Finding My Feet

I've been pretty busy lately as the student life starts to catch up on me. With the threat of mock exams I spent 6 weeks mostly locked away studying with occasional fitness breaks to help maintain my sanity, and absolutely NO RACING.

In some ways it has been good to take a break, as it helps get your head in order. After a long season that stretched over 6 months, switching from XC to Multisport then to long distance XC, my legs jsut needed a rest, and those 6 weeks offered exactly that; a chance to maintain my fitness but not put my mind and body through the pressures that training to be the best entails. It's been good.

But, a restless spirit such as myself can only hold out for so long. I don't agree with going completely cold turkey of the addictive cocktail of adrenaline, endorphins and screaming muscles that constitutes the drug known as racing, so with a hiatus from study before the final push at the end of the year IO decided to have one last try.

This is why I maintained some of my fitness. If there's one thing I hate more than missing out on competition, it's competing and getting my ass kicked. Egotistical? Yeah. Petty? Probably. But it is this drive to succeed that has carried me through my competitive life with a modicum of success so why stop what works? My secret weapon at present has been getting into running. Highly transferable with cycling fitness due to similar muscles being used, and easy to do with high rewards for shorter sessions. So, armed with 2 sets of trainers and a choice selection of foot paths and fields, I set out to race my school cross country.

Cross country and I have a strange relationship to say the least. My first ever race was school cross country, where I finished a credible 7th. It all went downhill form there though as I was always that guy who was pretty proud to not come last. Cross country was a compulsory event up until year 10, and my year 9 self was convinced I would never race cross country again. Then I tried this crazy thing called puberty, started getting good and sport and never looked back. It has always been one of those ghosts on my record sheet though. Forever doomed to take a series of second and third places, it seemed that it was one nut I would not cracked. I wanted to change that.

I knew who the competition were, and I knew what they were capable of. I also knew what I was capable of and that I had fitness to work with. Thanks to my fledgling career in Multisport I have been forced to work on running fitness and technique, and with this has come a huge increase in speed and endurance. Armed with this, I entered into school cross country with the single track mind that had served me so well through my cycling escapades so far.

Essentially a few laps around a muddy field, cross country is not a technically demanding race at my school. However, the 3km length means that it is too long to sprint, but not long enough for endurance runners to take a lead. It was here we would test our mettle and, if all went to plan I would have used my last chance to successfully scratch this one off the list.

To put it simply, I won by a literal mile. Somehow finishing 40 seconds ahead of second place with plenty more left in the tank made it all seem a little too easy. Bursting off the line and disappearing out of sight before anyone really realised I was ahead was a little too easy for my liking. Of course, there were all the excuses of "I wasn't really trying" on the faces of some shocked looking competitors (who if rumors were to believed secretly had thought they would win easily), but despite this it was a slaughtering and to be honest took all the fun out of it. I am a sucker for a fight to the death that comes down to a bloody, frenzied sprint finish, but it was not to be. Running a race with plenty left in the tank, without being pushed, was not enough. I wanted to see what I could really do.

Fast forward two weeks and we arrive to the final of the Xterra Auckland Trail Running series. 6 km long in the lovely Hunua Ranges, here I chose to take another shot at getting that kick that only comes from a hard race. Against seasoned veterans of the trail running world with four races of preparation behind them, I prepared to do battle. I had no idea how I compared to everyone else there. All I knew is that the majority looked tall, lean, and fast. Remember, dear reader, to never judge a book by its cover.

From the start I found myself in the top 5 right from the gun. Within 500 metres we had narrowed it down to 4. At the 1 km mark the 1st placed runner was building a lead and I found myself chasing in 2nd place, and building a lead on 3rd and 4th. Setting the kind of pace that made school cross country look like a light jog, this was what I had been waiting for; this was a proper race.

The first 2 kilometers were gravel road, where the pace stayed high. After this I knew there was to be 3 km of singletrack before the final sprint back to the finish. Entering the single track I hit my straps and began doing some damage. Catching up to 1st on a climb, we began a game of slingshot where I would pull ahead on a technical climb or decent, and get caught when the trail flattened out a little again. And so it went through the trail for 3 km. By the time we hit the roads again I had built up around 15 metres lead and was running in first. It was not to last as despite my power through the single track, the former race leader regained his throne and pulled away in the final kilometer back to the race village and the finish line.

In the end I finished 8 seconds off the top step of the podium. This left me not just 2nd in my age group, but 2nd overall out of everyone racing that distance, against some of the fastest trail runners in the region. This was the race I needed, and it was the race I got. It is a nice reminder to know I can still aim high at sport and actually hit the targets I set for myself.

With that said and done, I am now better prepared for my last push of the year; my final exams. Wish me luck everyone, and I'll see you soon.

Robin

Cycling Foods

GCN recently released a video on the Top 10 Foods Not To Eat Whilst Cycling. Among that list is something we are quite fond of here at turning pages, and we are not sure we agree with their judgement. What do you think? ;)

Long Term Review: Tip Top Vanilla Icecream

Nutrition is a vital part of any athlete's regime, and the market is inundated with products claiming to be the next big thing for making riders faster. Gels, lollies, bars and drinks are all examples of products readily available in bike shops, sporting good stores and super markets, but there is a more readily available, less expensive alternative; Ice-cream. 

Found in Dairies, Cafes, Super markets and pretty much every where else with a freezer, Ice-cream is a readily available, inexpensive source of all the essentials for race day performance. Over the past year, I have been testing Tip Top New Zealand's Vanilla Ice-cream as a race day super food.

Available in multiple volumes ranging from single serves to 2 litres in most stores, Tip Top have an option for everyone's training and racing demands.

Avg Quantity Per Serving	Avg Quantity per 100G
Energy	397 kJ	863 kJ
	95 Cal	206 Cal
Protein	0.8 g	1.7 g
- gluten	0 mg	0 mg
Fat, total	5.0 g	10.9 g
- saturated	3.0 g	6.5 g
Carbohydrate	11.6 g	25.3 g
- sugars	9.0 g	19.6 g
Sodium	16 mg	35 mg

From the table above, it is clear that Ice-cream is an abundant source of carbohydrates and fats; both vital sources of fuel for endurance sport. Furthermore, Ice-cream is Gluten Free, made from all natural ingredients and the neutral vanilla flavour compliments many different combinations of extra ingredients. If Vanilla isn't your thing though, Tip Top make a range of other flavours to suit.

                              

The cardboard packaging used in the 1L model tested is nicely coloured and does a good job of preventing any leakage of Ice-cream. However, testers did find that the vertical orientation did make accessing the Ice-cream a bit difficult at times, especially without a long spoon.

The Ice-cream itself is lightly flavoured so as not to be over powering, with a consistent texture and colour. This is a testament to Tip Top’s high quality control and finely honed manufacturing process. That said, at times, especially with pre-race nerves, the Ice-cream could taste a little over sweet (a problem not encountered with certain “boutique” brands) but this could be balanced out by adding the Ice-cream to a milkshake with other ingredients to dilute the flavour a little. This also had the added advantage of making the Ice-cream easier to consume on a nervous stomach, as well as faster to digest.

