Buying blow Lenzerheide

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Buying blow Lenzerheide

Wearing kybun shoes trains your body in a fundamental way in your daily life without you even noticing. It improves your posture, helps you keep upright when you walk, trains your pelvic floor muscles and allows you to exude confidence with your body. As promised, tomorrow I will reluctantly send the test shoes back to you. Although I am still not an active walker, even on my short walks I noticed a huge difference between my shoes and the kybun shoes. The way I stand is very different and the shoes even make it easier to stand up. Honestly, I swear on kybun shoe. I would never have believed the shoes could make walking feel so secure and comfortable. Recently, my kybun shoes got wet and I had to switch to normal shoes. Nothing seemed to work anymore and I was walking like a stiff puppet. I never want that to happen again! I visited the Melbourne stockist in early July with NO intention of buying, just seeing what they had and trying them on. Yes, I walked out with my first pair. As soon as you walk around in them you can feel yourself standing differently. A co-worker who sees me at work every day told me I was walking as if I was twenty years younger — and without dobbing that person in, they are qualified to make that assessment. Original blogpost: limberation. The benefits, if these shoes suit you, are worth every cent. If a shoe helps us experience less pain or be able to move for longer before we experience the change onset of pain , then we are going to be better off. Not only will we experience less pain, but we will re-condition faster than we might otherwise have done which in turn will help us manage our pain. I can still walk upright with support from the kybun shoe. Yesterday, I was walking with my brother-in-law around the Lenzerheide mountain resort in Switzerland. We went from the Rothorn middle station to the waterfall and from there back down to Lenzerheide over many different terrains. It was an exhausting hike. I was perfectly equipped with my kybun hiking boot in orange. It really cushions every step. I am 72 years old, and I have had several serious accidents since That is why I am doubly grateful that you have produced such fantastic Swiss-made shoes! This is also important for me! Stay true to your culture. I will recommend your products to everyone. That lets me actively prevent potential joint pain. Discovering kybun shoes was life-changing for me. I have had fallen arches, splay foot and flat foot since I was born. When I was in primary school, I would go twice a year with my mother to a special shop in Zurich. Family hikes, school trips and ski holidays were usually agony. In May I discovered kybun shoes and it was the highlight of my year! Since then, I have been able to walk for hours without pain. Before, every step felt like a blow to my less-than-healthy hips. Today, my hips and back are in good shape. I walk with my grandchildren through the Technorama science museum or the zoo, I stand in queues and stand for hours in front of the cooker. I stand more mindfully and am happy to do so! The soft, unstable sole is kind on your joints, exercises your muscles, improves your balance and stimulates receptors in your feet. From a medical perspective I thus specially recommend the kybun shoe to patients with poor posture or knee problems. Company kybunworld kybunpark General terms and conditions Become a partner Disclaimer Imprint. Video statements. Active and pain-free — for a lifetime. Active and pain-free - for a lifetime Toggle navigation. This is where you can find all of our customer testimonials about our products. See below to choose from a range of different categories. First Previous Next Last. Retail stores Buy now online Contact About us Legal. All rights reserved.

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Buying blow Lenzerheide

All rights reserved. Last year, I was able to review the RC Shoes Tallac Flat pedal shoe and it quickly became my favourite with its generous padding around the cuff, comfy D30 sole, and general good looks. It just ticked all the boxes and seemed to match my foot just right for all-day comfort. So, when the new Tallac Clip shoe came along, this seemed like a home run. Same shoe, just in clip form. Well, actually, no. The Tallac has an additional Velcro strap across the lower part of the shoe as well. Up top, the stealth black outer and purple inner looks great. The uppers are made from Cordura and have a nice woven look that is also durable, and has kept looking great after lots of riding. Internally, they are nicely padded — something I am particular about. I always like a shoe to feel like there is a bit more padding going on than not enough; I find that it really helps with comfort over long rides, and prevents rubbing and hot-points developing. With all that said, I really liked the level of cushioning throughout the shoe and around the ankle collar area. Inside, they also have D30 technology in the insoles, which are designed to absorb impact and reduce fatigue. I really liked this feature on the flat version, so I was stoked to see it here too. On the scales they weighed in at gm per side. Despite their casual looks, these shoes are stiff. By comparison, the flat version I also tested is on their scale at Level 4. That all seemed a bit strange to me, as the flat version is a lot more flexible. On my own personal scale; if my running shoes are a 1, and carbon XC race shoes are a 5, I would rank the Tallac flats around a 2. All that is to say that the clip and flat version are totalling different beasts despite sharing the same name and aesthetics. More on that soon. These are chunky — really chunky — massive hexagonal lugs cover the main portion of the sole with smaller notched hexagons on the toe and heel. The midsole appears to be a similar thickness to the Tallac flat, and that is something I really liked about the flat version — it felt like a substantial and secure shoe that was a really good platform for walking around on. And yes, this proved true; walking up some greasy, wet clay uphills I was impressed with the great traction they provided. If I was thinking about a ride that might have significant hike-a-bike, these would be worth considering for that alone. I also liked the way the toe grip extended up around the front toe box, providing additional impact protection and durability to a part of the shoe that can get a bit of a battering. The toe box is super solid and offers a high level of protection. But all that chunky grip did have a drawback. I can only assume the tread was simply too thick and was preventing the right amount of cleat sitting proud enough to engage the pedal mechanism. This was pretty frustrating, and seems like a massive oversight as most people I know prefer to run their cleats in the rearward position — certainly the enduro-gravity oriented crowd that I think these shoes are aimed at. About half an hour into a ride, the widest part of my left foot would consistently suffer pain and numbness. Or maybe there is something about not being able to get the cleat to work in the most rearward position? Maybe they are just fractionally narrow for me? RC do describe these as a mid-volume shoe on their website and say you may want to consider sizing up half a size. I still really like the shoe in principle; I like it enough to persist with it for a bit longer — even after this review goes to print — in the hope that it does in fact mould to my foot just that little bit more. On February 26 this year, I set out to ride