Sam rides his mountain bike on rad trails in Sydney, Australia; Christchurch, New Zealand; and Squamish, BC in the span of just one week.
Riding gravel roads promises less traffic and you get to geek on different bike gear. Plus, all of the usual benefits of cycling are sprinkled on top of a lovely gravel cupcake.
The Oakley DRT5 is a brand new mountain bike helmet and is packed with thoughtful features like a sweat guard and sunglasses clip.
Any group looking to develop mountain biking -- whether it's at the local or national level, for tourism, industry, or athletic development -- can learn from what DMBinS has accomplished so far.
The Drop is a new mountain bike apparel brand based out of North Carolina that was built by two brothers, Jon and Josh Bomba
First impressions of the Orbea Rallon enduro bike, which will see a long-term review.
A mountain biking pack that keeps water cold and looks great. We check out the first-ever hydration pack from Hydro Flask.
Colorado-based non-profit Sacred Cycle is working with survivors of sexual trauma, and part of their therapy methods include taking clients mountain biking.
Garmin adds a host of mountain bike specific features to their latest GPS units, and even offers a mountain bike bundle with optional accessories.
These are five of the best beginner mountain bike trails in the Phoenix area.
The Patagonia Nine Trails 8L Waist Pack includes a hydration bladder and room for two bottles for all-day MTB shreds.
The GT Force Expert is an all-mountain bike that is eager to pop off whatever you point it at. With 27.5" wheels and 150mm of rear travel, this all-carbon, aggressive trail bike retails for $4,000.
We check out a Singletracks reader's customized bike. This Scott Contessa is decked out in pink and ready to race.
Pietra Ligure: Come for the beach, and stay for the mountain bike trails! Plus, an epic report from a surprisingly snowy enduro race.
We check out Pearl iZUMi's 2019 mountain bike line up, including rain jackets, bib liners, shorts, and jerseys.
Riders know the obvious dangers of mountain biking, but the woods harbor insects that carry all kinds of diseases. One bite from the lone star tick can cause the victim to develop an allergy to meat.
Matt takes a brief test ride on the Santa Cruz Megatower on the singletrack mountain bike trails just outside Santa Cruz headquarters.
Sea Otter recap: The mountain bikes we tested, the new and wacky products we found, and what Sea Otter means for mountain bike culture.
Jill Kintner shares her outlook on how mountain bike races are won, gives cornering tips, and dishes on her favorite places to ride.
The Axis hip pack from Mission Workshop is a simple, sturdy pack designed to carry just the right amount of trail gear.
The first two races of the 2019 NAES series visit Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and Revelstoke, Canada, leaving all of the celebratory duties to the final event at Snow Summit, California.
This was the weirdest looking new product at Sea Otter. We had to take it for a ride to see what this front end linkage mountain bike is all about.
Brands like Rotor and e*thirteen are finding new and innovative ways to add more range to one-by mountain bike drivetrains.
A stand up mountain bike, full suspension gravel bike, vintage telescoping fork, race day tire sealant, and more from Sea Otter 2019. Or maybe it's 3019?
Remot Bikes are igniting their brand new fire with a carbon trail bike for under $4,000 that looks ready to party.
CushCore has new product with wider applications, and some science they say backs up their claims.
The Raleigh Tokul 3 hardtail mountain bike ticks most of the right boxes on the spec chart and looks great too.
The MRP Ramp Control PRO gives riders even more adjustability than the MRP Ramp Control. We also check out the new Raven mountain bike fork.
We round up 6 notable and interesting hardtail mountain bikes from Sea Otter 2019, ranging from steel to carbon and titanium. Every one of them sports at least 120mm of front travel.
A few new items around Sea Otter including shoes with impact-resistant soles, waterless bike wash, and lights by Knog.
Giant launches a brand new flat pedal mountain bike shoe, the Shuttle Flat. Here's what we know so far after wearing them for a couple days.
Go big or small on your mountain bike rides with these bags from Ortlieb and Evoc.
Walmart's Viathon M.1 mountain bike is a racy, XC bike being marketed as fun, comfortable, and practical which begs a few questions.
US distributor Cycle Monkey brings German Brands Nicolai and Tout Terrain to the states with Gates Carbon Drive and Pinion gear boxes.
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast we talk about what enduro is, and why it matters to the sport of mountain biking. From athletes and races to bikes and gear, enduro is a reflection of how many of us approach riding.
This multi-sport GPS watch has a ton of features, but it misses the mark in a couple key areas.
