Rachel’s takeStage 2 was tough, but we all knew stage 3 would be tougher. Taking in the same distance at around 100km, but with 500m more ascent. So I decided that for stage 3 I would just ride. No chasing down the wheel in front, no worrying about places, just riding. I chatted to the […]
Archives for May 2015
Tour of Homewood to showcase George
There’s nothing like mountain biking and a world class event to showcase your region to the world. But what about if you mixed golf and mountain biking? The Garden Route town of George will be transformed into a significant mountain biking destination with the introduction of the Tour of Homewood, a new three-day mountain bike […]
N1NO: The hunt for glory – Chapter 2: On the go
By now you’ve all seen chapter one from Nino Schurter, and his tireless efforts to be number one. Chapter two looks at the start of the season. From South Africa, to Sea Otter, and talking to his team mates about his preparation, his down time, and how he helps them.
Johnston and Blair take the 2015 Australian XCM Titles
The 2015 Australian Marathon MTB Champs landed on Derby in a big way. The trails have been open since early February, and the town itself is busily preparing itself to cope with the mountain bikers who visit each weekend. Or in this case, a national championship. After numerous age group races were hard fought on […]
Belgian MTB Challenge Cup 2015: Day Two
Today went something like: Hours 1-2: Smashy, smashy along some lovely fast fire roads. “Oh this is fun – I like going fast” Hours 3-4: Slog up rocky, lumpy hills. Plod along muddy singletrack trying not to fall into the odd lake that the off camber trail heads towards. Go up a hill, then straight […]
Australian XCM Championships 2015: Day One
Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA) announced that Derby, Tasmania, would hold the 2015 and 2016 XCM Champs. It was big news! Visiting in February, the trails were clearly another World Trail masterpiece. With about 30km of singletrack finished at the Blue Derby trails, there was the makings of a very different marathon course. Lots of flowing singletrack, […]
Belgian MTB Challenge Cup 2015: Day One
Well that was a shock to the system! The first stage of the BeMC Cup turned out to be every bit as tough as I thought it was going to be and more. The field on the start list was a bit stacked and then as we were having a coffee in town prior […]
Women’s bike setup tips
A while ago now, we made a video about optimising bike fit for women, with then team rider Kath Bicknell. Many of these pointers will work for any rider and any bike. The key is making sure the controls are in reach and easy to use, and that your contact points are comfortable. Since then, […]
How to plan a race season
You might think that it’s a bit late (or early) to be thinking about planning a race season in Europe. You might be right. In fact most people have been racing for months now and are fully immersed in the 2015 MTB season. But I took the decision this year not to race early, or […]
VIDEO: Catching up with the 4Islands MTB Race in Croatia
The Bike 4Islands MTB Stage Race only recently finished, and after a successful first year, plans are already being made for a bigger and better event in 2016, still linking the trails on 4 islands in the Adriatic sea by ferry. We have a race report online already, but check out the stage highlight videos, […]