The Simpson Desert Bike Challenge is unofficially the world’s oldest mountain bike stage race. It has been running annually since 1987 when a group of hardy cyclists attempted to race from one end of Australia’s largest desert to the other on rather rudimentary 26inch mountain bikes. Today the race takes on a slightly different appearance […]
100 miles of lumberjack singletrack at Michigan’s X100
Related Event: X100
On August 20 this the year the X100 will be running its 4th edition through some iconic and some lesser known ‘unmarked trails’ through the mountain bike mecca that is the Traverse City region in the state of Michigan, USA. The area has been made famous in MTB circles through the ‘largest MTB race in […]
Explore: Thuringian Forest
Some see the rolling hills of the Thuringian forest a nuisance to their transport routes but to many others the expanse of green in summer and white in winter is a playground of exploration waiting to be uncovered. I had little idea of what awaited me prior to arriving as to find it I searched […]
Out of Hibernation
Related Event: Trans Schwarzwald
Previous years Euro races have been reduced to ‘not being lapped’ so this year I was eager to try a little something different. At least until my quads get a little bigger. So this year I’m targeting smaller races like this weekend’s Cat 2 at Pec Pod Snezkou in the Czech Republic. After the World Championships […]
Five steps to positive injury management
As most readers are well aware; our sport is not the safest past time available to us. But as with most things in life, I believe the greatest joys always require a certain amount of risk and courage. Whilst I was growing up, my Dad used to wear a t-shirt that read- “If you’re not […]
Imogen Smith’s XCM World Championships
Whenever I chat to bike racers who are ready to step away from competition there’s always one aspect of racing that has particularly turned them off the lifestyle. It’s not the sacrifices, the diet, or the training. It’s not the nerves, the uncertainty, or the agony of racing… Nope, it’s the waiting. Days spent in […]
Preparing for the XCM World Championships
I had intended to write about the lead-up to World Champs each week for a month beforehand, but life has got in the way of that plan. I’ve had a pretty eventful fortnight or so now, with Worlds just a week-and-a-half away, I’m afraid I’m going to have to squeeze it all in to a […]
The Transalp training camp
Related Event: Craft BIKE Transalp
In July, Chris Pedder and Rachel Fenton will be tackling the BIKE Transalp as it travels from Austria to Italy, over the Alps in seven days of glorious mountain biking. But first – training camp! Over the years Chris and I have done a lot of cycling together. You might argue that neither of us […]
The not so hidden talent in rural Australia
Where do Australia’s finest athlete’s come from? One would presume it is from the bustling metropolis’ that offer the greatest access to resources, wealth and opportunity. However a brief investigation of Australia’s most successful athlete’s made me realise that a disproportionate ratio of our athletes are of rural rather than urban heritage. In fact […]
The Cape Epic IS that hard
Related Event: ABSA Cape Epic
My illustrious friend Mike Blewitt is going to beat me, but I HATE the term ‘bucket list’. To me it’s like the easiest way to set expectations that can never be met and challenges that can never be a achieved through wanton lack of rational logic. A list of shattered dreams and forgotten promises. The Cape […]