We test out Patagonia's 2019 mountain bike line which includes the Dirt Roamer short, Nine Trails jersey, and Endless Ride bib liner.
Hutchison's pro mountain bikers asked for a faster gravity tire, and worked alongside company engineers to create just that.
The Urge Archi-Enduro RR full face mountain bike helmet was designed by the most qualified enduro experts in the business.
Oak trees are native to six of the seven continents on earth, so chances are you have mountain biked among them. Learn more about this magnificent tree species.
Updated Norco Revolver XC bike comes with 100mm or 120mm of rear travel. Plus, there are new forks from Cane Creek and Marzocchi, moto-inspired MTB rims from Zipp, and tall tires for wet and loose conditions from WTB.
The Vee Flow Snap is an enduro mountain bike tire from the Thai company. It's a little on the heavy side, but seems to be a great aggressive trail tire.
The Mountainsmith Cycle Cube is a bike-specific duffel bag meant to manage lots of awkward and stinky bike gear.
Deborah Meghen and Niall Davie talk about the development of new mountain bike trails all over Ireland.
The Bluegrass Eagle Armour Lite D3O is a lightweight and simple vented spine protector.
A San Diego mountain biker finds a barbed wire trail trap and a rider in Colorado leaves the scene of another trap with several broken bones.
There's a lot of hype about the new WaveCel structure in new Bontrager helmets. Competitor responses came just as quickly, and it's hard to recognize who's right in the end.
We check out mountain bike multi-tools from top brands like Pro, SIlca, Pedro's, Topeak and Pro Bike Tool.
1
![[feature]<img class="aligncenter wp-image-260240 size-full" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSC_0859-copy.jpg" alt="" width="6000" height="4000" />
It's funny how experiences can change your perspective on life, and how quickly some amazing things can become normal. I had a week at the start of March 2019 that was probably one of the most incredible of my life, and something many people in the mountain biking community would be envious of. I'm doing my best not to be smug here, but it wasn't until I was partway through that I realized what I had planned.
I was going to be traveling through three different countries in one week, and I made it my mission to ride in all three during this week. My week started in Australia, went to New Zealand, and ended in Canada. Having been in Australia for a couple of months and riding relatively casually, my last ride there was on a Sunday. I was flying to Christchurch on Wednesday to pack up my life for good, riding with some friends in New Zealand on Thursday, and moving to Canada on Friday where I aimed to ride Saturday. Once I had booked my flights and realized what was on the cards, I decided to make it happen!
<h2>Sydney, Australia</h2>
I had been in Sydney for a couple of months taking some time off work. In the southern hemisphere, it was the height of summer. We're talking 30°C+ degrees daily. As a Brit, I struggle with the heat a little. It's one thing getting used to this sort of heat, but riding in it is something else entirely. I don't think I've ever been as hot and sweaty as I have mountain biking in Australia in the middle of summer.
[caption id="attachment_260166" align="alignleft" width="1170"]<img class="wp-image-260166 size-large" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSC_0689-copy-1170x780.jpg" alt="" width="1170" height="780" /> Short but sweet, Hornsby has plenty of technical singletrack, both up and down.[/caption]
<a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/old-mans-valley.html">Hornsby</a> is one of the better trail networks in Sydney, and had been closed nearly the entire time that I had lived in Sydney from 2016-17, with a small section opening during my last few weeks. I had to get there to check it out before I left.
The riding in Sydney, and in Australia generally, is pretty unique. The terrain is more hilly than mountainous (though Australia does have mountains), with chunky boulders scattered around. The elevations aren't huge you but can find some surprisingly technical riding.
[caption id="attachment_260165" align="alignleft" width="1170"]<img class="wp-image-260165 size-large" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSC_0698-copy-1170x780.jpg" alt="" width="1170" height="780" /> Obi was so fast I could barely catch him ;)[/caption]
Having just undergone an extensive revamp due to access issues around the quarry next to the trails, there is a good network of trails of various levels, from blue to black. There are short punchy climbs, technical rocky descents with some cheeky wooden features, and smooth flowing singletrack. There's probably around 20km of trail. It's not huge, but plenty for a morning spin on a Sunday, which is precisely what my riding buddy Obi and I did.
