NZ in brief...

It ended up being a tough day/night on the bike. 16 hours in and my body was desperate for sleep, so much so it was waaaay to dangerous on that course for me to continue. So I decided to pull the pin. I was awarded 3rd Solo Male in the end, and I think I might need to plan a longer training block than three weeks before I attempt another 24 solo.

Not much to report....

With just over a week to go until racing in NZ I don't have very much to report. I have begun my taper and have only been on the bike once this week. The family is a little sick so I am not getting much sleep either, which isn't ideal. On the plus side I took the SRAM equipped 120 out on Wednesday night, and it was fantastic. The 20mm front axle will live up to expectations. BTW, if you look over in my Garage you will see I have some 08 SLR's for sale (I might even have some 09 ones also, if you ask nicely). I have also listed my almost brand new Ultegra group set. Grab them before I off load on ebay to someone outside of my Blog.
Worth a look is Jim Hsu's Travel Blog. I have been riding with Jim for years now and this trip had him on a big high, a truly once in a lifetime ride. Good on ya Jim.

SRAM...

Well, it's all official, I am now riding SRAM components on my bikes. I have been thinking about it for a while now and since the Kona team has been linked in with Shimano since forever I was not sure if it would actually happen.

I have been riding on the new Rock Shox SID's since the Scott last year and have been loving them. I decided with the longer travel Kona 120, to go the ever reliable Reba's with 20mm through axle. Mavic make a SLR to suit so I have not gained any weight, but the advantages are huge. The beauty of the RockShox system is it is a true quick release. I reckon I can remove the front wheel quicker than with standard quick release.

I opted to go with XO trigger. Teamed up with a Matchmaker, I still only have one band around the bars, even on the side holding the remote lock out leaver, how good is that...Also looking forward to abusing the new Avid Elixir CR brakes, they really look the business.

Product Review - Mavic Cycling Shoes (Chasm & Zxellum)

I have now been wearing these shoes enough to pass on my comment. Firstly a bit of a back ground on me, enduro racing and mtb shoes. In my first 24 hour solo race, I killed the nail on my big toe on my right foot. This was caused by a combination of things but mainly due to shoes that became to tight under the conditions (very hot and riding for a stupidly long period). I had numbness in my toe for 4 month, and ever since I have had a second pair of shoes in the pits just in case my first pair get uncomfortable. Since starting to ride in the Mavic Chasm mtb shoes I have noticed what a difference a great fitting shoe makes. Don't get me wrong, I have always used good quality shoes, but these just seem to give a superior fit both on the solo of your foot and across the top of the foot. I'll start with the sole. It is made of a full piece of carbon fibre, this gives them a great amount of stiffness. The grip on the sole is supplied by rubber (not plastic like most shoes). This makes the very forgiving when walking in them. It also provides better grip on rocky terrain. The upper portion of the shoe is made of a very soft synthetic material. They have a cool looking leather finish with plenty of breathable mesh sections.

I have found the top to be so comfortable that I am wearing a half size smaller shoe to give me a good snug fit and better power transfer. The harness system (very similar to my old Adidas Adistar shoes) is excellent. The top strap has ratchet adjustment for ease of use on the fly and the bottom two steps are fool proof velco. Another handy addition is the supplied brass plates that sit between the cleat and the solo. There is two different thicknesses to suit all pedals and give a perfect connection. They also act as protection against wear on you sole from rubbing on the outside of the pedal (especially good for egg better uses). Bottom line is these shoe a great. They have everything you would want in a race shoe or even an all day trail shoe. I even think I will stop taking a second set of shoes to races they are that good. I forgot to mention they are light, very light.

I would also like to touch on the Zxellium Road shoes also. These are not for the person who doesn't want to be noticed (I believe the yellow version is only a limited edition, there are also some more subtle models available in the Mavic like up). I have never used a product that has drawn as much attention as these shoes. I have found them to be as comfortable as the mtb shoes. The are stiff, light and seem to have a great power transfer. All day rides on the road bike now give me no foot discomfort whatsoever.

o as far as I am concerned they are a fantastic shoe. Also worth a mention for both models is the handy inclusion of lines on the sole to make setting cleat up a cinch. I don't think they are in many shops yet, but if you go to your favorite bike shop they should be able to order a set in for you.

