Being the clumsy dufus that I am I managed to snap the barb on my Rock Shox Reverb (where the hose connects to the seat post) while working on other stuff. Over the Edge had a Reverb Hose and Bleed Kit in stock so it was job done… in a fashion!

Rock Shox Reverb Hose Bleed

Bleeding the Reverb is straight forward enough – syringe at each end, push the fluid back and forth until there are no bubbles – but I managed to mess up the fitting of the new barb the first time around, then topped it off by dropping one of the grub screws on the floor. It took me more than an hour to find the sucker, wedged under the workbench. Doh!

Take two the following morning and it was all over in no time. New hose, new and improved stronger barbs and a Reverb working better than a new one… sweetage!

Huge thanks to Rich and Kerri at Over the Edge Sports in Melrose!

The post Reverb Hose Bleed appeared first on Digital Hippie.

It’s about a 12 hour drive to Melrose from Central Victoria but you forget all of that in the final few kilometers as the road swings directly toward the side of Mt Remarkable. Driving fatigue is replaced with a serious hankering to get on the MTB and hit the trails ASAP. So that’s what I did. A quick run down Dodging Bullets and the Northern Mini Super D got the eyes open and blood pumping in no time.

Hellrose Melrose

After recent rains the trails are in insane condition with loads of grip. Just like Central Victoria it’s still fairly dry, with the hills only just starting to green up. The pic below is taken from one of the riding trails, looking back to the north east over Melrose and the surrounding area.

Hellrose Melrose

The Fat Tyre Festival isn’t far off but the main excitement in Melrose the last couple of days has been the stop-over of the Bike SA Mawson Trail ride. The campground went from close to empty to full in the space of a few hours. The riders head off again tomorrow after a rest day with some fairly wild weather forecast for the next two days.

2013 Melrose Fat Tyre Festival

Melrose is an awesome MTB destination!

The post Hellrose Melrose appeared first on Digital Hippie.

pre·cip·i·ta·tion

1. A hastening or acceleration, especially one that is sudden or unexpected
2. Any form of water, such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail, that falls to the earth’s surface.

After what was starting to feel like a dry and dusty return to drought conditions we’ve had rain off and on for the last few days. While the water levels in even the smallest dams haven’t changed much yet it’s been great to hear, smell and see rain again. The rain has also meant most of the week off the bike which has been good timing as I’ve had a lot to get ready for the MTB trip to Melrose – departing this weekend!

Here’s a phone pic of a hail storm brewing over Bendigo this arvo while I was out delivering organic food boxes.

Precipitation

The post Precipitation appeared first on Digital Hippie.

My lucky number 13 delivered again – literally – with the UPS guy dropping off the COOLEST of cool MTB boxes ever! What was in the box? I can’t say ATM but dang… feeling lucky punk? You betcha

Feeling lucky punk

The post Feeling Lucky Punk appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Check out the new ‘Five’ video from Chris Akrigg, back from breaking his leg… twice! It’s gotta be one of the best MTB videos I’ve seen for ages.

The post Chris Akrigg Five appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I don’t get over to the Pineys as much as I’d like to. I’m on one edge of town with trails close by and it’s on the other edge. Lame excuse I know but when you’re squeezing in rides convenience can win out more often than it probably should… plus I’ve been a little obsessed about working on the Woodbrook loop. I figured it was about time to head over to the Pineys again.

Back to Pineys

The terrain in the pine plantation is good MTB fun – lots of steep gullies, rocks and of course pine trees as far as you can see. The trails consist of alternating sections of single track and logging roads. Connecting it all up when you haven’t ridden at the Pineys for a while is always a good puzzle, and even more so since logging began. The lesser used trails higher up in the plantation are a treat as they’re covered in a carpet of pine needles making for a pretty cool visual, as well as being a fun surface to ride on.

We’re pretty lucky in Castlemaine to have so much trail and such different settings to ride in!

The post Back to Pineys appeared first on Digital Hippie.

About 18 months ago a fuel reduction burn got a little out of hand and scorched a favorite section of bush. Since then the wildlife has slowly returned as things start to grow back. I saw the first koala since the burn the other day, down low in a tree right beside the singletrack. Nice! Here’s a snap taken of the drop bear with the phone.

Drop Bear Returns

The post Drop Bear Returns appeared first on Digital Hippie.

It’s not like you need any more reasons to head over to the Melrose Fat Tyre Festival – it’s a bucket list event for Australian mountain bikers in its own right. But check this out… Darren ‘BearClaw’ Berrecloth, one of the world’s best freeriders will be hanging out at this year’s festival. The Claw will also be running skills sessions and joining in the Super D enduro on the new Eurovision trail at Bartagunyah. How sweet is that?! If you don’t know who BearClaw is smack yourself around the head and then go and watch Where the Trail Ends

For more info about the Melrose 2013 Fat Tyre Festival visit http://melrosemountainbike.com/melrose-fat-tyre-festival/

The post BearClaw Coming to Melrose Fat Tyre Festival! appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I started messing around with a trail down a little eroded gully (dubbed ‘Not the Grand Canyon‘) about three weeks ago. There’s still work to be done but it’s at the stage where it’s good fun to ride in both directions and is connected into the Woodbrook loop. If you ride out that way my tip is to drop into the canyon as fast as you’re game to – just line it up beforehand the first time!

Here’s a couple of stills grabbed from some video taken today.

Canyon Fun

Canyon Fun

Canyon Fun

Canyon Fun

The post Not the Grand Canyon Fun appeared first on Digital Hippie.

What a great day the inaugural Goldfields Steam Train Challenge AKA Race the Train turned out to be! Cyclists could opt to ‘Race’ the train on the dirt trails that run beside the railway from Castlemaine to Maldon, or join in the social ‘Ride’ back from Maldon to Castlemaine.

Not having ridden unicycles much at all in the last couple of years meant the ‘Ride’ option made the most sense for me. It was probably the most fun as well, as I got to ride the steam train out to Maldon as part of the ‘Race’. Not long after leaving Castlemaine the steam train started to catch and pass cyclists much to the delight of everyone onboard. I can imagine how it must’ve felt for the cyclists – looking back over their shoulder, hearing the whistle of the steam train getting progressively louder as the gap narrowed. Race the Train really is such a cool idea for a cycling event!

Goldfields Steam Train Challenge

The ride back to Castlemaine was great fun. The start was a little congested so I waited until most of the cyclists had left before getting into a sweet groove that aside from one brief stop lasted all the way to Castlemaine. In addition to my lack of fitness, going into the event I was also concerned about not getting up on the 36″ uni cleanly in front of all those people – unicyclists know what I mean! Fortunately it all went off without a hitch… phew!

It really did feel great to be back on the 36″ and before I knew it I was back at the event area in Castlemaine enjoying a coffee and munchies. I was surprised to feel so good with no sign of the aches and pains in my legs that hung around for days after my earlier test ride. I think it was primarily due to being a lot more relaxed on the uni the second time around.

Kudos to Paula at Cranked Up Events for a superbly organized event with a friendly vibe. It’s definitely one to put on the list for next year!

The post Goldfields Steam Train Challenge appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Light rain overnight followed by a sunny, breezy day meant that by mid afternoon the fresh connector trail was in prime condition for some packing down Mojo HD style. I spent an hour and a half trucking back and forth over the tacky trail packing down the ride line. Lots of fun, and hardly a speck of mud!

Trail Pack

The post Trail Pack appeared first on Digital Hippie.

There’s mountain bikers and then there’s Danny MacAskill. Insanely skilled, super down to earth. Yep have been looking forward to the Imaginate series and Episode 1 delivers.

The post Danny MacAskill’s Imaginate Episode 1 appeared first on Digital Hippie.

With Race the Train this Sunday I thought it was about time to dust off the 36′er and start…err… train-ing!

I haven’t ridden any significant distance on a uni for a long time, in fact I’d reckon you could count the minutes spent on unicycles in total in the last couple of years on one hand. It’s not that I don’t love uni’s, it’s just that they ended up hurting my balls way too much.

Muckleford Muni Recon

Riding a unicycle off road is just that much harder than riding a mountain bike – both physically and mentally. As an example there’s a rocky climb I’ve often rolled up mindlessly on the Mojo HD which required so much focus and effort on the uni. A big part of the appeal and fun of riding uni’s off road is the challenge, and the feeling of satisfaction when you get it together.

I’m super glad I got out for a decent length ride before Sunday and was able to blow out at least a few of the uni cobwebs. While the basic skill of riding a uni doesn’t seem to go away, mounting a 36′er is something that gets a little rusty and requires practice, as does reading the terrain uni-style vs MTB. I usually prefer 137mm cranks but am running 150′s for a bit more confidence on Sunday. Fitness-wise it’s brutal too – unicycling uses muscles so differently to riding a bike!

Muckleford Muni Recon

Did my balls hurt? You betcha! I spent a while tinkering with the saddle angle along the way to help minimize discomfort but unlike a bike there are limited ways to distribute your weight on a uni and being way out of practice couldn’t have helped much. I’d guess crotch management is as big a topic of discussion now in the uni community as it has always been

I was completely destroyed by the end of the ride. It felt great. Training complete – roll on Sunday!

The post Start Train-ing appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Wow, the long hot Summer has been replaced by short cool Autumn days and cold evenings. It’s taking a while for the body’s thermostat to adjust!

Better Late

I finished roughing out a new connector trail and headed out late in the day to ride it a few times. It should make the loop easier to follow for riders visiting the area as well as keeping that section tucked away in the bush for the most part. ATM the sunset lines up directly with ‘not the grand canyon‘ so it was a pretty funny to drop down into the eroded gully and be looking straight into the sun, blind as a bat.

Race the Train is this weekend. I’ll be riding the 36″ unicycle – think I’m actually a bit nervous about it!

The post Better Late Than Never appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Own the Flow: Win an Ibis Ripley or Mojo HD

Here’s your chance to score an Ibis Ripley 29er or Mojo HD for as little as $5!

Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz next project is building a new flow trail in the Soquel Demonstration State Forest (“Demo”). We are hoping you will join us and buy a piece of the trail. A chunk of trail costs $5. For each 5$ you get a chance to win either a brand new Ripley 29 or a brand new Mojo HD. The more chunks of trail you buy, the more chances you have of winning. You don’t need to be a local to win. This campaign is open worldwide.

Gotta be in it to win it! For more information visit http://www.ibiscycles.com/info/own_the_flow/.

The post Own the Flow: Win an Ibis Ripley or Mojo HD appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Back in July 2012 I posted about excessive bearing play in the drive side Shimano XTR Trail pedal after only a few months of use. As I discovered back then it’s an all too common problem with XTR Trail pedals. Here are  few related threads online of riders who have experienced similar problems:

• XTR Trail Pedals – premature bearing wear
• PD-M985 Pedal issues
• Anyone else had an XTR pedal come off its axle
• MTBR Shimano XTR Trail PD-M985 AM Pedal Reviews

I purchased a pair of bottom of the range Shimano Trail pedals to get me by while the LBS worked at getting the XTR’s replaced under warranty, which eventually happened (thanks guys!). Fast forward a few more months with the replacement pedals and I’m a little bummed that again the drive side pedal bearing has crapped out already.

Time to put on the Deore pedals and do the XTR warranty dance again…

The post XTR Trail Pedal Problems… Again appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I spent a couple of hours late in the day digging a little trail down an eroded gully. It might not be the Grand Canyon but it’s still a pretty cool setting. I’ve often walked along it and wondered what it would be like to ride it. Turns out it’s good fun. I went back in the evening to check it out and snapped a couple of spooky pics, thanks to the Exposure Flare red tail light illuminating the gully walls.

Not the Grand Canyon

Not the Grand Canyon

The post Not the Grand Canyon appeared first on Digital Hippie.

There’s a pretty cool fun event coming up in Central Victoria called ‘Race the Train‘. Cyclists have the opportunity to ride/race alongside the Goldfields Railway Steam Train between the towns of Castlemaine and Maldon.

I first rode out along the Goldfields Railway on my 36″ unicycle as part of Castlemaine’s Festival of the Wheel back in 2008. I’ve ridden out a bunch of times since then on two wheels, to visit folk in Maldon and take in a run or two of the trails on Mt Tarrengower before rolling back to the ‘Maine. It seems kinda fitting to dust off the big unicycle for another spin, but the thing is uni fitness is a lot different to MTB and I haven’t done much unicycling at all for the last few years. Even though it’s a short ride I reckon it’s gonna hurt.

Race the Train is on Sunday April 21, and entries close Wednesday 17 April 2013 at 5pm. Check out the Race the Train site for more info

Race the Train

Race the Train

The post Race the Train appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Headed back out to Red Tape this arvo and scratched in some (more!) alternative lines in the top section, still in search of more fun factor before digging in. Hope it rides OK when I take the Mojo HD out on it tomorrow. One cool thing is there seems to be a reasonable amount of dirt in this area of bush… Hmm…

Scratching Around

The post Scratching Around appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Ended the Easter long weekend with a fun late afternoon ride around the Woodbrook loop in reverse. I reckon it works pretty well ridden in reverse. Here’s a smartphone pic snapped along the way – great conditions!

Reverse Loop

The post Reverse Easter Loop appeared first on Digital Hippie.

A while ago I posted about wanting to replace my worn Specialized Purgatory Control 2.4 front tire with another only to find the 2.4 was no longer available. I settled on its replacement – the Specialized Purgatory Control 2.3. With over ~15okm on new 2.3 tire I thought it was about time to post a review.

Specialized Purgatory Control 2.3 Review

Width & Volume
Obviously the 2.3 is going to be a narrower tire vs the 2.4 but it’s narrower (and smaller) by a significant margin. I haven’t measured it but it’s more like a 2.2 at the max. After looking down at a fat 2.4 out the front for so long it’s unnerving to look down at a skinny ’2.3′. I haven’t got used to that yet!

Ride & Stability
When it comes to ride quality the 2.3 isn’t as supple as the 2.4 run at the same pressure. My guess is that at least part of the answer is in the sidewalls – thicker on the 2.3, and the reduced air volume of the 2.3 vs the 2.4. On the flipside the 2.3 is a little more stable vs the 2.4 when run at lower pressures.

Grip in turns
So far so good, very very similar to the 2.4, maybe a smidge better – due to the revised tread pattern perhaps? With both the 2.4 and 2.3 i’m especially a fan of how you can really lean on the outer edge chunky knobbies, and also flip the bike through direction changes and both hear and feel what is going on re front grip. I got to test other (brand) tires a while back and was surprised to find this is far from being the case with all tires. Yeah I’m a big fan of the Purgatory as a front tire (for how I like to ride, local conditions etc).

Front/Rear Combo
The combination of the Purgatory 2.4 on the front and Captain Armadillo Elite 2.2 on the rear results in a balanced feel with regards to grip and drive. With the 2.3 on the front the balance doesn’t feel as good,  almost as if there’s too much push from the rear. Not in a big way but maybe a lesser/smaller tire on the back would suit the 2.3 on the front a little better.

Verdict
If there were no more Purgatory 2.4′s to be found anywhere for sure I could make do with the 2.3. The thing is I miss the large air volume and supple ride of the 2.4 and have been able to find a couple of 2.4′s still in stock so we’ll see!

Specialized Purgatory Control 2.3 Review

The post Specialized Purgatory Control 2.3 Review appeared first on Digital Hippie.

It may look like a fairly nondescript gadget but Exposure’s Boost Cable is indeed a ‘cunning little device’ that lets you power USB devices e.g. smartphones using energy stored in Exposure’s range of SPT lights and piggyback cells.

Exposure USB Boost Cable Review: Connected to Triple Cell Piggyback

The Boost Cable connects directly into the Smart Port at the rear of Exposure lights, or to Exposure’s triple and single Piggyback Cells via a connector.

Recently I completed a a night ride along the Goldfields Track from Dayelsford to Castlemaine during which I wanted to have several GPS mapping and tracking apps running on my smartphone as well as use the phone along the way to take photos and snippets of video. Like most smartphones the battery life of my HTC One X is relatively poor. Solution? Power the phone with an Exposure Triple Cell Piggyback via the Boost Cable. Four hours later and after constant use the phone was still fully charged. Sweet!

Exposure USB Boost Cable Review

For something that is really quite useful the Boost Cable is easy to miss on the Exposure web site. Whether that is in any part due to it being at odds with Exposure’s Cable Free Design (CFD) mantra is hard to say, but in this age of power hungry smartphones, accessories such as Exposure’s Boost Cable are definitely worth factoring in when deciding on a light system.

The post Exposure USB Boost Cable Review appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Anyone who has spent time in Central Australia knows it is something truly extraordinary. Ancient, rugged, intense and insanely alive. Literally and figuratively it’s the heart of Australia.

Mick and Chris from Flow Mountain Bike have had a hand in creating a very cool promotional video for an upcoming MTB enduro event, which rather than being about racing is about the spirit of the place. It’s great stuff.

I last rode an MTB in Alice Springs in back 1988 – this video makes me want to get back there so bad. Riding in Central Oz is definitely on the bucket list!

The post Alice Springs – MTB Bucket List appeared first on Digital Hippie.

You could almost feel the weight of the heavy grey clouds as a chunky weather front slowly moved across Central Victoria last night. It might have been still, warm & humid ahead of the change but for whatever reason it ended up being awesome conditions for a night ride.

Home Sweet Home

I guess it’s not surprising that after a while you tend to take your local riding for granted. I’m definitely guilty of that from time to time. Maybe going to the Mont 24h in Canberra has helped reset my dial a little. It’s a lot of fun to ride somewhere new but it’s also fun to return home, where the trails are like old buddies.

Around here the trails might be light on grip a lot of the time but they roll fast – it’s a pretty fun and cool combination. We might not have mega mountains, but we make the most of the vert we have. There might not be hero dirt or much dirt at all for that matter for building huge and/or numerous berms, but the trails are super robust and close to mud free year round… and the day or two after rain trail conditions are sublime. Yeah, reckon Central Vic is an OK place to live if you’re into mountain biking.

Anyway, that’s some of the stuff that was dribbling around ahead of change! I’m looking forward to getting back to work on Red Tape, a fresh section of trail in Woodbrook, over the Easter holidays.

The post Heavy Grey Clouds appeared first on Digital Hippie.

What an adventure into the unknown the 2013 Mont 24 Hour turned out to be. While I’d heard of ‘the Mont 24′, not being into the competitive XC MTB scene I had no idea how huge it was. I was expecting maybe a few hundred riders tops, not over 3,000 riders plus family and friends camping on the edge of the East Kowen Forest… funny!!! I guess for me that was really the story of the Mont – experiencing and enjoying a large scale MTB event.

2013 Mont 24 Hour: Mickey Mouse Ears!

A 3.30am start on Friday had me heading down to Melbourne to hook up with the BikeBox guys for the 8 hour drive to Canberra. BikeBox weren’t heading to the Mont to compete in the race but as an event sponsor. In between helping out riders and promoting their swag of Schwalbe tires, Exposure Lights and Squirt Lube the ‘race’ plan was that anyone interested in riding could head out for lap or two whenever. Team BikeBox was super low key and fun – right up my alley!

The 2013 Mont 24 Hour: Funky Mont Lounge

Arriving at the Mont mid afternoon there were already many camp sites set up for the weekend – we definitely weren’t in Kansas any more! After a quick unpack it was time to check out the event loop, an ~18k jaunt around the East Kowen Forest. Many other riders were doing the same thing creating a MTB conga line as far back and forward as you could see. In terms of personal space out on the trail we’re kinda spoiled around Central Victoria – you rarely see anyone on the trails – so it felt strange and a little frustrating to be riding in traffic rather than simply enjoying the flow of new trails.

The course included a mix of single track and fire roads, some climbing but not much, not really anything especially technical, lots of pedaling, a couple of short downhill sections including a bunch of fun berms, but all up a very XC flavored course mostly set in the pine forest. No doubt it was intentionally pieced together to be good match for the huge number of riders and variety of skills and experience present at the event, which is fair enough – well done to the organizers! Personally however TBH I didn’t find the lap enough of a buzz overall to want to wheel around a second time that afternoon. It’d been a long day anyway so I headed off to sleep early thinking I might do a few late ‘off peak’ night laps during the event but other than that kick back, eat lots of food and enjoy the show.

The 2013 Mont 24 Hour: Rider Briefing

Along with the other event sponsors, the BikeBox camp was located smack bang in the middle of the event center. A great spot to be sure. The sea of MTB’ers that gathered for the pre race briefing under blue skies looked spectacular, followed by the race start which saw ~600 riders charge up through the event center cheered on by everyone else before heading out on their team’s first lap. Dan, a pro rider sponsored by Bikebox, who was treating the weekend as a training session opted to do the opening lap. By the end of the lap he was in second place – that would be the team’s brief glimpse of competitive glory.

In addition to the sponsor tents there were also a selection of yummy food vendors but only ONE coffee tent… for thousands of caffeine junkies! No doubt the coffee was good and the guys were very friendly but I did wonder if the Mont 24 was in fact named after the 2.4km slow moving morning caffeine queue or the total number of hours spent over the weekend lined up waiting for a fix. I reckon a second coffee vendor would’ve been a good move.

The 2013 Mont 24 Hour: Instagram Collage

The transition area made for great people watching with an endless stream of riders charging in and handing over to their team mates. For some the transition process appeared to be life and death stuff, for others it appeared to be mainly about having a fun experience. Bikebox were busy helping customers non stop, while I was busy lounging in the sun tanking up on baked potatoes, pizza and coca cola waiting for night to fall. Guess I forgot the plan usually is to stuff yourself with food after the ride!

I’ve never had a remedial sports massage, so at a $1/minute had to check it out. After years of neglect it was payback time – my calves and thighs HURT real good. It felt great! I wanted to cry like a baby for most of the 30min but settled for a short sleep afterwards as my legs went from feeling blissed out to like they were draining toxins. Tick off more excellent pre ride preparation.

A few hours after Dan’s blistering first lap Lisa headed out for a lap, then later on sometime Dan headed out for another. With coke and pizza still sloshing around my stomach I geared up and hit the trail just on 11pm. I should’ve probably waited another couple of hours for the food to settle and for there to be fewer riders to be out on the trail but was mindful of needing to bank a few hours of sleep as this time the following night I’d still be driving home.

The 2013 Mont 24 Hour: Night Trails

I can’t even begin to calculate the number of wheels that had rolled over the course by late Saturday night but it was holding up well. What was damp and grippy on Friday afternoon had become dry and dusty. The plan was just to cruise around on the first lap and go from there. With a lot of riders still out on the course much like on Friday it wasn’t so much about enjoying the trails but riding in traffic and lucking a clear run down the funner sections. Here’s some footage from the first lap out, thanks to the guys at BikeBox who lent me their GoPro Hero 3 Black edition. Unfortunately the battery on the GoPro died before I reached the rock band jamming away right on the trail in the middle of the forest, complete with smoke machine – a definite highlight of the lap I reckon!

After a second lap I was feeling a bit like a hamster in a wheel and figured that was probably enough. I grabbed a hot chocolate and a cold shower (yeah the hot water in the shower trailer wasn’t working, bummer!) and snoozed the rest of the night away. After queuing up for a morning coffee, BikeBox packed up camp and headed off on the long drive back to Melbourne shortly after the event ended around midday.

2013 Mont 24 Hour: Hamster Racer!

Hippie’s 2013 Mont 24 Summary

While a 24 hour XC event is a long way from my first choice of fun things to do on the Mojo HD, it was a great opportunity to ride somewhere new – always a cool thing – and the scale of the Mont 24 was definitely an eye opener! The guys at Self Propelled Events have definitely got things wired when it comes to running huge events.

I guess the Mont has motivated me to make more of an effort to get to more of those places on my MTB bucket list, and maybe even make it to a few of the gravity enduro events that are springing up all over the place. I’d also like to return to Canberra to ride East Kowen sans the few thousand other riders, and take the time to explore and enjoy the trails for what they are and all the work that has gone into them… and maybe check out Stromlo too!

Lastly many thanks to Guy and the BikeBox crew for having me a long, seriously appreciate it!

The post 2013 Mont 24 Hour appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Like a rabid rakehoe junkie I’ve been beavering away on a new section of trail, dubbed ‘Red Tape’. Hopefully it’ll end up being a fun little extension to an already fun loop but the hills ain’t giving up their secrets so readily this time around.

Even though I’ve been exploring that section of bush off and on for a few months and thinking about where the trail might go, the new section basically just seems to suck more than not. There are a couple of fun features, like a rock ramp part way around a fast narrow blind bend that sends you into the air if you’re on the gas, and the descent flows ok enough… but overall, I dunno, it’s not working. Maybe after The Mont 24hr I’ll start over on it, or maybe magically it’ll seem better

Rock Ramp, Red Tape

While looking around in the shed for a tent to take to the Mont I came across my old Look MTB shoes. I loved these things to bits over years of riding and even though they’re semi falling apart I reckoned they were in need of a spin. Wow, what a huge difference to the Shimano M182 shoes I’ve been running since retiring the LOOK’s. The Shimano shoes are far less comfortable overall, but the soles are so much stiffer creating an efficient power down feeling. The LOOK shoes are so comfy and are much easier to walk around in. They flex a lot which was incredibly unnerving on the bike initially but after a while it was like you could feel more of what is going on. It got me thinking a shoe inbetween these two extremes would be just right.

The post Cutting Red Tape appeared first on Digital Hippie.

