Eleven years on from the inaugural FNB Wines2Whales many things in mountain biking have changed. One remains constant however, the sport’s iconic stage race’s commitment to continual route refinements. Every year has seen new singletrack added and old trails reworked and perfected. 2019 is no different. Winter in the Western Cape is trail building time. […]
Cory Wallace in Costa Rica
Trans Costa Rica is a 4 day UCI S2 stage race in its 3rd edition which includes 3 marathon stages and a time trial up a Volcano. Costa Rica is a mountain bikers paradise with its mountainous terrain, tropical climate and very friendly and enthused mountain bike culture. This World Class event is the perfect showcase of […]
Johnston and Harris win 2019 Australian XCM titles
On a glorious winter’s day in Brisbane, Brendan Johnston won his 4th cross-country marathon (XCM) title and Holly Harris won her first. After the 2019 National Championships were moved from Townsville to Redland Bay, there was a chance that the fields of the elite marathons would be a little deeper than otherwise. And that rang […]
Who can win the 2019 Australian XCM elite titles?
The 2019 Australian Cross-Country Marathon (XCM) Championships had a date and location shift from Townsville to Redland Bay this year. Those riders who were targeting the race in May needed to cool their heels and wait until June, as Rats Cycling Club put up their hands to take on the title and build it into […]
Paez and Michiels win 1st stage of 2019 Alpentour Trophy
The Alpentour Trophy is a four day mountain bike stage race that calls the Schladming-Dachstein region home. Known for demanding climbs, the racing is pretty hot at the front, given how close the stage race sits to the XCO World Cup. The 2019 edition has attracted a strong line-up with many defending champions putting a […]
First rides on Shimano XTR M9100
About 12 months ago, Shimano released a much-anticipated version of XTR – the new 12-speed M9100. It offered what so many people wanted – a wider range from Shimano, and they delivered with a 10-51 cassette. But they also delivered a 10-45 cassette, 4-pot XTR Trail brakes and a lighter Race brake, a new crank […]
Trek and Pivot release new XC bikes
Trek and Pivot have just released updates to their cross-country full-suspension bikes, and the trend towards longer travel, longer reach, slacker head angles and all-round more capable bikes doesn’t look to be slowing down. We think this is another great step, with more companies building bikes that probably suit their world-class riders, but really do […]
On test: Camelbak Ultra 10 Vest
The world of marathon and stage racing has some unique demands on equipment, especially when weather, nutrition and self-sufficiency come into play. After Mike raved about the Camelbak Octane 10, it was time to find a large but light pack for myself. The Camelbak Ultra 10 is superlight at just 280g for the bag, and […]
Swiss Epic release their 2019 route
The Swiss Epic is the European cousin in the global Epic Series, and under that larger umbrella it has taken a slightly different shape. The Flow category is gone, and the 6 day race is now 5 days, with no opening prologue. But while those changes were already in effect in 2018, the big change […]
Australian XCM Championships to Bayview
After many rumours starting to spread, Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA) have announced today that the upcoming Cross-Country Marathon (XCM) National Championships will no longer be held in Townsville, but in Bayview near Brisbane instead. “Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA) along with the Townsville Rockwheelers Mountain Bike Club wish to advise that regrettably due to the recent […]