One of mountain biking’s charms is the places it takes us and what it allows us to see, and we promise you, you’ll never have seen mountain biking in quite that same way as Alice Springs delivers it.
Flying into towards Alice Springs is like watching some incredible abstract painting unfurling in front of your eyes; a canvas of swirling colours and ripples, like a pond with a rock lobbed in. As you near Alice itself the ripples consolidate into larger and larger peaks and cliff lines, eventually compressing into the impressive McDonnell Range that looms over the town.
The trails are fast, open and serpentine, whipping through gullies and over rocky crests. The weather, especially from April to October, is perfect with clear blue skies practically guaranteed. The social riding and club scene is tremendous, in that welcoming way that only regional towns seem to achieve. The landscape is a breathtaking, ancient collision of reds, oranges and yellows. And the sunsets and sunrises are simply mind-blowing. It’s seriously special.
Alice Springs in motion, 60 seconds of tyre crunching, sweet singletrack goodness.
Or sit back and hit press play and binge on our Ride the Red Centre YouTube playlist with 22 epic videos!
It’s not extraordinary that mountain biking exists in Alice (desert towns the world over have healthy mountain bike scenes, just look at Moab in Utah, or Fruita in Colorado), but what is incredible is the quality and sheer quantity of trails around town. There must be literally hundreds of kilometres of riding out there.
Hobart local Jackie Shapel’s first-time experience of mountain biking in Alice Springs was extra special.
“Travelling from Hobart I couldn’t get much more of a contrast arriving in Alice, the traditional land of the Arrernte (pronounced Arunda) people. Mountains make way to sandy rolling flats; dense rain forests are replaced with a sky that never seems to end. The warmth of the sun and air hit as you step off the plane, which was only surpassed by the friendliness of the locals as you roll into town.”
Three main trail ‘centres’ cluster around Alice, like a cloverleaf, all within a short ride from the middle of town. And once you’re out there, you really out there, you can lose sight of town and civilisation in a heartbeat.
The ultimate mountain biking family, and their ultimate family holiday!
When the Tucknott family went to Alice Springs they had the most incredible time. When they weren’t riding the sweet trails they were riding quad bikes through the wild landscape, flying a glider above it all, swimming in pools and waterholes, camping under the stars, learning history, hiking for sunrises, and watching art light installations broadcast on the cliffs. And more riding…
The Tucknotts know how to holiday, this mountain biking family had an amazing week in Alice Springs.Camping at the end of a long ride on beautiful singletrack, you beauty.
This is a must-watch, the ultimate trip indeed!
Riding in the desert throws up constantly changing terrain and surfaces too; the trails are an evolving, engaging mix of rock, quartz, sand, shale. Luckily the almost complete absence of scrub means you’ve got visibility for miles, so you can always let it run and you’re rarely caught out.Swimming holes from postcards. Very Insta-worthy.
The accessibility of the riding around Alice is another key part of its appeal. The only transport you need to worry about is getting from the airport into town, after which it’s no more than a 10-minute ride to the trails in any direction. Accommodation providers get it too, and an increasing number of hotels and apartments are billing themselves as mountain bike-friendly.
Outback Cycling is Alice’s hub for all things cycling. You’ll find everything you need here, from local knowledge, trail maps, bike and equipment hire sales, hire and plenty of tough tyres if yours aren’t up to scratch for the terrain.
Weather-wise, there are parts of the year when mountain biking is pretty much off the cards – you wouldn’t want to be on the trails much after sunrise in the peak of summer – but Alice is at its best when large parts of the country are at their worst.
Throughout winter you can bet the bank on 28-degree days, cloudless blue skies and the most spectacularly clear nights imaginable. Even though the middle of the day is prime for riding, you’d be mad not to get up early for at least one sunrise, it’s magical watching the ridgelines change from the cool grey of the pre-dawn to an absolute explosion of reds and oranges as the first sun rays hit.
“People will tell you that the sunsets here are some of the most spectacular in the world but from experience, it’s probably best to witness it with your own eyes, as photos will never do it justice,” said Jackie Schapel on her first visit to Alice. “It’s like every colour has been painted in the sky and the darkness is slowly consuming the light to keep it safe for the night.”
Time your trip right and you might even catch the desert in bloom. Seeing the wildflowers come to life in the desert is a pretty amazing experience.
If we had to put our finger on what makes Alice Springs riding so appealing to us, it’s that it offers an experience that is uniquely Australian. The baking desert is one of the elements that characterise Australia – it’s the yin to the yang of the surf and beaches – but it’s the last place many of us explore, especially not on our bikes. One of mountain biking’s charms is the places it takes us and what it allows us to see, and we promise you, you’ll never have seen mountain biking in quite that same way as Alice delivers it. Check it out.
If we had to put our finger on what makes Alice Springs riding so appealing to us, it’s that it offers an experience that is uniquely Australian.
Imogen Smith gives us her top five reasons the Alice Springs mountain bike experience is like no other.
I’ve visited Alice to race my bike seven times now, and I’m still drawn back. Australia’s centre is laced with trails that are flowing, sandy, rocky, steep and flat all at once and a host of natural elements combine to make the place a must-ride. Any given ride (or race stage) will see you turn your back on the town and set off into a moonscape, following a line of singletrack over ridges that leave the bleached rooftops of town terrifyingly far away, until they duck completely out of sight.
Welcome to Australia’s most unique mountain bike destination, Alice Springs.
From that moment on, whether riding or racing, there’s nothing but you and the bike, in the elements.
The Alice terrain
The terrain itself is more varied than you’d expect of the desert. The eastern trails are more sinewy, curvy, flowing and tend to be a little sandier and smoother than the rougher western trails, which are some of my favourites. They take you further into an unknown, rocky wilderness. These trails are cut by hand – sometimes literally – and I’ve heard that in summer locals like to go out at night, with nothing more than a shovel and dingoes for company, to mark them out with glowing quartz.
Where in the world have you seen terrain like this?
The centre isn’t as flat as you’d expect either – there are plenty of ups to keep your legs sharp, and old-school descents that keep your mind sharp too.
The desert sky
I’ve raced in Alice in freezing sub-zero temperatures, in rare rain, but mostly under a deep yellow sun that bobs like a poached egg in the vastest of skies. There’s something wider, deeper, and bluer about the Alice sky than anywhere else I’ve travelled. It might be because of the crispy dry atmosphere, or it might be because of the contrast with the red earth and green-grey grass.
There’s something wider, deeper, and bluer about the Alice sky.
When you’re riding trails in Alice, the deep blue above you lifts you up. It brightens the trail and the whole world around you. No sky you see back home will ever really look like sky again.
Central Australia at Easter
If you come to Alice at Easter from the north, and you’ll appreciate an early arrival of cooler, calmer weather. If you’re from the south, it’s a last shot of sunshine before you bunker down for winter’s cold fronts.
Racing Easter in the Alice, each day’s timing usually works perfectly so you’re riding in crisp morning conditions but finishing as the sun revs up to the perfect temperature for some hydrotherapy (aka a dip in the pool) after the bikes are put away.
Outback Cycling Easter is a brilliant time to be in Alice Springs, a festival of mountain biking with a great atmosphere and a huge variety of events.
Off the bike, the Red Centre has a bunch of tourist attractions and you can typically book them from any provider and get picked up from your hotel that morning, discover some amazing geological or cultural marvel, then dropped home as the sun goes down. Uluru is a day-trip away, as is Kings Canyon and Kata Tjuta. But if you want to stay close to town, there’s the Alice Springs Desert Park, a place to learn about desert plants, birds, mammals and reptiles and whose nocturnal animal enclosure is one of the best in the country.
Exploring water holes near town is a popular activity when your legs have had enough singletrack.
The temperatures, visibility and open terrain are the right ingredients for fun night riding.
Gaps in the MacDonnell ranges are some of the most special places close to town and if you pick the right one at the right time, you might just have the place all to yourself. Simpson’s Gap is a classic destination because it’s located conveniently at the end of a 20-kilometre bike path, while less-visited Jessie and Emily Gaps are great as the sun goes down and the MacDonnell ranges light up in a thousand different shades of orange, red, and gold. All are sacred sites for the Central Arrernte people.
The local scene
In Alice, the locals are as welcoming as I’ve ever met anywhere, and no matter how popular the Red Centre becomes as a trail destination, the grassroots feeling, that sense of being a part of a community-driven mountain bike scene is stronger than ever.
We hear the locals are friendly.
I always step off the plane completely overdressed and in a big-city hurry, and leave a few days later feeling completely at ease. The riding, the weather, the scenery, and the local scene all combine to make Alice a must-visit, must-race location for every mountain biker.
Imogen Smith is one of Australia’s most well-travelled stage racers and has been taking off around the world to race and ride bikes for nearly 20 years. Follow her on Instagram @imogenjsmith
Cannonballllll! Take a virtual stroll through the beating heart of Thredbo’s Cannonball MTB Festival with us, as we spot the bikes and tech that pique our interest. If you could have one bike as your own form this bunch, what would it be?
Thredbo is going off this summer! After a hot and dry start to the season, followed by closures due to bushfire threat, the place is buzzing again.
Ta da! Queen of Cannonball, Sian A’Hern with her quiver of Norcos.
Norco’s Wild DH bike the Aurum HSP (High Single Pivot) counteracts the strong chain forces from the rearward axle path.Another bike using an idler-pully is the Forbidden Druid. More commonly seen in longer-travel DH bikes, the 29″ wheel Druid uses 130mm of rear-wheel travel and is designed around a 140-150mm fork.
OMG, an Ironhorse Sunday! Are these considered retro, yet?
Jack Moir was one of the elite riders riding their custom painted World Champs bikes. Though with mismatched rear ends on both Jack and Gwin’s Intense M29, we speculate they never got completely comfortable with this frame design adapted to 29″ wheels. Anyhow, Jack’s onto a new team for the new season, stay tuned for that announcement soon.Magura’s mighty MT7 four-piston brakes are gaining more spec from savvy riders, it seems. We are curious to try them out for ourselves.Mitch Mckinlay stops at nothing in the quest to build the most high-end bikes in the universe.How to make an expensive bike more expensive – add King hubs.DMR Deathgrip grips are a popular option.
Australian National DH Team representative, Cooper Downey, and GT’s latest DH bike, the Fury. Another bike using an idler-pully for a rearward axle path suspension action without the negative pedal feedback.
Propain Factory Racing rider Luke Meier-Smith after pushing tyres past their limit.Kye A’Hern’s sweet Canyon Sender from World Champs, the actual gold medal bike!STFU chain silencer device fitted to a Commencal Furious, developed with input from Chris Kovarik. They sure make sense!OMG, a 26″ Santa Cruz! Who remembers when they were the hottest carbon DH rig around?The new 2020 Specialized Kenevo looking longingly at the chair lift, hoping it’s still ok to be friends after all the comments about uplifting.Josh Carlson with his enduro-ready Giant Reign 29″. The fastest bike in both the Flow Motion Cup and All Mountain Assault.Legit Barkbusters, in subtle orange. Handguards are becoming a regular sight amongst enduro riders, and for good reason.
Mini shredder with full-bouncers.Mini-ish shredders with high-end bouncers.Lobster on the SRAM tools.Mobile beats, #10.
Mike Ross sinking his teeth into Cannonball. Crowds were loving his big whips and fluid style.e-racing, all of the fun.Bikes everywhere. Cannonball is so rad.Open DH winner – again – Troy Brosnan and his Mont Sainte Anne World Champs bike, lavishly decorated with Australiana details in the paint. Though we believe there may be a new 29″ Canyon Sender announcing soon!
Mitch Ropelato in town! Bike skill master enjoying his time down under with his enduro-ready Santa Cruz Megatower.More hand guards for less busted knuckles.
Wounded, send help.
Rising enduro star, Dan Booker’s new SRAM-equipped Megatower. Fresh!Zipp Moto 3Zero wheels for the fast Tasmanian.New bike, old pedals.
The pumptrack event was held without a chain within sight.Connor Fearon with his Kona Operator and the Cannonball Festival Crown.Of course.
Mo’ Flow Please!
Enjoyed that article? Then there’s plenty more to check out on Flow Mountain Bike, including all our latest news stories and product reviews. And if you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel, and sign up to our Facebook page and Instagram feed so you can keep up to date with all things Flow!
Hans Rey is a rider who needs very little introduction. If you’re one of the three people reading this who aren’t familiar with the name though, perhaps ask one of the wiser mountain bikers amongst your riding crew, and get prepared for a proper history lesson! From bungy-jumping with his mountain bike, to riding across the highlands of Guatemala and along the Inca Trail in Machu Pichu, to bunny-hopping across cars on a busy Los Angeles freeway, staring in the cheesy American TV show Pacific Blue, and working alongside Mr Jiggs as part of the classic Monkey See Monkey Do video series, there is not a lot the German-born Californian hasn’t attempted on his mountain bike.
The ex-trials World Champion has been a mainstay of the mountain bike scene for, well, forever! Hans has perhaps one of the longest running sponsorships of any sport, having been sponsored by GT Bicycles for over 30 years. In this day and age, where professional athletes bounce from bike company to bike company, that’s an impressive amount of commitment, and speaks volumes of Hans’ professionalism and dedication to the sport.
Hans Rey – the trials & mountain bike legend!Ooh – old school GT i-Drive! Bit different to Hans’ current bikes…
Having travelled all over the globe for both competition and to film his extreme riding videos, Hans’ first trip to Australia was way back in 1992, when he was invited to come out to Thredbo for the National Trails Championships. It was a while between drinks for Hans, who returned some 24 years later for a trip with GT Bicycles in 2016 to check out the opening of the Epic trail at Mt Buller, as well as the official opening of the Derby trail network in Tasmania.
Having gotten a taste for the incredible riding on offer in the rugged Tasmanian wilderness, Hans recently returned to Australia alongside his partner Carmen Rey. If you haven’t checked out the features yet, be sure to have a look at our story on Hans Rey riding the new Bay of Fires trail, as well as his return to Derby. For someone who’s been to some of the world’s best riding spots, Hans might have just found his favourite!
For his trip Down Under, Hans brought along two unique mountain bikes built especially for travelling duties. Flow’s gun photo/video man, Dominic Hook, took some cracking shots of Hans’ new GT Force and e-Force, and we caught up with Hans to get a little insight into his bike setup.
Hans’ GT Force uses a carbon fibre mainframe, and an alloy back end. He’s riding a size Large.
The first bike is Hans Rey’s GT Force – a relatively new model that was launched alongside the latest Sensor trail bike, both of which feature the return of the iconic LTS suspension platform. The Force is the bigger rig of the two – it’s a 150mm travel 27.5in enduro bike, which Hans has setup with a 170mm travel Fox 36 fork on the front. There’s a Shimano XTR 1×12 drivetrain, 4-piston brakes, a Stan’s NoTubes Flow MK3 wheelset, and 2.6in wide Vittoria tyres, making this a very robust, go-anywhere mountain bike for tackling technical trails all over the globe. Total bike weight? 14kg on the nose.
Shimano XTR M9100 drivetrain with the larger 10-51T cassette option for maximum range.Hans runs an SQlab cockpit, including 780mm wide riser bars with a 12-degree backsweep, a 50mm long stem, and the ergonomic 7OX lock-on grips.There’s also a SQlab 6OX Ergowave Active saddle, which Hans uses in the 13cm width.Crank Brothers Stamp 3 flat pedals in the small size. As you’ll see further down though, Hans is running a pretty interesting pedal arrangement on his other bikes…The Vittoria Martello uses an aggressive tread pattern with a high volume 2.6in wide casing. Hans runs these around 22psi.
Hans was an early adopter of GT’s first e-MTB. Called the eVerb, it was a 27.5+ full suspension bike with 130/120mm of suspension travel. GT has since released a bigger and more aggressive model called the GT-e Force, which not only features a much sleeker frame with an integrated battery pack, also moves to 29in wheels and ups the travel to 150/150mm.
Hans’ GT-e Force features Fox Factory Series suspension front and rear, with a Float DPX2 shock and a slightly longer 160mm travel 36 fork. The parts are similar to his regular Force bike, with Crank Brothers pedals and Highline dropper post, an SQlab cockpit, Stan’s NoTubes wheels and Vittoria tyres. Hans clearly digs the big rubber, as he’s got 2.6in wide Martello tyres here too, though he tells us that he can run the pressures a lot lower (as low as 10-15psi) with the help of Vittoria’s Air-Liner tubeless inserts. Despite the robust parts spec, weight isn’t too bad at 23.1kg for the complete bike.
The GT-e Force is built around a Shimano E8000 drive system, with a neat on/off button integrated into the top tube.150mm travel Crank Brothers Highline dropper post.Shimano 4-piston XT brakes, though Hans is running the previous M8000 master cylinder.Shimano’s Di2 controls integrate with the E8000 e-MTB system to control power modes and shifting.Not sure about using flats or clips? The HalfWayRey setup could be exactly what you’re looking for!
Yes, that is a flat pedal on the drive side, and a clip pedal on the non-drive side. Hans calls it the ‘HalfWayRey’ setup, and it’s not exactly common.
“This is a set up I’ve I actually been riding on my regular bike as well as e-Bike“, Hans explains. “It’s the best of both worlds. I run the clip pedal on my leading foot and I ride flat pedals (with a flat pedal shoe) on my rear foot. In the past few years I have been riding flat pedals only, even for XC rides. But with e-Bikes I noticed that one can climb better and steeper when clipped in. So I tried the HalfWayRey setup and I really like it. I think it’s the best of both worlds if you like to ride technical and steep terrain. But I think it is also a great way to learn how to ride clipless“.
So there you go!
Shimano 1×11 Di2 shifting on the back with an 11-46T cassette. Looks a little small compared to Shimano’s latest 12-speed cassettes doesn’t it?The GT-e Force uses the four-bar LTS suspension design, along with an integrated battery pack hidden inside the alloy downtube.Hans riding his GT-e Force along the new Bay of Fires trail from the Blue Tier, all the way down to St Helens on the coast. Yiew!
Mo’ Flow Please!
Enjoyed that article? Then there’s plenty more to check out on Flow Mountain Bike, including all our latest news stories and product reviews. And if you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel, and sign up to our Facebook page and Instagram feed so you can keep up to date with all things Flow!
Whoa, exhale, 2019, done, finito, 12 months in the bag. It has been an absolutely momentous year for the tiny powerhouse Flow Mountain Bike. Reflecting on what exactly made it so eventful by choosing key highlights is a pleasing way to remind us of how fortunate we are to work with talented people on amazing projects, to remain significant in a busy media space, within an ever-changing and exciting world of everything mountain biking.
We love what we do and sincerely hope Flow continues to inspire, inform and entertain whether that be through videos and stories from around Australia, new bike reviews, new tech stories, coverage of events, or news from new places to ride.
There’s been a stack of original content go up on Flow in 2019; we’ve created 68 videos for our YouTube channel, 413 pieces of Flow created content on flowmountainbike.com and 257 Instagram posts. It’s been a busy time for our small team.
Flow’s effervescent news and tech editor, Wil Barrett has given us his top-ten bikes and products from 2019, so now it’s my time to recount the events of 2019 that stood out to me.
A sad farewell to Chris Southwood, and a welcome to Wil Barrett.
Chris and I met at the downhill races while still in high school, worked in bike shops together and formed a wonderful friendship and working relationship in media that spanned 15 years. Freelancing as bike testers when the Kona Magic Link and Shimano Dual Control Shifters were cool, we somehow slipped into becoming the editorial team behind AMB Magazine, adding 28 printed copies to the long and still growing list.
Flow’s co-founder, and great friend of mine, Chris Southwood, farewell’s mountain bike media in search of new challenges.
Flow was born, out of digital dreams, briefly engaging in the print world and later focussing solely on online media. Seven years of Flow and making a significant impact in the mountain bike space in Australia and no doubt getting more bums on bikes, Chris made the call to move on and seek new career challenges and spend more time with his young family.
His trademark weirdness, random-energy, ingenious creativity, intensely competitive riding spirit, passion for the sport and utter dedication to quality media continues to live on in Flow. If you spot him on the trails, please ask him how much he misses riding e-bikes, and now loves paying for bike parts.
Bendigo’s walking mountain bike encyclopedia Wil Barrett return to Australia from the UK was splendid news to Chris and I. Wil has always been the rare type of talent we would love to have in the Flow team.
A shining member in the exclusive list of the world’s most excellent bike reviewers and writers, Wil has brought immense credibility and quality to Flow Land, and I have very much enjoyed the first six months working together.
Flow welcomed the effervescent Wil Barrett to the team this year. Such a legend!Wil in the Flow zone, out testing bikes.
Wil’s passion and curiosity for new bike releases and technical details are amazing, and the dedication to creating quality content for the viewer is what makes him stand out from the pack.
Who else can produce a thorough 15-minute bike review video and keep you glued to the screen to the end, or concisely describe the concept behind short-offset forks? Wil can! Do yourself a favour and check out some recent bike reviews videos on our YouTube and you’ll see what I mean.
Flow’s Fantastic Freelancer Family.
I am grateful to have a fantastic team of freelancers around us that can carry out projects alongside Wil, myself or independently.
Josh Stephenson from Ready Aim Media, integral to many great projects we were involved in through 2019.The super-talented Tasmanian oddball, Jasper Da Seymour in his element.