The one problem testers encountered was the need for refrigeration. The coldness of Ice-cream is great for hot days, but does limit its use during a race, and requires access to a freezer for long term storage.

In use, Ice-cream performs admirably. In a series of tests comparing Ice-cream to both Yogurt and "running natural," testers reported feeling more energised on Ice-cream and thus performing better at races. This could be due to the nutritional value, but some theories suggest that the endorphins released during the consumption of "comfort foods" such as Ice-cream relax the athlete and keep them in a positive state of mind, preventing them from becoming too nervous pre-race and therefore riding better. 

Regardless of what the theories suggest, real life usage amongst testers has resulted in the belief that Ice-cream works. Although testers experimented with more expensive Organic and Hand-made varieties from various brands, we kept returning to the Tip Top Vanilla for sheer availability, reliability and low price

A top quality alternative to mainstream sports nutrition products that has been race proven.

SHOTS: Thunder Burts are go!

What is it?
Schwalbe Thunder Burt 29 Snakeskin Tyre.

What is it for?
Dry conditions XC racing.

Who is it for?
Those with a need... A need for speed!

Introduced as a bridge between the immensely popular Racing Ralph and Furious Fred (with it's lack of tread), the Thunder Burt is designed as a go to tyre for serious XC racers. That is, assuming the conditions are drier than my sense of humour.

Set up Tubeless, first ride impressions of the Thunder Burt seem good. In the dry sand of Woodhill forest, as a rear tyre they roll super quick and haven't sent me sliding out on any climbs just yet.

Cornering grip is less than their slightly larger cousin the Racing Ralph (as to be expected), but again, I haven't been flicked out into any drifts or spins because of them just yet. Wet roots have given a momentary pause for thought but set up tubeless they have handled everything the way I would expect an XC tyre to.

My one concern is on the green turf matting used to make trails ride-able in all conditions; that stuff gets slippery and in these circumstances the Thunder Burt didn't do much to help. In fairness, I doubt the slightly larger Racing Ralph that I had up front did much either, but it is worth knowing the limits of the tread design. Keep it on for dry days folks, but otherwise shift to a slightly meatier design to keep your self in check.

More over the next few months as I flog these tyres and see what they can do on a variety of surfaces.

A Stellar Performance and Service with a Smile.

A little while ago I made up my mind to try something different to mountain biking, and that resulted in me competing at the 3D Rotorua Multisport Festival. I loved it and told myself that I would return better armed for the experience.

I know I am a good mountain biker; the results showed it. However, I was a slow runner and mediocre kayaker. The running required hard work and hours on pavement. That I did. But I quickly realised that for the Kayaking leg I would need more than a sit-on-top plastic touring kayak to train on, and a borrowed boat to race on. I also figured that Kayaking is a lot like Mountain Biking; once your technique is down, the easiest performance enhancement is often simply to pull out your eftpos card...

So I began to search. I wanted a boat that could be raced hard and fast on oceans, rivers, lakes and more, but would also be a fun boat to train on when things weren't too serious. Lastly, it had to be affordable.

I settled on a surf-ski; it fitted all the performance criteria and there was potential to find a second hand bargain that fitted my price range. Fast forward a month and I wasn't getting much closer. I had a few "almost" opportunities that dissolved at the last hurdle, and it seemed that I was destined to another race on a borrowed boat. Then I stumbled across something spectacular...

Based out of Whakatane, the New Zealand distributors of Stellar Kayaks had some ex demo boats for sale. Demo boats take a beating, and the prices shown were at the upper end of my price range, but I gave them a call to see what they were. Turns out "demo" was another word for "used as a display model, still in original packaging and never actually been used on the water". I couldn't believe my luck!

Having tried a Stellar in Auckland and deciding that I liked the fit, we planned to visit Whakatane to try the boats on offer. Now, this is where the story changes from the run of the mill sale and is the reason I have chosen to produce a post on the topic. Whakatane is a 4 hour drive from Auckland, so a trip there was going to have to be an over night excursion. Little did I realise it, but the distributors (Franz and his lovely wife) had a small house on their property that they rented out to visitors coming to demo boats...

But it gets better, usually visitors were charged for the stay and then refunded if they then chose to buy a boat. Franz decided that even though I was buying a demo boat for significantly less than the retail cost of a new boat, he was going to let my accomplices and I stay for free... Imagine our surprise and gratefulness at being told that we had a place to stay as well as the opportunity to get a great boat at a price I could deal with...

We then discovered that Franz was not content to let me show up and purchase a boat I had picked out from his website. Oh no. He took out an in use demo of each model boat I was likely to suit, and put me out on the river in each one to make sure that I was choosing the right boat. He then proceeded to spend over an hour setting up the boat and giving me some on the water coaching in said boat to ensure I could use it to the best of my ability.

This is what I believe fits in to the category of going above and beyond for a customer. They took a group of complete strangers, invited us into their home, and took care of us over the entire weekend to ensure we got what we were after. I have never heard of this level of customer relations before and quite frankly I was astounded, flattered and more than a little bit humbled.

I had visited other kayak retailers before then whilst scouting out my options, and some other retailers fitted into the category of fantastic as well. A special thanks to Oscar at Fenn kayaks for helping me out with a boat at last years race, and for sourcing out a quality paddle for future excursions, and to Garth at Flow Kayaks for helping me out with some coaching and the offer of a boat if I needed it.

And yes, while I met some retailers who didn't come anywhere near the bar set by the others, my overall consensus of this community is that it's one I like the look of. I fell that the mountain bike community, as wonderful as it is for the most part, could learn a trick or two from these guys to take the industry to the next level.

So, to those retailers who have helped me so far, I would like to say a big fat THANK YOU! for all that you have done for me so far, and I look forward to being a part of this awesome group of people in the future... If you get a chance to check any of them out, I highly recommend them and I have put their details at the base of this post.

Until next time, see you out there.

-Cpt A.

Amazing folks with an amazing attitude towards their customers.

Awesome boats with a great guy behind them here in NZ.

Made in New Zealand and super versatile, super tough craft.

Cover Girl

I recently wrote a bike review for NZMTBR here in New Zealand, and was asked to do a photo shoot with the bike for the review. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they used on of the photos for the shoot for the cover of the magazine!

If you want to read the full story you will have to go and buy the magazine, but until then I leave you with a photo of the cover so you can find it easily...

Captain Awesome: The Winter Athlete

"Most of the Endurance community don't believe he exists. The ones that do call him The Winter Athlete. He's a Ghost... You'll never find him."

Out in the early morning gloom, a shadow whizzes past. Witnesses often describe an occasional whirring, clicking sound, often followed by a "thunk!" and then nought but heavy breathing from the direction of the noises. They also report a light gust of wind as the shadow comes barreling past, and catch a glimpse of red and white stripes on a background of blue before the figure accelerates out of sight.

