtb.subaru.com.au
rockytrailentertainment.com
evocitiesmtb.com
mtb.subaru.com.au
capitalpunishmentmtb.com
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evocitiesmtb.com
rockytrailentertainment.com
rapidascent.com.au
jameswilliamson.com.au
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CALENDAR

Want to race? Don’t know what, don’t know where? Well we’ve got
all the details for you right here
Got an event coming up that’s not listed here? Send it to amb@
nextmedia.com.au or log onto www.ambmag.com.au and using our
new form add it in yourself. It’s that simple.

ALL MOUNTAIN/GRAVITY ENDURO
5-7 Dec
5-7 Dec
24-26 January
25 January
1 February
13-15 February
8 March
20-22 March

Elevation Series
Thredbo Cannonball Festival
Victorian Enduro State Champs
Rollercoaster Round 1
RockShox Enduro Challenge
Elevation Series
RockShox Enduro Challenge
Elevation Series

Mansfield, VIC
Thredbo, NSW
Falls Creek, VIC
TBD
Mt Buller, VIC
Mt Taylor, VIC
Toowoomba, QLD
TBD

alpinegravity.net
thredbo.com.au
alpinegravity.net
rockytrailentertainment.com
emseaustralia.net.au
alpinegravity.net
emsaustralia.net.au
alpinegravity.net

Thredbo Cannonball Festival
Subaru MTBA National Rnd 1
Subaru MTBA National Rnd 2
Oceania MTB Championships
Australian MTB Championships

Thredbo, NSW
You Yangs, VIC
Thredbo, NSW
Toowoomba, QLD
Bright, VIC

thredbo.com.au
mtb.subaru.com.au
mtb.subaru.com.au
mtb.subaru.com.au
mtb.subaru.com.au

DOWNHILL
5-7 Dec
12-14 December
6-8 February
26 February
12-15 March

“My older
“The
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Juggernauts
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Ollie Whalley
Trans Savoie Enduro 2013
Caleb
Smith spokemagazine.com

Worldmags.net
MTB RANGE LAUNCHING SUMMER 2014/15

DISTRIBUTED BY:
Shimano Australia Cycling
P: 1300 731 077
E: [email protected]
shimanoaustralia
shimanoOZ

Worldmags.net

Scoring PointS in
AuStrAliA
WOrDS: JODIe WIlleTT PHOTO : rOBerT CONrOy

UCI EVENTS
The National Marathon Championships will be held in May in
Derby, Tasmania. This event has been given a UCI Category 3
listing. UCI listed events are uncommon in Australia and are
usually only seen at National XC and DH series and National
and Oceania Championships. Some stage races such as the
Crocodile Trophy are also occasionally listed with the UCI.
What is the difference between UCI and non-UCI events?
There are mandatory requirements regarding the amount of
prize money paid, the entry of members of UCI MTB teams
as well as specific rules regarding the format of races. Many
of these rules deal with safety aspects and allow riders to be
confident in knowing the event is run to a certain standard.
This is also the case with MTBA accredited races who must
follow certain procedures to ensure a consistent delivery of
associated events.
UCI points are available for races listed on the UCI calendar
and these contribute to end of season rankings for individual
riders, teams and countries. They also can determine how
many athletes a country is allowed to send to the Olympic
Games and World Championships.

Anyone wanting to know more about
UCI rules and race formats can find the
information at www.uci.ch.

MTBA CAMPS AND MENTORS
The rollout of our junior development
camps continued with an Australian Junior
Camp being held at the AIS in October.
Athletes received information regarding
goal setting, sports nutrition and race
tactics. We were also very fortunate to
have Bec Henderson and Dan McConnell
attend and share their tips on competing
at the very top of the sport.
Skills instruction was the major focus of
the camp and athletes worked personally
with coaches Claire Whiteman, Ben Millar,
Greg Meyland and myself to prepare
them for national level competition. In a
massive bonus for MTBA, downhill legend
Mick Hannah worked as an athlete mentor
for the weekend. Mick’s contribution was
an invaluable insight into the precision
and psychology required to be a master
of such a technical discipline, as well as
being a generally great guy and fantastic
mentor.
We are hoping to provide athletes with
opportunities to work with leading elite
riders in various disciplines at future
Australian camps.

MTBA UPDATE

RIDING IN THE COMMUNITY
While we continue to provide many
opportunities for people to become
level 1 MTB coaches, we realise that an
appropriate education course was not
available for those wishing to focus on
community social rides, kids fun rides and
basic skills. People taking communitybased rides often do so on a volunteer
basis and this is an integral role in
encouraging new riders into the sport.
Our aim is to provide a ride leader course
which is cost effective and delivered
online, making it unnecessary for
participants to take time off work to get
accredited. This course will cover safety,
appropriate trail selection and teaching
techniques and enable ride leaders to
be covered by MTBA insurance. In future
we anticipate delivery of a further course
to accredit Skills Instructors, without
the requirement for the sports science
component of the current level 1 MTB
coach course.
Keep an eye out for the date of the first
Australian Schools MTB Cup. As part of
encouraging schools to adopt mountain
biking as an alternative to traditional
sports we’re introducing a little friendly
competition. This will be school teambased racing and emphasise participation
and fun.
www.ambmag.com.au - 23

Worldmags.net

Worldmags.net

The myTh
of The work-life
balance
WORDS : ANNA BECK

I was brought up being told I could do whatever
I wanted to in life. I was encouraged to think big,
find what I love and enjoy the fruits of modern
gender equality (or thereabouts…);I was told that
I could even be Prime Minister if I wanted to. In
essence, as a modern woman I could have it all.
Though I feel I may be morally incompatible with
a Prime Ministerial position, as I actually have
some.
So fast forward a decade or two and now I’m in
a very real, front-line health job that takes up
between 36 and 60 hours a week. There are no
political coffers for me; my job revolves around
shift-work and avoiding getting bodily fluid on my
uniform.
I have a young daughter, a coaching business
on the side, run a women’s mountain bike team
(which to be fair is rather cruisey as all the ladies
are determined, self-motivating types), engage
in ‘freelance writing’, and then there is that little
thing I like to do called ‘riding my bike’.
There you have it, a modern woman who has
it all! I survive on minimal sleep, some weeks
I do multiple rides where I feel like crying the
entire time just due to fatigue, and my body being

thoroughly confused as to what time it is when
returning home after a 14hour night shift…but I
have it all.
I cram in writing training programs between
high-acuity jobs, call and message athletes when
I am not doing the driving at work, and jot down
notes in my phone for freelance writing ideas and
reminders (sometimes even things like ‘pick up
daughter’, because you wouldn’t want to forget
that).
Now, I realise that my life is a pretty extreme
example of trying to have it all, but when you
think about it, we all do it to varying degrees. We
ferry the kids around to school and sports on the
weekend, we commit to after work drinks, and
I am assuming because you read this magazine
that you try and ride the pushy at times as well.
Work and life are real, but the balance part of the
equation is all too often a myth. How can anyone
expect to be able to ‘train’ and ‘race’ with such full
lives? Well it can be done, but it is a difficult task.
How can you optimise your time to fit it all in, and
hold it all together, and not become unhinged in
the process? I have put together a few tips I have
used to ensure I am able to enjoy time on the bike,
even if I can’t adhere to a rigid training program
nowadays. At the very least I can use the time I do
have to get out and riding and enjoy the heath and
emotional benefits of exercise.
Take stock of your time
Use a calendar and write your work and social
commitments in. Identify places where you could
train, remembering to schedule in recovery
as well, after all ‘overtraining’ can be caused
by trying to do too many life and bike hours
simultaneously.
Riding may constitute your ‘down time’ but you
may need down time from that down time, too.

X FACTOR

Don’t feel like every single second of free time
needs to be on the bike to become fitter, faster
and stronger. As mentioned before, good mental
and physical health includes periods of rest and
recovery.
Work it out with your other half or other
important people in your life
You need to get loved ones on board in order to
get some ‘you’ time and ride your bike, but they
will be equally miffed if you’re out all day every
weekend chasing lofty goals on the bike. What’s
more important to you?
Write notes, use your calendar
I hate being a time micro-manager, but as I
mention to people who know me, my time is
managed in 15-minute increments. It can suck
but it works.
Leave work at work
Amen to that. No phone calls, work emails or
baggage to come into the house!
Be present for important family times
Engage with your loved ones.
Listen to the body; no ride-crying!
Ride-crying sucks, it indicates that you’re
probably beyond any training benefit, and really
you’re not doing yourself any favours.
Adjust your goals
If you only have 6 hours a week to train, I hate to
say it, but you’re probably not going to be in line
for a national marathon champ jersey. Look at
something realistic; XCO, Gravity and Team XCO
enduro could all be great, achievable goals to
smash, even with a jam-packed life.
Keep it all in perspective, we live in a great
country, we have the ability to go and ride our
bikes. The balance may get a little out at times
but in reality, bike time is a privilege.
www.ambmag.com.au - 25

Bikes,
Brews &
All new XTr

Worldmags.net

WoRdS : RoBeRT ConRoY PHoToS : RoBeRT ConRoY & dAve RoMe

Glimpses from the World Cup, sightings on pro rides and car park
prototype visits... Shimano’s all new XTR range has had anticipation
levels high but nothing comes close to a proper hands-on education.
Shimano see things the same way, so a motley crew of fine media
representatives headed to Western Australia’s beautiful Margaret
River and the famed race, the Cape to Cape, to get a proper test on
the new gear.

Arriving to a golden lit Perth we were met by Shimano’s Troy
Glennan, then headed south and headlong into the dark. We awoke
in Yallingup, a beachside suburb and our base for the coming two
days. Picturesque, it lived up to the hype the beauty of the region
is known for. But duty called at Shimano’s travelling container of
wonder situated at the Colonial Brewery.
Bike bags in tow we all rushed to build our new XTR and Pro
component equipped bikes. AMB in conjunction with Advance
Traders had a brand new Lapierre e-i equipped Zesty AM and it was
more than drool worthy. After a few snaps and a chance to look over
others rides it was into the Shimano container classroom. Here’s
what we learnt:

Worldmags.net

XTR M9000
Mechanical gRoup seT
Having ridden both recent editions of Shimano’s
10 speed XTR and XT mechanical group sets (on
my personal ride and our long term Whyte M109
C), I was excited to see just how Shimano thought
they could surpass the greatness of the last
generation.
Interest in the M9000 mechanical group has taken
a back seat in recent months with the arrival of
Di2. But Shimano stressed that when it comes to
quality and performance there is no separating
the two. The M9000 group set has received the full
make over treatment. The biggest change being
the leap from 10 speed to 11 and the introduction
of Shimano’s own patented version of widenarrow chain rings to tie it all together. A first for
the company.
So why 11 speed? Shimano believe that 11 speed
offers a smoother progression through the
gears, with smaller steps through the range so
that riders can maintain their cadence. It’s not
something that was overly concerning with the
previous 10 speed models, but after riding the
newer version it does seem to match up to their
goals.
Eleven speed means a wider range in your
cassette, with the 11-40 tooth we are given a
perfect range for almost any trail use. It also
happens to be Shimano’s widest cassette
produced. The smaller gearing steps provide
some smoother changes in cadence than it’s
SRAM 11-42 cousin.
The new cassette is near flawless in production,
composed of aluminium, steel and titanium with
a carbon fibre spider for the higher gears. The
new cassette will even fit on the free hub body of
your 10 speed free hub meaning you can upgrade
without buying a new wheel set.
A group set isn’t made by a cassette, so, to
accompany the new 11 speed direction there
are new components to sink your teeth into.
Cranksets see a multitude of new options with
Shimano sticking to their roots with triple and
dual ring options as well as their first foray into
the single ring market. Cranks are split into
two different types, Trail and Race. The Trail is
cold forged to take those heavy trail riding hits
while the Race is hollow bonded with strength
and lightness in mind. The Race crankset comes
in only a single and dual ring setup whilst trail
accommodates all three.
Both front and rear derailleurs have been
redesigned for the move to 11 speed. The front
derrailleur’s ‘side swing’ is designed for smoother
shifts with an easier feel up at the lever. Out back
the clutch mechanism has seen some fine tuning,
now externally adjustable meaning you can adjust
the tension and resistance on the chain. This
easy access from beneath makes setup easy.
The design of the rear derailleur is now much
slimmer to reduce the chance of it being torn off
by hits or moving up into the wheel.
Chain rings are probably the second most
noticeable change in the move to 11 speed. WideNarrow has become a common term to describe
new age chain retention but if we are to draw
comparison to Shimano’s new chainring design
we would describe it as wide or just narrow all
the way around. Higher and wider, the teeth have
the same profile all the way around and when
www.ambmag.com.au - 27

complemented with the new CN-HG900-11 chain
it’s a perfect combo for retention.The new chain is
not back compatible with older group sets.
Elsewhere in triple and double configurations
Shimano have done their best to bring the weight
down by including a “Hollowglide” chainring of
carbon aluminium construction with titanium
teeth. These are the middle ring on the triple and
larger ring on the double set. Shimano have also
developed a new locking nut to lock in chainrings,
which should avoid lost nuts and loose rings that
occurred with the previous model. We should
mention that the pedals now have a wider foot
platform and complete redesign that sees a lower
profile to give better access to the the cleated
area.
Shifting is revamped with a 20% reduction in
pressure needed for a shift. Shimano have figured
out how to retain the pull on the chain through
shadow plus without the feel in the lever. The
ergonomics have also seen some love through
the i-spec system, now with more lateral and
rotational adjustment – perfect for dialling your
position.
Shimano’s XTR brakes have long been the envy
of competitors, practically controlling the brake
aftermarket and OEM specification and it’s for
good reason. Power, modulation and lever feel
that are spot on and that all continues in the
generation with a few improvements. They have
done away with ceramic pistons opting for a new
glass fibre resin adding extra heat resistance
and a steadfast seal around the piston. The Race
brake has had some body work done shifting to a
magnesium calliper and lever body with titanium
insides to bring it down an extra few grams. The
Trail brake remains the everyman’s brake with
an aluminium calliper and lever body. The lever
though is now a carbon aluminium creation and
the easy trail side adjustments remain.

XTR Di2
The new electronic range is much simpler than
originally perceived. There are seven main
components to the XTR Di2 group set if bought
in full: front and rear derailleurs, front and
rear shifters, a junction box to route wires, a
battery and a display attachment. The rest of the
components such as cranks, cassette and chain
are all the same as XTR mechanical. Di2 will work
with single, double and triple rings but a single
ring setup for now is probably not necessary with
weight savings/losses minimal.
Di2 works much like mechanical only your gear
cables have been replaced by wires and your
shifts are made by small motors. For instance, a
rider down shifts, a signal is sent to the junction
box (which can either be mounted within your
stem or bottom bracket), a signal is then sent to
either the front or rear derailleur, the motor then
activates and shifts the gear. This all happens just
about instantly. Shifts are now forced through by
the motor so those shifts with heavy load on the
pedals should be easier.
No cables means you will get crisp shifts
throughout the life of your Di2, the same shift,
every shift with no chance for moisture or grit
to get involved. You can shift underwater if you
like! If shifting becomes an issue it is likely
something else is out of whack, such as a bent
or broken derailleur. In this instance the system
will shut down into a safety setting until you tell
28 - AMB

Worldmags.net

it otherwise mainly to avoid sending your new
expensive derailleur into the wheel.
Battery life has been measured by Shimano
out to 300km with a triple ring setup but can
be extended by culling back on components
(no display or front shifter, operation from a
sole shifter controlling both). The weight of Di2
compared to mechanical XTR is 12 grams heavier
in its full incarnation, but stripped down it is likely
to be lighter than it’s mechanical brethren.
Shifting customisation was the draw for most
when Di2 was announced and to be honest
it’s going to take a while to understand its full
potential. This is called the “syncro” system, in
built intelligence in the Di2 system. If you convert
to a single shifter you can run both your front and
rear shifting through the one piece, it will shift
sequentially, up shift and downshift according to
where you are in the cassette. Alternatively you
can program the “syncro” system to shift map to
your configuration. For example instead of shifting
in the lowest gear into the bigger ring you can
instruct it to break into the second lowest gear
and shift up instead. There are multiple different
options and it will take a little thinking especially
if you want to automate through the one shifter.
This is all accessed through a special program
called ‘etube’‘ which unfortunately for the
moment is only available on a Microsoft platform
and will likely be done by your local bike shop.
Di2 also includes wiring ports for Fox
Suspension’s iCTD system which allows riders
to control the climb, trail and descend functions
of the fork and rear suspension via the XTR Di2
display. This is just the first step in electronic
componentry and there is plenty of scope for it to
become even more involved in our rides… This is
only the beginning.

THARSIS

Worldmags.net

As part of our build for the XTR launch our bike was
kitted out with all new Pro Tharsis components.
This included handlebars, stem, seat and seatpost.
Tharsis has been specially designed by Shimano
to be compatible with Di2 with small holes in the
handlebars for cables, a cavity within the stem for
the junction box and through a special star nut
replacement hex key just under the stem, a battery
can be inserted in the headtube.

The Pro Tharsis stem comes in a variety of lengths
from 50mm to 100mm all accommodate Di2. Tharsis
is an excellent aftermarket series of components
and it really shone in our build, bringing our rig back
to something like the weight of a cross country bike.
Check it out next time you’re in your local bike store.

THe RIde
One intense seminar over and it was finally
time to get some riding in. As part of the
launch we were invited to ride a stage of
the Cape to Cape and have a crack at the
‘exclusive’ Red Bull shootout. Both were
ample opportunity to get a sense of what
our Lapierre and the new XTR mechanical
group were really like.
Our first taste was at the Margaret River
Pines. After spending a few minutes setting
up it was not long before we were diving
head first down the bermed course. The
Lapierre launched into gear and my only
worry of that afternoon was where to find
time and stay out of the infamous WA pea
gravel. The XTR performed flawlessly. This
was the first time I had ridden 11 speed
and a Shimano XTR wide-narrow ring but
the feel was completely natural to me by
the end of the ride.
The third stage of the Cape to Cape was
a 60 km epic. It was the perfect stage for
a one day test: it rained, there were river
crossings, bermed pine forests, some
of the best downhill and some of the
pointiest uphills in the nation. A full gamut
to test the 34 tooth to 11- 40 spread and
throughout the day there wasn’t a section
of trail I thought I couldn’t handle.
Our time on the Di2 was extremely limited,
just a few runs at the Red Bull shootout,
so we will reserve any serious judgement
until we are able to lay down some serious
kilometres. Initial impressions are that it all

feels quite normal, the more mechanical
feel in the shift lever Shimano has gone
for is much like any other shifter I’ve used
before with a consistent feel to every shift.
You won’t be accidentally shifting from a
casual touch and not noticing.
The electronic sound definitely resonates
when shifting and it will be up to the
consumer if that bothers their riding
memories, after all many of us ride to get
away from such things.
The display is something I found you
could easily find yourself dropping, most
riders have a sense of what gear they are
in and with three modes to cycle through
(standard and two syncro) it’s unlikely you
will get lost in the system. I didn’t.
Syncro is something that will interest
most people, in fact it is probably the route
most people will take. The ability to run all
shifting apparatus from one shifter not only
clears up your handlebar space, it lightens
the bike and once a rider is used to the
function it will simply become second
nature.
AMB would like to thank Shimano as well
as Cape to Cape for the hospitality and
Colonial Brewery for the best XTR Pilsner
we ever tried. We will now have the XTR
M9000 mechanical under the microscope
for a full long term review – AMB

www.ambmag.com.au - 29

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WorDS: IMogEN SMITH IMAgES: MICHAEl kIrkMAN & FElIx TrAENkNEr

DAN MAcMUNN TALks TO AMB ABOUT THE MAGIc AND ADvENTURE OF
ENDURO RAcING, TAkING ON THE ENDURO WORLD sERIEs, MAkING IT As A
pRIvATEER, AND THE DEMANDs OF THE NEWEsT MTB DIscIpLINE.
Dan MacMunn has been riding bikes
since he was a kid, but never really fit
into the cross country or the downhill
scene.
‘I didn’t have the fitness of the cross
country guys and never felt fully
comfortable on a downhill bike’ he
says.
When enduro events started popping
up in Australia, and the Enduro
World Series (EWS) started in 2013,
Dan knew he’d found the right
combination.
‘I’ve always loved just getting out
for big rides, exploring new places
and going fast down the hills, which
is really what enduro racing is all
about.’
‘I followed all the racing really closely

30 - AMB

and when the EWS started I studied
it religiously and wondered how I
would stack up. I was pretty keen to
try and make it happen and see how
I would go.’
Dan’s first trip to Europe was as
much about reconnaissance as it was
about racing. He scored an entry to
the six-day enduro event, the TransSavoie, racing through the French
Alps. The event provided Dan with the
kind of education he needed, the kind
that’s hard to get in Australia.
‘We were racing down 15 to
20-minute descents and using lifts to
regain the altitude,’ he says.
‘That was completely blind racing,
350 kilometres over six days. No one
can ever learn those trails, so it was
just a matter of reading the daily track

notes then trying to ride everything as
fast as you can. Then I had a few little
adventures on the side, and watched
one of the EWS races over there, and I
decided to try and make it happen for
2014,’ says Dan.
After winning the Victoria State
Enduro Series and the Victoria State
Enduro Champs (and the Australian
Enduro Series since then), Dan set
himself the goal of finishing inside
the top 50 in two European rounds
of the 2014 Enduro World Series. He
travelled to France and Italy in the
European summer this year, racing
rounds 3 and 4 of the EWS.

