On June 1st, the Santa Cruz Blur and Juliana Wilder appeared across news sites and social feeds around the world. If you pay attention to global cross-country racing, you probably weren’t that surprised. With French star Maxime Marotte joining a new Santa Cruz World Cup team. You don’t roll into the World Cup sphere if […]
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Why it’s time to enter the next bike race.
The last bike race I did was the Arabian Epic Series Jordan Stage Race. I flew in and flew out, nursing a few niggles from a silly crash before leaving, which made it all a little uncomfortable on long haul flights! It was probably in the following weeks that I truly realised what an amazing […]
Can I take my XC bike to Maydena Bike Park?
If you live in Australia you would have heard about the launch of Maydena Bike Park in early 2018. About 90 minutes north west of Hobart, Tasmania, the town of Maydena sits on the doorstep of the wild west of the island state. This is where the vast expanse of protected wilderness starts. This is […]
Ahead of the Swiss Epic 2019
I have often said that the day before a stage race can be as hard as a race itself. And even with planning, today was not without stress. The Swiss Epic starts tomorrow, and as I’m about to set off for some dinner in Davos, it seems like there has been little time to rest […]
What bike for the Crocodile Trophy?
It’s a fair question: what bike should I take to the Crocodile Trophy? Unfortunately there isn’t a one word answer. Like any mountain bike stage race, the Crocodile Trophy has its own unique challenges. And each rider has their own unique requirements. But let’s break down the kind of choices to make, and what might […]
One year on Nextie NXT29AS30 carbon wheels
Last November we previewed the build of some Nextie NXT29AS30 rims that would be the new race wheels for MarathonMTB.com Team racer Imogen Smith. Having raced on NoTubes Valor rims for over three seasons, then spent some time on an earlier generation of 30mm Nextie rims, Imogen knew she wanted something wider than the Valors, […]
How to set your bike up for The Pioneer
The Pioneer is just days away, and all in a rush it was time to actually make the changes to the bikes Imogen Smith and I are taking to The Pioneer for 2018. We’ve both done a number of mountain bike stage races, but this is the most ‘trail’ we have set up our race […]
Equipment choices for MTB stage races
After finishing the recent Tour de Timor I have been giving my bike a post stage race overhaul. Going through my bike and all my personal equipment after many of these ‘adventure style’ stage races over the years has given me a deeper insight into appropriate equipment selection than I had before. By ‘adventure style’ […]
Gains and losses at the Rothaus Bike Giro
Friday 17th August dawned sunny and warm in the Hochschwarzland, home for the Rothaus Bike Giro. Birds chirped, the rising sun warmed the cool overnight air, and many Germans contemplated their fruhstuck. But while the day was waking up, two devoted MarathonMTB.com Team riders were not. Imogen and I slumbered on through the early, and […]
Preparing for the Snow Bike Festival
The Snow Bike Festival has grown since inception a few short years ago, filling a gap in the UCI mountain bike calendar as a UCI S1 stage race, and also catering for the need for many of us to ride our bikes more often, in more places. Mountain bikes are a tool for travel, adventure, […]