Some report the figure to be on a bicycle. This always correlates to the sightings where the noises are heard. Other encounters are more silent, and the apparition is usually reported to be either on foot or in a self propelled water craft of some description. In these instances, witnesses have had more of a chance to build an image of the apparition, and report it to be of moderate build, average height and most probably masculine in build.

The are a few things that all these sightings have in common. In all of them the figure is moving very, very fast. He, assuming the figure is a he, is also seen predominantly during the Winter, and often appears at athletic events with some level of casual atmosphere, such as local race series and races with a reputation for killer spot prizes. He has, however, also been sighted at prestigious events such as Regional and National Championships in multiple sports.

No-one knows exactly who The Winter Athlete is, but one thing is for certain; he is training for something, and he definitely looks fast...

Keep an eye out for The Winter Athlete on a trail near you...

A reconstructive artist's precis developed from witness reports of The Winter Soldier.

Coming Soon: SHOTS!

Coming soon on Turning Pages:

SHOTS!

What are shots, you may ask? If you asked different groups of Mountain bikers what  SHOT was, they would all give you different responses; XC riders will open yet another fruity tasting energy gel, downhillers will wave small glasses of spirits at you and photographers will scramble to their portfolios to show you some of their "shots". And all the while the Enduro riders will sit aside from all of this shaking their heads, with a fruity smelling alcohol soaked photo of their latest race run stuffed into a back pocket...

But here on Turning Pages SHOTS means something a little different.

Standing for Short Hard Out Testing Sessions, SHOTS reviews will be a collection of reviews where I haven't had a product long enough to get a long term reliability report or explore every nook and cranny of a product, but feel that I have enough information to give an opinion on it. This will be ideal for situations such as Demo days where I will only have a limited amount of time with a bike or piece of equipment, or as a precursor to a long term review to keep you guys updated.

Look for them soon in a blog near you this winter...

-Robin





Note: SHOTS: Short Hard Out Testing Sessions, is a term I devised late one night for Turning Pages. As such, I reserve the rights to this term under New Zealand Copyright law. Please communicate with me directly if you have any queries.

Human Psychology

I recently took a look through the archives of this blog, which by the way has over 50 reviews, articles, reports and other memorabilia of my past few years as a "semi-pro", when I noticed something about the view count. It had to do with the most viewed posts here on Turning Pages. First of all, my second most viewed post was about my Merida 120 that I raced at National Secondary School Champs a few years ago, and which I sold a few months ago to make way for something with slightly more travel. The second thing was the most viewed post I have; it was not a review, as I may have expected, but actually a race report... 

This confused me somewhat, as race reports are only usually read by a select group of people, and now even less since I stopped interacting with a large number of said individuals. If you haven't guessed already, that post was the Nationals 2013 report titled "Tarnished Glory," which covers the positive aspects of what was a very eventful race.

This confused me slightly, I mean, who wants to read about half a race? I personally thought that everyone would flock to the second part of the story, as that was where all the drama was. But that was not the case.

So what does this say about people? Firstly, a lot of people knew that I would be writing a post about that particular race, and as such were probably expecting a lot of drama to unfold in that particular piece and wanted to read about what happened. But when given the two pieces, the first received 10 times more views than the second, nitty gritty piece. This gives me some hope for humanity, as with two options to choose from most people were going for the more positive piece.

But it doesn't stop there; there weren't just ups in that mix. Not only did these posts get the most views, they also opened up the most comments...

That is another aspect of Human Psychology: The Anonymous Function, and it is one that destroys some of the faith the previous point creates. This is the ability of people to speak their mind, show their true colours and generally behave in an appalling manner simply because they believe that no-one knows who they are. It is something that has become more and more common with the advent of sites such as the notorious askFM, the various forums around the internet and unfortunately also here on Turning Pages. That race opened me up to a torrent of abuse from anonymous individuals taking the chance to vent their frustrations and take some cheap shots under the protection of the internet. This is part of the reason that the Anonymous Comment option no longer exists on Turning Pages, with comments requiring a log in and name before they are published.

This brings me to my third point, people like to think that they are smarter than everyone else, and anonymous commentators are no exception. Fortunately, if you know what to look for, everyone leaves clues behind no matter how anonymous they think they are. I now know exactly who those "anonymous" people are and choose not to associate with them any more.

Problem solved.

So, running a blog has revealed some strange things that I didn't quite know about people before. It had brought out some of their best, some of their worst, and I have had a great time unraveling it all and putting it together. I never would have thought that I would find myself here in this position simply from running a blog, and yet here we are.

It's fun being Human.

Product Review: Topeak TriBag

RRP: $29.99

Distributed by: PRV NZ ltd.

Despite the advent of the Day pack, for a long time cyclists have relied on Saddle bags to do the job of carrying essentials during shorter rides. However, saddle bags have a habit of rattling around at the slightest hint of give, sitting right in the way of any mud being flung about and are impossible for anyone short of an experienced yogi to reach whilst moving. Enter a clever piece of equipment from our triathlete cousins; the TriBag.

At a weight weenie friendly 59 grams, it’s hard to believe something so small and simple could be so useful. By strapping in firmly between the steerer tube and the top tube, the Topeak TriBag places anything that requires regular access right in front of you, out of the way of the elements. Do be careful though, without enough space underneath the stem the horizontal strap can loosen a little over time, but most bikes do not have this problem.

In use the large meshed lid was easy to open and close on the move, with a long Velcro strip at the edge making one handed opening and closing a breeze. The interior is nicely lined with a bright yellow rip-stop Nylon that promises long term durability, and is divided into two separate compartments; one main and one smaller. The smaller compartment is the perfect size to securely fit a smart phone for the Strava segments or a sneaky chocolate bar for those longer rides.

I have put this TriBag through the wringer and it has come out the other side with flying colours. It has been stuffed to the brim with tools and food, subjected to a rigorous dunking in Riverhead’s sticky winter mud and been the victim of crashes and collision galore; it is still going like new after a single rinse in the sink. It’s been amazing how much of a difference it has made; it’s easy to keep vitals on hand (multi tool, quick link, phone and gummy snakes) for whenever they are needed and has not faltered once. For endurance racing the ability to quickly access food while going full speed has proven invaluable, especially if you are like me and carry all sorts of different snacks for the various stages of a race. It also is a good way to securely stow batteries for handlebar mounted lights whilst out Night Riding.

A great piece of kit that is worth every cent for general trail use and racing.

Product Review: Camelbak Octane LR

RRP: $179

The average human is between 55% and 60% water. When cycling you lose a minimum of 0.8 litres of this EVERY HOUR. That’s a little more than a water bottles worth. With this water loss goes vital electrolytes which, when lost in sufficient amounts, cause dehydration and cramping. A lack of water also prevents you metabolising food properly, so you slow down. Nobody likes slowing down so that’s why many people like to ride with Hydropacks to carry enough water. My favourite for long distance racing is the Camelbak Octane LR.