In 2011 Ibis announced the Ripley, a 29er trail bike with 120mm of travel. The announcement created a sizeable ‘I want a Ripley and I want it now’ feeding frenzy amongst the faithful but mindful of lengthy back order issues with other models Ibis pledged to only release the Ripley when it was well and truly ready to rock and roll. ‘Believe it or not’ today marks the official launch of the Ripley. Let the discussions regarding chainstay length, headtube angles and toptube lengths begin in earnest!

Ibis Launches Ripley 29er

The standout feature of the Ripley is the dual-eccentric dw-link suspension. The eccentrics are hidden inside the seat tube, replacing traditional upper and lower linkages. Clever, clean, elegant. Cool stuff.

Ibis Launches Ripley 29er: Linkages vs Eccentrics

While the Ripley doesn’t feature Ibis’s signature Mojo styling, the svelte and sexy lines of the carbon fiber frame is unmistakable Ibis. Look away now if you’re under 18 yrs old

Ibis Launches Ripley 29er: Look away kiddies

Development on the Ripley actually started in 2007. Interestingly it was initially destined to be a 26″ race orientated bike, then a 26″ and 29″, and finally a 29″. Check out Bike Magazine’s Exclusive “Blueprint” R&D story on the Ripley and why it was so long in development.

According to Ibis guys who have ridden the Ripley describe it as a ‘stiff, snappy, nimble, light and plush’ trail bike. Evan Plews has certainly been getting great mileage in endurance events from his Ripley prototype, and then there’s that Lopes guy who hangs around Ibis HQ. I’m looking forward to seeing a video of him putting the Ripley through its paces.

Ibis Launches Ripley 29er New York Style

I’d love to test ride a Ripley for sure. Maybe Meeco, the Australian distributor for Ibis, will again be present at the Melrose Fat Tire Festival with demo bikes. Hope so!

For more information regarding the Ripley visit the Ibis mothership.

The post Ibis Launches Ripley 29er Trailbike appeared first on Digital Hippie.

The Mojo HD’s 1×10 drivetrain is due for some love including a new chainring, chain and cassette… which inevitably leads to wondering what if any changes to make.

Like anyone running 1x and doing a drivetrain overhaul SRAM’s sweet 1×11 is an option to consider. I would no doubt love the increased range but the prohibitive cost, inconvenience and waste rules it out for me.

1×10 MTB Drivetrain Overhaul

I’ve essentially been running the same 1×10 33 tooth chainring 11-36 cassette configuration on the Mojo HD since December 2010 and have been incredibly happy with it. Really the only question is whether to stick with the 33 tooth chainring or go up one to 34. Running the 33 tooth chainring I can generally maintain a reasonable cadence up the sustained steep-ish climbs in these parts and not strain my knees excessively. When things do get tough there’s enough out of the saddle spin to get the job done. I would love just a little bit more top end grunt but not if it comes at the expense of my creaky knees.

I reckon my knees get the final say on this one. If they ain’t broke, don’t break em! I’ll probably stick with a 33.

The post 1X10 Drivetrain Overhaul appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I’m not into competitive cycling in any form, but I am excited to be heading to the Mont 24 Hour later this month. I’m looking forward to riding somewhere completely new to me and sampling some of Canberra’s fabled MTB trails, both in the day and night. If the 18km course map is anything to go by it looks like it’ll be fun weekend. I’ll be hanging out at Camp BikeBox, thanks fellas!

Ride the Kow, Mont 24 Hour MTB Race 2013

The post Off to Ride the Kow appeared first on Digital Hippie.

If you’re a mountain biker who loves night riding chances are you’re familiar with the quest for the ultimate trail light. You know the one. It’s the beautifully machined piece of kit that is super bright, small in size, lightweight, robust and burns all night long. Maybe the 2013 Exposure Reflex Mk1 is the high performance mountain bike light you’ve been looking for!

As impressive and efficient as modern lights are, brightness combined with long burn times still requires significant energy. It’s a challenge bike light manufacturers attempt to address in various ways, most commonly by increasing battery capacity and/or by offering compromised performance.

Exposure Reflex Mk1 Review

Ultimate Sports Engineering, the UK based manufacturer of Exposure Lights, have headed in a new direction with the release of the Reflex Mk1, their new flagship high performance bike light for 2013. In short the Reflex features adaptive technology (including temperature sensors and accelerometers) that allows the light unit to sense how fast and at what gradient the bike is traveling and automatically adjust output (250-2200 Lumens) on the fly.

re·flex
/ˈrēˌfleks/
- An automatic response to a stimulus.
- A lonely child; in charge of finding treasures in the dark (Duran Duran)

Is the Reflex a game changer out on the trail? Thanks to BikeBox, the Australian distributor for Exposure Lights, I’ve had a Reflex Mk1 to test on the trails of Central Victoria. Read on!

Exposure Reflex Mk1 Bike Light Review: A lot of tech packed into a small size

Exposure Reflex Mk1 equals Smaller, Lighter, Brighter, Smarter Lights

Prior to the release of the Reflex, Exposure’s flagship handlebar mounted light was the Six Pack, followed by the MaxX-D. Comparing the three highlights key benefits of Reflex Technology.

I have all three lights. Prior to the Reflex, I would always chose the MaxX-D over the Six Pack. The MaxX-D’s size and weight is pretty much right on the money for a handlebar mounted light. As mega as the Six Pack is, IMO it’s just too chunky. Post Reflex there is no choice – the Reflex is a next generation light that stands head and shoulders above its siblings. It’s an impressive combination of size, weight, brightness and smarts.

Exposure Reflex Mk1 Bike Light Review: Diablo, MaxX-D, Reflex and Six Pack side by side

Exposure Reflex Mk1 Bike Light Review: Brighter than a Six Pack, Lighter than a MaxX-D

Exposure Reflex Mk1 Bike Light Review: Brighter than a Six Pack, Lighter than a MaxX-D

Digital Fuel Gauge

Falling into the category of ‘Why don’t all lights have this?’ is the Reflex’s digital fuel and mode gauge. The live display of remaining output in hours and minutes is an exceptionally cool and useful feature out on the trail. No more guessing if you have enough battery power to make it home or if you need to toggle to a different output mode. The display also provides a user friendly interface for accessing and setting modes, along with indicating the percentage charged when recharging. Cool stuff overall!

Exposure Reflex Mk1 Bike Light Review: New Fuel/Mode Gauge

Mounting the Exposure Reflex Mk1

The Reflex mounts to the handlebar using Exposure’s standard Quick Release Handlebar Bracket, compatible with all lights manufactured since 2005. The Quick Release Handlebar Bracket is a neat, unobtrusive system that can be left mounted on the bike.

Exposure Reflex Mk1 Review: Quick Release Handlebar Bracket

Other Features of the Exposure Reflex Mk1

The Reflex also includes features found on other 2013 Exposure lights including:

• Optimised Mode Selector
  OMS allows the rider to manually select from a range of programs to achieve a fixed level of brightness/burn time.
• Smart Port Technology Plus (SPT+)
  Allows the unit to power additional lights, remote switches and even charge other USB devices such as Smartphones.

(For a full list of Reflex features refer to the Exposure Lights web site.)

Exposure Reflex Mk1 Trail Test

So you can probably tell I’m digging the Reflex but that isn’t because it sounds cool, it’s because of how it performs on the trail.

Straight out of the box (and after an initial charge) I took the Reflex on a 52km solo night ride, from Daylesford to Castlemaine along the Dry Diggings section of the Great Dividing Trail. I’ve ridden the trail quite a few times over the years but never completely at night. The trail features sections of excellent flowing single track along with fire trails, with speeds ranging from 10-50km/h… a perfect test for the Reflex!

Exposure Reflex Mk1 Review: On the Trail

The Reflex offers 3 ‘set and forget’ Auto intelligent modes where the light is aware of speed and gradient and self adjusts output accordingly:

• Auto High ~3 hours @ 2200 Lumens max
• Auto Medium ~6 hours @ 1420 Lumens max
• Auto Low ~12 hours @ 730 Lumens max

I estimated the ride would take between 3-6 hours so opted to run the Reflex in Auto Medium – similar brightness to the MaxX-D at full power but with triple the burn time.

Anyone who does a lot of MTB riding at night knows that regardless of how good a handlebar mounted light is, on its own it isn’t sufficient. A handlebar mounted light often doesn’t point to where you’re headed next i.e. where your eyes are naturally looking, as helmet mounted lights do. Handlebar and helmet lights also work together to create a better sense of depth and definition of terrain and obstacles. I opted to run dual helmet mounted Diablo Mk4′s on Medium mode (~770 Lumens per light), with both being topped up by a Triple Cell Piggyback yielding an estimated burn time of over 7.5 hours. (Check out my review of the Diablo Mk4 here!)

Exposure Reflex Mk1 Review: On the Trail

On the trail the performance of the Reflex in Auto mode is seamless. In fact while you are riding the variation in brightness takes place so smoothly you quickly forget about it and get on with riding. It is however eerie but cool to watch the light gradually power itself down during a trail side stop, then power up again as you get going.

At the start of the ride the fuel gauge indicated a burn time of 6 hr 3 min. At the end of the 4 hr 3 min adventure (3 hr 15 min riding) the fuel gauge indicated 2 hr 48 min burn time remaining. That’s an apt illustration of the energy preserving nature of the Reflex, especially considering the light was left in Auto Medium for the entire ride.

Exposure Reflex Mk1 Review: On the Trail

Digital Hippie’s Verdict

The Exposure Reflex is a game changer. Expect to see Reflex’s self adjusting technology and digital fuel gauge trickle down Exposure’s line up and also be imitated by other bike light companies. The future belongs to smaller, lighter, brighter, smarter lights. Reflex is definitely one way to get there… and it’s available today!

Special thanks to BikeBox Australia for the opportunity to review the Exposure Reflex Mk1.

The post Exposure Reflex Mk1 Review appeared first on Digital Hippie.

As a well and truly lapsed Catholic it’s a delicious irony that I’m as happy as the proverbial pig in sh*t with Purgatory – the Specialized Purgatory 2.4 that is.

pur·ga·to·ry
(pûrg-tôr, -tr)
1. Roman Catholic Church A state in which the souls of those who have died in grace must expiate their sins.
2. A place or condition of suffering, expiation, or remorse: a purgatory of drug abuse.

I clearly still need to make amends for my many sins because while I’ve chewed through numerous rear tires, after an amazing 21 months of smashing around on rocky trails I figured it was time to replace the bruise and battered Purgatory 2.4 front tire with more of the same.

Run at 20-25psi the tire has been flawless – a perfect match for me, my bike, how I like to ride and the local trails. I’ve found it to be a great mix of performance, weight, volume and durability. Occassional top ups of Stans sealant and air are the only attention the tire has received. I especially love the combination of the Purgatory’s supple ride and level of grip. When the tire does break away it gives you ample warning, enough time to adjust and take another bite or two if needed. I run an armored Specialized Captain 2.2 on the rear, but on the front the Control level Purgatory tire has done the job with any problems and anyone who’s ridden around Central Vic knows how rocky it is!

I was bummed to discover that Specialized no longer produced the Purgatory 2.4 in any flavor. It and the 2.2 have been replaced with 2.3 version of the tire (including updated tread) available in limited flavors. I guess the rationalization makes sense because frankly I think Specialized has been guilty in the past of offering way too many choices in bikes and P&A. A zillion choices of bikes and tires aren’t necessary. People suck at decision making  – best to keep things simple.

Specialized Purgatory Control 2.3 Tire

The LBS (The Bike Vault) had the Purgatory 2.3 in stock so it as a case of job done, thanks guys!

The Purgatory 2.3 comes in at pretty much the same weight as the 2.4 – just on 700 grams. Whereas the 2.4 had a recommended pressure range of 25-50, the 2.3′s is 35-65. I’ll start at 30 and most likely go down from there. Like the 2.4, the 2.3 is a tall tire though clearly narrower (more like a 2.2 maximum!). Tall is good for keeping rocks etc from impacting the rim, esp at lower pressures. Compared to some other brands, the weight distribution of Specialized tires seem to be in favor of larger nobs and thinner (and more supple) sidewalls. TBH I think this is a good way to go performance-wise and related I’ve found Spesh (tubeless) MTB tires are always dead easy to inflate with a floor pump first go.

Here’s a pic of how the 2.3 tread compares to the 2.4 – quite a few changes have been made:

Specialized Purgatory 2.3 vs 2.4

So how does it ride? I’m about to find out!

The post Specialized Purgatory Control 2.3 Tire appeared first on Digital Hippie.

The cool damp weather didn’t last long at all. It’s been a hot, dry and dusty start to Autumn – perfect I guess for more night riding! I’ve been enjoying becoming more familiar with fresh trails at night as well as testing new Exposure bike lights (big thanks to BikeBox). Look out for a review on the groundbreaking Exposure Reflex bike light real soon.

Anyways here’s a time exposure pic taken on the new Kahlua section tonight – S is for Singletrack

S is for Singletrack

The post S is for Singletrack appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Was walking into the local hardware store today to buy some nails for a new ramp and this caught my eye… Ibis and my lucky number together, NICE!

Good Omens

I took it as a good omen and went home and built the ramp for Kahlua made from walls I removed from the house last year. The ramp wasn’t 100% necessary but will make that section of trail ride better in both directions especially for less confident riders, plus man made stuff like ramps and bridges are fun to come across on a ride now and then and make for a good landmark.

Kahlua Ramp

Kahlua Ramp

The post Good Omen appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Climbing up the last couple of hills late yesterday the Mojo HD started to make unhappy grinding noises. It seemed to be coming from the bottom bracket with each revolution when climbing out the saddle. It’s been a dusty and gritty Summer and TBH I’ve been way too slack with maintenance so it’s not surprising sooner or late the Mojo would say ‘Hey you, I need some TLC… pronto!’.

Noises like that drive me nuts so I set aside a couple of hours today to give the Mojo HD a service. Yeah it definitely needed a clean, fresh grease and a checkover! A quick test ride afterwards and the noise was gone which was a bit of a relief as I reckon the bearings in the rear linkages are also overdue for replacement but $ are tight.

Mojo TLC: Service the Bottom Bracket you peasant!

As an aside, I’ve noticed a LOT of play in the Zee’s top G pulley so while I was in the TLC groove I scavenged the top G Pulley from my dead XTR derailleur. I would have transferred the XTR’s lower G Pulley too but a few of the teeth were mashed. No more play!

Mojo TLC: ZEE Top G Pulley Upgrade

The post Mojo TLC appeared first on Digital Hippie.

WHOOT! After a super dry and hot Summer it looks like we’re finally in for some good rain, with falls in the last 36 hours and more forecast for tomorrow. It was fine most of today though and by late afternoon the trails had dried out and were in primo post rain condition – washed down and super grippy. After months of dusty trails it was an opportunity too good to miss! Really good fun and reminded me of one my favorite things about Central Victoria – year round riding.

I also managed to get out to the Kahlua trail extension both during the rain and the following morning to check for any drainage issues and make adjustments as needed. All up it’s lookin good.

Rain WHOOT!

The post Rain WHOOT! appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Finishing work on the Kahlua extension has been a major obsession the last couple of weeks. I’ve been squeezing in hours wherever they’d fit – early, late, middle of the day heat – as I’ve wanted to get things pretty well sorted before the rain finally arrived. After benching the last section of track over the weekend the rain dumped down today with more forecast for the next couple of days. SWEET!

Here’s a ‘smartphone’ recap of events…

Obsession Recap

The post Me Obsessed? appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I came across an old Kahlua bottle in the bush a couple of weeks ago, guess it must have inspired me to finish a trail I started marking out back in August 2011. It feels good to finally be riding past those weathered ribbon markers.

Here’s a couple of short video snippets from the first runs down the finished trail which adds ~1.5km to the existing Woodbrook loop. Kahlua Delicioso!

The post Kahlua Delicioso MTB Trail appeared first on Digital Hippie.

My favorite flavor of MTB riding and trails is Reward for Effort. You know – climbs followed by dumb grin descents. Something just seems right about earning your fun, the more pain the more fun! So naturally I guess when it comes to working on new trail I don’t want it to just meander around. Even if the vert and terrain is limited I want some kind of pain followed by some kind of pleasure, and one thing is for sure – building trail in the mid Summer heat makes every meter even sweeter. 700 new ones of them in fact – half up, half down.

PS. I guess a career in foot modeling is out of the question? Yeah… I thought so too! 

Reward for Effort

Reward for Effort

The post Reward for Effort appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Last August I was fortunate to spend a couple of weeks in Melrose South Australia. If you’ve been a good mountain biker I reckon you go to Melrose when you die, to spend eternity riding the flowing trails on the side of Mt Remarkable. The problem with this is that if you’ve been an asshole mountain biker you might never get there, so clearly it’s best to hedge your bets and get to Melrose while you’re alive

Anyways hope you enjoy these Melrose videos that I made last August for Over the Edge Sports. Many thanks to Rich and Kerri from OTE and the local community for their support and assistance.

A Day in the Life of Melrose

Melrose Minute: Whiskey Trail with Sparky

Melrose Minute: Weaving Camels with Rich and Luca

The post A Day in the Life of Melrose appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Modern day MTB lords of darkness have never had it so good. Bike lights these days are for the most part super bright, super efficient, compact and lightweight. Exposure Lights designed and manufactured in the UK by USE Ltd are a great example of where things are at. Thanks to BikeBox (the Australian distributor for Exposure Lights) I’ve been running dual 2013 Exposure Diablo Mk4′s on my helmet, complemented by a handlebar mounted MaxX-D and a Flare rear light. Suffice to say with 3000+ Lumens in total to burn night rides have never been so much fun!

2013 Exposure Diablo Mk4 Review: Own the Night

Here’s a short night MTB video I made along the way showing the Exposure lights in action. Auxiliary lighting was provided by an Exposure Six Pack.

2013 Exposure Diablo Mk4 Bike Light

USE Ltd, designers and manufacturers of Exposure lights, pitch the Diablo Mk4 as:

The super bright King of helmet lights. Our best-selling light is primarily a helmet mounted light but is equally effective on the bars. An ultimate combination of lightness and brightness, 1100 Lumens from just 108g.

Crudely speaking, the Diablo is essentially 3 Cree XPG R5 LEDs and 3100mAh Lithium Ion battery neatly packaged in a diminutive CNC machined aluminium body. Coming in at just over 100g it’s one slick piece of industrial design.

2013 Exposure Diablo Mk4 Bike Light Review: Small, Lightweight, Slick!

Diablo Mk4 Mounting Options
Ask anyone who owns a GoPro – a great gadget can be let down by a crappy mounting system. Fortunately this isn’t the case with the Diablo. There are no adhesive velcro dots, velcro straps or zip ties to be seen. USE have come up with a very clever and versatile low profile mounting system that makes use of helmet vents, and takes less than a minute to install or remove.

2013 Exposure Diablo Mk4 Bike Light Review: Helmet Mount

The mount moulds itself to fit flush inside the helmet. You don’t know it’s there.

2013 Exposure Diablo Mk4 Review: Helmet Mount

A ball and socket fitting allows the lights to be angled as required.

2013 Exposure Diablo Mk4 Review: Helmet Mount

My uber clean dual Diablo Mk4 setup thanks to Exposure’s ‘Cable Free Design’.

2013 Exposure Diablo Mk4 Bike Light Review: Dual Helmet Mounted Diablo Setup

While the Diablo is primarily a helmet light it can also be mounted on Exposure’s quick release handlebar bracket using a Quick Release Clip.

2013 Exposure Diablo Mk4 Review: Handlebar Mount

2013 Exposure Diablo Mk4 Review: Handlebar Mount

Controls

At the rear of the Diablo is a Function button and Smart Port.

• A double click on the Function button turns the light on
• A single clicks cycle through High, Medium, Low and Pulse modes of the default Program mode 1
• A click and hold turns the light off.

The Function button also changes color to indicate mode and power levels. That’s pretty much all you need to know to operate all Exposure Lights!

modes2013 Exposure Diablo Mk4 Review: Controls

Like other 2013 Exposure Lights, the Diablo Mk4 features additional program modes (coined Optimised Mode Selector or OMS) for those riders wanting to fine tune burn times e.g. endurance events. TBH I haven’t spent the time figuring out how to access the additional modes via the Function button, primarily because the default High-Medium-Low meets my needs as is. You can see from the table below (etched on the light) that burn times of up to 24 hours are possible.

2013 Exposure Diablo Mk4 Review: Programs

An accessory that might be of special interest to commuters and competitive riders is the Remote Switch which plugs into the Smart Port on the rear of all Exposure lights. It makes it easier to change modes while riding and can be placed wherever needed. e.g. near grips on you handlebar.

2013 Exposure Diablo Mk4 Review: Remote Exposure Switch

More Power Options

For those riders wanting longer burn times at a desired level of brightness Exposure offer Single and Triple Piggyback battery cells. Piggybacks connect to the light via the Smart Port. A Single Piggyback doubles the burn times of a Diablo, a Triple Piggyback quadruples the burn times. The Piggybacks work by recharging the primary battery in the light as it is used.

A very cool and handy alternative use of both Piggyback units and the lights themselves is that they can be used to power devices such as smartphones and GPS units using Exposure’s Boost Cable. Nice!

2013 Exposure Lights Review: Single Cell Piggyback

2013 Exposure Diablo Mk4 Review: Triple Cell Piggyback

Custom Two into One Connector

It didn’t take me long to realize that a) I was addicted to the quality of light pumped out by the dual Diablo’s and b) I wanted longer burn times at maximum brightness. I could have connected each light to its own Piggyback stored in my hydration pack which would have been OK. The guys at BikeBox however had a cooler solution – a custom two into one lead that connects both Diablo’s to a single Piggyback of choice – in my case a Triple Cell. The lead can also be used with other Exposure accessories such as the Remote Switch. AFAIK it’s one of only two such custom leads in the world!

2013 Exposure Diablo-Mk4 Review Two into One Connector

Out on the Trail

OK how about practical stuff? The Diablo is easy to operate on the trail, thanks to the one squidgy Function button that is easy to find and feel on the back of the light. The High, Med and Low settings are easy to differentiate visually too. The mounting system works a treat in practice with just the right amount of friction to hold the light firmly in place along the trail while still allowing adjustment. Managing heat is critical to LED efficiency and performance and unlike other LED light units I’ve come across that you could fry an egg on, the Diablo remains impressively cool thanks not only to its machined cooling fins but also its Intelligent Thermal Management (ITM) system.

So you might be saying with this much light how is night riding scarey fun anymore? Here’s the thing – it’s even more scarey fun! Assuming you’re familiar with trails and conditions the limiting factor at night is how well you can see. More light allows you ride faster with more confidence but it doesn’t make the experience anything close to daylight. The thrill that comes from the diminished ability to interpret terrain at night is still there. As the cycling saying goes, it doesn’t get easier just faster

2013 Exposure Diablo Mk4 Bike Light Review: Own the Night

Hippie’s Bottom Line:

As a stand alone unit the 2013 Diablo Mk4 is impressively small, lightweight, super bright and easy to operate. It’s complemented by a clever mounting system, and the ability to connect to additional external power (and other accessories) when required completes the picture. It may not be the cheapest light out there but it is _quality_ stuff. Night riding has never been so much fun!

Thanks to BikeBox, the Australian distributor of Exposure Lights for their support and assistance.

The post 2013 Exposure Diablo Mk4 Review appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I started off wanting to make a little video about mountain biking at night, but ended up making a video about dust… turns out it’s a beautiful thing!

There’s something otherworldly about flowing solo along the trails in the middle of the night. It’s kinda like riding in your own dream.

Thanks to BikeBox, the Australian distributor of Exposure Lights, for their support. Gotta tell ya these lights are serious flame throwers! The light setup use in the video:

Helmet: 2 x Exposure Diablo Mk4
Handlebar 1 x Exposure MaXx-D Mk3
Rear: 1 x Exposure Flare
Auxiliary lighting: Exposure Six Pack

The post Mid Summer Night Mojo appeared first on Digital Hippie.

The hot Summer rolls on for most parts of Australia. It’s super dry and dusty out in the bush that’s for sure. Some rain would be handy. Still, the heat is a good incentive to wheel the Mojo HD out for a spin at night.

I’ve been experimenting with videoing at night lately. The dust kicked up by the bike can look pretty cool when lit from various angles. I was setting up for a shot the other night and noticed how cool the Mojo looked resting against a tree, so I took a snap.

Summer Nights

The post Purdy Thang appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Let’s just cut straight to it – this is the first time I’ve put new grips on a bike and been blown away by the difference they make out on the trail. ESI Extra Chunky Grips are the shiz!

I’ve had no complaints with any of my previous grips over the years but TBH unlike other bike components have never given grips much thought other than you hang onto them, they wear out, you replace them with whatever is available/cool at the time. Grips are grips more or less, right? With my Lizard Skin Lock-On’s worn down to the handlebar a review of SRAM ESI Grips on Flow Mountain Bike got me thinking it might be time to go old school. ESI Grips had just released the ‘Extra Chunky’ grip – a 100% silicone grip that comes in at an extra chunky 34mm diameter when installed. Worth a try I thought!

Out on the trail I’ve been blown away by how good the Extra Chunky grips feel. The wide diameter, shock absorbing, grippy silicone is super comfy and creates a feeling of increased control over regular grips – without being too soft or sticky. No shit. I reckon the extra chunkiness is the key factor here. Installation is a bit more of hassle vs lock-ons – I used Isopropyl Alchohol to provide some lube (GREAT for cleaning brake discs with BTW). The Extra Chunky’s seem to have a good grip on the surface of my Syncros Bulk handlebar and I’ve had no issue at all with throttling – the grips feel as secure on as lock-ons.