[caption id="attachment_260164" align="alignleft" width="1170"]<img class="wp-image-260164 size-large" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSC_0704-copy-1170x780.jpg" alt="" width="1170" height="780" /> Australian terrain may not be big, but it's always full of cool features, like these massive rocks.[/caption]
Hornsby is great for sessioning, with a quick return to most points. There's a slightly hidden black trail with some fun off-camber and technical sections off the start of the main intermediate blue that we rode a few times. There are a few short jump lines that are easy to session, one with a decent-sized gap that runs out into a skills zone that's still being built.
A few exploratory laps later and suitably sweaty we decided to call it a day and stop by Clovelly beach on the way home for a refreshing swim followed by a coffee and pastries. That's the beauty of Sydney -- there may not be a million gnarly bike trails, but there are some great beaches with amazing surf and some awesome bars and restaurants in between. It's easy to feel like you're living the high life here.
[caption id="attachment_260163" align="alignleft" width="1170"]<img class="wp-image-260163 size-large" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSC_0711-copy-1170x780.jpg" alt="" width="1170" height="780" /> Having some fun on a black-rated line.[/caption]
<h2>Christchurch, New Zealand</h2>
I packed my bike up Tuesday and headed to the airport to catch my flight to Christchurch, NZ on Wednesday. I called Christchurch home for a year and had spent a lot of time on the trails there in that year. A couple of months in Sydney really made me appreciate how accessible the trails in Christchurch are, particularly from where I had been living.
[caption id="attachment_260239" align="alignleft" width="1170"]<img class="wp-image-260239 size-large" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSC_0788-copy-1170x780.jpg" alt="" width="1170" height="780" /> Sessioning jumps in the sun doesn't get much better.[/caption]
Christchurch has a great mountain bike scene, with the <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/port-hills.html">Port Hills</a>, a volcanic mountain range complete with lift assisted bike park, just a 10-15 minute drive from the city center.
Since I was only in town for one full day, I wanted to get my bike built up ASAP and get out for a ride with my buddies. March is summer, so I had time on my side, and it was the middle of the week when most people couldn't ride until the evening. It was only fair that I go out for brunch and coffee (obviously it had to be a flat white - a Kiwi invention), at Addington Coffe Co-Op, before I got out on the trails.
[caption id="attachment_260241" align="alignleft" width="1170"]<img class="wp-image-260241 size-large" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSC_0802-1170x780.jpg" alt="" width="1170" height="780" /> Dust and rocks. I love it.[/caption]
With my bike built, I headed out with my friend Zoe for a ride up Dyers Pass, a steep road climb to the top of <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/victoria-park-downhill-trails.html">Victoria Park</a>. Vic Park is a small but densely-packed network of mostly steep and technical downhill trails, with a few slightly easier ones thrown in to suit more intermediate riders. We spent a little while playing on a step-down jump at the top of what the locals call "The 15," taking photos and generally enjoying the summer sunshine.
Once we'd had enough fun in the air we headed down Sesame Street, one of the more friendly trails in Vic Park. Not too rocky, not too steep but pretty fast if you want it to be. It's littered with optional gap jumps, drops, and a fun wall-ride into a drop. It's not a crazy trail but it's one of my favorites because it's one of those trails that just makes you feel like a bit of a hero.
Next, we dropped from Vic Park into <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/cristchurch-adventure-park.html">Christchurch Adventure Park</a> and rode Shredzilla, a black-diamond trail, to the bottom. Stoked with watching Zoe send it down there (she wouldn't have ridden anything near this difficult when I'd met her months before!) it was time for celebratory beer and fries in the CAP cafe.
[caption id="attachment_260236" align="alignleft" width="1170"]<img class="wp-image-260236 size-large" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSC_0829-1170x780.jpg" alt="" width="1170" height="780" /> Zoe hitting send down Shred.[/caption]
The beer finished, I had to dash off to meet some other riding buddies for a post-work ride. While grinding up the Port Hills again this time on <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/huntsbury-track.html">Huntsbury</a> track, we got to chatting. I realized that for one reason or another (probably people telling me how gnarly it was), I had never ridden Lava Flow, Christchurch's signature downhill track. Lava Flow does what it says on the tin: it follows an old lava flow down the open hillside. It's steep, rocky, and gnarly, perfect for my last ride in New Zealand!
[caption id="attachment_260235" align="alignleft" width="1170"]<img class="wp-image-260235 size-large" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSC_0821-1170x780.jpg" alt="" width="1170" height="780" /> Cheesy grins all day pretty much sums it up.[/caption]
Dropping in I was a little nervous, but pushed that to the back of my mind and followed my old housemate and local track builder Milty down the trail. First straight, plowing through rocks, getting all kinds of loose and my worries vanished, I was having way too much fun for that! I had forgotten just how good Christchurch trails are and was having the time of my life.
