Australian Mountain Bike Issue 191

RIDERS: THOMAS PIDCOCK, MATHIEU VAN DER POEL, DAN MCCONNELL The Olympic mountain bike race in Izu, Japan was a demanding course. 38 men took to the course on July 26, in dusty conditions on a hot and humid afternoon. Speculation abounded about who was the favourite, and whether Nino Schurter would be able to defend his Gold from Rio. When Thomas Pidcock moved up the start grid into the leading group, and van der Poel misunderstood that the ramp from practice would be removed on race day, the race looked unlike what many expected. Pidcock from Great Britain built a narrow margin and extended it, showcasing his world class talent as he rode to a Gold medal. Swiss Mathias Flueckiger earned Silver while David Valero Serrano from Spain timed a late race…

A few issues ago I asked Colin Levitch to write a feature and take a punt on what the future of mountain biking might look like. He spoke to trail builders, engineers and those who have worked in the bike industry for decades. It was an interesting read, while also reflecting on what has changed in even 10 years. The recent Olympic Games in Tokyo had two mountain bike races that had anyone watching either on the edge of their seat or on their feet, with a truly dynamic battle being fought in both the men’s and women’s races. I spoke to Evan James from AusCycling about how mountain biking might look in the future, but specifically at the Olympics in Brisbane in 2032. Of course there is also another big…

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic mountain bike races delivered high impact action, with drama as race favourites crashed out, and riders fought tooth and nail to win an Olympic medal. Mountain biking has been included in the Olympic Games since Atlanta in 1996, and the sport has evolved a lot since then – with the race being nearly an hour shorter in time. Cross-country mountain bike racing has become a lot more explosive, with highly technical courses delivering lots of short and sharp climbs and massive technical features to be ridden. All while your heart rate is through the roof and someone is buzzing your back tyre or passing through an impossibly small gap. No wonder it’s so good to watch on television and streaming! If you watched the races in Izu,…

In early August Giant unveiled their new Reign E+ range, which features a smaller and more powerful motor, a bigger battery, and updated geometry with input from Australian pro rider Josh Carlson. Giant’s old SyncDrive Pro Motor›featured 80Nm of torque, which at the time was very impressive. All that torque came at a cost though, which was ground clearance. One of Josh Carlson’s requests for the new motor was to increase ground clearance. The new SyncDrive Pro Motor developed with Yamaha features 85Nm of torque (which is the same as›Bosch’s Performance Line CX Motor›and›Shimano’s EP8 Motor), and weighs in at a claimed 2.7kg (compared to an EP8 Motor at around 2.6kg and a Bosch Performance Line CX Motor at 2.79kg). It also features a whopping 37mm of increased ground clearance, even…

Like every player in the eBike market, Bosch are moving at a ferocious pace when it comes to developing their products. Their latest software update is a new mode called Tour+, which replaces the regular Tour mode and is essentially a dialled down version of eMTB mode. Iterations of this software have existed with Moustache’s Magic Tour and Trek’s eMTB-Lite mode for some months now, but Tour+ mode will be available to any bike using a current Bosch Performance Line CX Motor Whilst eMTB mode offers varying assistance between 120 percent (Tour mode) and 340 percent (Turbo mode), Tour+ slots in below eMTB mode in that it its support varies between Eco (50 percent assistance) and Turbo. This lower level of assistance in flat and consistent terrain provides greater battery longevity,…

Derby’s trail network has a vast number of quality trails, ease of access to a variety of trail experiences, and the all-important ‘yiew’ factor that brings smiles to the faces of anyone who rides there. Derby also presents the opportunity to explore some of the most beautiful environments in the country on our own terms. The international status of the Derby network has been cemented by the regular return of the Enduro World Series (EWS), and the awarding of the prestigious EWS Trail of the Year award to Detonate in 2017, followed by the Kumma-Gutza/Air-Ya-Garn trail in 2019. Many of the trail experiences in Derby are now iconic to Australian riders who travel from across the country just to spend a few days in this small part of regional Tasmania. It is…