News, rides & banter

NZ Bound - Riding the Rameka Track

2012-01-14T19:13:00.000-08:00

Stepping out of the minuscule Nelson Airport after a rain-delayed flight on a very small aeroplane, neither Suzie or myself quite knew what to expect of our new life at the top of the South Island in New Zealand. While we had heard a few stories and opinions about what we should see, which areas were prettier and where to find good coffee, our preparedness consisted of emailing our Kiwi friends to have them pick us up on arrival and organising to stay with them for a few days. With both of us keen on spending a couple of lazy weeks exploring the local area for both recreation and later employment, one thing I was very sure of was that I was going to be doing a lot of mountain biking.

On the way from the Airport through the driving rain in a tiny Lanica Stratos, Carl casually informed me that he had organised a group shuttle ride on Sunday in 3 days time. Although a supposedly cross country ride, "steep and rough" was his description, followed by; "what sort of bike do you have again?"

Over the next few weeks I was to learn that "Cross Country" in New Zealand means a very different thing...

Nelson is a smallish town of about 50,000 people, though swells over Summer under the weight of tourists, travellers and Kiwis holidaying in one of the country's favourite destinations. Mountain biking is incredibly popular here, mainly due to the fact that it takes 10min from the CBD to get to the local trail head. Situated next to the sea with scaling mountains on the other side, the riding here is very natural with steep & rough trails winding through indigenous forests and pine plantations.

The Rameka Track is a famous mountain bike trail that leads from the top of Takaka Hill on the other side of the bay from Nelson. Meeting at Carl's shop at 8am on Sunday morning, a Land Rover trooper rolled into the carpark towing an impressive home-made trailer on the back, ready to take us to our startpoint. After chatting with Warwick (the experienced owner of 4WD E-Tours) while loading the bikes onto the trailer, I quickly got the impression that he possessed much wisdom of the local area and seemed to know the trail network like the wrinkles on the back of his hands. Bearing in mind his long mountain biking history, it was with confidence that I would ask him where the best place was to get coffee in Nelson. "Ah, I know just the place on the way!" Warwick exclaimed, while proceeding to word me up on the car ride about some the best coffee and eateries around Nelson - valuable local information indeed. Stopping in Motueka at a place called the Toad Hall, my empty stomach called out for a breakfast muffin to go with my flat white as I had neglected to eat anything before heading out the door earlier that morning. The first photo was taken from our coffee stop looking out to Nelson on the other side of the Abel Tasman bay, while behind me loomed our destination of Takaka Hill, with some 790 metres of elevation between us.

I had been warned about the driving in New Zealand. Mostly about the , but also about the narrow passing lanes and. After living here for 3 months, I would also like to add poor driving skills on behalf of most Nelsonians to that list. There are some interesting 'give-way' concepts in the NZ driving laws that had us second guessing ourselves regularly, but Carl quickly put our minds at ease; "Don't worry about it, the locals don't even know what the rules are". The drive up Takaka Hill is nothing short of epic, with super tight switchbacks, 15km/h speed restrictions and Britz hire campervans being driven by angry tourists trying to get used to being on the left side of the road. While the coffee and muffin sloshing around inside my tummy served to remind me that I was hungover, Warwick's clear confidence in driving the familiar terrain showed no signs of us taking it easy around the cliff-hugging corners and I wouldn't have been surprised if he had pulled out a bandana to put over his eyes to make it less boring.

Finally arriving at the carpark, though slightly paler than before, we unloaded our gear to begin the 17km Canaan Loop that traverses the plateau around the top of the Takaka mountain range.

Recently re-furbished by the Deparment of Conservation, the Rameka Trail and Canaan Loop are both glowing examples of the amount of time, effort and money that goes into building and maintaining mountain bike trails in New Zealand. While Kiwis are blessed with amazing terrain and elevation, they are also fortunate to have support from both government and local resources to build and ride some amazing trails. The walking path opened into some loose and rough singletrack as we began the loop, crossing a number of creaks and rocky wash-outs that kept your concentration up. Around the plateau it was mostly scrubland and made for some fast and fun riding to warm us up for the main ride. Returning to the carpark to the smell of sausages being sizzled on the gas stove, Warwick put on some more coffee to fuel us before the descent.

The Rameka Track is approximately 2 hours of downhill riding down into Takaka, where you lose 700 metres of elevation winding your way down through beautiful native bush, pine plantations and farmland towards the bottom. As we began to roll down it became apparent that Carl's description was particularly accurate, though while only steep in sections, the majority of the singletrack was rough, root-strewn and leaf-littered and separated by rocky creak crossings that had you picking your line to avoid dipping a foot down into icy cold water. While I certainly enjoy riding groomed man-made mountain bike trails thinking I'm Brian Lopes, there is a certain amount more satisfaction in riding natural trails that make you feel like you're the only human around for miles. The challenge of scaling technical climbs either by bike or by foot, then trying to find the smoothest line through streaky roots and patches of soft loamey mud can not quite be replicated at a mountain bike park.

Breaking out into the sunshine towards the bottom of the hill with achey wrists and ankles, I was almost in disbelief at just how good the trails were that we had just ridden and how much elevation we had both gained and lost in the space of a few hours. Arriving at the carpark in Takaka to a cold Heneiken from Warwicks extended arm, my first mountain bike ride in New Zealand was sure to set the bar very high. However, the combination of technical trails littered with either roots or baby-head rocks, steep switchback descents and changing bushland around us has thus far proved to be an excellent example of the local riding to be had.

I think it goes without saying that I will find it very hard adjusting to living in Melbourne again...

GREEN WITH ENVE

2012-01-13T16:18:00.000-08:00

The ENVE bomb has just dropped at the MM operations facility, brunswick east.

Like all things in life if it's worth doing then it's worth doing right and wildman hasn't let the team down ordering in one of each MTB bar and two of every road bar.
ENVE components are produced in a setting which more closely resembles a test lab than a factory. Housing its own state of the art equiptment to not only create some of the best products in the industry but to destroy them aswell, ensuring that every batch is as tough as humanly possible.

With price, weights and strengths currently unmatched by other brands these bars are a sure fire way to drop some weight, increase strength and improve the ride quality of your current steed.

2012 Trek Slash 8 - it's a whole lot of bike!

2012-01-11T22:29:00.000-08:00

With thearrival of the all new Trek Slash 8 I was excited to see how the changes wouldfeel from the amazing Scratch Air 9 that we had the pleasure of ridingthroughout 2011. The clever guys at Trek had decided to almost startagain and design an all-mountain rig with a specific purpose in mind. Avalanche style DH races. Their reasoning was sound, as Trek alwaysdesign bikes with specific purposes in mind, which in turn drivesdevelopment. So for 2012 the all new Trek Slash 8 comes with a redesignedrear-end that includes a DRCV shock and tweaked geometry, a mino-linkthat allows riders to adjust the head angle by ½ a degree and raise the bottom bracketby 8mm, and the very neat Rockshox stealth dropper seat-post.

Around thistime last year we un-packed our Scratch demo bike in time for a trip to MtBulla where some true all mountain riding could be had, and 2012 would seehistory repeating itself with Mt Bulla the destination to put the Trek Slash 8through its paces. Without riding the bikes back to back it is very hard topinpoint the improvements or differences between the two, so instead I can onlywrite about how the Slash felt and performed as a standalone all newall-mountain steed.

Having notbeen on bigger travel bikes for a little while it took the first couple ofhours to settle into the Slash’s full capability, while the bike itself tooksome time to get going with the suspension and brakes needing to heat up, and bed-inmaking everything work together seamlessly. It has to be said that Fox 36 forksreally do need a descent flogging before they will run smooth, but once theTalas 160 Kashima coated forks did settle in, they became plush, direct, andmost importantly felt good through the bottom 3^rd of their travel, which I was using very regularly down the Glen Jacobs designed Stonefly trailat My Bulla. The only thing that makes the Fox Talas forks seem not assmooth and plush as they could be, is the rear suspension on the Slash, with thenew DRCV shock performing so well it defies logic.

With atrail like stonefly where you are hitting big G-out type dips and humpsone after another for an extended time, air based suspension can have a habitof getting too hot and dramatically loose performance over the course of therun. But the Fox DRCV shock just seems to recover hit after hit withoutcomplaint. It would probably suffer on some of the epic descents found inCanada, but for our Australian big mountain trails the DRCV equipped Slash isright at home and will take anything you, or the trail can throw at it.

Of course the other advantage of the Trek's propriety suspension is at the top end of the travel. With DRCV the shock behaves like a short-travel, standard Fox float, allowing you to put the power down to maintain some speed on flat sections as well as climb quite well. Sure you aren't going to win the next short-course XC event on this beast, but it does go up hill with remarkable efficiency. With some effort you should be able to keep up with your riding mates on short travel XC bikes on the up-hills, then completely smoke them on the descents. You will be the one with the big smile, trust me.

Apart fromthe major jump to a DRCV suspension platform, the other changes that come as awelcome improvement is the internally routed cabling for the shifting andRockshox Reverb post. Both not really performance upgrades, but rather aneater more aesthetically pleasing look that for many will be a nicetouch. So who out there will want the 2012 Trek Slash 8 ? Anyonewho wants to have the most amount of fun possible on a mountain bike, withaccess to some more technical trail networks that will give them theopportunity to use the bike to at least some of it’s potential. And ithas a lot of potential!

2012-01-06T01:02:00.000-08:00

Like many cyclist, Christmas for me means much more than family, presents, and eating too much. It means a whole week of epic rides in a place devoid of traffic lights, and hoards of people. For me that place is Mt Beauty, my home away from home. I love it's small town feel, it's great mountain bike park, and it's epic road rides and see myself going there for many years to come. It re-charges my batteries, and clears the head, and was again the base-camp of yet another great year of Christmas riding.

Like every year, I got out for some great rides on my favourite mountain bike, but for Christmas 2011 the highlight wasn't going to be off-road adventures, but instead an epic battle up the infamous Mt Hotham climb. Myself and Ben had discussed some of the more challenging days that can be had on the roadies up in the area with Mt Buffalo and the Omeo getting a mention, but it was agreed Mt Hotham was to be it. The final stage of The Tour of Bright, and the hill responsible for breaking many an accomplished rider. Not one to be into statistics, it's probably worth putting them on the table, although I don't think the numbers do it justice as Mt Hotham can only be described as....a monster.

Total Distance:

30.35km | 18.86mi

Starting Altitude:

510m | 1,673ft

Finishing Altitude:

1,821m | 5,974ft

Average Gradient: 4.7%

Elevation Gain:

1,415m | 4,642ft

Having been a keen cyclist for many years now there isn't to much that phases me, and I tend to think I'm capable of most things on a bike, especially a road bike. But I would have to be honest and admit that Mt Hotham almost had me beat before I even started. A drive up the mountain three days before made sure I was fully away of the torture ahead , and had me wigging-out for two days before the epic accent. So much so, that on the ride from Mt Beauty over Towanga gap and onto Harrietville had me stressing out. My legs felt tired, I wasn't comfortable on the bike, I was hungry, and I didn't think I had enough food... The panic ensued. I would like to think that these problems were in fact very real, but I know I had just been psyched out by the silent giant. The famous "Meg" where the road turns a corner and pitches up to a steepness that instantly has you in the hurt-box, and of course CRB hill that hits you after 22K's of the climb. An evil little pitch that at 10% takes any last fight your legs may have had. And you still aren't at the top at this point. These are all the things that were running through my head as I rolled into Harrietville, before we had even started. Never before have I been so intimidated by a simple road climb.

And after actually climbing the beast I can confirm that all my worries and concerns were totally justified. Mt Hotham is a big, tough hill, and should be respected as such. But I'll be back, and next time I'm going to smash it....maybe?

Thankfully I wasn't on my own for this battle of gravity, Ben and Scott were with me suffering just as much. There is something quite comforting in the knowledge that others are suffering with you and you aren't the only crazy fool on the hill.

Eat, Sleep, Ride Madone 6.9 SSL

2011-12-14T23:54:00.000-08:00

After starting the "Pimp Crusty's Ride" comp a couple of months ago, it was apparent that we hadn't left enough time to run the comp, then get Crusty's bike before Christmas. The Christmas break is important, as he will spend the week in cycling nirvana, Mt Beauty, where he will be riding some of Australia's best road climbs. So although the competition continued Crusty needed to order his bike.

The good news is, everyone who put an entry in for the "Pimp Crusty's Ride" comp has won themselves a Bontrager Multi-tool valued at 59.95 and just needs to come in store to pick it up.
So while the competition rolled on, the Eat, Sleep, Ride machine was dreamed, then designed by Crusty himself. The results arriving last Friday just in time for our weekend photo shoot. With the photo shoot starting at 4:30 AM Saturday, building his dream bike before hand was going to be a big task, and wasn't complete until 11:30 the night before.

The build is pretty straight forward, and you will notice that Di2 did not feature, despite electronic shifting being the buz amongst the road fraternity at the moment. The frame is a 6.9 SSL Trek Project One that has had the Rouleur paint scheme customised to lime-green/ black/ pearl white. The cockpit is all Bontrager XXX Lite with a SRAM Red drive train and the amazing Bontrager Aeolus D3 wheels. The tubular version. Add all this together and you get yourself a bike that tips the scales at 5.95 Kg's. That's no typo folks! With the all new carbon Shimano Ultegra pedals, and 2 x Bontrager XXX Lite bidden cages, the bike packs on a bit of weight and becomes 6.3 Kg's, but it's not about the weight. It's about the ride, and the ride is something else!!! Many super-light bikes tend to lose a lot in stiffness and responsiveness, not the 6.9 SSL. Every little last bit of energy put into the pedals is planted into forward momentum with such efficiency it's staggering.

We all know as riders that the bike can only make up for so much, but this bike makes up for quite a bit. With the feather light wheels and tyres fitted to a remarkably stiff frame, you find yourself accelerating faster than you ever thought possible. It also hooks into corners like it's on rails while pulling out with ease, the whole time giving you the sensation that you're gliding 10mm off the road. It's tremendous... and even a little weird at first, but in the end you just realise you can rider harder, and faster around corners. There is no doubt that a bike like this will in fact improve your climbing, fatigue you less on long rides, and possibly be 100% responsible for your next promotion. It's that good!

Giro helmets and the Bell Volt back from the grave

2011-12-05T18:35:00.001-08:00

Helmets over the last 12 months have been a real problem in Australia thanks to standards Australia moving the goal posts, causing many helmets to become non compliant. Well finally the dust has settled and some of our favourite helmets are available again. The big news though is the pricing.

New distributors and new pricing have meant we can offer some great pricing on what we think are probably the most popular helmets on the market.

Without doubt the most popular helmet from Giro helmets is the Giro Atmos which now rolls out of My Mountain at $249.95. Quite a difference from the RRP of $500 a year ago. We also have the Giro Ionus at $299 rounding out by far Giro's most popular helmets.

And to top it off, we finally have my favourite, the Bell Volt that is a whopping $100 cheaper at $249.95. Good times!

And since this entire post is about new and improved helmets, or at least improved pricing, I should also introduce the 661 Recon. For those looking for a moto style trail helmet, the wait is over. The Recon is well ventilated, surprisingly light, and a great price. With the MM price at $109.95, you can't go wrong.

My Mountain presents: 2012 Santa Cruz Blur TR Carbon

2011-12-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

With the new models, build kits and fork options currently arriving from the Santa Cruz factory in California, we have overhauled our website to update the entire 2012 range for your viewing pleasure. Some frames have been updated and some are completely new, with most coming down in price compared to 2011. All of the high-end models see the option of Fox Kashima suspension for forks and rear shocks, while the new 2012 build kits are even better value with an option for every budget.

For more information, check out Santa Cruz Bicycles here.

Being Santa Cruz’s premium Victorian Dealer, we have recently made the move to invest in a pair of gorgeous Santa Cruz Blur TR trail bikes for our in store demo fleet. Dressed in a 2012 SPX build kit and Fox Kashima suspension front & rear, we have both a Medium and a Large size available for those folk who are keen to try out the VPP suspension before pulling the trigger. While many will already be familiar with the ride quality of Santa Cruz bikes, we understand that there are some folks who just need the extra assurance of getting the tyres onto dirt before handing over your hard earned moolah. Though in the case of the Blur TRc, we would be very surprised if you didn’t come back grinning ear-to-ear after a test ride!

Left; The Gold Kashima Fox Shock keeps the rear suspension supple and allows it to react to the smallest trail chatter. Right; Integrated Carbon protection is used on the chainstays, seatstays and along the down tube to the BB to keep the frame looking new for longer.

The Santa Cruz Blur TRc is a new 5” travel trail bike from Santa Cruz Bikes that features all of the latest frame and suspension technology going. Built upon a low slung frame that features a slack 68 degree head angle, the Blur TR is a modern trail bike designed to provide a playful nature. The Carbon frame weighs just 2.2kg’s including the Fox RP-23 Kashima rear shock, but maximises chassis stiffness thanks to some unique engineering techniques such as the continuous carbon fiber construction around key frame junctions. The heralded Virtual Pivot Point suspension design is employed on the Blur TRc frame in the VPP2 guise that provides a smoother, more linear action to the rear travel, without sacrificing the pedal efficiency you would expect from a Blur series bike.

The stout mini-links that control the axle path of the rear triangle use Angular Contact Bearings to provide a flex-free interface to aid bearing life. Combined with the one-piece carbon rear triangle, the Blur TR is a laterally stiff frame that responds to all of your input out on the trail and holds its line through berms and off-camber corners.

Left; Lower VPP link dictates the axle path for square-edge hit response. Right; Grease ports for the Angular Contact bearings in the lower linkage.

Although the rear pivots are super simple to pull apart and maintain, additional grease ports on the lower link allow you to pump in fresh grease when required. It all adds up to a strong, durable and stiff frame that backs up its good looks with impeccable trail manners.

Whilst we’ve only just received our Blur TR’s, they have already received a lot of attention from staff that have had the pleasure of test riding them. With it’s short chainstay length, low BB height and slack head angle, the Blur TR feels like a big BMX bike that wants you to act like a hooligan – it just rips!

Just like the rest of the Santa Cruz range, the Blur TR is available as both a frameset and as a complete bike. You can choose from a variety of fork options, build kits and colours with our very own bike builder, though if you're looking to create your dream machine we can also custom build from the frame up. Check out the complete Santa Cruz Blur TR Carbon or the Santa Cruz Blur TR Carbon Frame for pricing and further details.

If you want to know more about the Blur TR or any other Santa Cruz bike, come past the shop or drop us a line on the phone or via email; we’ll be happy to talk your ear off about them!

Custom builds!

2011-11-28T23:03:00.000-08:00

Every now and then we get people come into the store asking if we work on bikes we don’t sell when I hear this I feel like I’m channelling bob the builder because the answer is almost always ‘yes we can’. A couple weeks ago a gentleman came in with this rocky mountain flat line frame and a dream to build the most lethal downhill weapon known to man. After a chat with Ben aka Will 2.0 he had his build dialled in. Full saint group, FOX 40’s Thomson/truvativ cockpit, custom Mavic-Dt Swiss-Chris King wheelset. Needless to say we were all drooling at the build list.

So it began, as with all our build regardless of the bike we started with the wheels, if you speak to anyone in the shop about making your bike fast the first word out of their mouth will be ‘wheels’ and this bike is no exception. After calculating spoke lengths, polishing the hubs, counting out spokes and nipples the labour of love began. Aligning the valve hole with the hub decals is just one of the aesthetic touches which may never be noticed by the average rider but it brings a smile to the craftsman every time he see’s his wheels. Setting the spoke heads and constantly destressing the wheels is an act that have wreaked havoc on mark’s benches but these two processes occur naturally when wheels are ridden and by doing artificially in the workshop it ensures that when these wheels are ridden they will be remain straight and true. That is of course until the first time they are slammed into a rock face and dented, they are after all a downhill wheelset.

After almost an entire day of tensioning truing, dishing and countless destressings the wheels were complete, rotors on and straightened, cassette torqued, tyres beaded and the wheels hung up out of harms way until the frame was ready.

Like all good things in life the correct foundation and preparation while time consuming will ensure a flawless end result. Chasing, facing and reaming the bottom bracket and headtube ensure a seamless interface between the frame and the hardware that makes it a bike.
The forks and cockpit are the next steps in the transformation, yes the steerer has been left uncut in preparation for our bike fit which is critical to ensure that the bike not only works properly but become an extension of the rider instead being a two wheeled snow sled. Here’s a little view that few people will ever see or even care about see if you can figure out what it is.

With the forks on, the firm spring fitted and the cockpit set up its time for some stopping power supplied by the good folk at Shimano and their saint anchors. If you want to lose your teeth then a set of these puppies on the monster 203 Ice tech rotors will guarantee you’ll be eating through a straw by just thinking about them.