Huge shout outs to our long-serving hard-working and talented crew; Josh Stephenson, Jasper da Seymour, Oliver Smith, Dominic Hook, Fiona Dick, Reiner Shuster and Matt Staggs.
Thank you!
Attending two MTB Forums, the scene is thriving and more on the way.
Australian MTB Summit, Derby and Destination MTB, Maydena.
Flow was fortunate to attend both events and presented on mountain bike media in the destination space at the Maydena Summit. Hearing the talks, and meeting the attendees bolstered our confidence that mountain biking has a beautiful future, with constant investment from all levels into building and supporting mountain bike infrastructure.
New regions with mountain bike trail plans are popping up on the map. With ultimate success stories like Derby and Maydena to reference, it’s clear for those to see how mountain biking can engage tourism as well as engage local communities in cycling activities.
Wil’s feature of the handbuilt bikes in Beechworth; TOR Bikes.
This project was extra nice to see unfold, coming from a place I have a real affinity for, and a fellow that I’ve followed about the trails there, Shane Flint and Beechworth, Victoria.
Shane Flint from TOR Bikes, hand-built in Beechworth.
Wil jumped up to Beechworth from Bendigo to learn more about TOR Bikes, how they are made, how they ride, and the theories behind construction methods and frame geometry.
The images and stories are fascinating, and so well captured, it’s total editorial class. Bike geeks will love the detail, and anyone who would appreciate a custom bike should consider an Australian made masterpiece like this.
Port to Port to Reef to Reef to Cape to Cape.
I absolutely love being a part of these events, and as a photographer, it’s a wild week of high-paced camera slinging good times. The photogenic Port to Port was treated to magnificent conditions each day, and the riders were buzzing; hence the photos are so much fun to flick through.
Port to Port.Cape to Cape.Reef to Reef.
It was my first time shooting the Reef to Reef in Tropical North Queensland, a break from mid-winter at home, and the event was enjoyable to follow. Travelling around from Cairns to Port Douglas via the spectacular Atherton Tablelands is something we’re lucky to have witnessed from behind the camera.
It was a new experience for Wil, also, and with a foreign camera. He picked it up like a pro and captured so much great imagery.
Over to WA for the big one, Cape to Cape. I was feeling a little fatigued with the C2C, counting around eight visits, racing and photographing, it can feel challenging to photograph with enthusiasm and produce a fresh set of images. But this year was the best yet, I don’t know exactly what it was, but working with the clever Tim Bardsley-Smith, bouncing around in the ute tray like Skittles in a Pringles can, and the warm team atmosphere from the experienced crew who get s#$t done and party mighty hard. See you all again!
Riding trail bikes with XC tyres for s%$ts and giggles.
A standout riding experience this year was an unexpected one. To convert a trail bike into a capable XC race bike for the odd XC race, I messed with a Giant Trance by exchanging the wheels and tyres from 2.3” Maxxis Minions on 30mm rims to 2.3/2.35” Maxxis Rekon Race on lightweight 26mm rims. This was a huge change, and it turned a bike I knew well into a wild rodeo!
The Giant Singletrack Charmer, a marvellous trail bike that I enjoyed riding a lot.
Blasting into turns at full speed with limited braking bite to keep speeds under control, while focussing on line choice to stay upright and expecting nothing to go to plan was damn fun. I will plan to do it again on the next short-travel trail bike. Give it a try!
Megatower-ing on the mighty trails in Nelson, NZ
Taking part in a small press launch for the new Santa Cruz Megatower held in Nelson, NZ I was thrown head-first into some genuinely challenging riding! The bike was up for it, but my weakling editors arms still recovering from that bone-breaking incident in Maydena’s Zen Garden were not.
Wow, Wairoa Gorge is quite a place! The remarkable story of its conception alone is mind-boggling, and the terrain and trail construction was unlike anything I’d ever ridden in all of my years. With the majority of the press and Santa Cruz staff riding super hard and fast, it was a few days of fury, attacking steep turns with commitment and keeping the momentum high to avoid falling off the side of the planet into the jaws of hungry cheese grater rocks.
Getting rowdy in Wairoa Gorge, Nelson, New Zealand. Hectic trails!
Nydia Bay is a pretty place, too. A part of the NZ Enduro, the trails and scenery around the Marlborough Sounds are stunning and stoked I got to sneak out for a sunrise shoot and solo peace and quiet before the savage riding resumed.
Also, how good are dual-direction, multiple-user trails in New Zealand? So good.
2019 EWS, World Cup season and World Champs! Rebecca McConnell, Sam Hill, Brosnan, Tracey Hannah, Bruni, Pierron, amazing!
Race fans were treated to a thrilling season of racing, with remarkable performances. I was pumped to watch Bec McConnell’s fast finish to the season which culminated with a bronze World Championship medal, fantastic stuff!
Sam Hill’s narrow EWS season win, the Bruni and Pierron fierce battle and Brosnan’s remarkable precision and consistency. And watching the relief on Tracey Hannah’s face when she sealed the 2019 overall World Cup, lots of fuzzy warms from where we sat watching on RedBull TV.
E-MTB adventures, some of the best feelings on a bike.
I’m a considerable enthusiast of e-bikes and have clocked up a tremendous amount of time on them since they landed in Australia to a mixed reception and fiercely polarised internet audience. Right now, I give very little attention to people who go out of their way to rage about e-bikes, I’m not fussed at all, sorry angry people of the internet!
My go-to e-MTB, the superb Specialized Levo, has been my bike of choice for all sorts of rides. Pushing the limit on extremely hard trails, adventuring with large groups or riders, carrying camera gear around the High Country on film shoots, riding entire stages of the Port to Port as a photographer, exploring potential new zones to ride close to home, spinning out km to recover the legs from hard days out, self-shuttling DH race tracks and for getting out in the bush when you don’t have all of your best energy. The list goes on, I’ve stopped thinking about it too much, and just focus on enjoying the completely different experience that they offer.
I’ve been riding for 25 years, so I tend to lean toward a new riding experience, none have come along with such significance as this.
After about four years of riding and testing e-MTBs, I’ve developed an appreciation of how using the various power modes can impact on your ride. Don’t just sit back and boost your way, hit those buttons.
I have been riding to the trails in full-power mode to warm up and get to the juicy bits, then knock the power right down, so there’s still a lot of effort from the legs and body going into the ride. Power up the shuttle roads, or boost up a techy climb, then back the electricity down, pedal hard to feel the burn like we did before these wonder-machines graced our lives.
And you know what tops it off? The development and technological advancements are stimulating, and I feel that I’m often more excited about what’s yet to come in the e-MTB world than analogue bikes. The competition is hot and raging forwards, and it is exciting to watch. Imagine what we’re in for over the next few years!
Riding endu-road in Italy, breaking all the etiquette.
At a Trek media launch this year, where Trek released the new 2020 Rail and Fuel EX, the Oceanic contingent of Alex Malone from Cyclist Magazine, Liam Friary from Cycling Journal NZ and I arrived one day earlier than official proceedings.
Alex Malone in the Italian zone.
With only road bikes available, it was rude not to borrow one and shake off the jetlag with a cycle around the quintessential Italian countryside. Though to the disdain of my slick roadie pals, I was dressed in full ‘enduro spec’ gear, big Giro Chamber shoes, helmet with a visor and large Camelbak. Oh, the horror!
Damn, it was a good ride, though! Disc brake road bikes are the greatest, does anyone want to buy my rim-brake roadie?
The Canyon Strive, so clever, much enduro.
Canyon’s quiver-killing Strive (haha, I said it) is an impressive bike, and I enjoyed riding it in Maydena and also on trails that didn’t warrant such brawn, but it still outshone many in its category.
Competent suspension, modest numbers, low weight, high value and the effective Shapeshifter come together in a strikingly aesthetic package that would suit a considerable portion of hard-charging riders out there. It rates high on my ultimate bike list.
Pondering features.
Giant Trance 29, the singletrack charmer.
This bike came at a time when I was missing the super-technical trails in Sydney, faced with the flatter and calmer terrain of a newer home in Newcastle. Short on travel, big on character, the Trance 29 is a real winner. After reviewing and really enjoying the mid-range aluminium model, a top-level carbon model became available.
The DVO suspension never really resonated with me, the rear shock, in particular, wasn’t a great match to the frame and wondered how DVO would be a selling point for the flagship models, and hey, presto, all DVO has vanished from the 2020 line-up without a word. Hmmm.
First ride of many on the Trance 29er.
I fitted the new Shimano XTR to the Trance 29, and it felt amazing, that stuff is all-class. Though maybe not worth the dollars over SLX or XT, it feels delightful to the touch and the key to a lightweight build. The Trance managed to handle a wide variety of trails; it is lively, confident and ultra-quick.
The Trance 29 lit up the singletrack, ask Terry.
Shimano XTR and SRAM Eagle AXS drivetrains, experiencing the cream of the 12-speed crop.
2019 was a kick-ass year for drivetrain nerds like me. New-ish 12-speed SRAM AXS and Shimano XTR were becoming more regularly available for upgrades and stock on high-end bikes, and I built a Giant Trance 29er and Focus Sam with the fancy stuff.
Smoothest shifting in the universe.
Marvelling at the performance, feeling subtle differences between the two, understanding their unique strengths and weaknesses and forcing myself to choose only one consumes so much thought and discussion when out testing.
Oh no, I put myself on the spot now, which drivetrain would I choose if I could only use one? Is this the place to do it?
Cleaner than a wireless whistle.
SRAM AXS gets my pick. SRAM AXS takes the cake by a whisker solely for the clean aesthetics that the wireless system brings, and the way robots make a perfectly consistent shift action each time. I dig it.
In my experiences this year, Shimano XTR has a superior shift action under load and does it so smoothly like some kind of mechanical sorcery. And the brakes also high-class, but now we’re getting over-complicated once again, and weren’t were talking about drivetrains?
I can only imagine what wireless XTR would bring to the high-end playing field.
Crank Brothers Synthesis and Zipp 3 Zero Moto wheels.
High-end carbon wheels add value in more ways than one. Put a set of these on your bike, and you’ll need to adjust your home and insurance policy, they cost a lot of dough. But in my experience of tinkering with bikes, they feel like the ultimate upgrade, especially if you are in-tune with your bike and know it’s every move, sound and reaction.
The single-wall carbon wheels are a new introduction to mainstream mountain biking, and they bring something to the table that I especially appreciate; compliance. When for years we were searching for the stiffest wheels and frames so we could ride them harder and feel confident, we’re now at the point where the frame geometry and suspension is so dialled that other things matter more. We’re able to even notice effects like compliance from individual components, wheels in this case.
Fitting the Crank Brothers Syntheses wheels to my Norco Sight test bike with the same tyres, pressures, etc. was clear as day. The bike was so much quieter, smoother and tracked the ground with higher positivity.
Same goes for the Zipp Moto wheels, first onto the Levo the low-profile rims had a monumental impact on the ride. The weight of an e-bike can make some components feel pretty dull and lifeless. With the Moto wheels fitted, there was a considerable boost in traction and control, and no flat tyres despite expecting too.
Throw about $4K to make a massive improvement to your bike? Consider some extravagant carbon wheels like the Synthesis or Motos.
Retro nostalgia addictions. Send help, or elastomers.
For a frothing mountain biker that grew up in the 90s right amid the golden boom-time of the sport, reflecting on the events, personalities, bikes and media that captured the mind of a teenager with amaze and wonder is a real buzz. 2019 saw a few golden finds added to the collection.
A new addition to the Flow Garage of Dreams, an amazing Foes LTS 16, complete with the F1 fork, amazzzzzing. Does anyone know how to rebuild a Kuster rear shock?
GT’s iconic STS, so many stories…
I’ve always been a hoarder, keeping as much from the past as possible. However, more recently I somewhat regret joining retro ‘trading and appreciation’ groups on Facebook so I can make unjust purchases on old junk in poor condition that I’ll never ride, I wanted it so bad in 1996. The collection is epic, though private, maybe one day we could feature a few gems in the Flow HQ garage of dreams, I’ll think about it.
I am currently seeking a good RockShox Judy FSX, a Schwinn Straight Eight frame, a GT Lobo an Outland VPP or my stolen 1997 Intense M1 back, please. Or maybe just send elastomers, as they don’t age too well.
Gravel Grit Laguna, an event of all-sorts.
An event that stood out in 2019 was an unlikely one, a gravel ride organised by The Bicycle Network. Simply put, it was a 70km ride on roads and gravel roads around a beautiful part of the Hunter Valley, starting and finishing in a groovy old bar/café/pub/hangout place with no phone reception and an epic food menu, The Great Northern Trading Post.
Camping and long rides on bikes! Perfect.
Love the Trek Checkpoint, a solid, comfortable and versatile rig for days like this.
This year we camped, brought our cool dog and sweet 1970’s Viscount caravan, a Trek Checkpoint, and mingled with roadies, mountain bikers, bike-packers, bike riders and more bike riders. Gravel riding is a lot of why we love mountain biking, the outdoor experience is lovely, but it’s so social!
You can talk and ride at the same time, most of the time, not just when you meet at a junction or lose 20 minutes chatting before heading up a climb. It was a glorious day of fresh air, quiet roads and chats over the pleasant sound of crunchy gravel.
It wasn’t a race, it wasn’t too hard, I loved it, and so I will return.
Tasmanian spectacular, Enduro World Series and discovering St Helens.
After the buzz and highs from the World Champs in Cairns, the Enduro World Series coming to Tasmania was a way for us to get a solid fix for international racing with our own eyes. Derby played host to a spectacular week of action, the town was buzzing with people from all over the world, and it felt like many riders, teams and media squids were happy to return to Australia’s quirky little mountain bike town.
AMB Flow sandwich. TBS, Flow and Mike from AMB representing Aussie media.
The trails were running mint, dry and dusty, and the photos were turning out great. The racing was tight, exciting and with Derby being a little town, it was normal to bump into a pro at the pub and pluck up enough courage to say hey.
Swapping over from action photographer to video story-teller, I made the drive to St Helens right after the EWS. St Helens is the newest buzzing location in the mountain bike landscape, with World Trail constructing loads of sweet trails from scratch.
I was lucky to score a sneak preview of the yet to open trails, catch up with the World Trail crew, shoot with Ryan de La Rue and Sean Doust on select sections of the trails and stay at the stunning Bay of Fires Bush Retreat, seriously memorable times indeed!
The Bay of Fires, just out of St Helens is so incredibly beautiful!The trails are great, yet to properly ride them myself, soon I hope!
Rocky Trail GP, racing my local with Terry the Tyre Tearer.
Got to love it when a there’s a race on the calendar 10-minutes from home, there are no excuses. Rocky Trail put on excellent events, family-oriented and well-organised with a refreshing and distinct absence of stress.
I entered with my mate, Terry, into the 4-hour. Terry is an old friend of mine; he’s a life athlete with a big heart, a poorly maintained bike and dresses in my hand-me-down riding clothes. Though I think he dresses deliberately in clashing colours to induce feelings of anxiety in those that pair gloves with jersey colour. We raced many 24-hour races together back in the early days of open dropouts and multiple chainrings. He probably could have eventually raced pro, maybe.
Terry did the first lap, as he is fast like a hyper-coloured fox. As I waited in nervous anticipation to take the baton and valiantly head out for our second lap, hopped up on coffee and dance music, the sinking feeling that something had gone wrong with Terry washed over me as the riders filed past grew in age and decreased in the apparent effort.
Terry watch.The podium for the unfinished and washed-up.
I spotted at a remarkable distance my old fluorescent lime Giro helmet, bobbing up and down, in some sort of jogging motion, not fluid like his peers that were still riding. Terry was running. A flat tyre reasonably early on in the lap was evidently a surprise to Terry, as one who never carries spares due to the miraculous Maxxis Minions compared to aged 26” Maxxis Crossmarks on his previous bike.
It’s ok, I was so excited, I was just glad to be there, so it was funny at that moment in time. Though Terry’s first lap didn’t exactly put us into a good position, and I filed in behind a long line of contentedly pedalling folk, the congestion sedating my twitching hairy pistons.
Working my way as swiftly and politely as possible through the field, I raced into transition only to find Terry walking around holding his bike, with no rear wheel, not even close to being ready. I went out for a second. I was warm; it was ok.
The shaky start set the tone for the rest of the day, so after Terry’s second catastrophic flat we laughed, looked around for anyone watching, and joined in spectating the kid’s races before quietly returning to the esky for leftover pizza and a mid-strength beer.
Ah, the glamour of racing, huh!
Ignition MTB Festival, dance with your knee pads on!
Another standout weekend in 2019 was in Falls Creek, way up in the Victorian High Country, the opening weekend festival for summer, Ignition MTB Festival. This event rules, it has all the ingredients for a great time, and we appreciate the care and passion from the Blue Dirt crew in creating such a vibe.
This year the trails were so dry, there were fires in the valley below, but the turnout was huge and the atmosphere was buzzing. The bands rocked SO hard, the food was delicious, and sampling local beers and gin became quite a journey.
Ignition MTB Festival, hold on tight!Vanderham descends into a smokey valley.
The Orbea Occam high on air supply.Toby washing down the dust with a Beechworth Pale Ale.
Keen for a new bike for 2020, so keen it was built in record time.
How exciting, an all-new bike is in the Flow Garage of Dreams. A Santa Cruz Tallboy 4 was high my list to replace the Giant Trance 29er as a test-sled for various testing and riding purposes.
Dressed in the best from SRAM with the Eagle AXS drivetrain, G2 brakes, Zipp Moto wheels, Deity cockpit and FOX suspension it is a super high end, and a delight to ride. I already have a lot to say about it, but I’ll bide my time for now
Stay tuned for more on this build, and what makes it tick.
Vanderham in Derby, sorry, who in Derby?
Yep, the gang at Shimano and Lazer Helmets brought Canadian mountain bike legend, Thomas Vanderham out to Derby and Falls Creek. I was fortunate to head up the content side of things and brought on the unbounded talent of Jasper da Seymour to shoot and edit the video.
Toby Shingleton from Shimano sharing beers with the tourist.Thomas and Jasper in the Crack House, if you’ve been to Derby, you’ll understand, sort of…Boosting out of the granite boulder field on Derby’s Kumma Gutza trail, voted EWS Trail of The Year 2019.
Things didn’t go to plan, however, with Thomas crashing his bike on a shoot one week before flying to Australia, stepping off the plane in Melbourne with a humungous haematoma on his thigh. Ouch!
Riding nowhere to his full potential, and ultimately calling the shoot early, Jasper and I did our best to produce a story, video and photo gallery of a mountain biking master riding trails we love. And hey, it turned out brilliantly!
Yew, 2019. Yikes, it’s 2020!
Wow, 2019 was epic. When do the highlights finish? I should mention shooting with Troy Brosnan for the Maxxis Dissector launch, riding Narrow neck in the Blue Mountains on a Focus/Shimano e-MTB and making a bonfire on a cliff, tramping around backcountry Beechworth searching for Ned Kelly’s cave, racing enduro at Awaba or testing the Orbea Occam…
2020 is shaping up to be a great year; we’re looking forward to all that goes along with the Olympics, the racing and new bikes from Scott, Cannondale, Specialized perhaps? The World Cup season can’t start soon enough, and what new tech will we see from the big movers, Shimano, SRAM, Specialized, FOX etc.? Oooooh.
We’re going to be racing the new three-day stage race in Tasmania, the Dragon Trail MTB. And we can’t wait to see the mammoth mountain bike development at Warburton begin and unfold. Whoa, let’s go.
Thanks for reading, and thank you for engaging in our content, now if we could please get some rain and some positive change to our climate crisis for our future, we can at least get 2020 started on a more positive note and make the most of it. I hope.
Cheers, Mick Ross.
Flow Mountain Bike.
Mo’ Flow Please!
Enjoyed that article? Then there’s plenty more to check out on Flow Mountain Bike, including all our latest news stories and product reviews. And if you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel, and sign up to our Facebook page and Instagram feed so you can keep up to date with all things Flow!
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 new talent and shredding like a boss!
Hans and Carmen Rey’s impressions on Derby:
You could probably travel the world over and never find anywhere quite like Derby; not Derby England, but rather Derby in northeast Tasmania. It is here that you will find a network of trails that are exquisite to look at, masterfully created and sensational to ride; this is Blue Derby.
Hans railing turns under ferns, Derby style.Spot the Rey, across the other side of Lake Derby. One of the newer family-friendly green trails in the expansive network.
Multiple factors come together to create the perfect mountain biking destination. A picturesque town not too far from an airport, one with infrastructures such as bike shops, shuttles, restaurants, accommodation and public amenities, and of course, a pub. Easily accessible and all within a short riding distance from a choice of stunning trails, for all skill levels and set in a beautiful landscape.
Derby and its Blue Derby trails tick all the boxes. It is a town that in every sense is about mountain biking. Whether you are an absolute beginner feeling the dirt under your tires for the first time, an XC hard tailer or a jump junkie, you will find your inner spirit level soar as you experience some or all of the 123 km of purpose-built mountain bike trails.
But that is not all; there is another vital thing that makes Blue Derby extra special; the landscape and the dirt. Temperate rainforest thick with lush fauna framed by canopies of tree ferns, sunlight dappling through creating a filigree of shadows reflected on waterfalls and streams. Sticky dirt, smooth dirt, groomed dirt, perfect dirt almost all year round.
Diving through the iconic ‘crack’ on Detonate, one of the trickier trails, and a challenging stage at the Enduro World Series earlier in 2019.