Halfway down I was frothing, having the most fun I'd had in ages, and we come across a large group of runners. We could see that they had stopped by the side of the trail for us, so we gave it the beans. Drifting around the corner and through the runners, they were cheering us on and videoing us on their phones. The stoke levers were all-time high, blasting down the final section of trail, down a big roller drop off that I usually would have ridden around, into the end of the trail. We all had giant grins on our faces by the end. Perfect.
[caption id="attachment_260240" align="alignleft" width="1170"]<img class="wp-image-260240 size-large" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSC_0859-copy-1170x780.jpg" alt="" width="1170" height="780" /> Dropping into Lava Flow, Awesome end to an awesome ride in an amazing place.[/caption]
When the ride was done, we headed straight to the pub. For anyone visiting Christchurch, the Moon Under Water is a great post-ride pub. We met with the rest of my old workmates who didn't make the ride for copious beer and food. I probably had a few too many beers, but it was worth it. Perfect day status achieved.
<h2>Squamish, BC</h2>
I landed in Vancouver at around 1 pm Friday, itching to get off the plane. It took a while to get my work permit and get out of the airport, but thankfully I was greeted by the welcome sight of my buddy Casper and his trusty old Toyota pickup waiting to take me to my accommodation for the next few weeks, which was his RV in Squamish.
Upon stepping out of the airport, the first thing I noticed was that it was freezing cold. I figured that arriving in March I'd be catching some nice spring weather, but having just spent summer on the other side of the world, I was not ready for just how cold it was.
[caption id="attachment_260247" align="alignleft" width="1170"]<img class="wp-image-260247 size-large" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSC_2630-1170x878.jpg" alt="" width="1170" height="878" /> One of my first views of Canada. It's not bad here.[/caption]
I couldn't believe I was finally in BC, after years of dreaming about riding in Canada. To be honest, I still can't believe I'm here; it's absolutely as beautiful as you'd expect. I was totally stoked to get out riding. I only had one day to ride, as Sunday was going to be spent driving around and Monday was my first day of work. So Saturday was the day. The day after I arrived, another lightning fast bike build followed. Thanks to the guys at Commencal Canada for letting me borrow some tools and use some floor space. They're a good bunch.
[caption id="attachment_260250" align="aligncenter" width="878"]<img class="wp-image-260250 size-large" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSC_2623-878x1170.jpg" alt="" width="878" height="1170" /> Should we ride it? Yeah, go on.[/caption]
Casper introduced me to his friend Will, another Brit, and we left in Will's truck to see which trails were good. Turns out I was a tad optimistic. The road to the bottom of the main trails was completely covered in ice and totally impassable. Not a good sign...
We decided to ride some lower trails, starting with one called Roller Coaster. The pedal up to the top was short, but it didn't take long until the fire road became mostly ice. Hoping for the best, we carried on. Sitting at the top of the trail it was evident that again we had been a little optimistic. The trail was pretty much entirely ice. Again undeterred, we used the age-old "tripod" technique to slither down the trail, possibly setting the world's slowest Strava time. Thankfully, halfway down, just as the trail became steeper and had a bit more natural flow, the ice disappeared and gave way to beautiful grippy dirt! Stoked about my first ride in Canada, I ripped down, grinning all the way to the bottom. It wasn't gnarly or technical, but boy was it fun!
[caption id="attachment_260246" align="aligncenter" width="878"]<img class="wp-image-260246 size-large" src="https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSC_2627-e1555019021863-878x1170.jpg" alt="" width="878" height="1170" /> You know you're in Canada when...[/caption]
Once we regrouped, we decided it was a better idea to session some shorter trails even further down the hill called Coho. A tiny area of forest, Coho is jammed full of short trails. We spent an hour or two sessioning some small doubles and found a few steep rutted corners to practice railing, finding joke lines, and drifting round tight loamy turns. I forgot how much fun it can be playing on short trails and just mucking about with your mates in the woods. It may not have been Whistler, but it was still a great day on the bike, and an awesome intro to Canadian riding.
It turns out that riding in three very different countries in one week isn't the easiest thing in the world, but I feel very lucky to be where I am and can't wait to explore BC some more. Stay tuned for some ride reports to follow![/feature]](https://images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Barb_Wire.jpg)
