Keeping Keppel Warm | A Lake Mountain bikepacking adventure
Flow Mountain Bike acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Lake Mountain and the surrounding area, the Taungurung people. We recognise their connection to lands, waters and communities and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. What do you get when you put a DH rider with a camera, two seasoned bikepackers, and a […]
What to expect at Lake Mountain this summer?
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 […]
Riding The Cascades Trail & More | A weekend in Lake Mountain, Victoria
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 […]
What’s New At Lake Mountain? | Cascades, airbags and alpine good times
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 […]
Lake Mountain Resort | Alpine riding a stone’s throw from Melbourne
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 […]
Best Mountain Bike Trails in Victoria | Top trails in the Garden State
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 […]
How to Stay Safe in the Bush | Flow’s Guide to Safe Mountain Biking Adventures
Being a mountain biker in Australia certainly has its perks: ever-expanding trail networks, incredibly diverse terrain, picturesque riding locations, the list goes on. However, on the flip side, the Aussie bush can be harsh and unforgiving, and it’s not uncommon to come across deadly critters sunning themselves on the trails. As the saying goes, prior […]
Best Mountain Bike Trails in Tasmania | Where to Ride on the Apple Isle
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 […]
Sugar and spice and everything nice | Finch Hatton Mountain Bike Park near Mackay now open
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. *Since this article was published, we have visited Finch Hatton and experienced the trails first-hand. Click here […]
Mountain Biking From Melbourne | Best Riding Near the City
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 […]
Don’t rough it unless you want to | Tips for travelling with your mountain bike on the cheap
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. […]
A Beginner’s Guide | How to wax your mountain bike chain
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 […]
Flow’s Goldfields Adventure | Exploring the best mountain bike trails in Victoria’s Goldfields region
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 […]
30 years of the Triple R | Australia’s oldest point to point mountain bike race
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 […]
Come for the mountain biking, stay for the good times | Springtime in Rotorua, NZ
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 […]
Mountain bike trails designed with frickin lasers | Orange’s new Trail of Awesomeness
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 […]
Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Review | Power is nothing without control
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 […]
Mountain bike events in the age of Covid19 | 12-months in
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 […]
Hans Rey Returns to Derby | One of His Favourite Mountain Bike Towns in the World?
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 […]
Flow’s Top 10 | Wil Gives Us His Best Mountain Bikes & Gear From 2019
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 […]
Ride, Swim, Eat, Repeat: Day 1, Mountain Biking the Atherton Tablelands
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 […]
Opinion: Women. Mountain Biking.
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 […]
Must Ride: Thredbo All-Mountain Trail
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? […]
Lakes Entrance Epic – Event Preview
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 […]
#southcentral – Wide Open hits Central Otago’s Southern Lakes, NZ
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 […]
Countdown to Cairns #2: The loins that birthed Aussie mountain biking
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 […]
Mountain Bike Bali
‘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 […]
Canyon Exceed Review | An adventure ready hardtail that romps where gravel bikes fall short
Nick Reviews the Canyon Exceed Revamped and redefined for 2025, Canyon launched the latest iteration of its XC hardtail earlier this year, the Exceed. The last version of the Exceed we tested back in 2020 was an unapologetic race bike; however the new bike has shifted its sights. Still built for XC racing, the Exceed […]
Pushing Possibility | Bikepacking Switzerland’s Alpine Bike Route 1 with two kids under 10
When John and I first discovered bikepacking, it was the perfect escape—an opportunity to immerse ourselves in nature, explore tiny rural villages, and carb-load on local delicacies, all while cycling through some of Europe’s most stunning landscapes. Before having kids, we’d traversed French la montage and Italian il mont, relishing in the quiet joys of […]
Stats With Latz | Belt driven DH bikes and e-MTB motors with magnets from the Taipei Cycle Show
Each year, members of the bicycle industry from around the world gather for the annual Taipei Cycle Exhibition. It’s a big show! By the numbers, visitors saw 980 exhibiting companies filling about 60,000 square metres of space across three colossal exhibit halls. Taipei Cycle doesn’t just showcase Taiwanese manufacturers. There are dozens of international exhibitors […]
A guide to Fainters Track | All the gear and no idea riding from Falls Creek to Mt Beauty
Flow Mountain Bike acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout the Alpine Region of Victoria. 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. If a group of downhill, enduro and xc mountain bikers with no prior […]
E-MTB in Victoria’s High Country | The Best Way to Do It
With two Epic Trails, multiple gravity parks and seemingly endless trail riding, Victoria’s High Country is a veritable playground. From open alpine ridges to pine forest gnar and adventures that stumble upon artefacts and infrastructure of a time long gone, there is so much ground to cover and diversity in the terrain. This is where […]
Embracing Off-Grid Adventures | A Guide to Camping With Your Bike
Nick’s guide to off-grid camping with your bike Whether you’re escaping to the mountains or setting up camp after a day of riding, having the right equipment makes all the difference. I’m Nick, and after a few nights in the bush with bikes, mates, and a stack of new gear, here’s what I learned about […]
Big Alpine Descents, Coastal Rootballs and Tropical MTB Getaways | Here’s your summer MTB destination bucket list
The magpies are swooping, the sun is staying out just that little bit longer, and things are beginning to warm up. With summer just around the corner and bike parks around the country preparing for the green season, it’s time to start thinking about your summer riding trips. Long alpine descents, coastal root balls, and […]
Ride Marysville | A grassroots project is aiming to make Marysville a trail town
Flow Mountain Bike acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Marysville, the Taungurung peoples. We recognise their connection to lands, waters and communities and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. Marysville is a cute little town on the edge of the Victorian Alpine and is probably known to most Flow readers as the […]
TQ HPR50 Motor Review | The art of subtlety
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 […]
Specialized Epic 8 Review | The all-new 120mm travel Epic is Brainless, but all the better for it!