Now I know what you’re thinking it’s a downhill bike so who cares what’s putting the power on the ground, well if you have an amazing build like this it would be rude to put on anything less than the best and while the Japanese really know how to run a chain on cogs there’s something to be said for the innovative and rock solid design of an e*thirteen chain device.

So here it is folks after the better part of two days we have an absolute weapon that would strike fear in the heart of Chuck Norris himself (don’t tell him I said that). Look out for it at you yangs, Buller and anywhere else the gravity fuelled tribe likes to roam.

Santa Cruz Superlight - Super deal!

2011-11-27T20:44:00.001-08:00

There is a one-off bike at My Mountain that I thought needed bit of a spot light on put on it. This little gem has been hiding in amongst our line up of great full suspension bikes, but because it isn't on our website no one really knows it's here, so for the most part it has gone unnoticed. Even some of the staff are a little guilty of forgetting about it. The bike in question is a 2011 Santa Cruz superlight that is built up with a complete 2010 Shimano XT group. So the reason I wanted to highlight this bike is because:

1- The frame...Santa Cruz Superlight, 2 The build... Full XT, 3 The price... $3,000

Santa Cruz Superlight

Together with the Heckler, Juliana and Bullit, the Superlight rounds out the Santa Cruz single pivot range, based on the original dual suspension models the brand built its foundations on. The Superlight is designed as an XC trail bike that is light and snappy enough to be raced on, though comfortable and durable enough for clocking up serious trail mileage. The lightweight Aluminum frame from Santa Cruz Bikes produces 100mm (4”) of rear travel via the Fox Float RP23 rear shock, allowing riders to setup the suspension for their weight and riding style, and is suited for suspension forks between 100-120mm travel, with the latter being more suitable for trail riding and the former better suited to XC racing. With all the sophisticated tubing manipulation combined the simple mono-pivot layout, the engineers at Santa Cruz Bicycles have managed to whittle the Superlights total mass down to just 2500 grams with shock.

The Trek Superfly 100 - 12 months on a Carbon 29er

2011-11-20T13:53:00.000-08:00

Back in late 2011, I made a somewhat controversial jump into the world of 29er dual suspension mountain bikes. The decision came after I had the pleasure of test riding the Superfly 100 at the Trek World dealer show in Canberra in September. Out of all the new bikes I got to ride over those 2 days on the trails of Mt Stromlo, the Carbon 29er stood out to me as one of the fastest and most stable XC bikes I had ever ridden, and was an experience that was echoed by pretty much every other dealer I spoke to. Although I had only recently upgraded my current mountain bike, the lure of the shiney Black & White carbon frame was just too much to handle and I sought to do anything that was necessary to make it mine.

Although I would have loved to have gotten the blingy X0 specced Superfly 100 Elite, my unglamorous bike shop employee income somehow didn't allow me to stretch to an $8k budget so I had to settle with the "entry level" version. My plan was to ride the snot out of this bike, slowly upgrade parts as I would see fit and monitor the performance changes as I swapped out new components to end up with a bike just how I want it.

When people think of a Custom Build, they generally visualise a frame being built up with specific components before it is complete. In my case, my custom build started with a complete bike that has evolved over time. Listed below are some of the changes I have made as well as some comments on how those components have affected the bike out on the trail.

Suspension

For the stock Trek Superfly 100, the suspension was never particularly shabby but it did lack some of the adjustment that comes on the higher end dampers from Fox. The stock fork is a Fox F100 29er fork with adjustable air pressure, rebound and lockout, while the shock is a Float RP2 that shares the same external adjustments. What I really wanted for the rear suspension was a Boost Valve equipped shock for a more consistent feel over rough terrain, as I had been finding the stock RP2 to be a little overwhelmed when facing repeated hits and high-speed chatter. The 2012 Fox RP23 rear shock comes equipped with both Speed and Position sensitive damping and so features a consistent and controlled feel all the way through the travel. The latest Adaptive Logic model can also be custom tuned by Fox in Sydney before it even goes on the bike; Boost Valve pressure, Velocity tune and Rebound tune are all tweaked for the Superfly 100's leverage ratio. I've had my shock set up to the stock Trek settings to start off with, though may play around with the tune down the track.

Up front, the Fox Float 29 RLC fork was quite the mission to acquire, due to the need for the G2 crown offset to maintain the Trek's nimble handling. With a slightly further offset crown, the fork took about 6 weeks to arrive from Fox USA, though it was well worth the wait. The closed FIT cartridge was the big reason I upgraded, as in a similar way to the Boost Valve in the rear shock it increases the dampers consistency over choppy terrain. Adjustable low speed compression makes a noticeable affect in reducing brake dive and the "wallow" I was getting on steep switchbacks. Both the fork & shock feature the Gold Kashima coating that reduces seal friction and combined with the redesigned SKF wipers, makes for a buttery action - oh and the gold finish looks sweet too!

Wheelset

After I had decided I was decking the SF100 out with new suspension, the logical upgrade for the fork was to with a QR15 thru axle to stiffen up the front of the bike and improve steering response. To do that however, would require a new front wheel, and, well let's be honest, a new rear wheel to match. DT Swiss 240 hubs on Mavic TN719 rims with DT Swiss Supercomp triple butted spokes make for a reasonably light but bulletproof, and more importantly, stiff wheelset. Jerry spent many hours sweating, lacing, tensioning, cursing, de-stressing and truing up these wheels, and the end result is a very high quality artisan build that I just couldn't get from factory built wheels. Out on the trail the difference is quite remarkable, and I have found both acceleration and handling response to have improved ten-fold over the stock wheels.

Wrapping the rims is a set of Maxxis Ignitor tyres in their 29er EXO format, which are designed as an all conditions tyre that emphasises grip over rolling resistance. Compared to Racing Ralphs or Ikons, they're certainly not as fast rolling on smooth terrain but once things get loose they hold on with impressive traction and allow me to hold a line with much more confidence. Combined with the 29er wheels and ABP rear suspension on the Superfly, I rarely find myself skidding or breaking traction - the bike just sticks to the ground like glue.

Cockpit

While perhaps not full of necessary upgrades, the cockpit on my SF100 has seen a couple of changes in pursuit of that "just right" setup that achieves the balance of comfort, control and stability. Changing out the bar to the carbon Bontrager RXL flatbar was motivated by a desire to try a different sweep, though thus far I'm not convinced of the 660mm width, having previously run a 690mm wide bar. The narrower stance has reduced some of the stability from the bike, though the trade-off has been faster steering through tight singletrack.

Changing out the stem to a Thomson X4 was a pretty obvious choice, though I really splashed out on the Masterpiece seatpost and carbon-railed Bontrager Evoke saddle, which dropped a substantial amount of grams from the bike.

Drivetrain & Brakes

Nothing particularly unusual here, though I did swap the 42t chainring for an E*13 Turbocharger bashguard as I found I was only using the big ring as a pseudo-bash plate anyway. 2x10 Drivetrain is quite slick, though I am tempted to go for a single ring setup up front in the pursuit of simplicity and reduced weight... Brakes were swapped out for the 2012 Shimano XT Brakes, which look very shiny and neat with their stout brake lever designed for one-finger braking. Pedals are Crank Brothers Eggbeater 3 units, and no; I didn't purposefully set out to match the bikes paintjob, but yes; they do look fantastic on there don't they! I certainly prefer the extra float and ease of entry/exit that the Eggbeater pedals provide and have used numerous sets on my bikes over the years.

All in all, a pretty sweet setup if you ask me. A reasonable amount has changed on there since the bike first emerged from it's cardboard box, but I find it's part of the fun of owning a mountain bike that becomes your personal ride. Sure, not everything on there is perfect or was a fantastic choice, but learning how each component affects the bike and thusly the overall ride is an excellent learning experience that each one of us @ My Mountain goes through with their own bikes.

Keep an eye out for future updates on the SF100 as I'll do my best to detail my experiences over time with the bike and it's components. And if you have any questions or comments about any particular parts on the bike, feel free to post them below.

Happy endTrails

Wilis

2012 Pivot Cycles Range @ My Mountain

2011-11-09T18:28:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's that time of year again! All of the shiny new toys that we've all been drooling over in magazines and on manufacturers websites are starting to materialise on the showroom floor, and the 2012 Pivot mountain bike range is no exception. Particularly exciting for the new season is the addition of the Carbon Mach 5.7 to the lineup, the release of the revised Mach 429 frame as well as a substantial price drop across the entire Pivot range.You'll be able to check out each new bike in more detail on www.mymountain.com.au as well as see up to date pricing and spec info, though here's a quick run-through of what we're excited about.

2012 Pivot Mach 5.7 Carbon

One of the most anticipated bikes for the 2012 riding season, the Mach 5.7 Carbon has taken everything that made the alloy version so good and put it on steroids. With a frame & shock that is actually lighter than a Mach 4, but in a 145mm travel frame that features a 13.7" BB height and a 67 degree head angle, the Mach 5.7 Carbon is a long-travel trail bike that defies logic. Pivot bikes are already well renowned for their laterally stiff frames, but with the carbon hollow-box construction, Tapered head tube, BB92 and 142x12 rear thru-axle used on the Carbon Mach 5.7, this is sure to be an efficient trail bike with DH-like point and shoot handling.

With complete bikes starting from $4699, you can read more about the Pivot Mach 5.7 Carbon here.

2012 Pivot Mach 429

Just like the latest Mach 4 and 5.7 frames, the Mach 429 has undergone a bit of a makeover for 2012 to introduce some new frame technology that has boosted stiffness and decreased overall weight by over 250 grams. This 4" travel dual suspension 29er has received more accolades than any other bike in its class thanks to Pivot's meticulous frame construction, efficient dw-link suspension and sorted geometry. If you like winding through technical singletrack that is littered with roots and rocks, or you're after an efficient race bike for 12 and 24 hour enduros, the Mach 429 is an excellent choice and is a great example of how a well designed 29er can match 26" bikes when it comes to acceleration and responsive handling. With the new Tapered head tube, 142x12 rear thru-axle and lighter hydroformed top tube, the latest Mach 429 just keeps getting better.

The complete bikes kick off from $4449 and framesets will set you back just $2499. Check out the Pivot Mach 429 here.

2012 Pivot Phoenix

The Phoenix is Pivot Cycles flagship DH race bike that displays the evolution of Dave Weagle's dw-link suspension design from first working with brands like Ironhorse on the classic Sunday frame and later with boutique US-brand Turner on their DHR. Of course there are many "me-too" downhill bikes on the market that look similar to the Phoenix, but it is Pivot's careful linkage positioning, custom valved Fox RC4 Kashima rear shock and carefully engineered frame that sets the 207mm travel gravity sled apart from the rest. CNC-machined dropouts that allow for wheelbase and chainstay length adjustment, high-grade sealed cartridge bearings and the addition of a Cane Creek Angleset for adjusting the head angle show Pivot's commitment to the privateer DH racer in providing a bike that can be setup for any course conditions, while also being capable of lasting many seasons of shuttling and bombing trails. If you have an eye for well-crafted frames and want the very best in suspension technology, the Pivot Phoenix is your ticket to the podium.

You can get your mitts on a Phoenix frameset for just $3399, and the stunning Pivot Phoenix DH X0 complete bike comes in at $6699 ($7399 RRP).

With all the new models rolling through over the next couple of months, be sure to get your pre-order in to avoid missing out. Carbon Mach 5.7's are landing in December and the available frames have almost all been allocated - so get in quick!

For more information on spec listing and build pricing, checkout the Pivot Mountain Bike range here. We also have individual Pivot Frames available, as well as in store demo bikes for you to experience the hype for yourself.

NZ Bound!

2011-10-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

As some of you may be aware, I've been packing my bags and bike box over the last couple of weeks in preparation of making the journey over the Tasman to the land of Kiwis. My partner and I are heading over to NZ for a 6 month working holiday where we'll be travelling the countryside with our mountain bikes in tow. After working @ My Mountain for the past 3 years, I finished up my last day at the shop on Friday and have handed over the reigns to our new Store Manager; Scottish Ben, who I'm sure you will all get to know over the next few weeks, though he can be a little difficult to understand sometimes so please be patient and speak slowly.

Having been heavily involved with the shop over the past few years and partaking in social rides as well as running the Secret Singletrack Society, I've had an absolute blast working with the MM crew and am so lucky to have had the opportunity to work in such a great work environment. Although we're excited to be heading off, we're also sad to say goodbye to all of the regular customers that have made being part of My Mountain so much fun.

Keep an eye out for Blog and Facebook updates, as I'll be checking in with photos and general gloating about how good the trails are in NZ!

Happy Trails!

Wilis

2012 Trek Remedy 9 - The 150mm travel trailblazer

2011-10-25T23:08:00.000-07:00

With massive worldwide demand slowing down deliveries, we've finally managed to get our hands on the much-hyped 2012 Trek Remedy 9. With 6" of travel and the brand new Fox DRCV fork, the Trek Remedy is ready to take you into Hyperspace! Though if you're not really a fan of Hyperspace, it will also just as easily pilot you out to Mt Buller or the You Yangs.

The big story for the 2012 Trek MTB range is the addition of the DRCV suspension technology to the high end Fox Forks. Used on the rear shocks for the past 3 seasons, the Dual Rate Control Valve utilises 2 air chambers inside the fork to provide a much bigger air volume once you're deep into the travel.
The result? Smooth consistent travel that feels like a coil spring, all with the weight and adjustability that comes with an air spring.
Also new for 2012, the Float 150 RLC forks feature the blingtastic Gold Kashima Coat on the fork stanchions, servicing to reduce stiction and increase that buttery-smooth feel.

Perhaps the coolest gadget on the new Remedy, the brand new XTR Trail rear derailleur features a gold switch to engage a stiffer tension spring to reduce chain slap. Think of the XTR Trail rear derailleur as a mini chainguide, in that it increases chain tension - pretty cool huh?
The laser accurate 10 speed XT/XTR drivetrain is what you would expect on a bike of this level, and complements the quality of the overall bike nicely.

For 2012, numbers-geeks will notice that Trek has slackened out the head angle on the Remedy for improved DH stability, and having ridden one of these bad boys out on the trail we can honestly say that it is a better bike for it.

Combined with the DRCV suspension and ABP rear suspension linkage the Trek Remedy is a super confident and super plush bike to hit up technical black diamond trails on.

If you're wriggling uncontrollably in your seat while reading this, hop into My Mountain to see the Remedy in all its raw aluminum glory and get one of these machines out on to some techy trails near you - Warning: Remedy may increase your riding abilities, confidence on the trail and general attractiveness

Let's get ready to ruuuuummmmbble!! 2012 Trek Rumblefish Pro crashes My Mountain HQ

2011-10-25T22:13:00.000-07:00

A 5" travel 29er? You must be joking!
Yes - and no, we are not joking ladies & gents; welcome to the future of mountain biking - the 2012 Trek Rumblefish Pro is here and ready to destroy trails everywhere!

Possibly one of the most exciting bikes we have received for the 2012 riding season, the Trek Rumblefish is a sign of things to come with its beefy thru-axle frame & fork, 120mm of DRCV Fox Suspension, fat 2.35" Bontrager tyres and a riding position that will see you comfortably hitting drops and railing berms at speed. This bike is all about riding technical singletrack and keeping things stable and smooth in the rough stuff that would upset its smaller 26" wheeled siblings.

Aside from looking ridiculously hot in its Matte Sepia colourway, the Rumblefish has a lot going on for 2012 with some massive upgrades over previous Fish's, including the brand-new-for-2012 DRCV Fox Fork. Like the DRCV rear shock that first features on the 2009 Gary Fisher Roscoe, the new Fox Fork uses a dual air chamber design that allows for a much smoother and linear transition through the mid to end stroke of the travel. Implemented to match the DRCV Fox Float rear shock, the Rumblefish achieves "coil like" plushness and a super balanced feel between the front and rear wheels unlike any other bike on the market.

The Rumblefish features a QR15 thru axle fork up front with a Tapered headtube that makes for a massively stiff interface on the front of the bike. To match the front, the rear axle is a 142x12mm Maxle that increases lateral rigidity and adds to the overall handling of the bike - a must have on a 29er dually.

With prices dropping across the board, while spec and frames are actually improving, the 2012 Trek mountain bike range is looking tough to beat. We've got a lot of the new 2012 bikes currently arriving, so drop into My Mountain if you want to get some fresh wheels for the Summer season.

For more info on this bad boy, check out the Trek Rumblefish Pro here.

New Bike Alert! 2012 Trek Superfly 100 AL Pro has landed @ My Mountain

2011-10-25T21:49:00.001-07:00

Exciting news for the big wheel fans @ My Mountain; the brand new 2012 Trek Superfly 100 has officially landed instore and is now available for test riding!

With 100mm travel front & rear, a Fox Float Tapered QR15 fork up front and the 142x12 thru-axle out back, the Trek Superfly 100 AL Pro has all the right ingredients for a super fast XC trail bike. And as an indication of the growing popularity of the 29er bike movement, the Superfly 100 will be part of our demo fleet, with both a 17.5" (Medium) and a 19.5" (Large) available for test riding out on your local trails.

The Pro model you can see here is an XT spec that features the brand new XT Ice Tech brakes and the Shimano 2x10 drivetrain that combined with its reduced price for 2012 will make for a hot bike for this Summer riding season.

As XC World Cup teams around the globe are making the switch to 29er bikes, bikes like the Superfly 100 are becoming the choice for those wanting to cover a lot of ground as fast as possible.
Thanks to Treks G2 geometry, the Superfly 100 AL proves it is one of the best handling 29ers on the market, with none of the "tractor handling" you get from other brands 29er bikes.

If you're keen on seeing what all the fuss is about with Treks new 29er range, drop into My Mountain in Brunswick to see the range in the flesh and to organise a test ride.

Otherwise, check out more details on the 2012 Trek Superfly 100 Al Pro here.

Near misses, cactus & hike-A-bike... An Arizona adventure

2011-10-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

While on holiday in Arizona we decided to hire a couple of mountain bikes and check out the local trails as like many areas in the US Tucson is surrounded by mountains. So with high hopes we headed down to one of the local bike shops who for "lack of service" will remain nameless and picked up a couple of 2011 bikes. Being a first time mountain biker Megan jumped on a Gary Fisher Xcaliber knowing the bigger wheels and lighter weight would work well, while I decided to throw my leg over a Specialized Epic Expert. I was hoping to test out the competition and try and understand what people love about the Epic as I had ridden one years ago and wasn't much of a fan of the brain concept.

At this point the days adventure was ahead of us and anything could happen... New trails, new bikes, maps, spares and food, we were ready. Just one more thing to check off before we head into the hills, coffee. And it was at at this point the dream of a perfect days riding started to blur a little. Without going into too much detail, the calamity involved a caffeine deprived driver, the sight of a Starbucks going by, and an evasive lane changing maneuver into a lane that was already occupied by a very large Chevy truck. No contact, no foul was the call from the ref, but talk about close call.

So with small coffee in hand (XL by our standards) and a 10 minute break to calm the nerves after our little driving incident we headed off to the Tucson Mountain Park where there are a myriad of hiking and mtb trails south west of the city. Once we arrived, we grabbed our Camelbaks, helmets and were ready to go. "I'll just grab the bikes off the rack" I thought, but 10 minutes later I still couldn't get the ratchet to release the hook that holds the bike onto the wheel cradle. What the? To be fair this problem may have been caused by the operator as somehow I had managed to put the outside bike on in a way that the large chainring was about 2mm in front and completely covering the mechanism that needed to be released. A challenge!

But after some wrestling, the removal of a bottle cage and a couple of "walk aways" to keep things real we eventually got the bikes off and we were set to go. Now I personally don't mind an adventurous trail, in fact I believe too many trails are being sanitised, and dumbed down to make the riding safer. However being Megan's fist ride, those groomed swoopy trails without too many rocky sections or scary technical challenges is exactly what I was after. Not to be. Although the trail started off well, albeit a little rocky, it quickly turned upward and with it so did the technical skill required to just stay on the bike. The trail was gnarly! Oh yeah, and so far I have failed to mention that around every 5 metres or so was a cactus on the side of the trail ready to pierce your skin with hundreds of little needles. And take it from experience, they aren't very easy to get out, and in fact have a barb on the end making them quite painful. Not fun for a beginner, not fun for a seasoned mountain biker. What is wrong with these Tucson riders? This is crazy!