TRAINING FOR THE BIG
LEAGUE
Despite working full-time as a
firefighter, with a 1.5-hour commute
from his home in Bendigo to his

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station in Melbourne and back every shift,
Dan trained 15 hours a week with coach Mark
Fenner.
‘I wanted to give it the best crack I could,’ he
says.
‘We had a couple of months to prepare and it
was winter here, so in pretty ordinary weather
we started with a bit of a build and in the last
two weeks did a lot of intensity.’
There’s sometimes a bit of a misconception
that enduro doesn’t require specific training,
although that’s changing as the sport becomes
more popular.
‘I put in a lot,’ says Dan.
‘Having to race three or four times a day, and
then ride the transfer stages, racing for a
couple of days. That requires a high level of
fitness.’
As racing approached, Dan and Mark’s aim was
to simulate the stresses of enduro racing as
much as possible, and Dan moved from doing
three-hour bunch rides with Bendigo’s healthy
crew of NRS racers, to throwing himself up
singletrack climbs on the mountain bike.
‘It’s all about short, ultra-intense efforts
and trying to recover while riding technical
sections,’ says Dan.
‘We tried to emulate that on the home trails,
doing a short two to three-minute effort up
a hill, then turning into the most techy trails
I could find and trying to recover while going
down.
If it sounds like cross country, it’s not.
‘Enduro’s hard to prepare for too because you
have to have the endurance base underneath
that, because you’re doing six-hour days,’ says
Dan.

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a BiG BaG OF tRicKs

EWS races can vary in format and logistics
– and adaptability is definitely one of the big
skills in the enduro racer’s toolbox. Sometimes
riders have days to practice on any one course,
sometimes they’re not allowed on it at all
before race day. Sometimes climbs are liftassisted, sometimes they’re pedalled, other
times riders may need to push.
At Valloire in France, Dan threw himself in the
deep end at a race where practice was limited
to one, uninterrupted run on the day of the
race, although there was the option to walk the
course the Friday before the event.
‘I’m of the opinion that if you stress about
something enough it’s not going to be as bad
as you think,’ says Dan.

‘A few of us actually walked up one stage and
down another one day. That eased my mind a
bit, just to see what the forest was like and get
the feel for what the trails are going to be like.’
In spite of Dan’s experience and success on
the domestic scene, our flat old country simply
doesn’t have the same kind of riding as Europe
and North America.
‘The courses in the EWS (at least the ones I
raced) are just bigger in every way,’ he says.
‘The stages themselves are brutal – really
raw, fast and rough and a lot longer than
anything we have over here. The altitude also
plays a part in the Alps. In France I think we
descended 11,000 vertical metres over two
days: pretty hard on the arms and hands!’ he
says.
‘Coming from Oz it is a pretty steep learning
curve, but you just have to take it as it comes.
There are plenty of places here to ride gnarly
stuff on a trail bike, just maybe not for 15
minutes straight!’
Enduro racing is about using your rider’s
instinct to respond to whatever the course,

Dan MacMunn’s
Yeti sB5 c
Supported by Rowney Sports,
Shimano, and Fox, Dan’s new
SB5 C has some interesting
customisations.
‘The 5” SB is marketed as a
trail bike but I’ve set it up as
my race bike and it’s as fast as
the 6” 26-inch wheel version,’
says Dan.
‘It’s a bit of a mongrel. I’ve
got Saint brakes – a 4-piston
downhill brake, which are
really powerful but a little
heavier than XTR.’
‘Yeti would usually sell the
SB5 C with a stem of about
70mm, but I use a 50mm
stem. With this set up it’s
not particularly comfortable
to climb, but it’s ideal for
32 - AMB

descending, to get that
position that’s really centred.’
‘I run Renthal Carbon bars
cut down to 750mm. It’s not
really really wide, a lot of
guys run wider, but this width
feels good for me.’
‘I use the big Shimano
downhill pedals. I like to have
that big platform in case I
unclip by accident, it feels
safe to have that there, but
it’s a compromise because
they’re quite heavy.’
‘I run standard 34 Fox on
the front and CTD on the
back, although a lot of guys
are running 36 as there’s
no weight penalty. I really
love this fork. It feels like
the suspension is more
receptive. You can sit up in
the travel while still getting a
whole lot of good small bump
performance.’

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the elements, and the organisers
dish out. With so little opportunity to
practise, Dan says he learned pretty
quickly to strike a balance between
getting in enough practice, and overcooking his legs for race day.
‘One of the reasons I have so much
passion for this form of mountain
biking,’ says Dan, ‘is that there are so
many elements to it, and balancing
practice and race, the mental and
physical balance between learning
the trails and feeling comfortable,
and not being absolutely stuffed –
that was one of the biggest learning
curves for me overseas.’
What’s more, with fickle mountain
weather and thousands of tyres
passing over it in a day, the track
changed anyway.

‘By Friday afternoon the track you
rode on Thursday morning is totally
different,’ says Dan.
Using a GoPro to help review the
course off the bike, Dan learned to
rely on instinct, rather than trying
to memorise endless kilometres of
trail.
‘I learned to just aim to get a good
feeling for the track, and that mental
headspace for me was as important
as learning where exactly to go,’ he
says.
Dan found that flow in Italy, at round
4 of the EWS. It was his second race
overseas, and terrible weather, with
freezing rain and snow at the top of
the track turning the trails to pulp.
‘I didn’t care,’ says Dan.
‘I had a lot of time thinking leading
up to the race, just focusing on
www.ambmag.com.au - 33

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the positives: I had done all the
preparation well in advance, and I
was feeling great about my gear.
Then once I got going I just knew
that I was riding close to the edge,
but that I couldn’t crash. It was a
pretty cool sensation.’

Dan detonated his goal of cracking
the top 50 in Italy, finishing 37th out
of 220 Elite racers.

MANAGING THE BIKE... AND
THE REST
For Dan, managing all your
equipment, food, and logistics
makes enduro an experience that
goes to the heart of what mountain
biking is all about.
‘I really love that you have to look
after your own gear. In enduro

you have to finish with the same
wheelset, the same frame, the
same rear triangle, and the same
forks. They sticker your bike up
before you start, and if you swap
any of those out it’s a five-minute
time penalty. If you get a flat you
have to think: should I ride it to
the end and save a bit of time, or
save the rim and change it. The top
guys are so calculating, they know
that, for example, a tyre that’s 200
grams heavier will lose them 15–20
seconds on a particular climb – they
juggle security and speed all the
time.’
Securing an entry to the EWS is
much easier than trying to accrue
points to race a Downhill World Cup,
and entry costs are around 75 Euros
– about $100 bucks. Dan’s advice to
aspiring Aussie racers is simple:
‘Just do it,’ he says
‘I linked two races together that
ran three weeks apart in one trip
to Europe – something like that is
achievable. Do your research and
give it a go and think about the
consequences later. It’d be great
to see more Aussies go and crack
it, and get a place on a team and
travel to events. Domestically too
it would be great to see enduro

34 - AMB

more established here so that
people could have really healthy
competition.
Dan’s recently become a Dad, but
still plans to compete again next year.
‘At this stage the best-case scenario
would be race Rotorua in March
and race the first round, then head
over to Europe with the family in
September and travel to the last
two rounds in Spain and Italy, but
we’ll have to see whether that’ll be
achievable with work and family,’
he says.
The EWS results lists are stacked
with the names of cross country
stars and big downhill names.
It’s easy to see why riders from
diverse disciplines love enduro: It’s
the essence of mountain biking –
The route’s a bit of a mystery, the
landscape awe-inspiring, and you’re
guaranteed a big adventure. You ride
up a hill chatting to your mates then
ride down a technical descent as
fast as you can. You take care of your
equipment, yourself, your food and
your spares, and you have a great
time.
Dan agrees: ‘The EWS has been
extremely successful, and has
proven that a great series can thrive
independent of cycling governing
bodies. It is really well-organised,
has amazing industry support and
is still achievable for the average
rider. The coverage is impressive
and really showcases the places it
visits. It will continue to grow for
sure. Domestically the future looks
good too, with the interest in enduro
growing and more and more races
being announced. It’s a great way for
people to get into racing, meet new
people and see really cool places.’

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THE CROCODILE TROPHY IS
PROMOTED AS ONE OF THE
HARDEST MOUNTAIN BIKE
STAGE RACES IN THE WORLD.
MORE AUSTRALIANS ARE
ATTENDING, AND LOVING IT.
HAS THE CROC LOST ITS BITE –
OR JUST CLEANED ITS TEETH?
WORDS: MIKE BLEWITT
PHOTOS: REGINA STANGER, KENNETH LORENSTEN
MIKE BLEWITT

THE EUROPEAN RACE IN AUSTRALIA
Crocodiles are prehistoric beasts, providing a
link to our past that we otherwise don’t see –
they are the closest things to dinosaurs that
still roam the earth. Slow to change, dangerous,
and quite possibly misunderstood. In a similar
vein, Australian mountain bikers might view the
Crocodile Trophy as a bit of a dinosaur. 20 years
ago, the vision of Austrian ex-road professional
Gerhard Schoenbacher was for a race across the
country. The racing was on dirt roads, it attracted
professional European road racers, and often
had back-to-back days up to 200km. It has been
through different iterations but has found its
home in Tropical North Queensland.
This memory of the Crocodile Trophy as a
European road race on dirt might still be what is
conjured up for many mountain bikers. But the
race has been evolving over the past years. It is
far from tame, but you might be right in assuming
that the Croc’s teeth are less sharp, and its bite
not as strong.

36 - AMB

The 20th Croc was run from October 18-26 on a
route that started on the singletrack at Smithfield,
and finished on the Bump Track descent and
4 mile Beach at Port Douglas, and was quite
possibly the best race yet.

PUSHING FOR CHANGE
I first battled the Croc in 2011 with SubaruMarathonMTB.com teammates Justin Morris
and Graeme Arnott. It was 10 days long and we
covered about 1300km. We raced through wet
season rain, baking heat, along corrugated roads
and through sandy tracks in the outback scrub.
The race was certainly an amazing experience,
but more for the racing and the experience than
the mountain biking. Most of the changes that
make the race something that should attract
more Australian riders have occurred in the
editions since then.
In 2014, the Crocodile Trophy covered less than
750km in 9 days, and we raced over some of the
best trails in Tropical North Queensland – or even

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Australia. The route was more compact, and more
varied than perhaps any other stage race around
the globe. But this evolution didn’t just happen – it
took a catalyst.
“I’ve known the Crocodile Trophy since growing up
in Austria - we used to see documentaries about
it on TV every year and I sort of suspect that it is
partly why I’ve always had this fascination about
this continent” explains Juliane Wisata of Rocky
Trail Entertainment. Along with her husband
Martin, the Austrian-Australian race promoters
consulted with organisers Gerhard Schoenbacher
and Regina Stanger, and are almost wholly
responsible for the evolution of the race.
“Martin started as a volunteer at the Crocodile
Trophy in 2008,” remembers Juliane, “he went
off on this 2-week trip about 2 weeks before our
wedding. In “those days” they didn’t have any
phone reception, no Internet... He called me
once just to say he was still alive and would be
back in time for the wedding.” But Martin caught
the bug, went back in 2009, then went to race in

2010. The following year, Juliane attended, to
help with translation for the media releases. With
her own experiences running races via Rocky
Trail Entertainment, Juliane knew she could help
improve the race.
“I couldn’t help but provide feedback to Gerhard
and Regina, and they asked me to come on board
as a marketing and media manager for Australia/
NZ and to put together a strategy. Their main task
was: get us more riders.”

PUTTING THE FUN IN THE CROC
The direction for Martin and Juliane was simple:
“If you want more Aussies, you have to make the
race track more fun” explains Juliane. Martin
had experienced the Croc from the sidelines and
the saddle, and knew they needed to “steer away
from the “Euro-Hammer of the North” reputation
and showcase the great trails that Tropical North
Queensland has to offer.”
Some of these changes took place in 2012, where
the race started with an XC stage on the trails
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at Smithfield, and used much less road and dirt
road than 2011. The fact is though, in some of the
remote areas there’s not much buff singletrack.
2012 stands out as a very hard year as the days
were still long, and the terrain very rough. The
race still went well into the Australian outback,
and chose the hard way. The real transition was
in 2013 and 2014, with the use of Atherton Forest
MTB Park,
“I think the first year I was there, we had 2-3
Australian riders. This year more than a third of
the field was Australian and I am really proud
of that,” explains Juliane. “I think a lot has been
done in terms of communicating what the event is
all about.”

EXPERIENCING AUSTRALIA
Both Martin and Juliane are passionate about the
event, especially the experience.
“We might not have 190km stages through sand
anymore, and lots of dirt road has turned into
singletrack at Atherton – but the vibe of the race
hasn’t changed. And that’s a good thing. There
are always people from all over the world at the
Crocodile Trophy, it’s a Croc community.” States
Martin.

38 - AMB

Outside of the racing, outside of the camp, and
outside of the camaraderie, there’s also the draw
of experiencing Tropical North Queensland. I love
to see places by bike, as two wheeled transport
takes you through places at just the right speed,
and with full awareness of your surroundings.
While still Australia, and quite often strikingly
so, the Crocodile Trophy can offer lots of new
experiences for Australian riders. I live in
Sydney, thousands of kilometres from the trails
of Smithfield or Atherton, and the old mining
trails of Irvinebank or bullock tracks that lead to
Port Douglas. There are plants in the rainforest
that scare me, and animals that I know I want to
steer clear of. But there are expansive views to
see, amazing freshwater lakes to swim in, real
characters to meet, and enough of a taste for the
Australian outback without feeling like you could
wander onto a Mad Max shoot.
Plans are already well underway for 2015, and
Juliane assured me that the new compact Croc is
here to stay, making the racing more enjoyable,
and the experience even greater for riders into
the future.
Greg Saw, now a resident of Norway, but hailing
from Atherton, won the men’s Elite event, and
Imogen Smith won the women’s Elite race in
2014 – full results are available, along with more
details on croc.at.

MTBA AND THE CROC
For the 20th edition, the Crocodile Trophy
gained a UCI S1 ranking. This is the highest
ranking stage race category by the governing
body, behind ‘HCS’ which only the Cape Epic
and three week road tours receive. It also bring
guaranteed prize money and ranking points for
Elite riders with UCI licences.
MTBA were in attendance to make sure the
race ran in accordance to UCI and MTBA rules.
Shane Coppin, CEO of Mountain Bike Australia,
was glad to have the Croc affiliated with MTBA.
“We need more stage races in Australia,
there’s no question about that. And we need
them with an international standing.” Coppin
was supportive of the race being accredited,
stating it’s a real bonus for Australian
mountain bikers.
“The experience is fantastic, and the location
very good. It gave us a great chance to have
someone at the event, and to help with
development in the future.”

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SINCE

“extremely difficult to criticise”
cyclingweek.co.uk

“The Absolute Highest Quality”
dirt action

INTRODUCING THE KTM

ALL MOUNTAIN RANGE
LYCAN 1.65

LYCAN LT 273

KTMBIKES.COM.AU

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ANDREW HALL’s
CROC TROPHY

unpredictable sketchy singletrack.
Get away from the comfort of the
purpose built MTB parks and get out
into the less ventured areas.

Andrew Hall placed 10th overall, and
took the ‘Best Australian’ and ‘Best
Amateur’ jerseys at the same time.

EAT, sLEEP, REPEAT

I first heard about the race when
Canberra locals Jason Chalker
and Jeremy Ross went up for the
2012 race. What really caught my
attention was when Chalker posted
a bunch of photos from the hospital
after he had literally baked himself
in an exceptionally hard stage. When
they both came back and talked
about how hard the race was I knew
this was one to add to the list.
I really did not know what to expect
heading into this race. All I really
had to go on was that there was
going to be a lot of long, hot dusty
stages. I’ve raced in the Flinders
Ranges and Alice Springs, so that
was what I was expecting.

GETTING AHEAD AT THE CROC
To do well at Croc you need to be an
accomplished rider across multiple
disciplines. Obviously you need good
mountain bike skills, but equally you
need to be comfortable riding in a
bunch and hammering it out on the
road.
To train for the race I’d be putting
in a lot of long steep climbs, lots
of road miles and training on any

Stage racing is all about eating and
recovery. As soon as you finish the
race it’s recovery time. Eat, put the
feet up and then eat some more.
Having a pristine clean bike might
sound like a good idea, but if you
have to choose between a quick
clean up and more rest time or the
clean bike - take the rest time.

THE RACING
The style of riding was very different
than a normal Australian marathon
race. There is a lot more road race
tactics going on, and riders marking
each other. After a few days of racing
and time gaps forming it’s all about
preserving time against other riders.
So attacks and break aways are all
very calculated.
You also quickly learn who is strong
on the road vs MTB tracks. Rider
position in the bunch is critical to
ensure when you hit the dirt you are
not following someone who is going
to drop a wheel.
I’m definitely planning on heading
back. I’ve started the conversation
with team mates and support crews
… this is a race which has to be done
more then once!