Yeah I recommend these puppies

ESI Extra Chunky Grips Review

ESI Extra Chunky Grips Review

The post ESI Extra Chunky Grips Review appeared first on Digital Hippie.

The combination of recent heat and strong winds have left the trails littered with wheel-eating debri, plus the odd fallen tree. The first reaction when I run into a fallen tree is usually to clear it off the trail but the one I literally ran into the other day had a better idea… It had fallen across the trail both in a fun location and at a good height to form the basis of a jump, plus there was no shortage of rocks nearby to build it up with. PERFECT!

A while later… Taadaa!

Fallen

I headed back out at night on the Mojo HD to test out the new jump out. I reckon the tree would be happy with it

Death becomes Her

The post Fallen appeared first on Digital Hippie.

With the run of exceptionally hot Summer weather and everything else that’s been going over the holiday period on I reckon I’ve spent more time riding during the night vs day. An average Summer night around here is 20 degrees or less – throw on some lights and it’s a great alternative to riding in the heat of the day.

Speaking of lights it’s also been a great opportunity to give the new Exposure lights I’m running these days a serious workout – 2 x 2013 Diablo 4′s on the helmet and Maxx-D on the handlebar. SWEET gear – beautifully made and hugely bright – but more on the lights another time!

One catch to Summer night rides is that it is quite late before darkness falls. It’s pretty cool though to be wheeling back through the suburbs after a night ride in the early hours of the morning

It’ll be alright in the night

It’ll be alright in the night

The post It’ll be alright in the night appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I haven’t taken time to post to the blog since September… but things have been big and crazy in hippie-ville the last few months. Some ongoing health probs (neck/arm) have also kept me off the bike, but the wheels are turning again now albeit with a lot of puffing and panting, so roll on 2013 I reckon!

Apologies to anyone who has posted comments etc to the blog over the last few months. I got slack with keeping my WordPress install up to date and the blog ended up getting hacked and flooded with crap. Doh!

How can you ever have time if you don’t take time?

The post Roll on 2013 appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Is Skully not the coolest rear bike light ever? I think so!

Skully is… shaped like a skull and the eyes light up red in two modes, constant and flashing. The silicon crossbones wrap around the seatpost and attach to small bones protruding from the skull.

What a cool piece of design!

Agent Skully

The post Agent Skully appeared first on Digital Hippie.

The ZEE derailluer looks to be a satisfactory alternative to the XTR one I busted a while back. It seemed to be a little more temperamental to set up but riding along it seems to shift as well as anything else. TBH in terms of overall shifting performance I think having the XTR shifter unit makes a way bigger difference vs the rear derailluer. Visually the ZEE isn’t as slick as the XTR – the machining is a bit rough and ready, and the design is chunky – but wow a short cage certainly gives you gobs of clearance compared to a long one.

ZEE Update

The post ZEE Update appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Gotta admit… it feels better than ever to feel the warmth of the Spring sun! A run of sunny days is just what the doctor ordered to help send a lingering respiratory infection on its way. I hadn’t ridden the local trails since before heading off to Melrose close to a month ago, so it felt weird and new all over again riding around today.

Melrose in late Winter was uber green, so the first thing I noticed was how NOT green the bush around Castlemaine is – very dry and grey/brown year round by comparison Another big difference is that most of the trails in Melrose are elevated and out in the open – great views but also exposed to the weather. Trails around the Maine trade views for shelter, most of them set in fairly thick bush. I was also surprised by how dry the local trails were, along with the lack of grip. How quickly you forget!

Roll on Spring and Summer

Spring Trails

The post Spring Warmth appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Just over a year ago Chris Akrigg snapped his femur when a trials move on a cliff didn’t go to plan. He’s back and riding better than ever. Check out his latest video Through the Mill. Inspirational stuff!

The post Through the Mill appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Just before we began the rock and roll back country descent during which my XTR Shadow Plus derailleur got ripped in two, Rich put the mozz on me by asking why I’d gone with the long cage due to clearance issues etc. I had intended to get the mid cage version but when it came time to order it wasn’t available… and by that stage I was too hot and sweaty for Shadow Plus to wait any longer. All things considered though it’s been a long time since a rear derailleur got munched so I can’t complain, it’s been a good run.

Luckily I’d taken my old XT Derailleur along to Melrose so it wasn’t long before the Mojo HD was on the go again BUT with the pre Shadow Plus racket of the chain slapping about on the rear stays. UGHH! I wanted the Shadow Plus magic back ASAP but didn’t want to lay down the cash for another XTR, and didn’t want to wait for the 2013 XT, SLX versions with Shadow Plus to become available. Hmm…

Then I remembered the earlier release of Shimano’s 2013 DH components -  SAINT along with its cheaper new little brother ZEE. All 10 speed and Shadow Plus, short cage too… sounds perfect but DH specific (28T) right? It turns out that the SAINT derailleur can actually be run in two modes – Downhill (28T) and Freeride (36T). The price of the SAINT isn’t that different to the XTR, the ZEE however is less than half the cost. ZEE doesn’t have two modes but instead there are two versions of the derailleur – DH and FR. Sweet!

Thanks to the guys at The Bike Vault I’ve got a ZEE 10spd Shadow Plus Freeride (36T) Derailleur ready to fit on the Mojo HD over the weekend. I’m really looking forward to seeing how it performs. It could be the perfect rear derailleur compromise – 10spd, short cage, Shadow Plus and relatively affordable. It even has an XTR-ish gold clutch lever… and that bling shit is important, you know it

ZEE 10spd Shadow Plus Derailleur

The post ZEE 10spd Shadow Plus Derailleur appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Melrose has no shortage of sweet hand made single track but for locals and visitors alike it’s always fun to have somewhere new/different to ride. Rich and Al from Over the Edge have long been working on a plan to add a new gravity/flow run to Bartagunyah trails, a 2000+ acre rolling property on the edge of town which Al’s family own and is already home to the Whiskey Trail. Pretty cool when you think about – a huge property chock full of great MTB terrain owned by folk into biking and located just on the edge of town!

Dozer Flow arrives at Over the Edge, Melrose

My visit to Melrose happened to coincide with the week that Tony ‘Dozer Flow’ Boone from IMBA USA was in town with his machine to start work on stage one of that very same new gravity/flow trail. Tony who describes himself as a ‘professional dirtbag’ has been building trails all over the world for many years, so as a fledgling trail builder it was a great opportunity to witness the transformation of pinkies into jumps, rollers and berms.

The view towards Mt Remarkable, Eurovision Gravity Trail Bartagunyah

The new trail has been dubbed Eurovision, regrettably not as a tribute to ABBA (!) but after a sheep nicknamed Euro. The views from Euro’s trailhead at Scared Rabbit Lookout are just plain cool -  to the south west are the waters of Spencer Gulf, to the east a huge expanse of rural plains backing into rolling hills and to the north Mt Remarkable which forms the backdrop to the entire trail. Views like this mean mega opportunities for MTB photography and video in the future not to mention. The views also mean elevation to spare i.e. big dumb MTB grins as the trails point downhill and gravity works her magic. Stage one of Eurovision looks set to deliver with dozer flow flavored downhill rollers, jumps and berms that finally end in a climb to the nearest saddle before descending again to the Bartagunyah homestead.

Bartagunyah’s Eurovision Gravity Trail passes through this saddle

So who’s the trail for? Anyone and everyone really as you can choose to roll or fly at your own speed. Best bike for the job? One that you enjoy climbing and descending on as you’ll need to ride out and up to the highest point in the property before descending Euro. I reckon any modern Trail/AM bike would do the trick nicely. There is a private, one way and seriously 4WD track up to Scared Rabbit Lookout so there is a possibility of shuttles for events but day to day you’ll need to work first (climb) for your reward later (descend) – old school MTB stuff, nice!

Tony ‘Dirtbag’ Boone, adding dozer flow flavor to Eurovision

Work on stage one of Euro was still in progress when I left town. With Tony long gone the locals were hard at work transforming the dozer’s rough brush strokes into sweet flowing trail. I’m already looking forward to heading back to Melrose and giving it a whirl.

Lots of rock features, Eurovision Gravity Trail, Bartagunyah/Melrose

The post Eurovision, Bartagunyah Trails appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Ever wonder where trail fairies come from? There’s a good chance they’re spawned along Weaving Camels, a magical little MTB trail at Melrose, South Australia. With its lush green carpet, giant gums and babbling brook it’s straight out of a story book. The trail weaves its way through stands of River Red Gums (Camaldulensis) hence its name I guess!

Weaving Camels is a short loop that runs up and down both sides of Mount Creek. It’s a fun ride in itself and also links into Melrose’s southern and central mountain biking trails (e.g. Hidden Valley and Farmers Free Wheelin’) so it’s dead easy to include in a longer ride. Perfect stuff for adrenalin junkie hobbits of all ages!

Night ride on Weaving Camels Trail, Melrose South Australia

Mount Creek, lush ground cover, flowing single track – Idyllic MTB!

Super tree, upper Weaving Camels Trail

Flowing down Weaving Camels trail, Melrose

The post Weaving Camels Trail Melrose appeared first on Digital Hippie.

It’s been a great couple of weeks in Melrose, South Australia. The trails and the setting alone make Melrose a bucket list destination for mountain bikers, but much more than that getting to know the folk that call this little town at the base of Mt Remarkable their home, and seeing the central role bikes play in the community has been a terrific experience.

Transforming the town into a mountain biking destination is no easy dream, but it’s a truly GREAT one. Get yourself out to Melrose and be part of making it happen.

Dodging Bullets, Melrose

Kiss the Sky, Melrose

The post Kiss the Sky appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Special Melrose treat today – headed out into the back country with Rich from Over the Edge. Great MTB adventure including one of the most fun sustained non MTB trail descents I’ve ridden in a long while that included all the good stuff – risk, speed and difficulty, including big consequences if you have an off. It reminded me of MTB riding in the Victorian High Country in the late 80′s/early 90′s – wild and woolly – before there were MTB specific trails. Look forward to doing that descent again one day without the +10kg of camera junk in my backpack!

Gear-wise the XTR Shadow Plus derailleur harakiri’d on a rock somehow which was a bummer but removing the chain and silently descending without even the freehub ratchet ticking away was a heap of fun. After yesterday’s birthday bash the legs were running on empty, but sometimes you’ve just got to suck it up.

Pretty cool to see a couple of Mojo HD’s out there in the wild too!

Back Country Melrose

The post Back Country Adventure appeared first on Digital Hippie.

The life of a rear derailleur is a fragile thing – shifting sweetly one moment, hanging broken and lifeless the next.

Look away now if you don’t want to see a grown man cry over a broken bike part

RIP XT-ARGH!

The post XT-ARGH! appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Being in Melrose, South Australia for a couple of weeks over your 45th birthday… that’s one insanely cool prezzie I reckon!  The birthday plan: Sun up to sun down MTB love fest

I headed out to Bald Hill to watch the sunrise – cold but a great way to kick off the birthday bash, followed by spending the rest of the day exploring the southern trail network. Wheeled back into town on dusk, my dumb wide grin even wider than usual, completely wiped out and starving. Epic bash!

Bald Hill Lookout, Melrose Birthday Bash

Bald Hill Lookout, Melrose Birthday Bash

Blazing Saddles MTB Trail, Melrose Birthday Bash

Throwing Copper MTB Trail, Mini-D South, Melrose Birthday Bash

Hidden Valley MTB Trail, Melrose Birthday Bash

Dodging Bullets MTB Trail, Melrose Birthday Bash

The post Melrose 45th Birthday Bash appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Bartagunyah is a ~2000 acre property on the outskirts of Melrose SA and in addition to sheep, kangaroos and vineyards is home to a bunch of arguably lesser known MTB trails, including one of the local’s favorite MTB rides – the Whiskey Trail.

Whiskey Trail Bartagunyah

Staying on the property means the trails are literally outside the door – sweet! From the shed accomodation I headed out on the Winery Loop, up the Wallaroo climb, along the Mia, Blue Heelin’ and Jackanna trails before turning onto the Whiskey Trail which is located right along the back edge of the property and feels like it too!

Whiskey Trail Bartagunyah

The Whiskey Trail is signed as an advanced ‘Black’ trail which in practice translates to a bunch of fun. It’s narrow and rocky with the Melrose flavored drop ever present on one side. It’s one of those trails where you’ve got to pay plenty of attention, especially the first time out. A rush of blood to the head lead to sphincter action a couple of times as things got a little out of shape. Drop either tire off the narrow trail and you’ll know about it too. The trail also includes a few fun (damp, steepish, out of nowhere-ish) gully crossings – gotta keep a look out ahead for those.

Start of the Whiskey Trail Bartagunyah

The sharp and jagged rocks along the Whiskey Trail are known for their ability to generate tube and tire sales, similar in a sense to some of the trails around Castlemaine. The armoured tubeless 2.4 front/2.2 rear Spesh tires on the Mojo HD worked a treat. Carrying a spare tube is probably a good move though, as it’s a decent walk back to anywhere and there’s limited mobile phone service to call a buddy.

On the Mia Trail, en route to Whiskey

In addition to the trail network, Bartagunyah is a super scenic place to ride. The rolling hills and the views all with Mt Remarkable as the backdrop make for great eye candy. With no shortage of hills climbing legs are an essential bit of kit to make the most of the trails but really that’s no different to other MTB destinations. The trail network is signposted but individual trails aren’t named so it’s a good idea to grab a map from Over the Edge in town before heading out. Take a wind shell along too as some of the trails are quite exposed and the winds from the South can be freezing.

Whiskey Trail Bartagunyah

If you’ve made the trip to Melrose be sure to check it out the Bartagunyah’s Whiskey Trail for for yourself!

The post Whiskey Trail Bartagunyah appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Great evening for a Winter night ride – cold, still, big moon. The lords of the darkness had another idea – give blood… and bones! Unfortunately Aaron came unstuck in ‘the mine shafts’ and ended up at the local hospital. All the best with the arm mate!

Here’s a couple of funky pics I made with Hoz later on. Thanks Hozza!

Lords of Darkness

Lords of Darkness

The post Give Blood & Bones appeared first on Digital Hippie.

With the sun shining and the local trails almost back to being dry, but rain forecast for the next couple of days there was an opportunity to good to miss today to check out the new ‘Woodbrook’ MTB trail made up of a mix of old, new and brand spanking new trails. I’ve had a touch of the flu but figured if it got worse, well with the rain I probably wouldn’t be riding much in the next couple of days anyway!

As it currently stands Woodbrook is an 18.10km loop, made up ~8.4km climbing, 6.6km descent and 3.1km flat. Forget all the numbers though, main thing is that it’s good fun and connects up all the best bits of trail in that section of bush… like the Gully Run for example, just off Woodbrook Road

Woodbrook MTB Trail

The post Woodbrook MTB Trail appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Like many MTB heads I’ve often drooled over XTR parts but rarely have been able to afford and/or justify going there. So it was with a fair level of excitement I fitted a few XTR bits and pieces to the Mojo HD late last year. At the time the XTR derailleur was the only way to get your hands on Shadow Plus, which has since trickled down through Shimano’s 2013 range with SRAM also releasing its own version. It’s a huge drivetrain improvement IMO, great stuff!

I also opted to fit XTR Trail pedals – the trail cage/platform combo looked schmick and the price was right. I was a little bummed that within a relatively short space of time the drive side pedal started oozing grease, grinding and clicking with a fair amount of side to side play. Checking around online it seems that quite a few guys with the XTR Trail pedals have had the same problem and that Shimano have been replacing the pedals under warranty:

http://forums.mtbr.com/shimano/pd-m985-pedal-issues-711922.html

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/anyone-else-had-an-xtr-pedal-come-off-its-axle-jra

I don’t claim to be the gentlest rider when it comes to looking after my pedals and there are no shortage of rocks to bang them on, but it is disappointing for a top of the range trail pedal to fail in a relatively short period of time when for example my original Shimano pedals from 1991/1992 still spin smoothly with minimal play after years of abuse, off road and on road – as you can see by the gouging below.

My original SPD pedals, 1991/1992

The XTR Trail pedals are on their way back to Shimano Australia, hopefully they’ll get it sorted. Interestingly for the 20 years difference my old SPD pedal is only ~60 grams heavier than the 2012 XTR Trail pedal. There ya go!

The post XTR Trail Pedal Problem appeared first on Digital Hippie.

No shortage of cold, grey, rainy days this Winter. When the sun peeps through you’ve gotta get out there and soak in the warm rays.

I’ve caught the Instagram disease, thanks to having my first smartphone. Good fun, and so many cool and useful apps.

Rainy Daze

The post Rainy Daze appeared first on Digital Hippie.

After a bunch of cold, grey rainy days finally a starry night and dry trails for the most part too – all up a great oppo for a night ride. I took the camera and mini tripod along and took a snap of one of my favorite trees along the way.

Night Shade

The post Night Shade appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Generally I don’t set out to ride in the rain or on muddy trails. It’s not really about wrecking the local trails as for the most part they are insanely robust and as close to mud free as you can get. It’s more to do with trashing the bike unnecessarily – why not save yourself the cost and hassle and do something else until the weather clears? That’s the theory anyway.

Got caught out today mapping uber fresh trails (some sections just cut yesterday!) and the rain came down. Where the line wasn’t super slippery it was super gluggy, and there was no shortage of mud filling up the tread on the Spesh Captain on the rear and Purgatory on the front.

Bush Pig

Got to admit being a bush pig was fun. The HD needed a good clean anyway!

The post Bush Pig appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Digging through a bunch of old MTB stuff the other day I stumbled across something ‘Cool’… literally, except even back when it was new in the early 1990′s it was well… pretty daggy!

You’ve got to cut the Cool Tool some slack though as it was one of the first bicycle specific multi-tools. Once the secret was out it didn’t take other companies – like Ritchey for example – very long at all to sex up the idea of a bicycle multi-tool, leaving early Cool Tool adopters feeling kinda ordinary about their go-go-gadget portable workshop.

Amidst a bunch of old bike paperwork crammed into an old Flite Evolution saddle box I found the receipt for my Cool Tool along with the A4 flyer that came with it. The things you treasure hey?! Check out the bleeding edge technology crammed into that $27 (and that was wholesale!) thingamajig: Cone Wrench, Headset spanner, Bottom bracket spanner…and the list goes on. So sleek, so sexy, sooooo hi-tech!

Cool Tool: 'The' Multipurpose Bicycle Repair Tool

Cool Tool: 'The' Multipurpose Bicycle Repair Tool

Cool Tool: 'The' Multipurpose Bicycle Repair Tool

So OK, that is sort of cool in a nerdy way but if I still had the actual Cool Tool… that would be a BFD!

After hours of searching through old toolboxes… TADAA

Cool Tool 'The' Multipurpose Bicycle Repair Tool

ps. Admittedly later on I did buy a MUCH cooler (original) Ritchey CPR-9 when it was released

The post Cool Tool: ‘The’ Multipurpose Bicycle Repair Tool appeared first on Digital Hippie.

It’s been a while since I’ve ridden at Mt Lofty, Redesdale which is a bit slack TBH. It’s only 30 or so kilometres from Castlemaine but we’re kinda spoilt with local trails at our doorstep. Riding new or at least less familiar trails is great fun though so with a round of the InterWinter series held at Redesdale over the weekend and a few days of wet weather coming up it was a good opportunity to sneak in a visit to Mt Lofty with Shaz.

The well worn line created by the InterWinter race made the trails around Mt Lofty much easier to navigate. Compared to Castlemaine a reasonable amount of rain had fallen at Redesdale making conditions surprisingly slick and slippery in parts. It’s a great fun loop though – an alternating mix of fire trail and single track, starting off tight and twisty and tight lower down on Mt Lofty before moving up higher and becoming rockier, then ending off with some faster, more open sections of trail.

The single track in the latter half of the Redesdale loop reminded me of sections of trails at Melrose which is kinda nice. I miss Melrose!

Redesdale

The post Mt Lofty, Redesdale appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Watched The Matrix for the n’th time the other night, always enjoy it! Being out on the trails in the late afternoon is pretty specc’y, like living in the dream world of The Matrix… and like a virus those trails just seem to keep on spreading!

I’m keen to make more MTB videos this year and fortunately have a couple of great projects coming up. I dusted off the camera the other day and brought it along for the ride. Here’s a few screencaps.

PS. The 2013 Fox 34 Float 160′s are SWEET!

Two Wheeled Virus

Two Wheeled Virus

Two Wheeled Virus

The post Dream World appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Have been loving the night rides this Winter. For the most part I’ve got the clothing pretty well sorted, enough to keep warm riding in 0-10 degrees celcius without overheating. A thermal base layer, a super light merino wool short sleeve shirt, a long sleeved merino pullover and a wind shell works out to be just right. Knicks and riding shorts too of course, and wool socks.

The one thing that I haven’t sorted is my head – I don’t mind the cold air on my ears but the air pouring through the helmet vents onto my head is FREEZING my brain! Guess I will have to look into one of those thermal skull caps.

Great ride tonight though!

Brain Freeze

Brain Freeze

The post Brain Freeze appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Fresh, clear and still Winter’s night and a full moon to boot – specc’y conditions for the first Lords of Darkness Winter ride! Thanks to the guys that came along, looking forward to the next one.

Gear-wise it’s very cool that the Ayup lights I bought back in early 2009 still run like a dream. The medium beams mounted on the bars combined with the narrow beams on the helmet are plenty bright and the burn time of the 3 Hour batteries is still well over 5 hours. Cool.

Lords of Darkness

The post Lords of Darkness appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I have really enjoyed running 1×10 for the last 18 months or so. Sometimes just a little more at either end would be handy, you know a little more spin at the low end for easier control of power going up steep, slow, loose, tight climbs, and a little more speed at the high end for those times you spin out. No biggie though as everything is a compromise and overall I’m lovin my 1×10 drivetrain – and with the combo of the XTR shifter and XTR Shadown Plus mech it runs sweet as.

A wider range 10 speed cassette might be cool though and a while back Hope showed off its 9-36 10 speed cassette, I lost track if anything ever came of it . Recently news of SRAM’s 1×11 started to appear on the internet, and today it’s all over the web with the official release and a first look at the 1×11 drivetrain posted on Pinkbike. SRAM have gone way more than ‘just a little more at either end’ with the XX1 being 11 speed with a 10-42 cassette. It looks pretty cool and will probably cost a packet. Doesn’t look like anything is compatible with existing stuff.

SRAM XX1 1x11 Speed Drivetrain

It’s great to see it out there, 1x drivetrains are super fun IMO. I’m kinda hoping Shimano will respond with something a little less than XX1′s 10-42 11 speed but more than the existing 10-36 10 speed. Fun times!

The post SRAM XX1 1X11 Speed Drivetrain appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Melrose in South Australia is one of those places but when you arrive there for the first time it’s a bit like being a kid in a candy store – all that sweet mountain bike MTB trail but no idea of where to start and how to piece it together. Over the course of this year’s Fat Tire Festival probably the most fun run I found is shown below. Starting from the campground it’s one scenic, enjoyable climb to the highest point on Hellrose followed by a fun descent, 2/3 of which was part of the Mini-D time trial course.

Going Up:

1. From campground climb Monument Trail
2. At monument, go through fence onto Farmers free wheeling fun track
3. Turn right onto Benchin
4. Turn right onto Hellrose, and keep going straight ahead at the T i.e. ride Hellrose clockwise

Coming Down:

1. Start at the highest point of Hellrose
2. Turn right onto Benchin
3. Short distance on Farmers free wheeling fun track
4. Veer onto Textbook 10%
5. Turn right onto Greener Pastures

Return:

1. Return to campground via trail that follows creek
2. Repeat the loop over and over!

This route is longer with a bit more pedaling to keep ya keen on the way down. From there it’s a cruise along the creek back to the campground from where you can do it all again until you’re unconscious or branch off onto other rides. Dodging Bullets is a great way to start and end the day too.

There are lots of other great trails at Melrose MTB trail heaven of course and many ways to piece them all together but if you ever do get there and want to have a fun fang on your Trail/AM bike…. well, you gotta ride this!

Hippie’s Gotta Ride This @ Melrose

The post Gotta Ride This @ Melrose MTB Trails appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I forgot to re-tighten the bar clamp for my GoPro HD today, and well… the camera made an escape for freedom, on the last descent before home.

After spinning around the handle bar the GoPro HD created a cosmic wormhole.

GoPro HD: Escape to Freedom

which opened up as it fell to earth…

GoPro HD: Escape to Freedom

and that’s kinda where it stayed!

It took a while to find all the bits and pieces, except one clamp bolt. Gave up on that, will look again tomorrow.

The post GoPro HD: Escape for Freedom appeared first on Digital Hippie.

God made Winter so we could ride in the forests at night. I ♥ MTB. AMEN.

A couple of pics from a cold Winter’s night ride, flowin down the Gully Run in Castlemaine

I ♥ MTB

I ♥ MTB

I ♥ MTB

The post I ♥ HEART MTB appeared first on Digital Hippie.

At least once in your life you’ve gotta own and ride a bike you love to bits. 18 months on with the Mojo HD… it’s a dream machine. Thanks for all the great rides old buddy!

Ibis Mojo HD, Dream Machine

The post Dream Machine appeared first on Digital Hippie.

If you’re out in the woods on dusk and are berry berry quiet you might catch a glimpse of the trail fairies sprinkling their magic single track dust… or… you might just get distracted, eat it into a tree and be found unconscious and frozen in the morning

Either way, don’t let the short winter days get you down. Get some lights on your bike, night MTB is a blast.

