Helmet Requirements and the new standards

by Steve | Dec 1, 2016 | WAGE News | 10 comments

UPDATED: 1st December 2016

As riders become more skilled and Gravity Enduro cements itself as a competitive and exciting mountain bike racing format, helmet selection for your safety is paramount. As WA Gravity Enduro is affiliated with MTBA (Mountain Bike Australia), we must adhere to their requirements to ensure rider safety remains the key priority in Gravity Enduro events.

Equipment Requirements

All riders must wear a full-faced helmet during all special stages. Helmets with a detachable mouthpiece are permitted.

The race director may choose from helmet requirements from the below options, and this information is to be published no less than five days prior to the first day of practice.

Unless otherwise indicated, WA Gravity Enduro operates MTBA ‘Standard A,’ simply meaning helmets with detachable mouthpieces are permitted and the mouthpiece must be engaged at all times during racing the Special Stage/Timed Section.

The list of standards that MTBA will accept as an international equivalent to the Australian/New Zealand Standard 2063 are as follows:.

• NSI Z90.4;
• Snell “B” or “N” series;
• ASTM F-1447.
• Canadian CAN/CSA-D113.2-M;
• S. CPSC standard for bicycle helmets;
• European CEN standard for bicycle helmets (EN1078)

Other international standards may be added however if not explicitly listed above or in any supplementary regulations are not permitted for use.

It is important to recognise that the Australian Standard (A82063) is generally considered to be one of the toughest in the world to pass and thus as helmets for bicycle use, we strongly recommend that such  helmets be used where ever possible.

Safe riding!

Mt Buller – Rockshox Enduro Challenge Race Review

by Steve | Feb 3, 2015 | WAGE News | 1 comment

Race Recap from Jimmy Pritchard

I was fortunate enough to head up to the Sram/Rockshox Enduro challenge at Mt Buller which also happened to be the 1st round of the National Enduro series over the weekend, and what a great race it was. The field was stacked with big names dropping all over the show. The tracks were spot on and the weather turned on too!

I flew into Melbourne a couple of days before racing and bunked with WA local legends Tim Bennet and James Kennedy. We spent a couple of days checking out the tracks and relaxing. There were 6 race stages and roughly 30km, 1400m of climbing and x2 chair lift assisted runs, it was a fair bit to take in and remember lines. While trying not to wreck our selves before race day on Sunday.

By the time Saturday rolled around we were feeling a little tired and decided make the most of the chair lift and save our legs for race day. The atmosphere in town had ramped right up with hundreds of people rolling into the village.

The Prologue kicked off at 3pm Saturday, a basic seeding run that decided where you start the following day. The track consisted of fire road, loamy grass and stairs to finish in the centre of the village. I left the gate about 545pm, I rode like a goose and came in at 33rd with the time not going towards our finish time it wasn’t a big deal. Tim finished 4th and JK 7th in vets and Mike 2nd and Sam 20th in elite.

After a good nights sleep, race day rolled around, feeling pretty nervous for my first race of the season I decided to go for a spin on a track nearby to loosen up, before I knew it I was called up and off down the first stage. It was pretty flat and pedaly, at 4minutes long it was going to burn the lungs. I rode pretty conservatively so I could punch the uphill before the last descent, that didn’t go to plan I was cooked by halfway. It was a delight to drop into the last 200m of downhill and give the lungs a rest. I was surprised and stoked to crack the top ten for the stage.

After coughing a bit of blood and a 15min climb it was onto stage 2 – Misty twist. A narrow track with plenty of switch back 180 degree turns that just seemed to go forever. It was a fairly uneventful run and the lungs and legs were starting to settle. Not feeling too shabby I saddled up and headed off on a 30-40 minute liaison stage to the top of Mt Stirling.

Then we headed into stage 3. Stonefly descent is about 8min of party time. It was fast and fun I loved every minute of it, I pushed pretty hard and had a few hairy moments as I only did one practice lap and I didn’t seem to recall much. I had a bit of fun and stayed upright.

After some food I decided to walk a firebreak to stage 4 – (Clancys Run) and give the legs a rest. After arriving at the top and only a few riders around I dived in while I was still warm. Knowing that I had 2 chair lift runs to go I was feeling good, I knew the stage well and had a good run with a couple of stalls on the tight corners but after a few cranks I was back up to speed.

Climbing off the chairlift we came to Stage 5. Outlaw/Yellow Post was one of the better stages, with plenty of rocks and loose dusty turns. I was like a kid in a candy store, it was good fun on the trail bike I could have happily done a few more laps, but I had to head up and finish the day on the prologue track.

After waiting 20min to get my start on stage 6 I was off trying to lay down some ponies with my chicken legs. Nek minit “ping” my chain snapped about 30metres in. Thankfully 80% of the track was downhill so I wasn’t completely out of luck after a few leg pushes across the flat sections. Bouncing down some stairs I was home with a 64th on the stage anda 16th overall, with a race time of 25:35 just outside my goal of top 15. Tim coming with a 7th, JK 13th in vets (JK walking over the line after destroying a rear wheel), Sam and Mike getting some pre-season training in and laying down a top 5 finish, Mike in at 14th.

It was a bloody good weekend had by all. I want to thank EMS Australia, The crew at Mt Buller and SRAM for putting on a great event. Also thanks the West Aus Lads for an awesome trip!

WA Gravity Enduro part of the Inaugural MTBA National Gravity Enduro Series!

by Steve | Jan 13, 2015 | WAGE News | 2 comments

We are thrilled to announce that a Gravity Enduro National Series, backed by MTBA, will be heading to WA on June 15. We will be hosting the event at the Goat Farm, Greenmount. With the exploding growth of this racing discipline, we expect the participant numbers to increase, so when the time comes, get it quick as registrations will be capped. More details will follow soon!

MTBA Media Release

Welcome to the home of WA Gravity Enduro!

by Steve | Jan 8, 2015 | WAGE News | 0 comments

We are continually developing and pushing gravity enduro mountain bike racing in Western Australia, and you are welcome to come along for the ride! We aim to bring you WAGE latest news, rider articles, information on other Gravity Enduro events happening in Australia and abroad, and of course, the latest races happening in Western Australia.

We have welcomed some new sponsors for 2015, with High5 Sports Nutrition, Common Ground Trails and Hybrid Linings, plus our dedicated sponsors – namely Chain Reaction Cycles [The Largest Online Bike Shop in the World], Prodigy Painting Three Chillies, Foothill Cycles [formerly Jet Cycles] and EMR Suspension Servicing and Apparel.

Rider will enjoy new trail locations in 2015, incorporating different challenges and experiences. We are always working hard behind the scenes to improve the sport and the racing discipline. You are welcome to join the Community, either as a rider, volunteer or simply coming along to spectate. Help us create a great mountain bike racing experience by coming along, having some fun and helping us donate funds back into the trails that we so enjoy!