A RACE OF DIVERsITY
As it turns out, the Croc Trophy is a
really diverse race. I was blown away
by the variety of terrain - and I think
this really sets the race apart from
others.
Cairns has rooty hardpacked
singletrack - not too dissimilar to
the pine forest riding of Majura,
Armidale and Orange. Riding to the
Atherton Tablelands is steep and
loose. Think of the Convict 100 climb
but for an hour plus!
The mountain climbs turn into lush
forest, reminiscent of riding around
Mogo and Larry’s mountain road.
Atherton is a world of its own harsh, rocky single track - but really
well built. The switchback climb
is like three Stromlo red laps in
one, and the descent is similar to
the lower portion of the Stromlo
downhill course - steep, rocky
berms - and so much fun.
The other stages around Atherton
are varied. From dense jungle forest
with moto ruts that make the Husky
trails look like a crit track, to steep
sandy descents akin to riding in
snow.
Heading inland the trails change
again. Dry, dusty, rocky roads. There
really was not as many corrugations
as I was expecting. What adds
up though is all the dry river bed
crossings. They are rocky and

unpredictable - real tyre eaters. This
part of the course was much more
like riding in the Flinders ranges.
What is unique to these stages is
the mixture of road and mountain
bike riding. Long stretches of dirt
road allow for bunches to form, but
then it’s into “outback singletrack”
where you need every ounce of MTB
skill to negotiate the unpredictable
singletrack. Dry, dusty goat tracks
with all sorts of unforeseen
obstacles - sand, mars rocks, water
crossings - you never know what is
around the next bend.
The final stage into Port Douglas
really wraps up all the terrain starting in the dusty dry outback
setting at Wetherby Station, the
course moves into dense forest
and finishes in humidity and a
hardpacked sandy 4km finish.
The Croc offers a hard, international
quality stage race just a few hours
flight away. With the majority of
riders and support staff coming
from Europe, you also get an
event which does not feel like just
another Australian race. Australia
has a bunch of stage races, but
aside from Croc, none offer the
demanding courses that compare to
the big international stage races like
TransAlp or Cape Epic

www.ambmag.com.au - 41

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0

BELOW ZERO
MOUNTAIN BIKING IN THE HIMALAYAS IN WINTER

WORDS : CLAUDE BALSIGER PHOTOS : MARTIN BISSIG

There are just two ways to
reach the snowbound Zanskar
valley in the Indian Himalayas in
winter: over the frozen Zanskar
river or the snow covered high
passes. Claude Balsiger and
Martin Bissig took both routes
on their expedition; across the
ice to reach the valley and over
the passes to get back out.

42 - AMB

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www.ambmag.com.au - 43

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FROZEN TO THE CORE

CRuEl COmpaNiON

How bad can it feel to fulfill one’s dream? For
me, it feels bitterly cold. Breathing heavily
with my head hung down, I’m standing next
to my bike. Mountain biking at minus twenty
degrees works surprisingly well. But when
a bitingly cold wind is added, then nothing
works. My friend, Tundup, catches up with
me, he has cared for me since day one. “You
have to keep moving, or you’ll get too cold,
my friend,” he says to me, pulls up his scarf
and moves on. I mount the bike and start to
pedal. The ice crunches under my wheels
and I continue up the river. I was first here
six years ago; I was looking for singletrack
in the summer and met Tundup. Even in the
early days of our friendship, he wanted to
persuade me to do this winter adventure, ride
a mountain bike down frozen rivers to the
Zanskartal. This is how my dream to cross
the Himalayas in winter with a bike and skis
developed. Now I stand in the middle of this
icy dream. We want to cross the Himalayan
mountain range in four weeks, on a bike,
on foot and on skis. We start in North India,
in the town of Leh, then I cycle almost 300
miles on frozen rivers through a gorge to the
end of the Zanskar valley. From there we ski
southwards and hope to reach our goal, the
Indian town of Manali, within four weeks.

It’s morning and it’s really cold, bitterly cold.
The morning is not a pleasant companion in
a Himalayan winter. It is, in fact, the most evil
time of the day, I regularly hit a mental low
point. I’m lying in my thick sleeping bag, my
eyes squinting out of the small opening but
my body lies motionless like frozen chicken
in the feather down. I pull the zipper down
and cold, minus 20 degree air streams into
the interior - the day’s misery begins. Socks,
pants and jacket, everything is with me in
my sleeping bag overnight, here wet clothes
freeze stiff in a very short time.

44 - AMB

I share the icy sleeping space with Thomas,
my expedition partner. The aspiring mountain
guide is responsible for the demanding return
journey on skis. With thick down gloves we
force the tent into its sheath. Then our cook,
Sonam, brings us some hot tea. I cling to the
warm cup, press it against my cold nose and
let the steam warm my cold face. It happens
every morning.
When I mount my bike an hour later I’m
looking forward to the warming movement but the airstream makes things worse. My feet
are in massive hiking boots, but they don’t help
much. They burn with cold, my toes feel more
like padding at the end of the shoe. My Rocky
Mountain Altitude is perfect for the freezing
temperatures thanks to plastic pedals, spikes,
insulation and disc brakes, but I am not
capable of handling this icy adventure.

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Barren Trail
For three days I’ve travelled along the ice
covered Zanskar River. The surface is often so
smooth it offers no support. The 400 spikes
on my tyres sink like little claws into the
crystal-clear surface and keep me on track.
It’s a really fun track, with little curves and
dips, that winds through the ice on the white
surface of the river. After travelling three
hours through the canyon we finally see the
first rays of sun on the valley floor and that
warms me up a bit. Now I’m euphoric. The
breathtaking scenery
and a trail that couldn’t
UsUally
be better, the ground is
The ice is
very firm and the track
full of variety. The track
BeTween
leads through a gorge
One and
with rock faces several
hundred meters high,
Three
the river is just ten feet
meTres
wide in places. Minutes
Thick and later, the landscape is
completely different.
cOUld
I now pass through a
carry a
small plain; here the
frozen river is nearly
Tank.
100 feet wide.
For the Zanskari, the inhabitants of this
Himalayan region, the route across the river
in winter is their only link to the outside
world. My friend Tundup has done the route
dozens of times on foot and told me exactly
how to behave on the ice. The biggest dangers
are watery and crumbly ice: I must spot these
before riding over them - otherwise I’ll fall
through. Usually the ice is between one and
three metres thick and could carry a tank.

Official recOgniTiOn
After five days in the ice gorge the valley
opens up and we reach Zanskar. The main
town could be straight out of a Western
movie: Padum, that’s the name of the
dump, consists of a few houses standing
at an intersection. When I reach it on my
bike, people rush out of their houses onto
the street, looking at me in disbelief and
whispering among themselves. Suddenly a
well-built man steps into my path. He comes
up to me and his broad face under a thick
fur hat grins at me: “Welcome to Zanskar,
we’ve been waiting for you,” he says to me.
How can this giant know me? “The rumours
reached us a few days ago, but we did not
believe them,” he continues. “Now we know
that in fact the first man with a bike has
crossed the frozen river. Please come with
me,” he says. You don’t contradict a man like
him. I climb off of my bike and follow him
through a large gate into a courtyard where
a small blue house with a tin roof stands.
Above the entrance is a hand painted sign,
“Sub-District Magistrate of Zanskar.” He is
the head of government in the region. His
office is small and stuffy, I sit between a
stack of documents, half a pita bread and a
Buddha statue. As soon as he sits down on
his chair, his assistants come into the room
and give him letters to sign; indifferently he
scribbles something on the crumpled paper.
Then he finally speaks to me. He wants to
congratulate me on my success, the first
man to travel up the frozen Zanskar with a
bicycle. This is a remarkable achievement.
He wants to congratulate me on behalf of the
www.ambmag.com.au - 45

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Government of Zanskar. In the following hour,
I am lectured on the chance of survival in the
Chaddar. He releases me with an official Letter of
Recognition from the government. Not everyone
can boast of such a souvenir to take home!

On the Ridge
Two weeks later my ski partner, Thomas, and I
are lying in a small tent on the 5100m high Shingo
Pass. I had to leave my bike behind because
I could no longer carry it through the fresh
snowfalls. There is a storm outside and visibility
has been reduced to ten metres. Yesterday on the
ascent we got stuck in darkness and fog and had
to put up the tent on the spot. We made a tough
decision in the evening, the risk in continuing the
trip was too high. Poor visibility, the avalanche
risk and depleted reserves speak for themselves.
We have to turn around and re-trace the journey
made over the last three weeks - just four days
before reaching our destination.
The journey back is a race against the thaw in
which the ice breaks up in the rivers. If we don’t
get back across the river before the thaw, we
will have to spend several weeks unable to leave
Zanskar. So we press on as for long as our feet
will carry us. We can’t use either bike or ski in
this landscape of snow, ice and water. In just five
days we cover 160 kilometers back through deep
snow, ice and water. We take very few breaks and
arrive completely exhausted at the lower end of
the frozen Zanskar River as the final group for the
winter,
I live these days with an intensity never before
experienced. Just hours lie between the bitter
misery of the morning cold and the euphoria on
the ice trail. I no longer mind crawling out of my
sleeping bag at minus 20 degrees or walking on
bleeding feet. The only things I really need are my
sleeping bag in the evening and a warm soup for
dinner. This is pure life in its most extreme form,
painful and euphoric at the same time. I look
forward to a comfortable bed and lots of delicious
food at home - but I don’t yet want to wake up
from my expedition dream.

46 - AMB

M E N S R AN G E

WOMENS RANGE

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NO ORDINARY LIFE

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RIDING
HIGH

CHeCk INto oNe of
SwItzeRlaND’S alpINe HutS aND
keep GRavIty oN youR SIDe

WoRdS : IMoGEN SMITH PHoToS : MIKE BLEWITT IMoGEN SMITH

There’s usually a bit of a wait at Blauherd, 2571m,
before you can jump on the telecabine to Rothorn,
the end of the line for skiers in winter, and the
start of some long and lonely adventures for
mountaineers and climbers in summer. While
most tourists wait outside and snap pictures
of the Matterhorn in the day’s fading light, at
this altitude, it’s cold even in August, so we wait
indoors.
When the telecabine arrives, a close-knit bunch
of four or five young Swiss get off, silently pushing
an enormous trolley full of dirty linen, and each
laden with sacks full of plastic and glass bottles,
empty of their water, wine, and schnapps.
‘That’s the Fluhalp crew’, says the man at the
kiosk where I’ve just bought a Toblerone. ‘Half of
them stay up there and half come down to sleep
with the washing and the recycling. Then they
go back up tomorrow with fresh water and clean
sheets.’
It’s the last telecabine of the day and it’s nearly
empty. Not surprising. It’s too late to walk back
down to Zermatt, the car-free town that feeds
tourists and skiers into the mountains from 1,500
metres below. The Fluhalp hut is still a couple of
kilometres from the last stop at Rothorn station
(3100m), but it’s downhill, and we’re riding fullsuspension Cube‘Fritzz’ mountain bikes, so it
shouldn’t be a problem.
When we get off at Rothorn the sky is dark. The
place is as deserted as a gulag and the wind
bites our cheeks. By the time we’ve clipped
in it’s snowing, and it needles our faces as we
descend, somewhat shabbily, over trails carved
out by centuries of hikers and alpine cows.
The singletrack loops and splits, giving us any
48 - AMB

number of lines to choose from over unstable
scree and sharp rocks. But our hands are frozen
and tomorrow’s still ahead of us. We pick our
way down to the red-shuttered hut opposite the
Matterhorn.

CHECKING INN
If you’ve visited a mountain hut in Australia, like
perhaps Schlink’s ‘Hilton’, or Cascade Hut in the
Snowy Mountains, you’ll know that they’re little
more than historic refuges – tin roof, timber
walls, dirt floor. A rotting sleeping platform if
you’re lucky. They’re for campers, people caught
in bad weather, emergencies and photographs.
Switzerland’s huts are much, much more. They’re
high-altitude inns, offering refuge, warmth,
gourmet food, chocolate, accommodation, and
even live music. Although some are only reached
on foot, many are staffed year-round, and many
sit above 3,000metres. The Fluhalp hut is at 2,620
metres, propped on a giant field of rock.
Huts are a godsend to mountain bikers looking to
make the most of gravity: It takes a long time to
climb to this altitude – whether by cable or pedal
power – and we want to take our time getting
down. Riders can use huts to pass between
valleys while maintaining precious altitude, ride
long days, and experience the alpine wilderness
(most wildlife like steinbock are only around in
the evenings, when lifts are shut and tourists
return to the valleys). They’re a genuine part of
Swiss heritage and the perfect way to experience
Switzerland.

PARK YOUR BIKE AND STAY A WHILE
We leave our bikes outside under a sheltered part
of the restaurant terrace – not many thieves up

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www.ambmag.com.au - 49

here – and go inside. Fluhalp is made entirely of
timber – stairs, walls, doors, chairs, tables, beds
and shelves. It’s warm and cosy. A few fellow
travellers sit in the restaurant sharing beers.
We’re told to take room 11, and head up the
creaky stairs.
Dinner starts at 7:30, so we kill time with an
overdue hot shower. At just 89CHF, our stay at
the Fluhalp is the cheapest night we’ll spend
in Switzerland, but once there we discover
some hidden expenses. The hut is connected
to an electricity grid (another marvel of Swiss
engineering), but relies on rainwater – and there’s
not much of that in summer. Showers cost a
few Francs a minute, and by the time we’re both
clean, we’ve spent 15CHF – about $20 Aussie
dollars.
We settle into our room. It’s quite tiny, with two
single beds (timber), some hooks on the walls,
and a tiny table (timber). Like the entire hut, the
walls are hung with drawings and paintings of the
Matterhorn.
Dinner’s a set menu, but vegetarian and other
dietary needs are accommodated if you give the
hut prior warning. The dining room is full – about
15 people, and there’s just one waitress, plus
another couple of staff in the kitchen. Tonight
there are a young Swiss couple, a table of three
generations of Japanese tourists, a couple of
grave-faced mountaineers, some British hikers,
and us. The Fluhalp hut is part of Zermatt’s
famous network of down-to-earth gourmet
eateries and certainly one of the highest. We’re
brought a basket of bread, fresh salad, then a
delicious mushroom soup, followed by a simple
spaghetti dish, and a crème caramel for dessert.
The mountaineers, obviously in the know, order

50 - AMB

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from the menu, and eat steak and rösti, with
wine from the decent list. Perhaps we should
have opted to drink, too. The tank water that
made showering so expensive isn’t approved for
drinking, so we’ve got to buy it. A 750ml bottle
of Evian sets us back 9CHF. At altitude you’re
thirstier, so we buy a couple for the night.
Fluhalp is perhaps Zermatt’s most famous hut –
and it’s known for the views. We open our little red
shutters, letting in frozen air, and watch the sun
set, The Matterhorn, melting from grey to blue, to
pink, to gold, to purple. Once dark there’s not a lot
left to do, and while the hikers sit down below us
drinking Schnapps, we take a few precious sips of
Evian, turn off the light and try to get some sleep.
This is a lot harder to do at altitude and while
there’s nothing around us for miles – no street
lights, no cars or roads, no pubs or houses, not
even birds, there are still other people. It could
be all the timber, but at night the Fluhalp hut is
like an old ship, creaking and groaning. Especially
when the Japanese group convene at 5am to
watch the sun rise.
They can’t have seen much. We’re blanketed in
frozen fog until the sun’s risen high above the
glaciers.
Breakfast is simple – breads, cheese, ham,
muesli, and coffee. We head out straight after,
ready for a long day’s riding.

DOWNHILL FROM YOUR DOORSTEP
From the door of the hut, we’re into perfect
gravity riding, although it was never built for
bikes. There’s no nanny state in the high Alps.
No guardrails or warning signs, no rangers. As

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HUT
CUSTOMS

It’s unlikely anybody will say
a word, but it’s the height of
rudeness to wear your shoes into
the hut. All huts provide clogs
and slippers in a vast range of
sizes for you to change into at
the door. Avoid the Swiss stare
of disapproval by changing out of
your bike shoes or hiking boots
immediately!
Likewise you must leave all take
mountain equipment including
walking sticks, crampons,
BIKES, axes etc. at the door.
Rooms are small anyway.
Always contact the hut in
advance to make a booking and
notify of any dietary needs and
ask if bedding is provided, or you
might end up cold and hungry.
Huts have a set time for the
evening meal, so make sure you
arrive before then, and because
huts have few staff, it’s not
unusual for guests to offer to
help out clearing dishes or in the
kitchen afterwards.
Because huts have people in
close quarters, there are some
practical customs around noise.
It’s unofficial quiet time after
10pm. Many hut visitors leave
early and it’s important to be
organised enough to make a
clean exit if you do. Hut users
are also expected to keep mobile
phone and MP3 player use to a
minimum, and preferably not
at all.
For a full list of alpine huts
accessible from Zermatt, visit
www.zermatt.ch/en/climbing/
Mountain-huts

www.ambmag.com.au - 51

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YOUR BODY
AT ALTITUDE

Once you climb above about 2,000 metres, the
saturation of oxygen in your blood starts to
drop. This is caused not by a low concentration
of oxygen in the air (it remains the same as it is
at sea level), but because of lower atmospheric
pressure. Basically, the higher you go, the
further apart those oxygen molecules get, so
each breath you take in fewer than you would
if you’d just stayed on that yacht on Sydney
Harbour.
At first you’ll notice your breathing rate
increase, and maybe your heart rate as well,
particularly when riding or walking. You’ll also
need to pee more as your body adjusts its pH
balance and loses more fluid from increased
evaporation from your skin and lungs – you’ll
need to drink more water. Some people also
retain water and may experience a bit of oedema
– perhaps noticing some swelling around the
ankles and calves.
It’s really common to sleep quite poorly at
altitude, and you might find you wake up
frequently or sleep extremely lightly. This can
be a result of Periodic Breathing, where your
body finds it difficult to manage O2 and CO2
balance, and you alternate between taking big
breaths and holding your breath in your sleep.
It’s quite common and usually not dangerous,
just annoying when there’s a full day’s riding
coming up.
All these symptoms generally resolve as your
body adapts over a few days.
Performance-minded readers might be interested
to learn that once you’re above 1,500m, your VO2
max drops 3% for every 300m you climb. Don’t
expect to set any PBs while you’re riding high.

long as there’s no signs that say ‘bikes verboten’
(and we see one in three days), we’re free to go
wherever we choose.
The ground is made entirely of jagged chunks of
grey granite, ranging from the size of a five-cent
piece to the size of a school bus. Up here above
the tree line the mountains are silent – there’s no
leaves shaking in the breeze, few insects, and no
pasture, so no bell-clanging cows. The rocks slide
and clink like a xylophone as we roll over them, or
loosen and tumble with a swoosh. We ride to the
sound of the Alps changing shape around us.
There are so many forking trails that we climb
back up some to take different routes. The
morning’s spent exploring in our very own
playground, chatting to hikers, and taking photos
– each and every one a perfect alpine postcard.
We follow a good-looking piece of singletrack
that winds down the side of the valley on steep
switchbacks and rocky chutes, then climbs to the
edge of a collapsing scree pile with a 100m drop
on one side, crumbling under our tyres and giving
us all a fright. There’s no way off but to ride to
the end, and when we drop back down to stable
ground we follow fast, hardpack singletrack to
a little collection of timber shack’s where we’ve
been told there’s a great restaurant. Lunchtime’s
just about here.
52 - AMB

Restaurant Findlerhof’s at 2050 metres above
sea level, and serves the kind of fresh, healthy,
and locally-sourced food we’re getting used to
in Switzerland (www.findlerhof.ch). We sit on the
sun terrace and stare up at the Matterhorn until
we’re served crisp salads, bread, mineral water,
beer, and pasta, followed by coffee and cake. The
spot is so idyllic that it’s a bit hard to leave, but
we do, following the trail that passes through
the tiny hamlet and down to the treeline, where
the valley comes to life with alpine flowers, bees,
hikers, and sweet-scented pines. We follow the
signs towards Zermatt, choosing to descend
scores of steep, rooty switchbacks through the
forest. Although some corners are too tight to
ride, having been made for walkers, we make it
down the majority and emerge below a waterfall,
then follow bitumen back streets down into town.
A thousand metres above us, the staff who served
us dinner last night will be loading our sheets
and empty Evian bottles into carts and dragging
them up to the telecabine at Rothorn, while their
colleagues prepare to feed hungry travellers
come to watch the sun set over the Matterhorn.
Check out our Alpine Ride video on :
www.ambmag.com.au

r
e
l
l
u
B
t
m ry 2015

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1 FeBrua

a
B
m
o
o
toow 5
8 march 201

ENDURO

C H A L L E N G E
MT BULLER - TOOWOOMBA

Featuring

Jerome clementz
2013 enduro world SerieS champion

in
w
15,000

$

ign
giant rebik
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mountain

in cash and prizes

+

Sram products

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HAUS
Worldmags.net

WOrDs: MIKE BlEWITT IMAGEs: MIKE BlEWITT, IMOGEN sMITH, KTM

There is a very strong sense of national pride in Austria, as well there should
be. Unlike Australia, most European countries share borders with a handful
of other nations. It’s worth holding onto your identity. From flower boxes
planted in the colours of the flag, traditional dress still in common use, to
menu items that you will really only find when in Austria. It’s universally
known that the majority of the bike industry is based in Asia, but it was
interesting to learn what KTM are doing to keep their bikes “Made in Austria”
via work efficiencies, but also what they’re doing to follow new trends and
lead the market in some areas.