Fwiw, first (and brief!) ride on the new 34 Float 160. Had it wide open on the Descend setting. So far, so good – the 34 Float doesn’t have that disconcerting flex that some forks have which make the front of the bike feel ordinary. Felt good overall, supple, but maybe a little too soft ATM. Will have another ride before rechecking sag and adding a little air if needed before moving on to trying the softest Trail setting. Full fork review to follow this week after a couple more rides.

Many thanks to my daughter Holi for her excellence and grace when it comes to operating camera gear in the dark and cold… and putting up with me!

Trail Fairies

Night riding is a blast

The post Trail Fairies appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Hehe that is some mouthful… the short version is there’s a new fork on the front of the Mojo HD. The 2008/09 36 Float has been retired and replaced by a FOX 2013 34 Float 26 160 FIT CTD. Luckily the new fork is easier to setup than it is to say!

FOX 2013 34 Float 26 160 FIT CTD

There was a lot to like about the old Float 36 on the Mojo HD. Simple, robust and so little flex it made less beefier forks on other bikes I’ve ridden feel like wet noodles, which is an unnerving thing out on the trail. A solid front end is a sweet thing, no point being under-forked!

Why the change? A combination of things I guess – the old Float was getting to the stage of being pretty well beat up, and after test riding a Mojo SL-R at Melrose the other week I started to wonder about ways to sharpen the HD up a little.  As it happens 2013 will mark 25 years of mountain biking for me, so yeah gotta celebrate… early! OK that is a BS reason to get a new fork

Things that appealed to me about the 34 Float 26 160: The CTD stuff. I like maintaining my bike but I LOVE riding it way more, part of that is keeping things simple vs spending hours setting things up and fiddling around. The idea of being limited to Climb, Trail, Descend settings with three settings within Trail simplifies things. The Kashima coating… it’s mighty purdy, and supposedly improves performance. The drop in weight over the 36′er, I guess around a quarter of a pound. Not that the HD has been built to be as light as it can by any means… but there have been times when the 36 Float felt heavy, and TBH overkill for me. Why not get the Talas? Because I don’t have any interest in changing fork travel on the trail. I can’t imagine I’ll be changing the CTD settings on the Float out on the trail for that matter either, once I find the setting I like – probably wide open at Descend, much like the 36 Float was set up, or at the softest Trail setting, and just tune it with air pressure.

Got the 34 Float on the bike and set the sag to 25%. With the weather clearing I’m keen to see how it performs on the trails, which should be uber grippy. Will the drop to 34mm stanchions from 36mm combined with the drop from the 20mm axle with industrial clamps to 15mm feel different? Will soon see.

As always thanks to Peter, Gary and Michael at The Bike Vault in Castlemaine for keeping a hippie plied with MTB goodies!

The post FOX 2013 34 Float 26 160 FIT CTD appeared first on Digital Hippie.

There were some seriously cool demo bikes available at the Melrose Fat Tire Festival including none other than the Ibis Mojo SL-R, the newer 140mm ‘little brother’ of the Mojo HD. There are relatively few (in any!) chances to demo an SL-R in Victoria, and with Ibis one of the festival sponsors there was nothing else to do but take one for a spin!

After 18 months on my Mojo HD I was more than a little curious to see how the SL-R compared, especially given that its geometry is essentially identical to the more XC suited (and reasonably older) Mojo SL.

Ibis Mojo SL-R Test Ride

First impressions after back to back runs down Dodging Bullets?

The SL-R feels like a light, stiff, tight, nimble, responsive race whippet. Like the kind of bike you’d want if you were racing XC, 6 hour, 12 hour etc races. Get out of the saddle and it wants to go. But it’s not without compromise – with its steeper head angle and shorter wheelbase the SL-R isn’t the confidence inspiring Mojo HD at speed. On a HD you can relax and enjoy the fun, the faster you go the better the HD feels. It just hunkers down and wants to go. On the same descents the SL-R felt twitchy and nervous… flighty is another word that comes to mind.

Something that really did stand out on the SL-R was how noisy an MTB drivetrain is without a Shadow Plus derailleur. I’m super happy with the XTR Shadow Plus upgrade on the Mojo HD, and great to see that technology trickle down in 2013 components.

The SL-R test ride left me a smile on my face, wanting another go, and wondering what the bike would be like with an angleset installed to slacken the head angle a little and perhaps as importantly set up to suit me – bars, stem, dropper post, tires etc. Maybe I’ll get to back to Melrose sometime and take one out for a few days for a better look see.

No sweat though – my HD is just such a fun bike to ride and perfectly suits what I ride for… fun!

Mojo SL-R Test Ride

Mojo SL-R Test Ride

Mojo SL-R Test Ride

The post Mojo SL-R Test Ride appeared first on Digital Hippie.

2012 was the 10th anniversary of the Fat Tire Festival and it went off. Along with hundreds of other mountain bikers, from start to finish I was spoilt with idyllic blue sky days of riding on great trails, capped off with cold camp fire nights.  No race to be seen, just folk of all ages, sizes and styles of MTB out enjoying the trails. Not to mention the welcoming local community, relaxed festival vibe, yummy food and last but not least Over the Edge, the uber cool local bike store/regional MTB hub from where my Ibis Mojo HD came… it was great to finally meet the OTE gang in person 

Thanks to everyone involved with Fat Tire Festival. Looking forward to visiting Melrose again… soon!

Over the Edge, hub of the Fat Tire Festival

Just a little excited to be here! Arrived nice and early

Hippie neath the ‘Ride More Work Less’ mantra

Wheel love

Brrrr… freezing mornings! Melrose Fat Tire Festival 2012

Great trails, and clear blue skies all weekend

Main St closed for festival, nice!

Blueys at Melrose, GREAT food and not of this world service!

No shortage of cool demo bikes!

Trail access right from the camp ground, cool!

Cold nights = camp fires

The post Melrose Fat Tire Festival 2012 appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Had a great ride round the new short loop with Shaz and friends up from Melbourne. After good rain earlier in the week followed by a light sprinkling the night before the trails were in prime condition, grippy with no dust.

Good fun (and a little strange) to ride in a group. Lots of fun to see a bunch of riders making their way up and down the new wormy switchbacks. Thanks to everyone who came up from the city!

Social Ride

The post Social Ride appeared first on Digital Hippie.

No shortage of fun riding this Autumn, and fresh trails to ride too! Central Victoria finally received some good soaking rain in the last week so the dry and dusty trails are back to being in prime condition, and the powdery goop on the newer trails has started to settle.

Not too many daylight hours at this time of year though, and even on a sunny day the temperature hardly ever gets above 15 degrees… great weather for MTB! Time to get the lights out I guess.

Late Autumn Rides

Didj, Trail Guardian, Furry Mate!

Late Autumn Rides

The post Late Autumn Rides appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Lots of stuff going on over the last month. There’s a fun new section of trail not far off being ready. No shortage of rocks to work in, around and through… should make for a good 10-12km loop and a fine option for Winter night rides.

Late rides on chilly Autumn days, love em.

The post Rock’n'Roll appeared first on Digital Hippie.

The cult of Ibis… it’s one crazy obsessed family of mountain biking junkies who think big… REAL BIG!

Maximus was created by sculptor Nick Taylor of Fort Bragg CA. Ibis went ahead and made a web site for it. Schwang! www.ibismaximus.com

Ibis Maximus 59er

The post Ibis Maximus 59er appeared first on Digital Hippie.

There’s something especially cool about riding fresh trails for the first time! Fresh trails are like fresh hot jam donuts… SWEET!

Here’s a quick pic taken with my new uber phone late yesterday afternoon… a new short section of rocky trail.

Fresh Trails

The post Fresh Trails appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Holi wizzed up a cool sign for it. With Didj the Kelpie present we nailed up the sign and declared the trail open for biz!

Didj’s Run Open for Biz

The post Didj’s Run Open for Biz appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Getting out on trails you haven’t ridden on for a long time… it’s a bit like catching up with old friends. Looking forward to doing more of that!

Old Friends

Old Friends

The post Old Friends appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Getting out to the mountain bike trails at Redesdale has been sitting on the list of things I’ve gotta get around to doing for a while now, a bit lame since Redesdale is only 30k or so from Castlemaine. I’ve been attempting to manage my riding better this year – riding three times a week max hoping to stay away from my good buddy, the valley of fatigue. So with perfect riding weather to boot I finally got out to Redesdale over the weekend and had a blast.

The trails at Redesdale are all contained within the Mt Lofty reserve, the only chunk of bush in that part of the world. It’s a relatively small parcel of land with only ~60 metres difference in elevation from the lowest to the highest points but you’d never guess it riding the trails which work their way up and down, back and forth just about every slope available.

Mt Lofty Reserve, near Redesdale

I took a low tech printed trail map and found my way around with a few wrong turns and backtracking, just part of the fun of riding somewhere for the first time. If you’re not into getting lost ideally a gadget like a smartphone would be handy though mobile service is variable.

Unlike Castlemaine trails that generally have a loose gravelly surface over hardpack and/or rocks, the trails at Redesdale are super grippy and I can imagine get pretty muddy too. There are some cool rocky sections as the trail works its way higher up Mt Lofty, particularly on the Western side, but overall the trails are quite smooth, similar to the Wombat Trail at Woodend.

Mountain Bike Trails, Mt Lofty, Redesdale

Lower down the mount the trail winds back and forth through thick regrowth, from the bushfires that swept through the region several years ago. It’s easy to lose track of where you are as there aren’t many views, just lots of tight, slow turns all over the place – more suited to an XC whippet vs an all mountain set of wheels.

Redesdale Mountain Bike Trails

After some fire road it’s back into single track on the more exposed higher areas of Mount Lofty – faster, rockier, funner riding for sure with views across to Mt Alexander and Central Victoria. I was hanging out for a sustained high speed single track fix, just to break up the pattern of repeated descents and climbs on the same face.

Redesdale Mountain Bike Trails

Back out onto fire track for a bit then the single track heads out to the edge of the reserve, opening up to a much more rural farmland kinda feel including some great sections of fast open roller coaster trail. Sweet!

Redesdale MTB Trails

Kudos to the guys who have put in the trails on Mt Lofty. It’s amazing not only how much trail they’ve squeezed into a relatively small area of bush but they’ve also made great use of the variety of terrain. You really feel like you’ve had an MTB adventure which is pretty cool. Thanks to Andy for the tip about parking at the dam off Summerhill Road on the left just after the entry to the reserve, it’s a good place to start/finish the ride.

The post Redesdale MTB Trails appeared first on Digital Hippie.

A mate died last night. I was up early this morning and decided the thing to do was go to church, MTB style. RIP Matty.

In Memory of...

The post In Memory of… appeared first on Digital Hippie.

XTR Shifter

I upgraded the rear shifter from XT to XTR a couple of weeks back now and am loving it! The difference between the two shifters is surprising. Compared to the light and definite action of the XTR shifter, the action of the XT shifter is like pushing the shift lever through sludge with indistinct shift clicks along the way.

Shimano refer to the magic as ‘Vivid Index’ which surprisingly is a pretty good description of what the XTR shifter action feels like. The lever action is light but with distinct positive clicks. Combined with the XTR Shadow Plus rear derailleur the shifting sure is uber slick.

XTR Shifter

All up The 1×10 drivetrain feels and works just right. The Mojo HD is running like a dream, and I’ve managed to retrain my braking fingers without killing myself… bonus! 

The post XTR Shifter appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Fun early ride with Guy and Andy from Melbourne around Baco and the trails heading across towards Barkers Creek. Followed up by a cool down in the pool. Tough way to start the day!

Early Birds

The post Early Birds appeared first on Digital Hippie.

After all these years I finally got a decent home workstand. I needed a stand that would work well with the Mojo HD’s irregular frame shape and not hang the bike off the seat post – something of a no-no with a dropper post like the Reverb. The Topeak Prepstand Race has been great. It’s well made, sets up in no time and makes the bike easy to work on. A definite upgrade from balancing stuff against walls and posts!

Topeak Prepstand Race

The post Topeak Prepstand Race appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Got the new 2012 XT brakes fitted on the Mojo HD, have been looking forward to these! HUGE increase in braking power compared to the old SLX brakes (of a couple of years ago), the 2012 XT brakes definitely require a gentle one finger touch else your face will be scraping along the trail before you know it. Dropped down from a 180mm rotor to 160mm on the front. 160mm on the rear.

Just to add to the excitement I’m taking the opportunity to retrain braking fingers, swapping from the middle finger – the most common used for braking in mountain unicycling – to the index finger which offers a better control/grip deal on for MTB braking. Had a couple of unexpected grabs earlier on but nothing disastrous. A few rides in and it’s starting to feel natural.

All up… SLICK!

Shimano 2012 XT Brakes

Shimano 2012 XT Brakes

Shimano 2012 XT Brakes

The post Shimano XT 2012 Brakes appeared first on Digital Hippie.

A new year, a fresh start. Time to get my act together and fit some long awaited goodies to the Mojo HD.

Plan was to fit an XTR Shadow Plus Derailleur and as part of that take the opportunity to simplify the drivetrain further and try running only an upper chain ring guide.  Angle Grinder Required!

The XTR Shadow Plus Derailleur is a beautiful piece of industrial design. Like all things XTR it’s about performance as much as it is about weight.

The derailleur’s key feature, uber chain tension, is enabled by a schmancy gold lever and works wonders.

• Dramatic improvement in shifting performance vs XT. Super clean, precise shifts
• Drivetrain is so fricking quiet. Aleluya!

Some guys have mentioned the shifting action feels significantly heavier with the Shadow Plus fitted, enough to cause fatigue. It does feel a little heavier (with an XT 10spd shifter) but not by a huge amount.

XTR Shadow Plus Derailleur

The post XTR Shadow Plus Derailleur appeared first on Digital Hippie.

So over the last few months have been looking around online and while there is a lot of love for the XTR Shadow Plus there isn’t much in the way of guys running a Mojo HD/1×10/XTR Shadow Plus/Upper Chainring Guide only Combo. Good idea or not? Just gotta try it out myself!

While you can buy 1X drivetrain XC upper guides,  my plan was to butcher the Mini-G2′s alloy boomerang with the angle grinder, ditching the lower pulley guide and polycarbonate skid in the process and leaving me with an uber strong and clean upper guide. Can always just replace the alloy boomerang if it turns ugly.

So with the kitchen transformed into a bike workshop, coffee machine on and a brand spanking new XTR Shadow Plus derailleur ready to fit it was time to play!

MRP Mini-G2 Mod

Here’s the original Mini-G2 above.

The alloy boomerang roughly marked below, angle grinder at the ready.

MRP Mini-G2 Mod

Here’s the modified alloy boomerang, back on the Mojo HD below.

MRP Mini-G2 Mod

Interestingly, when I removed the Mini G2 I noticed some scoring on the nearby bolt and pivot (seen in the pic above). It turns out the bolt to hold the upper guide on the Mini G2 is fractionally too long, and had been digging into the pivot and bolt as the rear suspension compressed. While the angle grinder was running hot I shortened the bolt too.

And here’s the final work of art. A 1×10 / XTR Shadow Plus / Upper Chain ring guide only setup. Schwang!

MRP Mini-G2 Mod

How does it perform?

First Impressions: GREAT. QUIET. Clean. Simple. Snappy, exact shifting, way above the XT derailleur. No probs so far with chain/back pedaling.

Thanks as always to The Bike Vault in Castlemaine for their support and friendship, always greatly appreciated here in hippie land. If you’re looking for MTB stuff give them a go!

To be continued… better clean up the kitchen

The post MRP Mini-G2 Mod appeared first on Digital Hippie.

01 01 2012. Awoke to find the earth’s crust still intact, went out for an early morning MTB ride, followed by coco pops for breakfast. Hope the year hasn’t peaked too soon!

PS. Bit of a heatwave going on atm, similar to this time last year.

01 01 2012

01 01 2012

01 01 2012

The post Coco Pops appeared first on Digital Hippie.

It’s been a while! With all the changes during 2011 looks like there’ll be no shortage of regrowth in the year ahead, for both the bush and the hippie.

Bush Regrowth

We’ve had some wild storms lately and heavy rain not long after fire usually means excessive erosion and a heap of crap washing down the water ways. I got out on Boxing Day and spent a couple of hours cleaning up the gully run, before returning in the afternoon on the Mojo HD to enjoy a couple of hours worth of clean runs. My fitness is average ATM, it hurt! Time to suck it up and get back on the horse.

Hippie Regrowth

Absolutely loving the Reverb though. A dropper post really changes the way you ride.

The post Regrowth appeared first on Digital Hippie.

One benefit of a torched landscape is that terrain usually camoflaged by bush is bare arsed for all to see — from a MTB point of view it’s a good opportunity to reassess the trail network and maybe try something new.

New section of trail should be good, just need a little rain and riders to bed it down, and with a bunch of fallen trees removed everyone should be able to fang around a few of the trails again.

Dirty bird

In other hippie news, things are going OK in neck land which is a huge relief TBH. I’ve ridden very little the last six weeks or so which (apart from driving me more nuts than usual) has no doubt helped things settle down, not to mention get maximum gains from the treatment. The plan is to progressively get back into riding, drug free — I’ve lost a bunch of fitness since the crash in June, it’s going to be progressive anyway

The post Eat Dirt appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Thanks as always to Pete, Gary and Michael at The Bike Vault in Castlemaine for helping a hippie out. A few more goodies and it’ll be my dream Mojo HD!

Shimano XTR Trail Pedals

The post XTR Trail Pedals appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Couldn’t wait to trim the line, so just installed the Rockshox Reverb Seatpost and went out for a test ride. Out of the box the post action is smooth, and immediately intuitive.  I put the button/control on the left, pretty much where the front derailluer shift lever would be if I wasn’t running 1×10, feels good there.

With the relatively small hills around here getting off and dropping your seat post manually was never worth it. Now though… WAHOO! Much more fun to not have seat up your butt for even the shortest of descents. Game changer? For me yeah I reckon so.

The Reverb comes with the bleed kit which is great to see. Hope to tidy up the line before the next ride and keep a record of how it performs over Summer.

Rockshox Reverb Seatpost

The post Rockshox Reverb Seatpost appeared first on Digital Hippie.

The bush around Castlemaine has been in fine form this Spring, pumping full of new growth, wildflowers and critters after the drought breaking rain last Summer. Ironically Spring also coincided with the posting of burning operation notices on trees here and there, to occur before the Summer fire season weather permitting. Bittersweet really. The imminent burn was one of the main motivating forces behind my little Spring Equinox movie, so at least among other things it would be a personal record/momento of what the bush was like.

So the first of the D-day’s finally came yesterday. Bummer. A hot,  reasonably calm day followed by a change. The burn was on. A thick smoke haze hung over the town all day, later in the day the wind picked up a little and looking across at the darkening smoke billowing from the bush I wondered how controlled the ‘controlled cool burn’ was, and what would be left.

After a smokey, warm and restless night I headed out this morning in the van to take a look, and then headed out this afternoon on the Mojo HD. Trees burnt out and fallen, more than I expected. Sections of bush thoroughly blackened, where the fire had also crowned the tree tops. Not much green left. Trees smouldering, some still burning. Apart from crackling, close to silent, not the usual ruckus.

Riding around Central Victoria is as much about the rugged, rocky bush as it is the trails, and while the trails won’t take much to repair, the bush will take years to regenerate. I guess as time passes I’ll enjoy observing the regrowth process first hand, but it’s not a fun thing to see another safe haven burnt, and more burns are likely before Summer…

Fuel Reduction Burn, Wattle Flat

Fuel Reduction Burn, Wattle Flat

Fuel Reduction Burn, Wattle Flat

Fuel Reduction Burn, Wattle Flat

The post Fuel Reduction Burn appeared first on Digital Hippie.

So here is the shortlist of Mojo HD upgrade goodies – not necessarily needed but wanted.  The plan is to get my health stuff sorted and have the Mojo HD ready to rock and roll over Summer at a few new riding locations.

2012 XT brakes
Have never really liked the old SLX brakes that came on the bike. The design is clunky, don’t like the feel and action of the levers, and more importantly the performance especially as they heat up just doesn’t do it for me. Ice ice baby tech to the rescue.

2012 Shimano XT Ice Tech Brakes

Rockshox Reverb
Have been hot and sweaty for a Reverb ever since they were released. The main things putting me off have been the added complexity, both mechanically and aesthetically, and to a far lesser extent the added weight. I’ve gotten over all that and now I just want one. Reckon this is one of those ‘how did I ever get by before I had one’ kinda things. Gotta be close to the top of the  upgrade list for any All Mountain bike.

Rockshox Reverb Seatpost

XTR Shadow plus Rear derailleur
Gotta wonder why it’s taken so long for Shimano or anyone else come up with this one. No doubt will trickle down to lower groupsets next year but I can’t wait that long. The appeal of only having an upper guide and a quiet chain on a 160mm bike is too much. The risk of a branch destroying the derailleur on the first ride and sobbing all the way home is worth taking. I’m going to butcher my MRG G2 to create a custom Mojo upper guide and give this one a go

2012 Shimano XTR SHADOW PLUS rear derailleur

Pedals
Not sure yet but probably either XT Trail or XTR Trail. Like the idea of the platform, and one of the pedals on the bike ATM has been banged around enough to not work that well any more.

Shimano Trail Pedals

There’s always the 2012 Kashima RP23 shock, oh and maybe the forks and… you could go on and on, but that’ll about do it I reckon!

The post Dreamin Upgrades appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Great to see local MTB’ers of all ages out at Bress Winery yesterday, supporting MASARG’s Tour de Vines fundraiser event with all money raised going towards the construction of a new respite facility.

The day was a little on the cool and windy side but everyone seemed to have a fun time. Here’s a few pics from the day, more available at The Bike Vault’s Tour de Vines album on Facebook.

2011 MASARG Tour de Vines, Bress Winery Harcourt

2011 MASARG Tour de Vines, Bress Winery Harcourt

2011 MASARG Tour de Vines, Bress Winery Harcourt

2011 MASARG Tour de Vines, Bress Winery Harcourt

2011 MASARG Tour de Vines, Bress Winery Harcourt

The post Tour de Vines Wrap appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Things have been kinda quiet in hippie land the last few weeks. I’ve been heading down to Melbourne once a week for treatment on my neck and as part of that have been doing my best to behave. On the neck movement scale of 1-4 it rated 0-1 initially, now up to 2. It still feels fairly ordinary but the feeling of pressure in my head has started to ease, which is great since it’s been that way since June! Few more weeks to go yet.

There’s been plenty of stuff going on anyway, and I’ve also gotten around to doing a few things I’d been putting off – like tidying up/shortening the two brake lines as well as the shifter cable on the Mojo HD. All looking very slick now.

The advice is that light MTB riding is an OK thing to do ATM, but any kind of crashing is not a good idea. Problem is light riding doesn’t mean much at all when you finally get back out on the trail and just want to have fun. I didn’t find the weight of the Camelbak that comfortable on the last ride, so in keeping with taking it easy I headed off without any pack and yeah that felt great, almost free, except for being thirsty

I’ve lost some fitness and feel kinda kludgey but it felt great to be out, not that comfortable but still great!

Light Ride, Mojo HD

The post Light Ride appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Got a taste of Summer today and more warm weather forecast in the week ahead. It felt GREAT to be out and about and not be wearing multiple layers, just getting cooled by the warm air as you ride around. Hot air, sweet! Not so great were the two scrawny white arms that haven’t seen the sun for quite a few months, since before Winter… sunglasses required

This would be close to the first ride this month, October 14th, that’s kinda crazy! I felt like a break after finishing the little Spring Equinox video (many thanks to everyone for the cool comments and views around the place) but mainly it’s been due to a few health hiccups in hippie land, my neck especially. Got a few treatments in the coming weeks to help sort it out fingers crossed.

I headed across to the Gully and messed around for a while. There have been a bunch of small changes to the gully run lately which helps the flow and lets you carry a heap more speed. Now that the trail has dried out there’s also a lot less grip in parts — good fun all up.

Great to be out!

Hot Air, Mountain Biking, Castlemaine

Hot Air, Mountain Biking, Castlemaine

The post Hot Air appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Arse? almost…

I’ve had a fair amount of discomfort radiating from my neck and limited movement ever since that stupid crash back in early June. The novelty has worn off gobbling codeine and anti-inflammatories, and the whole thing has been eating away at my fun ride coupons for a while now so I guess it’s probably time to have a better look at what’s going on… and there’s no funner way than x-rays, scans and the like. Always kinda weird and cool to see your insides I reckon… nom, nom!

Will find out more early next week.

Nom nom

The post Pain in the… appeared first on Digital Hippie.

October’s already here, the month of the MASARG Tour de Vines Respite Facility Fundraiser to be held at the very scenic Bress Winery at the end of the month. All the money raised goes towards a new respite facility for MASARG, so it’s a pretty cool way for anyone into cycling to give back to the community.

With all the work put into the single track for BressXpress back in May there should be a lot less trail work this time around (in theory anyway!). By the end of the month it should all be ready to roll, and depending on how things go there might even be some new sections added.

Entry is only $10. Hope to see you there! Download the Tour De Vines Entry Form

MASARG Tour de Vines Flyer

The post Tour de Vines appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Like all good adventures the making of Spring Equinox wasn’t without a drama or two. I guess it helps sort you out – do you really want this or not.

 
The idea for the video changed a few times along the way, mainly due to the combination of wanting to complete it from start to finish within September, and the weather in September (on days I could ride) having other ideas. No biggie, I was happy to be out riding around with the camera and little tripod having a fun old time.