Finally, after getting down off what was definitely a hiking trail, we made our way back to the car to load up the bikes, this time making sure not to cover the ratchet device, and head off to another area hoping to find more biker friendly trails. Sweetwater trail network was where we were headed, and the moment we turned up it felt more like a mountain bike park. Gravel car park, trail map, and another car leaving with a high end bike attached to the roof. It may have taken us all day and a lot of adventurous setbacks to find it, but we had finally found a nice area of singletrack that was well kept, and well marked for those unfamiliar with the area. Megan had finally got a taste of what mountain biking is all about. But as we all know, those days full of adventure and mishap can become as talked about as those days we would consider perfect. That's what I believe makes mountain biking so addictive; No two days are ever the same, and you never really know what is around the next corner. Of course if you are in Tucson you can guarantee there will be a big cactus around the next corner...they are everywhere!

My Mountain News

2011-10-07T04:17:00.000-07:00

SSS Shop Ride

The next social ride for the Secret Singletrack Society is planned for this Sunday, and we'll be taking the SSS crew out to ride the trails of Bendigo. One of our good customers that lives up that way has offered to show us around the local singletrack and will give us a all a good chance to ride some new trails. We'll be out riding for 2-3 hours, and will wrap up the trip with a pub lunch before heading back to Melbourne.

Details have been emailed out to SSS members, though if you haven't received an email or want to find out if you're eligible to join - contact the shop and we'll fill you in on what's involved.

The Gravity 12hr Boot Camp

This one we're pretty excited about - a joint venture between MM and the Spin Room, we've organised a 4-week "Boot Camp" for the lead up to the Gravity 12 hour race in early November. After running a complementary spin class for the SSS crew last Monday, we received so much positive feedback and requests for more MM spin classes that we decided to organise a training program for the 4 weeks leading up to the Gravity enduro event. The program will consist of spin classes tailored towards mountain bikers, as well as information sessions on nutrition, bike setup and training to kick start everyone for the upcoming riding season.

With the invitation extending firstly to the SSS crew, almost all of the available spots have been filled though we still have a couple left for the Monday kickoff. If you're interested in boosting your fitness levels and riding technique either for Gravity or for the Summer season, get in contact with us for details about the boot camp package.

Wednesday Night Shop Rides

In other shop riding news; for those that have been asking, we'll be kicking off the Wednesday night Shop Rides soon, as daylight savings has given us a few more hours of sunlight to play with. Over the Summer riding season, we will be hosting a ride that will leave from the shop at 6pm and head from Fairfield Boathouse along the Yarra Trails. The social rides are open to any rider of intermediate fitness and skill, though if you haven't been along before give us a call to work out if they're for you.

We will keep everyone posted on when the first ride will be, so keep an eye out for Facebook and the blog for more info.

Until then, happy trails and looking forward to hitting it up with the SSS on Sunday!

Singlespeed Nationals 2011 - Crossing the Border

2011-10-04T03:33:00.000-07:00

The Singlespeed Nationals is a once-a-year (semi)organised race event that gets a bunch of similarly mentally damaged mountain bike singlespeeders together to participate in a weekend of stupid costumes, beer drinking, tattoos, huffy-tossing, general frivolity and a little bit of riding in between.

Having participated in last years event in Canberra where my bike was stolen (anyone remember that one?), Mat ended up in hospital and Troy was so hungover that he elected not to ride his bike on many occasions, I actually didn't even hesitate to take off a weekend in September to do all the above, all over again. Well, except for the bike getting stolen thing. Or the hospital trip. Or the whole Troy getting... ah who was I kidding, of course he was going to be hungover for the whole weekend!

Seeing as Adelaide had elected themselves to host the Singlespeed Nationals for this year, the important decision between flying or road tripping had to be made early on, though bearing in mind our experience last year we decided the road trip would be the easiest option.

Firstly however, a word of advice:

When thinking of embarking on an 8-10 hour road trip, never underestimate how truly long and truly boring that 8-10 hour drive can actually be - especially when it is Melbourne-Adelaide. Some places can be deceivingly "easy" to drive to due to the interesting terrain and countryside around you. However, the journey from Melbourne to Adelaide is in no way shape or form what you would call "easy". Having said that, we did manage to see the charm in a number of small country towns along the way where we sampled many a vanilla slice, hot pies and terrible, terrible coffee.

In fact, one petrol station in a little town we stopped at impressed us with their product diversification with a sign in the window proudly stating that they were licensed to sell ammunition - which is good to know when you're filling a car with petrol.

After crossing the border, we realised there was still a solid 4 hours of driving and Dave and I briefly discussed whether it was worth being sober for the remainder of the journey. And I do mean briefly - in fact, enough time to stop at a bottle shop.

Dave took the opportunity to indulge in a 6-pack of his favorite "Pink Cadillac" shots.

And shortly after...

The campsite was quite obviously the closest one to the event, with every second car or van loaded up with bikes. Most of the convoy arrived in Adelaide by Friday afternoon and although folks were a little wary-eyed after the long drive, the excitement levels slowly began to creep up as we speculated on what the trails were going to be like and which weirdos from last year were going to be at the event.

Though as you're probably thinking with this photo, we probably shouldn't have been worrying about "other weirdos"...

Arriving at the site for the event on Saturday morning, we rocked up to the Eagle MTB Park that we had heard so much about. Based around an old quarry, the site is similar to You Yangs but is in a much more natural and picturesque setting, with longer and more rolling trails.

Prior to the race kicking off, we headed out for a quick scout of the course to see what was in store for us. In the week leading up to the event, I had been asking anyone who had previously ridden Eagle Park what tyres we should be running. With confidence, I was informed to run something fast-rolling with minimal tread, as the trails were supposedly nice hard pack dirt without too much loose stuff. Taking the advice on board, I fitted some nice 'n' wide low profile tyres in preparation for the race, though shortly round after the first 50m of trail that I was going to be severely undergunned...

Much to everyones disdain, the race kicked off with a Le Mans style start. Really, anyone who thinks that a mountain bike race should be commenced by a run should be beaten around the head with a White Industries freewheel.
Standing around on the start line, a few familiar faces called out and we had a brief chance to chat before the air horn blew and we were running off to find our bikes.

The course was a 5km loop that included some beautifully smooth singletrack as well as some steep and loose descents that kept everyone on their toes. The course was a great mix of flowy and technical, though I was definitely second-guessing my tyre choice on the loose areas. Mind you I can't complain too much, as they were very fast, just my problem was that they were fast in pretty much every direction.

One area of this years event that was causing some controversy was the so-called "Onion Cut". For those familiar with the running of a Singlespeed race, you'll know that at some point during the course there is a diversion through a tent that allows you to take a substantial short cut. The only catch is that in that tent, you have to consume a can of beer before you can continue, thus providing you with a choice of shortcut + a belly full of fizzing beer, or the longer route with less chance of being sick.

For Adelaide 2011 however, licensing rules wouldn't permit the consumption of alcohol as part of the race, so the event organisers changed the tent to the Onion Cut. The premise was the same, but instead of beer, you had to cut a whole onion that would contribute to the post-race BBQ. Pretty lame right?

Well that's what I thought, and there was no way I was going to ride any less to cut onions after driving 8 damn hours to get to the event.

As the race went on, I noticed that there was a lot of beer drinking occurring at the Onion Cut, and not a lot of cutting onions. Being the naive idiot I am, I realised by the 4th lap that the so-called Onion Cut was a clever ploy to cover for the Beer Cut!

I won't go into detail about the race results as it doesn't really matter at a SS event, though all the crew seemed to love the trails and best of all no one ended up in hospital this year - though Mat gave it a good crack with a decent "off" on his last lap.

Post-race involved a dirty BBQ feed with everyone keen to get all those precious nutrients back into their bodies, as well as all the novelty evens like the Longest Skid Competition and the classic Huffy Toss - all very serious stuff!

If anyone is thinking of hitting up the trails over in Adelaide, I couldn't recommend it enough as all of us thoroughly enjoyed the trails on offer at Eagle MTB Park.

All in all we had a pretty damn good weekend of riding, drinking lots of Coopers and South Australian wine and sampling pretty much every type of take away meal available between Melbourne and Adelaide. Thanks to all the crew for making it such a fun trip and can't wait to do it again next year... though I may fly next time...

Ready to be opened up - The Santa Cruz Tallboy 29er

2011-09-28T01:42:00.000-07:00

When we launched Santa Cruz Bicycles @ My Mountain a few months back, we noticed that there was one particular model that seemed to be receiving more attention than any other model in the Santa Cruz lineup. Whether people were asking about pricing, colours, demo rides or even if they could have an opportunity to see one in the flesh, the Carbon Tallboy 29er has had a lot of buzz around it.

Being the first 29er bike in the Santa Cruz family, the Tallboy was always going to receive a lot of buzz and attention (thanks to their marketing gurus in California). Though since the debut of their Carbon 29er, they have proved that this bike has more than lived up to the hype due to its stellar VPP suspension design, confident trail geometry and rigid frame construction.
Whether you're racing or just weekend trail riding, the Santa Cruz Tallboy is an amazing trail weapon that combines the stability of a 29er bike, with the quality handling and suspension that Santa Cruz have built their reputation on.

At just over 2kg for the frame and shock, the Carbon Tallboy frameset brings with it all the advantages of modern carbon fibre construction as well as some proprietry layup techniques that you'll only find on Santa Cruz bikes.
It's stout mini-link VPP suspension design keeps it laterally stiff and easy to maintain - something that's important to privateer racers and trail riders concerned about durability.
Although you've got 100mm of travel out back, the Tallboy frame will accomodate a 100-120mm travel fork up front, depending on the sort of ride quality you're after. 120mm gives a more upright trail-riding position, while a 100mm long fork will suit racers and XC types after more nimble steering.

You can get the Tallboy as a frameset, or as a complete bike like you can see here.
We've got complete Tallboys starting from just over $5k, with varying build kits available in SLX, XT and the flagship XTR spec.

Check out the full details on the Tallboy 29er here.

And for build specs, check out the complete Tallboy bike here.

If you're interested in the big-wheeled Santa Cruz and want to find out more why this bike is in such demand, contact us at the shop for more details.

Secret Singletrack Society News

2011-09-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

After a bit of a hiatus over a wet and cold Winter, the SSS crew got out last weekend for the first shop ride of Spring onto the buff trails of Smiths Gully. What was mean to be a 2 hour ride ended up being a 4 hour epic involving a taco'd front wheel, some concept map-reading skills and a bit of trail side chunder thrown into the mix just for fun.

The trails were in perfect condition, which was a far-cry from the slushy mud we encoutnered on our last SSS ride out at Smiths Gully.
With rolling hills, the trails provide a healthy dose of climbing and descending with lots of fun switchbacks and you get that distinct feeling that you are out of the city and enjoying the natural environment around you.

After ascending the first big climb of the day, Brian decided he would like to see his breakfast one more time and proceded to paint the local flora an off-yellow colour. After getting it all off his chest, the ride continued on but perhaps it was a sign of things to come...
This photo here is of the group heading down a singletrack descent that featured a few rolling jumps. Titanium Tim, being the air-born seeker he is, boosted one of these "jumps" and ended up getting a little sideways on the landing. After clipping a pedal on a small tree, Tim was sent off the trail into a slightly bigger tree...

...which claimed his beautiful custom wheel that we had only built for him earlier this year. As you can see, his wheel pulled off a very good impersonation of a Taco!

We got the wheel into a slightly straighter condition so at least Tim could walk the bike out of the singletrack, and we proceded to head back towards the carpark via a series of fireroads that would be quicker than the singletrack option. Or so we thought.
After an hour of climbing, taking wrong turns and breaking up into about 3 separate groups, we eventually got back to the carpark after wandering starting the ride 4 hours earlier. Although things didn't quite go according to plan, it did make the pies and coffee at the end of the ride very much tastier for it!

Our next SSS weekend shop ride will be on for early October and the details will be emailed out shortly to all My Mountain SSS members.

We also have a MM-only Spin Class booked in for Monday the 3rd of October.

This invitational class at the Spin Room will be an introduction to indoor cycling for mountain bikers and is designed for all fitness levels. It will be complementary for SSS members and the class details have already been mailed out, which you will need to reply to in order to book a spot. If you haven't received any information about the class, please give us a call at the shop to update your contact email details.

For future SSS members, feel free to drop into MMHQ or give us a call to see what's involved in becoming a member and why it is a seriously rad crew to be part of!

Pimp Crusty's ride and win a pair of Bontrager RXL shoes

2011-09-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

Those of you that only have eyes for mountain bikes may not be aware of Trek Project One as it's only available for road bikes. Trek project one gives you the opotunity to design a custom road bike down to every last detail. Components, paint, bar tape, cable outer, you name it. You can do this with all the 6 series bikes that are hand built at Trek in the USA and we are hopeful that some time soon Trek will roll this out to the US built mountain bikes as well.

Even if you aren't a road bike finatic, messing around with project one is fun as you can change thousands of options on the bike and see the results implimented instantly before you eyes. It's lots of fun and believe it or not can get a rider on a custom, handmade tour winning bike in around a month from under 6K

Not in the market for a new custom road bike? No problems, why don't you design Crusty's ? We are giving you the chance to design someone else's bike, spend their money so to speak in our "Pimp Crusty's Ride" competition. Crusty is due for a new road bike and has decided to let the MM comunity come up with the design as voted on Facebook.

The winning design as voted by our Facebook community will win a pair of Bontrager RXL shoes! road or mountain...you choose. Value $300

Here's how it works:

Go to Trek project one and go nuts. Design the best looking road bike you can with SRAM Red
Post the image on our Facebook page
Crusty will select his favourite 3 and put it to vote
Crusty orders the winning design and hands of the money
You get yourself a brand new set of Bontrager RXL shoes.

Runner up finalist will also get $100 gift vouchers to spend on Bontrager accessories.

So jump onto Trek Project One and get designing.

2012 Trek Bikes - a sneak peak of whats on the way

2011-09-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

Every year in September I get reminded how much fun it is working in the bike industry when I have the opportunity to attend Trek World where I see what's on the horizon for Trek bikes. Like every year there are lots of tweaks, a few changes to the line up, and a couple of game changing technology jumps and 2012 Trek mountain bikes haven't let me down. After spending a day listening to the changes for 2012 I'm excited to be heading to Mt Stromlo in Canberra today for a full day of test riding to get a feel for what these dramatic changes have made to the bikes I love.

The Trek EX range for 2012 from the outside looks almost unchanged. Sure the styling is updated and the rear derailleur cable is now neatly internally routed through the top tube but underneath the Trek EX is a different beast all together. The EX has made a clear shift towards the trail bike category by slackening off the head angle a whole degree back to 68. In addition to this working in conjunction with Fox Trek have introduced another game changing technology, the DRCV Fox fork. And unbelievably this technology goes all the way down to the EX8 that comes in under 3K.

DRCV, or Dual Rate Control Valve is a technology that Trek introduced to the trail & technical trail bikes in 2010. The DRCV shock was a fantastic development as it gave bikes like the EX supple small bump compliance and responsive acceleration while still handling the big hits well. Basically it has the advantages of a small can shock merged with those larger volume. Two shocks in one so to speak. This year sees that technology adapted to the fork on the EX and Remedy bikes which should have an amazing result on how these bikes handle the bigger hits, drop offs, and large square edge bumps. Quite simply the DRCV shock opens a second air chamber at 50% of its travel increasing the overall volume. This eliminates the ramp up issue commonly associated with air shocks and something I'm really looking forward to testing today!

Demo Bike Sell Off - get in quick!

2011-09-06T03:22:00.000-07:00

The time has come for our 2011 fleet of demo bikes to be sold off to good homes. We have loved and nurtured these great bikes for around 9 months now and kept them in perfect condition the entire time. If you are a regular visitor to My Mountain I'm sure you would have noticed how well kept they are. All our demo bikes have 200-300 Km of riding and don't show any signs of wear at all. In fact you will be hard pressed to know they have ever been ridden. All our demo bikes still retain their full warranties and still come with our usual suspension tune, and bike fit.

Trek EX9

RRP $3,999

Demo $2,999

The EX 9 is going to hit the trail bike market like a George Foreman opponent. With a thump that is. The EX 9 straps on the some amazing parts on a frame, fork and wheels platform that is nothing short of Stella. 15mm QR up front and the new 142 x 12mm rear standard make the EX 9 as stiff as you like, while the custom tuned Fox DRCV shock and RLC fork will keep you in control. The EX 9 gets tubeless compatible DT Swiss wheels and a Shimano Dyna-sys shifting system making this trail bike the shinning star of the trail bike world. Trek has left no stone un-turned in the quest to build a performance packed trail bike legend.

Or if you have been hanging to to check out the 2012 EX9 it's online now!

Trek Paragon ( Gary Fisher Signature Series)

RRP $ 2,499
Demo $ 1,999

The Gary Fisher designed Paragon is our best selling hardtail at My Mountain and it’s not hard to see why. The Paragon comes ready to race, or ride all day epics weekend after weekend depending on what makes you tick. A Fox F series fork needs no introduction and the Mustang rims that are laced to Shimano M525 hubs are relatively light and maintenance free. The Paragon also jumps on the 10 speed band wagon with a SRAM/ Shimano drive train that will shift well under just about any condition. With a parts spec like this and the new price we don’t see any change coming in how popular the Paragon will be for those wanting a top notch 29er hardtail and a reasonable price.

Trek Scratch Air 9 RRP $ 5,999 Demo $ 4,499

The Trek Scratch Air 9 is one of the bikes of the 2011 line up that stands out in the looks department. It could just be the flashy red DT Swiss wheels, or the understated frame colour scheme with colour matching logos, or a whole bunch of other small attention to detail that the Trek engineers gave this beauty. But whatever it is, the Scratch Air 9 has mojo baby yeah! The Fox Talas FIT fork works fantastically on this bike as lowering the fork from 160mm to 120 transforms the front end of the bike making riding up the hill not only viable, but quite efficient. Working alongside the adjustable fork travel is the Crank Bro’s Joplin seat post that drops your saddle four inches with the flick of a switch. So with your saddle switched to the low position and your fork at 160mm of travel you are ready to rock the descents. While ripping downhill you will notice the ride to be stiff and direct with point and shoot precision that comes via the endless list of frame and interface technologies used on this bike. Every small piece of the technology puzzle adds up to a massive result. An awesome result. We at My Mountain solute the Trek engineers for the Scratch Air 9.

Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon - Scream if you want to go faster!!

2011-08-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

That goregous Matte White Machine you can see below Ladies & Gentlemen, is what is commonly referred to as a Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon - perhaps one of the most lusted after bikes on the market. This full carbon Nomad is actually a demo bike we have ordered in for a customer who's looking to upgrade to a lighter, stiffer carbon frame than what he is currently riding, and is keen to get the tyres onto the dirt to see what all the fuss is about.

With the hype machine having gone into overdrive during Santa Cruz Bicycles release of the Nomad Carbon in April last year, the glowing reviews have been coming in thick and fast from magazines all around the globe with nary a bad word on this superbike.

With a substantial drop in weight over the alloy frameset, the Carbon Nomad also adds in a whole load of strength and stiffness that gives this 160mm travel All Mountain bike a snappy feel under acceleration and hardtail-like responsiveness. It is available with both air and coil shocks, and can be setup in all sorts of different configurations depending on what your preference is;

- 180mm travel fork with a 1x10 drivetrain and chain device?

- Coil suspension front & rear for buttery smooth suspension?

- Travel adjustable fork and a 3x10 drivetrain for demolishing technical trails?

The Nomad Carbon will do it all, and do it all very, very well!

This particular Nomad comes with the custom tuned Fox Float RP23 Boost Valve rear shock, which keeps the weight down and allows for a multitude of tuning options depending on rider weight and style.
You can get the Nomad as a frameset or as a complete bike, and builds start from under $6k. You can check out the complete Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon Bike here.

If you like the look of the Nomad Carbon but have got important costs in your life such as a mortgage, or food, then you may be interested in the cheaper Aluminum Santa Cruz Nomad Frame. We also have complete bike options starting from just over $4k.

Whatever your flavour or budget, there's likely a sweet Nomad frame or build out there for you!

Otherwise, pop into MMHQ in Brunswick East to check out the Nomad Carbon Demo Bike while it's still here and Jerry, Greg, Wil or Mark will talk your ear off about how goood these bikes really are!

Entries Are Open: Gravity 12 Hour

2011-08-07T03:12:00.000-07:00

Although it might seem like a long way away, entries have just opened for the 2011 Gravity 12 Hour and we are getting a bit fired up for it. Held on private land in Rosewhite in the Victorian high country, the Gravity 12 is by far the best enduro on the Victorian calendar and one not to be missed. Last year was an absolute blast with a large MM crew throwing down laps, beers and laughs throughout the weekend with everyone coming away with ear to ear smiles. We are hoping to make 2011 just as fun and also hope to encourage even more people to get into a team and have a go, as no matter what your speed or ability, the Gravity is a great place to start. Great atmosphere, great organisers, great participants and set in a beautiful location.