A FACTORY TOWN
When you hear of KTM, chances are you think of motorbikes, and the
colour orange. We have tested a number of KTM mountain bikes in previous
issues of AMB, and it’s worth noting that the KTM Bike brand is different
from the KTM motorbike brand – they split in the mid-1990s, although both
factories are still based in the town of Mattighofen. The bike factory employs
300 people, and the motorbike factory employs about 1000. With a town
population of about 6000 people, Mattighofen is quite a factory town.

DURINg OUR WINTER, ThE AMB
TEAM vISITED MANY EUROpEAN
MOUNTAIN BIkE hOTSpOTS, BUT
WE SNUCk IN A vISIT TO ThE
kTM FACTORY IN MATTIghOFEN,
AUSTRIA, TO lEARN A BIT MORE
ABOUT ThE BRAND, hOW ThEY
OpERATE AND WhY ThEY ARE SO
pROUDlY AUSTRIAN.

In 1997 KTM Bikes was close to bankruptcy. Despite producing bikes
since 1964, the company faced troubles. It needed to be more efficient
and innovative, and KTM were the first big brand to push E-bikes onto
the market. Although slow to adapt, Europe is now buzzing silently with
electrically-assisted hybrid bikes, and increasingly with E-mountain bikes
too. Of course, their range is more than electronically assisted bikes, with
disc-equipped road and cyclocross bikes mixing in with carbon fat bikes,
downhill bikes, long travel 27.5” enduro bikes, and plenty of 27.5” and 29”
hardtails and full suspension trail bikes on offer.
Celebrating their 50th year in 2014, KTM are in a healthy position, and export
to 50 countries all around the globe. Not bad for a company operating from a
small town in Austria.

AUSTRIAN EFFICIENCIES
Arriving in Mattighofen was abrupt. One minute we were driving through pine
forest, then some fields, and then we were on the edge of the small town, at
a neat new building. No light industrial wasteland or commercial park. Just
an orderly building opposite a field. Inside, the show room contained lines of
2015 bikes, ready to be photographed for the catalogue. Hardtrails, hybrids,
cyclocross bikes, enduro bikes, road bikes, fat bikes... wall to wall, matched
in depth only by the KTM accessory, shoe and clothing lines, which we are
yet to receive into Australia. We were lead through the new KTM building by
Marketing employee Martin Gaber, himself a retired (but still very young)
racer. We have arrived in late July, when the factory is closed. The offices are
still running of course, but it’s very quiet. Factory workers have two months
of holiday through the summer.
Before arriving, we weren’t sure whether we would just be at a warehouse
where bikes built in Asia were checked and distributed. This isn’t
uncommon, as we all want better value bikes, manufacturers need to reduce
their costs to get retail prices lower. The reality was far different. KTM have
all their frames made in Asia to their designs and quality control standards.
But they are shipped back to Mattighofen, where the process of painting,
stickers, assembly, quality control and packing have been made as efficient
as possible to keep the building of the bikes in Austria. To make the bikes
Austrian.
In a large, open office Martin shows us where the design team are based,
with countless prototype frames and bikes leaning against desks. Next
door there is a 3D printer, so they can have a quick turn around on frame
designs to get a feel for the product before refining moulds. They’re not
ordering frames from a factory catalogue afterall, they are designing frames,
54 - AMB

modifying the designs, and then finally sending the plans to Asia for a
protoype model. We even spied a 3D printed balance bike parked on top of a
cupboard? Perhaps a side project for one of the production team.
We’re lead down a hallway, with a line of plastic crates holding group sets,
wheels and forks against the wall. Each box has a hand written note on it,
marking what model and bike size the group is designated to. Each part has
been picked from the warehouse of components, ready to be built up onto
the designated frame.
“In that workshop, only our very best mechanics work. They build all the
bikes that are higher value, like the carbon fibre bikes” explains Martin,
pointing to an expansive and spotless workshop behind glass walls.
When the blank, unpainted frames are returned to Mattighofen, the process
of building the bike begins. From paint, to stickers, to fitting every single part
– the bike is built under the roof of the building we were in.
We go through the double doors into the factory itself. There are a row
of hooks on a track that runs through a lot of the factory. Frames are
transported to the paint area, where they are painted, the paint is set, and
then they move on for stickers. It’s reminiscent of scenes from an abattoir,
but the frames are carcasses that will instead be brought to life, not
destroyed.
Martin leads us to the room where the stickers are placed on the frames.
It’s clean, orderly – and of course empty and silent at the time, “Only women
work here, they make fewer mistakes and work faster than men for this job.
There are no wrinkles in the stickers when the women put them on.”

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DT WHEELS
In a bid to prove the quality of
their product, and maintain quality
control, KTM have partnered
with DT Swiss for the wheels of
their bikes. KTM are passionate
about the quality of their bikes,
from the design, the frame, the
build quality, and didn’t want to
be let down by the wheels. With
DT Swiss providing the materials,
they now build all the wheels for
their bikes in the Mattighofen
factory. Wheels are machine-built
and hand-finished to
their standards, from wheels on
custom RS1 specific hubs to fat
bike wheels.

www.ambmag.com.au - 55

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We’re surprised, but it makes sense. The largest room
has about 20 work stations, basically workbenches with
compressors, tools, relevant small parts and a bike stand.
“Each station has one man and one woman building the bike.
We have found this is the most efficient,” Gaber explains,
matter-of-factly. Far from an employment practice that would
be tolerated in Australia, KTM have made this decision after
trialling different teams and proving it to be more efficient.
Maybe our workplaces could learn something from the
Austrians at KTM?

This process has been refined to be highly efficient – as
efficient as possible to justify the buidling of the bikes taking
place back in Austria. The factory produces 700 bikes a day,
with staff working shifts that start at 6am, finishing at 3pm,
with structured breaks. Again, they have shown this is the
most efficient time to work, with breaks managed to maximise
productivity.

MADE IN AUSTRIA
The small changes and moves for efficient production intrigue
us, but Martin is still very matter-of-fact, “Ja, but we have to. If
we can’t be so efficient our production moves to Asia.” And with
it lots of jobs for this small town. The whole company strives
for the efficiencies in production and workplace practices, and
not without reason. KTM have been approved by the Austrian
Government to label their bikes “Made in Austria”, something
that the whole company is very proud of. Austrian people like
to support Austrian products, and although Germany is the
largest customer for KTM bikes buying about 60 000 bikes
a year, Austria is only just behind, buying about 50 000 a
year, despite a much smaller population, barely 10% of their
northern neighbour.
This reward is a fantastic result for the company, being able
to come back from the verge of bankruptcy in 1997, to keeping
their bike building in Austria, to earn the title “Made in Austria”
and keeping final production out of Asia, something that the
Taiwanese born (but Salzburg based) owner Ms. Carol ChenUrkauf worked hard to achieve.
We left amazed that a company working so hard to keep their
production line out of Asia, is operated by a Taiwanese born
owner. But she lives in Austria, and that’s where she wants
her bikes built, so they can be labelled “Made in Austria”. It
seems like the division of the original company was the divorce
settlement for the owner, with Mrs KTM taking bikes, and
Mr KTM taking motorbikes. And Ms Chen-Urkauf has done a
brilliant job. - ( AMB )

E-BIKES
Perhaps more divisive than the
wheel size debate is the introduction
of E-bikes to the mountain bike
world. KTM delivered the first
E-Downhill bike in 2011, and their
range of dual suspension and
hardtail E-MTBs is quite impressive.
While we don’t receive them on
the Australian market, the factory
has a whole separate wing for
E-bike building and testing, as staff
specialise in their role, and keep
the efficiency of the work place
very high. E-bikes are big business
for KTM, 15% of the bikes they sell
are electronically assisted, and
they make up 30% of their annual
turnover.

56 - AMB

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and lessons, combined with unrivalled chairlift access, a beautiful alpine
village and Australia’s highest mountain range to explore, Thredbo provides
a truly unique biking experience. Come experience it for yourself!

thredbo.com.au | 1300 020 589
*Terms and conditions apply. See thredbo.com.au

Worldmags.net

WELCOME TO
THE

hub
HELLO 2015 !

www.ambmag.com.au - 59

Camelbak Rogue
What: A small sized hydration bag that will carry
2L of fluid and all your trail essentials via two
pockets and a stash area. Sternum strap only,
so it sits high not low. Easy external access to the
reservoir for mid-ride or mid-race top ups.
Fluid: 2L
Price: $99.95

Worldmags.net
ShimaNo u6

Camelbak luXe

What: A close fitting, stable backpack that hugs
your body. Side access for left or right handed
riders, with two smaller pockets for valuables
and tools. The harness crosses the body and can
be adjusted for back length, which is why it’s so
stable. A great one to try before you buy.

What: A women’s specific bag with a shorter
torso, curved straps and softer padding and
materials so it’s still comfortable with a
sleeveless top. One huge compartment with a
large stash panel and compartmentalized front
pocket for spares and essentials.

Fluid: 2L
Price: $69.95

Fluid: 3L
Price: $129.95

Buyer’s Guide :
Backpacks

There’s only so far you can get on pockets and bottles, and
with summer and longer daylight hours here, it’s worth
looking at some of the new or updated backpacks. From
something for a quick jaunt, to rides from dawn to dusk, and
even ones to help keep you in one piece, here’s a selection
from what is currently on the Australian market.

Camelbak kudu 18
What: Camelbak’s answer to the need
for inbuilt protection, the Kudu 18 has a
removable (and replaceable) three layer
back protection board. Mated with a secure
harness with a broad hipbelt, the pack
should stay in place to add some more
spine protection in a big touch down. With
room for pads, spares, a helmet holder,
tools, a media pocket and a rain cover, the
Kudu is an ideal gravity-riding companion.
Fluid: BYO reservoir
Price: $249.95

Camelbak m.u.l.e. NV
What: The hydration system which all
trail bags aspire to. The NV back system
promotes air flow and adds comfort when
this is loaded up. And with a large main
compartment, stuff panel, and compartments for all spares, tools and even a
raincover, this bag should cover trail rides
to all day epics
Fluid: 3L
Price: $179.95
60 - AMB

BLiss ArG verticAL LD

Worldmags.net
Deuter rAce exp Air

shimAnO r12

What: Using the ARG protection system that Bliss
use in their body armour, the Vertical LD has a
secure harness to hold the protection in place. It’s
quite long, ensuring great coverage but shorter
riders will want to try it on. Straps for pads, a
large pocket for gear, room for a bladder, and
plenty of smaller pockets for storing your spares
and essentials

What: The cycle commuting stalwart, it also
makes for a great all day riding bag. With room
for a large bladder, an off the back system to keep
sweat patches smaller, and a main compartment
that expands, it’s very versatile. There’s a small
pocket for tools, keys and spares, plus side pockets. With a helmet holder and rain cover, you’re
covered for a whole lot of exploring.

What: Sticking with the need for comfort,
the R12 has a wide profile with broad straps,
plus a sternum strap and hip belt. The large
compartment has pockets for spares and tools,
supplemented by a valuables pocket and padded
media pockeyt

Fluid: BYO reservoir
Price: $220

Fluid: BYO reservoir
Size: 12+3 L
Price: $139.99

Fluid: BYO reservoir
Price: $49.95

Deuter crOss Air 20
What: If the Race Exp Air doesn’t fit your day’s
needs, the Cross Air 20 will. With a larger main
pocket and broader profile, it will easily do
double duty for those who need a bag off the
bike too. Using the same Air Comfort system,
the straps are also more padded for bigger
loads. The helmet carrier acts as a stash panel,
and it still comes with side pockets and small
pockets for your tools. Compressions straps
keep smaller loads stable
Fluid: BYO reservoir
Size: 20L
Price: $149.99

Osprey rev 12L
What: A lightweight offering that bridges the
space between a trail bag and a daypack. With
one large pocket for a days worth of supplies or
extra clothing, it adds storage on the hip belt
and even a phone holder on the shoulder strap.
Super light at 470g, this could be enough for a
very lightweight overnight trip if you know what
you’re doing.
Fluid: 2.5L bladder included
Size: 12L (1.5L – 24L models available)
Price: $129.95
www.ambmag.com.au - 61

testeD

GoPro Hero 4
Black edition
WOrDS AND PHOTOS: rIcHIe TYLer

The promo video for the Hero4 begins with a voiceover: “Life is either an incredible adventure, or
it’s nothing at all.” It sets the tone for the inevitably astonishing montage that is to follow, but also
serves to echo the approach GoPro appear to have
taken with their latest top-of-the-line camera.

Worldmags.net

let there be light
Low-light performance has always been action
cameras’ Achilles heel. When the sun goes down,
the fixed aperture of action cameras means they
have less flexibility in absorbing available light.
The promo video features extensive clips of night
time scenes, aided by light sources such as fireworks and street lights.
Helping to achieve this is a new Auto Low Light
mode that automatically adjusts the camera’s
frame rate according to light conditions. And for
the more experienced, GoPro have introduced
ProTune, which will allow users to tune settings
such as ISO, white balance and colour.

It seems GoPro have thrown everything at the
Hero4 Black edition, in terms of setting the
standard for action cameras, a market they have
rapidly come to dominate.

In practice, the Hero4 certainly delivers a massive
improvement in low-light performance over my
much loved, but comparatively antiquated Hero
2. Improvements in overall picture quality and a
faster image processor help provide this boost
alongside the built-in automatic mode.

Doubling up

the neeD for speeD

The Hero4’s predecessor was one of the first
action cameras to shoot in 4K resolution. At the
time it appeared to be overkill given the already
impressive quality of 1080p HD footage. But now,
with mediums like YouTube and an increasing
number of super-high resolution devices making
their way to market, GoPro appear to have again
set themselves up with a handy head start over
rivals.

In addition to faster processing and frame rates,
the Hero4 also speeds up the interface with the
GoPro app. With built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, the
app has always been a handy tool for lining up
shots, and any improvement in the delay between
the two is a welcome addition.

The Hero4’s 4K resolution is impressive, and the
introduction of 24fps, 25fps and 30fps shooting
modes at the highest resolution - up from 15fps will allow professional and amateur producers to
do a lot more with those extra pixels (24fps and up
being industry standard frame rates).
For those of us happy to stick to 1080p for the
time being, the Hero4 delivers a treat. That mode
now offers a 120fps option (up from 60fps), so
expect to see a lot more very clear, slow motion
sequences on YouTube soon.
While a lot of us are happy to just grab our
camera and go, the significance of this raft of
higher numbers will do a lot to push the standard
and consistency of footage gathered by these
cameras. GoPro deserves credit for leading from
the front.
62 - AMB

Altering settings has also been sped up by virtue
of a button on the side of the camera which allows
you to quickly change things such as frame rates
or resolution.

over-the-top?
An article in The New York Times recently
suggested that GoPro’s imposing (or impressive,
depending on your point of view) feature list
would be a threat to less-featured but perhaps
more user-friendly rivals. The introduction of
features like ProTune indeed marks a move away
from traditional simplicity, but it’s a reasonable
progression given the ubiquity of their use by both
amateurs and professionals alike.
At $639, the Hero4 Black marks an increase in the
price of GoPro’s flagship. For some, that might be
a little too much to justify, particularly given the
glut of options available, however if you’re after
the best, the Hero4 remains in a class of its own.

essentiAls
hits
- Market-leading resolution
- 1080p HD 120fps mode
- Low light performance

Misses
- Price might be a bit high for
some to swallow

rrp $639
vsport.com.au

teSteD

Worldmags.net

Contour
roam 3
WORDS AND PHOTOS: RICHIE TyLER

In a busy marketplace, Contour deserve their
reputation as one of the pioneering action camera
brands. The release of the company’s entry-level
Roam 3 comes amid an almost weekly release
of new rivals, but their new offering is proof that
playing to your strengths can often pack a bigger
punch than a long list of options.

Shaping up
Before they became must-have consumer
products, minute cameras were the bastion of
high-octane sports broadcasters. Lipstick cameras spread throughout the bodies of racing cars
and motorcycles delivered a point of view that
although commonplace now, was revolutionary
then.
The Contour form has always harked back to
these predecessors. And while others have
followed rectangular design queues, the Roam 3
maintains the stem-length shape, which minimises the frontal area exposed to the wind.
Aero considerations may be down the list for
those of us simply trying to capture our first hit
out on that new trail, but the low profile is perfect
for helmets or tucked beneath saddles and stems.
The camera is larger and heavier than some of
its rectangular rivals, though depending on how
many brackets you need to use to align the latter,
this difference could be minimal.

The camera can be fixed on almost any angle by
virtue of a lens that can be rotated through 270º to
ensure the proper aspect ratio is maintained with
a simple twist. It’s a standout feature that marks
it out from rivals. A built in laser level helps you
make sure things are lined up correctly.

Keep it SiMple
The Roam 3 eschews the trend for myriad settings. A sliding record/stop button mounted on top
of the camera takes care of activating the 1080p
HD video recording at 30fps (or 720p at 60fps),
which is saved to a Micro SD card. The camera
comes supplied with an 8GB card, so you can get
started straight away - a considerate inclusion
when most other manufacturers having you
forking out for a card before you can shoot your
first frame.
The aforementioned record slide fires up with
minimal lag, so you stand a good chance of
grabbing the moment your buddy doesn’t quite
stick his landing. A dedicated button on the rear
of the camera takes care of capturing still images,
including a burst mode.
Quality of footage produced by the Roam 3 is
excellent.
The battery is one aspect of the Roam 3 that is a
little disappointing. A full charge will deliver up to
3.5 hours of recording, however its 3-hour charge
cycle means you have a long wait before getting
back out there. This wasn’t an issue during our
test, but you’ll have to ration power on long days
out.
At first glance the apparent dearth of features
may be seen as a disadvantage in their frenzied
marketplace, however it’s hard to fault a product

that can be used by anyone straight out of the box
and deliver incredible quality results.
The camera’s case-free body is waterproof to 10
metres. This rules it out for deep sea diving but
should see it handle almost anything else with
respect to rain, mud or snow.
Other cameras can be used without their cases
though in the time it takes to tuck them inside
their protective cocoon the Contour has already
been rolling for 15 seconds. Certainly not a deal
breaker, but yet another easily overlooked example of the considered approach taken in marrying
form and function.
There’s a lot packed into the Roam 3, and with a
AU$299.95 asking price, worthy of a place near
the top of options out there in the entry-level
market.

eSSentialS
hitS
- Easy to use
- Rotating lens provides plenty
of mounting options
- Inclusion of a Micro SD card makes
it plug-and-play

MiSSeS
- Not as waterproof as some rivals
- Professional users may miss some features
- Long battery charge cycle

RRp $299.95
Moto National Accessories
www.motonational.com.au
www.ambmag.com.au - 63

teSted

Worldmags.net

Dakine
Clothing

though, as it is very American and
will fit a little larger than expected.
There is a little sunglasses wipe
inside the hem that’s separated from
the main fabric of the jersey so you
shouldn’t end up with sweat smears
all over your eyewear.