A few people have asked about camera settings and stuff like that, so here’s the info:

Camera: Panasonic Lumix GH2
Lens: 14-140mm
Video setting: FSH 1920×1080 50i
Shooting mode: P

One wee challenge was that I hadn’t ever used the Lumix GH2 for video before, though I had bought it a while back with the intention of doing so. 3 weeks later I’d gathered 46 GB of compressed .mts video files (+200 shots) and was busy tooling away with all the puzzle pieces in Sony Vegas on my clunker PC. It all seemed to be going along OK until with only 10 seconds of Spring Equinox movie timeline left to work on Sony Vegas Pro started crashing every time I opened it and did anything in the timeline. ARGH!

Sony Vegas, Not Responding

Fortunately one thing Vegas did allowed me to do before it kept crashing was render the video in an unfinished state. I figured if it all went bad at least I’d have that. But the quality of the video was crap, the movement wasn’t smooth, lots of weird ghosting.  Tried different render settings, nothing seemed to help.  Hmmm… concerned hippie.

.mts / Vegas Rendering problems

After a Google session or two it seemed like the problems had to do with the seriously resource intensive nature of .mts files, combined with Vegas and my clunky old computer. The general consensus seemed to be to convert the .mts files into something Vegas could handle better like good old Windows .avi and start the editing all over again.

One problem was that I had very little disk space left on either drive and the 46GB of .mts files would unpack to +500GB. What I really need to do was only convert the small action sections of each .mts file. Sounded easy enough, but tracking down the right software for the job took ages.

Losslessly trimming the .mts files, Aunsoft Final Mate

To trim the .mts files I ended up settling on Aunsoft Final Mate, along with Neoscene to convert the trimmed .mts files to Cineform .avi.

Converting the trimmed .mts files to Cineform .avi using Neoscene

I made a few dummy videos to test the entire process. If the renders still sucked it was all over as it probably  meant I’d made a mistake with critical camera settings at the time of shooting. Thankfully the test renders turned out great… even though after doing more reading it seemed like there actually was a better setting I should’ve used when shooting the video originally, doh!

The big question now was if Vegas would start to crash once I started redoing the edit, as more and more files were added to the timeline. Only way to find out was to do it all over again.

Render problem solved

To make things a little harder I hadn’t renamed the original .mts files to anything descriptive as I initially sorted through them, just had numerous date folders containing 0001.mts, 0002.mts etc. Before I could start trimming .mts files I had to work out what was what.  The only way to do that was open every .mts in Aunsoft,  rename the trimmed .mts files that were used in the video and at the same time write a pen and paper storyboard kinda thing, describing each shot along with timing in the original crappy render — it turned out to be good for something after all.

Lesson: Be much more disciplined with file management from the getgo!

Trimmed .mts vs converted Cineform .avi, latter +10x larger

I worked through trimming and converting the .mts files over a few days. Aunsoft Final Mate only just handled the job crashing after every few trims, I think mainly due to my old underpowered PC. Neoscene on the other hand churned through the .mts to .avi conversion with no probs. I ended up with 163  .avi files (32GB) — just the action bits, ready to go. I also installed an additional hard drive to ease storage problems — it’s insane that 1TB is a standard kinda size now.

Spring Equinox, completed... WOOHOO!

With a detailed story board to work from and files with descriptive names it didn’t take long for the video to come together again. Vegas definitely handled the .avi’s much better all round but as more files were added every now and then a random video would black out in Vegas and not play. More Google time but in the end simply closing and re-opening Vegas would fix it… PHEW!

Much to the amusement of my daughter Holi there were a large number of  ‘final’ renders where I’d run around exclaiming it was done only then to notice another detail that needed to be changed. I could’ve kept fiddling around with it forever but with one day left of September it was time to let go.  Sitting on the desktop was little new movie icon, the 1920×1080 Spring Equinox mpg file, 426mb of compressed therapy, ready to upload…

One little icon, 426MB of compressed therapy

Was it worth it? Abso-fricking-lutely. It’s crazy fun to be able to produce video at home, and on a crappy old PC at that. Was all this the best way to go about? Absolutely no idea, I’m just stoaked it worked.

I’m looking forward to making another video already!

The post The making of a little movie appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Heya, here’s a little video I’ve made — it’s been a wee labor of love the last month or so. I guess it’s about the Spring wildflowers, magpies and mountain biking… or it could be about a mid 40′s guy having yet another immensely enjoyable mid life crisis.

Humor a hippie and watch it. If you think the video sucks, close your eyes and just enjoy the music — Old Pine by Ben Howard — it’s groovy music!

The video was shot on a Panasonic Lumix GH2. Crank up Youtube’s quality setting to 720p HD or greater and view full screen. What else is bandwidth for hey?

The post Spring Equinox – A little movie appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Fine and cool  with virtually no wind — what a cracker of a day. Had to get out to The Butts at Mt Tarrengower this afternoon to make the most of it. I really enjoy it up there, lots of fun riding, rugged bush and boulders, views, peace and quiet… and loads of white wildflowers out.

I took the video cam along — the video project has become a serious obsession, but that’s another story altogether. Here’s a couple of screengrabs:

Butting out, Ibis Mojo HD, Mt Tarrengower

Butting out, Ibis Mojo HD, Mt Tarrengower

Butting out, Ibis Mojo HD, Mt Tarrengower

Butting out, Ibis Mojo HD, Mt Tarrengower

Butting Out, Ibis Mojo HD, Mt Tarrengower

Butting out, Ibis Mojo HD, Mt Tarrengower

The post Butting Out appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Had a fun time on Ken’s Loop (or Ken’s Track) this week. It flows well and has a bit of everything — rocks, smooths, ups, downs, fasts, slows — and is in great condition ATM.

One bummer is that just like last Autumn a fuel reduction burn that takes in almost all of Ken’s is scheduled to happen some time between now and the start of November. The only thing that could foil it is the weather, like it did in Autumn, so we’ll see what happens. Either way I’ve been trying to make the most of it!

Ken's Loop, Mountain Biking, Castlemaine

Ken's Loop, Mountain Biking, Castlemaine

Ken's Loop, Mountain Biking, Castlemaine

Ken's Loop, Mountain Biking, Castlemaine

The post Ken’s Loop appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Been feeling like Johnny Cash lately, not because of the many times my dad played his records as a kid, but because the riding stuff I’ve been wearing over and over and over is black… ok not exactly, but pretty dark overall.

The shirt is getting worn now which is a bummer, I got it in 2008 as part of the Around the Bay in a Day (rode the 36″ uni which was good fun… with +16000 cyclists, NUTS!). It’s one of those comfy loose fitting, quick drying cycling kinda shirts. Tight fitting shirts aren’t my thing, nor is riding around looking like a billboard… so yeah, not a lot of choices in the kit drawer — which happens to come in handy for continuity when taking video over a bunch of days.

So with Man in Black kit on I headed out to Ken’s Track and had a bunch of fun messing around for a few hours, including coming across the sapling I clip with the handlebar more often than not, it’s just on the entry to a fast-ish turn and small enough that you’re tempted to ignore it. Just clipped it with my shoulder this time, an upgrade compared to running straight into things I guess

Some good rain forecast in the next couple of days, looking forward to it as it’s been fairly dry and dusty the last month or so. Service on the front end of the Mojo HD did the trick too – no more creaks, SWEET!

Man in Black... OK, Dark Colors

The post Man in Black appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Warm, sunny Spring morning. I was itching to get out and make the most of a couple of spare hours after work, so I headed over to Poverty Gully as I hadn’t been over that way for a while. It’s good fun with some scrabbly rock sections, lots of cruisey single track, a few short climbs, as well as being a handy way to get onto the Goldfields Track/Great Dividing Trail. Lots of wildflowers out over that way too.

The Captain Armadillo Elite is working great on the rear — it should too as it’s the same tread pattern as the Control version, just a more robust tire. A creaking noise in the front half of the bike somewhere got worse during the last half of the ride so I pulled everything from the chainring forward down tonight for a clean and lube, fingers crossed. Creaks like that drive me nuts

Scrambling up some rocks, Poverty Gully, Castlemaine Mountain Biking

Single track, Poverty Gully, Castlemaine Mountain Biking

Climbing out of Poverty Gully, Castlemaine Mountain Biking

The post Poverty Gully appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Scraping the ice off the car windscreen in the morning, scrubbing the pool clean in the afternoon – it’s gotta be Spring in Victoria!

Got out for a brief ride on the Mojo HD today, mainly a grey overcast windy day with a few spots of sunshine. Took a few more snippets of video too, here’s a few screencaps.

Four Seasons, Ibis Mojo HD, Mountain Biking Castlemaine

Four Seasons, Ibis Mojo HD, Mountain Biking Castlemaine

Four Seasons, Ibis Mojo HD, Mountain Biking Castlemaine

Four Seasons, Ibis Mojo HD, Mountain Biking Castlemaine

The post Four Seasons appeared first on Digital Hippie.

After the drought ending rain earlier in the year the woods are jam packed with an amazing display of wildflowers this Spring. On a fine Saturday afternoon bizarrely you don’t come across anyone else out on the trails. It makes for great riding in a selfish kind of way but the lack of people out there enjoying the bush verges on a wrong you want to right. With a fuel reduction burn scheduled over Summer chances are it could be many years before the woods will look like this again.

Wheeling back into home on dark I wondered if the empty trails in some way reflected dominant MTB culture which seems to be centered around racing, where riding is reduced to reasons — preparation and training, competing,  a long way removed from the heart and soul of riding — the freedom, the flow, the thrill, the adventure, the sensory overload as the mass of wildflowers blur into a sea of color… cruising the woods.

Each to their own I guess, but it’s a bummer methinks.

Cruising the Woods

Cruising the Woods

Cruising the Woods

Cruising the woods

Cruising the Woods

Cruising the Woods

The post Cruising the Woods appeared first on Digital Hippie.

So I had a pretty goofy crash the other day. It was on a section of trail I ride often which I think was part of the reason I stacked – just not paying enough attention to conditions, bike and trail.

I’d busted my rear tire the other day so had temporarily put my bald old Crossmark on the back to get by — hardly any grip at all compared to The Captain I’ve been running. Had lots of fun on the worn Crossmark sliding it around but given it was the first time down that section in a while I probably should’ve paid more attention to the lack of grip whilst scooting down. Oh well… it made for a good laugh, and I reckon I’ve had a date with that tree for some time now anyway.

Old Crossmark, not the best in terms of grip

Here’s the new Armadillo Elite version of The Captain I put on today. Same tread as the Captain Control I’d been running before busting it, just with the internal bead to bead Armadillo casing. Went out for a ride this afternoon — switching from the bald Crossmark to the new Captain the difference in the level of grip was MASSIVE. Now that’s the level of grip I’m used to – feeling like the rear tire is connected to the trail. Amazing what a difference some blocks of rubber make

The Captain 2.2 Armadillo Elite

Messing with The Captain Control and Armadillo Elite while they’re off the bike it’s dead set clear that the Armadillo Elite is a much sturdier tire. Push on the outside of the Control tire lightly with your fingers and the tread and sidewalls collapse. It’s a soft and light tire. Push the Armadillo version (a lot harder) and it resists, retaining its shape. The Armadillo feels noticeably thicker and tougher all round and you can also see the casing banding on the inside of the tire. To be fair to the Control version, given how rocky the environment around here is I should’ve just gone for the Armadillo version straight up.

Captain Control vs Captain Armadillo

The Captain Armadillo went on tubeless with no dramas at all — tire, Stans goop, inflate, ride. Thanks to the guys at The Bike Vault for helping a hippie out!

Specialized The Captain Armadillo Elite 26 x 2.2

The post Captain Armadillo Elite appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Here’s the funny thing about turns in the trail – they curve instead of going straight, go figure!

I guess when you arrive at a low grip turn carrying too much speed chances are you’ve made yourself a date with that tree sitting just on the edge of the trail a little further down.

It had already gone wrong before I entered this section… fun to watch the inevitable unfold:

Too much speed, not enough grip and a tree right on the outside of the next turn, centre top

Tree doesn't seem too concerned. This could hurt. Time to wash off speed

Letting it hang out while praying to Jeebus

Nailed the tree. That seemed to end up well then...

The post Crash Test Dummy appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Loved today’s ride. Some days things just seem to float along, you’d reckon if you looked down the tires would be magically hovering above the ground. I guess it offsets the days when you just seem to be smashing into everything.

The Mojo HD is a fun bike, loves speed, looks after you but also pushes you to try more. Took the little video camera along and got some fun footage too, here’s a few screengrabs. Hope to post a new movie sometime in the next few weeks.

General mischief, Ibis Mojo HD

General mischief, Ibis Mojo HD

General mischief, Ibis Mojo HD

General Mischief, Ibis Mojo HD

The post General Mischief appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Pre ride Cuppa Mo-joe

The post Cuppa Mojo appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Had a great day in the bush, working on a short alternative section of trail. I’d only planned to spend an hour or so out there but couldn’t resist — beautiful Spring day, bush packed with flowers, and if I could get the first pass as the section done the rain forecast in the next few days should settle it down nicely… perfect! Fast forward 5-6 hours, wiped out, job done!

The run in question is a great fun but up until now there’s been one short section part way down that sort of interrupts the flow. Not necessarily a bad thing, but the plan was to create an alternative fast flowing route for those that want to keep the hammer down and carry more speed into the bottom half of the trail.

With the OK from the local guy who originally made the trail (thanks K!), some tools and the Mojo HD nothing to do but get into it. I’d cleared the route just enough to test it out over the last while so it came down to progressively working on the trail, riding it, adjusting the line, riding it, working on it some more etc. Really good fun to see it come together. When the trail settles down and a line wears in I’ll shape it some more.

With my clumsy, heavy riding at The Butts the other day I managed to cut the sidewall of the Captain Control rear tire in a few places – all within a short distance and a few minutes. With some fiddling around the Stans goop held it together just enough to make it back to the van, but back at home the sidewall gave way when pumped up to normal riding pressure. The sharp rocky terrain around here requires robust sidewalls, I’ve enjoyed the Captain as a rear tire so have ordered a Captain Armadillo Elite – should’ve gone with the Armadillo versions from the getgo. All this means I’ve put the old bald Crossmark back on the rear until the new tire arrives, the lack of grip immediately noticeable but lots of fun on the dry trails… skidmarks!

Fresh trail. Hours to make, seconds to ride. Worth it? Hell yeah!

Wattles in flower

General mischief on the way home

Bridge Crossing

Fresh section of trail... Wahoo!

The post Wild Flow-ers appeared first on Digital Hippie.

First day of Spring, cracker of a day, feeling ok with some time to spare  so had to get out on the Mojo HD. Headed out to Mt Tarrengower to play around on the granite rocks and boulders above The Butts.  Have hardly ridden in the last three weeks so tried to take it easy, don’t want the flu to return. I didn’t ride that well, sort of heavy vs floating — the rear tire took a beating — but it was great to be out. The large boulders are fun no matter what.

Apart from a lot of sickness going around the Winter has been a mild one all up I guess, but man I am looking forward to the warmer weather, more daylight and all that jazz.

Spring Returns, Ibis Mojo HD, Mt Tarrengower

Spring Returns, Ibis Mojo HD, Mt Tarrengower

The post Spring Rates appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Ibis Ripley 29′er MTB

The Ripley 29er is an all carbon dw-link 120mm travel MTB, the key feature being the twin rotating eccentrics that replace short coupled link as used on the Mojo family of bikes. Pretty funky, sort of reminds me of the Switch tech used by Yeti but x2.

Mojo vs Ripley – Link vs Eccentrics

There’s already a lot of info on the Ripley 29 available on the Ibis site as well as community chatter in the Ibis forum on MTBR and the Ibis Facebook page.

Ibis Ripley 29er

I love my Mojo HD to bits so haven’t been hanging out like some guys for details of the Ibis 29er, but have been looking forward to checking it out as I’ve enjoyed bigger wheels on both uni’s and MTB loaners. You never know, might be in the market for a 29er dually one day! For now though look forward to videos, reviews etc of the Ibis Ripley 29er in action.

The post Ibis Ripley 29er appeared first on Digital Hippie.

The 1×10 drivetrain was definitely overdue for some love so I replaced the worn front chain ring with a new e*thirteen one. Kept to 33 tooth as that seems to work well around here for me.   Also replaced the stretched and worn Shimano chain with a KMC X Series chain. It comes with the reusable missing link which is pretty handy. The guys at The Bike Vault swapped the original missing link out for a black one so it’s quick and easy to find, good idea! I’d cracked the G2′s lower guide a while back so replaced that too.

KMC X Series Chain, Missing Link and e*thirteen Chainring

It’s all looking disturbingly clean and shiney, even the cassette (thanks Mike!)… won’t take long to fix that. Looking forward to seeing how the KMC chain performs, hopefully as hassle free as the old Shimano chain.

KMC X Series Chain & Missing Link

Heading into Spring and Summer and generally drier conditions (in theory anyway) I’m swapping back to using Squirt lube. It worked great last Summer, especially its automagic clean drivetrain capabilities.

The post KMC Chain, Missing Link & e*thirteen Chain Ring appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I got a cool gift from my fam for my birthday, a GoPro Chesty strap, but haven’t had a chance to mess around with it as I’ve been sick with the flu since and haven’t been out on the bike. Such a nice day outside today I thought screw the flu, I’m outta here.

What started out as a light cruise turned into a fun fang, just too hard to resist though I started to pay for it not long after getting home. Oh well, that’s what meds are for. Didj the dog was clearly amused by it all

Didj the dog, clearly amused by the Chesty birthday gift!

Thought I had taken into account body position when angling the camera in the mount for a looking forward view, but obviously not. Funny to get home and see all the video virtually pointing to the ground, just taking in the handlebar. Still, got some funky shots though with all the blurred ground whizzing by the video is maybe not so enjoyable to watch. Will get it sorted next time around maybe.

GoPro Chesty Mount, Mojo HD

GoPro Chesty Mount, Mojo HD

GoPro Chesty Mount, Mojo HD

The post GoPro Chesty appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I’ve got to manage my riding better as I’ve tended to ride too much (mainly to make the most of good weather), get too fatigued and then get sick… doh!

Local Weather

Sort of been productive though — fixed up the PC, tidied things up, cleaned the bike, worked on a couple of web projects.

Always on the look out for a cool weather sites and came across Wunderground.com. Apparently there’ll be 2 minutes 6 seconds more daylight today than yesterday. Not that I’m counting

The post 2m 6s longer appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Another inspiring Danny Macaskill video. This guy is as close to the trials messiah on wheels as it gets I reckon. Every move looks so fluid and natural (ignoring the gazillion hours of practice etc of course!)

Really enjoyed how Industrial Revolutions was shot too – composition, lighting, shallow depth of field, awesome industrial setting.

The post Industrial Revolutions appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I’ve been wearing a pair of Shimano M182′s off and on for a couple of months now, more like breaking them in. The carbon fibre reinforced soles of the Shimano shoes are super stiff, which is great for getting the power down. It’s taking a while though for the top of the shoe to stretch/reshape etc to my feet. I’m still fiddling with the buckle and straps to find settings that don’t cause numbness.The old Look shoes feel like worn out slippers compared to the M182′s.

Old Look vs New Shimano SPD Shoes

At first I wasn’t sure about the toe spikes on the M182′s but are into them now, very handy, nice! Also you can really feel the air flow through the breathable upper, which during Winter almost makes the shoe too cold with standard socks. The deeper, open, and softer tread works much better on the M182′s work better both on an off the bike compared to the Look’s hard plastic sole which can be lethal walking around on smooth surfaces and clog up quickly with dirt, rocks and mud. Fresh cleats certainly make a difference though — guess I should’ve replaced the cleats on the Look shoes a long time ago!

Old Look vs New Shimano SPD

Still love the old Look’s, but am slowly making friends with the new shoes…

Of course any blog post about shoes is just an excuse to post the weird but classic Shoes video, close to 44 million views, NUTS.

I’m going to backslap ya, shitbag!

The post Shoes appeared first on Digital Hippie.

44′th birthday today though so had to include a ride in the festivities! It felt great to be out on the Mojo, but kinda feel like I’m coming down with the flu that is going around…

Now… back to the serious business of cake eating

Route 44

The post B’day Bash appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I ended up doing a dozen or so runs, progressively re-aligning a couple of corners and getting to know the rest of the section. LOTS of work to be done but generally I ended up thinking this section could work ok. Will be interesting to go back in a couple of days, ride it a few more times and see if my impression changes.

I started marking out the next section until the weather crapped out. The return to cold dreary Winter weather has really gotten into my bones, so that was game over for today.

Ibis Mojo HD, Route 44

The post Baby Steps appeared first on Digital Hippie.

With that in mind there’s a section of bush I’ve spent many hours walking around and thinking about over the last few months. Finally bit the bullet today and started to mark out the first section of ‘Route 44′, based on what I thought was a (rough) plan sketched on a topo map. HA! It proved to be a tricky thing. I ended up in unexpected places and spent a lot of time back tracking to the points of interest along the way, and wandering around generally looking for good lines on a MTB… check out the GPS mess!

Route 44

It’ll be fun to see how dreadful this first attempt turns out to be when I take the Mojo out to test out the rough lines early next week. My guess is a lot of it will suck pretty badly but that’s part of the process I guess

The post Route 44 appeared first on Digital Hippie.

The guys at The Bike Vault kindly let me take their Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29er demo bike out while the Mojo HD’s rear wheel was getting rebuilt. I’ve had a couple of days on the demo Stumpy 29er before and had a bunch of fun.

The weather has been spectacular the last few days – Spring in the middle of Winter. I was fortunate to get out yesterday and have really enjoyable light XC cruise on the 29′er around the Baco and the Walmer State Forest trails, perfect kind of stuff for the fast rolling 29′er IMO.

But what about ‘harder’ stuff? I headed out to Mt Tarrengower with the Stumpy 29′er today, mainly above The Butts on the ‘Terror DH run and a few other trails up that way that I often play around on riding the Mojo HD.

The 29er Stumpy did pretty well though by design not really the weapon of choice for that type of environment, OK but not confidence inspiring like the Mojo HD.

On the way home I stopped off at the Muckleford State Forest mainly to get a handle on how the 29′er felt on those trails compared to Mojo HD. That was interesting too. Hope to post some video and stuff on that tomorrow.

29er Stumpy, The Butts, Mount Tarrengower

29er Stumpy, The Butts, Mount Tarrengower

29er Stumpy, The Butts, Mount Tarrengower

29er Stumpy, The Butts, Mount Tarrengower

29er Stumpy, The Butts, Mount Tarrengower

29er Stumpy, The Butts, Mount Tarrengower

29er Stumpy, The Butts, Mount Tarrengower

The post Rock and a Hard Place appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Thanks to The Bike Vault I got to sit in the workshop with Michael, one of the store’s qualified mechanics, and see the wheel come together. Thanks Mike!

Removing the old spokes, Hippie's Wheel Rebuild

Lacing the spokes

Lacing done, nipples next

Checking the dish

Truing the wheel

All done, good to go. Thanks Mike!

The post Wheel Rebuild appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Have spent some quality time with the rake and shovel lately, unearthing old forgotten trails along with helping maintain trails that see a fair amount of regular use. It felt great to get out on the Mojo HD today and test some of it out. There’s one turn in particular I’m really happy with so far – it’s gone from being a boat anchor to a slingshot. Here’s a fun way to pack down a turn…

Ibis Mojo HD, Between a rock and a hard place

I’ve also spent a lot of time lately walking the hills and gullies, to get a better idea of how everything fits together along with scoping out locations. Lots of rocks out there that’s for sure, some great spots for riding too.

Ibis Mojo HD, Between a rock and a hard place

The post Rake Recon appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Beautiful Spring afternoon in the middle of Winter… awesome! Headed up to Bendigo to see if the rumors of a 29″ single speed Karate Monkey riding Mad Hatter were true, along with his secret single track.

Kingsley has a serious knack for creating fast and flowing single track that is a bunch of fun to ride. We fanged around late in the afternoon and took some footage with the GoPro of a couple of sections, getting back just on sunset. Thanks mate, good one!

Perfect timing, end of ride

The post Mad Hatter’s Secret Single Track appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Gravity is awesome, Suspension is fun, You value what you earn, We are small…

Saw this video posted on the Ibis forums on MTBR. Great view of MTB, spec’y scenery too. Wonder what my ten things would be…. hmm, dunno but I gotta get out for a ride today

The post 10 Things I have learned about Mountain Biking appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Headed out to Muckleford State Forest this arvo to learn my way around the trails. I’d been out there last weekend with the Wombat MTB crew who were checking things out for the upcoming Mountain Challenge Enduro race.

Just as I left home the rain clouds that had been hanging around all day finally opened up. Half thought of turning back but glad I didn’t. There was hardly a puddle on the single track, though the wet leaves, mossy rocks, sticks and hardpack were definitely on the slick side — will be less so after a few more wheels have ridden over the trails.

The single track stretches for quite a few kilometres, including some sweet sections of fast, flowing but tight trail through which you can carry a surprising amount of momentum. The Muckleford State Forest is typical Goldfields bush – lots of mines, quartz, loose rocks over hard pack, harsh and dry, not much soil to make mud… lots of potential for MTB!

MTB Single track, Muckleford State Forest

Mountain Biking, Muckleford State Forest

The post Muckleford State Forest appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Finally got down to the Chiro (AKA Goldfinger) in Melbourne yesterday. 4 ribs whacked on the left side, pelvis twisted along with the C2 gizmo in my neck. Not too surprising I haven’t felt like riding as much or as vigorously lately, self preservation at work I guess.

Might take a while for things to settle down but had to get out today, get some sun and blow a few cobwebs out. Felt great!

Took a couple of video snippets too, here’s a screencap from one of them.