News exclusive...

More details soon.

Shut up and ride...

This long weekend I needed to just get out and ride. I have never been a fan of riding on tired legs, so a long weekend gives the opportunity to have a day off between rides.
Saturday morning I decided to get out nice and early with Clackers. We got two climbs in in the Dandenongs before rolling down for the hell ride. It was a good test for the body, I was able to keep the intensity high and even got to roll turns up the front for a while.

Today was a perfect day for a long mtb hit out. Lucky the pink boys had plans that included myself. Starting from richmond we (there was 12 of us in total) rode the entire mullum loop (about 80k's). Chuck in the 20 odd k's from home and back, gave me a very long in the saddle. The best bit was the fact that my body was good to take on the challenge. Two more weeks of training and I think I will be ready to take on the NZ boys on their turf.

Short and sweet...

Today a short mtb ride was on the menu. Thanks to Jayden braking his arm, I needed to keep it real short to get back in time for his doctors appointment. Jase recommended bring out he long travel and for good reason, there were plenty of fast step runs, rocks and roots to bounce off. I'm sure the Felt Epix boys will do a good ride breakdown with more photos over on their blog, so pop on over and check it out.

I won't bother mentioning to painful assents required to get the full effect of the down hill, cause we all know that's what mtb'ing is all about. It is always worth it.

Training tools...

Yesterday I got me a new training tool. Jackson has been waking up really early (5:30) lately, so I decided it would be a good idea to get him out in the fresh air. The only problem is if the trail is't sealed I need to go very slow. We go out for an hour this morning and will try and get out most mornings.

Lysterfield under attack...

Rides have been few and far between lately. I've just finish my third course of antibiotics after developing a massive saddle sore following the dusk til dawn. In total that gives me three rides in three weeks. I think it is fair to say I am a little worried about racing the NZ 24hr National Championships in five week. I made it out on the hell ride on Saturday morning and the butt was still a tad sore and the legs felt unfit but I will soldier on and hope for the best.

Today I went out to Lysterfield (avoiding the weekend crowds) for a very short roll around on the Unit. I am planning on getting on the bike a little more often over the next few weeks, even if it is only for an hour or so.

Now as I watch the news I see that Lysterfield is under attack from a fire. Good luck to all those currently under attack from the fires around the state. Both my parents and my brothers properties are under threat. Its all just a bit too close to home really.

The finished product...

Well, finally myself and my Uncle Richie finished Pop's bike restoration (you can see some other posts of the restoration by using the short cuts on the right). We were all in Tassie for the weekend to celebrate Charz's (my grandmothers) 80th birthday. This is the reason for the lack of posts on this subject, it was a huge surprise to Charz that the bike was finished. It was a great feeling to see here reaction to the job we had done on it.

I thought I would post a reminder of what it looked like when I first received it about two years ago.

We had the bike at the RSL where the party was held. It was a great talking piece and a good opportunity to show to everyone in the family. This is Charz, she is still full of beans and loves to reminisce the old times.

Myself and Richie at the New Norfolk cycle track where Pop used to race.That is the old club rooms in the back ground. We know also know the build date of the bike. It was custom built for Pop in 1946. It was his most cherished possession and was very well looked after.

Ay Up's ahoy....

Sorry about the lack of posts lately, but I have truely had very little time to do anything bike related this week. My race bikes are still sitting - dirty - in their boxes from the dusk till dawn last weekend. Speaking of which, if you click the link below you can see the start of the race. It's Andy Fellows blasting off the front in the AyUp jersey and me about four places behind. It's nice to see about 80% of the field were using AyUp's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNZtXvUplTs

I am currently on my way to Hobart for a bit of a family party (my grandmother in turning 80). When I return I am sure I will have something exciting to show you all.

All for a good cause...

Many may have already heard, but the Hard Day at the Office 8hr has been cancelled for this weekend. However, many Victorian MTB clubs (including FTF) and MTB wholesalers (including Kona) have banded together to run a fundraiser event for the many hundreds of bushfire victims. All funds raised will be donated to the cause.

As we start to learn more about the severity of the fires, just about everybody I speak to knows of somebody directly affected by the carnage. So if you were planning a ride this weekend, why not enter this event and show your support. You can find more information at the Geelong MTB Club website.