WorDs: ADAM MACBeTh PhoTos: TBs

traVerSe GloVeS

I was pretty excited to get my hands
on some Dakine kit, and wasn’t
disappointed.

Gloves are a very personal thing,
but I loved the minimal nature of the
Traverse glove, with it’s unpadded
palm and moisture wicking, four
way stretch upper. The heavy ridges
along the back of the hand and
knuckle fend of branches nicely
without adding unnecessary rigidity
to the glove. once secured the wrist
band is barely noticeable and allows
for a wide range of adjustment.
Being able to wipe your nose and
use your smart phone are nice
features too.

Boundary ShortS
Featuring no stitching whatsoever
via fully welded seams, the
Boundary shorts are nothing short
of unbelievably comfortable. The
Comp liner short they come with
as standard is pretty good as far as
liners go, but it is removable and
with bib shorts underneath, the
Boundarys have become one of my
go-to shorts for all day trail rides.
They ought to be a solid choice
for summer too with inner thigh
ventilation letting plenty of breeze in
where you need it.

Vectra Short SleeVe JerSey
Light weight and with a very relaxed
fit the Vectra is cut really well,
allowing for a full range of on-bike
movement without any bunching up,
even when wearing a pack. It’s also
available in a range of colours that
are a little more subtle than some
of the other trail inspired jerseys
on the market and there’s plenty of
room in the arms if you want to run
elbow pads. Take care with sizing
64 - AMB

eSSentialS
hitS
- hugely comfortable
- Great colourways

MiSSeS
- Unusual size on jersey

rrP - Taverse Gloves $39.90
- Bounday shorts $169.99
- Vectra Jersey $59.99
KWT Nominees
Ph : 07 5445 1991

Worldmags.net

testeD

Worldmags.net

NikoN 1 AW1
CAmerA
WoRDS AND PHoToS : MIkE BLEWITT

What’s the use of going somewhere awesome
on your bike if you can’t share it? Even with the
cameras on our phones getting better, nothing
can capture the depth of scenery, colours, or fast
action quite like a quality camera. While few of
us can afford to invest in the sort of equipment
used by professional MTB photographers like
Tim Bardsley-Smith, there are a range of ‘hybrid’
cameras that mix the ease-of-use of a compact
point and shoot camera, with Digital SLR features
like larger image sensors and the ability to swap
lenses.
The Nikon 1 AW1 is one such camera. Built as an
action camera, it is waterproof to 15m, shockproof
for a drop of up to 2m onto a hard surface, and
can operate to well below freezing. The body has
a rugged build, employing a combination of alloy,
stainless steel and a tough polycarbonate.
The back of the camera has a 75mm wide screen,
and it shows the true colour of what you’re shooting, which is handy for getting settings right if
you take it off automatic. The camera captures 14
megapixels stills, and can shoot HD video at 60fps
in 1080p format.
The AW1 became familiar after a short period
of playing around with the camera. The body
almost felt too slim where the handgrip is, but
this is a minor gripe. The back of the camera is
easy to use for standard shooting. You’ll have to
dive into an on screen menu for changing modes,
which can slow things down a little if you have
mates waiting for you so you can keep on riding.
Thankfully, exposure compensation settings are
easy to access, which is really good for mountain
biking, as we always seem to be in high or low
66 - AMB

light situations. It resets each time you switch
the camera off, which saves bodging a shot after
quickly turning it on.
Right near the thumb rest there’s a button to
move to an action control mode, which allows
you to change the shooting mode by simply tilting
the angle of the camera. Given the position of the
button I found myself using the mode by accident
rather than by intent, though once used to the
camera it’s a useful function.
The video button is set on top of the camera,
alongside the shutter button. This is fantastic for
capturing video right away, and so you don’t need
to fumble taking your gloves off. It’s probably even
more useful under water or with ski gloves on. It
did mean that I occasionally started to shoot video
instead of a photo. “Um, do you mind riding that
section again?”
I must confess I did accidentally test the shock
proof rating, dropping the camera on the floor,
and also crashing onto it while it was in a light
backpack. The camera didn’t miss a beat.
The video quality is top notch, as are the burst
photo rates. The latter allows to shoot at up to
60 photos per second, but 15fps was a better
rate for capturing riders at speed, without having
too many images to review. There’s also a handy
time lapse option, but the results of trying to ride
a section of trail on a set 10 second time lapse
weren’t amazing, so that’s probably best dedicated to family shots and selfies.
Taking the camera off automatic gives you access
to settings such as creative mode, so you can play
with shutter speed and aperture priority, use a
miniature effect, or run selective colours. These

are some great features to grow into, but I found
the automatic function while playing with the exposure compensation yielded some great results
for quick photo stops on a ride. And it was indeed
fast, taking just under 2 seconds from the camera
being off to capturing a still.
The stock lens (30-74mm of zoom) can be
changed for another waterproof 27mm lens,
which is a little faster. Any other Nikon 1 lenses
will fit, but won’t be waterproof. The length
of these lenses means it’s not really a pocket
camera unless you remove the lens each time you
stow it. However, it seems a fair compromise for
the quality of image the lenses deliver.
I was really happy with the quality of the images
this camera could capture. Due to it’s size it isn’t
as easy to stash into a bag for a ride, but if you’re
interested in getting some higher quality images
while mountain biking or other sports, this is a
great model to look at. Check out the Nikon website for full technical specifications.

esseNtiALs
Hits
- Waterproof and shockproof
- simple menu system
- image quality

Misses
- limited range of lenses
- not compact

RRP $999
nikon.com.au

Worldmags.net

presented by

testeD

Shimano
m200

WORDS: ADAM MACBETh PhOTOS: TBS, ShIMAnO

The newest addition to Shimano’s shoe range, the
M200, has been designed for the more aggressive
trail rider or enduro racer, offering versatile
performance in a variety of situations.
Engineered to maintain comfort and flexibility
through all ranges of rider motion, the M200
is the upper echelon of Shimano’s new shoes
featuring TORBAL (Torsional Balance) technology.
TORBAL allows the outsole of the shoe to
twist, providing unrestricted movement during
aggressive, technical riding or ‘getting loose.’
Unlike many of Shimano’s previous trail shoes
like the AM range, the forefoot is much more
secure and remains aligned with the pedal.
The first thing I noticed was the significantly
reduced weight over shoes like the AM45 despite
having many similar features. The laces cover
remains but gone are traditional laces replaced
with a system reminiscent of light weight trail
running shoes. Above that a traditional ratchet
buckle holds the instep securely. At first the
M200s felt a lot tighter than previous Shimano
shoes I tried, and I was concerned that I might
need to go to the wider E-Fit shoe. Wearing them
around the office for a day without cleats proved

68 - AMB

Worldmags.net

I was wrong though and it seems the TORBAL
upper just takes a little more time to shape
to your foot. My advice – really take your time
deciding on size with these.
On the trail the M200s are some of the best shoes
I have ridden in. Seriously. More comfort and
protection than a more cross country styled shoe
but without much of a weight penalty and much
better ventilated than the AM shoes. The sole is
stiff enough for racing, especially when teamed
with a slightly bigger platformed pedal (such as
Shimano XT Trail or Crank Brothers Mallets) but
is soft enough that hike-a-bike on wet sandstone
is no problem at all. They might still be a little
warm in the middle of summer but really, what
isn’t?
The M200s are a great choice if you’re after an
extremely versatile shoe capable of trail riding,
enduro or downhill racing and even some
recreational cross country or bikepacking.

esseNtiALs
Hits
- Protection
- comfort
- weight

Misses
- Green is not for everyone, matched our
Dakine kit though

RRP $229
Shimano Australia

teSteD

Worldmags.net
◀

◀

Flow Y BrA iV

Free to Be BrA

All Sport BrA

◀

◀

LuLuLemon Bras
WordS : IMogEN SMITh

Lululemon’s corporate Statement of
Intent is: Elevating the world from
mediocrity to greatness. While I’m
not sure I was elevated to greatness,
at least one of the bras I tested was
perfect for proper mountain biking
and, depending on your size, others
will be as well.
Lululemon’s yoga-inspired
sportswear brand was founded in
Canada in the 1990s, and they’ve
made their presence felt in Australia
in the last few years, opening several
stores in our major cities. In the
cycling world, they’re namingrights sponsors of Team Specialized
Lululemon pro women’s road team.
Known for making the kind of bras
you want to wear out, their focus is
on technical fabrics and colourful
designs.
I’ve tested three crops, so they may
not be suitable for women who need
support beyond what this style can
offer. The Lululemon range does
feature some more supportive bras,
too, however.
Mountain biking places demands on
your girls that are pretty similar to

those of running, and more. While it
goes without saying that it’s bumpy,
the fact that your position has you
leaning forward and down also makes
it tough for bras that support you
from below to do the job adequately.
Look for a crop with good coverage,
and that’s firm and stretchy enough
to help with this.
All three bras came with removable
padding that I immediately discarded
for weight-saving purposes.

All Sport BrA
$65
The best bra I tested of the three, by
far, is the All Sport Bra. I wore it for
intense and technical cross country
racing and some marathon races,
and it was infallibly comfortable
and supportive. This comes down to
smooth flat seams, wide, flat straps,
cross-over back, and cool, smooth
fabric: Lululemon’s ‘Luxtreme’,
which has four-way stretch. I’d
whole-heartedly recommend this
as a very supportive crop that’s also
comfortable to wear with heart rate
monitor straps. It would probably suit
riders up to a C size.

HitS - My new favourite bra
MiSSeS - Not everyone will like the

Free to Be BrA
$59

wide straps

Flow Y BrA iV
$49
This is a really cute crop and I wore it
on and off the bike, although I didn’t
feel it offered quite enough support
for hard-core XC or gravity-type
riding. It’d be great for a training ride
on fire road and trails that aren’t too
rocky or bumpy, especially if you’re
smaller than a B, and it’s really
attractive under singlets or layered so
it peeks through.
The Flow Y is very comfortable, with
a sweat-wicking liner and is very soft
and pliable and the back mesh panel
designed for breathability look almost
like lace. Wearing a heart-rate
monitor is a little tricky with this one,
as I had to drag the band beneath the
bust down further to fit it in, which
left me more exposed at the top.

HitS - Breathable, attractive, and

While I loved the style of this crop,
it really didn’t offer enough support
for anything more than a road ride
for me. It’s cut quite low at the front,
which looks great, but doesn’t offer
the right support for mountain biking,
and not much room for a heart-rate
monitor strap, either... The Lululemon
website says it’s designed for ‘smallbusted hot yoga enthusiasts’, so I’m
not surprised. That said, a lot of us
are involved in a few sports, so if you
were going from a spin class to yoga,
or to the gym then a quick ride to
work, it’s a great bra to take you from
one to another, and is smooth and
comfy, with beautiful, flexy, colourful
straps worth showing off.

HitS - Extremely pretty design
MiSSeS - Very low support and
coverage, probably not great for any
ride requiring a suspension fork
From: www.lululemon.com.au

comfy

MiSSeS - Quite low support and a
bit tough to fit the heart rate monitor
strap in
www.ambmag.com.au - 69

TESTED

DT SwiSS
EX1501
whEEl SET
WORDS: ADAM FERNyHOUGH PHOTOS : TBS

It seems like picking a new set of wheels is
just as complicated as deciding on a new bike
nowadays. After running the perfectly adequate
DT/WTB set that came on my Bronson, I set out
looking for a new set of hoops. The choice is
endless: custom build? Carbon rims? How wide?
Number of spokes? The list goes on. I’m not 100%
convinced of carbon rims yet and certainly don’t
have the budget for the brand name items nor
the confidence in some of the online direct buy
wheels that are currently on offer.
I was looking for a set of wheels that would be
reliable, robust, reasonably light and serviceable
for an upcoming trip to Europe. I didn’t like the
idea of being unable to buy a specific spoke if the
need arose and wanted something that could be
trued up, trail side, with a regular spoke key. With
that in mind I had a mental checklist of what I
wanted: alloy rim, ready to ride off the shelf, DT
Swiss spokes and a durable hub. I’ve had good
success with DT Swiss wheels and hubs before
and always use their spokes. When I found the EX
1501 Spline wheels I was immediately interested.
70 - AMB

Worldmags.net

DT Swiss have built on their success of the 240
hub with their new Spline hub, which features a
two piece casing which has brought the weight
down, with upgraded internals from the 240 hub.
The hub engagement is handled by their patented
Ratchet System, colloquially described as a fish
scale engagement. The Spline One hub uses 36
tooth ratchet plates which gives engagement every
10 degrees, for a very quick and noticeable pick up
particularly in technical sections were quick crank
adjustments are required.
The hub takes easily available butted spokes,
straight pull at the hub with DT’s patented Pro Head
Reinforcement System at the rim interface. The join
is spherical with the spoke nipple making up the
ball and socket pivot. DT claim advantages such as
improved load transfer, ease of maintenance and
reduced spoke breakage as some of the advantages.
The EX1501 wheel set uses a completely new rim
to the DT line up. The 1501 rim has a 25mm inner
and 29mm external width, is seamlessly welded and
comes tubeless ready with DT rim tape. The whole
package, set up in 27.5” with 142x12 rear and 15mm
front comes in at just over 1700grams for the pair.
Setting up my tyres tubeless was simple, with no
leaks from the join, spokes or bead. The 29mm
profile increased the profile of a 2.3 Maxxis High
Roller compared to the WTB rims, with a broader
footprint.
I was off to Italy for some proper ‘euro enduro’
riding. After a few flights, a night in Monaco, and
borrowing a mates van I was driving to Lake Garda
for a week of riding. For those who don’t know,
Lake Garda is in northern Italy at the base of the
Dolomites and is a haven for riders looking to
avoid the busier resort towns of Les Gets, Morzine
and Chatel – yet it still offers mile after mile of big
mountain riding.

Ascending in a shuttle bus from less than 100
meters to 2000 metres above sea level every
morning means that you and your equipment
is going to get a workout. In 7 days I rode the
DT’s about 200 km’s, with about 6000 metres of
climbing and over 10,000 metres of descending,
often battling the meanest of hangovers! And
the DT’s performed flawlessly both on punishing
climbs and killer descents. Following Garda
the DT’s were taken on a UK tour of Welsh trail
centers, locals only trails, the ‘Tour de Barnsley’,
including Peaty’s Wharncliffe trails (special
thanks to Paddy). All in all another 250kms and
another 6000 metres of climbing and descending.
No flats, no dings, no pinches, no burps, just
perfect spinning and rolling wheels that do exactly
what they were designed to do.
In a market where you can spend $3000 on a set
of wheels the EX1501’s come in at far less than
half that and while still not cheap they are a high
quality item, which should see many seasons of
use and abuse, and have the advantage of being
rebuildable and serviceable as you go.

ESSENTiALS
HiTS
- Quality Parts
- Tubeless out of the box
- value

MiSSES
- straight pull spokes not as common as Jbend

RRP $1699
www.apollobikes.com.au

Worldmags.net

Mt Buller
Bike Park
HOME OF THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE’S

FIRST AND ONLY IMBA Epic Trail

the Australian Alpine Epic

Experience world
class biking at Mt Buller:
Be part of history this summer and ride
Mt Buller’s newest and most spectacular
trail, the 40km Australian Alpine Epic.
– Over 120km of quality XC trails
– 5 chairlift-assisted gravity tracks
– Modular pump track
– 2 skills parks
– Bike-friendly accommodation
– Bike shuttles, events for all disciplines,
clinics, tours and much more.

bike.mtbuller.com.au

TESTED

Worldmags.net

Boundary Breaker
the Yeti SB6C

PhotogrAPher: tBS teSter: MAtt NAuthe

Yeti’s long & reputable history in the mountain bike scene has long been
associated with pushing the boundaries of mountain bike design and
innovation. The Colorado based company’s latest offering, the SB5c looks
to be no different with the introduction of a new suspension system and
redefining what is considered necessary for a killer trail bike.
the SB5c straddles the gravity and trail section of the range. With 127mm
travel on 650B wheels, the bike is half way between their XC dually ASr C
(100mm/29er or 650B) & the enduro SB6C (157mm/650B). this is their go
anywhere, do anything bike.
the marketing claims it to be “What a trail bike should be — lightweight,
great pedalling uphill and a screamer going down. this bike will make
you smile.” Also, this bike has been ridden to multiple eWS (enduro World
Series) wins. Further pushing its case for being a confident descender.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
there is something unmistakably
cool about Yetis and the SB5C is no
exception. the new shape is sleek,
curvy and carries the unmistakable
air of Yeti cool and class. Continuing
with Yeti’s gravity orientated
tradition the SB5C sports a low
bottom bracket and slack geometry.
And it just looks plain fast!
the grey decals on the matte
black frame is quite understated,
and allows the eye to wander
slowly over the entire package
to appreciate all the subtleties.
turquoise highlights add a splash of
colour with Yeti stamped composite
frame protectors and pivot bolts
adding to the cohesiveness. it must
be mentioned that for those who
are not afraid of colour it is also
available in straight turquoise.
the main talking point though is the
new Switch infinity, a system that
has been created in collaboration
with Fox racing Suspension and has
been over 3 years in the making.
the new design takes key features
and results from Yeti’s 303 Dh and
Switch technologies to create the
hybrid Switch infinity. the heart of
the new system is the “translating
Pivot”, a dual rail system that uses
Fox seals, bushings & Kashima
coated shafts. in a nutshell this pivot
initially moves up on the rails giving

72 - AMB

the bike a rearward axle path for
improved pedalling and small bump
absorption. Deeper in the travel the
pivot moves downwards, reducing
the amount of chain tension allowing
the suspension to absorb the bigger
hits. the shock itself is a Fox Float
CtD.
the bike is built with a SrAM Xo1
drivetrain 1x11 setup with an 11-42
tooth rear block with a 32t chainring. the brakes are the new Sram
guides, and suspension duties are
left to a rockShox Pike Charge up
front with 140mm travel & 15mm
Maxle. other notables include
routing for a stealth dropper post,
142x12mm rear axle, bolt on iSCg
mounts for a chain device and direct
front mech mount for those who are
that way inclined.
Yeti oz offer multiple options with
their build kits allowing for the
rider to customize the bike to their
specifications prior to being shipped.
For this bike test, a more enduro
build was chosen with options like a
50mm thomson stem and rockShox
reverb dropper post to increase
confidence descending in steeper
terrain. the Maxxis Ardent 2.4/
ikon 2.2 tyres move more toward
the ‘trail’ end of the spectrum
but with plenty of test time and
highroller 2.4’s on hand multiple
tyre combinations would be tested.
they’re setup on Dt wheels with 350
hubs and XM 401 rims.

