There is no doubt electronic shifting has been one of the ground breaking innovations in the mountain bike industry over the past decade. I first had the pleasure of using this technology when it was brand new in 2012 on a road bike while racing in the USA. This was only available in Shimano Dura […]
How to change your SPD cleats, but not your position
Mountain biking is one of the best (if not the best) sports in the world, although we’re all probably a bit biased. The rugged environment we get to ride our bicycles through creates so many challenges and many rewards, but also wears out many of the moving parts of our bikes if we don’t properly […]
The Camelbak Fourteener – a traveller’s best friend
One thing that always accompanies me on a stage race is a good backpack. The convenience of being able to carry all of my essential equipment on planes, trains and automobiles while still having full use of my hands is often an absolute necessity. Or even around camp at a race travelling between dinner and […]
How to service Shimano SPD clipless pedals
There are very few items on a mountain bike which you can just set and forget. And if something was to come pretty close, it would be the higher range Shimano SPD clipless pedals, notably from the M540 up to the Shimano XT and XTR models. Save for a bit of a clean up and […]
First Look: Nextie Bike NXT29AS30 rims
Here at MarathonMTB.com we have ridden, tested and raced a whole variety of carbon mountain bike wheels over the past few years. From ENVE, to Kappius, NoTubes Valor, TWE, Light Bicycle and Nextie. Don’t miss our first look at the new flyweight RM29C06 rims from Light Bicycle. From pre-built wheels through to custom builds like […]
Bikes of the Crocodile Trophy: Grant Webster’s Apollo Arctec 9
Related Event: Crocodile Trophy
The Crocodile Trophy brings in a range of riders from around the globe. Everyone is there for their own reasons. Be it to finish their racing season, have a huge outback adventure, knock off a bucket list race – or test themselves against riders from home and abroad. In 2017, Grant Webster brought his Apollo […]
Bikes of the Crocodile Trophy: Alex Malone’s Merida Ninety-Six 9.7000
Related Event: Crocodile Trophy
Words: Alex Malone | Photography: Trent van der Jagt The journey into off-road stage racing has been an exciting one for the team at Cyclist Australia/NZ magazine. Our primary focus has always been around road cycling but with the ever-increasing popularity around gravel and multi-surface drop bar riding, the gap to wider tyres and full […]
First look: LightBicycle RM29C06 ‘flyweight’ wheels
It doesn’t seem all that long ago that mountain bike magazines and blogs were abuzz with the question “who really needs carbon mountain bike wheels?”. In the heady days of 2010, we had just about accepted that carbon bars were not going to explode and kill you if you accidentally scratched them with a sharp […]
Bikes of the Crocodile Trophy: Mike Blewitt’s Norco Revolver 29 FS
Related Event: Crocodile Trophy
The 23rd Crocodile Trophy finished last Saturday, and as usual it was a test of the support crew, riders and their bikes. The 8 day race takes in a huge variety of terrain with about 13000m of climbing and over 600km of racing. I have done the Crocodile Trophy 3 times before, so have a […]
Bike Check: Jolanda Neff’s Kross Level
The Swiss mountain bike superstar Jolanda Neff has just won her first Elite Women’s XCO World Title, with a commanding display of technical ability, fitness and race tactics in Cairns, Australia. Although Neff won the XCM World Championships in 2016, this is her first elite title in XCO, which is her main discipline. She’s just […]