Patience and Glue, Mountain Biking Castlemaine

The post Patience and Glue appeared first on Digital Hippie.

A couple of smokin Mojo HD’s – Brian Lopes and Anne-Caroline Chausson at the Canadian Open Enduro at Crankworx.

The post Smokin Mojo appeared first on Digital Hippie.

MTB 1970′s style. Dirty, stinking hippies… love it!

Klunking is best away from the cops, the cars and the concrete.

Yeah I’d rather be klunking too!

The post I’d rather be Klunking appeared first on Digital Hippie.

The Enduro event the Wombat guys are running out that way on Aug 21 should be sweet. Reckon I’ll be heading back out there myself again real soon

Red, White and Blue Mine

The post Red, White and Blue appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I’ve been trying to track down one such random sound on the Mojo HD for a while now. It’s a new creaking sound that only happens every now and then, coming from somewhere at the front of the bike, usually when climbing. Headset, stem and bars headed straight to the top of the list of things to check, but in the end the culprit turned out to be where two lines – the rear brake line and rear derailleur cable – are clamped at the top the down tube.

Remove the clip, clean everything, lightly grease, re-assemble. Tadaa. Noise gone

Tadaa! Found ya!

The post Noise Works appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I’ve definitely become an Atherton Project junkie, some classic episodes this year too. Following the Gee, Rachel and Dan’s progress from race to race makes for good viewing, but it’s their off track antics that set it off imo.

Episode 4: Rides in Redbull acrobatic plane

Episode 3: A visit from Danny Macskill

Episode 1: Racing hire scooters

The post Atherton Project 2011 appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Yes… another pic of the Mojo HD and the steam train

Ibis Mojo HD and the 541

The post VGR 541 appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Frost then sunny, my favorite winter’s day forecast and there’s a few of them this week, sweet! I headed out for a midweek Mojo fix and it was also the first longer ride using new Shimano shoes, more about the shoes another time.

My neck and head haven’t been their usually happy selves since a crash in early June so that’s been limiting the availability of hippie fun coupons lately — probably something I should get checked out in the next week or two.

Still had an enjoyable ride though not 100% plugged in. I took the camera along and shot some video, to test out different settings – screencaps below.

Midweek Mojo, Mountain Biking, Castlemaine

Midweek Mojo, Castlemaine MTB

Midweek Mojo, Castlemaine MTB

The post Frost then sunny appeared first on Digital Hippie.

For some reason hating on Kona seems to be a popular pastime in online MTB forums. Regardless, when looking around for a new bike prior to the Mojo HD,  Kona’s Abra Cadabra with its Magic Link kept popping up on the short list. I liked the idea of it and it was a little off beat too. There were glitches in the Kona Matrix though – there weren’t any Kona stores that stocked the bike, nor recommended buying it!

The other day on Pinkbike a story on Enduro racing caught my attention. Enduro sounds like an event format custom made for All Mountain machines, cool:

Often described as one of the purest forms of modern racing, the discipline combines all the elements of contemporary mountain biking: wicked fly bike that can climb and descend really fast, powerful lungs and legs for sprint climbing and rolling descents, and mad bike skills under anaerobic duress.

What I didn’t notice straight away is that the video featured the Abra Cadabra. I guess the title of the video was too subtle for me… DOH!

So anyway, cool event format, cool video.

Magic Link Enduro Sessions story on Pinkbike

The post Magic Link Enduro Sessions appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Being an MTBO noob one thing that made it a lot easier for me was being familiar with the section of bush today’s event was held in. It meant I could look at the map and pretty much visualize where most control points were located, but it also meant I tended to take routes between control points that were the most fun and familiar vs being the fastest. Including poor navigation choices I guess it added around 30 mins to my overall time.

Here’s a snippet of the map – MTBO is a fun puzzle, you’ve definitely got to be switched on, not just grunting away pedaling.

Map snippet, Vic MTBO Series, Castlemaine Round

Unlike XC style racing where typically a bunch of guys huff and puff round and round in circles, in MTBO riders are scattered all over the bush, everyone on their own adventure and strategy. Funny to cross paths with other riders, sometimes 3 or 4 at an intersection for example with everyone heading off in their own direction.

There were 16 control points all up, with each rider having a little SI gadget so each time you arrived at a control point the SI gadget was placed into a dock. When you finish the ride your overall time, intervals etc are  immediately available. By the time I reached #14 I could smell the sweet coffee reward waiting at the finish line. I had planned to stop and take photos along the way but that didn’t end up happening.

Many thanks to the Hill family and the MTBO community for putting on a great event, and lending me a map board gadget!

The post Vic MTBO Series Castlemaine appeared first on Digital Hippie.

After a run of wet and cold weather it  felt great to get out on the Mojo HD again, with refreshed legs too. Apart from fallen branches and debri the trails were in prime condition – damp but grippy.

During the break it turned out that the Mojo HD needed some love. The White Lightning Wet Lube I’ve been using is like a gunge magnet, heaps of crap had built up on the drivetrain in only a short time. I had just started cleaning it down and noticed a spoke had failed in the rear wheel, in addition to one I’d kinked a while back. A quick trip to The Bike Vault got it sorted, thanks Pete and Mike! After a summer of riding the chain and chain ring are looking fairly ordinary too, so some goodies are on the way to get that sorted.

Back out on the Mojo HD

It was a cold and overcast Winter’s day but once warmed up it felt great to be out. It seems like we’ve had no shortage of drama lately, a fang around the bush is just what doctor mojo ordered.

Clearing Mojo

If the weather hangs in there I’m hoping to participate in a Mountain Bike Orienteering event over the weekend, should be good fun, so I didn’t go too crazy today – gotta leave some fuel in the tank!

The post Doctor Mojo appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I guess because I loved the High Roller/Crossmark comb so much I expected to be let down in some way by any new combo of tires. That hasn’t been the case with the Spesh duo.

The Purgatory 2.4 has been great on front, every bit as capable as the High Roller but lighter and I’d also say it rolls better while not giving anything away in terms of size and volume. Similarly The Captain 2.2 on the rear represents a significant weight saving, and while it has a more aggressive tread all round compared to the Crossmark (and subsquent improvement in traction) it still rolls very well thanks to the tightly spaced center knobs.

The plentiful sharp rocks around Central Victoria can be brutal on tires, especially sidewalls. Early days but the Spesh 2Bliss Control level tires have withstood mashing rocks in much the same way as the High Roller/Crossmark combo.

Negatives of the Spesh combo? As of yet, haven’t come across any.

Tubeless wise, no problems and not too many surprises. Just like when I changed my uni’s over to tubeless a couple of years ago you immediately notice the reduction of rotating mass and related energy benefits, plus the supple ride and the different noises the wheels make – the hollow rolling hum, the different ping as the tire hits things. Funny. Tubeless is great when it works with no problems, it’s not life and death though – riding is fun with or without tubes. I’m still running around 25psi though have bought a pressure gauge to better keep track of pressure/performance combo’s in the future.

Spesh +100km Review

The post Spesh +100km Tire Review appeared first on Digital Hippie.

The baggy Mont shorts have been great overall but they aren’t cut for cycling so sometimes snag on the seat, leaving you stranded. Not fun. Enter the Alpinestars Hyperlight Shorts:

The Alpinestars Hyperlight is a lightweight, premium short designed for maximized performance and comfort. A tailored fit is ensured by an elasticized waist adjustment supplemented with Velcro tabs for extra security.

Wearing shorts cut for cycling like the  Hyperlights is a treat. For starters you don’t drop off the back of the seat wondering if you’re going to get snagged. They don’t get in the way. The pockets have zips – handy! Overall the shorts work well on the bike and you can still walk down the street in them without screaming look at me.

The fabric is heavier than the lightweight Mont hiking shorts, and a little noisier too but more durable. The Hyperlight shorts are vented but overall I’d say they are a little warmer to wear compared to the Mont’s. I was surprised to see a drawstring used around the waist but the additional elastic velcro tabs and elasticized rear panel make for a comfortable, flexible but secure fit.

Alpinestars Hyperlight MTB Shorts

If you’re in the market for a pair of cycling shorts (that don’t come with knicks AKA nappies built in) I’d recommend checking out the Hyperlights. Wish I’d got a hold of cycling specific shorts ages ago. Thanks to The Bike Vault in Castlemaine for helping the hippie out.

The post Alpinestars Hyperlight Shorts appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Days like today remind you of just how much room there is in your arse for your own head!

I remember being not overly impressed with Mt Tarrengower the first time I saw it and rode down it, some time around the Summer of 1994, and that perception pretty much stayed with me until fairly recently. Nowadays the more I ride Tarrengower the more I realize it’s a MTB gold mine, with a huge variety of terrain.

Today Michael and I rode up the Lawrence St DH track to the summit, much harder than riding up the road that’s for sure, then explored a classic old trail back down and around the mount. After that I headed back to the Butts. You can easily spend hours in there exploring the boulder laden trails, and there’s also no shortage of spots were the bush gives way to impressive vistas of Central Victoria. It was at one such spot I sat and watched a pair of eagles soaring on the wind as it howled up the northern slopes.

My legs started off feeling weak and empty but picked up later on in the ride. I’ve probably ridden too much in the last week, but the combination of great weather and new tires has been too much to resist, plus the weather is forecast to crap out again in the next day or so for a while. Got a few Winter maintenance things on the Mojo HD that need doing, so good timing all round.

Ibis Mojo HD, Eagle Rocks

Ibis Mojo HD, Eagle Rocks

If you’ve got this far down the page, you must have time to burn and are ready to do the Eagle Rock. Daddy Cool, 1971… classic!

The post Eagle Rocks appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Headed out to Elphinstone this morning with Michael for a quick blat down to Chewton and back. It’s a fun rollercoaster of a ride — you’re either gunning downhill at up to 55km/h or grinding up the other side being mindful of not puking your breakfast, and not much else in between. Add in a bunch of rocks and a clean line here and there thanks to the moto’s, it’s a hoot.

I reckon short sharp cycles of thrill and pain like that makes for classic MTB terrain, and it’s the kind of stuff the Mojo HD comes to life in. Its stability and ride at speed really encourages you to relax and get stuck into the descents and come each climb out the other side it somehow transforms into a mountain goat.

Have ridden over 100km now on the new Spesh Purgatory/Captain tire combo, gotta say I’m loving em! Will post a full 100km write up sometime in the next few days hopefully.

Ibis Mojo HD, Elphinstone Rollercoaster

Elphinstone Rollercoaster Profile

Rusted old cool car, Elphinstone Rollercoaster

The post Elphinstone Rollercoaster appeared first on Digital Hippie.

The upcoming Castlemaine round of the Interwinter XC series is being held in the Walmer State Forest in a section of bush otherwise known as Baco, as it backs onto the Bacon Factory. Being only a couple of minutes from home I ride through Baco often on the way to the network of trails that run from Castlemaine out to Barkers Creek and back. It’s a handy and fun way to warm up for the ride ahead or cool down on the way home. The Baco terrain is all fairly gentle and outside of an event not really the type of terrain that n MTB enthusiast would travel from afar to ride, but it should make for a fast, fun XC race especially as the trails are almost completely mud free even during Winter.

Interwinter XC Series, Baco Trails, Walmer State Forest, Castlemaine

I haven’t decided whether or not I’ll participate in the Castlemaine round. I’m not especially into the MTB race scene, never have been, and the intra and inter club politics aren’t particularly inspiring nor my idea of what riding is about. We’ll see — at least it wouldn’t be far to travel I guess!

Anyways, the cool thing was that today was a perfect blue sky Winter’s day and there was time for a ride. I was heading through Baco out towards Barkers Creek so took the GPS along as a couple of guys have asked about elevation changes. There are a bunch of trails in various conditions, but practically there are two ribbons of single track that see the most use and which I imagine will be used in the event, especially given the short connecting section of trail that has recently appeared.

Baco single track profile, Walmer State Forest, Castlemaine MTB

The longer single track that crosses Baco is made up of one gentle and gradual fast-ish climb mainly on hard packed clay (I guess), followed by a fun length descent over varying surfaces (loose stones, sand, rocks, clay – pay attention) where you can pick up a fair chunk of speed. It flows pretty well and is good for a hoot, especially as the trail is quite narrow, passing between trees and tall undergrowth exaggerating the feeling of speed. The shorter single track has less change in elevation and is undulating in nature, but with the addition of the new little bit of connecting track manages to fit in a short descent towards the end. Both are enjoyable sections of trail, either in cruise or hammer mode, and connect the dots using other  trails and you have yourself a fun loop. There are a smattering of rocks, not as intense as other areas around Castlemaine but enough to keep you paying attention.

One of my favorite things about Baco though is the bright green moss that grows here and there, especially along the edge of the shorter single track — it just looks so out of place in the dry bush.

New bridging trail, Baco, Walmer State Forest, Castlemaine Mountain Biking

Note: HUGE numbers of spiders LOVE the Baco trails in Summer

The post Walmer State Forest appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Felt like a bit of an XC cruise today so after a quick spin around some of the Baco single track I headed out towards Maldon. Sunday also happens to be one of the days the Victorian Goldfields Railway runs between Castlemaine and Maldon. Hearing the steam train chuff along and whistle in the distance sounds great when you’re out on a ride — yeah I am a sucker for steam trains!

I ended up tooling around, spending a lot of time near Muckleford watching storm clouds build up and pass over. I met up with the steam train twice, at the old Muckleford trestle bridge on its way to Castlemaine and then at Muckleford Station on the way back to Maldon.

Hissing steam and thumping steel – such great machines, and what a contrast to the carbon fibre of the Mojo HD.

Muckleford bridge, Victorian Goldfields Railway

Muckleford Station, Victorian Goldfields Railway

All aboard at Muckleford, Victorian Goldfields Railway

The post Steamin appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Almost went over the edge and into the water

Not a good line

The post Water fall appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I reckon there’s an invisible line you cross during every ride, where the toil and trouble of the day ceases to exist and the adventure begins. For me that line is often located somewhere around the Edge of the Burbs which fortunately is only a minute or two’s ride from where we live. From that point on it’s all bush and trails.

Ibis Mojo HD @ the edge of the burbs

After a foggy and drizzly early morning the day turned out ok. I was pumped more than usual to be at the edge of the burbs as it was the first opportunity to take the new tires on the Mojo HD for a spin and probably the best opportunity to notice differences between the new and old tire sets, before the new set becomes too familiar.

The tubeless tires held pressure overnight so I dropped them down to around 28psi, scientifically measured by the squeeze test as per usual.  A little firmer than I usually run but an OK starting point. I headed off into the Baco network of trails and rode 20km or so of single track, damp but not as slippery as the other day, and not muddy either.

Ibis Mojo HD, Pines, Baco Trails Castlemaine

Some first impressions:

Purgatory Control 2Bliss 2.4
The front end definitely feels lighter, a lot lighter— it should I guess as it’s 400 grams lighter! — and I reckon it’s a little higher compared to running the High Roller 2.5, due to the Purgatory 2.4 being one tall tire. Combined I think it gives the Purgatory much more of a ‘huge volume’ feel compared to the High Roller. The front end also feels like it rolls much better which makes sense as while the Purgatory’s tread pattern is still quite open it’s much tighter than the High Roller’s. Front end grip felt great especially later in the ride as the confidence levels came up. Granted the trails were tacky today but the Purgatory railed turns nicely.

The Captain 2Bliss 2.2
The 300 gram weight saving on the rear wasn’t as noticeable when cruising along seated, but out of the saddle and on the gas the bike was definitely more responsive. It was great to have gobs of grip on the rear while still having a tire that rolls well.

Ibis Mojo HD, Gully entry, Baco Trails Castlemaine

It’s early days but the Purgatory 2.4 on the front and The Captain 2.2 on the rear seem to play very well together. The tires basically felt fantastic, especially later in the ride once I stopped pussy footing around and had a good crack at it. Weight, grip, ride, rolling and volume are all looking great – at least as good as the High Roller 2.5/Crossmark 2.25 combo and in some cases such as weight a major improvement. I guess the rocky Central Victorian trails will sort out durability and wear as the rides roll by.

After the ride I realized it had been 20 years since I last ran Specialized tires on a MTB, last time was on my Stumpjumper. It’s been too long Mr Overend, funny how the wheel turns

Many thanks to Pete and Gary at The Bike Vault

The post Edge of the Burbs appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Two BIG fresh black donuts last seen at The Bike Vault, namely a Specialized Purgatory Control 2Bliss 2.4 and Specialized The Captain Control 2Bliss 2.2. Finally time to get fresh grip on the Mojo HD. Thanks Pete and Gary, Woohoo!

I’ve really enjoyed the combination of the High Roller 2.5 on the front and the Crossmark 2.25 on the rear. The High Roller 2.5 ploughs along perfectly as a front tire, and the Crossmark 2.25 rolls well on the rear while still providing a good level of grip. They work great together and are a great match for the rocky Central Victorian terrain. Both are big tires so there’s no shortage of air cushion, and I’ve run both in the 20-30psi range with no problems at all. For a relatively heavy tire combination they’ve never felt heavy during a ride just bombproof, rock eating, fun loving donuts.

Specialized Control Tires

After a Summer of riding the Crossmark had worn to be renamed Skidmark – it definitely needed replacing. The High Roller had some life left in it but I thought might as well try a new combo of tires with the aim being to drop some weight and increase rear traction, without sacrificing rolling, volume and hopefully durability. Plus being the lazy SOB even though my uni’s have been tubeless for a couple of years I’d been waiting on replacing the tires to go tubeless on the Mojo HD.

The old Crossmark AKA Skidmark

I didn’t see any point going over the top on a weight saving mission that sacrificed Mojo HD style fun on the trail. Who wants to be under-tired,  ricocheting down a trail with tires too narrow, pumped up too hard, just hanging on? So that was the criteria for selecting the Specialized Purgatory Control 2Bliss 2.4 and Specialized The Captain Control 2Bliss 2.2. At the very least they’ll give me a reference point for the High Roller/Crossmark combo but TBH I’m expecting a lot more than that from them.

Being semi anal I thought it would be a good chance to document some weights:

New Crossmark 2.25: 840 grams

Worn Crossmark 2.25:  745 grams

New High Roller 2.5: 1180 grams

Worn High Roller 2.5: 857 grams

New Captain 2.2: 660 grams

New Purgatory 2.4: 704 grams

Tubes for the Crossmark/High Roller Combo: 2 x 220 grams

New Crossmark 2.25/High Roller 2.5 Combo: 2020 grams (plus 440 grams for tubes)

Worn Crossmark 2.25/High Roller 2.5 Combo: 1602 grams (plus 440 grams for tubes)

New Captain 2.2/Purgatory 2.4 Combo:  1364 grams (without sealant and rim strip)

Anal and obvious weight conclusion: The new Spesh 2Bliss combo saves a fair old chunk of rotating weight, ~500 grams less than the worn previous tires, ~1000 grams less than new previous combo. Also I was surprised how much weight was lost due to wear.

Purgatory 2.4 Control 2Bliss front, The Captain 2.2 Control 2Bliss rear

For the tubeless conversion I used a Stans NoTubes Standard Kit. There’s no point recounting the steps as I did exactly as shown in the excellent Tubeless Kit Installation video on notubes.com and it all went smoothly. (Later on in the day I realized installation instructions were also printed on the inside of the back card in the kit, but only visible when folded out, doh!)

Both tires inflated dry using only a floor pump with no problems. According to Stan that’s a good sign. After adding the sealant and doing the shake, rattle and roll there were no leaks bubbling through the detergent either. Cool.

Specialized The Captain 2.2 Control 2Bliss

By the time it was all said and done the weather had crapped out and it was late in the day. Even thought I was hanging out to see how the new donuts tasted I thought it would be a good move to let them sit overnight, see if they’re still inflated in the morning and go from there.

Mojo HD with fresh donuts on board

Both are big, tall tires. At a guess I’d say they’re taller than the previous tires, especially the Purgatory 2.4. Both tires are dual compound. Neither are overly soft though it’s easy to feel the difference in compounds tweaking the tread with your hands.

I’m really looking forward to getting out on the trails and seeing what they feel like. Will be fun to get to know a new set of donuts!

The post New Tires, No Tubes appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Pulling back the curtains after a night of wild weather the sky was… blue. Cold and windy, but blue. Awesome. Four shots of coffee and poached egg in the tank, I hooked up with MadHatter from Bendigo and we headed out to the Edge of the Burbs to get the ride underway.

MadHatter, pumped and ready to go, Edge of the burbs

One of the best things about the Baco trails is that they hardly ever get what you’d consider genuinely muddy – the terrain is just so rocky with minimal topsoil that water drains away rapidly. The trails might not have been muddy but after the overnight rain they were super slick and slippery. Combined with a balding Crossmark rear tire it meant that skid marks were the order of the day (I’m looking forward to putting some new rubber on and having some traction to mess around with). The varying level of grip really kept us on our toes, and also lead to quality time off the edge of the trail and in amongst the trees. I love it when trails are super tacky with endless grip but I think low grip conditions improves your riding much more – forcing you to continually adjust your pedal stroke and body position to maximize grip.

Amazingly the weather didn’t crap out for the entire time making for enjoyable riding conditions. I was surprised to read news of wild weather and related warnings for other parts of the state when I got back home. As Jim Carey said in The Grinch the sun was shinin’, and the powder was bitchin’. Ok well maybe the sun wasn’t shining any more but it wasn’t dumping rain and that’s bitchin’ good enough.

MadHatter at Baco

Mojo-wise, Squirt has been an awesome summer lube but I wasn’t impressed with how it performed in the rain the other day. Within a couple of hours the chain was seizing up with grit, making the bike only just able to be ridden home. Digging around in the shed I found an old bottle of Syncros System 3 Power Train Lube I’d had stashed in a toolbox since the mid 1990′s. It’s specifically for extreme wet and muddy conditions — a thick, sticky blood red goo — maybe overkill for local conditions, maybe good for lubing the chainsaw. The Bike Vault hooked me up with some White Lightning Wet Ride (cute name hey, Wet Ride) to try out. Thanks guys!

Syncros System 3 Power Train Lube & White Lightning Wet Ride

I guess today wasn’t a real test of how well the White Lightning heavy lube works as while conditions were slippery it wasn’t what you’d call a wet or muddy ride. It worked well enough though and I’ll probably end up using a more robust lube over the winter months. To be continued…

Not too muddy hey, drivetrain lube worked ok too

It’s bucketing rain ATM. You gotta get lucky every now and then

The post Skid Marks appeared first on Digital Hippie.

My old POS Bell helmet has done a good job of protecting my head during a lot of crashes over a lot of years — especially on the Mountain Uni. I probably should’ve replaced it a long time ago, but it seems I have a weird shaped head and finding a helmet that is a snug fit isn’t an easy task. Thanks to The Bike Vault in Castlemaine and a change of Australian safety standards my head is now sporting a cool fresh lid — a Fox Flux complete with a graffiti ‘Punk Black’ style paint job and a rear spoiler, to assist flight control I guess

Rear spolier, Fox Flux

The first job to do was ‘fix’ the helmet straps which for some unknown reason aren’t threaded through the slots in rear adjustment mechanism. There’s a handy thread on Rotorburn regarding altering the Flux helmet strapping. Rather than damage the adjustment mechanism I opted to unpick the stitching on the strapping and re-thread it. The process didn’t take long and provided the perfect opportunity to get the helmet straps just right. I also trimmed off the excess strapping and seared the ends of the strapping on the fireplace. Will restitch them together when I get a chance.

Fox Flux Helmet Strapping after re-strapping

First ride with the Flux today and I’m very pleased with it. It’s very comfortable, I’d say the fit is even more snug than the old Bell, and the extra protection around the back of your head could come in pretty handy. It was only about 10 degrees and drizzling rain so can’t really comment on overall ventilation, though I’d guess it’s going to be comparable to my old helmet at least based on the generous serving of large vents.

Dare you to say it quickly 10 times... Fox Flux

The other thing of note on today’s ride was chain suck. After a couple of hours of riding trails in the drizzling rain the drive train was coated in grit, becoming increasingly noisy, like each pedal stroke was causing it pain, leading to chain suck — the first time I’d come across it on the Mojo HD. I ended up having to take it very easy and crawl back home. I probably should’ve lubed the chain before heading out as it was just about ready for another lube, it could’ve been as simple as that though based on today I wonder if Squirt is the ideal lube for wet, gritty conditions.

I’ve had a week or so of not riding much, letting things settle down after the recent crash. It’s great to be out on the Mojo HD again, even if it was in the cold and rain.

The post Fox Flux appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Leaving the letter boxes beside the Midland Highway the trail starts off with a fast open roll down the red clay of Saw Pit Gully Road, passing through bush and farmland on the eastern side of Mt Franklin. Gradually the road narrows to a track, then the trail turns off into single track. There’s a climb or two before descending down to the intersection of the GDT and Porcupine Ridge Road. From Porcupine Ridge Road to Vaughan Springs it’s grippy, flowy single track broken up by several climbs. Generally any time the trail leaves the gully and climbs it becomes increasingly rocky, so that’s something to look out for — there’s no escaping rocks in Central Victoria! A couple of gully crossings have steep drop in’s (you can opt to use the stairs) but all up the trail is 95-100% able to be ridden.

There are a few descents along the way that can be ridden at warp speed, and some loose marble sections are probably easier ridden that way. I guess the thing to remember especially when riding alone is that not many people use the trail i.e. it could take a long while for before help of any sort arrives if you have an off.

One recent change with the revamp of the Great Dividing Trail are revised sections where cyclists and walkers are separated. Generally walkers stay on the original trail and cyclists are routed away elsewhere. On the Mt Franklin to Vaughan Springs section this happens only once, just as you begin the descent into Vaughan.