Worldmags.net

MATT NAUTHE
RIDER BIO
Riding Experience: Over
15 years on mountain
bikes, riding worldwide
Generally Rides: Yeti
SB66C, Yeti ASR5C,
Salsa El Mariachi
Height: 183cm
Weight: 78g
Bike Test Track: Upper,
Lower Blue Mountains
and Northern Beaches

www.ambmag.com.au - 73

Suspension pressures were setup to manufacturers
specification for rider weight & trail tuning backed
right off. The Pikes were setup with a preload spacer
to increase the progressiveness of the travel and
to reduce harsh bottoming out on the bigger blows
encountered in the rougher conditions.
With all inclusions the SB5C weighed in at a
very impressive 11.6kg. This puts it at the lighter
end of the scale for a trail bike. The kicker to
this though is that as setup it is aimed at the
“enduro” racer, with considerably heavier parts
than needed for an everyday trail bike. So, in this
manifestation we have an extremely light enduro
racer. A straight trail bike could be closer to 11kg!

on The Trail
Straight off the shelf this bike felt comfortable,
the large size was spot on for my 183cms. The
longer top tube made longer rides more pleasant,
being able to stretch out on the climbs. Standover height is generous due to the sweeping top
tube. Sizing has changed slightly from previous
years so if you are on the line between sizes it will
pay to sit on both.
Out in flowing singletrack the SB5c is balanced,
zippy and loves nothing more than popping off
that root or gapping that rock section. Its small
bump and square edge compliancy is improved
from the previous generation of SB’s (66/95) with
the ride smoother than before in chattery terrain.
But it’s when the terrain becomes steep and loose
that it shows its true colours. The bike revels in
the rough, diabolical climbs of old washed out
trail, locking the wheels to the ground allowing
the rider to stomp away to their hearts content.
The efficiency is top notch, the power transfer
through the pedals feeling very direct and with only
minimal suspension bob even in ‘descend’ mode.

74 - AMB

Worldmags.net

On the downhills the low, long and slack
geometry coupled with the balanced suspension
makes for a predictable and confidence inspiring
ride. The lateral stiffness of the frame begs the
rider to tell it what to do. The bike will obediently
hold a precise line without the rear wandering
off into oblivion. The SB5c rails through berms
and drifts flat corners with aplomb. This is a bike
that handles the bigger, faster lines but it must
be noted that there is a smaller margin in the
equation with less suspension to bail you out of
trouble should it arise. I can lay testament to that!

“in a nuTshell This pivoT
iniTially moves up on The rails
giving The bike a rearward axle
paTh for improved pedalling
and small bump absorpTion.
deeper in The Travel The pivoT
moves downwards, reducing
The amounT of chain Tension
allowing The suspension To
absorb The bigger hiTs.”

The only changes made to the bike during testing
were the tyres. The Maxxis Ardent/Ikon combo
was good in general conditions, being light and
fast rolling. But I wanted more in steeper, looser
conditions. Trialling different combos I found the
Maxxis Highroller/Ardent was killer, the bigger
bagged tyres allowing slightly less pressure to
be run, oodles more grip and increased braking
performance whilst not sacrificing too much
additional weight or rolling resistance.

our Take
It’s hard to nail down one aspect of this bike as
its key feature, doing everything well is its best
attribute. This is a bike that excels in all areas
required to make an outstanding trail bike. It
climbs efficiently, is zippy out of the blocks &
descends confidently.
This is a bike that holds appeal for a wide range
of riders. First and foremost it is a brilliant trail
bike, a light and nimble climber and a confident
descender. It’s a bike that you can ride all day
and hit all the big lines confidently. The gravity
focused enduro racer should certainly take a look;
as it is proven on the world stage. It is however
more suited to experienced riders, with the SB6c
more applicable and forgiving for those starting
out in the enduro discipline.
The marketing claims of “What a trail bike should
be — lightweight, great pedalling uphill and a
screamer going down. This bike will make you
smile” are on the money. This is one outrageously
fun bike!

Three Things you liked
abouT The bike
- Descends like a bike with more travel.
- Efficient climber & zippy in the rough
terrain.
- Routing for stealth dropper post

Three Things you would
change abouT The bike
- More aggressive tyres
- Internal cable routing
- Smaller price tag?

Worldmags.net

tEstED

EssEntials
Brand
Yeti
Model
SB 5C
rrP
$8520
Weight
11.6kg (as tested)
diStriButor rowney Sports
ContaCt
1300 938 469
www.rowneysports.com

spEcs
availaBle SizeS XS, S, M, l (tested), Xl
FraMe Material Carbon
Fork
rockShox
Pike Charger 140mm
ShoCk
Fox Float Ctd adjust Bv
ShiFterS
SraM X01
derailleur
SraM X01
Crank
SraM X1 1400 32t
Chain
SraM X01
CaSSette
SraM X01 10-42t
11-speed
huBS
dt 350
riMS
XM 401 riM
tYreS
Maxxis ikon 2.2
/ardent 2.4
BrakeS
avid guide
SteM
thomson elite 50MM
handleBarS
easton haven
Carbon 740MM
SeatPoSt
rockShox reverb
Stealth
Saddle
Yeti WtB volt Custom

www.ambmag.com.au - 75

Worldmags.net

THE TSAR OF
ZASKAR
ThE GT ZASKAr

PhoToGrAPhEr: TBS TESTEr: MIKE BLEWITT

GT has been around a long time, since Gary Turner welded
his own bullet proof BMX frame together in 1972. And once a
brand has started in BMX, it’s hard for them to move away from
a racing heritage and a ‘ride it like you stole it’ mentality. Bike
brands have whole departments set up to deliver a message
about their bikes – but how do you beat the founder welding his
own frames to race on?
76 - AMB

The Zaskar range is available in both 29 and 27.’5”
wheel size. GT haven’t taken a firm stand on one
wheel size to rule them all, letting riders decide
what suits them better. But it’s clear they have
moved on from 26” for all but their most entry
level bikes. GT have very aggressive pricing, but
their range does top out fairly quickly. There is
just one Zaskar model above this one.

InItIal ImpressIons
The carbon frame is made with a monocoque
construction, which GT claim to be the strongest
method for producing their frames. From a
tapered head tube, to the bulk of the top tube and
the similarly large down tube – this isn’t a bike
that says ‘subtle’. Especially not with the bright
blue and fluoro yellow graphics. But replaceable
threads for the direct mount disc brakes and a
standard BSA bottom bracket for easier servicing
are some nods towards longterm thinking. Cables
run internally for a neat look, although a right to
left cable routing during the build at the factory
would really neaten up the birds nest at the front
of the bike. Your shop should be able to sort this
out.

mIKe BleWItt
rIDer BIo
riding Experience: half my life
preferring time on two wheels
Generally rides: Bianchi
Methanol 29 hT and FS, Scott
CX Team
height: 180cm
Weight: 72kg
Bike Test Track: Trails North of
the Bridge

Worldmags.net

And what about the Triple Triangle frame? This
was first developed to increase the strength of
the back end of a hardtail. The chain stays are
shorter, but do continue through to in front of
the seat tube on the top tube. While this makes
sense for steel, aluminium and titanium, carrying
the same design into carbon does change things
a little. When most brands look to make the
rear end of a hardtail more compliant, GT are
producing a frame that looks stiffer. But, the
design is said to move force from the seat stays
through to the top tube, making a bike that’s stiff
for agile handling, but still providing some rider
comfort by taking the force up the seat stays away
from the seat tube and seatpost.
The numbers on the bike are steep, with a 72
degree head angle and 73.5 degree seat angle.
The longer top tube and significant bottom
bracket drop help with stability.
The group set on the bike is primarily the tried
and tested Shimano SLX, in a 2x10 setup. The
brakes, cranks, front derailleur and cassette
scale back to Deore – but that doesn’t impact
on the performance. A lot of these parts carry
some extra weight compared to their pricier

Three Things you liked
abouT The bike
- Fast and agile handling
- Trail friendly cockpit setup
- Tubeless ready out of the box

Three Things you would
change abouT The bike
- A wider rear tyre – as manageable
- More aggressive tyres if you ride trail
- Lighter wheels if you want to race

siblings, but they’re highly functional and strong.
An oversized front rotor adds some more beef to
the braking. The RockShox Recon fork provides
100mm of travel with rebound adjustment and a
handlebar mounted PopLoc lever.
A mountain bike needs a great wheel and tyre
setup to get the most out of it, and the Zaskar
has tubeless ready WTB rims laced to a Shimano
rear hub and oversized Taiwanese front hub. The
wheels come with WTB tubeless tape inside and

TesTed

the bike came with valves, so the Continental
Race King tyres inflated with some Stan’s sealant
and a trackpump. This is a great feature for a bike
at this price point. With a 2.2” tyre on the front,
the 2.0” on the rear looks tiny. But when sighting
it through the frame the reasoning is obvious.
It’s unlikely the same 2.2” on the front would fit
through the seat stays if you did so much as knock
your wheel out of true, or broke a spoke.

on The Trail
Once on the bike, the position and general setup
felt good. The RaceFace handlebars are spot on
for a modern hardtail, at 710mm. They have good
sweep and this is one of the few test bikes where
I haven’t felt the desire to change the handlebars.
I did find the stem a little short for me, but I
erred between medium and large, so that’s not
too surprising. Your GT dealer should make sure
you’re comfortable before you roll out of the shop.
Getting the controls setup was straight forward,
as although non-iSpec Shimano mounts take
up more room, they do allow for more individual
positioning of shifters and brake levers. But
getting the RockShox PopLoc switch into an easy
www.ambmag.com.au - 77

TesTeD

Worldmags.net

essenTials
BRAND
MODEL
RRP
WEIGHT
DISTRIBUTOR

GT
Zaskar 9r Carbon Elite
$2599
11.6kg (as tested)
Monza Bicycle

specs
AVAILABLE SIZES
FRAME MATERIAL
FORK

to reach place took some fine tuning, and I never
felt the straight push of the lever was ergonomic.
The Zaskar is a sharp shooter, with tight angles
being used to keep the 29” wheels feeling fast.
I didn’t find it made things too nervous, but the
geometry is a little steeper than my own bike, and
a lot steeper than some on the market. It’s offset
by the wide handlebars and short stem, but it’s
worth noting if you plan to get a hardtail for some
steeper trails. A steep head can angle get a little
bit useless in super steep trails.
But that’s just one element of the ride – the other
is the fun factor. The Zaskar was a blast on my
local trails, with fairly predictable slide from
the Conti tyres in the dry, sand over hardpack
conditions. I ran the tyre pressures pretty low, in
part to aid comfort from the back end. The 2.0”
tyre should be changed to something suitable
when you roll out of the shop, for more ‘float’ in
sandy trail conditions – something common in
Australia. The Triple Triangle design has kept it a
little tight up top, so check clearance before riding
away.

78 - AMB

Climbing on the Zaskar was nippy, and it was
easy to change line on a tech climb – although
the front end did wander with the short stem. It
helps to really get your weight forward. So like on
the descents, the fast handling bike needs a firm
hand. It needs to be ridden like you stole it – fast.
And that’s not a bad thing.

Our Take
If I needed to sum up the Zaskar in one word,
I’d ask for two: fast and fun. It’s a bit of a mixed
bag, with some trail leanings mixed with race
pedigree. The handling says ‘race me’ but the
cockpit setup and some of the parts specification
is a bit more for general trail riding. Right out of
the box, it’s a great racey hardtail, and one of the
best value carbon hardtails with this kit. This bike
would suit someone looking for a bike for the odd
XC race, something they can slice up singletrack
with, and riding with a sense of purpose. It’s not
really built for dawdling. But for the rider who
loves to get the most out of every pedal stroke,
and every corner – this is a bike you could fall in
love with.

S, M, L, XL
Carbon Fiber
RockShox Recon
Gold RL, 100mm
SHIFTERS
Shimano SLX 2x10
DERAILLEUR
Shimano Deore front,
SLX Shadow Plus Rear
CRANK
Shimano Deore 24/38
BOTTOM BRACKET Shimano
CHAIN
KMC X10
CASSETTE
Shimano HG50,
11-36 10speed
HUBS
Shimano SLX
Centre Lock
SPOKES
DT Swiss Competition
RIMS
WTB i19 TCS, 32H
TYRES
Continental Race King,
2.2” Folding
BRAKES
Shimano Deore
STEM
RaceFace Ride
HANDLEBARS
RaceFace Ride flat, 710
SEATPOST
RaceFace Ride
SADDLE
Fizik Tundra 2

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The world’s only $100 MTB stage race inc
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“Bunny Buster”

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packages
lasseters.com.au

www.easterinthealice.com
@Easter_TheAlice

Easter in the Alice Mountain Bike Muster

Worldmags.net

ADAM MACBETH
RIDER BIO
Riding Experience: Riding biketrials for
15 years. Spent a LOT of time working out
how to ride bikes over stuff you generally
shouldn’t ride bikes over. Recreational
endurance racer and bikepacker. Has a
beard.
Generally rides: Niner Jet 9 RDO, Salsa
Mukluk Fatbike, GT Power Series 24 BMX
Height: 179cm
Weight: 74kg
Bike Test Track: Royal National Park

80 - AMB

TESTEd

Worldmags.net

SLASH AND BURN
The TRek SlaSh 8

ImaGeS : TBS TeSTeR: adam macBeTh

as a producer of quality bicycles, Trek needs no introduction. From their early
days competing with the Japanese for a share of the touring market, to the
design and technology frontier of the 1990s and beyond Trek have always been
there with the front runners endeavouring to push some boundaries. If you don’t
know what a Trek Y-22 is, Google it right now and render yourself speechless.
Proof that Trek have always been willing to take a new genre within mountain
biking and explore it to its fullest.
The emergence of the enduro category within our sport over the last couple
of years has seen most manufacturers working on an ‘enduro specific’ bike,
each with their individual take on the versatility and functionality that the genre
requires. enter the stealthy 2015 Trek Slash 8, a 160mm travel bike packed with
features designed to enable the modern mountain biker to explore the world of
‘enduro’.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
The first thing that you’ll notice when
viewing the Slash in the flesh is the
long, low nature of it. With a 1205mm
wheelbase, 110mm head tube and a super slack 65.6 degree head angle out of
the box the Slash screams out ‘I wanna
go down hill!’ While a lot of manufacturers have opted for the very 2014-15
neon look-at-me paint schemes the
Slash is understated in full matte
black and silver highlights and should
still look good in a few years when the
current colourways are about as cool as
riding recumbent bicycles with reflectors and zip ties in your helmet.
Getting up close and personal there
are a bunch of details that reveal the
amount of thought that has gone into
the final production Slash 8. Internal
cable routing for shifting and RockShox
Reverb Stealth seatpost are almost a
given for an enduro bike but Trek have

“GETTING A LITTLE Off yOuR
LINE, ScARING yOuRSELf
ANd ENdING uP IN ThE
ROuGh STuff NEvER GOT AS
bAd AS wE ThOuGhT IT wAS
GOING TO, ThE SuPER PLuSh
160MM fRONT ANd REAR
ENd EATING EvERyThING wE
ThREw AT IT.”

added mounts for an externally
routed dropper as well, so customers that already own a dropper don’t
need to use cable ties to make it
work. Nice.
The connection between the seatstay and the suspension linkage
feature Trek’s patented mino link
pivot. It’s a system designed to allow
the rider to further slacken the head
angle to 65 degrees and lower the
bottom bracket by almost ten millimetres. adding to the adjustability
of the rear end is the RockShox Pike
Rc 2-position fork which runs at
160mm of travel wide open but can
be dropped quite easily on the fly to
130mm. On paper these feature tell
a story of versatility that we were eager to explore on the trail. One of the
big enemies of full suspension bikes
in general but especially those of
longer travel like the Slash, is brake
induced suspension inactivity. Trek
designed their anti Braking Pivot
as the ultimate counter to the brakejack demons. many similar looking
frame designs feature a pivot either
just in front of or just above the rear
axle. The aBP system pivots around
the rear axle limiting changes in
chain length as the rear wheel
moves. again, we were curious to
feel this on the trail.
Parts-wise the Slash 8 features Shimano SlX shifters and XT rear derailleur with a SRam X7 front mech.
www.ambmag.com.au - 81

Worldmags.net

EssEntials
BrAnd
Model
rrP
WeighT
diSTriBuTor


Trek
Slash 8
$4899
14.7kg (as tested)
Trek Australia

spEcs

AvAilABle SizeS 15.5, 17.5, 18.5, 19.5, 21.5
FrAMe MATeriAl Alpha Platinum Aluminium
Fork
rockShox Pike

rC 2-Position Solo Air
ShoCk
rockShox Monarch

Plus r debonAir
ShiFTerS
Shimano SlX
derAilleur
Shimano XT rear,

SrAM X7 front
CrAnk
raceface ride, 36-22
BoTToM BrACkeT Pressfit
ChAin
kMC X10
CASSeTTe
Shimano hg50

11-36 10sp
huBS
Bontrager duster elite
riMS
Bontrager duster

elite tubeless ready
TyreS
Bontrager X4 Tr 27.5x2.35
BrAkeS
Shimano SlX w/200mmF

180mmr rotors
STeM
Bontrager rhythm Comp

zero degree
hAndleBArS
Bontrager rhythm elite

690mm, 15mm rise
SeATPoST
rockShox reverb Stealth
SAddle
Bontrager evoke 2
82 - AMB

Worldmags.net

RaceFace Ride crankset with 22/36 rings let you
get the power down and Shimano SLX brakes make
sure you can slow down. With 200mm front and
180mm rear rotors you can be pretty sure there’s
some power there. The aforementioned RockShox
Pike RC is paired with their Monarch Plus rear
shock. Trek’s in-house parts and accessories brand
Bontrager takes care of handlebar, stem, grips,
saddle, tyres and 27.5 inch wheels, both with thru
axles. A few years ago a 690mm handlebar would
have been considered wide but it’s 2014 and the
standard bar on the Slash is noticeably narrow
looking now that we’re so used to seeing handlebars in the seven hundreds.
We raised a slight eyebrow at our 19.5 inch test
Slash’s 14.6kg weight, especially when combined
with it’s $4899 price tag – a number that will get
you a similarly specced carbon bike from a few of
Trek’s biggest competitors. But there were a lot of
details that sparked our interest and it was with
excitement that we headed to the trails.

ON THE TRAIL
Rolling from the car park through some flat,
smooth singletrack it was instantly obvious that
‘bar width was going to be an issue. In Trek’s
defence manufacturers are only really supposed to
spec ‘bars under 700mm on bikes in this country
but it’s a rule few adhere to and riding the 690s
definitely took some adjusting to.
Climbing to the top of the first real descent the
efficiency of the ABP rear end was obvious and
seated climbing in an easy gear was pretty light
work. I’m a big fan of one-by-eleven group sets but
on a bike at this weight having a twenty two tooth
inner chainring is a beautiful thing. Even with the
Mino Link in the more upright position we noticed

the front end having a serious tendency to lift off
the ground slightly and wander around on steeper
seated climbs. This is where the adjustable travel
Pike really shines. Without stopping, a quick flick
of the dial on the left fork leg and a small push
on the bars drops the fork to 130mm and front
wheel traction and steering precision is instantly
improved. Out of the saddle we certainly noticed
some rear wheel movement that seemed to
lessen the harder we were on the gas. Gritting
your teeth and sprinting up pinch climbs instead
of dumping a bunch of gears was a whole lot more
fun, if a little taxing. Lesson learned, this bike
wants to be ridden hard and will reward for your
effort!
The RaceFace cranks have a very pronounced
centre around the spline reminiscent of their
older cranksets and we clipped ankles on this on
more than one occasion.
A little breather at the top of longer climbs and it
was time to do what this bike had been begging
to do all ride. Fork out to 160, dropper down and
it was game on. Even with the Slash set up ‘steep’
it felt more natural descending than many other
enduro styled bikes we’ve tested. Again the weight
and ‘bar width of the Slash meant that a lot of rider input was required but after a couple of rides
we switched out to a 780mm ‘bar and the dynamic
of the bike changed dramatically and a lot less
effort was needed to throw the bike around and
negotiate technical sections. Getting a little off
your line, scaring yourself and ending up in the
rough stuff never got as bad as we thought it was
going to, the super plush 160mm front and rear
end eating everything we threw at it. Floating off
drops, and negotiating step ups was easy thanks
to the relatively short top tube.