Back in 2016, I visited Derby along with Hans and Tyler McCaul to experience, photograph and write about this gem of a town and the trails built by master constructors World Trail. Derby was little known outside of Australia then, it was a small sleepy place, abandoned by commerce and many of its residents, with hardly anywhere to eat, one bike rental and shuttle service and an empty pub.
The trails, however, were amazing and we knew that Derby would not stay quiet and empty for long.
Miles Smith, the town has nurtured his talent and passion for mountain biking.A generation apart, Miles shows Hans some of his local and favourite trails.
Oh, how things have changed. The trail network has expanded, there is now a choice of bike shops, stocked with everything you need or desire, the accommodation has grown from a few beds to hundreds of beds, property that no one wanted to own has been snapped up, and the pub is full every night.
Word has spread, in a short time, Derby has gone from hibernating to thriving, and it is all down to MTB. In just a few days we met people from Colorado, Norway, Switzerland, Belgium and New Zealand, all super stoked with what they found there, Blue Derby is now on the map international map as a go-to destination to ride.
Want more Derby and St Helens?
Hans Rey rides the new trail; Bay of Fires, from The Blue Tier to Swimcart Beach – Hans rides Bay of Fires.
Watch our entire video library from Tasmania on YouTube here – Tassie Trails!
Check out our story on visiting St Helens region before the opening – St Helens Trails.
Mick’s epic gallery from the Enduro World Series, the most incredible weekend! – EWS of the year.
Mo’ Flow Please!
Enjoyed that article? Then there’s plenty more to check out on Flow Mountain Bike, including all our latest news stories and product reviews. And if you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel and sign up to our Facebook page and the Instagram feed so you can keep up to date with all things Flow!
St Helens is gorgeous. Famous for its eye-bleedingly beautiful beaches, now mountain bikers can appreciate her charm as the newly constructed trail networks are now open. Mountain bike luminary Hans Rey and partner Carmen returned to Tasmania from California for a week of riding and exploring, from Derby to St Helens.
Travelling the world riding bikes, long since before the days of suspension, Hans and Carmen describe their experience on the new trail.
Watch Hans and Cassie take on The Bay of Fires Trail
The start point of the Bay of Fires Trail, right next to the start of The Blue Tier.Classic North East Tasmania vistas.
Skills for days, years, even.
Hans and Carmen Rey rides The Bay of Fires
In Tasmania’s northeast, on the coast is a town called St. Helens. A quaint place, with a retro vibe, nestled between aquamarine sea, white soft sandy beaches and forest preserve. It can now also lay claim to 84 km of mountain bike trails within its trail centre close to the town, with an added 42 km connecting the Bay of Fires to the now legendary Blue Tier near Weldborough.
Just as with Blue Derby, there is something for everyone here, for all levels and all ages and it is growing.
Early on a misty morning with the sun teasing us in the distance, we set off, along with with Cassie an avid rider from Cairns, to experience the new Bay Of Fires trail.
How’s the view up there! The trail winds around the summit of the Blue Tier to give riders a chance to take in views like this.Into the lushness of the Tasmanian wilderness.
Vegetation variety overload!
Hans’s bike of choice for this ride, the GT-E Force. Full bike check coming to Flow soon.
Considering the distance and that there would be a fair amount of pedalling, Hans decided that this would be the perfect time to ride his e-MTB. It is another plus about Blue Derby and St. Helens that e-MTB’s are welcome – although not required – thanks to the topography, they are fun too and make it easier to ride for longer and farther. With so many options to ride, e-MTB’s can be a positive addition to enhance the whoop factor.
As it turned out, it was the right decision, 42 km on dirt is a fair distance, and you feel it.
Spot the Rey! On the lower sections of the 42km trail, the terrain switches to a vastly different style. Drier, more sparse vegetation with colossal granite outcrops to play on.It’s not all downhill but is built well to ease the strain on the long climbs with plenty of breaks.There is only one Hans Rey!
The finish of the 42 km trail is right here, on Swimcart Beach, a fitting finale to a memorable ride.
What was it like? One of the most fun trails we have ever ridden. World Trail has done it again, created a playground for mountain bikers carved out of the natural terrain, with integrity and appreciation of the landscape.
The landscape is marvellous, forever changing as the kilometres rolled us away from Derby and closer to St. Helens. The lush tree ferns gave way to Ironbarks, the gigantic granite boulders burst forth, and the fresh waterfalls were exchanged for an ocean view as we neared the end. This trail epitomises ‘Flow’, never too hard, too steep or too dangerous. Smaller boulders create perfect natural rollers scattered along the long ribbon of dirt with perfect berms railing you into the next line.
This was like flying, like being a kid again, being in the moment and feeling absolute joy.
Want to know more?
Watch our entire video library from Tasmania on YouTube here – Tassie Trails!
Official St Helens Trails website has all the details you need to plan a trip there – www.sthelensmtbtrails.com.au
Check out our story on visiting St Helens region before the opening – St Helens Trails.
Mo’ Flow Please!
Enjoyed that article? Then there’s plenty more to check out on Flow Mountain Bike, including all our latest news stories and product reviews. And if you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel and sign up to our Facebook page and the Instagram feed so you can keep up to date with all things Flow!
Thredbo is a magnificent place to ride. Known well for its chairlift accessed descending trails, high-alpine scenes, tremendous festivals, races and events, it has been a large part of Australian mountain biking for yonks.
In the shadows of Australia’s highest point, Thredbo’s trails weave their way down the colossal mountain-side fed by plenty of elevation, and in the last few years mountain bikers have witnessed a steady growth of new trails, but more than just more of the same. The variety of grades and styles expanding across the place are enough to overwhelm any rider on their first day.
Watch the DHaRCO crew, Kellie Weinert, Jackson Frew and Dave Ludenia ride Ricochet.
What and Where is Ricochet?
Opening December 26, 2019, Thredbo’s new trail – Ricochet – will provide riders with another trail to ride off the top of the Gunbarrel Chairlift. As the whole bike park expands, the goal is to spread riders across the entire mountain, easing the pressure off the classic Kosciusko Chairlift.
There’s a lot of space for the trail builders to work with, and as this track demonstrates some pretty cool terrain to play with, too.
Kellie Weinert floats through a turn up on Ricochet, with the valley below.Jackson, Kellie and Dave with all of the descending ahead.
Trail builders getting creative with the alpine terrain, this big boulder had multiple line options around it, over it and off it.Jackson Frew takes the higher A-line.
Spot the new trail! Hint – it’s in the centre.
Ahhh, Thredbo, your chairlifts are so kind.
Where is it?
To get to the new trail simply jump off the Gunbarrel Chairlift, turn left into Easy Street, and presto. It then follows the fall line of the High Noon ski run staying mostly in the tree sections, witching back and forth to maintain elevation.
Crow’s eye view of the snaking turns on Ricochet.
Dave turns two rollers into a gap.Some heavily banked turns!Sneaking around a few tonnes of granite.
Is it black, green, blue, red, white, or a shade of grey?
Ricochet is an intermediate trail, a flow trail. It’s graded as a green trail but has a slightly sinister side with blue line (and darker blue if you notice a few sneaky gaps) options throughout. The trail is generally pretty mellow, with A-line options that may take some courage to tackle.
Elevation Starts at 1791m and has a 350m elevation drop and is designed as an alternative to riding the entire All-Mountain Trail. Ricochet is aimed to give riders a progressive step up from Easy Street, adding more variety to the whole park.
Up high in the crisp mountain air.
The new Merrits Gondola, currently under construction, mountain bikers will use this to access more of the mountain.
So crisp!
So, who’s going to have the chance to ride Thredbo’s new trail this summer?
More Thredbo?
Want more high-alpine, chairlift-accessed content?
Don’t miss our feature from the All-Mountain trail opening a couple of years back – Thredbo’s All-Mountain.
Enjoyed that article? Then there’s plenty more to check out on Flow Mountain Bike, including all our latest news stories and product reviews. And if you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel, and sign up to our Facebook page and the Instagram feed so you can keep up to date with all things Flow!
Straight outta The North Shore, the famed and acclaimed Canadian mountain biking legend Thomas Vanderham made a quick stop in humble little Derby, Tasmania, and then a flying visit to Falls Creek for Ignition Festival at the start of summer.
We were there, primarily to tow him into all of the big A-lines. Well, no, that’s not entirely true. But we were definitely there, and with cameras in hand.
We’ve watched Thomas in countless big-time movie segments, poured over epic magazine features, and generally watched him spend more time stylishly dangling sideways in the air than we would spend firmly attached the ground with our brakes squeezed. He’s well known for his unmistakable style, raw speed through hectic terrain and for doing gargantuan jumps.
We were deadly curious to see how a rider with such worldly shredding experience and natural talent would approach the unique terrain and wonderfully constructed trails of the Blue Derby Mountain Bike Park.
So, hailing from the heart of one of the MTB world most hallowed zones, what did he think of Tasmania’s quirky little mountain bike town?
Watch Thomas Vanderham interpret the trails of Derby!
Vanderham Rides Van Diemen’s Land
No, you’re not meant to jump from there, to… oh.
“The rock features are a highlight of the Derby experience. We have a lot of big granite rocks in BC, but there were some truly unique features like The Crack on the trail Detonate that really stood out. Pair that with lush foliage and the Man Ferns, and it made for a new riding experience that I haven’t come across anywhere else in the world.” – Thomas Vanderham.
Bad-ass riding aside, Thomas is a lovely fellow, a real gentleman, full of interesting stories and presents in an articulate and humble manner.
Boosting out of the granite boulder field on Derby’s Kumma Gutza trail, voted EWS Trail of The Year, 2019. A total playground!Boom!
Selling granite slabs to a Canadian is like pushing ice on an Eskimo, it was always going to be a tall task. But we did our best, with ‘Detonate’.Breathe in, look up, and don’t touch the sides. Thomas cleans the granite crack like it’s nothing.
Derby is an absolute pleasure to ride, it’s impossible to ignore when debating the best place for a mountain biking trip in Australia, and it shows. In the short time we had, we took Thomas to a few of the more iconic trails like Kumma Gutza and Detonate and cracked out the cameras.
“The trail builders know what they’re doing. I have been lucky enough to travel to a lot of places and ride a lot of trails, so from the first run in Derby, it was obvious to me that the trail builders have a riders eye.
The trails flow effortlessly and have a variety of features that can keep riders of varying abilities entertained. That’s a special characteristic that you don’t see everywhere, trails that can be enjoyed by beginners and pros.”
The new Rocky Mountain Slayer was the bike of choice, stay tuned for a full bike check right here on Flow. It sure has racked up many high-altitude air-miles but lands again with some weird magical composure.
Vanderham treats his Slayer like he posts letters.
A large part of the whole Derby experience is hearing tidbits of the town’s history, its small-town Tasmanian charm, and intrinsic peculiarities. After dinner at the pub and traditional chicken parmigiana, the history lessons began. How mountain biking came here, how it once held one of the world’s richest tin mines, then the mining disaster. It’s a fascinating yarn.
“From everything I hear Derby might currently be the best example of a town rebuilt solely around mountain biking. It was amazing to hear the history of the town, how recently it was nearly uninhabited, and how quickly the addition of some bike trails has changed things. I love hearing about local governments getting involved and really promoting mountain biking as viable tourism.
It was such an interesting time to be there, in the middle of a big shift from old to new. It looked like about half the homes were still original but with a brand new modern one built right beside it. It’ll be cool to see what it looks like in another three-five years and what has changed.”
Man fern pan.
When In Derby
Shuttles!
Vander-Fans from near and far out for a couple of laps with the esteemed Canadian guest.
Late arvo spins up to Sawtooth Lookout before a BBQ back at the new Sidetracked Bar. Too good!Troy from the local Rocky Mountain dealer in Launceston, Sprung, always bringing the stoke to the max!
Frothing grommets and Vander-Fans at Sprung bike shop, Launceston.
Next stop, Falls Creek in Victoria’s High Country.
Leaving the funky little town of Derby behind, we hopped over to the mainland and road-tripped up into the High Country for the mountain bike party of the year, Ignition MTB, Falls Creek.
If you’re yet to go, put it in the diary. Coinciding with the opening of the mountain bike season, the alpine village hosts a jam-packed weekend of riding, music, food and drinks and the vibes are great. There’s not a racing clock within sight.
Even Thomas who’s probably been to a billion events around the world loved it, and after shuttling for hours in the hot and dusty trails it was time to dive head-first into the party. The bands were rowdy, plates of brisket were mouth-watering and the variety of local craft beer and gin seemed endless.
With valley full of bushfire smoke, the skies put on a spooky light show as we toasted to an epic trip, cheers, Thomas!
Dropping into the Kiewa Valley above Falls Creek, full of bushfire smoke, a very dramatic scene for a first-timer tourist.High altitude Falls Creek, dry, dusty and hot in an unseasonally early start to summer.Breathtaking Falls, from up here the run down to the bottom shuttle pickup is a big descent.
Blasting dusty turns.Damn, the Ignition MTB Festival is the place to be!
Ignition MTB Festival is a proper party!
The sun sets in a smokey valley.Homeward bound, Mt Buffalo in the distance. Wow, that was a week to remember!
Mo’ Flow Please!
Enjoyed that article? Then there’s plenty more to check out on Flow Mountain Bike, including all our latest news stories and product reviews. And if you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel and sign up to our Facebook page and the Instagram feed so you can keep up to date with all things Flow!
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 it. Those cold, dark and wet winters in the Grim North of the UK seem a little bit like a weird dream now.
As well as changing hemispheres, I also changed jobs. I finished up as the Tech Editor of Singletrack back in June, and shortly afterwards I began my role as Flow’s News & Tech Editor. To say I’m still frothing on the new position would be a gross understatement. I’ve been a big fan of Flow since the start back in 2012, and I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to work alongside the very talented (and very dashing) Mick Ross as the lesser half of the team. It’s been an awesome six months so far, and I am stoked to see what 2020 brings!
My riding has also changed considerably, with the fast, dusty and very rocky trails surrounding Bendigo requiring a different style of bike (and tyres) to what I’d gotten used to from living in the UK. No more Maxxis Shortys and waterproof trousers required thankyouverymuch.
I’ve been getting back into XC racing, at least on a social level, largely thanks to the regular Tuesday night summer races hosted by the Bendigo MTB Club. Consequently, as you’ll see below, I’ve developed a real appetite for lightweight full-suss XC race bikes and short-travel trail rippers.
However, I also see this as being down to a maturing XC market.
I’ve gotten back into XC racing for 2019, and it’s been terrific fun!
Many of the new bikes that have come out over the past year are really quite impressive, and vastly more capable than what we’ve been used to seeing from short-travel bikes in the past. More XC bikes are coming with dropper posts and decent-width handlebars, and stems over 100mm are thankfully becoming a distant memory. Suspension continues to get smoother and more responsive, as riders and bike designers come to the realisation that it is in fact, actually A Good Thing™.
If you’ve found your riding experience has been somewhat ‘sanitised’ by modern trail and enduro bikes, then an XC or short-travel trail bike could be exactly what you need to inject a bit more excitement back into your riding. You might be surprised at how good they’ve gotten.
So without further ado, allow me to get stuck into my Top 10 highlights reel. In no particular order, here are some of the best bikes and gear I’ve ridden this year.
1. Pivot Mach 4 SL
Riding the new Pivot Mach 4 SL on some of the most ripping trails around Grand Junction in Colorado. This place is the real deal. I wanna go back!
2019 saw Arizona-based brand Pivot Cycles roll out its brand new flagship XC race bike – the Mach 4 SL. Featuring a totally new carbon fibre chassis, the Mach 4 SL saw Pivot return to a less swoopy (and more visually-appealing) frame design, along with a vertically-mounted shock and a compact dw-link suspension design. Rolling exclusively on 29in wheels with clearance for a water bottle in the front triangle (even the XS size), the Mach 4 SL produces 100mm of rear wheel travel and can run a 100-120mm travel fork, depending on your flavour.
During a trip over to the US back in May, I had the pleasure of visiting Fruita and Grand Junction in Colorado for the Pivot Mach 4 SL launch. We had two days of solid riding aboard the new bike, before joining a few hundred other riders in the Grand Junction Off-Road race for the third day of the launch. I entered the 40-mile category, and ended up having one of the most epic days out on a mountain bike I can remember. The event was long and tough physically, but the trails and scenery were insane. An experience I’ll never forget and a big highlight of the year for me.
And the Mach 4 SL is a beaut of a bike. It’s got that dw-link zip and stability to it, but it also manages its 100mm of travel exceptionally well. The geometry with the 120mm Fox 34 Step-Cast fork is absolutely spot on for hair-raising XC action too, and Pivot have complemented the bike well with a nice low-rise handlebar and dropper posts on most models. Along with the irresistibly effective Fox Live Valve suspension system, this is one seriously refined XC bike.
The Merida One-Twenty is a perfect example of just how versatile and how much fun a short-travel trail bike can be.
Another bike that stood out to me this year was the Merida One-Twenty; the brand’s speedy 130/120mm travel trail bike. Alongside the Yetis’s and Santa Cruz’ of the world, Merida isn’t exactly an attention-seeking name, but it is producing some red-hot mountain bikes at the moment, particularly of the full suspension variety. The One-Twenty is one such bike.
Why is it so good? It seems to do a lot of things really well. It’s got a stiff, responsive frameset that features tidy internal cable routing and well-finished pivot hardware. The Float Link suspension design really does float over the chatter, though it has that addictive single-pivot-sling out of the corners when you step on the gas. Geometry is spot-on too, contemporary without being outrageously long. ‘Balanced’ is how I’d describe the overall ride quality.
On the carbon fibre One-Twenty 8000 model shown here, Merida has paid attention to the needs of modern trail riders by spec’ing a stout 130mm travel Pike, a burly Maxxis Minion DHR II front tyre, SRAM Code RSC brakes and a 150mm stroke dropper post. It’s got just the right amount of muscle without being over-equipped. As a result, it’s still speedy and perky, while also being a load of fun to let rip on the descents.
Specialized’s new S-Works Epic HT isn’t just insanely light, it’s also surprisingly steady when the going gets rough.
The hardtail XC market doesn’t dominate these days like it once did, but there are some cracker bikes coming out lately that are showing just how advanced carbon fibre production has gotten of late. Improvements to geometry and compatibility with dropper posts are also bolstering their descending ability, with less life-fearing implications for the pilot.
The S-Works Epic is one superb example of the new-school race hardtail. For a start, it is bonkers light. With renowned carbon wizard Peter Denk at the helm of the engineering team, the new Epic HT blew minds when it was released to the public with its jaw-dropping frame weight of just 775g. Hooly-dooly! It isn’t all about the weight though. It moves to a dropper-ready 30.9mm diameter seat tube, a welcome move for a hardtail. Specialized has also modernised the Epic’s geometry, with the new frame growing considerably longer and slacker than the bike before it, which makes the weight reduction all the more impressive.
Earlier this year I was invited out to Lake Tahoe in the US for a Specialized press launch, where we were introduced to the new 2020 Kenevo, Enduro and Epic models.
I spent a day riding around on the flagship S-Works Epic HT, which at just 8.94kg (confirmed) is of course insanely lightweight and also insanely fast up the hills. What I was most impressed with though, was just how un-skitterish it was on the descents. Specialized has moved to a reduced offset fork and a 68.5° head angle, and that’s made the front of the Epic a gazillion times more stable. With the slender seatstays and curved seat tube, plus the 2.3in tyres front and rear, it proved to be a surprisingly comfortable and composed experience.
If I was chasing the absolute lightest race bike possible without giving up too much in the comfort and capability stakes, a new Epic with a dropper post fitted would be at the top of the list. Check out the full story on the 2020 Specialized Epic HT here.
4. Canyon Lux
Canyon’s Lux looks pretty conservative on paper, but the ride quality here is far greater than the sum of its parts.
Back to home turf, and I’ve been loving the Canyon Lux we received a couple of months ago for testing. The bike I’ve been razzing about on is the Goldilocks model, the Lux CF SL 8.0, which features a full carbon fibre frameset, a RockShox SID fork, SRAM X01 drivetrain and carbon Reynolds wheels. It’s a belter of a package for the money.
Being the ‘SL’ model, its frame is about 200g heavier than the flagship SLX frame, and it also comes with a 110mm travel fork, which kicks back the angles a touch. Not much though, this is still pretty classical when it comes to geometry.
Much like the Merida One-Twenty, the Canyon Lux impressed with its ability to do a lot of things really well. At 11.37kg, it’s quite light for a dropper post-equipped bike at this price point. It’s got a firm, efficient feel to its pedalling performance, and the handling is sharp and direct. The frame will take two water bottles inside the front triangle, and there’s a distinct lack of proprietary bits, which will please privateer riders who need a low-fuss XC race rig for high-mileage riding.
As a long term test bike, my Santa Cruz Blur has evolved quite a bit through 2019.
With test bikes flowing in and out over the past year, the one loyal companion who has stuck with me throughout has been this Santa Cruz Blur. Originally sent out by Santa Cruz as a standalone frameset, the Blur has been built up as a platform for testing numerous components. I also used it to conduct a huge fork offset feature that I wrote earlier this year for Singletrack, which ended up being quite an enlightening (if very nerdy) experience.
