The Absa Cape Epic route reveal is one of the most hotly awaited stories of the mountain bike stage racing calendar. With its well-deserved reputation as the hardest-fought and toughtest physical challenge on two wheels, we’ve been checking and rechecking our emails in anticipation of the 2023 route release – and here it is. By […]
Reef to Reef Day Four – just tempo
Words: Imogen Smith Firstly, a clarification. The suggestion that Mike ride the last 17 kilometres to the finish of Stage 3 on our only back wheel after sitting at the feedzone for a couple of hours was mine – not the other mixed racers’, not the R2R people, and definitely, definitely not Mike’s. Also, we […]
Reef to Reef Stage 3 – another banger of a ride
By Imogen Smith Ahhhh good old stage race mass starts. I’ll never learn to love them. Today we rolled out in two big waves on super fast gravel roads around Wetherby Station, host of many Croc Trophy stages (oh the trauma). While I wouldn’t describe the start as hectic, strictly speaking, it was definitely intense. […]
Reef to Reef Stage 2 – mixed racing
Words: Imogen Smith | Photos: Tim Bardsley-Smith It was an early start today, getting up at five am so I had enough time to remove the ‘murder plastic’ from the hotel windows (my DIY blackout solution, which BTW is amazing) and pack two bikes, two bike bags, two gear bags, and somehow, about fourteen other […]
Reef to Reef Stage 1 – Good vibes only
By: Imogen SmithPhotos: Tim Bardsley-Smith Today’s Stage 1 of Reef to Reef in gorgeous Cairns was a 17 kilometre time trial through Smithfield’s world class XC trails. I’m racing with long time partner Mike (and long time husband) in a return to doing what we love together after three years off. So how did it go? […]
Reef to Reef kicks off in Cairns on August 18
The 2022 Reef to Reef is here – returning to the tropical paradise of Cairns after a 2-year hiatus. Reef to Reef is the newest addition to the Epic Series of events in Australia, partnered with sister events such as Cape to Cape and Port to Port. Riders from across Australia and around the world […]
Orucase B2 Bike Travel Case
Travelling with a bike can be a cumbersome process. The folk at Orucase aim to reduce the stress and cost associated with airline travel with bikes.
How to succeed at the Convict 100 MTB Marathon
The Convict 100 is probably the most distinctive mountain bike race in Australia. Despite having no singletrack, it manages to be technically challenging. Despite having no built features like gap jumps or north shore the trails are as badass as they come, being hand carved by thieves, bolters and lifers. It’s got zero pretension, not […]
Lessons learnt from gravel racing
Gravel racing has taken the cycling world by storm over the past decade. Events appeal to a broad range of cyclists from former pro tour roadies to novice riders wanting a massive physical challenge paired with a fun event experience. Is gravel racing simply a road race on a dirt road or is it a […]
Rwandan Epic doubles up in 2022
The Rwandan Epic recently ran in March, after two years of postponing and moving the first edition. Some of the winners including Karl Platt and Jean Eric Habimana have convinced the event team to not only move the event back to its original date in November, but also to add one more stage to race, […]