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What do you get when you put a DH rider with a camera, two seasoned bikepackers, and a “somewhere-in-between” on a hardtail together to test a fresh trail alignment at Lake Mountain? A motley crew kind of adventure with some intriguing tracks, a few hike-a-bikes, and some quality end-of-day highs and lows. As guinea pigs […]
Flow Mountain Bike acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Lake Mountain and Marysville, the people of Taungurung Country. We recognise their connection to lands, waters and communities and pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging. Ah Lake Mountain Resort, the home to one of our favourite trails on the mainland, Cascades. On a short […]
Marysville, in Northeast Victoria, is surrounded by a suite of revered trails built in the 90s that are still running strong plus some new school magic. A mix of gravity, cross country and one of the most epic descents I have experienced thus far in Australia — Cascades at Lake Mountain. This was certainly the […]
Only a short drive from Melbourne, Lake Mountain Resort is home to the legendary Cascades descent. Starting at the summit, the trail plunges 1,550 vertical metres over 28km, guiding you down to the town of Marysville below. While winter made one last push with a November snowstorm, head trail builder Ben Reynolds has been hard at […]
Among the skeletons of Alpine Gums burned in the 2009 bushfires in the foothills of the Victorian Alpine is Lake Mountain Resort. A mere two hours from Melbourne, Lake Mountain is many Victorians’ introduction to snow, with 35km of nordic ski trails, a tobogganing hill, snowshoeing and more. As the snow melts, the wildflowers begin […]
Flow Mountain Bike acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Mackay Region, the Yuwi, Widi, Barada Barna and Birriah peoples. We recognise their connection to lands, waters and communities and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. *This story has been updated on 17 April 2024 with new information When we spoke to Iain […]
Flow Mountain Bike acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country through the areas surrounding Melbourne and Geelong. We recognise the connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past, present and emerging. You’ve been cooped up in the office all week, and you’re champing […]
It might not be the largest state in our great island nation, but the variety of terrain that Victoria has on offer is nothing short of astounding. From lofty alpine vistas to dense rainforests, there is something here for everyone. And the best part? The mountain biking scene in Victoria is alive and booming, boasting […]
The financial squeeze is being felt across the country – the cost of living is up the proverbial, and the RBA is pushing interest rates higher than the elevation of Maydena. The need to be frugal with spending has become critical, and finding cost-effective holiday options may seem out of reach in the current environment. […]
Undoubtedly, we find ourselves amidst an electrifying epoch in the realm of e-MTBs. The category is undergoing an explosive surge, with the generation of these bikes becoming more capable and extending their range. These bikes offer a much-appreciated helping hand on the uphill, but don’t detract when the trail points back down. There are few […]
Chains and cassettes are not cheap these days, and so we are committed to making them last as long as humanly possible. This means diving deep into friction facts, watts and drivetrain efficiency. While using a good drip on lube and staying on top of cleaning can do wonders, independent testing has shown time and […]
Dramatic and stunning in every sense, the tiny island state of Tasmania has earned a global reputation as an adventure-lover’s playground. It’s home to some of the country’s — if not the World’s — most remarkable mountain biking destinations. Don’t let the small matter of the Bass Strait scare you away either. Just over an […]
Wil and the crew take us on a Goldfields adventure Located in Central Victoria, the Goldfields Track is a 210km point-to-point route that runs from Ballarat to Bendigo. This off-road journey has historically been a walking track, but it’s become increasingly popular with mountain bikers. Splitting neatly into a three-day ride, it’s a fantastic adventure […]
Back in the early days, mountain bikers in Cairns were a different breed to riders everywhere else in Australia. Their uniqueness was never more evident than in 1990 when all eight Cairns Mountain Bike Club members packed up the Tarago and set sail for the Australian Mountain Bike Championships in Stromlo. “We’d been practising for […]
