Since I posted part 1, where I looked at how marketing messages might affect women’s choices about racing, there have been a lot of responses and discussion covering exactly what I was planning to write in part 2. Still, a promise is a promise! First I want to explore some of the issues and then, because […]
Why don’t more women race?
Are there mixed messages in mountain biking? After a couple of years doing media work in mountain bike racing, it’s a question I get asked every now and then by event promoters desperate to grow women’s participation in their competitions. After all, so many women of all ages are taking up the sport – why […]
Review – Tune Speedneedle MTB Endurance saddle
Every now and then you buy something you really probably shouldn’t. A race-cut set of high-end kit you’ll only fit into after three back-to-back stage races. Shoes. Online. A saddle called the ‘Speedneedle’. Second-hand wheels. A saddle called the ‘Speedneedle’. At 97 grams, Tune’s endurance model Speedneedle isn’t the lightest saddle on the market, but […]
Tested – FRM foam grips
When you go for a ride you’re only actually in contact with the bike at three points – your hands, your seat, and your feet: these are the three areas where most people, especially those new to riding, will experience discomfort. Getting your seat position right is a matter of a good bike fit and […]
Jongeward and Blair win 2015 Easter in the Alice
Related Event: XCM Series: Easter in the Alice
Thanks to Bob Taylor and Ben Gooley for the use of their images. Cooler temperatures greeted riders this morning as they lined up for the last stage of Lasseters Easter in the Alice stage race. Having endured desert weather of soaring temperatures and low humidity for the last two days, light cloud cover and temperatures in […]
How to coach yourself – Part 2
In the first part of this series I talked about using online training tools to coach yourself. This time I’m going to discuss training yourself from scratch. This year I’ve thrown myself in the deep end, but not without a lot of preparation. Here’s what I found most useful. Know the Basics Before you start […]
How to coach yourself
Interested in coaching yourself? Over two posts Imogen Smith takes you through your options In law they have a saying (sometimes attributed to Abraham Lincoln) that the attorney who represents himself in court has a fool for a client… So if you decide to write your own program for your next mountain bike marathon, how […]
What’s wrong with failure?
Failure is still taboo, but if we dared talk about it a little more, maybe we’d fear it a little less. I recently posted a few comments on Facebook about a race that didn’t go so well and was really grateful for the supportive and encouraging comments from my friends, but I also felt guilty. I hadn’t quite […]
JetBlack Whisperdrive ridden and rated
I’m lucky here in Australia to be able to ride outdoors year-round, but each summer I’m reminded that the main winter sport for my cousins from the Northern Hemisphere is not cyclocross or snow-shoeing, but the solitary abuse of the home trainer in their lonely basements, garages and – for those lucky enough to live […]
Racing 2014 Part 1 – My year in numbers
I was too tired to be gleeful when my racing year ended two weeks ago, but now that a bit of time’s passed, I’ve been enjoying looking back on it all, so much that I thought I’d write about it. I’m calling it my racing year, rather than my season, because in Australia, and especially […]