To begin with, I had it setup as a lightweight trail pocket rocket with a 120mm travel Fox 34 Step-Cast fork, 2.3in tyres, wide bars, a short stem and a 150mm stroke dropper post. It was an absolute riot to ride, and I was consistently blown away as to how much I could get away with given it only has 100mm of rear travel. That tiny 38mm stroke shock has worked mighty hard!
I’ve steadily moved the Blur back towards its XC racing roots, with a reduction in fork travel and a lighter weight build kit that’s seen it drop down to just 10.41kg. Build highlights include the ultra-trick Syncros Fraser iC SL cockpit (that I just finished testing here), the beautifully machined BikeYoke Divine SL dropper post, and a Specialized S-Works Power saddle. I’ve also been testing a Pirelli Scorpion tyre combo on the Blur (see the detail-rich first look story on these here), and so far I’ve been really impressed with their versatility and well-damped ride quality.
As racy as it may now look, it’s still a barrel-load of laughs to ride, with the smooth VPP2 suspension design scrubbing away chatter very effectively. It’s decently efficient, certainly enough for me to have ditched the remote lockout on the shock, which means I can run a dropper post remote more easily under the bar. Along with the one-piece bar & stem, the cockpit is also a lot cleaner without the extra lockout cables. The geometry is killer too, with the reduced-offset fork and the roomy front centre giving it good stability on the descents. Indeed upon reflection, I don’t reckon I’ve ridden an XC bike that’s been as much of a hoot as this.
6. 2020 Fox 32 Step-Cast Fork
Fox brought out its 2nd generation 32 Step-Cast fork for 2020, and it’s been given a significant boost in chassis stiffness.
Weighing in at just 1406g (cut steerer tube, starnut installed), the 32 Step-Cast fork is Fox’ premium lightweight XC fork. Unlike the regular 32 Float, the chassis on the 32 SC fork is optimised around 100mm of travel, and everything from the magnesium Step-Cast lowers, to the Kashima-coated 32mm alloy stanchions, to the EVOL air spring and FIT4 damper has been trimmed of every excess gram possible.
Interestingly, it is actually heavier than last year’s version by about 40 grams. This weight difference is entirely located within the crown, which has been beefed up considerably to help reduce the flex and twang that the 32 SC fork can exhibit when being pushed hard.
I’ll have a detailed long term review coming soon on the 32 SC, but I can confirm that it is indeed stiffer than the pre-2020 version. It’s also supremely supple, which was particularly noticeable when I fitted it to the front of the Canyon Lux test bike in place of the stock RockShox SID fork.
The model I’ve been testing is the top-banger Factory Series version, which comes fitted with the FIT4 damper and Kashima-coated stanchions. Fox also offers this fork in an all-black Performance Series version, which is a good few hundred dollars cheaper thanks to its more basic GRIP damper, and there are also remote lockout options available too.
7. Hunt Race XC Wide Wheels
Hunt proves that you don’t necessarily need carbon to produce a high quality set of mountain bike wheels.
Carbon wheelsets seem to get all the attention these days, but I’m not convinced that they’re always the best solution for every rider. While carbon rims are often lighter and stiffer than their alloy counterparts, I’ve ridden plenty of carbon wheels that have been too stiff, which results in more fatigue and a less forgiving ride quality when things get rough.
A few months ago, I got my hands on a lightweight alloy wheelset from UK brand Hunt Bike Wheels. Using high quality 6069-T6 alloy rims, straight-pull hubs and triple-butted Pillar PSR spokes, the Race XC Wide wheelset tips the scales at a lick over 1500g, which is mighty impressive given the all-metal construction.
Combined with a taut build, the low rotational weight makes them a fast-accelerating wheelset that is very easy to get up to speed. They aren’t as razor-sharp in their handling as a comparable carbon wheelset, which I discovered during back-to-back testing. However, they are noticeably smoother and more comfortable to ride, which was particularly appreciated on a firm XC bike.
The fact that these wheels come in at under a grand makes them terrific value for money, and almost without equal relative to the other big-name brands like Stan’s NoTubes, DT Swiss and Mavic. Check out the full review of the Hunt Race XC Wide wheels here.
8. Shimano SLX M7100
With this year’s arrival of 12-speed XT & SLX, Shimano has hit back in a big way.
Easily one of the biggest news stories of 2019 was the announcement of Shimano’s new second-tier mountain bike groupset; Deore XT M8100. Heralding the arrival of 12-speed technology to the XT level, this new groupset has packed in almost all of the same performance and functionality as XTR M9100, albeit for a lot less money.
At the same time as the launch of XT M8100, Shimano also introduced SLX M7100. It didn’t get nearly as much attention in the media though, which we think is a real shame. Because at 1/3rd of the price of XTR, the new SLX groupset is outstandingly good value for money, particularly given its super slick performance.
I went in-depth into the new SLX M7100 groupset a couple of months ago, and in that article you’ll find full pricing and confirmed weights for the 1×12 drivetrain and 4-piston enduro disc brake system. I’ve been riding the crap out of it since then, and quite frankly, have been blown away with just how little difference in shift quality there is between SLX and XTR. The 4-piston brakes are also very good, with noticeably more modulation and power than the 2-piston versions.
I recently published a feature evaluating the performance differences between Shimano SLX M7100 and SRAM GX Eagle. To see who won our reasonably-priced 1×12 drivetrain battle, check out the full feature here.
9. Ergon SM Pro Saddle
Bicycle saddles aren’t sexy, but finding one that is comfortable and fits you properly is one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have.
Mountain bike saddles are honestly pretty boring, but, whether we like or not, they’re a pretty vital component. It’s also a component that can make-or-break the whole riding experience for even the most tolerant and experience of riders. For that reason, it’s worth spending the time to get the right saddle for you. Because if it’s comfortable, you’ll spend less time thinking about your sore arse and more time focussing on braaping down the trail instead.
Out of all the saddles I’ve ridden this year, the Ergon SM Pro has by far been the most comfortable. The first model from the German brand to feature a cutout, the SM Pro is a mountain bike specific saddle (the SR Pro is the road version). The cutout and central channel are designed to provide pressure relief on your sensitive bits, but the cutout isn’t so big as to cause excessive flex and distortion through the shell when loaded up.
The SM Pro has a fairly flat profile overall, which I really like in a bike saddle, and it has a gentle scoop at the tail that helps to support your sit bones during hard pedalling efforts. Comfort and stability are provided by Ergon’s own AirCell padding, which is complemented with specific OrthoCell inlays around the central seating area. As a lighter and more durable alternative to gel pads, OrthoCell gives good squish without deforming over time.
There are two widths available too: S/M (9-12cm sit bone width), and M/L (12-16cm sit bone width). To work out your sit bone width, plonk your behind on a piece of cardboard and then measure the distance between the two circular impressions left behind by your…behind. And et voila – your sit bone width!
I’ve been running the SM size all year, and it’s a saddle that has quickly replaced the overly narrow and slopey-shaped stock saddles that have come on various test bikes I’ve ridden throughout 2019. Highly recommended if you’re on the lookout for a comfy perch.
10. Bontrager XR4 Team Issue Tyres
The XR4s have long been one of favourite go-to tyres for aggro trail riding. The newer 2.6in width takes the comfort and traction levels up a notch.
Bontrager’s mountain bike tyres tend to be a bit of a sleeper product alongside more popular brands such as Maxxis, Schwalbe and Continental. That’s a bummer, because the brand offers some really good rubber that has impressed us over a number of years now. The XR3 and XR4 tyres are particular favourites of ours, and relative to those aforementioned brands, they’re also priced favourably.
It wasn’t until this year that I’d had a go on the huge 2.6in wide version of the XR4 Team Issue tyre though. Using the same blocky tread pattern as the narrower XR4 and SE4 tyres that I’ve used previously, the 29×2.6in version blows things up a notch to produce a seriously beefy looking tyre that comes stock on the 2020 Trek Fuel EX we’ve currently got on test.
With all that extra meat, they aren’t the lightest tyres out there. Our test tyres weighed in at 916g and 924g, which to be fair, is actually pretty good given their voluminous size and aggressive tread design. The increased surface area does slow them down a bit, which is noticeable compared to the 2.4in wide versions. Get them rolling into the rough stuff though, and holy cow do these things grip!
The XR4 tread pattern is already well proven, and we’ve grown fond of its versatility across a wide range of riding conditions. Dry, loose, rocky, loamy, wet, muddy – the XR4 is well up for it all, save for the gloopiest of conditions. The extra width of these 2.6in versions takes that traction to the next level, and cornering bite is some of the best I’ve experienced. I’d still look at going to an XR5 on the front for really rough and loose enduro-type trails, but for everything else, the XR4 is a do-it-all specialist.
I’ve since fitted these tyres to our Curve Downrock test bike – a titanium trail hardtail that has benefitted well from these plump 2.6in wide tyres. Assuming your bike will take them, and you can live with the increased rolling resistance, then I can highly recommend the XR4s.
Mo’ Flow Please!
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The Thule Chariot has long been known as the go-to option when it comes to kids bike trailers. Thule makes a variety of multi-sport trailers under the Chariot name, all of which are designed to bolt onto the back of your bike. Each can also convert into a simple stroller for everyday non-biking use. There are other hop-up kits available too, which allow you to convert your Chariot into a purpose-built carrier for jogging or even cross-country skiing. How very Swedish!
The Thule Chariot is a very well-designed and easy to use piece of gear.Loads of storage space, and can be folded and wheels removed with a press of a button for minimal storage.
Each Thule Chariot model comes with a maximum weight capacity of 45kg. Chariot trailers will accommodate one or two kids inside, and they all feature a 5-point harness system for keeping your little people safe and secure, for getting rowdy on the trail!
For bikes with bolt-through rear axles (the majority of modern bikes), Thule provide a variety of additional options for 12x142mm configurations; Maxle, Shimano and Syntace for $109. Though Thule doesn’t currently have provisions for Boost spacing 148mm rear axles, this is where the bike shop comes in handy, hopefully able to overcome any incompatibility issues for individual bikes. A quick Google will show that there are a few options for Boost-spacing bikes available, and decent bike stores will also.
Check with a Thule dealer for Boost hub compatible bikes, Thule is yet to provide the 148mm axle standard.
The Chariot Cross is the second-from-the-top model, and it’s available in both a single ($1,499) and double ($1,699) version. Compared to the cheaper Chariot models, the Chariot Cross comes with more features, including adjustable leaf-spring suspension (we’re told there are no plans for a Fox Live Valve model just yet), and a 5-position adjustable handlebar for when you’ve got it set up in stroller mode. The Chariot Cross also has more padding for the seats inside, and you can even recline the seats for when your little’un decides it’s all too much and it’s time for a nap.
The Chariot Cross does miss out on the additional hand brakes and lock kit that comes on the top-of-the-range Chariot Sport, but you will save $800 in the process. That makes the Chariot Cross the preferred choice for those who are going to use their trailer for mountain biking mostly.
The Chariot Cross is claimed to weigh 14.5kg, and with compact 20in wheels, it’s designed to fold up easily for storage in the back of your car or at home. Thule includes a rain cover, adjustable vents and a flashing tail light for the Chariot Cross, making it a practical choice for childcare drop-offs. There’s also integrated storage for carrying spares or emergency jelly snakes in case of any unscheduled melt-downs.
In classic Thule style, the ease-of-use is very impressive, the way the buttons and levers indicate they haven’t engaged adequately by showing a red colour, and the additional safety straps will ensure the trailer doesn’t get left behind if anything comes undone.
If it’s not connected correctly, you’ll see red.Adjustable suspension, for heavy or lighter loads.
We’ve spoken to loads of parents over the years who swear by the Chariot trailer as being one of the best pieces of kit they’ve ever bought for their family. But what’s it like to ride with? And is there anything you need to be aware of if you’re considering getting one?
We caught up with Robbie from Drift Bikes in Newcastle to get the lowdown on his experience of living with the Thule Chariot, predominantly towed by a Specialized Levo e-MTB.
Robbie with his six-year-old son in tow.
How long have you had your Thule Chariot?
About six months.
Why did you get it in the first place?
I wanted to do an e-MTB ride with my family in the Barringtons. There is a tonne of elevation to climb, and the Chariot was quite simply the logical choice to cart a 6-year-old up into the mountains. Plus the model I chose had suspension, which was a significant factor for me when descending with a 20kg child strapped into the back.
Woohoo!
I love the idea of efficiently transporting your child to somewhere they haven’t been before, and getting them out and watching them explore. Usually, places that are too far for them to ride on their own, and are non-accessible by car.
What age and size of a child are best suited to the Thule Chariot?
My son is six and weighs just under 20kg. I’d imagine it would still handle quite well with a 30plus kilo child. The Chariot with my son’s weight is super-stable.
Where do you guys take your little bloke in the Chariot trailer?
The main times I use the Chariot is when we are going to the beach. That way we don’t have to find a park and when the kid is worn out they don’t have to pedal home and whinge the whole way. They can get in the back and fall to sleep.
Is there anything you need to take into account while riding with the Chariot in tow?
The main thing to be mindful of is when descending, to slow down when approaching water bars or when cornering. You also need to take significant obstacles straight on, ideally with both wheels doing the same thing at the same time. The Chariot is super-stable and isn’t that hard to slow down, but you can get into trouble if you want to try and ride your bike normally and forget that you are towing something along!
Easy on the turns!
Also, the single chariot is a breeze to get through the doorway and around corners as the width is quite easy to manage, the wider double-child Chariot would need a little more care when riding around other people or obstacles.
How does it compare to using a Kids Ride Shotgun or Wee Ride seat?
It’s merely more accommodating for the child and everything that you need to take with you when you have a kid in tow, the storage element is convenient. The Wee Ride and Kids Ride Shotgun are excellent items but each present difficulties.
For example, the Wee Ride forces you to ride bow-legged and has a pretty average looking bar system for mounting. The Kids Ride Shotgun is a killer bit of gear but doesn’t work when your child doesn’t want to hang on anymore and does present more safety concerns.
Cool rollings!
For stockists, pricing and models visit the Thule website here: www.thule.com
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Tasmania’s Maydena Bike Park hosted the 2019 Australian Gravity Enduro Champs back in November, which for the first time, included an e-MTB category. The event showcased the parks vast network of purpose-built climbing and descending trails and even included a special climbing stage just for the e-MTB cohort.
With Josh Carlson taking out the title of Australia’s first National Enduro e-MTB champ, who better to send down to Maydena to find out precisely what makes this place e-ready!
Watch Josh Carlson and the Maydena Bike Park crew in action here!
Taking an e-MTB to Maydena enhances the experience big time! Not only can you access the park without needing the shuttle, but you can also use the shuttle to maximise your vert, and then loop out the different zones with ease, making your way down the hill. The bang for you buck is insane! – Josh Carlson
What makes a mountain bike park ‘e-MTB ready’?
Maydena’s sprawling network of trails already possesses extensive linking and climbing trails throughout, which makes it ideal for e-MTB riders who can make their own way to the top. Furthermore, you can still shuttle with your e-MTB, opening up even more options for a massive day out on the bike.
For those who need a top-up after a busy morning on the trails, you’ll find a battery charging station at the bottom of the park at Maydena’s base building. And if you’ve been maxing out the Turbo mode, we’re also told that the park will have a fleet of battery hire options available soon. This will also be ideal for travelling e-MTB riders, as it can be tricky flying with an e-MTB due to battery restrictions. Soon you’ll be able to fly with your bike sans battery, and simply pick one up for hire at the park.
In the meantime, Maydena Bike Park offers a postal service, where you can post your bike’s battery pack to the park, and the crew will arrange to send it back to your home at the end of your trip. How good is that!
Spinning up Turn Earner, one of the purpose-built climbing trails. Hard work!Maydena Bike Park head honcho, Simon French weaving through the fascinating Tasmanian wilderness.
Making the climbs fun, some of the uphill trails have been banked so you can rip up them with great speed.
What bike park pass is best with an e-MTB?
There are three separate passes available at the Maydena Bike Park, with varying levels of access and shuttle services, depending on how much you want to pack in;
Trail Pass – From $20
As the cheapest option, the Trail Pass gets you a full day’s access to the park’s lower mountain trail network. All trails below the Midline Trail are open to e-MTB and traditional climbers, offering over 30 descending options and two arterial climbing trails.
Enduro Pass – From $40
The Enduro Pass gets you access to the complete network of upper mountain trails, with a single morning uplift plonking you 820m above sea level. This is an option for e-MTB riders, as it allows you to explore more of the upper trail network, before working your way down into the lower mountain trail network.
Half & Full Day Gravity Passes – From $75
Wanna max out the vertical and explore every trail on the hill? This is the one for you! The Gravity Pass gets you unlimited access to the uplift service, which runs multiple buses on high rotation all day long (and yes, e-MTBs are welcome on the uplift, too!).
The Midline trail is the high-point for Trail Pass access, it runs along the middle of the hill and is the way to access a huge variety of tracks.
Rhys Ellis, the Maydena Bike Park manager, discovers how an e-MTB jump, not bad it seems!
Explore more, on your own time.
Riding an e-MTB in Maydena Bike Park is a totally different experience. Exploring the entire mountain can be a chore when pedalling a long-travel bike around, so riders can miss out on experiencing all of the trails on offer. With an e-MTB though, you can string together more of the arterial trails by taking on the steeper and more direct climbing tracks that you’d likely avoid on a regular bike.
The Wilderness Trail is also an ideal option for e-MTB riders. Starting at the top of the bike park, this colossal descent takes in the most stunning vistas of the park, with its short, punchy climbs and grin-inducing descents perfectly suited to an e-MTB.
Also exciting for power-assisted riders is the news that Maydena will soon begin development of a dedicated and purpose-built e-MTB trail, as part of a broader push to broaden the park’s appeal, somehting we’ve not heard of much in Australia at this stage. Stay tuned for more on that!
Thrill and challenge aside, Maydena Bike Park is also incredibly beautiful.
What e-MTB would we suggest for Maydena?
The trails are steep and long, so we’d recommend a longer-travel e-MTB that is set up well for descending with powerful brakes and grippy tyres. Bikes along the lines of the burly Giant Reign E+, Trek Rail, Specialized Kenevo, Merida eOne-Sixty or Norco Range VLT would all be up to the task.
If you’d rather not travel with a bike though, Maydena Bike Park has a fleet of Trek e-MTBs available for hire, which includes the burly Trek Rail – a 150/160mm travel 29er and the Trek Powerfly LT. Bike hire will set you back from $149 per day, and it includes a complimentary Trail Pass to gain you access to the trail network.
Maydena Bike Park will have a fleet of Trek Rail and Powerfly LT e-MTB’s for hire.2019 Gravity Enduro National Champion – Josh Carlson’s enduro race-ready Giant Reign E+.
Whether it’s jump lines, steep and tech gnar or long flowy berm trails, the new Giant Reign E+ loved it and had me frothing all day! The ease of chucking my bike on charge while I chill out over some lunch makes the day go so quick and easy. Bulk riding, bulk descending and bulk good times were had in Maydena. – Josh Carlson
Ripping!
What do you think, does riding an e-MTB at a bike park appeal to you? Does the idea of not waiting in a shuttle line and paying for uplift, by pedalling up yourself make sense? Leave us a comment, and we’ll get right back to you.
Enjoyed that article? Then there’s plenty more to check out on Flow Mountain Bike, including all our latest news stories and product reviews. And if you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel and sign up to our Facebook page and Instagram feed so you can keep up to date with all things Flow!
Event Management Solutions brought the third round of the Shimano Enduro Tour to Derby after stopping in WA and QLD.
Mick was there, camera in hand and rode around the course during practise and racing, to watch and capture the vibes.
We hope you enjoy the pics!
Zoe Cuthbert on the A-lines.Josh Button rolls out.
Ooooh, Derby!Into the Derby Tunnel, duck!
While the racing and practice were running, there were still plenty of crew riding and shuttling the trails. Evolution’s new Buggy Shuttle service can take riders from the Devil Wolf section up to Black Stump for zippy runs down some great tracks!Launceston’s Izzy Flint looked so good during practice and took the win on Sunday with a gutsy display of smart race-craft and bike skills.Dave Ludenia scoping faster ways to ride the technical sections.Ben McIlroy flies past with epic pace.
Derby’s famous for its dirt, but at times, there just ain’t any within sight!Former National Gravity Enduro Champ, Chris Panozzo took a 120mm travel Santa Cruz Tallboy to the podium with an impressive display of racing.
Don’t call him an XC rider, multiple National Champ Cam Ivory breaking the mould and blasting the rocks during practice.Few riders negotiated the crack, on trail Detonate like 17 year-old Izzy. Very smooth and controlled.Dropping Izzbombs.Zoe Cuthbert rides with immense commitment, watching her drop off the large granite boulders and hold speed through the big turns was amazing.Panozzo under a tall one in the lower parts of Roxanne, a solid track to negotiate at race pace.Timmy Eaton not slowing down through the rocks.We crashed Team Shimano’s team dinner, a good bunch of people indeed!
Pre-race parm and a pint. Well, for the photographer anyhow…
Paul and a golden Derby pint of Scottsdale brew.Team manager Toby loves Derby more than most, it appears!
Race Day!
Pre-race prep.Pre-race Instagram.Paul van der Ploeg’s Giant Reign 29 dialled and ready.Chris Panozzo’s Santa Cruz Tallboy, short travel, who cares.Izzy Flint’s Merida One-Sixty gleaming all of the colours in the morning sunlight.Race day, time for the first long pedal up.