The Mojo HD is running along smoothly. I finally got around to adding a little air to the rear shock to take into account the extra weight I’m carrying in the backpack these days. Good move! Still enjoying the 1×10 drivetrain too. You definitely motor up the short climbs along the GDT — no granny gear, no option to crawl up. The Crossmark 2.25 on the rear is pretty well worn these days, not much grip left though I guess the smooth center ridge makes it roll even better! Got some new tires on order, to be revealed

Great Dividing Trail, Take 2

The post Goldfields Track Victoria appeared first on Digital Hippie.

To get to the small square section of roof where the flagpole stands I had to pass through the vacant fifth floor which had an eerie vibe. Heading back down after sunrise I noticed a series of doorways, the dark and the light, the cracked and peeling grubby walls, the colors, and the word ESCAPE with an arrow pointing down.

Apart from being a fun visual puzzle to enjoy, the scene reminded me of my own life and life generally. It’s not the type of image I’d usually take but one I still enjoy looking at.

Escape, 2005

The post Escape appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Full fingered gloves are the norm when mountain unicycling (MUni) , not because of wind chill due to the blazing speeds achieved on one wheel but because you crash a LOT and your hands and wrists take a beating. It’s not surprising that MUni gloves come with strapping and a flexible splints.

On a mountain bike though I’ve gotten by with wearing fingerless gloves forever but since moving to Central Victoria (and getting older I guess!) those early morning 0-15 degree rides have started to feel even colder. Thanks to Peter and Gary at The Bike Vault in Castlemaine my hands are now kept warm in a pair of Specialized BG Deflect Gloves. They’re wind proof and water resistant, lightweight and comfortable, plus they look pretty funky too all without your hands over cooking.

My shifter thumb is especially happy about the upgrade!

Specialized BG Deflect Gloves

Deflect NOT Defect, you loser!

Deflect NOT Defect, you loser!

The post BG Deflect Gloves appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Michael from The Bike Vault lives out that way and just got a new Commencal Supreme DH V2 so being out there with an empty van and no bike myself, nothing else to do but run a shuttle.

The Supreme looks to be an awesome machine, and even after a year off a DH bike Michael wasted no time lighting it up. Cool.

Michael at Mt Tarrengower, Commencal Supreme DH

The post Supreme Shuttle appeared first on Digital Hippie.

First I took a berm way too fast, even more so considering it was still fairly fresh and soft. It all got ugly, exited the turn way too high and just missed wiping out into a tree.

Second I took a drop way too fast without paying any attention to the line I’d taken either. Bounced down, ended up in the rocks off to the side.

Third time lucky.

There’s a steep 1.5-2.m pinch not far off vertical that doubles as a jump. With just enough speed you get a little air before dropping down to the other side. I go over it often, it’s good fun. Riding up to it today I decide to step on the gas hard, real hard, no reason, no brain present, no thought of what was meant to happen, just a space man in hyperdrive. Next thing is the familiar dull thwacking sound as your body hits the ground hard,  an unhappy groan followed by gasps for air. My lower right leg looked kinda funky and felt like it was having a major spasm or something. Phew, not broken. Lucky! I guess it got whacked hard by something on the bike or on the ground. By the end of the ride I felt like a second hand punching bag at the rubbish tip — older bodies aren’t as rubbery that’s for sure.

With its handling and geometry the Mojo HD really encourages you to have a red hot go, and provided you ride within your own limits and ride in the moment, thanks largely to the bike there’s usually a fairly large margin for error.

But ride stupid, not in the moment, not plugged into the bike and the terrain, and nothing is going to save your butt. You get what you get — a lesson in thwacking

Berm baby berm, Ibis Mojo HD

The post Third Time Lucky appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I lost count a long time ago of how many rear derailleurs have met their end while out riding — ripped off, busted apart, you name it — no biggie as the life of a rear derailleur on a MTB is often a short and sweet thing. But looking through old slides the other day I came across one of the funniest MTB mechanicals I’ve had over the years which involved a substantial branch and the rear wheel. Somehow the derailleur survived, unlike most of the spokes.

I lived in the Victorian Alpine country for six or so years in the early 1990′s and spent every Summer on the MTB roaming the high country, mainly aboard my  ’91 Stumpjumper. The overgrown fire trail that descends the ridge between Howmans Gap and Bogong Village was always good for a huge grin inducing, high speed fang – fast and flowing through thick forest, losing ~500 metres of elevation in 6km or so of riding. Loved it and it connected into other trails, so often worked it into the route for all day epic rides.

While hauling along the trail one day a good size branch flicked up, went through the back wheel and became lodged across the rear stays, pinned in place by the rear brakes, instantly shredding most of the spokes before the wheel came to a stop. I thought it was pretty funny at the time, apart from having to walk the remaining distance to Bogong Village and hope to catch a lift back up to Falls Creek. Had it been the front wheel, well I guess the story would’ve been a LOT different!

One cool thing about the un-spoken incident is that it lead to getting a sweet new set of hand built wheels with sexy Ringle hubs, Mavic rims and DT double butted spokes. In a vain attempt to preserve the schmancy new wheels I spent many hours after that with a shovel and rake, clearing a single track width line all the way from Howmans Gap to Bogong Village… which made for an even more fantastic hoot on the Stumpy.

Un-Spoken, 1991 Stumpjumper

A bunch of years has passed since then. A huge bushfire burnt through the High Country several years ago and MTB is a lot more popular, so I’d reckon the fire trail has seen a lot of use and isn’t the secluded treat it once was. But if you’re heading down this route just keep a look out for those branches, they like to eat wheels

Un-spoken Route

The post Un-Spoken Incident appeared first on Digital Hippie.

After a chance meeting at The Bike Vault on Saturday Chris and I headed over to the Central Highlands to ride the Mt Franklin to Vaughan Springs section of the Great Dividing Trail.

With its combination of flowing bush single track and loss of elevation it’s the most popular and maybe the most fun section of the entire GDT. I’ve ridden it on both mountain unicycles and mountain bikes but it’d been a while since I entered the trail from Sawpit Gully Road so was looking forward to refreshing the memory.

After the wet and muddy conditions at the Wombat Track at Woodend I was expecting the GDT to at least be a little damp, but the track was in prime condition — not a puddle to be seen, fast with a good amount of grip. There’s even a new wooden bridge over one of the gullies – massively overbuilt so hopefully it won’t get washed away in future floods.

The theory is it’s all downhill as you drop off the Central Highlands from Mt Franklin to Vaughan Springs but there are several short climbs along the way that leave you feeling like you earned the flowing single track descents. We cruised along most of the way, getting on the gas now and then to make the most of the single track. Good fun.

Mt Franklin to Vaughan Springs, Great Dividing Trail

Heading home in the van later in the afternoon there were four black cows walking across the lower flanks of Mt Franklin and I thought yeah, I would rate the ride four cows

Ride Rating: Four Cows

The post Four Cow Ride appeared first on Digital Hippie.

After living and studying in South East Queensland for a few years it was time to leave behind everything that couldn’t be carried on a bike and ride off into the sunset, destination unknown.

The year was 1988.  Brisbane was humming with the long awaited World Expo in full swing, running for six months at Southbank. You’d reckon I would’ve wanted to stick around for the show but it didn’t seem to matter. Nor did it matter at the time that I only had several weeks left to complete my teaching qualification… When the hippie gods beckon there is no escape. It was time to break free.

I got together what I thought were the bare necessities for wherever it was I was going including an ultra lite 1 man tent, a multi fuel cooker, thermals, water and wind proof shells, sleeping bag, a few bike spares, lots of water bottles, a camera and a few other bits and pieces, while unloading no longer necessary possessions to anyone who would take them. There were no short test trips as I figured there’d be plenty of time to learn what I needed to know once I’d set off.

Departure day arrived. Cycling out of the city the extent of the unknown was intoxicating. No internet back then to research your adventure literally to death beforehand, and thankfully no mobile phones either. You were out there in the unknown, alone. Adventure was all the better for it IMO.

Just pedal the hippie gods intoned.

I headed north out of Brisbane and wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle ASAP turned westward across the Great Dividing Range, a mountain range that stretches 3,500 km along the entire length of Australia’s east coast. Our paths would cross numerous times in the coming months.

Most if not all people who have ventured off by themselves for prolonged adventure periods with minimal belongings know first hand that the internal and external journey are deeply entwined, or more likely are one and the same. Nothing is spared as the depth and breadth of the experience unfolds.  Who you who are, why you are, how you are, where you are — it’s all up for grabs. Progressively the layers of bullshit built up over the years fall away, tugged at by waves of elation, bitter darkness, insanity, brutal pragmatism, despair, joy and peace, teased by the HTFU days when you’re physically and/or mentally beaten either by your own doing or the elements. What’s left is undoubtedly raw but enlivening.

Apollo Everest, Ready for Departure, Brisbane QLD, 1988

Some days I’d ride all day, other days not at all, mostly anything in between. Distance covered each day varied widely too, from zero to over 200km. There was usually no pressing reason to reach anywhere so it had more to do with the groove of the day — a combination of body, terrain and elements. I remember riding all day along an epic straight stretch in the Northern Territory with a howling tailwind, floating above the road, no effort required, balanced out by the many days of blustering head and crosswinds. Regardless, each day ran to the rhythm of the rising and setting sun.

I didn’t know much at all about Carnarvon Gorge but felt drawn there so continued west into Queensland before heading north to Carnarvon. Easy to understand once you are there as it’s an incredible ancient oasis in the middle of nowhere. I spent a few days there,  including nights camped up on Boolimba Bluff, and in the Amphitheatre.

Moonrise over Carnarvon Gorge, Boolimba Bluff, 1988

While in the colder, wet weather of the south I initially used a second flysheet and the bike to create a sheltered dry area to cook in etc. While it helped keep the tent dry (which made it much easier to pack up on early frosty mornings) it didn’t take long before it became an another discarded unnecessary layer.

Cold mornings, South West QLD, 1988

The second flysheet did make for a handy foyer though in which to welcome furry guests – kangaroos and even dingoes!

Kangaroo stops by, 1988 Solo MTB Adventure

As much as I appreciated stocking up on supplies when passing through towns it didn’t take long to feel completely disconnected from that way of living. Often I simply had nothing to say. I remember sitting and watching carnival lights at Blackwater and feeling like I’d landed on another planet.

Carnival Lights, Blackwater, Solo MTB Tour 1988

From Carnarvon I headed towards the Queensland coast and then north to stop in and visit my folks and younger brother in the Burdekin district before continuing on. I was on my own path, sometimes literally!

Peters Road, Solo MTB Tour 1988

Those were the days before helmets. Wearing a hat made a lot more sense anyway. Here’s the very same hat more than 20 years later, barely held together but full of memories. I still loathe wearing helmets.

The old hat, 20+ years later and still out on the trail

I continued north stopping at idyllic spots such as Mission Beach. We’d often go there for family holidays as kids. The prevailing South Easterly wind pushed me further up the coast, to Cairns and then onto Cooktown.

Hartley's Crocodile Adventures, Cairns, MTB Solo Adventure 1988

I slipped and slid through a very wet and muddy Daintree Rainforest and at Cape Tribulation came across a bunch of tourists in one of those large 4WD tour buses.

Cape Tribulation, MTB Solo Adventure 1988

How different must the experience be, sitting inside one of those luxurious air conditioned glass and steel boxes compared to being out in the elements, propelled by your own body power. I know which one I’d rather!

Daintree Rainforest, 1988 MTB Solo Adventure

Creek Crossing, Solo MTB Tour 1988

I met another MTB guy in Cooktown, a crazy scientist looking guy called Tim. I can’t remember much of his story but he was riding an Apollo Everest too, also yellow, funny!

Me with Tim, another MTB'er, another Apollo Everest! Cooktown, 1988

It was in Cooktown for whatever reason the decision was made to continue on up Cape York Peninsula via the old and mostly unused telegraph route. I left Brisbane with what I thought were the bare necessities but I dumped a bunch of stuff at Cooktown. There was no point having and carrying anything that wasn’t of day to day use.

With all the riding my arse had turned to toughened leather long ago. There was no need for cycling knicks, they were nothing but another layer, and a PITA layer at that as if you use knicks they must be kept relatively clean. Clothing for Cape York was one navy blue singlet, one t-shirt from Cooktown, one pair of shorts, and THE hat. Ample.

Coen, 1988 Solo MTB Adventure

Cape York Peninsula is still regarded as one of the last great wild places on earth. No doubt at the time I found it to be extremely wild, untamed and aside from mining and native settlements virtually empty. The terrain is rugged too as the Great Dividing Range continues up the length of the narrowing peninsula to the northern tip. I wonder what it’s like today, +20 years later. Hopefully the endless stream of 4WD’s and military training exercises haven’t messed things up completely.

Entrance to Hell, Cape York, 1988 Solo MTB Tour

There’s also no shortage of creek and river crossings and no shortage of both fresh and salt water crocodiles on Cape York. In fact there’s no shortage of wild and woolly stuff full stop. Most things are on a scale that put your life into perspective, even ant nests.

Ants Nest, Cape York, Solo MTB Adventure 1988

The Cape back then was a frontier kind of place, lifetimes away from east coast urban living. I met some classic characters along the way, like these wild pig hunters fixing their old land rover. If something moves, shoot it.

Pig hunters, Cape York, 1988 Solo MTB Adventure

No need for luxuries like soap and unnecessary daily rituals like showering. When I came across water, usually in the form of idyllic rock pools, I had a swim, in the process washing myself and whatever I was wearing at the time.

Indian Falls, Elliot River, Cape York

Towards the top of Cape York I could’ve left the telegraph route, rejoined the 4WD’ers and crossed the Jardine River on a barge but for whatever reason I opted to wade across the broad, murky and relatively shallow river best known for its hungry crocodiles. Looking back it seems like it was a crazy risk to take. No wonder I needed a cuppa afterwards, to contemplate my stupidity

Cuppa after wading across Jardine River, Solo MTB Tour 1988

I remember being unwell and delirious at Seisia Bay, putting up the tent shell before passing out on the ground nearby, where I stayed until I woke up in the middle of the night.

Seisia Bay, Cape York, 1988 Solo MTB Adventure

Yep that is what the northern most point of Australia looks like, well it did back then anyway.  A 44 gallon drum full of concrete with a sign post stuck in it. Check out other people’s pics – it’s a popular place for a photo! 

Tip of Cape York, Solo MTB Tour, 1988

And just in case I was too delirious to realize…

The Sign, Cape York Peninsula, Solo MTB Tour 1988

By this stage I guess I was a fairly gruff and grubby character who really didn’t speak much at all, bordering on being lost in my own wilderness. If so that wasn’t such a bad outcome (I came across a crazy Eurpoean tourist girl living on a remote beach at the Cape who was like some kind of mute, insect ravaged rabid animal! She was scary crazy. I gave her some food)  but for whatever reason I ended up becoming quite sick and decided to fly back to Cairns on a small freight carrying prop plane Buddy Holly style, just in case.

Side track ahead, Solo MTB Tour 1988

I rested in Cairns for a while before heading west, into the Gulf Country. I remember passing out again, this time while climbing the range out of Cairns. There was a lot of traffic but as far as I can recall anyway, no-one stopped to help. I came to lying on the ground, looking at the road and cars passing by… sideways. No biggie as I was on a mission, drawn towards the Gulflander, an old train service that ran between two Gulf towns in the middle of nowhere – Normanton and Croydon. Before that though I had to cross the Great Dividing Range for the Nth time. It’s always amazing how instantly and dramatically the landscape changes along the edge of the range – on the east side, it’s lush green and wet, on the west side it’s rocky, harsh and dry. It literally is a great divide.

Old Gulflander, Normanton, Gulf Country, Solo MTB Tour 1988

I even got to ‘drive’ the Gulflander for while, with passengers and all — crazy, cool!

Driving the Gulflander, Solo MTB Tour 1988

Somewhere in the gulf country I ran out of water. It’s amazing how thirsty you get the moment you realize there is no water left and you’re a long way from anywhere. I headed to the closest 4WD track, sat and waited. Not much else to do really. Eventually a vehicle came along and I got some water.

Mt Isa, 1988 Solo MTB Adventure

I continued along to Mt Isa, a mining city in the middle of nowhere, and then to Camooweal, a small settlement close to the border Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Translated: after Camoomweal, there's not much for a while!

I met an old German guy at Camooweal, Ernst was his name from memory, cycling around Australia in the other direction. Like Tim in Cooktown he too was riding a yellow Apollo Everest, same as mine. These were the only two other MTB riders I came across. Synchronicity is a bitch hey!

Ernst, 3rd yellow Apollo Everest MTB rider!

Welcome to the Northern Territory, Solo MTB Tour 1988

After crossing into the Northern Territory I reached the Three Ways, a T intersection and roadhouse where the Barkly and Stuart Highways meet (If you want to hear some classic ‘true blue’ Australiana muzak visit the Three Ways Roadhouse web site).

Rusty Holden Ute, Nothern Territory, Solo MTB Tour 1988

From the Three Ways you can either go north to Darwin or south to Alice Springs then onto Uluru, the red heart of Australia. Like Carnarvon the centre was calling. I chose to go south, exploring the mighty Western MacDonnell Ranges along the way (the water in Glen Helen gorge was FREEZING!)  eventually arriving at Uluru (Ayers Rock).

Western Macdonell Ranges, MTB Solo Tour 1988

I met a couple of ex bikies at Glen Helen who now rode trikes due to injuries. When Rock (the bigger guy) wanted to take a piss he turned a tap and it ran out of a pipe beside his boot. They were going for a joy flight over the MacDonnell Ranges in a mustering chopper and had a spare seat so invited me along. Great fun, and from the air the ranges look like giant ancient snakes lying across the arid terrain.

Heli flight with bikies, Glen Helen, Western Macdonnell Ranges 1988

The centre of Australia is an incredible place. I ended up living in Yulara  for a year, with Uluru framed by my kitchen window.

Uluru, Central Australia, Solo MTB Tour 1988

After being lost in my own wilderness — which was a life changing, hugely enriching experience — I doubt there could have been a better place to reinsert myself back into The Matrix of modern life than the centre of Australia. If you’ve never stood on a desert dune and let a Summer storm tear through your body I thoroughly recommend it.

Dusk Storm over Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), Central Australia, Solo MTB Adventure 1988

What happened from there, I guess that’s another story, another lifetime…

The post 1988 Solo MTB Adventure appeared first on Digital Hippie.

A few weeks ago Pinkbike posted that Chris Akrigg had broken his femur and arm while out on his bike. Ouch! Being the dude he is, he’s just posted a video of the accident, including his previous failed attempts at the same line. As he understates while lying at the bottom of the cliff errm.. taken a little bit of a hit.

While recovering is not a fun time for Chris, his commentary and the vision make for an amazing story. He’s a very lucky guy – that was a big fall.

Given the risk involved in doing the stuff guys like Akrigg and Macaskill do, the level of commitment and skill is huge and while their videos flow as if they just roll up and ride a line first go, that’s not always the case. Check out Chris Akrigg in the Step of Death where he just keeps trying and failing one line in a quarry, trying and failing for a couple of hours. The self talk along the way is classic, eventually leading to Chris conceding defeat for the day.

The post Chris Akrigg Not if, but when appeared first on Digital Hippie.

In terms of hippie obsessions, wheel love has never left room for much else. Photography though has always been there lurking, waiting for the opportunity to be the number one obsession, every now and then succeeding even. Together I guess they’ve played a big part in making sense of a hippie’s life in general, so for the story to be complete some stuff on photography is required.

As a kid, borrowing my mum’s 126 Instamatic, I photographed my pets and anything else that was deemed to be important. If it happened to be on the TV, I’d photograph it as it appeared on the TV screen. Looking back, given the cost of processing film, my folks were incredibly incredible in their tolerance and support.

It wasn’t until I left home though the shutter bug really started to bite hard, and by the time I headed off on my solo MTB adventure in 1988 I was kitted out with a Pentax MX SLR and a heap of Kodachrome 64.

I’ve always loved the definition of photography as painting with light which back in the days before digital cameras and computers lead to only one place – the dark room. I got hooked on darkroom work in 1989 while at The Creek Photo Service, in Falls Creek. During the Winter season by day I’d work as a photographer on the ski slopes, by night I’d work in the dark room. It wasn’t long before I had my own color and B&W darkroom at home, often to the dismay of the darkroom widows AKA girlfriends. Just like the well known quote from Lydia in Beetlejuice:

My whole life is a dark room. One. Big. Dark. Room

By the mid 90′s PC’s and Photoshop were on the scene and it was already clear that the days of film and dark rooms were coming to an abrupt end. In spite of the chemicals darkroom work was great fun, and while technology has made photography far more accessible, you can’t help but feel some of the romance, mystery and art of creating images has been lost along the way.

For some reason I’ve always enjoyed making goofy time exposure shots. Give me a sparkler and a flash and you’ve got one happy hippie. Those were the days — turn off the lights,  inhale the chemicals and drift back to 1989…

Darkroom Hippie, Falls Creek, Victoria 1989

The post Painting with Light appeared first on Digital Hippie.

The structure itself isn’t remarkable but it’s powered by a huge array of solar panel, which look pretty cool.

Fryers Ridge, Mountain Biking, Central Victoria

The post Fryers Ridge appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Two sunny, clear and cold days — what a cracker of a start to Winter! You’ve just gotta get out there and enjoy the blue skies if you can as the next few months could just as well be grey, damp and bleak.

I guess I’m a bit of a rabid dog when it comes to seeking out new trails to ride. Roaming around by yourself for hours on end in areas you’re not familiar with and riding down everything that looks like a single track entry can be frustrating at times but when you finally find new trails, ride them for the first time and then piece the network together… it’s great fun.

With this in mind I headed down to the Wombat Track at Woodend, the mission being to track down the until now local’s only loop deep in the forest that will be used in the upcoming Mountain Challenge MTB Enduro Series.

I printed out a basic map with minimal markings on it before I left home, and once in the forest it took me a long while to realize the reason that nothing was where I thought it should be was due to me being 90 degrees out in how I was interpreting the map. Doh!

A small group of riders went past just as I was getting organized, down at the furtherest end of the Wombat Track.  Are you guys doing the enduro loop? I asked, as I’d figured it past by here. Yeah they replied. Cha Chang I thought, too easy! A short while later I tagged onto the back of the group and realized they were just riding the regular loop. Dang, no biggie, I might as well do the regular loop first before looking for the enduro course.

The Wombat was in OK condition — maybe 60% dry, 20% damp and the remaining 20% slippery, greasy, muddy, water logged, dark colored goo. It’s funny at the start of a wet ride, you kind of slow down for the puddles, skirt around the deeper mud, in an effort to keep you and the bike clean I guess. At some point the clean battle is lost, and the wet and muddy ride becomes a lot more fun.

With the regular loop in the bag and the bike pretty well goo’d up I went in search of the enduro loop and it didn’t take long to find it once I’d spotted a few painted markings and tire tracks.  What a sweet ride it is too! More change in elevation compared to most of the Wombat Track, some fast flowy sections especially across gullies, some structures and obstacles, idyllic thick green ferns and red clay that feels like you’re slipping and sliding in northern Qld rainforest. Tip: A balding Crossmark on the rear is probably not the grippiest tire option in these conditions

The loop should make for an excellent Mountain Challenge Enduro event, and a great addition to the regular Wombat Track circuit afterwards. Bunch of thanks to the Wombat MTB crew.

I get the feeling that many more MTB mysteries remain hidden in the Wombat Forest… looking forward to heading back and continuing the quest already!

Wombat Forest, Mountain Challenge MTB Enduro Series

Wombat Forest, Mountain Challenge MTB Enduro Series

Wombat Forest, Mountain Challenge MTB Enduro Series

1x10 drivetrain worked a treat in the muddy conditions

Wombat Forest, Mountain Challenge MTB Enduro Series

Mountain Challenge MTB Enduro Series

Footnote: So at this stage I’m not sure how far it is back to the van and there isn’t much time left as I need to be back home to pick up my daughter from school and it’s close to an hour’s drive back to Castlemaine…

Lost in the forest, late for picking up your kids from school. Only one thing to do:

Planking hippe. Who woulda thought!

I made it back in time… just!

The post Wombat Kemosabe appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Not as much riding lately mainly due to a touch of the flu over the last few weeks, combined with mainly grey, cold, damp overcast days. I’ve started to feel better over the last couple of days so made the most of a sunny, clear morning — last day of Autumn — and headed out to Mt Tarrengower to check out the trails above the area known as The Butts.

There’s some very enjoyable XC and AM riding to be had in this section of Mt Tarrengower, especially over, in and around the many large granite boulders. The main trick is learning your way around as there are tracks and trails in varying condition scattered all over the place. Once I started to get a handle on that, I had a bunch of fun working on some rocky lines, gradually building up confidence.

Not much stamina today though, I guess that’s what the flu does to you. I was wiped out by the end of the ride. The Butts is definitely an area to explore a lot more, especially over Winter when the wetter weather tends to limit riding options elsewhere.

The Butts, Mt Tarrengower

The Butts, Mt Tarrengower

The Butts, Mt Tarrengower

The post The Butts appeared first on Digital Hippie.

There have been a couple of very cool BMX happenings recently, namely The Pool and the World First Triple Backflip.

The Pool, Dagenham
Thanks to Nike a pool in the UK about to be demolished was made into a BMX park for its final 30 days. Great story and epic riding!

World First Triple Backflip
Check out the incredible footage as Jed Mildon pulls off the worlds first BMX triple backflip. NUTS.

