Look out for the latest Mountain Biking Australia. In this issue we compare the capabilities of fatbikes and the new generation ‘plus’ bikes to see where they fit into the scheme of things; what they do well and where they fall flat. Troy Szczurkowski also tackles the wilds of Alaska with a 1,600km journey on his fatbike, showing what these fat tyred beasts can really do.
We take a trip down the NSW South Coast to the sleepy town of Tathra—a home-grown singletrack mecca that just keeps expanding. Across the ditch, we tackle the Heaphy and Old Ghost Road in the one adventure—two classic backcountry adventures that can be rolled into one with a few well-planned transport links.
Review wise we laid our mitts on the all-new Shimano XT Di2 and put it through the wringer as much as we could. There’s also the X-Fusion Trace Roughcut fork; a more affordable alternative to the Pike and Fox 34. Bike reviews include the just released Norco Optic 29er, along with an interview with the designer—Owen Pemberton.
Also on test is the Kona Precept – one of the more affordable offerings from this classic Canadian brand. The $10,000 Intense Spider 275c slots in at the boutique end of things and the Focus Spine C hits mark for the XC/trail rider.
Of course we've got the usual assortment of tech info that will keep your bike spinning smoothly through winter and David O'Reilly offers advice that’ll keep you barrelling down the trail like a teenager, even when you’re in your 40s and 50s.
You’ll find all this and a bunch more in the August/September/October edition of Mountain Biking Australia magazine!
