Kath Bicknell

Enduro Issue 12

Enduro#12_cover1 Enduro#12_cover2 Enduro is one of those mags which has grown in response to the dynamic Aussie riding scene. This is reflected in the way that the quality and diversity of content just keeps getting better with every issue – something that makes me proud to be involved.

Issue 12 gave me the chance to interview endurance riding hardnut, Naomi Hansen. She’s an inspiring woman on and off the bike, and also wrote her own story about the Absa Cape Epic race recently competed in South Africa. There’s a ton of other cool stuff in there too, but I wouldn’t want to spoil the thrill of flipping through the pages and finding out for yourself. Get one while they still have “new magazine” smell!

Western Sydney MTB Series

The Western Sydney Mountain Bike Club held a XC race at their Yellomundee track on the Sunday of the June long weekend. A good turn out saw some quality racing, with the A Grade women’s field made up of riders who’ll also be competing against each other during next weekend’s state round at Ourimbah. There were also a lot of people out there just riding for the fun of it. I admit to being slightly jealous of their ability to chat and ride, while I huffed and puffed as though I was auditioning for the role of the Big Bad Woof.Continue reading “Western Sydney MTB Series”

Freewheel Issue 34

The latest Freewheel mag has arrived just in time to up the training motivation over winter (or keep you company on the couch instead)!

It features a stack of interviews, trendy fixie/singlespeed reviews and a thoughtful piece on the riding lifestyle in Japan. It taps into the Aussie National MTB scene and takes a peep at Melbourne’s recent track Cycling World cup as well. I have a piece in there on the BMC Mountains-to-Beach. I hope you enjoy the read.

X-Fusion NSWMTB State Series – Round 1

The first race of the X-Fusion NSWMTB Cross Country Series was held on a fun new course at Fitzroy Falls in the Southern Highlands and saw a much larger turn out than this time last year – very cool!

I was given the series leader plate after winning the series last year, which was a new experience and one I hoped wouldn’t jinx me into a big ego or broken derailleur.

The elite women’s field was small, but was made up of riders with varying strengths and similar race speeds, meaning the win could be anyone’s and that the racing would be close and exciting. Each lap featured tight, windy, leaf littered singletrack, 100 metres of climbing and a really fun, well built tech section right near the end. This last part was my favourite in the fun stakes, and also helped me to build a 20-ish second gap on the other women each lap, which made the difference between third place and the win. I was pretty excited, but will have to put in some serious training if I want to hold on to the leader plate for much longer! The next race is at Ourimbah in a month. Details can be found on the NSWMTB site, or on the (series sponsor) DIY MTB site.

Trying to “Miss America” the podium. (L – R) Meaghan Binder, Jenny Fay, Kath Bicknell. Photos: Gaye Camm.

Manly Warringah Social Rides

On Sunday I joined some of the crew from the Manly Warringah Mountain Bike Club (MWMTB) for one of their organised social rides. This one took in the techy, sandy tracks around Menai, southwest of Sydney. It was great fun following skilled riders down quick rocky descents and meeting other women with a skill level that would make some guys go weak at the knees!

Further info on the MWMTB soical rides can be found on the club webpage with different rides catering for different skill and fitness levels. They’re a great way for Sydney folk to discover new trails and meet some like-minded people – especially if there’s no racing that weeked or competition isn’t really your thing. I’ll be leading a women’s ride later in the year.