Camelbak have been at the top of the hydration game for many years and the Octane range are their offerings for racers. The Octane LR is unique because it features what Camelbak call “The Lumbar Reservoir”. Instead of a vertically orientated bladder, the Octane LR’s bladder wraps around your waist inside the hip belt. The advantage of this is that it lowers the packs’ centre of gravity to carry the weight around your hips making it very comfortable on long rides, as well as allowing your back to breathe and evaporate off excess sweat. This orientation also stops the water from sloshing around making it quiet and stable.

The lightweight fabric of the pack means it only weighs in at 400g and breathes well so when shunting it on a race course the sweat isn’t trapped into a cold, clammy line down your back. The downside is that the two zippered compartments on the back can be felt if they are stuffed full of tools as there is no backing plate in the interests of keeping the pack lightweight. This is an acceptable compromise though as the pack is otherwise very comfortable and light. For Gels and other food there is a zippered pocket on each side of the waist belt as well as a gel pouch on the left shoulder strap. This has an elasticated top to stop gels from abandoning ship down a technical section or in the event of a crash; a nice touch as no-one likes facing the prospect of 50km of racing without food.

In use Camelbak’s Antidote reservoir performed remarkably providing water quickly when required. One of my complaints of the old reservoirs was that they were an absolute nightmare to open; it took the upper body of a body builder just to top them up. I am pleased to say no such problem exists with the Octane LR as the new reservoir is very easy to open and close. The bladder opening is also very easily accessed from outside the pack so if you need to fill up halfway through a ride this is easy to do. The new locking system for the hose means easy removal for cleaning (a must do if you use electrolyte in one of these) so you can spend less time cleaning and more time riding. The hose routing is intelligent coming from the base of the pack and up the shoulder strap so the mouthpiece points upwards instead of the more traditional “over the shoulder” approach. This has felt surprisingly natural in use and makes accessing the hose quickly just that bit easier.  

Everything about this pack just felt fast. Fast to drink, fast to access food, fast to clean; you name it, it does it well. You can’t ask much more from a pack than that. Light, comfortable, and works how you’d expect. 

My go-to endurance race pack.

Product Review: Wolf Tooth Drop Stop Chainrings

Distributor: Direct from wolftoothcycling.com or through Revolution Products Ltd.

RRP: $82-$110

Let’s be honest; front derailleurs aren’t perfect. Deliberately dropping your chain in the hopes that it lands correctly on another chain ring doesn’t really sound that good, does it? Until recently, your choices were limited when it came to doing battle with the front derailleur; live with it, run a chain guide and tolerate annoying chain rub, or join the seedy world of single-speeders. None of these options are ideal for many riders, so when SRAM announced they had found a solution using a specially machined front chain ring, the mountain biking world got very excited indeed.

But SRAM’s solution through another factor in to the equation; cost. Shelling out $600 for the privilege of this new technology seems unrealistic to most riders, but thanks to some loopholes in the patent and a number of small engineering shops tooling up to work with the new technology, the alternating profile “thick thin” chain ring was brought to the masses. Wolf Tooth, with their DropStop chain ring, are one such company.

Currently keeping stock of 10 different ring designs for different model cranks, chances are you will be able to find a model in Wolf Tooth’s catalogue to suit your current ride. Tested here is the GXP Direct Mount model. Weighing in at 74 grams for a 32 tooth model, running this ring will save around 250 grams just from weight saved by removing 2 front chain rings and a spider. This does not take into account removing front derailleur, shifter and associated cabling. In my case, with these taken into account approximately 400 grams were put into long term storage in the shed, more than enough to make any weight weenie look up and take note.

So, it is a cheap way to drop a lot of weight, but does it do what it says on the box? (Or in this case, website). In short, yes it does. In 2 months of riding a hard tail over some rather steep and bumpy terrain, this tester has had exactly one dropped chain. One, and that was after a very messy dismount that would have seen my previous 2x10 system home crying. But wait, there’s more! Without a front derailleur or guide for the chain to rub and bounce against, the drivetrain is almost completely silent… Trail ninjas rejoice.

Light weight, reliable and inexpensive. All very well, but can you actually ride the thing? That depends on you. With a 32 ring fitted to a 29’r this test spun out on the top gear at around 44kmh, so fast enough for most riders. For a strong rider, a 32-36 gear combo will get you up all but the steepest hills, but if you live in exceptionally steep terrain rings are available right down to 26 teeth in some designs.

So is it worth it? The ability to give the single ring craze a go for around $100 seems minuscule compared to shelling out for $1500+ for a single specific drivetrain, and it works exactly as claimed; the sheer number of them out on track at Nationals this year is a testament to their value. As with any single ring drivetrain, the Wolf Tooth will keep you honest about your fitness, but then again, we don’t mountain bike because it’s easy…

A quality product with an option for everyone. 

To buy direct from Wolf Tooth just click the pretty picture below...

Product review: Orca Killa Kompression Leggings

RRP: $169

Auckland based brand Orca is known in the triathlon world as being the brand to have; their wet suits and triathlon kit adorns some of the sport’s most successful athletes. Orca is also one of the few brands that offer a range of high end compression garments, including the new “Killa Kompression” line.

Before you banish the idea of compression garments to the realms of snake oil and pagan ceremonies as performance enhancers, consider that compression stockings have been in use in the medical world for over 50 years to help treat poor blood flow in patients. That, and multiple studies have suggested that not only do they improve performance by measurable amounts when used correctly, compression garments can also lower the perceived level of pain and aching post exercise, with increased recovery times reported along with this. Not just hearsay.

Having tried the Killa Kompression leggings my first impressions were that they were tight. Second impressions were that I couldn't bring myself to take them off; not because I was in love with them and didn't want to, but because I physically couldn't. I had to enlist a bit of help to free my legs from their elastomer embrace. Third impression, Orca’s sizing was a little bit off. Try before you buy, folks.

However, once fitted with the proper size the fit was comfortable but not restricting, with plenty of movement possible and just a subtle tugging reminder from the garment that it was there. They certainly felt very springy and energising, although that could have been the caffeine talking.

Any doubts were dispelled, however, once I started using these leggings after long training rides and races. Note the inclusion of after, as these leggings will slide down the waist a little if used while riding, leading to the crotch area catching on the nose of the saddle when standing. If you want compression whilst riding, one of Orca’s cycle specific, bibbed, chamois equipped options might be better.   

Slipping the leggings on after training created what I can only describe as a cooling effect to my aching muscles. The fabric might have something to do with it, as it is moisture wicking, thermo-regulating and SPF 50 to boot. After just over an hour my legs, which had up until then been stiffer than a fully rigid with the tyres at 70 psi, were actually feeling good. Feeling normal. Feeling like they were almost up to do another round of the 50 km race I had just completed…

While the rest of my body rebelled against these thoughts and begged for another slice of post-race cake, this experience with Orca’s leggings has left me a firm convert to the benefits of compression garments. You can throw around all the statistics and studies you want, but in the end it comes down to real world performance and in this the Orca’s certainly deliver.

