Cycling can be, but doesn't have to be dangerous. In fact, if you set yourself up for success with the right safety gear and some basic knowledge, then you can take the open road, the busy urban street, or the bush trail with peace of mind knowing that you are ready for anything. Quality Lights to See and Be Seen Specialising in the sale of frames, gear, and accessories for mountain biking, NSW Compensation Lawyers recently reached out to us for our thoughts on cycling safety. While most cyclists know that they need a safety light so motorists can see them on the road, not as many think of hav ..read more

MTB Dirt Skills PT5 - Using the Body as Suspension Jan 16, 2023 Riding a bike with well-tuned suspension sure feels pretty special, but the real secret sauce comes from using your own body to stay smooth, absorb impacts, and apply pressure at the right times to generate speed and maximise your traction.  Managing forces requires riders to react to what is felt through their hands and feet. Undulating terrain makes it feel like the bike is either being pushing up and into the body, or being pulled away and dropping from beneath the body. Riders can either relax and absorb, letting the bike ..read more

Let's face it, as a mountain bike rider, the chances of finding yourself out on the town or at the pub the night before an event are pretty high. We asked Marzia to help us navigate the bistro menu to uncover the "least worst" options you're likely to encounter when eating out the night before race day.  The pub is bustling, the talk is all about the course, the dirt, the features, and the favourites to take it home. The beer is flowing, and that burger on the menu is looking pretty tasty. Are Burgers and Beers Suitable as a Pre-race Meal? The answer is…it depends. It may seem like all qu ..read more

Summer Riding Tips Things are heating up out there.   Dec 16, 2022 We wait all winter for summer to come around, but it doesn't come without its own unique set of challenges. We have compiled a list of things to consider when venturing out on the saddle this summer. Timing is everything.  Ride all summer, ride in the morning.Whether it is before work or early on a weekend day, your summer riding will be a whole lot more sustainable if you get out before the sun gets too high in the sky and the temperature skyrockets. You will lose less water and your recovery times will be a lot ..read more

Marzia Bell from Life + Performance Nutrition is back for the second article in our nutrition series with some tips on how to fuel your body for maximum performance on race day. Race day is here, you've got your favourite kit picked out and the bike is prepped and ready to go. What about food? Surely, as long as you’ve got something in your belly, it doesn’t really matter, right? We spend thousands of dollars on bikes, bike components, bike gear, coaching, and travel expenses to race, yet we often overlook a key factor that can make or break race day…our fuel. You wouldn’t leave fuel ..read more

In this article Cameron Allonby from Dirt Skills MTB Coaching is taking us through the fundamentals of cornering so we can learn to slay the bendy bits of trail with confidence. Cornering can be the most fun part of your trail, feeling your tyre shraalp will always warrant a cheer! Let’s take this back to basics and learn the body and bike movements that will have you cornering with speed and confidence. Fundamentally, corners can be broken into three steps, LOW – LOOK – LEAN: LOWA low centre of mass is more stable, think monster truck Vs rally carLow body positions allow for a great rang ..read more

Welcome to the first article in our nutrition series with Marzia Bell from Life + Performance Nutrition. We’re kicking things off with a look at the week before an event with some nutritional guidelines to help you perform well on the day in your MTB discipline of choice. The right fuelling can make the difference between smashing it all the way to the finish line or hitting the wall ¾ of the way into your race and stumbling your way home. Just like all races are not created equal, race week preparations will vary depending on the competition level, what your target races are, and your overall ..read more

Got an e-bike and want to tow a mate up the hill for some runs? Want to tow the kids up the climb so you can focus on enjoying the downhills, rather than spending all your energy coaxing them up the fire road? Michael's put together a handy guide on how you can tow someone up a hill, using a few bits and pieces you might already have in the garage! Equipment: Ocky strap. The one in my demonstration is about 1200mm long, with closed loops at the end. These work much better than the typical hook style ones - as they connect quickly and securely on your seatpost rails. Plus they are a lot more ..read more

Many of us have said it time and time again “we are just out riding for fun”. But at the end of the day, if your mate is dropping you up a hill or you're unable to ride for the day due to fatigue, it's safe to say you're not going to be having as much fun as you possibly could. With shorter days, due to winter, work or family commitments it's often difficult to fit in a ride every day. But 30-45 minutes in the gym focussing on sport-specific training can be the best investment you'll make not only to your riding performance but also for future injury prevention. At 547 Sport Performance, we ca ..read more

If you don't want to get injured then I suggest that mountain biking is perhaps not the sport for you. There will be plenty of occasions when you overestimate your abilities and bleed. Or do one of my best-rehearsed tricks, and fall off a stationary bike. Don't pretend like you've never done it before. I work with a lot of clients who are recovering from injury- mountain bike related and other. And recently I managed a decent one myself. I'd like to say it was a spectacular jump, but mostly it was a speed where I should've slowed, immediately followed by a pile of limbs, my bike, what I suspec ..read more