After two years of bike bags everywhere toiling in sheds, garages and back closets, it’s well and truly time to dust them off and set sail for trails over yonder. We’ve been itching for an excuse to head back to Rotorua and get lost in the Whaka forest, and we think we’ve found it. There […]
Orange is in the midst of what you might call a transitional period for mountain biking. Earlier this year, we covered the controversy surrounding the proposed development on Mount Canobolas, which would create a riding destination that would be nothing short of epic. At the same time, Kinross State Forest, which has been around for […]
Wil reviews the Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Four long years after the Canadian brand introduced its very first electric mountain bike, the 2nd generation Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay has finally arrived. There have been some small rolling changes to the Altitude Powerplay in that time, but the 2022 model sees the platforms biggest overhaul yet […]
For the past year, local event organisers have lived and died by the 10am press conference. They had to become experts in outdoor viral spread, and learned how to put on Covid Safe events that didn’t feel weird or overly compromised. We caught up with AusCycling, Rapid Ascent, Rocky Trail Entertainment, the folks behind Sea […]
When you travel the world riding bikes, what makes a destination stand out? Hans Rey has been a professional mountain biker for long enough to see fads come and go but turns out he and his wife Carmen have a soft spot for Derby. Watch Hans riding Derby, seeing new trails, heckling enduro races, meeting […]
2019 has been an absolutely mahoosif year, and in more ways than one. Having relocated back to Australia right at the end of 2018, the first few months of the year for my wife and I were spent settling back into our hometown of Bendigo. It didn’t take long though, and we’ve been absolutely loving […]
See our day two and three adventures here: Atherton EP:2 Atherton EP:3 Why does life feel like it is ending when summer draws to a close, how could it be considered ‘good news’ to hear that the mountains have received their first snowfalls for the season? Why can’t we live some nomadic life and chase […]
Working in this sector the challenge, for me, is to find ways to discuss women’s riding with integrity. Ways that reflect the sport as riders experience it, vaginas and all. I often find mountain bike media that syphons women’s riding into its own special category somewhat artificial. To rephrase a gay marriage meme, I don’t […]
Right now the new trail on everyone’s lips – the Thredbo All-Mountain Trail – has just officially opened from top to bottom, check out the video below, get psyched from the juicy photo gallery and pack your bags to hit the road to Thredbo this summer. Watch the video here: What, and where is this? […]
Entries close soon for the Lakes Entrance Epic, held on the gorgeous East Gippsland coast in Victoria. This is just the second running of the event, but it has all the hallmarks of becoming a classic addition to the race calendar. Full event details and entries are available here – or take a gander below […]
The intended goal is a bit of a combination of just hanging out and drinking beers with his entirely South Island based team, as well amassing a bunch of editorial content for the web, for advertising and for Spoke. #southcentral – Team Wide Open’s 2014 team road trip from Stash Media Worx on Vimeo. So […]
Mountain biking may not have been born in Cairns, but once its tyres gained purchase in the fertile dirt and steamy greenhouse temperatures of Australia’s loosest state, it grew like a cane toad on steroids into something radical, magical and downright dangerous. Not many realised it at the time, caught as they were amid the […]
‘We usually start at 1,300 metres, then we go down.’ Ramang, my fellow mountain biker and guide, looked across a volcanic lake as vast as a large town, as we stood on the southern rim of the crater. From our lookout, he pointed across to Mount Batur and its slopes rising up from the lake […]
Wil reviews the TQ HPR50 motor system The TQ HPR50 motor debuted to considerable fanfare back in 2022 when it first appeared on the Trek Fuel EXe. As the lightest motor in its category, the HPR50 drive unit blew everyone away with its astonishingly compact form and whisper-quiet performance, changing our expectations of what a […]
Wil reviews the Specialized Epic 8 Cast your mind back 22 years ago, when the Specialized Epic debuted on the race scene with its iconic Brain shock. The clever inertia valve formed an integral part of the bike’s automatic-lockout schtick and it’s been a defining feature of the Epic ever since. Two decades and many […]
Wil reviews the 2024 Scott Voltage The Scott Voltage is a brand new lightweight e-MTB for 2024. It follows in the footsteps of the Lumen that we reviewed last year, but ups the travel and capability to create what is essentially an electrified version of the Genius. It’s quite the eye-catching machine, and it’s purported […]
