SPEX

NO No no silly! You don't drink it, its for your tyres...

Cape To Cape MTB

A few weeks ago, Ascend Sport came to us with an idea to send us to a brand new event in WA. This is the first time that an event such as this has been run, and its attracted some more than considerable backing from various corporates and also Government! Its going to be large, is the message we're getting loud and clear.




Having personally been to a National XC/DH round over in WA, I can't wait to get back there! Its a beautiful place, so diverse and varied, and any time you can get near that amazing water its a good day. And, the sun sets over the water, a nice treat for us living on the eastern sea board!





And so, the crux of the announcement is this: Ascend are graciously offering us the opportunity to go to WA to participate in a 4 day mountain bike event taking in some amazing terrain in the Southwest corner of the state.





"The world-famous tourist destination of the south-west corner of WA is marked by the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse at the southern tip and the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse at the northern tip. The Cape to Cape MTB will run from Cape Leeuwin to Cape Naturaliste along a network of bush tracks, forest trails, roads and old railway lines. It will be held over four stages with the option to ride all four stages, two stages or one stage." - Cape to Cape MTB




To coincide with this event, Ascend is currently planning to use the opportunity as a 'soft launch' (thats marketing speak for 'without too much fanfare') of their awesome new electrolyte drinks, Muscle bars and Recovery bars. If you are lucky enough to be able to get to the event, and we hope you make the effort, you'll be able to wrap your laughing gear around some of them. Failing that, you'll be finding them online shortly!!




And hopefully we'll get the opportunity to ride some of the areas' notorious pea gravel. Ball bearings in dust, the stuff that Sam Hill eats for breakfast!




Bring it on!!

Hell ride back at full effect

As Jason mentioned, there is something coming up that has us both out on the bikes as much as possible, but I'll post about that shortly. Firstly to hark back to thursday night just gone, with rides growing in numbers as the weather fines up, I found myself at Tour De 'Burbs with a collection of other mountain bikers but specifically fellow Ascend/Nightlighting rider John Claxton. Descending down Foote Street out east, we were bombing down a steep dip in essentially darkness and using the descent to carry our speed up the other side. About halfway down and over 70km/h, John hit a pothole and had both front and rear tyres explode....

Sudden deflation is enough of a fright standing beside the bike, but with a bunch in excess of 100 riders, in the dark, over 70k's on a steep decent, it would be fair to say we all shat! Chaos ensued, John kept it upright and slowed to a safe stop, we all regained our composure whilst people not aware of what happened yelled about riders stopping on a descent, oblivious to one very white Claxton!! Check out his version of events at his blog, tell 'im we sent you!

SCARY!


Anyway, hell ride this morning - its big. And getting bigger... And fast too! 55kph along the flats was the standard there and back, and I'm doing my level best to stay in the mix, but it was all without incident and it was happy days. The above photo was as the bunch rolled out at the start, but they extend about 2/3rds of the way to the corner in the photo - hard to see but it was a large bunch! Average of 37kph for 87km, none to shabby I thought, but cycling is in no danger of dying out! There was SO many riders out on the beach this morning, it was almost enough to send a bloke into the hills!

Grand morning to ride in the Dandys!

With Feltepix heading interstate some time soon it has sparked off some much needed training. So with the AFL grand final on I headed out early into the hills to try and get this task over and done with before the real training/drinking started.
The roads were dead quite for the entire loop.
Barmy weather but there is still fog around, go figure!!
As you can see by the number of pics taken on the ride intensity was no where to be found on my behalf.
If you have been riding in the nongs over winter you will be loving the change in the weather. Hopfully now there will be no need to allow for -2 temps over the back near Emerald at 10am in the morning. But saying that, it is Melbourne so who knows what weather is around the corner??

SPEX has arrived!!

After much testing and development, we finally received the new SPEX line of products from OZRiders.com.au!



Its been about 6 months since the idea was floated by OzRiders.com.au, that a 'better mousetrap' could be invented for tyre sealant. I can say having using other brands for a while, as well as 'homemade' sealant, and the prototype SPEX, I believe that the SPEX is the best one I've used. The reason for that is 2 fold; firstly the granules, or SPEX that are suspended in the SPEX tyre sealant seem to work really well, and reliably. Often, tyre sealants are hit and miss. You might say 'oh, that hole was just too big to seal' but it seems that SPEX worked far more often than not, so I believe it is a better product. Secondly, it seems to last really well. I used another well known brand for a while, and it seemed to ball up quite readily. SPEX lasts a long time in its liquid state!

So, SPEX is now ready for purchase. OzRiders.com.au is currently being updated, and the new site is due to go live next week. On the new site, there will be an online shop, as well as tech info and techniques for the new SPEX, and there will also be a launch of the new colours in the famous OzRiders HighDensity grips so be sure to check that out.

And finally, the bit that everyone wants to know...

A bottle of SPEX which contains 500ml with a screw cap and an induction seal (for safe transport), good for 10 tyres per bottle, will set you back $35. Search around, do the math, and see if you can find a better deal. Chances are, you won't! Absolutely top quality, lab tested (seriously!!)Australian made, developed for the riding conditions YOU ride, immediate shipping (subject to cleared funds) and a local Melbourne rider you all know who is behind it all!

SPEX - get on it now!

And naturally, we'll be letting you know how it goes as time goes by!

Send orders or any queries you might have to this address right here, and Jimmy will get back to you ASAP!

(more news to come for Felt Epix tommorrow.)


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EDIT: Felt 2009!!

They're coming!!

Cycling news has all the latest information, but more specifically you can find it here

DintaBike is showing all the latest models and changes from Felt, and it would appear that they are taking on board our suggestions from our Epix rides! (thats a joke, we don't quite have that much pull..)

Regardless, the list of changes that will offer improvements to our style of adventure include a kinked down tube to run a standard front mech, slightly slacker head angle, increasingly beefed up linkages throughout, and the pivot hardware has been completely redone to minimize the chances of coming loose. So all up, its a more rigid, compact, user friendly setup, heading towards a full trail bike.

PERFECT!! Photos are all at Cycling news, but I can't seem to find a way to borrow them, so the links above will take you there! Remember, you saw it first here kids! (well second really, but hey..)

You Yangs Epix Video

You Yangs Epix 2008

What a cracker of a day! With light breeze, mild temps and a great crew, we hit up the dusty You Yangs MTB park for a wobble around, and to explore all the new trails they have built!

VERY IMPRESSIVE!

Whilst I wait for the video to upload, we ponder where the You Yangs trails are going to sit on our top 10 ultimate singletracks... Its going to be up there, thats for damn sure!!

So, Youtube struggles along uploading the video, and as such, you will be able to see it most likely on Monday morning.

Check it out then, and if anyone has some suggestions for their local trails that they'd like to show us around, post up in the comments section and we'll get in touch with you.

Resuming transmission

Its being a bit sporadic again at Felt Epix, sorry about that... The real world continues to intrude on us, but no matter, we shall prevail!

Thursday night saw the both of us get out and about at the 'Tour de burbs', with it being my first time out and about. 'Twas a nice little roll, and good to catch up with some people at the same time, so consider it recommended. On the way home, I was able to have a good play with my new iBlaast lights as well, the power of them blew me away! So simple, and yet so much light!!

Sunday will be anther Epix, this time returning to the happy hunting ground that is the You Yangs MTB park, and with a mediocre day forecast with the weather, hopefully it will be alright. And with any luck, we'll be able to bring you shots of the latest offering from OzRiders.com.au as well!!

So, riding, epix, 4wd and a few larger Epix starting to form on the radar, its all happening as we roll towards summer! Bring it on, I'm seeing some good adventures forming!




And after a week on the shovel at work, I can let you know that Ascend works...!! Real world testing says thumbs up!

Let the adventures begin...

To search for the ultimate single track we need transport.
I know this will help us. If we are really lucky we may even get out and ride our bikes some time!

Let the searching begin...

And once again, Sam Hill gives us a bit more to go on with. Check out the first shoulder charge of the tree, and then the high speed tank slapper right at the end, and he still gets 2nd place... Amazing stuff!

A long night in New Zealand

I got a text today to let us know that Bellie, Randall and Rhino all had success at the 12 hour in New Zealand on the weekend.

Ben and Rhino raced in the combined pairs and 3's and early results show that they won by over a lap.

Bellie raced solo class naturally, and the similarly early results show that he won by over 2 laps.

Well done to 'em, and I hear that they are off to hit some secret Rotorua singletrack tomorrow, so check out their respective blogs for photos and stories, and Vorb probably has all the latest NZ goings on for those looking to waste some time.

Furthering the fields?

So as promised, something new!




Could this be the new vehicle that Epix has gotten a hold of? I know we both 'test drove' it on Saturday night, and I can just see it with a few bikes in the back, some camping gear and us road tripping along somewhere in summer!

Perhaps its not, but there definitely is another vehicle at Felt Epix. If only we could find a photo of it to post up... Soon soon...

Back onto riding news however, and we hit up the Hell ride last weekend for a saturday squirt, along with Andy Bell, a few other mountain bikers including Neil Robinson, and fellow Nightlightning and Ascend rider John Claxton. With at least 150 of our closest friends also in our company, it was going to be a hectic morning. And sure enough. Shelling out the riff raff at the start is common practice, yet there was still a hell of a lot of riders, with the bunch still huge at the turnaround at MT Eliza. Come back, there was that much chopping and hooking that the call was made to pull the pin and save skin for another day, and with some of us still having a long ride back home, there was a few fully skinned yet tired people by the mid morning.

Round the Bay hasn't got a patch on a weekly training ride. Bikes are back this summer, in a big way! I think roving first aid supplies on beach road could be a new business venture for an opportunist!

And another Epix is in the planning, with some other cool new stuff also in the pipeline, which we'll bring to you as soon as it happens! And finally, OzRiders.com.au are releasing their long awaited tyre sealant this month, called SPEX so look out for it here and amongst the local riders first!

Mountain bike parks ahoy...

Down on the coast, as many of us know, they get into their mountain biking in a huge way. And with some awesome trails out there, why wouldn't you?

So much so, that with the support of Parks Vic and a cast of thousands, the Forrest MTB crew have launched a brand new website to show you what is on offer down Forrest way. In fact, its tempted us to get back down there when the weather warms up a touch to check it all out. In the meantime, we strongly recommend you have a good look at the new website

Bring on the mountain bike parks!!

Mmm, something new is coming...!!

I think the adventures may be going a little further afield from now on...!