a double Everest: 17, vertical metres in a single bike ride, off-road, using a loop that incorporated a series of my favourite mountain bike trails in Queenstown. Double Everesting has been done before on road bikes, so I knew it was possible, but I wanted to know how it felt, where it would take me, and what it would be like scaling a mountain on-trail, and descending technical singletrack, time after time. My lap started at the lake front and climbed up to the access road on Queenstown bike park. Walking was novel and eating was the only chore that hindered the new norm — making circles with my feet. Wakatipu lake front; a navy sky diluted by street lights. About to pedal more than I ever have. Bike ride begins. First ascent complete, Ben Lomond saddle. The distant constellation of Queenstown feels incandescent, a familiar glow in comparison to the Milky Way, floating and exposed above. Some metres of elevation every lap. First lap far too fast, overly excited. Headlight exposes the descent; black singletrack snakes a dark bottomless ridge-line, insisting pensive focus. Daylight emerges over the silhouetted Remarkables, the solid black gate generously sur- rendering first light to Queenstown. Far enough into lap four to be above the cloud, an inversion making the repetition of pedalling feel accomplished so early on. First three laps a sub two hour loop, productive yet unsustainable, remembering to eat little and often. Positive, full and eager. Progress has settled down to a comfortable churn of familiar and trusting trail. Tried eating one of my pre- made marmite, peanut butter and spinach wraps — swallowing that cocktail of stodge the hardest task so far. Still, onwards and upwards. Grateful for the necessary lathering of suncream needed for the hour of alpine exposure coming up, beautiful weather. Thoughtful and focused. Soon to tick over metres. Stopping in the last patch of beech forest before the now relentless exposure of the loops summit, Ben Lomond saddle. Looking for my hidden backpack stashed in the bush, vital for the last push and descent. Chocker with food, water, smoothie and essen- tials. It had been taken. Later found to be a good Samaritan naively handing in lost property. Visibly, mildly distressed I was approached by a young family with a backpack baby, insisting wildly generous help. Lap fuelled by wildberry baby food. Thankful and persistent. Top of lap nine, a big crew of good sorts see me over the first Everest, savouring the energy, anticipating looming darkness. The shadow of Ben Lomond slowly swallowing up my trail. Grateful and brimming. Onto new, untrod territory. The second night. Soon to turn over 10, vertical metres, willing myself to carry on. The short sighted dark compounded with a distinct and concerning drop in temperature, battling the natural circadian urge to sleep. First attempt to have a nap, I set an alarm for fifteen minutes. It went off instantly. The mountains now sleeping, shadows framing another feast of stars. Numb, though now very invested. Two, three, four? Maybe five? Still unsure whether it was a handlebar nap or poor coordination. Thankfully unscathed, and pulled back up to safety, we carried on. After that minor ordeal, roughly five in the morning, we were gifted something so superlative it got me brimming with joy. Our mate, Steve, met us halfway up a mountain. Still dark, his head torch illuminated the steam rising from three ready-made Yorkshire teas, sat trailside. The sun was on its way, the metres were disappearing, my body was waking up and it tasted like victory. Relieved and excited for first light. Not out the woods yet. I would say I know the Skyline access road better than anyone, but, majorly sleep deprived, this well-trod road threw a few curve balls. In the early hours of light, just before mid-way and in the nick of time, I spotted a deep, clear water moat, impassable and flowing over the road. I was hallucinating. Grabbing a handful of brake, I almost came to a stop before it disappeared. I made a more considered effort to keep my head high and look ahead, setting small goals to pedal towards and keep my mind occupied and focused. Luckily, I had my head held up, as no sooner had the moat disappeared a series of unevenly placed wooden door frames jumped out at me. With my peripheral vision absent, it took my upmost attention to swerve and weave through them. The oddest experience and the last of that carry on for the remainder of the ride. Confused and bemused we rode on. Time soon passed, as did the metres. It was on this lap an uncomfortable and grounding pain made me feel very human and quite frail. Familiar with the occasional heart murmur, I knew this thud in my chest and erratic, offbeat rhythm should be okay, although it always makes you acutely and presently aware of your mortality. I chose to rest a bit longer that lap before carrying on, back on task — some would say foolishly. What a champ, The sun was still blinding and aggressive. I felt completely hollow, the bottom of the barrel had been scraped dry. It became very easy to distinguish between my physical, mental and emotional energy. You could switch easily from a mindset of body, concentrating on making circles with your feet and pushing down past the ground, to a mindset of determination, trust and belief, always mindful to eject that energy reserve for another before any wavering internal apathy kicks in. Burnt out and dry, so close. The bottom of the final full lap. A group of familiar, friendly faces greeted me there and the team grew as we climbed higher together. What a treat to have so much encouragement and help from the incredible community here in Queenstown. By the time we reached the summit, the Remarkables mountain range wore an red evening glow, and Ben Lomond above us sheltered the sun. Everything felt it was coming to an end. Sharing that last full climb with friends was extra special, many moments there are forever held in memory. So grateful and appreciative. The last push. It was getting cold, fingers pained after that descent, determined not to go into a third night. Together we climbed, again. This time round, my focus was sharply squared at my cycling computer, watching the metres fall away, navigated by the sound of people talking around me, a comforting echolocation on a road I know all too well. The last hundred metres never seemed to stop. By this time everyone wanted to know the score, nothing else made any sense. Unsure how to think or consider the bike ride, I felt underwhelmed and disappointed in my lack of enthusiasm or stoke, unable to show any joy or thanks to everyone who was there to share the moment, who made the effort to see it out. All I wanted to do was go home, shower and sleep. Maybe everyone was expecting an emotional spew of relief or elation, but all tanks were empty. It was done. Jamie McKay, who always offers the most incredible company on the toughest days, unwavering, and went on to do an Everest of his own while riding with me, incredible! Thanks to everyone else who showed willing and came along for a pedal, it made the experience unforgettable. Thank you. Where do you even start with this? Is it by talking about the radically new and different transmission system SRAM has just come out with? Or should I start by saying just how much of an all-star crew we had for this trip? How about the epic riding Queenstown provided? Or should we just talk about how good the food was at Atlas? I love trolling through the Vital MTB forums, looking at all the new and interesting stuff people dig up and find out there on the World Wide Web. How they