The post The Pool & Triple Backflip appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Russ and the crew are responsible for the Wombat Trail at Woodend and more recently the trails on Mt Tarrengower. NICE WORK!

SMH's Nice Work features the Wombat Mountain Bike Club

Go to the Nice Work – Wombat Trail video at SMH

The post Nice Work – Wombat Trail appeared first on Digital Hippie.

20 years ago my 1991 Stumpjumper Comp was the sweetest thang. It’s still a fun albeit scary ride today. Sit it beside a 2011 Stumpjumper Comp and wow, you might notice a few things have changed over 20 years.

Check out the pics:

Tale of Two Stumpy's, 1991-2011

Tale of Two Stumpy's, 1991-2011

Tale of Two Stumpy's, 1991-2011

Tale of Two Stumpy's, 1991-2011

Tale of Two Stumpy's, 1991-2011

The post 2 Stumpy’s 20 Years appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Testing out the Stumpy FSR 29′er was a good opportunity to check out the 2×10 drive train and see how it compares to the 1×10 I’ve been running on the Mojo HD for the last six months.

The 1×10 drivetrain on the Mojo HD is a 33 tooth front chain ring, combined with an 11-36 10 speed cassette. The 2×10 drivetrain on the Stumpy is a 22/33 tooth chain ring combo on the front combined with an 11-36 10 speed cassette. If the Stumpy was a 26″ MTB practically there’d be no reason for me to use the granny on the trails as I ride as otherwise it’s the same drivetrain as the Mojo HD.  The Stumpy was a 29′er though and while those bigger wheels roll buttery smooth compared to a 26″, they require more energy to accelerate so the constant up, down, slow down, speed up and tight switch back nature of the local trails made for a good test.

1x10 vs 2x10

How did the 2×10 experience compare to 1×10?

All those years of running triple chain rings meant the front ring shifting habits came back instantly, but in short I much prefer the 1×10 drivetrain and have no interest in changing back to multiple chain rings.

Why? Because the simplicity of a 1x drivetrain translates to flow on the trail. Multiple chain rings mean shuffling back and forth across chain rings, including the additional corrective back and forth shifts on the rear cassette so you don’t effectively end up in the same gear you were just in. With 1×10 you can shift when you need to, to the gear you need rather than doing the shift shuffle on the 2×10, the latter usually done ahead of time.

If you don’t like to think in terms of warm and fuzzy concepts like flow, simply put running a 1x drivetrain results in quicker, on demand gear shifts, significantly reducing being caught out in the wrong gear.

As an example of what I mean the local trails include numerous sections that go from high speed descent under power, that abruptly transition into heavy braking, super sharp, low speed climbing turns. In reality the transition happens in a second or two. With a 1×10 there’s minimal disruption to the flow of the ride, you get to the transition and push through to the required gear on the rear cassette and continue on. With the 2×10 it’s either disrupt the flow, come off the power early and shift the front chain ring and rear cassette to be ready for the transition, or attempt to do the shift shuffle as the transition happens, in the midst of heavy braking and everything else that is going on and listen to the drivetrain howl in protest.

Not that I didn’t have fun using the 2×10. I was definitely able to clear some low speed, steep rocky, loose, sharp turns much more easily in granny gear. Those turns on the 1×10 are a challenge, requiring delicate balance and control as you don’t have the ideal gear available, and much of what makes difficult MTB easy is being in the right gear. There are very few sections like that though, and I don’t mind the challenge so no biggie. I had forgotten how weird granny gear feels though — lots of spinning, lots of inching along.

Other things:

• Love the snappy feel of the SRAM shifters, but overall the XT shifting is smoother and cleaner on the HD.
• Disappointed that the KMC 10 speed chain on the Stumpy failed part way up a climb. Ouch.

So there ya go, less can be more, it is for me anyway. I’ll stick to flowin’ with 1×10

KMC 10 speed chain failure

The post 2X10 vs 1X10 appeared first on Digital Hippie.

After a brief stint testing out a Stumpy 29′er it was great to get the pedals back on the Mojo HD and head for the hills, Mt Tarrengower to be exact. Squeezing in some rides on the mount before rain arrives with the next cold front was good fun. The HD is such an insanely solid and versatile AM machine — climb and descend with gusto, it’s BYO Shuttle!

Many thanks to my daughter Holi for coming out and working the camera.

BYO Shuttle, Ibis Mojo HD, Mt Tarrengower

The post BYO Shuttle appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Thanks to The Bike Vault in Castlemaine I’ve been lucky enough to test ride a brand spanking new Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp 29′er over the last couple of days.  I had a bunch of fun, more pics and details below.

If you happen to live around Central Victoria and would like to take the Stumpy FSR 29′er for a test ride, contact the guys at The Bike Vault.

Specialized FSR Stumpjumper Comp 29 Review

Specialized FSR Stumpjumper Comp 29 Review

Rear boing department, Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29er

Front boing department, Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29er

Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29er

Inverted stem, Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29er

SRAM 2x10 Drivetrain, Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29er

Makes rough stuff smoother, Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29er

The post 29′er Mischief appeared first on Digital Hippie.

A long time ago, in early 1990′s I upgraded the handlebar on my Stumpy to a schmancy Syncros Ti number, a massively wide (at the time) 560mm! Combined with a 135mm Syncros Cattleprod stem it felt great (at the time) and I rode it that way for years.

Handle Buzz

Fastforward 20 years to the Mojo HD and these days I run a 710mm bar and 70mm stem. LOVE the width, which results in control and body position benefits, and I much prefer the handling and feel of the wider bar/shorter stem combo. Jumping back on the Stumpy, the cockpit just doesn’t feel strange, it feels wrong and dangerous! Funny, it’s what you’re used to I guess.

So what’s the scoop? Here’s Pinkbike’s Tech Tuesday video featuring Richard Cunningham (founder of Mantis Bike Co in 1981) explaining the pro’s and con’s of wide bars, definitely worth a watch IMO:

The post Handle Buzz appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Historic day! After clearing the MTB track at Bress of signage, bunting etc I stopped at the Harcourt BP service station for a munchie reward and had one of the best steak sandwiches EVER.

Big deal you say? Hell yeah. Awful, rubbery, impossible to swallow steak sandwiches are easy to come by, great ones are like striking gold. This one was freshly made, packed full of the right stuff – tender steak, fried egg, bacon, onion, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sauce. Who cares what else, it tasted great already. Harcourt might be known for its apples and vineyards, but is now also home of the best steak sandwich in Central Victoria

Of course, just like the eternal quest for Vanilla Slice this has everything to do with riding which on the surface is about being fit, having fun, fresh air and all that jazz but some days it’s really just a convenient excuse to eat everything in sight before, during and afterwards.

Ride to Eat!

Unlikely but true, Best Steak Sandwich in Central Victoria found here!

Here’s the Googlemaps link to the BP at Harcourt. The Chiko rolls are pretty good there too.

The post Ride to Eat appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Huge thanks to everyone who headed out to Bress Winery for the inaugural running of the BressXpress! The consensus seemed to be that it was a relaxed, enjoyable event, a beautiful setting for a ride and even the track was ok too.

The forecast sunny day didn’t eventuate but the still, cool, overcast conditions were good for riding. Personally it felt great to see people of all ages enjoying themselves, some participating in their first MTB event ever, knowing that you’d played a part in making it happen.

Many thanks to The Bike Vault in Castlemaine and Bress Winery. Who knows what’s next!

Starting off, BressXpress

Single track by the dam

My favorite part of the track, a little rollercoaster section

The sunny forecast was a little off, nice and cool though

A great setting for an MTB event

Further down the rollercoaster

These mates had a $5 wager on who would cross the line first

Mr Discreet on the course, Adam from Bress

I hope I'm still riding then too

More pics from BressXpress on Facebook and at MTB Images.

The post BressXpress Wrap up appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Headed out to Maldon this afternoon to catch the some of the racing in the final round of the Vic Downhill Series.  Incredible watching the fast guys as they showed absolute commitment at the top of the course, taking the fast line through the air to clear a rocky section followed by a good size drop all in one go, then having to make a turn immediately on landing. No margin for error, just rocks and trees to hit if they messed up. Great crowd and atmosphere up the top too with the intensity of the chants and cheering fluctuating with the fortunes and speed of each rider.

Main things I noticed at Mt Tarrengower is generally how young downhillers are, and how relatively few of the field were really, genuinely fast amongst the rocks and risks. It reminded me of an article I saw related to why young men are more likely to participate in extreme Planking:

Psychologist Paul Martin claimed part of the reason was that the pre-frontal cortex in men aged 23 or younger -  the decision management part of the brain – was not fully developed and they therefore lacked a “handbrake” and took silly risks.

Knitting until you’re 24 doesn’t seem like a whole lot of fun though!

The Fast Line, Vic Downhill Series, Mt Tarrengower

VicDH, Mt Tarrengower, Maldon

VicDH, Mt Tarrengower, Maldon

No flash? no worries, sync with somebody else's!

The post VicDH Series Maldon appeared first on Digital Hippie.

We’ve been lucky enough to score great weather for the BressXpress — some light rain during the week that settled the dust, followed by a fine and windy day today, then fine and fresh for the ride tomorrow — perfect Autumn riding weather.

Spent a couple  more hours at Bress today doing a few of those last minute jobs including putting up bunting, direction and warning signs, and giving the orchard section one last mow*. It’s as good as we could’ve done this first time around.

There’s been a good level of interest in the event but with no pre-registration we have no idea how many people will turn up tomorrow morning. It’ll be exciting to see how it all shakes down.

Weather forecast is cold but fine

* Bress has some cool machines. I had a bunch of fun scooting around on the ‘Go Fast’, mowing everything I could come up with a reason to mow

Country Clipper, a cool mower!

The post Bress Eve appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Yesterday’s max temp of around 6 degrees accompanied by drizzling rain got into my bones — no temptation to head out for an MTB ride, just felt old and cold — but it did remind me of the years I spent living in Victoria’s mountains. It was great fun, working my butt off over each Winter season at Falls Creek but still managing to squeeze in some play, mountain biking each Summer away.

I did ride the Stumpjumper in the snow sometimes. After a good freeze, first thing in the morning you could get out around the High Country on the groomed cross country ski trails, just beware of your front wheel breaking through the freeze, bringing the bike to an immediate halt. Splat! The groomed downhill ski trails in the resort were a hoot too. If Fat Bikes had been around back then I reckon it would’ve made for awesome mayhem. Later on I lived in Bogong Village but still worked at Falls and would fang back down to Bogong at night on the Stumpy, Niterider blazing, through the snow, slush and mud. Crazy looking back on it, and bloody cold!

I loved living in the mountains and loved MTB, but for whatever reason downhill skiing never had the addictive appeal. I did love goofing off in the snow though, so when the snow bikes were dragged out no encouragement was needed

Me (in the blue) vs Mark Steven, Falls Creek 1989/1990

Sneakers: check
Jeans: check
No Helmet: check
Crudely made snow bike with sharp steel edges: check
All systems GO!

The post Snow Biking appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Tarrengower is thought to be an Aboriginal word meaning ‘big rough hill’. You’d be hard pressed to come up with a more fitting name for the popular downhill location near Maldon, Central Victoria. Mt Tarrengower is made from hornsfels, a collection of super heated and hardened volcanic rocks. Beneath the tree cover there is no shortage of rough stuff.

I was heading out to visit my father-in-law at Maldon and took the HD along for a couple of runs at Tarrengower.  I’m still very much learning my way around the network of trails there, so every run is a bonus.

After the climb to the summit from the bottom car park I headed down (what I think was) ‘Rockin’ which true to its name is thick with rocks of all shapes and sizes. There’s hardly a moment where your tires aren’t on rocks. Lots of wheel eating massive erosion, and for me not much flow. Can’t say I enjoyed it much TBH, but what it did do is reset my perception of the condition of other trails on the mount.

Climb back to the top on the HD and really enjoyed the next run down what I thought was ‘Lawrence’ but it turned out part way down I crossed over to the track that will be used in this weekend’s final round of the state downhill series (moved from the You Yangs to Mt Tarrengower due to the flood damage and subsequent problems) . The run was in great condition compared to Rockin, and with some good flow and speed much more the kinda thing I enjoy. A few of the jumps were too crazy for me at this stage, but I’d happily ride back up to the top to do that run again, a few times even!

If/when finances allow I hope to get a Reverb seat post. I had to settle for a manual Reverb today, dropping the seat post ~70mm for the downhill runs. More would’ve been better.

As for Lawrence, dang I still haven’t managed a run the whole way down though it turns out I wasn’t far from it today. Thanks to Michael at The Bike Vault I reckon I’ll find it next time around.

Ready for this weekend's State DH Round

Stealth Mojo

Big Rough Hill

The post Big Rough Hill appeared first on Digital Hippie.

A solution is at hand, you CAN have the best of both worlds!

Carry a giant sperm with you on your bike at all times.

European Sperm Bank Bike

Okay so maybe this guy isn’t the proud owner of one humungous giant sperm… though if you only had one shot at it, I guess this would be the way to go. Seriously the European Sperm Bank deliver sperm this way. That’s what I call riding with style

The post Giant Sperm Cycle appeared first on Digital Hippie.

After many hours of digging. scraping, sweating and hoping it’s finally a wrap for the single track at Bress Winery, ready to go for the BressXpress MTB ride this coming Sunday. Good timing too as the storm clouds rolled over just as we finished riding a few celebratory laps. There looks to be a good chance of light rain throughout the week which should settle it down nicely.

The property has a relatively small change in elevation so in the absence of grinding climbs and fanging descents, from a rider’s point of view it was important the single track flowed well. It also needed to suit a wide range of skill level. I think it does both of those things, with some fun bits thrown in and plenty of room to add more in the future.

The whole process has been a real eye opener, and I’ve definitely gained a deeper appreciation of the work that has gone into the local trails I enjoy.

Bress Winery

The post Track Wrap appeared first on Digital Hippie.

The BressXpress trail elves put in some solid hours today, cutting in new single track by hand. The life of a trail elf isn’t always easy especially with the event not too far off (May 15th) but the single track section of the loop is shaping up well.

BressXpress event page on Facebook

Rock bridge, single track

Freshly cut single track

The post Trail Elves appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Heading out on an MTB ride from hippie-ville involves crossing up and over a heavily mined bush reserve directly behind our place. It’s a great fun way to start each ride as jetting down the through the bush reserve before briefly entering suburbia reminds me of Batman and Robin leaving the (original) Batcave, with the Batman intro theme playing in my head of course!

Mojo in the Bat Cave humpy

So after leaving the Bat Cave in the middle of the day I headed across to the Baco trails. I hadn’t eaten since a light breakfast (DOH!) so not surprisingly felt pretty average as the ride progressed. As a consequence I had a few breaks along the way and took the opportunity to explore some of the unusual things I’d noticed off to the side of the trails on other rides. The weirdest thing was the ruins of bat-cave-esque bush humpy with an eerie vibe, the sort of place you’d find a corpse or two.

Mojo in the Bat Cave humpy

In other super hero news, I guess due to the onset of the cold Autumn weather the spiders have finally taken a break from their web building. Over summer there were months of MANY large spiders and layers of web cris-crossing the trails, freshly made every day. If you were the first out on the trail in the morning it didn’t take long before you were covered in spider stuff. Weird too, as sometimes the layers of web were strong enough to noticeably hold you back. With spiders now chilling you can fit under the old webs.

Spider man!

Na na na na na na na na na na na na… BATMAN!

The post Bat Cave appeared first on Digital Hippie.

I’ve really been enjoying the Hippie Track lately — it’s a classic if short MTB loop that basically consists of one sustained climb including a couple of steeper sections, followed by one high speed single track descent dropping you back where you started. You can cruise the loop but the descent rewards commitment with a big dose of high speed, and the Mojo HD definitely encourages you to have a good crack at it.

Like a junkie I rode the loop about 10 times late the other afternoon, until the light ran out. Definitely a fun way to bed in new brake pads!

I took the GoPro HD along, here’s some of the footage collected along the way.

Hope you enjoy it!

The post Hippie’s Descent appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Is there anything sweeter than railing single track late afternoon on the Mojo HD?

I don’t think so

ps. Brakes bedded in nicely

Hippie's Descent, Castlemaine MTB

The post Arvo Mojo appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Checked out the Box Jump Jam session at Maldon over Easter. When I was a kid if you could fishtail on dirt and do a wheelie that was pretty fricking cool, and jumps often ended in snapped forks and broken bones. Nowadays flips and spins are everyday tricks, it’s NUTS! The box jump at Maldon was in a tough spot too with a loose gravel landing that claimed a few victims. Big balls or swollen balls? I’d rather not think about it

I took the GoPro along, sat it on the jump and grabbed some footage. Enjoy!

A couple of screencaps from the video:

Box Jump Jam, Maldon Easter 2011

Box Jump Jam, Maldon Easter 2011

The post Box Jump Jam appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Thought I’d fixed the disc brake probs (rear stuck piston and front leaking fluid) as everything seemed fine during the 3 hour enduro. Even though the average lap speed at the enduro was relatively high, the max speed each lap was relatively low, with only a few light squeezes on the brake needed to make it around the course. It was a really enjoyable ride but I guess didn’t test the brakes enough provide a definitive verdict on my maintenance efforts the previous day.

Yesterday I headed out with Julien for a short afternoon spin at the Hippie Track. Descent speeds on the hippie easily push past 50km/h when you’re having a crack at it, and includes several critical braking points. The whites of my eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when I arrived at the first braking point and squeezed the brakes to find both the front and rear brake were very close to MIA, not much retardation. Eek.

I then did some low speed tests and was amazed at how little braking there actually was regardless of how hard the levers were yanked, and how weird the brakes sounded. Looking at the generous build up of dust around the brake pads front and back I must’ve been way too heavy handed with the drops of oil around the pistons, and more importantly nowhere near particular enough cleaning everything up before re-assembly, leading to contaminated brake pads front and back. Dirty bird, DOH!

Everyone seems to have their own method of dealing with contaminated brake pads – wipe them, soak them, boil them, bake them, torch them, sand them, file them, fry them, toast them…  I opted for the one method everyone agrees works — replace them, and clean the rotors. At  ~0.5mm the rear pads needed replacing anyway, might as well do the front pads too.

New pads, clean rotor but still ShittleLX brakes

I was very particular this time around with cleanliness – a bunch of clean rags, clean cotton buttons around the pistons, clean hands when installing pads.  I cleaned the front and rear rotors with Isopropyl Alchohol, sourced from the local chemist. By this stage there was way too much clean for a machine that fangs around in the dirt — it was freaking me out

Isopropal Alcohol AKA rotor cleaner

Also lots of methods online when it comes to how best to bed in new brakes. There’s a sealed downhill road just over the hill from home so I just did half a dozen or so runs down stopping hard on each brake followed by one run down a nearby moderate single track descent.

First impression: Wow, fresh brakes equals a LOT more stopping power, sweet! So easy to stand the bike on its nose, I’ll need to reset the braking finger on each hand to ‘gentle’.

I’m hoping to head back out to the Hippie Track tomorrow if time permits for a few runs. Should make the braking situation clear one way or another!

The post Contaminated appeared first on Digital Hippie.

A cool invitation arrived in the inbox a while back, to a Easter Invitational MTB 3 Hour Enduro (thanks Madhatter) . It’s been a long time since I’ve participated in a multi lap MTB event — Thredbo and Buller back in the summer of 1993/1994 I guess, competitive cycling has never been my thing — but the Easter Invitational had a relaxed family vibe and I reckoned it would be a fun thing to do, to ride somewhere new and meet up riders you’d never meet otherwise.

The 3 Hour Enduro would be a first for the Mojo HD too. A ~30 pound All Mountain rig with 160mm travel front and back, 2.5″ High Roller on the front, 2.25″ Crossmark on the rear, 1×10 drivetrain set up as a whoop ass, goofing around in the bush bike isn’t really the weapon of choice for XC flat track racing. This is where the Mojo HD’s ‘little’ (and lighter) brothers, the XC orientated Mojo SL and SL-R 140mm travel bikes, would be better suited but one very cool thing about the HD is that it’s such an efficient platform just about any style of riding is enjoyable.

So I arrived at Sheep’s Head with a packet of lolly snakes, 3 litres of water and a race strategy of  having a fun ride. The small gathering included teams, individuals, families, juniors through to veterans, riding everything from single speeds, full rigid to dually’s. Cool stuff!

The ~5km Sheep’s Head loop flowed nicely through scenic bush with undergrowth that was lush and green compared to around Castlemaine. There wasn’t anywhere on the course for the Mojo HD to stretch its legs so it was about settling into an aerobic groove and enjoying the ride with a fairly consistent pace of 20-25km/hour for the three hours. In some ways it reminded me of the 6 hour MTB Orienteering events I’ve ridden on my mountain unicycles — just keep spinning those cranks baby!

The track surface was generally smooth too but daydreaming was kept in check by a smattering of sandy corners. For me the highlight of each lap was the tight and twisty Liam’s single track, with Liam himself (MadHatter’s six year old son) on hand to direct riders. The Mojo HD purred along, although I probably should have loaded up the chain with Squirt lube beforehand to help combat the dry and dusty conditions.

I had surgery on my lower back about 7 years ago now I guess which kept me off MTB’s for a long time — read many, many dark days. When out goofing around on the HD these days I usually have regular breaks to help keep the back demons at bay. During the three hours my lower back complained off and on but a couple of minutes out of the saddle each lap kept it in check. Overall the time passed by quickly with the groove only temporarily interrupted by coming across other riders every now and then. At the end of 3 hours the numbers were 11 laps, ~56km, not a bad effort for a 40+ hippie and the body feels good today. A few years ago I wouldn’t have believed even just being back on an MTB was possible… so nothing to complain about!

With bling-o-licious trophies handed out we headed back to Kingsley’s for some of the best tasting pizzas I’ve ever had. A fun end to fun day, looking forward to heading back next year. Thanks to MadHatter and his family for putting on the event!

Liam, 3 Hour Invitational, Sheep’s Head, Easter 2011

11 laps, consistent pace, not a bad effort for a mid 40′s goofball!

Bling! 3 Hour Invitational, Sheep’s Head, Easter 2011

The post 3Hr Easter Invitational appeared first on Digital Hippie.

After goofing off yesterday I headed out on a ride with Julien around Ken’s loop. Not long into the ride, just before a fast gully descent, I noticed the rear brake didn’t feel right including a forceful click felt through the brake lever towards the end of the action. It turned out one of the pistons had siezed. The brake still sort of worked ok, the other piston making up most of the difference and flexing the rotor sideways in the process. The Hippie Track rides have worked the brakes hard lately, to the point of chronic  fade — leaving its mark on the brakes, literally, with some rotor burn. Wonder if it’s all related.

Test Track Rotor burn

Heading back home early is never a fun idea so we fanged off down the descent and continued along the ride with the thought in the back of my mind that I should take it easy on the rear brake until I got back home, and use the front brake a little more.

As the ride progressed the front brake lever became softer and softer until there was virtually no front brake left. Hmm… fair amount of mineral oil seeping from a connector, that’s probably not a good sign.  But it did make the last few fast sections of the ride a hoot with only the partial back brake left, sliding retro style!

Then the whole Easter holidays thing sunk in… today’s Easter Saturday, public holidays from now until the following Wednesday. Perfect Autumn weather forecast and I probably didn’t have the bits and pieces to fix the brakes. No ridey ridey until later in the week. NOOO!

Them's the brakes

After spending some quality time with Google this morning things were looking up. My Mountain Unicycles were fitted with Magura HS33 hydraulic brakes so I had mineral oil to spare, along with the bits and pieces to bleed the front brakes, and there were lots of tips online about freeing the piston which apparently is a common gremlin with Shimano SLX and XT brakes.

Empty mineral oil reservoir, that ain't going to help

An hour or so later the HD was back in action with brakes that feel pretty good. The front must have been leaking oil for some time as it’s got some bite now. The rear pads definitely need replacing soon, but with both pistons working again it’s all cool.

Funny thing is the ONLY thing I don’t like on the Mojo HD are the brakes. I just don’t like the SLX brakes — how they look and how they work (or don’t). I would never have fitted them on the HD, but it came with the SLX brakes and by then there was no spare coin left in the piggy bank. Now I’m looking forward even more to sending these bad boys to the spare parts bin when $ allow.

Them’s the brakes

The post Them’s the brakes appeared first on Digital Hippie.

Great weather for a ride, great weather for goofing off. Both boxes checked

Screencaps from GoPro video, not big on quality…

Goofing off

Goofing off

Goofing off

The post Goofing off appeared first on Digital Hippie.

BressXpress is a ride through the scenic vineyards, orchards and single track bush trails at Bress Winery, Harcourt Victoria. It’s a great setting with Mt Alexander as the backdrop. and the course is well suited MTB riders of just about all skill levels.

Enter as individuals or teams. The challenge is to complete as many 3km laps as you can in 90 minutes. Teams swap riders at the end of each lap.

WHEN:
Sunday May 15th
Registration 10.00am
Ride Starts 10.30am

WHERE:
Bress Winery
3894 Calder Highway
Harcourt
Googlemaps: http://tinyurl.com/3vea9vg

ENTRY COST:
Individual $15
Team of two $25
Family (2+2) $40

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/e…67324916659028

Also available on the day: Sausage sizzle, hot and cold drinks, wine tasting and winery tours, family cricket and more. Ample shelter if it is wet.

Any questions? Contact The Bike Vault Castlemaine on 5470 6333 or info@thebikevault.com.au

Should be fun, hope to see you there!

Pic from How Civilized: