Many of us make New Year resolutions, and even a few of us keep them. The intentions are always so good, and are typically based about doing something for yourself, or others. You could even say they are about becoming a better person. So with that in the back of my mind, I have been […]
2014 – time to start again
As the days of 2013 draw to a close, and you realise the year that lay ahead is now a memory of used number plates, broken bike parts, tan lines, scars and cherished memories of victory personal and sporting – it becomes time to steel yourself for the agony and the ecstasy of planning the […]
Great racing and good times at Forrest Festival
What started out as a small event aiming to bring a bunch of riders together and show them have a good time, is now becoming a highly regarded race for all levels of rider that’s further establishing Forrest as one of Australia’s top mountain bike destinations. Race organisers Norm and Jess Douglas are now in […]
Stu Spies’ Blog: The ‘Cross Season Timeline
9 rounds in and the London Cross family of riders, dogs, kids, mums, dads, broken mechs and snapped chains steadies itself for the second start of the season, the bit where it gets COLD! In late September, it is basically tropical, your only issue is if you’ve glued your mud tyres to your one set […]
Is Equal Prize Money Equal Recognition?
The debate about equal prize money for males and females spans all facets of the sporting world, it is the eternal struggle for equal financial recognition for female athletes. It is an interesting and convoluted debate as in most sporting disciplines the women are seen as the fairer sex and granted a shorter period of […]
Losing the mojo
Mojo, confidence, groove, the zone, call it what you will – I’ve lost it. And it’s proving pretty hard to find again. Can anyone help? At the end of March 2013, I broke my hip in the closing kilometres of the ABSA Cape Epic. At the time it seemed like a hard fall but nothing […]
Cingles Du Ventoux : A bucketlist experience
I am a big believer in making your own luck, I often get a bit agitated when people look at me and the way I live my life and say “you are so lucky” little do they know about the battles I had to fight on my journey. The last 12 months however I slightly altered […]
XTERRA Czech and Germany : An Eastern European Adventure
While I was supposed to get ready and packed to jump on a plane back to Australia, I found myself fitting in training sessions whilst visiting friends and family in Holland. I was (easily) convinced by my fellow Xterra competitors to race two more races which were held back to back in East Germany and Czech […]
Mongolia Bike Challenge: Handling the remote
It’s almost impossible to compare remote races against those in highly populated regions, or a cross country stage race which runs out of one town. It’s in the name; remote races aren’t near the regular amenities and services we would expect, which is part of what makes them such a unique experience. There are a […]
Mongolia Bike Challenge: Losing Control
Part of the joy of stage racing is the focus it gives you each day. Compared to the environment you’re stepping away from, life becomes highly simplified. You eat, race, eat and sleep. Sometimes there’s more eating. So although I know that I like to plan – to know, to prepare – and to an […]