find what they do I will never know. The derailleur, cassette and chain were different; instead of being mounted to a hanger, the derailleur is mounted directly to the frame. I was sure it was going to be as good as any other AXS derailleur when it came out. Boy, was I wrong. When Liam called about this trip, I was flipping stoked. Not just because we would get to ride the new product, but mostly because Chris Mandell from SRAM was coming over to talk us through the product and ride with us. I originally met Chris in Whistler, way back in the day when I lived there. I got to do a few laps of the bike park with him and boy oh boy, can he ride a bike well! The latest Super Deluxe Air is his baby and that shock rips. My original plan for the few days we had, was to start with a sunrise shoot at Ben Lomond saddle. It would have been a 4am grind up to the saddle to get the sun just poking over the Remarkables. For the five weeks prior, in Queenstown, we had really lucked out on the weather. We headed to Atlas for food, beer, planning and shooting the shit. Chris was stoked on the idea of a super-early-start sunrise mission, so we hummed and hawed about the idea. Rechecking all the weather apps suggested rain in the morning and not clearing until later in the day, so the 4am idea got sacked off. The new plan was for everyone to meet at a cafe in the morning and go from there — a bit more of a leisurely time. That morning, we met up with the rest of the crew: a bunch of heavy hitters; low-key savages on two wheels — and all as humble as they come. Ben Hildred, the Vertical Metre Eater. This lanky, tea-drinking Englishman has probably climbed more metres than anyone else in New Zealand, from Everesting and Double Everesting to being the first to complete the Olympus Mons Challenge, doing K2 and climbing one million feet in days. He just loves riding his bike — and all things related to bikes. With a previous history in BMX, he brings that culture to his riding — playing about with the trail, jibing and getting creative — even on the uphills. He treats his 29er trail bike like a BMX, using his long limbs to his advantage. Dan Booker, the Mayor of Maydena. A flat-pedal assassin that has more raw talent than many of the top pros. His bike skills and balance are incredible. Seriously, watch some of his manual videos. Silky smooth whilst being stupidly fast. Last but not least, Andrew Clark. Hailing from Scotland but now residing in New Zealand, Andrew is the most low-key, chilled-out chap and is as humble as they come. All while having a massive smile on his face. I wanted Chris to meet him and see what he can do, because it really is something special to watch. The rain was coming down as we inhaled our coffees the following morning. But, up the lake, you could see it starting to get brighter. We decided to make a move and go ride some bikes. We parked at the bottom of the Skyline access road and, as we unloaded our bikes, I finally got to take a good look at the new stuff. It was quite the radical departure from your traditional mech. Mounted directly to the frame via a big clevis mount, the derailleur looked slick and futuristic. It had almost taken some of the cyberpunk aesthetic and feel that Hyundai is using in their cars with sharp lines throughout, highlighted by the brushed alloy metal on the black derailleur. The new cassette was a work of art as well. Like, mind-blowing stuff. The new shifter — or pods as SRAM refer to them — have a more traditional, ergonomic design to them compared to the previous generation. It uses a two-button system, one placed above the other, with rubber paddles that require a push to make them feel like a shift versus a tap. The return spring built into the paddle gives you that positive, almost mechanical, feel. They are gorgeous. A change from carbon to alloy, they are unlike anything else on the market well, minus 5 Dev. You can tell they used what they learned about their AI crank program and applied it to this. The final piece that sets these apart, is the return of the bash guard. They mount on the chainring and can be removed if you see fit. The silver and black theme continued here. The polished calipers are a thing of beauty; these have stayed the same as the current codes, but where the changes have been made is in the lever. The levers now run parallel with the bars. It just makes so much sense. No more sticking out at degrees, and the cables run much nicer. Lighter to pull than the previous code RSC. Maybe SRAM is holding it back for another brake. I guess time will tell. We all jumped on our bikes and set off up Skyline access road in search of trails in the beech forest just outside the bike park. Starting at its steepest for the first third, before mellowing off a bit. The steep fire road was the perfect place to test the gears under load. The gradient means you have to put a lot of force through the transmission and, being a road, it let you concentrate on what the gears were doing when you shifted. I guess I was in the perfect place to shift like an idiot under load and test these new gears. It has such a positive feel to it. Lightning fast; instant, precise. Even under load in the worst possible moment to shift, it was still absolutely light years ahead of everything else. Whatever you have learned about not shifting under load, you can now throw out the window. This new system does it with ease. I think a big factor is the added stiffness of the direct mount, and the X Sync teeth on the cassette, but SRAM have also made many tiny tweaks that have really optimised the system. The pace was hot, with Ben leading the charge. The relentless access road mellowed slightly towards mid-way and gave me time to get my breath under control. After a quick break, we set off again up the second part of the road. If you get fitter, you just end up going faster. As the trees start to thin out, you reach the Skyline top gondola. The trail starts off out in the open and winds its way down into the beech forest — this is where it really gets good. We stopped and sessioned bits on the trail while I shot photos. The first feature we stopped on was a bomb hole compression to a small jump. From the get-go, Andrew was blowing minds. He had literally just jumped on the SRAM-equipped Megatower that morning, without any time to get used to it, and rough settings. Smooth as you like. We worked our way down the trail, sessioning different parts. Everyone fed off the energy of each other. Dan would be throwing some huge shapes off the smallest mounds while also travelling at a ridiculous speed through the turns. You could feel the earth trembling as he passed. Chris was the hype man of the day, throwing out hype and stoke every time something cool happened, genuinely so excited by what was going on. Throwing out ideas. It was infectious. Everyone was just going harder and harder. Chris and Ben were bringing their BMX background to the trail. Throwing down tweaks that are better than a lot of the pros, dancing their bikes down the trail in such a beautiful manner. Such a joy to watch. After Missing Link we headed down Creaky Winders and shot some more photos. This is another absolute gem of a trail. It snakes off of Beeched As and is a perfect mix of tech and flow. It keeps you on your feet with lots of little features, surrounded by beautiful beech forest. Everyone was just peaking on this trail; fizzing and pushing each other, over and over. We worked our way down the trail, checking off features as we went. Near the end of the trail, I could tell people were getting tired. Mistakes were happening. I called