Packing your bike and worldly (mountain bike related) belongings up and heading off to a mountain bike race that is not so close to home is quite the adventure. Whether you are going interstate of overseas, you want to make sure you have the right spares and tools – but probably nothing you don’t require […]
Bianchi’s new Methanol CV displayed in Albstadt
On 21st May, Bianchi displayed their new Methanol CV mountain bike in Albstadt ahead of the 2nd round of the World Cup. The Methanol CV extends their Countervail technology to the MTB world. The new frame has been optimised to assist with shock control – something many modern hardtails are doing. BMC, Trek, Canyon, Focus and more […]
Merida launch new Big.Nine and Big.Seven
On Friday before the World Cup in Albstadt, Merida unveiled the new hardtails they have been developing. While it was no secret that Merida had a new racing bike in the works, given Jose Hermida has been racing on a ‘camouflaged’ version so far this year – we just didn’t know the specifications, save for […]
Cannondale officially release the Scalpel Si
Last month we noticed that the stage winning bike of Cannondale Factory Racing on stage 7 of the Cape Epic was in fact something different. This shot of Manuel Fumic laying his bike over through a corner highlighted that this wasn’t a standard Cannondale Scalpel. It was something new. And today, Cannondale have announced the release […]
Bike check: Nino Schurter’s Scott Spark
If there is one rider who can single handedly make cross-country racing cool, it’s Nino Schurter. The Swiss World Champion is a huge personality, with an ever-present smile and a huge presence on the bike. He puts everything into his riding and racing, and is just as frequently in the air, crossed up, as he […]
In the pits at the Cairns World Cup
The first round of the UCI XCO World Cup is on this weekend at Smithfield Mountain Bike Park north of Cairns. The mountain bike world has been flying in to the tropical paradise over the last week or more. As the first round of the World Cup in an Olympic year, and the fact that […]
Shimano launch Deore XT Di2
At the huge industry showcase that is Sea Otter, Shimano have unveiled their newest addition to the mountain bike marketplace – Deore XT Di2. As much as some would feel it was always inevitable that XT would get an electronic option, the arrival of a second tier electronic group set brings electronic shifting efficiency and precision […]
Fox release the new Fox 32 SC ultralight fork
Last week Fox finally announced the details of the bright orange fork we have seen gracing the bikes of riders like Dan McConnell, Bec Henderson, Julien Absalon and Jolanda Neff – plus many more. Known for their outstanding damping and stiffness, Fox forks have never truly been class winners for total weight. However the new […]
Curve 29er Race 30×30 MTB wheels – just landed
There are no shortage of carbon mountain bike wheels on the market at the moment. But understanding what is a good wheel and what isn’t might not be as easy. We’ve just had a set of Curve Cycling’s 29er Race 30×30 XC Race wheels land at the MarathonMTB.com service course, and we’re about to get them […]
Reviewed: Maxxis Ikon 29 x 2.0 EXO TR
The Maxxis Ikon is currently synonymous with XC and XCM racing. Along with the Schwalbe Racing Ralph, the Ikon tread pattern is in favour with many endurance based riders and racers. Like the Hutchinson Python, Kenda Small Block 8 and Specialized Fast Trak and others over the years, the Ikon rolls fast and has predictable, […]