Like last year we will be heading up on the Friday afternoon to setup My Mountain Race HQ (think tents, esky, BBQ) and camp Fri/ Sat night. So block out Nov 4-6 in your diary and come join the MM crew get dirty, rip up some trails and have a few beers….. Also like last year we will be helping to organise people into teams and will be doing something extra special with our Secret Singletrack Society members so watch this space. If you already know you are keen to join us send an email to mark@mymountain.com.au as he will be coordinating the festivities.

Cadel Evans, we salute you. Well done!

2011-07-24T03:16:00.000-07:00

If you are as bleary eyed and as tyred as I am you have probably been staying up most nights watching history in the making. Baring disaster Cadel Evans should roll into Paris tonight the winner of the 2012 Tour de France. What an epic result! Cadel has raced a race that is nothing short of legendary and deserves every accolade he is given.

I will be the first to admit that in the past I haven't been a huge fan of Cadel as I found his repeated complaining a bit off putting, and didn't believe it showed the heart and determination needed to win the world’s greatest sporting event. Le Tour de France. But I am ecstatic to have been proven wrong!

My opinion of Cadel started to change when he took his world title with inspirational aggression and confidence. Around the same time he also seemed to become more and more comfortable in his ability as a rider and how he dealt with the media. He had never been very talkative with the media in the past and seemed to find them more annoying than anything. Some might say dealing with the media has nothing to do with riding, but for us cycling fans it's our only interaction with the sports rock-stars, so I believe it’s part of their job. Point in case….Jens Voigt. Who doesn’t love Jens? So the win aside I am even more impressed that Cadel has taken a leap forward in his interaction with the media and in doing so his fans.

So it would seem that for 2012 Cadel has come to the Tour full of confidence, loaded with panache and to top it all off a great attitude towards his team, spectators and media. Well done Cadel, no one ever deserved to win the tour more than you deserved to win this one. Congratulations on winning with style, well done for riding like a legend from day one to Paris, and big-ups for taking charge on the big mountains, staring those who would see you fail in the eye and saying "bring it on".

To top off this great achievement and something we should all be for ever thankful to Cadel for is how much he has single-handily helped raise the profile of cycling in our country. Because whether you are a passionate roadie, or a hard-core DH junkie Cadel will make millions more Australians not only take more notice of all cyclist, but they might just pull their old clunker out of the shed and go for a ride. And that’s a true legacy.

Cadel Evans, I salute you,
Crusty

Custom Build: Santa Cruz Blur LT

2011-07-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

When it comes to building your dream machine, sometimes the off-the-shelf option just isn't quite what you're after. Sure it's probably a good buy and it's ready to ride out of the shop, but if you're going to be forking over your hard-earned bills for a new smile-making machine that you're planning on riding for the next 4-5 years, you are going to want it to be perfect.

And that's exactly what one of our customers, Matt, decided to do with his brand new Santa Cruz Blur LT. If you've ever thought about custom building up your very own mountain bike, this post will give you a little insight into how we do it.

Starting out with a new 140mm travel Blur LT frame, Matt went for a bit of a hybrid build that took some of the parts from his previous Giant Trance that he had upgraded over the years, as well as some nice shiny new parts to match the gorgeous Blur frame.

Matt also picked up the 150mm travel Fox Float RLC fork to mount up front, which matches perfectly to the Fox Float RP23 Boost Valve rear shock. On any dual suspension bike, the quality of the fork and rear shock as well as how they are setup will have a huge effect on how it performs out on the trail.

Changing from his old Trance to the Blur LT presented a few opportunities for Matt with bike setup as he was looking for more stability and control out of the new bike.

By default, the Blur LT uses slacker geometry and a slightly more upright riding position than the Giant, which was quite racey and unstable in comparison. One of the areas that Matt was keen to change was the cockpit, and so he went with a nice 'n' wide Deity Dirty 30 handlebar that would provide him with more stability and confidence to lean the bike over through the corners.

Those lovely golden legs on the Float 150 are the heralded "Kashima Coat" that is used to provide a smoother surface on the stanchions than traditional anodizing. This helps make the fork smoother and more supple so it absorbs small trail chatter better. The new Fox stuff just gets better and better and once you've had the chance to try out the new Kashima FIT forks, you'll find it very hard to go back to anything else!
The lowers use the bolt-thru QR15 system, which adds stiffness and rigidity to the fork/hub interface. With the addition of the QR15 fork, Matt went with a brand new set of Shimano XT Wheels with a QR15 front hub to match.

A high-end bike is nothing without quality small parts, such as gear cabling. You can have XTR this and XX that, but if you put it together haphazardly with cheap cables and low-end fittings, it's not going to mean much out on the trail.

We fitted the SRAM Flak Jacket Gear Cable Set to the Blur LT to provide slick and positive shifting, with a fully lined casing system that is designed to keep the water and dirt out of the cables.

Having said that, I'm not sure how keen Matt will be to ride his new bike in anything but perfect conditions!

The other must-have for a custom build; the Thomson Stem. With Matt going to a wider handlebar, we recommended he use a slightly shorter stem than what he had prior, in order to maintain a comfortable reach while improving high-speed stability. The 80mm Thomson X4 Stem keeps the handling tight, without making climbs a chore - an all round riding position that matches the all round capability of the Blur LT.

And as we think you'll agree, the finished product looks pretty damn fine! Not too much white and not too much red, the bike came out better than any of us had expected.
We'll be looking forward to hearing more riding stories from Matt, but so far it sounds like he is one happy camper!

If you like the look of the frame, you can check out the Santa Cruz Blur LT here.
We also have Blur LT complete options starting from just under $3500, and you can check out our entire range of Santa Cruz Bikes here.

Otherwise, drop into the shop to check out some of our instore demo bikes and frames we have available or to have a chat about doing a custom build for yourself.

2011 Trek Scratch Air 8

2011-07-06T15:09:00.000-07:00

As part of the My Mountain "Wicked Winter Deal" series, we have issued a ball-tearing deal on one of the most in-demand bikes this season, the Trek Scratch Air 8. Probably the most versatile bike in the Trek mountain bike lineup, the Scratch Air gets 170mm of travel courtesy of a custom valved Fox Float rear shock that is designed to handle everything from fast-paced singletrack to shuttling big mountain trails. With lots of suppleness in the first 2/3rds of travel for incredible climbing traction, followed by plenty of progression and ramp up in the last 3rd to resist bottom-out on big drops, the Scratch Air can handle it all!

One of our regular My Mountain ambassadors, Tall Tim, has recently been struck by an embarrasing problem whereby he only has one mountain bike, and a singlespeed 29er at that. Searching to fill the void in his stable, Tall Tim decided that a longer travel dually would give him an all-round bike to tackle a bit of DH, black diamond runs and rougher trail riding when the hardtail singlespeed just won't cut it. Although the Scratch Air has a lot of travel and looks beefcake, being air-sprung it is actually a lot lighter and more efficient than what you would first suspect.

The alloy mainframe is manipulated, shaped and hydroformed to provide oodles of strength and stiffness while eeking out any unnecessary weight. Clever features like the one-piece EVO link and E2 tapered headtube increase lateral and torsional stiffness while actually reducing weight, and the Float fork and rear shock ensure you're not lugging around heavy coil springs. Not only is this air suspension highly tuneable, it is also so well executed that you would be hard pressed to tell the difference in performance compared to the coil sprung versions.
The Trek Scratch Air 8 shares many of the same frame and suspension technologies with the rest of the Trek mountain bike lineup, including the ABP design that gives you supple suspension performance whether you're on the brakes or not. The Full Floater shock mount works fantastically on the Scratch, as it provides a near-bottomless feel even on the harshest of landings. You'll also be able to see the clever polycarbonate armor guard on the bottom of the downtube to protect the frame from flying rocks and debris - Nice!

With the Scratch Air 8 currently on special, Tim was able to splash out on a couple of upgrades to improve on what was already a pretty kickarse bike. The stock bike comes with a 160mm travel Fox Float R, though we decided to supersize the bike with a 180mm travel Fox Float RC2. Aside from the 20mm increase in travel, the new fork comes with smooth gold Kashima coated stanchions, an inverted FIT damper that is more supple and consistent than the open bath damper on the stock fork, as well as more adjustment via independantly tuneable high and low speed compression. This all leads to a smoother, more tuneable fork that also rakes out the front end of the bike for incredible high speed DH-like stability.
The tapered steerer tube and 20mm thru-axle mesh perfectly with the Scratch's frame and build on the burly-but-light theme.

You will see evidence of another key upgrade ontop of the handlebar, where a small RockShox remote activates the dropper seatpost in the form of the RockShox Reverb. This most excellent invention is designed to provide you with 5" (125mm) of saddle drop, whilst allowing you to stay on the bike - no jumping off and messing with the seatpost clamp. At the flick of the lever, you can set the seatpost between full extension, anywhere down to full slammed for more clearance on the downhills.

Unlike other dropper posts, the RockShox Reverb relies on a hydraulic system that provides near instant operation as well as a fully sealed hose that is much more resistant to contamination than standard cable units. On a big bike like the Scratch Air, the Reverb makes a whole lotta sense as it opens up the frames versatility to allow for plenty of leg extension for the climbs, as well as a lower seated position that drops your centre of gravity for improved cornering traction. Dropping the seat out of the way is also ideal for technical downhill rides as it allows you to get your body position as rearward as possible without having the saddle in the way. One thing that we do find to be a bit of a hassle is the cable routing for dropper posts, though on the Scratch, Trek has though of everything, with specific cable guides for routing the Reverbs hydraulic line along the underside of the top tube with the gear cables. This keeps everything neat and tidy and ensures none of the cables rub anywhere they shouldn't.

The Scratch Air 8 comes with a custom 2x10 drivetrain that uses a RaceFace double crankset up front with a bashguard and chain device to keep everything secure when the trail gets bouncy. Although the stock bike comes with a capable Respond crankset, Tim upgraded to the higher quality Canadian made Atlas crankset that features incredible CNC machining for reduced weight and beautiful aesthetics. A 36/24t chainring combination gives you a wider spread of gears, with plenty of low-range for climbing steep and technical uphill trails, and the SLX 10 speed shifting is precise, durable and very fast.

The Scratch Air is an incredibly versatile mountain bike, and we're excited for Tall Tim to hit the trails with his shiny new beast. If you want to experience what all the fuss is about, you can come check out our very own demo Trek Scratch Air 9 in store.

You can also read more about the Trek Scratch Air 8 here, and check out our current range of Specials here.

A bike shop in Melbourne...why?

2011-06-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

Why start a bike shop in Melbourne? Why did I give up engineering for My Mountain? I get asked this a lot, I sometimes I ask myself as well because like any business it's a lot of blood sweat and tears. So while I am currently away being drawn back into my old world for a short period of time I have been able to reflect on the why, and even go so far as to put it down in writing to share.

My strongest memory of starting to ride apart from vague recollections of training wheels on very small bikes was the Christmas I got my BMX. It was all black with chrome handlebars that had a p yellow pad on the cross brace as well as the top tube. It had a coaster brake and shiny tough as nails wheels. In my eyes was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. This wasn't a bike; it was a ticket to freedom. My world had become exponentially larger and I could go anywhere! Well as large as the whole block, because I wasn't allowed to cross the street. But I didn't care because my front yard had just become a whole block that was about 3 kilometres in circumference. It's funny to think now about a 3 kilometre ride but when I was 6 my first adventure to try and go round the whole block was an ordeal. Would I get lost, what if a dog chased me, what if a car hit, and heavens forbid…. what if I get a puncture. Well I made it around all safe without incident and for me I think that was the start of a love affair with the sense of freedom a bike gives you.

The distances may have increased, my bikes have definitely improved a lot, and I now don't have to be home before dark. But some things haven't changed in the last 30 years.

I still have an amazing sense of freedom every time I jump on a bike

I still want to see how fast I can go around a corner, and then feel the rush of adrenalin when I stay upright despite the fear

I still cheer and clap at my friends when they do skids, jump in puddles or do wheelies

I still think bikes are the most amazing things in the world.

So why did I start MM and give up an engineering career. It's because I love the idea that we can give people that freedom. We can make positive change in people, the world, and the environment. And above all else we get to feel like 5 year olds over and over again every time we head out on a bike. Mountain, road, DH, or bike path cruiser. It doesn’t matter, just ride a bike and you'll understand.

Santa Cruz Nickel Demo Bike

2011-06-24T22:07:00.001-07:00

We had a pleasant visit from our local Santa Cruz rep last week, when he dropped past to bring us in a brand new Santa Cruz Nickel demo bike to test out for a couple of weeks.
As you can see by the muddy residue, Mark has already had the pleasre of riding the Nickel when he headed out to Erica MTB park last Saturday for the Secret Singletrack Society ride.
The Nickel is a new 5" trailbike from Santa Cruz and sits between the Superlight and Heckler in terms of travel and geometry. The big deal with the Nickel however, is it uses Santa Cruz' new suspension design called APP, which is designed to bridge the gap between their single pivot models and the more expensive Virtual Pivot Point (VPP) bikes.
It's a little heavier, plusher and slacker than an equivalent Trek Fuel EX, but the Nickel is about maximising fun on the trail and is made to take hits like a much bigger bike.

You can read more about the Santa Cruz Nickel here.

If you've been interested in the whole "APP" design and wanted to see one in the flesh, come past MMHQ in Brunswick to check out the demo Nickel while it's still here. Better yet, book a spot to take this bad boy out on the trails yourself and see just how much it makes you giggle like a school girl!

For more information about other dual suspension models, check out Santa Cruz Bikes here.
We will also be getting a Tallboy 29er demo bike into the shop in the near future, so keep an eye out for details once it arrives.

Cyclocross Melbourne - It's only weird the first time

2011-06-16T23:38:00.000-07:00

The buz around Melbourne town has been cyclocross all year. From its inception into the Melbourne cycling scene last winter, everyone knew it was going to kick off in 2011 and the prolog at Brunswick didn't disappoint.

Having never raced cyclocross before I was both excited and apprehensive when the lads at My Mountain handed me my brand new Santacruz cyclocross bike and waved me good luck. “Shouldn’t I at least take it out for a practice run first”? “No you’ll be right” came the answer from Jerry as he stacked two full esky’s of beer onto a trailer for our short ride to the Brunswick velodrome. I was wondering if it would be possible for the MM crew to get through that much Belgium beer, but time would prove it wouldn’t be a problem. All gone ¾ through the night. The race was to be randomly divided into heats with each race lasting 5 laps around the sandy, muddy, smelly course. The guys at Dirty Deeds seemed to truck in cow pat water to wet the course to an appropriate amount for this mud festival of riding. Boy did it stink!

Photo thanks to Timoty Arch Photography

So after a Belgium beer or two I decided a warm up lap was in order as I wasn’t quite sure about how well or poorly these funky little Schwalbe Racing Ralphs would go hooking around muddy corners. But to be fair I didn’t really have a go on these warm up laps, but instead just cruised around enjoying the atmosphere while trying not to focus on the smell. It wouldn’t be until the first corner of the my first race that I would work out just how well those skinny little knobby tyres would in fact grip on a high speed, muddy, slippery corners. I won’t lie though and will admit as I hooked high on the velodrome track before swinging infield towards this first corner I was thinking to myself…”there is no way I am going to stay up-right at this speed, oh well hopefully I won’t be the only one to eat it hard on the first corer”. But I didn’t eat it, it was fantastic and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. Well that isn’t entirely true as the white, wooden fence I was approaching very fast took care of that. I mean how fast can you dismount a bike, keep running and jump an obstacle at the same time? Turns out quite fast! Next job was then to jump back on and get on the gas as hard as possible and try to get some speed out of the soggy ground before staring down the barrel of the infamous sandpit.

The sandpit had claimed its fair share of victims and as the night went on the sand pit technicians got more and more ambitious with how many and how high the sand piles would be. There was no coincidence this was in front of the main spectating stand as it produced many of the nights spectator uproars. Once through the sandpit there was one more fence and a couple of mud pits to negotiate before the first lap was done. While I can remember the first lap blow by blow the remaining four were a blur of fun and laughter while tearing my lungs out. And as I rolled up to the crew behind the fence I was handed another tasty Belgium refreshment. What a night!

Thanks Dirty Deeds for bringing the amazing culture of Cyclocross to Melbourne. Thanks for keeping it fun and giving us old bike heads a new experience. Can’t wait for the next one.

Santa Cruz Blur XC Carbon Custom Build

2011-06-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

There's already been a lot of buzz in the shop since the introduction of the Santa Cruz Bicycles range, particularly around the well-priced build kits available that make getting onto a Santa Cruz bike a lot more accessible than some folk previously anticipated. With new 29er bikes joining the lineup, the introduction of the V-10 Carbon DH bike and a range of demo bikes on the way, there's a lot to get excited about with Santa Cruz.
This week, we've had the pleasure of hooking up a rider with a brand new Santa Cruz Blur XC Carbon frame, which has been custom built with a collection of new parts and exisiting components from his Giant Trance.

The Blur XC carbon frame is Santa Cruz' flagship 26" XC weapon, with 105mm of rear travel controlled via the incredibly efficient Virtual Pivot Suspension design (VPP) that is characteristic to high-end Santa Cruz dual suspension bikes. With a full carbon fibre frame, the Blur XC comes in at a mind-boggling 2050 grams (4.5lbs), including the Fox Float RP23 rear shock!

Unlike some other crazy light carbon bikes out there, the Blur XC has no rider weight limit, and retains that classic Santa Cruz geometry that makes them a blast out on the trail. This is a mountain bike first and foremost, and is designed to shred singletrack at warp speeds.

Brad, the lucky owner of this gorgeous bike, went with a fork upgrade by the way of a Fox F120 RLC unit that has the gold "Kashima" coated stanchions and the QR15 thru-axle for improved steering response and torsional stiffness. A mostly XT groupset, Mavic wheelset, Easton Carbon EC90 cockpit and the jewellery-like Thomson Masterpiece seatpost grace the carbon Blur and has allowed the complete bike to drop down to 10.9kg - and that's with pedals!

Compared to the Giant Trance, Brad has dropped a full kilo going with the carbon Blur. After test riding the Blur to run our final mechanical checks, we're impressed with our much faster and efficient the VPP Blur is compared to the old bike, and despite being a lot lighter, it's actually noticeably stiffer laterally too.
We're looking forward to hearing the first ride report from Brad, after having the bike fitted and suspension setup just in time for the long weekend. If it's anything like our experience with the carbon Blur, we're expecting a very big smile on his face when he comes back in!
If you want to know more about the Blur or the rest of the Santa Cruz range, come by the shop or drop us a line with any questions you've got.

Otherwise, check out the Santa Cruz Blur XC Carbon Frame here.

Or the Santa Cruz Full Suspension range here.

Dirty Deeds Cyclocross Prologue this Friday Night!

2011-06-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

You may have heard the buzz going around at the moment about the new Cyclocross race series in Melbourne; the Dirty Deeds CX Series. Back in 2011 for it's second series, last year was proof that Cyclocross could work down under, and this year it's set to reach a new level with more and more riders getting into the Winter sport.

If you're not familiar with Cyclocross, it's a sort of off-road style of racing that takes place on specific bikes that look similar to road bikes, though use nobby tyres for use on dirt, mud and gravel as well as stronger brakes and lower gearing. Due to the small nature of the course as well as the usually muddy conditions, Cyclocross is a fantastic spectator sport whether you're a bike fanatic or not.

This Friday night is the prologue event for the 4-part Dirty Deeds Series and is set to take place at the Brunswick Velodrome on Harrison Street. Kicking off at 7pm, there will be racing, crashing, mud, beer drinking, heckling, more mud, more crashing and a bit more (responsible) beer drinking. You can turn up on any old bike and race the open category, or bring your CX pride and joy to race with the big boys.
Speaking of, we will have both Mat Gray and Mark Travers racing their new Santa Cruz Stigmata Cyclocross Bikes and representing My Mountain on the night, so come on down to show some support (or heckling) with us.

You can check out the details here: Dirty Deeds CX

And check out the beautiful Santa Cruz Stigmata bike here.

Night Ride on this Wednesday

2011-05-30T21:45:00.001-07:00

We're hitting up Hans Loop for a night ride this Wednesday, the 1st of July, for those keen to dust off the night lights for a blast on the trails.

We'll be meeting at the carpark just off Fitzsimons Lane next to the Yarra River Eltham, at 7:30pm, and depending on riders, we'll clock up a lap or two.

Bring your bike, off-road night lights (or Dolphins) and usual gear.

See you on the trails!

Exposure Lights arrive in time for Night Riding Season!

2011-05-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

If you've visted the store in the last 2 weeks or checked out the Latest Arrivals online recently, you would have noticed a new range of night lights pop up just in time for the Winter riding season.