it a day on the shoot. It was time to head to town and refuel. We followed the Fernhill Loop back to the bike park and down Squid Run in a train. We weaved our way down trying to hold the wheel of Dan. It was another good test of the transmission, which was a lot quieter than my current GX AXS — less chain slap. The shift was more positive even on the way down. It was an absolute blast training down Squid Run at the pace we were going. Borderline dangerous with everyone feeling so tired. At the bottom, we all had huge grins on our faces. We rolled back down to the local watering hole to refuel — there was only one place to go, and Atlas was that place. We fueled up on beer and burgers whilst chatting bikes and trails. Before the inevitable food coma set in, we headed out quickly for a little more time on the products. The more I rode the product, the more I liked using it. It really does improve the enjoyment of climbing. The slightly altered rations in the cassette were also a welcome improvement. No more big jumps between the 42t to 52t; instead you jump, which feels a lot nicer. A good analogy would be to compare driving a car from 10 years ago to driving a brand new, modern car with all the bells and whistles. Both do the same thing, but the newer car is easier to drive, more relaxing, quieter, with more features to assist you. Both laps of the Fernhill area were a blast. The party train down McGnarly was ridiculous. Bikes were dancing left and right over the jumps. Berms were being blown up by Andrew, Dan, Ben and Chris. Dust explosions everywhere. It was flipping awesome. Too much fun. Then things started falling apart on Skyripper. The long day had taken its toll, everyone was tired and mistakes started happening. I set off first, only to hear carnage behind me. Dan had blown off take on the steepest part. I think Andrew also had a wee washout. It was time to call it a day on the riding. We rode back to town and into Vertigo Bikes for Chris to give us the full tech run down on the product and how it works. The purpose of that was to create a better derailleur hanger that bike brands could adopt. It was a standard that made sense and, slowly, more and more bike brands have been getting on board with the standard. It was a solid move forward for the bike industry. This new AXS system builds on top of that: the hanger is replaced by a direct mount clevis system to the frame. In doing this, you massively increase the stiffness and strength of the derailleur. When you induce the hub, frame and axle, it creates an interface that is incredibly stiff and really strong, so much so that you can put your bike on the ground, stand on the derailleur on one foot and get back on your bike, ride away and the shifting will still be perfect. I had my doubts about it until Chris showed us. It was super impressive. The clevis mount combined with the override clutch ensures you have a system that should, in theory, be very hard to put out of tune. SRAM has introduced other technology to these groupsets: flat-top chains that come from their road bike groupset. These increase efficiency and durability while looking flipping awesome. X Sync can now be seen on the cassette, improving the shifting and chain reaction. It really lets you shift under load without the worry of skipping gears. They have gone over everything with a fine-tooth comb. Chris said that they looked at all the warranty data collected over the past 10 years, and tried to eliminate as many of the issues as they could. The way they did was by redesigning the whole system and imagining a new way of doing things. The clevis mount gave the ability to produce a far superior product and gave the engineers more ability to optimise every last bit. There are so many little things they have done that just make it a joy to use, such as the slight bend in the derailleur cage. It helps keep the pulley chain interface better aligned when in the extreme ends of the cassette. There are two different modes to set the cage to, depending on the chainstay length. The new magic jockey wheel, that features on the XX1 and XX1sl models, ensures it will still spin even if an object gets stuck in there. As well as all of this, set up has become easier than ever before. Well, shit does happen and, in that case, on a normal hanger mech situation, both of them would probably be a full write-off and due for the bin. It is really that strong and stiff. The good news is that the rest of the derailleurs are rebuildable. If you do damage a part, it will most likely be replaceable. You can remove the cage without using any tools. A simple little tap while unscrewing the cage will loosen it up. The tension spring and clutch are now built into the cage. Servicing and cleaning these parts is super easy and something that can be done in no time at all. The protection covers on the B-knuckle and outer link ensures they are fully replaceable, or upgradeable to the XX skid plate. Is your mech looking a bit scratched up and tired after a year of use and abuse? Simply slap some new ones on and it will look brand new. The next day we were up and out, bright and early again. Straight back up Skyline access road then straight up the Ben Lomond walking track. Now, this is a walking track, but there must have been something in the crew coffee that morning because they pedaled up the whole thing. There was now m of vertical descent ahead of us, back down to Queenstown. What a treat to be had. We hopped onto Upper Missing Link and stopped at the rock feature near the top. There, I had this idea for a photo I wanted to shoot. Everyone had a run-through, wall riding on the rock, and I got what I wanted. Chris pushed back up to hit it again. He came into the rock at a weird angle, going straight into it; next thing he extended his bike up over vertical and foot planted on the rock. Everyone was freaking out. It was so unreal! Next, Dan and Andrew started giving it a go. Popping up high before planting the foot, with the bike basically upside down. It was mind-bending. If they got the foot placement wrong, it would have been a good fall down the other side. Dan and Andrew just shut the rock down. Amazing stuff. We continued down Upper Missing Link, weaving and dancing our way along the ridgeline, the narrow singletrack snaking through rocks and tussocks. From there, we headed down what you could argue is one of the best trails in New Zealand. A true mix of everything. Three trails in one — flowing, flat-out beech forest and dark turny pines to Val de Sol-like rock gardens. Flat out straights into tight turns. Cornflakes cover the track and hide the roots below. The new brakes really started to show their improvement over the old ones. The power seemed to have increased, the lighter lever feel was a welcome addition, easing the arm pump on this long run. The classic SRAM modulation was still there, offering heaps of control. Once you finish the beech part of this trail, you hit the dark pine at what feels like warp speed. From there, you head through a small slither of Sycamores, lighting the place up in green haze. The dirt in this section is treacherous in the wet, almost like riding on ice. Finally, you end up with what I imagine a fresh, slightly tamer version of Val de Sol would feel like: deep loam and lots of rocks. I was barreling through this section and smoked the derailleur into something. The sound was horrendous. To my absolute amazement, it was fine. Although it sure looked like it had been hit — there were scratches, a big chunk of material missing and rock debris — the shifting was still absolutely perfect. If this was any other system, this would not have been the case. Really impressive. You know where this ends. Only one place to go then — back to Atlas. We cheers-ed to a fantastic weekend of riding over some cold crisp pints. What a weekend. What amazing trails. What a tremendous crew. And — what a fantastic transmission! The new benchmark has been set. SRAM has really knocked it out of the park on this. The shifting is light years ahead of the others. Will this groupset make you faster? Will this groupset enhance the experience of your ride? Going off the reliability of the previous AXS stuff — which was in my opinion the best out there — this should be able to last an apocalypse. Hesitant to buy another expensive, sugar-packed, individually wrapped energy bar? This homemade granola bar is a snack that tastes great and is built to survive being bashed around in your pocket or hip bag. Winding the clock back, I started in the role of GT team and performance manager back in November The northern hemisphere summer has been and gone. For me, in a diverse role supporting GT Factory Racing GTFR , this came with thanks after many long days spent track side, pointing at riding lines scattered with rocks, roots, dust and mud; being holed up in event villages running errands, cooking meals, making coffee, setting up team pit infrastructure only to tear it down again; travel days navigating narrow Scottish roads in long, heavy team vehicles, attempting to peel tyres off rental cars, boarding ferries and flights spanning oceans, countries and continents; and of course, in classic GT Factory Racing style, our fair share of good times. Soon enough, I was buried in online meetings, planning the racing season, and numerous spreadsheets as the management staff ground through all of the leg work that would allow the team to operate during the racing season. In the off season months, it looks and feels like any administrative role. Duties include event planning: from building out the team calendar for the season, booking flights and accommodation, all the way through to working closely with the chef team that supports us at the World Cups. On the performance side, I am frequently in contact with the riders so that the team is updated and aware of their off season progress and so we can keep them updated on any news coming from GT HQ or team partners. On this aspect of the role, my experience as a former professional rider is valuable in ensuring the riders are supported and that the team can assist them in their professional and athletic development. Ultimately though, the athletes on the team are highly motivated and require only guidance as we work together to refine their approach to top level international racing. On the marketing and business side there are general communications aspects of the role, to ensure info is flowing in all directions between the team, several of the GT business functions and GTFR team partners. In addition, there is budgeting and budget tracking. During the off season months, I work closely with Steve Spencer on the sports marketing side at GT HQ and Mark Maurissen, who works on the product and tech side for the team, taking care of all product ordering and allocations for the team as well as supporting the logistics planning. During the season, Mark is both a mechanic and logistics operations support. During the racing season, my job morphs into more of an operations role as the season plan rolls out week by week, race by race. The hours stack up quickly with early mornings in the pits helping the mechanics set up for the day, and generally end late with planning for the next day and site clean-up. Energy is what you need for this part of the job, especially since we are a relatively small factory team and one of only a few that compete in both the Downhill World Cup and Enduro World Series EWS. For most of the Downhill World Cups in we were four to five staff looking after four riders, compared to the likes of Commencal Muc-off who have upwards of 10 staff for four to five riders. My days at the events are stacked with general race and team admin, such as assisting with the maintenance of team equipment and supplementary grocery shopping. On the performance side, it becomes more intensive at the events, ensuring riders have what they need to do their job well. For DH that means standing track side sighting lines, coaching or suggesting racing tactics and strategies. Sometimes communicating with mechanics about bike set up is required. During the peak of the season sometimes all we can do is react. Dealing with cancelled flights thanks Easy Jet , adjusting race plans as the inevitable injuries pop up and just generally rolling with the punches that are thrown at you daily when you are managing a dozen people traveling and racing all over the world is par for the course. Soon enough, the racing season was underway, and we were on the ground putting plans into action. At this point, we were still missing Jess Blewitt from the team, due to her delayed return to international racing after taking the entire New Zealand summer off to ensure full recovery from the injuries she sustained at the World Cup finals in Snowshoe. Nevertheless, we still had a strong group of riders in Ethan Craik, Ryan Pinkerton and, of course, none other than Wyn Masters. Although highlights of this first block of racing included all riders making the podium at a Portugal Cup downhill race, and sucking on juicy Portuguese oranges, the Lourdes World Cup was a reality check. This race showed us the brutal nature of World Cup Downhill racing both in terms of the course and quality of the athletes. This, along with a revised focus after Round 1 and having Jess back on board, was a huge boost for the team and paved the way for several substantial steps in a positive direction. Despite Jess picking up a small fracture in her collar bone, her pace was on target for a solid result and Ethan was riding on pace for a top 10 — 15 result until he unluckily misjudged a heavily degrading corner and fell victim to the wet and windy Scottish conditions on finals day. Having been a professional international racer myself, from — , I understand the pressures and demands the riders and teams face. I have had many successes at the top level of the sport. These were often that I was not prepared to race at the highest level due to physical, mental or emotional shortcomings, or that I was just not executing my races in a free and relaxed state. This was true for the Enduro team. There was no flow happening both in and out of the events. Things were just not happening as easily as they should have been for the quality of the team we were on paper. The struggle continued into rounds 2 and 3 of the World Series, in Slovenia and Italy. Noga Korem looked like she was riding well on track, but was just not feeling completely confident at full race pace. Katy Winton was in a similar position, but was feeling like there was something deeper at play holding her back. After fighting through an entire season as a privateer in , her efforts to get to this point in mid — and back on a factory team — were becoming too much to sustain the detail-oriented approach that is required to maintain the level of performance Katy and the team expected. So Katy bravely made the decision to suspend her racing season so that she could take some time to reflect and dig into what factors were holding her back. With the first major travel and racing blocks of under our belt at GT Factory Racing, we had forward momentum on our side regardless of the positive or negative nature of the situation. I