Rapid Ascent’s off-road weekend in Forrest, Victoria, is back again in 2025. With the Otway Odyssey taking centre stage on Saturday 22nd February, the following Sunday is all about gravel. The Great Otway Gravel Grind (GOGG) was launched in 2017, with two event distances on the gravelled forest roads between Forrest and the Great Ocean […]
7 Tips for Success at the Otway Odyssey
The Rapid Ascent Otway Odyssey is one of the toughest and most rewarding mountain bike marathons in Australia. The event has earnt a reputation as a true test piece, one where riders know that a top performance isn’t a fluke – it’s an achievement worth recognition. With its steep climbs, technical descents, and challenging singletrack, […]
Alps Epic 2025 adds UCI status
The Alps Epic, has forged a place in the world of mountain bike stage races, with the 5 day event in the Hautes-Alpes in France delivering not just a physical challenge, but a technical test for riders as well. For the event’s 10th year in 2025, the Alps Epic joins the official UCI Marathon calendar, […]
The curious appeal of gravel racing
The now iconic Dirty Warrny was held over the weekend, a 250km grind over dirt roads and trails between Geelong and Warrnambool in Victoria. Traversing the Otway ranges, the race also features close to 3800m of elevation gain. The race takes most riders over ten hours to complete. This was my first time competing in […]
Michelin-Beard and Bloor triumphant at inaugural Shimano Gravel Muster around Alice Springs
Australia’s first gravel stage race, the Shimano Gravel Muster Stage Race, took place in the Red Centre from Thursday 22nd to Sunday 25th August 2024. The unique event mixed the experience that Rapid Ascent has of running stage races in the area, the boom in gravel riding, and a fun mix of racing and social stages – […]
Shimano launch Trail Born trail initiative
Shimano have just announced their Trail Born initiative, which aims to increase and susatin a range of mountain bike trails around the world. This includes donating $USD1 million per year for the next decade, but it also covers working closely on trail projects and advocacy groups both locally and globally. Given trails typically cost $USD15-80k […]
Australian team selected for 2024 UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships
Today, AusCycling announced that six riders have been selected for the 2024 Cross Country Marathon (XCM) Mountain Bike World Championship in Snowshoe, USA. The AusCycling National Selection Panel today confirmed the riders who will compete at the championships in September. The team consists of 3 men and 3 women, one of the larger teams fielded […]
Taking on the Shimano Gravel Muster in Alice Springs
Earlier this year Australian event promoters Rapid Ascent announced a new race in an ancient place; the Shimano Gravel Muster. As long-time hosts of the popular mountain bike stage race in Alice Springs known as The Redback, the event crew decided to bring their expertise in events to something new for Australia – a multi-day […]
What bike for Sunday Creek Classic?
The Sunday Creek Classic is a young event in Queensland, and 2024 will see the 3rd edition held on May 25 from Kenilworth. Like a classic marathon, the event starts and finishes in the one spot, and like a quality rural event in Australia, that spot is the local showground. The course covers about 120km […]
Tips for racing the Appenninica MTB Stage Race
Photos: The Outdoor Lab The Appenninica MTB Stage Race celebrated its 5th edition in September 2023, with many riders returning for another epic mountain bike experience in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy. From the outset I was attracted to this mountain bike stage race as it focussed not just on the riding experience, but […]