In my experience, there seem to be two types of holiday makers. Those who like to plan and those who don’t. Like most either/ors, there are not really just two, but many types, sliding in along a continuum from one extreme to the other. I go well with a loose plan: reach ‘x’ place eventually, […]
The Power of Tough
Most riders I talked to about last weekend’s Australian MTB Marathon Champs described it as tough. The full length course took riders up to the top of Mt Stromlo six times, forced them to pedal their legs off on an extended fire road journey around the Western side of the park, demanded good technical skills […]
Aussie XCM Nats: Pre-race interviews with the quick kids
As the Australian MTB Marathon Championships hit the sweet trails of Stromlo Forest Park this Sunday, excitement is ready to peak as well. The Canberra Off-Road Cycling Club’s reputation for slick event organisation, combined with a course that takes in a huge chunk of the fun trails on offer at the Park, brings with it […]
Rock Volley
If I had to pick one event on the calendar that has all the ingredients of the best clost-to-home race around, the Rock Wallaby would be it. It’s a techy, mountain biker’s course, it’s longer than an XC race but not as long as a marathon, I can sleep in my own bed the night […]
Sight for Sore Eyes
“Where do you want me to start?” Eye specialist, Dr Ross Fitzsimons, looked over a list of vision difficulties that filled up half a page. If you’re Google searching your own eye specialties words like myopia, astigmatism, strabismus (squint), severe dry eyes and “is Lasik surgery really good idea if I don’t understand why neither my […]
ICME Stage Race – Images from Day Three
For those of you following the ICME stage race from afar, here are some images to help you plan your trip for next year. Massive thanks to Subaru-MarathonMTB.com Team Photographer, Nic Learmonth, and some of the other photogenic riders in this selection who are keeping the team honest. And if you haven’t clicked through to […]
Research Pathways and the Humble PDF
There’s joke among fellow researchers that mocks the interest others have in their PhD thesis – a sustained piece of writing and investigation that cements a pathway into the academic world. When submitting a hardbound copy to the university library, authors are advised to slip a $50 note into the pages of their work. If, […]
Mood Therapy
Yesterday I rode when maybe I shouldn’t have. I was in a filthy mood and had the first symptoms of a cold. While the warning signs of a virus did nothing for my mental state they flashed a warning beacon somewhere in the back of my mind: “If you don’t ride today, you may not […]
Smiles and Miles at the CORC 6 + 6 Hour
Spectators have a funny knack of drawing upon a stand out feature of the riders they’re motivating. For Mimi Guillot, eventual winner of On The Go/Onya Bike Belco and Civic 24 Hour Solo National Champs, it was “Happy Birthday Mimi!” from one end of the track to the other (I hope she saved some room […]
Kitting Up For The Weekend
One of the catch 22′s of mountain bike racing in Australia, is that sponsored riders are often riding around in poorer quality kit than enthusiast riders. The reasons for this are mostly due to factors like minimum order numbers, cost, manufacturing times and that the people who are doing the ordering aren’t necessarily the ones […]