MTB Track - Forsyth's Mill

Just getting back into the MTB groove after a break from late 2012.

I've decided to try and hit up a few more tracks this year as I tend to get stuck into riding just a couple of favourites - chiefly because it takes me forever to learn the layout and only then do I get up any semblance of speed!

Anyway, hitting up the Perth Mountain Bike Club website I picked out Forsyth's Mill near Sawyers Valley, which sounded fairly good and not too far of a drive (45 mins from my inner city suburb as it turns out).

Nice drive out to the place on an early morning weekday, arrived at 6:45am to an empty and well laid out carpark, complete with picnic tables and ablutions block, and some cool but just-up-sunny conditions, and after a quick warmup, checked out the trailhead info and then crawled off down the trail for an initial exploratory lap.

Ended up doing three laps for 17km in total (the main blue level trail is 5.5kms) - was thinking of a fourth but my shoulders were complaining after my having tried to go through trees instead of around them! No offs, but a few grazes from this non-advisable tree-butting technique.

Short story: looks like I have another track to slot into the favorites!

Characterised by the closeness and abundance of trees throughout a significant portion of the circuit (there's quite a few close tree gaps to squeeze through, including a through-tree, and more than one low hanging branch), the run is nevertheless very flowy with no great elevations changes, and one I'd characterise as toward the easier blue diamond level.

Whilst generally narrow, the track is fairly smooth, with only a couple of rock garden sections (nothing too challenging in that regard, although one garden is strategically placed at the end of a longish slow, winding climb) and the major restraint to progress is the often tight twistys and proximity of trees to thread around. There's generally a small or sometimes larger berm on the turns (a few with loose pea gravel) and maintaining speed is fairly easy, although if you are on a 29er as I was, some of the tighter turns require you to use all available real estate. Passing may be a bit of an issue, with the occasional wider fire trail sections spread apart and quite short in length.

Apart from the aforementioned rock gardens, there is little in the way of other natural ground impediments, with the occasional small log over and odd rock drop. On the last portion of the track there are a number of TTFs classified as single black diamond, including a Shore feature comprising a ramp, small gap jump to a flat and then a metre drop off; a wood ramp log over, and a log ramp log over. Didn't try the Shore as I'm a bit of a safety weeny when I'm riding by myself, but the ramp and platform are fairly wide, the gap isn't that great as long as you carry some speed up the ramp from the clean approach, and the drop off isn't anything too daunting, with the landing area straight and clean. If you'd rather take the B line around these TTFs no problems, as both the black and blue lines are clearly marked on top of very visible yellow poles. Interestingly, only the B line for the wood ramp log over ads any significant time penalty if you are racing around.

There are a couple of really great sections in the last third of the track: a very swoopy and bermy turns section which is huge fun and rewards smoothness, a short twisty up and down section with jumps and dips through close dense forest, and a two jump series which can be taken at high speed as long as you remember the 90 degree right hand berm immediately you hit the ground after the second jump!

All in all, a great little track, and one that doesn't require a lot of familiarisation but will reward repeated laps with noteable speed increases. As a lower intermediate level rider, I really loved it.

There is also a very short green level track for beginners, although as it merges with the blue level track at the end, keep an eye out for faster riders.

Here are some details about the track location etc:  Perth Mountain Bike Club - Forsyth's Mill.

Ride Safe!

Lots of riding – not much talking. Talking about some things is too depressing.

Been a while – been a long while. Masses of kms have passed under the wheels but little to write about: guess I have been focused on the blog as a space to write about new toys, but there haven't been any of those of late.

The Colnago CX-1 road bike has become a much loved tool for experiencing life at the top on the roads and bike tracks of Perth, whilst the Mach 429 29er has proved to be a king of the off road trails. Guess it's a nice position to be in not to crave for something new to re-engage my enthusiasm for biking – the fact that these two weapons have proven to be the kind of bikes that can give me the “day one” enthusiasm when I pop my bum in the seat for every next ride is a great thing.

Am hankering for some more road tours of the US – it's been a long while and there are so many new places to visit that the treasure of choices is mouth-wateringly mind blurring. The need to plan such stuff is something that Real Life intrudes on, plus there are so many quality blogs, pic sites and tour reviews that, whilst not a complete replacement, they at least satiate a little the thirst to actually get the arse up and out there! Still, time marches on, and soon I'll be having to ride in the autobus if I don't get out there again!

My other major interest in cycling, the competitive side, has always been a mainstay, at least in terms of watching (rather than active participation). I've always been fascinated with the racing scene, especially the Euro based campaigns. To me they represented the pinnacle of the sport, not just in the competition itself, but also in the majestic backdrops that serve as the playgrounds for these epic races: they always inspired me to travel and to hope one day that I may set wheel upon them.

I've pretty much come around to the fact over the years that the exploits of the riders are not necessarily something to hang your hat on: the judgement of history is that it has rarely been about a simple “man vs man in all their natural supremacy” battle. I do not ascribe to hero worship – there to me is a deep well of disappointment for those that dive in. I've tried to view it as entertainment, a gladiatorial spectacle, albeit with a slightly more even playing field than Christians vs Lions! I've always been a skeptic re: the superhuman feats that the pro-cycling marketers have hinged the sport's success upon: the need to create myths of mere humans seems to me to be an ultimately futile exercise, as humans are demonstrably renowned to be just that.  And yet, to see the current predicament of the sport is nonetheless disheartening and a little crushing – I guess even in the most profound of cycnics lies some still pool of hope.