A top quality product from a local company; perfect for those looking for that extra edge over the competition.    

The Calm Before the Storm...

As the last rays of sunlight retreated over the horizon, the clouds began to assemble en mass. Billowing and bellowing they came, swelling in the sticky summer night like bruises on the face of the sky. The trees sway slowly, barely a breath compelling them to begin with, but oscillating with every increasing urgency at each push. The first drops of rain are beginning to fall, the solitary tears down a cheek before a heart wrenching sob is released by the thunder...


                                            (Photo courtesy of National Geographic)
  
So what does a strange descriptive piece about a coming storm have in common with a blog about bikes you may ask? Well, first I am going to release my repressed inner meteorology nerd and tell you a bit about storms.

The typical tropical storm begins when warm ocean water heats up and turn to vapour. Rising rapidly from the surface it forms a storm cloud, which is continuously fed by more warm water until it grows in size. It grows and grows and grows, until it interacts with the jet streams and trade winds flying around the earth and, with a bit of help from the Coriolis effect, begins to spin... If all this happens and the water remains hot enough, you get a cyclone (Hurricane for all you North American readers).

Particles of air and water rub together creating huge amounts of friction, sending jagged bolts of lightning through the air. Thunder rolls through the sky and waves assault the shore, causing widespread flooding. And, there's the rain. It never seems to stop. I was dumb enough to sit through the windward arm of one of these storms in a tent once it was even less fun than it sounds), and so I figured it made a good metaphor for where I have been in the last couple of months.

As you may or may not be able to infer, there were times in the last 3 months that were miniature disasters. My Nationals season was one such example. I moved to a new age group, I tried some new stuff, a bit different to what I did last season, and it didn't work out so well. I spent some time travelling and racing with some wonderful people, but unfortunately they were outweighed by a number who I wouldn't mind never seeing again. Unfortunately, Mountain biking is a tight community and one that people do not readily leave, so the latter individuals will be seen around for quite some time yet. But on the flip side, so will those wonderful people I feel privileged to know so I guess it balances out.

I guess it's not so bad though. I had the opportunity to follow the New Zealand National circuit for the first time in my life. I went to Oceanias in Mount Hut to find out what it was like to live life behind the lens instead of out in front, and even tried my hand at making a movie (it failed due to some strange compatibility issues with equipment and a stubbornly laggy laptop...).

I hiked the Milford track in the south island over Christmas, and not only was the track fantastic but I had the pleasure of meeting wonderful people from all around the world there too.

I spent a summer actually doing things with friends for a change instead of just slogging away on my bike; I learnt how to be a normal teenager for a change.

The storm metaphor doesn't stop there in its description of difference and occasional disaster. Storms are full of energy and have the potential to bring about change. Well, I have been buzzing around recently like greased lightning and the winds of change are blowing through my life as I type. I recently started working a bit more closely with NZMTBR magazine, and had a few more bits and pieces published by them. They have taken me on with offers of more writing and reviewing, and are helping me get in touch with dealers and suppliers around the country to take my reviewing to the next level.

So what does this mean for you, dear reader? Well, get ready to see way more product reviews than I have ever done, on a wider range of stuff, and some of it is going to be pretty cool. There will even be some bikes that aren't from Giant! Be prepared for a veritable tsunami of stuff over the next few months; reviews, articles, advice, introspection... the one thing you will not be seeing as much of is race reports.

"Why?" I hear you ask, "race reports are pretty much all you ever do Robin!"

The reason for this is that over the past few months I have come to realise something; race reports are kind of pointless now. I am moving away from the point where my readers are all just club members wanting to know how their mates got on over the weekend. Once upon a time, that's exactly what Turning Pages was; a club notice board written with my perspective on things. With that came a demand for covering every facet of a club; to praise people I might not want to praise, cover races I might not want to cover and behave and write to someone else's rules for fear of petty censorship (a fear that became all too real near the end of last year thanks to other peoples squabbles). I refuse to walk that road any more.

Do not fear, there will still be race reports, but only when I feel they have a story that is worth reading. I will not bore you with constant recounts of riding in circles. That is a promise.

So where does this leave me at the end of a long, disjointed essay of thoughts, feelings and rants? I think what I am trying to say is that I haven't thrown in the metaphorical, sweat stained post race towel just yet. It's always darkest before the dawn, and you cannot know victory until you have tasted defeat. I have had enough losing for a while, and as the storm passes the rays of sunlight from the early dawn are peeking over the trenches of the horizon. It's time I started fighting again.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Turning Pages is back.

-R

J-Squad Assemble! Lake Taupo Huka Cruiser 2013

One thing I have not seen much of in Auckland since I started Mountain Biking is a Junior Race Squad. Not just any squad though, but one that takes developing riders and turns them into national level athletes. Road? Bajillions of the things. Same goes for track. If skinny tyres and handle bars with curves big enough to make a super model envious are your thing, then chances are if you have the legs there is a squad for you. Whether that be through school, BikeNZ or a private team is up to you, but the point is that they are there. But when it comes to Mountain Biking, we are surprisingly lacking in teams focused on high end performance.

So, as you can imagine, I was delighted to discover that a squad was being formed here in Auckland with the intention of doing exactly that; taking a small group of riders and making them into nationally competitive athletes. I thought that it was a brilliant idea and that whoever was chosen for the squad would have access to some great coaching, training, riding, racing and an even greater time doing it all. Having been on break for a few months travelling, it was much to my surprise that I was chosen to join what would become known as "The J-Squad".

Having had the chance to spend a few weeks to train together, we had targeted the "Cruiser" event of the Lake Taupo Huka event as our debut race as a team. 33 km of fast, open tracks and roads, with tight, windy single track and pinch climbs near the end just when you thought you were home safe. It was here we would push to the limit and find the chinks in our metaphorical Suits of Armour to begin our training for Nationals in just under 2 months time.

Friday was a preparation day. Running through stretching exercises with our coach Jesse Voza exposed all our week spots when it came to flexibility, with more than a few grimaced faces witnessed during the session. I am sure many of us were quite pleased when it was all over. An earlier night than usual was in order for all of us as we had a big day the next day, as we set out to try and take the course record.

The Race.

Saturday morning and it was all systems go. An early breakfast before rolling in convoy into Taupo. For those of you that haven't raced at any of the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge events, getting into town early on race day is a must. With over 8000 people showing up for the different events in a town that usually only holds 34,000, parking and traffic are a nightmare. Unfortunately, due to the huge numbers of riders, no-one was entirely sure when and where our event, the Huka Cruiser, was supposed to start so warm ups were a tentative affair that involved not straying far from the start line lest we miss a call up for our event. With everyone we asked giving us a different answer, this was not a risk we wanted to take.