personally find it better to at least know where you stand and from that point feel equipped with the facts so you can address the situation as it presents. Jess rounded out the season strongly by achieving another podium place finish at the World Cup finals in Val di Sole, on the most technically and physically demanding course of the year. Ethan, in his first year as an elite male, also achieved a career first when he placed seventh in his first elite Top 10 at the Mont Saint Anne World Cup, and was showing serious speed at the World Champs until a crash on the morning of race day slowed him down substantially. Finally, Ryan Pinkerton rode to a solid second place at the World Cup finals, topping off his first year in the junior ranks. But, if you think it was all champagne showers for the team, I should mention a challenging travel day from Washington Dulles airport after the Snowshoe World Cup, to Mont Sainte Anne for the following race. The day started early with two flights from Dulles to Quebec, via Toronto. Since many of the World Cup Downhill and Cross Country teams were flying into Quebec City airport at that time, there was no chance of any rental stock being available that would allow us to move seven people around Quebec and Vermont for the following two weeks. In the end, we decided to fight that fight another day. After taking taxis to Mont Saint Anne, we sat at one of a few local restaurants and ordered dinner — which took forever to reach the table. After a late finish to the meal, we decided it was time to check into the two apartments I had booked for the week. The check in process ended around midnight with Mark breaking down a door to one of the apartments as the digital panel controlling the lock had failed. With that, you start to understand the mental approach and skillset that is required when being part of a team of 12 people who for five months of the year are constantly on the move and not always in the same place, let alone the same time zones. By mid-September, there were just the final two EWS races remaining in the international season for the team. For these last events we were still missing Katy, but through her time spent away from the races, reflecting, she was beginning to see the early steps required to return to racing at the top level. In terms of outright results, Noga finished the season very strongly by placing fourth at both the Crans Montana and Loudenvielle races, and was once again having fun at the races and on her bike. This was a relief for her and the team. Ultimately, I do this because I enjoy the process of learning and striving for performance but what really makes it so good is seeing the riders expand their personal horizons and have fun racing their bikes. Since the end of the season, after the final EWS race in Loudenvielle, we have had the chance to back off the gas, unwind and spend some time recovering physically and mentally. However, for those at the sharp end of this business, this time of the year is utilised as a chance to reflect on the past season while it is still fresh in the mind. While it is a good time of year to catch up on any night time reading that is missed during the season, it is also a chance to take notes and brainstorm new ways of doing things, that could be implemented in order to improve performance. Since the end of the season, we have already overcome some of the challenges that presented themselves over the year. But, we have many more ahead of us. For me, this is the lure of being part of a team competing in the highest level of competition, in any context. No matter what the result, there is always more to be improved on. Competing in an environment such as this forces teams through a process and journey of improvement. Although there are still many months until the Downhill season kicks off, the first EWS races take place at the end of March, in Tasmania. Undoubtedly, his kids will have let his potential sponsors know that Sam, their dad, should really be giving them his undivided attention. But this is the new normal for Sam. The Juggle. I personally remember watching Sam ride at the Rotorua World Mountain Bike Championships where he came second in the juniors. I was blown away by how fast he was riding and just how much style he had on the bike — his bike seemed to effortlessly drift through corners, through the air, always slightly sideways, slightly tweaked. Somehow, he made it look more fun than anyone else. Fast forward to and Sam is now one of the seasoned veterans on the World Cup circuit. And a lot has changed over that time. Most notably, he now has a wife and two children to join him as he moves around the globe following the UCI circuit. With his experience on the circuit, and confidence to try something different, in , he ditched the established way of doing things, bought a motorhome and hit the road racing; wife and two kids along for the ride too, as support crew. But he assured me it was fine. How was it for his wife, Lysh, though? She had to deal with our younger one in the motorhome; there is all the feeding. It was like learning a new way of racing; racing while being a dad. It was great being with them and not just having the race as the only thing. It was like being on holiday with the family, but getting to race too, which was like an awesome bonus. This change of pace seems to suit Sam. The more we talk, the more he seems to relax. It can actually be quite boring a lot of the time. Everything had to be absolutely perfect. But despite the highs of having his family on the road with him, the challenge any professional athlete faces is that results still matter. So, I asked him if he had achieved what he wanted to this year? He missed out on qualifying for the main event, a race that is usually one of his favourites and one he performs well on. I missed out on qualifying by half a second. But, with the family there, it was completely different. It was just the best thing ever. Sam seems to have been able to carve out a career as a racer that is pretty enviable, and the longevity of it all is unique. In fact, just staying healthy in a high risk sport like downhill is a challenge; always balancing risk and reward. He agrees. The risk is so high. You need to be comfortable with it. Staying healthy, staying on the bike, and showing up to races year in, year out has helped Sam keep sponsors happy. He has just finished up a contract with Norco, after seven years working together, to explore something new. The managers get paid because of you; the budget is massive to move a team around. The amount of money that gets blown is unreal. With Norco, about twenty people were involved with the team; mechanics, ex riders, masseuse, other staff, an on-track guy. They were a Canadian team, so lots of them would go to the race and then fly back to Canada each week. So I just knew I could do something simpler that would still allow me to make it work. Sam seems to be confident in his own experience. I still believe my riding is at that level. Sponsors often have more to offer than I think they do. Taking charge of his own program is about creating new opportunities. In terms of the industry, to be honest, it is probably the worst time to do it. There are other changes on the horizon, too. Something that has a lot of riders, Sam included, curious to see how it all unfolds. Plus, there are lots of unknowns. The Crankworx guys, though — you go to the race, and they do everything for you. They are so supportive of you; they help you out with everything. They just really take care of the riders. They just pack the events in, too. At