Multi-lap endurance MTB events were somewhat of a revolution in the mid 2000s as the advent of 24 hour racing, 12 hour and many 8 hour events popped up on the calendar and quickly became very popular. In the years following the marathon discipline grew offering a more invigorating experience for multiple hours on the […]
Why should I go on a training camp?
Training camps have long been a part of the sport of cycling. At the high performance level and also for the recreational ‘weekend warrior’. But why spend money and time to go to a usually obscure location to ride your bike for a number of days? Wouldn’t spending time in the comforts of your own […]
Imogen Smith’s Otway Odyssey recap
I’ve never done the Otway Odyssey – weird, because it’s one of Australia’s best-known races. There’s just always been some clash that’s kept me away in the past, so this year was my first go. A few aspects of the race sounded pretty interesting to me: It’s known for its longclimbs, crazy good singletrack, and […]
Riding through history at the Convict 100
Here in Australia, we don’t have the amount of historical paths and routes that fall into everyday use like some parts of the world. While we still have plenty of examples where indigenous routes of travel have become major traffic corridors, we don’t have quite the same connection with the lived history. We don’t have […]
Hometown heroes shine at 2019 Attakwas Extreme
Pyga Euro Steel’s Matthys Beukes has been crowned Momentum Health Attakwas Extreme presented by Biogen Champion for the second consecutive time. In the elite women’s category, 46-year old Yolande de Villiers (Team Altes Landhaus powered by Madmacs Kawasaki) stormed to victory to become the oldest winner of the country’s “toughest one day mountain bike race.” The event doubles as […]
Hynek and Fagerhaug partner for Cape Epic
With the end of the Canyon Topeak Factory Racing team for 2019, the team’s riders are all doing different things. Sally Bigham has retired, Alban Lakata has joined Team Bulls, and Kristian Hynek has just announced he has joined Vitalo – Future Cycling. The 2014 Absa Cape Epic winner will race the 2019 event alongside […]
FIRST RIDES: Scope O2 carbon MTB wheels
Not a week goes by without another carbon wheel option coming up – although this seems far more common in road cycling than in mountain biking. Still, the options are growing. And you know what? There are lots of really good options coming out. I have been really happy with wheels from Kappius, rims from […]
The Pioneer Stage five – Final stage brings a few surprises
Tired legs roll out of Bannockburn This morning we got up before dawn and munched through breakfast in the dark. It’s always unbelievable to me that, given my usual appetite, when we get into the depths of a stage race I find myself completely without interest in food, so that eating is stripped of any […]
The Pioneer Stage 4 – Mt Difficulty and other difficult climbs
Click. Beep. Click. Beep. Click. Beep. Ok I’m definitely in my smallest gear, but how is that possible? I’ll just check again. Beep. Yep. Shit. Getting going again Today Mike and I started Stage four of The Pioneer with the goal of making it to the first feed zone, then reassessing things after our nightmare […]
Pioneer hits the Alex trails for the Queen Stage
Why is it that we only crash when things are great? All those awful, cold, wet grovels where you’d pay good money for a legitimate Out, nothing. Nothing goes wrong. Except maybe a flat tyre, but that’s fixable. Now when you’re ripping through trails, performing well, loving it – that’s when life deals you a […]