Eventually, we made our way to the front row and prepared for an hour and a half of pushing as hard as possible. When the start horn went, the entire squad shot to the front of the pack for the hole shot. By the time we were off the road and onto the grass, 3 out of the 5 front riders were J-Squad representatives including the lead rider, Isaac Schuurman. Within the first 3km the field had separated out and the real racing began. Isaac, Josh Riley and Coach Jesse held the fort out front in a pack of 4 riders, while I pushed the lead of the next couple of riders shortly behind, with J-squad rider Peter Bethell hot on my heels. Then came J-squad "Associates" Alex Beavan, and Hayden Schuurman pushing a blistering pace ahead of the rest of the pack, with the J-Squads female contingent, Harriet "Hatty" Beavan and Coach Sophiemarie Bethell rounding out the top 10 or so riders.

As the race began to stretch on the Squad held its own throughout the field. Isaac still lead the race, pushing through the head winds to hold first, with Josh and Coach Jessie right behind. Peter and Alex slid in behind me and together we began to punch out the miles, holding our own ahead of the rest of the pack. Slightly further back, Hatty and Sophie were having a race of their own, putting many of the male riders to shame. At around the 12km mark, I had a bit of a moment of energy loss due to my lack of recent racing experience, where Alex, Hayden and Peter got passed and shunted up the hill to pull away from me. It was here that the race could be made or broken, which Hayden and Alex showed by pulling away from Peter and racing together for the rest of the event. Once we hit the flats I managed to reel Peter back to within a drafting distance and together we rode the rest of the race; alternating leads and working together to keep the pace up.

And so it continued until the last few Kilometers.

Alex and Hayden had put a decent lead on Peter and I, to the point they finally slipped out of sight. Peter and I rode hard through the final sections of tight twisty singletrack before emerging out onto the side of the road to head back into Taupo. Around about then Isaac and Jesse were sprinting for the finish, with Isaac just edging ahead of Jesse to take 2nd place over all. Josh followed through almost exactly a minute later in fourth place. Well done guys! Peter managed to get ahead on the last real downhill section, but I caught him on the next climb as we started on the road towards the finishing straight.

The facts were as follows; we were both cramping, tired and hungry. Peter had the advantage of being in front and a triple crank set to gear him up for the finish, but I could draft and "slingshot" my way past if timed correctly. Rounding the final corner, we went to sprint, but as I shifted up...

...Nothing.

My chain had over shifted onto the crank. Turns out a worn big ring is not a good thing to have for a race. Peter began to pull away as I downshifted and tried again, with my chain shifting up into the big ring and...

...overshooting again.

Peter was getting further away, about a quarter of the way down the 400m finishing straight as I tried to shift one last time. Chain up, onto the big ring, and...

...it stayed.

And so began my hardest sprint this year. Bike swaying beneath me like a flax bush in a hurricane, I surged forward with everything I had. Cramped calves, heaving oxygen deprived lungs and exhausted mentality were all forgotten in those few moments of blind ambition and desire to win the sprint. My senses returned as I crossed the line, greeting me with clapping and cheering from the crowd and sweat rolling down my riding glasses. It was not in vain; somehow I had pulled 5 seconds on peter in the space of a little over 300 meters to finish in 7th place. Moments later, Peter crossed the line in eighth. The race was over.


The Results


Second Place overall was taken by J-Squad rider Isaac Schuurman. After leading from the front for most of the race he was overtaken by Endura rider Nathan Johnston near the final section of the course. Nathan went on to win the race by a little over 3 minutes thanks to some clever drafting earlier in the race keeping his legs fresh.

Coach Jesse took first in his category and third over all, a mere 3 seconds behind Isaac at the finish.

J-Squad "Associates" Josh Riley, Alex Beavan and Hayden Schuurman took 4th, 5th and 6th overall respectively, with Hayden winning the 15 and Under category. A strong performance by three riders that was reflected in the results.

Peter and I were to follow shortly after with yours truly in 7th and Peter in 8th.

Harriet Beavan rounded out the field with 10th over all and as first woman home, taking the category win, as well as smashing the course record by 10 minutes! Coach Sophiemarie Bethell took first in her category as well, only a few seconds behind Hatty.

7 out of the top 10 riders were representing J-Squad, 2 out of three overall podium positions were held by J-Squad members and four category wins were recorded, with a new course record to boot.

It is hard to imagine a more successful outcome than that.

On its very first outing, the J-Squad has shown itself to be a formidable team capable of delivering results. I look forward to seeing how we develop and improve as we build towards the Nationals season. The future looks bright for Youth Mountain Biking here in Auckland.

Long May it Last.

The J-Squad.

  

Review: Giant Trance SX 27.5

RRP NZD$4799

A few weeks ago I entered the Giant 2W Enduro down in Rotorua, and after asking around at my sponsor's store R&R Sport Auckland I was lucky enough to get hold of a bike for the weekend, as I didn't fancy riding hard down hills for hours on my super stiff hard tail. Enter the Trance SX; a 160/140 mm traveled downhill destroyer that was my steed for the weekend.

Image courtesy of Giant Bicycles

The Spec
Dressed out in a faintly sparkling golden paint job that has to be seen to fully appreciate, the Trance SX is decked out to the nines with everything you could want out of the box; there is nothing you would immediately think was substandard or worth replacing. A largely Deore spec drivetrain gets an SLX Shadow Plus derailleur and Zee crank as noteworthy upgrades, and comes set up as 1x10 with an MRP Chain guide holding the chain on through the rough stuff. I did have a little bit of trouble setting the correct number of spacers to get the chain guide perfect, but once set up it performed perfectly for the duration of the test.

The in house Giant branded components punched far above their surprisingly reasonable weight, with the P-TRX1 wheels the highlight of the package. Light feeling, stiff, and capable of being set up tubeless should you so desire. The DT Swiss based hubs were responsive and offered a nice smooth feel, but missed out on the jackhammer sound that other options possess, something some riders may or may not miss. Combine this with the Shadow plus derraileur though, and you have one stealthy ride. It was also nice to see Giant supplying a 60 mm stem with 730 mm wide bars, plenty wide enough for this tester and offering plenty of control. The new generation Contact Switch dropper post now has internal routing and performed on par with the rest of the components, with its internal cable routing going a long way to preserve the clean look of the bike.

The real highlights, though, were the tyre and suspension choices. Schwalbe's Hans Dampf and Rock Razor tyres made a perfect match for all round trail bliss, in a healthy 2.35 width for better traction. They were both in the "Evo" compound too, which means they can be set up tubeless with minimal preparation; a nice match for the wheels.

The Fox suspension came loaded with goodies; TALAS, CTD, 15QR and other acronyms graced the lowers of the 160mm fork that had 34 stanchions for extra stiffness. It did miss out on the top end FIT damper and Kashima coat though, making do with the open bath Evolution damper that was still smooth and controlled throughout the test period. The TALAS did come in handy during some of the steeper transition stages, although for the most part I just left the fork in its longest setting.