The Bontager XR4 tyres that come standard with
the Slash might be good for loamier, more moist
trails but they really let the Slash down on the
sandier, loose over hardpack trails we tend to
have in Australia. Viewed from above there is
a definite line just outboard of the centre tread
where no knobs overlap each other. Upright
or leaned over all the way they are great but
the transition was unpredictable and at times
off-putting with the front wheel especially letting
go and then finding itself again suddenly. Just like
with the handlebars, your Trek dealer will get you
sorted with what you need for your fit and trails
before you roll out the door.

OuR TAkE
If you are looking for a bike to actually race some
Gravity Enduro events, or you want your next bike
to be able to handle some recreational downhilling while still being trail friendly, the Slash
8 is definitely a bike you should consider. A tyre
change and some wider bars would make it a
fantastic bike for trails where descending speed is
your priority and the climbs are short and sharp.
Looking further up the Slash tree to the full
carbon 9.8 would probably be the better option for
those seeking a little more all-day riding fun in a
lighter weight package.

THREE THINgs yOu LIkEd
AbOuT THE bIkE
- Adjustable geometry and travel
- Stealthy, timeless aesthetic
- Confidence inspiring descending

THREE THINgs yOu wOuLd
cHANgE AbOuT THE bIkE
- Wider handlebars please!
- Needs a tyre change to suit your trails
- Could drop some weight for the price

www.ambmag.com.au - 83

testeD

Worldmags.net

ADD A LITTLE ZEST
TO YOUR LIFE
the LAPIerre zeSty AM e:i
PhotogrAPher: tBS teSter: MIKe BLeWItt

As we move into 2015 it’s time to get a new AMB long term test bike. So
with the launch of Shimano’s new flagship group set – Xtr M9000, and the
revision of the e:i electronic suspension management by Lapierre, it seemed
like a good marriage of exciting technologies. the zesty is a 150mm travel
all mountain bike, but with the e:i system and a 1x11 Shimano group set, Xtr
trail wheels and carbon parts from Pro to finish it off, we’ve ended up with a
very capable all mountain bike at trail bike weight.
84 - AMB

this is obviously a custom build, but the same frame, fork and shock are
available on the zesty AM 827 and 527. the 327 uses the same suspension
design, but a standard Fox rear shock, and on a full aluminium frame. there
are also three ‘tr’ or trail variants that have 29” wheels and 120mm of
travel.
the biggest claim of the e:i suspension system is that it will automatically
react to your terrain, and how you are riding it, allowing you to get the most
out of your suspension, your bike, and your legs – all the time. As we live
in a country with plenty of rock, short and steep descents, long but not epic
climbs – this starts to sound like a very useful thing. especially with the
amount, and range, of gravity enduro racing developing, and enduro style
trails being built in mountain bike parks.

InItIal ImpressIons
While you might not be as familiar with Lapierre as other big brands in
Australia, the construction skills and build quality of the highly popular
French bike company means that you soon will be. Looking over the zesty,
the attention to detail from front to back is astounding. the carbon main
frame has internal and external routing options for the shifting and brake
hoses, stealth dropper post routing, ISCg mounts an inbuilt bash guard on
the down tube, and of course the e:i cabling. the zesty isn’t a new model,
and has seen recent refinements, mostly in the full aluminium swing arm.
While oversized and reminiscent of its burlier sibling the Spicy, it has been
reshaped for greater heel clearance when pedalling.

Worldmags.net

The OST+ rear suspension is based on a virtual
pivot point design, to eliminate pedal bob, and
help increase traction when climbing. Every pivot,
including at the shock mount, is on a sealed
bearing for long life and supple movement. The
design allows for short chain stays at just 430mm
– pretty snug for a long travel mid-wheeler.
Efficiency comes with a precise set up with shock
pressure – but the e:i really helps blur this.
The first generation e:i included a head unit
interface that acted as a bike computer, with
a switch to toggle between 5 different modes.
A speed sensor and accelerometer on the fork
combined with a cadence sensor in the frame, to
decide what the speed of the bike was, the size
of the hit the fork was experiencing, and whether
the rider was on the gas or not – and then set the
rear suspension accordingly. All in about 0.1 of a
second.
The new generation, called e:i Auto, has been
refined, done away with the need for a speed
sensor, and the control unit is discreetly on
the side of your stem, with 3 settings and two
modes LED lights to indicate which you’re in. The

Three Things you liked
abouT The bike
- Light weight for lots of travel
- Very adaptable suspension
- Internal and external routing options

Three Things you would
change abouT The bike
- Ability to change the fork travel on the fly
- Put a dropper seatpost in
- Boost the braking power

cadence sensor now reacts to 30rpm not 45rpm,
to be inline with the lower cadences that gravity
riding, 1x11 group sets and 27.5” or 29” wheels
have created.
The three settings are High Sensitivity (Green),
Mid Sensitivity (Orange) or Low Sensitivity (Red).
However, as we are freedom loving mountain
bikers, each of these modes can be run in an
Automatic or Manual setting. In the manual
setting, you can adjust how sensitive the shock

TesTed
The neXT
long TerMer

will be, bypassing the feedback from the sensors
on the bike. In Auto, it does it depending on the
sensitivity you have selected. As this only takes
0.1 of a second, this is how we ran the bike almost
the whole time. It reacts to the size and speed
of the impacts at the fork, and the rate you are
pedalling at. The ‘green’ setting is perfect for
shooting down hill, and the ‘orange’ is great for
trail riding. We imagine the ‘red’ setting would
be perfect for marathon and cross country racing
aboard the e:I equipped XR range too. It’s great
to have the choice of running manual, but the
automatic setting is such a winner!
We have a full XTR M9000 group set on board,
save for the XTR Trail wheels and Trail pedals.
Shimano’s component arm, Pro, provide the
Tharsis low riser handlebars at 740mm, seatpost
and Turnix seat, along with a Koryak Stem.

on The Trail
The Zesty is the all mountain/trail bike in the line,
with the Spicy the ‘enduro’ bigger brother, and
XR aimed at cross country riding. All have the
e:i suspension management as an option. As a
French company, Lapierre and their riders, like
www.ambmag.com.au - 85

Worldmags.net
10 time World downhill champion Nico Vouilloz,
have some big hills to play in. It’s fair to say the
Zesty AM would be more than capable as a gravity
enduro racer in Australia, without leaping to the
Spicy model above. But in our current build, we
have a trail friendly bike with enduro capabilities.
This is my first ride on the XTR M9000 mechanical
group, but I’ve owned the past four versions of
Shimano’s top tier group. It took little time to
get used to the shifting and braking. The jumps
between teeth on the 11 speed 11-40t cassette
were smooth, but best of all the load at the shifter
with the clutch on is noticeably better. With the
clutch, and the chain ring design, I’m yet to have
dropped a chain on the Zesty. In all honesty, this
was my first extended ride on a 1x setup too. Save
for spinning out on the road when riding to trails, I
didn’t even think about it when riding trails.
The XTR Race brakes have had a little bit of work,
but are mostly over worked on the Zesty. With
more bike, more travel, more grip and more
speed coming into most corners and chutes
– the brakes are underpowered for a bike like
the Zesty. We aim to get some XTR Trail brakes
and a 180mm rotor on the front when they are
available. The Race units feel great, and have
great modulation – but they just lack the power
when you need to shut it down on a bigger bike in
steeper terrain.
The best impression so far with the Zesty has
been setting the e:i to ‘Auto’ in the medium
setting and just riding my regular trails. Full of
rocks, ledges, small drops, steep climbs, fire
roads and just about every trail surface you can
imagine – being able to ride this on a 150mm
travel bike comfortably, and certainly fast on the
rough stuff, is a dream. Having ridden many dual
suspension bikes with remote (or otherwise)
adjustments to the shock, it’s refreshing to leave
it up to a microcomputer to make the decisions
for you. The bike still has an upright position but
the adaptability of the rear end makes climbing a
cinch and descending is smooth.
With suspension at the back virtually taking care
of itself, upfront the RockShox Pike fork is well
featured, and impressively supple in small and
large bumps alike. But having a model with travel
adjust would suit the versatility of the e:i rear
shock, to help drop the front end when climbing
switchbacks or on longer climbs. A small request,
but one that might increase the breadth of
performance of the bike even more.
Shimano make brilliant wheels, and the carbon
wrapped XTR Trail wheel set is a joy. Stiff enough
for heavy trail work, brilliant Shimano bearings
and engagement, and best of all – easy to setup
tubeless. The Maxxis Ardent/Ikon combination has
proven to be a great trail combination in the wider
volumes, but I have a feeling some wider rims and
tyres might make it on here soon.
The battery and inclusion of electronics causes
concern for some, but the new e:i system uses
stronger couplings than before, and we are yet
to experience any problems with it. The battery
connection is well sealed and has take dust,
clay mud, sand, and a thorough washing all in
its stride. It needs a charge about every 20hrs of
riding. So less often than your GPS, and probably
less than your phone too.
86 - AMB

ESSENTIALS

Brand

Lapierre

Model
WeIGHT
dISTRIBuToR
CoNTACT

Zesty 827 AM
11.9kg (as tested)
Advance Traders
1300 361 686

SpEcS
AVAIlABle SIZeS
FRAMe MATeRIAl
FoRk
SHoCk
SHIFTeRS
deRAIlleuR
CRANk
BoTToM BRACkeT
CHAIN
CASSeTTe
WHeelS
TyReS
BRAkeS
STeM
HANdleBARS
SeATPoST
SAddle

S, M, l, Xl
Carbon Front, Alloy rear
RockShox Pike RC Fast
Solo Air 150mm
RockShox Monarch e:I
RT3 Fast
Shimano XTR M9000
Shimano XTR M9000
Shimano XTR M9000 175mm
Shimano PressFit
Shimano XTR M9000
Shimano XTR M9000
(11-40) 11speed
XTR Trail 27.5”
Maxxis Ardent Front,
Ikon 27.5 x 2.3” Rear
Shimano XTR M9000
PRo koryak
PRo Tharsis 740MM
ud CARBoN
PRo Tharsis 31.6MM
PRo Turnix

Our TAkE
With a trail friendly long travel bike to play with, it’s
hard not to have fun out on the trails. I have ridden
lots of my local trails, trying to catch the e:i system
out, without any real luck doing so. Robert Conroy
completed two stages of the Cape to Cape on the
bike. It really is versatile! Next up we need to line
up at a gravity enduro race, to put the handling and
suspension to the test. The performance is there to
move this long travel trail bike to something a bit
more gravity focused, so we’ll be moving some parts
over in the coming months to see how well both the
lapierre Zesty and Shimano M9000 group adapt.
Follow our updates on AMBmag.com.au.

Worldmags.net

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CONTROL
YOUR
CHAOS
Introducing MLink TM

Revolutionary new full-suspension technology
from the world’s first mountain bike brand.
mlink.breezerbikes.com

supercell

team

repack

team

AU www.ocbicycles.com.au
NZ www.ocbicycles.co.nz

Breezer is proudly distributed by Oceania Bicycles.

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A RETURN
TO FORM
STRIPPINg BACk AND gOINg LIgHT IN OUR
FINAL RIDE ON THE WHYTE M-109
WORDS : ROBERT CONROY PHOTOS : TBS

Our final two months with the Whyte M109 C were
spent pushing it into the ultimate race machine, a
strong shift away from our previous months trail
search. A longer stem, wide and flat bars, new
wheels, tyres and crankset were all a part of a long
list of component changes we made to bring this
steed back to race winning optimum weight. Barely
any of which was carbon.
Up front the FRM bar and stem return, a beautiful
scandium (extremely light and strong alloy) 70mm
piece and carbon 710mm flat bars. For a little more
fun this time I even switched the stem and dumped
it, a decision that brought me fully over the front
for an aggressive racing position. In addition we
were supplied with some FRM foam grips which
were much softer than your regularly seen ESI
grips. Ideal for long days in the saddle, however we
can not attest for their lifespan yet having only had
them on half the time.
The main alteration for this issue is that the
XT single ring combination has been replaced
by a pair of FRM cranks, bottom bracket and
chainring. By my own reckoning not the prettiest of
cranksets instead they have a beautiful industrial
appearance, an appearance that matches their
well thought out build. At 175mm long they are
spot on for long days of putting down the power
and their slim Q factor helping to bring your
pedals in perfect arcs. They use an oversized axle
compared to the Shimano XT cranks, which is why
they have their own bottom bracket. It’s all a very
light setup, with ti hardware for the cinch bolts too.
The downsize to a 30 tooth ring did take a little

getting used to for this rider who was much more
used to riding 34-36tooth configurations. However
it was ideal for the long days of riding this bike
is setup for, even if it did feel like completing a
bunch of spin classes back to back. What’s worth
noting with the FRM cranks is their adaptability
via removable spiders. You can run a 104 BCD, or
an XX1 spider, or their own 2x setup where the big
ring is the spider for the little ring.
I was able to take temporary ownership of the
Bontrager XXX TLR Disc wheels before they headed
back to Trek. At near $1300 dollars they are one of
the lightest (about 1380g) non-carbon 29er wheels
on the market, and a personal favourite of Dan
McConnell. The Shimano MT 66 were excellent
wheels but they just couldn’t compare in this area.
The XXX set had DT bladed spokes and Alpina
locking nipples on the 28 spokes each end. The
hubs use Bontrager’s own alloy hub shells that add
some silver bling, but house DT Swiss internals. 64
points of engagement is quite crisp when getting
on the gas, which these wheels do well thanks to
their very low rotating weight.
Along with the wheel change came a tyre change,
the race idea still firmly in our heads we opted for
a Maxxis Ardent Race on the front slimmed down
to a 2.2 and an Ikon on the rear, also 2.2”, but both
with the supreme EXO reinforced casing. The tyres
inflated easily with the strip fitted in the Bontrager
wheels. Not being one to push for the more classic
cross country tyre on my general adventures it took
a little getting used to. Pushing the psi down to
about 21 helped.
Ride wise this was an altogether different bike, one
perhaps the Whyte factory originally intended.
In a straight-line the bike now excels. The extended
and much lower riding position allowing me to
put the power down also helped on the climbs,
between this and the 30tooth virtually any hill
was rideable. Twenty millimetres longer and flat
bars, that little extra extension can make such a
difference in cornering, however it was harder still
to find the “trust point” in the tyres. Both led me to
take entirely different approaches to corners.
As we now close on this long termer we can’t

TESTED
LONG TERMER

forget some of the other fine pieces in the build
that have been going strong for over six months.
First off the scandium FRM seat post, much
like how everyone was unsure of carbon in the
beginning I was unsure if pushing an alloy to its
ultimate thinness was going to backfire on me,
literally. Thankfully it didn’t even after a couple
of crashes. Another thing that is easy to miss but
is definitely worth thinking of on a long term bike
such is this are the seals on the pivots. Whyte
build their bikes for extreme British winters, not
Australian ones so it was no surprise that we had
no issue there, although it’s always good to run it
through a few puddles to check…
The Shimano XT gear we reviewed last issue has
now been through three different configurations,
the cassette, rear derailleur and chain through
three different drivetrains. This is not something
we would recommend undertaking on your own
steed, but it is a testament to Shimano’s build
quality that those components have managed to
adapt to each without issue. Shift wise we’ve only
changed one cable and as yet our XT brakes have
not required a bleed. Up front our five hundred
dollar beaters, the X-Fusion continue to amaze and
we wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t become a
contending force with the ‘big two’ in the coming
years.
Time on the Whyte M109 C has been mixed in
with regular review bikes at times, it has been the
one bike we truly come home to. We’ve taken it
through the dirt, grime and sandy muck of winter
(Whyte’s ideal situation), throughout spring and
we may even get a few summer rides in before we
sadly have to hand this steed back. So why should
you consider this for your next ride? If you’re
considering the popular trail bike option but you
like to enter marathons and other long form lap
based events, make sure you consider this bike.
With such simple changes as having an alternate
stem and bars you can have a completely different
bike. In the days of the ‘a bike for every event’
it’s nice to have a bike that comfortably transfers
between the two, being light and aggressive
enough to make you perform. I will be sad to say
goodbye to it.
www.ambmag.com.au - 89

Worldmags.net

YOU WILL
WANT TO
DISTURB THIS
HORNET’S NEST !
HORNSBY MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK
WORDS: IMOgEN SMITH PHOTOS: TBS AND MIkE BlEWITT

90 - AMB

The project took four years to get off the ground, and it was
largely thanks to the folks at SNORC (Sydney North Off Road
Cyclists), so say a little thank you for them as you ride around.
Even though it’s moment’s ride from the Pacific Highway and
a behemoth Westfield’s mall, you’ll see plenty of nature – lyre
birds, wallabies, bush turkeys, echidnas and more – and lots
of beautiful tree ferns and mossy bush rock – making this
the perfect oasis in a major commercial centre of Australia’s
biggest city.
In the first months from opening, a hidden counter recorded
33,000 laps of the course, and it could be one of the busiest
trails in Sydney – All this makes Hornsby MBT worthy of the
PTR treatment!

GETTING THERE
It’s easy to reach Hornsby Mountain Bike Trails by rail – but
beware, Sydney Train’s dreaded trackwork goes on most
weekends and you probably won’t want to find yourself on a bus
with your bike. Trains come to Hornsby via the North Shore and
Northern, and Western lines, as well as from the Central Coast,
with some express services available. If you’re driving, Hornsby
is about a 40-minute drive from the centre of Sydney in quiet
traffic. More in peak hour. From Hornsby Station, it’s just a few
hundred metres to the trails. Head to Dural St then Quarry Road
and follow the signs.

Hornsby Shire Council have made their fair share of mistakes,
spending over $1 million on a giant kinetic water clock that’s
been broken for several years, and plonking ‘traffic calming’
road furniture, lethal to road cyclists, on the Pacific Highway
not least among them. So it’s nice to know that they’ve got one
thing very, very right.

TECHNICAL NATURE

After community consultation in 2010 revealed a strong
demand for mountain bike facilities, Council rebuilt the Old
Mans Valley trails, until then illegal, to IMBA standards and
opened in February 2013, and the second stage in June 2014.
Although short, just over six kilometres, the very talented team
from Synergy Trails and volunteers, have made ingenious and
creative use of the space, packing just about every feature, natural
and man-made, that mountain bikers love into this tiny space.