UK Company; Exposure Lights, have been around since 2005, specialising in high end LED rechargeable bike lights for mountain biking, road riding and commuting. All of their lights are designed, engineered and built in the UK (possibly one of the most demanding environments for night lights), and as a result they are built to meet very high standards of quality.
After having the opportunity to test out these lights for ourselves, we saw many benefits from their design, such as the beautifully CNC machined alloy casings that seem hardy and solid, the clever handlebar / helmet mounting systems, and the Cable Free Design (CFD) that keeps the light unit and the battery all together in the one housing.

Each Exposure Light utilises an internal Lithium Ion Battery that keeps things lightweight, compact and efficient. One of the features we really liked was the USB cable that is supplied with each light that allows you to charge the battery via a computer - ideal for when you're at work and need to top up the light before the evening ride.
For 2011, many of the Exposure models have received a substantial boost in lighting power with brand new CREE XPG LED globes that have taken models such as the Exposure Diablo Light up to a staggering 900 Lumens! This puts them right up the top with the competition, though the beauty about Exposure is all of their power claims are verified, unlike a lot of the generic night lights on the market that never seem to live up to their claimed outputs.

The Exposure Diablo is the companys flagship helmet light, with a huge 900 Lumens of power that will seriously light up the singletrack. We reckon this will be a very popular light for most weekend warriors, as you will find that on the Medium setting at 600 Lumens, you will have more than enough illumination on the trail and with a 3 hour burn time. As with all Exposure lights, you can bulk up the burn time by adding on the Piggyback battery if your training rides are on the longer side, or you need the extra juice for an Enduro event.

Check out the Exposure Diablo Light here.

The helmet bracket is incredibly simple, with a solid clip wrapping around the light body to hold it in place. You have full tilt adjustment and the bracket mounts to any regular ventilated helmet. Using a light on the helmet gives you additional visability through tight singletrack, as you can direct the spotlight with your helmet, and makes negotiating switchbacks and turns a lot easier.

As with all the Exposure lights, the Diablo comes with an AC charger that doubles as a USB charger. The Li-Ion batteries are just like a mobile phone battery, so you can charge the light whether it's completely depleted or 1/4 full. The Smart Charger is efficient and quick to charge, with a simple green LED that indicates once the battery is at full charge.

The Exposure Toro is the handlebar equivalent of the Diablo light, with 900 Lumens of intense light. The big benefit of the Toro is that it uses a larger Li-Ion battery, so even at full noise, you will get 3 hours of burn time. Just like the Diablo, you will likely find the Medium setting to be adequate for 90% of off road riding and in which case, you'll get a massive 10 hours of burn time with 600 Lumens.

Check out the Exposure Toro Light here.

The "coke can" style housing is the same tough CNC machined alloy that is used on all the UK made Exposure lights, and is sealed against the elements. Even the handlebar bracket is testament to the quality of the brand, with a machined alloy mount used for quickly engaging and releasing the light unit. These lights are built to last a very long time and certainly outlast the generic Chinese stuff.

A simple toggle switch on the back of the Toro allows you to flick between High (900), Medium (600) and Low (300 Lumens). You even get a clever flash mode for riding on the road, which will make you about as visible as you can possibly get. This is probably the main drawcard for the Toro and other Exposure lights, as it is just as useful as a commuter light as it is a mountain bike light. When you factor in all those disposable batteries you have to buy when using entry-level commuter lights, the rechargeable Toro actually starts to become a better value option, whilst being a butt-load brighter too.

The Exposure Maxx-D is the next size up from the Toro, with an extra CREE XPG LED used to boost power to a blinding 1200 Lumens. You might think that 1200 Lumens is a little over the top, and we would have to agree with you, though the beauty about the Maxx-D is although you do have ability to X-Ray people on the High setting, you can actually get way more burn time if you put it on the Medium setting with a (still incredibly bright) 900 Lumens. At the Medium setting, the Maxx-D pumps out light for 10 hours, which is more than enough to get you through a 24 Enduro event and with enough intensity to light up singletrack at speed.

The Maxx-D uses the same schmick alloy handlebar bracket as the Toro light, which is tilt adjustable and features a quick release button for removing the light for charging.

You can read about the Exposure Maxx-D Light here.

If you've never tried off-road night riding before, or you have an Enduro event coming up where your old Halogen light is just not going to cut it, feel free to drop by the shop, email or call us to have a chat about what options are available to you. We can give you an instore demo, or keep an eye out for updates on our Facebook page about weekly night riding so you can hit the trails with us and see just how bright these lights are!

Our Easter Present to you: Easton Components!

2011-04-27T00:25:00.001-07:00

After a weekend out of the shop spent gorging ourselves on chocolate eggs and other delicious treats, we came back into the shop this morning feeling a little groggy and somewhat lethargic. It didn't take us long to wake up though, as we were almost blinded by the blingy shine emitting from a collection of Easton Wheels and Handlebars that had mysteriously appeared since last week. The only logical explanation would be that the Easter Bunny decided to pay My Mountain a visit over the holiday break, dropping off a big bag of tasty Easton swag for us to drool over!

So why Easton Components?

Well we've all known that Easton have made some bloody great handlebars over the years, such as the Monkeylight riserbars and their carbon fiber DH bars that blew away everyones scepticism that carbon wasn't strong enough for mountain biking. They are a brand that has been at the very forefront of materials technology and combined with exhaustive R&D and real world testing, they have been able to bring some amazing products to both the road and mountain bike scenes. In the Australian market however, we have always thought that Easton was priced a little too high next to the competition.

For 2011 though, that all looks set to change as the new range of wheels and bars have not only continued to up the ante in quality but have also improved in value too, meaning we can get you on the latest Easton gear at very, very cool prices.

As you will be able to see in store and online, we have decided to stock a range of the higher end Easton Handlebars in both alloy and carbon. Both models use Eastons proprietry Taperwall technology that varies the thickness of the handlebar along the length of the tube, which reduces weight from unnecessary areas while keeping the stiffness and strength just where you need it.

- Easton EC90 SL Low Rise Handlebar: $189.95 Our Price ($239.95 RRP)

- Easton EC70 Low Rise Handlebar: $169.95 Our Price ($219.95 RRP)

- Easton EC70 Flat Bar: $139.95 Our Price ($189.95 RRP)

- Easton EA70 Monkeylight Riserbar: $89.95 Our Price ($119.95 RRP)

We reckon that the Truvativ Bar range still has the edge in the value stakes, though for those after the absolute best money can buy (and for not really that much more) the Easton handlebars provide another great option to upgrade your cockpit.

If you keep an eye out on the magazines and online review forums, you would have heard all the buzz about the new mountain bike Easton wheels range, specifically the All Mountain Haven wheelset. Our experience with earlier incarnations of Easton wheels is mixed, as although we found the XC Ones and Twos to be impressive when it came to weight, stiffness and acceleration, they tended to lack bearing durability and ease of service.

With the introduction of the Haven wheelset, Easton sought to re-build their reputation from the ground up, and as a result, their 2011 range features brand new hubs with a simple bearing system that's easily serviceable, wider and stronger rims for a better tyre profile and the use of standard Sapim double butted spokes that are easier to replace.

The alloy Haven wheelset is available in both 26" and 29" versions, with a multitude of axle options to fit quick release or thru-axle dropouts. These wheels sit in between the more XC-ish EA90 wheels, and the more DH-ish Havoc wheels.

Like all of the top-end Easton wheels, the Havens are built on smooth-rolling bearings that are designed with a simple preload adjuster that allows you to stay on top of bearing play. The freehub has 30 clicks of engagement for every rotation and is easy to service. The big 26mm wide rims have a deep profile for extra stiffness and are suited for 2.1-2.6" wide tyres.

These wheels are perfect for 4-6" trail bikes and for riders who want something that's stiffer and stronger than a regular XC wheelset.

Check out the Easton Haven Wheels here.

Shortly after the new Haven wheels were released, Easton turned their attention to the lightweight XC market, with the aim to apply all of the new technology and features into a faster, lighter package. Widening out the rim compared to the old XC One wheelset, the EA90 rim is also deeper in profile and allows Easton to reduce wall thickness while increasing strength and stiffness - much like big diameter tubes on an alloy bike frame. The double butted Sapim spokes are used here too, as is the new bearing preload system and 30pt freewheel mechanism. Coming in at just 1560 grams, Easton have made these new wheels worth of the EA90 name.

Read about the Easton EA90 Wheels here.

Anodized red hubs on the EA90 wheels tie in nicely with the white/black/red graphics - these wheels are made to go as fast as they look!

A nice touch on all the high end 2011 Easton wheels is the true UST compatibility. You can use these with standard tyres and tubes, or with UST tyres as a tubeless setup. There are no rim strips required, no faffing around with an air compressor, just a solid tubeless interface that gives you a tight locking bead between tyre and rim. They even include the tubeless valves for you. Nice.

Impressive machining on the EA90 hubs is not just featured on the inside, but also on the outside for all to see. Every unnecessary gram has been removed here, and at under 1600 grams for a true UST wheelset, it's not hard to believe.

Perhaps the best till last?

These puppies are the absolute mac-daddy of the Easton wheel range, featuring carbon fiber rims that use Eastons Armored Ballistic Carbon technology for some seriously bullet proof wheels. Aside from dropping weight, Easton have used carbon fiber to primarily increase stiffness and strength, whilst also providing a rim that is more 'round' than an extruded alloy rim, making these easier to build, tension and maintain.

The Haven Carbons are built in Eastons own factory in Tijuana, and come with a 2 year warranty to prove just how confident they are in their carbon technology. Just like the alloy Haven wheels, these bad boys come in a variety of different axle options to suit pretty much every fork and frame out there, though come in at just 1450 grams for the pair!

You can read more about the Easton Haven Carbon Wheels here.

We reckon the direction Easton is heading in for 2011 and beyond is looking very exciting, and we're pumped to see what they'll be bringing out next. Although we have a select range of their components at present, we will be looking at bringing in more of their products in the future. If there's anything in their lineup that you would like to know is available or how much we can do it for, drop us line or come into the shop and we'll do our best to help you out.

In the meantime, here's a sweet video from the Easton Factory.

Introducing the Easton EC90 XC Wheelset - More Mountain Bike Videos

The Santa Cruz bomb drops @ My Mountain!

2011-04-20T02:47:00.000-07:00

Well it's official; Santa Cruz Bicycles have landed at My Mountain!

Some of you may have had your suspicions on the last social ride with the Secret Singletrack Society, where a couple of sneaky demo bikes were being ridden by MM staff members. As with a lot of our core product, we're determined to try out and actually ride the bikes and components that we sell in store so that we can provide better advice and more accurate technical information for our customers. Before taking Santa Cruz on board, we wanted to ensure that we could provide not just competitive pricing in a global market but also a quality product that we would want to ride ourselves - and the Santa Cruz range definitely ticks those boxes with authority.

Santa Cruz have a long history as a mountain bike brand, with innovative suspension designs, class-leading geometry and heavy investment into the racing scene that has kept them relevant and in demand all around the globe. You're probably familiar with the really popular bikes like the Heckler, Blur and the Nomad, and you've probably listened to your loud mouth mate who just can't stop raving about them. Just by looking at a frame up close or their range online, you can really tell that these guys clearly build the bikes that they want to ride.

With a massive range of build kits and fork options available with each model, the ability to create your very own Santa Cruz mountain bike for your needs and budget couldn't be easier; choose between Shimano or SRAM gearing, RockShox or Fox Suspension and XC or All Mountain wheelsets.
With the wide range of available models and pricepoints from Santa Cruz, we reckon that the brand will fit in nicely with our existing range of Treks, Pivots and Commencals.

We have received our first batch of frames, including the Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon pictured above. A beautifully crafted carbon fiber frame, the Nomad C is a premium level 160mm travel All Mountain bike that boasts incredible strength, efficient VPP suspension and clever features like the ISCG05 tabs for mounting a chainguide and the big 1.5" headtube that will accept tapered, 1 1/8" and 1.5" steerer forks.

Attention to detail on these machines is incredible, with everything down to the derailleur hanger having been researched, designed, engineered, tested and re-designed for ultimate functionality. The pivots on the suspension are a good example of this perfectionist approach, with oversized aluminum pivot axles rolling on sealed Angular Contact bearings that are held together with clever locking collet heads for easy maintenance.

The Santa Cruz Superlight is a classic amongst their dual suspension range, with it's clean lines and bomber single pivot suspension often out-performing the lastest suspension fads that hit the market each year. Lightweight, stunning value and with proper mountain bike geometry that doesn't make you feel like you're on a rodeo bull, the Superlight is proof that the answer is often much more simple than you think.

After getting the chance to try out a demo Blur LT, we knew it was a frame that we needed to have in the shop. With 140mm travel via the Virtual Pivot Point suspension design, the LT is the Long Travel version of the Blur platform, which makes it ideal for technical trail riding. We were blown away at how efficient the LT was to climb, given how much fun this beast was on the descents and through rolling terrain, and a lot of this can be attributed to the clever VPP suspension that is designed to minimize pedal input on the rear shock.

Read more about the Santa Cruz Blur LT here.

In the coming weeks we will have access to a number of different demo bikes in the Santa Cruz range, including the Blur XC carbon, V10 Carbon DH bike and the brand new Tallboy 29er. If you're interested in checking out the quality in the flesh, or you want to get a demo ride on your potential dream bike, pop down to MMHQ in Brunswick East to probe us with questions.

Otherwise, you can also read about the Santa Cruz Bicycles range here.

Round #5 of the VIC DH Series this Weekend - Yackandandah

2011-04-13T01:08:00.000-07:00

With the Vic State DH series ramping up with Round 5 on at Yackandandah this weekend, there are only a couple of races left for riders looking to gain valuable points for the overall victory. After the awesome weekend up at Mt. Beauty for the Victorian Championships earlier this month (full race report coming soon), the attention is focused on this weekend as it may very well prove to be a turning point for many riders, with only Shepparton and You Yangs left for competitors to battle it out.

Our very own resident DH racer, Ben (Senior Mechanic and Kiwi evangelist) will be heading up this weekend to fly the My Mountain flag along with our DH Race Team consisting of Kelly Bayliss (Elite Women) and Sam Brownlie (Expert Male). Kelly is currently sitting in 2nd position on overall standings and will be looking to claw back some points on her opponents to take out the number one position. Sam is nipping on the heals of the top 10 in the Expert category, despite having some hard luck in recent rounds, and will be hoping for his luck to change this weekend with his eyes firmly on the podium.

With Ben having had a tumultuos 6 months on the DH bike that started with a nasty crash while racing at Crankworx in Whistler last year that ended up in a broken leg, he's beginning to get his mojo back and is looking to finish strongly in the Elite Mens field of the 2011 State Series. So what does an Elite racer like Ben use to slay the DH race track? Lets check it out.

That's a Commencal Supreme DH VIP frameset, with 8" of rear travel controlled by a Tekin Tuned custom Fox RC4 rear shock. The Contact System rear suspension design is super-linear with a nice ramp up towards the end of the travel to avoid harsh bottom out. Ben is also available to adjust the wheelbase and head angle on his bike, depending on what the course requires. Check out the Commencal Supreme DH here.

The 2011 Fox 40 RC2 forks are a perfect match for the RC4 rear shock, and with their buttery-smooth Kashima coated stanchions, and inverted damper cartridge for reduced unsprung weight, are definitely one of the smoothest on the market. Tuneable high and low speed compression, a Titanium spring and a big 40mm chassis all come together for one bomber fork.

Check out the Fox 40 RC2 forks here.

Of course, no real mountain biker could possibly go past a Thomson Elite seatpost and matching Thomson seat clamp for their favorite steed.

One thing that Ben has been working on in recent months is his position on the front of the bike and in particular, the cockpit setup. While also aiming to drop some grams, Ben has gone with a wider handlebar that features a lower rise and has also matched it with a short, low direct mount stem. Aside from looking absolutely bad-ass, the Deity Black Label Handlebars and Deity Fantom Direct Mount Stem are examples of some of the finest machining around. Ben has dropped around 300 grams just by changin these two items, though has also acheived better weight distribution on his bike and better stability with the wider bar.

Probably the best upgrade Ben made to his Commencal was the addition of the Fulcrum Red Fire wheelset: a light, stiff and tubeless set of wheels that has dropped rotational weight from his bike while also increasing its responsiveness too. While DH takes its toll on wheels, particularly rear wheels, Ben has found the alloy used on the Fulcrums is a lot tougher than anything else on the market, and is far more resistant to dings, flat spots and buckling than anything else he has ever used. While not being the lightest at a bit over 2kg, it's the stiffness that Ben raves about, as he is better able to hold a line with the Red Fires, with better tracking and less deflection compared to lesser wheels.

Check out the Fulcrum Red Fire Wheels for yourself here.

If you're heading up to Yack for the weekends racing festivities, be sure to drop into the My Mountain marquee to see Ben and the crew, who will be positioned in the pit lane. Good luck to team and everyone else heading up!

More 29er Tubeless Tyres @ My Mountain!

2011-04-10T22:44:00.000-07:00

29er riders rejoice!

We've had an influx of new options for 29er riders in recent months, with 2 new additions from Maxxis also bringing full UST Tubeless compatibility. If you've been wanting to setup your bike tubeless, we now have both the Maxxis Crossmark and Maxxis Ardent 29er tyres in UST, joining the Tubeless Ready Schwalbe Racing Ralph and Nobby Nic tyres.

The Crossmark is a bit of a legend on the Aussie race circuit, having become a firm favorite with XC riders wanting a fast, lightweight race tyre that is grippy and predictable in dry and rocky conditions. While not particularly good in mud, the Crossmark is a great choice for drier days out on the trails at You Yangs and Woodend, due to it's consistent tread pattern and high-volume construction. The Lust Tubeless model also comes with a slightly softer rubber compound that is grippier than the cheaper versions, and the finely woven 120 TPI (threads per inch) carcass aids in the tyres ability to mould and shape over trail obstacles, giving you more traction and a better ride. Normally selling at $79.95 per tyre, we have the Maxxis Crossmark Tubeless tyres available at an introductory price of $69.95 each.

Check out the Maxxis Crossmark Tyre here.

For riders wanting a bigger profile tyre that is suited to a wider variety of conditions, you would be hard pressed to go past the Maxxis Ardent. At 2.25" wide with a big casing, the Ardent can be run at lower pressures giving you a smoother ride and even more traction. It's more aggressive tread pattern isn't as fast as the Crossmark, though the extra grip you get in loose, rocky terrain will have you riding faster and with more confidence when the going gets fast and technical. The 29er Ardent UST also gets the higher quality 120 TPI casing and rubber for a better ride quality than the cheaper versions.

Check out the Maxxis Ardent Tyre here.

Pivot Demo Bikes @ My Mountain

2011-03-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

For those regular visitors to MMHQ and My Mountain Online, you will likely have seen the new 2011 range from Pivot Cycles appear in store and on our website in the last 3 months or so. Providing the next level of frame quality and suspension performance with the DW Link rear suspension design, Pivot are hitting the mountain bike market hard, building an enviable reputation in a short space of time with impressive reviews of their bikes the World over.

Although we have Pivot mountain bikes in stock, a lot of folks are unaware that we also have demo bikes in store too. We provide this service for those who want to experience the quality for themselves, with the ability to try out the DW Link suspension on the trails that they ride on.

The venerable Pivot Mach 4 that helped Jason English take out the 24 hour Solo World Championship last year, is available in both Large and Small sizes to demo.

Starting at just $2599 for the frameset, the Pivot Mach 4 is available in 6 different build kits or as a custom build depending on your taste and budget. Check out the Mach 4 here.

Also in store is the Pivot Mach 5.7 - the brands 140mm All Mountain bike. With almost 6" of travel front and rear, the 5.7 is the perfect bike for riding really technical and steep terrain, such as the more technical trails out at You Yangs and Stonefly out at Mt Buller.

Maintaining the wickedly efficient DW Link suspension system, the Mach 5.7 is far from being an energy-sapping DH bike, as it provides responsive acceleration and sharp handling in a longer travel chassis.

Check out the Pivot Mach 5.7 here, which starts at just $2699 for the frameset.

The staff at My Mountain have a lot of praise for the Pivot Mach 4, as with a lot of the product we sell, we like to try them out for ourselves and see what all the hype is about. And let us tell you - these bikes do everything all those glowing reviews say they do.

"Given the pedalling efficiency and quick handling, I was totally expecting the bike to be nervous and twitchy..... it isn't" - Ben (Senior Mechanic)

"Although there's only 100mm travel out back, the rear suspension is really composed and feels like it builds momentum the rougher the terrain is" - Wil (Store Manager)

"This bike is fast. Really fast" - Crusty (Head Honcho)

If you want to see these beasts up close, come into MMHQ in Brunswick and check out our fleet of Pivot bikes on the floor. In the meantime, here's a sweet video of the main man behind Pivot, Chris Cocalis, talking up his bikes.

