Silver Mountain Bike Park - is there a better descent in the world?
WOW - Lithium Trail - Teton Pass, Jackson Wyoming
The not so enjoyable part of Mountain Biking in Whistler
Bottom of the World - Surviving Whistler Top to Bottom
Conquering Whistler's Top of the World Trail
Fantasy Enduro - Enduro World Series Fantasy Game
Is the Thredbo AM Trail the best descent in Australia?
MTB Trail Videos - Trail Centre Upgrade Program
VIDEO: The Fourth 365 Days of Reign - My 4th year of Mountain Biking
Pilot Wilderness Ride - Cascade to Pinch - Part 2
Pilot Wilderness Ride - Cascade to Pinch - Part 1
MTB Workout for the Deskbound
Finding Bruce Ridge and Loving It!
VIDEO: Top XC Rides of 2014/2015
VIDEO: 2015 The FAIL Awakens
VIDEO: Nine Days in the Rotorua Redwoods
Exploring all of Sparrow Hill and the East Kowen Forest
VIDEO: 365 Days of Reign - The Third (year of serious mountain biking)
The New Majura Pines and Sparrow Hill Trip
Mountain Biking in the NSW Snowy Mountains
Long term test: Yakima Highroller and Whispbar roof rack
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VIDEO: Giant Anthem 29er vs Giant Reign 26
VIDEO: 2014 FAILS - Will Ride, Will Fail
VIDEO: MTB-TVs TOP 10 Descents of 2014
VIDEO: The Opening of the Alpine Epic Trail - Mt Buller
VIDEO: Wrapping up the Redwoods with a Whak-en Outrageous Ride
VIDEO: Return to the Redwoods Part IV - Eagle vs Shark
VIDEO: Return to the Redwoods Part III - XC Lower Mountain Pedally Days
VIDEO: Return to the Redwoods Part II - Heavily Rooted
VIDEO: Return to the Redwoods Part I - We're Going To The Redwoods
Video: Return to Rotorua ... ok to go!
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Video: Return to Rotorua .. maybe?
Cycology - Cycling inspired clothing
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Mountain Bike Fail to Triumph in the You Yangs
365 Days of Reign - My 2nd Year on a real mountain bike
Review: the Bionicon C-Guide V2.0
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VIDEO: Rotorua Redwoods - Create Breathing Space
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Bantry Bay (Northern Beaches, Sydney)
Bruce Ridge (Canberra)
Bungarra Alpine Centre (Snowy Mountains)
Currumbin Border Track (NSW/QLD Border)
Daisy Hill (South Brisbane)
East Kowen (Kowen Pine Forest, Canberra)
Forest Pipeline (Northern Beaches, Sydney)
Fred Caterson Reserve (Castle Hill)
Golden Jubilee Field MTB Park (North Shore, Sydney)
Hassans Walls (Lithgow)
Hinze Dam (Gold Coast)
Jackson (Jackson)
Jindabyne (Snowy Mountains)
Kiwarrak State Forest (Tarree)
Majura Pines (Majura, Canberra)
Manly Dam (Northern Beaches, Sydney)
Mt Joyce (Gold Coast Hinterland)
Mt Kosciuszko (Snowy Mountains)
Nerang State Forest (Gold Coast)
Newnes (Lithgow)
Old Man's Valley (Hornsby, Sydney)
Ourimbah (Central Coast)
Oxford Falls (Northern Beaches, Sydney)
Pilot Wilderness (Snowy Mountains)
Red Hill (Northern Beaches, Sydney)
Rotorua Redwoods (New Zealand)
Silver Mountain (Kellogg)
Singleton (Hunter Valley)
Sparrow Hill (Kowen Pine Forest, Canberra)
St Ives and Belrose (North Shore, Sydney)
Stromlo Forest Park (Canberra)
Terrey Hills (Northern Beaches, Sydney)
The Oaks (Blue Mountains)
Thredbo Resort (Snowy Mountains)
Thredbo Valley Trail (Snowy Mountains)
Whistler Bike Park (Whistler)
Wingello (Southern Highlands)
Wylde MTB Trail (Cecil Park - Western Sydney)
Loving the Thredbo Flow Trail
You will have to excuse my self indulgent ramblings but I've had another one of those "I can't believe I can do this (as a 42 year old) moments".
Totally stoked with the GoPro Footage - Shot over 3 days at Thredbo, Kosciuszko Flow Trail
About 12 months ago I worked out that I really liked this whole Mountain Bike thing and decided to buy my first real bike a Giant Reign 1. During the second half of last year I rode a lot of trails and learnt a heap about riding. Over XMAS I rode almost every day and this included going to the NSW Snowy Mountains to ride the Thredbo Flow Trail. In just a few minutes I realised that I still had an enormous amount to learn, in fact my inability to rail the banked corners was a massive reality check! While I enjoyed my time at Thredbo I was pretty disappointed with how poorly I handled it.
When I got back on the trail in March (after sitting out for 8 weeks with a broken wrist) I worked very hard improving my skill set; specifically riding at speed. Countless hours climbing and descending water bar riddled fire trails around Belrose, St Ives and the Terrey Hills area not to mention practising my banked turns on the Blue Descent at OMV (Old Man's Valley, Hornsby). I followed that up with 4 days in Lithgow on trails I'd never ridden; fast descending fire trails and technical single tracks all of which got me pumped up for a late season trip to Thredbo.
Day 1 in Thredbo and I managed to put in two runs before the lift shut. The trail had changed significantly since I last rode it, probably due to the hundreds of Flow Roller Coaster race runs the weekend before. Heaps of rocks and ruts had appeared in sections that previously were groomed smooth. Corners that in January were soft and sandy were now bedded-in allowing a really fast rail through the turn. The trail was infinitely more fun, fast and challenging this time around.
The first two runs of Day 2 were good; I was improving on my speed and flow but rapidly running out of brakes. Stopping a 110kg rider doing 30+kph with Avid Elixir 5 180/160mm rotors is a big ask but when they aren't at optimal performance it makes for a hairy ride.
My solution was to try and get off the brakes as much as possible, giving them time to cool. I did my best to let the bike run on the straights and leave my braking late and hard - a ballsy move I reckon, because at 110kg I pick up a lot of speed quickly! It also meant I needed to really work my legs planting the bike on the corners as I tried to get off the brakes earlier and exit them faster each time.
On my final run that day I nailed it. I knocked almost 30 seconds of my previous best time and when I watched the GoPro footage I was TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY with how fast I was riding - It still surprises me.
While I still have a lot of work to do on my body position and getting more lean into the bike (it was pointed out to me that the markers are still on the edge of my tyres) the improvement in my riding since January and even over the weekend itself is significant.
I continue to be amazed at how much I can do and the level of confidence I've gained. The hours I've spent enjoying myself on the varied trails in my area have delivered results well beyond my expectations - I'm totally stoked with how I rode and it has inspired me no end. Not bad for fat 42 year old!
I'm looking forward to taking it up a level next season.
Trail Centres and Trails featured in this blog
- Old Man's Valley (Hornsby, Sydney, NSW)
- St Ives and Belrose (North Shore, Sydney, NSW)
- Terrey Hills (Northern Beaches, Sydney, NSW)
- Thredbo Resort (Snowy Mountains, NSW)