But what to do? At various times I rail against the Lances of the sport, all the participants who lie, cheat and bully. I fume at all those facilitators and enablers who cover up, vacillate and protect. I mumble bitterly against an administration which propogates the cleanliness of the sport whilst aiding and abetting sham procedures which serve to prop up the whole collapsing edifice. I vent against all those who taint the sport, seeking restitutive penalties against committers, enablers and blind followers.

And yet, at the end of the day, I just don't know what to do? Am I really going to devolve into the it's all too hard pack?

Really?

Maybe.

Fuck it, I am just going to go out there and ride my bike – after all, that's what started it all for me.

Ride Safe!

Mach Attack: Pivot Mach 429

A while back I bought a MTB – a 2011 Giant XTC 29er 1 Hardtail. After some months of riding and racing, and a suffering back to boot, I decided I needed to go Full Sus to alleviate the back pain and keep up with the sport. To alleviate the wallet pain, I determined to graft as many parts as possible from the XTC onto a new frame.

So, after much research (I wanted to stay with the 29er theme) and some trusted advice from the guys at Cycles Bespoke (thanks Chris and Angus!), I ended up with a 2012 Pivot Mach 429 frame (Large size).

So, straight into some piccies! (click on the pic for a larger version)

Here's a shot of the non-drive side of the bike - looks really nice in stealth anodized black.

Drive side of the bike.

Drive side again from on high.

Front of the bike (bell has now disappeared - not a useful tool on the trail!).

Cockpit - the original XTC Giant 110mm stem has now been replaced with a 90mm Thomson for a little more control and reduced reach. The BBB flat bar has also been replaced with an FSA K-Force 18mm riser bar - slightly less backsweep but more width and a slight upsweep. Also, new brake system - XT levers here.

Front end showing the Fox F29 100 RL fork with 15mm Thru axle, Sun Ringle Black Flag Pro 29er wheel fitted with Schwalbe Nobby Nic Evo Snakeskin bag, and the new Shimano brake setup (XT caliper with Ice-Tech Rotor and Pads).

Mid-bike drive side showing the Pivot's DWS suspension featuring Fox RP23 Kashima Coat shock.  Pedals have been changed to XT Trail style.

Mid-bike non-drive side DWS suspension.

Chainset drive side.

Rear wheel disc. Axle is 142 x 12.

RD and 11-36 cassette. Schwalbe Racing Ralph Evo Snakeskin bag.

So, how does the sucker ride?

Well, this is just going to be a 'first impressions' of the frame and ride write-up, because I've done probably just over 8 hours of racing on the bike: that and my relative newness to MTBing means I am nowhere near competent to ride at the level or conditions this bike can cope with, nor I am sufficiently schooled to incisively comment on its capabilities or ultimate performance.  Still, a few observations can't hurt?

First off, the bike is as stiff as a plank on the trail: no squirms, wallows or flexs.  It goes where it's pointed and stays there (the fact that the pilot doesn't always point it where it should go is not its fault!).  The frame and axles are basis of this, with the Sun Ringle wheels also exhibiting ample lateral stiffness.

I've experimented with the suspension settings front and rear over the course of races (including a 4 hour enduro during which I tweaked a little) and arrived at a good setup for me.

The Fox fork is set to 22% sag (for an 87kg guy like me that equates to 90psi in the fork) which gives it a reasonable compromise between total amount of travel, small-bump compliance and bottoming out. Rebound speed is set to the fast side of middle - no pogo-ing but quick enough not to pack down under repeat hits. May have to experiment with oil volumes a little - I would like a little more small-bump compliance but decreasing air pressure leads to more bottoming.  Still, the fork is elegant rather than drastic when it bottoms, and the travel is progressive and rates ramp up nicely with good feel.

The DWS suspension with the Fox RP23 Kashima shock is just perfect.  The shock has various pro-pedal settings but I just don't use them - it stays fully open. Set the correct sag via the indicator and it's all go. The DWS suspension is like the proverbial magic carpet - rolls over everything with no fuss.  I really do forget about it - I know it has bottomed out but only because the indicator tells me so. No pedal bob, no loss of propulsion or motive power, no stiction - it feels as efficient as my old hardtail.  Except when it comes to climbs - there it tears the HT a new one. This thing climbs like a rocket strapped to a set of wheels. Just sit down and crank it out is my advice.

Making the switch to the XT brakes has been a revelation. Power is incredible but the modulation of that power is even better - 1 finger braking, no matter the level of stopping force required, is the reality, and it's one less thing to concentrate on.    

I am so much loving this bike right now, and I am feeling real progression in my riding each time I go out on it.  It's great coming to grips with the trail, and having a bike which isn't putting any obstacles in my way performance wise lets me concentrate on what I can achieve out there.  I'm confident I'll never be limited by this bike in the XC environment - which is a great thing to know.

Ride Safe!