For an Australian XCO racer, the National Championships is the biggest race of the year, I have been trying to take the green and gold for 8 years, and have had nothing else on my mind for the last 12 months. This might seem obsessive, and it probably is, but everyone gets into sport for […]
What are the benefits of solo training?
As a coach I am often asked by athletes whether they are better off to go and do structured efforts on a solo ride or to join a local fast group ride instead? It is a good question which has a multifaceted answer and one in which I enjoy exploring with different athletes. As with […]
Sam Fox recaps XCO National Championships
In Australia, The Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA) XCO National Championships is the race that brings out all the big names. 2020 was no exception, with previous winners returning to defend their titles in Elite Men and Women, under 23 Men and Women, and other big names like Cam Ivory (2018 XCO, XCM, XCC champ), Brendan […]
Mariske Strauss joins the CST Sandd Bafang team
Mariske Strauss will join the CST Sandd Bafang MTB Racing Team in the Olympic year 2020. Mariske will be the 3rd female rider to complete the CST Sandd Bafang MTB Racing Team , next to Yana Belomoina (UKR) and Anne Tauber (NED). This makes the team one of the strongest mountain bike teams on the […]
MarathonMTB.com at The Pioneer in 2019
With the 4th edition of The Pioneer starting this weekend in Queenstown, New Zealand, one of the most recent team pairings could also be one of the most competitive! While originally the MarathonMTB.com Team would comprise founding rider Mike Blewitt and Sebastian Jayne, young Tasmanian Sam Fox will now be joining Sebastian for the 6-day […]
A closer look at the 2020 Norco Revolver FS
In December, I was lucky enough to spend some time test riding the yet-to-be-released updated Norco Revolver. At a glance it looked really similar to the current frame, and that’s why their Factory Team were able to race it without too many people noticing. Look closer and you realise how much has changed. From a […]
UPDATED: Scope O2 carbon MTB wheels
UPDATED! In the middle of 2019 we had an email from The Netherlands asking for the Scope Cycling O2 wheels to be sent back for some hub updates. It was a simple enough request, and the carbon wheels had tyres removed and were boxed up and collected by courier. Something was in the works, but […]
What’s it like to race XCO World Champs? Imogen Smith reports on Lenzerheide
I may not be an XCO racer most of the time, and on paper my result was nothing to write home about, but unless I suddenly become a rockstar, nothing I do in my life will come close to the exhilaration of racing XCO World Championships in Lenzerheide. So what’s it like racing XCO World […]
First Look: EIE carbon A29C25D22S wheel build
You may not have heard of EIE Carbon, but chances are you will hear of them more in the future. They make a big range of rims, but what I was looking for in a rim needed to be something that hit the following numbers: internal width of 24-26mm Asymmetric for more even spoke tension […]
Travel south for the Southern Peaks
Related Event: Southern Peaks - Southern MTB
A single day marathon requires travel, accommodation, and dedication to making sure everything goes right on the day. But thankfully there’s a new crop of events that are appearing, and growing in strength. 2-4 day mountain bike festivals are gaining favour as a way to use your weekend and maybe another day or two to […]