Australian Mountain Bike Issue 200

Welcome to the 200th issue of Australian Mountain Bike. The world has seen some big changes since the first issue went on sale in 1994. But a glance at the cover lines leaves me wondering if that much has changed in our world of mountain biking? While the 90s was a boom time for mountain bikes, it would be hard to argue that there has ever been a better time to be a mountain biker than right now. In 1994 I recall trying to figure out what trails I could ride in the north-west of Sydney, and WTF the loam everyone talked about in American magazines was. I just knew sandstone, steps, friction shifting and caliper brakes. We now have millions spent to make trails for us to ride, and…

Things have come a long time over the history of AMB. From a start in the early 1994, AMB grew with mountain biking, and is now just one of a few fantastic local media outlets for mountain bikers in Australia. Mountain bikes, how we ride them, and the trails we can tackle have changed a lot in three decades. How can you summarise a time period that covers so much development, characters, stories and stoke? We reached out to some of our key contributors, many who have had their wheels on the dirt as long as AMB has been in print. Here’s what they think really made a difference to mountain biking in Australia over the past 30 years, and who some of the stand out stars are, listed in…

The National Gravity Enduro Champs were run and won in late October this year. It was a long wait for the Red Hill Riders MTB Club on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula, whose quest to hold Nationals was pushed back for two consecutive years due to COVID-19 and border restrictions. Last year, Green Valley’s Mountain Bike Park in NSW hosted the event, but many big names were unable to attend due to fluctuating travel and isolation rules. However, this year was all in, with over 500 riders attending the event. Many of the top favourites had just returned from racing the EWS and World Cups overseas; this included U21 guns Ryan Gilchrist and Elise Empey, and Elite riders Hayden Stead, Zoe Cuthbert and Ellie Smith. These names were just the tip…

WAHOO ELEMNT ROAM Wahoo lifted the hood and gave the ELEMNT Roam some upgrades. The latest version hits the dirt with 32Gb of memory, more screen colours and dual band GPS tracking. For us, that means it stores more maps, is easier to read and discern map features, and the GPS works better under tree canopies and in valleys. There are lots more functions as well, including climb tracking, tonnes of fitness and workout options, and even getting details from your eMTB. Catch a full review from us shortly. $599.95 FEsports.com.au DYNAPLUG RACER Are you even mountain biking in the 2020s if you don’t carry a tubeless plug repair kit? The Dynaplug Racer can sit loaded and ready to go with two plugs, with the long and lightweight tool easy to use in the heat…

With Christmas just around the corner it’s time for the big wind down, rest, and reset for next year. I don’t know about you, but this year was challenging because of the transition from the pandemic years into the “new normal”. While it’s important to look after yourself and take the time you need to recharge for 2023, Christmas time also means a time to give back to others within your life and community, and I promise this will make you feel good too! LOOKING WITHIN I like to think of the pandemic as an unpleasant version of the book Eat Pray Love. Now I know the cross over between AMB readers to those that are familiar with Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestselling memoir is very small, I think you can all relate to…

Ticking over four big pineapples worth of history, culture, sport and promotion is no mean feat. The sport itself isn’t much older than the magazine you’re reading, which says a whole lot about the enthusiastic crew of regular readers throughout the years from a tiny nation upside down and far away from what most consider the birthplace of the sport. Looking back through the archives is like taking a walk in a foreign country, nothing makes sense, and yet at the same time it kind of does. Everyone back then was trying to do the same things we are trying to do now, only in a different way, and by the looks of things you could even argue they were having much more fun doing it than we are now. But…