You’ll never race a marathon at Old Man’s Valley, but there’s still
a lot of trail packed in to a small space. Think timber bridges,
north shore, rocky descents and roll-downs, pump track and
jump elements, and big berms. It’s a testament to the trail
builders, who’ve integrated natural and built features with
creative flair and a sense of adventure.
The older sections of trail are technical cross country, with
plenty of challenging climbs and some tough descents, although

PLaCEs tHat
ROCK

Worldmags.net

all rideable on a hardtail. Some of the newer
sections of the trail are pump and flow, and
experienced riders will have no problems getting
big air. All trails are rated and signposted, from
easy green to badass black.
The green trails are perfect for kids and riders just
getting into the sport.

HornsbyMBT on Twitter to find out the latest – and
don’t get caught there if it’s closed. Bear in mind
that these trails get a lot of use and need a lot of
care, so stick to the trail, don’t cut corners, and
please, no skids.

YOU’LL nEED

Custom-roasted and bike-friendly coffee, plus
some very tasty cinnamon scrolls are on at The
Refinery, just up the road at Hornsby Central.
Steer clear of Westfield’s and check out some of
the authentic korean and Japanese restaurants
in the little shopping strip near the trails, too. If
you’re out with the bike for a day and want to tour
North Sydney’s finest, check out the trails around
St Ives Showground, and Jubilee Mountain Bike
Park in Wahroonga. All small but packed with
lots of technical challenges – and connected by
firetrail.

You’re not far from anywhere, but always take your
spares, food, and drink with you, and carry any
rubbish out.

DistanCE
Not far, about 6 kilometres, but most riders will
find plenty to keep them amused here for about an
hour-and-a-half (more if you have kids). With a bit
of local knowledge (see below) you can integrate
Hornsby Mountain Bike Trails into a bigger ride
taking in a lot of Sydney’s best fire-roads.

LOCaL KnOWLEDgE
If you’re riding before 9am or after 4:30pm, use
your phone to guide you to the end of Stewart
Avenue nearby and head up Quarry Track at
the back of the Rifle Range. If you go the whole
way you’ll end up in Dural, and can easily make
a 55-kilometre loop through Arcadia and back
through Berowra Waters, if you don’t mind quite a
bit of bitumen. Take care though, the trail is closed
while the rifle range is operating. Call 0417 201
606 if you’re riding during the day to check. Nobody
wants to get shot on their ride.

WHiLE in tHE aREa

LOCaL BiKE sHOPs
There’s kuringai Cycles just around the corner on
the Pacific Highway (www.kuringaicycles.com), and
Turramurra Cyclery (www.turramurracyclery.com.
au) a bit further south.

tRaiL EssEntiaLs
FaCiLitiEs
ToIleTS - No but easy to find nearby
DRINkINg WATeR - No
PARkINg - YeS limited
TRAIlS SIgNPoSTeD - YeS
MoBIle ReCePTIoN -YeS
SHelTeR - lIMITeD
BBQ FACIlITIeS - No

LOCaL CLUB COntaCts

ACCoMMoDATIoN YeS

SNoRC have been instrumental in getting these
trails running and their website contains more info
about riding in the area, on Facebook and Twitter,
as well as online: www.snorc.org.au.
Also check out Northern Beaches MTB: www.
nobmob.com

Ratings

BEst tiME OF YEaR

REgULaR EVEnts

Trail

Pretty much year-round, unless it’s been raining,
in which case the trails could be closed. Check
the trail’s website at http://www.hornsby.nsw.
gov.au/my-lifestyle/sports-and-recreation/
cycling/hornsby-mountain-bike-trail or follow @

None, but the facility is used recreationally at
all hours of every day by riders from beginner to
expert. In school holidays it’s a popular spot with
families and young adults unwinding from hours
and hours of study.

Technical
FiTness
cross counTry

all-MTn
Downhill
JuMp

êê ê
êê
êêêê
êêê
êê
ê
êêê
www.ambmag.com.au - 91

Manualling
Tricky
rollers

Worldmags.net
Words : JAred rAndo IMAges : JonAthAn renton

Manualling anything is definitely an advanced technique on any
kind of bike. the more suspension you have and the bigger the
bike - the harder it gets. With mountain bikes generally becoming
squishier and longer, manualling the average trail bike will
definitely take any rider a good amount of time to master.
As with anything, start small and work your way up. Manualling
smaller rollers is much more achievable than larger rollers
such as these. don’t be disappointed if you aren’t making
progress in a day, a week or even a month in your conquest to
manual. It takes a whole lot of time and a whole lot of practice.
hereís some tips which should help beginners and masters
alike progress in one of the trickiest skills to learn on a bike.

Step 1

Step 2

the approach is key- the straighter you approach the roller, the easier
it will be. here, with a loose, flat turn before the roller, I’m looking to
straighten up as soon as possible whilst spotting the landing area on top
of the 2nd roller and the take-off point from the 1st roller.

Let the momentum of the 1st roller take your front wheel up and follow the
motion by beginning to get your weight back and locking out your arms to
help keep the front wheel up. It takes a hell of a lot of effort to loop out on
a bike but when you hit that point, it happens really quickly so cover the
back brake just in case - a quick tap on the rear brake will bring your front
wheel down.

Step 3
As you progress into the manual,
youíll need to keep your arms
locked and get right back behind
the seat until you find a ìbalance
pointî which is basically just on
the edge of looping out. Brake
control is key at this point and
using the rear brake is a key
part of controlling where the
bike sits.

92 - AMB

Worldmags.net

SKILLS
how to manuaL roLLerS

Step 4
As you get to the low point of the rollers, bring your
weight forward and push the rear wheel into the
dip. At the same time you need to ensure your front
wheel is high enough to clear the 2nd roller and
land in the sweet spot just over the backside.

Step 5
As you reach the end of the manual, shift your
weight forward to bring the front wheel down. Having your weight forward will also help you pump
the backside of the roller when you touch down.
Here with such a large roller, I’m really stretching
out as far as I can to get the distance to clear the
roller while pumping through the dip with my legs.

Step 6
As you touch down, you will know how
successful you were by how much speed
you have carried through the rollers.
Being smooth and timing is key- if you
are off by even a little bit you’ll know
about it as you touch down. Once you are
done, look to get another good pump off
the backside of the 2nd roller to gain a
little extra speed. As I mentioned at the
start, remember that manualling is an
extremely hard skill to learn and just as
hard to master. Practice makes perfect
and keep trying until you get it!

www.ambmag.com.au - 93

FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS
HOW TO WHEELIE HOP

Worldmags.net

MASTERING
THE
WHEELIE
HOP
WORDS: AIDEN LEFMANN IMAGES: LACHLAN RYAN

NO TWO TRAILS ARE THE SAME, THUS WE
NEED TO ADOPT DIFFERENT STYLES OF
LIFTS AND HOPS TO TACKLE THOSE TRAIL
FEATURES THANKS TO MOTHER NATURE.
In Issue 142, Aiden talked us through the mono-hop, a
skill that most of us will attempt to do in some way shape
or form on every ride we go on. It’s a key fundamental
skill of mountain biking where we use mostly our body
suspension to get over common trail obstacles such
as logs and ledges. During a mono-hop we are usually
standing, and more often than not our feet/cranks will
remain flat (or parallel to the ground) to avoid impact
with the obstacle. In this issue - we’re tweaking it just
slightly and showing you how to get over those tricky
obstacles using the power of a quarter pedal stroke.

94 - AMB

Worldmags.net
1.

2.

1 WHEELIES
Starting out on the grass, and remaining
seated let’s try some little pedal assisted
wheelies! Bend your arms and compress
slightly forwards and down towards the
front of the bike. With your leading foot
approaching the seat tube of your frame (or
most perpendicular point to the ground),
put down the power whilst remaining seated
and lift up on the bars, in time with your
suspension’s rebound if you have it.
Tip 1: Keep a finger on both brakes,
especially the rear one and just ‘dab’ it
slightly if you get the feeling of going over
the back. A quick dab of the brake will bring
you back down to earth.

3.

Tip 2: Try it at walking pace. The faster you
try to do a wheelie, the harder it becomes.

2 POWER LIFT
We want to try and refrain from using a
full revolution pedal stroke (Think - cranks
pointing to the ground = Bad outcome), so
focusing on the leading foot, try the front
wheel pedal assisted lift with the power of
your pedals from when your crank passes
your frame’s seat-tube, to where it meets
roughly parallel to the ground. This is
roughly only a quarter of our full pedal
stroke but it is all that is required in the first
part of the wheelie hop. You will feel the
ease of the front wheel wheelie-lift in no
time by following these basic steps. Next up,
let’s prepare for the rear wheel lift.

3 JUMP UP - LET’S HOP
Jump up out of the saddle relatively tall to
allow the bike to move upwards towards
us when we lift the back wheel off the
ground. When our front wheel is at it’s
highest point It›s then time to ‹claw› the
pedals with your feet and lift up on the
pedals, imagining you could curl your toes
around them. Lift the rear wheel up off the
ground Try and ensure your rear wheel lift
doesn’t exceed the front - It’s not overly
likely in this case but it could open a can of
worms if you do get a little excited with it!

4 BODY SUSPENSION:

3.1

4.

The landing of a wheelie hop will often be
a safe and soft two-wheel landing. Use
your ‘free’ body suspension to absorb the
landing - Don’t rely on that measly 100, 120
or 140mm you may have on your bike, your
body has far more and you can make or
break your riding style by using it or not.
Now you can hopefully see the difference
between this style of hop, and the regular
mono hop. Try it out at low speed on
something like a small gutter onto a quiet
street, or a stair or two in your local park
and before you know it, you’ll be hopping
over obstacles that were designed to slow
you down!

www.ambmag.com.au - 95

new
products

Worldmags.net

The latest dream product to hit Australian
shores, get your first glimpse here as we
give the rundown on the latest gear.

JeTBlaCk ligHT WeigHT
Bike Bag
Just because you need to travel with
a bike, it doesn’t mean you need to
book excess baggage. The JetBlack
Light Weight bike bag is cavernous,
capable of taking any mountain bike
safely from A to B and back again.
It’s a simple design with dividers
for your wheels and a carry strap.

The trick is to pack your bike in the
bag properly. Whether you use foam
padding, old bedrolls, or the sides
of cardboard boxes is up to you, but
this bag will keep it all in place,
making sure your bike is set to ride
at the other end.
RRP: About $70
From: www.jetblackproducts.com

isOWHey spORTs Refuel
anD ReBuilD

DHaRCO TeCH Tee
It’s summer time, and just about
wherever you live that means hot
temperatures and avoiding the
midday sun for your ride. Australian
clothing company, DHaRCO, have rethought the basic t-shirt to come up
with their Tech Tee – something that
won’t stick against you like your favourite cotton t-shirt, and won’t have
you stand out uncomfortably in a
regular riding jersey when your ride
lands you at a café or pub. We’ve had
a few in use for months on end, and

found them perfect for trail riding,
travel, everyday use and just about
any time you’d like to put on something that fits well, is comfortable,
dries fast, and looks good. They’re
available in men’s and women’s
fit, come in lots of colours, and you
could easily order some online as a
gift, or drop into one of their dealers
so you can try them on.
From RRP: $55.00
From: www.dharco.com

Summer can mean a lot more time
on the bike, but you might also be
training for a target event. There are
plenty of formulated supplements
out there to help you on and off the
bike, and we’ve had this recovery
formula from Isowhey Sports land
on the AMB desk.
Aimed at post-ride recovery, it
supplies essential nutrients to
rebuild and repair your muscles
tissues. Each serve has more than
25g of protein, glutamine, branch
chain amino acids, magnesium
and antioxidants. There’s no added
fructose, artificial colours and
sweeteners, but it does contain milk
and soy products.
RRP: $54.95 for 500g
From: www.isowheysports.com.au

96 - AMB

Worldmags.net

neW
prODUct

Maxxis treaD lite

praxis tUrn tO cranks
US chain ring and bottom bracket
manufacturer Praxis have moved
their attention to cranks, and
launched the Turn brand into
the busy road and mountain bike
market.
Their MTB model, the Girder M30, is
a hollow forged crank aimed broadly
at the trail bike market – not unlike
a Shimano XT crank, it’s aimed at
being able to do just about anything.
Without being too over built for DH,
or a weight weenie item, it will suit
everything in-between.

JetBlack Whisper Drive
trainer
We’re not exactly in the depths
of winter, but time constraints
or specific training goals might
mean you need to get your bike on
an indoor trainer. JetBlack have
long produced very popular and
affordable trainers, and the new
Whisper Drive will be no different.
It’s a direct drive magnetic trainer,
that you sit your bike onto without
the rear wheel. This style of trainer
offers a very realistic feel to how
your bike actually rides, and
prevents clamping the frame, so it’s
great for all out efforts.

We have a set on the way, and a full
review will be in Issue 146.

Just in time for the Subaru
Australian National Series, Maxxis
have launched their new Tread
Lite tyre. A race-ready semi-slick
tyre that has been designed for
hardpack and loose over hardpack
terrain, the Tread Lite should suit
racers in dry XCM and XCO events
around the country. Tyres will be
available in 26”, 27.5” and 29” sizes
in 2.1” width. Both the Tubeless
Ready casing and the EXO reinforced
Tubeless Ready casing in 120tpi will
be available. Weights range from
530-630g. If you’re after something
fast and strong for your summer
racing, get into your local Maxxis
dealer to get some on order.

RRP: $279 for the Cranks and rings
From: dawsonsports.com.au

RRP: From $69.95
From: www.KWT.net.au

The crank uses an alloy 30mm
axle, but also relies on the wider
bearing stance more familiar with
Shimano or GXP bottom brackets. As
Praxis make some brilliant bottom
brackets, you need to buy the correct
one to suit your frame, so PF30,
BB30, BB92 or 73mm BSA threaded
units are all available. One crank
set, four bottom bracket options to
suit almost any frame. Makes sense,
right?

the trainer, giving you real time
data straight to your phone. You can
record speed, heart rate, cadence,
time and power output – to make
sure your sessions are repeatable.
Optional accessories will be required
for full functionality between the
App and trainer.
RRP: $599
From: www.jetblackproducts.com

The resistance unit is whisper quiet
(hence the name…) and can offer
from 0 -1200 watts of resistance.
JetBlack have also launched a free
iOS and Android APP to use with
www.ambmag.com.au - 97

Worldmags.net

Your
race daY
nutrition
plan
worDs: Zoe wilson photos : roBert conroy

Digging Deep into the coMpetitive
worlD of MountAin Biking? here’s
your rAce DAy nutrition plAn to MAke
the Most of your trAining AnD help
you get to the poDiuM.
98 - AMB

Unlike during the Moto-GP you can’t rely on petrol to get you through a mountain bike
race, it’s all self-propelled pedal power. To get through a race and perform at your
peak your body needs a ready and ample supply of glucose (stored as glycogen in your
muscles). Without enough you’ll ‘hit the wall’.
What you eat on race day will affect how well you perform and shouldn’t be ignored.
Cross country and downhill require a very different race plan due to the differing
demands of the races. There are, however, a few general rules to stick by no matter the
race you’re competing in:
EaT WEll ThE niGhT bEforE.
pre-event pasta parties were started for a
reason. to ensure your muscles are fully
stocked with glycogen, make sure you load
your evening meal on carbohydrates like
pasta, bread, rice or potatoes.
bE PrEParEd.
it may sound simple, but make sure you’ve
got what you need for race-day prepped and
ready to go when you pack your bag the day
before.
PraCTiCE, PraCTiCE, PraCTiCE.
you wouldn’t start a big race riding a bike
you’ve never ridden before – you’d use it in
training so you felt comfortable. same goes
for your nutrition plan. practice your race

day nutrition in training so you know what
works and what doesn’t – the last thing you
want is to be stopped in the porta-loo while
everyone else is crossing the line!

YoUr raCE daY
nUTriTion Plan
the 24 hours Before
focus on eating a carbohydrate-rich meal
in the lead up to your event. Aiming for
7-12g carbohydrate per kilogram of body
weight and tapering your activity should
be enough to fully stock your muscle’s
glycogen stores. it’s also a good idea to go
for foods that are lower in fibre to avoid
any gut trouble during the race – white
bread, low-fibre cereals, fruit juice and
sports drinks are good examples. Also

drink a little more than usual to
optimise hydration. Make sure you
have a drink with every meal and sip
throughout the day.

Worldmags.net

the hUB
nUtrition

THE MOrnInG OF THE bIG
dAY
The idea on the morning of the race
is to further top up carbohydrate
stores and hydration levels so you
are fully fuelled and rearing to go.
This goes for both XC and dH racing.
If you can, have breakfast 2-3 hours
beforehand for a morning race and
a small snack to top up 1-2 hours
before your race. In the case of a
very early start, another option is
to have a larger supper the night
before and a lighter snack or fluids
only 1-2 hours before the start.
If your race is later, eating your
normal meals in the earlier part
of the day and then having a light
snack 1-2 hours prior to the event
works for most people. See the table
across for examples of foods to try.

dUrInG YOUr rACE
This only applies to XC where
you’ll be racing for longer than 60
minutes. Obviously, as dH races are
short and sharp, it’s impractical and
unnecessary to refuel during a down
hill race. but you might consider this
between practice runs.
Aim to take on board 30-60g of
carbohydrate per hour during your
XC race, starting the refuelling
process around the 30 minute mark.
Make the most of aid stations so
you don’t need to carry too much
with you, but find out what you can
about lap length and who might
feed you a few weeks before so you
can practice your nutrition plan in
training. As racing is during the
summer months, the best way to get
your carbs in is in fluid form, so you
keep dehydration to a minimum as
well. Sports drinks or flat coke are
great options. Gels and even lollies
are also useful as they are light and
easy to carry, but be sure to continue
drinking throughout the race.

bETwEEn rACES
If you’re racing downhill you need to
be refuelling quickly and efficiently
between races to perform at your
best - think pit stops in the MotoGP.
If the breaks between your races
aren’t long enough for you to feel
comfortable eating a full meal,
try ‘grazing’ throughout the day
instead with regular small carbrich snacks. After each race, aim to
take on board approximately 1-1.2g
carbohydrate per kilogram of body
weight every hour if possible (e.g.
85g carbohydrate for a 70kg athlete).
See the table below for examples of
foods to try between races.

Each of these options are carbohydrate-rich
and are good choices before and between
races, depending on the amount of time you
have to spare.
3-4 hours before.
Crumpets with jam and flavoured milk,
baked beans on toast, cereal with milk or
fruit salad with fruit-flavoured yoghurt. Have
a drink, too.
1-2 hours before.
Top up with a light snack. Choose a milk
shake or fruit smoothie, a muesli bar, banana
or liquid meal replacement like Up & Go.
30-60 minutes before.
Your final chance to top up your hydration and
blood glucose levels. Have 300-400ml sports
drink, a gel, some cordial or some jelly lollies.

Before the celeBrations Begin
It was a great day out, but before you hit
to town to celebrate, make sure you think
about your recovery plan so you can be back
on the bike sooner and training hard for
the next race. It’s important to try to get in
a mix of carbohydrate and protein within
30-60 minutes of finishing for the day so your
body can begin repairing damaged muscles,
replenishing fuel stores and rehydrating.
If you’re lacking appetite after racing, go
for something light or a drink with a mix
of carbs and protein like a flavoured milk.
Again, try to aim to eat something that gives
you 0.8g carbohydrate and 0.2-0.4g protein
per kilogram of body weight within the first
hour of finishing. For a 70kg athlete the
following options contain the correct amount
of carbs and protein:
- One serve whey-derived protein shake +
300ml low fat milk and 600ml sports drink
- 2 tubs of yoghurt and 2 cups of fruit salad
- A salad roll with 60g lean sandwich meat
and a banana
www.ambmag.com.au - 99