Gravity Check
Well it’s time to come clean. If you’ve seen me lately getting about on a shiny new slate blue bicycle made by a small (in comparison) west coast American company, it’s because I’ve been looking for a change. And, as changes go, I don’t think you can be any happier than making the switch to a new Santa Cruz.
I must admit, there was a lot of nervous energy when I first had the chance to jump on my new Bronson. It’s a markedly different concept of bike compared to my previous machine. It’s a change that will take some time to figure out, although initial times suggest that better pace is already there. Even so, extracting all the last bits of performance won’t be an easy or quick process.
But this is the bit that normally gets me pretty excited, if I’m honest. Maybe it’s the engineering side of me kicking in, or quite possibly the old school, ‘Who gives a s**t about Instagram, how does it stack up against the clock?’ mentality. It’s always interesting to see how different bikes handle different terrain. Although most seem to be converging towards a similar layout, there are subtle differences that all come together that can make a good bike a truly great one.
Testing during the week gets you step by step closer to your outright pace, but there is nothing like the first few races for forcing you to find the limit. After all, that’s what you’ve been training for over the past couple of months.
It feels like it has been years since the last World Round was raced, but it’s coming. And then the talk stops and we find out who has been putting in the work and who’s had a good off season. If you are one of the lucky few who received an entry into the EWS in Australia, you will get to witness in person what will most likely be an unreal display of speed and skill. The pace will be that fast, it will have you questioning whether the time was real or not.
Australia is in a very rare position this year – hosting the World Championships as well as the relatively new Enduro World Series. The World Champs in particular have a history of drama and excitement, with riders reaching for that extra five per cent they might normally not go for. It’s an immense feeling representing your country on a global stage and I’m sure we are set to witness something special go down later in the year. You only have to re-watch last year’s DH finals to send excitement levels through the roof. Let’s hope Australia’s fascination with making DH riders sprint 300m across the flat to the finish does not take away from what should be a fantastic spectacle.