The Ride
From the get go, I was impressed with the Giant. It passed the car park wheelie test with aplomb, feeling very neutral and balanced beneath me. Getting up to speed was easier than expected given the weight (it is a solid bike designed to be ridden hard), with the middle sized wheels rolling quickly and efficiently. I was surprised to find myself passing riders of similar ability and fitness on some of the climbs; many of them on shorter travel rigs of varying wheel sizes. I attribute this partially to the great tyre selection, with the Rock Razor on the rear looking stupidly fast rolling whilst still having meaty side nobs for getting rowdy in the corners. This has piqued my curiosity regarding the 'tweener size and I will be following its development closely.

Once the trail started pointing downhill, the Trance SX really came into its own. It remained composed through the bumpiest trails I could offer it and took it all in its stride. Yes, it may lack a little bit of the zing that its predecessor the Reign had, but in return it sticks like plasters to leg hair in the corners and really encourages the rider to dip the bars a little lower in each turn; really pushing the limits of traction.

Smooth would be the best way to describe the Trance SX in the rough stuff. Although there is only 140mm travel in the rear, it doesn't feel unbalanced with the front and soaked up whatever I could throw at it. Giant's maestro system really is a great design, remaining neutral when pedaling but opening up when things get fast. It was nice to see the inclusion of a 142mm rear axle to stiffen things up even more as well. For all but the steepest climbs I left the CTD shock in the descend setting and just let it rip. After all, it is rare to see a VPP System on anything other than a boutique brand such as Santa Cruz or Ibis, so for Giant to include it across their entire range is a real treat.

I will admit though, that I did miss the liveliness of the Reign a little bit. Sure, the Trance SX feels like it can take just about everything and never knocks a hair out of place, but it does so at the price that you never feel truly unsafe. Much like a roller coaster, it is thrilling and exhilarating, but no matter how fast it goes you feel as if you are never truly in danger, lest someone in the engineering department go and do something stupid. If your aim is to go faster than should be humanly possible, then this is not a problem, but if you like having your heart in your mouth and leaving your clothes a kilo heavier after each ride with fear induced sweat, then the shorter traveled Trance might be more up your alley (more on that another time).

The Bottom Line
The Trance SX is a remarkably capable bike. It takes everything in its stride and keeps looking up at you as if to say "you happy yet? I can go faster if you want." For the price, it is a bargain on two wheels and I can understand Giant's commitment to the 650b/27.5 wheel size. The 26er may not be dead, but as far as I can tell the 27.5 is certainly going to rule the roost when it comes to mid travel bikes for the majority of people.

A wonderful bike that will make a lot of riders very happy indeed.

Baptism by Fire: The Whaka 50

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you something you haven't had from me in about 5 months... A race report! *whistles* *claps* *cheers*.

Having been off racing for 5 months to eat paella, speak in Spanish, ride camels, climb halfway up Mt Fuji, meet some amazing new people and learn some elementary Japanese, I am officially back.

I have always had a love/hate affair with long distance races. The cramps, the climbs, the long week of recovery after the race... They all take a special kind of person to come back for more. BUT, the sense of achievement, the awesome crew behind these events (cheers NDuro family!) and getting to ride my bike for  hours on end are all big pluses. So, with some hesitation from my coach, I entered the 50km Whaka 50 as my debut race back to recover from overeating on wonderful foreign food.

There is one other aspect about distance races I failed to mentioned. Most of the "local" races are in Rotorua, which means up at 5 am for a 3 hour drive down. When we arrived in Rotorua this meant my parents were in desperate need for Coffee to last the rest of the day without nodding off and went off into Zippy's for said beverage; after all, we had over an hour before race start and I wouldn't need all of that time to warm up... Well, Murphy's law took effect and after a 25 minute long 10 minute wait they came gaping back out the cafe, coffee's in hand, with 40 minutes to spare before race start... We were going to be cutting it close.

It felt almost surreal lining up at the start, Camelbak on, glasses set to rose tint (everything looks better through rose tinted glasses), and the first hit of caffeine from my stash of gels flowing through my system. I had no idea how I would do, no idea whether I would even finish and no idea of what exactly lay ahead despite being about as much of a veteran of marathon distance as a 16 year old can be. (Earlier this year, back when I was actually fit, I was crowned the National U17 MTB Marathon champ...) So when the starter horn went, I stuck with the pack and got into it. Race on.

20 minutes into the race and it became apparent that it was not going to be my day to win. The front U19 riders set a blistering pace off into the trails that I didn't try to match; my aim was to finish, not to bonk with 15 km to go and wind up unable to walk for a week. I got my first reminder that this was an NDuro when we hit Bush road climb and the legs began to burn. Unfortunately, we just don't have hills of the same caliber here in Auckland, and the legs suffered because of it. There was one little bit of a competition between me and another rider that lasted for most of the race that confused me slightly. I was on a Giant carbon hard tail, my trust XTC, and he was on a carbon Anthem 29r, a full sus. However, he was climbing faster than me, and I was creaming him on the descents; a complete role reversal of what you'd expect looking at our choice of equipment.

This continued right up until Hot X Buns, where I finally got the gap and pulled away. I also met up with fellow Auckland rider Jared Scollay at this point. He had somehow ended up behind me despite being in front of me for most of the race. Unfortunately the Whaka and other NDuro races are notorious for falling victim to course tamperers, and one of us must have fallen victim too. We are still not sure which one of us it actually was though. Regardless, we hammered down through Hot X Buns and into Be Rude Not 2, sore backs and tight triceps galore.

It is in every single race, and it always seems worse than it actually is. Lion trail tends to be the trail of choice for any cramp to kick in, and it nearly got me this time round. A healthy splash of electrolytes later and it was held at bay, but it was a close thing. The last 10 kilometers were pretty painful, as my lack of long distance race experience in recent times began to show, but I thundered across the finish line in top gear, not in last place, having finished my first race in months.

However, all was not well. One of my friends, Kim Wright, had not crossed the line yet despite having been ahead of me most of the race. Half an hour passed, and he didn't finish. Dad went and rode the last section of the course backwards to check if Kim had crashed, while Mom and I stayed with his Dad keeping an eye out in case he came in. One hour later, and still no sign. An ambulance had headed out on course, but we doubted it was for him. Even more time passed.

Then, we received a call from the marshals out on course; the Ambulance was for Kim.

As facts slowly emerged, it became apparent that Kim wasn't dead. He had headed out on the 100km course near the end of the race by mistake, without adequate food or water, and had fainted roadside from exhaustion and severe dehydration. They put him on a saline drip and rolled him off to Rotorua hospital where he made a full recovery and was discharged later that afternoon. A dramatic end to a great event.

A big thanks to all the crew at NDuro events for putting the Whaka on, and serious Kudos to all the guys doing the 100 km option. Even more so to the guys on single speeds, rigids, and rigid single speeds. You guys are tough/insane!