SSS Social Ride on Sunday 10th April

2011-03-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

We've had a great start to the Secret Singletrack Society for 2011, with many My Mountaineers jumping on the opportunity to join up and get in on some VIP action.

Our launch night with the World Bicycle Relief fundraiser was a roaring success, with $450 raised for the charity that will see 4 extra bikes out there for some very deserved recipients.

The first weekend ride out at Forest was a great day out on the trails, with great weather and perfect trail conditions for all to enjoy. For those keen to relive the action or see just what you missed out on, one of our locals, Troy, got some great helmet cam footage of the ride.

Check it out here.

Our next weekend social ride for the SSS has been scheduled for Sunday April 10th. We will be emailing out details to all SSS members closer to the date, and if you're keen though unsure if you qualify for the SSS membership, don't hesitate to give us a call or email and we will see if you're eligible.

And finally, thanks to those who came out last night for our Shop Ride Finale, despite the grey skies. The rain managed to hold off, and we were able to enjoy some surprisingly dry trails and a stellar pub feed at the Peacock Inn Hotel afterwards!

Shop Ride Finale - Wednesday 23rd March

2011-03-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

As we draw closer to the inevitable ending of Daylight Savings, we look back at what was probably the wettest Summer any of us can remember and reminisce about the lost days of mountain biking. Many of the trail centres around Melbourne have received their fair share of closures and maintenance, leaving mountain bikers struggling to find regular spots to hit the dirt. It has certainly been a tumultuos season for the Wednesday Night Shop Rides too, as many of you would know from the regular cancellations due to the Yarra trails being literally underwater.

However, it has given us a chance to re-think the way we organise shop riding and for the rest of the year we will be taking a more "sporadic" approach to planning shop rides, so keep an eye out for updates via this Blog and Facebook. And for those with night lights, there will be opportunities for weeknight shop rides over Autumn and Winter.
Additionally, we will be putting more time into organising Weekend Shop Rides for Secret Singletrack Society members, like the trip to Forest earlier this month.

That all aside, we are looking to send off the season-gone, and are hoping that those devotees of the Wednesday Shop Ride will be able to join us in celebration next Wednesday night, the 23rd of March.
We will be heading out per normal (leaving the shop at 6pm and meeting at the Fairfield pipe bridge at 6:30pm) though the ride will be a bit shorter as we are heading to the Peacock Inn Hotel on High Street for a pub feed and a few beverages.
It will be a great chance to catch up with those Wednesday Night Shop Riders and send off the Summer season in the best way mountain bikers know how. All are welcome to celebrate/mourn and we hope to see you there!

P.S: We think we may have a new contraption that will assist us in riding the Yarra Trails regardless of how wet it is. What do you think?

Secret Singletrack Society raises $450 for World Bicycle Relief

2011-03-09T16:02:00.000-08:00

Tuesday the 22nd of Feb was the inaugural SSS (Secret Singletrack Society) get together. In it's first official social gathering, the SSS came together to watch some retro mountain bike video's, eat pizza, while drinking a few refreshing beverages. Around 18 members came along, all donating $25 to world bicycle relief and in turn giving the gift of bikes to those who need them the most.

Raising a fantastic $450 means that four people somewhere in the world will be given the opportunity to Love a bike as much as we do. Well done to all those who came. The My Mountain total donation to World Bicycle Relief now stands at $ 1,657 which is a great effort.

For anyone that could not make the night, but would like to help give the gift of bikes, the My Mountain donation page can be found here: Give the gift of bikes

Nobby Nic joins the Tubeless 29er bandwagon!

2011-03-07T22:41:00.000-08:00

First the Racing Ralph and now the Nobby Nic?

For 2011, the Schwalbe MTB tyre range has a new Tubeless Ready (TL) version available that allows you to run them on a tubeless compatible rim without a tube.
You get the awesome, toothy grip of the Nic tread pattern, with the Triple Nano Rubber Compound, EVO casing in a sub-700gm package AND it can be run tubeless!

Unlike a full UST tyre, the TL tyres are much lighter due to the omission of the airtight casing, as they are designed to be used with latex sealant inside, such as Stans No Tubes. This keeps them sealed and also doubles as additional puncture protection.

The Nobby Nic is one of our favourite tyres @ My Mountain, as it provides outstanding levels of grip for a wide variety of conditions and yet is faster than many other brands XC racing tyres. The Nic is ideal for loose conditions, be it dry or wet, though the rubber is soft enough that it stays composed on hardpack too. Sure you could find something cheaper, but for the genuine Schwalbe rubber and high quality EVO casing, look no further.

You can check out the Schwalbe Nobby Nic Tyre here.

First 'SSS' social ride this Sunday @ Forrest

2011-03-03T03:44:00.000-08:00

The first 'Secret Singletrack Society' social mountain bike ride is on for this Sunday in Forrest, for those who would like to join us for trail riding and beer-sampling.
If you can't make it on Sunday, we will be making the weekend shopride a more regular occurrence for our SSS members.

You may have received an email from us detailing what's involved in becoming a part of our customer loyalty program, though if you're unsure if you qualify then don't hesitate to drop us line and we'll let you know what's involved.

We have lot's planned in the near future for Society members, including social nights, product specials, weekend shop rides, workshop deals and other super-rad activities that we won't reveal just yet...

Photo courtesy of Timothy Arch Photography: http://clients.timothyarch.com/

Shop Riding News

2011-02-28T20:21:00.001-08:00

For those of you keen to dust off the roadie and stretch their shaven legs, we will be setting off tomorrow (Wednesday) morning for a shop Road Ride.
Departing at 6:30am from MMHQ and heading to Kew Boulevard for a couple of laps, we will be aiming to get back to the East Brunswick Project cafe for Padre Coffee @ 8am.

In an additional blow to the hairy leggers, further rain over the weekend and the already degraded state of the trails has left us no option but to bin the Wednesday night shop ride.

And on that note, we're eager to hear your ideas on how/whether we should re-structure the shop rides as we've not had a lot of luck this Summer.
So, perhaps;

- A different location?
- Another night of the week?
- Morning rides?
- Weekend rides?

What are your thoughts on the My Mountain shop rides?

Trek Demo Day- Ride The Worlds Best Bikes

2011-02-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

We are all set for our demo day this Sunday at Westerfolds park. Come join us for a fun day of riding the worlds best bikes. Get out on a 6 series madone and understand why the worlds best teams ride Trek. Take a Superfly 100 out on the trails and see why Superfly riders are always smiling, and take a Topfuel out for a blat and realise how fast an XC race bike really can be. They will all blow you away.

Details:
Where: Westerfolds park at the Redgum car park.
When: Sunday Feb 27th from 10AM- 3PM
Bring: Shoes, pedals, helmet, something to drink and legs
Who's invited: Everyone.

Hope to see you there. click on map to enlarge

Trek Session 88 in Trek World Racing colours!

2011-02-16T20:09:00.000-08:00

The creme of the crop on the World Cup DH circuit (in our totally un-biased opionion), the Trek Session 88, has been one of the success stories of the 2011 season.
Along with their strong presence on the race circuit, combined with reduced prices across the board and improved frame and suspension technology, the the Trek Session line is quickly becoming the in-demand bike to have.

Although we've had a number of customers getting on board the Session 88, some may not be aware that this killer bike is available as a frame only, and in the special edition Trek World Racing colours no less.
As with any of the top-of-the-line DH framesets on the market, the Session looks the business and we were expecting a pretty top-of-the-line pricetag like you would see on a Santa Cruz V10 or an Intense M9, due to the impressive frame technology and custom-tuned RC4 rear shock.

Well, we were in for a surprise!
The Trek Session 88 frameset is available from My Mountain for just $2899.95
And before you call us liars, that price includes the Fox RC4, Cane Creek Frustrum headset and 12mm axle.

The 2011 Session 88 frameset is slightly revised with a more aero downtube that is actually stronger than last years frame with better resistance to denting from flying rocks. You may also see in the photo the rubber/polycarbonate dowbtube protector that covers the underside of the downtube near the bottom bracket, providing you with just a little extra peace of mind.

Shared across the entire Trek dual suspenion range, the Active Braking Pivot (ABP) suspension design is even more beneficial on the Session, with its 203mm of rear wheel travel being completely unaffected by braking, allowing for maximum traction whether you're on the anchors or not. The beefy 12mm thru-axle combined with the cocentric ABP pivot makes for one of the most laterally stiff rear linkage designs available, which is a welcome change from the other flexy, mini-link DH bikes on the market.

Keeping up the technology theme, the Session 88 features a massive E2 tapered headtube, with a 1.5" lower headset cup. The Cane Creek headset is included and is setup to fit dual crown 1 1/8" forks, though if you want to fit a tapered Fox 180 fork or a RockShox Totem, you can do that too. The main reason Trek use the E2 head tube is to baulk up front end stiffness and strength and provide a bigger surface area for the downtube where it meets the head tube.
If you look closely, you'll also see the integrated downtube bumper that prevents a dual crown fork from denting the frame. Nice.

For more information on the Trek Session 88 Frame, come check one out in the flesh in the Brunswick store or read more about it online.

Boo Hoo!

2011-02-14T21:52:00.000-08:00

Yet again, the Yarra Trails are buried underwater due to last weeks flooding, and we have no choice but to cancel the Wednesday Night Shop Ride for this week. Fingers crossed they dry out soon!

Our next big shop ride is on for Sunday the 27th of February as part of the Trek Ultimate Demo Day.
It will be on at Hans Loop out at Westerfolds Park, that is remaining relatively dry despite the rain, though check your email for more details.

My Mountain

One-Off Rocken Deals

2011-02-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

We have got a few cracking deals on 26" mountain bikes in store that we thought worth pointing out as some are not on our website. These are one-off deals and won't be repeated.

Felt Q720

One of our most successful hardtails the 720 combines great frame construction and geometry with good components to create a fantastic ride.

RRP $1499 Sale Price $999.00
1 x Large & 1 x Medium left.

Commencal Premier Pro

These 2011 Premier bikes are a "tough as hell" style hardtail offering a fun, playful ride. Great parts and an air sprung 32mm stanchion fork mean they will stand up to quite a beating whether that be on the trail or riding down stairs on your way to work.
RRP $1,595.00 Sale Price: $1,199.00
1 x Large & 1 x Medium 1 x Small

Commencal Super 4 Pro

The Commencal Super 4 Pro kicks off the line up with a mid level parts spec that won’t let you down no matter how hard you hammer it. A great, fun trail bike!
RRP: $3,499.00 Sale Price: $1,999.95
1 x Large only

Trek Scratch Air 9 lands @ MMHQ!

2011-02-02T18:20:00.000-08:00

Ohhhh yes!

Possibly the hottest bike in the 2011 Trek lineup has arrived @ MMHQ in Brunswick and is sure to shake up the All Mountain and DH scene with its killer looks and versatile suspension.

And if that's not enticing enough, you'll be happy to know that this beast is now part of our official Demo Bike Fleet for 2011!

If you don't know the Trek Scratch Air 9, here's the bones;

- 170mm of ABP suspension

- Custom valved Fox RP23 Boost Valve rear shock

- Fox 36 Talas RLC forks with adjustable travel

- Adjustable geometry

- E2 Tapered head tube

- RockShox Maxle 142 x 12mm rear Thru-Axle

All of this adds up to an incredibly versatile mountain bike that has the balls of a DH bike, with the pedalling efficiency and climbing ability of far lighter trail bikes. Sure, you won't win any XC races on it, but for everything else out there, this machine is designed to be pure two-wheeled fun.
Just ask our part timer, Greg, who picked up his 2011 Trek Scratch Air 9 2 weeks ago and has been smashing it everywhere from local DH tracks and even on the Wednesday night shop rides down at the Yarra trails!

The custom valved Fox RP23 is the result of the close relationship between Fox Racing Shox, Trek R&D and the Trek World Racing team. Far from off-the-shelf, the RP23 Boost Valve is configured to work with the ABP and Full Floater suspension design, providing an incredibly linear feel to the rear suspension with the last 30% ramping up nicely to brace for the bigger hits and jumps.
Sharing the same suspension design as the Fuel EX, the Session, Remedy and Top Fuel, the Scratch platform has the same bottomless feel to its suspension, while having minimal input from braking due to the ABP design.

Read more about the Trek Scratch Air 9 here.

As a testament to this bikes versatility, the Scratch Air 9 features a Crank Brothers Joplin droppable seatpost that allows you to raise and lower the saddle with a flick of the lever that's positioned next to your shifter. Climb with the saddle at maximum extension, then hit the lever and drop the saddle out of harms way for the downhill.

Combined with the Fox 36 Talas fork up front that allows you to drop the travel from 160mm down to 120mm, the Scratch climbs surprisingly well given it's DH capability. In fact, the more technical the ascent, the better the Scratch becomes due to it's terrain-hugging suspension that will have you leaping uphill faster than most XC bikes.

After we built up our Scratch Air 9 last week, someone had to be dealt with the terrible task of taking the bike out for it's maiden ride to bed everything in. As Crusty was heading up to Mt Buller for the weekends State DH Round, he reluctantly volunteered to take the Scratch with him.

Spending Saturday shuttling on some of the DH tracks with a couple of our customers, Sunday was the day for XC riding as they made the 30km return journey out to Mt Stirling on the brand new Glen Jacobs designed XC loop.

The verdict from Crusty? Well I don't think I can actually write that down, it was mostly babble, though the general gist was: "This is possibly the best thing since wheels were invented!".

Riding the black diamond tracks was just like being on a DH bike; confidence, plushness, cornering stability and composure in the air. Though when it came to XC tracks, with the saddle up and the fork lowered, Crusty was out-climbing other riders on Giant Anthems and carbon hardtails on the loose, steep switchback climbs up Mt Stirling.

You could comfortably ride all day on the Scratch, as it isn't that much heavier than most trail bikes, but as Crusty will testify - you'll have way more fun than on any XC bike out there!

If you're in the market for a do-it-all bike like the Scratch Air, you really owe it to yourself to check one of these machines out in the flesh. Come into MMHQ and chat to Crusty, Greg, Jerry or Wil about booking a test ride on this incredible bike.

In the meantime, here's a couple of sweet videos on the Scratch Air and Scratch Coil.

2011-01-16T16:11:00.000-08:00

Initially promoted as a Christmas Special, we've had such a good response from the reduced prices implemented across our entire MTB tyre lineup that we've decided to keep up the Christmas cheer for a little longer and are keeping the sale prices until January 31st.
Our mountainous stockpile of mountain bike rubber is slowly receding but we still have oodles of DH tyres, 29er tyres, UST tyres and everything in between. Some examples include:
The Kenda Small Block 8 Tyre is a fantastic Summer tyre that rolls fast on hardpack and rocky trails.
At normally $79.95 per tyre, the SB8 is now just $59.95!

For the more aggressive trail and all mountain bikes, it's pretty hard to look past the dependable Maxxis High Roller Tyre, with its heavy duty cornering knobs providing outstanding grip in all sorts of conditions.
The retail on these folding tyres is normally $69.95, though during the tyre sale the High Roller is only $49.95

For all of the deals going on our complete tyre range, check them out @ http://www.mymountain.com.au/

Oct 27th 2007 - Jan 2011.....How things have changed!

2011-01-11T00:10:00.000-08:00

Back in 2007 when the idea of My Mountain hit the streets the general consensus amongst the cycle industry wasn't very positive. Apart from some great people we were offered very little in the way of help or encouragement. But we ignored the critics and went ahead anyway.

From the outside not much has changed really. Have added a bit of a slogan to better explain the name for those who struggle with the metaphor and added our major brands to the side in case it's confusing that we're a bike shop :-)

When we first looked at these photos we were a bit gob smacked at just how much has changed. When you do things a bit at a time you loose track of how far you have come. As you will see from the photos below not only have we increased how much stock we have in the order of 6 times, we have refined our layout and feel continually to create what we hope is great place to visit for all you bike nuts out there.

Although we do have a lot more going on in the front room, I am still amazed that new customers are unaware that there is much more in the back. Time and time again we are told we should put up a sign........... never, never I say.

Looking back at this shot we were definitely light on in the bike department when we opened.

Moving our chill out area was probably one of the best changes we have made to the layout since opening. At $60 from out local charity shop they represent the best value for money investment we have ever made.

How inviting does that little lounge area look!

Scott was instrumental in the setup of My Mountain moving down from Sydney around three months before we opened to help get it off the ground.

After spending a couple of years running MM at the start he moved on to take up a Account managers role with Apollo and has been kicking goals ever since.

Wow, what a difference a bike fitting area, a few forks and a bunch of components can make!

It's funny when I look at how we had three different styles of ladies jersey then the MM jersey out on it's own. I think we might still have one of those non MM jerseys kicking around. Turns out we couldn't and still can't sell non MM clothing....funny.

Tools anyone??

When we opened we didn't have a single wheelset in stock. In fact from memory I don't think we had any for the first 18 months or so. We started out with a half descent range of tyres though. Or at least that is what we thought at the time.

As you can see we really have come a long way and to all of you out there who have been with us from the start, Thank You! Thanks for giving us feedback on what you would like to see and thanks for supporting us when there are soooo many bike shop options here in Melbourne.

But like always we have lots of plans for small improvements here and there and welcome any one's ideas on how we might improve.

Crusty Mark

A Road Bike Taken To A Whole New Level!

2011-01-04T03:09:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure that this guy is lining up at his local road race every weekend??

Christmas Trading

2010-12-23T19:32:00.000-08:00

My Mountain will be closed for the Christmas/ New year break.

We will be back on deck on Tues Jan 4th ready for another great year of riding.

Thanks to everyone for their support throughout the year and we hope to see you out on the trails again soon.

My Mountain

Massive Sale on all Tyres Instore and Online!

2010-12-16T22:16:00.000-08:00

With a little bit of Christmas cheer on our side, we've gone ahead and dropped the prices across our entire mountain bike tyre lineup including 29er tyres, DH tyres and tubeless tyres.
At between 20-30% off the RRP on all tyres, you can save up to $60 off a brand new set of rubber for your steed.

The Kenda Small Block 8 Tyre is normally selling for $79.95 per tyre, though we have these fast-rolling XC tyres reduced down to $59.95.

Also in the Kenda Tyre range is the Kenda Karma 29er Tyre that has been reduced down from $89.95 to just $69.95 each. A very fast and versatile XC tyre, the Karma is a great way to lighten up your 29er bike by dropping rotational weight and increasing speed.

A tyre that is continually growing in popularity @ My Mountain is the Maxxis Ardent Tyre that we have available in both standard, tubeless, DH and 29er formats.
With a decent 2.25" width and high volume casing, the Ardent floats across dry, loose singletrack with comfort and traction galore.
The Maxxis Ardent EXO Tyre normally sells for $$69.95, though has been reduced to just $49.95 as part of the storewide tyre sale.

For those anticipating the DH racing season, we have not forgot you!
In fact, we have some ball-tearing specials on our Maxxis and Kenda DH tyre range, with multiple widths and tread patterns available.

The Maxxis Minion DHF Slow Reezay Tyre has been cut down from $79.95 per tyre, down to $49.95 each!

And the Kenda Nevegal 2.35" DH Tyre is now just $55 a tyre, instead of the $79.95 RRP.

So if you need a new set of rubber for your bike or just want to save some dollars, check out our mountain bike tyre range here.
Or just drop into the store and check them out in the flesh.

That's a funky looking seatpost...

2010-12-14T16:39:00.000-08:00

Perhaps one of the most anticipated products for the 2011 riding season, the RockShox Reverb Seatpost has been a long time in the making and is here to take the height-adjustable seatpost market by the cojones.

If you've been living under a rock for the past 2 years, you might be asking yourself; "Why would RockShox be making a seatpost?"

Well, for a start, the Reverb isn't just any old seatpost.
It features a remote activated lever that allows you to set your saddle height anywhere from full extension down 5" to full compression. Put simply, it is a very clever way of giving you the ability to raise or lower your saddle on-the-fly without ever having to jump off the bike and dig out the multi-tool or mess with your frames quick release lever.
The big advantage with this feature, is it means you can lower your centre of gravity on the bike at the flick of a button, making technical sections on the trail, descents and even high-speed corners much easier than with your saddle at it's full extension.

In fact, these height-adjustable seatposts are becoming so popular that bike manufacturers are beginning to spec them on their bikes as stock items. The Trek Remedy and the Trek Scratch are examples of bikes that come with the Crank Brothers Joplin seatpost installed and ready to ride.

With a standard fitting for any regular saddle and 2 different diameters available (30.9mm and 31.6mm) to fit most standard mountain bike frames, the Reverb is very simple to fit and requires no special attachments or tools in order to put it on your bike.
Although they initially became popular on 6" All Mountain bikes, the Reverb is finding its way onto more and more XC duallies, 29ers, freeride bikes and hardtails as riders look to ride faster and with more confidence.