Fresh soles for Sunday.Handguards gaining in popularity, for good reason.Ludenia aims up for the long session of rock-eating on Shearpin.Crowds heckling their lungs out.Connor Fearon was on a tear all weekend, and took a convincing win.Rowena Fry stamped her authority once again on the trails of Derby, backing up her EWS podium with a win this weekend.Yiew!Fixing carnage.Any moisture in the Derby dirt was drying quickly under the harsh Tassie sun.Zoe on the long road to the top before more hard descending.
Chainsaws and two-stroke to fill your senses.Rowena picking lines like a pro.Plenty of stats to back up the tired body.There was a bar at the finish line…Shelly Flood always smiling, despite the obvious!Hoppy pain relief.The Kona crew on their Tasmanian trip, loving life, off to Maydena for the National Champs next.
Little Rivers had their new pop up bar Side-Tracked in full swing.
Distinctly Connor.
Cam Ivory, done!Elite Women’s podium; Rowena Fry, Zoe Cuthbert and Leanna Curtis.U21 Women – Izzy Flint, Fenella Harris, Emma Bateup.Elite Men – Connor Fearon, Dan Booker, Chris Panozzo.And that’s a wrap for the Shimano Enduro Tour! Row Fry, series champ!And Jordan Prochyra takes overall, too.We love you, Derby! Fingers crossed the EWS will return again one day soon.
For the full results, and more details head to the official site here – https://www.emsaustralia.net.au/events/2019shimanoendurotour/
Up until recently, there haven’t been many suitable ways to bring your child along with you while mountain biking. Rear-mounted child seats have of course been around forever, but they’re typically designed for commuting, touring or bike-path riding. Most of them attach via a pannier rack system too, which means they’re only compatible with rigid bikes or hardtails.
Another option for taking a little tacker along for a ride is a rear-mounted kids trailer, though those tend to be pretty spendy. They’re also quite wide (not great for singletrack) and they stick out quite far from the back of your bike, which can present some logistical and handling issues. Well, unless you’re Danny MacAskill perhaps.
Ok. Maybe the trailer isn’t such a good idea.
Jack & Lottie have quickly become frothers for mountain biking!
Why Not Let ‘Em Ride Shotgun?
Three years ago, a Kiwi bloke by the name of Dan Necklen decided there had to be a better way to bring along his 3-year old son while mountain biking in Rotorua. Dan wasn’t able to fit a rear-mounted seat on his full suspension bike, and the front-mounted options on the market were either incompatible with his stem or used a permanent fixture that posed a risk to the paintwork on his pride and joy.
Looking to create a solution that would be more suitable for use with high-end full suspension bikes, Dan collaborated with a fellow mountain biking Dad by the name of Tom Hayward, and they developed the original Shotgun seat prototype. Ten families jumped on board to help with early testing, and by mid-2017, Dan & Tom were taking pre-orders for the very first production models.
Fast-forward two years, and the Kids Ride Shotgun MTB Seat has grown in popularity to become one of the most in-demand kids seats on the market, with distributors in the UK, the US, and Australia. That’s pretty wild!
The Kids Ride Shotgun MTB Seat is a Kiwi invention that’s grown to become one of the most in-demand kids seats on the market.
How’s It Different Then?
The Shotgun seat is a front-mounted seat that’s designed for children between two to five years old, with a stated max weight of 22kg. It allows your child to take the best seat in the house, with an uninterrupted view of the trail ahead.
Using textured metal footpegs and an adjustable saddle, the Shotgun seat plonks your child right in front of you, with their legs straddling the frame’s top tube, feet on the pegs, and their little digits holding onto the handlebars. For an extra $49, you can buy an additional bolt-on handlebar that comes with a set of rubber grips if you fancy. Either way, they’re able to easily stand up when needed, without being strapped in like they would with a traditional bucket seat.
The seat uses two metal ‘legs’ that straddle the top and downtubes. All contact points are covered in a generous layer of rubber.
Installing The Shotgun Kids MTB Seat
A key aspect of the Shotgun seat’s design is its adaptability. Using two metal legs that clamp down on either side of your bike’s mainframe, the adjustable width allows it to fit a broad range of frame shapes and sizes. The top tube can be as wide as 68mm, and the downtube can be up to 100mm.
The metal legs are lined with thick rubber padding, and there’s also a big rubber block underneath the saddle support. As well as providing a bit of vibration damping for your little person’s derrière, the rubber is also there to protect your frame. And because the metal legs clamp across both the top and downtubes, the clamping force is actually a lot lower than you might first expect. According to Kids Ride Shotgun, that means the seat is compatible with carbon fibre frames, as well as alloy and steel bikes.
There’s another block of solid rubber underneath the seat, which provides further protection.“LET’S GO RIDING!”
To see what it’s like to ride with one of these fun little contraptions, we caught up with ex-Aussie enduro champion, fireman, and father of two, Dan MacMunn, who’s been using a Kids Ride Shotgun MTB Seat with his two kids Lottie and Jack.
How long have you had your Shotgun Seat for?
We bought the seat a few years ago now. We originally got if for our daughter Lottie, who was about two and a half years old. I thought it would be a great way to introduce the kids to some singletrack, and another fun way to get out of the house and into the bush. It also gave us an alternative to using the car for the daycare drop-offs, which is great!
Jack chose to be the responsible one.
Were there any alternative kids seats you looked at?
This was the only off-road style kids seat I knew of to be honest. Prior to getting the Shotgun seat, we did have a WeeRide set up on a commuter bike. That was great for when the kids were quite small, but it isn’t really really suitable for use off-road. It uses a bucket-style seat, which can make it uncomfortable when bouncing around on the trail.
What bikes have you fitted the Shotgun Kids MTB Seat to?
I attach it to my Specialized Epic Evo. It’s a pretty simple tool-free setup, which is good, and it takes about two minutes to fit and remove. I often have ride up to daycare with Jack, drop him off, take the seat off and leave it there, so then I can take the long singletrack route home. Then when it’s time for pickup, I can just re-fit the seat at the daycare centre, plonk Jack onto the bike, and ride home.
Textured footpegs allow Jack to stand up when bouncing down the trail.
Does it add much weight to your bike?
I have no idea about the weight. It’s obviously more the weight of the child that makes the hills tough!
What sort of riding do you do with it?
We mostly either use it for transport or on pretty mellow trails. Lottie and I did have a great ride up in the Mt Beauty bike park when she was smaller though – we came down some pretty techy stuff too, which was great fun. Crashing with a kid on the front obviously would not end well though, so we don’t go too crazy!
Scoping out the lines with Dad.The Shotgun MTB Seat is designed for little people between 2-5 years old and up to a weight of 22kg.Jack getting to grips with the pump track.
Any limitations to consider while you’re riding with it?
Your kid has to be the right size. Too small and their legs won’t reach the foot pegs, which is pretty crucial for the whole thing to work as intended. On the flip side, when they’re older they just get too heavy to push up the hills! Remember that because of the extra weight, you’ll want to add some pressure to your tyres and suspension to compensate.
What age and size do you think the seat works well for?
Jack is three and a half, and it’s about perfect at the moment, but at 13kgs he’s pretty small for his age.
Dan is able to take Jack to daycare via the off-road route.Yieeeww!
What does Jack think of riding with Dad?
Jack loves it! I think it’s great that he’s up the front with the best seat in the house. That’s a big difference compared to a rear-mounted child seat, where they’re a bit removed from the riding experience. The other good aspect of the Shotgun seat is that the design allows him to stand up on the foot pegs to absorb the bumps more readily. Hopefully that should get him more familiar with the right technique for when we get him onto his first proper mountain bike.
Do you think the secondary handlebars would be worthwhile?
I haven’t tried the handlebar attachment, and him holding onto the bars seems to work fine anyway.
Not only does Dan get a good workout, he gets to spend more time with Jack out of the house and on the trails together. Nice!
Pretty cool eh? And as far as getting your young’uns into mountain biking from an early age, we’re not sure there’s a better way to do it than this! If you’re all inspired after reading Dan’s experience, here’s the basics of the Shotgun seat they’ve been using;
Kids Ride Shotgun MTB Seat Specs
Front mounted child seat for kids two to five years old
Max weight limit: 22kg (48lb)
Adjustable width and angle to fit all mountain bikes
Full rubber protection – compatible with both alloy and carbon frames
Quick release fitting for easy installation and removal
Enjoyed that article? Then there’s plenty more to check out on Flow Mountain Bike, including all our latest news stories and product reviews. And if you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel, and sign up to our Facebook page and Instagram feed so you can keep up to date with all things Flow!
Presented by the Bicycle Network, the Victorian-based group responsible for getting a lot of people out riding bikes and hosting truly inclusive events, the Gravel Grit is a few days that brings quite a diverse bunch of cyclists together. It took place in late October 2019 looping out on a fine selection of 67km of roads with a huge variety of surfaces around the Onley State Forest, NSW.
Gravel riding is very on-trend, a somewhat new segment, with numerous brands releasing specific bikes for the demands of how you may interpret gravel riding. Some may argue that it’s simply what mountain biking was like in the early days, but whichever way you look at it, the specific bikes are super cool and any rides that don’t mix with cars and take us through nice scenes, we’re all about it.
This year Gravel Grit 2019 expanded from last year to include a social gathering on the Saturday, with a few ride options available, camping, and a dinner at the GNTP. We camped, did very little riding, ate great food and caught up with old pals. The vibes were mellow, and we felt full of food to fuel the day ahead.
With bushfire safety a real issue, the organisers made the call to remove the longer version of the day, leaving everyone to take on the 67km loop.
Enjoy the pics, and perhaps we’ll see you next year, too?
Dog, caravan, bike, sorted.
Some very fancy wheels on our Trek Checkpoint gravel bike, DT Swiss GRC 1400. Whoa!Bike crew reunion, this event brought cyclists from all corners together. That’s what we liked about it the most.
Fuel up, tomorrow we crunch gravel.
Shimano had a couple of very nice bikes on display, showing off the new GRX components, built for the cause. The Grove R.A.D is a locally designed bike with a solid following, there were many about.
This titanium Baum was a real head-turner, maybe because the frame alone sells for over $12K! Yikes.
Mick, Chris and Dave before the start. Plus Asterix.
Heading out into the hills, through cattle farming land, olive groves, and hideaway retreatsHold onto the fit guy! Chris half-wheeling his best.A peculiar juxtaposition, old and new, same place at the same time.Expired tubes and banana skins in the bin.
Some of the descents were ROUGH! Wishing for a mountain bike at times, until the surfaces changed to smooth again.Where cars don’t go.
Pro roadies, even! Famous Brodie Chapman, before a massive crash over the bars.Classic scenes from this part of the Hunter Valley, NSW.
All good rides finish with a beer.Sore hands?Spotted an amazing mid-nineties carbon Gary Fisher Procaliber converted into a very cool bike for any use.
Flow fans everywhere!Six made it, one nearly didn’t. Fancy dress, optional.
Full-blown all-mountain mountain bike from Zerode with a purpose-built Cannondale gravel bike as a partner. An odd couple, but works just fine here.Mick’s ride, the Trek Checkpoint, Shimano Ultegra RX rear mech, Ultegra double chainring, chunky bar tape and two water bottles.The generous 24mm wide DT Swiss GRC 1400 wheels were a massive upgrade from the 17mm rims they replaced. A much smoother ride, with no flat tyres holding them back.Maxxis Rambler tyres in 40mm width, pumped with plenty of Stans Sealant.
Back to the campsite!
We absolutely loved it, it felt like no event we’ve been to before and combines a delightful mix of social riding in a nice part of the world. See you next year!
For more information, head to Bicycle Network site here: Bicycle Network.
Photos: Mick Ross/Flow MTB, Tim Bardsley-Smith, Lisa Cugnetto, Dave Musgrove.
Mick called it “the event of the year!“. Certainly for the 1300 riders who saddled up at the start line at the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, the 2019 Cape to Cape proved to be one of the best yet in the event’s impressive 12-year history. With four days of racing packed into some of the best trails of south west Western Australia, competitors were treated to sublime singletrack, tough climbs, fast fireroad bunch trains, and exciting finish line sprints.
If you haven’t checked it out already, Mick’s Mega Gallery from this year’s event is an absolute belter, and tells a superb behind-the-scenes story of what it’s like not just to participate in the event, but everything that happens on either side of the race tape too.
Here we’re going to take a closer look at some of the bikes and kit from the Cape to Cape, to see what the pointy end (and the less-pointy end) chose to race in one of the country’s biggest multi-day mountain bike race. Grab yourself a cuppa, and sit back to enjoy a feast of carbon fibre, Kashima and electronic wizardry!
“Rider’s ready!” Epic scenery for the start of the 2019 Cape to Cape, with the stoic Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse looming above the race field.The Trek Shimano Australia Team with smiles all-round! Most riders were aboard the previous iteration of the Top Fuel race bike, as the new Supercaliber wasn’t quite ready in time.
Giant’s top-end Anthem was ready for some of its sponsored riders though, who were getting familiar with the Fox Live Valve automated suspension system.Bendigo Brotherly Love. Tasman & Russell Nankervis raced as a pair at the 2019 Cape to Cape, despite competing against each other regularly in national-level XCO and XCM events.
Tas remains as a Merida-sponsored rider, though he’s recently jumped ship to Shimano. His new race bike was decked out with a full Shimano XTR 1×12 groupset, Fox dual-lockout Factory suspension, and Reynolds Black Label XC race wheels. Stealthy!
Jason Lowndes, a promising young cyclist from Bendigo, and a good friend of the Nankervis brothers, was tragically struck by a car and killed while on a training ride in 2017. You’ll see this sticker on the top tubes of many of the people who knew Jason well. RIP Lowndesy.As a member of the Trek Shimano Australia team, Brother Russell is aboard the previous generation Top Fuel. How’s that epic saddle height!
An equally epic stem length to suit Russ’ epic arm length. Slammed too of course! Note the missing fork lockout cable – Russ is only running a rear lockout, since he found there to be a lot of resistance at the lever when setup with both cables. And after spending a lot of time riding his 130mm travel Fuel EX, he’s not so worried about not having a fork lockout on his race bike.Team Fox & Racoon were up for a tough fight at the 2019 Cape to Cape, with some seriously quick competitors in the women’s pairs category.Doubles as crash protection in the event of knackering oneself.Look at that singletrack! The colours were popping in the forest.
Released in time for the 2020 model year, the new Liv Pique range is topped by this stunner; the Fox Live Valve-equipped Advanced Pro 29 0. There were many impressed new riders aboard the Live Valve system at the Cape to Cape.Pivot’s Mach 4 SL is also a new release this year, and with the 120mm travel Fox 34 SC fork, it’s just about the perfect bike for the 4-day Cape to Cape event.It wasn’t all carbon fibre and electronics though – check out this double butted Chromoly frame from Hunt Bikes. Capable of fitting 29+ wheels and tyres, it has a tidy chainstay yoke to achieve the necessary clearance for fat rubber.
Old mate from Wolfpack Racing had a new prototype saddle that he wasn’t too keen on our camera lenses from papping. Not much gets past us though!Four. Whole. Days.And how bloody nice is this Cannondale F3000? Such lust for these back in the day!Shimano XT V-brakes* complete with brake boosters. (*V-brakes are a sort of disc brake where the rim is like a really big disc rotor).Double water bottles on this Specialized Epic FSR – a very useful feature for the long stages at the Cape to Cape. Check out the storage box below the downtube bottle, and the neat SWAT tool underneath the other bottle.Tas Nankervis rejuvenating his hub and bottom bracket bearings.Em Viotto threading her Cannondale Scalpel through the singletrack.Partner on and off the bike, Karl Michelin-Beard is also aboard a Scalpel race bike – one of the few on the circuit that’ll take that 2nd water bottle, and Karl made good use of it.The Beast From The North East, Paul van der Ploeg, raced the Cape to Cape with brother Neil. Like his Giant Oz teammates, Paully has recently got his hands on the new Anthem Advanced Pro 29 0, which comes decked out with Fox Live Valve. No more lockout levers required!Another legend of the mountain bike scene, Johnny Waddell, was also racing the Cape to Cape on a new-ish, but decidedly much heavier duty mountain bike; the Santa Cruz Tallboy. Apparently Maxxis Minion DHR II is now the new XC race tyre of choice!
Peta Mullens and Jarrod Moroni flew over from Bendigo to race in the mixed pairs category. Jarrod brought along this stupendously high-end Scott Spark RC, which had us doing a double-take!Jarrod’s race bike is running the very exotic, and very expensive Syncros Silverton SL wheelset, which is almost entirely made from carbon fibre – including the non-adjustable carbon spokes that are bonded to both the carbon rims and the carbon hubshells. Wow.
Our eyes are twitching just looking at that orange warning sticker attached to that expensive XTR rotor attached to those very expensive Syncros wheels…This trick XCR model from Sport-On is a full-blown Cross Country handcycle that this chap was having a marvellous time on. The Cape to Cape had a special course just for handcyclists who were competing in the 4-day stage race. So rad!The Specialized Duo, made up of elite road riders Lucy Bechtel and Ella Bloor, put in a powerful effort to take 2nd place in the Open Women’s Pairs category aboard their Epic FSR race bikes. Not bad for two road racers!We’ve already taken a close look at Trekky’s custom Giant Anthem race bike, but it’s so darn special that we had to take another look at it!
Alongside Giant-Shimano teammate Jon Odams, Trekky notched up another win at the 2019 Cape to Cape, albeit with barely a minute over 2nd place. That’s some close racing!
Mo’ Flow Please!
Enjoyed that article? Then there’s plenty more to check out on Flow Mountain Bike, including all our latest news stories and product reviews. And if you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel, and sign up to our Facebook page and Instagram feed so you can keep up to date with all things Flow!
The Cape to Cape is now in its 12th year. For those who’ve been a part of it would know why it’s outlasted many mountain bike events in Australia, and for those that haven’t take a look below. Now the oldest and largest Australian round of the Epic Series events consisting of the Port to Port in Newcastle, Reef to Reef in Cairns, The Pioneer in New Zealand, Swiss Epic and the high-profile Cape Epic in South Africa.
C2C is a momentous event and never ceases to amaze us at how many people make the annual pilgrimage way down the south-west of Western Australia, to the remote region of Margaret River for four days of riding and good times.
Going in! The trails would often start with a bit of fire-road to warm you up, spread people out, and give you a chance to see some of the countryside – if you were looking.
We’ve lost count of how many Cape to Capes we’ve been to, we came away from this year’s event feeling damn good about this particular one. The perfect weather and trail conditions helped, but it was the vibe and atmosphere that made it for us this year, meeting new people, seeing more of the region and watching the great racing unfold.
It’s four days of racing on a wide variety of trails. One day may suit you in particular, or your partner or the rider that you beat the day before. It’s a chance to ride with your partner in the pairs category or take it on solo. It’s an event with plenty of support, the large event team with a great group of volunteers keep the show rolling, and it’s a very well-oiled machine.
Each day, the official proceedings wrap up around lunch – or before for the fast – and you’re left with hours to do whatever you want.
We spent our afternoons by the beach, swimming in the ocean, hanging at the brewery, chilling at the bike shop cafe, and riding the sweet trails close to town.
Below you’ll find a selection of our favourite images from the event, enjoy!
The iconic start line beacon, the tallest lighthouse on mainland Australia, Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse.
Where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet, and the Cape to Cape begins.
It feels like you’re dangling precariously off the edge of the continent down at Cape Leeuwin, it’s a highly dramatic place with the weather swirling around overhead and the oceans raging on either side of the narrow headland. If the weather is terrible, it’s double-terrible down at Cape Leeuwin, but on this particular day it was positively lovely!
From Alice Springs to Cape Leeuwin, this pair was on a mega-adventure.
Day one is a chance for the colossal field to stretch the legs and the order in which you finish will place you in the wave start groups for the second stage to spread the large field out nicely. It’s not hours of lush singletrack, that is coming up.
Clint and Josh from the course crew, before they got busy, keeping everyone going the correct way.A birds-eye view of Cape Leeuwin, a seriously dramatic place sticking out into the ocean.
The big field of fresh legs!That iconic shot of the main pack with Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse and the start line behind.
A stark contrast to last year’s mud-fest. It was a dusty affair this year and made for some great images. Here Trekky leads Cam Ivory, asserting their intentions very early on.A few rowdy descents were thrown in to keep riders on their toes.
Pushing hard up the rigorous and less-popular Sally Hill Climb, “thanks, Sally…”
Back to the lighthouse we go!When you’ve worked hard out there, it’s impossible to hide the emotions when you cross the line.
When the sun came out and grew in warmth, the colours in the ocean popped.No words, sorry Karl and Em, thanks for being such good sports for the camera again. 🙂Sunsets are epic over there!
Vines, pea-gravel, giant trees and delicious loam.
Riders would start the second day in waves, five minutes apart. As they darted their way towards the singletrack, trains of riders kicked up plumes of red dust, and the action was on.
This day has some of Margaret River’s most scenic trails, through the Booranup Forest under towering Karri trees. Below the soil is a delicious ochre colour, a perfect match for mountain bike tyres, so the turns are grippy and fast.
Foxes and racoons, grapes and coffee beans. The ever-smiling duo Anna and Briony love these events, and they nailed it this year.