Rotorua this year I had the downhill practice, slalom and pump track all in one day. The people love it. But his off season is more than just being off the circuit, its exploring other passions too. Hunting is the same, you have to be calm. Nineteen years in any career that takes you on the road for six months of every year is a challenge that could wear thin, but it seems to suit Sam just fine. I just — still — love racing. To be honest, in my off season I hardly ride a bike. I just do other things — hunting, fishing, diving, and spending time with the kids. Just having other things going on aside from racing is so important. I just rode my bike every day, did dirt jumps, pushed up to do downhill runs, XC — whatever I could do. It was all about biking. Genuine that he really does still just love riding his bike, but hungry for more too. Can a photo be life changing? Well, this is what happened to me. I was a know-it-all grom, working in a bike shop in Scotland. On my lunch break, I was flicking through a UK-based mountain bike magazine when I stopped turning the pages, captivated by this one image that caught my eye. It was a photo of a beautiful golden landscape, featuring three riders carving their way down this unbelievable bit of track that snaked its way through the orange, sun-kissed hillside. There were huge mountains in the background. The corners of the track looked like those perfect berms you only dream about, and dust clouds tailed the riders, highlighted by the evening sun. The golden orange light contrasted the dark moody hills perfectly in the background. It was such a defining photo. A photo that I needed to know more about. It looks like paradise. A couple of years after first seeing that photo, I moved to Aotearoa New Zealand, the land of the long white cloud, and set up camp on the alpine shores of Lake Whakatipu. From the moment I stepped off the plane, I knew this place was something special. The mountain air felt dense. Jagged, craggy mountain peaks towered over the lake, while the small, sunny town below basked in the late evening sun. The energy of the town seemed to echo through the valleys. I remember getting a taxi from the airport to town and seeing the Skyline Gondola for the first time. It literally went straight up — like, vertical. How was that even possible?! How could there be trails off that hill? My mind was blown. The first summer I spent here, I experienced as many of the myriad trails as possible. I would finish work and commute home via the gondola back to Fernhill. There were just so many trails to explore and places to see. I kept having to pinch myself to remember I was really living here, in Dreamstown. This place really made an impression on me. But something weird happened after living and riding in this amazing place for a summer. It would be hard not to talk about the trails whilst on the topic of Queenstown. There is such a variety, spanning the 7 Mile riding area to Arrowtown. Over a weekend, you would be lucky to just scratch the surface of the amount of riding there is. Every year, this network grows, and us Queenstown riders get better and better trails. In the past few years, the quality of new trails has skyrocketed. This trail was an instant classic and is now known across the world. Like an artist with his paintbrush, he has this amazing ability to build perfect bits of trail that become instant hits. Kepler Rek, local trail building legend, was working at Skyline Gondola from , as a lifty and running trail maintenance. In he started transforming the Queenstown Bike Park and moved up the ranks to the manager of the bike park. This is when the bike park started to transform into what it is now — up there as one of the best in the world. Before , all the trails had a bit of an old-school feel about them; very fast and straight. Nothing lined up well; they were very janky, you could say. Once Kep was on the scene, he started the process of transformation. This was the catalyst for the rest of the park getting rebuilt. Things got de-janked, rebuilt and realigned — and safety was also improved. It was such a shift forward, and every year things kept getting better in the park. More trails were built with more variety of terrain, including new blue and green trails, so riders of all abilities could test their limits. It also brought the trails up to a modern, sustainable standard that improved flow whilst also leaving character. In , Kep joined the Elevate Trail Building team. From that point, Tom and Kep went on to build and shape the next generation of Queenstown mountain bike trails, such as Nearly McGnarly and Hot Rod — trails that are now world-famous. These are trails that work for all abilities, from beginners to the best riders in the world. For many people visiting Queenstown, Nearly McGnarly and Hot Rod are on the must-ride list — but there is so much more to be enjoyed. From flowing beech forest singletrack, like Missing Link, to Creaky Winder and steep, techy trails like Salmon Run — and everything in between. Just last year, Kep went on to start his own company, Dirt Tec Trails, with Skyline taking a back seat in running the bike park. Dirt Tec Trails is now in charge of all the maintenance in the park and I have to say, the park has never been better. Dirt Tec Trails is also lending a hand to other projects around town — most recently, the new BluGazi trail. To say we are spoiled for passionate trail builders in Queenstown is an understatement. Since forming in , the club has really brought to life the vision of so many people, making Queenstown a world-famous destination for mountain biking. There is an ever-changing group that takes the reins of this juggernaut of a club. Every year at the AGM, club members can nominate themself to become committee members for the following year. This constant change of committee members keeps the club moving forward and ensures fresh ideas come in year after year. These committee members are the true unsung heroes of the mountain biking scene in Queenstown. From trail network planning and gaining land consents, to running weekly dig nights, local jump sessions, fundraising events and getting new members on board, the work this club achieves is endless. What the club gets done is monumental but, through all this, we have this amazing thriving group of locals that just keeps growing and growing. Every year, membership numbers go up and the club receives more consent for trails; the community grows, and new trails get built. Overall, this club has been such a benefit to the Queenstown region and its community. The network of trails that spans the basin is the artery that joins everything together all thanks to the Queenstown Trails Trusts. The QTT is responsible for the gravel trails that connect the Queenstown area together, giving access to different parts of the region without the need to ride on busy roads. With over km of gravel trails in the area, there is more than enough to keep you busy. These trails and networks are all possible due to the hard work QTT puts in. In the lead-up to the World Cup, Enduro World Series, and Crankworx seasons, there is a whole host of teams and pros that come to town for testing and training. People that you have never even heard of, who can outride the best. There is something in the water here. People will come for a season and progress so much in that time. Being able to ride after work probably helps a lot — and I mean, literally from your office to the bike park, just two minutes out of town — but another big factor is being able to ride with people that are better than you. The