The neat remote lever on the Reverb mounts next to your controls on the handlebar and is hydraulically activated, meaning it is nice and light and you won't have to worry about adjusting cable tension like you do on other drop-seatposts.

Speaking of other posts, RockShox set out with the aim to create a high-quality seatpost that not only worked well, but would work well for a long time. A common complaint with the current crop of droppable seatposts on the market is they develop movement after a few rides and are not sealed particularly well. Because RockShox have years of experience with sealing suspension forks and shocks, the Reverb features a very clever triple-seal design that keeps the post lubricated during use, whilst keeping contaminants out.

On the trail, the Reverb is almost addictive to use, as you find yourself dropping the saddle at almost every corner, rock garden or jump in front of you. By dropping the saddle out of harms way, you are able to move around more freely on the bike and shift your weight accordingly.
For riders looking to boost their confidence off road and get the most out of their trail riding, a height-adjustable seatpost is a simple way to improve your riding abilities.

The RockShox Reverb installed on my Commencal Ramones 1, predominately so I can say to people that I "drop it like it's hot".

If you want to check out one of these fandangled seatposts in the flesh, we have them in stock and ready to mount, or you can keep an eye out for my Commencal as I cruise down Chapel Street on my Lowrider.
Sure, they're not as cheap as a regular seatpost, but then again they do so much more than a regular post. Given how useful these seatposts are on the trail, combined with the quality of the finish and the internals, I would say the Reverb post is well worth every penny.

Check out the RockShox Reverb Seatpost here.

Nutrition Critical as Temperature Rises

2010-12-07T14:09:00.000-08:00

With Summer now in full swing, keeping properly hydrated becomes more of a challenge as the body struggles to replace the minerals that exercising uses. Good old fashioned water is fantastic to keep the body hydrated, however lacks the electrolytes that the muscles need to perform well over an extended period. These electrolytes (Magnesium, Potassium, Calcium and Sodium) are also essential for the body to recover properly and be ready for the next adventure. Many riders this time of year can wake up feeling a bit tired and lethargic after a ride the day before which in some cases can be due to the deficiency of these electrolytes that the muscles need to recover properly. So if your like us and like to ride several times a week it's a good idea to look at nutrition closely.

Now before we go any further I feel it's important to squash any ideas that drinks such as Gatorade fall into the category as sports nutrition.

With the risk of Coca Cola sending their team of lawyers in to take down My Mountain high, it must be said that these drinks more closely resemble high sugar cordial than an endurance sports fuel. Sure they have some electrolytes, but in very small amounts and in very sub standard forms. These drinks are also full of cheap simple sugars which cause an insulin spike that results in a short burst of "I feel awesome" followed by an energy slump that will resemble Keith Richards on Sunday morning.

So if Coca Cola can't save the day "what should I do" I hear you say. Well there are quite a few good sports supliments out there. Hammer, Gu, Torq, Endura, Ascend etc. We at some stage or another have stocked and sold just about every brand listed above but have settled on Endura and Ascend.

Sports nutrition can become a big subject, but if we just stick with the absolute minimum you have electrolyte drinks, chews, or tablets and recovery drinks & bars. Electrolyte drinks are designed to give you the optimum amounts of esential minerals in concentrations that will encourage the most amount of absorbtion. This last point is also the reason you should mix your drinks to the amounts specified on the label. These amounts have been tested to provide the best obsortion rate meaning you hopefully wont get a crook gut and wont need to go to the toilet mid ride. Endura Magnesium Rehydration Formula is a great example of this electolyte drink that can be taken before and during exercise. Before could be up to three days before a major endurance effort as this will ensure that the body is fueled up and ready to go. During exercise you would expect to drink 1 bottle for every hour you are riding. Yes that's 750mls or drink per hour for an average person.

When exercising for a period of time that is longer than 2 hours the bodies requirements change as you burn through stored energy in the muscles. In these cases you will need to look at replaceing carbohydrates and proteins as well as the electrolytes. A drink such as Endura Optimizer is carefully designed to give the body the delicate mixture of all these goodies to keep you riding hard for longer periods of time. Taken after exercise or at night after dinner can greatly help recovery getting the body ready to do it all again the next day. you know, ride, eat, rest, repeat!!! If you ever make it out to an endurance mountain bike event such as a 6 hour enduro and you have seen solo riders ripping around witha chocolate looking drink you can bet it's Endura Optimizer. Athletes the world over know this product to be extremely good.

With the fear that this post is turning into an epic I will leave nutrition there for now. It's a massive sugject which has entire volumes of books dedicated to it. For anyone looking for more info we have some great free booklets in store and we are always happy to talk about this at length. I personally spent years racing at a high level in the 90's without a clue about this stuff. And nobody told me anything either..... Doh!
Crusty Mark

My Mountain Staff Bikes

2010-11-29T21:15:00.000-08:00

It's safe to say that the Staff have pretty good jobs working @ My Mountain.

We spend a lot of time and effort helping riders to get onto their dream machine, and each day we get to build, setup, repair, demo ride and drool over some very trick bikes.

Occasionally however, we get itchy feet ourselves when the calling of a shiny new toy is just too much to ignore. In recent months, the excitement of deciding and choosing a new set of wheels has become contagious amongst the staff, as each one of us have plonked down our hard-earned cash on a new steed in preparation of the coming riding season.

Read on to see which bikes made the cut for each of us...

Crusty's Criterium Demon

For those of you regular My Mountain folk that know Mark and his background in road racing, they would also be aware that he's been harping on about his impending triumphant return to the criterium circuit for the last 3 years.
Well he finally got around to doing something about it, and put in an order for a Trek Madone 5.5 to replace his Felt roadie.

The 5.5 uses the super slick 5-Series Madone frameset with the tubed-and-lugged technology, that combines that magical combination of out of the saddle stiffness with a bitumen-soothing ride quality. A SRAM Force groupset, Bontrager Race Lite wheelset, DuoTrap computer system, E2 tapered head tube, integrated seatpost and huge pressfit BB95 are just a few of the build highlights that make the Madone stand out from the rest.

In addition to the bike, Crusty has splashed out on a set of Bontrager Aeolus 5.0 carbon fibre deep dish wheels, as well as some Schwalbe Ultremo tubular tyres that are put on for race day.
A bigger 53/39 SRAM Red crankset was also fitted to cope with the higher speeds that are reached during sprints.

Yep, that is right. Not bad for a bike with deep dish wheels on there.
Of course the beauty about the Madone is that the designers and engineers at Trek never set out to make the lightest frame on the market, they set out to make the best riding bike on the market, and if you ever the pleasure of riding one, you'll know exactly what we mean.
Just ask Mark about his, I'm sure he'll make plenty of time to blabber on about just how good this bike rides!

In the meantime, check out the Trek Madone 5.5 here.

Jerry's Enduro Machine

Our newest Staff member and resident Enduro-Nut; Jerry, is a self-proclaimed weight weenie that knows almost every trick in the book when it comes to stripping out weight for race day.
After spending the last few years on a tired dually, Jerry was keen to drop some weight with a lightweight race hardtail that would still be comfortable for long distance racing and training. The obvious answer was a 29er, in order to get something that would be efficient and lightweight, whilst still maintaining comfort for the longer rides.
After Mark and I saw the new 2011 Trek Superfly hardtail in the flesh up in Canberra for Trek World, we made a call to Jerry back in Brunswick to see if he wanted to get his hands on the first Superfly in Australia. Needless to say, we got a very excited "make it happen!" back down the line.

The Supefly was heralded as being the first carbon fibre 29er on the market 3 years ago, featuring the classic Gary Fisher G2 geometry that makes all of the Fisher 29ers ride so well. For Jerry, the smooth riding carbon frame reduces fatigue on longer rides, as he gets knocked around much less than he would on an alloy bike or a 26" wheeled bike.
And the bike arrived not a moment too soon - about a week before the Australian 24 hour championship! A few bed-in rides were had before he made the trek up to Canberra for the enduro slog.

Evolving from the first generation Superfly frame, the press-fit bottom bracket bearings are a new feature for 2011, along with the 100mm travel Fox fork up front and the tapered head tube. The result is a stronger, stiffer and lighter frame than last years. The bike is kitted out with the new 10spd Shimano drivetrain and the Bontrager Tubeless Ready wheelset, making it race-ready out of the box.
If you see Jerry in the shop, ask him about his racing, how he is liking the whole 29er deal or if the carbon Superfly is all it's cracked up to be.

Otherwise, check out the Trek Superfly here.

Crundy says hello to Lycra and Lattes

Our resident downhill racer has recently been getting the fitness bug, with an aim to improve his results on the State DH circuit through strength and aerobic training. Amongst spin classes and training sessions, the lure of a road bike has dragged our Senior Mechanic into the shaved leg world, and before we knew it, a 4-Series Madone was ordered for our greasy friend.
The Trek Madone 4.5 is the mid-level road bike in Treks range, featuring a carbon fibre frame that is aesthetically very similar to the 5-Series though utilising a monocoque construction to bring production costs down.
With a Shimano 105 groupset, DuoTrap compatibility and lightweight Bontrager wheelset, you'll be sure to see Crundy down at Cafe Racer on Beach Road admiring his smoothly shaven pins.

A very snazzy matte black and blue finish on the frame keeps the 4.5 very understated and allows you to see each contour and line in the carbon frame.
Unfortunately the white handlebar tape is unlikely to stay white for long, and if you've ever seen Crundy's hands whilst at work, you'll know what I mean...

Doesn't look too bad for a roadie hey?
We'll be watching closely on Bens progress as he gets the miles into his legs on the road to recovery from his busted leg. With a schedule of DH racing in New Zealand in the New Year, as well as finishing off the Vic State DH series once he is back in February, there will be plenty of opportunities for Ben to show off his new-found fitness.
Whether or not he takes to the whole roadie thing is yet to be seen however, though ask Crundy next time you come past the shop and find out yourself.

For details on the bike, check out the Trek Madone 4.5 here.

A bike of many firsts for Willis

Perhaps the quickest bike purchase I've ever made, the Superfly 100 wasn't so much an impulse buy, but more an "enlightened purchase".
After Crusty and I had hooned around Mt. Stromlo on a variety of high-end 2011 Trek and Fisher demo bikes in September, there was one bike that stood out to me that blew me away in every aspect on the trail. It was as if I was riding a bike that I had owned for many years all ready, to the point where I was questioning myself why I didn't already have one.
Those who have driven down the soul-destroying Hume Highway from Canberra to Melbourne will know that it is one fidgety trip. Now imagine doing that drive whilst contemplating your savings and how you could acquire a new bike as quickly as possible - painful!

The Superfly 100 is Treks premier 29er race bike, with 110mm travel out back and 100mm up front in a full OCLV carbon fibre frameset. Like Jerry's Superfly hardtail, the 100 uses the custom fork offset that is key to the G2 geometry and makes the Superfly ride like no other 29er on the market.

The main aspect that kept me babbling was the silent nature of the carbon frame on the trail - it absorbs all the small trail chatter with minimal fuss and seems to hover over rocks and roots.

The OCLV frames are handmade in the US and are one of the only carbon frames on the market to feature a lifetime warranty. Lightweight is a bonus of using carbon fibre, the main reason I went with the Superfluy 100 over the HiFi was the increase in frame stiffness and ride quality compared to an aluminum frame. Plus, the carbon frame is pretty close to sex on wheels.
The local crew will know that about a week after I built this beauty up I broke my collarbone, and haven't had the chance to take it out for a blast on the trails yet. If that isn't the definition of blue-balling, I don't know what is.
Trust me, when I can get back on a mountain bike, I may or may not be using a lot of annual leave, though if you can catch me in the shop or on the trails (don't tell Mark if you see me out there on a work day), ask me how I'm liking the bike and I'll be happy to jump up and down, dance and gyrate in answer to your question.

For more details, check out the Trek Superfly 100 here.

29er Racing Ralphs in Tubeless!

2010-11-17T16:28:00.000-08:00

Yep, you read right - we have just received our first delivery of 29er Racing Ralph Tubeless Ready tyres and they are available both in store and online.

Possibly the most in-demand tyre we have seen in a long time, the 29er Tubeless Ralph is a new model for the 2011 Schwalbe tyre range and uses the new bead system that allows you to run these tyres as a tubeless setup when paired with tubeless compatible rims.
All you need to do is add some sealant to ensure its all airtight, and you're good to go!

Unlike full UST tyres, these "Tubeless Ready" Schwalbe tyres do not use a full butyl lining to keep the tyre airtight. Instead, they rely on a small amount of Stans No Tubes Sealant to keep things sealed, which also prevents small pinhole punctures too.
However, the new Ralphs use the thicker UST bead to ensure a nice tight fit on the rim.
With this extra beef, it's a a bit of a surprise that they've only added about 30gm of weight on a tyre, and you'll be happy to know that we are selling these tyres at the same price as the older non-tubeless version.

Check out the new Schwalbe Racing Ralph 29er Tyre online.

Whilst on the subject of 29er tyres, we have had a couple of new additions to our lineup in the past couple of weeks, bringing the total number of available options in stock to 9, 2 of which are tubeless.
The new Maxxis Ardent 29er Tyre provides riders with a nice 2.25" wide tyre that is suitable for loose, rocky and dry conditions and will be very popular over Summer for areas such as the You Yangs, Yarra Trails, Westerfolds, Bendigo and Ballarat.
If you're searching for more cornering grip than a Crossmark or Small Block 8 provides, this is the tyre for you, and at just $59.95 per tyre, it's a very cheap upgrade to make.

Also now available in Australia is the Maxxis Ignitor 29er Tyre that will provide all the grip you could possibly need for XC and trail riding in all conditions. It's toothy profile gives you confident handling and cornering in the loosest of terrain, and although it's not as fast rolling as a Crossmark or Racing Ralph, it holds on like no-ones business!
Like the other Maxxis Tyres in the 29" size, it's only $59.95 a tyre, and is available both in store and online.

As you can see by the photo below, we have a pretty impressive range of aftermarket tyres available and are sure to have a tyre for all conditions to suit the needs of even the fussiest of riders. We even have some demo tyres for customers to try out free of charge if you want to see what all the hype is about.

Or you can just ask Mark, Ben, Jerry, Greg or Wil in store for a recommendation, and we'll do our best to hook you up with some fresh rubber.

Eat, Sleep, Ride...then Drink?

2010-11-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

If there was any sport that was designed from the outset with the objective to enjoy beer to it's absolute extent, I would definitely say that Mountain Biking would be that sport.

So when I was racking my brains for Birthday present ideas for Crusty, the concept of combining beer consumption and riding seemed too perfect to be true.

I had heard of a micro-brewery South of Melbourne, called Barleycorn Brewers, that allows you to brew your own beer just like a professional - no more exploding beer bottles in the basement and petrol-flavoured homebrew. You simply select a type of beer from their extensive menu, choose bottles or cans and after brewing up your batch you bottle an cap each one. They even give you the option to get your own custom labels made up.
A few phone calls were made, several hours in front of a computer with a graphic designer were booked in and the My Mountain crew were roped in to help out bring the whole thing together.

Located in Oakleigh South, Barleycorn Brewers really is a beer-lovers paradise.
Walking in to the warehouse, an array of metallic vats line the walls, bubbling with hops, yeast and hot water. A giant refridgerator sits in the middle of the floor filled with drums of fermenting beer, awaiting to be bottled and enjoyed by its maker.
Doing the brew is kind of like a tour; you have a guide that helps you find all the ingredients for your beer and walk you through the process step-by-step, whilst you sample beers and enjoy the cricket, football or whatever is playing on the flat screen TV.
Check out their website here: Barleycorn Brewers

After you have brewed your beer, you have 2 weeks to let the beer ferment before you come back for the bottling process.

In the mean time, you have the option to send in a design to have printed up as labels that you can then put on your bottles. We had the My Mountain logo teamed up with a twist on the store's slogan and finished in a beer-label style.
Although labels set you back an extra $70 for the 5 slabs of beer you get at the end, it's a great idea for a birthday, wedding or bucks party to create a really unique gift.

Overall your beer will cost you between $1.20-$2.50 per bottle depending on what type of beer you make and whether you get labels of not, and with the option to make beers such as Stella Artois and Asahi, it is certainly cheaper than the local bottle shop.

Filling the bottles is a bit of a skill, as it involves managing the constant stream of beer coming out of the tap by providing a flow of bottles. Each bottle is then capped and is ready to be taken home.

Although we paid for 5 slabs, we ended up with 6 and a bit, making the beers even better value - this present was just getting better and better!

The finished product!
We managed to get the beer bottled, labelled and capped the morning of the Gravity 12 hour race, and drove up to Mansfield in time to provide the My Mountain crew with refreshments towards the end of the race. After a day of riding through mud and racing against the clock, the beers were well-received as you can imagine.

Special thanks goes to those who helped put in for the present including:

Anita Sharma, Peta Barns, Tim Arch, Dave Shackleford, Troy Bussell, Mat Gray, Ben Crundwell, Jerry Vella, Greg Matthews and Suzie King.

My good mate Tristan also helped with many hours spent designing the logo for the beer labels.
This wasn't the first time that Tristan has helped us out with his creative abilities, as you may recognise some of his handiwork in the shop.

He both designed and fabricated the custom handlebar display that you can see at the front of the shop behind the counter. A qualified Industrial Designer, Tristan also has a natural talent when it comes to art and graphic design.

A recent addition to the My Mountain showroom is the new stencil artwork that has been applied to the display platforms in a very slick graffiti style. Tristan has displayed a number of his stencial artworks in various galleries around Melbourne and is developing a reputation for his unique style and quality.
If you have any design problems or requirements, no matter how weird and wonderful, feel free to shoot Tristan an email to see what he can offer you.
Check out his website here: http://www.tristantaitdesign.com/

Maldon Ride Day on again for Sunday 21st November

2010-11-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

That's right; the kind lads at Woodend Cycles have scheduled the next Maldon Shuttle Day for next Sunday, the 21st of November.

For those of you looking to get out of soggy old Melbourne for a day of DH shuttle runs, the Maldon tracks give you a nice mix of flowy and technical singletrack and a chance to ride some different terrain to the usual local spots.
We've had a sweet day of riding at the last few shuttle days, and can highly recommend it for those looking for a fun day out on the trails

The whole day will set you back $40, which will get you shuttled back up the hill all day to get in as many runs as you like. And once you're puffed out there's a BBQ included too!
If you don't have an MTBA Licence, they're available for puchase on the day.

Details:

Date: Sunday 21st November

Time: 10am - 4pm

Cost: $40 + MTBA Licence

Contact: email info@woodendcycles.com.au or SMS 0423 388 167

Singlespeed Nationals - Part 2

2010-11-09T15:56:00.000-08:00

It was dark, eerily quiet and as one would expect in Canberra at 5am, it was also bloody cold. Though through the seemingly peaceful slumber of the assembled tents at the Singlespeed Nationals campground, some muffled giggles and the sound of stumbling cleated-shoes could be heard as they approached our tent. As I rolled over in my sleeping bag to drift through another nightmare about having my bike stolen, Dr Dave, Troy and Tim managed to clumsily manoeuvre their way into their own beds and for several more hours, things were peaceful again.

I opened an eye as the sun blasted it’s way through the flap on our 12-man tent (I adamantly stand by the 12-man rating, though when you have 4 other men who are taller than 6 foot and one of them has a swag, of course they’re going to complain that it’s too “small”) as Matty headed out after getting a good night sleep in preparation for the first day of competition.
With the gentle call of native birds chirping in the trees and the smell of spring wafting through the tent, the sound of Tim groaning in agony as the realisation of just how much alcohol had been consumed the evening before, contrasted nicely to the serene sounds that nature was otherwise providing us. We could hear others stirring awake around the campsite, some sluggish from the night before and others a little over-enthusiastically for my liking at 9am.

Mat and Dave were into their lycra just a little too quickly to go unnoticed, as they were warming up to get ready for the hill-climb time trial that had been kindly arranged to be the very first race of the day. With no bike, and absolutely no desire to ride a bike, I decided to play spectator for the morning along with Troy who like Tim, had begun to realise the effect of his late-evening activities on his morning-eagerness.

The singlespeeders gathered together for the start of the race, with many colours, tutu’s, skin suits and other assorted accessories donning every rider who had decided to dress up for the occasion. Leaving Mat and Dave at the start line and Tim inside his sleeping bag looking an amazing shade of aqua, Troy and I ascended the hill on foot to find some good viewing spots in the singletrack.