Support comes in all shapes and sizes. Chewbacca thought each bike rider was its owner, so it was extra busy this week!This was the first mountain bike stage race for this duo, Lucy and Ella ride in a road racing team, but this week they tried their hands on something different, and clearly loved it!
Leaving Leeuwin Estate, and heading into lush farmland, the riders got to see a vibrant part of the region. Riders were really mooving on the fast roads…
Jonny Waddell settling into his own pace below a towering tunnel of trees.
Love this photo! Check out the Karri trees and dense undergrowth. The singletrack through Booranup Forest is a ribbon in a tunnel of loamy soil beneath giant native trees.Jo Bennet floats through the forest, happily chatting with her peers.Count the trees!
Bazinggaaaa! Threading the singletrack of the immensely popular Lord of The Rings section.Brad dives into a creek crossing to cool off.While Trekky plays it safe, smart move.
If you’re yet to ride the surfaces of C2C, you may find these slippery little buggers quite entertaining! Pea gravel requires a gentle steering technique, or you’re on your butt.Done, halfway now!
“You’re so wet, Paul…”Faces of C2C, Holly and a day two smile.
Pretty much sums it up, really!Frothing!
Leeuwin Estate is one of the founding wineries in the iconic wine region, seriously lovely wines to taste, and their beautiful grounds are nice to explore.
Down to the Settlers Tavern in Margaret River main street to watch the day’s video highlights on the telly and tuck into some satisfying pub grub, they even had VIP bike parking for C2C riders, nice!
Trekky’s custom painted Giant Anthem, commemorating ten years of being cancer-free.
From the brewery to Middle Earth, and back.
Look, we’re big fans of breweries, we’re not going to lie. And Colonial Brewery is a particularly pleasant place to be, even without the beers. The lush grass, live music, fresh food and buzzing atmosphere makes it a hit for the riders and their support teams. Friday arvo, sorted!
From the brewery, riders flew through the farming roads out to Middle Earth, a singletrack haven built by locals, with a curiously unique landscape and wickedly fun trail features.
Thumbs up for Sally Hill, with all of her fans behind.An udderly speedy start to spin the legs before a long day out under the sun.
The singletrack labyrinth of Middle Earth is unlike anywhere else we’ve ever ridden. The vegetation is wild!Wildflowers of Cape to Cape.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.Paul into orbit!Andy Blair and the ice coffee milkshake section.We witnessed race tactics being discussed, as the elite pack hurtled towards the finish.
Crowds gathering to welcome riders to the finish.
Pat and his stoked support team, spotted down at the beach later that afternoon.Empire Cycles soigneur taking back to the team, like a good captain.World Champion superstar Sam Hill taking part in the event where he could, despite not racing due to injury.To the bar!
A hard-earned thirst!
Saturday arvo and the beach was buzzing with awkward tan lines, the locals certainly can’t miss it when Cape to Cape is in town!
Back to the Colonial Brewery for the Colonial Capers function, delicious food under the stars with like-minded folks.
Line up, one more time. Singletrack delights, and gin and tonics.
Only a hop-skip and a jump from the centre of town, the fourth and final day left off from the Margaret River Distillery and took in all of the juicy singletrack that the town is known for.
From classic pine-forest singletrack to the playful zone Compartment Ten, it’s a day for the singletrack savvy to let the brakes off, boost jumps, rail turns and spend any energy left after four days of pedalling.
WA represent, many mountain bike legends right here.Handcycles had a fabulous course planned specifically for their needs.
Let’s roll out! Cortney from the Ironman media team, in full flight.Just a wee scratch on the knee of Holly Harris, didn’t slow her down one bit.Into the trails one last time.Holly and her trademark grin, whizzing through the singletrack lined with vibrant wildflowers.Pine forest roads and singletrack all over the place.The iconic wall ride draws a crowd, as do the never-ending jumps and berms. Odams and Carson locked in battle.Yiew!
With cameras in hands, we witnessed an absolutely gruelling display of spirit as the two leading teams drove themselves into the ground covering the final few km to the finish.Two win the stage, two win the overall.
Medals for all finishers, a real achievement to accomplish.The surprise on people faces when crossing the line and Sam Hill handed them their finish medals were priceless. Some took theirs off, and asked to do it all over again a second time.Tony Tucknott was next level Tony on the microphone as the event MC this year. Love this man!Sam Hill’s wife Bridget and F45 crew chuffed with their efforts. Let the gin flow!Bubbles for the elites, hard-fought race this year.
Taking a break from the beer and wine, with a g&t.That’s it from us (Mick), see you all again next year, if not earlier at Port to Port 2020. Yiew!
Mick joins three lunatics on a mighty adventure, to ride three iconic disused downhill racetracks before lunch, deep in the extensive trail network around Mt Sugarloaf in the Lower Hunter Valley, NSW.
Watch the mayhem unfold here.
Since moving to Newcastle from Sydney, each ride was a first experience in a new city. Newcastle has a great mountain bike scene, especially with Glenrock MTB Park being so close to the city centre, stacked with beautiful trails, superb coastal views and lovely bushland.
But leaving behind the particularly technical terrain and sandstone slabs of Sydney’s Northern Beaches, satisfying the need for tough and challenging trails, for the increasingly capable modern mountain bikes, was proving a little harder to find around the flatter and faster trails of Newcastle.
Casting my memory back to the mid-nineties, in the awkward teenage years, aboard an old 1997 model Intense M1 DH bike, I recalled many times travelling up the freeway to the hallowed grounds of the Hunter Mountain Bike Club. I remembered three particularly rowdy downhill racetracks; Killingworth, Sugarloaf and Heaton Forest.
Getting lost, but nobody cares.Robbie slaying a turn on Creek Track, one of the old XC race tracks in Killingworth.
During these years, the racing scene was pumping! The tracks were raw, the organisation so very relaxed, and the community was great for a frothing bike geek like myself. The club hosted dozens of club races, a few NSW State Rounds, and even the MTBA National Series stopped off in the Hunter. It was a good time, and between the Hunter Club and the Central Coast club at Ourimbah, there was plenty of racing to be had and talent to be nurtured.
Aside from the fast and wild tracks, one thing stuck in my mind about this place – the long turnaround for shuttles. For some of the races, one run down and back up could take you nearly one hour, by the time you loaded up, drove out of the forest, over the freeway and back up the hill. But that was all we knew, and Thredbo was so far away.
Levo locked and loaded on the Thule rack which carries e-MTBs with no struggle. Just a quick drive out of Newcastle city, the trails around Mt Sugarloaf call for adventure.Epic trails, it’s a labyrinth out there, so easy to get lost, which isn’t always a bad thing, unless it’s a Monday morning.
Where am I going with this story? Well, I had to find these tracks again. Many years after the racing moved to the Awaba MTB Park, would the old runs of Killingworth and Heaton still be there, unless they had grown over completely, never to be ridden again…?
Attempt one – Frustratingly unsatisfying…
After the 2018 Port to Port MTB Stage Race, I downloaded the Strava map file of the stage, uploaded it to my phone and set out to retrace my steps at my own pace in an attempt if I could remember anything. It all started well, but after a gruelling climb up the horrifically steep tarmac of Mt Sugarloaf climb, I descended into a complete labyrinth of trails and swiftly lost my way.
Without the course markings of the Port to Port, I was staring with despair at the squiggly line on my phone, as it constantly beeped at me for going the wrong way whenever I got up to speed. So, I turned it off, and just rode around blindly, only to find messy four-wheel-drive tracks and burnt-out cars. I was defeated and overcome by the sheer amount of trails out there.
Joel tipping it in, so much lean.
The four-wheel-drives have hammered that place, digging huge holes, creating massive erosion, but no matter how the landowners try to keep them out, they just barge their way In again. It may not necessarily be the prettiest areas at times, passing through large areas of carnage that is a paradise for their tractor-like wheels.
Attempt two – find a local, find the gold!
Who else to seek help in finding the best trails than Captain Hunter Valley MTB Club himself, Mr Robbie McNaughton. During those mid-nineties races, there was a strong contingent of Newcastle riders who cut their teeth on these trails, often taking their racing to the world stage. Robbie and his sister Emma were big players in the scene, racing on the World Championship teams for Australia. And there were highly successful pros keeping the competition fierce – Tai Lee Muxlow, Brad Kelley, Adam Smithson, to name a few – many had great success in their racing heyday. And it was all so well documented by the Black Phoenix Films crew of Josh Stephenson and Robbie, producing the best MTB films on VHS, keeping us entertained with bike culture antics and crazy riding on film to watch in the safety of our homes.
Robbie always beat me at his home tracks; I never had a chance; he ruled that place. He has impressive bike handling skills, with a light and precise way of shifting his bike to exactly where he wants it to be, nailing the smooth lines and hopping the bike around as if it weighs nothing.
Allegedly Killingworth is the only place Robbie beat Nathan Rennie, quite an achievement! Fast forward to now, Robbie part-owns Newcastle’s biggest bike shop, Drift Bikes, and remains heavily engaged in the scene that defines him.
Upon discussing my previously fruitless solo attempt, Robbie suggested that we combine forces, and threw me a bone. “Join us for a Mega Levo ride this Monday morning!”, he said.
Robbie and his merry band of brothers often gather early on a Monday morning and go blasting about the very trails I had failed to find flow. How? E-bikes, the Specialized Levo was their choice of adventure mobile which could turn a frustrating ride into an absolute cracker experience covering massive ground in less time.
The Merry Band of Brothers.
Joel – The ex-freestyle moto pro rider, wheelies for days, and spends more time on his Levo than the moto nowadays. With a fluid style, his long arms leaning the bike down, so the bars look like they’re going to drag the dirt, he steers his mountain bike like a moto. He’s also notorious around town for leading the e-bike segments on Strava. Joel knows how to keep the power on, making his Levo work hard to keep the speed up, but at the same time can conserve battery power well on long rides, despite thinking he ran his bike in Turbo mode 100% of the time.
Joel blasting through the tall lilies on the classic old Killingworth DH Track.
Woffa – Super-busy business owner, lives near the trails, loves the Levo. Rides with his headphones in taking work calls, hard to know when he’s talking on the phone or to the voices in his head… Woffa is a total lunatic, unmistakable with an old $30 grey skate helmet riding his S-Works Levo in King Gee shorts. He appears to have minimal regard for what’s on the other side of blind obstacles, hitting send and launching down the trail when I’d be brake-checking and inspecting for a safe landing.
Woffa chucks a leg out, on a piece of the trail we’d look forward to each time – Nevegal Corner.
With a background steeped in motorbike racing, the pair of Joel and Woffa had a radically different technique to how Robbie and I would ride that grew up on push-bikes. With impressive control over the power of the bike, paired with a sturdy handle on the steering, they would fly through the chundering trails with a fast-yet-unorthodox style. Riding flat pedals and foot-out through nearly every turn, they would lean back and follow the bike through anything that lay ahead.
The common theme here? A random bunch of guys with similar bikes and an appetite for trails. So, not too much more than that, really!
Fuelling the exploration.
Over a few months, I joined in on a few of these rides, and no doubt they have been some of the most fun I’ve had on a mountain bike in yonks. It was fast, loose, highly entertaining and each one never the same as the last. You could hear the shrieks of laughter and banter all around us; the sounds would have been amusing if heard by a passer-by.
The irresistible urge to make a pass on the inside of the turn, or attempt an overtaking manoeuvre on a harder line with irresponsible levels of commitment was the recurring theme.
Riding the Levo’s meant we kept together the whole time, there was no waiting for the slower riders to catch up on the climbs, and the entire ride was a challenge, not just the descents. The irresistible urge to make a pass on the inside of the turn, or attempt an overtaking manoeuvre on a harder line with irresponsible levels of commitment was the recurring theme.
Like most times when you talk about e-bikes to people, it is hard to explain, so we decided to bring a cameraman and film it. Cheers to our pal, Oli Smith for constructing this edit out of a random bunch of banter and chaotic riding.
The aim was to head out and conquer three old DH tracks before lunch, three tracks not exactly next to each other, either. So the challenge of getting to them was one part, the other was finding them.
Up we went, into the foothills of Mt Sugarloaf, clambering up the weathered old tracks, elbows out trying to pass each other as many times as possible. If it weren’t for Robbie’s local knowledge, we’d have been lost in minutes, but we kept on charging ahead towards the summit, sinking our tyres into fresh moto singletrack and sliding around on bare sandstone.
You go first, no, you go, go on…
The traditional order of riders heading into a descent is not to be trusted, whoever goes first is likely to be undercut, chopped off and ran wide into a turn. So it was wise to choose your position amongst the lunatics or simply keep your wits about you.
The descents were so wild; it was a deadly cocktail of deep ruts, hidden lines, overhanging vegetation, and someone behind you yelling to go faster. The Levo’s plough through the chaos about five times better than the downhill bikes we used to ride on the same trails! It’s a hoot.
Classic Killingworth, running up and down wither sides of deep gullies.It’s pretty amazing what these things are capable of, they obviously climb well, but the descents are also a blast with what seems like unlimited stability.
Done!
Whoa, that was a big day out with some four hours spent exploring and discovering old trails that somehow feel new. We roamed all over the place and finished at lunchtime with seriously weary bodies. It’s the type of ride you just wouldn’t consider riding a regular pedal-powered bike, even with a shuttle vehicle available.
After riding these trails over twenty years, we’ve just unlocked a new way to do it, the best yet. Yiew!
Tucked away in a small and unassuming shed on the outskirts of Beechworth in Victoria, a chap by the name of Shane Flint is busy working on some curvy steel tubes that are soon to become the seatstays of a new hardtail frame. Time is of the essence. The new owner is due to pick up the bike in the near future, and Shane needs to get a completed raw frame up to Albury to have its special chrome-plated finish applied, before he’s able to assemble the complete bike as per his customer’s specifications. With a pair of Ray Bans shielding his eyes and a long, thin wire of bronze filler rod in hand, Shane fires up the gas torch to start bringing together this tailor-made, one-of-a-kind mountain bike.
Tor Bikes – Building Frames & A Name
Shane Flint, the owner and founder of Tor Bikes, out the front of his workshop with his personal hardcore hardtail.
Shane Flint is the founder, owner and one-man-band behind Tor Bikes – an emerging Beechworth-based bike brand that is focussed on producing custom mountain bikes. For those wondering, the name ‘Tor’ comes from the word to describe a rocky outcrop perched on top of the summit of a rounded hill. It’s a more commonly used term in the UK, but for anyone who’s ridden the trails around Beechworth, you’ll know just how apt this name is.
I’m here in his workshop, camera in hand, to take a closer look at the design and construction process behind Shane’s fillet brazed frames, and to get some insight into why he’s doing what he does. After all, while there’s a modest number of custom frame builders in Australia, there are still very few who are committing entirely to the mountain bike cause. And that makes Tor Bikes a little different from the rest.
Having driven a couple of hours over from Bendigo, I had a bit of an idea of what to expect as I rolled up the long dirt road driveway of Shane’s house. I’d seen some impressive examples of his work from the Australian Handmade Bicycle Shows in Melbourne, including an intriguing steel full suspension prototype that wowed onlookers with its impossibly slender swingarm, resplendent in a dazzling British Racing Green paint job.
A collection of tubes steadily being brought together in the Tor Bikes workshop.
Pre-curved tubes are arranged in a homemade jig in preparation for mitring. These tubes will be cut in order to mate up cleanly with a BB shell.
Following a brief look at the Tor Bikes website and Instagram feed, I’d gathered that his operation was more of the small backyard variety, rather than being a bigger company like a Baum or a Bastion. Then again, when you’re an engineer who’s handling everything from design, testing and fabrication, through to assembly and customer service, things like websites and social media marketing tend to sit further down the priority list.
Indeed Tor is still very much in its infancy. Shane only built his first frame in 2015 – a trail hardtail made from 4130 chromoly steel.
Hardtail No.1
The idea for this original creation came about due to a need to save his Specialized Epic, which was slowly being ground down from winter riding. During my visit to the Tor workshop, I discover that Shane rides a lot. Whether it’s trail riding at the Beechworth MTB Park, getting in some bitumen time on the roadie, gravel grinding around the region’s extensive fireroad network, racing enduro, XC or marathon events, or being away on the annual week-long riding trip with his group of riding mates, Shane is outside on two wheels as much as possible. He’s also a longstanding member of Beechworth’s infamous Wednesday night crew, which is known within the local community (and at the Bridge Rd Brewery) for its stoic perpetuity. “Only tornados and earthquakes stop the Wednesday night ride!” Shane informs me when I inquire about joining the crew on a future ride.
Shane walks the talk. Well, he rides bikes, a lot.
Certainly the terrain and soil composition surrounding Beechworth lends itself well to year-round mountain biking. That, and a four-year stint living in the UK’s Grim North, means Shane isn’t one to shy away from foul weather. However, that same decomposed granite-based soil that helps the local singletrack to drain so well, also turns into a nasty abrasive once winter rain is thrown into the mix. And that’s the sort of recipe that’ll devour suspension pivot bearings, brake pads and drivetrains in an alarmingly short amount of time.
Shane’s first homemade frame turned out to be more than just a hardy mud plugger though. He built his frame with geometry that was slacker, lower and a bit longer than his Epic, so he could ride it more aggressively at speed. He loved the handling and its springy ride quality, so much so that he ended up riding it all-year round, while the Epic sat dormant in the shed gathering dust. His hardtail was simpler and more durable than his full susser, but more importantly, it was more fun.
Tor is primarily focussed on building custom hardcore hardtails, including singlespeeds.
The Engineer
Of course it takes a particular type of person who decides to build their own bike. I feel like I’ve tested enough bikes over the years to know what ingredients I’d need to build something I’d really love to ride. But taking that next step to actually building your own frame? That requires a leap in commitment along with a very specialised skillset. It requires accuracy, material knowledge, an eye for detail, and above all, patience. After all, there’s no rushing when you’re assembling nine metal tubes into a structure that you’re expecting to trust your life with while hammering down a technical black diamond trail at 40+ km/h.
Shane loves a challenge, so he set out to build a full suspension frame. This one here is the first generation Erode that he built just in time to take on a Tassie riding trip.
Shane’s technical nous and unwavering eye for perfection comes from his professional background in fabrication and engineering. “I did an apprenticeship as a Metal Fabricator (Boilermaker) straight out of year 12 and then after a couple of years I studied Mechanical Engineering” he tells me. Shane has since worked full time as a Mechanical Designer, which includes his current gig up the road in Albury-Wodonga. As well as providing him with the knowledge and attention-to-detail that suits frame building, his twelve-year career has also provided him with useful industry contacts, particularly with those who own big machines.
Bikes Of Steel
Up until now (and for the foreseeable future), Shane has chosen to work exclusively with steel, and specifically Colombus steel. His Australian supplier can access a wide range of tube sizes, diameters and profiles, depending on the job at hand. He then looks to Paragon Machine Works for small items like dropouts, cable stops and disc brake mounts.
Fillet brazed shock mount on the Erode full suspension frame.Check out the reinforcing plate on the underside of the downtube, which helps to strengthen the main pivot junction.Shane uses Colombus steel tubes and small parts from Paragon Machine Works, like the dropouts and brake mounts.Lovely cowled dropouts where the seat and chainstay tubes come together.
Why steel when most mass production mountain bikes are made from alloy or carbon? For a start, steel is hardy and tough. It’s durable and repairable. And if it’s built properly, a steel frame can absolutely sing when ridden on tight and twisty singletrack in a way that no other frame material can quite achieve.
It’s also a material that Shane is familiar with and is confident working on. Though he can purchase pre-curved tubes from Columbus, he also possesses a mighty tube-bender in his workshop for custom tube bending. He’s also created his own unique cutting jigs, which are used to align tubes to ensure a perfect mitre when cutting the ends of say, a top tube or a chainstay. With the ability to cut tubes to length, he can offer a custom build that is tailor-made to the customer with the right fit and geometry suited to their proportions and riding style, without need for compromise. Being a little outside the bell curve at a height of 185cm, compromising fit is something that Shane has experienced himself in the past, but is able to navigate around with his custom-built approach.
Shane has devised his own cutting jigs and guides for ensuring every mitre is bob-on.Cut and ready to meet its neighbour.
The Cheese That Holds The Pizza
To bring all of those shapely steel tubes together, Shane chooses to fillet braze his frames, rather than TIG weld them like some other brands do. He says there are a few reasons why he uses the fillet brazing technique to build his frames.
For a start, it was a traditional frame building process that he hadn’t tried before and simply wanted to learn. “A brazed joint can be be finished smooth which creates a seamless look“, Shane goes on to explain. “From a technical point of view, brazing is performed at a lower temperature which generally creates less distortion“. This means the whole frame is less likely to spring out of alignment when you pull it off the jig, since metal tubes have a habit of expanding and contracting considerably when they’ve been hit with the welding torch. While fillet brazing results in less distortion to begin with, Shane has developed a specific building sequence for joining together his frame tubes, which helps mitigate the problem further.
Preparing the bottle bosses for fillet brazing.In goes one boss.
Fillet brazing is less aggressive than TIG welding, which is surely part of the appeal for frame builders like Shane.
The downside of brazing compared to TIG welding? It’s highly time consuming – specifically the process of hand-filing down every single braze to get those seamless junctions. As things progress over time, Shane might look into offering a TIG welded option to speed up the process for both him and the customer.