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 […]
2024 Scott Voltage Review | A brand new heavyweight in the lightweight e-MTB category
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 […]
Continental Tyre Review | Argotal, Kryptotal & Xynotal Tyres
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. […]
The Learning Curve | Beginner to Bright Local
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 […]
Fresh Produce | A bike with a steering damper, protective frame wraps, two helmets and lightweight rim protection
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, […]
Fresh Produce | 4 new bikes, a serviceable dropper post, tubeless tools and a $480 jacket
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 […]
2023 Polygon Collosus N9 Review | A weighty enduro brawler with a lighter price tag
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 is buzzing this summer: what’s new, what’s changed and what’s on?
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 […]
2022 Scott Spark Review | An all-round XC ripper with a split personality
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 […]
Canyon Spectral CF 8 CLLCTV Review | A dedicated mullet bike that’s built to party
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 | A story of froth, turmoil and controversy
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 […]
Flow’s Fresh Produce | Riding kit & sunglasses from POC, high-tech Exposure lights & new G-Form protective gear
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, […]
Review | The 2020 Norco Sight VLT C1 29er Is An Electrified Behemoth
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 […]
Review | The Curve DownRock Titanium Hardtail Puts The Spice Back Into The Trail
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 […]
Fresh Produce | Radioactive Pink Muc-Off Tubeless Sealant
Recently the FlowHQ team has been testing a variety of tyres, from Pirelli Scorpion to Schwalbe’s new Albert tyre with the ‘Radial’ casing. This involves a lot of time fitting and removing tyres, plus plenty of tubeless sealant to keep them rolling. The team at Sheppard’s Cycles, importer and distributor of Muc-Off in Australia, sent […]
Whistler Beyond the Bike Park | Navigating Whistler’s trail networks from an Aussie’s perspective
Whistler, BC, it’s a bucket list destination for every mountain biker. I was lucky enough to tick it off my list in 2011, but in doing so, I think I may have broken the unspoken rules of bucket lists… because I immediately added it back on. Don’t tell the authorities. One trip is never enough. […]
How to do Whistler Bike Park | Flow’s guide to riding Whistler, BC
Whistler Bike Park has long been considered the holy land for lap loving mountain bikers the world over. In fact, it’s hard to even imagine a time when it wasn’t the dream of every young rider to find themselves perched at the top of this hallowed bike park, ready to drop in for a lap […]
Heat, Gravel, and Grit | Conquering Mt Canobolas at goodnessgravel Orange
Six. That’s how many goodnessgravel events I’ve done, and yet every single one still gets me excited. There’s something about these events that keeps pulling me in. Maybe it’s the flawless organisation, maybe it’s the challenge of unfamiliar terrain, or maybe it’s just their simple mantra of getting people out of the city and riding […]
Beechworth Granite Classic 2025 | The Race That’s Not a Race
Beechworth is a place to relax. It’s a place to eat pies, drink coffee, go on a ghost tour and lie on the sand next to Lake Sambell for the afternoon. But don’t be fooled by its cute appearance, because the champagne gravel around the area is also meeting ground for April’s main gravel event: […]
Ride 35 | A Tairawhiti, Gisbourne NZ Gravel Adventure
Careening down a giant rock slab in an inflatable boat is definitely not where Mitch Docker thought he’d be on the first day of his Ride 35 loop on the East Coast of New Zealand’s North Island near Gisborne. After watching a local ride the Rere Falls rock slide on a boogie board, he thought […]
goodnessgravel Adds Two Brand Spankin’ New Stops for 2025
Founded to encourage riders to explore beyond city limits, goodnessgravel is back for 2025 with a quartet of destinations across New South Wales. With revamped routes and two new additions, Parkes and Bulahdelah are joining the lineup. To get the inside word on what’s in store for 2025, we chatted to event founder Will Levy, […]
Welcome to Colorado | High Trails, Red Rock Descents & Giant Peaches
Flow Mountain Bike acknowledges the Traditional Owners, the Ute people who are the original custodians of Crested Butte, Glenwood Springs and Palisade and the surrounding area. We recognise their connection to lands, waters and communities and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. Border crossings are often best described as terrifying, belittling and […]
Fresh Produce | Ride Concepts Tallac Shoes
Named for the tallest mountain in the Lake Tahoe area where Ride Concepts is based, the Tallac is the brand’s hike-a-bike-friendly trail shoe. Overview of the Ride Concepts Tallac Available in both flat and clip versions, the main attraction is the sole. Made from the brand’s sticky Max Grip rubber compound that graces the bottom […]
High Country Gravel | Six gravel adventures we’re eyeing off this summer in Victoria’s High Country
Flow Mountain Bike acknowledges the Traditional Owners, the original custodians of these lands. We recognise their connection to lands, waters and communities and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. Victoria’s High Country is a veritable paradise for mountain bikes. But with so much open space, alpine epics and classic Australiana, there are […]