The hill climb was brutal. With about 2km of winding singletrack through the pine trees of Majura, the grade was steep and the course was full of false peaks and character-building pinches. Riders were arranged simply by their race plate numbers, so there was plenty of over-taking over the course to make for some exciting passing manoeuvres. Residing on a flat stretch of fire road, Troy and me watched rider after rider come up through the singletrack onto the flat dirt road and yell out in agony as they realised they had to continue into the bush on the other side of the road and climb through the singletrack yet again.
First up for our crew was High Velocity Mat, who smashed past 2 riders onto the fireroad and continued at warp speed through the trees with a level of fitness that had me feeling tired just watching him.

Mat streaking ahead of the pack on the hill climb. This little flat spot was about the half-way mark, fooling most riders into thinking they had finished!

Next up was Dr Dave, who winched his way up the singletrack and gasped for air as he crested the flat fire road. With whoops of “yeah bikes!” and “yeoooowwww!”, he mustered the strength to continue through the trees to finish the climb.

Dr Dave in fine form on the hill climb. Notice that his bowels are still inside his body even though his face may suggest otherwise.

We were about to head back down to the campsite after seeing both Dave and Mat finish the hill climb, when a flash of yellow and blue flickered down bellow us in the trees. Could it be?! Yes it was!!

Tim, who we had last seen clutching his stomach and rolling around in his sleeping bag just 15 minutes before, was smashing his way up the hill and even overtook a rider in front!

He may very well have sweated his bodyweight in Bacardi Breezers by the end of the climb, but he finished it, and he finished it in a full-body skin suit no less!

We thought our eyes deceived us, but it was Tim all right. Never have I seen quite a recovery from a hangover as I witnessed on this day.

For the rest of the day, the organizers had arranged a number of high-profile singlespeed-specific activities worthy of a Nationals event to test competitors skill, fitness and mental strength. These activities included a skidding competition, the coveted Huffy Toss, the 16 inch wheel race and a bunny hop display.

With all sorts of drama and shenanigans, some of the highlights included Aiden Leifmann disappearing down the road towards the highway in a highly controlled 150-metre rear wheel skid, one lady almost taking out the crowd as she swung her Huffy around in an attempt to throw it, and many, many riders eating dirt after trying to bunny hop over the limbo stick.

Some impressive displays of skill in the bunny hop competition

Mat streaking ahead again, though this time he was racing against the huskies that were attached to one of the organisers scooters. Who said Singlespeeders were a weird bunch?

After a day of hard racing, skidding, hopping and throwing, the 120 riders descended on Dickson for dinner and to enjoy some well earned beverages at a party held by the lads at Mal Adjusted bike shop. With some local bands smashing out the tunes and copious amounts of Coopers being passed around, everyone had a chance to remind themselves of what the Singlespeed Nationals is really about, just in case they got too serious during any of the days races.
With the boys still feeling a little weary from Friday night, we made our way back to the campsite through the dark fire roads and back streets towards Majura, ready for a good kip before the main race on Sunday.

Sunday morning was a nice role reversal for our tent, as we awoke with reasonable enthusiasm whilst listening to the groans and grunts of people in nearby tents that had obviously partied a little harder than most at the party the evening before.

I was lucky enough to be hooked up with a bike to ride for the day and along with the others, we grouped around the start line in anticipation of the big race.
Consisting of a 30-60 minute loop (depending on how hungover you were) that included plenty of windy singletrack climbing and technical descending, the race circuit was one of the most fun tracks I had ever ridden. It was muddy and wet in spots, but it made the course all the more fun and challenging.

At the halfway point in the loop there was a fork in the track that allowed you to make the decision between a longer and more technical loop, or the quicker and easier route through the Coopers Beer Tent. The catch with the beer tent however, was that you had to sink down a Coopers Mild Ale beer before you were allowed to continue on.
This made for some impressive sculling showcases as beer dribbled down peoples mud-covered jerseys and sprayed out of cans onto spectators and over riders helmets. With our first lap down, we decided it was our turn to hit the beer tent and we rolled through for an icy cold beverage that had been my motivation for finishing the first lap.

Though as we moved aside to enjoy our beers (slowly, none of that sculling rubbish) we noticed a couple of St. Johns volunteers crowded around a rider that was lying down on the ground. To our horror we realised it was Mat, who had been sitting in 2^nd position behind Aiden Leifmann for the first 2 laps and was looking quick on the bike. With blood pouring from his left knee however, it appeared that his race was over.

A low-speed crash that had caused Mat to fall awkwardly onto a tree stump led to a rather sizeable stick becoming lodged in his knee. Without much hesitation, Troy and I took Mat to the local hospital to have the wound checked out.

Now I won’t go into too many gory details (ask me at the shop if you like!) though I can safely say that watching a doctor fish around 4 inches deep with tweezers inside Mats knee, whilst he writhed and yelled in agony, was possibly the most disgusting thing I have ever witnessed. In fact, I was pretty close to asking the doctor if I could have any of the Nitrous Oxide that was sedating Mat.

Witnessing the true efficiency of the Canberra hospital system first hand, we spent almost the entire day at one hospital, only to be told we had to go to the other main hospital on the other side of town to see an orthopaedic specialist. Leaving the first hospital a little sorer after 5 hours of having someone dig around his knee, Mat still had the stick lodged in his wound and we spent 45min driving to the next hospital (if you’ve ever driven around Canberra you’ll know what I mean…) only to be told we were at the back of the queue at the Emergency Room!

Whilst in transit however, we were able to speak to Dave and Tim who had finished the main race, eaten lunch at the post-race BBQ and gone through the presentations. Although our enthusiasm levels were about as low as they could get, Dave had some amazing news on the phone for us. As part of the presentations, a bunch of prizes were handed out to the winners of each competition, as well as random prizes for costumes and various antics that had been committed over the weekend. Word had gotten around that my bike had been stolen on the first night, and as a gesture of sympathy, the organisers had handed me out a brand spanking new frame and fork!
I couldn’t quite believe it and was touched that they had chosen me to give away such a prize.

And in a way, that kind of wrapped up our weekend – an event of many highs and lows that made it perhaps not the best trip of our life, but a truly memorable one.

Whilst sitting in a pub on Sunday night, we discussed all of the random events and shenanigans that we had experienced over the weekend and had a good old laugh at what we had all been through. Mat was still in hospital and was scheduled to be operated on later that evening to get the remnants of the debris out of his knee and we all felt for him, particularly as he was looking to be in a good position to get on the podium for the main race. It just went to show that none of us could have predicted how the weekend was going to turn out.

In the end however, it wasn’t so much about the race or the competitions, it was about hanging out with some like-minded mates, riding awesome trails and having an experience (good and bad) of a lifetime – all of which we did and with flying colours!

So there you have it; our experience of the 2010 Australian Singlespeed Nationals.

Keep an eye out for a write-up on the 2010 World Singlespeed Event that was in Rotorua shortly after, though for those of you on our Facebook page you will have seen some of the photos and evidence of the debauchery that went on that trip. If you’ve ever thought about entering one of these events, I couldn’t recommend it highly enough – particularly if you’re not the competitive type.

The one thing I would recommend however is to take a big lock with you if you’re ever going to Canberra with your bike!

Increase your strength and fitness with Spin

2010-11-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

There are a lot riders in the My Mountain community that ask us about training, nutrition and fitness. Training is a favourite subject of mine and a subject that I love discussing with others to help out where I can, but I thought it time to lift the Vail on my super secret squirrel training program. Or "SSSTP" as I will call it.

Like many of you I find that I have far less time that I would like for riding and when I do go riding I prefer the feeling of being strong, fit and confident on the bike. A conundrum yes! There is a way.

With help from Sam at http://thespinroom.com.au/ a few of the staff at My Mountain have implimented a SSSTP and have taken their fitness to a whole new level while spending less time on the bike. Yes that's right, more fitness, less time. Without breaking this down to a super technical physiological discussion, what Sam does at the Spin Room is push you to ride at and above your threshold, what ever that may be. Sounds simple but very few people can achieve this by just heading out for a plain old ride. It really takes someone as enthusiastic, encouraging and passionate as Sam as well as a whole room of like minded people to get it done properly.

I can hear the groaning right now :-). I don't like spin rooms, I prefer to get out side, cheesy music etc etc and I completely agree. But if you want to be able to hit the road or trails on a weekend and ride faster, longer and more aggressive than ever before Spin is the way forward. One aspect to the Spin Room that impresses us the most is Sam's ability to work a class for everyone. From national level road riders to working Mums that enjoy bike path riding can head in for the same session and come out feeling like they have had a full work over. And the vibe is amazing. Everyone at the Spin Room rocks! No attitudes, no ego's, just a great bunch of bike nuts listening to some pumping tunes and Sam's excited interval calls.

Sam provides just about every known type of pedal as well as the occasional espresso to kick start the mornings so there really are no excuses. Also for those lucky enough to be able to use The Spin Room, check out the timetable and rock up to a class that suits. Mention My Mountain and Sam will give you your first couple of classes free. You wont regret it. Just ask Mark, Ben, or Wil at My Mountain if you have any questions.

Toooo wet for Shop Ride

2010-11-02T16:56:00.000-07:00

Put your hand up if you are fed up with the weather in Melbourne. Everyone at MM has their hand up!! . With the rain over the last 5 days we have decided not to run the shop ride tonight. The trails are absolutely soaked through and we don't want to be trail wreckers.

On the basis that this weather couldn't possibly last we will see you next Wed for a fun, social ride.....

For those heading up to Gravity this weekend we will see you there. It's going to be great!

Closed for Cup Long Weekend

2010-10-31T14:59:00.000-07:00

My Mountain will be closed Monday Nov 1st and Tue Nov 2nd.
We hope this doesn't cause to much inconvenience for our customers and wish you a great cup day holiday.

From the Team at My Mountain

Singlespeed Worlds Rotorua

2010-10-26T14:32:00.000-07:00

Single speed mountain biking as many of you will know is hard but rewarding work, and having ridden single twice before on flat trails I thought " hell yeah, lets do the worlds in Rotor Vegas". (otherwise known as Rotorua). Now I'm not saying I am heading straight down to the pawn shop to trade in all my derailleurs and cassettes for a single speed frame but I am a convert......absolutely.
The Singlespeed worlds was by far the best, most fun, most chilled out event of any kind I have been a part of, and I'm already thinking about how I can get to Ireland the next hosts of this event. Around 1000 riders turned up from all over the world sporting costumes that had been created with so much love and attention that I was feeling my 1980's skin suite was a slack option. With everything from Muppet's charicters to a bikey gang in black jeans and leather you wonder whether many competitors got lost on the way to a Halloween party.

The race was simple. Ride in a large circle with 1000 or so other riders and wait for a gate to randomly open. Once you are on your way grunting up the first hill with a police women, a guy in a g-string and the village people you start thinking about the beer short cuts. Two per lap. I was thinking wow, two beer cuts per lap, 2 laps = 4 beers. I'm usually a bit drink on 4 beers so how will I go with 4 beers while racing????...........And there definitely was a time about 3/4 through the second lap that I was feeling strange, drunk even. Looking back I did have quite a spectacular off about 1K from the Finnish which may have had something to do with the beer, but that's all part of the fun.

So you might be wondering who won, how did the MM crew go, who was the fastest Australian etc etc. The answer is: it doesn't matter. A local Kiwi guy won the race and the Tattoo that comes with it, a girl from Canberra won the ladies and the obligatory Tattoo and as for the rest. As cheesy as it is: mountain biking won! How can I get to Ireland?

Pivot Cycles Land

2010-10-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

Quietly in the back ground at My Mountain discussions have been happening regarding our brand mix and whether or not a change was needed. Well if you have looked over our site recently or received our latest update you will know we have in fact mixed things up a bit. The biggest news from this shake up is the welcoming of Pivot to the My Mountain stable. We are pretty excited to be Victoria's latest Pivot Cycles dealer.

Jerry is putting the finishing touches on our Pivot Mach 5.7 in the workshop today. This new model for 2011 has Pivot Cycle's efficient dw-link suspension with 140mm front & 145mm of rear travel, this is one capable machine. This one in particular has the SLX build that brings the pricing down to a more affordable level and will appeal to those who want the boutique feel at a middle of the road price. More information about the Mach 5.7 is detailed on the product page.

Here is our small Mach 4 demo bike. But as you can probably tell from the picture a small from Pivot isn't that small. In fact this frame size has a 17.2" seat tube which for most would be described as a medium. The Mach 4 bikes go down to an XXS size that has the lowest standover of any full suspension bike on the market. This stealthy looking beauty has the XT build that comes with a Fox RLC FIT cartridge fork and DT Swiss wheels. The all new Shimano Dyna-Sys 3X10 system is quite impressive with the cranks being a work of CNC machining art. More info on the Pivot Mach 4 XT build can be found on the product page. For those of you wondering if they are worth the money or whether they really stand up to the Pivot claims we have a couple of demo bikes. We are confident those who ride will agree.

SingleSpeed Nationals 2010 - Part 1

2010-10-11T22:17:00.000-07:00

Well, it's taken me a long time to do it, but I've finally had a chance to sit down, rifle through the many photos on my hard drive and recollect one of the most memorable (hazy, but still memorable) weekends of my life. Amongst the countless number of beers consumed, the numerous stumblings through a pitch-black Majura pine forrest in the thick of night, an Alley Cat race around Canberra, sharing a drink with Gary Fisher, the 16+ hours of mind-numbing-Hume-Highway-driving, having a bike stolen, various trips to the hospital and one to the police station, I think we could safely say that we experienced it all in one weekend.

"Wow, how did you qualify for a Nationals mountain bike competition?"

That was a question posed to me about a month away from the Singlespeeds event, and was a fairly simple one to answer; "Well I had $60 and I own a singlespeed".

And yes, that's pretty much it. But there's something else that draws people from all around the country to make the pilgrimage to the annual Singlespeed Nationals event. The decision to enter a competition that involves a full weekend surrounded by beer-drinking, bearded, tattooed, singlespeeding hippies, is not one to be made lightly, though when the idea was floated around the walls at My Mountain between the few deviant singlespeeders that lurk amongst us, a weekend with some mates riding some of the best singletrack in Australia did sound very tempting.

The action-mobile, ready for the big drive. Kudos to Troy for packing the car, years of Tetris have obviously paid off.

Whilst I was already up in Canberra swanning around for Trek World, the three stooges packed all their bike gear, spare undies, stubbie holders and camping gear into the back of a very squashed Subaru for the 8 hour drive. Troy, Tim and Mat split the drive, stopping off at some key destination spots to liven up the road trip, including a visit to the "Dog on the Tuckerbox". Apparently I was incredibly un-Australian for having no idea what that was, though Troy ensured that Tim acquired evidence of this incredible landmark so I would be able to see what I had missed out on. Given that they made the effort to stop there in the first place, it confirmed to me that the Hume Highway had claimed another 3 victims, destroying their very souls and reducing their brains to new levels of boredom.

That's Mat on the left, Troy on the right, and the God-like Dog on the Tuckerbox in the middle.

Arriving in Canberra around Friday lunchtime, the lads set up camp at the scouts ground just at the foot of Marjura Pines forrest. I caught up with Dave at Canberra airport, and we shared a taxi over to the campground, both babbling with chatter about the weekends activities ahead.

Making our rendezvous at the camp ground with the lads, we set out to acquire supplies to last us the next 4 days, primarily some cases of beer and then some cases of other beer that tasted slightly different.

Our first taste of the Singlespeeds event was a meeting at a local pub that was just a short "10 minute" ride over the hill to Dickson, though we quickly found out that the time estimate provided may not have been for singlespeed mountain bikes, but perhaps for some kind of teleportation device. A gut-busting climb and a generous 40 minutes later, we were sipping beers and munching on pub food as we began to mingle and chat with all the other crazies that had decided to participate in the event. Although clearly outnumbered by locals, us Melbournians put in a good show, and we made up a significant portion of those riders who could be bothered to participate in the Friday night Alley Cat around Canberra.

Mat, being a seasoned Alley Cat racer in his hometown, shot off ahead of the pack before we could put our pint glasses back on the bar and we quickly realised that the "team" idea had kind of been abandoned. Nonetheless, we set off to find various tidbits of information around the city as it gave us a chance to see the sights and sounds of Canberra on a starry Friday night.

Being a singlespeed event, of course the last clue for the Alley Cat had something to do with a pub, and a damn fine one at that. The Wig & Pen then played host to a collection of dirty, hairy, lycra-clad cyclists who spent the night sampling the many fine beers on tap and discussing important issues like gear ratios, tubeless tyres and the advantages of modern carbon fibre frames for singlespeeding.

Whilst absorbing much of what Canberra had to offer into our livers, Tim was busy punching away on his iPhone, apparently "Twittering" Gary Fisher, who had been in town for Trek World that week and was out for dinner for his last night before heading back home to San Francisco. After various "Tweets" back and forth, Tim recommended we head to a nearby pub to see where the big man was, and low-and-behold, there he was, all 6'4" of him with a huge Akubra hat in the middle of a tacky Irish pub in Canberra.

Looking back at this photo, I'm not sure that Dave would have believed you if you had told him a month ago that he would be in Canberra taking a photo with his mates with his head just inches away from Gary Fisher's crotch.

After the lads had fanned themselves down, we managed to string together a few sentences to make conversation with Gary, discussing various things like beer, his newly acquired Akubra, Peak Oil, S&M clubs, how good 29ers are and politics, he was then kind enough to take a couple of photos with us. Standing out like a sore thumb, the man is incredibly charismatic and poses quite the profile - I'm sure that even if you had no idea what mountain biking was, you would be able to tell from a distance that this guy was some sort of famous character. More beers were consumed, we muttered our "goodbyes", "thanks" and "oh my god I love you!" to Gary and the decision to head to a different bar was made, so we headed back to our bikes to ride to the next destination.

Upon reaching our bikes however, a startling discovery was made - two of the three locks had been cut through, and instead of 5 bikes, there were now 4. You may recall an earlier blog entry about 5 weeks ago detailing a custom paint job that both Mark and I had done to our bikes, painting them green and detailing them with custom white My Mountain graphics. Well, my green bike was no longer attached to the others and was nowhere to be seen.

Recalling this part of the weekend still makes me feel sick in the stomach, and if you've ever had a bike stolen, you will know what I mean. Where a bike had been about 40 minutes ago, there was now just an empty space, with a hacked up lock being the only evidence that there may have been a bike there previously. Well, it was like having my heart ripped out of my chest, I was, for lack of a better word, completely devastated. Not only had I just built the bike up the week before after having it custom painted, this bike was also donned with the custom wheels I had built up myself earlier that year, and every part of it was a carefully planned-out specification that I had spent many hours agonizing over. For me, losing that bike was like losing a family member.

Combine that feeling with the realisation that I now had no way of getting back to the campsite, and I had no bike to actually ride in the singlespeed race that weekend, and you have some idea of what went through my head in the following 10 minutes as I stared blankly at the pole we had locked our bikes to.

Luckily, one of our friends who was hanging out with us that night was a Canberra local, and was able to hook me up with a lift back to the campsite (thanks Tucker!) so I didn't have to walk back. Although the lads offered to buy me some strong beverages to numb the pain, after the incredible high of drinking with Gary Fisher, and then the incredible low of having my bike stolen, there was not much energy left in my body to do so.

So, what a way start to the weekend! Believe it or not, there is a happy end to this story, though you'll have to wait for Part 2 to hear about that. In the mean time, here's one of the other photos we managed to get with Fisher, partly for your enjoyment, and partly to cheer me up!

Custom Gary Fisher Superfly Singlespeed

2010-10-07T19:04:00.000-07:00

With only a handful of these beautiful frames being produced worldwide, the singlespeed-specific Superfly frameset is a bit of a unicorn in the bicycle world, and with a RRP of $3999, it's not hard to see why!
We managed to snag the last one in Australia (1 of 3!) for one of our store ambassadors; Tall Tim, in the uber 21.5" XL size. The factory frameset comes with the frame, custom G2 Fox RLC fork, Cane Creek integrated headset and Bontrager RXL stem.

The frame is made up from a gorgeous carbon fibre tubeset, with a very organic profile due to the oversized bottom bracket and headtube areas. Sharing the same geometry as the standard Superfly, the singlespeed version will build up into a very lightweight XC bike, which Tim plans on racing at enduros and local events.

The very trick sliding dropouts are the ultimate way to setup a singlespeed bike. Simply wind up the tension bolts till the chain is taut, and lock down the dropout bolts - easy!
With the disc brake mount integrated into the dropout, you don't need to constantly adjust the brake when you take your wheel in and out. Compared to the previous Gary Fishers with the EBB (Eccentric Bottom Bracket), the sliders are simpler, lighter and less likely to develop annoying noises or movement.

We will be looking on with envy as Tim decides on the custom build for his new frame, with the next piece of the puzzle being a custom Hope/Stans wheelset that will be coming together in the next week or so.
So if you're interested in the build or the Superfly frameset, set aside about 7 hours of your time to let Tim blabber/drool to you about how awesome this bike will be!