progression levels of everyone seem to go up every year. The next generation coming up are talented beyond what I can comprehend. They are so incredibly fast and stylish. I think one of the reasons we have so many fast grommets in town is due to the Vertigo Summer Series race events. The main man behind this series is Paul Angus a. He lives and breathes the sport that we all love. His passion for downhill is prevalent from the moment you step foot into Vertigo Bikes. Pictures of the staff out shredding the local trails, cover the walls. A grassroots race series that consists of four rounds, with the Whakatipu World Champs wrapping it up. Pang and Jimi pour their heart and soul into these well-organised races, which are a passion project of theirs, along with volunteers who donate their time on race day. The turnout is huge and normally you have to pre-register to enter. All the funds raised at the races go back to the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club. The groms make up a huge number of participants and their times are within seconds of the elites. Each race is on a different track and often have fresh bits of track dug in for the racing. The atmosphere at the side of the track is electric. This tiny yet wholesome pub will be packed to the brim with locals after finishing their ride. There are bikes everywhere, parked up all over the place, and smiles and cheers getting thrown about left, right and centre. Big hearty pints are being poured from the range of 24 beer taps that consume the wall of the bar, and the warm, welcoming atmosphere sucks you in. Other bike memorabilia is scattered around the place, and the friendly staff always want to know about your ride as they pour you a beverage to quench your thirst. The staff outdo themselves every year by putting so much effort into these great events that see a huge turnout — they are always a night to remember. What really makes this place oh-so-special? They really make this place what it is. After a few years of living here, Queenstown is my home. When I head away on holiday, instead of dreading coming home, I find myself looking forward to being back. The breathtaking landscape, vibrant energy and unbelievably good trails on its doorstep, really make this a special place. Words: Meagan Robertson Photography: Specialized. Thanks to its Soil Searching initiative — created to recognise, celebrate and support trail builders — Specialized has helped enable future trail building efforts through one local legend and a generous Trail Fund donation. Designed for trail building, and to reward trail builders, the Mountain Guardian is one of 50 Soil Searching Specialized Levos produced worldwide. In a country known for its incredibly high number of volunteers, the nominations came in hard and fast, with more than committed and talented trail builders in the running. In the end, we decided on a guy that sums up what Soil Searching is all about — Marty Richards. A key part of the Cable Bay Adventure Park trail crew based in Nelson, Marty is a trail builder that leads by example. He never asks for anything, or expects anything in return, and truly does it for the love of mountain biking. He has inspired and imparted a lot of knowledge to a wide group of people, which has helped grow the competence of trail builders in the region. This is a group of teenagers from a variety of backgrounds who come out to the Adventure Park to regularly dig and maintain trails with Marty. Richard says Marty is so committed to ensuring the best experience for Cable Bay riders that he has — largely by himself — built a 1km walking track for the sole purpose of getting walkers and other non-mountain bike users off the main exit trail at the park. He is never looking for recognition and just gets on and does what he loves — digging and riding. The region would undoubtably be significantly poorer without his massive efforts. Marty was absolutely thrilled to receive the Mountain Guardian and is already putting it to good use! With one Mountain Guardian out the door, Specialized looked to further support trail building through a different channel — Trail Fund NZ. Founded in , Trail Fund NZ is a not-for-profit organisation, run solely by volunteers, supporting the development and maintenance of publicly available, environmentally sensitive and sustainable mountain bike-accessible trails in New Zealand. It is also committed to providing funding for — and education on — trail building, as well as advocating on behalf of mountain bikers to Government. From Thames to Taupo to Wanaka to Bluff, from Grade 5 singletrack to skills parks, Trail Fund has tried to cater for riders of all abilities around the country. And now, thanks to Specialized donating the proceeds of the second Mountain Guardian to Trail Fund NZ, the organisation can provide even more grants than normal in the coming months. The deadline is 1 December. Yes, these are rice cakes. They are a super simple staple that will keep you fuelled during long days on the bike. Bonus — they are easily made ahead and carried on a ride. Add anything from maple and bacon to blueberries and chunks of dark chocolate. Search Cart. Make the night before and enjoy for breakfast before or after your ride the following day. In a blender cup, add the remaining frozen berries, milk, water and protein powder and blend for 10 seconds. Pour the wet ingredients on top of the oat mixture and mix well. Store in fridge and enjoy the next day for breakfast. Top with any fruit, or peanut butter, if you wish. Total time to make: 10 minutes. Oats will keep in the fridge for two days. After sixty plus hours of sleep deprived pedal of sleep deprived pedal turning, events felt a turning, events felt a little less cohesive and little less cohesive and the world nonuniform. Distance: Visibly, mildly distressed I was approached by aI was approached by a young family with ayoung family with a backpack baby, insistingbackpack baby, insisting wildly generous help. All good rides finish with a beer, right? Well done. Spread the oats onto a baking tray and toast them in the oven for about 15min. Let the dates cool down for a bit, then blend them to a smooth puree. Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir until all ingredients are covered. Remove the tray from the oven, let it cool down before placing another baking parchment on top then adding another baking tray or flat object on top with some weight to hold it down I used water bottles. Let it cool fully overnight, cut the bars, and enjoy. The Racing Season Soon enough, the racing season was underway, and we were on the ground putting plans into action. Reflections Since the end of the season, after the final EWS race in Loudenvielle, we have had the chance to back off the gas, unwind and spend some time recovering physically and mentally. A little slice of paradise. Marty Richards. Method — In a rice cooker, combine your water, rice, sugar, and coconut oil. Turn it on white rice setting, if your rice cooker specifies and let cook. Once cooked, mix cream cheese and vanilla into rice. Spoon into a large zip-closure freezer bag. Flatten, smooth the air out and leave to cool on a flat tray. Once cool, transfer to the refrigerator to chill overnight. In the morning, slide your tasty slab of rice onto a cutting board. Cut into approximately 20 squares. You can either keep them all together in an airtight container, or individually wrap them in foil. Either way, they should be stored in the fridge until needed. Refrigerated, they will keep for about four days.

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