Once the frame is together, it heads up the road to Albury to be powder coated. Compared to painting, Shane says a powder coat is more hard wearing, making it particularly suitable for mountain biking applications. Nowadays there’s a load of choice for powder coating colour options, including metallic finishes. Still, Shane says custom painting (or even chrome-plating) is on offer for those who want a particularly wild colour scheme.
Each braze needs a lot of cleaning up after it’s been hit with the torch.It looks messy, but underneath are some seriously tight joins that will be filed back to a beautifully smooth finish.Yes, a fillet brazed joint is strong enough for mountain biking. Shane attacked this top tube with a hammer to prove a point.
Tor Abrade Hardtail
While every frame is custom, Shane has mostly specialised in building a hardcore hardtail called the ‘Abrade’. The advent of contemporary geometry, bigger wheels, high-volume tyres, and dropper posts all lend very well to a hardtail, offering a smoother and more confidence-inspiring ride quality compared to the skinny race bikes that often come to mind when the H-word is uttered. With the right geometry and build package, a modern hardtail will often ride with far more pace than what many full-suss riders would expect. And as Shane proves when we hit the local Beechworth trails later in the afternoon, they can also be ludicrously fun too.
Shane’s personal Abrade hardtail is a superb example of the contemporary hardcore hardtail.His build currently features a 140mm travel fork and 27.5+ wheels.
The tidy dropouts feature a neat bolt-in replaceable mech hanger, while the brake calliper is tucked in out of harms way.
Shane’s personal Abrade is an ideal example of this new-school hardcore hardtail, with its 140mm travel fork and 27.5+ compatibility. It’s adaptable though – he’ll put on 29in wheels and a shorter 120mm fork to set it up for XC racing.
One aspect of its geometry that Shane has been particularly keen on exploring with his custom frames is the theory of a ‘front centre to rear centre ratio’, which identifies chainstay (rear centre) length as a varying metric relative to the bike’s front centre. Simply put; as the reach increases, so too does the rear centre length. The goal? To maintain weight distribution between the front and rear wheels to provide similar handling whether you’re 160cm, or 190cm tall.
The frame is powder coated, which offers a durable and luscious finish.
Curvy steel seatsay tubes offer a little more ‘spring’ through the back end.
This is one of the key advantages over 99% of mass-produced frames on the market, which use the same chainstays throughout the size range in order to reduce manufacturing costs. With so much focus on head angles and reach measurements these days, chainstay length remains as one of the the last aspects of modern frame geometry to be truly exploited to its full potential. Unlike all those big brands though, Shane can easily alter the rear centre length to suit the rest of the frame.
As for Shane’s personal Abrade hardtail, here are the specs he’s running to suit his proportions and riding style. He loosely defines this geometry as a ‘Large’, though all measurements are up for interpretation, depending on what you’re after. Frame pricing for one of these starts at $3,200, and goes up from there depending on the level of customisation.
29/27.5+ hardtail
Fillet brazed Colombus steel tubing
Designed for a 140mm travel fork
Head angle: 66°
Seat angle: 74°
Reach: 462mm
Stack: 628mm
Rear centre length: 440mm
Front centre/rear centre ratio: 1.766
Wheelbase: 1217mm
Modern geometry, high-volume rubber and dropper posts have helped to take the humble hardtail to the next performance level.
Tor Erode Full Suspension Prototype
Though Shane is specialising in hardtails, he’s also got something else cooking in the background – a full suspension enduro bike that he’s been testing for nearly a full year. He’s actually up to his second frame, which has a few modifications over the first prototype.
Using 29in wheels and a single pivot suspension design, the Erode delivers 150mm of rear travel via a Fox Float X2 shock. Shane has loaded the air can with additional volume spacers, which gives the mostly linear shock rate more progression to ramp-up at the end of the travel, while giving the bike more pop. It might be a ludicrously simple system alongside more complex multi-pivot bikes, but with modern dampers and the right kinematics, a single pivot bike can outride designs with many more pivots.
The Erode is a prototype full suspension frame that Shane is using as his personal enduro bike.This is prototype number two, and Shane feels he’s getting close to the final product.The single pivot design offers elegant simplicity compared to more complicated multi-link bikes.
Up front is a chunky 170mm travel Fox 36 that’s plugged into a stout 44mm head tube. The frame is still made with fillet-brazed steel tubes, with a burly and slack front end. The rear swingarm cuts a much more anaemic profile, with slender seat and chainstay tubes meeting together at the cowled thru-axle dropouts. From the side, the vertical uprights on the swingarm (I call them the ‘boomerangs’) look significantly larger in profile. Move your viewpoint though, and you’ll see that they’re actually the thinnest part of the entire frame. Made from 4130 chromoly steel, these swingarm plates are braced above the BB junction with a laser-cut gusset that Shane says adds considerable stiffness to the back end.
The ‘boomerang’ vertical uprights on the swingarm are made from solid 4130 steel plate.
A laser-cut gusset braces the swingarm plates to minimise twisting around the main pivot.
The swingarm plates then connect to the main pivot, which pierces the downtube forward and above the BB. A 15mm alloy axle rolls on dual needle roller bearings on the inside, which is complemented by a needle roller thrust bearing on each side of the main pivot. This is a unique arrangement, as needle roller thrust bearings aren’t commonly found on bikes. While it does bring masses of stiffness to the main pivot, Shane is still evaluating bearing contamination and real-world durability.
As with the rest of the bike, he wants to ensure it’s proven before he decides to offer it up as an option for people to purchase. Expected pricing is likely to be around $4,200 for the Erode frame, though that’s still to be confirmed. While we wait to hear on the full suspension front, here’s a closer look at the specs of Shane’s current prototype.
29in full suspension enduro bike
Designed for a 170mm travel fork
Head angle: 64.5°
Seat angle: 75°
Reach: 470mm
Stack: 635mm
Rear centre length: 440mm
Front centre/rear centre ratio: 1.86
Wheelbase: 1257mm
Shane has paired the 150mm travel Erode to a 170mm travel fork and 29in wheels. It’s a proper steamroller this one!With modern shock dampers and tuneable air chambers, there’s a lot you can achieve with a simple single pivot design.Inside the main pivot you’ll find a 15mm diameter alloy axle, dual needle roller bearings, and needle roller thrust bearings on either side. It’s all about creating a solid and wiggle-free pivot point.
From Part-Time Hobby To Full-Time Gig
As of right now, frame building and the TOR Bikes brand currently fits around Shane’s day job, as well as a young family. That means he’s regularly in the shed mitring tubes late on a mid-week evening, or toiling away with the gas torch on a weekend to meet a deadline arranged with a customer. The frames don’t take a huge amount of time to produce – Shane reckons if all the components are available, he can have a complete bike ready to go in a fortnight.
The current challenge however, is building up enough names in the order book to be able to commit to ditching the day job to go full-time with frame building. Making the intimidating jump from part-time side-hobby to a legitimate business is a conundrum that many other Shanes have come up against, but it’s one that he feels he his nearing.
Shane standing out the front of the modest Tor Bikes workshop with his Erode prototype.
In addition to his own personal creations and test projects, Shane has so far produced and sold about 10 bikes for his mostly local customers. Given the small volume that he’s been operating within, the decision to exhibit at the Handmade Bicycle Show seemed like an ambitious one. “I had been building on my own for a few years and saw the show as an opportunity to learn more about the industry and meet fellow builders” he explains. “I also wanted to challenge myself and see if I could build a frame to the same standard as experienced builders.”
The decision turned out to be a good one. As well as getting to know other frame builders who have either made, or are making, the same leap that Shane is contemplating, he also garnered some vital recognition for his personal trail hardtails and that full suspension prototype. As a result, inquiries are starting to come in from further afield, and that’s helping to build confidence.
The current Tor head tube logo is modelled on the rocky outcrop its named after.
To make a go of it as a viable full time business, Shane reckons he’d need to be building around 25 frames per year. He readily admits that he could achieve a lot of that by expanding into the road and gravel market, which is where 99% of the demand for custom bikes lies. But while he has nothing against road and gravel, and indeed he rides both disciplines himself, Shane is a mountain biker first and foremost. And that’s where his passion, knowledge and creativity lies, and it’s where the focus of TOR Bikes will be for the foreseeable future – whether it steps up to the next level or continues on in its current capacity.
As to whether the Australian mountain bike market is ready to support independent frame builders like Shane, we’ll just have to wait and see.
If you want more information about Shane’s work, you can head to the Tor Bikes website.
Shane has let TOR Bikes evolve slowly and organically, though he’s very much on the cusp of taking things to the next level. We wish him the best of luck!
We sent our News & Tech Editor, Wil Barrett, down to the Mornington Peninsula to check out the Red Hill mountain bike trails for the very first time, while being joined by the crew from Canyon Australia.
Check out the video of Wil’s trip to the Red Hill MTB Trails here!
It started as a simple enough premise. I’d just finished up with a Spectral AL 6.0 test bike, which was due to be returned back to Canyon HQ in Melbourne. It’s only a two-and-a-bit hour drive for me from my hometown of Bendigo, and I needed to go to the Big Smoke anyway, so I figured I’d go drop the bike off to save packing it into a box and having it shipped. Plus, there was also a 2020 test bike for me to pick up. It’s a bike that we can’t talk about just yet, but you’ll find out about it soon enough…
Having contacted Mr Razzle Dazzle (also known as Darryl Moliere, the head honcho of Canyon Australia), the idea was floated to go check out the trails at Red Hill while I was there dropping off the Spectral. I’d never been to Red Hill before, and I’d only heard good things about the riding and terrain in that region, particularly from the more radical and handsome half of Flow Mountain Bike, the Marvellous Mick Ross.
Mr Razzle Dazzle delivering some inspiration for the troops at Canyon Australia HQ.
Daz had been at me before about getting out for a ride, since the trail network is local to the Canyon Australia office. And once the promise of post-ride craft ale was introduced into the conversation, there was really very little further arm-twisting required. Deciding to make the most of the opportunity, I cleared the diary for a Thursday afternoon to head down to the Mornington Peninsula and see what these trails are all about.
Canyon Australia’s “work” vehicle.🎶One of these things, is not like the other ones 🎶
The Red Hill Mountain Bike Trails
Located down the Mornington Peninsula, a little over an hour’s drive from the centre of Melbourne, the Red Hill trails are officially known as the ‘Arthurs Seat MTB Trail Network’. The terrain through the Arthurs Seat State Park encompasses vast and steep valleys, with the highest point standing over 300 metres above sea level. On a clear day you’ll be treated to lovely views over the Peninsula, and all the way back to Melbourne city, with the You Yangs off in the distance.
The sandy and rocky trail surface can get a little dusty in summer, but is otherwise mint for most of the year-round. Here JJ, Canyon’s Customer Service Manager, speeds down a sweet trail called ‘Rock Salt’.
There are 14 legit trails within the network, which includes Green, Blue and Black Diamond-level singletrack. Dirt fireroads and forest management tracks connect everything together, providing the opportunity to create some decent loops for a solid day out. Every trail is signposted, and with a large map board at the trail head, it’s an easy spot for first-time visitors to find their way around.
During our afternoon out at Red Hill, the five of us combined both pedal power and shuttle-vehicle assistance to access a few different styles of trails within the park. Particular favourites of mine were ‘Rock Salt’, ‘Fall Line’, and ‘Sawtooth’. Most of the trail surface is pretty dry and sand-based, which means it holds up extremely well in wet conditions. There’s plenty of granite rock worked into the singletrack too, along with human-made features including table-tops, berms and tasty doubles.
Micko, one of Canyon’s Customer Service Reps, is more typically seen aboard a Lux cross-country bike. Turns out the lad can post a stamp though!“If you ain’t first, you’re last” – Ricky Bobby.
Canyon HQ
Before setting off on our afternoon trail mission, I dropped into Canyon Australia’s HQ, which sits inside a big ol’ warehouse in Keysborough. Contrary to what some people expect, Canyon doesn’t actually ship bikes from here. Being a direct-to-consumer brand, the bikes are instead shipped straight from Germany to the customer’s door.
Instead of warehousing stock, Canyon Australia is predominantly in place to provide local customer service, which includes over-the-phone sales assistance, as well as warranty and backup service support. There’s a fully-stocked workshop within, with all manner of spare parts (like derailleur hangers and headset bearings) filling various shelves and draws.
Additionally, Canyon Oz has its own fleet of in-house demo bikes, which are there for media use and for taking to supported events like the Ignition Mountain Bike Festival at Falls Creek.
Canyon Oz keeps a load of demo bikes on hand for various events and media use.
Riding The Strive
Having returned the Spectral AL test bike, I was kindly setup on a Canyon Strive demo bike, which I was told would be ‘ideal’ for the trails we’d be riding in the afternoon. This was the Strive CFR 9.0 Team, and funnily enough, was exactly the same bike that Mick had finished testing not long ago – it even still had the Flow sticker on the top tube! I expected it to be rusty, creaky and falling apart at the seams, but Tommo – one of the talented mechanics at Canyon Oz – had already given it some serious love, and it was absolutely humming.
Tommo getting the Strive’s gears singing in the Canyon Oz workshop.
This was my first time on the new generation Strive, and I was keen to see how it compared to the Spectral I’d just come off of. Turns out that despite having the same amount of rear travel (150mm), the Strive affords a very different experience courtesy of its 29in wheels and Shapeshifter technology. This 2-position suspension/geometry adjustment gives the Strive two different modes – one for climbing and riding along mellower singletrack, and one for flat-out descending. If you want to learn more about how it works, check out Mick’s Q&A story on the Shapeshifter technology here.
To sum up the Strive vs Spectral, I’d say that the Strive climbs and pedals better thanks to its steeper seat angle and the Shapeshifter’s climbing mode. It rolls along swiftly, and while it isn’t as slicey through the turns as the 27.5in Spectral, I had few issues dumping it through steep, rutted-out switchback corners on Sawtooth. The suspension feels absolutely superb, and the slightly longer travel 170mm fork on the Team model gives it a little more oomph when things get faster and gnarlier.
The Strive has some serious speed potential – I can see exactly why it’s been such a successful enduro bike.
Downsides? The funky Shapeshifter remote works well, but it does put the Reverb 1X lever further away from your thumb – something that’s more of an issue for folks like me with shorter hobbit-like digits. I got used to it by the end of the ride, and it’s a relatively painless compromise given the twin-style riding it delivers.
There are few ways of accessing the Arthurs Seat MTB Trail Network – you can either ride from the Dromana side, or from Arthurs Seat. This handy Parks Victoria PDF explains where all the carparks are, and also includes a trail map so you can pick out a route. For further information, the Red Hill Riders mountain bike club website also has plenty of hot tips and trail maps.
As well as some of the trails I mentioned above, I can also thoroughly recommend stopping in at the Pig & Whistle at Arthurs Seat at the end of your ride. This charming English-style pub has a superb beer garden and a glorious selection of beer, including one of my (and Razzle Dazzle’s) current favourites – Hop Nation’s The Chop. Delicious!
Beautiful! And the views over Port Phillip Bay aren’t too bad either 🤭Cheers!
Mo’ Flow Please!
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Campsite one – Cowichan was my first glimpse of the tent city that is the BCBR home for the next seven days. I’ll be honest, I don’t like camping (it is too in tents…), and the tent city was a little daunting to see at first. Tent mates were selected, and we all settled in for the race ahead.
This is the town of Cumberland, apparently the BC equivalent of our Derby. It’s a small town with a lot of riders and a vast amount of lush trails to ride. The race took us up a selection of local mountains. There were so many trails here that both day two and three started and finished here — a must-visit for any MTB tourist.
YES just about all of the singletrack looks like this. Dark loam dirt being held together with roots and rocks in sections. Even in the wet, the trails ride smooth, albeit very slick.
The wake-up chicken horn thing. The chicken thing is a wake-up call for all the races each morning at 6 am. The pack up /breakfast/race prep begins. I like to get the to the showers before everyone so I set the alarm a few minutes earlier.
The transfer from Cumberland to Powell river was a nice Ferry ride for an hour or so from Vancouver island. This town put on a fantastic welcome with a band and a massive amount of locals cheering all the racers on as they departed the ferry and walked a few blocks along to the next campsite. They are located on the beach, the sun was shining, and life was good!
Yoga anyone? Lululemon provided a daily yoga session after dinner for all the riders. It was interesting to see the numbers grow as the races went on. Young or old, fast or slow, it’s nice to see all the riders chilling out together and getting a gentle yoga stretch on. This shot shows yoga on the beach at Powell River.
Stage 4 started and finished on the beach right next to our camp. It was the shortest and also had the least amount of elevation of the race stages. I sat in the front bunch for the day, staying calm and ready to jump at the line. I got too relaxed and clipped a pedal. I got up after sampling the loam but couldn’t chase back on to the lead group. Right behind is Sam Schultz, US Olympian and legendary trail rider. I had a blast shredding the single trails with Sam.
A new section of the trail early in the Powell River stage. Race leader Felix and mountain bike legend Geoff are just behind; It was an exceptional experience riding the trails with such an all-time cast in the lead bunch. Ben Soontag from the Clif Pro tem leading it out here, enjoying some of the smoother less challenging trails.
Stage 5 start in Earls Cove. The bunch was big with the whole 600 riders starting altogether. The race included the US and Canadian national CX champions, who would use their mud skills at the end of the stage once the rain started dropping. This was the longest stage of the race at over 60km and the most elevation gain. I was thrilled to have this one completed and roll in 5th place on the stage — a real tough day for me towards the end with the challenging conditions and extremely wet trails. The last ten-kilometre descent to the finish was a real test.
Somewhere in stage five on the walking path linking two climbing sections together. The pace was hard, and the climbing was steep. My Shimano XTR 32 x 51 drive train got a solid work out with some parts over 25% gradient.
The final descent of day six was another epic descent of 8km to the finish line and ferry terminal. This shot was just after shows the slick conditions on a “drier” day on the BC trails. The casualties were pretty high on this stage was Ben from Clif breaking his wrist and several other riders heading to the medics post-stage to get re-assembled for the final stage in Squamish.
Felix Burke and I are talking about the inevitable attack that was going to come on the Squamish trails from local rider Geoff Kabush in a last attempt to regain the race lead. Sure enough on the first road section less than ten minutes into the race it began. Geoff and Felix duked it out with Felix getting away to extend his lead and win his first BC bike race ahead of the two-time winner.
Squamish singletrack. It doesn’t get much better in my opinion. A lush green mix of dark loamy dirt, slick rocks and roots and technically challenging trails under the pine forest canopy. THink Rotorua trails but rougher and more technical.
Brett Tippie MTB legend on the mic! Always a laugh was listening to the conversation coming out of this man. Just as much stoke at the finish line for the first rider as there is for the 400th. This guy kept everyone amped.
The backdrop of the race HQ in Squamish is hard to beat. Nestled halfway between Vancouver and Whistler, it’s easy to see why so many mountain bike and outdoor brands are based here. Watch out for the bears though. A couple of Aussie came face to face with a friendly trail bear towards the end of the final stage. Just strolling along the trail on the way back on through the forest.
Feedzone does include maple bacon…. I got mine post-race, but you can’t visit Canada without trying out the local cuisine. Maple bacon is a must.
The final stage in Squamish had thousands of spectators lining the course. The local support is on a whole different level. The stoke for mountain biking is unbelievable.
The race after-party included some Canadian icons, including a chainsaw skills competition. Not a sport I am likely to take up any time soon.
Canadian Mountie’s keeping the crowd in check post-race with all the riders indulging in a few ice creams, beers and all you can eat Tim Horton’s doughnuts. Serious calorie intake going on post-race!
Red Truck beer getting the party started. Stats provided showed that the 2019 event had the highest beer intake of any BC bike race on record. A coincidence, with the number of Aussie’s racing? It was great to be part of such a massive event and Australian contingent. Australia and New Zealand had fourteen riders in the top 100, and of the 519 finishers, 53 were antipodeans.
August sucks to be a bike rider in Australia unless you live way up north or you’re into those weird indoor things where you ride around going nowhere, through an artificial landscape in a fake hyper-coloured world with lots of numbers and computer-generated people that look like robotic mannequins from Alex The Kid. Everyone is different, and I know this online place exists because I tried it once.
Reef to Reef is a four-day stage race in lush and lovely Tropical North Queensland, and we were there to wave our cameras around. A part of the well-oiled events Port to Port, Cape to Cape and more recently under the umbrella of the Epic Series which comprises of The Pioneer in Queenstown, NZ, Swiss Epic and the mighty Cape Epic in South Africa. These events are gaining in size and prestige but manage to retain the chill vibes and laid-back atmosphere. From our perspective, as photographers and storytellers, we appreciate how these events are about the destination first, and the competition tends to come second.
Not bad at all…Flow’s recruit, Wil Barrett, frothing to be in thongs and a t-shirt.
There’s a reason they are in iconic tourist destinations – Margaret River, Hunter Valley and Newcastle, Cairns and Port Douglas… It makes for an exciting place to travel to, ride your bike, they’re wonderfully photogenic, and when the day’s events are done, you’re able to soak in what the region has to offer — a nice balance.
We’ve seen a shift away from the traditional Olympic distance cross country races, fewer people at state and national level races and even the massive 24-hour races have seen their heyday. While the multi-day race format, in pairs, in epic locations are so hot right now.
Riding the battleground for the UCI Rainbow Stripes in iconic Cairns.
