Mountain Biking Australia Magazine
Mountain Biking Australia is a down to earth cycling magazine for those who like to get off-road and dirty.
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In our last issue we managed to slip in a sneak peek at the new XX1 component group from SRAM. Now we can fill you in on all the details and provide some initial impressions. As mentioned previously, XX1 will be the first mass-produced 11-speed MTB group. But rather than adding more gear combinations, SRAM has used it to simplify the drivechain by only running one chainring.
While prices vary somewhat, replacement disc brake pads from the major brands typically cost between $40 and $60. That may not be a big deal if it’s an occasional purchase, but wet trails and particularly abrasive sandy soils can eat through a set of pads in a single outing. If this is an issue that you face (or if you just want to spend less when buying brake pads), these aftermarket pads from Zeit may be worth a try. 
More new trails and an ongoing commitment to mountain biking—Mt Buller is shaping up to be our answer to Whistler.
The e-Thirteen brand has a strong background in the gravity oriented side of the sport, but of late they’ve bolstered and expanded their ‘XCX’ cross-country range. While XCX products are certainly very trail worthy, don’t be misled by the name—these aren’t racer-oriented weight weenie parts. The XCX hubs are a good example of this; the front weighs 171g while the rear is 309g. 
Built for speed, the Renegade stands as the fastest XC tyre in the Specialized line-up. With evenly spaced low-profile tread blocks, it’s designed to roll with minimal resistance. The 420/D1 casing used on the ‘Control’ version is said to provide “15% improved cut resistance” (we can only assume that it’s 15% better than the slightly lighter S-Works version of this tyre) and the firm 60a rubber helps to improve rolling efficiency. 
Telescopic (or adjustable) seatposts are popping up (ha ha!) more and more commonly on trail oriented mountain bikes these days. Initially dismissed as a gimmick that added unnecessary weight (just like suspension and disc brakes), the tide of opinion is rapidly turning as more and more people discover the improvements to bike control and safety they offer. 
The new range of Fox suspension sees some pretty major changes, and not just with the new CTD damper system.
New from Garmin, the Fenix is an outdoors adventure watch and a GPS all rolled into one. While it mightn’t have the on-screen base maps like the Edge 800 GPS, it does offer graphical GPS display showing the route that you’ve taken and you can store up to 1,000 waypoints. On the outdoor watch side of things, the Fenix has a built-in altimeter, a barometer, an electronic compass and it’s waterproof to 50 metres. 
Transition Bikes may not be well known in Australia but this US based company has some really interesting bikes in their line-up. Most tend to fall in the trail through to all-mountain categories and highlights include the Bandit 29—a 130mm travel 29er trail bike. For 2013 they’ve launched their first carbon frame, which is based on their 150mm travel Covert. 
GT85 is a penetrating spray that displaces moisture and acts as a lubricant. The lubrication is handled by PTFE (Teflon), so it dries quickly to form a non-oily yet still slick surface that doesn’t attract dirt and dust.
