Interview with Kona Rider Alex Stock

Sam Bowell    mountainbikingholidays     Alpe d’Huez, BMX, Canada, France, Italy, Kona, Kona Interview, Kona Process Test, Morzine, Mountain biking holidays, MTB, Team Kona

Pro-rider Alex Stock rolls BMX and rides on and off-road (bikes as well as motorbikes), but has fast become known for his top Enduro placings for Team Kona.

Pro-rider Alex Stock from Team Kona.

Here he speaks to Sam Bowell, resident mountain biking holidays blogger, and reveals how he prepares, his thoughts on UK bike parks and DH tracks, and what he looks for in a perfect bike set-up.

He’s also booked in a return ride-off between the pair on Alpe d’Huez – because the last time Sam and Alex met…

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Mountain biking in Lanzarote: Off road in search of Hot Rocks

Mark Pawlak    mountainbikingholidays     Canary Islands, Lanzarote, Money for a Mac, mountain biking, Mountain biking holidays, Mountain Biking in Lanzarote, Mountainbiking in Canary Islands, MTB

If you’d rather take it off road than face the monotony of the road, mountain biking in Lanzarote has much to tempt – and a testing variety or surfaces, tracks and tough tundra to push you and your ride.

Off road in Lanzarote. Image: Flickr/ malc_smith

Lanzarote is favoured by small groups of lycra clad roadies enjoying the miles of sticky black tarmac – but not exclusively; the MTB scene here is alive and well.

And while its volcanic days are long since over, Lanzarote still has it’s share of hot rocks and routes – here’s more info about the Canary Islands for off-roadies.

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Kona Process Test and Winter Workout

Sam Bowell    mountainbikingholidays, MTB Gear     Kona Process, Kona Process Test, Mountain biking holidays, Mountain Biking Trip, MTB, MTB gear, review

OK so lets get something straight from the off: I’m proud to be one of those riders who is more than happy for gravity to do most of the hard work for me.

Kona Process, agile and precise.

That’s not to say I’m lazy or am adverse to a bit of pedaling, but I’m not going to win any XC trophies any time this decade.

So when I set out on a gentle ride this morning, I wasn’t exactly expecting to complete the 25-mile loop which I had fleetingly toyed with over breakfast.

Fortunately I had a very generously loaned out Kona Process to test, rather than the lumbering big-rig I would normally be piloting, and my punishing loop became little more than a (heavily frosted) piece of cake.

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The Best MTB Upgrades for New Riders

Sam Bowell    mountainbikingholidays, MTB Gear     Baron Black Chilli, Bontrager XR4, Charge Spoon, Fizik Kurve series, High Roller, High Roller II Maxxis, M520 for XC, Madison Flux, mountain biking, Mountain biking holidays, Mountain Biking Trips, MTB, MTB gear, Outland D31 Eight bar, Schwalbe Hans Dampf

Having recovered from the excitement of that first blast on a brand new steed, thoughts will often turn towards tweaks and upgrades that will help further increase enjoyment levels and comfort.

Upgrades improve your time in the saddle. Image: Flickr/ mademetz

For those new to the scene the variety of aftermarket kit can be overwhelming and confusing.

It’s no surprise then “What’s the first thing I should upgrade on my new bike?” is such a frequently asked question.

Upgrade all Contact Points

Start with the basics: those things that are going to dramatically improve your time in the saddle. Think contact points, for both you and the bike: Bum, hands, feet and tyres.

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Review of HBH MTB shoes and Bikehut pedals

Luke    mountainbikingholidays, MTB Gear     Bikehut SPD Pedals, Halfords, HBH MTB Shoes, mountain biking, Mountain biking holidays, MTB, MTB gear, Shimano Pedal Dynamics, SPD

Having mountain biked since I was a kid the thought of attaching my feet to the pedals has always seemed alien to me. But enough of my friends have tried it, and liked it, that I thought it was about time I gave it a go.

Gear up! Image: Flickr/ UltraRob

Comments such as ‘once you have tried it you will never go back’ enticed me into acquiring the Bikehut high performance dual sided SPD pedals and HBH MTB shoes.

This is Halfords’ own brand of SPD (Shimano Pedal Dynamics), which look and work in a similar way to their more expensive cousins.

Getting the HBH pedals and shoes set up

On arrival the HBH MTB shoes were a good fit and very comfy. I was impressed with the armour around the toes; if my trainers had provided this over the last few years it would have saved me quite a bit of pain and black toenails. Also, the pedals and cleats on the shoes were very easy to fit and adjust.

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Sam Pilgrim interview and new MTB vid

Mark Pawlak    mountainbikingholidays     Freeride, Freeride MTB, Freestyle, Links Mid, mountain bike trip, MTB, MTB discipline, Sam Pilgrim, Sam Pilgrim Interview, Teva, Teva games, Teva Mountain Games, Teva sponsored athlete, Vienna Air King

Freeride is perhaps the most testing MTB discipline, certainly in terms of what it demands of the bikes: Massive drops, cloud busting jumps and pretty much every obstacle in-between. And the skill level and balls out confidence needed to take on this stuff is on another level.

Sam Pilgrim, Vienna Air King winner and Teva Mountain Games champ.

So we hooked up with Teva sponsored rider Sam Pilgrim and quizzed him on all sorts of things, such as how he got into freestyle, his local rides and freeride as an Olympic event.

Three Times Vienna Air King winner and this year’s Teva Mountain Games champ, take it away Sam!

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Extreme sports fashion on the high street

Luke    ash     adventure holidays, AlpineStars jeans, BMX, Burton, Burton jacket, DC trainers, Extreme Sports Fashion, Fox, Fox Jeans, Foxhead, Foxhead Logo, FreestyleXtreme, FreestyleXtreme site, Fro Systems t-shirt, GT, High Street, Mountain Bike, mountain biking, Mountain biking holidays, MTB, snowboard, Snowboarding, snowboarding holidays, Surf, Surfing, surfing holidays, Wake, Wakeboarding holidays

All extreme sports enthusiasts can instantly name favourite brands for their sport. These brands become much-loved not because they look cool but by doing a good job when doing the sport.

Extreme sports fashion on every high street.

We all have our favourites mine are GT for mountain biking and Burton for snowboarding as neither have ever let me down.

But many of these brands have become popular outside of their sports and you see extreme sports fashion on every high street. Not everyone wearing a Quicksilver t-shirt can surf. Same goes for people sporting Fox jeans – it’s unlikely they ride motocross, and you don’t have to be a snowboarder to keep warm in a Burton jacket.

So why have extreme sport brands become fashionable?

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