Flow reviews the new Continental tyre range Earlier this year, Continental pulled the wrappers off a completely new range of mountain bike tyres. Consisting of five brand new tread patterns, the lineup is designed to cover everything from trail riding on dry and rocky singletrack, through to high-speed downhill racing over loose and muddy terrain. […]
I first met the Flow team on a little escapade to Lake Mountain, having recently moved to the Victorian High Country, and since moving my life to Bright, Victoria I have fallen head first into the riding scene. I do seem to regularly fall victim to the “let’s see how much we can pack into […]
Holy crap, it’s already mid-December, where has the last year gone? With the silly season looming, Team Flow is all hands on deck to put a bow on 2022. While Santa is packing his sleigh and the reindeer are doing their stretches, the bike industry has kicked into hyperdrive. In the last couple of weeks, […]
Welcome to another bumper crop of Fresh Produce! We’ve just managed to sneak this one in before the start of summer, and flippin’ ‘eck do we have a lot of trail news and shiny mountain bikes to talk about. If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that Spanish brand Orbea recently unveiled its brand new […]
Jack reviews the Polygon Collosus The last time we had our hands on a Polygon Collosus was all the way back in 2016. Using a virtual pivot platform with a floating shock, the original Collosus was offered in two variations; one for enduro and one for downhill. Those bikes were then replaced by the mind-bending […]
Maydena Bike Park will be re-opening for the 2021/2022 riding season for the second time this Friday, October 22. The park was supposed to open on September 26, but was delayed by a week, due to a spring snowstorm. A fortnight later, the park was forced to close again thanks to a Covid19 positive traveller […]
Wil reviews the 2022 Scott Spark There are no doubts that the arrival of the new Scott Spark has been one of the biggest and most eagerly anticipated launches of the year. The latest Spark follows a long lineage of wildly popular race bikes from the Swiss brand, dating all the way back to the […]
Wil reviews the Canyon Spectral CF 8 CLLCTV For 2022 the Canyon Spectral lineup is rapidly expanding with the arrival of new alloy bikes, a top-end CFR model, and both 27.5in and 29in wheelsize options throughout the range. Additionally, Canyon will be introducing a specific model with a trendy mullet setup and a coil shock. […]
Glenworth Valley Bike Park was supposed to be the end-all-be-all of bike parks in NSW. Set to be constructed at the Glenworth Valley Adventure Park by Synergy Trails, the proposed network was looking at 120km of singletrack, ranging from DH runs and a Crankworx style jump line, to beginner-friendly trails and everything in between, all […]
Spring has sprung, the weather is warming up, the days are getting longer and the magpies have begun their annual aerial bombardment. Have you been swooped yet? Since we last checked in, the team at Flow has been busy pecking away at our keyboards, and we’ve brought you the inside scoop on Lake Mountain Resort, […]
Wil Reviews The New Norco Sight VLT 29er It seems like only yesterday that we were riding the (then) new Norco Sight VLT, which to this day remains as one of the best-handling e-MTBs we’ve ever tested. Indeed that bike has been on the market for barely two years, and yet here Norco is with […]
Wil Reviews The Curve DownRock In case you hadn’t noticed, hardtails have been enjoying a bit of a renaissance of late. Sure, full suspension bikes are a lot easier to live with these days, having gotten significantly smoother and more capable over the past decade. But so too have hardtails. They’ve just been going about […]
Emma and Andy’s Merida One-Sixty 6000 & 8000 long-term review We reviewed the Merida One-Sixty in March 2023 and praised it for its mullet-ability, modern build kit, and progressive geometry. We even went as far as to say it’s evolved to become one of the best enduro bikes on the market. That’s a big call, […]
goodnessgravel rolled into Orange over the weekend, with a pack of 170 riders exploring the backroads of NSW. Winding through some of the big, wide open spaces, little country roads lined with gum trees and a bit of pine plantation, the man behind the event Will Levy tells us the day was punctuated by a […]
Revamped and rejigged, the Quad Crown is set to take off at full speed for 2024. Guiding mountain bikers around destinations they may never have ridden before, this year’s venue line-up will feed the adventurous soul. Designed to be a mini version of large-scale events like Cape to Cape or Port to Port, the Quad […]