It is good to be back. See you all out there!

-robin

Product Review: Stan's Crest 29'r Rim and 3.30 Ti Hub.

Stan’s Crest 29’r Custom Build.

RRP: $1330

Many racers nowadays make the mistake of judging a bike purely by its weight. When it comes to a race I have seen far too many riders at the side of the track cursing their $14000 wonder bikes; you cannot win if you cannot cross the finish line. So when it came time to invest in a set of lightweight wheels for my 29’r, I faced the famous phrase of one Keith Bontrager; “Strong, light, cheap. Pick two.”

After some research I found myself narrowing it down to 2 choices;

1     The newly released Easton EC70 29’r Carbon wheels. Strong, light, but over $2000 and unlikely to be in the country for another 4 months.

     A custom build of Stan’s Crest 29’r rims on Stan’s Ti hubs for $1330; a hell of a lot less than the Eastons and Tubeless ready. Light, cheap, but I had no idea towards their strength.

I, being a racer boy on a budget and with a slight sense of naivety, chose light and cheap. I can hear you crying out now but, for the average “race ready” set of wheels, anything less than $1400 is considered a pretty good. This is especially true when you consider there are wheels floating around the $4000 mark on some bikes. Would I be making the same mistake as every other racer with stars in their eyes? I would soon find out.

When they first arrived I was impressed. At 1500g they were over half a kilo lighter than my previous wheels and tubeless ready. My Schwalbe Racing Ralphs mounted first try with a floor pump and held their air perfectly. They held so well in fact I had trouble getting the bead off the rim again to insert sealant. Stan has done his research into designing these rims.

Their debut (aside from a spin around the block) was at a race. From the get go my Giant instantly felt… energized. The AC/DC song Thunderstruck played on the start line might have been an omen as they rode like greased lightning. The wheels were plenty stiff with no wind up or noticeable lateral flex. The Ti hubs engaged wickedly fast sending me flying through switchbacks with ever increasing vigour. The hubs also had a nice, solid click to them that my previous wheels lacked. The trail Ninjas may frown at this but there is nothing like the buzzing of a loud hub to reassure you of your speed (or lack thereof). I dominated the race in a way I hadn't for a long time. So far so good.

Fast forward 5 months and these wheels were about to face their ultimate test; XC Nationals. They had required no truing, no maintenance, and were still running like new up to this point. It was on this day I would find out what the Crests were really made of, aside from 6061 grade Aluminium. Unfortunately, out on the trail, a high speed crash occurred with another rider and in his haste to get going again, he stood on the spokes of the front wheel. The wheel was more taco’d than a food fight in a Mexican restaurant and it seemed that Keith Bontrager was right. I couldn't have strength as well as affordability and light weight.

But then something happened that gave me new found respect for Stan and his team of engineers; the rims held their air. Despite barely fitting through the forks and wobbling like jelly in an earthquake the wheels were holding their air. Tentative at first, I began to ride. And they held. They didn't collapse, they didn't explode in a burst of sealant. They just kept working.

I picked up more speed and began to race again. I blew through Grinder at full speed and they didn’t break. In the final lap of the race I hammered inelegantly down the spoke smashing stairs and rim denting drops of Rotorua’s exit trail in my fastest time of the day, and they still kept working.

Strong, light, cheap. Do I really have to pick 2?

Fast forward again to April where, having had new spokes and rim laced to the front wheel, I competed in the Mountain Bike leg of the Xterra in Rotorua. I was involved in a sprint finish and as I entered the finishing chute, at 30kmhr, a spectator jumped onto the course and I hit him at full speed. The front wheel suffered no damage whatsoever.

So it seems I have found something special. A wheel set that is pretty damn light, terrifyingly tough, comparatively cheap for a set of race wheels, have fast engaging hubs and a great tubeless system. Strong, light, cheap. It seems Mr Bontrager’s words are more like general guidelines. 

Stan, you the man.     

Reflective Introspective

Having emerged from a season not entirely unscathed, and also having had two months to recover from said season, it's time to fire up the muscles for a new year of racing, rocking and rolling (over bumpy stuff). As another rider showed me, sometimes it is good to take a look at what I have learnt through my time as an athlete to better myself in the future. So that is what I have done. This is my Reflective Introspective.

Back in 2012 I raced the Huka Challenge 85km MTB race in Taupo with a group of friends. I did not have a huge amount of endurance but was fit, and was one of the few members of my group to carry a CamelBak. We sure didn't win, but we had a great time and were exhausted by the end of it. Also, my fitness got a little boost from it.
Lesson; It pays to do something different and have a bit of fun.

Come February this year and Short Course Nationals beckoned. I lined up ready to race in Rotorua and, up until the third lap, was killing it. Then an unfortunate incident occurred with another rider. It cost me the podium by the drop of a chain, started up a whole lot of emotional trauma, a lot of playing the blame game amongst many people and the occasional shadow of "shoulda, coulda, woulda, gonna" that slips over my mind when I'm off guard. That day still haunts me as a tarnished glory that will take time to fade.
Lesson; some people cannot be trusted, and shit happens despite the best preparation possible.

Marathon Nationals rolled around after this and, despite a lack of participation and some administrative errors from a certain governing body, the race stayed on and I rode my second ever 80km race. I took the National Marathon title for U17 and lightened up for the first time since Short Course Nationals. Even though I hadn't truly trained for this event, and I sure felt it, I still posted a formidable time and had a fun race.
Lesson; Redemption comes from the unlikeliest of places.

In April, shortly before my birthday, I rode in the MTB leg of Xterra Rotorua. After an average race, I sprinted for the finish and crashed head first into a nutty spectator who had ignored the over head crossing above the track and decided to go for a walk through the finishing chute. My bike survived, but my confidence didn't and I was convinced that someone, somewhere, had it in for me.
Lesson; Shit happens more than once. Deal with it.

The last noteworthy lesson came around when I chose to compete in the National Multisport Champs as part of the 3D Rotorua. I came fifth in U19 as a 16 year old, in my first Triathlon ever. I smoked almost everyone else on the ride section, but a substandard run pulled me away from the podium. I did, however, absolutely love it and will do a lot more triathlon in the future.
Lesson; What you are doing might not be the only thing you love. The world is full of wonderful things. Cross training is great.

After all this, I took a break, traveled the world, and returned with my confidence, determination and focus renewed.
Lesson; A break every now and then doesn't hurt, it does the opposite.

So ends a Reflective Introspective on a year in the life of Robin Page. In a year with more ups and downs than a session of hill sprints, I have learnt so much. I have learnt that a rest can do wonders for body and mind, that life is tough so you have to be tougher, and to look for fun in all the corners of life.

I know that this blog is slowly turning away from reports and reviews, and that's because there is more to writing than that. This blog, in it's description, is a journey through my life as a Mountain Biker and athlete, so I want it to do that. And part of that is my thoughts.

Thanks for reading, see you out on the trails.

Robin.