SMITHFIELD MTB PARK
The most renown trails in Cairns – Smithfield MTB Park – has played host to some of Australia’s biggest races. World Cups and World Champs in the mid-nineties, and two incredible World Cup rounds and the sensational World Champs in 2017. Rolling into the venue brought back strong memories of tramping around the spooky jungle, trapped in vines, searching for shoes in thick mud, star-struck interviews with superstars and long evenings in the media tent surrounded by international media.
Eventual winner Jon Odams alongside Brendan Johnston doing his thing very well.Snaking down the famed Jacobs Ladder.Jacobs Ladder from above. This place has seen so many international riders over many years.Holly Harris in full flight wings out.
New jerseys presented in the foothills of the Smithfield MTB Park.
The first time we’d had karage chicken and rice at a mountain bike event, too. Nice!
The racing this place has seen is terrific, and to ride on the exact trails that World Champs have done is a bit of a treat. Prologue style, riders of the Reef to Reef went off in pairs into the dense jungle with snaking red singletrack and super-challenging technical features with multiple line options. This place is world-class.
Down Jacobs Ladder, whooping along Catterpillers, and up to an entirely new climb and down a thrilling descent called Pipeline – which was clearly blowing peoples minds – the riders would spread out and find their rhythm. The heat was pretty intense, and shade was sparse, but during the presentation, the sun would dip behind the mountain range behind us and riders would pull on the leader’s jerseys as temperatures cooled.
Paul and Neil van der Ploeg and Ready Aim Media bring the moving pictures to your screens right here:
Austere landscapes, giant anthills, river crossings, dust and ancient cycads.
DAVIES CREEK MTB PARK
Up high on the Atherton Tablelands west of Cairns is a unique part of the country, the lush and fertile tableland is bustling with fruit farms, cane fields, and classic QLD agricultural scenes. There are great trails, too!
Davies Creek MTB Park is a labyrinth of purpose-built singletrack that winds through an ever-changing landscape and vegetation types. It feels nothing like Cairns, often a few degrees cooler too but not on this day. The sparse canopy and baked dry trails would provide quite a challenge for the riders, with respite from a couple of water crossings to cool the feet.
Coffee and walkie talkies make the world go around!Sal Hill, legend, with that unshakeable smile.How much for your jersey, mate?Sorry! 🙂Fresh, clean water to wash away the sweat, and chain lube the Cycling Tips guys tackle Davies Creek…
Woohoo, berms, fast turns and warm sunshine.Cheers to the friendly volunteers!Great flow to be found at Davies Creek.Whooping through the dry terrain of the Atherton Tablelands.
Slalom through the giant anthills, take A-lines up and over huge granite slabs, pump through dried creek crossings and watch riders snaking the singletrack below you on wonderfully flowing and fast turns. The Davies Creek stage was a good day on the bike for the singletrack fans, and for our cameras too, it was a treat to photograph riders in the unique and austere landscape.
As any photographer would do the same, we were poised for action at a flowing freshwater creek crossing ready to yell “ride it, it’s rideable, I promise” as the leaders came into view. Some rode it, some didn’t and washed most of their chain lube off, but the photos were great and worth it all!
Catch up on more from Stage 2 here:
Endless sugar cane fields, jungle mud bog surprises, and circling eagles overhead.
MOUNT MOLLOY
If you’re from one of the major cities like us, Mount Molloy feels like a movie set from an old Australian film where wide-eyed fruit-picking backpackers from the northern hemisphere find romance with farmers that drive tractors and they lose themselves in tropical heat hysteria and never leave. It’s quite a place to explore, where red dust clings to the work utes, fruit trees hang over the roads, and the old timber pubs are as Australian as they come.
The third day of Reef to Reef saw riders ride past cattle farms, cane fields and dive headfirst into the dense jungle. Before the start, we heard whisperings of sections of the track in the rainforest section that had retained a lot of water from wet weather a few weeks prior. Despite the searing blue skies and dry start location, it was going to be muddy in there!
Ripping about on an e-MTB we were able to scoot ahead of the race and lie in wait for riders to hit the first section of bog. Like spectators baying for blood in a tough segment of cobbles in the Paris Roubaix, we lay in wait for the swamp to swallow un unsuspecting mountain biker.
We would have to wait for carnage just a little longer, as disappointingly the yellow jersey wearers would come into view, spot the danger and swiftly scoot around it safely. Boring… Patience paid off, and boom, the bog of surprises took down an unsuspecting rider in spectacular fashion – landing safely on the soft mud of course – to a roar of laughter from his supportive comrades. Onwards they would go, deeper into the jungle, capturing glimpses of the coast far down below.
Gold.Em and Karl, a long way from Canberra right now.
Don’t stop moving, or you’ll end up as lunch for the wild.Weird noises in the rainforest as we waited for riders to arrive. Did anyone else hear anything spooky?Flying through the open native bushland before diving into the dense rainforest.In we go!Lush green all around you.Boom! Slosh!
This stage allowed riders to ride in packs, drafting each other along the fast and open roads through the farmland and spin the legs out from the tough day of winding endless singletrack the day before.
A bar set up at the finish would play host to many yarns and war stories, as riders readied for the final day ahead.
Reef to Reef with Paul on the microphone #3 here:
Rainforest, Rural, Reef. Down from the Tablelands to the beach, a spot of sunburnt tourist slalom, a finish medal and a beer!
MOUNT MOLLOY TO PORT DOUGLAS, THE TRIPLE-R CLASSIC
Woohoo, down we go! If you’re a mountain biker from the Cairns region, you’re most likely to have done the Triple-R at some stage in the impressively long 29-year history. It’s an icon, centred around the Bump Track and a dash along the sand to Port Douglas Surf Club.
The fourth and final stage of the Reef to Reef combines with the long-serving Triple-R that would leave after the Reef to Reefers. Swelling in size, the amount of riders on Sunday is epic! Following the familiar faces from the first three days on xc race bikes, are a total mixed bag of bikes and bodies, matching tropical outfits and often an apparent detachment from the actual race.
Cowabunga, down the Bump Track!Josh Stephenson, the media man, is bringing you the brilliant videos from Seven 8 embedded into this post. Can ride with a 20kg monkey on his back, too!The beach awaits.Prime conditions.Early morning dip from the many holidaymakers in Port Douglas.The holiday vibes are strong here.
Many riders would take advantage of the shuttle service from Port Douglas to the start, maximum convenience!
From up on the tablelands, down to sea level, this is a fun way to finish a race.Choose a mate – or ride solo – and settle in for four days of varied trails.
The strong Giant Cairns crew pushed the Odams and Johnston duo right to the finish.From Queenstown to Queensland, this pair won their category and were always smiling.“You crazy bikers, why not take a taxi?”AB takes a well-earned dip while captain red shorts shoes concern about the long camera lens on the beach.“What’s your bike worth?”
Cheers!
The Bump Track is not a world-class singletrack descent built by the best trail builders with lots of time and money. It is an age-old descent that plummets down from the escarpment to sea level. Originally an Aboriginal track to access the mountains, and also an access track during the mining and logging industry it has some history and more recently some wild moments as riders would hurtle down the graded fire-road descent over dozens of water bars dodging treacherous ‘wait-a-while’ vines on the sidelines. If you don’t go flying over the bars, you’ll make it to the beach for the 5km run to the line on the hardpacked sands of Four Mile Beach.
With a generous tailwind, the final 4km was easy! Finishing on the beach after dodging dozens of sunbathers, yoga classes, frisbees, bikinis and coconuts is pretty amazing, the feeling of elation and accomplishment was written across riders salty faces, and there was so much hugging and kissing from family and friends there to support.
Reef to Reef is complete for the year, as the big team of staff and volunteers packed away the big roadshow and riders lay on the grass to knock back a few celebratory beers we uploaded a few thousand epic photos from a great few days. Flicking back through the images, it was clear to see the diversity of places, people, and bulk backlit beer photos. Ah, yes.
Cheers to the crew, riders and QLD weather, we miss you!
Paul’s wrap from day four and more!
Cheers to the crew, riders and QLD weather, we miss you!
Last weekend the second-ever Reef to Reef event took over Cairns in the heart of Tropical North Queensland for four days of brilliant mountain bike racing. As a sister event to the Cape to Cape and Port to Port, the Reef to Reef attracts a wide variety of riders and racers from all over the country, and beyond, who predominantly race in pairs. Starting at the classic Smithfield MTB Park just up the road from Cairns town centre, the Reef to Reef encompasses four separate stages that saw riders enjoy singletrack through Davies Creek and Mount Molloy, before riding down the historic Bump Track on the final day to finish on Four Mile Beach at Port Douglas. That fourth day also encompasses the iconic Triple R – the longest-running point-to-point race in Australia.
With hundreds of competitors signing up for the 2019 event, both in the pairs and solo categories, there was a huge variety in both riders and the bikes they were on. Here’s a look at some of the bikes and gear we spotted at this year’s Reef to Reef!
Stage 1 began at the Smithfield MTB Park just outside of Cairns.Each stage kicked off with a fast-paced sprint out of the start chute. Lockouts locked and top-gear engaged for the fast legs at the point end.Izzy Flint is a young gun on the rise, having already been crowned National Enduro Champion in 2018, as well as achieving notable success in XC, road and track. Izzy paired up with Jacob Langham for the Reef to Reef, and unlike most of her competitors, chose to race a hardtail – a Merida Big Nine.The hardtail didn’t seem to hold Izzy back – she was absolutely flying during the first two stages, but unfortunately had to pull out of the race having fallen ill before the start of Stage Three.While the singletrack wasn’t too brutal on bikes, there were a few flat tyres rolling around.This guy got a huge cheer as he crossed the finish line having spent a considerable amount of time running his bike through the jungles of Smithfield – what a legend!The Van der Ploeg team of Neil & Paul were looking strong during Stage One, but a rear punny on Neil’s bike caused some dramas down one of the rockier descents.Paul van der Ploeg was making his comeback at the 2019 Reef to Reef, having broken his leg earlier this year while in New Zealand. We’re stoked to see Big Paulie back with a race plate on and a massive grin on his dial!Most XC racers like to go as minimalist as possible. Paulie likes to run the I.C.E pump.Spare chain links on the handlebar. Some of the routes at the Reef to Reef take riders well out in the sticks, so being able to perform a repair is crucial to being able to finish each stage.Big legs call for a big(ish) 36t chainring on Paul’s Giant Anthem race bike.Paul’s running a custom wheelset using Giant TRX 0 carbon rims, blue anodised alloy nipples and Shimano XTR hubs.Just a single remote lockout for Paul’s race bike, which allows him to instantly firm up the Fox 32 Step-Cast fork at the flick of a lever.Em Viotto of the Shimano Pushy’s Cannondale team was racing her Scalpel Si race bike. Along with the Specialized Epic and Canyon Lux, this is one of the few full sussers on the market that’ll take two water bottles inside the mainframe.The Lefty Ocho fork is new for 2019, and uses a single-piece carbon fibre structure for both the crown and outer tube. It still looks absolutely bonkers though!Em’s race bike is equipped with 12-speed Shimano XTR, and she’s elected to run the tighter 10-45t cassette instead of the bigger 10-51t option.We spotted a load of Pro’s snub-nosed Stealth saddle, which is proving equally popular with male and female riders.Being a SRAM-sponsored athlete, Holly Harris was one of the lucky few to receive some wireless AXS goodies, including this Reverb dropper post that had been put through a mud bath during Stage 3.No cables to worry about in the mud here with the SRAM XX1 AXS Eagle derailleur on Holly’s bike.Unlike a lot of XC racers, Holly prefers to leave her suspension unlocked for the entirety of the race.Jon Odams of the Giant Australia Off-Road Team, brought just a little pizazz to the Smithfield race course – how’s this booter!Odams was racing alongside Brendan Johnson, but had a very different setup on his Giant Anthem race bike.Fresh off the back of the BC Bike Race, Odams had a 120mm travel Fox 34 Step-Cast fork to lift up the front end of his Anthem.Shimano XTR 12-speed groupset along with that smaller 10-45t cassette. Note the lockout cable for the rear shock – Odams prefers to leave the fork unlocked, but still have the option to disengage the rear suspension.Odams has fitted a party post to his Anthem – not an easy feat given the 27.2mm seat tube diameter. He chose a carbon fibre KS LEV Ci post, which has a 65mm stroke and a sub-400g claimed weight.Odams has an unusual arrangement for his dropper and rear shock lockout levers, which is due to…OH MY GOD WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?Most of the top-level racers seem to be on custom wheels – Odams has gone for DT Swiss 240 hubs with sub-400g Curve carbon rims.Another difference between Odams and Trekky’s bikes were the tyres – Odams has gone for higher volume 2.35in Maxxis Ikons front and rear. Heavier? Yes. More comfortable for a 4-day stage race? Absolutely.XC bikes lifted with slightly longer travel forks seemed to be a popular choice amongst Reefer to Reefers – like this dashing Norco Revolver.Plenty of Specialized Epics – both young and old – were spotted throughout the field.And Scott Sparks too. If you were wondering who’s still buying short travel XC duallies, go to a 4-day stage race – they’re everywhere!When the load is just a little more expensive than the vehicle. These fellas came all the way from Singapore to race the Reef to Reef, and may have brought all of the high-end mountain bikes with them!Santa Cruz’ latest Blur made numerous appearances at the Reef to Reef.Another Merida Ninety Six scooting down the very fast, and very dusty Bump Truck on the fourth and final day of the race.This guy was well prepared for the Four Mile Beach section. Turns out it wasn’t the only bike he’d brought along…The paint job instantly grabbed our attention – what kind of mountain biker wouldn’t recognise that colour combo?Look a little closer though, and all isn’t quite what it seems…Back to normal programming, and Briony Mattock’s gorgeous Specialized Epic race bike.And teammate Anna Beck’s stealthy Santa Cruz Blur. Schwing!Custom fork decals to match.Oil slick bottle cage? Yes please!‘The Fox & Raccoon’ team had the best costumes of the whole field by a country mile.Though this chap does win an award for impeccable matching skills. The question we want to know though is; did the bike or the shoes come first?Steel singlespeeds weren’t exactly a common sight at the Reef to Reef. Our calves are quivering at the thought.This guy probably wished he’d brought a singlespeed. Game over on day two. #sadface‘His & Hers’ Scott Genii getting ready for the Bump Track. Couples who race together stay together. Right?Tasman Nankervis threading his way down Jacob’s Ladder as the leader in the Men’s Solo category. Tas only decided to race the 2019 Reef to Reef two days before the event, but it turned out to be a winning decision.Here’s Tas with his race bike – a Merida Ninety Six Team, which unsurprisingly features 96mm of rear wheel travel. Note the single-position dropper post – old school!Tas’ bike is rolling on a set of custom wheels with Acros Nineteen XC hubs, which have a claimed weight of 104g for the front and 209g for the rear – wowsers!Duke carbon rims aren’t exactly common Down Under, but you might have already seen them under several World Cup riders, including Julien Absalon. These ones are claimed to weigh just 360g per rim, making them an exceptionally light choice for Tas’ race bike.Speedy Michelin race tyres for Tas. How he rides the technical stuff so fast with such minimalist tyre treads we have no idea!The RockShox XLoc hydraulic lockout for the rear shock shares the same clamp as the Level Ultimate brake lever. Tidy.Jessica Simpson of the Giant Wollongong team raced to a top-5 finish in the Open Mixed category aboard a rather special race bike that features a paint job you probably haven’t seen before…That’s because she’s actually racing a Giant Anthem 29 that’s been custom painted in Liv colours. Why the custom paint job? Simpson is on the Anthem chassis purely because of frame and wheel sizing – the current Liv Pique is a 27.5in bike and she prefers to roll on 29in hoops.Simpson has also chosen to plug in a dropper post into her race bike, again choosing the skinny KS LEV 27.2 dropper.It’s linked up to this lovely Wolf Tooth ReMote that nestles in underneath the Shimano brake lever clamp for a very tidy setup.More custom details on Simpson’s race bike, with a standard eye-to-eye Fox iRD shock sitting in place of the Anthem’s usual trunnion-mount rear shock.The electronic lockout is used for the fork too.Custom hardware has been used to make the standard shock fit where a trunnion eyelet would go. The setup is mirrored on Simpson’s teammates bike.The iRD lockout controller is super low profile and requires very little effort to switch on and off.Ryan ‘Ryno’ Lennox has a few other neat details on his Anthem race bike, including these Extralite thru-axles.They’re super low profile and help to save a few grams. As the weight weenies always say ‘grams make kilograms’!Not everyone at the Reef to Reef was worried about grams though – especially the Cairns locals who turned up for the Triple-R race on the fourth and final day of the event.Can’t say we’ve seen many Pole Evolinks at Aussie races! This guy’s front wheel would have crossed the finish line minutes before his rear wheel did.Aaaand that’s a wrap from the 2019 Reef to Reef! A big thumb’s up to all the riders who completed the four days of racing, we had a blast!
You may not have heard of St Helens up until now, but surely the names Bay of Fires or Binalong Bay ring a bell. OR what if we showed you pictured of brightly coloured orange rocks clustered around the whitest sand and piercing blue water? These iconic beaches in Binalong Bay draw crowds of tourists from all over the world, it’s worth it too, we found it to be an awe-inspiring place and one of the most photogenic places we’ve been to. Lucky we weren’t shooting on film, we’d be broke already. This town is about to become the newest destination in the booming Tasmanian mountain bike scene.
Watch the full video preview of St Helens below!
With trail building elite at the helm, the trails are guaranteed to feel brilliant to ride, that’s a given. World Trail are masters at their craft from start to finish, their reputation is of high regard. Many of the trail builders digging are the same workers that sculpted the creative and crafty flowing trails in Derby, so you can expect to feel that buzz when you’re in the zone, shooting through the singletrack with confidence and flow.
Mountain biking comes to one of Australia’s most famous beaches.OMG, LOOK AT THIS PLACE!
The big wilderness ride from The Blue Tier finishes in this very spot, on Swimcart Beach.
We visited the region just after the Enduro World Series in Derby in May (OMG, Party in the woods!) and the World Trail crew stopped just short of blindfolding us as we drove to the unfinished trails. We’ve been sworn to secrecy about their exact location for now.
As it was still under construction, the team was busy building (it’s still very early days, with stage one opening in November 2019) our plan was to check out just two sections of the trail; the final 8km descent to the beach, and another section up in the hills above.
In a nutshell.
The St Helens development has two main parts:
A 44km Wilderness ride (yet to be named) from Poimena high on the Blue Tier down to Swimcart Beach in Binalong Bay.
A 66km network of trails close to St Helens with multiple loops, and varying difficulty grades including shuttle accessed descending trails.
A 44km ride from The Blue Tier to the Beach! Crikey, that’s huge!
Oh yes, this is an amazing project. The 44km trail will be an epic wilderness ride, passing through three distinct zones of vegetation, it’ll be like travelling through a Tasmanian flora and fauna eco time warp on two wheels. From the Blue Tier’s lush and green wilderness, down to drier eucalypt forests with a bright white decomposed granite surface and towering boulders, there’s a lot to take in. Many areas that this track passes through are untouched by man, with no history of farming, mining or logging too.
It’s not a 44km descent, there will be climbing and traversing along the way, but with Poimena sitting around 750m above sea level, there’s plenty of elevation to drop. As all good rides do, this one finishes with a descent. The final 8km of the trail is a real hoot, snaking through super-dry terrain and granite outcrops that litter the landscape, it sounds amazing under your tyres and rolls fast.
The final 8km down to the beach is a fast and flowing trail across bright white decomposed granite soils.Large granite outcrops make for great trail features for the build crew to play with.
We referred that section of trail as feeling like a cross between You Yangs, Stromlo and Beechworth. With World Trail’s team bringing their trademark flow, the trail holds its elevation as it winds towards the coast, flashing past breaks in the canopy where you can see the shimmering sea waiting for you.
Of the 44km total length, there is 34km of fresh singletrack, with 10km of existing gravel roads used. There are big berms and long swooping turns, and of course, plenty of sneaky features off the side of the trail to pop and jump off. The granite boulders make for great terrain to play with, and it feels fun to ride.
You can see and hear the beach as you get closer, a sensational place to finish an epic 44km ride.
Yeeeehaaaa!
To get another taste of what riders are to expect, we snuck under the construction barriers and into a completely different world of lush green forests, dripping in moss under a thick canopy of man ferns and tall eucalypts. We could see where the dig team have scooped up the fluffy brown loamy soils, sculpting flowing trails through the rainforest into a really enjoyable trail.
Up higher on the Poimena/Blue Tier to Swimcart Beach Track, a totally different scene.Under a thick canopy of man ferns floating over delicious loamy soil, classic Tassie rainforest.
While we didn’t get up to the start of the trail this time, we know it well as it’s the same beginning point as the immensely popular 18km Blue Tier wilderness ride that descends to Welborough. The terrain up there is so unique, a rain forest at a high altitude, it is so pretty and vibrant, with perfect dirt to sink your tyres into. With an alignment designed specifically to give riders opportunities to see the view, the upper parts of the track should be pretty epic.
The iconic views from Poimena on the Blue Tier, 750m above the beach, 44km away.
Welcome to Australia’s most unique mountain bike destination, Alice Springs.
The final descent of day six was another epic descent of 8km to the finish line and ferry terminal. This shot was just after shows the slick conditions on a “drier” day on the BC trails. The casualties were pretty high on this stage was Ben from Clif breaking his wrist and several other riders heading to the medics post-stage to get re-assembled for the final stage in Squamish.