After a bumper year in Thredbo, hitched onto the Cannonball Mountain Bike Festival in 2023, the AusCycling MTB Nationals roadshow is headed for Lake Macquarie. Awaba will play host to the 2024 GWM National Championships, covering off XCO, short track, XC relay, pump track, e-MTB and adaptive categories. The Hunter Mountain Bike Association has been […]
Hitting Mogo, Glen Innes and Gundy, goodnessgravel 2024 calendar is underway, exploring the best country roads NSW has to offer. And there is a new Oranged-tinted addition to the series! Born out of trying to get folks out of the city and exploring back roads, goodnessgravel has evolved into a four-event series taking in a […]
Flow acknowledges the rolling hills and forests around Creswick hold significant cultural importance to the Dja Dja Wurrung First Peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land.We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. There have been informal trails in Creswick […]
Justin reviews the latest GoPro HERO12 Black camera I’ve been using GoPros since the HERO3 came out over 15 years ago. Wow just typing that made me feel old… Almost every year GoPro releases an updated Hero camera with improvements ranging from minor tweaks to ‘game changing’ new features such as the stabilisation of the […]
The Quad Crown Black Pearl in Newcastle marked a thrilling end to the 2023 series. This event evolved from the popular Port to Port race and offered an opportunity to explore the diverse trails in the area, blending challenging races with a strong sense of community and social events. Newcastle is also the home of […]
With the 2024 AusCycling Mountain Bike National Champs heading to Awaba, NSW in March, the Hunter Mountain Bike Association has also announced that after 12 months of planning and a comprehensive Review of Environmental Factors, plans to expand the park have had the tick of approval. This all comes after a significant landslide cut off […]
Stunning beaches, world-renowned wineries, a thriving gourmet food scene, and an abundance of natural attractions are just some of what makes Margaret River special. Whether you’re staying a few extra days before or after the race or bringing your partner and family along, there’s plenty to see and do in this beautiful part of Western […]
Back in 2020, a group appeared on Facebook called Save Our Nerang Forest Trails, born out of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service closing two gravity trails in the Park without consultation. The folks behind the group and the local mountain bike club had learned of a broader scheme to shut down a substantial amount […]
After experiencing what may have been the best weather in Queensland, if not Australia, for The Sunny 80, The Quad Crown now turns its attention to Eden, NSW, for The Orca. Folks who sign up for this race will be some of the first in the country to ride the trails at Gravity Eden because […]
Chain waxing is a fantastic way to extend the life of your drivetrain — and save watts if you’re part of the #marginalgains crowd. We’ve just had a packet of AbsolueBLACK’s Graphinewax land on the workbench. AbsoluteBLACK’s take on the hot wax melt sees the addition of graphene, a one-atom-thick layer of carbon said to […]
Back for its fourth running, the Reef to Reef is a four-day stage race taking in some of the best trails and hugely varied landscapes in Tropical North Queensland. Starting in Smithfield, the race runs up to Davies Creek, goes exploring around Mount Molloy and then returns to the coast via the infamous Bump Track. […]
Mick recounts his epic week at the Reef to Reef “Who’s that silly guy wearing long pants? He must have juuuust stepped off the plane.” I arrived in Cairns for the third running of the Reef to Reef MTB, and I was delighted to be there. Leaving a very damp and dreary wintery Newcastle behind […]
Wil reviews the 2023 Specialized Epic World Cup After months of teasing, the Specialized Epic World Cup has finally arrived! A brand new model for 2023, the Epic World Cup cuts a striking, hardtail-like figure that immediately draws parallels with the Trek Supercaliber. Looks aside, the big news is that unlike the existing Epic (and […]
Ah Derby, it’s a bit like Flow’s second home. The trails, the people, the vibe, there is no place on earth quite like it. The last time we had a proper visit was in late 2019, just before the world changed. As it happens, quite a few people are in the same boat. The pandemic […]
It’s been about 18 months since we first wrote about the trail development in Mogo, on NSW’s South Coast. Now at the start of 2023, we have just had word that NSW Forestry Corp has signed off on the Review of Environmental Factors, and the trail-building crews from Rocky Trail Destination and Next Level MTB […]